John Dekker

Also check the voltage on the bulb. Many standard household and worklight bulbs are actually 130v. It makes them last longer when they are only being fed with 110v. it also makes them warmer in colour.

Also check the voltage on the bulb. Many standard household and worklight bulbs are actually 130v. It makes them last longer when they are only being fed with 110v. it also makes them warmer in colour.

I'm sorry I haven't got back to this but it's been a brutal 2 weeks. Suffice to say that I'll have a few stories to tell by Dec. 17. It's difficult because I can't back up the stories with photos which, I think, would make it more interesting for you up and comers. Anyways, I haven't abandoned this. I just wanna do it justice. JD

I thought I might give this a try. A weekly, possibly, maybe daily, occasional report from the set of "Frankie and Alice" . A feature film starring Halle Berry and directed by Geoffrey Sax with cinematographer Tom Sigel. It will be from a gaffer's point of view, however. If you are interested let me know and I'll see what I can divulge(did I spell that right?). Suffice to say this is not a big budget film. Far from it. and the mountains are bursting out of the ground hourly. I have to say that in my 20+ years in the business, this is definitely one of the most challenging projects I've ever worked on. I must say that the crew is pure pro. Everyone here is commited to doing the best job they can. However we are all used to looser reins and to try to maintain our level of craft while under these constraints is definitly a test of tact, expertise and determination. I must sleep now. More soon (hopefully) JD

Hi Michele How about a tiny bit more info about your shoot. Are you inside or outside? JD

That's cool Sing. I've taken black wrap on a standard frame and cut a small butterfly or "vogue" as they used to call it. It's a great effect. I've also used a black silk in front of a pepper to give a slight fill with a specular dot in the eyes. I've used a "razor light" which is a flourescent (usually 2' kino) in 2 adjustable pvc tubes. A 1k zip with a McFrancis (still don't know the origin of that one). An actual obie light. a flashlight bounced into a bedsheet. A "kamio" kino ring light that fits to the lens. A china ball next to the lens. A light bulb. A 24 lite dino bounced off an unbleached muslin back through an unbleached muslin. A piece of showcard. A paper towel with a couple of cigarette burns....I love our job. I have a copy of the 1935 ASC book and they have all sorts of stuff like this. It's amazing how little has changed over the years and yet so much. JD

I accidentally replied twice and I can't seem to delete this 2nd one. :huh:

I worked on "Jennifer 8". I was the lighting best boy on the film. When Randy Woodside, the gaffer, sent up his lighting package list it had everything from the smallest peanut bulb to Raybeams. I mentioned how this one of the largest and most varied packages I'd worked with and he replied, "Conrad likes to paint with a broad pallette." It was true. He would use everything we had and more. He was quite adept at utilising stuuf he found around the set. I guess the answer to your question is, with him it could have been anything. I don't think he had a set way of doing things. Probably not a alot of help but I got to tell a Conrad story. :-)

Anything I worked on. :rolleyes: I'm kidding, anything I want to watch again. It can never be just about cinematography. It has to be a combination of performance, direction, script, design, etc. It's about the feel of a film. Good cinematography brings together the technical and the artistic nature of a film. The ying and yang, if you will. A good DP will be able to draw the technicians into the artistic process and the artists into the technical process, successfully.

Wow, my first post. I believe that "miss francis" may be a misprint. I believe it's a "mcfrancis" and it's a snoot that you put on the front of a 1k or 2k zip. Usually about 12 to 18 inches long. Sometimes they have a slot part way to add a second diffusion. It was an early attempt at directing diffused light. Some people still use them. I prefer to double up on the crate.