Guest fstop Posted November 17, 2004 Share Posted November 17, 2004 Not exactly hot news but an interesting featurette on George Lucas' newfound love of multiple video monitors and the new benefits it presents to filmmakers. Sure it's your typically desperate Lucasfilm Montgomery Burns style propaganda fest in which George Lucas is portrayed as someone who thrives on human interaction as the perfect life of the party (gotta drown out the prolific bluescreen boredom stories and the evident digital emptiness...), but it's also refreshing to see a world where a maze of monitors doesn't attract multiple backseat directors or visual inconsistencies and technical hiccups... http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/me3/6.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted November 18, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 18, 2004 I love this quote! "Gone is the alchemy and photochemical uncertainties of shooting film that would not be developed for hours -- or even days. Thanks to the precision HD cameras and their big-screen plasma feeds, the director and everyone on the crew could see Episode III as it happened." Thank god for HD! Now we have a monitor to watch while the camera is rolling!!! Wait, we had that already didn't we? Oh geez, I'm being sarcastic, but come on! Sure, there are certainly some positives to that huge video village setup, but how many negatives are there? How big is the video assist crew? Just moving all that gear must take at least ten people. Try moving that stuff around on a typical feature that isn't shot primarily on a stage in front of a green screen! Interesting little promo film though. Thanks for sharing the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Max Jacoby Posted November 18, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 18, 2004 And video assist monitors from film cameras are small and black&white.... I find it a bit ironic when David Tattersall says that since the monitor shows how the lighting will look straight away, he can take more risks. How come his work on Star Wars is so boring and visually uninventive then? The two films that he lit certainly don't belong to the pantheon of best lit films ever, not by a longshot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brennan Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 And video assist monitors from film cameras are small and black&white.... I find it a bit ironic when David Tattersall says that since the monitor shows how the lighting will look straight away, he can take more risks. How come his work on Star Wars is so boring and visually uninventive then? The two films that he lit certainly don't belong to the pantheon of best lit films ever, not by a longshot. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Taking risks does not only mean dramatic results on screen. Taking a risk could mean having a tiny shaft of light rather than a wide beam to reduce spill. The benifit is in efficent and creative use of the resources at your disposal. It does not necessarily follow that the result should be anything other than what is right for the script. If you can't see that he has taken a risk then it has probably paid off. Mike Brennan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brennan Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I love this quote!"Gone is the alchemy and photochemical uncertainties of shooting film that would not be developed for hours -- or even days. Thanks to the precision HD cameras and their big-screen plasma feeds, the director and everyone on the crew could see Episode III as it happened." Thank god for HD! Now we have a monitor to watch while the camera is rolling!!! Wait, we had that already didn't we? Oh geez, I'm being sarcastic, but come on! Sure, there are certainly some positives to that huge video village setup, but how many negatives are there? How big is the video assist crew? Just moving all that gear must take at least ten people. Try moving that stuff around on a typical feature that isn't shot primarily on a stage in front of a green screen! Interesting little promo film though. Thanks for sharing the link. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It looked like the video assist "crew" was a team of one. Well of course you are not going to have the need for that degree of kit on location if you are not doing greenscreen! In respect of moving it around the cost is small beer compared to the advantages, which the promo highlights. Mike Brennan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Well on the scale of 'Artisinal' to 'Industrial' filmmakers George Lucas is in the Industrial camp, he's not Stan Brakhage ! or Wong Kar-wai, or Gus Van Sant, even... So if a workflow works for him, why not ? As for "da big color monitor" I've seen it be an asset on high end video shooting, now this is contingent on a smallish _very focussed_ crew & director working on the same page (and, to be honest, I've seen the thing, the system of break down when the shoot turns into "political factions") Arguably, with repurposed video cameras as opposed to the real electronic cinema cameras we all (I hope !) are wishing for, a high quality monitor CAN be a reality check when going off the deep end exposure lighting wise (a place I love :D ) -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 PS Anyone notice Christopher Lee hasn't aged at all lately, do you suppose he doesn't show up in mirror shots either :unsure: -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Allen Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Was it Phil that said his eye for composition improves when he looks through a smaller viewfinder? I find this true for myself, however, focusing is much easier when you actually have something that you can see. On the other hand, not only are we blowing up our screen a lot, we've got TWO of them now! Notice how skinny george was when he made the first 3 films, then when he basically stopped being on set by the 90s he was a hippo, then he slimmed down a little when he started making the prequels, now he's ballooned again because he's basically on his ass in front of a TV all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted November 18, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 18, 2004 (edited) It looked like the video assist "crew" was a team of one. Mike Brennan <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It may have looked that way to you because he's the only person we saw in the promo, but I'm sure you realize that that's not the case. Edited November 18, 2004 by grimmett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Allen Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 It may have looked that way to you because he's the only person we saw in the promo, but I'm sure you realize that that's not the case. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes! Direction by commitee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted November 19, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 19, 2004 Yes! Direction by commitee! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's not what I was saying at all. I was referring to how many crew were in the video assist department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brennan Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Yes! Direction by commitee! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A good director uses HD monitors to communicate. Why would say makeup start telling the director his job? Actually under the massive magnification of a 46 inch monitor the director is more likely to be telling her how to do her job! Its my vision and its private or its my vision work and with me to achive it? Don't tell me a monitor doesn't help mosat of the time. Mike Brennan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Allen Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Its my vision and its private or its my vision work and with me to achive it? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Sanders Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Yay! Another Lucas bashing thread. Everyone mocks and ridicules and then privately mimics everything he does. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted November 20, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 20, 2004 Everyone mocks and ridicules and then privately mimics everything he does. :lol: <{POST_SNAPBACK}> If you're talking about studio heads mimicking what he does, then you may be right. Other than that, I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted November 20, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 20, 2004 That was kinda cool, actuall. I wish our student productions could afford a setup like that and have the extra hands lazing about to man it :D That said, I'm sure the compositors for Star Wars were REALLY thrilled that C-3PO was going to be a mirror polished robot. That has to be a huge pain to work with. I never thought about it before this, seeing the big green reflections in him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brennan Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Huh? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Opps it was meant to read "Its my vision and its private" or "its my vision work with me to achive it" The notion being that since it is a visual mediam a monitor helps the director and DP communicate their vision. Certainly usefull at the beginning of a shoot. Mike Brennan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Allen Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Do you think the "it's my private vision" standpoint has to do with back in the day we'd have nothing to compare the previous shot to? I mean, without watching the dailies you'd have no idea what the director was doing because the only output was the viewfinder. I don't know if I agree to having all those people watching every little thing I do. If you turn down someone's sugguestion for the shot you either look like an idiot for not noticing or you look like a dick if you tell them to "f*ck off" I suppose I would rather only a priviledged few see the work in progress, otherwise it does become a committee thing, I would rather the actors can't take a break and see what the final comp will look like in the middle of the day. Their interpretation of what the scene looks like and how they want to behave in it might conflict with the director's ultimate vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member John Pytlak RIP Posted November 22, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 22, 2004 When I use my digital camera, I rarely immediately review the pictures I've shot --- frankly, it's a waste of battery power except for finding gross problems. In other words, whether I'm shooting 35mm film in my SLR, or using my Kodak DX3700, the "proof of the pudding" is when I see a print or slide, or view the image at home on a high quality monitor. I just bought a Kodak EasyShare DX6490, but althought this camera has much more flexibility, I don't think it will change my technique. And I suspect I will still shoot lots of film too. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Chris Keth Posted November 22, 2004 Premium Member Share Posted November 22, 2004 Do you think the "it's my private vision" standpoint has to do with back in the day we'd have nothing to compare the previous shot to? I mean, without watching the dailies you'd have no idea what the director was doing because the only output was the viewfinder.I don't know if I agree to having all those people watching every little thing I do. If you turn down someone's sugguestion for the shot you either look like an idiot for not noticing or you look like a dick if you tell them to "f*ck off" I suppose I would rather only a priviledged few see the work in progress, otherwise it does become a committee thing, I would rather the actors can't take a break and see what the final comp will look like in the middle of the day. Their interpretation of what the scene looks like and how they want to behave in it might conflict with the director's ultimate vision. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> 1. It's not anyone else's business to suggest shots, other than the director and DP for the most part. 2. It's part of the business. You have to reject some ideas and accept some others. Professionals aren't going to get sore about it. Whiny gits are and they probably will run out of work quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Allen Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 I guess I'm too used to clients having too much say in the production stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenolian Bell Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 1. It's not anyone else's business to suggest shots, other than the director and DP for the most part. 2. It's part of the business. You have to reject some ideas and accept some others. Professionals aren't going to get sore about it. Whiny gits are and they probably will run out of work quickly. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> In a perfect world this is all true. But in actual pratice having every head in the video monitor can be a real pain. Everyone's got an opinion. Which isn't a bad thing, many times some one may see something that I did not, or have a better idea. Sometimes its worse than others, at times I have to really lay down the law, and just shut down opinions from other departments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now