Ryan Bajornas

I am an American student shooting a short 16mm film in Beijing China, and am wondering if there are any precautions or adjustments that I need to make. Of greatest concern is when using HMIs or if I am forced to use flourescents, since the voltage is different than that in the US, could this cause flicker in the footage? What should I look for and what adjustments should I make? thanks, Ryan Bajornas

Should I have airport checkpoint hand-check anything besides film stock ? can x-rays affect batteries or light/color meters? also, is it required that cameras be turned on and off to prove that they run, either at checkpoints or customs? I'm traveling with a camera and have one dead battery and the charger is already at my destination. I don't know. thanks, ryan Bajornas

I am planning a trip to China (from U.S), and am taking an Arri SR2, some prime lenses, and some film with me. I've heard of many problems while traveling, regarding airport security, inspections, and customs, and am curious as to what to expect or suggestions that might help ease this process. I will have the equipment constantly with me as my personal baggage, and I know to have a hand-check of the film. The camera is school's equipment. This is my first time traveling with equipment, and traveling abroad, so any advice is greatly appreciated. thanks, Ryan Bajornas

apply to ohio university.

everyone's an artist, or so they hope to be considered, otherwise they would'nt be in the business to begin with.

if you're really serious about going to film school, check out ohio university. not only will you learn everything you need to know about filmmaking, but you'll save, and even earn some money along the way. no other school compares.

many more people than mr. clooney pour their hearts out into their movies. and they're spending just as much time making their movies, and often every dime they have, and many of these movies aren't even seen by more than a handful of people. so quit feeling sorry for mr. clooney just because you think controversial topics trump any ordinary masterpiece. believe me, mr. clooney is not in pain.

the stills look fine, but maybe the moving image is a different story. if the image doesn't play right, it must be computer settings. so try something different until you get it right. if you still have problems, import onto a different system. eventually you'll find what's wrong. i'm sure those huge pixels are not on your master tape, so quit worrying.

the internet will be the next big distribution boost. already, the theaters are working to someday be able to download their movies, in which case a print won't even be needed. they're not very close to that yet, but in the future, that's the way things will work. and will allow audiences will still get the same theater experience. same will be true to everyone's home viewings. with the availablity of services such as tivo, tv viewers are escaping advertising, the heart of cable television. soon, tv audiences will have access to internet capabilities and content will be much more diverse. so back to the original question, distribution on the internet is very likely; if not yet, definitely in the near future.

in a half-second shot like this, that could be hardly detectable if done right. if you keep the shot steady and play with a time-warp in post, the shot being reversed would probably fool most audiences. and would be much safer to climb a camera up a tree rather than drop it down.

thanks for the reply. i understand that once you get involved, you should make a name for yourself and find more and more work. my problem is, i know what i'm doing a few months from now, and will then be staying busy for a while afterwards, i just hoped to find something until then. it's hard for me because i can't move somewhere to make a name for myself, only to be leaving within a few months of arriving.

the thing is, musicians can usually get together and combine their talents and it doesn't cost a thing. when people get together to make a movie, there's going to be a cost. so there's automatically an investment involved, and when money's on the line, so you have pressure to perform. also, in movies, the positions are very defined, people often only do their job . but while the cost of making movies goes down, with the accessibility to video and editing and the internet, more and more are experimenting, you don't have things the traditional way. and nowadays people can get together and make a movie for fun without much cost. it's not like playing music together, but there's no harm if you screw up.

you're comparing 2 things for the wrong reasons. sure, you've got talented folks on both sides, but to say that one side is nicer, ha. it's like asking yourself if you like you're right foot better than your left hand.

new to the group, joined because it seems like a talented and very supportive community and i know that i can learn a lot from you all. i was really surprised and impressed how everyone is so helpful. anyway, let me first explain my situation. i have taken a leave of absence from film school, and plan to return next summer. i've gotten a lot of experience while in school: shooting many student movies (16 & dv, docs & narrs), including my own, shooting a promo video for the arts, helping on several local commercials, and working as a camera assistant on 2 features. my next move is to go to china to shoot a short student film in may. until then, i'm looking for work. i figure a crew position on set would satisfy the short-term job, which is the beauty of this field, but i'm having problems finding a shoot to work on. i know that i can shoot more student films and add that to my reel, but more importantly, i need money. i'm not being stubborn and only looking for dp gigs; i'll work as ac, gaffer, grip, i just need to get paid. but it seems that anything that pays is gobbled up by all of you, the ones with much more experience. does anyone have any recommendations for someone like me who is somewhat new, or have suggestions as to where i can look for a crew job that pays? i don't need to be making thousands of dollars a day, just needs to compete with the wages for washing dishes at the restaurant down the street. problem is, there's too many of us fighting for too few jobs. thanks for any help, ryan bajornas