Mike Lary

Hi Maxim, Welcome to the forums. Your reel is very good. You clearly have control over a wide range of aesthetics. It's definitely too long, but you might be able to shorten it by not revisiting scenes / environments later in the reel. It looks like you have enough material to separate your reel in two parts as well, one for music video and one for narrative. Thanks for sharing your work!

Thanks for sharing, Ryan. That's good stuff. What do you think the "walking tripod" refers to, a monopod? The only modern references I could find are an improperly named stabilizer unit and a monopod that folds out at the base to form a narrow based tripod.

I would just call them non-linear narratives, but I wouldn't consider the structure of a film as a qualifier for genre in and of itself. There are so many other variables that could override that commonality.

This thread should be in "Business Practices / Unions".

I wish I'd read the credits more closely before making a lengthy critique. Co-gaffing is certainly not the same as DPing. I'd like a few answers to set the record straight on this project. Why did you say you DP'd the project? Did the DP hand over creative decision making to you in regards to lighting? What about the other 'lighting' person? Did they share equal responsibilities with you? Was this a student film? The credits are bloated considering the scale of the project. There are 13 Grips listed in addition to a Key Grip. Did they count juicers as grips, or did you and your partner take on all the electric needs? Were the Grips floaters who came in for a half day here and there? If not, why did you have such a large grip crew when you had such a small kit? The camera crew had two 1st ACs, one 2nd AC and two 'focus pullers'. Did you have focus pullers full time? Just wondering why there's so much bad focus when there are four people listed in the credits who should be able to pull competently.

In respect for your request to get advice that will improve your skills, I'll forgo positive feedback. I think the previous posters have already done enough. One question first, though. Why are there two people (you and the Director) credited as Cinematographer? Overall, it's clear that you didn't have enough lights to do the job. That's not to say you didn't use the lights you had properly, but you can't sell a wide night exterior with extras walking around if you're stuck with small lights. The interiors needed backlight most of all, which could have been motivated by the few practicals in the shot (hanging bulbs, sconces - I remember seeing some here and there) as well as the understanding that a stage would have any number of lights hanging high above the frame. When the doors open and everyone is backlit by a single source, we can clearly see the shape of the light. If you're going to show the source you need to sell it. I don't buy for a second that any venue like that would have a small, blinding light aimed at anyone coming in the door. It would be a softer globe at the least, spilling in all directions. In the future, unless you're going to blow out the whole area behind the crowd, I'd put that light out of frame. If it isn't bright enough to do what you need it to do that high, get a bigger light. If you can't get a bigger light, change your lighting scheme. Watch your focus. The janitor's face is out but his shirt is in when he's approaching the magician from behind. Also, the magician is out when he's walking around the stage after singing, and there's some questionable focus when he's back on stage after the exterior scene. Watch exposure on exteriors. Part of the girls face blows out. Her face goes from being soft and fairly even toned to ugly, high contrast with blowout - not ideal when she singing about the magic of a lover's touch. Throw a silk or a net there to cut down the intensity, especially where it's a close-up and you could do it with a very small modifier. When the magician and the woman are back on stage, the scene suffers from underlighting. Coming from the beautiful outdoors, during a crescendo, there should be more molding of the faces at the least. Both figures are very flat. In the future, be involved in art direction decisions whenever possible. Actors wearing white shirts with black jackets is an avoidable nightmare. When you're shooting digital that kind of wardrobe decision can be very problematic for regulating exposure. There was a strange reflection on the magician's face when he stooped down in front of the child. I'm assuming it was from the coin, but it was very large and distracting, and it didn't look intentional. I hope that helps. Best of luck with your next project.

Thank you for the replies. Mr. Smith, I appreciate the thorough answer you gave. I wasn't wiring plugs this time (just the socket to the other end of an extension cord), but I will certainly need to apply that knowledge in the future.

I'm making some down and dirty fixtures and I want to make sure they're safe. Any help is greatly appreciated. I checked Harry Box's book, but couldn't find the answer. My question is what to do with the ground wire on the unit. Here's what the units consist of: 500 watt photo bulb porcelain socket with one leg hickey and screw terminals (Servalite 1314U, rated for 660W, 250V) 16 gauge, 13 amp, extension cord. I'm screwing the socket onto a square piece of board that has bounce board stapled onto it. The bounce board is scored and folded down on the sides to create an angled bounce all around. I know how to connect the positive and negative wires, but I'm unsure of the ground. I've read that capping it could leave a fire hazard.

I can think of many reasons productions might want to come to Michigan besides the incentives. - Great locations, including beautiful, abandoned architecture that looks almost post-apocalyptic. - Plenty of massive warehouse space for sets. - Lots of restored, vintage American-made cars for period films. - More great eateries than you can shake a fist at, many that would love to feed your crew. - Local crew with strong work ethic and skills, most of whom are not union. - Local business owners and residents who are excited about filmmaking and generally very co-operative, unlike big film cities where locals have been abused, become pissed off and hardened by the industry. - Four seasons. - Great craft brew.

Maybe because the regular 8mm cameras were decades older, used more over the years, and not maintained. Maybe you're looking at footage from low quality cameras. I owned two Bolex H8's. One was rock steady and I have yet to see any super8 footage that matches in steadiness or sharpness. The other camera needed servicing, like most cameras that are fifty or more years old and have been sitting in someone's basement after their owner died and his/her relatives bought camcorders.

I shot a scene where a guy 'got hit' by a truck. We shot with a static camera sans actor with the truck coming straight at the camera, past the point where the man would be struck. Then in the same setup we shot just the actor walking across the street with two guys carrying a green screen behind him, then composited the two later. It was a relatively simple key and it sold very well because the actor turned toward the vehicle right before it 'hit'. We didn't show an actual body getting hit, and it wasn't necessary for that film, but you could easily cut from the implied hit to a closer shot, maybe of a POV inside the vehicle, to the actor/stuntperson rolling up onto the hood.

You can try eBay. I've had some success there. You could also post an ad around your school. You're more likely to find a buyer if you tell them the date the film was purchased and how it was stored (fridge, freezer) and for how long it was stored in the proper or improper environment. And be honest about how it was stored so the buyer doesn't have any unpleasant surprises after shelling out cash for telecine. You could also have a snip test done to assure the buyer that the film is good. Don't expect much ROI, though, as anyone purchasing is taking a risk.

I'd take the DVX over a GL any day. When I was a student I built a small kit consisting of (two each ) 150 fresnels, 650 fresnels, and 2K fresnels. The 150s were rarely used, and in retrospect 300s would have been a better option. The 650s were versatile and always used. The 2Ks made it difficult to maintain power, especially in older houses with bad wiring and houses that weren't up to code, but it was worth it. Having even one 2K for key with a couple 650s for fill, backlight, etc.. was the next best thing to having a small HMI. As far as Kinos and students are concerned, every student should know how to use them, but Kinos encourage laziness. The harder the light, the more the student needs to think and work to create the desired aesthetic. And for the money, a second hand Arri fresnel kit will give you more bang for your buck. I'd stay away from China lanterns with students because they're such a fire hazard.

I'm a little confused by your wording. The focus marks are still accurate in regards to the physical distance to the subject. If your new minimum focus with the diopter is six inches, then the six inch mark on the lens will define your minimum focus. There's no illusion of closer focus. Am I misunderstanding your question?

You can purchase orangewood sticks in bulk from a beauty or manicurist supply store for a fraction of the price film supply companies charge. They're great for cleaning gates because they're too soft to scratch the metal but hard enough to dislodge debris and built up emulsion.

Learn as much about photography as you can. I found this book extremely valuable: The Photographer's Handbook by John Hedgecoe. It contains a lot of technical information about how film stocks work, filters, processing, the mechanical aspects of cameras, etc. Once you have a strong grasp of photography you can apply it to both film and digital cinematography.

I used diopters on a K3 stock Meteor lens. The minimum focus distance on the lens was around six feet if I remember correctly. When I placed a diopter on the minimum focus distance got closer. When I used all three diopters (1, 2, and 3) I was shooting macro from about six to eight inches away. DOF was almost non-existent. I don't know the relationship, but I know I used a formula from the ASC Manual to determine DOF. It might address the min focus distance as well, but I don't have the book handy to check.

Did you have the eyepiece diopter closed? If not, light could have leaked in that way. What speed film were you using and how long did you have the camera open? Did you run film while the camera was open? Were you running from daylight spools or from a core?

You can ask a lab to do a snip test and that will help you determine how much sensitivity has been lost. You can refreeze and refrigerate film. You just need to make sure the seal stays tight, otherwise condensation can form inside the can. If your film just came out of someone else's fridge, I would keep it in yours until you're ready to shoot.

They already phased film out of their photography department a few quarters ago, which is a damn shame because they had a top notch photography department.

My favorite ad so far has been for a real estate company that needed a cam op to drive to houses and shoot the environment for some kind of virtual tour. They were paying about $40 per house and said "keep track of your mileage. we won't reimburse you for it, but it is a tax-deductable business expense". requirements: must have own professional HD camera and Steadicam.

It means they set the aperture right between 2.8 and 4.

For the kind of effect you want, you might be able to have someone who isn't prone to electrocuting himself hold the plug very loosely into the wall so it barely makes a connection, then jiggle it around. Dimmers are only going to fight what you're trying to do because you need to interrupt the flow. I found a DIY solution for a flickerbox online a while back but I can't find the link. You might be able to find it in a search. I've heard it's really dangerous building that kind of unit yourself, though, because they build up a lot of heat. The safest way would be to get your hands on a flickerbox like the Shadowmaker (by Magic Gadgets). You can set the flicker so there's no ramping, change the duration of the strobe, and randomize the duration. I think they make a single circuit flickerbox as well. The Shadowmaker has three circuits.

I bought this camera for a short film and now I need to sell it because I'm moving and packing light. It would make a great student camera or b-roll camera. There's an extensive description on my eBay listing. Give me a yell if you have questions. If you're in the Savannah area, feel free to come by and inspect it. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=330245187844 I also have some year old stock that is viable, about 1400 feet of 7217 - I shot several hundred feet from the same lot recently with good results. Screenshots available on request. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=330245084882

Thanks, Adrian. I'll give H264 a try. The diner shot aspect ratio switch is something I need to fix. The finished product was cropped to 2:35 and I mixed dailies with final edit by accident. It took so long to render the file that I didn't think it would be worth fixing and re-exporting - given that I expected I'd be tearing it apart after critique. I'd added the airport shot because David Mullen suggested I have more window shots, but if that shot isn't up to par I'll take it out. What was it you didn't find interesting, the composition, overall aesthetic?