kyle ragaller

Yea, i have been in preproduction for a year and have been getting my designs to where the colors will "pop" but I was curious about the actual filming stage; which films have a higher saturation, etc. I was planning on shooting the film on a steady 5.6 for those reasons Andrew Koch mentions. The posts have helped and I invite more people to drop in with their comments and personal experiences. Thanks. /kyle

I was wondering what experience some people have had with getting very vibrant colors in camera and not using post. I am shooting on 16mm and have decided to have a vibrant and colorful look to my film but wasn't sure which stock to try or techniques to achieve this aesthetic. I have heard a few stories about over exposing by as many as 4 stops and having it printed down in the lab, does this work well? I have also been told that Fuji film can get better colors than Kodak. Obviously I will be doing tests but I was curious to hear other peoples stories about their experiences with color exposures before contacting film distributors. thanks. /kyle

Thanks, I was told that the equation was 1/fps x shutter angle/360. Maybe the professor was confused, but this clarification helps. Thanks. I am still wondering if anyone knows what the frame rate of Canon's slow mo is because it might come in handy to know. Thanks.

I have a Canon 1218 Autozoom that has a shutter angle of 165 degrees. Now, I know the simple equation to determine exposure time for any give frame rate but am having trouble getting a workable answer (I get 11/640 or something like that). I recently had a lecture on the subject of exposure time but didn't quite grasp onto the importance of knowing the exposure time. I do understand that depending on the change in frame rate a change also has to be made along your f/stops to keep a steady exposure. Is that all thats needed to know in association to exposure time (if the speed is increased or decreased you have to close down or open up by a stop or two to compensate)? My shutter angle is 165 degrees and I have the settings of 18fps, 24fps, and slow mo (either 45 or 53fps, had conflicting sources on "slow mo" speeds). That reminds me, does anyone know what Canon's slow mo setting is for an old camera like mine? Super8wiki had a number from the manual then another from Canon's Museum.

A much better example of the image I am looking for comes from the opening sequence to PTA's Magnolia. The first tale of coincidence of the three men killing the shop owner. What did PTA use there to create those images? Kyle.

I am preparing to shoot a short using Plus-x reversal B/W stock. I was wondering if anyone has some experience with creating a look (texture, contrast) reminiscent of, say, Linden B. Johnson's farewell speech? The late fifties, early sixties, newsreel look. Do people understand the image I am talking about (not sure if it's explained enough)?

The two replies have been helpful. First post: you are right, I am shooting black and white so the magic hour is pretty much a waste. I am still looking over some films to get a feel for their composition and lighting. For the second post, I would appreciate seeing what turned out of your film. I am confident for the indoor shots, but the outdoor shots are where I am lacking the experience. If underexposure by a tiny bit is considered "safe" for shooting Plus-x reversal than so be it. I would appreciate any other advice that is out there but I am taking what has been said into consideration. Thanks. p.s. I am running a Canon 1218 Autozoom. kyle.

I am working on a school project and we are required to shoot on Super-8. I am working on a script that is gonna be reminiscent of classic noir, shooting on B/W stock. There are a few outdoor scenes involved and my question is related to making the experience as painless as possible. I am familiar with the golden hour (half hour during sunrise, and half hour at sunset--approx.) as being one of the prime times for shooting, but I was wondering if there are techniques and tricks that people have learned that can make shooting during the daytime more pleasurable (especially at times other than the "golden hour"? Would a clear day be preferable to a cloudy (in terms of having to take constant light meter readings)? I have been trying to work around exterior shooting but am in a sort of writing rut and wont be able to work around the exterior shots in time of my deadline. What are some of the techniques and tricks that you have learned through your experience that can be passed on to an aspiring cinematographer. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. Not sure how else to pin down the question so if it is too vague, go ahead and ask some questions for clarity and I'll try and clear it up for you. kyle.

I am shooting for black and white. I am going to school in Souther Illinois and am not sure about rental houses nearby, I can look into it though. I am familiar with that book "Painting with Light" but have not been able to look at it much. I certainly am looking for the sharp shadows and dark blacks, well I will see what I can pull up around town here. Thanks. kyle.

I am shooting my first short, on film, soon. I am using classic Noir as inspiration for the look of my film. I looked through another post that asked about a list of films to watch for ideas, but I was wondering if anyone knows of some literature or "how-to" books that can help with techniques and tricks associated with Noir filming. The light kits that are available to my production course lack some key options (no flood/spot dial, no barn doors, no scrims--they are just a lightbulb in a coned casing). I have a few jimmy-rig ideas to work around these discrepancies but if there are some good texts or online sources on Noir lighting that someone knows about I would love to hear about them. Thanks for the help, kyle.

I am shooting my first piece on Super-8 for my production class this semester. I am planning on shooting black and white in classic Noir fashion, but am not familiar with the image quality associated with Kodak's different raw stocks. I am wondering if I can get an explanation of the image quality the stocks available to me provide. The stocks that are available to me are Kodak Tri-X B/W Reversal and Kodak Plus-X B/W Reversal. Again, I am using classic Noir films as inspiration for the look and feel of my film, and am needing help with understanding what the difference is between Tri-X and Plus-X film stocks. p.s. What is a desirable speed for shooting in the low-key atmosphere associated with these shoots. If it isn't obvious, I am new to film. All my previous work has been done on video or digital. Thanks for the help and I will be active throughout the forums with questions, so I am sure we'll meet again. kyle.