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Mitch Gross

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Everything posted by Mitch Gross

  1. Aperture controls a lot more than just exposure. It directly correlates to the depth of field and general look of your image. Locking it in place is really tying your hand behind your back. I agree that it would be much smarter to get a decent 16mm zoom rather than trying to convert some stills lenses for use with a 16mm camera. If you were shooting Super-16 then your choices would be more limited, but in regular 16mm there is a great variety of choices. I suggest you look into a Zeiss 10-100 zoom or try to find a good Angenieux 9.5-57 HEC. Right tool for the right job.
  2. Thanks. I hope to be able to schedule enough time to stick around.
  3. Wow, I've seen something that David hasn't! I saw this in college back in the 80s, and it played like a warm up exercise by Storaro & Bertolucci in preparation for The Conformist. It's not nearly as refined a work, but visually fascinating nonetheless. There's lots of visual trickery and challenges throughout, with bits like a character walking by a statue and the cross-cut dolly reverse moving in the "wrong" direction. Then an hour later at the end there's a flashback of the scene with the dolly moving in the correct direction, just to show that they had it. Don't go expecting a masterwork, but instead some young geniuses first flexing their talent.
  4. There's plenty of under-appreciated 80s John Carpenter, mainly because everyone wanted to paint him into the horror genre, pushed just far enough to allow the dystopia of Escape From New York. The Thing was under-appreciated at the time and has since grown to have respect both for its nihilism and the great ensemble performances. When the film tanked Carpenter pointedly showed everyone that he could make other kinds of movies, and came out with a rather lovely road movie, love story: Starman. That's a somewhat forgotten film that I really enjoy, and it shows that Carpenter really knew how to cast and get terrific performances out his actors.
  5. No, this will not work. The RAW signal is a data one, not a video signal. It does not conform to the HD video structure that the Teradek Bolt requires. You don't mention what model Steadicam you will be using. But you can replace the monitor on the bottom of the Steadicam sled with the Odyssey7Q+ and use it as both your monitor and your recorder. The mount is on the lower back so you will need to make sure you can attach it to your Steadicam securely. The Odyssey will also output HD video generated from the 4K RAW signal so you can transmit that on a Teradek to other monitors. Be sure to use a proper 3G-SDI cable between the camera and the Steadicam, wrapping it around the post of the sled. Do not expect the cabling built into the sled to be able to carry the 4K RAW signal. Convergent Design makes Ultra-Thin lightweight #G-SDI cables and we can custom make one for you to the proper length, up to 6' (standard lengths are 18" and 36").
  6. Alexa IMAX is a regular Alexa 65 with a lens mount to take IMAX spherical lenses. The IMAX Digital 3D camera is a pair of Phantom Gold 65 cameras rebuilt into a single camera housing. The resolution of each sensor is 4096x2440 and each sensor size is a bit smaller than the Alexa 65. Note that as huge as both of these sensor sizes are, they are still in the neighborhood of "standard" 65mm 5-percent, which is puny next to traditional IMAX 65mm 15-perf.
  7. The new rules are actually quite simple & clear. Carry-on: two Li-Ion up to 160w, as many 95w batteries as allowed by weight. Pack individually (Ziplok bags count). Cargo or stowed luggage: no Li-Ion allowed. Shipping: Li-Ion must use specialized hazardous goods shipper. Just because you did it in the past doesn't mean you can do it now. The rules have changed.
  8. AbelCine is proud to introduce our new event series, AbelCine EXPOs. An AbelCine EXPO is a free event in one of our facilities, focused on a specific technology. Instead of a traditional trade show with dozens of manufacturers showing a wide variety of cameras, optics, audio, lighting, support, workflow and other production resources, we narrow the topic to a particular technology and invite a few hand-selected manufacturers to demo their products. This allows you the opportunity to get hands-on time with the products that interest you most and to learn from the experts. Our premiere event will be the AbelCine EXPO: Filters For Digital Cinema. Digital Cinema cameras have unique filtration needs. Manufacturers have responded with products specifically engineered to meet the challenges of these new camera systems. Mitch Gross, Applications Specialist at AbelCine, will present an in-depth analysis of the optical issues raised by Digital Cinema cameras and the latest filter offerings to deal with them in areas including Infrared (IR) and “Far Red” pollution, color correction and diffusion. Representatives from Formatt, Schneider Optics and Tiffen will have booths at the EXPO, where they demo their latest products. AbelCine EXPO: Filters For Digital Cinema will be held November 20th, 6-9pm, in our New York facility. If you are unable to attend in person, you may watch the presentations live over the Internet via Livestream. The video will also be archived for later viewing. For more information, visit this link: http://training.abel...inema-new-york/
  9. Vision Research’s Phantom Miro M320S is truly a groundbreaking high-speed camera that boasts HD high-speed up to 1540 frames per second, excellent low light performance, a small form factor and lightweight camera body. With these tools at your disposal, where will your imagination take you? AbelCine and Vision Research challenge you to create a piece of work that showcases the camera’s unique capabilities. Four finalists will be selected to receive training and one week with a complete Miro M320S package to put their ideas into motion. To further inspire you, one Grand Prize Winner will be awarded a brand new Phantom Miro M320S package courtesy of Vision Research. Additional prizes, consisting of AbelCine rental certificates with a combined value of over $10,000, will be awarded to the 2nd place winner and runners-up. Additional information here: http://about.abelcine.com/2012/07/17/miro-high-speed-inspiration-challenge/
  10. Oscar, you should put in a support ticket with Vision Research to address this. All of these issues are easily dealt with, but with suh a new camera you're far more likely to find assistance directly with the manufacturer than in asking on a regular forum. There are not many people who have used the product out there yet!
  11. They all work great together and make excellent images.
  12. Andy Shipsides and I are hitting the road on our first mini-tour of workshops. Next week we are partnering with Midtown Video in Miami to present workshops on cameras, optics, workflow and lighting. These are versions of the classes we offer in our New York and Los Angeles offices, with tons of practical information without hype or manufacturer marketing. Space is limited but there are still a few seats remaining for these classes. We start on July 28st, with the "Digital Cinema Workshop". This full day workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the latest camera technology and workflows. The first part of the day is focused on helping you choose the right tools for your next job. We will showcase the latest cameras, explain HD compression, and discuss lens choice. The second part of the day is focused on advanced digital cinema techniques and on set workflows. Working with Log footage, using scopes, and applying LUTs will all be topics covered. Additional information here: http://training.abelcine.com/event/digital-cinema-workshops-at-midtown-video-miami/ On July 29rd I'll also be leading the day-long workshop "The Hows and Whys of Lighting". A technician knows tools and how they function. An artist understands what he or she would like to achieve and why. A craftsman comprehends both. The first part of the workshop begins with the basic properties of light and then moves into the physical fixtures and light sources within them. Part two expands upon styles and motivations of lighting practice, moving into practical examples and participatory workshops. Additional information here: http://training.abelcine.com/event/the-hows-and-whys-of-lighting-at-midtown-video-miami/ We plan to do this more often in more locations and with other topics. If you are interested in workshops on any topics in your area please let us know. Mitch Gross Applications Specialist AbelCine
  13. Andy Shipsides and I are hitting the road on our first mini-tour of workshops. We're partnering with PC&E in Atlanta and Midtown Video in Miami to host workshops on cameras, optics, workflow and lighting. These are versions of the classes we offer in our New York and Los Angeles offices, with tons of practical information without hype or manufacturer marketing. We start in Atlanta on July 21st, with the two-day "Digital Cinema Workshops". The first day is focused on helping you choose the right tools for your next job. We will showcase the latest cameras, explain HD compressions, give data management examples, and discuss lens choice. Day two is focused on advanced digital cinema techniques and workflows. Working with Raw & Log footage, using scopes, and applying LUTs will all be topics covered. You can join us for either day of the workshop or both based on your interest. Additional information here: http://training.abelcine.com/event/digital-cinema-workshops-at-pce-atlanta/ On July 23rd I'll also be leading the day-long workshop "The Hows and Whys of Lighting". A technician knows tools and how they function. An artist understands what he or she would like to achieve and why. A craftsman comprehends both. The first part of the workshop begins with the basic properties of light and then moves into the physical fixtures and light sources within them. Part two expands upon styles and motivations of lighting practice, moving into practical examples and participatory workshops. Additional information here: http://training.abelcine.com/event/the-hows-and-whys-of-lighting-at-pce-atlanta/ The following weekend we're down in Miami, starting July 28th with a one-day version of the "Digital Cinema Workshop". http://training.abelcine.com/event/digital-cinema-workshops-at-midtown-video-miami/ On Sunday, July 29th I'll again be leading the day-long workshop "The Hows and Whys of Lighting". http://training.abelcine.com/event/the-hows-and-whys-of-lighting-at-midtown-video-miami/ We plan to do this more often in more locations and with other topics. If you are interested in workshops on any topics in your area please let us know. Mitch Gross Applications Specialist AbelCine
  14. I used to have one of these in my old Aaton kit. I called it the Music Video lens or the Dream Sequence lens. It distorts like crazy in a beautiful way, but certainly didn't cleanly intercut with any other lenses in contrast or color. I would only ever use it as a funky effect lens and as such had the focus depth set so that everything was in focus pretty much right up to the front element, with distant objects allowed to go soft. Loved that old thing. Had the hard to find shade for it as well.
  15. John is correct, that is the color shifting you see. Many people try the different phase trick when shooting high speed to varying degrees of success. The real solution is as Phil states: a high wattage bulb just gets so incredibly hot that it doesn't have a chance to cool and dim before the next cycle rises in it again. So no flicker.
  16. I agree -- sounds like most of you have been on the wrong sets. I always found there to be an abundance of attractive and often single people of both sexes. At least the younger people were single, and that makes up a large part of who is on most sets. Which leads naturally to that next topic, "It's a Location Thing..." I know of countless hookups and flings that occurred between crew members off shooting on location, staying in hotel rooms and keeping odd hours. Some marriages were ruined by this, but also some were formed from them. Some good friends of mine met this way. I met my wife walking our dogs in Central Park (I know, like 101 Dalmatians). Turns out we'd almost worked together on several productions. In the end it was good that we never did meet that way as we'd probably have driven each other crazy on set and never have come together. I've learned to look the other way now, but I always considered it one of the great fringe benefits on the set to have so many attractive members of the opposite sex around.
  17. The advantage of the HD lenses is that they are physically small and offer an extended range of magnification in available focal lengths. A common HD zoom would be an 18x zoom range. Show me that in 35. AbelCine manufactures optical adapters for this purpose. Te HDx35 optically corrects the image form a single sensor plain and magnifies it to fit the larger image area. http://www.abelcine.com/store/HDx35-B4/PL-Optical-Adapter/
  18. So why is this under Arriflex 765 when the link says Panavision System 65?
  19. I have to say that with the dollar value on 16mm and Super-16 cameras dropping so quickly, I question spending the money to convert a 16 camera to Super-16. It may just be cheaper to buy a Super-16 camera outright.
  20. If you are in a 60hz power region such as the US, then up to 120fps you are safe. After that then all bets are off on these other lights. You likely will get away with the small tungstens at 200fps but I couldn't swear by it. There are so very many variants of non-cntinuous street light sources out there in the world, so I couldn't tell you.
  21. Wow, lots of mis- and partial information here. The Distant Eye viewing works because the shutter has a unique cup shape, so that light is either travelling directly to the eyepiece with the shutter closed or the film getting light with the cup up right by the eyepiece so that no light can get into the camera there and cause any fogging. It is a unique design unlike any other, and to replicate it on another camera would mean carving out a lot of space within for that cup. The mags load backwards from every other 16mm mag I know, meaning emulsion out. I've forgotten whether that's A or B wind, but I suspect A and will have to check. It's been a while. The gate is another unique A-Minima design. The film is positioned with a naturally occuring urve based on the size of the loop. This spring tensioning gently but very effectively pushes it up against a pair of guide rails on either side of the gate. These two rails are simply for proper positioning and are well outside of image area. The effect is to have the film frame sort of float naturally at the correct position, and it works exceedingly well. Because it is not sitting against a hard gate there is no hard point for a hair to lodge against. Those two rails are held in place magnetically, so one can pop them out every rare once in a while to wipe them down. It's all increadibly cleaver, innovative and totally Aaton.
  22. Of course, the opposite can also be said. All the great lighting in the world won't do muc of anything without a well-done set.
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