Serge Teulon

Can anyone recommend a 1st AC and Gaffer in NY for commercial at the end of next week.

Please feel free to PM me - sergedop@gmail.com

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers

Serge

Have a watch of his TED talk. For someone i didn't expect to be, he seems pretty down to earth

 

James cameron on TED

 

Regards, James

James,

With all fairness he is speaking to a crowd and with the knowledge that he's going to be viewed widely throughout the world many times.

He has got a reputation for being someone that is extremely tricky to work with. But all those stories could be hyperbole.

We have to judge him on his work and he certainly is good at what he does.

He maybe goes about it in a way that leaves many a crew with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Interesting to hear him talk though.

Also, do people consider the Oscar to be the "highest honor" for cinematography? You'd think it should be the ASC Award...

Its not about the highest honor.

Without wanting to patronise, an award is a symbol of appreciation and congratulatory to one's work. Right?

Its an industry organisation judged by professional members or a panel of judges that say that one's work is of excellence above all others at that event/year.

Mauro Fiore's work on it is VERY GOOD, just like in the other films that he's shot.

But yes the ASC award is regarded as the torch of cinematography as it solely concentrates on cinematography and not marketing etc.....

Ari,

Nobody is having a dig at Mauro Fiore or his work. If anything there is an overall feeling of sorrow as he might just be thinking that this award should've gone somewhere else.

Mauro's work is and has been always of top standard.

The comments are based on the fact that the CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD has been given to a film that comprises 80% of it as animation.

And by giving the award to the film that has 20% of actual filming work in it, what does that say to the other films that are 98% filming work?

What award did the VFX DP get for his 80%?

Zip.

At the end of the day the 20% cinematography work is beautiful and complements the 80% of animation. But it does not, in mine and may others opinion, warrant the cinematography award.

Hey Sander,

That's a lighting plan that can suit a million stories but if we don't know where you're coming from, to reach that point of the story and what it entails, and going to, then how can we give you an opinion?

Have you got any image references that match what you are trying to achieve?

Is it daytime? nightime? are there windows? What ratio of contrast are you looking to achieve? etc etc....

I'm sorry and please don't take it the wrong way but it really is as vague as that.

Cheers

Super-16 -- which with its grain and softness is sort of the "Anti-Digital" format -- is not dead after all....

That's as good as it gets.

Cheers

Hi Cian,

As Chris has said it all about reflections.

You can have a wide soft top light source, bounce your side lights in to material like poly boards and control the shape of your reflection off the poly. Black material is your shaper....if that makes sense.

Daytime outdoor stuff can look cool but means that you have more to control in your environment and that can be a big job.

The other option that you can think of is a blacked out studio environment. Which leaves you to focus on getting the reflections without the need to control lots of different parts of your environment.

The guy's who shoot cars get paid a shite load of money because it is, like make up, a specialised thing. Once you are known as a car dp you will always be pigeon holed as such.

But that's not to say that you can't add it to a show reel to show off your diversity.

Good luck and have fun!

A latin product, far away from the typical VFX blockbuster (and a certain clientele*... ;-) gave the first Oscar award to a feature shot on RED.

 

Congrats boys !

 

* Food for thought...

I haven't seen this film. But if its better than A Prophet, then I definitely want to see it.

Cheers

How do you light CG environments? Have you ever written computer code? No, of course not, now someone does it for you and sells you the end result for $700 :unsure:

 

 

I *liked* "Avatar," but its winning best Cinematography is an affront to my life's work, frankly.

It just means that the Oscar for Cinematography ,from now on, will start to mean f@&k all.

Stumbled across this....

http://onevillage.org/lighting.htm#glowbal1

Cheers

The RED Rocket has leveled the playing field between 2K and 4K. It doesn't know the difference. RED Rocket is now integrated with Scratch, Pablo, Clipster and others...

 

A reputable DI company in LA told me that they now charge (only) 15% more for a 4K finish as compared to 2K. That includes film record, IP, IN, DCDM, DCP and all video deliverables.

 

Seems like an easy choice to me.

 

Jim

That is great to hear Jim, as I always scratch my head to the notion that we, mere mortals, DI at 2k rather than 4k.

Does this not also mean that charges in handling and storage also go up ?

I partly agree with you Jim.

There is a tendency for us to romanticise over film. But then we are artists and film has been our 'love-affair' palette for many many years.

To date I've shot nearly as much with digital, as I've shot with film.

but the one thing that irritates me about digital is that I feel that I need to be a technical engineer/scientist to work it.

I'm really not technically inclined, I'm more creatively based. The noughts and one's and how they work don't really interest me.

What interests me is how the light coupled with the camera move and the action taking place all marry with each other.

Not that if I change a matrix number from -1 to -9 that I'll have more give here and less there.

Even though there are some really beautiful digital images out there, digital hasn't found terra firme. Every day numerous posts surface, in various forums, that consistently highlight new issues which 'has-just-been-found' with latest digital cameras.

When I first started out I was given a great piece of advice.

Learn the technical side of things and make it 2nd nature, and once you do that, then you can concentrate on the artistic side of things.

Unfortunately with digital it just feels, in years to come, that most of us will be concentrating a bigger percentage on the engineering rather than the art. This I believe means that we could become more formatted...which I think our industry is showing signs of already.

When called upon, I'm hoping that your misterium x will bring an end to all the bullshit red posts and just allow us to go out there, shoot beautiful images with no nasty surprises.

I think what Adrian has said is a very good point.

Being paid, no matter how small an amount, means that the production has taken a conscious decision to hire you and that you are of some value, apart from just physically being there and the convenience of saving a £ or a $ or even a €!

On the other side of the coin, when I was starting out my no-pay factor helped me to get involved in some good shoots rather than swimming in the wilderness of "how do I get in?"

Essentially don't let people take the piss out of you and make sure that you zone-in on your patience 'muscle'. Ya gonna need it!

Good luck

Cheers

Definitely get the larger of the paper lanterns, as Adrian has pointed out.

In the UK you can get the bulbs from here

As for controlling them, nothing like some black duvateyn (not sure if spelt right) and/or black wrap.

So where do you get the right Chinese lanterns for film lighting? I know you don't use the paper ones you get at the dollar stores, so what do the professionals use? And what about the bulbs???

 

Thanks!

The paper ones do get used on professional shoots.

It all depends on the budget.

I like to put a photoflood in those.

from another pov this has unleashed Keith's hilarious posts.

Pissing myself laughing mate!!

This reminds me of when I was a child playing football (soccer).

There was always one kid (who the ball belonged to) who didn't like the way the game was panning out. So he would grab his ball and without any reasoning would go home.

Essentially killing the game for others.

I've been keeping an eye out in the last couple of months for most of the Red posts on CML.

As David has pointed out, the new MX MYSTERIUM, or maybe is it HISTERIUM, seems to be a really good piece of work from them.

But to ban someone from speaking their constructive mind on a FORUM just seems like pure BIG BROTHER dictatorship.

More surprisingly also, as they're constantly trying to calm down the flames of disgust about their product and methods, by saying that it is through all types of feedback that they'll improve their product, and ways of marketing.

Hmmmm......

This is one of the best posts I've read for a while

...and I say that with the stiffest upper lip that I can muster

Part of it is the perceived need for a homogenized "one size fits all" product, and almost exactly the same sort of thing happens in Australia.

 

Investors/Producers seem terrified that some beer-belly trailer trash in South Porkbelly Nebraska is not going to comprehend more than 95% of the story line if they don't rigidly adhere to the US "Standard" pseudo-Oz dialect and culture, and that would never do!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Sadly, so facking true!

Grit your teeth, smile and carry on

Why am I not **(obscenity removed)**ing surprised...

 

P

Well, I think its also down to the 'CAN DO' attitude in the US.

Our industry here is too based around being competitive with each other rather than having the right attitude.

What I mean is.

In the UK if someone asks you what you do, you tell them and if they're someway in a position where they could link you with someone that is looking for a guy like you. They're thought pattern is always going to be, that if they link you with that individual, it will essentially mean that there will be less of "the pie' for them to eat.

In that respect the US seem to be far more advanced than us.

The same scenario would yield a different thought over there. One of, "Hey, if I help this guy then in the future something will happen for me off the back of that".

Our sort of general attitude leads big companies like Tesco to not want to do business in the UK because of that mentality. And why would they? I wouldn't, if I was them....too much bullshit

Our behaviour is also down to our industry being so small. Less of a pie in volume to eat

For the benefit of our international readers, Tesco is effectively, what, I dunno... Ralph's? Walgreen's? Only bigger, with massive market penetration in the UK. Almost Wal-Mart, behind whom they are the second (or possibly barely third) largest global retailer.

 

And now this:

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8478414.stm

 

Forgive me for flying the flag, but we need it - unfortunately it remains to be seen whether this British company filming British authors' work will be doing so in the UK, or whether these stories will be, ahem, internationalised for the world market. I doubt there's much chance that direct-to-DVD fodder like this will attract many little gold statues, but it's precisely the sort of bread-and-butter commercially viable work the UK industry needs. They certainly have the clout to pull it off; I wonder...

 

P

You're not wrong Phil.

But unfortunately they're using a US production company.

So apart from being the consumer I can't see that how it will benefit us here. (That is unless they bite the 'worm' and start to invest in UK productions in the future.)

Not only will labs in the UK process it they'll load the stuff as well (as will kodak)

Kodak has always been very helpful with film stock in stills cases.

When I hunted around for a quote the cheapest price I got was £50....i think it was ilab.

Cheers

.....I just marvel at how smooth our work (can be) on screen... versus the often awkward and difficult mechanics we have to deal with, including Talent, to get a single shot... and when it all comes together it is seamless. Magical.

 

We all know how they are made, We make them. But they still have power over us.... to move us.

Hey David,

Indeed!

You're right, that is something to never take for granted.

I reviewed the post and in hindsight I was directing my thoughts towards the comments from the guy in the link you provided.

But hey, that is the kind of response we all work really hard to generate.

Cheers

Nick - Out of interest, were you shooting film or digital?

Guys,

I wasn't pooping your comments. Just adding my thoughts.

David - How do you fare it with McGarvey's one-long-shot in Atonement?

Saul -I completely agree. Carlyle is one of those guys.