'The Forgotten's' Super FlyCam

[Tim Tyler]

Anybody seen 'The Forgotten'? Besides liking the 'X-Files' factor, I really like the unusual moving camera shots.

 

That long tracking shot down the narrow alley up high and behind Julianne Moore was cool.

 

I was also wondering how often Garrett's FlyCam was used.

[WillArnot]

Hi Tim,

I was the A-camera operator on "The Forgotten". Unfortunately I didn't get to work with Garrett and his super fly-cam. The only other time, apart from the great swooping shot down the alley, was the shot about 16 stories overhead tracking Julianne Moore chased by the agent just before the alley when she runs down the street having escaped from the cop car and enters the super market. They rigged it between two roof tops. Quite spectacular.

 

David Dunlap did these shots and was the 2nd unit DP on "The Forgotten", and most of the big shows that come to NY. David is a mentor of mine. Operated over 12 movies for Michael Ballhaus. He is a wonderful man who commands great calm and order with such a quiet demeanor. Check out the opening sequence of "Changing Lanes" too, another great piece of work by him.

 

I am proud of the movie visually, the plot leaves a little to be desired shall we say. We did alot of bungee cams, hand held work, Akela & Techno crane stuff. We don't see the Akela much in NYC, not enough room!! But with the arm at 75 ft we were able to do some cool stuff, one shot in Prospect park Brooklyn, where the camera cruises over the high top limbs of some trees, giving us the feeling that 'the aliens' are watching them. Tons of long lens work too. Only one walk and talk (just after the Akela shot). Is that a record??

 

Will

[Tim Tyler]

My compliments to your 1st. Focus was nice throughout and looked challenging.

 

> David is a mentor of mine. Operated over

> 12 movies for Michael Ballhaus.

 

I loved most of Michael Ballhaus' work from the 80's. He almost always kept the camera moving in really interesting ways. Dropping the camera from a window down to Griffin Dunne in 'After Hours' comes to mind.

 

I did locations on a film Ballhaus shot called "House on Carrol Street" and we were shooting in the rafters high above the giant main 'hall' in Grand Central. I recall being impressed with a dual dolly rig he setup where one dolly was used on one sloped side of the ceiling to counter-balance the camera dolly on the opposing sloped side.

 

> one shot in Prospect park Brooklyn, where the

> camera cruises over the high top limbs of some trees,

 

That was effective. Cool shot.

 

I'm curious who's call the extra-dutch and shakey-cam shots were that occured just before Julianne Moore's character runs away from home.

 

I was also suprised they didn't have a POV version of one of the abductions :blink: