Joe Riggs

I know they're digital but the higher end cameras used to shoot feature films such as "21", "Public Enemies", look really "videoy", it is very noticeable, is there a reason? The way they handle motion? Lighting?

It will be my first time working as a grip on an upcoming shoot, what are the responsibilities of a grip? Thank you

A little update, the black mark was a piece of foam in the gate. Moreover, my buddy dropped off the film at Fotokem, and their reply was: "The scratch(s) begin right at the head of that second roll number one, and continue throughout that roll. Then the roll after that is scratch-free. This is an indication that the problem originated in camera. When we process the film, we splice all of the rolls together into one 2000' roll. So the machine doesn't know where one camera roll begins and ends. Any scratches from the developer would scratch the entire 2000', or if there were some foreign object in the machine, it would start and end at random, but again, this scratch affected one complete roll and only one roll. Anyway, my conclusion is that either the emulsion pile" (I think they are referring to the black mark) "or a film chip lodged in the gate created the scratches, or the material that scratched out of the film created the pile. If you zoom out on the following roll (#2), you can see the pile is still there, but there is also a hair in the gate on the lower left side of frame. It may be that one of the pieces from the pile moved to the other side of the aperture when you changed rolls. " I'm naive about processing but based on others remarks, I'm not really satisfied with this answer. Are there more insightful questions I could ask Fotokem, that would better reveal if this was caused by the processing?

We shot a scene where we placed a light above a fan, and that created a cflicker/strobe effect. Unfortunately, there was a couple of shots where we forgot to turn the fan on and therefore they lack that effect. Any suggestions on how to achieve that flicker/strobe effect in post?

The lead in my film is a young girl between 8-10, having never directed kids before, I would be interested to hear how others handle working with kids and eliciting a great performance from them.

What are some ways to audition actors where there is little or no dialouge in the script? My script contains almost no dialogue for any character beside the lead. Which leads me to ask, what should I have the actors do at the actual audition? Should I let the actors improvise, or should I have them act out the scene to see if they are able to convincingly convey the emotions of the scene regardless of dialogue. Your advice and any techniques you can offer for this tricky audition situation are greatly appreciated.

Thanks, but why? I know its 4:2:2 color space. However, I believe the HMC has a newer optic system, the same one thats in the HVX200A. So it would seem like it may have an advantage on the original HVX200.

I am having trouble finding a footage comparison from the two cameras. I am surprised no one has done a test yet shooting the same subject. Strictly from he image perspective, which camera HVX200 or HMC150 is better?

The camera was the CP16 R or A - can't recall, but it was the Super 16 one. 400ft magazine. We shot two 400ft rolls of Fuji 500d stock. The scratches are only present on one roll, while the mark is on both. Furthermore, the roll shot by my teacher with the same camera/lens displayed the mark but no scratches. While I must do some tests with the camera to be sure, based on the aforementioned info I think the scratches did not result from the mark. The rolls were processed at Fotokem. I will be investing in a microscope to hopefully determine what happened. Thanks

I'm trying to ascertain what happend, why, and how to avoid it in the future. I guess scratch and camera tests would be a start, any help is greatly appreciated. The scratches, are present throughout the whole roll, the number of scratches will change, and they turn blue at times, but they are generally in the same area. You can also see the mysterious mark in the upper part of the frame. A clearer shot of the mysterious mark, it doesn't move and is present in all the footage. It is a bit more diffcult to diagnosis, in fact my teacher shot some film with the same camera and the same black spot was present, he said he doesn't think it's a hair in the gate or dust because it does not habe the behavioral charcateristics of it. He thinks it may be somehting with the lens. To see video http://www.vimeo.com/4090766

Maybe this visually will help the more experienced figure out what happend? The scratches, are present throughout the whole roll, the number of scratches will change, and they turn blue at times, but they are generally in the same area. To see video http://www.vimeo.com/4090766

Hello, Often times in Student productions your forced to work in groups and occasionally a member of the group is difficult to work with. This is currently the situation I'm in kind of...I directed a previous project where this person (someone who usually directs but was in a different position in the project) was involved and perhaps their intentions were to not malign but often times he would be giving direction to actors and just generally upsetting the crew by his demanding attitude, so much so that we needed to have a talk about it. Well now that same individual is in my group again, and I want to nip it the bud , so I'll probably talk with him and reiterate what I said previously but I need to decide what crew position to put him in, hopefully one were they would be the least trouble. I was thinking perhaps A.D., as this person likes to be in control , so they will get to somewhat control the set, but hopefully will work closely with me to achieve a common goal. I was also contemplating maybe a position in the art department (i.e. Production designer, or Art director) in order to limit his interaction with actors and or crew members during principal photography. How would you handle this situation and what crew position would you put them in?

I'm gearing up to shoot a short and the highest quality camera my school offers is the XDCAM HD 350. Having never used it, I read some comments around the net, is it true this cam only produces a slightly better image than the HVX200? Anyone who has used the 350, please tell me about your experience. All lighting being equal I would like to go with the camera that produces the most film like image, what I have at my disposal is an XDCAM 350 or HVX200.

I am also interested in any software that can remove or lesson scratches/dust. I received my footage back and something in the gate (I think) not only obscured part of the frame but also caused a small but noticeable scratch throughout the footage. How do you know if the scratch occurred while filming or at the lab? thanks

Martin Scorsese - Michael Chapman/Michael Ballhaus/Robert Richardson Jonathan Demme - Tak Fujimoto Sergio Leone - Tonino Delli Colli

Thanks for the info, Adrian. How did you guys end up dealing with that scratch in the rap video, did you try to remove it somehow or add more in post to make it seem like an effect?

Went to the telecine awhile ago, and viewed the footage, my first time as a DP was unfortunately anticlimactic. As expected, the footage came out pretty grainy, but what I didn't expect was a hair or something in the gate that not only obscured part of the frame but also caused a small but noticeable scratch throughout the footage. Unfortunately, I didn't know the "check the gate" protocol, it is clearly an invaluable part of the process, and I am astounded that our professor never mentioned it or showed us how.

Polish brothers and David Mullen Woody Allen and Carlo Di Palma Spike Lee and Ernest Dickerson Darren Aronofsky and Matthew Libatique William Wyler and Gregg Toland

My apologies, try http://www.cinelicious.tv/?page_id=6

Anyone tried Cinelicious Diamond Clear HD? experiences? thoughts? http://www.cinelicious.tv/?page_id=18

Pardon my ignorance, but is a colorist the same person who does the telecine?

This post was accidentally cut off, it should read: I am trying to achieve a similar lighting style for the following setups "in my original post". I know there is a significant difference in the color palate, quality of the light, etc... Eventually, I'll have to settle on a lighting style, since they all take place in the same room. There is a chandelier in the middle of the room, and I'm using that for motivation for the key light. I have a 2k broad, a couple 1k's and a few 650 Fesnels. I am not sure how these great images were lit, but below is what my untrained eye came up with, in order to try emulate them for my shoot. #1. 2K through a silk, 650 blue gel backlighting. #2. Same 2k through a silk, 650 fresnel at the fireplace, with a flag cutting it. #3. 2k shooting through a window pane or other object. Do I need two lights one for the subject, one for the wall? #4. No reference for this one, I would like a strong beam to back light the man speaking. 650 fresnel through Hazer for the beam highlighting the speaker. 2k far back, front lighting the actor and back lighting the audience. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thank you.

Well actually the other post doesn't include the images from my still camera, so I guess the moderator will decide.

Sorry for the double post, please delete.

I am trying to achieve a similar lighting style for the following setups. I know there is a significant difference in the color palate, quality of the light, etc... Eventually, I'll have to settle on a lighting style, since they all take place in the same room. There is a chandelier in the middle of the room, and I'm using that for motivation for the key light. I have a 2k broad, a couple 1k's and a few 650 Fesnels. I am not sure how these great images were lit, but below is what my untrained eye came up with, in order to try emulate them for my shoot. #1. 2K through a silk, 650 blue gel backlighting #2. Same 2k through a silk, 650 fresnel at the fireplace, with a flag cutting it. #3. 2k shooting through a window pane or other object. Do I need two lights one for the subject, one for the wall? #4. No reference for this one, I would like a strong beam to back light the man speaking. 650 fresnel through Hazer for the beam highlighting the speaker. 2k far back, front lighting the actor and back lighting the audience. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thank you.