Jean Paul DiSciscio

Great. Thanks for the helpful hints.

I have an upcoming production for which I am exploring day for night shooting. The film will be shot in black and white primarily on a Sony F5. Any tips/tricks that can be offered on day for night shooting, lighting needs, camera functions and post-production processes would be appreciated! We only have the location during the afternoon, but the overall aesthetic of the film references early Hollywood so the day for night shooting is appropriate. Best, JP

Thanks David. Appreciate your knowledge as always.

Hi everyone, I just ran some camera tests on the Sony F55. We're shooting an MFA thesis film at Emerson College in Boston and this was our first test. Here's my question: Why does shooting with a Red 25 filter yield such extreme contrast after converting to black and white? We're shooting the entire film black and white by simply turning the monitor to b&w, then reverting the Raw images to be graded in post. Our tests with yellow filters and blue filters converting to black and white yielded similar results to using color filters with b&w film, increasing contrast. Shooting with a Red 25 then converting to b&w out looks like some kind of Microsoft paint filter, like a posterize effect. Can anyone explain why this is? I've shot with red filter and converted to b&w on DSLRs and they simply make a blue sky black and bring out the whites more in clouds. Thanks.

I need a shot of a puddle with the reflected image of my exterior location (the iron gates of a hospital fence), while it rains into the murky puddle, breaking up the image. My first approach was projecting the image (using a video projector) into water, and letting water droplets fall into the basin to manipulate a shot from a puddle on a rainy day. Didn't work. Any suggestions? Would it be easier to just bring a tub to the actual location, reflect the image in it, then add my simulated rain? If so, what's the best way to light this? Its a daylight shot. -J.P.

So this is a pretty low budget short I'm working on. In the past I've manipulated rain using two garden hoses with a sprinkler ring attachment on both, and it worked great. My only challenge with this particular shot is the fact that my exterior angle is too far from any faucet or hose. So, I'm stuck with making my water supply portable. Since I'm shooting a low angle looking up, can I simply have scattered drops only a few feet in front of the lens? If so, how does one get the most realistic looking droplets. My watering can filtered through a mesh screen idea made the drops looks perfectly round (and thus did not look like consistent rain).

Yes, I am trying to incorporate the full moon into a live-action wide shot. I just attempted a test, using a miniature light bulb close to the lens in the foreground, and lit my background separately. It looked decent. I had to use a dimmer for my mini light bulb so that it didn't flare my lens. My next step is printing on transparency paper (the textures of the moon), and putting that in front of my mini light bulb (sort of like a cloud plate). So, basically, its a matte shot.

In the past, I've done forced perspective with frosted, round light bulbs to fake for the moon. It looked good at a distance. My next step is simply using acrylic paint on glass of a moon, and incorporating forced perspective. Any suggestions as to the best approach?

I'm trying to emulate rain for a low angle shot, which looks up at wrought iron gates. We don't see the ground, or anyone in the shot. Just sky and iron work. I've experimented using a simple watering can, and filtered the water through a mesh screen in front of my lens, while side lighting to have some catch light on the drops. It looks like crap. Any suggestions? My next step is to use a storm drain, drill tiny holes in it, and pour my water into that in front of the lens for a more uniform feel.

Just picked up the 7D, and for some reason, I am not loving it as much as my XH-A1. I seem to have better control and detail on the XH-A1 than on the 7D. Can anyone tell me what I'm missing? Could it just be the Quicktime playback (because the 7D footage looks great on the camera's LCD.

I've been experimenting with Forced Perspective recently, and was curious if anyone had an opinion on what lens would achieve my desired effect on the 7D. I'm shooting a miniature antique ambulance in the foreground of a real hospital. I tested this with my Canon XH-A1 and the effect worked beautifully with infinite focus. I'm having some trouble achieving this with my 18mm lens for the 7D that I just purchased. What lenses have macro capabilities, while maintaining focus of the background?

I'm shooting a short using the mini35 adapter with a range of Nikon Prime Lenses on my Canon XH-A1. I'm interested in buying a director's viewfinder. What is the best one for replicating video using a 35 dof adapter?

I was just wondering how exactly did Welles' cinematographer Russell Metty create the shot where Welles' stretched out shadow creeps towards his wife's bed as the CAMERA DOLLIES with it, getting smaller and smaller until he finally appears in the shot, looming over her bed, at the very last moment. How would we achieve the exact same effect? Any insight would be great...

I need an exterior WIDE shot with rain. My low teach approach is to use a water can in front of the lens, and side light to highlight my fake rain (with shallow DOF in the background) to obscure the details. Also, to have my extras carry umbrellas. Does anyone have a better, more realistic approach (besides waiting for it rain) than this technique?

Thanks, David. I'll try that.

I'm creating a Match Dissolve from two shots. The first shot DOLLIES IN to an ECU on the detailing above an iron gate. As we get closer, the CAMERA begins to move into a DUTCH ANGLE. The second shot is simply the reverse out from an ECU of a radio, and corrects the DUTCH to a balanced composition while moving back. Any tips for getting this DUTCH as smooth as possible while DOLLYING?

I'm looking to shoot a more gentle, and soft style of lighting for my next project. Being a minimal budget, I'm going to stock up on China balls. The ultimate goal is to make the film look as though it was shot using natural, existing light. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where to buy cheap China Balls and good 5500K bulbs that will manipulate natural sunlight? I'm favoring films from the 70s like 'Fat City' where everything has an 'unlit' look. Thanks, -J.P.