Michael Garcia

So I looked into the ASC manual and I found some conversion tables that showed the relative focus marks on any given lens and how they would change with different diopter strengths but I still haven't been able to determine if the closest focus mark on any given lens is theoretically moved closer with the use of a diopter or if it is just the illusion of closer focus through magnification. So even though I think we are getting closer to the answer, and I really appreciate all of the great input given, it has already helped to broaden my knowledge of diopters but I still haven't quite arrived at what I am looking for. So if anyone has any other ideas please let me know!

Say I am using a #1 Diopter, my maximum focus distance is 1 Meter, so when focused at infinity I will only have focus up to 1 meter away, no further. That being said does this actually shift my focus closer? For example if I am shooting on a 35mm lens with a minimum focus distance of 20" and I place a #1 diopter in my infinity focus moves to 1 meter, but does my minimum focus move closer as well? And if so is there a mathematical relationship there? So that if I use a #2 Diopter, moving infinity to 1/2 meter, does it move my minimum focus forward proportionately? I hope this makes sense. Because I was under the impression that my minimum focus Would change, however in some recent tests that really didn't seem to be the case. there is image magnification that seems to be proportional between the diopters but the minimum focus seemed to stay the same. Thanks.

I am workng on an upcoming project and the production has already acquired an HVX-200 with the P2 cards and a P2 store. I have worked with the cards before but I always had someone taking care of the workflow to laptop, or mass storage device and have not worked with the P2 Store. The P2 Store holds 60 gigs and unfortunately no one thought that we would be needing more space than that for the entire movie! anyways my question is if I were to purchase a lacie or maxtor 500 gig hard drive can I simply use my Mac to move the files from the P2 store to a drive at the end of each shoot day or do I need specific hardware or a specific type of external drive to store these files. Thanks!

Depending on the Camera being used, and many other Variables, it's difficult to say exactly what should be checked. However, I would recommend reading through Douglas C. Hart's Book The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook, or at least the chapters on Equipment checkout and tests. This book is extremely well written and thorough. I would imagine that it would clear up any Questions you my have.

I have been looking through the Education Forum for several days now and I have read about many fellow DP's excitement in being accepted to Masters programs at AFI and/or Chapman. I have read the good and the bad about these programs, the financial costs being the primary bad! :) But I haven't been able to find any info from those people, who would have now finished the Two year intensive program at AFI or would be finishing up at Chapman, as to whether or not they are benefitting from achieving a Masters degree in this field. I have also read through posts by David Mullen and others, as well as set conversations with working DP's, that there is no single route to becomeing a DP. But does Graduate School Help? As Many of the Dedicated people at this forum are I am a hard worker, and I want to pose this question so that under the ideal circumstance of being an intelligent, creative and hard working individual which road is more advantageous, Graduate Film School or working in the industry (Camera op, AC, Loader, Juicer, Grip, etc.) as you continue to create films as a DP to Establish yourself. I also Understand that there can be no clear answer to this question but I would love to hear from both sides so that many of us out here questioning which road to take might be persuaded to make a move one way or the other! Thank you all for your input!

Yes I was Using a17" HD monitor, plus the on board while operating, and their was no indication of Gain boost during setup or shooting. But doesn't the Signal Bypass the P2 card and any modifications, just like a pass through when it runs out to Monitor? The grain is very Prominent currently, and When we were shooting there was no appearance of this pixelation on the Monitor, Not that things doen't occasionally slip through the cracks, but I was all over the camera and monitor, My Director and Producers were there 99% of the time as well and they are well versed in Video and Hi-Def and they noticed no Gain Spike during primary photography. So I am still currently stumped as to where my mistake lies. Thank you all for the help though!

I graduated from film school last May and have had some luck shooting a couple of paid Spec Commercials and also several shorts and a feature, but the practicality of finding a real breakthrough gig without a lot of studio set experience seems pretty distant. So I have been trying to find work as a second or loader, but that seems to pose the same problem. I just want to work, I want to be able to find some paid loading gigs that can turn into more loading gigs and some second/loading gigs to start bringing in some money while I am beefing up my reel on low or no budget films that I DP. So I guess what I am asking for is any insight, tips, jobs anything that can help a non-union guy into some work as a paid loader or Second. (I have experience in these positions as well that I have represented on my resume). I guess I just feel like I don't know where I should be looking to try and solve this problem. Absolutely any help in this area would be great! oh, and I am located in Los Angeles. thanks again!

I created a higher quality location here please try this one, and again thanks for the feedback. My Reel

I know the resolution of the file isn't the best but please give me the good the bad and the ugly! My Reel

Ok I will check that out, thank you both very much for the info I appreciate it!

I looked through this forum and didn't see any problems described that are like mine so I am going to go ahead and throw down my first post. (please excuse me if I missed it though!) I recently shot a feature on the HVX using the P2 cards and everything seemed to be going great until last week when I received a call from my producer. They brought me in and I saw some footage that I can only describe as grainy. Several scenes, when blown up to full monitor size had a whole lot of movement going on. It looked as though I had under exposed 16mm film and blew it up huge. Now the main thing is that I don't see any direct correlation between lighting situations or camera gags. some shots are in bright sunlight out in a park, using a ND .9 and a polarizer and stopped down considerably, and others are in a night club scene, clean lens and WFO. but there is no consistency. it is not all of the scenes outside nor all of the low light scenes. All of my external components remained the same for those enviornments and I don't know what I must of changed, possibly in camera, to cause this problem? And I have also considered did I cause this problem? could something like this happen in a bad import to an avid or other non-lin editing equipment? Well I hope I specified my problem clearly and I thank those of you who may be able to help me with this issue!