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  2. Rob cites “The Innocents” shot by Freddie Francis. For me though, I generally don’t follow other films as far as camera movement. References are better for texture or “vibe”
  3. The important thing is that you cannot easily remove parts here: first image: when focusing only on the girl, then you’ll miss the rain next two images: when focusing on the actor/actress, then you’ll lose the fact that he/she is driving (they might also be in a British car where the driver‘s seat is on the right side) etc.
  4. Compare this with the shots where the actor is only on the left/right or where the actors are filling the whole screen - they look more cinematic don’t they?
  5. Hi! I don’t think that it’s just the set, the lighting, the contrast. It’s also the framing. Many productions look like framed for a 4:3 TV (with everything in the center to ease the live of the person doing the pan&scan version). Looks like framed for 4:3 as you can easily remove the left and right of the image without losing anything:
  6. I addressed this in another post. I believe that I made the point that by the time you add all the outboard accoutrements to the DSLR you're not any better off ergonomically or financially, than if you had started with a cinecam configuration in the first place.
  7. I urge you to watch the short video I posted above.
  8. Yesterday
  9. @David Mullen ASC Thank you that does make sense. The example with the flashlight source vs a long moonlight scene is something I have been thinking about a lot. Especially how a hard cut from a daytime scene to a long nighttime scene would render. Seeing as you would most likely want a scene that looks darker and have a night ambience, but where the audience is still able to see a lot, especially when it comes to the actors. I think this is where I have seen a lot of shots have bright key lights, but that are higher contrast and cooler.
  10. Beautiful! Bravo! How did you record sync audio?
  11. Arri also made a BL16 prime-lens blimp that would work with one of the 10mm lenses, maybe a Zeiss or Scheider. I owned a BL16 back in the day and handled it once or twice, but can't remember anything past that. I think the thing was that the lens had to have some ears on the focus ring that would engage tabs on the focus ring of the blimp. But, of course, as Dom notes above, if you're not worried about sync sound, most B-mount lenses are just fine, since they were developed in the era of the S/B or later, and would account for mirror clearance.
  12. Desired contrast and black level is just as easy to achieve with digital cameras versus a scan of film, there's no inherent reason for digital films to look flatter other than by choice. I will say that film is somewhat higher contrast in the shadows (and flatter in the highlights) so it naturally falls more quickly into that look of darker shadows (though that can be countered if you don't mind seeing more grain there) whereas you have to color-correct digital for a faster fall-off in the toe of the signal if you want that look. But the truth is that the main reason is lighting, not the origination method.
  13. One more question @Jarin Blaschke I attended your Q&A last night at the Kodak house and you mentioned about camera movement wanting to take on a more "classic" approach. Were there any films Rob and yourself watched that demonstrate this type of approach? Clearly all the moves are very calculated and precise -- I imagine this had a lot to deal with the cranes/remote heads you were using.
  14. Thanks. Most atmospherics are on set, including all falling snow. Rob HATES CG snow. The only CG atmosphere I can think of is removing budding spring leaves in the cemetery. In doing that, they also strengthened the background fog to hide the distant trees that were filling out in March/April. There is also some fixing and extension of snow dressing where effects people couldn't reach like windowsills on the second and third floor, high boulders, etc. The filter indeed gives a saturated cyan image but that is then desaturated in the grade. The intention of the filter is simply to darken red and orange and set up an orthochromatic tonal response for the final near-monochrome image. Candlelight was only supplemented by more candles off-camera, as well as mirrors to double the existing candlelight toward chosen directions. There is no electric supplementation. However, in the interiror monastery, I needed more oomph to light the featured ceiling fresco. So I added some flame bars with mirrors to light the ceiling adequately.
  15. Nothing new. Digital media is not film. Never has been and never will be.
  16. Can the R7 lens from Angenieux / or Kinoptik 5.9 be 'focused'/adjusted with the SR II bayonet mount? As we can see in this vid, focus can be quite off...? Would it be more recommended to get the Standard mount to be able to use the "Driver rings for diaphragm and focusing" ? As
  17. Now followeth the Life of S. Katherine. for presentation by children. SCROOBY. I am Scrooby. I am here at the end. All our sacred places are deserted, and fallen to ruin. Yet since my love for words remains, I’ll tell you a story. Hip to the question, Why in the devil would I seek what is contrary to me? —I’ll do my best to tell this story well. Fittingly, it starts with best intentions, as you shall now hear. A long time ago, back in the year of our lord two hundred, there reigned in Alexandria a king named Costus. And he was a right noble and prudent man, a seemly man, and rich, and of good conditions; and the queen his wife was like to himself in noble governance; and these two lived together prosperously, and with great worldly fame (which pleased the king), and their people loved and respected them; but since no one on our earth is perfect, the King and the Queen lived after the law of hethens, and worshiped idols. They knelt at the hearthfire and prayed to dumb stones; and in doing this they thought themselves wise. So as the fair rose springeth in the briars and thorns, right so between these two hethens was brought forth the blessed S. Katheryne. ¶ And when she was born she was so lovely in face and so well-formed in body that all the people enjoyed her beauty. ¶ When Katherine was seven years of age she was sent to school, where she profited much more than any other of her friends, reading deeply into the sciences and art. The king Costus her father was so pleased with his daughter and her great eagerness for wisdom that he ordained a tower in his palace solely for her studies, with diverse libraries and chambers where she might sit at her pleasure and will. And he also ordained to have brought to her seven of the best and wisest teachers of wisdom that might be had in those parts. But within a while that they had come, they were so charmed with her method of mind they became her students, and learned of her. ¶ Then when good Katherine came to the age of fourteen years, the king her father died. She was left as queen and heir after him. Then all the territories of the land desired to convene a parliament, in which the young woman might be crowned and receive the homage of her subjects; and that such a seemly rule might be set in her beginning, that prosperity might ensue in her realm for all the days of her reign. And Katheryne granted them their asking. And when the parliament was assembled, the young queen was crowned with great solemnity, with her mother by her, and all the lords were in their place; then one arose to his feet, and he said : LORD. Highest and mighty princess Katheryne, our most sovereign lady, our example of all things decent in mind and in heart, may it please you to know that I am led by the queen your mother, by all the lords and commons of this your realm, to advise your highness, that it may please you to grant to them the chance to present some noble gentleman to marry you, to the end that he rule with you, and defend your realm and subjects, like your father before you; and also that you may proceed a noble lineage, which, after you, will guide us, and reign upon the throne where you now sit. Now I have spoken what we most desire; and hereof we solicit your good answer. KATHERYNE. Dear cousin, I have well understood your request, and I thank my mother, the lords, and my subjects for the great love that they have for me and our realm. But as for the marriage that you request of me, I am sure there will be no peril in any case, when we consider the wisdom of my mother, and of the lords, and the good faith of the commons. Therefore we need not seek a stranger to rule us. As for the present, with your good assistance we hope to rule, govern, and keep our realm in good justice, peace, and rest, in like wise as the king my father held you in. So I ask you, be content and cease of this matter, and let us turn to such matters requisite for the rule, governance, happiness, and universal power of this our sole realm. SCROOBY. When the queen her mother and all the lords had heard her answer, they were much troubled and knew not what to say, for they had heard her say that she had no will to be married. Then her uncle stood up, who was a duke, and with due reverence began to speak. DUKE. My sovereign lady, we praise your high and noble discretion; yet your answer is heavy to my lady your mother, and to all of us, your humble subjects; so I beg of you to hear my advice. Please allow me to speak to your highness of four notable things. These particulars Nature has given you, beyond all creatures that we know; and these things should persuade you to take a husband, to the end that the gifts of Nature may spring by your generation down by the right line to reign upon us, to the great comfort of all your people; but the contrary, should turn us to sorrow. KATHERYNE. Good uncle, what then be these four notable things that you so repute in me? DUKE. Madame, the first is that we know that you come of the most noble blood in the world. The second, that you have inherited all that is best is us; to our knowledge, you are now the greatest woman alive. The third, that you pass in education everyone we know of, in science, teaching, and wisdom. The fourth, of all the women, you are the most beautiful we have ever seen. Madame, these are the four notable things which may incline you to hear our request. KATHERYNE. Uncle, since Nature has worked so great virtues in me, I should be much more bound to love and to please her; so herewith I thank Nature humbly for her gifts. But since you desire so much that I be married, I let you describe to me all that you spoke of. Now to you I shall describe the husband I desire, a husband who shall have in him four notable things, and if you can find such a one, then Katheryne will agree to marry him with all of our heart. He shall be such that all creatures have need of him, so rich that he passes all others in riches; and of such nobility that all worship him, so that he shall never think I made him a king; and so full of beauty that all people have joy to see him, so pure all think his mother a virgin; and so benign in his way that he can gladly forgive all offences done to him, and be kind. Now I have described to you him whom I will have as husband. Go and seek him. If you can find one like him, I will be his wife, if he will have me. But if you do not find him, I will never marry, and you must take this as my final answer. SCROOBY. Understandably the lords were disturbed at this. MOTHER. Daughter, is all of this your great wisdom? You do me much sorrow, and all of us. Whoever heard of such a husband you seek? For what you describe, there was never none, nor ever shall be; so leave your folly and do as all those have done before you. KATHERYNE. I believe there is one even better than I can devise him; and by his grace he might find me, or I shall never know joy. I won’t be moved, Mother, so speak no more of this. I shall have no other husband but only him whom I have described, to him will I give all the love of my heart, and to none other. SCROOBY. That was that. Her mother and all the lords of the parliament departed, with sorrow and lamentation. But queen Katheryne was excited. Her heart was set afire on this husband that she had devised; and though she could do nothing but dream how she might find him, she felt a burning love for him, which would never after be cooled, regardless of pain or tribulation. Now I shall leave this young queen in contemplation. [ tbc ]
  18. Just a correction on the "Why Don't Films Look like film" video, "Seven" (1995) was shot on Super 35 film, not on digital. There's a DCP for the restored version's release, which may have caused confusion.
  19. You could get 16 BL blimps for the Zeiss 10-100 T3.1 and the Angenieux 9.5-95 T2.8. You could use Mk1 Zeiss Super Speed Distagons in the prime lens blimp.
  20. Anyone having experience here with Kinoptik 5.7 or Angenieux 5.9?
  21. It's worth noting that newer films often look good on my expensive monitors and terrible on my cheap ones - but older films look good on both!
  22. He’s saying you need 12.5 fc to get a f/2.8 at 800 ISO — that’s not telling what he plans to do with that information, he might decide then to light to 6 fc at f/2.8 so that the face would be 1-stop underexposed. How much you want to underexpose your moonlight depends on so many factors — if it’s a long scene and moonlight is the only source, you can imagine that the characters have gotten used to the low level so they aren’t fighting to see anything so maybe it’s not too underexposed — whereas if it’s a scene with a flashlight or other source then the moonlight perhaps should look darker in comparison. Or it’s a brief moment in moonlight after someone switches off the lights and then the scene ends so it can be quite underexposed.
  23. I'm a film guy so I don't know how this comment translates to digital cameras, but here goes. The photometric charts the imminent Mr. Deakins references, would be useful if you are working up an equipment list for a rental house but in the real world you just lobby for biggest lights your budget permits and make do with what you end up with. 😉 The frames on the left hand side of your sample look like they have key lights of similar brightness because in the context of the sets, time of day, period sources, they are both low key situations. I've done this type of shot many times. On a 3200 white balance interior, my moonlight would have been an 18K HMI's or Musco especially on exteriors. On HMI's I'd usually go a 1/2 CTO on 4x4 frames for what I term "half blue" ambiance. For an interior like in your examples, I would probably just cheat it with a smaller HMI fresnel (enough to cover the window opening) and far enough back that I don't get into inverse square problems as the actors move around the set. Key light and key exposure are tricky terms and mean different things to different people. The key exposure on the face of the bearded gentleman with the vest (is this Jesse James?) would be less than the T-stop set on my lens assuming a Caucasian actor. Testing or experience would help you to determine how much latitude you could get away with. So let's say I set my lens for T 2.8. I'd want to see a 1.4 more or less on my incident lightmeter pointed to the camera. I would probably be working in foot-candles at this point but to keep it simple, I going to stay with T-stops for this example. I could achieve this with a soft non directional fill. So my fill light could be considered the "key light" as it is frontally lighting the primary actor. That's the trap of thinking of key, fill, kicker. The day and night scene side light on our actor looks like it's losing a detail so that says to me it's over key exposure. Maybe a 4.0 more or less depending again on the stock or latitude of the imaging device. I used to mentally approach lighting a scene with sort of a visually logical "hillbilly" zone system. I look at the time of day in the script, the colors of wardrobe and set, the practicals and windows and doors on the set, the mood or context of the scene, and then I think... what do I want the audience to see? Is there a story point (exit door or say a firearm) that needs to be established? Maybe there's a something that shouldn't be seen at this point. Do we need to recognize the character immediately or do they move from shadow to recognition? Then I base the lighting relative to where these elements fall in my "hillbilly" zones. This is hard for me to explain so maybe David M. can do better.
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