jeff striker

any guess on the type of cameras/stocks used to shoot the "unsolved mysteries" series? maybe the look doesn't just come from the camera, but the tone is very 80's tv.

here are a few that i'm curious about:

birth (harris savides)

days of heaven (almendros)

i stand alone (dominique colin)

tout va bien (armand marco)

rushmore (robert yeoman)

i appreciate any help.

I've been trying to find information about the film stocks used in a handful of films, as I'm currently trying to pick out a stock for an upcoming shoot. I've seen that info in film magazines for current movies, but other than that, I'm stuck. Can anybody direct me to websites that have info like this?

I have sold my DVX100 and plan to purchase a film camera.

"you're going to end up using film, so you might as well start with it". i've heard that one too many times on this board, so i'm taking your advice!

what do you guys recommend to start with? im not looking for superior image quality, just something to learn with. i don't think i can spend more than 3,000.

also, i suppose i would need to get some sort of sound-synching equipment, so if anyone could provide some tips on that, it would be appreciated.

if you're curious, you should watch the 2nd disc on the amelie dvd. there is an interview/documentary with the cinematographer and he explains all this stuff with lots of detail.

thanks for everyones opinions. your comments have effectively confused me even more about school choices.

as of now, my goal is to take the Dramatic Writing major at SUNY Purchase, along with a handful of film courses. I understand that its up to me if i want to go anywhere in the business, and a masters in film or writing almost always means nothing, but now im unsure of what the benefits even are... I believe that writing can be mastered independently, and technique in cinematography can be mastered through books and hands on experience, which is not exclusive to film schools. I have this notion right now, that the only benefits will be the interaction with other aspiring writers/directors, possibly easier opportunities for internships and what not...i don't know. there just doesn't seem to be many things that i couldn't just go out and get myself.

opinions for the very confused kid?

you gotta be kidding. hes charging people to view the site?

i actually noticed the jerky zoom stuff going on in old truffaut films..also check out The Life Aquatic. that stuff is alllll over the place, but its done tastefully in my opinion. very comical feel

I agree with Teno

Shots don't make the story--characters do...

 

When use properly alot of these shots or effects work

When used improperly then they can become annoying...

 

Eitherways this is the exact reason filmmakers and cinematographers

aren't choosen for market research...

You're average audience loves most of these shots

That's why they keep doing them...to please & appease the common-folk

 

Movies are made by filmmakers but not for filmmakers...

Tis a shame...

but imagine a world were movies were made to please & appease filmmakers

Could be a scary episode of the Twilight Zone  :o

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this quote by terry gilliam seemed somewhat relevant

"People in Hollywood are not showmen, they're maintenance men, pandering to what they think their audiences want."

Well for Rome, there's Felini's Roma. I especially loved the impressionistic highway sequence.

 

Speaking of Italy, Stealing Beauty comes to mind as giving a great sense of place and lifestyle for Tuscany.

 

Seven creates a very strong sense of a disgusting, decaying urban environment that factors largely into the story. Although filmed in Los Angeles, it's supposed to be a generic and fictional yet stylized American city.

 

I was just having this discussion the other day in fact, and noted that Michael Mann has always been adept at tying the city into the story, especially visually. Collateral and TV's Robbery Homicide Division captured a lot of ambient nighttime vistas with HD, before that it was Heat and TV's Miami Vice. In the case of Miami Vice, it was again a stylized and abstracted view of Miami that didn't quite actually exist, yet pulled from real elements to create a kind of color-noir view of Miami.

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that reminds me of wes anderson's portrayal of new york in the royal tenenbaums. its an abstracted view of NY using places and things that don't exist (375th street Y and the Gypsy Cabs chain), yet avoiding any noticeable landmarks. its a very charming look at the city. it reminds me of how i envisioned new york as a kid before i had been there.

anyways

los angeles/hollywood: Robert Altman's "Short Cuts", tim burton's "Ed Wood"

france: any of the Antoine Doinel films by Truffaut, Amelie (jeunet)

new york: eyes wide shut (kubrick), the royal tenenbaums,

washington dc: being there (ashby)

have any screenwriters here found reading movie scripts to be helpful? i've been reading the scripts for some of my favorite movies, and i've found it to be entertaining, but im not sure yet if it will have any use in my writing.

when this is discussed i always think of dali's work on spellbound and bunuel films

his movies are of a rare breed and hes really the only one doing stuff like that, so it doesn't get old for me. waiting for guffman is by far my favorite

i personally love kubrick and he has influenced me very much in my aspirations to become a filmmaker. if you don't appreciate him now, perhaps you never will..but theres also a chance you will learn to appreciate him over time. hopefully the latter

what do you guys think of his work as a director?

i don't wanna sound cliche, but i really don't think there is such thing as a terrible movie. sure, by technical standards, the "films" aren't up to par..but isn't it art after all? im sure there are people out there that will find these movies to be inspiring and what not.

FYI, here is the trailer for the last film I made.  Shot on 35mm by me as well.

 

This is just a little teaser trailer, I don't have enough web space for the entire film, but it gives you an idea.  It has screened at several film festivals in large US cities and been a finalist or finished in first place in all of them.

 

Deathdealer.com Trailer

 

DC

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haha when i saw that e.c.u of the old man in your trailor, i thought it was brian cox for a second.

touch of evil opening shot.

for modern cinematography my vote would go to the skipping stones scene in Amelie. its just absolutely breathtaking

im not sure what to say about these

Yes I agree with Alvin, Alienware design their computers to look good. And thats where a lot of the money goes. And from looking at many of these novelty cases, they don't even seem that sturdy or solid. My computer case is pretty much the most boring one out there, but it's solid like a brick and apparently fits my system perfectly.

 

And $3000 should get you one of the top PC's out on the market (within reason)

 

What type of video are yoiu editing exactly? (i.e. MiniDV, HD e.t.c.)

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i'll be working with miniDV. i've realized that the alienware package is very overpriced, and for the time being i've settled on a system by HP, plus i'm going to add a Matrox software/hardware bundle. but i've got until january to figure it out so hopefully by then i'll have found the right setup

thanks phil. anyone else have anything to contribute?

Hey guys. Next month i'll be purchasing a PC strictly for my video editing. I'll be running Premier Pro on it, btw. I have been looking at a custom Alienware setup but its awfully expensive ($3,000 for just the computer)

one of the bigger expensives in that package is a Matrox Video Editing software bundle that comes with adobe premier pro, encore, and audition. check it out here<br><br>

im just starting to learn about all this equipment so im not sure if thats too much or not enough. any recommendations for good sites to buy custom computers, or do i even need something custom?

i would like to spend no more than $2500 for the computer and premier setup. is this realistic? any help would be greatly appreciated.

where can i find a matte box that fits this camera?

has anyone used this model before? i'd like to know what people's opinions are about this camera

alright thanks. thats pretty similar to what i've been doing.