December 22, 2006
Most people don't like to think about the potential extinction of humanity, but much science fiction has centered on that dark topic. It also happens to be an underlying theme of the Battlestar Galactica franchise, which was born as a feature film and TV series in 1978.
In 2003, Sci Fi channel launched a "re-imagining" of Battlestar Galactica, first as a popular cable miniseries, then as a series, which returned this October for its third season. Each Friday night, fans can watch Edward James Olmos as the hawkish Commander (later Admiral) William Adama, leader of the last surviving space battleship, at the head of an ensemble cast involved in extraterrestrial drama, intrigue and action. Bolstered by a heavy dose of visual effects, Battlestar Galactica follows the last survivors of mankind as they travel the universe, battling the Cylons (human-created robots) and searching for a new home on the mythical planet called Earth.
The production work takes place at Vancouver Film Studios, a complex of soundstages and offices that heralds itself as Canada's largest motion picture and television facility. Most of the shooting occurs indoors, although exteriors are shot all around the Vancouver area.
Sony's HDW-F900 high-def camera is the series' acquisition device of choice. "We've used them from the beginning for this show," says Cinematographer Steve McNutt, who has been with the Battlestar Galactica series since its first episode, which debuted on Sci Fi on Jan. 14, 2005. (The two-part miniseries that relaunched the series in 2003 was directed by Michael Rymer and filmed by Joel Ransom.)
"We shot the pilot on film, then we decided it might be interesting to go to HD," he recalls. "It turned out to be the perfect scenario. If they had decided to stay on film, we might have been relegated to shooting on 16mm, but the HD progressive format we use is really right for this show."
McNutt is no stranger to film, having used the celluloid medium for most of his past TV work, which includes Robert DeNiro's short-lived Tribeca series, Amblin Entertainment's sci-fi series SeaQuest DSV, the espionage series Spy Games and The Dead Zone, based on a novel by Stephen King.
"In the past, I shot mostly on film, except for the very early days in New York City, when Sony's Betacam format first appeared," recalls McNutt. "16mm was pushed aside for a while, and I started shooting on Betacam. But with that exception and until now, 99 percent of my work has been film, both 35mm and 16mm."
The signature style of Battlestar Galactica-in addition to its impressive use of visual effects-consists of very fluid camera movement, with lots of handheld work and zooms. "It's a zoom lens show," McNutt acknowledges. "We go through the whole zoom lens experience while we're working. We move the lens a lot. It's like a handheld rock 'n' roll show."
The use of HD is one of things that makes the extensive handheld camera work possible, giving the show its dynamic feel. "That's something we couldn't have done with 35mm because the cameras are just too heavy," says McNutt. "I like 16mm, but, in my opinion, it just doesn't have some of the qualities of HD 24p. The sharpness of 16mm probably rivals HD, but with the F900s I can control the image better. I can paint in the camera or I can do it through the master setup unit."
The Sony cameras are fitted with Panavision zoom lenses. "We use the 6-27mm, the 8-72mm and the 25-112mm," says McNutt. "That gives us the full range of what we need most of the time. They're not too heavy, and the 25-112mm lives on my B camera most of the time."
Handheld operation is supplemented by some Steadicam work, but not a lot. "We don't use as much Steadicam as you might on other shows because Galactica is deliberately a handheld show," McNutt stresses. Dollies are also rather rare on the show's set
. "A dolly allows us to do things that are hard to do handheld, but if we use a dolly, we put handheld on the dolly."
Battlestar Galactica's distinctive look was planned in advance as a way to reinforce the uncertain world depicted in the series. "When I met with [executive producer] Ron Moore the first time, we talked about prime versus zoom lenses," McNutt recalls. "I said, 'You really don't have much choice here. This is the perfect scenario for a handheld, zoomy show.' That's because they wanted it to be an unstable, vibratory kind of world. They don't want you to feel a lot of stability. If you get too stable, the world becomes more normal."
McNutt always uses two cameras. "We have A camera and B camera almost all the time," he explains. "Rarely is the B camera not in use."
Ryan McMaster operates the A camera; Tim Spencer operates B camera and is also the Steadicam operator. "Both of these guys go running for shots," describes McNutt. "It's very fluid. I've even seen them slam into each other in the middle of a scene. The cameras are moving, the actors are moving-it's really hard. These guys are very talented. I'm blessed to have them."
McNutt's way of working is to plan shots for McMaster and the A camera, then to give Spencer the freedom to pick and choose his shots and angles. "A lot of Tim's work ends up on the show," says McNutt. "It's so dynamic." While this is going on, McNutt supervises from behind the monitors.
McNutt and his team of camera operators have been collaborating only since 2003, having gotten together for the Battlestar Galactica series. McNutt and his digital engineer, Michael Sankey, however, have been working together longer-for about five years-in a relationship that serves everyone well on the HD production. "He's extremely talented, and he really understands the inner workings of digital video," says the DP. "He's a real asset to my learning curve."
In addition to the show's digital production, its visual effects are all-digital as well. The CGI work is overseen by Visual Effects Supervisor Gary Hutzel, who collaborates closely with the DP on planning future episodes. "When I'm shooting, Gary and his team are prepping the next show," notes McNutt. "If there's a problem, Gary will come down to the studio where I'm working and say, 'Steve, there's a shot we want to talk about. This the way we want to do it.' So we go through it. I offer my suggestions, what I plan on doing with it, and that tosses another idea into his arena, and we banter back and forth."
The two men communicate well. "I don't have to say too much to Gary," McNutt says. "I just make sure that I can fulfill his technical requirements and that he's willing to let me achieve the visual effect I want. We work well together."
As with most episodic series, Battlestar Galactica uses several directors. To McNutt's best recollection, at least eight have directed episodes of the show so far. "They all have a different style," he says. "Sometimes you like certain ones more than others, maybe because their way of working is more attuned to what you do. I learn a lot from these guys."
In television series, it is the DP rather than the director who provides the element of visual continuity, because the cinematographer is involved in all of the episodes, while directors rotate and are involved with the show only sporadically. McNutt grouses that "some directors will attempt to affect the look of the show. That's usually a pretty big mistake. If [the director] says, 'I want this scene to be dark, moody, scary,' that's fine. You do it within what you consider to be the look of the show. But some directors-though very few-will attempt to change a look you've set up in the show's early days. For example, one particular director-I won't mention his name-didn't like the look. He asked me if I would change it. I said, 'No, that's not what we do.'"
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