Jerry Murrel

Well the verdict is beginning to come in, and it doesn't look good at all: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/28/apple-offers-refunds.html This is precisely what I feared. Apple has more or less decided internally to abandon their professional base. -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock, AR ---------------

Hal, Great information - very useful! By the way, I really enjoy reading your posts. You always manage to stay positive and provide helpful and informative material. best regards, -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Karl, I agree with you that there is no need to elaborate further. I personally didn't take your post as a moral indictment of the Dalsa Corporation, and I hope no one else did. Not sure how your post got turned into a dissertation on morality so suddenly. all the best, -Jerry Murrel Little Rock

The most recent version of the ASC Video Manual (3rd Edition; 2001) is out of date and I don't recommend buying it until it is updated. On page 1, there is a statement that "3/4" U-Matic still maintains a presence in many areas." There is quite a bit on how to store videotape, as well as obsolete videotape formats. There is no discussion of file-based recording, state of the art codecs such as Pro-Res 422, or H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standards. Nor will you find anything on today's HD cameras such as the Panavision Genesis, The Arri Alexa or even the Red One or Epic. The subject of DLSR cinematography is absent, also. 2. Yes, the British Society of Cinematographers (BSC) publishes an excellent magazine (unique, not a version of AC) called BRITISH CINEMATOGRAPHER. http://www.britishcinematographer.co.uk/ -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

David, These posts of yours are incredible! Thanks for the wealth of information and the incredible photos. Love the backlit shot of the actor playing Kerouc seated at the bar in daylight. It goes without saying that you are giving away too many of your secrets. :) Hope you compile all of these posts into a book - you deserve to be compensated twice for your hard work. Watching Norfolk again for some inspiration, by the way - so this is a real treat! I'm not sure you have any idea how many of us are looking forward to seeing your film when it is released. -Jerry Murrel Little Rock

Ben Goldberg wrote: "So I moved to LA about 8 Months ago. I have ACed a few small things but as of now I have been working at a TV Production company as a PA ...... anyone else cared to share their experiences on this matter." Hello Ben, I highly recommend making a visit to Clairmont Camera in Burbank and meeting with Alan Albert. He may not have any openings, but if he's impressed with you he will keep your resume on file and may very well get back to you. Being open to moving to Alburqueque, Toronto or Vancouver will be a plus - make sure you have your passport up to date. all the best, -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Francesco, Excellent discussion by John Bailey - I'm very glad I came across this: Didn't realize the Studios had decreed that one year from June all 35mm release prints will cease and only method of distribution will be DCP. That will devastate a lot of theaters in small towns which can't afford Digital Projection. John Bailey is a highly intelligent and well respected cinematographer. Again, thanks for posting this! -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Thanks Mikael, Very useful post. -Jerry Murrel DP

Phil Rhodes wrote: "There is no longer much real difference between what's possible in various NLEs, They all have tools that allow you to create a decent edit and much more besides. What differentiates them these days is things like codec support and interopability, as well as simple market penetration ....." (post edited) Great answer to a good question. I've used FCP since Version 2.0 (back in the days when one had to buy FilmLogic as a $1000 stand-alone program). Not sure I can keep justifying buying a new Mac every couple of years (now needing a third one). Nor do I feel excited about the pending release of FCP X, especially if it's going to require separate purchases to have DVD Studio, Color, and Soundtrack Pro functionality. Hope to read more posts regarding this topic. Very informative, Phil. -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Best answer I've seen - ever. -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Would like to hear from anyone in this newsgroup regarding the pending release of the new Final Cut Pro X. Despite all the great things I read in the Apple Web site, I am concerned that this release is for download only (no DVD media available) and that the purchase price is now $300. Does anyone know if FCP X is going to have all the functionality that Final Cut Studio had? Will it still have DVD Studio built in, along with Color, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, and Compressor? I may be missing something here, but this new release sounds like a glossed over version of Final Cut Express with a few of the Final Cut Studio features thrown in. -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock

Thanks David, I appreciate you taking the time to supply the dates for the additional articles. I will definitie contact the ASC Bookstore to see if the 72 issue is available, and will look for the other issues at one of the college librarys. -Jerry Murrel DP Little Rock, AR

Thanks Ryan, I appreciate greatly you taking the time to go through your collection and find the issue I've been looking for now for years. best regards, -Jerry Jerry Murrel Little Rock, AR

Deniz, I'm so sorry to take so long to reply - I lost track of this thread ... Chris had a store on eBay called light*it*up but he changed the name when he went through a divorce. Please feel free to call me at 310 770-0097 and I can give you his phone number. take care, -Jerry

M. David Mullen, ASC wrote: "So with that being the current state of the industry, it's hard to say that that's enough -- two primary digital cinema camera options - to cause an industry-wide switchover away from film in 2011-2013. Maybe. But these are certainly the transition years away from film either way." I think David (as usual) has nailed it right on the head - the transition is well underway and will continue, even though old film guys like me are having a very hard time accepting this. I spoke with a good friend of mine who works in the front office of Panavision/Woodland Hills last November and asked him for his take on this topic. He basically told me that 35mm 4 perf film acquistion is still the most cost-efficient mode of production at this time, and will most probably be around for several more years. The progress that has been made in digital cinematography in the last ten years is staggering, especially considering the dynamic range of new cameras like the Arri Alexa. I own two Arris (a 16BL and an 35BL) and I feel confident enough in film's future to have had both of these cameras rebuilt by Axel Broda. But when I saw APOCALYPTO in a theatre several years ago, I was so stunned to see the Panavision Genesis logo in the end credits, that I could barely get out of my seat. I literally had assumed I was watching a picture shot on 35mm. That was the moment I experienced cognitive dissonance - it caused me to re-assess everything I had assumed about film vs. video. -Jerry Murrel Little Rock, AR

Years ago, the Academy had two categories for awards in Cinematograpy. There was a category for black and white, and one for color. Today, there seems to be another dichotomy which is being created - cinematography which is primarily driven with Arri or Panavision cameras, conventional Tungsten and HMI lighting; and on the other hand cinematography which is the result of a building full of digital artists manipulating images with Maya, Flint and other animation, compositing, and rotoscoping software. (Not to mention render farms ...) Tonight, I watched a visually stunning film win Best Cinematography; a film DP'ed by the immensely talented Wally Pfister. I also watched one of the most talented DP's in the business (Roger Deakins) lose out again for his incredible work on TRUE GRIT. I will watch this film many more times to study the stunning night cinematography and period lighting which Mr. Deakins consistently conceives with rare genius. Roger Deakins has been passed over too many times now for too many years. One year he split the vote between himself, as he had two pictures nominated. Might it be time to recognize the difference between computer generated visual imaging and conventional cinematography? Roger Deakins is one of our most gifted artists, a member of the BSC and the ASC, and I think we owe his work a little more recognition. Just my two cents worth.... Respectfully, -Jerry Murrel DP and Camera Assistant Little Rock/Los Angeles

Ryan, Do you (or any of the readers in this group) recall an AC issue which came out around 1975 or 1976, an issue with the cover and main article dedicated to the current (at that time) status of film vs. video? As I recall, this was an incredibly insightful article for its time; and was quite phrophetic also, IMHO. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

Sad news from San Francisco... I wish Lee Utterbach the best; he conducted his business honorably. This, along with the sale of Joe Dunton's Camera company, appears to be the beginning of an end of an era - the era of photo-chemical 35mm film production. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

I have a Panasonic SDX-900 camera with the SDI option, and am using Final Cut Studio on a Macintosh G5 (last generation Power PC). Several Panasonic DVCPRO50 Standard Def NTSC tape decks are being offered on eBay with the SDI option included, but without IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Output. If I were to buy one, what additional equipment would I need to connect the deck to my PowerPC Mac G5? Is there a reasonably priced breakout box avaiable to interface the deck with a Mac G5? Or am I better off finding a deck with the Firewire output option included? I will eventually purchase an AJA Ki Pro, but want the DVCPRO50 tape deck for archival purposes. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

Thanks Matthew, I appreciate your advice ... Not what I was hoping to hear from a monetary standpoint, but just what I needed to hear in regards to post workflow, and saving headaches in the long run. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

Deniz, Glad you got the issue with the Pepper resolved. For future reference, I'd like to recommend a really great lighting guy who is in the LA area. His name is Chris San Jose, and I can email you his phone # if you'd like. He deals with all kinds of lighting equipment - sales and repair, as well as restoring used lighting fixtures - and does an incredible job. (I have saved thousands of dollars dealing with him!) -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

Thanks John, Sorry to take so long to respond; I thought this thread had died out, until I checked it last night. As always, you make some very intelligent observations, and I appreciate you taking the time to answer. Thanks to everyone who posted about this topic - I am in a much better position now to make an informed decision. I will definitely be pursing the timecode option, and my feeling is that a Sound Devices recorder with a Denecke TC Slate is the way to go. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock

Thanks Saul, The Nagra 4.2 may no longer be practical from the standpoint of post workflow; but I love those old machines - they were jewels. -Jerry Murrel DP, Little Rock