Igor Trajkovski

Hi Axel, Happy New Year. Maybe this is for you education wise: Global Cinematography Institute Co founded by Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC and Yuri Neyman, ASC And the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass lead by Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC has been rescheduled to 2014. When exactly the official site does not state. However, take a look there about the masterclass, what activities it includes, photos from the previous classes etc. Link - Budapest Cinematography Masterclass Best Igor

I didn't till watching today "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Production Blog #11 (2013)" where PJ mentions it... :)

Yes, ~400 per 1 book/part.

I was very excited when watching Peter Jackson's production diaries for the first part of "The Hobbit". I like the person, i like LOTR, but... For me "An Unexpected Journey" was soo long. Most of the time waiting something exiting to happen... Could not figure how and why PJ expanded a (relatively small) book of ~300pages in 2 x 2.5 hour movies. "Cut Peter! Cut" was my review the next days to friends. :) Some satistics: The Hobbit Part 1 169min The Hobbit Part 2 161min Number of Pages in book: ~ 300. LOTR 1 - 178min LOTR 2 - 179min LOTR 3 - 201min Number of Pages in book: ~ 400 I hope and encourage a Directors Cut from 90 to120min. That is total, the entire book in one film. Maybe world's 1st DC that is shorter. :) Best Igor

I think you would like this book: The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media by Bruce Block What are the visual components, contrast and affinity, space and types of space, line, shape, visual progressions... The color scripts you talk about can be plotted on the storyline/timeline as visual progressions. Not just color, any visual component. And let the progressions always serve the story. A simple story and some progressions: 1. Special op's buddies are on tropical island vacation with wives and kids. Phone rings and asks them... 2. Back in the city for emergent briefing and deployment. 3. Team enters "danger" zone. The locations: 1. Worm, sunny, happy, big open spaces, colorful clothes, swimsuits, toys, drinks saturated colors... 2. Gray buildings, less colorful patches, straight more confined spaces, dull sky, suits at briefing... 3. Dark, low key irregular chaotic small alleys. Progressions: 1 2 3 ================================= Color - Warm, Neutral, Cold Saturated, Normal, Desaturated Value - Bright, Middle gray, Dark Space - Open, Semi constrained, Constrained Wide -> Narrow Best Igor

After looking of ways how to eliminate judder / strobing when moving the camera and shooting progressive (read: 24, 25 fps) i came across the 35mm CAMERA RECOMMENDED PANNING SPEEDS tables in The ASC Manual. Tables with the same data can be found also on this LINK. I wonder how these values are established. Formula? Testing? Best Igor

I think the question is what you should have done. I you are like me, expecting well prepared, organized set, where at least the director knows how to run things, you'll be frustrated in those lo-budget/indie sets were there is no "strong" hand to lead the project and people appear to mindlessly play make-believe film crew... If the directors "approach" is Rock'n'Roll, you should be the same. If you can't, this is not your type of director. Chris Doyle was very frustrated on the shoot of "Lady in the Water" because the director M. Night Shyamalan was well prepared, with storyboards, wanting to explain things, while Chris was " I just wanted to go film something!". More details in the full article in "American Cinematographer" about "Lady in the Water" here. Best Igor

I recall reading in "Hitchcock" by Truffaut (based on the famous Hitchcock/Truffaut interview tapes) about Hitch's first directed movie . The drama and trouble he went thru while making the picture were both hilarious and OMG! I could not believe that this iconic director had such an experience and the honesty in which he describes his fears and doubt's. The book is a RECOMMENDED reading. :) Best Igor

From a music video: Video Directed by Yoann Lemoine (Woodkid) Cinematography by Arnaud Potier The opening clip is from the same director: Lolita Lempicka - with Elle Fanning Best Igor

From what i have seen in the the above image is a still. So models are able to rest their eyes and to pose for couple of shots and again pause... I just saw a reflector for bounce as eyelight. In close up while taking a photo i noticed the position of the heads is such that the eyes are partialy or completly in shadow. The eyes only, not the entire eye sockets. And reflector is used to give spark and lift some darknes out of it. Check @ 0:16. The parts in the spot where the models 'interact' is mostly shot in backlight, with burnt white sky. Some fill as needed. Best Igor

Define good film... An eye-candy, VFX spectacle ride? Most of the latest movies out there, for me are what i call - "for one viewing only". Less and less keepers. I am recently into old B&W movies. Being watching the old silent and "talkies" by Hitchkock. Still amazed how that old pictures, done with inferior tech compared to now, can be still entertaining. :) Regards Igor

Just some brainstorming... Camera mounted on steady rig on car with smooth consistent cruise control? Or have the dolly be pushed/towed by the cruise control car? Best Igor

Maybe this video from DJTV will give you some ideas: http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/detail.aspx?sid=70 Cheers Igor

Gotta share this: Lumu - bringing Light Meter to the 21st Century http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lumulabs/lumu-bringing-light-meter-to-the-21st-century Incident reading dome for iPhone/Pad devices by Slovenian (EU) based kickstarter team. I would realy like Android support, cine features etc... :) Best Igor

On the topic of IR polution when using strong ND filters you can watch the informative video from ABELCINE EXPO: ABELCINE EXPO: Filters for Digital Cinema It practicaly demonstrates the IR polution and which filter brand works best for witch of the popular s35 single chip cameras. Best Igor

If you are set on fluorescents, you can buy some cheap lampholders and high CRI (full spectrum) lamps. For example a T8 single/double lampholder with elec.starter and high CRI tubes like: http://www.amazon.com/Philips-221549-F17T8-Straight-Fluorescent/dp/B002CZ35HG/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1362599396&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=PHILIPS+TL+950 A number that appears on flurescents to understand is CRI+Kelvin 950 means the lamp CRI is in the 90's and color temperature rated at 5000 Kelvin. 830 means CRI in 80's, temp is 3000 Kelvin. 765 means CRI in 70's, temp is 6500 Kelvin. etc. Why not tungsten worklights thru big diffusion? (image form the DVXuser forum) Regards Igor

This video tutorial about exposure with Canon HDSLR might help you: Also check Polcan99's other tutorials on filmmaking. Best Igor

What about waveform monitor, spotmeter, false colors, histograms, channel clipping indicators? Nothing of that mentioned so far in specs. Best Igor PS: I find the discussion of what will the "democratization" of high quality image making gear bring also interesting. Why not a topic for a new thread?

There are multiple companies producing the C-Stands and Grip Heads, looking the same, using the same mechanisms, so it seems to me there is no copyright violation. OR? Do they pay licensing to the "originator"? Thanks Igor

I remember a good article by Art Adams on PROVIDEO COALITION on how to avoid flicker. He explains the "anatomy" of flicker and the effect on global shutter camera and rolling shutter camera. Film camera and flicker is mentioned also. Link to article: Rough Guide to Flicker-Free HD Shooting By knowing how to avoid it, you'll know how to create it. :) Best Igor

To me it looks just one hard light source, mounted above the camera. Similarly like news camera mounted with on-camera frontal light. However, here the light is somewhat higher, as you can notice from the shadows falling downward. For example, notice the shot where the male hand opens the closet. The vignette looks like done in post. And it seems great deal of the camera movement is also done in edit - in some shots the shadows do not move as would be the case with light mounted above camera. Of course that can be the result of independently mounted light source but still in approximate same frontal and above position. In some shots the shadows do move like light being above camera. Any hard light source can be used that gives you enough exposure. It just needs to be directional or if the case of bare bulb, to be snooted somehow, in order to avoid light flooding the room and creating excess ambient light. (read: no deep shadows) Best Igor

Dean Collins (the “Dean” of Photographic Education) might help you. :) Find and watch from his DVD set The Best of Dean Collins on Lighting DVD #2 - Finelight Commercial Illustration, the 3rd segment called Porsche : Studio Large Set. There, in simple and easy to understand ways he explains from start to finish how to prep, light and shoot a BLACK 911 in studio environment. Yes it is done in the pre-digital era and its about still photography, but the concepts of lighting are the same. For me a GEM to see how it was done in the days. :) Not just the car, but all other product shots ... Best Igor

Looks nice. From your low light setups & results it seems the camera is also environmental friendly (energy (for lighting) wise) :) Best Igor

Regards Igor

"Cameron, whose 2009 sci-fi blockbuster raised the bar for digital imagery and put the 3-D craze on the fast track, said Thursday that "Avatar 2" would be shot at 48 or 60 frames a second to reduce an effect called "strobing" that can blur moving images, particularly those in 3-D. For more than 80 years, the norm has been 24 frames a second. In a demonstration for theater owners at their CinemaCon convention, Cameron played 3-D footage he recently shot at 24, 48 and 60 frames a second to show the better quality of high-speed filming." "... Cameron, who wants faster filming rates to become the standard for 2-D and 3-D movies." Full read here: Cameron aims for speed to enrich 'Avatar 2' images --- Changing aestetics? There was the craze for getting the film look out of video/electronic cameras. Going from the video/news/TV 50i/60i look into the framerate realm of film. 24/25/30p abilities were in and norm. For 3-D i can understand as a technical concern and as explained a more pleasurable experience, but how would we feel with more images per second while watching a 2-D theater movie? Regards Igor