First Super16 Gig

Joe Farris · January 6, 2006

Hello All,

I'm about to embark on my first Super 16 project and I'm wondering if anyone has any insights, experiences, recommendations, advice, ect. that they would like to share. I'm not totally green, just slightly to the film side of things. I was a gaffer for about 5 years and about 3 years ago I bought an HD camera package and have been shooting ever since. The project is a pair of spec spots, both of which are interior settings. I have rented an Arri SR3 and a set of Zeiss super speeds. We're shooting on 7205/250D mostly because I have a few windows in the shot. My lighting package is small but should suffice just fine. I have a pair of 1200 Par's, 4' and 2' Kino Flo's, and an assortment of tungsten units 1k on down. The 2 spots focus on an older couple around a large dinner table, fairly simple probably no more than a half a dozen set ups. I think I've got things worked out fairly well. Post will be done on an Avid DS system. We're transferring on a C-reality and going through a Da vinci for color correction ending up on D5. At this point it looks like we will have to transfer from D5 to dvcprohd for ingest into the Avid DS system. I'm sure it would be better to go directly off the D5 but that is cost prohibitive at this point. So thats basically the low down. Any ideas or recommendations, things to keep my eye out for, ect would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing everyones thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Joseph Farris

Director of Photography

Visions of Light, Inc.

Office: 312-829-8244

Pager: 800.808.8244

Mobile: 630.306.8244

Fax: 630.690.7678

www.visionsoflightinc.com

joe@visionsoflightinc.com

Rolfe Klement · January 6, 2006

not sure if I correctly understood the post process you are going to follow - but it makes more sense to get a one light when you do the dev of the stock to dvcam or dvcprohd (whatever is cheapest and gives you timecode) - then do the edit and SFX - then go to Da Vinci with the EDL in CMX format - check which CMX your TK op can use (otherwise you wind up grading loads of footage you might not use in the final edit) - then go back to AVID (via D5 or dvcproHD or whatever you can afford) for final conform, audio and titles etc

Something to maybe check is the ability of the TK op to export data to harddrive and not to tape - I saw some TK ops talking about this - couple of probs with this - got to make sure the avid can bring it in, got to make sure it is high quality (10bit etc) - but it might work out cost wise and the TK op might be keen to do it

thanks

Rolfe

Patrick Neary · January 6, 2006

Hi-

Whenever I've done a film spot, we grade it during the telecine. I doubt I'm the only one around here who wouldn't trust the telecine guys with a one-light, there are too many ways to screw it up. :o

Rolfe Klement · January 6, 2006

apologies if my post was confusing - you get a one light first from the company who dev the film - doesn't matter what it looks like - you just need the timecode

Once the edit is complete you take the film and the EDL to a proper TK house and grade only the sections you need - otherwise you pay to grade 2.3 hours of footage when you only need to pay to grade 59sec of it

The TK op can then focus on grading the shots that will be used in the final EDL -

so basically do not involve a TK Op or House until the edit is done

hope that is clearer

thanks

Rolfe

Patrick Neary · January 6, 2006

sorry Rolfe, your post was clear, I promise I'll read more carefully next time!

although I have to say I haven't shot any spots that ended up with 2+ hours of footage (more like 40 minutes to an hour) but really with only a few set-ups involved, (and, i like to think, my consistent exposures:)) the grading sessions have usually gone pretty fast. And on top of it all, I doubt the deadlines would have allowed a return to telecine after editing!

Hans Engstrom · January 7, 2006

Since you have mostly tungsten balanced lighting I would have geled the windows with 85 and some ND and shot with 7217 instead (unless I was going for the blown out look for the windows)

Joe Farris · January 9, 2006

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. One of the reasons I was going to grade the images pre edit was simply because I have a friend who's a colorist and is willing to do us a favor. Rather than pay to have a one light and then have to go back to telecine for the final we were just going to do it all at once. Not my preferred way but we are only shooting 2 400ft rolls so it shouldn't be to bad. We'll see how it all works out. We shoot tomorrow.