Rick Shepardson

Greetings, I'm going to be shooting a short film and am considering a few filters. However, I find that company sights rarely show pictoral examples of what each filter does. I would like to have some sort of visual reference when researching the various filters that are available. Does anybody know of a site which displays such examples? Something with before and after pictures would be optimal. I do have the swatch books for lee and roscoe filters-however, this very helpful to me. Thanks, Rick Shepardson

Brother, I know what you're going through. I'm looking for insurance for my upcomming shoot. I imagine nsurance isn't a huge percentage of a 30 million dollar feature budget: But it's a huge chunk of an indy short budget. Better safe than sorry, though. What kind of home/renter's insurance do you have? Some companies' policies will cover stuff like that IF you pay to rent it. So, maybe your friend could charge you a low, low rental fee.If you don't have such a policy, check out non-film insurance companies that may cover stuff like renting equipment. I say 'non film" because I've found that if a company deals specifically with motion pictures-it will charge at least double what any other company would for the exact same service. In doing that though, MAKE SURE, that they understand what is going on. You don't want to end up breaking the camera or a crew member only to find out that you violated some loop hole in the policy. There's a company called Film Emporium that I might go through if I don't find anything cheaper. The good thing about them is that they offer temporary services. Does your friend have insurance on the camera? If so, maybe you could just pay off whatever the deductable is in case of an accident. Or, even lay that ammount down as sort of a "deposit" so it's allready figured into your budget. That would only make sense, of course, if the deductable is less than what you would pay in insurance. Good luck-if you find any good places, tell me. -rick

Greetings, Before I start-here are some technical aspects super 16mm Kodak 200D, vision 2 I'm going to be shooting a short film in late september/early october. The film takes place almost entirely in daytime exteriors and transpires from early noon to afternoon on a sunny summer day. Because the main character is an eight year old boy, we must strictly adhere to SAG protocols. Meaning, we'll only be able to shoot on weekends since we can't supply the child actor with the nessisities he'll need to miss school. This creates a big problem for me. Is there anything I can do if one day ends up being overcast while the other is bright and sunny? Because our budget doesn't give me the luxury of havivng big lights-I'm going to have to light nearly the whole thing with bounce. I've noticed that even on overcast days-a large mirror can do plenty to increase contrast. Would it be feasible to use mirrors or another highly reflective material to make a overcast day look sunny? Of course, there will be issues with color shift-but I think that will be easier to fix than issues with contrast. I imagine that my burdon could be eased through scheduling. Perhaps shooting most of the wide shots on back to back days then moving in for closer shots later on in the shoot. However, I think that this would be asking too much of the director and actors to split up scenes like that. We do have two interior scenes which we can use as back up locations in case rain sets in. Perhaps those will have to be "cloudy day" locations in general. Also, has anybody had experience with ultra bounce? I've heard it's incredible-but it is very hard to find. By the way, I'm shooting in Savannah, Ga-where late september can still pass for summer. Thank you, Rick Shepardson

Greetings, I"m about to shoot a short film that takes place in a drought. Bound For Glory is one of the films the director and I are looking at to create an asthetic. Does anybody know if there are any books or articles that go in depth about Haskell Wexler's approach to this film? I know there's an issue of American Cinematographer's magazine-however, I don't have the 75 dollars to shell out for it. Thank you, Rick Shepardson

Greetings, I'm going to be dealing with equipment rental and insurance for the first time. The equipment in question is a ziess 11mm-110mm variable lens. I am probably going through Cine Photo Tech in Atlanta, Ga. Of course, the company requires that I have insurance. As I look up different companies and their rates, I'm realizing that there alot of research must be done to find the best insurance program for my needs. What questions should I ask of the company I'm going through and what concerns and problems should I be aware of? This production has a very tight budget-so any money saving tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Rick Shepardson

What are you using to bounce the light? I assume you're probably using bead board or something similar. If you're using a more specular bounce, like silver, then try bead board instead. Also, try bouncing from different angles. I find that bouncing some light from below the subject can soften the face tremendously. As for the camera, what are you shooting on? If it's digital, you could try taking down the detail level of the camera a bit. Or, you could try using a softening filter. I ran into a similar problem a few months ago. A woman had very "detailed" skin. Make up came in to fix the problem. Unfortunately, they were inexperienced and actually made the problem worse by putting on this nasty blush which only made the problem worse! I was able to rectify the situation by taking down the detail a bit helped out alot. Of course, keep in mind how busy your background will be and how this might effect the rest of the image. Also, you might want to try using a softening filter on the lens-a very light pro mist or something. Again, consider how this will effect the rest of the image and if the look will be consistant with the rest of the footage. Good luck and tell us how it turned out.

Thanks, I'll definitly check it out. I'm beggining to learn the basics of digital cinematography; matrix, gamma, roping. The biggest headache for me is working with the post people and finding the best work flow.

I'm looking for a good book for the HDXF900R. I would like to find something that goes over menus and such. All I can find is the 29 page advertisement that Sony considers to be a operations manual. Does anybody have any good leads? thanks Rick SHepardson

That is actually a point of confusion that I'm running into. We will be transfering from film to HD digital without printing to film. Of course, that means that we are going through a DI. In all truth, I feel that since O Brother Where Art Thou, people throw that term around without really knowing what it is. I am not totally sure yet what system they are using and what it's capabilities are. Also, I imagine that much of the cost of color correcting in ala O Brother Where Art Thou comes from spending so much time making very specific adjustments. I'm going to be supervising a transfer for a different film in about a week with the same colorist. I am hoping to utilize this time to become more acquainted with the process before shooting my thesis film. I've supervised telecini transfers before, but not to this capacity. I've tried researching the telecini process, but most of the writings I've found are extremely technical. Honestly, the decision as to whether I'm going to try and create the ashtetic in camera or rely primarily on post depends on money. My sensibility is to shoot straight for information then make stylistic adjustments in post. I really am concerned with the idea of shooting with a filter because there's no going back. Thanks again, Rick Shepardson

Thank you. Actually, I forgot to mention the skin tones. Looking back to the old days of hollywood is exactly what I'm trying to do. Because remedies in post such as the D.I. are not an option, I'm trying to find out how all the Haskell Wexlers and Conrad Halls accomplished their feats. I am lucky in that I will be developing an early relationship with the Colorist I hope to use for this film. Could you give me a hint of what specific questions I should keep ask him and what I should make him aware of before I shoot? Thanks, Rick

I forgot to add this important information: It's actually the big problem with using a filter and I am wondering if anyone could offer suggestions. Part of the film will also require separating people from their enviroment by dressing them in bright primary colors. Of course, these colors will be muted if I use a filter on the lens. I was wondering if it is possible to compensate for this loss through wardrobe. For example, After I do camera tests with the macbeth chart and find out which direction colors shift, is it possible to ask wardrobe to use more extreame colors that will still be vibrant when captured through the chocolate filter? I think this might be a very silly question, but please be kind as I am a begginer. I will be shooting super 16 Kodak vision 2 250D Thanks, Rick Shepardson

I'm considering using the chocolate filter for an upcomming short film. The piece takes place during a drought. However, we'll be shooting in Savannah Georgia during the fall. This time of the year is usually pretty green. I've looked at some photographs of foilage through the filter. Though green is still apparent, it creates a kind of sickly warmth to the image. Have any of you seen the filter used to this capacity? Thanks, Rick

Thanks guys. After doing some research and looking at a few films I'm looking into the chocolate filter. It seems to contaminate the picture with a sickly warmth. The director and I have also disccused using a pro-mist filter or something that would add kind of a haze to the overall picture. The only problem I have with that is haze would indicate heat via humidity rather than dryness. Also, I'm really interested in capturing the asthetic that Greg Toland created for Grapes of Wrath. And in general filters make me kind of nervous though. Thanks again, Rick Shepardson

Hello, First off, this may not belong in the telecini section of the forum. However, I'm faced with an issue that might be solved in the telecini process. Second, I didn't want to put "O Brother Where Art Thou" in the title of my post because I want to keep my options open. This fall I will be shooting a short film about a little boy in the middle of a drought. Unfortunately, I am limited to shooting with in 50 miles of the school I'm attending. So, I have to make the lush foliage of Savannah, Georgia look dead and brown. The first solution that comes to mind is, of course, the process used in O Brother Where Art Thou. The problem is, this is a student film with a limited budget. Plus, I don't want to settle for a process or aesthetic just because it's the first thing that comes to mind. Can anyone suggest a movie, preferably one shot before the DI process, that I might look on which creates a Drought like atmosphere? I'm already looking at Haskell Wexler's Bound For Glory. Just so you know, the film I'm shooting is a comedy. I almost forgot-I will be shooting on super 16. Thanks, Rick Shepardson

Thanks, I actually just read about that but haven't gotten my hands on the camera to do it yet. Of everything I've read-black balance makes the most sense. Especially considering I'm using a school camera that is used extensively by many people. Thanks again -Rick Shepardson

How did you avoid getting noise in the shadow areas? I'm going to be shooting a short film on the HVX which will have some tones just below middle gray. Unfortunately my camera tests revealed this to be the worst area for noise. I've heard this is just an issue that you have to accept on the HVX; that it doesn't handle the shadows really well. People tell me to use more light. It seems to me however that this would just cause me to lose the shadows that I wanted in the first place. By the way, I'll be shooting 720/24P, film cam, cine like V. I've been told that lowering the detail level helps. I tried that and it didn't really seem to make a difference. Thanks, Rick shepardson.

Hello, I'm a student DP seeking advice on an upcoming lighting set up. It's a comedy that takes place in a coffee shop. The director wants a warm "Starbucks" lighting scheme. On a whim, I Googled "Starbucks lighting" and came up with the attached image. I'm considering creating the ambiance by mimicking what the picture shows as much as possible with brighter lights. By this I mean placing some 300 watt tungsten balanced bulbs in homemade fixtures similar to the those pictured. I want to line the inside of the fixtures with 1/4 grid cloth to soften them up a bit. Also, I have plenty of ND gels to cut down any lights that might be in the frame on wide shots. Of course, I will have other units off frame to create desired highlights. What are your opinions on this strategy and does anybody have any hints as to how I could best implement it? Techinical information: HVX 200 with film like gamma. White Balanced with a slightly blue gel in order to get the warmth from the tungsten units.

Yeah, it's an open face 1200 watt HMI. We managed to get a compact instead. Decent light, but not quite as good for ambient. Thanks for the encouragement, rick

Thanks for the reply. I'm basically stuck with daylight. We had ordered tungston instead of daylight. But, I learned a pretty big lesson about trying to get cheap film. I might be able to scrounge up an X-12. This would really help for ambient. Unfortunately, the rest of our units will still be tungston. I guess it's better to learn these lessons as a student than as a professional. -rick

Before I start, I'm a newbie who has stumbled into shark infested waters. Here is the basic techinical information: I'm using kodak 250 Daylight rated film. I'm shooting on super 16mm. These are the lights I have at my disposal. One open face 1k three fresneled 650s four fresneled 150s All of these lights are tungston, and will have to be gelled with CTB-which is unfortunate because of it's 1 1/3 stop loss. Because of a shortage of lights, I am going to try to shoot a master shot using natural light falling in through a window. After the master is completed, I am going to move in for the close ups. -The scene takes place during the day in a large living room. The film is a comedy. The scene revolves around a group of friends giving romantic advice their inexperienced pal. Here is information about the location-sorry if it's too much and tedious. I can post pictures of the location if nessisary. -The room is about 15 feet wide by 12 feet long. There is a large bay window, about 8 feet high by 8 feet long facing the North West. The window has a nice, silk curtain that lets in a decent ammount of light, but softens it considerably. - The walls and cieling are a non specular off white color. -The floor is a highly specular hard wood. -Across the street from the room is a large building that will block the sunlight after about 5pm. -Direct sunlight begins falling in through the window by about 3:30pm -The weather forcast for the proposed day of shooting is partly cloudy. Where I am located, savannah georgia, partly cloudy often tends to mean a light even haze over the sky. I am going to try to shoot the master as quick as possible to keep uniform light. In order to fill in dark patches in the room, I have a couple of actual mirrors. I want to use at least one mirror for each actor. Because we have so many small lights, I am going to try and create one big "soft light" by putting them behind a large frame of half grid cloth. Before the shoot, I am going to spend a day inside of the room with a light meter to see exactly what I'm up against and when the best time to shoot would be. Here are my big questions: Would it be better to shoot when the sun is on the opposite side of the building? It seems that there would be less direct sunlight to contend with, but this will likely make the bounces less effective. I have the option of shooting on 500 D instead-would this be a better option? Though it would give me more room in the shadows, it seems that the highlights would blow out quickly. I do have nd 3, nd 6, and nd 9 filters at my disposal, but no nd gel for the windows. There is the possibility of having this scene take later in the day. That way, I could gel the windows with half CTO for a more late afternoon look. This would also ease up on how much CTB I have to put on the tungstons. Finally, am I approaching this the right way at all? Thanks for any help you might provide. This has been an uphill shoot-directors who don't like shot lists, producers who don't like to wait on lighting, and companies delivering incorrect film stock.

Thanks. I had allready planned to bounce two 2k tungston units off of the cielings-or maybe off of high show cards for just a bit more control. The subject to camera distance will change. I'm rigging up some china balls as well and perhaps some kino-flos. When I watch shows like "The Office," I'm amazed at how soft wide spread the lighting is.

Ambient light at 40 foot candles T4.0 Key light at 160 foot candles T8 This question will reveal just how much of a beginner I am! I need to light a bookstore. The character will walk around and address the camera, which will also move. This question has to do with movement of characters in and out of light. I have excluded information such as the size and shape of the room to be lit because this is question has more to do with a general concept of lighting. It will begin with the protagonist sitting in a chair at the end of an aisle of books. The camera will dolly down the aisle until capturing him in a medium shot (sitting down, waist up.) After awhile, the camera will follow the character as he walks down the aisle of books. Lighting him as he is sitting down shouldn't be too hard. I want to use a kobald 800 watt to emulate sunlight pouring in through the window and hitting him from the side. I want to use a CTB'd 650 bouncing off a show card for his fill. And, I want to give him an ever so soft rim light. I want a low contrast two stop difference between his key and fill side. The problem of course, is when he gets up and starts moving around. I just don't see how I can maintain consistent light on him throughout. The fact of the matter is, he's going to get up, leave the patch of key light he's sitting in and start walking through ambient light which will be slightly darker. I mean, people walk in and out of light sources in real life-and we accept it. But, I have a fear that If I do it in this scene, it will disrupt the viewer. What is even worse is that the character will be addressing the camera as he is walking. So, I can't just set up practicals for him to walk in and out of. How can I possibly light a room so evenly that the character constantly maintains the same lighting ratio? This is a problem that is only furthered by a lot of cinematography books I've read. Even "Reflections" shows a lighting set up for a stagnant frame: people standing in one place. This really is one of the big mysteries for me. By the way, I will be shooting on vision2 500T. The film is a comedy and the mood of the scene is jovial. Thanks for any help you might provide.

Thank you very much. -Rick Shepardson

Hello, I'm going to shoot an interior lit primarily by artificial sunlight falling in through the large windows. The sunlight will be replicated by HMIs. Inisde, tungston units will be used for fill and accents. The question I have is whether I should shoot on daylight rated film and gel the tungsten units or shoot on tungsten film and gel the windows. The sunlight should be bright, perhaps slightly blowing out the window. Because of my limited ammount of lights, this comes down to an issue of give and take. HMIs are the only lights I have available that are powerful enough to replicate sunlight. By gelling those, I'll be taking them down about 2/3 of a stop. If I shoot on daylight balanced film, I'll have to gel all the tungsten units which will bring them down by about 1 and 1/3 stop. What other factors should I consider? What do you think would be the best color balance to shoot on? Feel free to ask for more information if what I provided isn't appropriate. Thank you, Rick Shepardson

It may be that the transfer house you are going to only uses something like a one k transfer. I say this only because I've had a similar experience. I shot 16mm 500t and transfered it using the one k process we have where I go to school. It ended up looking very grainy and flat like video. However, I have heard of students getting a two k transfer with the same stock and getting much more satisfying results. I hope this helps -Rick Shepardson