"A great spot begins with understanding how people feel about themselves," Bennett says. "That's why you usually light a truck differently than a luxury car. Products are like characters in a movie. You light them accordingly."

Bennett observes that successful commercial directors and shooters are under steady pressure to create more interesting and innovative images that reach through the screen and grab the audience's attention. With that in mind, we asked Bennett, what's new in his bag of tricks?

High on his list is the new Kodak Ektachrome 100D color reversal film/5285 balanced for an exposure index of 100 in daylight or 25 with a Kodak Wratten No. 80A filter on the lens. Bennett was among the first to test the film on a spec spot directed by Scott Gillen who wanted to show the sponsor and agency a different look for a new car.

"We decided to use a combination of the new Ektachrome film and Kodak Vision stocks," says Bennett. "The color reversal film is a lot contrastier and that makes the images seem ultra-sharp. You get essentially grainless images with denser blacks."

The spot juxtaposed images of a new car and a beautiful female model. Bennett used Kodak Vision negative on close-up shots of the model because he wanted smooth contrast. He used the Ektachrome film on car shots. The car was a rich silver with a lush black leather interior. Gillen and Bennett decided to reveal the car to the audience as a series of still shots with contrasting shiny silver and rich black tones and blown out highlights. A dam in the background was stretched out and made to look much bigger in the digital suite.

"Your exposure needs to be more precise when you are shooting color reversal film," Bennett says. "You get the look you want during telecine transfer when you stay within a third of a stop of your meter reading. The colorist can also alter warmth and coolness."

Bennett said the solution is simple. Make sure your lenses and light meter are properly calibrated and understand that a 10:1 zoom lens rated for T-3.5 may be more like T-4.5 on the long end. Bennett notes it isn't an issue when he's shooting with one of the Kodak Vision negatives because of the deep exposure latitude.

"You have to make that adjustment in thinking when you are using the Ektachrome 100 film," he says, "but that also gives you more control over the look. There is no way to accurately describe the look of any negative stock in telecine. You can alter it in so many ways, by under- and over-exposing, use of diffusion and filters and lighting. You can push or pull the film and use other special processes like bleach by-pass. This film is another new path to a different look."

Bennett provides his own camera and lens packages. He owns an ARRI 535 A, ARRI 35-3, and two ARRI 435 cameras, with a full compliment of lenses and accessories. Basically, he says this assures that he has access to the tools he needs with full confidence that everything is properly maintained and calibrated.

"You have so many options for creating different looks today," he says. "I can use the ARRI 535 and 435 cameras at variable frame rates without accessories, or I can use a servo motor, like the Scorpio, to change the aperture and shutter angle. You can keep the camera running at one speed and change the diameter of the T-stop and shutter angle simultaneously to get depth of field that isolates an actor or product in a shot. You can have everyone in focus and in the blink of an eye, you have isolated one person or object."