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Marty Hamrick

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Everything posted by Marty Hamrick

  1. I'm a staffer.I shoot for a local post newsweek station and I supplement with freelance work.I've noticed over the last 10 or 15 years that I'm paying more and more for health insurance and getting less and less.I've been needing an MRI on my shoulder for a while now and my insurance company has been dicking me around on it. My fiance is Canadian and says our health care system sucks a fat meat.Now I feel that since my shoulder is a major part of my job,it should be a prioity and there should be no question about MRI's or anything else.I also feel that such things as corrective eye surgery for people who's livelyhoods depend on their eyesight should be given a break. Do any of you feel I'm asking for too much? Marty
  2. Marty Hamrick

    HD focusing

    I am a little concerned with focusing HD cameras.I haven't shot HD yet but I figure it's only a matter of time before I will.I have an astigmatism and am planning to get corrective Lasik type surgery when I can afford it(actually I think insurance should cover it since my livelyhood depends on my eyesight but that's a whole different subject),normally I wear contacts.Since I shoot news and docs,I'm one man band,I don't have an AC to focus for me. My understanding is that focusing an HD camera is more critical than an SD.Anyone care to give me some advice here.For the most part focusing hasn't been a problem except in low light situations,particularly when I have to boost the gain. Marty
  3. Marty Hamrick

    zebras

    I shoot with a Sony BNW-7 and the manual says that I can set the zebra function to a dual reading.One showing 70 % IRE and 100%( actually it says that you can set them at whatever you want).I've been through it and I haven't found such yet.All I've found was a way to turn the zebras on and off, although why anyone would shut the zebras off is beyond me, especially in the news and doc stuff I shoot. Ideally I would like to set my zebras for 70 and 100 for skin tone and background,particularly for stand ups and live shots where it's important to see the talent and the background.We have a lot of African American and other dark talent and many times it's challenging to put compromise the subject and BG. Marty
  4. I've seen some film stocks on ebay and was somewhat intrigued by some 16mm and double 8mm b&w stocks that I always see on there.Does anyone have any experience with Fomapan.I was thinking of something for either test stock or some pseudo newsreel flashback scenes. Marty
  5. The ACL is easier for shoulder shooting than the NPR because of it's design.Whichever model,I would recommend going with a French made camera than an English made Eclair.I've never seen a Brit made Eclair that didn't completely self destruct at some point.Some folks I know feel more comfortable with the NPR as they feel the older technology is more reliable than the ACL's newer since they feel it wasn't quite proven at that point in time.I've been happy with both. Marty
  6. Interesting trend on ebay I've noticed.Certain cameras,particularly in super 8 come back around several times, each time the price goes up.Beaulieus of any kind will always command a pretty hefty price,some even at the prices they originally sold for back in the 70's.I've noticed the Bolex 155 and 160 Macrozoom models seem to be heavily sought after by collectrs,I'm assuming that's who is buying them.The 160 can start around 15 dollars and by the end of the week I've seen them go for as much as 250 dollars.Interesting eh? Marty
  7. I'm glad you touched on this, Mitch.I believe too, that all aspects of cinematography should support the story regardless of cliche, anit cliche or whether or not the lighting is flattering to the person. I remember a film, can't recall the title, but it starred Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.Every shot of Demi Moore was lit to make her look as glamorous as possible.She looked gorgeous in every shot.Her character was a trailer trash woman who eventually ends up muredering her abusive alcoholic husband (Bruce Willis).Moreover, every thing in the film looked too clean and pretty,even the van they used to haul away Willis's body.I thought the look was all wrong for the story. Anyone else see thei film? Marty
  8. I have a Rex IV I'm looking to sell in immaculate condition.If you're interested,email me offlist at vmartin1960@yahoo.com. Marty
  9. For some of the shots I saw,that may be the case as I used to run those projectors at the theater I saw it in(Century projectors,old ones at that.Tight framing tolerance).Yet there was at least one shot where I saw the mic almost touch an actor's head.If the projector had've been framed to keep the mic out, about a third of the actor's head would've been cut off. Marty
  10. OK,what about downconverting and some of the other things I've heard about?What exactly is that?By your description it sounds like it should be easy enough to one man band like any other video format.I take it most models can be configured or are configured ENG style,which is what I'm accustomed to.Now if you are shooting full crew film style,I understand your 2 nd AC handles tape logging and the downconverting process, 1st AC's job doesn't change.Am I correct? Marty
  11. Just curious here.Those of us who have shot film and SD video.How much of a learning curve is there to getting accustomed to the new equipment,it's strong points,limitations,etc?My transition to video from film was not fun.Of course that was going from being used to color neg vs. tube cameras and 3/4 inch video.Going to HD from a film/Betacam or DVC Pro background easier? Marty
  12. I can definitely see prices across the board on film going up, so therefore recans and short ends will go up as well. I notice alot of film projects apparently being abandoned sadly by the amount of 16mm and 35mm film for sale on ebay.Not just student films either, many of these are coming from film projects that lost funding at the last minute and so forth. If you are correct,George,if prices continue to rise I predict there will be more HD productions and a bigger push for electronic display at theaters,which is already happening. There will be a bit of quality suffering, but the hype of HD and electronic projection to a non film savvy public will mean another acceptance of lower quality hyped as progress with all of the buzzwords like "digital" and "High Definition" being tossed around. Marty
  13. Just saw Cheaper by the Dozen over the weekend.I counted 4 times I saw a mic come in at the top of the frame,in fact my girlfriend noticed it before I did.Almost hit the actors on top of the head at one point.Just wondering how that gets by on a film with a budget like that,how often it happens and who's head ends up rolling for something like that. Marty
  14. How well I remember Houston Fearless.Anyone still use Pekos anymore? Marty
  15. Yes,but in a doc like that the quality variation is acceptible.I get tape from people every now and then from people who happened to be at news events and while I can accept home video formats and put a super "Home video",I can't accept what some people want to charge for us using their stuff. Marty
  16. Hi, We've kicked this around for awhile on this and cinematography.net.I've had a chance to see a few of these films,one I saw on 35mm and I can't really say I've been bowled over. Yet, what does impress me is the fact that some of these folks,besides Mr.Rodriguez,have made some progress in the cash flow department. I have a friend who works as a news shooter like myself for a competing station and he has made 3 features using Canon XL-1's.Haven't seen any of them and so far they have been straight to video release.One is titled Crackerjack,distributed by Maverick and as I understand is available at Blockbuster. What my friend tells me is that he made Crackerjack for something like 7G(hmm sounds like a familiar budget) and sold it outright for something like 35 G which gave him the capital to do more movies. I have yet to see any of his films so I can't comment on their story content on cinematography.Yet it seems to be we're seeing a trend here of a viable business at least for the time being.Could be just another trend for now.We saw a similar trend 20 years ago when low budget schlock horror was pumped out to a then new straight to video market.It didn't take long for that market to peter out.I have a few friends in LA who had brief careers as schlock horror directors then. Any comments?Another trend or something more viable? Marty
  17. I have to agree on much of what you said, Phil.I'm so dog gone busy these days I don't get much time to see movies,although I can see a free showing from time to time at a drive in I used to work and I did catch Cat in the Hat with the kids and Haunted Mansion which was fine for them.My lady and I saw Gothika,which was kinda cool with the creepy look of a nut house.Seabiscuit was by far one of the best in recent months I've been to see. Maybe I'm getting jaded too,but I can't help walking out of a theater at least 75% of the time saying,"That was alright but the budget was HOW MUCH???"Hard for me to justify in my mind those 8 plus figures.Also,ain't no way I'm paying over 10 bucks for a coke and popcorn.Especially since I can remember a time when I could see a movie downtown for 5 RC bottle caps. Marty
  18. I too remember Polavision,it's hard to say,though whether or not I would call Polavison the Edsel of home movie formats or Fairchild's Cinephonic 8 the Edsel. Yet,usable images were pulled from Polavision films in the documentary "Imagine" about the life of the late John Lennon.That film was a challenge to say the least where they were working 8mm,super 8,16mm,35mm (all variations and emulsions)as well as many defunct video formats such as half inch reel to reel.Anyone seen this film? Marty
  19. I want to add my agreement with Mitch here.Video lenses are video lenses and film lenses are film lenses.Two different animals.You also have to remember with Bolexes (is this a reflex camera?), the Rex (reflex)models,aren't standard "C" mounts.They have "C" mounts but they are calibrated for the prism in Bolex Rex cameras.Any standard "C" mount, that is not a "Rex" mount will not give you a sharp picture.I think you can get away with standard "C" mounts if the lens is 50mm or longer. Marty
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