Ken Zukin

Hi Dan aka Jack, Well you seem to have a pretty good handle on things. In my experience, it's better to request that the speaker stay on one side of the venue, and light them from the other side. Psychologically, it then looks as though they are being illuminated from the screen, which looks "motivated." If this isn't possible (if the lecturer insists on "working the room"), then your two key light set up is OK. Generally though, one key light is best (there is only one sun). If you do use two lights, try to make one twice as bright as the other. Also, your power-point projector will most likely be pumping out daylight balanced light, so make sure you lamp your kinos with daylight bulbs. If it were me, I would use an HMI, as they don't run that hot. The room itself looks pretty small, so a 400w HMI, or even a color-corrected 1K tungsten fresnel may be preferable. The problem with fluorescent fixtures is that they aren't very punchy; they spread light all over the place. With a fresnel, or an HMI par, it's a much easier job of focusing the beam where you want it. You may want to tell the talent that if they spend a lot of time in the beam of the projector, they'll basically look like crap. Appealing to their vanity can work wonders.

right you are, Governor -- sorry!

Woody Bredel's name doesn't often come up when distinguished DPs from the 1940s are discussed -- but it should. He was a major player in the Hollywood studio system and one of his best entries is being broadcast on TCM tomorrow (Tuesday, August 5th) at 3:15 PM PDT. It's called "The Unsuspected" and in addition to the baroque lighting and strong cinematography, it's a great film, directed by Michael Curtiz. Check it out -- Mr. Bredel also shot "The Killers" (1946). Both of these films are textbook examples of classic black and white cinematography.

Why not a simple montage? Check out "Dark Passage" -- a b/w (Bogart-Bacall) film from the 40's. There's a nice flashback sequence in the film -- simple and effective. Music will be important too.

Bigger is generally better - as the unit will be less likely to flex - and less susceptible to winds, etc. If you are using the tripod for documentary work in some other country, for example, then a lighter set up would be a plus. Also, think of a tripod as two separate pieces -- stix and head. If you have a tight budget, buy the best head possible, and then buy cheaper legs. Carbon fiber legs cost considerably more than heavier aluminum. In general, a quality tripod, like a Sachtler, will far outlive the camera it's supporting, so I say bite the bullet and get a top quality unit. A good test is to pan and tilt at the same time -- like you are following a race car through a S curve. The movement should be silky smooth. If you can make it out to NAB in Las Vegas, you can "test drive" all the current models. You really do get what you pay for. Personally, I own a Sachtler V18 and have rebuilt it once in the 10 years I've owned it. And, I'm the second owner!!

yeah....her face took on a very blotchy appearance...almost like it was smudged with charcoal. It was a cool transformation, and one that was done over 70 years ago.

I watched an old B&W film on TCM called "Sh...the Octopus", made in 1937, that was campy and entertaining. In the movie's climax, an old woman ripped off her wig, pulled out a knife and terrorized the rest of the cast. As she did this, her complexion changed from normal to ruddy to seriously disfigured, all in about 5 seconds. It was done in real time; it was simple and really effective. I suspect the effect was completed by turning up some lamps with colored gels on them that revealed some oil on her face. I seem to remember reading something like this in a text book. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

The correct title of the movie is "Murder My Sweet." I got my Raymond Chandler's mixed up. Good luck. Ken

Don't know if it would fit your project, but what about making the key light a practical? Like an interrogation scene from a classic Film Noir -- where the key is hanging from the ceiling -- and clearly shows up in the master shots. It's dramatic and probably something that lends itself better with black and white. You might also look at what Conrad Hall did in the "torture" scene between Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier in "Marathon Man." Or check out the opening interrogation scene of "Murder My Lovely," which is a classic Film Noir.

An Arri fresnel can easily last 10 years. What happens though is that parts tend to rattle-off as the fixtures spend their lives bouncing around in the back of a van. So you want to buy from a company that's got a proven track record --Arri or Mole. Also, the Arri units aren't much more expensive then the Chinese knock-offs.

Re-lamp your Kino with the same fluorescents that the Supermarket uses. The problem with Supermarket lighting is the direction it's coming from - straight down. You need some lower-angled flattering light for the talent. Throw some diffusion in front of your re-lamped Kino, and you're good to go. You may have to flag off some of the top-light falling on your talent though, if it's too strong.

Alton's work in "The Spiritualist" is even more jaw-dropping. His lighting is really baroque - as amatter of fact, his work is the best thing about the movie. He was a very daring cinematographer - the stuff he did was almost outrageous - the images are just so strong! He truly was gifted - I hardly ever use the word "genius", but I would use it to describe John Alton's work. His day-for-night scenes in "The Spiritualist" are flat-out amazing. "The Big Combo" has some very nice work in it, but it's overall not his signature work. Check out "T-Men", "He Walked By Night", or the lesser known "Devils Doorway" (a Noir Western!!).

Very focusable - low profile - nice output - can be run @ 575w as well. Must use Dedo proprietary bulbs. It's a lot lighter in weight than say the Arri 575 HMI Fresnel - maybe not quite as durable. I've owned mine about 3 months with no issues whatsoever. There's an expensive projector type accessory that can be used to project a tight beam - over $1,000- that would be a nice addition. I'm a happy owner.

well one thing I might tell you is that you MUST get the microphone off of the camera. You can have a very expensive camera-mounted shotgun and come away with horrible sound. You end up recording a lot of handling noise - the zoom motor, panning the camera etc. etc. If you can't afford a wireless mic transmitter/receiver (Sennheiser makes a nice unit for $500), I'd advise you to buy a 25 foot length of microphone cable, an inexpensive lavaliere, or shotgun mic, and then learn how to record some clean audio. It's a common misconception that recording dialog from an actor 15 feet away with a camera-mounted mic will yield good results. Just doesn't work that way. The mic on top of your camera is for ambient sound, for backup sound - that's about it.

You can't go wrong with most movies lensed by John Alton, who was active in the 30's - 50's. His style is very baroque, and his lighting and composition are bold and breathtaking. Check out "The Big Combo", "T-Men", and "The Devils Doorway" (a Western!). Woody Bredel was really active in the Film Noir genre as well. He doesn't get mentioned much, but one viewing of "The Unsuspected" will change all that.

I was a little startled by the out-of-focus shots that made it into the final cut of "Good Night, and Good Luck." Obviously the movie was shot in a photo-journalistic type of style, where they had a couple of cameras running in a free form way, kind of flying by the seat of their pants. Still, things are either in-focus or they're not. Maybe out-of-focus scenes within a film is a style I haven't yet come to appreciate. It doesn't really work for me. And there were quite a few of these - like a dozen or so.

Check out Kubrick's "The Killing", a B&W Noir heist film released in the mid 50's. It's very similar to Huston's "The Asphalt Jungle", except for the way Kubrick shifts time around. The robbery is told through the eyes of the participants, through use of flashback, which is not uncommon. What IS uncommon is the way he does it. "Once a charachter is established, the film leaps backwards, and picks up another character until all the component parts come together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle." While it's a little hard to stay with now, it must have been totally bold and shocking 50 years ago.

Well...you need to "times" that amount by about a factor of ten. Here's what $2K will buy you: *Kino Flo Diva 400 - close to $1,000 - soft, flattering key light that can easily be rigged for daylight or tungsten. *Arri plus 300w fresnel - nice all around backlight/hairlight - not too heavy, durable, multi-use fixture. *Arri plus 150w fresnel - nice little accent light - buy 2 if possible. Lamp with 200w bulbs. *ETC Source 4 Junior Zoom elipsoidal - $350 - for throwing patterns on backround. *You'll need stands for your new lights. A couple of C-stands - Matthews makes nice stands. *Stingers, flags, nets, gells, dimmers, grip heads, extension arms, etc. etc. You're judged by the images you create. Unfortunately, there's no real cheap way to acquire these tools. Learning how to use them is a whole different matter. It's a craft, and takes time. I wish I could tell you that you can create a nice interview by buying a $200 lighting fixture, but IMO, you just can't.

I bought the SD Fujinon w/a zoom - I think it's a 11 X 4.5 - something like that. It works well for 4 X 3 work, as you will "lose" some w/a, (as the camera is native 16 X 9). If you do some research, you can pick up this lens at a good discount. I think I paid around $18K. SD lenses, particularly w/a, are easier to come by than HD. If I had wanted the Fujinon w/a HD zoom, I would have had a 2 - 3 month wait for it. I would advice you not to "cheap-out" when buying a lens. Even if you can't afford HD glass, at least get the top-end SD offerings out there. I wouldn't go below "broadcast" level. For me personally, I bought a standard zoom (18 X 7.8 or something like that) from a cameraman off of E-Bay - I paid about $6,500 for that one & luckily it was pristine, as advertised. In my experience, you'll need two zoom lenses: w/a & standard - there's no way around it, unfortuantely.

Make friends with the maintence guy from the Supermarket. Tell him you need some of the same fluor. bulbs they use in their store. Then just re-lamp your Kino's with the store's lamps. That eliminates the guesswork of what color temp. you're dealing with.

Think of a tripod as two separate pieces: the Head and the Legs. Buy the best head you can afford, and spend the rest of your budget on the legs. Sachtler is fine ( that's what I have), but a little overpriced. It's really advantageous to do a "shoot out" between brands (trade shows, like NAB are great for this). Unless someone has tried ALL the current models, a recommendation is pretty meaningless. Having said that, check out Vinten, Miller, O'Connor (now owned by Sachtler), and Cartoni. With Legs: two stage legs cost more than single stage (big advantage if you can afford it), and carbon fibre is lighter than aluminum or steel (and more expensive). Hope this helps...for $5,000 you should definately find a nice unit. Ken

Let's assume that cinematography is a craft - maybe like playing the guitar. So Daniel - you've decided that you are going to forge out on your own and do things differently. You're going to re-arrange the order of the guitar strings, and play it perched on your head. Do you really think it's going to sound any better? Do you think you'll become a virtuoso? I hope you print out this thread, save it, and re-read it in 10 years. You'll realize what a arrogant little s*** you sound like. Ken Zukin

Hi Stuart, I think you should just shoot it as you feel it. If you like B&W, go for it. In some ways, B&W is an easier shoot, as you don't have to worry about color temperature. You also won't have the benefit of using color to separate foreground from backround. Not to discourage you, but cinematography is a craft, and it a 5 - 10 year process to develop a decent skill set. So, don't expect to make "The Godfather" the first time out. You can log onto the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB), and depending on the style of movie your contemplating, look up some films from noted cameramen who worked in B&W. Greg Toland, Stanley Cortez, John Alton, Nicholas Musuraca, Lee Garmes, James Wong Howe, George Diskant, Woody Bredel, and a host of others. Learn (steal) from the best. I think it's great that you are coming at this from a writer's backround. The screenplays in modern moives may be their weakest element. Good luck, Ken Zukin

Tim, Thanks for the heads-up re: a cinematographer who's work I've not seen. If you could list some of his films, esp. those available in the U.S., that would be most appreciated. I'm glad you referenced Mario Bava, the Italian DP/Director, who's B&W film "The Mask of Satan" has been called the Citizen Kane of Horror Films, with it's baroque, high-key lighting. Best, Ken Z.

Scott, Your posts are a disgrace - a lot of innocent people lost their lives that day. You seemed like a guy who's starved for attention. Take it somewhere else. Ken Zukin