DOP David Eggby on filming Mad Max

[biolumen]

DOP DAVID EGGBY ACS
WRITTEN BY JOANNE DONAHOE-BECKWITH

In the interest of full disclosure I must warn that this article
is written by a nervous dyslexic DOP, not a writer. This
has arisen because the opportunity to spend some time
listening to David Eggby or ‘Googy’ talk about his work was
impossible to resist.

With a catalogue of over fifty feature films there is much to
be discussed, indeed an entire article could be written about
any one of David’s fi lms. So, under the tutelage of our ACS
editor we have decided to explore David’s work targeting a
few areas which are topical. With the impending production
of Fury Road, the fourth in the Max Max franchise, we will
discuss the fi rst instalment shot by David in 1977 and then
move on to his more recent productions, entering the world
of digital capture.

From our brief contact prior to the interview, it is evident that
David is passionate about his craft and most generous when
it comes to sharing his stories and lessons. When I arrive
at his lovely home, I am immediately struck by his delightful
warmth and charm as he makes what is agreed upon as a
DP’s coffee, ‘milk with one’. David casually asks if I saw the
article in the previous days’ Age newspaper covering the
launch of The Shadowcatchers, which I had not. When I get
home to follow up, I read that unfortunately the article gives
Dean Semler ACS ASC all the credit for Mad Max. But the
productions stills show very clearly that famous, or perhaps
now infamous photo of David, riding pillion on a motorbike at
very high speed (look at his horizontal hair), handholding an
over shoulder shot for the first Mad Max film.

To be fair, asking David for details about a film he shot thirty
five years ago is a big ask, but the making of the fi lm is stuff
of legend. Did he really fi lm that motor bike speedometer
handheld at 180 kph, while managing to act as a human
gyroscope to keep the horizon level? Oh yes he did, with
just a belt to tether him. And would he do it all again? In a
heartbeat! There is a twinkle in his eye as he talks about that
motorbike shot and then he comes clean, he is still an avid
biker. No wonder he is so good at action. He has adrenaline
in his veins.

Mad Max was a fi lm shot on a budget of $380,000, in an era
before Occupational Health and Safety regulations. Although
rubbing his head, David recollects much about the making
of Mad Max, a twelve-week shoot where his planning was
very different to now. He admits he didn’t really plan anything
then. The visual approach was the unique angles, low and
wide and a certain style to the composition of frames… it
was an organic process. In terms of lighting exteriors, the
aim was to get as much backlit and side lit as possible, to
have continuity in the shadow detail. Originally it was going to
be shot Techniscope, the cameras were available and the
wet lab was available, but there was no dry printing facility
within Australia for two perf printing, so it was decided to go
with 4 perf anamorphic.

Shooting started November
1977, over summer through to
January 1978. The photos of the
crew reveal just how remarkable
and resourceful David was with
three in the camera department,
himself included (Harry Glynatsis
1AC and Tim Smart clapper
loader), two electrics (Lyndsay
Foote gaffer, Garry Plunkett best
boy) and two grips (David Cassar
and Noel McDonald). Equipment
was minimal, one camera, an
ARRI 35 BL, and five or six Todd
AO anamorphic lenses that had
to be re-marked every week.
David shot the majority of the film
looking at the compressed image,
as he struggled with an old Italian
eyepiece converter which had
him scanning to see the whole
anamorphic image.

Grip-wise he had an old O’Connor
head and legs, an Elemac dolly and a tracking vehicle, which
was an F100 Ford with a jib or lattice arm on it. He cannot
recall the full compliment of equipment in the lighting truck,
which he describes as more a top
heavy van with 3 mini brutes, 2
x 5k’s and 1x 2k and a couple of
blondies and redheads. On one
occasion the old van, packed
with all the equipment, had to be
held up by crew and unloaded to
stop it from toppling over.

David recalls shooting a night
scene at the time on the Melbourne side of the Westgate Bridge freeway, as yet
unopened; in fact the bridge was still under construction. It
was the sequence in the movie where Fifi (Rodger Ward),
arrives at a crash scene with ambulances, tow trucks and
carnage. In the scene, Fifi approaches Max (Mel Gibson).
David had been approached about a brand new light called
an HMI, that had just come on
the market, so he thought he’d
try it out, using two 2.5K’s for
that set-up. As it turns out, quite
conceivably, the fi rst feature in
Australia to use them.

http://www.cinematographer.org.au/_dbas ... sue_55.pdf

[kennerado]

Cool read, wasn't it also the first Australian film to be shot in Anamorphic?

[roadwarriormfp]

Cool read, wasn't it also the first Australian film to be shot in Anamorphic?

Yup it was.

verytime you read or hear the stories about just how the movie was done, you really have to say to yourself how "cool" it was, as it seems it was mostly done ad hoc, certainly no OH&S and there seemed to be a fun element in the whole thing.

The fact that it remains some 30yrs later Australias most recognised movie says something about it.

[mackv8]

roadwarriormfp certainly no OH&S and there seemed to be a fun element in the whole thing.
Non of that OH&S bullshit existed then.

Look at the airport stuff in the news there in a war zone with a bullshit vest on, like that's making them easy targets not protecting them.
If you follow OH&S in your job to the letter you would get stuff all done.

[Uncle Entity]

How many original prints/negatives of the first Mad Max do exist? And who does own them? WARNER?

[kennerado]

Probably Warner or Village Roadshow.