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Kovacs/Zsigmond


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Not sure about the date, I got the info from a web site and it said 17th. I had heard their story of escape from each man individually, but the night in New York when we ate dinner at a Hungarian  restaurant and they told the story together is one of the highlights of my life. We laughed until we cried. They had such love for each other and the grand adventure of their life and the art they created. Can't wait.

CrewC

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Crew,

        Just curious. How was it working with Zsigmond? I remember reading an interview quite sometime ago in the American Cinematographer where he sounded quite anti-Sound. But of course their contribution to the art of film making is immense. As one very much into history would have loved to have seen it too.

Suresh Rajamani,

Bombay, India

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Crew,

        Just curious. How was it working with Zsigmond? I remember reading an interview quite sometime ago in the American Cinematographer where he sounded quite anti-Sound. But of course their contribution to the art of film making is immense. As one very much into history would have loved to have seen it too.

Suresh Rajamani,

Bombay, India

I worked a couple of commercials with him and he was fine--accommodating even (somewhat)--certainly friendly and willing to accept that sound was part of the shoot and that he was our (sound dept.s) leader as well as that for the rest of the below the line people.  Which is more than I can say for many self-regarding commercial DPs (and especially director-DPs) who have never done anything but shoot a few expensive spots....

Philip Perkins

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When I worked with Vilmos Zsigmond, on "Life As a House", he insisted on shooting with two cameras, a 25MM and 135MM. I had many discussions with him on the need to get the boom in for the close up coverage. Occasionally he would relent. I wired the actors about 80% of the show as a result. His photography was beautiful, but a royal pain in the ass for the sound department.

RL

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Suresh, welcome. I will give you the short answer, but please, you should introduce yourself to the group. I have been thinking of reintroducing myself as well.

Vilmos is a film maker, but sound needs to work with him, not try to limit him, or interfere with the shot. If you know what you are doing, he respected that and would help you out as I remember my experiences. The film I did did with Vilmos, Jeff n Don sounded good and was fun to work on. I like the man. I like his work.

CrewC

Just before I posted this, I saw that there were 2 more posts. The films I did w Vilmos were 1 camera as were the commercials we did together. These all took place in the 80's. Time changes everything so I just wanted to qualify my pov.

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Overall a good doc, though I felt like the first 15minutes or more was almost un-watchable due to terrible editing and wacky camera work/post effects..

I'm talking about the first part where they cross cut between both of them talking about their roots in Hungary and filming the Russian invasion..  Just because you're making a doc about two of the most revered DP's in modern film-making doesn't mean you have to be extra flashy and edgy with your doc camera work.. I thought it was distracting with all those 3rd person type shots and the "crew in shot" type handhelds they kept quick cutting in and out of.  So lame!  Made me want to barf!!  I don't care about your silly camera work, obviously its a dung-pile in comparison to theirs so why bother??  I don't need to see the backside of Vilmos's ear!  Just give me talking heads and cut to the DP's actual footage for the embellishments.  It was like bad history channel programming..

Thankfully it got better and I enjoyed the doc overall.  Some of the films referenced I haven't seen so about halfway through the film I got a notepad and starting jotting them down.  Mcabe & Mrs. Miller was one.. looks interesting.

..sorry for the rant

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I just wanted to add a few more thoughts on my experience working with Vilmos.

My conversations with him were always delightful and civil, but he was hard to convince in regards to the needs of my department. The Director was also present when I made my requests, however he always deferred to what Vilmos wanted.

I have been fortunate to have worked with several of the "great" cinematographers. Michael Chapman, David Watkin, Zven Nykvist, Michael Balhaus, John Seale, Bill Fraker and Dean Semler. Aside from their incredible use of lighting, all of them respected the Sound Department and designed shots to permit the best possibilities in recording a good sound track.

The Director of Photography is brought on to a feature at least several months before the start of shooting. How great would it be for our craft if we could be afforded at least half that prep time?

Many years ago when I watched "Vision of Light", I almost laughed out loud at the arrogance of those interviewed. Many of the cinematographers took the credit for all the brilliant work of the Production Designers and Art Directors. Maybe it was Vittorio Storaro, but I think he even acted like God, as he took credit for the light and the clouds in the sky!

RL

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I had the good luck to work with Vilmos Zsigmond on a film that Glen Trew mixed years ago, Glen brought me on to do some addtional sound and boom a few days on the picture and I had a really great time, which is really easy to do on a Kevin Smith film.  My memory was that Vilmos was very easy to work with, used just a few large light sources into soft bounces, we worked at a good pace and I do not remember to many times that we had the "wide - tight" issue but I was not on set for the whole thing and my memory might have changed over the years ;) - I am sure that Glen could jump in here and fill us in better.  I am sorry that I missed the show on PBS, thanks for the heads up Crew.

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"  un-watchable due to terrible editing and wacky camera work/post effects.. "

this deserves its own thread...

such artsy-fartsy crap often diminishes the documentaries, as it calls attention to itself, and sucks the viewers right out of what is being documented,  especially weird shots or lighting of interviews;  talking heads usually ought to be talking heads!

Saw a Richard Schikel doc about Cannes Film Festival, and it was unlike most of his, and the distracting camera work made on the interviews made it annoying to watch.  what was he thinking??

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un-watchable due to terrible editing and wacky camera work/post effects.. "

this deserves its own thread...

such artsy-fartsy crap often diminishes the documentaries, as it calls attention to itself, and sucks the viewers right out of what is being documented,  especially weird shots or lighting of interviews;  talking heads usually ought to be talking heads!

Saw a Richard Schikel doc about Cannes Film Festival, and it was unlike most of his, and the distracting camera work made on the interviews made it annoying to watch.

They should take a clue from 60 Minutes on how to do a T.H interview.

Eric

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such artsy-fartsy crap often diminishes the documentaries, as it calls attention to itself, and sucks the viewers right out of what is being documented, especially weird shots or lighting of interviews; talking heads usually ought to be talking heads!

I think Spielberg famously called this "the MTV-izing of editing, where everything has to be cut at a frantic pace, with weird angles and intense lighting."

I've only worked with Vilmos two or three times on commercials in post, typically where he'd come in in the morning for 30 or 40 minutes just to check on dailies, but he was always a gentlemen and very funny. He's got a million stories. The first time I ever worked with him (on a Spanish wine commercial I can barely remember), Vilmos regaled me with Close Encounters stories for an hour. Amazing man, very philosophical and genuine. Great footage, too (but that goes without saying).

--Marc W.

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Hey Derek and all. I finally got to see the film and agree the intro start of the Doc was not what it could of been, but them it found its rhythm and was enjoyable. So great for me on many levels, but hearing the voices again are what really struck me. I want to see it again before I comment on their work and its place in the history of cinema.     

CrewC

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I had the good luck to work with Vilmos Zsigmond on a film that Glen Trew mixed years ago, Glen brought me on to do some addtional sound and boom a few days on the picture and I had a really great time, which is really easy to do on a Kevin Smith film.  My memory was that Vilmos was very easy to work with, used just a few large light sources into soft bounces, we worked at a good pace and I do not remember to many times that we had the "wide - tight" issue but I was not on set for the whole thing and my memory might have changed over the years ;) - I am sure that Glen could jump in here and fill us in better.  I am sorry that I missed the show on PBS, thanks for the heads up Crew.

Thanks for setting this up for me Chris, because, otherwise, no one would have believed me.

But, not only was it great to watch Vilmos create his vision for look of "Jersy Girl", but he was rare in that he also considered how his actions would affect the other crafts. For example, when rehearsing one scene where the boom op (George Leong) was fighting a boom shadow on the side of frame (we were shooting anamorphic). Vilmos heard George say that if he kept the mic still it won't be seen as a mic, but there will be another sadow. As we were about to give up and were reaching for the wireless, Vilmos said, "The my is full of shadows!", What's one more shadow if it helps the sound?... It's OK, don't worry about it"

Vilmos was also very complementary of the "so natural" sounding dailies, and was truly interested in other crafts having success for the  benefit of Kevin's film. If you see the other Kevin Smith films (pre Vilmos Sigmond), it's pretty clear that Vilmos clearly added to this film with his classic skill of the dramatic visual affect he felt was consistent with the movie.

Glen Trew

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