Robin R Probyn

Shop talk.. Quantitive easing = printing money Antagonizing the lens = Purposely add flare The difference between highlight and flare = about $5,000 a day

Oh sorry totally mis read the OP.. ! its late here.. yes Fs7 great bang for the buck..

Yes its not degraded.. on the f5/55 you are getting a very good HD image from the over sampling of the 4K to HD.. Sony call it super sampling :) I haven't used the Fs5 ,but there were problems with its image till a big firmware up grade.. but the UHD being 8 bit (internal) is a big draw back.. IMHO.. having to have an ext recorder is always a pain.. Centre scan is a very useful thing.. I believe the Amira can now do this in the most recent firm ware up grade.. originally Sony only saw this as a means to use S16 lenses.. and you cant assign it on the F5/55.. now they have realized its use as a lossless digital extender (in HD).. I believe its assignable in the Fs5.. and oddly on the C300II.. centre scan is only in slo-mo (as with the Sony,s over a certain frame rate) .. but cant be applied in sync modes! so no digital extender.. why Canon... as if there weren't enough reasons not to buy one !

He also shot Labyrinth .. all on sound stages.. this is where I saw him blast, I guess it was a 10k at least.. through.. yes through.. not bounced ...1/4 inch Poly ..!!! that was a soft light !

Tyler.. did you consult on Walter Mitty.. if not you should have..

Its goes to 11..?

haha oh yes I forgot ..all that saved money that all be channelled into the arts and health care.. :)

Well EU funding for UK production companies will be out the window .. I shot recently in Germany.. no visa or carnet needed.. straight through EU passport control.. huge lines in "others " passports .. that will all end I guess .. I think it will be a real pain for all the UK crews shooting in the EU.. carnet alone will be that..

Just wondered if anyone happened to know if the internal TC gen is made by Ambient (like the Arri,s) or by Sony themselves.. ? Thanks No issue just wondering.. never had to use Locket box with the F5.. and on recent shoot the Sound guy asked if if the TC gen was made by Ambient as with the Arri,s..

At Babelsberg studio in Berlin today.. the hallowed grounds where Metropolis was made.. ! saw it a million years ago at film school.. never thought I would go the place it was made.. they have a bit of the Berlin wall with a picture of the robot on it outside too.. all a bit surreal !

Egg crates work quite well.. the Astra,s are a step up from the old ,1x1,s I have them too.. the sky panel,s,Locaster and the Celeb have a diffuse front panel so the light coming off them is more like one source than multi ,like the open face ones.. the Astra line has also recently put out a "soft" light version.. i.e. built in diffusion over the array.. Big flags will of course work but often there isnt the space for interviews in peoples homes,offices etc.. and its more stands to carry around..in these situations egg crates are probably as best as you can get for controlling spill .. Barn doors are pretty useless on the open array lights.. thats why Lite panels never came with them..

Yes agree.. LED,s are totally fine for interviews now.. and many advantages.. no or very little heat.. low power consumption or can be easily battery powered.. alot safer than cables lying around in some locations.. and can be placed in confined area,s.. Im shooting in Germany now ,doing alot of interviews using Kino Celeb,s.. very nice light.. the 400 is a bit big but the 200 is a little smaller the Diva400.. very nice light quality.. and will go through 1/2 or 1/4 diffusion if you are framing tight and can move the light in.. Also just bought 2 x Astra.. they are a real step up from the originals.. nicer light and alot more powerful if you need it.. I got rid of all my tungsten lights now.. only have LED and Kino 400 Diva.. although Im seldom using it now.. running off batteries is much easier.. and safer.. a bit maybe even physiological .. just a light and a stand you can just pick it up and move it anywhere ! once you change no going back.. also some buildings have regulations now and wont you let you use tungsten lights.. I found that in the US a few times.. in California I think ..also have 2 X Arri Locasters.. but dont use them much either.. too small out put and the Arri batteries that come with them are crap and very exp.. one died very quickly and Arri were very unhelpful about a replacement..although the problem was well known to them.. the other died recently too.. so I wouldn't recommend them.. They are not cheap if you want good LED,s..but dont be tempted.. you,ll have green spikes and all sorts of weirdness.. but for sure its the way to go..an Astra travel kit is probably the best way to go for an interview kit. comes with Pelican case..stands,battery adaptor etc..

Richard..a director is only as good as the DOP.. thats an empirical fact ..

Besides the obvious rip off price.. its the principle.. as the OP states.. the job was under staffed.. and running around all day.. thats why a small cheap item like a lens cap gets lost.. its the prod co,s fault in the first place ! .. and then they pull this trick.. but its indicative of how employee,s are treated in Asia.. obviously a much bigger discussion not for here.. but it just beggars belief they think they can do this..

Hi Macks Not really.. thats just how it is over there.. and Asia generally .. its just stating the facts.. of course we pick to live here or not.. but the standards are very different to the West.. the locals have a tough time..

Well really at the end of the day.. any rental /prod co with gear.. will expect small things to get lost.. and yes of course common manners would be to say sorry .. but thats part of the rental/prod co,s costs and is expected to happen .. lose a lens well thats another story.. but a lens caps.. ? .. no doubt after a 14 hr day running around.. where should the good will be going .. But yes China is China..no insurance and all the rest of it culturally .. it just depends if you want to continue the working relationship if its in your favor .. if not,I would tell the to put the lens cap where the sun don't shine.. Personally I would really ticked off if a prod co or rental took $50 out of my pay for a lens cap.. I think everyone has been on shoots when small things have been lost.. you apologize sincerely .. they assure you its not a big deal.. and the working relationship continues after a slight hiccup .. and everyone is happy ..

Well said both of you..

A big production company in Singapore just went tits up.. owing alot of freelancers money.. they don't care.. no one will touch the Japanese in Australia without money up front.. I know someone who lost her company due to non payment from Indonesia way back.. my sound guy in Japan told me.. he is told his rate AFTER the shoot !.. then the norm is min 3 months to be paid .. often its 6 months.. I'm not saying there are not dodgy types in all countries .. but in Asia TBH its the norm rather than the exception and the whole concept of "fairness" just doesn't exist at all.. Ive been told straight out that a good accountant is one that will do anything but actually pay invoices !! I would always request money up front from an prod co in Asia or the middle east..

Oscar.. welcome to China.. the reason to be cheerful is they are even considering to pay you in the first place .. fairness and money are not concepts that combine in this part of the world.. There is no insurance for camera gear in China.. any shoot Ive done there .. you have to employ at least one camera assistants from the rental company.. who is there to make sure they get the gear back,and thats its all in one piece.. I got told off got even carrying the camera between set up,s.. its a good system really.. anything gets lost or broken its their guy who does it.. and Im sure taken straight off his wages..

Yes thats true sir.. esp for shiny stuff.. Ive done a few small scale commercial/ corp shoots where in the end, the background was white .. but they always shot green screen to be able to "control" the whiteness.. for want of a better word .. :) in post .. it all started from those iconic Apple commercials.. then everyone wanted the same look !

Hi Tyler Yes I see the single shot thing.. but still think some of those Brando shots in Godfather should have got a nod.. that was pretty ground breaking for the day and quite iconic now.. Totally agree re Roger Deakins.. and have thought the same myself.. their character seems quite similar too from what I have read.. they just do the job without alot of fuss and go home..

Well each to their own.. but when you have a list of the best the best 129 shots from movies.. and not ONE by Gordon Willis.. something is very amiss .. thats like list of best painted ceilings but no Sistine Chapel.. Why was Gordon Willis so under rated.. no Oscar for an actual film.. it just beggars belief ...

Just bothered to have another look at this list.. and yes have to say.. some very odd choices.. some very nondescript shots.. from good films mostly.. I know its a personal choice.. but some are a very odd choice.. you could randomly hit pause on those films and probably get a better shot.. Didnt see any shot from The Godfather either.. or did I miss it.. that absence would render the whole list as bogus..

Just got a couple of Astra EP bicolor in the duo travel kit.. I have 2 of the older ones and the new ones are alot brighter.. can get through a decent diffusion .. prefer the battery/AC mounting of the older version TBH.. but as far as light quality goes the Astra is very good..

Maybe because the F65 .. although a smaller size sensor.. the pixel,s are set in a clever way (diagonal grid).. that its a 6K sensor..