Daniel Porto

Since we have gone off-topic a little bit and have determined that there is no real accurate way to find out the answer to the question I was asking, I will ask the question again based on personal experience. When watching Se7en, did you notice the 2 second flash frame? If so, could you see what it was or did you have to go back and pause to see what the image was? Also, if you did notice it did it happen after the 1st viewing, 2nd viewing etc For those that would like to watch it again... (it happens at 3:06) THANKS IN ADVANCE

Very interesting stuff!!!!

I was told by an advertising consultant once that 'subliminal advertising' was once used at cinemas (obviously other forms also) and that they would flash frames of popcorn and drinks, then show a commercial for the cinemas candy bar, in the hope that they will go and spend some money! It would be interesting to find out what the methods were used to set the law that anything 3 frames or above is not subliminal advertising.

You certainly did! Watched closely at 3:06! (Please do not watch this clip if you haven't seen the movie... it will ruin it!) The editor on the commentary stated that it was a 2-frame cut. He also explains that he believes we can see a 1-frame cut, and that our ability to notice these cuts is determined by a range of factors. This is the sort of answer I was looking for... does that mean that one frame is too fast to be even noticed sub-consciously? Mike Lary makes good points that a range of factors externally and internally (and also how are brain relates to memory) effect our ability to notice sharp cuts like in Se7en. Perhaps I should re-phrase my question. In the style of the cut that I just explained in Se7en, what would be the shortest amount of frames in which a fully concentrated viewer will say... 1. "What was that flash??" i.e. they see a change in image but not sure what they saw (even then will their brain register sub-conciously what the image was?) [this happened to me after my 4th viewing at age 17, then I had rewind and pause to see what the image was]. 2. "I just saw a flash of his wife" i.e. What is the minimum many frames needed for the human brain to recognize the image it just saw. Obviously what I am asking will depend upon viewer to viewer but I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions.

How fast is the human eye? What is the minimum amount of frames needed for us to visibly see something? Does it have something to do with age? When I watched Se7en as a kid I did not notice the 2 frame cut of the wife at the end (even though I had watched it 3 times), however at the age of 17 when I re-watched it, I noticed the cut. Is this simply only because I am consciously looking for things like that in an image (because I have a passion in the production side of film) and thus normal audience members don't notice it consciously but possibly sub-consciously? Possibly because of the intense emotion in the scene I was so into the movie that any cut that was made did not register in my mind, thus I did not notice the cut (even though it cuts from a yellow sort of colored image to one that is quite over exposed and white). Share your thoughts...

I am interested in purchasing this... do you have pictures which you could send?? Please send to danthemanporto@hotmail.com Thanks

Thankyou. You made it clear to me exactly why Khondji combined the methods as he did for Se7en. I have the Soup du Jour article already in my tabs and I will start to read it now!

I have no idea... the general trend is that Directors get lazy and their films show the laziness. But then they feel the need to prove to everyone that they can make a great film once again and work as crazy as they used to. But for some reason I feel different with Fincher

You most certainly did... and went further!! I have another quick question about density. Will a denser image mean that more silver-halide crystals have been exposed to light? If so, would overexposing and creating a denser negative and then printing down in post, be the best option to get as much detail as possible in the blacks and dark areas of an image. (I remember David Fincher talking about density and getting more details in the blacks on the Se7en DVD commentary)

But without the length of that wedding scene (the fact that we have been so calm for the majority of the movie), make the cut to the war-zone and the scenes with russian roulette so much more terrifying. I think the length is... Yes I did think that it was going on a bit too long, but my god was I glad that it played out as long as it did as necessary soon as it got into the war-zone... horrific

Pretty sure that Fight Club was shot on 500T rated at 320T. Karl, when you say that the reduction in granularity (when pulling a stock) is not proportional with just shooting a slower stock, which one in theory and practice would produce the less grain? ...lets just say that they are both at the same ASA.

Just go down to local rental house and ask if you could help out. Thats what I did at the Panavision where I live and it has been the best thing I have done so far. Not only have I learnt how to load all 35mm magazines, load and clean the gate, set up and prep nearly all Arri Cameras, but I have also meet a lot of people in the industry. (I was even taught by the one of the operators from the new Wolverine movie, Tov Beling!) Sure sometimes I will be cleaning filters and lenses but I consider that the tuition fees for a course that is better then any film school.

Thanks!

Your exactly right! I bought a Konvas 35mm last year and just by shooting on it I have learnt so much. Now I'm gonna save up some more money and start over again and testing to find the answers to the questions I just asked.

Thanks for your help guys. How much different would the look be if I underexposed on the negative and then pushed the film as opposed to underexposing the film and then doing a timed print? And then possibly even doing the same thing in telecine?

When attaching gels make sure that you let the hot air escape through the top. So attach your gels to the side barn-doors and not the top and bottom so that the hot air can escape and it will stop your gels from melting 99% of the time

This has happened to me on a lot of shoots. I am crewed as lighting but then I end up doing more of the work then the 'DOP.' And who do you think gets the credit at the end? I just wanna slap them and then steal the camera and lights and say LET ME HAVE FULL CONTROL... it will be better lol

Awesome movie aswell.... made me cry

What is the reason for doing a timed print which corrects each misexposed back to normal? Is it purely just to see what look is 'better' in terms of wether you will push/pull the film or not? I've really enjoyed this thread so far!

You know its funny because at this point in my life, the only thing I seem to care about is film and improving my skills for it. But at the same time I consider life itself teaching/helping with my understanding of film. I go out with friends to study character and the subtleties of peoples actions, take notice of the 'natural' lighting around me, look around for some good compoistions, look at the designs of some fancy places and even go to the gym for the sake of becoming an operator. Living life and learning my future trade at the same time! Can it get any better? Slightly off-topic but oh well. DANIEL PORTO

I got mixed up with my wording but you answered my question Alfeo! THANKS!

THANKS!

What do you mean by 'bokeh' Max? Thanks

Ok. Lets just say that I over-exposed the film by 2 stops, should I then tell the lab that I over-exposed by 1 and 3/4 stops to account for what David was saying about the variance and just to be safe. (So basically if I didn't want to get the right exposure by using a grey card) THANKS AGAIN

It depends on how well maintained the lenses are. Some my lenses (although the markings arn't right on the lens!) run very smoothly while others are much harder to pull and make it hard to make a smooth focus change. But it's nothing some good lubrication can't fix! (Get a professional to do it) James that anamorphic picture is coming soon...