J.M. O'Malley

Have you ever, or do you usually, feel kind of sad when a shoot is over? I mean, I'm looking forward to my next project, but there's also this sort of anticlimactic letdown feeling.

Yes. I meant for use while pulling focus, not just carrying around in general. I will get one of those wheels, that is exactly what I'm looking for.

You know the part of the ASC manual that has the lens tables for depth of field, etcetera? I would like to find a pocket size book that has just that information. Carrying around the entire manual seems silly. Does anybody know if there is such a thing? What does everyone else use?

So here's what I've been hearing about the Ian Curtis/Joy Division film that is in pre-production. Jude Law may be cast as Ian Curtis. Surely this can't be true. I think somebody like Cillian Murphy would be appropriate, or maybe Ewan McGregor (he might be too old), or at least they could get some unknown actor who would be better than Jude Law! I understand Deborah Curtis, his ex-wife, has a great deal of creative control over the film, and she plans to have a bunch of second-rate bands cover his songs. I hope all this is just gossip and not really true. On a positive note, I've heard it will be shot entirely in black and white.

Your reel is beautiful. The work is very atmospheric and I think the music helps to set the mood. I can't give you any advice, since I'm a student, about how you could get commercial work, but artistically speaking, the surrealistic pieces at the beginning and middle are really evocative. I like the narrative ones as well, they pique my curiosity. If you have a mailing list I would like to be added to it.

This may be a stupid question. Is it necessary to place tape around the camera body to ensure that it is lightproof? I have seen pictures where tape was placed around a magazine, but what if I am using short lengths of film in the camera body itself? Is it still necessary to tape? I don't want to get sticky goo from the tape all over the camera.

Does anybody have experience with conforming their own negative? Is it realistic for someone to learn how to do this? I have seen places around town which rent out editing suites.

Is there a reason why you can't just buy it from Kodak? Maybe they don't do shipping? I would not recommend buying from Film Emporium, I think they are jerks. I tried to buy some factory 100's from them, and they tried to sell me recans cut down to 100' lengths and charge me normal price for them. Also they refuse to match emulsion batch if you are buying a lot of rolls that you want to match up. I bought film from Kodak in New York (on 31st St) and they had excellent customer service.

Reading an article in American Cinematographer, I noticed a caption underneath a photo which mentioned a "medusa light". From what I could tell, it was a string of about twenty-five bare bulbs tied together. What is this type of light used for? I have not been able to find anything about it in the lighting books I'm reading.

All my shooting experience so far has been stills work. I was taking some film of a young woman, and I heard/felt the tape snap at the end of a roll. (I used to use masking tape sometimes, now I only use a good quality splicing tape.) I didn't want to toss out the roll of film, and we were on location so there was nothing to do except have her shut me in the trunk of her rusty old car so that I could get the film out. I asked her to open it when she heard me banging, and I kept thinking, she's probably so mad she's not going to let me out. Not a huge disaster but pretty embarassing. We were both at a house party later where she insisted on telling everyone how funny it was.

Really cheap ones here. http://asianideas.com/globelanterns.html

Can anyone recommend a development time for double-x in Ilfotec DD-X? I would usually use 10 minutes for Tri-X (400) in the same developer. Ilford's instructions call for 8 minutes for Plus-X rated at 200, but I don't think that would be correct, since that film is rated at 125. Or for that matter, can anyone recommend a development time for double-x for any developer? I find myself processing N+1 or even N+2 all the time with Ilford's developers. For example, Ilfotec calls for 8 minutes for Tri-X, which gives a very flat, dull negative. So, I always use 10 or 12 minutes instead. Thanks for any help.

Well, you see, it's a borrowed camera, so I can't do anything permanent to it. I read, doing a Google search, that some people mask off the area using scotch tape. Do you recommend this, as a temporary solution? How exactly would I go about doing this? I haven't been able to find any instructions. It's an Arri s.

Does anyone know where I can get the ground glass in a camera exchanged for a 1.85 ground glass? How much should I expect to pay for this?

Here is a place to buy cheap pvc pipe if you need to make your own scrim frame. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/category....Name=113&Page=1

My fiance works there as a TA. I know that they use Arri S's because I'm borrowing one from them. It's really expensive, but you probably knew that. I also know they have good acting instructors (ask for D.J. Mendel if you take any acting), so one could surmise they have decent film instructors also. The students who go there are very young, though. Also if you go for one of the shorter programs, you'll have to be around other students who aren't necessarily very serious about it. I know a couple of people who went there (for acting) who are happy with what they got. I've considered attending, but unfortunately can't afford it.

Did anyone get to see Crispin Glover's film, 'What Is It', at the New York Underground Film Festival? Or anything else good that was at the festival? I wanted to see 'What Is It' but I screwed up the dates.

Does anybody know if this is a good splicer? Here is a picture of it. I have read several good reviews on the internet. It says in the description that it is a "precision splicer".

;) You go girl! I'm not familiar with working on film crews, like you are, but I've worked other kinds of jobs where I was the only woman in the place. You just act like you don't notice. You just project the attitude that you won't take any bullshit. There really aren't that many men who will try to test you. Also it doesn't hurt if you know how to fight. I have seven siblings and most of them are boys so that's not a problem. Extreme example: I used to work on a job where there were several other women who complained about being "harassed" by this one guy. I said, "if he touches you, punch him in the nuts. It's simple". They all looked at me like I was crazy. I was on that job for several months and never had any trouble with the guy. I've been wondering why there are not more women DOPs, perhaps it is a similar mentality of not wanting to be "unfeminine" and "overly aggressive" i.e. not a doormat.

Hmm. Okay, I am humbled about the credit-hogging thing. I should just stick to things I have reasonable aptitude for, and let someone else direct the actors, since I don't know anything about that. Surely I can find a director who will work with someone else's ideas. You are right, George, that was stupid to say. I guess I said that because most of the young, edgy, aspiring directors I've met have very little technical knowledge.

I have a couple of shorts ideas that I want to shoot. I am writing the scripts for them, and of course I will be doing the photography. The thing is, I am not very good at working with actors, nor do I really wish to concentrate on that. Should I try to find someone else to direct while I do the camera work? Doing both jobs myself seems like a bad idea, since it will spread my concentration too much. On the other hand, if I get someone else to direct it, how can I make sure that this person will adequately interpret the ideas? I have to admit I'm a little reluctant to give someone directorial credit for something when they'll just be babysitting the actors. Maybe I should just find talented actors and let them sort of direct themselves. Does that sound like a disaster? How do people usually do this sort of thing? I have several acquaintances who are aspiring directors, but they've opined that they wouldn't want to direct something unless they could "be in charge".

Ah. I will have to be careful about this. Something could happen and I could get into trouble. I had better try to find someone who has a little acting experience.

I got a used Luna Pro for I think $150 or so. It's a basic meter which has done me pretty well. My advice is to also buy a sturdy (plastic) gray card. The only thing about the Luna Pro is if you are using it to place zones it covers a relatively wide angle. You can get a spot attachment for it, I'm not sure how much. You can probably get one of those used.

Haha. It's true. The older I get the more I find myself saying things my grandparents used to say. I think it happened the year I was working two jobs to pay for college tuition and eating bologna sandwiches for dinner, then I'd come home and the people in my neighborhood were having "food stamp barbecues". I guess something snapped. I once heard someone say that everyone who's liberal and idealistic in college becomes conservative when they start paying taxes.

I have a theory about his charging to enter the site. Maybe he is using the money to put his next project together, since he has a hard time getting funding. Maybe he wants to do it that way, after what happened with his last project.