Miguel Angel

Hi Michael, That sounds very strange to me. Even in the second units that I work on everything is really controlled by the main cinematographer and the 2nd unit cinematographer and almost everything is done in camera and if it cannot be done in camera the cinematographer makes himself available for the grading. I was fortunate enough to create the look of the dailies / rushes for Mr. Prieto when working on Biutiful via color corrected photos that I took on set and then printed and sent to the lab with the footage which came back exactly as he wanted and from there to the final movie it was just a matter of tweaking the grading a bit. Of course I can see that if you are lucky enough to be working 11 months a year, being in the grading suite when the project is going to be graded might be tough but as long as the communication with the colorist is clear and everyone understands each other then working remotely shouldn't be a problem (unless you don't trust the colorist or you haven't worked with that person before, etc, etc) I have not shot many projects myself but one thing I make clear is that we have to find the look in camera and that one person I have been working for years now takes the chair of colorist. I also shoot an awful lot of tests and a grey card and a colour card before each shoot so my colorist knows what I am after :) Maybe it is a matter of finding the right person to work with Michael :)? Have a lovely day!

It looks great! Looking forward to watching the whole short - film! Have a good day.

The frames look amazing! I know this is something that you might have answered million of times (but maybe you have a wee time after wrapping up to post more updates). With the Alexa (and digital in general) do you try to have the same contrast ratio (either the same way or with the light a bit softer, etc) by eye when going from a wide to a close up or you still measure the lights so you can get what you want and, are you worried a lot about matching wide and close ups nowadays? Have a good day!

Hello again! The director edited the little camera test and I graded it (not too much to do though) so it is online for you to see it if you want to! http://vimeo.com/119228911 On the other hand, I have been working on the new Jim Sheridan's movie as a dailies 2nd AC, The Secret Scripture, and I am amazed! The gaffer James McGuire is magnificent and a lot of questions I had to ask I asked them to him and he was very very kind to answer them all, he gave me a masterclass on interior / days (which is something I have been worrying about for quite a while now) when we were changing set ups and it was marvelous. Greg McGuinness gave me my first chance in Ireland and Andrew O'Reilly (1st AC) gave me hope and I'm really happy I met him :) I think that I have been annoyed with myself since I entered uni because of a lot of things and the pressure of becoming a dop, after working with Jim Sheridan and his astonishing crew (Andrew amongst them) I can't be happier, I love being 2nd AC and as long as they want me to be 2nd AC I will be one because it is something I am passionate about and something I do very well, I have no intentions of becoming 1AC though which is the most difficult job in the world ha! I know that becoming a dop takes a lot of time and luck and as I am not in a pressure anymore and I am happier than ever working as a 2nd AC I don't mind if I ever make it or not, I know I will keep shooting short - films for my friends and scripts I like but I don't need to be a dop anymore nor pretend that I will become one, realizing that was very difficult and tough but once I did it felt as if I had thrown out a grudge I had been carrying for quite a long time now!. Anyway! More work on the feature tomorrow and bringing the final chapter of my thesis on Thursday, I think I will upload the thesis once it is finished so you can flick through it! Have a lovely day all! Best.

I just wrote an email to Tiffen the other day regarding the filters and this the answer just in case you were a tad more curious about the differences ?: "Glimmerglass is a diffusion filter that softens fine details by adding a mild lowering of contrast while adding a not too overpowering mild glow to highlights. The filter has a distinct silver sparkle to it, that when viewed by the talent can be used in an pseudo physiological fashion, by showing your talent you are using this filter to accentuate their beauty and make them look wonderful! Pearlescent Filters are designed to remove the excess sharpness of today's lenses and high resolution sensors. Pearlescent filters produce a subtle new look by introducing a slight softening of contrast added to a luxurious spill of halation around highlights. These new filters aid cinematographers and photographers alike in taking the edge off the image and aid in reducing blemishes on talent adding a softness in the images highlights. You can also learn more here: http://tiffen.com/tiffen-filters/4k-diffusion-test-film/" Hopefully the first day went well! Have a lovely day. Best.

I have to agree with Phil, as almost always, on the production designing part. It seems to me that production designing (and locations) is the most important part of the visual style of a film. You can create a beautiful photography or have the best actors but if what it is in front of the camera is poop, your project will look really bad. Have a good day. Best.

Jim Sheridan's new movie! ?

Thank you for the answers Mr. Mullen, very informative as always. I will have to go to Panavision in Dublin to see if they have those Pearlscent filters, maybe the difference is mostly in the strenght, having a wider option in the Glimmerglass filters if you want a less visible effect? Or maybe they can be combined so you use Glimmerglass and if you want to go further than the number 2 you can use the Pearls because they are denser than the Glimmerglass? I think I will send an email to Tiffen just out of curiosity! I'm sorry I made a mistake now that I re-read what I wrote, I meant T2 as it is the stop you will be using, my fault! Of course you are right, not too many options available when talking about lenses with stops further than T1.3 (maybe the lenses that Kubrick used? Although I don't remember the exact T-stop and I remember the price being just out of this world) Regarding double reflections I worked recently on a car commercial where we had that new matte box from Arri that you can tilt and it worked really well (we used Soft Fx and NDs and zero problems with the car lights and etc!) so if you can get one for your next projecf I highly recommend it, unless the light comes from a very very strange angle you tilt the matte box and voila! No double reflections. Talking about initial concepts, when you shoot a feature, do you find it difficult to stick to the original plan or you let the movie grow and flow and embrace the new options? I have wanted to see "A Most Violent Year" since I saw the trailer, it will be released soon over here so I'll go to see it. Thanks a lot and "mucha mierda" for the movie as we say in Spain! Have a lovely day!

Thank you very much for your thoughts on your new feature Mr. Mullen. ARRIRAW is also slower to download and with the internal codex you have about 35 minutes to shoot per drive at 24fps in anamorphic, sorry I don't remember the spherical times :). It is a pity that ARRIRAW is out of the budget, however, Prores is fantastic too :). You mentioned that you chose the Master Primes because of the possibility to shoot with a very shallow - focus photography, do you mind if I ask you to explain a tad more what is the concept / idea behind getting the Master Primes as there are plenty of lenses out there which open at that stop an even further, obviously not that sharp though. Being the movie set in the 80s would you have chosen any other lenses if you had had the option? By the way, the Glimmerglass series of filters might be useful too to get those highlights a little bit expanded without being too much, I'm rather sure that you have tested them though :) , if you haven't and you have a chance, it is a very interesting filter. Have a good day (and thanks again!) Best.

Thank you! Have a good day!

Very informative Guy! Do you think you could have bounced a couple of 12K (providing you have had the power) plus diffusion to get the same ambience levels in the interior or that would have been too much if you don't mind me asking? Have a good day!

I shot a short piece two weeks ago where I wanted to play with outside light a bit and decided that I wanted to introduce lightning strikes at some stage. The room was dark at night and as I did not have a budget I rented a M18 and the guys from the rental place (Cine Electric in Ireland) lent me a giant venetian shutter. I have to say that it worked! What I felt is that I needed a bigger light than the M18 because if you want to fill a big space with the lightning, the M18 might not be enough. Before going with the venetian shutter I tested the dimmer box but I did not like the feeling, lightning strikes are very fast and go from nothing to a big intensity of light in less than 1 second and when I was testing the dimmer boxes I felt that it wasn't quick enough for my taste. I think I have some shoots from the piece on my computer if you want to take a look at them. Have a good day.

I love seeing a director blocking a scene, it is so inspiring when they get the most out of the shoot in just one shoot. John Ford is my go - to classic director when talking about composing and blocking and David Fincher and Steven Spielberg are the ones I tend to keep an eye on nowadays. I miss those days where actors played within the frame and that frame had multiple layers where they all could play :(. It is my opinion that staging a sequence in that way is far more difficult than staging a sequence and shooting it from 20 angles. Have a lovely day! Best.

Thank you very much for the response and the tips! all written down now! :) Very appreciated! Have a lovely day. Best.

Hello, If you are based in London I would consider going to either Panavision or Movietech (in Pinewood), both camera rental houses are absolutely fantastic, I have worked with both and if you present the project in a nice and professional way they are more than happy to help. It would be great if your cinematographer have worked with any of the rental camera places before so they will know him / her and that is always good. All in all, 35mm camera rental fees are quite cheap nowadays so you might get a very good deal in any of the places above mentioned or on the ones you know. Hiring equipment from abroad is an option if you get all or most of the stuff for free, then you will only have to pay UPS / FEDEX shipping charges (which are not bad at all) but you might want to get heavy stuff (let's say tripods / dollies / cranes / etc) in the country you're going to shoot your film. Cinelab is a fantastic place to process film so that's a very good pick. Have a good day.

You better finish it soon, I want to see it! ;) Have a lovely day. Best.

Mr. Mullen, One question regarding the "outside" if it is ok for me to ask. Would you be reading the exterior with the spot meter or with the incident light meter? Let's take your example and say that you read the exterior with the spot meter and it says T22, would you be reading your interior with the incident light meter and light it up to T8 or you would be reading the interior with the spot meter too and light it for T8? Thanks in advance! Best.

Beaches are always a complicated subject when it comes to talk about shooting on them. With film you will have to have your loader out of the beach and the sand. If you have a camera truck, unload and load the mags in the camera truck and bring them to the beach always with the case. If you don't have a camera truck, then make production set up a place out of the beach where the loader can work comfortably and with no dangerous elements around. Check the gate through the lens, the less you have to take out the lens, the better. While changing mags off the beach would be something fantastic, sometimes it is not practical because of the length of the beach, times, light, etc. If you have to change mags on the beach, make sure that the camera is covered while changing them, clean the pins very well and also the loop / metal thread. Make sure you run a test with the "test" or the "phase" button to see that everything is working properly before saying "ok". Don't leave anything open as sand enters through the smallest holes. Bring to the beach just the essential things. It would be interesting to bring a Clear / Flat filter just in case it gets super windy and you need to shoot, that way you will cover the front of the lens from possible impacts. if for some reason your camera falls to the water and the film stock with it, get a big bucket with normal water and put everything there, sea water is the worst thing that can happen to anything and by placing the camera in normal water you will make sure that salt will be cleaned. Take the mag out and send it like that to the lab as soon as possible (as well as the camera to the rental place of course! :)) On digital, all of the above mentioned still apply, however you won't have to take mags out and you won't have to thread the camera (which is something really good) Make sure your loader, again, leaves his / her loading station off the sand. For the cameras themselves, get a tripod and when the camera is not being used, put it on the tripod. On top of that, get sun cream often, drink water often and enjoy a great day! Have a good one! Best.

Marshland - La Isla Mínima is the new venture of the Spanish director Alberto Rodriguez. Synopsis In the MARSHLAND a serial killer is on the loose. Two homicide detectives who appear to be poles apart must settle their differences and bring the murderer to justice before more young women lose their lives IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3253930/ Trailer English Subtitles After watching the movie people usually say that it looks like True Detective although True Detective came after Marshland but there are links between the two of them in terms of composition, framing and narrative which is quite interesting. However, that is absolutely irrelevant as Marshland as a movie has its own entity and stands out as a neo - noir Spanish movie set in the 80's among the other neo - noir pieces shot in the world. Marshland's characters are absolutely brilliant, very well written, fantastically directed and with a great cast. The actors are superb and they perform the script as if it had been part of their lives, which is very unusual for Spanish actors, who are not very good. Cinematography, by Alex Catalan, is far beyond imagination. It might read as something very common but the levels of darkness and the way he lights the sets is astonishing (my friend Miguel Cardenas, the gaffer in this movie, was really surprised as to how little lights they used), of course, the set designer, Pepe Dominguez, plays a massive role on Alex Catalan's cinematography but the mood is really accentuated by how Alex decided to play with contrast and muted colours in order to create that sense of solitude, decadence and etc. There are several times where you see how he uses colors to represent different states of mind, not very often but some times. Part of a car chase sequence at night on the marshland is even shot with the car lights off which is very brave. Had I seen this movie in 2014 (when it was released) it would have been in my top 3, together with Cold In July and Gone Girl, such is the power of the story and the images. I don not know if it will be released out of Spain some day soon (I came to Spain to shoot a couple of things and I had the chance to grab a ticket for the last screening of the movie in cinemas yesterday) but if you have a chance to find it, watch it because it is very enjoyable, the story gets you right there, the characters are really really powerful and real and the cinematography and narrative are among the best ones in the world in 2014. If it had been an American movie we would be praising it a lot by now. Have a good day!

I know! On the other hand we have the fantastic creative people who wants to make movies all years and they say yes to Amazon.. like Woody Allen!! Why did he say yes.. nobody knows! http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/13/7536923/amazon-woody-allen-tv-series-coming-to-prime http://time.com/3665353/woody-allen-amazon-tv-series/ Best!

Very big move for a company like Amazon, however, it was expected after all the money they put on developing new teams for their studios and production positions and how well they performed on smaller productions. http://variety.com/t/amazon-studios/ http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/19/amazon-studios-to-produce-original-films-for-theatrical-release/ It wants to market the indie community, which is really good. Their plan for distribution is fab too, let's see if it works though, I hope so! Have a good day!

I own a set of Schneider - Kreiznach Cine Xenon (the vintage ones) and they are marvelous! Lovely old lenses which render the colors very well and give a dreamy look aswell! I imagine the newest versions will be even better! Best.

Thank you very much! The interview is fantastic! :) Have a good day!

I own several light - meters that I have gotten through the years. One of the old Sekonic ones (5º), the Minolta Spotmeter F (1º), the Minolta Autometer IV and the Spectra IV - A. I only use the Spotmeter F and the Spectra IV - A. My opinion is that between the two lightmeters that you are considering on buying, I would choose the L758 as you have all the lightmeters in one and it will be cheaper than buying the L478 and then the spot meter attachment or a different spot meter. You will have everything in one device and you will have to take care of one piece of equipment as opposed as two so less hassle and less chances of leaving it on location. The L758 has a 1º spot meter rather than the old 5º one which is very convenient. The reason I got both light meters separately is because I have a very bad memory and when using the Sekonic, 99% of the times I forget to turn the "ball" to the right position if I change from incident to spot so the readings don't make any sense, however, it is in my bag all the times just in case something happens to my two normal light meters (I also don't like all the options that the Sekonic has, I just want to press the button and get a reading :D) In Ireland, the L758 DR is €649.99 and the L478DR is €479.99 so go for the 758 if you can afford it, you will be happier. The difference between the 1º and the 5º measurement will come handy when planning on measuring something very small on the background or a very narrow shaft of light / rim light / patch / etc. It is also very useful when you want to take very accurate measurements of things that are very close (macro or food photography come to my mind). Hopefully you will get more opinions so you can make up your mind! :) Have a good day!

I didn't know where to write this post so I suppose that it fits in "Cinematographers" I searched on cinematography.com to see if it had been posted already but it doesn't seem to be on the records so here we go. It is a really good recreation of Hopper's paintings with live objects, such as human people and furniture :) Shirley - Visions of Reality http://bieff.ro/2013/film/83 Official Website http://www.shirley-visions-of-reality.com Trailer http://www.shirley-visions-of-reality.com/#trailer Shirley - Visions of Reality (Making Of) Hope you enjoy it, I did! :)