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Leon Rodriguez

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Everything posted by Leon Rodriguez

  1. Hi Guys, Been a while since I visited. I've got this one coming out on Sony/BMG this year (supposedly) All comments appreciated and respectfully evaluated. I included some frame grabs too. The look I was going for was 1950's Action Adventure comic books. What do you think? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490847/combined http://www.piercedangels.com/doubletap/large_trailer.html Double Tap trailer 2 http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?sectio...ews&Id=1077 Interview Thanx,
  2. Leon Rodriguez

    Arri 16 BL

    The director for my next picture wants me to put a Video Assist on my Arri 16BL. I want to do it with Rick and Mike over at Visual Products. Rick asked me if I had an APEC door since it apparently makes a difference in the mounting charge. How would I know if I had an APEC door? Any wisdom on this topic?
  3. Hi Mavis, I hope to give you an approach for a fresh perspective. The perspective I would adopt in approaching this decision would be, " Why should a highly trained actor trust me to direct his actions if I don't understand what he is trying to achieve?" Remember, you don't have to become an expert but unless you grind through a course or some private lessons it's very difficult to appreciate this very subtle craft. Make an effort to appreciate what actors do and they will give you their hearts for your vision. They are just amazing in their dedication to their craft. Very special artisans IMHO. Best,
  4. On my last picture, Double Tap, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490847/combined My little faithful mini- director's viewfinder got ripped off. I'm just now getting around to buying another one. I was of course looking for the best buy I could find and finally purchased a German made TEWE Viewfinder on e-bay sold by E.J. Baughman co. of 1914 N. Cogswell Rd. in El Monte, Calif. from a Canadian gal. Has anyone ever owned one of these? Does anyone know where I can get an operator's manual on how to calculate the focal lengths on this instrument. I can't figure it out for the life of me. You can see from the photo why I purchased it. It looks like a straight ahead DVF like a Mark 4 or something like that. It's actually like some kind of slide rule that ranges from 0-100 on one scale, 0-250 on anther that is linked to a scale in inches up to 40" The words "Riesel-Ikon" and "Image Orth." are headings of scales indexed from 25-200. Any help deciphering this puzzle would be most appreciated as it will have to do until I can afford a used Mark V. Thanks,
  5. Hi James, I got them early on by adding them as research materials to the cost of a production I was doing. The producer was kind enough to comply. I was very lucky because they are a bit pricey. You'll find my endorsement on their website. I don't think I've ever run into any materials on camera movement as good as these. If there is something better, please tell me. All six of them are a course in their own right. Not only do they give you great ideas for your shot moves but they help you to organize a methodology in your shot movement approach so you, as the DP, can back out and think bigger picture. One of the most useful things about discs 5&6 is the shorthand for shot motion you learn. I challenge you to just memorize the methodology of the notation. With a little practice you can quickly sketch out 4 or 5 ideas while doing your location work and discover a unique movement vocabulary that fits your project. I find it enormously useful. Like everything else, it does take a bit of effort to learn. But I find they help me to see further into the material.
  6. I have an Arri 4X4 swingaway Mattebox and have been trying to find The right eyebrow (french flag) for it. The plastic shade on the front doesn't appear to be strong enough to drill an attatchment to it to accept a century french flag. Does anyone the know the part number and how it attatches to the mattebox? I've been improvising with tape and cardboard and black foil but I'd like to have the real deal. Thanks for your input.
  7. Hey Victor, Thanks for the nice note. I have to agree with Morgan on his last post. I myself never went to Film School but I've hired many film school grads over the years. I don't ever feel less qualified to express myself cinemagraphically for it either. I can see what the film students take away from film school and go into the world with. I personally think that if you follow your passion through to it's ultimate conclusion, your investment might be better placed directly on the screen. With the life experience your age gives you, you are more prepared than you might think. Buy or rent a camera, write a 5 page script about something you believe in, cast it with cooperative friends. See everything through to the end. It will NOT be perfect, a first film never is! No film ever is! But it will give you a glimpse of the filmmaker inside of yourself bursting to be set free. You must introduce yourself to that raw entity and begin a lifelong relationship with that filmmaker that is Victor Kaganovitch. Maybe your second project will be the pick-up shots for what you meant to say but didn't capture... I don't know; I'm speculating. But my point is, Just do it. Make a movie. Infect yourself with this strain of expression. See if the innoculation takes hold. If it does, you won't want to do anything else for the rest of your life. Are you ready for that? p.s. Here's the beginnings of my newest one. http://filmthreat.com/index.php?section=in...ch=0&page=2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490847/combined
  8. That goes for me too, Tim. Hey I've got an interview on Filmthreat if anyone is interested. <http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=interviews&Id=1077&archive=&match=&page=0> Might be interesting to somebody out there. Other Indies.
  9. Great tip, Charlie! Thanks a lot I'll definitely check it out.
  10. Thank you very much for your insightful responses.
  11. Ta Da! Good idea! That's just what I was looking for. That will do it for background. Thanks David. For foreground ideas... I noticed the cieling lamps over the pool tables in The Hustler hung lower than usual, so that when Jackie Gleason leaned into a pool shot he sort of slid into frame from darkness. Very cool, I thought. This film is the story of the guy who got to be Nazi Fuhrur for one day, the day after Hitler and Eva Braun are married, commit suicide and are burned to ashes before he himself murders his entire family and commits suicide. It's interesting if the height of the lamps keep the top part of the face flagged. Like they have something to hide. Which in the case of Joseph Goebbels, it follows. It's just a matter of whether or not to expose the eyes. Might be more effective not to. (Gordon Willis' Godfather lighting comes to mind) Another example of what you don't light possibly being more supportive of the content than what you do light. Cool director. He gives me great latitude. I'm going to really enjoy this. It's called "One Day, a Fuhrer"-Dir. Christopher Obal - just in case it makes it into festival circulation near you.
  12. Yeah David, I think 7222 over 7231 is the right thing since I need the speed in this low light situation plus I want the latitude of negative stock. The film part won't have any color on it just the HD shots. Or better said, HDV was my solution to the look of only one color projecting in a field of black and white. My Z1U will roll out all the color except for one or two spikes held in memory. That part is done. I wanted to pick your brain for production design ideas. One thing I love about the old B&W pictures are the great shadows in rich blacks like in Casablanca. The problem is in this bunker( which is pretty much a basement), I'm limited to things I can silouette like Coat Racks and peoples profiles. I wonder how I could break up the background walls and still keep it bleak? I could make a cusom cookie of <What>? A bust of Hitler? Surely not. I've got to missing something obvious. It's a given that it will be contrasty as all get out.
  13. My next one is a piece on the final days of WWII in the European Theater. It takes place in an austere German bunker, which I imagine to be of a concrete texture with poor single source lighting. Very stark! The director wants a multi media piece so I can isolate an occasional spike in the color spectrum to pronounce an occasional impact point ala Sin City or Schindler's List. I'll shoot it in 4:3 with my Arri 16BL and the HD on my HVR-Z1U. I'm pretty settled on shooting the film parts on 7222 to replicate old 35mm filmstock. I'm open to suggestions on viewing for influences. I want a fairly confined and increasingly claustrophobic set of sensations. I've been studying Schindler's List, 12 Angry Men, Casablanca, The Hustler, How Green is my Valley and Grapes of Wrath for ideas. Any ideas among the brethren? What are your thoughts? Screening influences? Processing ideas? Exposure ideas? anything? All ideas are welcomed and appreciated.
  14. Robert, It's customary to include the city and dates in which you'll shoot your project since there is obviously no travel budget. Best of luck.
  15. Just a general note to all the British brethren who suffered in the recent attacks of the terrorists, cowardly, soulless bastards that they are. Our hearts and prayers are with you all, especially to the Londoners who felt it the most. I just want to say that we are with you in mind, body and spirit. We stand beside you in our resolve to bring these animals to justice. I?m sure the rest of the civilized world; Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and all other faiths join us in condemning these brutal attacks on the most cosmopolitan of all cities. God bless you all in your moment of grief. I know this isn't cinematography. It is however human.
  16. Jane, We just bought a couple of HDR-Z1's too. May I join the conversation? Great Mattebox information. I'd like to be able to use my extensive 3x3 filter collection. Aren't there plates available to pop in the filters for larger Matte box sizes? Does anyone know what is the best Follow focus I can get?
  17. You guys make my job easy. I owe you a cold one.
  18. I agree with John. I'd look at the motor control electronics.
  19. Does everything seem normal for the 8 seconds it does run? Is there any jerking during those 8 seconds? Intermittent contact, etc.? I'd call Visual Products. (440) 647-4999. Ask for Mike Casey and tell him the answers to those questions. He'll get you up and going.
  20. David, Wonderful information! you're a gift to us all, bro. That's just what I need to make my decisions. Thx 1M.
  21. I'm still shopping my 35mm deal. I have a dilemma about deviating from the norm. If I was to find a camera with 3 perf movement , I'm not clear as to how that is going to effect my lab availablity for printing. Any idea where I can go on the web to get a full overview? My gut tells me that money saved on filmstock in production will end up getting used in specialty shops for printing.( and what about projection?) I can't imagine any reason to print a 3 perf print. Any insight? Thanx in advance for any imparted wisdom.
  22. I was in a pre prod meeting this week with a good AD who's opinion I have high regard for and with whom I have worked before. Good guy. He told me that when shooting exteriors on the film "American Outlaws", they smoked the exterior set with Frankincense(sp?). According to my friend, the DP from L.A. told him that was the best way to smoke an exterior shot. Since we have several of these night exteriors coming up, I was immediately interested. I was going to use a dry ice machine. (I don't trust the oil based machines for lens coatings) Does anybody know about this Frankincense technique. Why does it work better? Should I be ordering some Frankincense for my scenes or is someone pulling my leg?
  23. Thanx Luke! I wrote to Bruce straight away. I appreciate the help.
  24. Daniel, You might think of a creative way to use the fogged side of the film like a blown out window on the edge of the frame... Just thinking out loud.
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