'Relativity'

Relativity – a 10 minute DVCAM short for 35mm cinema distribution.

NEWS UPDATE OCTOBER '02 FOR 2003.

Relativity is a dynamic and humorous account of a fragmenting ‘family’ that utilises the radical potential of DVCAM cinematography to explore the elusive nature of truth. A mother (black British, 26), her daughter (black British, 8) and her latest boyfriend (white, 24) recount a domestic ‘accident’. Three different camera styles and soundscapes emphasise the relative nature of the truths they tell us. When the girl, in her innocent play, reveals the ‘real’ truth of their situation, ‘We are alone…And soon, we too, will die!’ , she is ignored, an ironic twist that reminds us to laugh at the absurdity of the human condition.

Why we wanted to make this film using DVCAM Technology

We wanted to use DVCAM cameras and new digital post-production methods, especially Digital Film Lab’s Arri lazerscan (Digibeta to 35mm neg), to tell a ‘cinematic’ story, with a humorous twist, derived from and very much for our fascinating, fragmenting times. ‘Relativity’ was written by producer Grant Keir and director, Virginia Heath, with the intention of exploring the radical potential of DVCAM cinematography. The intention was to create a highly textured narrative where changes in colour, texture, lighting and camera style differentiate three perceptions of ‘reality’.

DVCAM Cameras and Invaluable Advice

The story is structured around three ‘subjective’ styles of lighting design and camerawork. We wanted Cielle, (the kid’s) POV be warm and full of bright colours to reflect her vivid imagination and impetuous actions. By contrast, for Frank’s POV we wanted a cleaner, colder look to reflect his illusion of being in control of events. For Marcia’s POV we wanted a drained, de-saturated look and used lots of mirrors to emphasise her sense of being torn between the demands of her daughter and her lover.

But which cameras to use? There is a range of DVCAM cameras on the market, both for sale and hire. Our Director of Photography, Baz Irvine, was used to shooting on film. Most of the usual hire companies either didn’t have DVCAM cameras for hire, or responded in the Harry Enfield mode, ‘You don’t wanna do it like that!’. It was clear that we were all on a steep learning curve and needed to speak to someone who understood how DVCAM cameras would respond to the demands of shooting drama on tape, but finishing on 35mm film.

Fortunately, we found that ‘someone’ in the form of Julian Guillaume at a company called Visual Impact. He not only understood why we wanted to adopt the shooting strategy we had in mind, but offered to run a series of tests to explain to the camera crew how the various cameras he could offer us would respond.

This was invaluable help and fortunately came early enough for us to integrate a number of important elements into shooting strategy. For example, we decided to eliminate primary colours from the set, even though we wanted the ‘warm-red’, ‘cold-blue’ and ‘drained-green’ looks mentioned above. If the set contains rich primary colours, it was explained to us, the DVCAM tape is already at the limit of its capacity to record these colours without the risk of distortion. Better to avoid these colours in the set and bring in the desired look at the grading stage.

In the event, all the cameras we used came from Visual Impact. The majority of the film was shot on a Sony PD150. For the steadicam shots we used a DSR200 in order to be able to mount remote focus control and make use of its better lens. Julian and his Visual Impact team were in constant communication as we approached the shoot and even visited the set to check on how things were going. Their support gave us the confidence to really try for the look we wanted. And it worked to stunning effect.

The Advantages of DV – Actors’ Performance

The highly mobile, subjective and random sense that we wished to create placed extra demands on the actors to achieve a casual, almost nonchalant feel to their performances. Given that a young actress (Cielle) has a major role in the film, we allowed an unusually high shooting ratio (60:1) to ensure that we achieved the desired result. However, as this is only 600mins of DVCAM tape (10 tapes), the cost implications were not severe (although you have to leave more time for the edit!). Shooting on lightweight, mobile DVCAM cameras gave us the stylistic range and economic latitude to achieve our desired intentions.

The Advantages of Digital Film Lab’s Digibeta / 35mm transfer

The difference between the three characters’ POVs is absolutely crucial to the success of the film. However, to distribute ‘Relativity’ to a cinema audience required a transfer from the digital medium to a 35mm print. To ensure that the contrasting ‘looks’ were not lost in the transfer process, we went to Digital Film Lab, (DFL) the UK arm of the Copenhagen Lab, to transfer from DVCAM to 35mm print. First, we transferred all the DVCAM rushes to digibeta. Then, editor Steve Sprung cut the film in an off line Avid suite before Asa Shoul graded and Adam Windmill conformed the digibeta master at Framestore in Soho, London.

DFL’s Arrilaser compared to a standard ‘Blow up’

A standard ‘blow up’ transfer from DVCAM (or digibeta master tape) to 35mm print would not have given us sufficient control over the look and texture of the finished image. The extra cost of achieving a higher than average quality ‘look’ is part of the reason that this project sought and received funds from a range of financiers, such as the East London Film Fund, the Film Council and Yorkshire Arts who were all willing to back film making that pushes the boundaries of our art to new limits.

The need for a ‘film look’

Cinema audiences, whether they be art house or multiplex, expect anything they see in the cinema to ‘look’ like film. For this reason alone, it is important that a drama shot on DVCAM tape should look like film.

‘Relativity’ also needed a ‘look’ appropriate to its content. At one level, the film is simply an entertaining and humorous account of an everyday incident within a fragmenting modern ‘family’. However, it is also an exploration of the philosophical nature of ‘truth’. We felt that the depth and perspective intrinsic to film was the most appropriate ‘look’ for a work of this nature.

We think the film looks stunning and are looking forward to screening it around the country, at a cinema near you!

Producer and co-writer Grant Keir – grantkeir@aol.com

Director and co-writer Virginia Heath – virginiaheath@aol.com

Update on Movie:

We are delighted to tell you that 'Relativity' a short film by Virginia Heath, won the United International Pictures / European Film Academy Prix Berlin for the Best Short Film in Competition and Panorama at the recent Berlinale, together with a purse of 2,000Euros.

Awarding the prize, EFA Chairman Nik Powell cited the comments of the panel of judges (Nicole Guillemet (USA), Margit Eschenbach (Switzerland), Fred Kelemen (Germany) that, "This original script takes us into three stories about reality and the perception of reality, truth and the perception of truth, sex and the perception of sex."

'Relativity' is now automatically nominated for the European Film Academy Awards that take place in Rome, December 2002

We will be celebrating this success with a special screening of the film, details of which will be forthcoming.

'Relativity' is a Faction North / Faction Films production, made with support from the East London Film Fund (London Film and Video Development Agency), Yorkshire Arts, the Film Council with National Lottery Funds, the Northern Media School and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

For movie sales, contact dawn@shortfilmbureau.com

Visuals Group Technical Department.