Constantine Makris, ASC — Winner
Law & Order
"Stalker"Director of photography Constantine Makris has now earned three Emmys for his work on Law & Order. He previously won in 1993 for the episode "Conspiracy" (see AC Oct. '93) and again in 1997 for the episode "Mad Dog" (AC Oct. '97). Makris established himself in the industry as an operator on such films as Reversal of Fortune, Kiss of Death, Ironweed and Blue Steel, and then operated on a previous Dick Wolf production, H.E.L.P., before taking over Law & Order when then-cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, ASC left the series. Makris's other credits include the pilots for Feds, On Seventh Avenue, Graham, Likely Suspects and NYPD Mounted, and the features One Man Force and The Out-of-Towners.
Michael McMurray, CSC
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict
"Float Like a Butterfly"The path that led director of photography Michael McMurray to his first Emmy nomination is nearly as interesting as his nominated work. While growing up in Toronto, McMurray was intrigued by the scores of names scrolling by at the end of the films and television shows he watched. After graduating from high school, he immediately landed an entry-level position in the shipping-and-receiving department of the local television station, CFTO Channel 9. Over the course of eight years, his fascination with the visual medium grew, especially when a freelance film or commercial production would move into the studio for a day or two. He eventually left the station to pursue freelance film work, and his curiosity about the power of lighting guided him in a new career direction.
McMurray has since developed a long-standing relationship with Atlantis Films, shooting most of the company's new productions for the last 10 to 12 years, which include the pilot and subsequent series TekWar, the series Traders, and the company's latest endeavor, Earth: Final Conflict, which is produced in association with Kirschner/Roddenberry Productions.
The premise of Earth: Final Conflict is that an alien race called the Taelons have come to Earth, where they've peacefully cohabitated with humans for three years. However, some individuals are beginning to suspect that the Taelons are not what they seem.
In devising a visual style for the series, McMurray worked closely with production designer Stephen Roloff. The duo decided to juxtapose the two camps, lending the humans' scenes a crisp, clean look, while taking a colder, more technical approach to the Taelon settings. With a multitude of visual effects integrated throughout every episode, the cameraman elects to shoot all of his footage without diffusion filters, and seldom uses smoke.
"To keep the audience off balance, I like to keep the alien world a little cooler, which I do only through the lighting," says McMurray. "I don't want the Taelons to look too friendly. I don't want the audience to assume that they are here for the good of mankind. The Taelons never really give away their true intentions, so I don't want to give it away through the lighting either. I'll often try to keep the human world a little warmer. The humans are more friendly, more outgoing and what-you-see-is-what-you-get, except for the small resistance movement that is truly against the Taelons and believe that they are here to take over our planet. I therefore try to keep the resistance part of the human world very dark and contrasty."
As part of an economical strategy, McMurray photographs Earth: Final Conflict in 3-perf 35mm on Arriflex BL-4s modified by a local Toronto technician. The cinematographer mainly utilizes Eastman Kodak's EXR 5293 and 5248 stocks for the series' various interiors and exteriors, but will occasionally incorporate Vision 500T 5279 for large night exteriors. Additionally, McMurray almost exclusively uses a 17-102mm Angenieux zoom to cut down the more costly rental of prime lenses. He notes, "The zoom just takes the edge off the crisp, sharp stocks, so we call it our 'filter.'"
Joel Ransom
The X-Files
"The Post-Modern Prometheus"The photographic rendering of the acclaimed series The X-Files (see AC June '95) has earned numerous accolades for its cinematographers. In 1993, Thomas Del Ruth, ASC earned an ASC Award nomination for the series' pilot. Subsequent cinematographer John S. Bartley, ASC, CSC earned a 1996 Emmy for the episode "Grotesque," as well as a 1995 Emmy nomination for "One Breath." Bartley also received three ASC Award nominations for the episodes "Duane Barry," "731" and "Grotesque." After taking up the photographic reigns in the series' fourth and fifth seasons, Joel Ransom continued in this honored legacy with his nominated work "The Post-Modern Prometheus," which was directed by X-Files creator/executive producer Chris Carter.
As a teenager, Ransom became interested in cinematography during set visits with his father, well-known Vancouver gaffer Fred Ransom. He later gained experience while working at Panavision in Vancouver, and eventually worked as an assistant cameraman. After pulling focus on 21 Jump Street for two years, Ransom moved up to operator, and has served in that capacity on such features as Happy Gilmore, Wagons East, and Deep Rising. The X-Files became Ransom's first series as a director of photography when he was promoted from operator last season after the residing cinematographer, Jon Joffin, departed the show.
Now shooting its sixth season, the series has relocated its production from British Columbia to soundstages at 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, where it is being photographed by Bill Roe.
A tongue-in-cheek spin on the Frankenstein mythos, "The Post-Modern Prometheus" is unique among the series' visually arresting body of work in that the episode was shot in black-and-white. Says Ransom of the stylistic decision, "I felt it would stand out. It was a gamble, but it was a more lighthearted episode. We used a lot of wide lenses, up close, to give things a cartoony, comic-like effect."
Ransom, who is currently shooting the sci-fi series Mercy Point, notes that "Prometheus" was his first opportunity to shoot in black-and-white, which prompted him to send out his second-unit team to do some tests with Kodak's Double-X 5222 stock. The results alerted the cameraman that the broad exposure latitude he enjoys while using current color emulsions is beyond what's possible with black-and-white negative: "The tests worried me a bit, because I felt the exposures would have to be dead-on, but after the first day of [main-unit] shooting, I found there to be more latitude than I expected. The footage turned out beautifully."
Ransom notes that the primary difference between shooting color and monochrome is that foreground/background separation is of much greater importance. "We used a lot more backlight than usual," he notes, adding that actress Gillian Anderson's dark red hair required additional attention to prevent her from fading into The X-Files' requisite shadows.
Only one sequence for the episode was shot on the show's normal sets. The concert conclusion was photographed at a Vancouver nightclub, while a variety of day and night exteriors were shot in the surrounding countryside. "The show is a slight take-off on [the Tim Burton-directed short film] Frankenweenie," says Ransom. "It has a comedic touch with a bit of horror mixed in."
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