Damages
DP David Tuttman Streamlines The HD Process
By Pauline Rogers

Welcome to the world of high-stakes litigation. Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the most revered and reviled litigator, has taken on two new challenges; a young associate, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), and a new target, an allegedly corrupt CEO by the name of Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson). This new legal thriller on FX mixes the intensity of litigation with a twist—murder.

“Pilot director Alan Coulter and cinematographer Jonathan Freeman set a high bar,” says Damages series director of photography David Tuttman. “The show is sharp, intelligent, exciting and surprising. The overall look of the pilot was terrific. However, to do a series we needed to find a way to streamline the HD shooting process.”

Tuttman’s main concern was speed and consistency of image. The pilot’s Panavised Sony F900s required the Pro35 adapter for use with Panavision Primo lenses. “I’ve shot with Primos on film for many years with great results,” says Tuttman, “but the adapter can cause backfocus issues, and halation of edge lights and practicals. The camera tends to become longer and heavier, hampering Steadicam and handheld shooting. As we prepared for the series, I wanted to explore newer digital lenses.”

Tuttman met with John Fishburne at Plus 8 Digital and went through lens options. The choice narrowed to the use of two zoom lenses, the short Zeiss DigiZoom and the Fujinon 7.3mm to 110mm zoom. “They matched each other nicely,” Tuttman explains, “and I liked the slight softening of the image that a zoom offers. Two zooms would reduce backfocus time, offer infinite choices of focal length without too much fuss, and they softened the edginess and sharpness of the video. As the series developed, we found an added plus. By squeezing in slightly on the zoom throughout certain scenes, we could invisibly build the tension so important to the story.”

With the state of the industry as it is today, there was pressure to begin shooting the series quickly. Tuttman had little time for tests. However he was concerned with the equation of beautiful women and the unrelenting quest for detail and sharpness of the HD image. “The Tiffen SoftFX diffusion takes the edge off the image without creating a sense of filtration,” he explains. “A gain setting of +6dB gives the image a subtle grain and light contrast that makes that image more natural-looking, slightly more like a film-viewing experience.”

Damages is Tuttman’s first foray in the digital world. His first concern was the “workflow” issue. Comfortable with being at the director’s side by the monitor, he was concerned that this would change in HD. “The change in mindset is a lot easier than I thought,” he admits. “I trust my camera operator, Michael O’Shea, implicitly. He is a great floor leader. Since I know Mike is furthering things along on the set, lining up the shots, I can be with D.I.T. Jeff Cirbes, and we can set the proper visual tone for a scene.”

Tuttman is happy with the image capture choices made for the series. With the Pro35 gone, he works with two Sony F900R cameras which are tied into the digital station, “which I call the Big Board in honor of Dr. Strangelove,” he jokes. “We use the Evertz ECAS Fiber Optics System.

“We chose the FO system with the intention of further streamlining our workflow,” he explains. “It has really worked for us. We have centralized control and power for the cameras and only one cable to hook up. Mike O’Shea swears by this system for Steadicam. It has made our lives so much simpler. With the multiple looks needed on the series, the system allows us to tweak the image smoothly and quickly. We change camera modes frequently, working mostly in Studio mode, using both ARRIHEAD 2s and an O’Connor 2575. The FO system has allowed us quick mode changes and frees our operators to move spontaneously. It’s so much easier to deal with only the one cable. We have done 250-foot moves without a hitch, and turned around on big exteriors in under 10 minutes. I’m quite impressed.”

Whether on a location interior or stage interior, Tuttman and crew are careful to build the subtext of the sequence carefully, using lighting and the ability to manipulate the HD image immediately. Camera, lighting, movement, and non-movement all contribute to the story.

Tuttman finds the exterior work on Damages challenging and interesting. “The biggest potential hazard, especially for HD, is hot backgrounds when the subject is in shade,” he says. “HD’s exposure latitude is much tighter than for film. Sun/shade situations are often the toughest to balance out. I’m always working with the ADs to structure the exteriors towards backlight and relatively uniform light levels. Of course, that doesn’t always happen. Then again, sometimes it does.

“Where we are going with the series, who knows?” concludes Tuttman. “But there are infinite possibilities in story and in look. And we’re all enjoying the ride.”

Original article published in ICG Magazine October 2007 issue.

Since 1929, ICG Magazine has served as the premiere journal of “how to” for film and digital productions. It incorporates a wide range of editorial for specific job categories in relation to cinematography. It also defines the tools and technology necessary for advancement in this field.

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