Paul Marschall

When transfering film to HD D5 why would you choose one format over the other?

I've talked to two post houses about this and here's what they had to say: 1) You cannot use your SD edl unless you cut on an Avid. A program exists that can read the keycode and and re-assemble your new transfer. This however cannot be done with FCP. 2) A second alternative is to up-rez your SD dailies to HD and then re-transfer your HD session on top of this. Although in theory this would work, no one was crazy about doing it. They seemed to think the time spent fixing single (or multiple) frame errors in an online edit would offset any potential savings. Basically the safest way to do it is telecine to HD with a Beta or DVcam simul/dub, selects if you like, and then re-edit it. Take this new edl and do an online edit and CC. It doesn't sound like this would save more time or money than simply transferring to HD from the beginning.

Rotoscoping each frame sounds a bit excessive. If they were already green, and the only green in the frame, wouldn't a secondary color correction have been enough?

He should be able to use the SD edl to online his HD selects, right? You should be able to lay down the same time code for the HD transfer as the SD tranfser by starting it at the same punch hole of the role? Or is this not possible and a whole new HD edl is needed?

Yes, I understand not to trust a home television, but the difference is so grossly different than anything I've seen before I think it is more than just that.

I recently telecined some anamorphic 35mm footage (800T) to digibeta and DVcam and had it looking good in the telecine suite, but when the director took it home and watched the DVcam on a regular tv the image looked aweful. The blacks were no longer black, but a milky, grainy and blue mess. He proceded to do the offline edit anyway and then did an online with the digibeta dailies followed by a color correction session. This result looked great. But then, again, the DVcam dubs were made and look aweful. I've done projects this way many times and never had this problem. The project itself is pretty dark, grainy, and there are underexposed scenes (purposely) but I don't know how to account for the huge discrepancy between the look in the online suite and a regular tv. Thoughts?

It was "factory sealed" from a short end place. I'm still looking in to it, but I'm pretty sure each can was from a different purchase which leads me to believe it happened after we bought it. Not sure when, how, or where that might have happened.

So I just got out of a telecine session and had a problem with the last 2 of my 17 rolls of film (35mm 5289). Basically it is a pulsing in the shadow area of of the image. The pulse consists of an exposure/grain increase and shift towards blue in color and then back to normal density. It is more predominant on the left side of the frame but reaches all the way to the right. The effect decreases the further in to the roll you go. It does not look like a light leak or flash to me. I'm speculating some kind of heat/radiaton exposure (the high speed stock would be more vulnerable to this, right?) or maybe some kind of lab mistake. The pulsing probably means one side of the roll of film was more exposed than the other and the heavier effect on the left side of the frame probably means the exposure came from above or below. ? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

All very good things for this project....

I remember seeing portable (meaning they had ballasts to allow 120v power) sodium and mercury vapor lights on set one time and am now trying to track some down to rent for a shoot. I want to use them both as practical sources and to light with. Does anyone know where I can rent some in LA and what wattages they might be available in? I've called several grip and lighting rental houses and no place seems to have them. Thanks.

Anyone know of places to rent video projectors in LA? I couldn't find anything in the LA411. Looking for an LCD projector with ~5200 lumens, 1024x768 res, and not too bulky.

I'll be shooting an HD project for one day that wants to (in addition to taping) provide a live feed from LA to London. Having never done this before I was hoping someone could help me with what is needed to accomplish this. It's just a single camera shoot without, I believe, any graphics or other additions. Someone had mentioned getting a "beamer." Is that along the right track? Thanks.

Congratulations David! It's been great watching your progress over the years. I look forward to seeing your work in the future. Paul

Maybe you have a few extra thousand dollars you could give him/her? Sometimes shooting 35mm just isn't an option. Besides, we don't know anything about your production so it's hard to help you out. Feature? Short? What's the budget?...

And then they still deny it: "oh, well we'll rehearse a lot... I can do them in one take... the actors are very good, they don't need lots of takes..." Some people are just stubborn and need to learn for them selves. I shot a short (live action) for an animator once and he thought his 3:1 was opulant! At that point you're essentially cutting in camera.

My mistake, I was referring to the VNF stocks.

I'm trying to put a list together of films shot in the last ten years or so that were set in the 70's, such as Blow, Buffalo '66, Virgin Suicides... Any others?

Kodak actually did a test run of this very quietly last year and distributed it to DPs through Bono Labs. I shot some and it did make for a pretty wild look, but I found it of limited use. Funny this should come up. I was just at Kodak this morning looking at some demos of the '85 reversal stock and was told that it will soon (within the next couple months) be available in 16mm. According to Kodak, most of this stock's use is for music videos, so they must see a demand worthy enough to supply it in 16/S16. As for S16 reversal I've been considering the same thing for a while in regards to a trailer I'll be shooting soon. Ultimately what I would like to do is shoot some footage on both reversal and negative and see how close I can get the negative to match the reversal in a telecine bay. If I can get it to a point where I am happy with it I would push for a 35mm DI on the feature (if that ever happens!). As for the trailer we will most likely be shooting S16 and may choose reversal simply to embrace the gritty, pushing-the-envelop spirit of the project. The price is virtually the same for negative/reversal in S16 anyway. Reversal stock is cheaper than negative, but the processing is more expensive.

I think these are excellent lighting units. When placed in Source 4 housings they can be very powerful lights for the wattage. They are especially great for location work because of their compact size. You can use chimeras with them, you can put them in china balls, and they're great for process trailer work... A favorite use for them of mine is to put them in a 26 degree source 4 and bounce it in to some show card in a tough to reach spot-- often easier and faster than rigging a light. I've considered buying these... but I'm broke.

To purchase and process 100,000' of 35mm is ~$75,000 (kodak catalogue prices) and for 40,000' (equivolent running time) of S16 is ~$20,000.

Thanks, John. I was expecting a list of labs, but it actually lists what machines they have available. Great resourse-- thanks!

Thanks, John. I was expecting a list of labs, but it actually lists what machines they have available. Great resourse-- thanks!

Can anyone recommend some post places in LA to do a S16 transfer on a Spirit? Thanks, Paul

Yes they do, but not in increments less than one. I believe they are both available 1-5. Paul

I can't say that I agree, but I'll get used to it. I've loved this forum since '98 and have learned a tremendous amount from everyone here. Paul