Joshua Reis

sorry for the repost but hopefully more people read the general discussion forum.

 

I am currently prepping to shoot in upstate NY for a short which has some scenes that are being shot as Day for Night. It will be my first time lighting something like this and was wondering if anyone had some tips and tricks about what works best and what to avoid? Production is on a tight budget but I will be able to score some smaller HMIs (m-18/ Joker 1600) as well as some LED panenls and couple new NILA LED lights on the cheap. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Lots of good feedback here. In regards to camera technique, a lot of the old westerns were shot day for night. DPs would underexpose by one and half to two stops. Some would also use an 80C or 80A filter to give an overall cool cast to the image. Polarizer will help darken the sky

Shooting at night really shows the limitations of a camera and the amazing abilities of our eyes! Last week, I went up into the mountains on a camping trip and I brought my DSLR with me. Using an f/2.8 lens, a shutter speed of 1/50, and an ISO of 1600, I was unable to capture any of the stars in the sky... it all came out black. Meanwhile, I could immediately adjust from the brilliance of an iPad screen to the sky above and see the stars clearly. This got me thinking though: how in the world were shots like this one from Close Encounters of the Third Kind achieved using film (likely no faster than ASA 800)?

evanerichards.com/wp-content/gallery/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind/closeencounters074.jpg

I also recall shots in Lawrence of Arabia which clearly show stars in the sky.

 

So what are they doing, shooting with the ultra-fast lens used in Barry Lyndon? Or is it all a special effect done through optical printers and compositing in post?

 

Thank you!

In order to photograph stars at night, you will probably need to be somewhere around a 30-40 second exposure at f2.8 with 1600 asa. I would look into purchasing an intervalometer for this type of timelapse or long exposures. Most DSLRs are limited to 1 second exposures. However you may have a manual bulb mode which you could time with a stop watch, but your risk shaking the camera.

Hello All,

 

I have a question for the forum: I am curious to compile a complete and comprehensive list of ALL HD Digital Cameras on the present market that have a proper sensor for shooting with S16 PL mount Optar Primes.

I hope to have a list for quick review. I am looking to revitalize a wealth of quality Optar lenses and want the premium HD Camera for accomplishing this. At present, my research has revealed very few candidates (If anyone lists the BMCC please offer a clarifying explanation of exactly which focal lengths will cover the sensor).

 

Thank you,

Hi, the Red One MX , Scarlet, and Epic approximate a Super 16 gate when shooting in windowed 2k mode. I have shot a handful of projects using a Canon 7-63 and Canon 11-165 Super 16 zooms without any vignetting. I think the Scarlet makes a great 2k candidate because of its low cost and ability to push 60 fps at 4:1 Red Raw. I think the Epic will go around 240-300 fps in 2k? It depends on the aesthetic style that one is going for,but 2k Red mode can look "soft" to some people since its effectively using 2048x1080 pixels prior to debarring. However, its my understanding that the pixels will be smaller with the next "6k Dragon" sensor upgrade so this issue should be resolved with the extra pixel downsampling. I read somewhere that a Super 16 "window" model on the dragon sensor will be somewhere around 2500 to 2800 pixels wide resulting in a sharper 1920 by 1080 deliverable? check it out.

A more experienced colleague told me 12 hour days for a month are not uncommon. What are your average working hours on set?

 

Regards

 

Deji

12 hour days is the norm. 10 hour commercial days are out there. However, 14 and 16 hour days is becoming more common for music videos.

I think very few people graduate and are able to immediately make a living as a Cinematographer. You may be able to make some money shooting some things here and there, but the majority of my friends who are now DPs started off working as grips, electrics, or camera assistants. I myself camera assisted on the side, while I saved up enough funds to buy an Arri SR1 camera (this is before theres were dslrs and F900 or Varicam were the only options) and go out and shoot as much as I could and build my reel. I think the key is to find a way to make a living that enables you freedom to pursue your dream financially and schedule wise. Some people get locked into jobs with rigid schedules and are unable to take a day off a day or two to shoot a video or short film that comes up you don't want that to happen. Also, working as a camera assistant allowed me to gain familiarity with different lenses and camera techniques employed by different cinematographers whom that I worked for. Not to mention, you will begin to build those professional industry relationships that you will rely on throughout your career. Best of luck.

Joshua

Hi Jonas. Is this distressed look a grainy film quality or is more of an analogue quality from like VHS and a weak broadcast signal? Or is it through digital noise and compression artifacting? It sounds like you and your creative team already know what you guys want. Sounds like it might be a good idea to grab a DSLR like a canon 7D and shoot some experiments and create your own unique post recipe (workflow)? Maybe the look can be accomplished all in camera through selections such as lenses, filters, and underexposure as you suggest? Might be a bit of post such as shooting clean, then laying off to VHS and adding a lot of analog signal enhancements like sharpening edges and increased sharpness? You might even discover that the Alexa may be overkill for what you are looking to do. Also, are you shooting with available light? You might get some interesting aesthetic pushing the digital cameras to 1600-3200 asa and using baltar lenses with heavy chromatic aberration. Its all about experimentation. Best of luck.

You can certainly rate the film at 200 asa to give you a little more safety from under exposure risk. Might be a good idea to shoot with manual iris and use a hand held incident and spot meter to judge your exposures. The camera exposure meter doesn't know what you want to expose for within the frame.

Hi, a lot of movies have been shot on a Red One MX, so I will use that as a benchmark for comparison with the Scarlet. I'm sure many of us have seen Social Network, The Lincoln Lawyer, and other films which have all been shot on the Red One MX. Both the Red One MX and Scarlet MX can shoot 4k at 24fps 16:9. The Red One MX uses Redcode 36, which I have been told is about 8:1 compression. Redcode 42 is about 7.5:1. The Scarlet can shoot 4k 24 fps at 6:1 compression, which Ii'm told would be a Redcode 50. So with this purely technical comparison, you can see that Scarlet should hold its own on the big screen like the Red One MX. However, I will note that the Red One does have the advantage of a 4.5k mode for framing 2.40 widescreen using spherical lenses. This is something that the Scarlet does not offer. So thee Red One still has some advantages over its newer Scarlet sibling. However, the Epic is a whole other ballgame offering 5k mode at nearly three times the data rates.

If shooting with tungsten sources on the MX daylight balanced sensor, I typically like to shoot at a lower Asa such as 500asa instead of the native 800 for cleaner results. If there is a lot of skin tones, I like to employ an 80C filter and balance to 440k to eliminate noise and gain in the blue channel.

If shooting 5k, all of your still glass will have a 1.3x crop. 4k is a 1.6x crop. Might be a good opportunity to try the Zeiss CP.2 primes in the EF mount. Pulling focus on still lenses can be very difficult and still lenses also have the fixed f stop increments. I guess it really all depends on the style that you are going for and if you will have amore run and run approach. Will you be working with mostly long lenses or going hand held with wide lenses. In my experience, still lenses can capture images that are just as sharp and gorgeous as some of the best cinema glass out there, but they just are not designed to be used in motion applications.

Yes you can mis super 16 and standard 16 SR mags and bodies. However, it is not recommended to mix high speed and standard speed SR mags and SR bodies.

No. Choosing camera assistants is made through referrals, a resume, and possibly a brief phone interview.

I have shot with a V1U and a Z5U and it seems that all my videos look more or less the same in terms of color and light.

What options do I have to make it them look different one from the other?

It depends on what you are creatively and aesthetically trying to achieve, but a good start might be to experiment with different camera filters. Experiment with different lighting styles. Try a different approach with your camera work mixing up shutter, f stops, focal lenghts.

Hallo!

 

At the moment i am planning a music video where we will shoot a lot of day for night exteriors. I´ll be using the epic camera for the first time but since its super low budget i wont really have the ability to test the camera in advance. So i´d like to ask you friends..

 

My question is: Will the hdrx mode allow me to even take the sky into the frame and then pull it down that far that it gets darker than skin tone? Even if faces are crossing the sky?

 

I thought about using all 5 hdr stops. I think it's important to keep the tones clearly seperated - The sky needs to be some stops brighter than the faces to be able to grab the sky in grading. Has anybody tried it before?

 

How do the transitions between hdrx-treated an normal exposed areas look like (Hair in front of the sky)? Will it look like a bad compositing?

 

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Jonas

Will you be shooting a lot of handheld or will the camera be mostly steady and locked off? The reason that I ask is that HDRX requires the blending of two separate exposures so that your normal exposure and second "under exposed" image may not exactly line up since they were exposed at different durations in time. The Epic camera compensates for the second exposure by narrowing the shutter. For example, if you were shooting with a 180 degree shutter, the HDRX or second frame would be at 45 degrees if the camera was set to expose for 2 stops under. Many post facilities have different processes to solve this issue, but in my experience it requires some manual and time consuming attention. HDRX works great for wide landscapes and static compositions, but can get tricky when there is a lot of movement within the frame. I'm sure this will change over time as new software comes to release. As long as the sky doesn't clip, you may be able to chroma key? Or you can intentional under expose to save the sky, but then increase the key lighting to your subjects?

Even though you don't have access to an Epic, you could shoot some stills with a 7D or 5D and perform your own test? You could manually bracket and find what works best for you?

Hello, I am an independent producer and director. I've been working on a feature-length film in 16mm. We shot in Canada and San Francisco and are now here for a week of production. I am looking to develop around 6K feet of 16mm and I am having trouble sifting through the myriad of labs in LA all of whom seem legitimate but none are standing out. Does anyone know of a lab that stands out? I am looking for development of negative and a telecine. I would appreciate anyone's advice.

 

all the best!

Jackson

I have always been pleased with Fotokem for color negative. However, I don't think do do reversal or cross processing.

HDCAM SR is 440 Mbps per second. Pro Res 4:4:4 is 330 Mbps, 12bit at 1920x1080 at 29.97 fps. Pro Res HQ 4:2:2 is 220 Mbps, 10bit at 1920x1080 at 29.97. Regular Pro Res has at 66 percent of the data rate of HQ. Unless you are shooting hi speed, I would really take advantage of the Alexa color space by recording 4:4:4 if SxS cards will be your master source. This is especially true if you will be recording to Log C colorspace and will need to push the codec more once you get to the final color correction. For an hour of footage, you are looking at 79 minutes vs. 119 minutes when comparing Pro Res 4:4:4 to Pro Res HQ on the Alexa. Pro Res 4:2:2 HQ is certainly acceptable, but I wouldn't use any of the lesser codecs unless its exclusively for offline editorial, but even then offline clones could be made for the Pro Res 4:4:4 safety masters when going to HDCAMSR or Codex. Hard drives are relatively cheap and the pro res codec 4:4:4 is a very manageable codec so I would suggest using the highest quality codec possible on such an awesome camera.

Joshua

Hi, I have a VFM-056WP that I regular power via the manufacturers "mini XLR to D tap cable" running on a wide variety of onboard camera batteries (Anton Bauer, IDX, Red.)

Hi, what are your sequence settings? Go to Sequence Settings > Video processing and look at your color processing settings. Are you rendering YUV or RBG? Also, are you able to view your quicktime via a hardware device such as a Kona or Decklink card via HDSI to a calibrated HDSI monitor? If you re import the clip into final cut, are you able to confirm the color shift using the built in vectorscope?

Joshua

Hi, obviously production value begins with art direction, lighting, and color timing. There are so many different ways to express gritty qualities of a particular motion picture. The narrative could be gritty. The quality and colors of light could be gritty. A hand crank camera is a gritty element. Crash zooms and frantic camera movies with camera on and offs can make a scene feel gritty. If you are speaking about adding film grain to clean digital images, there are a number of options out there that will add a "film grain" texture? One of my favorite options is the "add grain" plugging within after effects. You can experiment and add more grain to certain color channels. It is also possible to map larger and smaller grain sizes to different luminance values adding a bit of organic dimension to the artificial noise. For example, the shadows could be grainy, but the highlights could be mapped with smaller grain somewhat mimicking what you would see in a motion picture film stock. Experiment and see what you like.

Regards,

Joshua

Hi, I am selling my personal Arri SR3 camera package. Also selling a Canon 7-63 and a 11-165 Zoom. Includes custom AJ Anvil cases. Equipment located in Southern California.

Regards,

Joshua

Arri SR 3 Super 16 Camera Package

SR 3 Body (arriglow, video elbow, eyecup )

Arri 1.78/1/33 combo ground glass in camera) one combo GG, one 1.33 GG

HE-3 heatable eyecup

Eyecup heater cable

DC-2 (mounted on side of camera, 2-24v 3 pin, 2-12v 11 pin)

Super/Sandard 16 conversion tool kit

Lightweight rods, LWS-3, long + short extensions

Lightweight rods, LWS-2, short extensions

Right hand grip

FF-2 extension eyepice

Camera Body Cap (port Cap)

shoulder pad

Arri 24v onboard chargers (2)

Batteries 24v onboard x4

CEI Color Video 5 tap

Videotap power cable

Mag SR3 timecode 400' 3x)

Mag SR2 400' (2x) Axel Broda conversions

Sliding Baseplate with 15mm rods BP-7

Lower sliding baseplate

2x Arri SR3 24v batter belt cables

2 AJ Anvil Cases - Grey

TOTAL 35k

OTHER (Selling separately)

Canon 11-165 Zoom T2.5 with Birns & Sawyer Heden mount

Canon 7-63 Zoom T2.5 with Birns & Sawyer Heden mount

MB-19 mattebox

I have uploaded photos of the camera (ff-4, onboard LCD, isreali arm, eyebrows, MB-19, not included.

http://www.joshuareis.com/sr3/IMG_0214.jpg

http://www.joshuareis.com/sr3/IMG_0203.jpg

mail@joshuareis.com

It depends on the saturation and contrast you are going for, but I find rating 7201 at 40 asa is a nice sweet spot to start.

If you are shooting Super 16 and finishing in HD 1080P, I would highly recommend the Kodak 7201. Its by far the cleanest color negative stock with the highest MTF rating. 7205 is great as well, but you will see an increase in grain, but it could save you when you need the two extra stops of exposure.

I shot the Chevelle "Well Enough Alone" video over a year ago with the Phantom. This was before the mags were available. It is a great camera for 24 and 1000 fps @ 1080. We were fortunate to master the final video in HD.

Joshua

http://joshuareis.com/quicktime/Quicktimes_Chevelle.html

720P version

http://joshuareis.com/quicktime/hd/CHEVELL...H264_HD_9mb.mov

Having multiple resumes is a great way to build your career. Obviously you will hand out the most appropriate version to the prospective employer. I would suggest that you continue to diversify your skill-sets as you continue to explore the industry. As you become more experienced and better jobs arise, you will naturally decline the jobs that don't interest you. Follow your instinct and be passionate to achieve your goals. Best of Luck.

Joshua

Thanks in advance for taking a look.

 

My concerns:

I'm pursing a career in cinematography (which is why I'm on this site) and I want my resume to reflect my career goals. I don't have a specifc objective listed because 1) I don't have much room and 2) I also apply and take other jobs inbetween camera jobs just to pay the rent.

 

I've currently organized it by my position held because I've jumped around as opportunities present themselves, example; after leaving a camera operator position on a very low budget tv show, I started taking PA jobs again, but on higher profile productions. A DP I recently worked with felt very strongly that once someone moves up (ie from PA to 2nd or 2nd to 1st) that you "can't" or shouldn't ever go jumping back and forth between positions, is this a common sentiment?

 

On some positions I held jobs where I filled multiple roles. I worked a couple jobs where I was originally hired as a PA, but was also the only person to fill the role of AC and grip. Those jobs I was the PA/AC/Grip and the producers clearly defined the jobs as such, but it seems like that would be too much to list and still be taken seriously. On those jobs, I was getting lunch, but also setting lights, preping camera and G&E gear and shooting the ocasional 'D' camera. Would I be better to list Camera PA as a more acurate title?

 

Thanks

Michael Nash gave you great advice. Study the lighting of the period that you would like to mimic. Also take a look at the camera work. Is it hand held? is the camera always moving? Is there zooming? I think the lighting style and the type of camera operating/framing will be more influential than choosing just a film stock. In a spirit 2k telecine session, a good colorist can dial in the look of an older and aged film-stock. Also, if you have the opportunity and can afford to I would suggest filming and transferring a test or two to see what gives you the most desirable results with the resources at hand. Best of luck.

Joshua

Hello,

 

This is my first time posting on Cinematography.com, but I am hoping to get some guidance.

 

I am shooting a short period piece next month and I would love for it to have the look of something that was shot in 1968. I think the best way to do that would be in camera with the right stock, but I am having a hard time finding what types of stocks were used back then. I am sure most or all are no longer in production, but I would like to find something close. I know that in Buffalo 66 Lance Acord used an old reversal stock that they used to shoot football games with, but they worked out a deal with Kodak to make another run of that stock. I don't think I have that kind of clout.

 

Does anyone know where I may be able to find older stocks in the Los Angeles Area? Maybe some company that has a freezer full of really old stuff that has been preserved. I am sure it is a stretch and probably dangerous. haha.

 

Also, I am shooting on an Arri SR2 with Zeiss super speed primes. I am wondering if the primes are a good choice because they may be too clear, so maybe a zoom might be better for the look. There are currently no zooms in the plan.

 

Unfortunately this is a low budget project, so there will be no test days to really figure this stuff out. Just have to go with the gut, so I figured it would be a good call to get multiple guts in on it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!