Chien Huey

I shot a short film about a year ago where the producer got this grant from Panavision. We ended up not taking them up on the grant because the camera's are based out of Panavision Woodland Hills and the shoot was in NYC. Ric Halpern was very helpful and upfront that they do not cover the cost of shipping and that an AC would have to prep the package at Woodland Hills. In this case, the short was only 3 days so it was more cost effective to rent locally. If I remember correctly, shipping would cost about $1800 each way. That said, if you're in the LA area it's a great deal.

Congrats, it sounds like you're on your way. What ends up happening is that you cross paths with someone who is established in the business, you do a great job and then things start to happen for you. That's how it happened for me and it sounds like you're on your way. About the single AC thing. Unfortunately, that's more and more common these days. I've done my share of pulling and loading. It's really not ideal because your hands start to shake from running around so much. These days video jobs are all pretty much single AC gigs. The best thing you can do is just to be cool and try to decompress during meal breaks. Trying to get ahead by working during breaks will usually lead to you making a mistake later.

Are you talking about me? Though I'm not sure if I said it was the ONLY way. I just like the NATO alphabet. To me it just sounds more professional than calling out names, cities, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_alphabet

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions around. For that reason, I actually called both the LA and NY union halls to find out what's entailed in joining IATSE 600 and then based my decision on that information. In the end, it's too early for me to join (as an AC). Internet forums, great as they are for discussion, should be validated whenever used as a data source. As for the safety meetings, I was a PA on a big union show in NYC and there was only a safety meeting whenever something or someone was blown up or a gunplay was involved.

I'd avoid pointing the laser at a person period. I don't own one but I've seen ACs who do either aim it at an object (pillar, wall) that's the same distance. Also, sometimes the 2nd will go out to the mark and aim the laser back at the camera. But in the end, the laser rarely comes out (usually only if the mark is far, far away) and mostly focus marks are taken with tape and/or eye marks through the viewfinder.

It was shot overnight over a weekend. So Saturday and Sunday we shot from 11am to 7am. The theater we shot in let us shoot in there for free as long as it was overnight. We did shoot during the midnight showings of King Kong so halfway through a crowd would pop out of one of the theaters.

I was a 2nd AC on one of these entries and they shot 2000' of film. We shot every last bit except 10'. I believe contestants get 2000' of film from Fuji. The producers bought an extra 400' roll just in case but we never touched that. However, it should be mentioned that we were very precious with every take. The DP was also a very experienced guy who's done a million commercials so he knew exactly what's necessary and what's not. With a less experienced DP you may end up using more film. One example is that we had trouble getting a 40' dolly move with boom. He cut it off after 3 takes when it became clear that we wouldn't get anything better than what we had gotten instead of burning through film. The entry was in the 2006 contest and it was called "Vollarians Unite!" in case you wanna get an idea of what we ended up with 2000' of footage.

I use and recommend the Harrison Large Changing Tent. I found the Jumbo too big and unweidy. It was mentioned that you could download and reload a 1K mag in the jumbo but personally I don't trust myself to multi-task like that. That said, my very first job as an AC I loaded 1K 35mm mags using a medium-format changing bag. I did it and didn't make any mistakes even though I had no room to work. I was definitely lucky. That bag is now my backup changing apparatus. In the end, the tent gives you more room to work and more importantly, the ceiling is suspended making it less likely for you to close the door on the bag/tent. I regularly check the light-proofness of my tent and bag. Every 1/2 year I'll also do the test outlined by Camera Essentials using a roll of 35mm still film. In the end, nothing beats having a darkroom on an air-conditioned truck.

I was the 1st AC on a D20 job with 4:2:2 going into an HDCAM SR deck. Couple of observations: - Monitoring 4:4:4 can't be viewed unless you have a 4:4:4 capable monitor. The director wanted to shoot 4:4:4 but the cost-conscious camera package included a monitor that wasn't capable of taking in dual-link HD-SDI - We were shooting on location. And this isn't so much a 4:4:4 issue as it is a camera w/o an onboard deck issue. If you need to move fast, using a tethered camera is going to slow you down. I had the SR deck on a Magliner that rolled around - which would have been great if we were on a stage but often times, my 2nd would be lugging the deck because we'd be shooting in waist-high grass. Anyway, as others have pointed out, it's not so much the shooting format or the camera. It's what you're able to put in front of it. I'd also say it's important to match the shooting platform's technical requirements with your crew's capabilities.

Cool, thanks Bob. I read about the AC who got hit with shotgun wadding and thought - that could be me. I'll remember to bring my hammer.

Mainly because of the time involved with the mini35 adapter. Time related to: 1. Swapping lenses if you're using primes (you might have to because zooms aren't as fast) 2. More time checking focus because your DOF is shallower and you need to make extra sure. 3. More time lighting because you need more light. In detail: 1. The mini35 loses about 1 stop. The HVX loses (I forget exactly) but somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/2 to 1 stop because you're zooming into the long end of the lens. You have to zoom in to use the mini35. So before you even select your lens, you're about 1.5 to 2 stops slower than the vanilla camera. It behooves you to go with a zoom and lose more light... The downside to using primes (superspeeds for example) is that you'll probably be changing lenses a lot. Admittedly, not that much time but it all adds up. 2. I ACed an HVX w/ mini35 job as a focus puller and it was difficult. I'm not sure why - maybe because of the pixel shifting - but the image isn't as resolved as say a Varicam. The problem is magnified when you're at the edge of underexposure. During that shoot I would just tape out the focus and pray that it's in focus. The DP would say that it looks soft and I said - it's in focus. We were using an 8" LCD HD monitor. Point is, I often re-taped the focus just to make sure. 3. If you're 2 stops down to start, you'll need that much more light. And obviously lighting takes time. On the aforementioned shoot, the lenses were always wide open at T1.3 and even then G&E was struggling to get that. In the end, with the rental cost of a mini35 setup, lenses, etc. I think it's often better off to go with a Varicam or the new HDX400. You get shallower DoF from the 2/3" chips (granted it's not the same as 35 DoF), no pixel shifting and better lenses (b/c in the end you are still looking thru the HVX built-in lens) and less lighting is necessary because the chips are more sensitive.

Sorry to dredge the gun safety topic up again but I'm working on a film that will have firearms on set - so this is important to me. How can you tell the difference between Lexan and Plexiglas? Obviously if they get new sheets that have the paper back that says Lexan but let's say they recycle pieces. I known my Nalgene bottle is made of Lexan but I've seen bottles not made of Lexan look similar. Do I have to take their word for it? And how thick should the pieces be? 1/2", 3/4"

Suppose you shot a test and determined that overexposing 1 stop yields the desired aesthetic. In that circumstance, would you overexpose 1 and 2/3 stops (1 for aesthetic and 2/3 for safety)? Or would you overexpose 1 stop over and then rely on the telecine/printing to bring it back in case missed exposure?

FWIW, I have Kodak's price list for 16mm film and the student discount is now 30% versus 20% the last time I checked.

This works. I do it all the time with two cheapo 1-chippers. The strange part about one camera is that it will only record in VCR mode if you use the remote. You can press the record button on the camera until your finger goes numb and it won't record - only with the remote. The timecode thing might be a drag but in the event you have TC breaks on your master - the dub will lay down new continuous TC.

In the end, if you want to be a filmmaker (i.e. director), then either path can serve you well - depending on all the previously mentioned factors. One thing I'd add is that if it's a matter of picking a major for your undergraduate degree (BA/BS) then I think hands down you should go to film school to get your undergrad degree. As stated before, if the whole film route crashes and burns for you, then you'll still be a college graduate. I can only speak for the US but in the US you need a degree for almost every salaried job with benefits now. So if you're 18 and thinking, go to college or take the money and make a film - I'd go to college. OTOH, if you have your undergrad degree and want to work as a technician (i.e. camera dept), then going to graduate film school is not going to help you much at all. Most film students I've met (primarily from working on their projects) haven't been taught any significant amount of useful knowledge as it pertains to any of the technical trades.

I meant you CAN'T run out in the street, wave your camera around and get a great film. But you got the idea. B)

Well, lots of people were claiming that the HVX would revolutionize filmmaking. That claim was definitely made - on this board and others. Certainly, RED raises the bar but only if they deliver - which is uncertain given that what photos I've found online from NAB show a clay model. As for the price, let's assume that the camera is priced at about $25K-$50K for a shootable configuration. What are you going to do with the massive amount of data that the 4K camera is going to generate? And more importantly, can you afford the equipment and expertise to handle all this data. I don't like to be such a cynic and in general I'm not. But all the excitement about the RED specs announcement drives me nuts because it represents this huge misconception in the industry (though I think more so at the low end). It's the idea that all you need is this mega-high-res camera and your film will be great. Films are a conglomeration of a vast array/range of talents and resources. You can run out in the street with your mega camera, wave it around and get a great film.

I'm almost positive that BSG switched from 35mm to HD after the miniseries (though I can't find the article online - I think it was covered in AC back in Dec 2005). Both 1st and 2nd seasons have been shot on the F900. For what it's worth, I noticed the highlights blowing out on the show also - but chalked it up to it being an aesthetic choice. I have also noticed as you have that the 2nd season cinematography is off from the 1st season. I follow the show and the podcasts and it seems that they are falling behind on a regular basis. The quality dip might be due to rushing. I'm not making excuses for Steve McNutt or the F900. I'm just saying that in this case, it's not necessarily the medium. As for film vs. digital, each has it's place. Personally, I like working with film. However, on the jobs I get to shoot, the budgets are for video. So, whenever I have some spare cash, I buy some film, take out my Bolex (or rent an SR - that's when I have more cash), shoot and process it. In the end it's about having tools and learning how to use them - I'm hoping to get hired to shoot on film but for now I pay. Recently, I got the third-degree from a DP friend when I told him that I suggested HD to a director instead of film. The issue here is that she hired me to shoot on film but I felt that given her budget she would not be able to achieve the result she wants on film. What was decided is that I would put together an HD reel and a film stock catalog reel for her to see what she likes better. We're also waiting to see how much money she can raise. My point is that isn't it my job as the DP to figure out the best way to get the director what they want with the available tools? Believe me it was hard to suggest video when I never get paid to shoot film - but I think it was the right thing to do. Lastly, I do agree that most people who tout video/digital as being superior to film probably haven't worked with film in any significant capacity. Heck, I'm in that camp. But the people I run into that say that the HVX will cause film to go away, I just think "yeah, in your mind it all makes sense".

Don't forget to factor in editing time. Most of my corporate clients want a flat rate for the job which will consists of a day rate for shooting and then a flat rate for editing. I always put into the contract stipulations on what the editing rate includes (e.g. 1 first cut w/ 2 revisions). You'll be surprised how quickly your editing time adds up so charge accordingly. If the client is open to an editing day rate or hourly rate, by all means go that route but they probably won't want to. Invariably, some clients know what they want and can clearly articulate their edit feedback and others won't. Since this is your first gig, I'd suggest being conservative and estimating more time for editing. Once you figure out which group your client is in, you can adjust your rate accordingly.

For hosting alone, GoDaddy.com is inexpensive and reliable. My email and website are hosted through them and I haven't had problems. They do have "web builder" type plans but those cost more and you don't get as much hosting space/transfer bandwidth. However, if you don't mind rolling your own HTML, it's probably as cheap as it gets for hosting only.

Hahahaa, funny to read this thread a couple days after having a conversation with a friend where my contention that all you need to have a great TV show is pretty people. My friend, a woman, was saying how "Grey's Anatomy" was a great show. I said "heck yeah, look at all the hotties on there". For that matter, look at the shows that have revived ABC Television "Lost", "Grey's Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives". Hotties on an island, hotties in a hospital, and 40s hotties in the neighborhood.

There's somewhat increased difficulties/costs in postproduction for 50. A short I worked on last week didn't budget for dubbing their DVCPRO50 tapes. They found out it costs $90/tape and they have 12 tapes. Not that you can hook up two miniDV camcorders and dub DVCPRO25 (different codec) - so you'd have to pay something for dubs. But there's probably more 25 deck availability. Yesterday, the director told me that they were only able to find one post house in NYC with two 50 decks.

I'm looking to buy a Bolex H16 Rex1/2 Service Manual. Alternatively, if someone could point me to a reputable source for one, I'd greatly appreciate it. I've seen some on eBay and online but not sure which source to trust. Thanks in advance.

Thinking back, I did have somewhat of a bad feeling about that cam. He wouldn't let me thread it or load the mags - said "until you buy it, I'll touch it thank you". He wasn't thrilled about me checking focus calibration. At the time, I just chalked it up to him being some sort of anal retentive guy. Sorry, I didn't mean to perpetuate a problem camera on you.