Page 46 - Film Facilities & Studios Almanac_ok

THE IMAGE
IS EVERYTHING
It’s innovation all the way with Joe Dunton & Co
W hen Joe Dunton MBE BSC talks
cameras, a gen- uine sparkle comes into his eye, and he betrays a boy-
ish enthusiasm for the craft that has been his life. But unlike some industry veterans, Dunton is not one to look back fondly on the past and dismiss the future out of hand.
The plans he has for his camera rental company are both forward thinking and imaginative, blending the best of the past with the endless pos- sibilities that the future holds. Prime among these plans for the company that bears his name is an exclusive viewing theatre in the heart of Soho designed explicitly with the needs of the cameraman in mind.
“I call this the ‘Empire Leicester Square simulator’,” he explains, sit- ting in the middle of a work in progress that is clearly very close to his heart. “This place will, theoreti- cally, have as close to perfect projec- tion as you can get. That’s what we have to sell, because so many the- atres are not so good or nobody cares about it.”
But a large screen theatre with a handful of seats is not all that Dunton is planning. This is more than just a
vanity project with plush seating and nice canapés.
“So many cameramen want to go digital intermediate, and that’s what we will specialise in here. The digital master will then go for post-production where they’ll do all the special effects, and once it’s returned to us, we’ll
digitally output it back to film. “Then you can compare the rushes
to those that you shot in the first place. And if a cameraman isn’t here to do it, because he may be on anoth- er job, we will be his eyes to see that it hasn’t been altered by the colourist, the producer or the editor.
“Another issue is, who pays for the cameraman to come back and do this? We can plan that in our camera budget when we rent the camera. It’s a new part of our service where we’ll integrate
it from the original to the output and control it through this theatre, which in effect becomes the grading facility.”
Based in The Hat Factory, located between Wardour Street and Dean Street, the theatre itself looks like it will be something special. Dunton is determined to get every detail just right for the optimal viewing experi- ence, from state of the art equipment to perfect sound and light insulation. As well as brand new, hi-tech projec- tors he also has use of those that pre- viously belonged to his friend and col- laborator Stanley Kubrick.
Even a cursory look through the boxes surrounding this impressive machinery reveals something of the legendary director’s trademark atten- tion to detail. Gates that guide the film through the projector are uniquely marked for their quality and quirks.
22 • Exposure • Fuji Motion Picture And Professional Video