Robert Costello

Depending on what kind of shoots you're doing, knowing how to wrap cable is essential. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74OEVUOKOw Also having a good knife or multi-tool might be handy. Also having a basic health kit for yourself (asprine, vitamins, pepto, etc) might help you get through long days. If possible ask the production director what gear will be used in the production (cameras, tripods, audio, etc). Most of the time the manuals are available online. Sometimes basic gear can be more complicated as it seems. Always use every shoot as a learning experience and ask as many questions as you can, but pay it forward and help the new kid when they come along.

I believe the SBM and EBM are easier to convert to S16 because fixed position of the bayonet mount, whereas the 3 lens turret on older H16s makes alignment a little more challenging.

Hello, With a lot of digital work that I have been doing I find myself re-framing for better cuts as well as zooming and panning in post. I like the effects and I am not too concerned about loss of quality with scaling... My question is, is there a technique or precedent to do this when optically printing motion picture film? ie, zooming or panning or reframing the moving-image somewhat like a Rostrum camera might do with stills? I can't seem to find any info with the available keywords or books I have... If so, are there any notable films that do that ? I am looking to study other uses of the technique that predate the ability to do it digitally. Thanks!

when you say "non experienced actors" do you mean they have done little work before or they are not actors? i usually give the release forms out after the actors or models or performers have had their work captured-- I also have my release forms worded so that it gives me the right to use everything shot on certain dates rather than for a film or project title--For me, this works better because I often change the title of whatever I might be doing-----just google 'release form' and you should find a multitude online. They are all pretty much the same so pick the one that makes the most sense to you and gives you complete ownership--- I also pretty much find everyone online and if you are doing something serious with a crew and other tech people it might be a good idea to meet them first and make sure they are not going to flake out (very common) --there are even contracts to this extent, but if they are volunteering it is harder to force someone or demand recuperative money if they don't show up....if your project is larger scale (some crew other than you) it might be a better bet to explain to them that they are playing an integral role and their cooperation is essential... What ultimately motivates people is gain. Be it monetary or artistic enrichment or a fun atmosphere- Money is a wonderful incentive. A lot of actors do work for free, if you can find a way to pay someone even a small amount hourly or as a flat fee, more as a gratuity than as a wage (so as not to be insulting), you will much more likely find the actors there and on time and ready to go. But if it is people you know or who like the project they might do it without pay, their gain being part of the work. Historically different directors approach lines and things differently- You can always have readings and rehearsals if you like--Some people like to have as few rehearsals as possible to keep them fresh...Scheduling a meeting with everyone might be a good way to see who is full on board-- As a person who uses non-actors regularly and preferably, it can be a bit of a challenge, especially if they look and feel perfect but feel like they don't know what they are doing, or have never been in a film or in front of a camera before, or think they're doing something wrong-- reassurance and patience making them feel comfortable seem to have worked best for me-- most of my thoughts are for dealing with 'non-actors' as opposed to 'non experienced actors'---and all things are subject to change based on the film you are trying to make--

I had a somewhat similar issue in that in something I shot there was a fly on the actresses's hair and for some reason it bothered me-- What I did was to take the clip, which was only about 30 seconds, and export the entire thing as a full res image sequence--I brought all frames into photoshop and used the clone stamp to remove it on each frame, saved it and replaced the footage--- It took a while even though the action was pretty static and there was no dialog so I didn't care so much about syncing--Depending on your exhibition format and the complexity of the shot and seriousness of the defect you can do it yourself, but it will take time and resources---If you are showing the film digitally then this might be the best option --might be cheaper to hire a few photoshop people in need of a gig---

Dont let anyone dissuade you. I became intrigued by a similar idea a few years ago. Without money for motion picture film, all I had available was a Canon SD780.

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=39616 "Researching the famous Patterson bigfoot film"

I would perhaps show a film like Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) by Maya Deren- She wrote a few great articles, "Adventures in Creative Film-making", "Planning By Eye", and "Creative Cutting" that the students might benefit from- Also The Lumière Brothers' First Films(1996). The narration by Bertrand Tavernier does a really wonderful job of suggesting how chance and serendipity can alter the narrative within a frame that lasts only 40-60 seconds-

Writer/Director Ozu's movies are very well known and praised for their use of "pillow shots" here is a montage of color http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFdrUpA8W8k and a montage of black and white signage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4h1s8cLcLA there was another great one on youtube of "trains and automobiles" which might still be online-- and a good website with lots of great stills http://www.a2pcinema.com/ozu-san/images/pillowshot.htm apart from inserts, his movies developed a very distinct cinematographic style--- influenced by actual and stylized cultural mores in japan--

http://www.archive.org/details/movies you would have stumbled across this eventually-- more than enough fodder

If there are going to be dramatic expressive alterations to the shot footage- you will likely be using the footage as an environment multiplier in the render,so it might be good to set up the colors in the footage how you like them- then adjust the lights and materials in the 3d program to match the footage-- then after you composite you will probably make more tweaks if needed--- but...it might also be a good idea to keep the rendered animations as color neutral(not a real term) as possible so that they have more flexibility if you are unsatisfied with how you colored the footage--you might be able to stretch your options in post without having to re-render because you made all your lights hot pink and purple for example--- so matching the render to the original uncorrected footage might be better-- keep doing tests of 1 frame for different options/workflows--

"Pacing and timing seem to be the key ingredients. But I just can't seem to put the puzzle together." Some would say the content is another equal ingredient. As far as what form the materials ultimately take- there is no right and wrong, just levels of style, intent (or lack thereof) and craftsmanship (or lack thereof)- Good books specific to the subject: Film Technique and Film Acting by Pudovkin Film Form by Eisenstein and this Cineaste issue is the "editing issue" that includes thoughts and interviews with professional editors for major english language/Hollywood films. They pretty much address all the same fundamental questions but in more modern terms and from the wisdom of experience and professional practice. http://yhst-57895603352311.stores.yahoo.net/volxxxivno21.html

completely understood and appreciated- My linkhttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/12/tree-of-life-terrence-malick-release.html

i think your images are good and often the work is more of a sell than the gpa/sat, etc- those thing often lead to very little in life-- "Art Appreciation, Art History, Literature, and History." etc,etc

Mondo Cane, Africa Addio, and Women of the World always impressed me with content as well as style- everything about them is pretty above and beyond the usual. All by the same basic group of people-- great music too-