Matt Workman

I think that the "choir boy" should be reposted in the AC section, heh. I learned it from a 1st AC I worked with, I was usually the one holding the maglite. <_< Michael Nash: The info on the opal was really helpful. Too bad all we have is white diffusion and 1/4 white diffusion. We used some full frost too but that cuts out almost all the light. What is that stuff for? Adam White: Thanks. The biggest challenge for me is just lighting continuity. Besides the obvious lack of lamps and flags/nets to control them. I have to set up my wide shots knowing what I want for the close ups etc. Some times I could pull off a sexy MS/CU but there is no way I could match the wide shot. What has pleased me the most is that I'm still excited each shoot. If this was a regular 20 day (6 day week) feature I might feel differently, but I still look forward to figuring out new locations and doing what I can with what I have. My crew is really great and I'm learning a lot. UPDATE Updated it just now. http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17

Michael Nash: Thank you for your comments. I agree with you about some of the edge lots being hot. I am working without the usual flag/scrim kit, unfortunately. I think that having a soft bottomer would be helpful. I use the only net and flag for keeping the background light off the foreground. You guessed it hard HMI to the background, with 1/4 diff though. What is the difference between opal and white diffusion? Rupe W: The M2/DVX is a nice combo. Having the HVX and the new HD achro is preferrable though. Nikons are great, for the price. I have a large kit of fast primes and zooms, but I've only used the primes so far. You don't lose any light to the adapter, only through the lenses. If you have a decent lighting package then you won't need any gain. I gained one scene because some of my lights were down. Even with my 55mm f1.2 I probably couldn't shoot any natural night exteriors, but who would do that anyway. The LCD is a varizoom, and its only really for framing. The colors are whack and you can't judge focus with it. Although I'm only SD so you probably could. I usually use a maglite-to-eye for focus and I use the DVX monitor to judge focus. If we had a production monitor on set that day then I'd use that. Mixing straight DVX and M2 is easy enough. DVX wide lens and the M2 wide lens are pretty similar. My 15mm is only f2.8 and my 28mm is only f2.0. Mixing anything over 50mm/M2 with the DVX zoomed in is going to be very different though. I saw some HVX footage where Vincent Pascoe mixed some fisheye HVX with M2 HVX and it matched pretty well. Update: http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 New update. I took a poor mans panaramic of the set one day. It didn't stitch very well but it gets the idea across. Download wallpaper - 1280x1024 http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 Peace.

Thanks for the replies. I am only hanging two small tweenies w/ barndoors off the wall spreader. I bet even an auto-pole would work but I don't want to have it fall on anybody. I need to get a few steel safety cables also, the ones I have are just rope. I'll post any pictures I have of the rig once I figure it all out.

New post is up. For the bar scene I have screen shots of all the setups we did. After reviewing I wish that the actor facing the camera was larger in the frame, for the OTS. http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17

For the other newbies out there: I called the NY Local 600 Cineamatographers guild and they were very helpful. They send you a introductory information package with the payments and the classifications. There is an AC testing every year, around late fall. I won't be in NYC until summer of 2007 so it doesn't make any sense for me to take it this year. I think they should fix up their website and get a forum like this one. IMHO. :ph34r:

There are some pretty run of the mill ones in the UVA Grip book. A few I hadn't heard of.

I don't know about the UK but I found my first camera trainee gig on mandy.com I interviewed with the DP and was at the rental house for checkout two weeks later.

Thank you for the replies and answers. I'm just looking to add some movement to the shots. It sounds like a real hassle. Using a 8-12' jib sounds like an easier idea. We won't have a grip army either, so setting up the track would probably take hours.

I'm working in some small INT locations and I would like to make some sort of wall spreader. Matthews 2x4 Wall Spreader http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/mse2x4wasp4.html Matthews Speed Rail Wall Spreaders http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/msesprawasp4.html I'm leaning towards the speed rail spreader because it will be re-useable and I would trust steel over wood, which may have inperfections. Where is a good place to get speed rail? What size does the MSE rail wall spreader take? With speed rail do you have different sized sections and use connectors? I would love to see some setup pictures. I saw a speed rail crane on the internet somewhere, hah. http://www.freyerlighting.com/WebSitePages...erSpeedJib.html

Creativity is the name of the game. :P Thanks for the response. I will definitely be more disciplined in getting the shots from the monitor and shots from the cameras POV. Should help with continuity in the end also.

The outlet I started using is grounded and is most likely a 15amp outlet. The ballast appears to be working fine and I have been able to strike from both the head and ballast. This is the bulb. Its a little black/grey discolored on the right side. Are the black dots on the bulb normal? My 575w has them too (no discoloration though) but it strikes fine. The last 1200w bulb I got was $80, not bad.

I bought two HMI from visual products a month ago and my 1200w HMI bulb is not striking. I was running it off an older outlet that I had to ground-lift. I pretty sure this is the reason it died. Though I'm not sure. Anyway, where is a good place to get double-ended 1200w HMI bulbs? VP gave me a dealer but the bulb took like 2 weeks to get here. Any suggestions would be great.

Title: Butch Jamie Director: Michelle Ehlen DP: Matt Workman I'm shooting an independent feature this summer with a the DVX100a and Redrock Micro M2 35mm lens adapter. There are some amazing people on this forum and some great production pics. I'm posting for anyone interested in Redrock Micro, a through back to when you were getting started, or just surfing. My production journal has some simple breakdowns and is mainly photos from on set. These are some from this weekend. I'll continue to update this journal until the feature is finished. Butch Jamie Production Journal http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 http://www.mattworkman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=17 PS: If I'm doing something completely wrong and you spot it in the journal. Please tell me! A lot of this stuff I'm making up as we go.

I have a music video coming up that I would like to use a doorway dolly on. Regular straight steel track. Only problem is that its at a beach. Can I lay some sort of platform down then the dolly? I'm sure sand is not good for the wheels and the dolly may shift under too much weight. I realize a crane would work better, but we don't have a crane. :ph34r: How do you setup a dolly track in the sand?

Whats Lamp left? Is it the same idea as camera left? Instantly regret asking this question :unsure:

What unions are out there? I know some AC's in the union but I keep hearing different things. Is there a union for the whole camera department? Do the unions have different positions like loader, AC, operater, DP, etc.? What unions are out there? Thanks for explaining some basics to a newbie :lol:

Yeah you can't learn how to do a tie in on the internet. Work as an electrician on set for a gaffer and after he shows you how to tie in like 5 times ask him if he thinks you are competent enough to do it. If he says no don't try it, you can seriously hurt yourself and anyone else working with the power distrobution. Stick with the camera department, you'll live longer :ph34r:

I called Visual Products a few days ago and THAT day someone had bought the last of the Arri HMI fresnels and pars! But I got the 1200w and 575w Lee HMI fresnels. They both have electric ballasts which is better anyway.

I'm shooting a micro-budget feature and we aren't renting a light/grip package. We already have several tungsten lights but I'm looking into buying an HMI. Visual Products http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProduct...Cat2=68&Cat3=70 http://www.visualproducts.com/storeProduct...Cat2=68&Cat3=70 I'm planning on shooting the HMI through the window with the appropriate gels for the time of day. Is the 575w big enough or is the 1200w the way to go?

You're Hired! :lol:

I'm not sure if these are what you mean but photoflex makes collapsable frames, only so big though. http://www.photoflex.com/photoflex/index.html

DVX100a M2 35mm adapter Nikon 15mm, 28mm, 55mm, 80-200mm I started off and still shoot micro-budget music videos. For 5k there wasn't another camera that would allow me to shoot music videos/ shorts. Film at that point wasn't an option. Now that I am slowly getting work with higher budgets my package is paying for itself. I am shooting a feature with it this summer but I'm buying a super16 soon.

I go to the University of Rochester, not to be confused with RIT. The extent of our "cinematography" program includes a PD150 and 2 lowell kits. Its a liberal arts college, :unsure: But we have a great film theory program linked with the Eastman house. What is great about the UR is their study abroad program. For the past 2 years I've been in NYC working at production companies as an intern and getting full credit for it. This semester I got to 2nd AC on a feature shot in NYC. I've also been shooting music videos and shorts with NYU students and independent companies. While my school doesn't have its own 16mm/35mm cameras its flexible enough for me to learn on my own. Not many students get to take a month off to work on a feature. In my opinion school can be a drag and turn fun subjects into horribly boring lectures and pointless labs. Not to mention fighting for equipment, actors, crew with no money. It is quite possible to turn a small liberal arts education into a decent cinematography program by working on set and reading books and forums, but mostly working on set. My two cents :ph34r: :ph34r: NINJA NINJA

Just joined the forum. This thread was very interesting to me. I am planning on buying an LTR54, maybe from AbelCineTech, I was down there today. I have been shooting DVX with an M2 and SLR lenses and I am shooting a feature with it this summer. I have very little experience with film but I have work and contacts from the video stuff I've been doing. I was planning on getting an HVX outfit to use with my adapter but for the same price I can get a super16 camera an start shooting film. Whether or not I get my money's worth out of the purchase I want to start shooting film and getting into markets that shoot film, and not HVX or even Cine-Alta. I understand the pro's/con's of owning discussed by the people who know more than I do, but I am still going to buy a super16 camera. :ph34r: ninja vanish!