Ckulakov

Hello, I'm working on a scene where I want to convey the feeling of awaking into a physical storm after attempting to escape a "mental storm" by falling asleep. That feeling you get when you go to bed in an emotional raw hoping that sleep will solve everything only to awake to a storm. Once the picture comes into the frame, I want the character to be sitting on his bed after opening the window into his room. The wind make the curtains sway and the blinds rattle. The window is facing the camera letting a deep blue light flood the room. Any ideas on how I can both have my own controlled light source coming in as well as an intense wind-like effect? Keep in mind that this shoot is rather guerrilla-style so please try to think cheap. Sorry. :) Thanks for advice.

Dear Filmmakers, What do you guys think about Kubricks use of cross dissolves between certain scenes and shots vs. the conventional cut. What could have moved him to dissolve between a shot of a busy street and Bill walking through the buidling? Hitchcock also used this technique almost between every scene in his film Rebecca, is this an old style that Kubrick inherited or is this used for a certain purpose? Thank You.

Dear Filmmakers, After watching my film in comparison to other indie films, I realized that I must totally reshoot the the first 1/3 in order to give it more PUNCH , i wanted to visually express the character and I new I needed more intimate or compelling compositions. After a disappointing prom night, confused and sensitive young man with a passion for music comes home and escapes the dark world of superficial and purely sexual high school relationships through his musically motivated visions. Will his imagination free him and what is the reality that awaits him? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9imeMaKJL8 Please give me some feedback, I would really apprecaite a chance to learn what I must improve to be more successful in my delivery. Thanks

Dear Filmmakers, I finally completed a piece that I was always inspired to create after hearing "moment fit to remind" by the group a northern chorus. This could be considered one of my most artistic and personal films ever and I hope you enjoy it. Shot on a digital 8 camera with photofloods, a tripod, iMovie, and a few lenses. * * * * * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zq7WQQrGjI After a disappointing prom night a young man comes home and escapes the dark world of bad relationships through his musicly motivated dream world. NOTE: The distorted grainy quality in the autumn sequence was intentional. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK

Where the interior scenes in eyes wide shut shot with just practical lights because to me the overesposure/white on the lamps looked like they where the only sources present, not to say that they didnt look natural/beautiful/realistic? Also the blue in the scenes coming in from the windows was it real daylight with real sky exposed through the window or sound stage set windows with hmi's or other lights outside? Thanks.....the cinematography in this movie really impacted me....

Could you please list some christian movies, music videos, or short films that where greatly motivated by the cinematography. Thanks

I'm shooting a televangelism series using two sony HDR-FX1's. I am trying to add some intrest to the image by using color. I bought some bastard amber gels for the lights illuminating the subject, and half-blue as the rim light. How should I white balance using these cameras, I know i could just white balance with a white board and witth NO gels on the lights, and then put the gels on them once the white balance is locked down. BUT I am sure that there is a tungsten/indoor preset somewhere that I can use. How should I deal with the white balance technicalities? Please describe the process in detail because I am very new to this camera? Thanks

The subject is Peter Kulakov (white, greyed black hair, no glasses). There is a burgandy backdrop for the background and he ussually stayes within three feet of the fixed pulpit position. There is one front camera with a teleprompter, and a side camera with a more 45 degree angle approach. I am very much against of high-key and am deciding how not to make it to low key.

just a pic i found in in google of a random news studio: .....IS THIS CONSIDERED OVER-LIGHTING?

I am shooting a Televangelism program and i am using one harsh elipsoidal type light mounted on the ceiling, one diffused floor key light that helps soften up the key side, a fill light at a lowered and side position (helps get rid of harsh chin shadow). I also have two clean backlights mounted above, AND a raw floor-stand light at a kicker position. The question is: Is it ok if the kicker light creates a bit of overexposure on the back cheek area (it is almost the brightest area of the frame)? It looks a lot more intresting and livens up the image (defines his figure)...but could it be annoying? THANKS ALSO what do you think about the setup as a whole?

The film "One Hour Photo" directed by Mark Romanek featured a intresting sequence that had a visual style (mainly in terms of color) that was very particular to home consumer 35mm still camera prints. The way everything appeared very much reminded me of the color and proccesing that you can get at a wal-mart or cvs. How did they accentuate the home still camera features by using a pro motion picture film camera? Thanks

I made the video widescreen (just letterboxed a little bit) and added some cut-aways, over-the-shoulder-shots, titles. - NEW LINK - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iks8tgK0cxI

thanks the music is by one of my favorite bands: "The Album Leaf", the track is "twenty two fourteen". MORE CRITIQUE !

Thanks everyone. Remember that it has to be something that TRAILS A CHARACTER and reveals his EMOTIONS in a very visual and musicly motivated way.

Dear Filmmakers, I understand that this might have been discussed, but I had no luck in searching for it. Can you give me a list of some of the best films that are mainly visually and musicly motivated. They have to tell the story with little character to character interaction and little to no dialogue. Something that trails a character and reveals his emotions in a very visual and musicly motivated way. Even short films would help. I would really appreciate it if you could help me out. This is very important,

I watched "breathless" and was very suprised. I found it inovative and daring. What are some other significant films done by Godard? Please reccomend. ALSO, i am taking a trip to the movie store (BLOCKBUSTER) tonight so some recommendations from the foreign film section would be great. OR, any other great films I just have to rent.

Michael Nash, In my opinion dreams ARE distant and I wanted to capture that real feeling. To the woman the images where just a distant dream. What do you think? MORE CRITIQUE PLEASE! I really would appreciate more feedback. Thank You

The Graduate - essentially every shot especially the shots when Hoffmen 'thinks' he is being seduced....also the shot of Hoffmans hand as he shaves and is "grilled" by his mom! Road to Perdition - the last scene with tom hanks and the reflection of the beach with his son as Hanks gets shot. Amelie - every crane shot and the interior lighting of her house....aslo the hundres of other genious shots! Cruel Intentions - the shot of Sebastian when he finally falls in love and meets Witherspoon at the escalator. Vanilla Sky - the park scene in autumn of Tom Cruiz and Penelope and the skyscarper ending....loved the interior at penelopes house, SIMPLE AND BEAUTIFUL. Shopgirl - the lighting of clair danes house.

One of the most visual films i've seen : The Graduate featured an ECU (hands only) of Ben (Hoffman) shaving, stopping , then later cutting his hand as his mother 'grills' him about where he goes late at night. It worked great and it could be considered a close-up...

What do you guys think about the sepia, given circumstances?

Thank You very much everybody. Peter, Yes, I totally agree and beleive planning is the ultimate thing to do. I have been working on a script for the last 7 months, which is almost ready for pre-production. BUT, when you have 4 hours of free time, some people, a camera, some lights, tripod, and a mac, I dont see any harm in having a good time and playing around with a little concept that you wanted to create. David, Thanks, and yes I agree the B&W could have been more dreamy but I had a vision and to me the B&W was almost a look I wanted for Paris. I did not want the emphasis to be on the actual dreaming I wanted it to be the way that the woman sees Paris, not just a cliche blurry/hazy colorful dream. Yes, I have 2 lights, but again, I wnated Paris to be depicted in a B&W low-key style (it just the way I see Paris, and I wanted it that way when the woman dreamed of it). I agree with having a lot more planning for the B&W white like foreground elements, and more of perspective shots, to get the audiance into how she sees everything. Thank you everyone.

Jonathan Spear, Thanks for your reply. MORE CRITIQUE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU.

PLEASE CRITIQUE THESE SHOTS: ...shot with digital and photofloods... http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Cku...by_Ckulakov.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Ckulakov/IMG_1065.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Ckulakov/IMG_1069.jpg THANKS!

Here is a short 3 min film that I directed, photographed, edited and acted. Mainly a musicly motivated concept film inspired by a photoshoot a few months before. The shoot was spontaneous and with no script or planning. I wanted it to be something beautiful, something that reminded me of a animated children's book with a few inspirations from the French film Amelie. Thanks to my cousin Barbara, the main actress, I was able to accomplish some great shots. Shooting with a 4 year old consumer camera was a little problem so I decided to shoot the reality in color and add some sepia to make it appear "French" (don't ask why). To my surprise, for some of the shots the sepia worked out beautifully and I am proud of it. The black and white, however, has been a trick of mine used to battle the amateur colors of DV and it worked out beautifully for the "dreamy" scenes. The camera moves where done using a 20 dollar tripod from wal-mart and the last shot woked out amazing with me balancing the tripod on top of the bed with me standing on it. PLEASE CRITIQUE. GO HERE : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXsOm4pdRsM (SORRY ABOUT THE POOR COMPRESSION)

Here is a short 3 min film that I directed, photographed, edited and acted. Mainly a musicly motivated concept film inspired by a photoshoot a few months before. The shoot was spontaneous and with no script or planning. I wanted it to be something beautiful, something that reminded me of a animated children's book with a few inspirations from the French film Amelie. Thanks to my cousin Barbara, the main actress, I was able to accomplish some great shots. Shooting with a 4 year old consumer camera was a little problem so I decided to shoot the reality in color and add some sepia to make it appear "French" (don't ask why). To my surprise, for some of the shots the sepia worked out beautifully and I am proud of it. The black and white, however, has been a trick of mine used to battle the amateur colors of DV and it worked out beautifully for the "dreamy" scenes. The camera moves where done using a 20 dollar tripod from wal-mart and the last shot woked out amazing with me balancing the tripod on top of the bed with me standing on it. PLEASE CRITIQUE. GO HERE : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXsOm4pdRsM (SORRY ABOUT THE POOR COMPRESSION)