Ryan Rigley

please critique my project "the milkman's way" on my website, its in the projects link.

my website

I was hired as the DP for my friends personal project about a glam rock band from the 80's called Gato Blanco, He wants it to be as cheesy as we can make it; so that means as many 80's colored gels and high lighting scenarios as possible. My plan so far is to have mini lights placed in random locations with purple and green gels, maybe some orange and red ones too just to give it that super glam look, and whenever the band is outside, im going to have to Moon lights set-up. Does anyone else have any good ideas for lighting/camera work scenarios that will help to enhance the cheesiness?

thanks,

hello,

I am the D.P on my class's film project, we are filming this weekend, and i am nervous to say the least. (im terrified) ive never shot on film before (except for one very small super 8 project) but i have been doing video and lighting set-ups for a couple of years now. I am wondering if there are any blatant tips/tricks you can offer to me that will help me out. I am going to be shooting 16mm on a CP-16 camera, and using a variation of 250d/500t/and 85 B&W film stocks. anything will help, thank you very much,

signed,

Ryan Rigley

p.s. Also, i am wonder on the camera how to focus the viewfinders diopter so that it is in check with the camera lens, i vaguely remember someone telling me to zoom the lens to 12mm (the lowest setting) then set focus to inf. and focus the diopter a that point... am i wrong?

as long as the brick is lit on the wall, you will be able to tell

hey guys and gals,

I'm a DP on my school film, and i have to light an exterior bright day with out using any HMI's, should i just use the sunlight and bounce it for fills? any cool advice for me?

also, there is a polar opposite scene that needs to be lit like a film noir. It's a night scene in an alleyway with lights on the walls. Personally i want it to be pitch black without any light on the walls except for the very bright cones of light coming from the wall lights. any suggestions on either would be much appreciated

Ok,

the story is not official yet, but tentitively it is this:

it is a beautiful sunny summer day in a safe bright 1950's neighborhood. A young milkman is happily strolling his morning delivery route when he catches a glimpse of his rival milkman on his route from accross the street, they meet eyes and the war begins. Events ensue where the milkmen battle it out to get the majority of houses on the street their milk. later they have to team up to fight the home refrigeter unit and the plastic store bought gallons of milk they are keeping chilled.

as i said before, the story is not a final draft, but it gives me enough of an idea about what i will be shooting, a lot of outdoor sunny pristine environments. I have also learned that i know have a choice as to which camera i will be shooting on; i can either: rent a camera package from a rental house, or get my choise of either a CP-16 camera, an ecair ACL, or an eclair NPR from my school. All the cameras are in good shape, but the CP-16s look the newest.

Any ideas on which camera I should pick?

Also, since the shoot will be outside, i will have to choose a film with a lower ISO rating right? everyone in my group is pushing to buy the Kodak Vision 3 film, but i am saying that with the amount of light that will be cast (i will be filming in L.A. so there is no overcast to soften the sun) we will not be able to unleash the quality of V3, so we might as well go for a cheaper stock and save some cash. is this a valid point, or am i just full of sh@$?

What fun!

 

A big part of what you'll be developing is inter-personal skills and working smoothly in a group. You'll have to find your own style. Be confident but not cocky. Complement other's work without being a kiss ass.

 

I'm sure you'll have a full team with different members responsible for different aspects like art direction, costumes, casting... work closely but not forcefully with everyone; give each person a chance to do their thing but make sure their working together and on the same page. The director or a producer in the project will probably know to do that but be aware of everything going on. Maybe sit in on meetings you might not normally be part of just so you know what's coming.

 

On the technical side, I would 2nd what's already been said; spend more money on lighting and more time on art direction (not always more money). Remember that what really puts the light on the film is the lens. There are plenty of good cameras out there, but unlike most video productions, you have to carefully choose a lens that's right for the scene.

 

Good luck, and keep us updated on your progress!

yes it is, im a film virgin

Is this your first time shooting Film?

I am a film student that was selected to be the D.P. for our semester long film project. the film must be 5-7min long, and has to be shot in either 16 or super-16mm film. We can either rent our camera or use the school cameras(old eclair's). I have worked with video a lot, and I have worked on a couple of sets that used film cams as P.A's / Boom Op's... if anyone has any hints or tips for me before i start this project (I.E. good cheap rental cams, good lighting rigs...) please let me know.