HID Flashlight and Flares !!! - JJ Abrams spills the beans

[JohnBarlow]

A while back I read JJ Abrams talking about the flares in Star Trek.

 

http://io9.com/5230278/jj-abrams-admits-star-trek-lens-flares-are-ridiculous

 

in the article he says

 

"Our DP would be off camera with this incredibly powerful flashlight aiming it at the lens"

 

at the time I was unsure what he meant, now I realise that he meant HID flashlights which are incredibly powerful and also now common on ebay, so I have ordered one. :P

[Julian]

Nice read :) Thanks for sharing. I watched the movie before I even knew what an anamorphic lens was or did, it didn't bother me for sure, didn't really notice it.

 

Just watched the extended trailer and I can see it now. Mostly in close shots in the interior of the ship, works well in sci fi.

[jgharding]

I've done this on a couple of shoots while operating the camera, shine it across the front element for flare fun!

[A Y]

I love JJ Abrams's Star Trek.  I have no idea how Avatar could have won anything that year compared to Star Trek.

 

Anyway, in the making-of feature on the BD, it's also revealed that he is personally shaking the camera in every shot.  Apparently, only he can shake the camera in the right way, and the CGI guys had a tough time trying to replicate it too.

 

I'm looking forward to lightsabers casting crazy anamorphic flares in a couple of years!