Latest news with #cinematography
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Legendary Australian star who worked with Kylie Minogue and Stephen Curry dies aged 75 following long health battle
Veteran cinematographer and industry stalwart Ron Johanson died last month at age 75, following a long battle with brain cancer. Johanson, who spent more than five decades behind the camera, died peacefully on Saturday, June 28, surrounded by his family. He was best known for his acclaimed work in film, television and advertising, in addition to his long and transformative tenure as president of the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS), serving in the role from 2008 to 2022. His death was confirmed in a heartbreaking statement on behalf of the Australian Cinematographers Society, written by fellow cameraman Ernie Clark. 'It is with great sorrow we acknowledge the passing of Ronald Johanson OAM ACS,' Ernie began. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Ron was our much-loved, highly respected and long serving National ACS president for fourteen years from 2008 to 2022, national vice president for five years and a past Queensland president for over ten years.' He added that under Johanson's leadership, the ACS had grown significantly and helped shape the Australian media landscape. 'Ron helped expand recognition of the ACS on the world stage becoming only the second ACS president to be the Australian representative on Imago – the International Federation of Cinematographers, becoming a co-president in 2021,' he wrote. 'He fostered alliances with many international cinematography guilds as well. Ron was instrumental in making the ACS more inclusive, by working with the other Australian guilds to bring our industry together to make it the best it could be. 'He strove to make the ACS more welcoming to all and to innovate changes to improve the ACS. He made the society truly national by implementing a branch in every state and territory.' Raised in Melbourne, Johanson began his career as a teenage message boy at Crawford Productions in 1965. By the age of 21, he had worked his way up to lighting cameraman and quickly established himself as a rising talent. In 1980, he founded his own Brisbane-based production company, Roly Poly Picture Company, directing and shooting hundreds of high-end television commercials, documentaries and films. He worked on the cult Australian 2000 horror movie Cut, starring Aussie actors Kylie Minogue, Stephen Curry and Jessica Napier, in addition to Hollywood star Molly Ringwald. Johanson was also the cinematographer for the cult 1982 Australian action movie Freedom, helmed by Shine director Scott Hicks and starring Bud Tingwell. But it was his work off-camera that helped shape the Australian screen industry as we know it today. Johanson was instrumental in establishing the ACS's national headquarters in North Sydney in 2010, helping to unify the society and give it a permanent home. He also led the push to expand ACS representation across every state and territory, making it a national body. Under his leadership, the ACS gained international recognition, with Johanson becoming co-president of Imago – the global federation of cinematographers – in 2021. He also helped publish The Shadowcatchers, a landmark 288-page book on the history of Australian cinematography. Johanson's enormous contributions to the screen industry were formally recognised in 2014 when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to film and mentorship. He also received ACS Life Membership, was inducted into the ACS Hall of Fame, and was honoured with the Ron Windon ACS Contribution Award in 2015. Johanson is survived by his wife Linda, their children Shannon and Kelly, and four grandchildren.
Geek Vibes Nation
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Queens Of Drama' Blu-Ray Review - A Whimsical Kaleidoscope Of Unabashed Queerness & Creativity
An outrageous lesbian pop musical satire inspired by the pop frenzy of the early 2000s, QUEENS OF DRAMA charts the rise and fall of new star Mimi Madamour and her passionate, rage-fueled love affair with punk icon Billie Kohler. Over the course of half a century we follow these drama queens as they top the charts and set sail on the course of mad queer love. Featuring an iconic cast, including Asia Argento and Alma Jodorowsky, and containing hit songs like 'Don't Touch' by Yelle and 'Fisted to the Heart', this film vividly dissects the turbulence of toxic relationships–whether between fans and their idols or within passionate queer love affairs. Director Alexis Langlois brings their trademark glittercore pop-punk aesthetic to create a vibrant, unforgettable spectacle of music and passion. For in-depth thoughts on Queens of Drama, please see my colleague Cody Allen's review from its original theatrical release here. Video Quality Queens of Drama makes its Blu-Ray debut with a lovely 1080p video presentation in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio that showcases the visually dynamic cinematography well. The bubblegum color palette is like visual candy, and every hue appears to be dialed into its intended shade. Every shot feels like a window into the early millennium with visuals that are equally gorgeous and grotesque. The flesh tones are natural with a consistent showing across the ensemble. The image is clean with a pleasing visual language. The exaggerated period production design and the dreamy aesthetic allow for clear textural details. Black levels avoid most signs of banding outside a few fleeting moments, as they largely maintain their depth. Highlights are brilliant without veering into blooming. The presentation shows off an impressive depth of field, even if practical locales are not put into practice very much. This Blu-Ray is a cracking representation of this movie that should please fans. Audio Quality Altered Innocence gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes all of the nuances of this soundscape with ease. The dynamic and effective mix sounds incredible here as it both captures the playfulness of the style and the transcendent beauty of the music at the core of the narrative. The environmental sounds of this musical odyssey engage the surround speakers in a lively manner. As the characters move throughout their journey, there are some distinct ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being overpowered by any competing elements. The music is effective and well-balanced while maintaining its fidelity. There are numerous moments that deliver some nice texture to the proceedings. The audio track provides a really rich experience full of nuances that bring this narrative to life exactly how it was intended. This film is presented in the original French with optional English and Spanish subtitles. Special Features Short Film by Alexis Langlois: This disc provides an option to watch two short films from director Alexis Langlois, and it is cool to explore this world a bit more within the inventive imagination of the filmmaker. Terror, Sisters! (27:49) The Demons of Dorothy (29:25) Music Video for Pas Touche! (3:36) Camera Test Featurette: A 25-minute piece that shows the process of testing out different camera set-ups with commentary from director Alexis Langlois. Karaoke Videos Pas Touche! (3:02) Bikeuse Amoreuse (3:25) Go Musclées (2:17) Tu Peux Toucher (3:13) Trailers: This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (1:37) for Queens of Drama. There are also trailers provided for She Is Conann, Eat the Night, The People's Joker, and Dressed In Blue. CD Soundtrack (14 Tracks, 45:46) Final Thoughts Queens of Drama is a whimsical kaleidoscope of unabashed sexuality, creativity, ambition, and independence. A narrative exposing the trappings of fame is nothing new, but director Alexis Langlois brings a subversive twist to the proceedings to make everything feel especially fresh and vibrant. The passion pulsating between our leads is captivating, and the music stands out as a worthy artistic achievement of its own. There is a lot at play here, but the film does an impressive job of keeping everything on the rails. Altered Innocence has released a Blu-Ray featuring a sterling A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. Recommended Queens of Drama is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Diabolik DVD. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Altered Innocence and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Letter: Billy Williams obituary
The cinematographer Billy Williams made a brief but crucial contribution to The Exorcist (1973), helping to create in Iraq its 11-minute scene-setting prologue. He had worked in the country 18 years earlier, making an oil company documentary about the cultural history of Mesopotamia. His assistants then were now leading figures in the local film industry, and joined up with him to shoot the eerily atmospheric sequence set among excavations. The film, which had been famously jinxed during its American shoot, now suffered one more piece of bad luck. The director, William Friedkin, and Williams could not find a huge packing case containing a fibre-glass statue of the demon Pazuzu. Without it there could be no film. Eventually, Pazuzu was tracked down to Singapore, where it had been offloaded after being accidentally left on a plane.
New York Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Rust' Crew Members Settle Civil Suit With Producers, Court Papers Show
Three crew members who worked on the Western movie 'Rust' reached a settlement this week in a lawsuit arising from the 2021 fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the film's set, according to court documents and lawyers. They were seeking compensation from the producers of the movie, including Alec Baldwin as the lead actor and co-producer. The suit accused the film's producers of negligence and failing to follow industry safety rules, allegations that the producers denied. The full terms of the settlement were not immediately available. Lawyers for the producers did not comment or were not immediately available on Saturday. The three crew members were independent contractors in New Mexico, where 'Rust,' which was released last month, was filmed on a set outside Santa Fe. One was a dolly operator responsible for building and operating the apparatus for camera movement; another was the costumer; the third managed all the nonelectric support gear. All three were on the set when Mr. Baldwin positioned an antique-style revolver for the camera on Oct. 21, 2021. Mr. Baldwin had been told that the gun was 'cold,' meaning it had no live ammunition. But as he practiced drawing the gun — in a scene in which his character was cornered by the authorities in a small church when he decides to shoot his way out — the revolver went off, discharging a live bullet, which killed Halyna Hutchins, the movie's cinematographer, and wounded the director Joel Souza. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Drive
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Apple Had to Invent a Camera for the F1 Movie Because Broadcast Ones Weren't Good Enough
The latest car news, reviews, and features. I have no idea if the Brad Pitt F1 movie will be any good, but there's no question that the creators have taken the cinematography to heart. The director, Joseph Kosinski, is famous for his work on Top Gun: Maverick , after all, which was absolutely dazzling. To that end, Apple, the film's primary financier, developed a special camera using the guts of an iPhone to capture onboard footage, because the Formula 1's typical broadcast cameras weren't good enough for Hollywood duty. Obviously, filmmakers strapped many different kinds of cameras in different positions on the fictional APX GP cars that Pitt and his co-star Damson Idris drive in the movie. However, they needed something to get that familiar offset overhead onboard shot that we see in F1 broadcasts. The cameras that normally capture that angle during actual racing record at a resolution too low for the big screen, and don't offer granular control for things like color grading that movies require. Apple's solution was to pack the camera system of an iPhone into one of the small winglet pods that hang off the air intake above the driver's head. Wired and YouTuber Bobby Tonelli published deep dives into the little module this week, and it contains a lot of tech. You've got an iPhone 15 Pro's camera sensor, backed by one of Apple's A-series processors. There's also an iPhone battery in there, as well as a neutral density filter to control the intensity of light reaching the sensor. The lens is assuredly of a higher quality than something you'd find on the back of a consumer smartphone. The camera pod can be easily removed, and plugs into an iPad for adjustments over a USB-C cable. Bobby Tonelli via YouTube In addition to all that, Apple had to test the unit to ensure it could stand up to the rigorous stresses of, you know, being fixed to one of the world's fastest race cars, that can hit up to 220 mph in straights and pull over 5G in corners. It also had to match the lightness of the camera system that F1 cars normally run, because we all know that they pay quite close attention to weight in this sport. Naturally, all footage the system captures is in Apple's lossless ProRes format, but the camera cannot be controlled wirelessly, as that's supposedly against FIA regulations. So, the production team had to connect an iPad to the little camera pod over a USB-C cable to make necessary adjustments, as well as start and stop the recording. At left, the APX GP F1 car drives around the Silverstone Circuit during the 2024 British Grand Prix weekend, for content capture. At right, Brad Pitt gets out of the car during filming at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto, David Davies/PA Images This view into the solutions required to make a film with footage from F1 cars is fascinating; it's also exactly what happens when you've got the world's biggest tech company bankrolling the whole thing. Again, I don't know if F1 will enter the echelon of great racing movies, but I do suspect it'll at least be beautiful to watch, and that counts for a lot. Got a tip? Email us at tips@
