Rik Andino

Everybody (every rookie) says this but you should be realistic... Don't try to be the rookie quarterback who wants to win the superbowl in his first year. Unless your Big Ben, who can manage to throw two F*#king interceptions and still win the goddamn game I still can't believe the Jets lost (sorry just a disgruntled Jet fan). Anyways concentrate on making a good film More importantly concentrate on finishing a film (even if it ain't that good) So few beginners ever finish their films And your early career will be based on what you finish not always on the quality. For gear you should try to get: OMIN kit for lighting Maybe add a TOTA light Orr DP kit and PRO-lights or INKIES If you're mostly shooting interiors (especially average size room) The lowel lights work great specifically DV They're lightweight, durable, easy to assemble and don't require to much power And most important they're easy to transport (fit in your trunk) For sound I recomend going to markertek.com They sell a variety of affordable sound equipment A good shotgun mic you can plug into your camera will be sufficient. You can also check your local rental house for sound equipment. If you're running the mic into the camera you won't need a slate to synch So just a simple dry erase board will suffice to label each take You can pick one up at staples or any office supply store. I recommend a monitor or a small tv for better exposure The LCD is very decieving I also recommend using your zebra lines for exposure. If you want a good exposure Shoot at a 1/2 stop below the zebra lines or at the zebra lines If you want it slightly dark (for night scene or closet) Shoot a 1 stop or a stop & 1/2 below the zebra lines zebra lines should be rate at 70 and 80 IRA And always remember shoot for coverage of the action And trust your director and make him trust you A film is a collaborative effort and every member is valuable If everybody does their job than it'll be a good project Winning an award is a whole nother thing Just strive to be good & win a game, the superbowl will come eventually GO JETS KARMA bums

Buy the K3 The Bolex will suck your whole budget down (although it is a better camera than the K3) If you can afford it I would buy a Xtal Synch motor (about $500 smackaroos) And change the gate to S16 Than you'd have an MOS Xtal Synch S16 camera The K3 is the cheapest S16 camera around (under $1000) The Bolex is a close second for around $2000. As for Super 8... Super 8mm is a difficult medium to work on It's shoot or miss with it sometimes The cameras aren't steady enough And are a lot harder to repair. People only use it for fun or for a SPECIFIC look. Although I know there are alot of Pro S8 shooters out there And the film stock is getting better 16mm is the best way to really learn. If you're hellbent on S8 The best cameras to recommend are The Canon 814 or 1014 Or The Nikon R8 Anyways good luck and remember life's a learning process Keep at it and you'll get better KARMA bums

Hey, bad acting ('cept for Harrison and Alec and Billy Dee... ...well maybe not Billy Dee) and chessy lines was the reason Star Wars was so popular. However it the reason why Star Wars sucks now... Actually the real reason is the KIDS (us) who loved Star Wars grew up And unfortunately LUCAS didn't... He also spent twenty years not directing And believe he could come back and be great once again (And he really never was that great of a director, he was a better producer) HD isn't the reason the movie sucks, the DIRECTOR is the reason It's always the Director (and sometimes the producers) who is to blame. Something many filmmakers forget Cinema isn't about the technical qualities it's about the storytelling Be good storytellers and we'll defeat the darkside May the force be with you always KARMA bums

What are you gonna use the matte box for? You should get the whole kit if you can afford You'll need all the things sooner or later better to pay it off now Than have to scramble to get it later on when you really need. Personally I recommend getting a decent bridge plate A good 35mm brigde plate is better than most of the support rods made for video cameras But it cost more (between $500 and $900 bucks) I also recommend good cine Matte Box. The Century Matte Box is good enough and very affordable Although I'd check out, Vocas.com, or www.Petroff.ws or search for Chrozsiel for top of the line matte boxes KARMA bums

You have to contact your countries Canon or Panasonic corporate agencies. In the US they have factory repair outlets in certain cities Which you send it to for an apraisal of damage and repairs. They should have a place in the UK, if not in Europe. Just check Canon UK or Panasonic Europe. But I must tell you sometimes its just easier to buy a new camera Repairs can cost you almost as much as the camera itself. KARMA bums

I recommend you purchase the XL2. The "Pro" Format Cameras you mentioned aren't really that "Pro". The DSR 250 and the JVC 5000u are 1/2 in. chip cameras that provide better resolution that the XL2's 1/3 in. chip, but they still aren't broadcast quality cameras. They're also aren't native 16:9 like the XL2. These "Pro" cameras you mentioned also are around 5 or 6 years old and as technology rapidly advances are losing their mystic. To really get a better camera than the XL2 you would have to buy a 2/3 in. chip camera like the DSR 570, or the JVC 9000u, or better yet the SDX900. But these cameras go from upwards of $15K that's more than three times the XL2. The XL2 is a really good camera that provides an image quality comparable to that of the DSR-570 and the SDX 900. It's got the newest features like 24P shooting mode and native 16:9, and it's interchangeable lens system means it can be modified to use better lens. It is a really popular camera meaning you will get a lot more jobs, and since it cost less you can make you investment back in about a year. Personally I wouldn't trust the HDV technology yet, its still in its infant stages and doesn't compare with true HD as of yet. As for the strobing effect (it's called motion blur) when panning you'll just have to control you panning speed. I've haven't noticed it with the things I've shot only in test footage. All cameras have problems with panning (Look at the blurry images in the action sequences of LOTR shot on 35mm) You just learn to live with it or adjust you speed. Anyways I highly recommend the XL2 Plus you should also consider buying a couple of extras like a Matte Box A few filters (Ultra Con, 1/4 or 1/8 BPM, Polarizer, Enhancer etc..) and maybe an XL1/XL2 to PL mount adapter And a good monitor. KARMA bums

W0W! I really walked in late to this forum. I AC'd in feature that used the XL1 with P+S Mini 35 adapter two years back, and was impressed with the sharpness and image quality of the Zeiss superspeeds. But other than that didn't find the P+S Mini 35 adapter that spectacular. It does provide a shallow depth of field--depending on f-stop and the other variants, you know... But I still don't get the need for such a clunky contraption When what you basically need is a simple XL1/XL2 to PL mount adapter. The vibrating ground glass sounds like a good idea, but it's basically useless I shot with the ground glass on and off and the image was almost the same Just a slight softness when the ground glass is on It can also soften the electronic image look that video usually has. (But you can also do this with 1/4BPM or an Ultra Con filter) I also found the P+S adapter to be clunky, heavy and not production ready. It sucked battery power very quickly And the backfocus of the contraption had to calibrated almost on a daily basis. (And this is a tedious process) It is a very delicate machine that can lose its calibration easily. I recently used a simple $500 XL1 to PL mount adapter From XL1 Solutions and it provided a similar image to the P+S adapter. It wasn't heavy at all and there was no calibration and it didn't need batteries. Just rent a couple of good Cooke or Zeiss primes Add a good Matte box with some filters (I recommend an Ultra Con or a 1/4 BPM) And you can get really great video images. KARMA bums

My advice to you would be to go for it, if you had the experience and/or were being offered the job beforehand, but if that's not the case maybe you should reconsider. If you're buying a film camera to do your own projects, unless you do more than three project a year, you're wasting your investment. Film cameras don't like to sit around and not be used. You still have to maintain a stored camera and if you're not making the money it can be costly. If you want to learn filmmaking buy a decently priced DV camera. You'll see more action with a DV camera Since there are more things to shoot on video than on films. (You can make money recording weddings, industrials, concerts etc...) Most of the things shot on S16 are Narrative Films and HighEnd Television which don't shoot everyday and (especially in NYC) you must compete agressively to land a decent project. You can shoot your short student films on DV for practice. and if you want to practice on Film you can get a very cheap MOS camera to compliment your DV package. A K3 runs for far under $1000 (US). You can also get a bolex for that small amount of money. If you're interested in S8 it's also a good format to get acquainted with film. Especially now that Kodak introduced it's Vision series for S8. A Bolex can be also good for shooting Double 8 (a form of S8). You should check that out. In a couple of years if your experience improves And you're still interested in the industry you can upgrade to an S16 camera And you'll have the experience and reputation to reel in the projects. A S16 camera is a business investment (just like buying a trailer truck). You should only invest your money in one if your getting the jobs. If your an amatuer or a hobbyist just learning you should seek other cheaper alternatives, that'll help you in the long run.