Nathan Blair

If you're interested in Cinematography for Film, I suggest checking out the book "New Cinematographers" by Alex Ballinger: http://www.amazon.com/New-Cinematographers-Alex-Ballinger/dp/1856693341 It's essentially a chance to peak into the minds of all the modern Cinematographers today, and how they conceptualize/work on set.

Manfrotto is a great place to start! They offer some good prices on quality equipment. When I graduated from my tiny cheap plastic tripod, I was like you: I didn't have the finances to invest in something that was the "crem de la crem" as they say. I purchased the David & Sanford ProVista Airlift tripod with an FM18 Fluid Head. There's a kit at B&H that even comes with dolly wheels for $219! This is the best deal I've found for low price semi-professional tripods. It really got me far in my career and it's never let me down thus far. The only downside is that the materials they make these with are not durable at all. My tripod is now falling apart after 3 years of use, but having expected that, I've saved up over time to replace it with a more durable model. If you're looking for something very professional and that will last more than five years out in the field, you should be ready to spend anywhere from $1500 to $2500. If you feel that you're ready for those prices, check out Sachtler brands, or some of the higher end Manfrotto's. When selecting tripods, be sure to really think about what you need when you're shooting. Know your camera weight, and be sure the sticks and head meet the proper load capacity. If you think you're going to be shooting outdoors or in rough terrain, get a mid-level spreader, not a floor spreader! If you will be carrying it around, consider lighter weight models... there are tons of options out there that can fit your specific needs.

I went to Savannah College of Art and Design, and I had an excellent experience there. (www.scad.edu) They are not only a film school, but offer you the chance to learn about art that you may have never thought about before. I think what's most important is that you choose a place that will inspire you. No particular degree matters in this industry, as long as you're a hustler, and passionate about filmmaking.

I agree with Brian in that you need a crew and cast that's committed. You are approaching this very modestly, and while it's considerate of you, remember that you are in charge. If they don't feel any authority, they may not feel confident that anything will get done. Stretching the film out over such a vast timeframe will, no doubt, be difficult for anyone to commit to. It's also easier for people to know they can complete a project in a couple weeks, rather than several months. A director recently approached me with a solid approach to scheduling a low-budget feature. He allowed me the flexibility of what month is best, but stood by his decision that it would be shot in one, 3-week block. This way everyone has marked that month as booked, and the decision is made. Simple is better.

Unless I'm misinterpreting you, I believe what you're experiencing is multiple reflections of your light source on each pane of glass in front of your lens. I have had issues before with filters causing multiple reflections, instead of a single lens flare. Unfortunately, I don't believe there's any way around this except taking filters off when you intend to flare the lens, and shading the lens of all light sources when not intending to flare the lens. Any filter or glass in front of your lens will cause issues, unfortunately. One work-around could be using filters that can be placed behind the lens. Some lenses allow for this. Also I believe this issue is less apparent when you're using a more telephoto focal length. Also, be warned that if you are using the image stabilizer function on any of your lenses, these flares will bounce around like crazy, and it looks terrible! The stabilizer locks down your image well, but the flares shake with any slight hand movement or vibration.

Incident meters are definitely more useful in most situations. Spot meters can be kinda pricy. I've gotten by for years with an old-school Sekonic Studio III analog light meter. If you know you're getting paid for a gig, invest in the meter with credit and pay it off when ready. In a round about way, the producer is buying it for you ;)

I haven't tried the GT35PRO but I can say that the Letus is my adapter of choice. Whatever you get, NEVER get static type adapters (the kind with ground glass that doesn't move). The grain is very visible in these, and since it's not moving... it looks like dirt on your lens.

I highly recommend learning from others, as well as shooting your own stuff. If you can manage to intern with a DP, or work as a PA a few times, it will really pay off. You might find yourself pretty low on cash for a while, and you might have to do some nasty jobs, and you might even have to put up with nasty people. The keys to success are to hustle, make friends, and take notes. Good luck!

Excellent point. Thanks Chris.

Thanks Tom and Satsuki. Its good to at least know I'm on the right track. I'll keep pushing! I've been considering a job at a rental house, but my worry is that it will take too much time from my career on set.

Hello all, I'm just curious what paths Camera Assistants have taken to get to the positions they're in now? Here's my story: I'm one among thousands of film school kids, trying to figure out what the heck to do with this seemingly worthless diploma. I graduated Savannah College of Art & Design in 2008. Since graduating, I moved directly to NYC and spent every day for four months responding to craigslist ads. Since then I've landed fairly steady work as Camera PA with a local DP (Jeff Turick), and have learned a huge wealth of info from him, but all of it is corporate, and I really want to get into film or at least high quality commercials. I've also been PA on several sets including indie features and small commercials. I've shot with my own gear, and I've even done assistant editor jobs just to survive expensive NY rent. After a year and a half of this I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever progress, and how the heck I'll ever afford things like health insurance! I just don't know what to do to get onto a real set. They never taught us these things in film school... like how to file freelance taxes or how to get into the union. What's worse is seeing other guys who, instead of going to film school, just went in straight from high school and are now unionized and rolling in the dough. I've been told to try and find an AC that will bring me on as a Camera PA, or intern. Sure, that makes sense... but where do I find this AC who will conveniently invite me onto set with them? If they're a stranger, how will they know I'm any good? It seems like they're more likely to write me off as some anxious NYU kid and ignore me. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your stories! Best, Nate

Hey there, Any feedback would be very much appreciated. Thanks! http://vimeo.com/4005770

Nice work!! I like how your title looks similar to a business card. Although why did you choose to open it with those shots? You have much stronger shots within the reel that would impress better. I feel like your best shots are toward the end and my least favorite of your shots is the round table.

I've been looking for this too! Thanks John, Nate

I agree. Do a few tests with your camera and with your post production to get the look you want. It's always better going in knowing what you're doing. Personally, I'd usually go with setting things up on camera, so that post production is much simpler, and if you've already tested it, you won't be sorry about it later. And yes, I think that looks like a Tobacco filter. Good luck, Nate

From what I've been told, HMI lights require a very steady frequency of electricity running to them, and normal generators create a frequency that sometimes varies because of the way they run. If you're using a ballast with your HMI, a bad frequency could eventually damage your equipment. There are special generators for these jobs which are known as "Crystal Sync" generators. They will give that steady output of electricity and you wont have flicker problems. The cheapest model crystal sync generator I've found, which most rental houses own, is the Honda 6500W. Usually it runs at around $125 a day. Good luck, Nate

Thanks for the tips. I'm actually shooting on super 16mm film, not video, although I will be transferring it to video if that's what you mean. I'd prefer to achieve the effect without using too many plug-ins in post. I'd like to shoot it right, knowing what I'm doing. This is actually a test for a larger film, and that's the whole reason I'm doing this. Just as an update, I recently heard about a trick that's commonly used where a red filter is used to negate any blue in the frame. Then, once we transfer the film and color correction is done, the blue sky will appear muted. I plan on testing this. If anyone has any other suggestions, throw them at me, I'll test them too. Thanks Nate

Hello, I'm new to this forum, and I must say I'm happy I found it! Anyway, I'm about to do a couple tests in a bamboo forest with super 16mm 7205 stock. We're testing day for night exposure, to determine if it looks better to expose the entire forest background instead of trying to light the trees while we're bombarded by moths and bats. I know the basic rules that apply to day for night, since I've shot it before (-2 stops for highlights, soften the sunlight, and use a backlight for the moon with blue filters on the camera) The one thing I'm trying to determine, is if there's a trick to allowing the sky in the shot? I've been thinking about what it would look like to be in a completely dark forest at night, and I know being raised in the country that the sky does give off some illumination, but just barely enough to make out silhouettes of trees. Do you think simply using blue and ND filters will work to achieve a believable exposure for the sky, or is there another trick I don't know about? I'll post the video when I get it transferred! Thanks, Nate