Maya Bankovic

Hey Ian, I'm a little late finding this, but just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your reel. I love the look of the film you feature in the first half. I agree that more variety would be better, but I'd say in general I appreciate seeing that someone has created a consistent look and feel for a film. I prefer the format of your reel to those that are just a bombardment of random, disparate images. Anyway, maybe you've recut it already, but that's my opinion. I just saw Control for the first time. The Transmission scene is amazing. I didn't mind at all hearing it in a reel but I can understand how it might not appeal to some people. I actually used to get a LOT of comments on the song I used on my previous reel (it doesn't suit my new footage so I got rid of it). It really made me wonder what kind of assumptions directors and producers made about me or my work, and what part of that actually drew them to me. maya

That's great news, we don't need the stars to offer up any light we just need to see them! Thank you!

Hi everyone, I'm shooting on the Red and have an insert of a ceiling covered in glow in the dark stars at night. The gaffer and I are looking into raising the "glow output" they're giving with a blacklight. Has anyone tried this? Another option is building a false ceiling and back lighting that. Anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks! maya

Thanks Matt! I think I will give the EX1 a try, I've been hearing nothing but good things.

Hi Matt, Thanks for posting these stills, they look fantastic. It looks like you did a very nice job. Just to clarify, are these frame grabs or stills taken on an SLR? Anyway, I was wondering if you had any major complaints about the EX1, I'm looking into shooting my next film with it and searching the forum for any reviews. Thanks! Maya

Haha, since posting this I've found a number of other threads about this show and it's style... seems to spark good conversation every time. Rupe, I found Casper's post and it was very helpful, thank you! I'm not too interested in cars, actually I'm barely interested in them at all, so yes I'm guilty of falling for the "car porn" aesthetic but I also find the three guys absolutely hilarious. Driving across Africa in the worst beaters they can find? Amazing! Maya

Does anybody know which camera is used on this show, specifically the segments outside of the studio? It's got a great texture, but I've read that much of the look is built in post (vignetting, grad filters, etc). I'm prepping a doc for which I'd like to pursue a similar shooting style. Thanks! Maya

I agree with Annie, but if you wanted to keep just the one CV I would definitely split the different positions up with sub-headings (i.e: DOP, GAFFER, CAMERA ASSISTANT, etc.), starting with the position you most want to be hired for and working your way down in order of preference- that way it'll draw people's attention to the various skills you have and departments you've worked in but will help them understand how often you have done each and which you prefer to be doing. Maya

Thanks Joe, I'm going to check out the place with the gaffer again tomorrow. Yours may be a better idea. We're using fairly light-weight lights anyhow.

I'm looking into macro lenses for something similar so I'll keep you posted on those findings, but for now I thought I'd mention that I worked for a DP who was a huge fan of diopters (+2 for example) for exactly the type of shots you're doing (he'd use it on a pocket watch, table top stuff, etc.) Maya

You're right, having an experienced gaffer will help ease everyone's minds. It also sounds like the director is minimizing the action in the shower room (we may just pass by it, for example) for creative reasons, and maybe also for logistical reasons. This is a dance sequence so the actors are actually all professional dancers who will be placed throughout a locker room, shower room and public swimming pool for a long steadicam shot through the space. I was concerned about the lens cracking, as you mentioned Andrew, so I'm thinking of different types of diffusion that I can use on frames below the hanging lights that can also aid in protecting them from any splashing. Another thing I wanted to bring up is rigging- the space has high ceilings (about 14') with concrete planks across the length of the ceiling, each with about 2' between them. It's a little difficult to describe, but basically they are concrete rafters with no space above them, only between them. Are polecats the best option for hanging lights between these sections? Stretchers are safer, but we can't drill into these slabs. They're each fairly thick (about 6") and I think clamping onto a slab itself would be very risky, so creating some sort of grid system would be safer I think. I know it's vague, but any ideas? Thanks again. Maya

Hi Ralph, The lights won't be sprayed directly with water, in fact they'll be rigged several feet above the shower heads, probably not even directly above them. I am actually looking for a diffused top-light look, was thinking maybe opal, so I was thinking of using frames below the lights (which will probably be jokerbugs, which perform pretty well in damp conditions anyhow). I'll definitely pick up some of the clear gels you've recommended as well. Moving the ballasts to another room is definitely possible, but is there a material that's particularly good for wrapping around the connections on the head cable by the lights themselves? I've seen regular plastic sheets used in the rain but I'm not sure whether or not it was something specific. Anyhow, thanks very much, you've been very helpful! Maya

Hi, Can anyone give me some advice on the best way to protect lights (and the crew) from the moisture and humidity in a large shower room? I'll be using small HMIs (200W and 400W jokerbugs) and 2 or 3 4' kino banks hanging from 12' concrete ceilings in a public shower (which is about 10' x 6'). What's a good way to protect them and to make sure it's safe in there? The steam will be artificial so that can minimize the actual humidity, but i'm concerned about the water. Thanks a lot for any input you might have Maya

Hey Luc, I have some stuff coming up in September and October, I'll keep you posted if you're still interested in coming up to Toronto. Maya

I've always been very surprised at how good the registration on a Bolex can be- I've used probably over a dozen different ones, all H16 SBMs, and have never been disappointed. I recently used one modified for S16mm and the clarity of the images (Vario Switar primes, in really good condition) as well as the registration surprised even the colourist. But I'm assuming you'll buy one used? And because they're spring-wound, if the previous owner hadn't used the camera in a while you may find the frame rates imprecise, obviously affecting your exposure. From your "bad" example it looked like there was an issue with the pressure plate being loose (which may have been mechanical or just somebody who'd forgotten to click it back into place). It was also a transfer of a pretty beat-up work print so it's hard to judge how much of the poor registration/ fluctuating exposure/focus happened in-camera. Your "good" examples are overall better shooting. I'd say try to shoot a test roll on whichever camera you're looking to buy, and definitely shoot your tests on a tripod, or do actual reg tests to see what you'll get. Maya