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Robert Tagliaferri

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    Cinematographer

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  1. Yes I'm debating whether or not to play by the 'rules' or just check them and hope they squeeze by.
  2. Hello, There seems to be alot of confusion about what rules are for transporting Lithium-ion batteries via airplane (even at Transport Canada!). I'm heading off for a documentary next week and after some research and another phone call to Transport Canada, I think I've got it straight. Here are the rules that apply to Lithium-ion (rechargeable lithium) if anyone is interested. NB: Lithium-metal batteries are not rechargeable and have different rules (Max 2g). Canada and the USA: All Lithium-ion batteries: MUST BE CARRIED ON, it is illegal to check these batteries. For smaller batteries with 0-8g ELC (Equivalent Lithium Content) (Approx. 0-100Wh) : You can carry on as many as you like as long as the terminals are taped and they are individually contained to prevent short-circuit. For larger batteries with 8-25g ELC (Approx. 100-300Wh) : You are allowed 1 battery INSTALLED on the camera/device, plus an additional 2 'spare' batteries, individually contained. It is illegal to transport batteries that contain more than 25g of lithium-ion (over 300Wh). To determine the approximate ELC in grams: Divide the Watt-hour rating by 12.33. EG: A Red brick is 140Wh, so the approx. ELC is 11.4g. Having said all that- I have checked larger Li-Ion batteries in the past and haven't been nabbed, so I'm not sure how strictly these rules are applied. It was also suggested to me that carrying-on these batteries could arouse suspicion, especially if the security officer was unfamiliar with the rules and how they apply, so take it with a grain of salt! Links: Canada: http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/commerce...sslugg/menu.htm USA: http://safetravel.dot.gov/larger_batt.html PS: Has anyone here ever had an issue transporting batteries?
  3. - Don't know where you're shooting, but the new split-bridge plate tends to jam up and won't split apart in cold weather. I had to take the camera off the head from the quick-release, set it in my lap, and wiggle the split bridge apart in cold temperatures (~+5-0C). Kind of a PITA... don't know if this is a common problem, or unique to my bridge plate. The mags also get sticky and it's hard to slide them in and out when it's cold. - Keep an eye on the rails on the inside of the body that guide the mag to the gate. They tend to collect small metal filings. Other then that it's a GREAT camera, ridiculously easy to use and load.
  4. Awesome. Can I add one? I heard this tip the other day: If you're working with an op that you haven't worked with before, set the focus a little soft during the rehearsel of an easy shot, and ask the op if it looked sharp to him; if he says "yes", you know you won't be relying on him and you have to be extra cautious.
  5. It's really not that difficult to work with. You can find the manual here: http://www.red.com/support Take some time to go through it at the checkout, the interface is reasonably intuitive and you should be able to figure it out pretty quickly. There are some things they don't tell you... it takes a while to boot up, and it can be buggy. With the new firmware, I've noticed that the thing freezes up while it's 'posting' (adding the metadata etc) the clip after you hit cut. Not sure if there's a workaround for this, but afaik that take is toast and you've got to power down and go again- a real PITA. It's pretty sensitive to heat, so if you're outdoors, make sure to control the temp as best you can, ie, shade, reflective blankets- I've even heard of ppl using icepacks in extreme conditions. Just get ahold of it and mess around- that's the best way to learn. It's no more complicated than any other camera.
  6. "You can't please all the people all the time"... I think the Red is trying to appeal to too broad a market, no camera is going to satisfy the needs of every production, and if it does, it's going to have to make compromises somewhere. I think the modularity of the Red is good in concept, however, rather than having one good, standard handheld config, steadicam config and studio config, you end up fussing around with third party or their own accessories to try to get a working rig in any configuration. I'd rather have a tried and true configuration, then having to deal with something that's trying to do everything and doesn't do one thing well... I think Red needs to define their market, and make a product that suits it. Right now they're making a cheap camera with a decent sensor that can be anything from prosumer to 'pseudo professional', depending on the accessories and lenses you put on it. Prosumers and 'professionals' have different needs though, and the same camera system probably isn't going to satisfy both markets, not without making some serious compromises; how do you keep the price down for prosumers, while maintaining the high level of quality that professionals demand? Good luck. If all that matters is the quality of the image, then the bottom line is that the Red camera is a good value. For $250-$500/day, where else are you going to get a final image like that- not that it's great, but it's better than anything else in it's price range. The image quality you get for the price is very good, but at the cost of several compromises, ie the rolling shutter, buggy software, etc. The other thing to consider is that the idea of the 'digital cinema' camera is really still in it's infancy. Not that this is about drawing comparisons with other formats, but modern 35mm camera systems are the result of over 100 years of R&D. The first 35mm camera probably had alot of issues too; I think the idea of the Red is a step in the right direction, and we're going to see these digital systems get better and better.
  7. Hello all, I came across this link on Digg.com. There's a lot of buzz about this stills camera being used for video, I think this is the first real footage I've seen from it. Pretty challenging lighting situation, and I think it looks 'pretty good' for the most part... but HOLY ROLLING SHUTTER at the end with the strobes! That really kills it for me. What do you guys think? http://www.vimeo.com/3388630 The song is 'Burn' by NIN, really good operator too.
  8. Here's some good tips on how to slate ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVHg3PxSblI
  9. Hey Ashley! Fancy running into you here! The Red uses a 'windowed' sensor in 2k mode... meaning that it essentially just uses a part of the sensor, which basically equates to 16mm (not sure the EXACT sensor size on this). The field of view is halved and the DoF at lenses with the equivalent FoV is larger. It's the same as the difference between 35mm and 16mm. Just remember that if you're blowing up to theatre-size, your CoCs in 2k are smaller than in 4k mode. Hope you're doing well! Cheers!
  10. Not sure how it is in your area, but here in Toronto both Kodak and Fuji have 'student liasons' that you can talk to and they will generally provide test rolls for this purpose, as long as they're convinced you're not shooting your whole project on test rolls! The policy at Technicolor here (last time I asked as a student) is they will charge you for processing/transfer of tests, but then take that amount off the final total when you process/transfer the rest of the film. Also, if I wanted grain I'd opt for 5218 over 19, or even look into some of the Fuji stocks... I've never really shot them but I here they are grainier. In the current issue of AC magazine, Harris Savides talks about how he was frustrated he couldn't get any grain out of the current 35mm stocks for "Milk". The new stocks from kodak are very clean.
  11. I've never heard the 'Scorpio' mentioned before. I've used the Bartech and the Preston quite a bit. I would agree that the Bartech is very unreliable and cumbersome to work with. The Preston, however, is fantastic. It's always worked flawlessly for me and it self-calibrates for each lens. There's a slight price difference though: the Bartechs go for around $5000 and the Prestons are $20,000+. For the price, the Bartechs are decent enough, but they are a pretty big compromise. Question: Do alot of you guys own your own wireless follow focus devices? In my experience, every steadicam guy (even the guys just starting out) always have their own WFF. I suppose renting them to productions is a good way to earn a little extra cash too though.
  12. Were you by chance using the Red branded lenses? The focus scale on that lens is VERY compressed... a minute adjustment on the knob translates to a dramatic shift in the lens' focus. It's built like a photo lens IMO
  13. I think the broken glass idea might work perfectly, I'm going to test that. I wonder if Whites has any broken mirror boards they'd donate :P On a side note- I just found out that Gordon Pinsent is going to be starring in the film :o
  14. Hello, I am shooting a Ryerson University thesis film in January. They've got a little more money than the average student film, and the director has very specific tastes about how it should look. I am having trouble figuring out how to achieve a certain effect that the director is looking for, and I'm not sure where to start. He basically wants to re-create the pattern of light you get when light shines through a chandelier or crystal; varying spots and lines of hard intense light. I could just shine light through a chandelier but I'm afraid I won't have enough control. The scene is a ballerina dance in a large room with 3 windows. I'm thinking 4ks outside the windows, 2x 1.2ks though a 12by grid cloth and a flathead80 as fill. Anyway, he wants the sunlight to have that crystal pattern on the floor. Any ideas on what I could hang in front of the light? I don't know much about theatre lighting but I bet there is something that is used for this effect. One idea was to use a tray of water with broken mirrors in it, shining a light into the tray, and using mirror boards to direct the light through the window. However, this is sort of unwieldy and I'm not sure it would work. Any ideas??
  15. Hello, I'm ACing a PSA next weekend shooting on the Red. This is my 3rd project with the camera so I know it pretty well, though I haven't done much high speed shooting with it and the DP and I have some questions. In terms of quality, is it better to go with REDCODE36 @3k 2:1 in order to get 50fps, or bump the quality down to REDCODE28 and shoot a higher resolution? Basically, what's the better tradeoff, resolution or quality? The PSA will end up on TV eventually, and we are using RED 4k lenses (grumble grumble). Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
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