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Terry Hsieh

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Posts posted by Terry Hsieh

    Multiple Camera Angles

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    Okay,

    So this may sound like a sophomoric and infantile question to any experienced director/camera operator/film-maker but seeing as i'm still a first year in the film program, I'm wondering-

     

    In cinema, we usually get multiple shots of, say a dialogue scene. How do camera-operators get multiple shots of said dialogue scene? Do they do 4 takes of the scene from different angles with one camera, or do they get 4 cameras on one scene? If the latter's the case, how does one "erase" the other camera out of the background when you see opposing angles of a shot?

     

    Thanks,

    Confused Terry

    Sync Sound

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    what they told me was that you'd have a seperate mixer, going into a computer, where you'd patch all your mikes through. You'd probably want a boom mike, a couple of wireless lavalier mikes to put on your actors, to catch dialogue and you should probably keep the sound going on the camera so that you can mix the other patches in and out as you wish later in the editing process. Of course, syncing the whole thing in the end is kind of tricky....and that I don't know, since i'm not an editor. Just thoughts from a noob that might help.

    Stuck on junk I never really thought about

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    I'm in the same boat right now. EXACTLY the same boat except we don't have boards. We just have the movie in our director's head. So things go SLOW and you can easily miss things.

     

    right. And the more i think about, the more ideas i get to keep adding. I feel like at some point, it's going to look reallllly slap-on at some point with so many writes and rewrites. I feel like i'm making it better everytime i do a rewrite but at some point, i'm going to lose the original idea and end up making it a useless bunch of twists and turns. Meh...also what do you do about organization? I mean...how do you guys run a set that has more people that i'm used to dealing with. Do you crack the whip or do you just let each guy do his own thing and hope it works out? I'm thinking about letting the creative juices flow. for example...and this is going to be really awkward when this has to come down to it, and might even be awkward for you to explain but like...say you have a kiss on camera. And you just don't feel like they're doing it right....i have this notion that stage kissing and real kissing are totally different...do you say HEY THAT WAS A BAD KISS LETS DO IT AGAIN or do you let it slide....? I dunno some weird sides to the directors seat that i never really thought about until i got myscript together and thought it over.....

     

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    Good question. I don't think anyone can tell anyone what size of a film they SHOULD start with. My advice, from personal experience, is that it's good to get your equilibrium with a short film. It helps you understand IN YOUR OWN HEAD all of the bits and pieces and pitfalls that go into filmmaking. My first film was 7 minutes long. 2nd one was 4 minutes. My latest one was 18 minutes long and it was an undertaking. It was the first time I worked with a DP and just concentrated on Directing/Producing. It was still allot to handle especially with teaching load, classes, and family.

     

    After it was over, I was not satisfied with the final piece, BUT I learned SO MUCH about the pitfalls that tripped me up here and there. Now I can approach my next piece (5 page script) with all of this new information at hand and make adjustments. Thus, buy the time I get to making my Thesis, I will have been through the process several times on much smaller pieces.

     

    But that's me and just my experience with filmmaking. Hope it's helpfull.

     

    Alright so my film has less talking and more showing with the pictures...at least that's what i had in mind when i wrote the script....is this something impossible for an amateur movie maker?

    Stuck on junk I never really thought about

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    So...

    I just realized that there's alot of stuff I had to do in order to get my film together and I thought i'd ask you peoples. So first off....i've got my grubby hands on a DVX100a.....i have a lighting specialist etc. but I'm not sure organization-wise what I should be doing. How should I run the set? How does one go about organizing a shooting session with 30-40 people at a time and what should I be doing if i'm also a part of the cast? What kind of pre-shooting work should I be doing before we get together and what should I get the rest of my crew and cast to be doing as well to make things run smoothly?

     

    Terry

    What's the worst movie you've ever seen?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    i'd....have to say I think that some of the worst stuff i've seen and heard in terms of dialogue and destroyed storyline has to be the last 3 star wars movies. I felt that those last 3 were pretty bad......if they had better actors and better dialogue the rest of the movie might have caught up to the epic proportions of the cinematography and the story.

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    It's instructive to remember that a Super-8 film shot on Kodachrome 40 was an official Short Film Palme D'Or competition selection at the 2005 Cannes Festival. "The Man Who Met Himself" didn't win - but it sure as heck got noticed. Ultimately a good story well produced is what counts, not how much money was spent on equipment.

     

    Hmmmm...that's a really good point. I guess that really makes a lot of sense. So, if i'm going to use standard DV or non-HD, are there any lower priced, cameras that are around? Maybe under $2000 that could possibly do the trick? I'm willing to sacrifice all the artificial things like nightshot and all that other jazz that I never really use anyways, and I don't think normal filmmakers use. Basically, a decent shot quality. Are there any around?

     

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    You can do chromakeying with interlaced-scan material -- you see this everyday on the weather report on TV news afterall... it's more a question of color subsampling. The HDV/DV 4:1:1 codecs have limitations in color depth, but some people manage to pull keys off of the material. It's not as easy compared to a camera that has 4:2:2 or better yet, 4:4:4 color. But you aren't going to find a consumer camera that does 4:2:2 anyway; the Panasonic HVX200 can do it, but that's out of your price range once you factor in the P2 cards.

     

    The whole 60i versus 24P thing is not an issue of "terrible" or "great", just a question of the look. 60i looks like classic video. It can be high-end, top of the line, classic video... or cheap, nasty consumer video, but it will always look like video because film can't create that look. Progressive-scan video has the potential to be "film-like" in terms of its motion reproduction.

     

    This doesn't mean you can't create a pretty picture in 60i. Those expensive Japanese samurai soap operas you see on the international channels are quite well-done in classic interlaced-scan.

     

    You're working at such a low price point for a camera that you can't have everything; you may find a used 24P DV camera like a DVX100B or get a 60i HDV camera, but I don't think you can find a 24P HDV camera at those prices. If you're going to ask me whether it is better to have the 24P look but in standard def versus shoot hi-def but get the interlaced-scan look, I can't answer that question.

     

     

    hmmmm....so am I screwed if i'm looking to do some more artsy shotwork?

     

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    You may regret not getting a camera that does 24P/25P. 60i HDTV still looks like ordinary video, just sharper.

     

    Does this mean I'll have problems with green-screening? Not that I'm doing any, but if I WAS to do green screening, would that affect it? IS there are 24P/25P camcorder that is under $3000? Please tell me, because I'd DEFINITELY buy it. If I was to film, say a thirty minute movie- nothing fancy, like a melodrama, would a HDR-SR1 make it look terrible?

     

    Thanks,

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-...rder-Review.htm

    http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-...rder-Review.htm

    http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/jvc_g...rder_review.htm

     

    See also:

    http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-...X7-Compared.htm

     

    I can't really recommend a camcorder that doesn't do 24P or 25P progressive-scan for that "film-look", but you'd have to pay more to find an HDV camcorder with that feature. The JVC cameras offer 720P and this new Sony HVR-VR1 does 24P, but they are all above your price range.

     

    Ok thanks.

     

    I'm gonna go for the cheapest one I can get so that I can spend the rest on the film itself- which is the HDR-SR1.

     

    Many thanks and merry belated christmas!

    Terry

    WANTED: Sony HDR-FX7 ANY condition (usable)

    in Cine Marketplace

    Posted · Edited by Terry Hsieh

    Sony HDR-FX7 anyone? It doesn't have to be in GREAT shape, just useable.

     

    however, I'm assuming anyone that has one of those babies probably doesn't want to give it up so I understand if you think otherwise.

     

    Terry

     

    P.S. I figure it's worth a shot....

     

    pps email me at tahsieh@gmail.com if you have one or know where i can get one.

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    Thanks, Mr. Mullen.

     

    What about cameras? I'm looking between the Sony HDR-FX7, Sony HDR-SR1, and the JVC GR-HD1, although the last one may be pushing it. Those are the upper bounds of my camera budget. If I had to pick any of those, what would you recommend, and if there are any that fit within the $2000 budget that I don't know of yet but might work better for my filming situation, please tell me.

     

     

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    thanks alot. Here's my next question- for sound-

     

    I know on sets, there are multiple microphones- usually a boom mike, and individual mikes that would be hidden in an actors hair, etc. How does one go about patching these in? Does it all go to the camera through a patch system or would I record each channel individually on a computer and then put it all in when I do the editing?

     

    Also, what's the difference of digitally editing HD and non-HD? Do i need specific programs to edit HD? What kinds of HD cameras would you recommend if I have a limited budget? Say....no more than $2300? (that's my own money)

     

    Terry

    Help!!!

    in Students, New Filmmakers, Film Schools and Programs

    Posted

    hey all,

     

    Thanks for the very helpful tips and locations where i can download material. I'll be sure to post the results of my first real "project" up somewhere to let you all critique.

     

     

    Also, what should i do about a crew? If i don't have a budget should i just run with friends or is this not recommended?

     

    Terry

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