Band of Brothers Filmed Through Cooke Lenses  7/13/05

Hollywood, CA (July 12, 2005) - “Band Of Brothers,” HBOs highly acclaimed 2001 ten-part epic television miniseries event now available in DVD for home viewing, combined the directorial talents of Tom Hanks, production by Steven Spielberg and the DreamWorks production staff, a superb ensemble cast, and a realism that has to be seen to be believed. The story, based on renowned WWII historian Stephen Ambrose’s non-fiction book about Easy Company, an Army rifle company that parachuted into France on D-Day, fought the Battle of the Bulge, and captured Hitler’s Eagle Nest at Berchtesgaden, was brought to life with stunning realism and breathtaking clarity by cinematographers using award-winning, innovative Cooke cinema lenses.

The project was meticulously crafted to ensure that this incredible story of heroism and the human spirit were told faithfully, and with attention to even the most minute detail. Almost all of the main characters were cast as a result of their close physical resemblances to the real-life soldiers they were portraying. Prior to shooting, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Stephen Ambrose showed each of the scripts to the real-life soldiers of Easy Company for authenticity.

Cinematography duties were split between Remi Adefarasin, BSC and Joel Ransom, CSC. Award winning cinematographer, Adefarasin, chose Cooke 20-100mm, the precursor of the Cooke 18-100mm, and Cooke 25-250mm zoom lenses. Adefarasin said he used Cooke lenses to capture the clean, crisp images needed for many of the scenes shot in segments of ‘Day of Days,’ ‘Crossroads,’ ‘Bastogne,’ ‘The Last Patrol,’ and ‘Why We Fight.’

In an interview given to Kodak InCamera, honesty was the watchword for Adefarasin, who shot five of the ten episodes. “We wanted it to look as if a modern documentary team had dropped into the war zone and covered events as they were unfolding,” he said. “We limited crane shots and other devices that distance the audience from the feeling that it is actually happening. I used color correction filters but hardly anything else on the lenses. The directors, my operators and I viewed hours of documentary footage and read books documenting the war to prepare. Some of the most memorable moments come during a spectacular event that we witness through a single person’s plight.”

More than 2,000 extras worked on this miniseries during the course of production. Approximately 700 authentic weapons and almost 400 rubber prop weapons were used in production. A heavy day of filming required 14,000 rounds of ammunition.

The Los Angeles Times said that Band of Brothers was “The best-ever film depiction of war in the trenches, large screen or small.” The mini-series went on two win both Golden Globe and Emmy awards as Outstanding Miniseries, and was nominated for a total of 19 Emmy Awards.

Cooke is a storied name in both cinemagraphic and the ultra-high-end professional photography markets. Known worldwide for their precision, exacting tolerances and superior quality, Cooke lenses are specified by many of the most renowned directors of photography and cinematographers in Hollywood. Cooke S4 Prime lenses, acclaimed for their unique and innovative mechanical design and extraordinary photographic qualities, have been used to shoot several of the most renowned and visually beautiful motion pictures of all time, both in Hollywood and internationally. Recent box office releases shot with Cooke lenses include Cinderella Man, Ray, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Chicago, Under the Tuscan Sun, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and the extraordinarily beautiful Girl With a Pearl Earring.

For more information about Cooke lenses, visit their website at www.cookeoptics.com