Chris Durham

It kind of depends on what your subject matter is. I'm working on a documentary on renaissance festivals and I've got to be able to record performances on stage, talking head interviews, general coverage, etc, and be able to shoot indoors and outdoors. Requires a pretty versatile camera. Also, you really have to consider sound. A consumer-level camera will with a mic on the front will have terrible sound. It will pick up background noise, wind, and have limited range. You want something with XLR inputs. That is, unless you intent to record sound with another device. Of course, don't let equipment limitations limit you from going out and making something. Just be aware of the challenges you'll face going in so you're not kicking yourself later. The other thing to think about is your shooting schedule. If you can't afford a higher end camera because of the initial layout you might consider renting. Figure out how many days of shooting you have. If you have fewer than 20 days shooting it may very well be less expensive to rent a prosumer camera (DVX100, XL2) and all the extras you need for less than the cost of purchasing. Before I started shooting for my doc, I laid out a preliminary schedule and figured out that I'd have in the neighborhood of 25-30 shooting days at various locations over the course of a year, and various other projects in between so it made sense for me to purchase. For you, it may not. And of course if you're looking at a $500 camera I imagine you have a pretty low budget. Anyway, food for thought.

So I think I'm gonna buy a light meter. I'm doing video right now and I know a lot of folks don't use meters for digital; but it seems like a more sensible way of doing things. And I know I'll be moving towards film so it'll be good to have a meter. What do I need to look for. The meters I've seen anything on are Spectra and Sekonic. Is one better than the other? Is it better to buy one new or is there no performance degradation on used units? Anything I should know? Thanks

Thanks Gentlemen. I was actually thinking of dropping some black cloth around the apartment's patio and running the light from out there so I don't have to worry about matching window light. I can get hold of the gels pretty easy. That sounds like a good way to go. I'll do some tests and see what kind of results I get.

I'm shooting video on a shoestring budget. The set is an apartment interior, and I want to be able to control the daylight a little. Can I get away with a couple of 4800K photofloods and white balance to a blue source to get something daylight-ish? Will that look funky if I'm using tungsten lights inside? Thanks.

Just saw Last King of Scotland today. There are a ton of movies I need to catch up on, but I only had time for one this weekend. I made the right choice. Excellent use of Super16. The whole thing has this great 70s news coverage kind of vibe. At the end, when they're showing the actual footage of Amin, it's like a seamless shift from the movie to the real-world footage. And all performances were just top-notch

As long as it's not a union production you can credit it any way you want.

Well in the big leagues that sort of thing is typically considered by the Writer's Guild. Typically though, a rewrite doesn't get a credit as writer. Neither does grammar correction. If his contribution is substantial though you should credit as a co-writer - "Screenplay by Writer A and Writer B,"

Hey, Justin. I'd hardly hazard to call myself a DP- that's a distinction for folks with a lot more experience - but if you need someone who can run camera, setup shots, and has his own (video) equipment; and are willing to work with someone else pretty new to the game, I'd like to talk to you. I live in Dallas as well, so that's easy. Just post back here or send me a message through the boards.

Doubt anyone will agree with me on this but I'm gonna have to say Eraserhead. I can't even tell what virtues this flick has in terms of cinematography and whatnot - because it's simply incomprehensibly horrific to watch. And I've heard the "you just don't get it" argument before; but come on - If someone's gonna make a movie that's difficult to "get" because the film's so hard to watch, then who's really to blame for the fact that the point is lost? I've watched this piece of grunt twice and it just got worse. The runner up is Zardoz, but at least that leaves you with the funny mental images of Sean Connery in a red diaper and bandolier running around obeying a giant floating concrete head that vomits rifles. And I'll also have to give honorable mention to Manos: the Hands of Fate. Good call David.

Wow Karl. Thanks a lot. I think that clears it up for me. I mean, as much as can be in theory. Thanks for taking the time with such verbose posts. I really appreciate it. Good luck with your car.

I think you've just enlightened me a bit Karl. I was still a bit in the dark as to how a gray card should be used. I've been playing with digital video in which you point the camera at a white card, but I couldn't figure out the gray. So you point your light meter at the gray card, is that right? If so I still don't fully understand the numbers. I get how you would set your T-stops and all based on the light meter readings (and adjust for any variables like filters); but how do I know that 320 is 1/3 stop down on 400? What is 1/3 stop down on 500? That's kind of what I meant by formula or chart. I'd guess there's a curve for that sort of thing instead of a simple calculation - and that it might vary on certain stocks. That may make it more of an experience thing. Thanks for all the help.

Pull and Push. Thanks for the right nomenclature - I knew I knew it, just couldn't get it out. and yeah, burning in still film was kind of the analogy I had in mind with my question. So, how do you know what numbers to use if you want to say overexpose 1/3 stop? Is there a formula or a table? Is it an experience thing? Is it something you test and eyeball?

Thanks John. Yeah, I kind of figured that there's a lot more to it than that; however putting it in terms of exposure is simple enough for me to grasp at this point. My follow-up question was kind of academic, but it all helps me understand a bit better.

Excellent. That's pretty much what I'd surmised and was asking. Now when you talk about grain in the upper end of the curve and printing down I assume you mean that because darker exposure is grainier if you overexpose you'll get less grain on the negative which means a finer image; however when you print from the negative you can elect to "darken" the image by effectively reducing the exposure on the print while maintaining the tighter grain of the negative. Is that right? Can the same trick be pulled on reversal stock? I would think not as easily because if I understand correctly then to print from reversal you have to go from positive to negative to finally be able to print positive; but if you're viewing the reversal stock directly you would be viewing the overexposed image (isn't one of the main purposes of reversal to view without having to print?) Am I wrong in thinking that the better use for reversal stock might be if you knew you were going to telecine; in which case if you were overexposing you would simply bring the image down in post? There's so much I don't understand yet, but talking about film just feels cooler than talking about video (not to spawn the aged debate, just a visceral response - like listening to vinyl).

Please forgive me if this question is a hair dense. Gearing up to make the leap to film, but I want to understand as much as possible first. I read a lot about people rating film stock, as far as the ASA; and I'm not sure I fully understand. But I think I have an idea. I thought the film was already rated, just like ISO for still film. Right? and I understand that the more sensitive the film, the more grainy it's likely to be. Is that right? So then, when you talk about rating a stock, are you talking about when you're making calculations with a light meter? Having not used a light meter before I'm not sure, but as I understand it you would enter the shutter and film speeds and it would give you a reading of what you should set your aperture at. Is rating a film stock then a way of manipulating this output?

Thanks everybody. I think for the most part MiniDV would suffice for my needs; but I will probably look into using the files instead - I'd rather have the highest quality I can work with.

There are a lot of people drawn to sfx, and horror is really budgetable in those terms - makeup and splatter-packs are cheaper than CGI and explosives. Plus, it's hard not to look at guys like Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi who have great careers that basically started with slasher flicks.

I'm still doing my research before actually delving into Super 8 filming. I've been looking at folks who say they process your film and telecine it for you onto a MiniDV tape. This sounds good to me because then It's really easy for me to transfer into my NLE system. The question I have, though, is what kind of image quality does this get me? I mean, obviously my resolution is now NTSC; but do I lose quality in terms of color, gamma, black, and white? Or are those limitations in video due to the CCD capture that I shouldn't have to worry about when using MiniDV as an intermediate media?

Pan's Labyrinth finally opened in Dallas last night. My only gripe is that it opened at the Magnolia and not the Angelika, who are much better at managing a crowd. The place was packed and there was a line around the corner for the next showing. First off, bravo for making a dark fantasy movie that isn't just a flick targeted at kids that adults also "get." (i.e. Tim Burton flicks) A buddy who saw it over the holidays in California told me it was pretty gory, but didn't set me up for how truly dark it was. I really dug it. The faun was amazing I thought - totally believable. Good to see magic that isn't cheesey. I read the article in AC before seeing it and I've got to say their articles usually give me a deeper appreciation for a movie; but in this case I don't think it really did the film justice. (Nothing against AC there, just the movie's much better than they set me up to expect). Anyhow, great movie.

Finally made it to see this flick yesterday. Amazing! The thing that really caught me about it was that the future it presents feels more like the one we seem to be headed for than any other I've seen on film. I had a buddy at work ask me of the movie "what was the reason women couldn't conceive?" My response was "who cares?" Same with the no cloning thing. It's a bit like asking why God forbade the Tree of Knowledge - it kind of misses the point. My jaw was agape at the scene at the end. Definitely the best thing I've seen in recent memory.

Just saw the preview yesterday. Glad to hear it's as good as it looks - I'm really looking forward to it.

Good stuff. Rich colors - I like it.

Hey all, I've been doing a bit of video, but I'm ultimately interested in film. I'm really tossing around the idea of picking up a Super-8 camera and shooting a couple shorts to learn the ropes. So I've got to ask all the obvious questions: What cameras should I be looking at? What film stocks should I be looking at and what do I need to know about them? How much can I expect to invest? Any good resources, apart from this forum? Any miscellaneous advice? Thanks in advance - I'm really looking forward to giving it a go.

I won't pretend that I'll ever make a competent Cinematographer; but it's a point of interest for me - particularly now, when I'm working with my own resources to produce my stuff. I'm more interested in writing/directing which is, I gather, an equally perilous career path. I think there's a degree of sacrifice that folks like us will have to deal with and that's all there is to it. In fact, as my current 'day job' creates massive instability in my schedule vis-a-vis a lot of business travel, I'm currently working at changing my day job career, so that I can dedicate more time to my 'dream job.' I'll be giving up a lot of travel, fun, and a decent chunk of money, probably, but I'll be moving forward toward the dream - or so I hope. Figure out what your goals are and prioritize accordingly. Spend 5 or more years on your career before having a family - assuming you don't have one already. Most important, find a wife that believes in you absolutely.

So I've done some shooting with video, as have most here, but I'm tossing around the idea of picking up a Super 8 cam to start learning a little about film. Any suggestions on a good one? What can I expect to pay and what is a good source to purchase from? I don't need anything fancy, really, but I really don't know much about what's out there. Thanks.