Merlyn Haycraft

Yeah. It's definitely a step up. That was my first film in my first year at film school! :)

Thanks Jason! I edited it myself, but also did one day's editing with Nigel Galt, who edited Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. And it's him I give the credit of editor to. It was a brilliant experience. It was more or less a one day private master class but editing my own work. He really helped with the story and structure at the end of the film. And of course, I got to ask loads of questions about Kubrick!!! (whose is incidentally my favourite director)!! :)

Thanks! Yeah, it was quite tight with only three in the camera and lighting crew. So in the end, we used house lighting where we could (often you can see it in shot) and then supplement it with fill and keys here and there. And the gaffer was really hard working. Little sleep and long days as usual! ;)

Yeah, we went for a very static camera when he is living his daily life so as to show how dead he is, and then lots of zooms and pans as transitions, to move between all the scenes and make the boxes unrelenting and suffocating. I checked out your showreel as well! Really nice work!

Thanks! I haven't seen Stranger than Fiction. I'll have to check it out now.

Hi all, Here is a film I have just completed - Boxed Man. I wrote and directed it, as well as shot it. I would love to have any feedback on the cinematography!!! We were a pretty small crew: one focus puller and one gaffer, so all thoughts are welcome :) http://vimeo.com/20624813 Thanks! Merlyn contact@merlynhaycraft.com http://merlynhaycraft.com

Hey all, I am currently weighing up my options about which HDV or HD camera to buy for documentary and low budget feature film making. My budget is approximately $8000 and I am lost as to whether to go for something like the Panasonic P2 AG-HVX200 or get a very good HDV camera. My main qualm with the AG-HVX200 is you can't change the lens. Apart from that it seems very good. So my question is: Could anyone please tell me which is the best camera for that kind of money ($8000) in terms or resolution, colour and lenses? And are there any other new cheap HD cameras to soon be released? And is HDV just a pain in the arse and a waste of time? Thanks, Merlyn

Thank you. I knew they shot with anamorphic lenses and it changes the circles but not the rest. M

Hi, I'm curious to find out what effect was used in a shot in Babel after the Japanese girl leaves the disco, where everything is out of focus, and all the out of focus lights are more square than circular. Is this a filter or something else? Thanks :)

Hello all, I'm curious to find out what the comparative focal lengths are for different formats. For example what a 35 mm lens for a Super 16mm camera would be on a 35mm Camera and also on a standard SLR still photography camera. I have only worked with Super 16 and so reading an article about Kubrick mainly using an 18mm lens for Eyes Wide Shut doesn't give me enough of an idea about which kind of lens it is exactly, other than is it pretty wide. So if anyone knows the differences between 35mm, Super 16mm and SLR's or a formula that can be applied, it would be good to know. Cheers, Merlyn :)

Thank you Michael. I'm talking about incident light reading. In one shot of the two protagonists in a two shot, the light on them was 3 stops over and the background behind them was 1 stop under. Will this look really bad and their faces just be whitz, or will the expressions be readable. Not, also one of them has a white suit. Oh no!! I think tonight, I will not go further than 1.5 over or under on their faces. Any other advice or examples will be appreciated.

Hey all, Just finished the 1st day of a student shoot on Super 16MM. I am on 7218 stock and my t stop is 1.3... Now, I am not very experienced in cinematography, so I have ben relying on my 1st A.C who is also a good friend and much more knowledgable in this subject. We have for the most part been overexposing by 2 stops, sometimes one stop and once 3, on the faces of the actors. While in the dark areas underxposing sometimes by one stop and sometimes by two. I was worried that this was so much. But my 1st A.C said it would be fine. Now, I trust him completely so I take the bad for any mistakes we may come across. However, looking at the zone sytem again just now and reading lots of posts about overexposure I am starting to get a little concerned. Important side note: We will convert the film to black and white in the telecine. So, colours are to be forgotten. (I don't know if this will make much of a difference in terms of overexposure) This is a key light 2 stops and once 3 stops overexposed on the faces of the actors. I don't want to lose and blow out the faces of the actors, but my 1st A.C said that will start happening at 4, 5 stops. I pray he is right. It is a comedy and so it is natural it is well exposed... ... but my question is has it been pushed to far for texture, will it be ugly, and can anyone please give me some concrete picture examples or stories of their own experience doing such a thing. We shoot again tonight and I hope not to make any grave errors! Thank you all.

Thank you David. All Kodak really said about the 29 is that it's soft. But higher contrast and a sharper image is definitely what I want. So 7218 is good.

Hey, I have shot on 7229, not on 7218, but I am about to. And I would be very interested if anyone knows what the main differences are between these two stocks. I have checked the Kodak website, but any more practical information would be much appreciated. Thanks

One more question concerning the tele cine. How exactly does it work, the process I mean? Does the telecine supervisor simply completely desaturate the image or should I be asking for something else?