After Somerton, the Mysterious Woman is the fundamental item on Dr. Bill's mind. Hence, the wood filling the frame.

See the wood grain in shot 2? Notice the horizontal bars here (just after the scene above).

Then here (just after the scene above).

Then vertical bars (just after the scene above).

Mutations. Resonances. Making Connections. Art.

I'm not even sure whether "graduating with a degree" matters - other than if i'm interested in learning some masters level whatever in the future and I need an undergrad for it - however i'm trying to get as close as I can to graduating in case I have to finish things out.  (by which I mean I don't think I can get my last classes done in 1.5 years right now but I just wanted to jump into work if I have it - if that's not good i'll take the last year and finish the degree)

I'm not waiting til graduation nor planning to not work on film related projects though.  I'm just going to start with "lowly" youtube stuff because it's a place I can make stuff, post stuff, and get feedback easily.  Its also low risk and I can fail without consequence. I wont mind doing some projects for free or minimal cost more for learning and building a reel than actually expecting to make good money at the beginning unless I get lucky.  I dont want to just jump into the lowest level of some job that I repeat for a decade, i'm trying to advance my skills before i'm through school hoping I can show some skill at a higher level worth maybe hiring at a higher level.  Or maybe that's delusional, comment if you want.  : P  I suppose it comes down to who you impress and whether they want to hire you though.

Enough of that talk.  I am slowly building up both a list of film and videomaking type equipment that i'm hoping to learn to build skills.  Some i've already bought over xmas (like the classic hardware store lighting kit) and other will be hopefully coming in the next year.  I'm going to share what i'm hoping to get and what my logic is for each.

Hardware store lighting kit - I figure if I can learn to light with "improvised" equipment I never need to fear ending up on a budget shoot where something was forgotten or you have to make do.  Any professional lighting gear will be an upgrade.  I actually have a portable "proper" lighting set with two halogen lights already but i'm treating putting together hardware store lighting as a learning experience - clamp on lights, halogen bulbs or LED bulbs with 90-95 CRI ratings, lamp cord dimmers.  I also picked up an Apurture B7C and Nanlite Pavobulb 10C to experiment with because I wanted to learn their app ecosystem and how it works and because theyre supposed to handle high framerates even 1000hz footage on digital sensors without flicker issues, i'm aware LED's are hit and miss over that.

First DSLR I plan to be a Canon EOS M because of Magic Lantern, I want to capture 14bit RAW footage for use in chromakey and VFX use.  I'm not too worried about manual focus or recording time - the first is a learning skills issue the latter only relevant for longer projects.  I'd considered eventually upgrading this to a nicer camera for Magic Lantern like a 5D Mark III but my current thinking is when i'm looking for VFX-usable footage i'll go for something from Blackmagic since they shoot 12bit and have BRAW which will be more relevant for any longer projects where quality matters.

I want to use adapters for Nikon manual F-mount manual SLR lenses - great image quality for my use, they can be cine-modified/declicked fairly easily, they are rugged, like a proper cinema lens, and they are very affordable, letting me access a number of different lenses and types (primes, zooms, macro, UV-capable) and they can adapt to both the Canon EOS as well as the next cameras i'm listing AFAIK.  As they say you date the sensor but you marry the lens, I hope to opportunistically watch for and buy a number of different F-mount lenses because of these priorities, and I still plan to treat it well but also less expensive equipment you're willing to take more risks with/if i've got some $5000 cine lens i'd be terrified to run with it for run'n'gun cinematography but if it's $50 from ebay and I fall oh well.  I hope to learn the skills on less expensive equipment like this and then transfer the skills for a "real shoot" where we can rent the expensive stuff to get max possible quality imagery.

I'm willing to consider other lenses, including AF/AA type things which have their use too.  Feel free to suggest - esp if something with another separate adapter fills some need, or at some total price point better than the F-mount lenses will.

Sony A7S Mark 1 - at some point I want to add this camera to my plans because of it's reputation as the low light king.  I wouldn't replace the 14bit Magic Lantern footage but this is going to be better for alot of common cases.  Eventually i'd like to upgrade this to a Mark 3 because it's something like 1.7 stops more light gathering at the same noise level, but also at 4x the price sooo... learning with the Mark 1 to start.  

Whenever i'm willing to make the transition from fulltime learning student to "starting to do some professional work" i'm wanting to go with some kind of Black Magic camera because of it's BRAW and ability to record direct to SSD's which is going to be alot less painful whether i'm shooting hours of footage for a documentary or whatever.  I haven't nailed down exactly which camera yet but it's at least 18 months away so I was less worried, I have alot of learning to do between now and then.

I'm also wanting to look at yet other cameras (or even *gasp* smartphone videography, but i'll try not to offend people by mentioning the topic most of the time 🙂 ) for special effects type shots like the Sony RX100's do super slow motion for instance, and so if I ever stumble across one of those at a good price i'll look there, there's full spectrum modifyable cameras that i'd be curious about getting those otherworldly effects from UV and IR videography - ones i've looked at that are half-affordable or easy to modify arent even 1080p but if i'm about learning skills first, including the skills to know what something might look like when shot in UV/IR by having the freedom to actually go do it and use it.

There's other related things I could go into - i'm not sure how much money is to be saved for what things, or whether it's even worth struggling over $10 here or $20 there at times if the nonprofessional solution actually is a step down or not really worth learning that much from people using white bedsheets or shower curtains as diffusors to using silvered car windshield hot weather reflectors for bouncing sunlight onto a subject, but i'm simultaneously cash-poor, ambition-strong to really learn this, and motivated to learn skills that will really stand out because i'm later enough on in life that spending 10 years taking too long to climb the ladder to higher levels that i'd like to work at might mean I never get a chance to do any of the indie film projects (both narrative and documentary, and music videos, and others) that I really really want to do.  I'll seriously consider any and all advice including people who think i'm going down the wrong direction.  🙂

Fast forward to 25 I just decided to go to school for graphic design. I am now 29 and have an associates degree and am working for a record label but it just doesn't pay that well. Not sure theres a future in graphic design with all the AI advancements... Just bought a bolex 16mm camera, I am going to just start making music videos for my band and my friends bands, and maybe try to get wedding gigs, work whatever gigs I can.

I have very good editing sense, composition sense, technical knowledge, and I feel my skills in design would transfer over to filmmaking work. I would probably need to just self finance and self produce something good to show my abilities and go from there.

I guess I am just making this post to figure out what I can realistically expect. I am starting late and probably cannot afford to go to film school. I make 29,000 a year which is not a lot in Austin, Texas. If I did find a way to do film school I would mainly be interested in the more technical aspects of filmmaking, composition, lighting, cinematography as a whole... Is a degree or film school even necessary?

I guess I never followed my dreams and actual interests when I was younger because I never met people who were doing that. 

I know nothing about what this field looks like businesswise and know zero people in it. I figure I would just have to self teach myself freelance wedding filming and commercial videography finding clients and working my way up to bigger projects. I just think it would be something I'd be good at but I am guessing I would have to go DIY for a few years and get a portfolio together. I don't see myself wanting to move to NY or LA, but I am just looking for where to start.

I am going into a three-day shoot for a student film as the cinematographer, essentially being the DOP of the shoot.

I would like to get some input on what the essentials would be for a cinematographer to have on set - I am talking consumables to make the shooting process easier, not any kind of gear.

Here is a list that I've made so far, please feel free to add to the list if there is anything useful that you have found.

Gaffer gloves - for preventing barn doors and lights from burning your hand off

gaffer tape - for, well, everything.

plain markers - marking gear, making notes and for focus pulling

Black wrap - that magic black stuff that wraps around any light to flag off spill light

Washing pegs - for putting gels on lights

dust-off - an absolute necessity

deodorant - if someone marked the clapper board with a permanent marker, works well to get it off. Plus it's just convenient for everyone else if you don't smell like a hobo

Maglite - taking focus, finding things in the dark

Lens cleaning kit

screw driver set

Allen keys (also known as hex keys)

multitool - the one with the toothpick, you never know when it might come in handy.

Please add things that you may have found to be practical and helpful to getting things done easier on shoots.

All of them will be shot on film -- Super 8, 16mm, or 35mm 2-perf. Most likely on S16.

I'm good at camera operating and lighting. I've film-tested the cameras and lenses. I have good experience directing.

I've figured out how to get the film processed and scanned, and I'm getting better all the time at editing and colour grading.

It's been a long road... but I'm now ready to start making proper films. The real deal.

... except for one little thing ...

I'm not much good at coming up with stories. If I can get a good short film synopsis or basic plan, I can fill out the details of the shots -- I'm good at that bit.

I just need some basic scripts to work with.

How do you go about getting a short film script written? I've contacted the Screenwriters Guild in Sydney but no response so far. I suspect they might consider my request for information on how to get a script written to be beneath their institution's dignity as my "productions" would sound to them more like an amateur thing. And maybe it is an amateur thing. But I don't care. Because I'm determined to film some short films, whether amateur or not. 

Unusually for a short film maker, I'm first and foremost a cinematographer. As someone said to me the other day, at Panavision Queensland on the Gold Coast (during a film loading workshop), it's unusual for a camera operator/cinematographer to be the driving force behind creating a film. Normally a director, producer, or actor is the energy behind the production, and a camera operator is then engaged to film the production.

But, because I'm 'camera-focused', or camera-centred, I don't necessarily know how to shape stories -- I only know how to film them. Thus, I need help with getting a story together. I know the generalities of the sorts of films I want to make -- the types of stories, the approximate number of actors, the types of locations, and the general genre. But I need a script writer or some type of screen writer to actually come up with a story that I can film.

My films would of necessity be quite short. For example, somewhere between 4 minutes and eight minutes long. They'd, in effect, be like the 'Haiku poems' of the film world. Short and simple, but with meaning.

So, any advice on how to go about getting a good story together for a short narrative film?

Completely biased opinion as I am a faculty member here at The Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Come check us out, small classes, tonnes of A+ equipment (Arriflex Alexa 35s, RED Raptors, 5.1 mix studio) great bilingual city, great support. 

The Program: https://www.concordia.ca/finearts/cinema/programs/film-production.html

How to Apply (undergrad):  

Denis Villeneuve pays a visit to Mel Hoppenheim School of CInema: https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/finearts/2024/11/8/denis-villeneuve-inspires-concordia-students-in-visit-to-mel-hop.html

Deadline is March 3, 2024. If not this year, then try next year!

Roy Cross

Professor, Film Production

One of the most striking examples of this technique comes from The Shawshank Redemption (1994). The film masterfully uses framing to contrast the psychological states of two long-term prisoners, Brooks Hatlen and Ellis “Red” Redding, as they are released into the world after decades behind bars. Though both men experience the same life event—walking free—the way their scenes are shot tells two entirely different psychological stories.

Framing Freedom: Brooks vs. Red

When Brooks Hatlen is paroled, it should be a moment of triumph. Instead, the way the scene is framed tells us something much darker—his so-called “freedom” is anything but.

• As Brooks steps out of Shawshank, the prison bars remain behind him, a subtle but powerful reminder that although he has physically left, he is still trapped psychologically.

• The camera is static and distant, mimicking Brooks’ emotional detachment. He has no sense of where he belongs, and the cinematography reflects this by keeping him boxed in and motionless.

• Throughout his post-prison life, the framing remains tight and claustrophobic. Even in the halfway house or walking the streets, Brooks is framed in small, enclosed spaces, visually reinforcing that the outside world is just another kind of prison for him.

Now, compare that to Red’s release scene, which is visually and emotionally the complete opposite.

• Instead of lingering on the prison, the camera follows Red as he walks out, tracking him as he moves into the world.

• This motion suggests transition and change, visually telling us that unlike Brooks, Red has a real chance at a future.

• The audience is placed within Red’s perspective, making his journey feel immersive and hopeful. Unlike Brooks, who is filmed as though he is being watched from afar, Red’s framing brings us along with him, signaling that he is actively shaping his destiny.

These two sequences—identical in concept but completely different in execution—demonstrate how camera framing and movement can transform the meaning of a scene.

The Psychology Behind Camera Angles

Filmmakers use camera angles and framing as a form of visual storytelling, creating subconscious associations that influence how we interpret a character’s emotions and fate.

• Static vs. Dynamic Framing – Brooks is framed statically, often positioned dead center with little movement. This reflects his emotional stagnation—he is unable to move forward. Red, however, is filmed with tracking shots, symbolizing growth and transformation.

• Perspective and Immersion – Brooks’ scene keeps the audience at a distance, making us feel like detached observers, just as he feels disconnected from the world. Red’s scene, in contrast, moves with him, allowing us to experience his hope and uncertainty firsthand.

• Symbolism Through Composition – The bars behind Brooks serve as a metaphor for his mental imprisonment, reinforcing that he never truly left Shawshank. Red’s lack of bars in the frame signals his ability to break free mentally, not just physically.

The Power of Framing in Storytelling

These subtle cinematographic choices shape the emotional experience of the audience. Even if a viewer doesn’t consciously notice them, framing and movement create deep psychological connections to the characters.

In The Shawshank Redemption, the camera doesn’t just show two men leaving prison—it shows two different fates. Brooks, unable to cope with life beyond Shawshank, tragically takes his own life, reinforcing the idea that freedom is more than just physical—it’s mental. Red, though uncertain at first, eventually chooses hope, fulfilling Andy’s belief that “hope is a good thing.”

Had Red’s release been shot the same way as Brooks’, the audience would have felt impending doom rather than hope. Had Brooks’ release been shot with more movement and openness, we might have believed he had a chance to adjust. The way a scene is framed completely changes how we interpret it.

Why Camera Angles Matter in Filmmaking

Directors and cinematographers know that framing is more than just aesthetics—it’s a way to control emotion, guide interpretation, and reinforce deeper themes. In The Shawshank Redemption, cinematography is used to distinguish between a man who never truly left prison and one who was able to break free in both body and mind.

This is why framing is one of the most powerful psychological tools in cinema. The way a character is positioned, how the camera moves, and what elements surround them can completely transform how we feel about them.

Next time you watch a movie, pay attention to the way the camera frames the characters. Are they confined or given space? Is the camera moving forward with them, or leaving them behind? The answer may reveal more about their fate than any dialogue ever could.

Citations

1. Bordwell, David, & Thompson, Kristin. (2019). Film Art: An Introduction. McGraw-Hill Education. – A comprehensive guide on cinematography and visual storytelling.

2. Giannetti, Louis. (2020). Understanding Movies. Pearson. – Discusses cinematographic techniques, including the psychology of camera angles.

3. Ebert, Roger. (1999). Review of The Shawshank Redemption. RogerEbert.com. – Analysis of the film’s storytelling and visual techniques.

4. Brown, Blain. (2016). Cinematography: Theory and Practice. Focal Press. – A deep dive into how framing influences audience perception.

5. Deakins, Roger. (1994). The Shawshank Redemption: Cinematography Breakdown. American Cinematographer Magazine. – Insights from the film’s director of photography on visual storytelling.

This subtle art of framing and movement makes all the difference in film—sometimes, what isn’t said is just as important as what is shown.

1.

“Citizen Kane, one of the best films ever made.”

That is an obvious, unimpeachable comment that requires no elaboration. Yet one cannot say enough about a film more miracle than movie.

Random : the amazing high level of acting across the board. Amazing, because most of the actors (coming from radio, or from the stage) had never before acted in front of a cinema camera before, yet every single one of these novice film actors seems to understand film acting to the highest degree. Just as striking is that many of the key roles progress in age from the mid-twenties to middle age and beyond (Kane, Leland, Bernstein). Of course : with regard to the craftsmen and craftswomen behind the scenes, the make-up was of the highest standard, which enhanced all performances (or, put another way, allowed the performances to realize themselves).

Every technical aspect of the film is breathtaking. Virtually all of the process shots (matte paintings, miniatures) can hold up without embarrassment to visual effects generated by twenty-first century Hollywood production companies. Absolutely no question.

And no CGI lens flares. Citizen Kane is good old-fashioned craftsmanship.

Another cliché would be to enthuse with the most ecstatic passion on Gregg Toland’s cinematography, but why are clichés clichés?—because they’re true.

Two of the countless clever uses of sound : (1a.) In the rich and fabulous deep-focus shot of Kane’s parents signing away their child to Thatcher, we see, through the open window in the background, little Charley playing outside in the snow, acting out a Civil War-type scenario : he cries out “Union forever!”—just as his parents are cutting ties with him by signing Thatcher’s contract. (1b.) Another resonance : “Union forever!” evokes Kane’s life-long memory of this carefree time (“Rosebud”). (2) Much later, when the middle-aged Kane looms angrily over Susan in their tent during the picnic in the Florida woodlands, he slaps her, and joyous screams from the happy revellers outside of the tent underscore the moment : these screams are an unsettling, ominous counterpoint to the emotionally charged, violent moment between estranged husband and wife.

The innovations in every conceivable technical department are innumerable. For example, there are more amazingly clever transitions between scenes in this one movie than in hundreds (thousands?) of Hollywood films put together.

There is so much to say about Kane, though everything has been said; yet, one must keep saying it all. Like prayer. The trick here, as in my previous Vertigo commentary, is knowing what not to say.

The narrative structure of the film is amazingly innovative—it is the cinema’s equivalent to Joyce’s Ulysses : which is to say, it is a pioneering structure that can only be imitated, and never bettered : a structure so breathtakingly realized, that it is not even often imitated (just like Joyce’s). However, there were predecessors to the structure, generally speaking, in 1930s Hollywood cinema.

The “News on the March” sequence is such an inspired experience, both in the idea and in the realization, that one must behold it with awe every single time one watches the picture.

From the first second to the last second this is filmmaking so conceptually brilliant and technically extraordinary that it holds its own beside any film ever made since, regardless of the myriad technical innovations in every conceivable film department since 1940.

But : like a cloud of Covid hanging over the film is the history of Welles’ subsequent disastrous career in Hollywood. Imagine it, one of the greatest filmmakers—scratch that, one of the greatest American artists of the twentieth century—couldn’t get suitable work in Hollywood? The grotesque behind-the-scenes story of Welles-in-Hollywood is sickening to contemplate: but that’s Hollywood.

(Don’t think so? In contemporary Hollywood’s infinite wisdom, one of its most intelligent Directors and one of its most intelligent Cinematographers—take a guess about whom I mean—are now working in television. And who remembers Warner Brothers not cancelling the production of a certain film in 1983?)

Adding to the grotesquery was the sickening William Randolph Hearst. He effectively destroyed the picture’s chances with the public, and it vanished from the radar almost as soon as it was released and remained out of view for over a decade. And if Hearst had had his way, the negative itself would have been destroyed outright (indeed, supposedly the negative was destroyed some years later, and, so we’re told, what we see today is a copy made from a cleaned-up secondary print). The emotionally retarded and socially irresponsible Hearst would have fit in perfectly with today’s America. What is so breathtakingly lame about Hearst’s vendetta against Citizen Kane is that, all in all, the film doesn’t judge Kane, nor, in fact, is Kane simply a composite version of Hearst. Rather, the character of Kane uses some of Hearst’s details, sure, but the film is by no means a character assassination. Hearst at the time simply had a bee in his bonnet, and, being a megalomaniac in the manner of the later Howard Hughes, simply enjoyed flexing his powerful will, regardless of logic. Hollywood’s destruction of Kane was one of those times when a ball gets rolling, regardless of logic of spin and direction (and it was another horror of the Earth, the inexplicably powerful gossip columnist Louella Parsons, who rolled that ball in the first place). Theory : If Hearst and his cronies had simply kept their mouths shut, the general public wouldn’t have even noticed the Hearst connection. Anyhow, what happened behind the scenes after Kane was made is a lesson in one thing precisely: idiots with money wreak havoc on society with impunity.

And there’s nothing you can do about it—except keep banking the paychecks from Tyranny.

However, some lone-wolf onlookers can have the last laugh as it were while watching Citizen Kane : for one of the many lessons of the story of Kane is : money can buy things, sure, and power can push people around—but : neither money can buy love, nor power force it into being. Part of the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane is that he wasn’t an unfeeling man; in fact, he felt some things deeply—but he had trouble showing his feelings, and trouble connecting properly with others. As he says : “If I didn’t have money, I could have been a very great man.”

Apologies for posting in the wrong section, I just noticed there is a film stock area.

I took a film class where made a couple of 1 to 2 minute shorts and basically did the whole cha bang by myself with me and my parents as the actors. I loved it and have always craved more but unfortunately I can’t move to somewhere else and pay to go to school unless I want to go into deep debt. So I think moving as soon as I can would be best, but I don’t know what city is a good location for opportunity that’s also not going downhill…

I know how to use a mirrorless camera pretty well and after effects/premier just from dabbling lightly, but I know nothing about the ins and outs of cinematography or lighting or gripping. Zero. I know the internet has some great resources… somewhere, but I don’t know how I’m going to learn to do this on my own with no local groups or anything like that for miles. 

I very much feel like I’m stuck in a tough place because I can’t afford the proper education that also comes with the plus of having the schools resources and a team of other people helping to brings things together. 

Any insight would be great on how to navigate this tough situation because I’m genuinely tired of sitting around and stalling because I don’t know what to do! 

I just wanted to elaborate that like I mention before, I’ve had the opportunity to make two shorts for a class in school and had to wear all the hats to make them happen. But at the end of the day I found myself gravitating towards wanting to be a DP since I’ve had a hobby of photography already and love the look of Gregory Crewdson and Ian Howorth (who is a photographer and DP). That class really bought those two interests together for me but I’ve never really been sure how to bridge that gap of being a singular photographer and becoming a DP who works with many others on a crew when there’s not even the smallest student group doing things around here or non paid indie stuff. 

I came across the Maine Media workshops, which look quite interesting, but I’m curious if anyone here has suggestions for other great options.
Thank you!

Hey everyone,

I'm really passionate about cinematography and already enrolled in 1 year diploma in the same field but I am looking to pursue a formal education in the field. I'm trying to figure out the best place to study and what factors I should consider when choosing a school.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on:

• Location: Are there certain countries or regions known for strong cinematography programs?
• School reputation: Do specific schools have a reputation for producing great cinematographers?
• Curriculum: What kind of curriculum should I look for? Should I prioritize practical experience or theoretical knowledge?
• Industry connections: How important are industry connections for a cinematography student?
• Other factors: Any other advice on choosing a cinematography school?

I'd love to hear from experienced cinematographers about your experiences and recommendations. Thanks in advance!

For our Canon XF605 (can't output RAW), AVC and MP4 image quality is in some way tied to the scene complexity.  Panning through a complex scene like an audience or 50 feet from trees drastically increases the 605's compression workload.

Regarding 4K120, I first thought the Ninja+ was overrated and could not reliably handle RAW at 4K120.  But now I'm beginning to think it is the Z Cam E2-M4's problem.  Lots of juddering when panning through complex scenes at this high framerate.

But... does in camera RAW processing bottleneck when the scene gets complex the way encoded footage does?  or is RAW image processing workload (output to HDMI) independent of content?

Since that time, our Rochester manufacturing processing lab has processed the two rolls and we have confirmed that both do contain images, but that there are no slates on the rolls which would assist in tieing to a production / user.  We would like to have these returned if their use is needed for this semester or any other work.  Based on the emulsion, this film was lost in UPS sometime in February or early March.

If you lost any film through UPS, please reply or send me a message here.  If you know of another student or cinematographer who lost their film, please have them contact EIAMERICAS@Kodak.com and we can work to return the film to its rightful owner.

Thank you

Frederick Knauf,   Eastman Kodak Co.

The point here is to create LUTs using maths and DaVinci Resolve. There may be simpler ways to do this with CSTs, but this is a topic I know nothing about. And part of the fun was to do it myself as a pedagogic exercise.

What I tried before:

1- shoot a scene with a middle grey card in it. Set the exposure according to the manufacturer advice and keeping ISO at its base value. Then shoot 1 and 2 stops overexposed, 1 and 2 stops underexposed. I guess the best is to change shutter speed (same depth of field), but aperture does the trick. Import all the stuff in DVR. Add the “Log to Rec709” LUT as the last node. Then add a second node before, and adjust offset with SDR wheels, or global exposure with HDR wheels, so that middle grey goes back to the reference. HDR tools work better, but both are far from perfect.

2- same as before, but fine-tune using whatever colour-correction tools you want (especially contrast, saturation, and the curve tool), so that compensated images visually match the normally exposed one. This is a trial-and-error method that leads to better results. But not very scientific.

After that, sandwich the colour correction node together with the “log to rec709” in a single LUT (one for each compensated exposure), send them to the monitor, and use them instead of the DSLR analogue ISO. You get Sony’s “Cine EI” feature on any DSLR. This works well for mid-tones, and this may be enough on set. But this can be improved.

LOG profiles are documented. Manufacturers give the formulas to switch from real world scene reflection to log coded values, and the other way around. Thus:

- starting from a recorded log signal, we can find what was the reflection

- compute what would have been the scene reflection if the sensor had been exposed 1 or 2 stops higher/lower

- from that simulated exposures, find what would have been the log codes for these reflection.

We can compute the curves that make a 1-2 stop over/underexposure look like if it was correctly exposed. I used Scilab to program this, but this can be done in any spreadsheet program.

slog3.sci

Here are the curves for SLog3:

Note: these curves are log space to log space, and SLog3 does not go below code 95 (10bit scale). The curve shape below 95 does not matter.

As the compensation curve will be drawn manually in Resolve, it helps to determine the points corresponding to the grid of the curve tool (25 intervals ranging from 0 to 100% Luma). Here it is for SLog3:

A few more notes:
- the curve tool in DVR uses splines, which do not allow for sharp edges. It may be better to have the lowest point at coordinates [0, 95] rather than [0, 0].
- upward compensation leads to values above 1023 (above 25th grid line). The best way to handle this is probably to draw manually some kind of highlight roll-off.
- From what I tested, 5-8 points are enough to define the curve (example below for Fuji F-log)

This gives a much better base than playing with offset or HDR exposure. This is still not perfect and I had to bring up lowlight saturation a bit for the negative compensation LUTs, and bring it down for positive compensation LUTs. But I could get good similarity across LUTs tweaking very few controls. Here are the results on Fuji F-log, starting from +2 stops compensation (underexposed sensor) to -2 stops (overexposed sensor). The 3rd image is the reference, exposed normally.

+2 stops (sensor underexposed by 2 stops)

+1 stop

Standard exposure:

-1 stop

-2 stops

The curtains lost all details in the 2 stops underexposed shot. Even with “only” one stop underexposure, there are quantization problems near the gray card, where the magenta turns into brown. My understanding is that my camera’s Dynamic Range (Fuji X-T30) is centred at +/-5,5 stops around middle gray at standard exposure. Underexposing the sensor by one stop leads to only 4,5 stops below, which I expect to be too low for many situations.

Highlights do clip in the 2 stops overexposed shot, visible in the specular reflection on the tiny aluminium PAR spot. However this scene does not contain much highlights, thus it does not appear that terrible to me. Following other tests I made, the most common exposure I would use is overexposing the sensor by 1 stop, which sets the DR at +4,5 / -6,5 stops around middle grey. Comparing to other manufacturers, this asymmetry toward low light seems common. Depending on the scene, overexposing by 2 stops might even be acceptable. Thus, I could think it as “the nominal exposure could be 1 stop above what Fuji says”.

Final reminder: write it down somewhere and tell the colorist. The meta-data claims ISO 640 whatever the LUT.

January covered video editing: https://lwks.com/blog/recapping-new-year-new-edit-a-month-of-video-editing-tips-and-tricks

February covers audio: https://lwks.com/blog/recapping-audio-month-a-month-of-music-and-sound-filmmaking-advice

March will cover "Learning From The Best. Celebrating Oscar Season by investigating what lessons can be gleaned from the masters"

My name is Bheki Ngwenya who is currently in the last and final year of a Film Production and Cinematography degree. At the moment I am doing a dissertation on cinematography. My chosen topic on the vast subject of cinematography was "visual style".

With this post I am aiming to use your feedback as part of my research in identifying what visual style is and what it consists of.

Looking forward to your replies.

Cheers.

Bheki Ngwenya.

Red Coral Universe, the new OTT streaming platform catering to independent filmmakers, has announced its 1st Annual Gen Z Film Festival, a global competition in which filmmakers 26 years old and under can submit a finished feature or short film for a chance to win distribution deals, $10,000 cash, production equipment and other cool prizes. Deadline to enter is March 31, 2024.

 Please send completed projects to redcoraluniverse@gmail.com.

 Films of any length or genre will be accepted; however, pornographic or excessively violent material will not be considered, and the filmmaker(s) will be disqualified. All films will be reviewed by our Selection Committee and those selected to participate will run on Red Coral Universe OTT platform until May 31, 2024, for the world to see. During that time, all views, likes and comments will be logged, and each film will be given a score based on the tally of the festival’s logged categories:

• Average daily views
• Highest total average rating (based on a 5-star system rating)
• Most comments

Creators of the 25 highest rated films will be awarded a non-exclusive distribution deal by Red Coral Universe for that project and automatically entered in a final round for a month of viewing and voting.

The competition ends on June 30 and numbers will be tallied to reveal the Top 3 films. First place creator wins $10,000, while 2^nd Place finisher will receive a Camera and Equipment package, and 3^rd Place finisher will receive budget, finance, and script consultation for their next project, and will receive official Red Coral Universe merchandise.

What makes the Red Coral Universe Gen Z Film Festival different? Unlike other festivals, every time your project is viewed on the platform, you make money. Period. That’s right, every time someone clicks play and watches your film, you make money!

Submit your film Here

If you have any questions, please email info@redcoraluniverse.com

Red Coral Universe is a free-to-use service available on all Roku, Firestick, Smart TVs, iOS, Android, and other connected devices, as well as the web. The company finances, produces, and distributes film and television content with a new interest in developing content geared toward immersive experiences, representing the intersection of traditional and emerging media, while harnessing the global community of independent artists to create and monetize original content for its AVOD OTT streaming platform.

I'd like to understand other options too even if it's a projector (doubt it) or a modern LED display that will do it.

I am basically wondering what the best solution for this would be. I think it's possible to shoot in white light and then grade it later (any tips on this or how hard it would be would be appreciated, I am going to be editing in Premier Pro and have not graded before) but I don't want the image to necessarily be all red, as I think a little depth of colour, some hints of yellowy-green and orange, could make the image look better even if it is unrealistic (to be fair, the setting is more a purgatory than a real darkroom, so I am okay with bending the rules if it helps the image). Is it possible to get that level of colour depth via grading, or is it better to shoot with my intended colours? If I should shoot in white light, should I keep it as pure white as possible or would adding colour be fine/better?

Clearly, I don't know much about what I'm doing. Lighting isn't my strong suit and I'm worried about ruining my film with bad, one-note colour... help!

Does anyone know of a index to AC magazine? I went to AC's web site and emailed them a question to see if they had one for sale, but no one answered my email. They did not offer a index for sale in it's used magazine area. I would think that since this is such a great resource, film researchers would routienely search it for topics they are working on.

Does anyone know of a index I can look at or buy?

Thanks in advance.

jack in Portland Oregon

jhoneycutt@qwest.net

PS: Mostly I am interested in the 1950s, 1960,s and 1970s.

1. ISO and Dynamic Range are linked. No idea why but they are (could someone help me understand why boosting the signal would effect dynamic range?)

2. Exposing a stop or two brighter is a good way to clean up the image and move away from the noise floor giving more latitude in post. 

3. Dropping your ISO is a good way to force you to let more light hit the sensor. 

4. In doing this you are playing closer to the upper limit of the sensor, it is compromising, due to the decrease in dynamic range in highlights (say a window).

5. Working in reverse. If you are shooting Hi-Key where there is plenty of light and you are well away from the noise floor. Raising your ISO and dropping ND is a viable solution to raise the Dynamic range where you may need it. (also what are some indicators you may want to raise your dynamic range? shooting hot sky?)

One more question, is there a lower limit on ISO you would go if you wanted no texture in the image at all and your not worried about clipping? or is it back to the compromise of dynamic range?

THANKS in advanced, so difficult to wrap my head around. Think i'm almost there.