Benji Bakshi

Robert, likewise! I ended up going with a beam projector. Pretty nice tool. I ended up using it in almost every shot. The output is so controlled and focused. We were able to get perfectly parallel shafts of light raking across the BG and coming through windows.

Shooting a 16mm scene in which a man gazes at a woman who is in heaven. Heavy fog, haze, dry ice, etc. Overcranked. Probably 72 fps. The woman must be visible (not completely covered in fog) and need to see heavenly beams of light. Think beauty product commercial, but not in a white limbo. More textured and dynamic BG elements. I've done testing and considering 2 possibilities for beams of light: 1. Beam projectors PRO: nice parallel shaft. High output. CON: Doesn't "move" or give breakup 2. MAC 2000 PRO: Programmable movement, rotating gobo effect CON: Angled beam, could look source-y or staged. Only 1200w HMI - might not be able to fight the ambient light level. Any thoughts on what would work better for dynamic beams of light: static or motion?

Rick, I got the call this morning. I'll be seeing you in August! Great stuff! For those who did not receive the call this week, Last year I applied as well. Got the interview. Then waited night and day by the phone...and it never came. It was disappointing at first, but I knew right away I was going to apply again the next year. This year I'm humbled and honored to have been accepted. Don't take it too hard! Keep working and apply next year! After all, the application deadline is only several months away... They did mention that they prefered my having *more work experience* than when I applied the previous years. This year I also had very solid *recommendations* compared to the previous year. Keep in mind when applying again... I thought it was purely a matter of talent, but experience and "years since graduation" also is a big factor. Keep the faith. You will make it! If anyone has any questions, feel free to contact

I haven't heard anything about final decisions. I had a last minute phone interview last week. Maybe they are delayed this year? I remember last year they made calls the week before the deadline. Hopefully they will be making calls over the weekend??

I'm shooting a series of spots for a classical music school. 35mm. In the first spot, we're shooting 1 or more infants. Probably simple push-ins or lateral moves of infants sleeping, or looking "curious" towards camera. Not sure about framing yet. Could be anything from full to CU. Strong possibility of shooting infants of different ehnicities: caucasian, asian, african american. Lighting is intended to be soft, natural contour with falloff. Maybe side-lit from soft source. My question is, in dealing with infants, and their unpreditability, small size, and super-soft skin, are there any warnings or advice? Thanks in advance.

I'm realizing it's very hard to both market myself AND shoot full time (or more than full time as we all know it is...) I'm investigating the services of an agent. Anyone know how to go about the process of finding a good agent? What are agents looking for in terms of MY marketability? An pointers about what to watch out for? Signs of a bad agent? What is a reasonable percentage for agents to take? I could go on and on with questions. Any insights?

The JVC is rugged and ergenomic. Definitely the strongest points. Works and feels like a full size camera - only much lighter! In my experience you need to turn the detail level very low to get good results. Much lower than other cameras. But once it's there, it performs quite well. Obvisouly HDV is severely compressed by nature... In terms of LCD/focus, they're terrible. I use the focus assist. Usually it's pretty accurate. In low light, during rehearsal "gently" apply a scorpion or surefire on talent's face (especially hair or eyes) to get a focus reading. Get the anton bauer battery attachment if possible. Really helps counterbalance the camera.

Hey Rory, good to see you on the forum! Hey all, I'm ALWAYS looking for good non-union ACs, especially focus pullers. I'm in Philadelphia, so if you're local, visit my website and give me a shout!

I'm shooting a commercial in Philadelphia in late August. No exact dates yet. Shooting female talent running and leaping into a man's arms. Need experienced Gaffer for a 1 day shoot. Probably shooting 35, maybe HD. Prefferably experience with beauty/fashion oriented material, aka beauty product commercials, glamour, etc. Online reel a big plus. Yes, it's paid. Would love to see what u got!

I picked up a loaded 8M package from a DP in Florida a few months ago. It has a modified motor crystal sync up to 50fps, done by Slo-Motion in CA. I've shot 2 projects with my Konvas 8M. The first was a commercial. No problems whatsoever. My 2nd project was a short film. During telecine, we noticed a slight flicker throughout the footage. It's not enough to ruin the footage, but you can see it if you look for it. Especially in static shots. POSSIBILITIES: HMI flicker - In the 1st project we used newer, flicker-free HMIs. In the 2nd project we shot with older HMIs with magnetic ballasts. The telecine was somehow to blame. There is a phase problem with my shutter and movement. I had the telecine done at different places for these 2 projects, but the one that had flicker was actually the more expensive and prestigeous of the 2 telecine houses. Ideas? Anyone else experience this?

I'd like to encourage you in your shooting! I think it was a great little project! Obviously you had limited time and resources. But overall, it was engaging. Great martial arts. Keep shooting! And you'll learn how to make things more and more effective. :ph34r:

I may have a use for this in Philadelphia. Will you ship?

Dan - Heartbreak - tell me about it!! My wonderful girlfriend and God himself was about the only thing that kept me from diving off a cliff :) I guess we'll find out more when/if we receive letters.

Hey Everyone, Congrats to those who were accepted!!! Hmmm...Haven't received a call yet, or a letter. It's Monday eve on the 17th. Is there anyone else who hasn't received any notification?? I'm biting my nails like crazy!!!

Looks great. Did you do all the graphics? The music works well too.

Thanks. I'll have to check it out... BTW I'm getting this Konvas soon. Anything I should know as a future Konvas owner? Tips/tricks/frustrations?

Thanks all! I heard the ArriSR bridgeplate works well with Konvas as a rental. Any experience with this?

Thinking about grabbing a Konvas to play around with, B-roll, music video work. But as I checked out a nice package to buy, a big concern I had was - there are no rods, base plate, or gears on lenses. I see a Konvas baseplate on Ebay from Rafcamera, but it looks very low relative to the lens. Does anyone know of any follow focus solutions out there? Where to find gear rings, follow focus, base plate, etc? Thanks, y'all. (Just got back from North Carolina, so I'm allowed to say y'all now)

Thanks for your input, everyone. Obviously the main reason I'm even considering a Konvas is, I'll get a full package to myself for under 5K. Then I think, why not just put that 5K toward a 15K package if I'll end up there in the long run anyway?? However, as I'm trying to build up my 35 reel, isn't the flexibility of owning a fully accessorized package with lenses a big plus? (e.g. Konvas) Sure the Konvas package is mechanically inferior than the Arri III, but then - if you're going to rent lenses anyway, you could always RENT an Arri III with lenses for a few hundred dollars more... I'm also considering that, a producer might want the Arri name, but then if I have to RENT lenses to shoot anyway, I'm less of an all-inclusive package. Plus it limits my ability to experiment. I'm also concerned that, the Arri III is still limited to MOS. I'm concerned about my ability to apy off the camera... If that's the case, why not build my reel with a cheaper, total package, sell it, and but a sync camera down the road? Also, what about handholding with the Arri?

How about this package comparison: I'm lookig for my first 35 package. I'm looking for something with high-speed capability, perfect registration, reliability. I'm looking into 2 possible packages: #1 Konvas 8m camera Super 35 gate 6 primes (lomo) 1 zoom (lomo) 4 200' mags 4 400' mags Video tap high speed motor (up to 50fps) PL mount OR #2 Arri III Regular 35 gate PL mount Cinmatography Electronics high speed motor Color Video Tap Here's my main issue. I hear the Konvas has great reliability, good registration, and is great for handheld. And also this Konvas 8m is THE COMPLETE PACKAGE at a great price. Lenses, mags, tap, etc. But in terms of marketability, the Arri will make me appear more professional. Right? Has anyone ever heard of a producer being like, "Russian camera? Never heard of it. I need an Arri!" I imagine it could be an issue... Also, Arri IIIs are widely used for commercial and music videos and speed ramping. BUT - this package costs more, and without any lenses, only 3 mags, etc. Plus I hear the Arri III is terrible for handholding. If I buy the Arri, I'll have a more "marketable" camera, BUT I'll have to rent lenses to shoot anything - until I buy my own, which could be $10k or more for a nice set. Again, I'm looking for reliability, and a rock-solid image, and marketability. Is the marketability and extra features of the Arri III w/o lenses worth 2-3 times the price of a nice Konvas 8m with lenses? Any input?