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Paul Salmons

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Everything posted by Paul Salmons

  1. Thanks Adrian! I'm thinking I am going to just build my own rig from the bottom up and see if I can make it work. Thinking I will start with this ballast or something similar. I have also been checking out some halloween forums and there is another way to make this happen with something called a flashing disc. Figure since I have a handful of dimmers I will start with building the ballasts and see if I can do it without the discs. http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100493837?productId=100493837&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&MERCH=REC%2d%5f%2dnosearch2%2d2%2d%5f%2dNA%2d%5f%2d100493837%2d%5f%2dN#.UXasDb8Zfrp
  2. Thanks Phil, this is very helpful. I'm going to look into getting some iron ballasts (maybe start at home depot?) and try to get this working! Thanks Oliver! I'm not trying to slow the florescent down as much as get the light to flicker as if it was a poorly maintained light. Maybe is there a way I can damage a globe just enough to get that effect? Shake it up just enough or somehow break some of the inner filaments?
  3. Hello, I was curious about the effects of putting a dimmer on a kino. Is it bad for the globe or the ballast? I don't mind burning globes and even though the ballast are rentals I don't think it's cool to burn them out. If it is bad for either can anyone give me some insight as to how bad? Will the globe only last for five minutes or just shorten it's life? Will the ballast immediately burn out? Any info is greatly appreciated! EDIT: I want the flicker effect as I am shooting a broken down space ship.
  4. I use a interlocking plastic box. The kind you keep kino ballasts and header cables in. Keep all my china guts and bulbs in there.
  5. Keep in mind, you can select colors (flesh tones only) in post to be the only thing affected or unaffected it would seam in this case (no image).
  6. This is a pretty broad stroke of a scene you have just described. maybe as an idea for a starting point, get something overhead and soften to taste so that you get those shadows in the eye sockets. Then try to take some of that light off the walls, maybe even a soft line on the walls creating a gradient? As far as wall color, I think that's more of an art dept thing, but if it's a heroine den maybe go some kind of vile green? if it's not that intense maybe a grey? Stay away from white!
  7. I might not be the best to chime in here, but from my experience hanging anything with a reflector upside down has a potential to melt the reflector. I've melted 2k moles before hanging them upside down although my arris tend to be fine for long periods.
  8. Talk to wardrobe, use their steamer and just hit the glass.
  9. I have been a DP for about 5 years now. I skipped the whole AC thing as people recommend doing (as I am not very good at pulling focus) although I still did it just to get on set early in my career. I still do a small amount of gaffing just to help pay the bills and stay working. As James said it really isn't all about knowing every camera, My ac does that for me. Find a good ac, treat them very well, get them as much work as you can and you won't have to press a button on a camera ever again! Keeping up to date with the new tech is important, what the limitations and what format the cameras shoot and such is very important, knowing how to dial in kelvin in camera is not. For me knowing how to make a camera do what I want through shutter, iso, aperture and white balance applies to all cameras! My ac will figure out the rest and enjoys me not micro managing his job. Again, for me it's all about light and camera movement and framing. More so light and here's why, most directors don't understand light. They all usually have at least a small idea about framing and movement, when it comes to lighting they generally just tell me a mood they want or how the scene should feel. So to me it's very important to create that. I usually find my job is more of a translator, I have to decode what the director says to me then put that into words my gaffer understands. Having a good crew is extremely important! You need to mesh! Understand the set is to big for you to do everything, so learning how to manage and speak to people and handle stress is paramount for me. I think something else that is very important is a decent level of understanding how to edit. You can avoid shotgun coverage and get what you need while still having time for that big jib set up because you where able to convince the director that he doesn't need an ots and a cu on each actor for the three line scene.
  10. That "golden glow" usually comes at golden hour (about one hour before sunset). Then a bounce will usually work for anything med to CU as the sun will be providing most things in the background with a shadow unless you are on the beach.
  11. Even Michael Jordan didn't make the high school basketball team. You are not perfect, art is not perfect. It's ok to fail, even if this film is the worst documentary ever made, the worse you fail the more you will learn. At some point you have to suck it up and try. When all else fails, just go on netflix and look at some of the flops there that are bank rolling the next project.
  12. Plan it like you want it (break the 180) and then if you can, shoot a close up that will let you get to the other side just in case you don't like it you can still use the rest of the footage that you continue to shoot from that side.
  13. Just a thought, is an external recorder out of your budget combined with a black magic? Might be able to pull 60fps out of that although I'm not 100% sure if that has to be in camera.
  14. Could also be a shiny board back there in the direct sun.
  15. Hello, so I'm getting my shot at a feature! I shot the trailer and funding is in place to shoot the feature and I have been asked to Dp it. I feel very confidant but also understand I have a lot to learn. I'm going to post my gear list as it stands now without having a chance to read the script but from what I understand of it so far. The movie is strongly based on rock climbing and camping. Mostly daylight ext with a bar scene and a couple of home interiors. The total budget is about $350k, within that they want to purchase 2 cameras, one for myself to keep as part of my payment and another for them to keep. I'm going to get a Sony F3/gemini and I'm looking at a FS-700 b cam assuming we have time to get it. If not it will be another F3. I basically need 2 set-ups, one very light rig for running and literally hanging off a rock face and the other a fully loaded set-up. For lights I'm going all Edison so I can stay a bit smaller with the generators as we may not be close enough to a road and may have to hike a little 20 amper or 2 at times. As far as glass I'm still debating Zeiss cp.2, super speeds or Panchros. What am asking for is any comments or advise or my current packages, did I miss anything? - Matte box – Arri MB-20 Swing away –full time - Rods and Rails – 2x 18" 2x 12" 2x 6" - Cheese Plate – Berkey System F3 base plate - 4xCine/ Noga Arms - Remote follow focus – Preston - Follow Focus – Arri FF4 - Speed Crank - Whip - Monitor w/ Hoodman – TV Logic 5” - Hood for LCD - Filters (NDs, Pola, Black pro mist and grads) - Batteries for the F3– 4x Sony PMW style or L series - SxS cards – 4 x 64 gig - EVF – Zukuto or tv logic - Teradek; encoder/decoder Cold Shoe to ¼ in mount - Gemini 444 recorder 2x 512gb SSD - BNC Cables – 50ft, 25ft, 2x 6in and 4 X 12in - Quick Release/riser Plate - Onboard Mic – Comes with F3 - Card Reader – Fire wire 800 or higher - Anton bayer batteries x5 w/ multi tap - Hi hat - Baby sticks - Standard Sticks - Tripod Head- Sachtler or O’conner - Shoulder Rig and Counter Balance - O’Conner Handles – Hand held supports w/Tbar - Zip Lines – (still working this out with some of the climbers to basically get 50'-100' slider shots across canyons) Other - Director View finders – fits lenses - 17in Monitor G and E 2x 800x Joker 2x 4 Bank Kino 8x ea 2900k Bulbs 3200k Bulbs 5600k Bulbs 4x 1.2k HMI 2x 575 HMI 2x M18 HMI (1800 not 18K) 4x 1k Mole Zip soft 2x 300 Inky 3x 1k Baby 5x 1k dimmer GRIP 20x C-Stand 5x Gary Coleman (Short c-stand) 10x Gobo Head 6x Baby Stand 6x High Roller 6x Combo 6x Mombo 10x Cardalinni 10x Mayfer 10x Platypus 20x Safety Chain 10x ea #1 Grip clip #2 Grip clip #3 Grip clip 5x 4” C-clamp 5x 6” C-clamp 3x 20’x20’ Frame 3x 12’x12’ Frame 3x 8’x8’ Frame 2x ea for 20’x20’, 12’x12’ and 8’x8’ totaling 30 skins. Silk Griff Solid Single Double 1x 20’20 Chroma Green 1x 8’x8’ Chroma Green 1x 8’ Ladder 1x 14’ Ladder 1x 12’-20’ Ladder 1x Meat Ax 5x Floppy 5x Empty Frames 24”x36” 2x Empty Frame 18”x24” 2x Full Flag Family 1x set 18”24, 1x set 24”36 20 in total. 2 Solid per family 2 Silk per family 2 Doubles per family 2 Singles per family 1 Cookie per family 1 Empty per family 10x 35lbs sand bags 20x 20lbs sand bags 20x 10lbs sand bags 10x Full apple box 10x Half apple box 10x Quarter apple box 10x Pancake apple box 4x Baby offset 15x Ratchet Straps 20x Ferni Pads 2x Gold Bounce 4’x4’ 2x Shiny Bounce 4’x4’ 2x Foam Core 4’x4’ 4x Speedrail clamp w/ ear 4x Speedrail clamp w/ baby 4x Speedrail connector 4x Speedrail connector w/ ear 2x Menace arm rig 2x 12’ Speedrail 2x 10’ Speedrail 2x 6’ Speedrail 20x 50’ Stingers (Edison) 15x 25’ Stingers (Edison) 1x Matthews doorway dolly 4x 8’ track 1x 4’ track 4x 90 degree track 1x Portaglide skateboard wheels (set of 2) 2x Crate cribbing 2x Crate wedges 1x Porta Jib (Would like to see a picture of this to make sure it’s the one we want) 4x Pop up tent 1x C-Stand cart 1x Grip Cart 1x flag Cart 1x Sand bag/stinger cart 1x magliner POWER 2x 50amp Generator 4x 20amp Generator
  16. Speaking as a freelancer myself, about 3 years in after school it is like...Going to a village, where they hunt for food daily, they are all very well versed in combat, they put you into a circle with them and toss in one morsel of meat and tell you to eat or die. It truly is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and I have drastically changed from it. If you are looking to break in (at least out here in LA) be ready to learn how to sell yourself, you have to be aggressive, hard working and loyal. All this while sniffing out the people that are trying to take advantage of you (and they will). Understand that when you start working for yourself you also have to become a producer, director, ac and even a sound guy sometimes all while being a cinematographer. The more you do it the easier it gets though, as you start to build up a crew you can lean on them a little bit to help you out with those gigs that don't pay as well but may lead to other gigs. The other option is film school where you will learn a lot but more importantly make a ton of contacts. Going this route has shown me that people tend to have to work their way up though instead of jumping in as a DP, although they also seam to live a higher quality lifestyle than I do. Use craigslist, use Mandy and for a long time remember that a free gig making contacts may be better than sitting at home on your couch. The only thing that keeps me going is I haven't worked a single day since I started this career, I love my work. Hope this helps you out.
  17. That is not what he is doing. What he is really saying is get a DSLR, sticks and a few lenses, some lights and maybe some audio. Learn how everything works together. Learn how shutter and aperture change your image in more ways than exposure. It takes a lot more than a camera to make a great image and all a nice camera is going to do for you is get you on bigger shoots then you are ready for and likely ruin your name as you may or may not know how to properly light a scene.
  18. Your opening music transition from your title slate to your reel is very jarring. I felt like your white balance in the cup cakes footage looks like it is mistakenly to warm, that may be influenced because focus is floating around. In the last clip of the cup cake shot the lady is topping off the cupcake, that's where my eye was drawn, to the action in the shot but focus wasn't there. I don't feel that any of the handheld stuff worked for that cupcake scene as it feels like it was out of necessity rather than creativity. I really like the training footage of the guy hitting the pads. 25secs, that shot does nothing for me, it looks a little under exposed and to warm. Guy in the recording studio looks great and I love the effect. 32secs in I don't like how heavy the vignette is (personal opinion though, I like vignettes when you cant even notice them personally, just a little bit to help draw the eye). Protesting stuff is great. The man at the computer doesn't match in terms of light, one scene the computer is bright on his face then we flip around and his face is dark, they might be different scenes? As they stand now it feels like your jump cutting all in the same moment but something keep changing. Slo-mo speed bag is ok but soft. man right after slo mo is again to warm and it seams like there is some kind of artifacts? did you slo-mo him mid shot? Train track looks good. Your reel is over 3 minutes long, with 2 minutes or so of black slug? Did you edit your reel? I think the editing is the strongest part of your reel.
  19. Thanks David. I have read a lot of your posts and value your input. I would say that is also true, all my friends are making a lot more money than I am haha!
  20. Hello, I have recently stumbled onto these forums and really enjoy them. So here's a bit of my story, I started at a community college in San Diego, I was there for about a year before I was a TA and my teachers were calling me asking me questions on editing and shooting. The reason was is because I live for this and feel I have found my path in life through making films so when I wasn't at home I was on the computer reading forums, articles and instruction manuals. So from there I got with a man who was starting his own video production company and he asked me to come help him out. I did that for about a year and learned all the basics about lighting as he would hire DP's and I would learn from them. I picked it up very quickly and always had the attitude that I would rather be on set not making any money than be at home on the couch. So I then moved up to the LA area so I could do more creative work (music videos, shorts and commercials) and have been living off DPing smaller gigs for about 2 years now. I love being a DP and feel that I can handle the main aspects of it pretty well. So my point is this, I don't want to climb the ladder from 2nd ac, 1ac, operator to being 45 years old finally getting to DP projects. I want to skip it all and get right into it. I have been working 10k jobs and under and this year I have some good opportunities to work on a $250k indie feature and some other decent budget projects. My main goal is to shoot big budget features and play with some fun toys along the way. Am I kidding myself? Will I ever be able to get into the A.S.C. like this? Is this an impossible goal that I will just be stuck and left out of attaining my dream by trying to go against the grain or is it one of those things that's rare but does happen sometimes? Here's my reel. http://vimeo.com/34645961
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