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Lucky Cheng

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Posts posted by Lucky Cheng

    Blacking out Floors in a Black Box

    in Lighting for Film & Video

    Posted

    What's the most cost-efficient way to black out the floor of a black box? The director wants a shot of bare feet on the floor, but the floor needs to read almost pure black.

    I'll be using an Octabank as a top source. We have a large solid I can lay on the ground, but I think it will still reflect some light and read as a milked grey. We can crush that later on, but I wanted to see if there was a way to get closer to the intended effect in-camera without messing with contrast/exposure later.

    Velvet would be perfect, but very costly to get a large piece of (think group dance scene). A matte charcoal black paint might work also, but painting is off limits in this studio.

    Arcade Fire "Afterlife" Music Video, 65mm/35mm 5219, 5222

    in 35mm

    Posted

    Truly amazing piece of storytelling that really restores my hope in filmmaking and I think reminds us all why we do it in the first place. So little/no dialogue is needed in this boundless medium to express so much, even in such little time. I can't imagine that the story and images (alongside the fantastic track) wouldn't resonate with any person, yet the film is clearly original, does not seek the lowest common denominator, does not pander, or force anything down one's throat. This really reminds me that the music video/musical collaborations are such a great channel for amazing work to be produced--work that you wouldn't find, and simply would not possible, in other filmmaking media. Direct, powerful, surreal, and self-contained. Cheers all around....

    Older PL Anamorphics in New York

    in Lenses & Lens Accessories

    Posted · Edited by Lucky Cheng

    Hey guys, wanted to see if anyone had any leads on older anamorphic glass, preferably PL, in New York? Am going PL as it is a small budget project and to take out the cam package from Panny maybe be cost prohibitive. I have seen CPT's set of Lomos on their website, I may take a look at those (though only a set of 3). I've also seen the Elites listed at Handheld, anyone work with those recently? (PS, yes I have read the older thread here on this set.)

     

    We are flying a bit of Steadicam so compact/lightweight would be better.

     

    I'm reading that a lot of the older glass was converted by JDC which was bought out by PV, has anyone ever come across any of these lenses still in PL? (I'm going to email Joe about this as well.)

    Shooting on a Beach with 500T (and all the other troubles it brings...)

    in Film Stocks & Processing

    Posted

    Hey yall--posted this on the 35mm forum but I believe it's quite pertinent to this one too so here tis:

     

    I'm gonna be shooting on an Arricam ST next weekend, most of the work is beach day. Unfortunately the stock I was provided to shoot with (it's a small production but they wanted to shoot film...) is 8547 (Fuji Eterna Vivid 500T).

     

    I need you guys' advice on a number of things:

     

    -I read about 2000fc (between f/22-36 at 500ASA). Will stacking on 5-7 stops of ND impede my ability to see through the finder? Of course it will darken the finder a lot, but in theory, if you're actually shooting an interior lit to 500ASA, wouldn't you have the same about of light coming through the finder anyway?

     

    -I'll also be flying it on Steadicam--will the signal from the tap be bright enough with that much density in front? Not sure yet if it's the standard NTSC tap or the HD IVS. Is the HD IVS brighter/more sensitive?

     

    -What do you guys think about pulling a stop? I usually overexpose 2/3 of a stop on negative anyway, but on a beach I feel I should protect my highlights. I know there's a lot of latitude in the highlights, but how would underdeveloping affect this?

     

    -How do Standard Speeds perform between f/11 to f/22? I never usually go this far down but I hear there are aberrations on some lenses.

     

    -We're also supposed to go for a pastel unsaturated palette (I know....). What do you guys think about using filtration to try and cut down the poppy colors? Maybe a Lo Con or Ultra Con? Or should I just handle this during the scan?

     

    -I'm thinking I don't want to throw on an 85 and alter the color in the finder. What kind of grain and bias shifts should I expect, and how should I deal with them? Would anyone recommend against not compensating?

     

    Thanks for checking this out--if anyone can help with any of these questions that would be great!

    Shooting on a Beach with 500T (and all the other troubles it brings...)

    in 35mm

    Posted

    Hey guys, I'm gonna be shooting on an Arricam ST next weekend, most of the work is beach day. Unfortunately the stock I was provided to shoot with (it's a small production but they wanted to shoot film...) is 8547 (Fuji Eterna Vivid 500T).

     

    I need you guys' advice on a number of things:

     

    -I read about 2000fc (between f/22-36 at 500ASA). Will stacking on 5-7 stops of ND impede my ability to see through the finder? Of course it will darken the finder a lot, but in theory, if you're actually shooting an interior lit to 500ASA, wouldn't you have the same about of light coming through the finder anyway?

     

    -I'll also be flying it on Steadicam--will the signal from the tap be bright enough with that much density in front? Not sure yet if it's the standard NTSC tap or the HD IVS. Is the HD IVS brighter/more sensitive?

     

    -What do you guys think about pulling a stop? I usually overexpose 2/3 of a stop on negative anyway, but on a beach I feel I should protect my highlights. I know there's a lot of latitude in the highlights, but how would underdeveloping affect this?

     

    -How do Standard Speeds perform between f/11 to f/22? I never usually go this far down but I hear there are aberrations on some lenses.

     

    -We're also supposed to go for a pastel unsaturated palette (I know....). What do you guys think about using filtration to try and cut down the poppy colors? Maybe a Lo Con or Ultra Con? Or should I just handle this during the scan?

     

    -I'm thinking I don't want to throw on an 85 and alter the color in the finder. What kind of grain and bias shifts should I expect, and how should I deal with them? Would anyone recommend against not compensating?

     

    Thanks for checking this out--if anyone can help with any of these questions that would be great!

    Transportation/Mobility on a Beach

    in Grip & Rigging

    Posted

    I'm soon shooting on a beach where we can't get the spot where we're shooting by car and it's a bit of a ways out from the parking lot. Is there some kind of cart you guys can recommend for beach work? We don't have a permit for an ATV/Gator. We won't have tons of gear, but we will have some combis, rags, DC powered lights, and most of my Arricam package.

     

    I thought of beach carts, but most of the ones I've seen are flimsy and made of fabric. Also considered Magliners, but everything would have to be tied down..

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