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Bob Hayes

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Everything posted by Bob Hayes

  1. The best thing about dating film is when you turn the lights on it flashes.
  2. Dave Eubanks has a great app for you the i phone called pcam. It isn't cheap but it has some great tools.
  3. I’m definitely a Sword and Sorcery fan. It is really a doomed genre however. I think it has the lowest good film to bad film ratio of any genre. Mostly the films are junk but every once in awhile there is a gem. I definitely agree with the films mentioned already. I would add to it “Beowulf” everyone hated it I loved it, and “Army of Darkness”. Even the worst of the films like “The Magic Sword” have really cool moments. You may want check out some of the films by the Russian director Ptushco, Sadko and Ilya Muromets are some trippy sword and sorcery films. They are from the 60’s and really dated and feel very foreign but there is something sort of oddly magical about them. Also check out Fritz Lang’s Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924) an amazing fight with an animatronic dragon is very cool. It is really neat to watch this film and Fairbanks “The Thief of Baghdad” together. They were both cutting edge effects films of 1924. Its odd how in 1924 every wanted to be Iraqi. I’m sure there are some great Chinese and Japanese Sword and Sorcery films but I’ve yet to find them. “Bride with White Hair” and “Chinese Ghost Story” is as close as I have found. “Princess Mononoke” is a pretty good animated adventure as is the 2003 remake of Makai Tensho.
  4. Buy Godman's guide http://www.abelcine.com/store/product.php?...=356&page=1
  5. You mentioned it is a quick scene. You might want to just rent some powerful scuba diving flash lights. They probably burn for 45 minutes and might do the trick with a maximum of safety and a minimum of hassle. The down side is when they run out you are dead in the water.
  6. It’s hard to tell what your budget is. Movie lights are pretty expensive, $20,000 for a 6k HMI, as compared to still lighting. I am starting to see more use of movie lights on higher end still sets. Anything about a 1,200 HMI or a 2k Tungsten light will require a generator and a cable run. For balancing to daylight it is hard to beat Hmi’s. With regards to gelling tungsten the gels cut the light down considerably so you need bigger Tungsten lights for the same effect. In your sample photos 1 and 5 looks like the key is Daylight and the fill is flash so you really only need a fill light here. It looks like they are doing some sort of dodging in post on these photos. On 2, 3, 4, and 6 they are shot on dark days so smaller lights as keys may be effective.
  7. I’m not a big advocate of short films. They tend to be self important and rely too much on the cleaver twist ending rather than plot and character development. Also people get so involved in trying to make their short film great that they take years to make it. I like the rhythm and flow of a 90 minute feature. You might want to think about just working your way inexpensively through your movie. Pick your favorite scenes and shoot them. Look at it like film school. If it doesn’t work re-shoot it or do better on the next scene. Pick the scenes that are important to you. You may find at the end of a year you have a feature.
  8. Video tape back lit rain against a black background and then project it on your actors using a video projector. Add a little smoke and some efan action.
  9. I am thinking of buying and HD camera and I’m not sure which direction to go. I think I have narrowed it down to the Panasonic's HPX 170 or the Sony EX1. It would have a mixed use for me. 40% Extra stunt camera for Genesis, F23, F900, or Varicam projects. Car or crane work. 30% Spec projects for television or films 20% Corporate work 10% Chance I might shoot an Indy feature with it. I do not want to get involved in a more complicated system like the Red because I would just rent if that was the case. What do the usual suspects recommend?
  10. You might consider using reflectors and 4x4 mirrors from the outside to supplement the lighting. In Southern California this time of year you can get some pretty good sunlight. This is a cheap way to supplement a small package. Bag the mirror through a 6x6 for a soft source.
  11. I though “Silent Hill” was a gorgeous and under appreciated horror film. The mix of CGI and dark moody lighting was seamless.
  12. Anyone know how they do the car shots on “Southland”? It looks like they have attached a platform to the side of the car and the operator just stands on it or sits on an apple box. The camera pans so you can see it is shot with out lights or towing.
  13. Great post as always David. Are you using any smaller format cameras on your show like the Sony Ex1 or Ex3 for example? Some shows will use these for car shots or where they can’t get the Genesis to fit.
  14. It sounds like you are on a limited budget. I would still look around for a space that would work for you. It doesn’t have to be underground to work. Just and old storeroom would do.
  15. You’re not getting any posts because you are not clearly describing how you plan to shoot your sequence. For example: “well my set up of it was to do mostly all green screen of the window in the car.” You mention you plan to do a green screen of the window. This may mean the window is part of the green screen or the window is practical and the green screen is placed out side the window. Because green screen is so technical you really have to be exact with your choice of words. Your entire post is equally difficult to understand with incomplete thoughts and descriptions. I think this has led to a lack of response. Film making is really difficult to describe using the written word. You need to take a little more care with regard to what you put in your posts if you want responses. Read them back to yourself. Do you understand what you are saying? I hope you take this input in the spirit it was given. I am a terrible speller and often have a difficult time completing sentences that makes sense. Take heart, film making is a visual medium and the written word is just part of the process. But, it is an important part.
  16. These new cameras are impossible to use. 1. The operator can barely see through them 2. They are enormous requiring mobile platforms designed for loading bombs just to move them 3. They are so unwieldy you need to used a geared mechanism designed for milling or moving anti-aircraft guns just to operate. 4. The three strip system takes forever to load. 5. Cameras were so simple before the arrival of sound and color. 6. As a DP it is impossible to move quickly or find room for the camera on the set. 7. Producers are often requesting the cameras remain stationary to aid in the mikeing of the actors for sound. 8. Hand held shots which used to be a staple of films are impossible with these new cameras. Technicolor Camera on Rope 1948
  17. Sure I can see the logic and if you love film this will be easy. For example memorize your favorite holiday meal. How hard is that? If you love something you can’t get it out of your mind. It may help to break it down into its components. Bruce Block has a great book “The Visual Story” that really deals with the language of film much like you would study music. Here are a few high lights. TONE: Is the film dark or light or parts of it dark and other parts light? Give examples. And why do you think the film makers made these choices. COLOR: What is the color pallet of the picture? Is Browns and grays or pinks and blues? Are the colors bright and colorful or drab and desaturated? Pick some scenes that reflect this. MOVEMENT: What does the camera do that gives the film its visual core? Does it have a hand held documentary feel or are the images more carefully composed. RHYTHM: Is it quick and cutty or do the takes flow slowly and effortlessly? DEPTH: Does the film use long lenses to compress space or wide lenses to exaggerate your characters and their environment. I think if you look at your films and describe the shots that really knock you out using some key elements of the photography you will begin to hear the music.
  18. I use a Canon EOS REBEL XSI, on the set. I use to check exposure, lighting contrast, how different color temperatures will look. I also use it to record complicated set ups and just fun shots on the set. The 3” 230,000 pixel LCD screen is the same screen on the highest cameras and makes it easy to use as a view finder. It has been a great fun tool. It is a cheaper DSLR in the Canon line and is not as flexible with regards to some of the adjustments. The camera is super light, weighing in at 17 OZ, it’s half the weight of the D50. The toughest part of using the camera is the lens is a T3.5. So if I’m, shooting at 400 ASA at 1/50 of a second, at a 1.4 on my motion picture camera I have to do some mental gymnastics to convert the stops to work with lenses that open more then 3.5. It has a chip the size of super 35 so the lenses are really more accurate then DSLRs that have full 35mm size chips. I believe that means 35mm still negative size which is really vista vision.
  19. An internet search will reveal all you nee. The balloon will be cheap the hellium expense.
  20. If you are worried about movement of the menace arm add a second stand to the rear after you have balanced the arm out. You might be able to find a structure like a pier that extends over the ocean which you could use as an area to stage from. If you decide to go with the goal post idea, which I think is also a good one; you’ll need to be especially aware of shadows from the stands. Also as the tide comes in you will have to deal with the stands sinking and shifting. You may want to put something under the legs to lessen this problem. Cement stepping stones might do the trick. I still like the menace arm as the stand is further from the wave action and you can arm the camera back if you have troubles.
  21. Realize that the camera is daylight balanced. I think the sweat spot is 320 ASA. I’d shoot it like reversal so you don’t want to over expose it. When shooting interiors with tungsten lights you need too gel your lights with CTB or use a blue filter 80 b, c, d on the camera. If you filter the camera your effective ASA is now 160. Trying to color correct electronically in the camera isn’t a good solution. Also IR issues are very real. If you are shooting in bright daylight and ND yourself to a wide open stop you may experience IR exposure issues. The IR isn’t effected by standard ND so if your base stop was F16 and you ND’d down to 1.4 the IR would still be exposing at F16.
  22. Funny how as a kid I saw all these films and particularly 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth were the films that inspired me to become a film maker. I was seeing re-releases of many of these films and thought they were new. I've probably seen each of the following films five times. Beast from 20,000 Fathoms Destination Moon Forbidden Planet Godzilla Invaders from Mars Invasion of the Body Snatchers On the Beach Radar Men from the Moon The Amazing Colossal Man The Blob The Creature from the Black Lagoon The Day the Earth Stood Still The Fly The Incredible Shrinking Man The thing Them! This Island Earth War of the Worlds When World Collide
  23. I think you are thinking along the right paths. My initial reaction would be to go with a menace arm. They make an adapter that allows you to run a cable from the front of the arm to a vertical pin and then to the rear of the menace arm. This will make the arm stronger. I bet you could use a 20’ section of speed rail with 12’ out and 8’ as a counter balance. Use sand bags to balance it exactly. Make sure you level your high roller because if it gets off balance it will fall. Scout your location and check on tide tables to make sure everything performs the way it should. Run a cable to an external monitor to check framing and you’ll need some way to turn the camera on and off. If you end up on soft sand use a 4’x 4’ sheet of plywood as a platform for your stand. Beaware of sun angle so you don't cast a shadow. Also consider that if the tide is coming in you device may end up all wet.
  24. You may want to rent some films that have the mood, subject matter, or locations you have. This can give you an idea of how to approach your picture. You have to ask yourself creatively what you want to do before you ask yourself technically how to achieve it.
  25. The tubes work great. I used the "Flame Thrower" system and it works well away from dry brush for sure. I've seen the same machine spraying DDT in mosquito prone areas and I suspect that is its real purpose. I heard of a large film using a WWII navel smoke screen machine mounted on a truck. There are lots of ways to skin this cat. Just don't start fires.
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