Austin Michaels

Hello,

Here is my second reel that I have done since I became a Director of Photography. http://vimeo.com/29084395

Cameras used - Red One MX, Arri SR3, 5D, 7D.

I was the editor for this piece too so feedback on both ends would be helpful.

Thanks

Hello,

I have just finished my second reel since I have became a Director of Photography.

Cameras used - Red One MX, Arri SR3, 7D, 5D

http://vimeo.com/29084395

My website is austin-michaels.net will be up in 3 days.

Yeah i was thinking of turning the glass to hide the reflections a bit. But there will not be a white cyc background. It will have a warehouse look that falls into blackness. But the only thing to do is move the glass and the camera to the correct angle to hide reflections. Possible put a polarizer on? Thanks for the responses!

I am filming a scene inside of a warehouse where it will have basic lighting.

There will be a huge 15x15ft glass, plexy glass or something for the 2 actors to write on with a silver pen. In the end it will have the whole 15x15ft glass filled with writing.

My main question is how to not get reflection of the lights on the glass. Is there a type of glass that reduces reflection? Since the key light might be passing threw the glass.

Is there a glass that is great to write on and erase? We are getting 2 pieces just in case something happens to the first.

Also getting the cameras reflection, since alot of it is looking straight on. Is it just as simple as just blacking everything out behind the glass?

I attached a reference pic that i got off the internet.

I still think having any kind of light starting with a 300w light and just keep doubling the diffusion till you get what you desire because that is easier to control. But i agree with right above the camera. I forgot to mention that.

Good luck aaron, Post the finished video here when it is done.

It is quite simple all you need is a nice piece of some diffusion of any kind. Use a 100-200w light and Keep it right next to the camera so it does not give off a shadow on the actors.

You can double, triple and keep doubling the diffusion till you get the desire look you want for a contrast ratio. But that will give a nice little sparkle in their eye. I have used a micro Litepanels and just dim it down. Works great!

Want some feedback on the past 2 music videos I did. Not much experienced in the music video field.

Both where low budget and I was the DP on both

Missed some main shots because the wind took our set but still turned out good. http://vimeo.com/23490115

I loved the Wide shot of the city with the lens flare, That shot also shows the contrast that film gives that is amazing!

Do not be afraid to give have a more drastic contrast ratio. I loved the shots that had contrast in it and wasnt flat. You had many things which had flat lighting, but it could have gone with the story.

Pretty good and I always love watching 16mm films.

With being a loader you have to be VERY organized! Have to make sure everything is labeled correctly and up to date and put back into the can and label the can. When I am a loader/2nd AC or sometimes i was a 1st AC/Loader but we were shooting 16mm and I had All the cans pre labeled and all I had to do with the can when it was exposed was tape on the camera report.

Here was a test shoot I did with Red Primes on a Arriflex SR3

http://vimeo.com/18382377 password is DNA

It was purely a rough cut i did and I finally found a editor to put a trailer together for it after 4 months. Also this is a HD transfer I spent a total of $1400 on everything, never produce and DP at the same time!

The Jib shot was with a 16mm zoom but everything else was a prime. And a 25mm is a 50mm and a 50mm is a 100mm. And with the Red Primes the widest they have is a 18mm which gives you 26mm as your widest. It was a pain in the ass with the eye piece because the RED prime is a bit large for the camera.

I have yet to meet Roger Deakins, which would be amazing, but if the tools are available to help portray the story with the type of format to shoot with maybe the Alexa has the color grade and the right reason for what he was shooting. Roger loved the final outcome of the film and the alexa may stick with him or maybe it is a awesome new camera that is something different from shooting 35mm film.

Aaron,

If you are shooting food on a grill bring a spray bottle full of lighter fluid. Gives you a nice fire effect.

For food I would shoot on a 5.6 because you do not want a that shallow depth of field.

With shooting everything look into maybe doing everything a 60fps as for commercials it looks more nature and attractive. Along with alot of dolly moves. Slider prefer for space reasons

Here is a spot I was a camera operator on http://vimeo.com/17031757

Wissam,

To be truly honest, Yes watch as many movies and commercials and try to recreate scenes, BUT to become good at lighting alone is to practice and experience on how light is used. Being able to be contain and manipulate light sources with material, height & angle, and reasoning behind why you are placing the light there makes you become an aspiring Cinematographer. For instance it took me forever to wrap my head around that the closer and bigger the source is to the subject the softer the light is. A SOURCE is for instance if you put a Silk in front of a light, The silk is now your source of light.

Lighting you can not just read a book and know it, YOU have to know how to use your equipment no matter what kind it is.

As far as camera angles, zooms, dollies, cranes, focus pulling are to help the story in a creative way. It can be just a slight move that is just what you need, my favorite is a slow dolly in on a emotional scene where the dolly will move maybe a foot in a minute. I had a reason for doing the dolly and it fit what the story wanted.

Sorry if it is alittle out of place, Late night posting :)

It has been well over a year since I have been on this forum. Got really busy and picked my feet up.

Feedback on my reel http://vimeo.com/23941164 I have 3 red productions in post that I am waiting footage from.

Hello,

I will be entering on the 27th a contest about safe driving. On my topic i did dont drink and drive and if you do you KILL.

It was only allowed 55 seconds or shorter. I had to shorten 3:20 to 55 seconds which was kinda hard but i liked the outcome.

This is my first video with hired actors and unfortunately money spent out of my pocket. I did many new things but i liked the way it turned out.

I was motivated for this video by my friend Thomas McDermott who drank and drive and didn't wear a seatbelt and died. Learn from others i like to think.

RIP Thomas McDermott

Feedback of any kind is appreciated. I want to perfect this to win the contest.

Thanks who all reply

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXm55NAdErc

I am looking for a used in good condition Canon XH-A1. I am investing into my company to make short movies in HD and give the option to shot in HD for weddings that i video tape. Of course with an extra charge.

give me offers below.

Here is one with a longer black at the end better to watch.

Here is the link to the video

Took me around 1-2 hours to totally finish this title. Used After Effects CS4 and Twitch a GREAT plugin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WURRxTuBcU

If you wanted SCottsdale Community College in Arizona is a ranked film school in the country!

http://www.scottsdalecc.edu/film2/home.html

Iw ill be attending next year and toured the campus and you get the top of the line equipment and you check out equipment of over $100,000. SO you get to experiment with different things and jobs. This is a great school for HANDS ON.

This is a small series at my church called Dwight In Me. We are comparing Dwight from "The Office" To being Christian.

I am still in highschool so this is a small series for me.

I am the director/actor/editor.

Hope you guys like it :)

There are 2 more episode shoots coming up.

Ya i might end up doing that. I have thought of that but the problem is how much $$$ i get for this short.

but thanks for the idea.

so since no one is posting is this a good idea or what??

I am planning out a short movie and i got stuck on a scene were a man gets in a car accident and dies.

The person who hit him ran a red light and hit the man in the side of the car.

well my set up of it was to do mostly all greenscreen of the window in the car.

But approaching the light and the man stopping at the light and do a cutaway of the intersection and the light turning green.

then it will go back to the car of the driver and window in frame. But this will be stationary because this part i will be putting up the green screen on the window.

car 1 innocent driver

car 2 red light runner

How the green screen would work would be to have the car 1 in the middle of the intersection and car 2 on the side basically touching the door. then on action everyone goes into reverse but car 1 stops at the line while car 2 just goes really fast backwards.

and ideas or suggestions?

Also to add once it hits it will go to a cutaway of a women acting like something bad happened. so the rest i can get a junk car and smash it up.

Very good.

I like the part of the light coming through the bucket when the phone was dropped and you can see the light and the phone blocking part of it.

Very well done good idea.