Christophe Collette

Thanks for the input guys, I think Sally Mann photographs mostly with a 8x10 Deardoff with old brass lenses, the crappiest she could find. The one that she uses most is a Darlot that is over a hundred years of age that she found in an abandoned photo studio... The clear filter is not a bad idea, I actually tested it two months ago, the thing is I want that stuff in the lens itself, not in front of the lens. There is a big difference in look between the two. If you check out my website, in the photo section, the fist portfolio's images were shot with a Pentax 67 II using a clear filter covered in dirt and paint. I tried both, the older lenses on a large format camera, and the clear filter with stuff on, and I can assure from experience that they are two different things. The results of the tests I did were interesting, but let me wondering if the deterioration I want and seek should be on the negative rather than on this non-moving blurry layer of whatever... I don't think my video budget would allow for a print to be trashed though!!! But still, I'd be interested in hearing your experiences with trashing your negatives! I'm thinking color negs here... bleach it, wash it with a mix of dirt and ajax! Whatever you have tried or heard about! Also, where could I buy old beat-up standard mount lenses, non-coated, shitty? Thanks! Christophe

Thanks a lot John! The physics of photography, I never quite understood, you make this very clear.

It does resemble the image produced by a Holga. There is this guy, www.holgamods.com, who modifies Holgas, he could probably PL mount the lens for me. The thing with Holgas is that they are f5.6 to f8, locked... I want to be able to adjust the aperture.

Yeah, I know, it happened to me before... But stills, I like the mold!

This one was easy to figure out, there is a scene like this that totally puzzles me, it's from Fallen Angels, Wong Kar Wai, a couple are sitting at a bar, they are in slow-mo, and the background is accelerated... It looks like it's done in camera, but the only way to do this would be to have the talents act very slow... And that's not what they did, you can see it when they are blinking, they are in actual camera slow-mo, maybe 90fps, and the background is maybe 12fps... It's really weird... If anyone knows what sequence I am refering to, please post a link to it...I tried finding it on youtube but could not.. C

How do you get that bumpy image look, it's always shaking slightly, stability problem??? What??? C

Thanks John, I only need to do playbacks on 1/5 of the song, that's when I would need the camera to pretty much run at 24, could be off a bit, we can synch it back in post since the playbacks would be dispatched here and there. The rest of the video would be a lot more ackward... Therefore hand cranked would be good for that... But I am looking into the idea of dropping frames erratically, and using a modern camera with old lenses as I mentionned... Your suggestion of building a lens is good, "As for cruddy lenses, you could easily get a few elements from Edmund Scientific, and cobble something together with Waterhouse stops. Cardboard and tape would work fine." But I am totally puzzled! I have no clue in the world how to do that! I look at a lens and I don't even know what's inside really!!! I think I'd rather simply buy anyone's oldest, shittiest and dirtiest possible lens. Thanks! C

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any of you have ever heard of modifying old and moldy uncoated lenses to fit a PL mount camera??? Maybe photo lenses, whatever...I love Sally Mann's photography and that's the look I am after. Vignettes, mold... soft spots... Weird colors... Any leads appreciated! And where would I be able to purchase such lenses??? Thanks a lot!!!! Christophe

MITCHELL 35MM STANDARD "HAND CRANK" CAMERA, anybody tried that camera kit from Alan Gordon??? How would I do playbacks with this? How can I make sure that it runs at 24fps for the playbacks? The rest of the day can be whatever, I just need the playbacks to synch. Also, since some of you say lenses seem to make more of a difference than the camera itself, could I just buy old and moldy lenses from the early era of photography, and get them modified to fit a pl mount camera??? Anyone tried that before???? Thanks, Christophe

Hi, I saw the Good German two days ago, I would like to know how they achieve that look?? Thanks. C

Well, I think I might order through an sfx shop in Montreal, they probably have their licence. Thanks Nate for offering, but I think flying you to Montreal for the project would be too expensive! We have 20 000$ for the project. It's not much.... But maybe if you showed me some footage shot with the camera, I could sell it to the prod. C

Hi everyone, I am working on a video project. the director wants some shutter, his reference is a scene in Hard Candy where the girl storms through some drawers, looking for something, there is a lot of camera movement, and the image is very very choppy. But it looks like 24fps, so I am thinking it is plain shutter angle, something bellow 45 degrees... Anyone has seen the movie and can confirmed my thoughts on the matter?? Or do you have films in mind that used a shutter angle bellow 45 degrees?? Thanks a lot! C

Hi guys, thanks for the help, Nate, do you rent your cameras? What would you say about using such cameras? About orthochromatic stocks, well, I was wondering if I could achieve a early cinema years look on transfert, shooting BW, but not ortho film. I watched the Good German yesterday, the cinematography is really good, any ideas how they got that look? The look I would like to achieve is something like old Chapman movies... The concept for the video is a photo studio from the early age of photography, the singer will be this aristocrat, gentleman photographer. I plan on using magnesium flash, any of you know where I could buy those bulbs?? I have the flash, just don't have the bulbs... But I think historically wise that those bulbs did not even exist in those times, they were using powder... Any leads on that??? Thanks! C

Hey! good job, this looks good! My only point beside the points made, which I agree with, is that you should have pushed your footage a little more color-wise in the transfert, it looks too straight for a bmw commercial. Car commercial have a more edgy look, the base is there, you just needed to create a stronger, more actual look and that could have all been done in transfert. Funny, I walked along that road the last time I was in Spain, I shot a bunch of photos there, near San Jose in Almeria county, I even slept in that windmill one night! C

Hi, I want to rent an old 35mm camera, hand cranked one if possible, for a music video... Does anyone have an idea where I could find one??? Thinking of Mark Romanek Closer NIN video... The director I work with wants an early 20th century feel. We want something trashy, irregular, well, like old BW movies and we'd like to have that look pretty much straight out of the camera, without excessive post-production... Any ideas, leads??? Thanks a lot! C

Hi everyone, I am shooting video this coming tuesday, day for night exteriors in a forest, it should be a sunny day, there are some wide shots involved but I managed to find locations which prevent me to see too much sky. I have no access to lights whatsoever. All I have is a 4x4 mirror, I will try to shoot backlit for most of it, will underexpose two stops, this is a shoot in 35mm, 5205, we had a deal on the stock, so I plan on using a 1.5ND and a 80b filter. What I worry mostly about is seeing enough of my subject under covered forest ground, there won't be a lot of light to backlight him... He will dress in pale colors, which should help me a bit... I was wondering if make up for paler skin would help a bit... Any ideas??? I research the topic but found nothing satisfying, Thanks! C

Love this video too, comes upvery often as a reference... Any idea what the lighting scheme was for the party scene, looks like a large source high above the camera, sometimes it looks like a toplight (the boy crowd surfing)... I am thinking Jeff probably used a old type fresnel, big eye, for a vintage look, with very little diffusion, accentuated the light on the main subject with another light above the camera 2k fresnel OT or sometnig like that... Looks like all the lights are coming from one direction anyway... I'd like to have a second opinion on that, a more educated guess maybe!! C

Just saw it, I am not a fan of action movies, especially not series... But having seen the other Pirates, I have to say I think this one is the best. I particularly enjoyed the cinematography, very dark for a movie that targets a very young audience... It's not a story movie, it's just an eyecandy, and what a stunning one!

So I think the main difference between a Mark V and a Micro, the Cavision for example, is that the Mark V is much more accurate, not a stick of course, but good to decide which lenses you should take in your package when location scouting... You can't rely on the Cavision for that I can assure you. C

Hi, I have the Cavision one, it is quite shitty.... I gave up using the day I got it from b&h... It is so off you would not believe it. a 20mm is closer to a 30mm than a 20mm... Really, for the price difference, I would get a Mark VB from Allan Gordon. I got mine new for 650$ and I really love it. A friend of mine just bought his of eBay, he paid 350$... ...It's also small enough too. Christophe

Thanks guys! I am shooting in Canada, I should be fine then... The neons are not my may source of lighting, they are just way out in the background, if they induce a different amount of light each time I turn the camera on, it is fine with me, but if it flicks then I am in trouble. But it should be fine I guess! Thanks for your answers, always helpful. Christophe

??? I really need a cue on this... thanks! C

Hi everyone, I am shooting a music video tomorrow under neon fixtures, the director wants the whole thing at 60fps, I worry about flickers. I am shooting with an Aaton xtr prod. Althought the cam is crystal synch at all speeds, I am thinking it is a bit risky... Should I worry? Thanks, Christophe

Would love to see those tests Kevin! I have a growing issue with Vision 2 stocks. Too much latitude, no personality. Is there a way to make 5218 more contrasty, I never tried pushing it. I always overexpose a bit and it really doesn't do it for me. Thanks, C

Hi everyone, which available 500 ASA stock is the most contrasty? 5279? I find 5218 and 5229 to be too forgiving, I want a stock with less latitude, more contrast, deeper shadows. Never tried Fuji... Thanks a lot! Christophe