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Gregory Middleton

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Everything posted by Gregory Middleton

  1. The new Pilot for "V" was shot f-35's from Clairemont in Vancouver.
  2. Rating 1/3 or 2/3's of a stop under the Recommended EI works well ( 320 and 200 ). The 400T can become very muddy when underexposed. It has a much more noticeable grain than the 250D and a lower color saturation. Are you finishing photochemically? The differences in Color can be easily matched in digital post.
  3. I thought I would add something not related in technical terms. If you are evaluating a shot you will more easily notice contrast if it was high than a very wide latitude. How your eye sees contrast is all within the image. You can see when the shadows on the dark side of a face become very intense, how fine details stand out against a lighter color etc. Think of a Bleach By Pass print for example. Latitude is better noticed if you were present when the shot was taken. You then have a reference by eye of all the relative brightnesses in the scene. Now factor that in to the physical limitations of the Print you want to create. Super low contrast stocks can give you detail everywhere but the image will have no true Black or White. Balancing those 2 things is the tricky part. If you have the exposure, Pull Processing will reduce contrast and saturation. In the Digital realm you now have almost complete control of the 'Curves' so you can really experiment.
  4. If you need to be very mobile and can't plug stuff in try a battery powered light. If you are shooting with a little gain like +3db then a small battery powered light will do a lot. You can even bounce it into a flex/fill or white card for close ups. Just because you are carrying a sun gun style light or an Arri 125w Pocket Par doesn't mean it has to look like news. Strategically place your key to not be too flat and not too bright to overwhelm your background. Good Luck
  5. Karl, I'm not sure you're actually interested in an argument in favor of Slumdog. The Oscars are in the end a popularity contest. The membership is very diverse as are their artistic tastes and experience. Obviously you disagree with it winning, but what none of us can disagree with its the effects the cinematography had on the voters because they have made their opinion clear. I believe they voted that way because they found the cinematography fresh, inventive and very effective at immersing the audience in the story. If you want some specific example of that I would cite the following. Overall image Quality or "look". The higher contrast , higher saturation slightly noisier texture made the most of the environment. It was not the most realistic but complemented the editing style well by making colors stand out more and noticeable in the quick cutting sequences. It also allowed more color to show up reflected in the skin of the actors , which i think made them part of the environment more. Scene when the Muslims and Hindus clash and our 2 your young heros run through the slums. A great use of a tiny camera to be able to run with them in a real location with limited support. We really feel we are with them instead of watching at a distance. Great use of the short burst steprinted images shot with the DSLR. I can tell you first hand how difficult it is to shoot in India, and the way they chose to shoot got them amazing results that lesser filmmakers would have never achieved. Use of wide lenses in Close ups. Deliberate choice. Again consistent with an immersive style. Loved the scene when his brother shoots the Pimp. 2 Brothers talk at the Construction site. Who doesn't remember the city reflected in the Brothers glasses? Denying us access to his eyes is one thing, their old neighbor hood as the only thing we can see is something else. I think Chris Menges work on The Reader was outstanding as usual. But the Academy Members remembered Slumdog more. I personally don't think there is only one BEST every year.
  6. Karl, Not using supplemental lighting does not imply that no other skills and talents are used in creating the images. Choice of camera position, lens, exposure, movement , the way digital data is handled afterwards under the DP's supervision are all part of the equation. Making the right choice to maximize the impact of visualizing the script is crucial in my mind when I evaluate any work. Slumdog probably made the biggest impact. Remember 3 other Oscar nominated films which had many scenes and in one case the whole movie with very little supplemental lighting. The New World, The Thin Red Line and Days of Heaven.
  7. One of the most important criteria I believe is the Visual Interpretation of the Script. The choice of 'what' to do is arguably more important than 'how'. Beautifully crafted images that do not enhance the storytelling may be wonderful in their own way but do not service the film. Its very easy to let vanity get the better of us sometimes. Slumdog Millionaire benefitted greatly from the shooting style and lighting style. People noticed. Imagine Children of Men shot more conventionally. Probably not as involving.
  8. There is no easy solution to this problem. The question I ask is what 'feel' is desired. A locked to the vehicle feeling or a one where the camera can move slightly and be operated. If you have no choice of roads ( you really like the background of a particular street ) then this will help make the mounting choice for you. If you want rock steady then mounting to the car is the best way. You will have to grab the camera from the top as well as the baseplate to take out any flex. Mulitipoint rigging is the key. Suction cups with arms and heads are helpful for the top points. "Hostess tray" side mounts work well. Don't use a camera head, use a tilt plate for less flex and to keep the camera closer to the mounting point. The longer and heavier the more flex and more bounce. If your road is super bumpy then handheld is sometimes the best solution. Roll up a furniture pad or otherwise brace your elbows so that the camera is more comfortably resting on you . You want to avoid the feeling of "lifting" the camera. You can then use you strength to steady any bumps and float out the big ones. Vibration isolators can be useful sometimes but not always. I have never used them to any effect on car rigs myself. The technology exists to shoot on super bumpy roads car to car but thats in another price league. Good luck on your shoot.
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