Paul H Jackson

Hey guys. Filming a small interview sequence and was hoping for some advise. I want the shots to be intimate and the eyeline to be as close to POV as possible (Without being a POV) The single is straightforward but the two shot has me questioning the eyeline of the two actors. Should their eyeline be the same side of the lense? Or should the left guy be looking to the right side of the lense and the right guy looking to the left side? Secondly the positioning of the camera for the two shot. We basically put it where our actor was, but obviously this made acting less authentic. Is there anyway round this or are actors used to that kind of thing. Sorry for the ignorance. Best, Paul

Hello everyone. I was shooting a narrative piece yesterday and the two leads had very different heights. A 6ft 4 guy and a 5ft gal. The piece mostly consisted of them talking to each other (both standing) i really struggled to find compositions that I liked the look of. Normally I am a fan of the OTS however the height difference was so great that it made our lady look super vulnerable, which was not what we were going for. When I brought the camera down, she had to look up so much that it wasn’t flattering either. What do people suggest in situations like this? I am open to any suggestions, both compositional and practical ones! Many thanks in advance. Paul

Hi guys, Thanks so much for the feedback. The director has given Entre les Murs as an example, and to be honest the classroom we have is very similar. The window will not be the main feature in any of the shots, you may see clips of it when we shoot character profiles. I am hoping to use as much of the natural light as possible, but I am just worried that we will be shooting the whole day and therefore the lighting is likely to change throughout? What is the best way to keep that as consistent as possible? ND? a net tent? Have some perm HMI sources blasting through the window? As you can probably tell I am a little new to shooting larger scenes. Thanks for the tip regarding closeups - I am happy to move a couple of lights around throughout the day. So I suppose the main issue is trying to maintain a constant light from the window and what equipment would be best to do that? Also, could I use Poly boards to bounce my window light back into the room to act as a fill? Your advice is really appreciated. Thank you, Paul

Hi guys, I am shooting a short film set in a school in the next couple of weeks. The director likes to maintain the flow on his shoots and so doesn't want to be moving lights around all the time. The main scene takes place in a large classroom, with the teacher at the front and a classroom of kids sitting from the front to the back. There is a large window on one side of the room. I would like to keep it as natural as possible and ideally have a set up that will not have to be moved around. Shots will be mainly close-ups but we will also have a couple of wides thrown in the mix. For close-ups I don't mind adding additional light to improve the shot? Any suggestions on the way to go, will I need to add to the daylight already flooding in from the window? Ultimately I want the daylight to be the source for the scene and no classroom lights. Any good starting points? I will be renting lights and so any suggestions will be welcome. Shooting on 5D Many thanks, Paul

Cheers Tom, I will look into stock footage, however the birds movements are quite specific and therefore this may not be possible. Presuming a 3D animator is required, would it be necessary to have him on the shoot? Would it be easier to leave the wall blank and so the both the window and the birds are added, or should we still light the window for the shot. I can see the tracking nature of the shot making this a very expensive exercise! ;) Thanks,

Hello one and all! I am producing a film that will require some CGI, however I have little idea of how to go about it. :unsure: The situation.... A single slow tracking shot that moves in on a man asleep on a chair. The light of the window is projected on the wall beside him. For example.... As the shot tracks in I require shlohettes of birds to fly in and land on the window seal. Now I am not sure if it is possible to obtain highly trained birds to do the job so I was thinking CGI. Like I said, I really dont know where to begin on this one and so any advice would be gratefully recieved. Kind regards, Paul

shooting a bolex day under flos..not kino ... @ 12 fps... am I in trouble at this frame rate ..or am I in trouble period with industrial flo and Bolex combination

I do apologise, I just wanted as many responses as possible to help my project, Wont happen again! Paul

Hello all! Im a student studying my final year of my degree in media, and have been set an assignment to do an industry case study! I need to know the route I need to take to get a job as a director or cinematographer! Please, Please, Please, could any directors or cinematographers out there help me out, what I need is how you got to where you are now, and in as much detail as you can, though anything would be good. I would be ever so grateful and your help will go a long way to helping me achieve the grade I want. Many many thanks in advance, Paul Jackson