Adrian Sierkowski

It really doesn't matter what happens with the footage on set, it's still ultimately the producers responsibility-- it all goes back to them. Crew may/should insure any kit the bring out on set, but if the AC mistakenly unloads the film wrong, and it's all exposed for the day-- well that still falls on the producer in the end. The AC may well be fired, or may not; that's on the producer. In my own case it was video though I've had my share of soft film shots, not whole films, but sometimes you miss by a few inches

Honestly I'd ONLY give them the higher credit. That's just me though. (unless they did an awful job and you wouldn't vouch for them in future).

It being film fests, and indie films, you have no idea the budgetary levels they were working under--- nor the skill of the crews therein. And yes, if you are the producer, you take and assume all risk; you can mitigate that, of course, but you get all risk and all reward from the movie and if you're not looking at the footage nightly and bringing up the problems to the crew, and working with them (up to and including letting them go) well then that's the producer's own fault. I once had a producer complain to me about a lens flare. He didn't want to pay me over it (personally I liked it) to which I said to him (in front of the person who I think really had the problem with the flare) that he was literally right there next to me at the monitor looking at it, take after take, and didn't mention a thing.

Were these student films? Focus is down to the AC and the Cam Op. Insurance wouldn't cover it, barring some strange situations, and even then, probably wouldn't. The DoP may well be let go-- it depends on the reasons why it's soft-- perhaps the DoP isn't listening and is shooting WFO on lenses where they no longer properly focus? Bur yes, normally, the 1AC would be the first ot be dismissed (though really depends on the 1AC and their relationship with production). I can't think of any film where 75% was soft (without using a filter) in it's final form.

If you form an LLC in another state and do business in California (more than 50% thereof, I think) you need to register as a foreign company in California and again, pay the franchise minimum tax of 800$. Basically, you need about 1000$ to form an LLC and keep it in Cali or anywhere else, honestly, no matter what. Personally, the LLC is less about tax benefits, more about liability benefits; though I'm no lawyer. For tax stuff you want to go the Corp route (S or C) but you should be speaking with an accountant and lawyer at that point (and really at any point) to help explain better the benefits and pitfalls.

I'm pretty sure Claudio can switch up his style whenever he likes. A lot comes down to the director with whom he's working and the attempt to satisfy them and help fulfill their vision. There have been many times when I've worked and not done what I normally would do because the director wanted something different-- it's pretty much the base level of your job-- delivering what your bosses want.

^^ Truth. You forget Phil, this is 'murica and we want our food like we want our Ford Fteen-thousand truck's fuel bill!

Thanks. Was just curious.

And here I am just craving a bacon cheeseburger of some flavor.

Show don't tell ;) I am curious, though, David, as this is from your dailies, how close is this to the final look in the scene for you?

Honestly it looks like something wrong in the machine pipeline as mentioned-- some kind of algorithm somewhere messing up the bottom of the image. I would recommend just doing a flat scan-- not even a BEST LIGHT-- with NO Processing (well you know, as little as possible) to ProRes, even 422HQ and bringing that into some color program (hell even 3-way in FCP7) and seeing what is actually on the neg. Once you get into best lights and stuff you are no longer seeing what is on the actual neg, you are seeing what they colorist and or machine thought the neg should be as opposed to what the neg can be/is. Honestly, the way I'd work on a big budget would be to shoot tests, flat scan, go into post with flat scan, set look-- that's now our preset for the dailies. No budget; I'd ask for a flat scan 1080 in ProRes and bring that into resolve myself and do an auto-color just to see it, edit it (maybe mess around with colors myself to get an idea, though I'm no colorist), then re-scan and get the look as we want and / or bring in examples of ideas of the "look" and work with the colorist-- in person or via skype or whatever we need to do. Now, onto the question at hand, what it seems you're doing wrong is having the machine do all the heavy lifting for you on a pre-set and then asking how you exposed wrong. The thing is you don't know if it's something you did, something on the neg, or something in a magical blinking box with the wrong settings. That's why you start on the neg (or a print in the old days) just as it is and then get to the grain stuff at the end of your coloring/correcting.

The cable management on the charging station is giving me agita.

I think the answer to that question, as David mentions, is dependent upon the project and the director at hand-- it could be something like, well I know how to work with in camera effects, or I've done a ton of green screen, or my hand held is the shakiest you've ever seen!!! (if that's what they want) to things like, I'm skilled in working with multi-cam lighting set ups, I can light faster and better than most other DoPs, or I'm experienced both in x budget level AND this budget level so I know how to mitigate expenses in the grip and electric-- or something I often say especially on the lower budget shoots, though not sure if it's helpful (like this run on sentence) is a good friend of mine has a really nice 3-ton truck which we can get a better deal on as I'm shooting it; skypanel. Honestly I wouldn't sweat the interview too much-- they either liked your work and you or they didin't. Maybe that's the question that got you, maybe it isn't, doesn't really matter. If they call, great, ask them at wrap, and if not, look out for the next one. I can honestly say no two interviews I've ever had have been alike, and somehow they ALWAYS seems to throw you for a loop at least once.

It's a process. Honestly, though, I don't think there is any singular "this is the way" type thing. If memory serves, the documentary cinematographer style has some funny anecdotes ab out how other DoPs in times past got started-- such as printing a resume on sand-paper so they couldn't just ball it up and throw it away.

Well; there's a few ways. 1) you look online-- craigslist, mandy, staffmeup, such like that. There are generally VEEEERRRRRRYYYY slim pickings therein; but I have had and continue to have an auto-search marco which runs and e mails me any job with "cinematographer" or "director of photography" in it. Generally ever 15 min it runs-- and works sometimes. I rarely every get or see anything good on there; but once in awhile you may find a new-comer to LA who is looking for someone to shoot something simple with them, and if you're free and they're not an ass about it,, nothing wrong with meeting new people and maybe getting a few bucks to cover your cell phone bill for the month. 2) social media. Facebook has a huge amount of film groups on it which post jobs, and on which you can put up your availability. The rates often suck; but it's not as bad as craigslist or the like and combined with what you might get from #1 and 2 leads to: 3) Networking-- you're network, people who know you or who know of you and they call you because someone they know or know of needs someone like you. This is by far the VAST majority of gigs which seem to come. It's people you've worked with before, or people who have heard of you before from someone you've worked with. Everyone on set, from the PAs on up to the Producers are part of this, they are all on their own career paths and you never know what they may come across so really treat everyone well, with respect, on set, and try to keep up your contacts. I'm bad with it, I am terrified, honestly, of people, in real life. I hide it very very well but personally I always get skittish when it comes to interacting where there may be strangers. 4) People seeing your stuff-- either from your own website, or a google search or seeing your film somewhere. I actually booked 2 shorts this month (this weekend and end of the month) from a Husband and Wife team who happened to see a short I shot last year at some point and they sought me out. 5) Random interactions. I often go to this coffee shop where I feel "myself." I sit and I read, or I'm looking at scripts. Sometimes seating is at a premium and you wind up interacting with strangers (shudder, but I have coffee so it's typically ok) and a good deal of them, given my neighborhood, are in some way connected to film. They are almost ALL just starting out as well, young, and ballsy. You'll get into conversations with them, and often that'll turn into a job on occasion. I'm sure there are other ways, but that's basically mine. I should note, this year, according to my own spreadsheet, I've gotten: 2 jobs from Craigslist 4 from facebook and everything else was either from networking or referral (but that would take too long to count since I don't keep track of that)

I do believe they are called Chips. . . lol IT's actually insane to me that five guys is all the way over there. I recall, well I suppose it is awhile ago now, the fanfare of the first one opening up in Philadelphia when I lived there. Or even last year or the year before when it moved to LA.

The problem with LA, and well California, is that no matter what, even if your LLC makes no money, you have to pay at least 800/yr for it. But it is a very good idea to have an LLC to put the film through and run the insurance through-- and try to keep it active, as it will build up a bit of a history and having a history is very good from a company standpoint. I'd also think about putting some money aside from lighting and grip for your short-- depends on where you're filming but even 1500 set aside for other equipment/special stuff can be really nice. But like i said, 10K goes faaassst lol

I'm a bigger fan of 5 guys.

Good locations and production design as well-- depending on your project. And in LA, 10K Doesn't go that far. . .

It's been a long time since I've even thought about minature work, but I do recall you typically set your speed in relation to the scale of the model-- I believe that for a 1/4 scale model you typically would shoot at 48fps so if you had a smaller model, you'd be at a much higher frame rate than 54. According to my ASC Manual the mathmatics to figure the rough shooting speed for a miniature is as follows: Take the scale fraction, invert it (e.g. a 1/16 scale becomes 16/1) and then take the square root of that inversion (e.g. the square root of 16 is 4) and multiply that by your project frame rate (24) and get the high speed rate at which to film the miniature (96 fps in this case). If you have a 1/4 model it would be 1/4--->4/1---->sqrt(4)---->2x24----->48fps. Conversely if you have a 1/64th scale model: (sqrt(64))*24=192fps. Though note that's really just a STARTING point. There's a lot of variables depending on the shot/model, but that's a good starting point from which to make tests to figure out exactly what you need to do for your particular shot to sell it.

Saturation is tied to brightness-- if you want it more saturated (a bit) you keep it under, if you expose it at key it will read closer to "white." Simply give it a try. Meter your red light and look, then close down a stop, and it will start getting redder. Open up and it'll get oranger/pinker/whiter (depending on the red)

It is only free to the proletariat.

So wait; this is what you all spend your tax dollars on? Damn Socialism is weird!

F16 or F4 with ND both are letting in the same amount of light; hence a dark finder. E.g if you're needing a ND1.5 you're probably on faster film and dropping out so much light that even if you're at a 1.3 you might not be letting enough light in to really see through the finder. So yes it's the film speed and desired exposure which causes the problem. Imagine shooting 500T outside but wanting to be at a 2.8 or the like. You may have your iris open to 2.8 but you'll have so much ND in front of the lens that you probably won't see much ;)

I don't even think he shoots 35mm stills camera lol. But yes, he is an exception. If memory servers, from reading awhile ago, he even has a full crew.