Jon Erwin

Thanks guys, Lot of really great advice here. I need to use a fill light more. Often, I do not use a frontal fill for two reasons: One, I love to move the camera, maybe even too often. I love a slight dolly or jib move. Second, I love contrast in my shots and on my actors faces. I love large soft sources close to the subject so the light just kinda wraps around there face and then falls off into deep shadows. So tend to use high key / fill ratios. So what are some ways to fill without making my image look too flat. Also , how can I fill and not tie down my camera or battle shadows all day. Thanks again, I'm taking notes! :P

I have a problem. I was watching dailies that I shot for a couple of music videos and I really feel that I'm paying to much attention to lighting the location / set (i.e. fog spilling through windows) and not enough atetion on my subjects faces. I feel like I'm just getting lazy. So on my upcoming projects I want to play close atention to bringing out the eyes of the actors. I want to see straight into there eyes. What are some tricks to acomplish this and what fixtures should I use?

Does anyone have any contact info for these guys. I'm really interested! We do music videos and have been using the varicam. But this looks like a real option. I heard they were out of the southeast and so am I. I'd love to go chat:) No e-mail on the web site though. How can I get in touch?

I've owned two XL-1s for over 5 years and I've just recently started shooting with the Varicam and on occaasion the DVX-100. First off it dosen't cost $114,000 to use the varicam. The new 1200A ($27K) deck from pannasonic allows me to capture straight into FCP via firewire. Not to mention that it will play all DVC pro, DV Cam and Mini-DV tapes. It will also pull the frame rate info for under / over cranking, no need for a frame rate converter. The problem with the XL-2 is that it's still a handycam. Personally I've come to require a full featured broadcast camera. Also, the only way for me to do a music video without film is the varicam, it's the only slow motion out there. I can run it at hatever frame rate I want. And it looks great. In short, I love the XL-1. Shot all over the world with it, it the most durable little camera I've ever used. But it just cant be compared to the varicam.

I just shot a music video with the Varicam and I used the standard 16x HD soom lens and a SD fugi 4.9 super wide. I saw no difference in detail between the two lenses. In fact the wide lens became my lense of choice. SO I'm wondering, what the real difference in HD lenses. and In cases where television is your destination is there any thing wrong with using the SD lenses I have available to me.