Mark Kenfield

Gobos to break up the light and create some kind of pattern or shape to the 'moonlight' also go a long way.

A good point Paul, I think a bit has been lost in translation, because if not - I'd be more worried about the quality of education provided by a school that poses so many nonsensical questions to it's students.

Don't bulb down. Redheads aren't really usable as a direct light on anything but the background, for nice light quality you'll need to bounce or diffuse them. For starters I'd recommend getting some large lighting umbrellas to give you some nice directional soft light to work with.

And so the circle of life continues... :p

I recently saw "Her" at the theater which was shot and projected digtally. It was a totally different experience and not in a good way. It just felt like a larger version of 24P mini DV that you would see digitally projected at a local film fest. In other words, it totally lacked the feel of a real theater experience.

 

Film keeps improving too with finer grain and more dynamic range, and scanning technology is evolving too. I see it getting better, smaller, and more affordable. How or if film continues to improve or change is in question. I would personally like to see something different than just performance improvements... like a scanner friendly reversal film.

Interesting, personally I think digital projection makes FAR greater a difference to the viewing experience than the difference between shooting film or digital (on current digital cinema cameras). I love digital projection - no more putting up with filthy, scratched-to-buggery prints that just look horrid, everything looks great!

The first digital projection I saw was Tony Kaye's black and white abortion documentary, it was shot in 35mm and scanned and projected in 2K, at that point in time it was a revelation, the single most impressive cinema experience I'd ever seen - it was pristine, and all thanks to not having a shoddy release print to contend with.

Really appreciate the detailed explanation Guy, thanks! It's always nice to understand the root cause of these issues (and know that I'm not mad in justifying the much higher expense of name-brand HMIs!)

I don't buy into the whole 'documentary' pitch. These things stand a very good chance of dominating indie features and narrative TV shows as a lighter and cheaper Alexa, as well as potentially being a handheld 'c'-camera for Alexa shoots.

I think a lot of people underestimate just how many features are shot on ProRes rather than Arriraw.

Thanks Edward, much appreciated.

Hi guys,

I've found a used Arri HMI from the States that I'd like to buy, it has a standard US power plug, but the ballast is universal, so should be fine for the 230v power down here in Australia.

I can't see any kind of switch on the ballast to select between 120v and 230v power, so I'm wondering whether simply changing out the US plug for a local one, or using a simple adapter will be all I need to do to use the ballast?

Does anyone know if there a particular process required to 'switch' the ballasts to use 230v power, or are they simply okay with being plugged into either voltage?

Cheers,

Mark

Buying an expensive lamp in the "film industry" in australia is not a good investment.

Well I'd say that depends entirely on whether it makes you money or not.

For me, there's simply no other option than going the name brand route. Three times I've had producers rent 1.2k HMIs for me for outdoor/portable-generator shoots; all three times the heads and ballasts have turned out to be cheap Chinese clones, and all three times the clones have failed to strike from 2kw and 3kw portable generators. Rendering the lights useless, the rental costs spent on them worthless, and my lighting for those scenes violently compromised.

I've had success with those same cheap Chinese clones on mains power, but I don't always have access to mains power on location, and a light I can't power from portable generators isn't worth the space it takes up in the ute.

Just received a CVP newsletter listing pricing for the upcoming Arri Amira:

Arri AMIRA (AMIRA) 2K, 200fps Documentary Style Pick up and Shoot Professional Grade Video Camera

Package prices starting from

AMIRA Camera Set - Most Economical €25,980
AMIRA Camera Set with Advanced License - The Allrounder €28,980
AMIRA Camera Set with Premium License - All Included new €32,980

Looks like there will be different licences to allow access to different features (high fps etc.)

I really want to, but there's really no point wasting $4k on a clone. They always fall apart, the ballasts don't play nice with portable gennies. :(

Thanks guys, sounds like the M18 is very much what I'm looking for - high-output and portability.

in my opinion only the sony F65 currently is capaple to be a serious competitor with film

I'm intrigued by what makes you say that Randy. From the F65 footage I've seen projected and up close, I'd argue it's the least comparable image to film of all the current high-end Digital Cinema cameras. To my eyes it has a clarity and grainlessness that seems more separate from film than the alternatives.

What aspects make it closer in your eyes?

Hi guys,

I'm looking into adding another HMI with a bit more punch to my kit (currently a Profoto 1.2k HMI PAR) is my biggest unit, and I'm wondering if anyone can comment on how the Arri 1.8k Baby Max compares to something more traditional like the Arrisun 2.5k PAR?

I'm in 240v land so I can run either off household power sockets here, I'm very intrigued by how the Arrimax reflector in the 1.8k compares to the Parabolic reflector in the Arrisun though, I seem to remember some people posting that it actually offers greater output than the higher wattage 2.5k unit, however I can't seem to find those posts in a search.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Mark

Yeah, I think matching the overheads in your Kinos is going to be your best bet on a budget.

Is it possible to rent Kino tubes en masse for instances like these where you need replace a hundred or so overheads? Where would you get them from? It would no doubt make this sort of a shoot much easier, I just can't think of anywhere I could look locally to source so many tubes for a one or two-day shoot.

Good notes!!

Between blocking, fixing lighting issues and trying to cover my arse by remembering the extra coverage I need, I'm always so frazzled that it's very easy to forget things I did just 10-20 minutes ago. My favourite 2nd ACs always save my butt by allowing me to review everything we've shot via their notes before we move on (and leave an essential cutaway behind!).

With a good 1st to look after the camera and a good 2nd to save me from myself, I'm able to focus on the things I do best and the production benefits from everyone's work.

So yeah, good notes make a good 2nd for me!

USB3! It may not be the absolute fastest thing out there - but you can plug it into anything, Mac or PC and move your files around - and that's FAR more important than outright speed in my experience.

Where in South East Asia, and what voltage is the electricity there? America is the best place for used lighting gear - but it's all 120v, which is no good to anyone in 220-240v countries.

Honestly, given that you can pick up a portable inverter generator for around $400-$600 off ebay, I think that's the best way to go. The freedom it gives you to recharge batteries and power a few small lights out in the field is a BIG deal when it comes to shooting remotely.

And perhaps more importantly, it can also power the kettle for a cup of tea when you're out in the wild.

I really like ultrabounce for a natural looking bounce source for fill. And I second the bleached muslin recommendation.

Some nice shots in there John, I think the reel perhaps starts out a bit too slow and static for a montage, I'd suggest putting some of your shots with a bit more movement in after that opening shot of the snowy hills (which is a lovely shot btw!).

Some really interesting, fun, colourful and unique work in there Joe, the black and white burning crosses material is the real standout for me - I'd suggest opening the reel with some of that.

Love the daytime exteriors Mark, they work really well. I think your nighttime exteriors and interiors would benefit from being a lit a little more low-key (they look a bit 'lit').

Thanks Abdullah, appreciate the kind words. It actually just helped me land my second feature as of yesterday, so pretty pleased with it for the moment!