STARSHIP TROOPERS 2

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'Heightened reality' feel
Excerpts of an interview with

Director of Photography Christian Sebaldt by A.G.
(July 2003)

Could You tell us about the format you were shooting with?

We worked with two Sony F900 High Definition digital cameras shooting wide-screen format (16x9) with Canon HD zooms and other lenses (like an Innovison Probe). We used two cameras at all times and once in a while a third unit shooting additional footage. We were recording in 24p (24 frames per second) at 1080 x 1920 resolution at a 1/32 shutter. One camera was often mounted on a Steadicam, operated by A-camera operator John Hankammer and the second one on a dolly, operated by my D.P. friend Ken Glassing. Many scenes were simply shot hand-held when we had a lot of action on the set.

How did You develop the film's look with director Phil Tippett?

When I got involved Phil Tippett had already done a tremendous amount of prep work and there were hundreds of storyboards as well as video animatics (which are low-resolution video demos for specific scenes, created with a little video camera and models of the sets or they can also be computer generated scenes, we had both). The animatics gave us a very good idea how we could light and move around in the fantastic sets, designed by Franco Carbone and art directed by John Zachary.

What type of photography Phil Tippett wanted for SST2?

Every movie should of course have its own look and feel, but you can only TALK so much about visuals, actual references always make your life easier when you are trying to communicate a feel for movement, colors and style with others. That's why we watched a very specific selection of about fifteen feature films, with "Alien" and "Das Boot" being good references for set lighting and camera movement.

Phil had a very good sense of when the camera needed to be frenetic hand-held and where more fluid and quiet movements were appropriate. His very detailed storyboards (drawn by Phil) provided a good roadmap for the shoot. With his help it was easy for me to determine where we wanted to keep things silhouetted or unlit (or just very dark) and where we needed to be brighter.

From a cinematographer's perspective, how is the sequel different from the original?

Because of the unfortunate situation the Troopers find themselves in in our story, this film has a lot of dark and scary scenes and so our 'look' is quite different from the first movie. We have a lot of very, very ugly bugs that do terrible things and the Troopers have to fight very hard to survive... Tippett Studio in Berkeley, California made a lot of the actual bugs for us, so we could get a better idea of the size as well as the colors. It certainly helps the actors and the crew to see a 'nice' big bug on the set...

How were chosen the colors and the lighting in the movie?

Much of the lighting was built into the sets in order to allow us to move freely with the cameras and follow the actors where they needed to go. Here and there we added hidden lights to make their faces more beautiful. The colors of the lighting, the costumes and the sets were chosen based on Phil's sketches of the Troopers as well as camera tests and discussions with the production designer (Franco Carbone) and the costume designer (Jennifer Parsons). We spent about four days doing camera tests, shooting different lighting scenarios, diff. make-up, blood and explosions, diff. colored lighting, diff. camera diffusion, diff. camera speeds and shutter angles, diff. fabrics, firing the Troopers electronic guns (they were built by Tippett Studio), etc.

Which scene in Starship Troopers 2 was the hardest to make from DOP's point of view?

The hardest scenes for me were the night exteriors we shot on stage. To have more control over lighting and environment (storm, lightning, smoke, etc.) we shot most of the exteriors on a large stage here in Los Angeles, California. Because the cameras are so light sensitive in dark situations, it was pretty tricky not to see the stage walls (which were all covered with black fabric all the way up to the 40 foot high ceiling). Special Effects Supervisor Michael Lantieri and his team created wild storms and lots of exciting explosions on the stage and their creative use of diffusion helped me disguise the stage walls!

Ed Neumeier's script is just terrific and there are many moments in the movie that I really love. It was especially fun for me lighting certain night interiors, where I only used ONE flickering light source: As the Troopers are exploring a strange environment, they are lit with only one light the whole time with lots of moving shadows, it looks really scary. You'll see what I mean when you watch the film.

Director of Photography Christian Sebaldt (right, with hat) confers with camera operator John Hankammer (left) on a ST2 set.

Did the shooting go smoothly or were there any problems on the set?

The filming actually went very smoothly, but we wished we would have had more time than the 26 days we were given by the studio. But our wonderful producer Jon Davison and UPM Glenn Gainor ran a tight ship and we had everything we needed to make it work in a pleasant way.

How does SST2 compare with other movies You've done?

SST2 is very different than all the other films I've shot. It is my first 24p digital shoot and the images look excellent. I am amazed by the filmic quality of the High Definiton pictures we were able to achieve. High Definition to me has somewhat of a 'heightened reality' feel, because so much of the image is in focus and it is so detailed. This look was actually quite appropriate for our dramatic story.

The film has so many visual effects that will be created digitally in the computer (like most of the bugs and some of the awful injuries that happen to the Troopers), that it only made sense to start in a digital environment. This way we didn't have to scan 35mm film frame by frame into the computers, the images were already digital to start with.

What personal satisfaction do You get out of Your work?

I love movies and there is nothing better than working in the film business in Hollywood making them. Seeing them come together beginning with the written word, initial discussions with the director, crew and actors, to the first shots, to the editing and then the music and sound effects, is absolutely magical.

We often work 65 to 75 hours a week, so you better love your job, because it is all you have while making a movie. So before I decide to take a job offer, I make sure the script is good and the people involved provide a nice family (like on this film) I want to be with for several months.

Thank you very much for your time and for this interview.

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