Framing to S16 on standard 16mm for a 'job' I have been commissioned to shoot

[Stephen Perera]

I've just been commissioned to shoot a 'short' of a client's crystal blowing business here in Gibraltar (they create beautiful stuff using traditional glass blowing techniques) on 16mm but they want to show it on their large TV's inside the shop apart from social media advertising of course...obviously we're talking widescreen TVs here, the usual 16:9 format.....I don't think I will be able to talk them into 4:3 format to be honest.....

 

I don't have the money or inclination due to the cost to convert my standard Aaton 16mm to super16mm (changing the gate and ground glass and all the rest of it) as you all know as I've been boring everyone about my camera of late.....

 

.....so.....aside from framing using the upper portion of the ground glass frame lines (as someone suggested on another thread I created) is there anything else I could do????

 

e.g. to physically mask....somehow.....my viewfinder accurately???? Its framing the shots as I shoot that I am concerned about not masking the final piece in the editor software.....I'm really really into framing off the camera not in post

 

any and every tip more than welcome.....will start filming in January so I have time to come up with a plan....

Edited October 16, 2017 by Stephen Perera

[Brian Drysdale]

Which viewfinder markings does your V/F have? Is there TV safe or other references already marked on it?

 

EDIT in this thread http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=74707 I notice it has. For a small job like this I would mark out 16:9 on a card and see how it lines up with the TV safe markings in the corners of the ground glas . If it matches up well, I would use those as a reference when framing in the camera.

 

If you're slightly out you can then use the DVE in your NLE for fine vertical adjustments,

Edited October 16, 2017 by Brian Drysdale

[Stephen Perera]

somebody suggested to me to use the upper portion (mentally) where the first 'cut' on the thick line is.....I was wondering whether I could do anything 'physically' to mask

[Mark Dunn]

You'd usually want to crop top and bottom rather than use common top, so you use the sharpest part of the lens.

Mentally draw a line across the top of the bottom safe action mark and the bottom of the top mark (the thin lines). That measures at about 1.85. That's as near as makes no difference.

If you can get at the ground glass you could put low tack tape across as a guide.

[Stephen Perera]

yes of course the central part of the lens is where the quality is thats a fantastic reminder!!!!!!!!! top tip!!!

[Mark Dunn]

David may chip in here, but common top is still (or was) used in 35mm 3parf.

Oh, here he is, I'll say no more. It's a matter of interest, no relevance for 16mm. really.

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=26161

[Stephen Perera]

sounds silly, and Ive asked before but you would frame a shot inside the thick black line of the ground glass image I attached right??? the corner marks further inside are TV safe guides I take it

[Brian Drysdale]

The inner marks are TV safe.

 

If you use the TV safe (corner lines) sides as the outside and where the same vertical lines finish inside the frame as top and bottom you will be roughly 1,8, which should get you a good basic frame. You can then adjust the framing further in post. I would try to get a UHD or 4k transfer to allow for the blow up to 16:9 in HD..

[Brian Drysdale]

I would do a 4x3 at the UHD or 4k transfer, so you can re-frame..

[Stephen Perera]

the issue I have is in the framing for a wide format such as required in this case for in-store TV monitors.....e.g. glassblower...keeping his head in the wide frame so to speak as opposed to allowing space above and below....I'd rather somehow have an indication of the crop.....Im thinking of getting some magic tape and somehow cutting out a mask window...