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

Hi James, Please do let us know about your results, I'm trying a similar effect and have been thinking about different ways of achieving it. I'm thinking more along the lines of a sporadic off-and-on flicker, but I'd also like to have some fluorescents continuously pulsating somewhere in the scene (a locker room). Thanks for your question! Maya

I'm not sure about what the program at Panavision is like in LA, but I interned at Panavision in Toronto and learned a ton there. Within a couple of weeks I had built every camera they have (plus they also carry Arri and Moviecam here), learned how to load any mag I'll ever come across, played around with geared heads and learned a lot about optics. I was 21 when I did it and nobody was bothered by my age but I did need to be insured through my university. Good luck! Maya

Does anybody have advice on a lens that would work well for shooting extreme close ups of a miniature set? Something like a probe would be good for its ability to get into tighter spaces, but the lenses tend to be very slow- I'd prefer shallow DOF for this, without needing to sacrifice too much space for a bulkier lens. I've been looking into the one offered by Innovision optics- anyone have any experience with this? Tim Tyler posted this link a while back, but I haven't found anything else on the forums: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...showtopic=13908 Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks! Maya By the way, not sure if the project will be on film yet, but it may end up being shot HD with a 35mm adapter.

The biggest lesson I've been learning since graduating from film school is (and will continue to be for the rest of my life) how to define success. It is essential to come up with your own perspective on it in order to be even remotely happy with where you are at. For me, it changes from day to day since some months I'm better off than others financially but maybe working on something not very creative, and other months I feel like I'm advancing creatively (but possibly scrounging). Also keep in mind that creative people are constantly on the lookout for other creative people (and it there IS a lot of money in creative industries, by the way). It's about making those small steps together. And as someone mentioned here before, I too think that if you're passionate enough about something you will find a way to keep doing it. I don't think that's naive thinking at all; it makes sense to want to devote time and energy to doing something you love, and that time and energy will pay off. Maya

I took Feature Film Lighting with James L. Carter last summer and had a good experience. The facilities definitely could have been better, and we did not shoot on film as promised but it didn't matter, as it was much more about developing your own process and philosophy towards lighting a scene. I learned a lot from James in such a short amount of time through his demos, having him tear up what we've done on our own (both through our previous work and what we'd do during the week), and by watching films with him. The course itself was very well organized, but James had a large role in the success of it- don't know if he's doing it again this year. Maya

Thank you both for your input, I'll talk to the editor and check out the camera at a rental house here in Toronto. Good to know that the codec is compatible with so many broadcasters. I'm looking forward to seeing how the EX1 performs, especially under low light, as Juan mentioned. Take care. Maya Toronto, Canada

Has anybody run into issues with broadcasters regarding the 35mb/s? I understand why the camera is appealing on an aesthetic level, but I'm concerned about whether or not the codec is okay for HD broadcast. I'm shooting something we may be purchasing a camera for, and I haven't found anything in our broadcaster's specs about this. If you have any info, please let me know! Thanks in advance Maya Toronto, Canada