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Michael Nash

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Everything posted by Michael Nash

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials...th-of-field.htm http://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/DigiCam/User-...h-of-field.html Depth of field is determined by three things: aperture, focal length, and distance to subject. Wider apertures, longer focal lengths, and closer distances from lens to subject create the shallowest depth of field. The smaller the size of the sensor or film, the shorter the focal length you need to maintain the same field of view. With 1/3" chip cameras you end up with focal lengths so short that wide apertures and close distances often aren't enough to create shallow depth of field.
  2. We discuss moonlight all the time here: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...hlite=moonlight
  3. We discuss moonlight all the time here: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...hlite=moonlight
  4. Most productions try to mix the crew with local hires as well as key crew members who are put up in hotels. Yes it does get expensive, and low-budget shows do sometimes put more than one person in a room. There is rarely any "downtime" for general crew, certainly not enough to warrant production spending money on a trailer for them to "hang out." I have seen some pretty inventive hammock rigs in the back of a 5-ton, though...
  5. I think you're much better of finding examples of the look you want to create, and then break those down into their technical components of color, grain, texture, and so on. Simply shooting an "old stock" is rather a shot in the dark: while it may look interesting, it may not be at all what you were hoping for. Color correction in the digital realm is pretty easy these days, and you can evoke the feel of many different eras with digital control. It just depends on how keen an eye you have for image quality and how well you can use the tools.
  6. I agree completely. Another way of looking at it is to think of the "rules" more as principles or forces at work in the image. Once you learn and understand them, you can maximize or minimize their effects for your own purposes.
  7. This book helps demystify composition in a clear and effective way. Of course it's only a starting point, and motion picture storytelling goes well beyond the rules of still images, but the basics here are always in use in one from or another.
  8. It does take practice, but it becomes easier to "see" on set after awhile. The easiest way to ensure continuity is to match meter readings for keylight, fill light, backlight, and background. After awhile you don't need the meter as much, and you become less of a slave to the numbers. Another rule of thumb: Your eye tends to spot changes in contrast before anything else (key/fill contrast ratio), then color, then the direction and quality of light. If you take care to match the contrast ratio and color, you'd be surprised how much cheating you can get away with during coverage when it comes to the quality and direction of light.
  9. You can go firewire out from the HDX900.
  10. Just looks like a shiny board, soft side, sitting on the ground (grid pattern is the leaf). It IS bright when it's pointed into the lens! I've shot at that airplane boneyard in Mojave before. It's definitely a cool (but hot) location.
  11. But it's not. It's simply a camera move sped up with perhaps a little motion blur added. In Las Vegas I think they may use a little morphing between shots to help blend them.
  12. You should be able to use DVCPRO HD Frame Rate Convertor within FCP to change your 50P footage to slow-mo in a 25P timeline. http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/dvcpr...flow_balis.html You don't lose any resolution or get extra noise, beacuse you're simply shooting at a faster frame rate. Leave your shutter set to "half" and you'll get the appropriate film-style motion blur for whatever frame rate you chose. And yes, 50P will be one stop slower than 25P when both rates use the same "half" shutter.
  13. Mostly to be able to utilize the variable frame rates, but also to streamline the post and storage (no need to remove pulldowns, etc.).
  14. It's mostly a matter of your post and distribution workflow. Again, you CAN shoot 24p or 30p and still record and edit in 60P (this is exactly how the Varicam's 24P works). 24p or 30p will give you the "film look" while 60p editing will allow clean comps, clean web video and easy downconverts to 60i DVD. If you're asking about whether to shoot (capture) at 60p instead of 24p or 30p, then that's a creative choice. 60p capture ends up looking just like 60i video on a SD DVD, while 24p or 30p capture will preserve the Varicam/film look. Shooting 24p and editing with a 24p timeline (by removing the redundant frames in post) saves harddrive space, makes rendering faster, and makes smaller file sizes for web encoding. If done properly a 24p timeline can be output to SD DVD with no problems. But if any of your 24p material has to coexist with 30p or 60i material, you're probably better off sticking to a 60p timeline.
  15. I think if the camera is locked off the actors' movements might appear pretty fake. You may need to jolt the camera to help sell the illusion. Hey, it worked for Star Trek...
  16. Check out these titles: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240516508?tag=ci...DPJRR8A561& http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Postproduction...d_bxgy_b_text_b
  17. The camera can only record 720 60P or 1080 60i. There is no 720 60i on this camera. If you shoot 24P or 30P in the 720 mode, redundant frames are added to make up 60P. In the 1080 60i mode, you have a choice of pulldown patterns (24P or 24P"A"), but it's always an interlaced signal on tape. The frame rate you use will be determined mostly by the post path and delivery. For the web it's generally best to avoid interlaced frames, so you could use 720 24P or 30P; or 1080 24p"A" and remove the pulldown in post to create a 1080 24p timeline (if your system supports that). You editors might have to integrate other material of different frame rates, so ask them what frame rate they need from you.
  18. If you use CTO ND gel you'll need to gel or cover up all the windows in the room to control the blue daylight spill. Even with ND gel on the windows a 1200W HMI won't be too powerful after you diffuse it for a soft key light. You can knock down the output of ANY light with scrims and diffusion. Keep in mind that if you key with an HMI, you'll still probably want another light for fill and backlight (depending on your shot and setup), so don't blow your whole budget on one light! You might consider gelling your tungsten lights with only 1/2 CTB instead of full for a little more output, and let the view through the window go a little blue (with ND.9 ).
  19. Lots of discussion about lighting white sets: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...ite=white+limbo
  20. The books section of this site has lots of good references.
  21. You might be able to use a shift/tilt lens with a 2/3" B4 mount, and an adapter to the JVC's 1/3" mount. And as always, a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens is a 50mm lens. The focal length always stays the same; it's the field of view that shrinks along with the sensor size. The step-up adapter will act as a mild extension though, increasing the effective focal length slightly.
  22. An HMI is MUCH more power efficient than gelled tungsten, if you're looking for blue moonlight. 1/4 CTB on tungsten is pretty mild if you're going for a "stylized" look. 1/2 blue is pretty common for a "realistic" blue moonlight effect. But if all you want is 1/4 CTB then tungsten may actually be better. That Honda putt-putt is a noisy bugger though, so I hope you're not recording sound.
  23. Honestly it's been several years since I've used it, so I really don't recall. It's the only T2.0 Nikkor 200mm that most LA rental houses have.
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