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Tim J Durham

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Everything posted by Tim J Durham

  1. Hi Marcel, I went to it on a PC and when it opened, it was 3 times wider than the computer screen.
  2. One day of work and four weeks of credit? Not bad. Did they use a Pro-35 adapter and primes of some sort?
  3. Don't know if any of you have managed to catch the 4-part Frontline special, "News War" (which is superb) but note the beautiful 2-camera interview lighting done by board contributor and super-grip Mike Pancenko. It looks really nice, Mike!
  4. It's lit with fluorescents in front of a black cyc which is about 8 feet behind. There are 3 in-studio cameramen (no robo-cams) as WETA still has a pretty strong union (NABET 31) presence. I personally think it looks like @ss to put people in front of a black felt curtain but others seem to think it looks great. Go figure. It sure saves on set building.
  5. Hi, You can capture 1080i50 in the DVC-Pro HD codec or HDV over firewire. I believe the Apple intermediate codec requires faster drives/transfer speeds and a capture card. As for uncompressed SD, if you're talking about Digibeta, you need a Decklink or Kona card for that so no, not on a Macbook. You can capture the Digibeta material witth the right deck, but it won't be "uncompressed", it'll be DV25. If you're talking about DV as in DVCam or DVC-Pro (25 or 50), yes, you can capture that via firewire.
  6. I would expect that, since she's a pro, you might have to atleast reassure her that the lighting will be flattering. And if her old friends the make-up artist and her husband the cinematographer are there when you show up with "cheap solutions" she may just send you packing. So lighting-wise, you better have your best game on.
  7. Oh Boy, it's a... film vs... video thread. I can.. hardly ..wait to..... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  8. That's a great camera. If you're doing anything in the dark, there is a setting called "digital super gain" which is great in minimal light. Try it out first so you know what it looks like (it looks like a really slow shutter-speed, so smeary) but it only works in 60i (or 50i if you're shooting PAL). Good luck!
  9. There's an americanized version of the book?
  10. I think people get into trouble when they try to "prettify" the scene. If living in total darkness is part of the story, I guess I'd probably just talk to them about it in the daytime or at sunset, maybe. In a situation like that, there's going to be plenty of stuff happening in the daylight that is equally interesting. It's hard to say how you would handle it without seeing what "it" is. That's what I like about doing it. Going somewhere with an idea about what you're going to see and letting the situation instruct you. The script is out there writing itself and you have to see if you can recognise and interpret it and that often means abandoning your preconceived ideas. So you may go into a situation like this thinking you'll do X, Y or Z but you won't know what to do until you are there, usually. You have to be prepared for anything while carrying a minimum of gear.
  11. You can go a step further and say the very act of observing something changes that which is being observed. At some point you have to decide whether or not a story is worth telling and then do what you have to do to tell it. Adding a minimum of light is- by now- a pretty universally accepted practice amongst documentarians. Ofcourse there will remain purists. I think if you're honest about whatever you had to do to record something, few would fault you for it if the story was compelling and truthful.
  12. I'd take a couple of Litepanels with stand adapters and two fully charged batteries each: http://www.litepanels.com/ The batteries last about an hour and they are 5600k or 3200k. Personally, I'd only take 5600k so you can use open-window lighting and fill with the litepanels. Also, don't forget a reflector. What are you shooting? Film or video? If you are shooting HDV, some of those cameras- the Sony Z1u in particular- are deadly SLOW! Terrible in low light.
  13. http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...showtopic=18049 I love how the Brits support each other. It really warms me up during the holidays. Weren't the kids in "Lord of the Flies" British?
  14. Are these the same guys that did the super-slo-mo for the "World Series of Poker"?
  15. You could try oil paint which would stick together and not blend with the pool water. It would also be easier to suck up afterward with a wet-vac. You'd probably want to thin it.
  16. The entire crew (3) of the film "Chernobyl: A Chronicle of Difficult Weeks" by Vladimir Shevchenko has died since (1986) from radiation poisoning. They were the first ones to attempt filming there and wore radiation suits. 20 years hence, radiation levels would only be somewhat reduced but not to the point where I'd consider working there.
  17. HDV is not the best to shoot stills with moves due to the single I-frame per 20 or whatever it is with long GOP. That said, I've done it and it wasn't terrible. The Z1 does have a feature that lets you pre-set your zoom time and speed and repeat it again and again, which you may find helpful.
  18. I was going to take the DIT workshop here: http://www.gancietv.com/cgibin/eDatCat/GTV...tegory=Workshop last year but got booked up. May try to hit the January one coming up.
  19. Well, you get what you pay for.
  20. Can't say I blame you. When the 2/3" chip XDCam HD cam comes out I suspect these will be abandoned probably. Those 1/2" HD lenses are way overpriced when you consider interoperability and future resale potential. But that's where I am at the moment.
  21. I use the HD-SDI input almost exclusively as I'm shooting with an XDCam HD F350 and occasionally an HDW-730S and use the HD-SDI output from my Kona. But I've had occasion to use the SDI and the SVHS inputs and they're what you'd expect. It also runs on the same V-mount IDX batteries I use to power my camera which is very handy.
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