Brian Rose

And my post was not questioning intent. It was just on the trend of overshooting. I have no criticism of what the director shoots, but when there's a half dozen takes, all identical, of some construction workers standing around...that's a bit excessive.

Ditto. Visual cinema has to start with the silent cinema, and Keaton is the perfect way to introduce new minds to a part of cinema history they're likely to dismiss. And Keaton is the best of them all as an introduction, though I'd personally go with "Sherlock, Jr." It is his most jam packed actioner, it's a very manageable length, and it's also quite advanced in its deconstruction of the cinema. After that, anything Hitchcock, who even in the sound era never really gave up being a silent filmmaker, and his films are hugely visual. Why, look at what he did in the remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much," pulling off a lengthy climax without a word of dialogue!

And I don't mean to lodge the ole film over digital claim either. But one of the downsides of digital, especially file based, is some are inclined to shoot and shoot and shoot and where is the skill involved when you are filming everything? It's like being given an infinite number of darts to throw...sooner or later you'll hit a bullseye. I doesn't mean you're any good. This all just boosts my respect for the guys who grew up only having film, and doing what they did knowing they couldn't afford to waste a foot, so they had to NAIL it on that first one or two takes.

True, but he was one of the few who had legit reasons. Most directors should be forbidden from more than two takes, IMO.

I love digital for many things, and I love film for many things, but one thing I REALLY HATE about digital, are all the goddamn takes! I'm logging clips for a prod company, footage of a construction project shot with a 5D, and there's six or seven friggin' takes of even the most mundane scenes. Simple stuff is filmed like a million dollar bridge explosion. There's a scene featuring a working filling out paperwork for a drug test, and there must be a dozen shots of the same thing, in every possible combination: two shot, one shot, over the should, pan from paperwork to guy filling it out, low angle, high angle, overhead. Jesus, how much coverage do you need? Is the shot of the drug test gonna make or break the film? How insecure are you in your skills? Get the shot, move the hell on. Even when nothing is going on, they're filming. Five, six takes of guys just standing around, which is a chance for the camera op to get all arty by doing rack focus, panning back and forth, shooting the guys standing through some other poop. It's a paying gig, so I shouldn't complain, but man this is like watching paint dry. Hell, the only thing they didn't film WAS paint drying. BR

The exception being Mauro Faure's win ;)

You make a good point, but I don't think the claims about Black Swan are entirely without merit. We're not talking about someone pretending, which as you point out is the fundamental of acting: to pretend to be someone else, to do something in a convincing way. The issue here is that there is question over how much of Portman's performance is her own, and how much is that of her body double with Portman's face digitally inserted. In a way, it's like the debate over Avatar, and the question of when digital manipulation is involved, how much of what remains is the performance, and how much is the manipulation, and how is recognition meted out? I don't think anyone here expects Portman to give back her Oscar. She deserves it. But the woman who doubled for her, I think, deserves a little more recognition than to be buried in the list as a "stunt double." She contributed in a very real way to Portman's performance, and yet I don't think she was even thanked in Portman's speech...

Yeah, this is no surprise to me. I could tell from the slapdash editing that they were having to cut around Portman all the time, because she was a fifth rate dancer before she switched to acting, and could never do some of the things demanded of her. Pros had to step in. It's why "The Red Shoes" will always be superior, because they used legitimate ballet dancers in the acting roles, and the choreography was far more nuanced and simple. I can understand this woman's complaint, the idea that ballet can be mastered in a year. It's an insult. I for one trained as a competitive runner, and it drives me nuts when I see a running movie, or a movie featuring runners, only they don't use real runners, merely actors who've had a crash course with a personal trainer. There is something far deeper in terms of rhythm and flow that can't be learned in a day, week or year. It is a decade or more easily. It is small wonder ballet tends to scoff at film, because so often, it fundamentally misunderstands and disrespects the art form.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! A friend of mine suggested I simply direct the lab to send the bill directly to the client. What do you think about this idea? I mean, the client knows I'll be having a third party do the transfer, but it's not like I'm simply a middleman taking a cut, who can be cut out. Since I'm the one transcoding the files, designing and authoring the discs, and in general acting as a consultant on the project, I don't think I'd be showing my hand by doing it this way. But are there problems with this? BR

I don't expect the whole process to be terribly long. I've done quite a few video to DVD projects, with footage totaling 24 hours or more. So in terms of runtime, this project is medium sized for what I've done. Of course the big unknown is that I've never dealt with a film to digital project of this size. It's going to be at least 15,000 feet, and as much as 30-35 thousand. So I'd imagine all those reels would be too many to ship all at once. So probably at least three maybe four stages. The goal is for everything to be done by summer for a big reunion planned for past football players, where the footage would presumably be screened and made available.

This is kind of a generalized question about payment when it comes to the client lab relationship. I find myself in a rather unique situation. I've been doing a lot of archival work lately, mostly transferring home videos to DVD and hard drives. But recently, I've landed a pretty big contract. The client is a school with a sizeable archive of 16mm footage of past football games. At least 16,000 feet, and as much as 32,000 feet. They want it all digitized, and my bid won. I worked it out so I'll get it all transferred in HD in a proper setup with a lab (no crappy film chain transfers), and it'll be stored on hard drive, as well as put on blu-ray and DVD. It's gonna be excellent! The thing is though, I've never done a project this large in terms of the money changing hands, and I'm a little unsure of how to best proceed. You can imagine how much it will cost to transfer all the footage...it's more than I can pay out of my own pocket, even if I would be getting all that money back (plus my profit) from the client. It would still be a period between my paying the lab, and the client paying me where I wouldn't have any money in my account! Can't do it. So do I ask for a deposit from the client, and if so, how much? Or do I seek some kind of payment plan with the lab, like, "My client pays me, and I pay you" sort of thing. Do I offer some collateral, like they retain the film until the money changes hands as security, or do I offer a downpayment or deposit? Or is the solution something in the middle...a downpayment from the client, and a payment plan/fee schedule with the lab doing the transfer? Any advice would be most appreciated! Best, BR

Hi All, I'm preparing to bid on a project which will involve digitizing a lot of 16mm film. I'm planning to lobby for an HD transfer, but my preferred lab only offers Avid or Prores. I use Premiere CS4 on Windows 7, but I have all the necessary decoders, and when I did a test uploading an apple pro res encoded film, everything worked fine. I don't actually have to edit anything, just bring the prores material in, and put it back out compressed for blu-ray and DVD. But I'm not satisfied yet. I want to be absolutely sure I can handle the workflow, and would really like to have a 422 pro res clip to run my system through its paces. Does anyone know where I can download a 422 pro res clip. Ideally as short as possible, so I'm not downloading all night! :) Thanks so much! BR

Just got back from the theatre. A magnificent showing, and I'm definitely sold on 4K. However, I was disappointed to find the soundtrack had been altered! They used distinctly different sound F/X for the scene(s) where Travis dry-fires his guns. All versions I've seen before, the hammer has a surreal WHACK sound, whereas in this new release, it is a very different, more of a "click" which is definitely more realistic, but at the cost of the visceral impact of the original. So much care goes into the picture, yet, like Vertigo and "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly," there is less regard for remaining true to the original, which is a shame.

My primary reaction when I think about "Black Swan" is immediately to recognize how much better "The Red Shoes" is at capturing the same subject matter, without the frenetic editing, the shaky camerawork, the emphasis of style over substance. Film's like Black Swan remind me of just what masters the filmmakers of the golden age were, and how much most films today pale by comparison. I also thank God for "The Red Shoes."

If anyone is in the DC area, I'm going to be screening a documentary on Sunday, as part of the DC Indie Film Fest. It's called "James Polk," and it starts at 1:00 PM, March 13, at: Dome/Artisphere Theatre (1101 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209) Metro: Rosslyn Admission is free, so all are welcome!

I SWEAR by the Bogen Manfrotto 3066. Used it throughout film school on everything from the XL2 to a fully loaded Eclair NPR. The movement is the best I've ever used, and when I had the chance to get one for around $450 last summer, I jumped at it, and haven't regretted it one second. Granted, it's a wee bit on the large size, but every one of my buddies has been envious when they get behind it and feel how smooth it pans and tilts.

It must be closer quarters than I've dealt with, because I've not yet had a problem with heat or discomfort, when I used them for interviews. Still, I get the concern, though I think my original question still applies: why buy when you could rent?

Why do you want to buy, may I ask? Light kits are pretty cheap to rent. For example, the my local rental house offers a nice, four light Arri kit for $75 daily. I've seen comparable kits sell retail for $1,800 to $2,000. So in that case, you'd need to be in production for 25-30 days before it'd make sense to buy the same kit. From my own experience having worked with a range of lights, I LOVE using ArriLights of the tungsten variety. They were versatile, rugged, and offer great coverage. I never felt for want of lighting when I had a kit on hand. But they can be a bit pricey to buy. A cheaper alternative which I've turned to lately is buying Mole-Richardsons. They come pretty cheap if you buy just the light and not the stand. I got a 2K for $200 bucks. The stand itself costs MORE, but I can rent it for 5 bucks! It's an easy choice, so maybe that might be an option for you too.

John, I think this is brilliant. I'd second this motion for a dedicated section for covering all issues relating to protecting the health and well-being of the crew, and also the gear.

Ian, care to share an anecdote (if you can, no need to name names or anything). It would be valuable for me, and I'm sure a lot of other young DPs to hear a real world example of a situation where you had to make a courageous judgment call. BR

Having been through film school, and given the economy, the amount of competition out there, I've come to believe that any film school that would charge 30K or 40K a year (heck any school PERIOD), and leave you in debt by the end is for SUCKERS. I found a program, not the best by any means, and not in the best location (Southern Illinois) that offered great financial aid. Between grad assisting and some fellowships, I got through school debt free. That proved critical, given the economy I was thrust into. Had I been in debt, owing thousands, I probably would have been forced to find a steady job right away. Instead, I was free and clear to go straight into pursuing my line. I was able to afford to work unpaid for a while at a production company, which turned into a strong relationship as a freelancing client going on nearly two years now. Of course, I also have different aspirations. I have no desire to do LA or New York, not unless its on my own terms as a DP and director. I'm much more invested in being a part of the growing base of film production happening where I now live, in Kansas City. I figure, if I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it carving my own path, and living my own life, rather than living the practically preordained life of a cinema aspirant, moving to La La Land and climbing the ladder and all that bullshit they feed hundreds of starry eyed wannabees each year. So now what you want to do, and put yourself in the best position to make that happen. If LA is your thing, an LA school is probably best. New York, a NY school, etc, etc. Just don't plummet yourself into debt doing it, because you WILL need a nest egg to get you through the tough times. And there WILL BE TOUGH TIMES, no doubt. And if you're not sure what you want to do, as I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in film before I went to film school, find a place where you can explore your creative outlets, and affordably. Find some local filmmakers you could collaborate with. Or a community college program. A lot of them are adding all kinds of production courses. Because you may discover DPing or directing isn't your thing. I was sure I wanted to direct narrative films when I was in high school. Through practice making narratives, I discovered it wasn't my thing, and I loved running camera far more. And in grad school, I discovered I REALLY love running camera and doing documentary. And now I pursue both...my technical skills enable me to support my documentary work, and on my documentaries I act as DP so I can have total control. And I wouldn't have found this out without putting myself in the place to where I could discover these things first hand. And best of all, I hardly paid a dime to do it!

As I see it, it's not going to be a matter of guilt, because that suggests someone took an active part to bring this about. It's all going to be about negligence, which was in spades. I read this article, and I see the story of a bunch of hungry kids eager to make their calling card to Sundance and Hollywood, who violated a lot of rules, by not having qualified people on staff, not being in proper communication with the authorities, not being properly informed of the site, and being far from help. Either they should've had qualified people on staff, and an on-site paramedic for safety, or they should not have used the site, and relied on something safer.

My career choice has been deeply problematic when it comes to family. I've got some who still treat me as though I'm unemployed, asking what I'm doing NOW, as if I'm a drifter. I've grown to understand why, in British society, it's considered impolite to ask what one does, because it can be unpleasant. I try to be patient, but blew up once at a distant relative at a reunion who ask, upon hearing what I do, "So, do you have a job? Do you work?" Her tone was what put me off, like I was some dilettante. I said, "Yes I WORK" and ended it at that. She got the point. When I would tell family friends about my work, they'd usually quip, "Oh, are you going to be the next Steven Spielberg or Ken Burns?" "Don't forget us when you're famous." It's all so damn condescending and mocking, and belies the fact that I'm not in it for fame, riches or to be like Burns or Spielberg. I want to be ME, and to DO SOMETHING in this world, and I feel my calling is the cinema, and so now I'm trying to carve out my niche. My Mom has grown used to what I do, but I don't think she's ever really accepted it, and if I told her today that I was giving up the life for a fulltime job in medical billing (which I did as a summer job once), she'd be thrilled I'm sure. She means well, but I seriously wonder if she has any faith that I can make it. For example, I just completed work on transferring some tapes to DVD, for the family of my brother-in-law. My parents went to visit him and my sister, so I gave them the DVDs, tape originals and invoices to deliver (to save on shipping). Well, this morning I get a call and she says there is a mistake on the invoice. I'd made a last minute change, and forgot to adjust the final total. It was only a matter of two dollars or so. The problem is, that invoice was in a separate envelope, and it was clearly labeled. So WHY was my mom looking at it? It was none of her business. That was between me and my client. Yes, she found a mistake, but why did she look in the first place???? This disturbed me greatly. I honestly don't think she'll believe I can make it short of winning an Academy Award or a National Emmy, and even then, she'll want to know if I get money, or if it will lead to a job. Fortunately, I have my Dad. He's someone I almost feel I don't deserve. He's never pressured me to do something unless he really had a reason for it, and when he has, he has turned out to be absolutely right to do so. But 99 percent of the time, he has complete faith in me, and respects the decision I make, even if it might not be the decision HE'D make. When I was laid off from my first job for a production company, and at my absolute lowest and most dire, he told me not to give up. My Mom, by comparison, suggested I go back to school, and pursue something else. I work now to prove my Mom wrong and my Dad right.

James Neihouse posted a link to this stunning article about an event NYU and those involved essentially swept under the rug. It's a pretty appalling story. NYU Student Filmmaker Killed

In case I wasn't clear, it IS a personal project. I mean, I hope to raise funds for it, but it is an independent project, and I'm the director/producer.