Snowden (2016)

Feature Film

Our Role
Main Unit onset DIT and Equipment Services

Directed by
Oliver Stone

Cinematography by
Anthony Dod Mantle

Shooting format
Arri Alexa 65, XT - Arri Raw
Canon C500 - Canon Raw
Codex Action Cam - Prores

Experience
Principle photography took place in Munich, Germany for academy award winning director Oliver Stones film, Snowden. After which, a round the world trip to Washington DC, Hawaii and Hong Kong followed.

Anthony Dod Mantle elected to use the large format Arri Alexa 65 on its first feature film as the A camera for shoot. At the time of filming the Alexa 65 was only capable of recording at a maximum of 28fps.

As all camera formats recorded to Codex media, a common naming convention like that of the Arri Alexa was setup by Digital Imaging technician Dan Carling during camera prep. This meant that all camera file names were consistent throughout filming.

Onset colour correction and exposure management was carried out from the mobile single monitor workstation. Data management was overseen by Dan Carling but carried out by data wrangler Mateusz Szczesniak.

The Codex Vault S was used to clone data to a rushes shuttle SSD sled and an onset SSD Sled. The Codex Vault was used to generate Prores 422 HD files with the onset CDL and LUT applied, for Dan Carling to check colour consistency.

Anthony could then ask for the CDL to be tweaked after the scene had been shot, prior to seeing the material in the dailies viewing environment which took place at Arri Munich HQ.

A wonderful project to be part of.