Vincent Biron

Hello everybody!  I haven't been around these parts for a while, but I'm glad to see that the forum is still very active!

Here's my question : 

A couple of years ago, I used this weird contraption on a feature-film I was shooting; it was a gear system you rigged onto the dolly tracks that linked up the camera movement to the Preston Micro-Force that controlled the zoom on the camera.  We used it to do a very slow and subtle Vertigo effect of a two-minutes tracking shot.   So basically whenever the camera move backwards, the lens would zoom in proportionally. 

Now, I'm shooting another thing in january and am looking for a similar effect, but alas I can't seem to find anywhere in my emails what was the name/maker of that device.   Anybody had any idea of that that device could be?  Tried googling like crazy but to no avail...

If anyone could help me out, I'd be eternally grateful

Cheers
Vincent

Well, if I may intervene...

I'm no expert on the matter, but it seems to me that shutter speed/type makes a big difference in the final look of an image, but is often disregarded by some cinematographers. The D-21 and Alexa seem to have less of that Red-typical digital edge, and I really think this is due to the rolling shutter being more apparent on a camera that has no physical shutter to block the light while the sensor is refreshing....

Like I said, I'm not a engineer type guy, so those are my two cents... I'd be happy to read a reply by someone more "informed" on the shutter intricacies.

Cheers,

Vincent

Hey man,

I was wondering, I know that some cameras have physical shutters and others don't. The D 21 does, and I know this helps eliminate the rolling shutter issue you get but is this the secret to getting closer to film look with a digital sensor in capturing images. I have always understood from most video that the nostalgic feel you get comes from the 3-dimensional characteristic of film grain but I have also heard frame rate is among others that help get you closer to it, but D-21 gets so close to "the look" or feel that I wonder if the shutter is a major step in getting that overall film feel? Any feed back s greatly appreciated thanks!

Samuel Stewart

I couldn't agree more with all of you guys.

It has become an increasing trend in the trade to talk more about the gadgets and the numbers than what you actually do with them. What matters ultimately is what ends up on the screen, and so far the Alexa has what I consider the most pleasing digital image that I've ever seen. Add to that the now-famous sturdy, easy to use design that has made Arri famous, and you've got a winner.

I love the Red, but it always had this subtle digital edge to it that bothered me. Alexa seems to be the answer to this.

I'll take 3, please. :P

Really good!

Actually, a little long; don't forget most producers have a very short attention span... Try cutting a shorter version; you can always provide a link to a longer version if people want to see more.

I like the simple wide frames. You got quite an eye. Was thte ground glass purposely visible in the second project? Good idea, always wanted to try that but the occasion never rose.

Almost there, I think. Just needs some tightening here and there.

Vincent

Thanks everyone for your comments!

Thomas and Edgar : You were totally right. I changed the editing quite a bit to cut the long stuff and add some variety... The result is on my Vimeo page : http://www.vimeo.com/vbiron .

Fabian : Thank you very much. That's exactly what I'm aiming for. On shouldn't impose his aesthetic on a piece, but rather adapt to the style needed by the story. Your own personal style has to come out by itself, without it ever interfering with the storytelling.

Cheers!

Vincent

Hey Greg!

Great stuff, efficient website... I really like your reel... Btw, little question; is it worth the money to get a CSC membership? I'm 25, and I've already shot a couple of series (fiction and doc) and films and I'm wondering if getting into the CSC will get me more work...

Thanks!

Vincent

vbiron.com

Hey Chris!

Some of the stuff feels repetitive, and a little unveven... i would maybe cut some of the wedding stuff, which looks weak compared to the rest (Weird man climbing the red floor, man dressing....)

Cheers!

Vincent B.

vbiron.com

Hey Brendan!

Great reel, but here are some of my pointers; most of it looks great, but I would lose all the "post" slow-mo shots--- kinda looks tv-ish. Also, some of it is a little repetitive; I mean, I love Dan Akroyd as much as anybody else, but that coming back to him towards the end feels like your trying to kill time.... Better short and good than too long and repetitive...

Anyways, congrats!

Vincent B.

vbiron.com

Hey guys!

Just updated my reel; thoughts, suggestions and insults welcome... :-)

I tried to stay away from the trippy mellow songs and tried something more upbeat, what do you think?

http://www.vbiron.com/demo.html

Cheers!

Vincent B.

Yeah, I think I agree with Saul. Sometimes, you are better off cutting some things down instead of it being repetitive. I've watched my demo reel with producers and man do these guy have a limited attention span!

Cheers,

Vincent

If there isn't, we on this forum should totally come up one!

 

My suggestion: Dan M. Blomete' which is an anagram for "Don't Blame Me"

This on cracked me up alright! Man I wish I couldve done that for some of the stuff I've shot...

Damn NLEs makin' CC easier to do for those fidgety editors!

V. Biron

http://www.vbiron.com

Hey all!

Thanks again for the suggestions...

Toby : Yeah, I guess we wouldn't see them that much, but the director wanted some shots trough the window shooting in the backyard, as the story involves all tenants of a three-stories building... I guess I'll just shoot around the scaffolding....

Ralph : :lol: --- Condor? Yeah, forgot to mention I'm in Montreal. Most features here rarely have that kind of gear (except american shoots) - let alone MusiquePlus (the québecois MTV) I'm shooting with only a gaffer and a camera assistant. I'm trying to push for grip, but were just too low-budget.

Vincent B.

I think the cheapest way to do it would be using scaffolding and building a platform outside the windows. If this is a long job, it will be worth taking the time and money to build it. It would also help you from going completely insane during the course of the job.

 

Best

 

Tim

David : Alas, no balcony and the roof isn't accessible... Actually, I wouldn't go for the stands on the ground as the building is really squeezed between other buildings and big trees, and moving big stands around those obstacles would be a bitch.

Thanks guys... Yeah, I was thinking about scaffolding, cause it got mentioned during our first location visit... Some were already installed for renovations, and we though it could make a great solution to my problems. Since were gonna be in that apartment for 4 months, I guess it's worth the time.

My only concern with them is them being too visible in some of the coverage we're going for. Anyways, I guess I could blow out the windows a little more, and make them wash out....

I'll try sending pictures asap...

Thanks again...

Vincent

Greetings to all...

I searched for a previous answer, but couldn't find a right answer....

I'm about to start shooting the second season of a comedy series here on MusiquePlus, and production has switched location from last year. The show is mostly set in an apartment.

So, on the first season, I used to light it with a 1.2K HMI Par on a Sky-High Rolling Stand through the window and two Diva-Lites as fill, going for that "it's always sunny look" .

However, that apartment was set on the ground floor, and now they're talking about getting a second-floor appartment, which has windows about 20' from the ground.

Now any thoughts on....

1. How I could rig a 575W or 1.2K HMI outside a second story window (Big stands are out of the question- too long to move them)

2. Or how I could simulate light coming trough a window from the inside?

thanks guys!

Vincent

That's gotta be the funniest thing i've heard about.... no wait Utili-kilt's even funnier! :lol: We should bring that to every set...

Mostly great reel... I'll say like the others that there are some shots that don't cut it with the quality of some of your work (guy with the guitar, waves crashing against reef...

And, well, that's totally personal, but I don't really like the typo of your title card... Sometime more subdued would seem more fitting....

But, anyhow - I must finish on a bright note : you really have some way cool shots : I really enjoyed the lighting of the shower scene.

Great stuff! Couldn't find an actual reel though... But the dolly shot around the guy opening the packages in the first one quite beautiful.

I was just wondering if anyone had tried it and had comments on it.

I've been contemplating buying a color meter for some time now, and

this one seems pretty cool...

Thanks!

Thanks guys for you input!

Michael, when you talk about cine-style lenses, what models would be appropriate?

What kind of mount is there on this camera?

Would I be able to get shallower depth of field that way?

Thanks again,

Vincent

All the info you need about the camera's features are at the Sony website: http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusin...dcam_hd_systems . I haven't tried them, but there are several preset "film" gamma tables in addition to the usual manual adjustments.

 

If you're shooting with a verité look then regular ENG lenses should work fine. If the show is structured with a more dramatic/film-style of coverage, then you might want cine-style lenses for more accurate focus pulling and minimal lens breathing.

Hi everyone!

I just landed a pretty big gig to shoot a 10-ep series for a french-canadian network.

It's comedic fiction, and the director really wanted to shoot with his HVX and Brevis, which I totally agreed on since I'm getting pretty used to those 35mm adapters...

The thing is...

The network really doesn't care for P2, as their workflow is already set on XDCAM, and they're forcing me to shoot with Sony's FDW-530. Now, I'm trying to convince them to buy the Pulldown board, so at least we'll shoot 24P, but I was wondering if there is any kind of Cine-like gamma setting on board this camera, or if I will have to set the film-look in post.

Also, has anyone shot fiction with these cameras? I know I'll probably have to go for a "Verité" aesthetic, but any advice would be welcome...

Thanks!

Vincent

Very nice. I also feel that my reel is too long. But my feeling was to make a music video out of it and the song is two and a half minutes long. I liked yours a great deal. COOL MAN! :)

Thanks Nicholas! I will be posting an updated version very soon... As for your reel, it's pretty sweet as well, especially the B/W stuff... Maybe a little bit long... Maybe you could edit the song down to two minutes?

V.

I don't understand your response, you asked for comments and criticism.

What I meant is that since I edited my reel myself, maybe I was little indulgent, leaving in shots that didn't need to be there... I'm gonna shorten it up, as you suggested.... Sorry for the confusion. :-)

Looks good! It might be a bit too long, I think you can tighten it a little, as somebody said here before, your reel is just as good as your worst shot.

Thanks Emile... Actually, you're totally right.... I'm gonne cut that up as if I didn't shoot any of it....

Hi everybody, this is my first post on this forum, even though I've been reading it for quite a while...

I'm posting a link to my first official reel- it's been one year since I've finished school and have been working as a DP on music videos and shorts, and I finally decided it was time for me to show people my work...

So here it is, I'd like to have your comments and criticism...

http://homepage.mac.com/darkklord/DOP.mov

Thanks,

Vincent Biron