December 9, 2024

SCA Students Master IMAX Filmmaking in Alabama Hills Workshop

SCA Student Leilani operates IMAX film camera to capture USC student group sitting under Mobius Arch — SCA Student, Leilani, operates IMAX film camera to capture USC student group sitting under Mobius Arch

This past October, twenty-two students from the USC School of Cinematic Arts traveled to the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area to participate in a class workshop to learn how to shoot with IMAX film and digital cameras. IMAX Corporation and Panavision provided an IMAX MSM film camera and an ARRI Alexa LF digital cinema camera respectively to enable students to get hands on experience shooting for the largest IMAX screens in the world.

Over the 4-day workshop, students learned how to load IMAX film magazines, operate the film and digital cameras, plan and compose shots for the giant screen. Guided by Professor Matt Scott and IMAX veterans, cinematographer Sean Phillips and IMAX camera technicians Scott Smith and Keith Bronsdon, the students received a masterclass in capturing the spectacular images that have made IMAX films a beloved part of Science Center visits for generations.

USC professor Matt Scott, Eric Hanson, and students stand by the flagpole at our base camp in Tuttle Creek campground

On the final morning, students visited and filmed at the Iron Man Jerricco overlook filming location where they applied the IMAX nature cinematography skills they acquired over the previous days to recreate a scene from this famous Marvel film. This exercise enabled the students to apply decades of cinematic techniques developed for IMAX mission films to narrative story-telling, starting their journey to become the next generation of filmmakers for the giant screen.

This past October, twenty-two SCA students traveled to the Alabama Hills National Scenic Area to participate in a class workshop to learn how to shoot with IMAX film and digital cameras. — SCA Professor Matt Scott's class of USC students in front Whitney Falls.

During the course of this workshop students camped in the Alabama Hills, acquiring a myriad of related skills from securing base camp against the elements, minimizing the environmental impact of productions, and working quietly to not disturb wildlife, to packing and securing gear for travel on dirt roads, learning how to plan for the best sun conditions and even cooking over open campfires. For at least 5 students, this was their first camping experience.

The Alabama Hills are a dramatic natural environment with spectacular rock formations, natural arches, and two mountain ranges uniquely suited to be captured in in IMAX and displayed on the largest screens in the world. This region has been a favorite Hollywood filming location for over 100 years, hosting hundreds of film, tv and commercial shoots from classic westerns to Iron Man.

The Class, IML475 – Art & Practice of Giant Screen Filmmaking is taught by professor Matt Scott during the fall term at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.