Chris Lange

Hello, Just curious how people feel about the footage in their reels in regards to format, resolution? Perhaps you've done really nice film work, but only got an SD transfer because of cost, or even shot using a lesser quality video camera. Would you put these next to the finer 35mm or HD stuff? I consider my SD stuff to be some of my nicest work, at least on a personal artistic level, but someone told me that it didn't really flow next to the higher quality stuff. What do you think? Chris

Thanks a lot guys! I'm going to give it a shot in July. I'll plan an experiment with bracketing. I'll let you know how it goes. Chris

Hello, Could anyone point me to some writing, in books or online, that delves into the proper technique of double exposure? I am particularly interested in what kind of images are better for the first layer of recording versus the second? And if any compensation in lighting or f-stop can contribute to the success of a double exposure? I assume so, but really don't know what that should be. One of the inspirations for my test is Drugstore Cowboy. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks. Chris

Hi, Could one feasibly mix EX3 footage with 5D footage so that an audience wouldn't recognize the change? Could one match the colors exactly? Could a single interior night scene run seamlessly between use of these two cameras, for an edit that cuts between them? Thanks for any discussion on this matter, Chris

Does anyone know how I could go about processing Kodachrome II color film? Thanks, Chris

Thanks a lot! Interesting discussion here...much appreciated! A while back I did some testing and liked the results. I just finished principle photography, in keeping to my original plan of skip-bleach, which included underexposure to compensate for the highlights. So now after finishing the the project, friends and teachers have scared me with similar thoughts of less risk, more control, etc. for achieving the look in post. At this point, I think l'll stick to my original game plan and go with the special processing. It's what I planned for. Might not get a chance to do it again this way. I like the look, though I really like what Dominic had to say about expanding the visual possibilities of the story's needs. -Chris

Hello, In the scenario of processing film with a transfer to video, would the skip bleach process be better at the developing stage? Or, at this point in history, are you really just reducing your options by doing such a thing? Can you achieve this effect with post software and color correction? Are there obvious differences between a digital post skip-bleach look and one done at the developing stage? Any help will be much appreciated... Chris

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll just start calling around, get some quotes and try to negotiate a good deal for a student. Thanks, Chris

Hello, I'm trying to come up with a budget for a short I will be shooting in the Spring. I will be using 3600 ft of film. Calling the labs is sort of giving me a headache. Each lab has differences in their total process. I'm not looking to go broke in this process, so yes, it's the cost to performance issue. And I will probably go standard definition, since I can't afford HD. One lab offers cheaper processing, but has more phases to the tranfer, which results in more money in the end. This particular lab offers transfer to DV CAM. I would then have them tranfer the tape to a harddrive. Two extra costs in this final output are: the DV CAM tapes themselves and the tranfer to hard drive. The other lab offers slightly more expensive processing, but is able to transfer directly to hardrive, reducing a step to the final, which overall, is less expensive. However, the first lab has a better reputation. Any thoughts on this issue? Thanks, Chris

Thanks, I'll test them soon.

So, I'm having a hard time finding out the differences between Vision 2 250D and Vision 3 250D...What are you gaining and/or losing with the new Vision 3? I'm considering Vision 3 for a student film, but Vision 2 will be cheaper for me. Has anyone done a side by side comparison? Thanks, Chris

Thanks man! I'll check it out.

Hello, I'm looking to try bleach bypass for the first time. Do you know of any labs that specialize in that sort of thing? Or do all labs work with you in trying to bleach bypass your film based on notes and desired look? Any help will be much appreciated. Chris

Hello, I'm a student with a limited amount of equipment. Here's a senario: 500T used in an interior scene. Subject will be in front of a window during the day. A green colored sheet will be covering the window. The character is kind of a shut-in, reclusive type. My gut wants to use no filter, so no gels will have to be on the two cinema lights to light the scene. My questions involve: A. Should I use an 85 filter? B. What if I placed a 1k DP outside and blasted it at the blanket to mix with the daylight? C. Or do I go ahead and use 85 with CTB on lights inside? Any experience, thoughts are always appreciated for a guy learning. Thanks!

Hello, A little question regarding flourecent lighting with 500T... If I shoot 500T Vision 3 in a school room that has flourecent lights, what will the film look like after being developed? The room has high ceilings, so the lights are fairly distanced from the subject, and framings will be tighter. Also, I will be lighting the subject with kino tungsten lights. This would be a somewhat mixed lighting scheme. Is this a bad idea? I understand that this question might need an explanation of content. Briefly said, I'm not looking for the most pleasant aesthetic here. I am open to a certain blandness or uncorrected feeling. Any thoughts will be much appreciated. Thanks, Chris

I said i'd respond, and I'm sorry it's so late. Development of this stock worked. I am quite pleased. Darks look pretty bad and very grainy, but lit aspects of the frame are quite nice and have a dated quality I was looking for. A slight magenta hue as well. -Chris

Thanks for the discussion here. I tested a 100 ft of 7251. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks, Chris

Hello, I recently got a few 400ft rolls of Ektachrome 7251. This stock is discontinued and old. I don't know how old it is, but I'd still like to experiment with it. What is the general idea for exposing older film stocks? More specifically, how would you expose older color reversal? Overexpose or underexpose? On the Kodak label, meter setting listings are: ASA 400 in daylight, ASA100 in Tungsten (with 80 filter) The process is VNF-1 or RVNP...I found a lab that can process it. Any thoughts on this attempt will be greatly appreciated... THANKS! -Chris

Thanks for the advice! A very nice explanation. Much appreciated. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of overrating (overexposing). How is it that overexposing will help create deeper blacks or finer grain? Say you overexpose 1 stop, what would happen to the highlights with this stock? And how does this practice relate to overrating the grey card. Can you overrate all seperate shots and the grey card? Or one and not the other? Thanks, Chris

I have no time to make tests, and this short is an experiment. In a way, it is a test. I am familiar with the camera and the mags; it has worked fine in the past. What you say about the stock is probably true, but we got a deal on the 500T. I appreciate your concern. I am inexperienced, but learning, and enoying the process. Chris

Now with telecine and DIs, contrast can be dialed in as you like. You can cut more of the shadow and highlight detail out, or keep more of it in as you see fit. Overexposure will not inherently give you more contrast. It will give you a denser negative because you are exposing more of the silver halide crystals on the film. Overexposure is also used so that when you are printing film the photochemical way, you are pushing more light through the negative on to the positive giving you a less grainy and solid image. This has the effect of some denser, cleaner blacks. My advice, as I think everyone's advice here, is to do tests with the lab and have those tests finished through to the release format, be it film, video, or a DI onto film. Thanks for the information...this is quite helpful. I have no time or money for tests. I'm just going to go for it. We have planned for a crazy lighting settup. I'd like for it to feel psychedelic, but with some dark dense blacks. My idea is to film a gray card and color card at the head of each roll/settup under regular unfiltered tungsten light. Then I will start adding filters to the lamps; some reds, greens, and blues. If the lab grades the stock for the unfiltered light, the crazy filtered light should be able to come alive, right? I hope this is the case. Also, I heard that overexposing the grey card is a viable option in this case as well. Any ideas on this concept? Thanks!

Hello, Soon I will be shooting in some crazy lighting settups, and I want the stock to react in the proper way. Think acid trip. The stock is 500T 7219. The question I have concerns filming the grey card and color card. In order to have such crazy light, such as deep blue, green, and red filtered lights, do I film the grey card with these lights off? Under, say, an unfiltered tungsten lamp? Am I way off the radar with this concept? Chris

It will be a telecine. Thanks so much for your reply! I think I'll keep to that 8 stop rule, and be in touch with the lab for bumping contrast. Thanks again. Chris

Would overexposing increase contrast and make blacks denser? How far can I go with this? And lighting plays a very important role in this look; I have to keep the stock's latitude in mind. Perhaps meter for the key light (while setting f-stop the same), and have shadows drop off completey out of the acceptable range? This will help create dynamic, contrasty frames? Any help/experience in this sort of look? Chris

Hello all, I will be shooting on 500T 16mm soon. It's a horror movie. I'd like not to have so much shadow detail; i'd like to actually see dark dense blacks. Any recommendations on how to achieve this? Thanks much, Chris