Dune movie scenes shot in Near Infrared

One of the big cinematic releases at the moment is the second part of Denis Villeneuve‘s interpretation of Frank Herbert's SF Epic Dune.

Cinematographer Greig Fraser decided to use near-infrared (NIR) imaging to show the weird environment of the planet occupied by the film's uber-villains, the Harkonnens. He had used the technique before, on Zero Dark Thirty in 2012 and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016.

While the Australian movie BRINDABELLAS | edge of light in 2016 (see below) had used RED cameras configured for monochrome IR, Dune used an ARI Alexa camera but the basic premise is the same. The usual infrared blocking filter was removed and replaced with a 'black' infrared-pass filter.

The idea with Dune was to show the unreal environment the Harkonnen's inhabited. The first film had only shown interiors but the second part required exterior shots. One significant result of this technique is the surreal look of the characters, since NIR penetrates a few millimetres into skin (and the characters are hairless) and there is the well-known look of people's eyes and the inherent high contrast.

[Photo: Dune: Part Two Infrared Copyright © 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.]

I can point you to the following for much more information: Variety, NoFilmSchool, Kolari and ARRI Rental.

This provides an opportunity to review some of the history of near infrared in feature films.

Infrared film was a useful tool in the motion picture industry as far back as the 1920s. Kodak had produced their first infrared ciné film stock in 1925 and by 1937 it was also available from Agfa and DuPont. Agfa's was the first of what was described as the modern infrared film in that it was not a panchromatic emulsion pushed into infrared sensitivity. The new films were only sensitive to UV and blue and then to extreme red and infrared. This simplified the filter needed and a Wratten #29 (deep red) was the most common used. Sometimes infrared film was used in the making of travelling mattes (used to replace backgrounds in shots) but more often it was used in black and white movies to allow night-time scenes to be shot during the day, a technique now known as 'day-for-night'.

Not all the artefacts of infrared images were welcome however, and special makeup (usually lipstick) and set painting often had to be applied. Sometimes foliage was sprayed with green paint to hide the Wood effect and prevent shifts in tone. Paramount even painted an entire back-lot 'Brownstone Street' in special blue-grey paint called infra-red blue so that it would look the same on both infrared and panchromatic stock. The 1941 DuPont film was welcomed by cinematographers because of its lack of Wood effect and the three apparently competing emulsions had actually found slightly different and complementary niches in this specialised application.

By the 1960s the movie industry was moving from black and white to colour and infrared's abilities for day-for-night shooting were obsolete. But occasionally infrared filming was used for artistic effect.

In the early 1960s there was a curious collaboration between the Cuban and Russian film industries resulting in an extraordinary movie called Soy Cuba (I am Cuba). The director was Mikhail Kalatozov, famous most probably for The Cranes Are Flying in 1957, and the director of photography was Sergey Urusevsky. The film is a cinematic tour de force, featuring several long single-take sequences which almost defy attempts to work out just how they were done.

Much of Soy Cuba was shot using infrared film, with characteristic bright foliage and dark skies. The film stock was actually manufactured for use by the Soviet military, so it was quite a coup for the production to access some of it.

More recently, movie-maker Mike Figgis has been experimenting with low light and infrared photography using consumer video cameras with Sony's Night Shot facility. His 2001 film Hotel includes scenes done this way, to such an extent that the actors in the scenes could not actually see each other during filming.

The director of 2006 movie Wristcutters (A Love Story), Goran Dukic, had intended to use Kodak Ektachrome Infrared extensively to provide the look of the film's afterlife for suicides setting. Kodak provided unique super-16 format stock for this purpose, but after shooting some tests Dukic decided to use post-production techniques rather than infrared film. Some of the test sequences were shown on the film web site and on the published DVD. The production eventually sold off their unique stock for $300 per roll.

In 2015 film makers Glen Ryan and James van der Moezel of silver dory productions in Australia released a movie to exploit the monochrome infrared abilities of the RED digital cinema camera, called BRINDABELLAS | edge of light. It was described as “the World’s first near-infrared feature” and was shot in 4k resolution. I wrote it up in a blog post at the time, and the movie is still available on their web site.

Since most NIR-converted stills cameras can now shoot movies as well, the scope for infrared movies has expanded greatly over the past century.

Simon Marsden film now on DVD

Jason Figgis's 70-minute film, Simon Marsden's Haunted Life in Pictures, is now available to buy on DVD as well as through digital outlets. Jason first told me about his project in June 2016 and the film was premiered at the BFI in London in August 2018.

The movie explores Simon's life and his interest in the paranormal ... especially as expressed through his infrared photography. There are contributions from Simon himself, friends and fellow photographers (including myself). The film is full of examples of his work, and ends with a moving poem, read by John Hurt.

Simon was an great exponent of the classic Kodak High Speed Infrared black and white film (HIE). Its construction, while designed to give an increased speed, coincidentally provided a unique look combining grain and halation. This was his starting point, but Simon was also a skilled printer, since the HIE was notoriously difficult to expose even nearly 'correctly'. His many books are full of infrared images where bright foliage offsets the stone of ruins and statuary.

Simon Marsden died in January 2012. Sad to say that although we corresponded, especially during the centenary celebrations in 2010, Simon and I never met. This film goes some way to rectifying that omission for me.

The DVD is distributed by MVD Entertainment Group/Pop Twist Studios (released December 14th 2021) in the USA and through Wienerworld in Britain from January 10th 2022. Amazon are already selling it and streaming it through Amazon Prime.

Infrared Movie: Las Vegas in Infrared

I've been a bit quiet lately, as a result of moving house, so I thought I'd put up something really nice I recently found on YouTube (although it was posted in 2016).

The videographer, Philip Bloom, notes that he shot this with a Sony RX100 IV with its IR-blocking filter removed, and in slow motion to add to the fun.

Enjoy!

If you'd prefer the source page, go to this page.

Jason Figgis' Simon Marsden film premiere

Simon Marsden: A Life in Pictures is a film about the photographer directed by Jason Figgis, better known for his horror movies. The film looks at Simon's work and influences. I wrote briefly about the project last year. It is now finished, and gets its premiere at the BFI next week, sponsored by Nikon. I may see you there.

You can find out more, including a trailer, in an interview on the Headstuff website.

You will also be able to see it on DVD/VOD or on the film festival circuit later this year. I should add that I contributed to the project, talking about my impressions of Simon's work and about infrared photography in general.

[I find I originally attributed the sponsorship to Kodak! Freudian slip.]

World’s first near-infrared feature film

I've known for a while that the Red digital cinema camera could take great monochrome infrared moving images. For the past few years film makers Glen Ryan and James van der Moezel of silver dory productions in Australia have been working on a tour de force movie to exploit this, called BRINDABELLAS | edge of light .

It's probably best I let the film makers describe what they set out to achieve ...

BRINDABELLAS | edge of light is an immersive cinematic journey through the sky and landscapes of the Canberra region of Australia – in particular the Brindabella Ranges. The film focuses on the interplay of mountain light, air and water as these elements are transformed across the seasons – from clouds to mist, rain and snow – then frost and ice – and onto creeks and rivers. It explores both the wider montane vistas of the Brindabellas and the more intimate details of the natural flows that are created by these mountains and, in turn, shape the very landscapes they arise from.

The video, shot at 4K resolution, looks superb, exhibiting all the characteristics of near-infrared photography but with the added dimension of movement. The landscapes will look familiar to anyone used to taking such images, with clouds sailing majestically across ink-dark skies above Wood-effect forests, accompanied by minimalist music and effects. There used to be a common phrase in the early days of interactive video ... Every frame a Rembrandt ... and it really applies here.

But there are more than landscapes. The area's wildlife is included. Here's where something extraordinary appears, an unusual feature of an unusual movie. Insect chitin, the substance of which much of their bodies is made, has long been known to be transparent at near infrared wavelengths. You can see this demonstrated clearly, and in minute macroscopic detail, in parts of this movie. Not just chitin either, I wasn't aware that caterpillars might become transparent (or at least translucent).

The film is in 22 chapters, covering five seasons (two summers bookend the production) and you can watch it in up to 4K quality via the production website, YouTube or Vimeo. My 5K iMac can display the 4K movies, given a following broadband wind, and they look superb (although I haven't gone all the way through as yet). Another Koyaanisqatsi perhaps?

PS: Silver Dory have also produced a book/monograph of the project. Selling out fast, apparently.

Richard Mosse 'The Enclave' exhibition in New York

Following on from his exhibition at the Venice Biennalle, Richard Mosse's colour infrared installation, The Enclave, is on show in New York until March 22nd. The venue is the Jack Shainman Gallery at 513 West 20th Street.

Mosse worked with cinematographer Trevor Tweeten using 16mm aerochrome (basically Color Infrared Ektachrome) to explore the war-torn eastern Congo. The resulting film was transferred to HD video. Here's how the exhibition press release describes the work:

The Enclave comprises six monumental double-sided screens installed in a large darkened chamber creating a physically immersive experience. This disorienting and kaleidoscopic installation is intended to formally parallel eastern Congo’s multifaceted conflict, confounding expectations and forcing the viewer to interact spatially from an array of differing viewpoints. The Enclave is an experiential environment that attempts to reconfigure the dictates of photojournalism and expanded video art.

The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 1000 to 1800.

Thermal imaging reveals wildlife secrets

The BBC's new natural history series The Great British Year has shown some fascinating, and very artistic, uses of thermal imagery. (Best if you expand the videos ... but sorry they probably won't work outside the UK.)



And there's a movie showing something of the technology.



Shows you don't have to wander the plains of Africa to get exciting thermal footage, and I have to say it's nice to see something more subtle than the usual blue/red heat pattern. Also worth a read (and with the 'usual' colouring in many cases) is a web page on 10 wildlife secrets revealed by thermal cameras ... even a hot plant!

Richard Mosse at the Venice Biennale

Richard Mosse's latest work in colour infrared, The Enclave, is opening at the Venice Biennale this week and running until November 24th. I've previously noted his work in the Congo with medium format infrared Aerochrome/Ektachrome. This time it's a multiscreen movie, shot on 16mm and shown in an HD transfer. A 240 page book is being published by Aperture to coincide with the event.

I'm curious as to where he got the 16mm film stock but perhaps it's the Super-16 made for the Wristcutters project but never used.

The venue is the Irish Pavillion, Fondaco Marcello, San Marco 3415 (Calle dei Garzoni), 30124 Venezia which is near the Traghetto San Tomà. Sadly my May culture has been provided by the rebooted Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and I won't be in Venice. Richard is representing Ireland at the Biennale and there is more on the Ireland at Venice web site.

More Red infrared

Shooting infrared using a Red movie camera seems a popular activity. I've come across another nice example, this time an entry for a Brazilian One Minute Movie competition. The video is from a company called Kipper Tie, based in Surrey (near where I used to live). It's called Infrared Landscapes and was shot on Chobham Common.

I attempted to embed the video but it didn't work ... so just follow this link.

Thermal imaging role at end of Boston manhunt

The manhunt for the remaining Boston Marathon bomber ended when he was discovered hiding in a boat in a back yard. As this page from NBC's Photo Blog shows, the fugitive's body can clearly be seen even though he was underneath a kind of tarpaulin that was protecting the boat from the weather. There's (over compressed) movie (pity about the commercial) but, further down, a couple of hi-res stills.

A further story explains more about the thermal imaging and, eventually, explodes the myth that you can see outlines of people through walls using far infrared/thermal imaging ... despite what CSI would have us believe. You can however see through thin sheets of plastic, such as a bin liner, at these wavelengths which can not be imaged with a conventional camera.

BBC Natural History infrared shooting tips

I've known Colin Jackson from the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol for a few years. He has presented his work, filming wildlife at night using near-infrared and thermal cameras, at both the Infrared 100 symposium and at IBC.

I just came across a video from June 2012, tips on infrared filming, on the BBC Academy of Production web site. In it, Colin is shown using what he calls the 'kebab shop camera', a standard definition surveillance camera made by Ikegami. These days he is using a Canon DSLR with its infrared-blocking filter removed which will produce HD resolution images. You should also know that, if memory serves, his infrared lighting is at 920 mn.

What he doesn't talk about in this video is using thermal imaging. There, as you probably know, you don't need lighting as a thermal imager shows the photons generated by the objects themselves.

Infrared on Red

I've noted before the suitability of the Red movie camera for shooting near infrared footage and the suitability of infrared for shooting clouds and a superb example has now been brought to my attention.



This is the work of Glen Ryan and James van der Moezel and as Glen writes,

"... is only a very short section of a much larger project - in scope, duration and resolution (4K) - that I am currently working on with emerging cloud wrangler James van der Moezel."

He promises a six hour uncut version soon.

The Karst formations are near Wee Jasper in New South Wales and the video was part of a recent exhibition called Karst County held at the Belconnen Arts Centre in the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra). Here Glen Ryan's photos and video were exhibited alongside Phil Ryan's acrylic paintings.

The infrared video was shot with a Red camera using 'Nikon glass' and an R72 filter (presumably the Hoya of that ilk).

Watch the video at full HD resolution if you can ... preferably in a darkened room.