Steven Ascher here
Oscar nomininate filmmaker and author Steven Ascher (The Filmmakers Handbook) is in the Film Center doing research for the 3rd edition of his well-known text. He and his wife Jeanne Jordan are here with their film in the documentary competition–So Much So Fast–first screening is Sunday at the Prospector 11:30.
Shot on DVCAM (the DSR500 and a PD150 for the tight spots)–”the DSR is a beautiful camera,” Ascher says, “people have asked if we shot on film. But it’s heavy.” Apparently people on location also asked what TV Ascher was from…. hence the (much) less conspicous PD150 where needed. Edited by co-director Jeanne on Final Cut Pro “4-something”.
In one of those odd juxtapositions that always seem to happen, Steven, Jeanne and I have had kind of a parallel path with the subject of his film–the cliffhanger drama of living with ALS. It touched their family about the same time it touched mine. This led to their film about Stephen Heywood and his brother Jamie who, like all siblings living with ALS are carving out a fierce path between passion and acquiescence. …just as my own sister does every day, with the sometimes messy participation of her siblings.
Things to know: If you want to shoot to SR 444 tape untethered, this is the way to do it. Panavision’s Ric Halpern who runs the education/new filmmaker program reminds me of the flap with disc arrays and insurance companies–perhaps solved by now. But for their part, Panavision wanted the Genesis to fit as much as possible into the familiar workflow and business realities of 35mm studio filmmaking. So tape, for the moment is tried and tested (and understood by acuaries). Just one factor in the matrix of choosing your format…
