Ashim

Hi, Wanna know wat cld be the ideal gamma setting for a D20 for a room lit in a low key fashion, with a high contrast desired. Thanks

Yup... I had my misgivings about askin such a brain fart... but still...I am sorry ...I persist isnt there just any technique or trick that can accomplish the Master's impossible wish. Hey why dont we see the reflection of the camera in the cars windshield...its usually never at an angle...Is it because of the polarizer filter?

Specifically the steps involved to get the shots. Thanks

THE CITY OF GONDOR... in Lor wasnt that a miniature along with live action and vfx... Could someone kindly gimme a rundown of the way the sequence must have been shot.(I am talking about the one in which Gandalf rides to the City with merry or pippin...)

Hello, When a fim is scanned for DI in the Cineon or DPX format is the films density recorded in a linear mode or a log mode. And why does the scanned image appears dark even after gamma corr.? Thanks

Hello, Just in case anyone ever needs to shoot a docu, short, movie in India for a fraction of the cost with a dedicated and focussed crew lemme know. Ashim

Just wanna know if its possible to shoot someone standing in front of the mirror head on?

Hi, Can anyone suggest a great book/website to learn about colors and their psychological and emotional impact. There is a great book, An Introduction to Color, though it is unavailable. I am just so keen on colors because I feel that the lighting just wont work if the colors arent right.... Any tips or suggestions regarding the same are most welcome. Thanks

Hi, This is one facet of digital camera thats eluding my understanding for quite some while now. What I'd want to know is the way digital cameras are rated and why? For eg: f/8@2000lux for 90% white?? Does this mean that digital cameras are calibrated for white just like films are calibrated for 18% gray. I know I am getting it quite muddled up,but if the above is true then why 90% white?? Also how is it possible to use your lightmeter for digital shoots(except for measuring the units of light). Light meters are basically for film use. If I expose my window according to the light meter readings at f/8 but I want my window to be 1 stop brighter, I will expose at f/5.6. But how do I apply the same logic with digital shoots. Also,the methodology of rating one's digital camera for a particular ASA doesnt convice me. Film has a gamma of 0.6, its midpoint is 18% gray, has a far greater dynamic range. Digital has a gamma... linear or variable if I'm right, and the rating of digital cameras on technical manual (f/8 @2000 lux for 90%white) seems alien to me. Why then do we use a gray card and correspond it with around 45-55 IRE rating for around mid gray and then rate our sensor accordingly, instead of using a white card with a corresponding IRE rating and sensor rating... I'd be grateful to the community for ironing these creaes. Help... I need somebody Help!!!

Hi, What is the difference between Temporal resolution and spatial resolution?

Someone????????????Anyone?????????

David Thanks again: The miniature shot at 1 fps with very, very, very SLOW movement on the part of the camera and/or model is just played back at 24 fps. It doesn't look sped-up at 24 fps because it moved so slowly when being shot at 1 fps. In other words, you have to move everything 24 times slower than normal at 1 fps so that when projected at 24 fps, it looks normal speed. That was really cool Gracias!

David Thank You very much for such a clear and concise description. I wanted to learn how do you mix live action shots with CGI shots. No one back here gave a very convincing suggestion. Going ahead with what they said was making the whole sequence look tacky and inconvincing in my mind's screen. Yours is just the way I wanted. Thanks. Also, wont a motion control rig come in handy with these kind of sequences.

Ha Ha Thank you Jean, lemme know when u can

Thank you for your input, its helped in my understanding this topic, which I was wanting to for some while now. I knew the "normal camera" thing wld raise raise some eyebrows. I guess it was a very inaccurate and immature description...HaHa...Sorry Will Alright But one thing Stephen mentioned that we usually shot at lower frame rates for miniature to avoid an inferno...Fine....say 1 fps But now I shoot my live action elements at 24fps...Now how do I merge these two shots with disparate speeds???

Hi, I need to take a shot where a man is running up the staircase in a frantic manner, enters the terrace, runs to the edge of the bilding before plunging 30 storeys down. Now all this needs to be done in a single take with no cuts and we want the whole motion to be absolutely fluid, as though the camera were suspended in midair and following the talent. Also when the talent plunges from the building the camera should follow him all the way down till his crash!!! Any ideas on how shld I accomplish such a shot. Thank You.

Stephen: What do you exactly mean by rotating camera moves, matching scales complex moves, unusual shapes???,impossible moves... Would you kindly elaborate on the above. And why do we need a MoCo to shoot miniatures, Cant they be shot using normal cameras. Thanks.

David, What is the task of a motion control camera in shooting these miniatures? What is it in MoCo that a normal camera cant do? Thanks

David I am Sorry It shan't happen next time.

This is what Rosenberg, I guess the DoP of Star Wars says about creating a convincing look for miniature shots. "The key to shooting a miniature so that audiences are convinced it was photographed in its real environment at its real size is shooting fewer frames per second". But why? What difference does fewer frames per second make?

This is one facet of digital camera thats eluding my understanding for quite some while now. What I'd want to know is the way digital cameras are rated and why? For eg: f/8@2000lux for 90% white?? Does this mean that digital cameras are calibrated for white just like films are calibrated for 18% gray. I know I am getting it quite muddled up,but if the above is true then why 90% white?? Also how is it possible to use your lightmeter for digital shoots(except for measuring the units of light). Light meters are basically for film use. If I expose my window according to the light meter readings at f/8 but I want my window to be 1 stop brighter, I will expose at f/5.6. But how do I apply the same logic with digital shoots. Also,the methodology of rating one's digital camera for a particular ASA doesnt convice me. Film has a gamma of 0.6, its midpoint is 18% gray, has a far greater dynamic range. Digital has a gamma... linear or variable if I'm right, and the rating of digital cameras on technical manual (f/8 @2000 lux for 90%white) seems alien to me. Why then do we use a gray card and correspond it with around 45-55 IRE rating for around mid gray and then rate our sensor accordingly, when we shld be using a white card with a corresponding IRE rating and sensor rating... I'd be grateful to the community for ironing these creaes. Help... I need somebody Help!!!

Hello, How different is shooting minature sets as opposed to conventional shooting environment. Do we need to use special cameras or lenses to capture miniature sets? And how do these images have the same depth and feel as normal sets. I know a lot of vfx is involved but besides that are there any special tools use to achieve the final breathtaking result. Star wars, LOR. Thank You... Please share your 'mini' thoughts.

Hello, How different is shooting minature sets as opposed to conventional shooting environment. Do we need to use special cameras or lenses to capture miniature sets? And how do these images have the same depth and feel as normal sets. I know a lot of vfx is involved but besides that are there any special tools use to achieve the final breathtaking result. Star wars, LOR. Thank You... Please share your 'mini' thoughts.

Stephen Thank You very much. But could you direct me to some resources on the Net where I could get a beginners perspective on Motion Control Cameras. By the way thanks again fore referring to DigitalPraxis.net... It is highly informative. Ashim

Hello, I'd like to know what is a Motion control rig and for what purpose is it use? Are'nt Milo and Nero motion control rigs, heard Nero was used in the lord of the rings. Does anyone know for which shots were they exactly use? Also I'd like to know how are shots like spiderman swinging around from one bulding to another executed?