Albion Hockney

i would be weary of all the cheap accessories David, keep in mind you can always rent that stuff till you can afford it. Anything like a set of stick you will be able to use in the future as well with other cameras I would atleast buy something a little more solid. I have never used a knock of set of sticks like that, and even manfrotto stuff is a little wonky. I would buy a satchler for a few grand.

I have always been interested in people working with long lenses, generally the use for creation of feeling of distance/voyeurism. I'm curious if anyone has some examples of work in cinema over the years they like. I just saw a contemporary film "Heaven Knows What" shot by Sean Price Williams that I thought was really interesting shot all on the extreme long end of lenses. Another example I think would be Blue Valentine's contemporary portion which I thought was also great.

*Color Filters. Filters that are intended to only effect chroma values. I use BPM all the time now, it's great.

I think you need to really hope for overcast skies if you are going to see the sky, else I don't think it will really be possible to be honest. I would underexpose a bit and go kinda low con as that is what you are seeing in these pictures with the exception of the 2nd one of the woods. Could also try Black Pro Mist. I have tried Ultra Con filters before and found that they just lifted the blacks with out really adding any information and that it would have been the same if I just did it in post. I think Low Con's are more stylized though. to be honest filters for color are pretty worthless when shooting with a contemporary digital cinema camera (alexa/Red)....Post color is a big part of making good images now!

HAHA, that is awesome Satsuki I have thought about that too.... maybe I could convince some people to shoot film if I had a camera! good luck, hope you get to shoot some great stuff with it

Ah you bought a used one? ....I'm going to look into that I bet they are going for nothing!

M40 is just like M18, it packs a stronger punch and is a cleaner source. Great light. like a 6k Par and little more in terms of intensity

this all just super dependent of the situation. some of the best stuff I have ever shot has been without lighting. Lighting is not a thing in itself....natural light is "Light" ....the lighting instruments you carry with you are just another option or way to craft the light. sometimes what is there already is better then anything you could ever do. half of this cinematography thing is about location scouting and building composition's that say something. Lighting is apart of both of those things, and if you can find the right location and the right frame where the sun is already working for you your in business!

This is very interesting, didn't know about this price drop. am I the only person who thinks the F3 image is better then the F5/55 in some cases. i think the F55 is a higher end camera in terms of handling color and maybe latitude, but the image is so lifeless. F3 is nice and soft and kinda like a cheaper alexa look to me. F3 seems better then c300 to me as well. The other camera in this same space that is similar is the new black magic 4.6k sensor ursa mini. I donno if F3 or that is the way to go. I have been looking to buy something in this bracket though for some documentary work.

I think this is actually very true. So many people in this business are in just that "the business" and they want to be "Film directors" . The people who really make it in the first tier are people who are interested in making Art. Now take away all the bullshit assumptions of pretension and such you associate with Art and think about the simple idea that its about people who have some voice/perspective they are looking to get out there. People want to say something. Making a good film/mv/ even commercial is not about watching a bunch of well known classical film and trying to create one yourself, its about having your own voice. Find people who have a voice and work with them, even if they are technically behind you as a DP you can help them say what they when more coherently. It of course depends on the project, but I often find myself in situations of helping Directors use the language of film, as a DP i feel I study the hell out of the camera and how shots cut together tell stories, being a DP in my opinion isn't just lighting pictures and framing up nice shots. Its helping the director communicate.

I thought the classic debate was Shurtape Vs everything else. Shurtape is much thicker and rips easier, but its a bit more expensive

Have you looked into smaller HMI's ? I wouldn't assume you can't use hmi if you can't rig outside. I think atleast for your key light for that nice soft wrap you could consider it. I'd get an arri M18 or a couple joker 800's and make a book light or put it through a couple layers of diff inside the house. Maybe get another joker 400 to use for background or w/e else you might want.

if not aware of this you will also want a hazer if you want the effect you are seeing in these videos. the standard one to get is the DF-50

Film school is most valuable for networking and status. If your work is good enough and you can meet the right people on your own it won't matter too much. Being at an A list school is a nice bump though. Most Jobs are freelance yes, all A list cinematographers are Freelancers with Agents usually. Production companies that do something like employ a DP full time are more low tier probably doing things like corporate videos or event videos. Advertising agencies generally hire production companies to do work, work that gets made in house is also pretty low tier.... they are less likely to hire a Cinematographer and more likely to hire some kinda jack of all trades video person and you will be doing things like "pitch videos" (videos they make to get jobs) and other low end work that doesn't have a big enough budget to hire out a real production company. As you start working in this field you will meet a lot of people and over time you will find "your crew". I have been doing this freelance for 5 years or so now and I probably have a list of 4-5 gaffers I like and AC's as well. On bigger jobs the production company will handle the crew if you want, but you always want to make your suggestions ....when you get started you will probably be in charge of it.... to be honest you want to be in charge of it if you can, you want your guys, and referrals go both ways sometimes. I would say yes the days of moving up are dead. That is not to say it isn't a good idea to do those things to learn how sets work and get to see big shows shooting. with a bit of experience and knowing the right people you can work huge movies as an electrician....it'll be terrible work, but you will see how things work. Also be on every shoot with the students in your school you can, try to be working the best stuff even if you can't shoot it, gaff it or key grip, when your starting out just work as a grip if you need to....build set experience, not because it will get you a DP job, but because it will make you a better DP. However, I think in higher positions (Gaffer, 1st AC a little less so) there is a little room to "move up" a lot of DP's also gaff now when they are getting going, but nothing is going to get you up the ranks except your own work. It's maybe nice to be friends with some DP's as a gaffer and get to know some producers and stuff, but you need a reel. A really good one. I know a 1st AC who did an indie film with a well known DP and now the DP is busy and they liked him so much he got offered a job to shoot a smaller budget movie with the same director..... but that's because he is also a shooter, has work to show, and is a smart informed guy! There is a whole post on the "general discussion" page about "low pay/free work" ....My experience is that, as some have said over there, you need to finance your career as a DP to get in, some people buy cameras which is great if you can do it (I'm talking high end cinema cameras like a RED or Alexa) but moreover you need to take on low/free work and make great pictures and find the right people to work with. Find people who are Artists first and filmmakers 2nd (meaning they have something they are looking to express and don't just like the idea of being on "Film Director" ) ....people who have good taste and are smart ....and shoot all of their projects! ...and make really good interesting pictures!....take risks! you want your work to set you apart! I would suggest making a website dedicated just to your cinematography work and not have the other stuff on there, as for your work you just need to keep shooting! I think you are in the Ira Glass "Gap"http://vimeo.com/85040589. Its going to take some time. I saw from your other post you are looking at the right work and have good taste, all of those shooters are great, study there work and try to figure out how they are doing it, ask lots of questions! its a long grind and a lot of chance involved, but if you want it enough and your work is good enough it will work out.

All great shooters you referenced, but all the scenes are very different, can you explain more what you want to achieve? Prosofsky is probably using a jokleko combo for that grizzly bear video I'd guess, the whole thing is that one light, and its manually operated Annis is going pretty natural light...I have no idea as to know what that production was like and how controlled that set was, but most of that could have been achieved in a real location. the lights in the background are the "laser" looking kind I don't know the name but any theatrical/party lighting house will have them. Winecoff has some narrow colored pars in the background, they are likely robotic and LED....but not necessarily. I think you just need to go to the lighting house and figure out what you want in the background. Any of them will of this stuff and they will all be experts on it to tell you how to work it and what will work best.

yea to be honest if your renting it out I would get an M18. Just like your not sure about the joker right now a DP/Gaffer who hasn't used em isn't sure either but everyone has used the M18 and loves it.

Hi, I haven't done too much work with large HMI sources and curious what others thought about this. I have a shot of 2 guys on a porch sitting in chairs. its kinda medium wide.... cut off just above their feet or so. We are probably not going to be able to control time of day to shoot with the sun and I would like to create an sunlight effect with HMI. Kinda a late afternoon sun streaming in as a rear 3rd edge on them. The photometrics for the M40 look about right to be able to do this to me, but I'm curious in practical application if this will hold up.

If that top source is big enough it may work out in the same way the 20x soft box works for car shoots....but I think it would need to be really big atleast 12x .... and in that way in the reflection itll kinda look like a part of a set or something. glasses are the worst. just consider anything that is frontal and big is probably going to cause reflections so just w/e you use to light will need to give a reflection you can live with. maybe a big ring light?

What is the look and tone of the film overall?...any references you like? What is this shot like, are you going to shoot through the windshield or side door....how wide? don't assume you need all of those lights or even to tent the car. if you shoot at the right time of the day you might need very little....or alot. depending on the look and feel you'd like to achieve. how you approach this also very much depends on the time of day your shooting and what your background looks like. Is the background getting direct sun? If so to use any source to mirror the sun it will need to be sharp and very punchy. Maybe this what your thinking about with your idea to use the 6k as a backlight? if so I think that could work. If you are shooting in the late afternoon or morning I would probably put 1/4 or 1/2 CTO on it and have it come in at a lower angle with a medium/narrrow lens and be pretty hot. and I would shoot in a direction where the sun is backlighting your background as well. If you shoot early enough and the scene is short though you can get away with using the actual sun to do this which will almost always look better in my opinion. for your fill I'd go with the 4K through a 12x12 frame of 1/2 grid (silks are not the best diffusion they keep the source pretty sourcy still....if you are looking for an more natural ambient look using Grid Cloth it spreads the light much better). I think a 4x4 frame will be way too sourcy for a fill. I would play the 4k as basically ambient skylight maybe even adding 1/4 blue to the HMI. Depending on how dramatic you want your contrast ratio you might even get away with ultra bounce and not need a lamp for your fill. And I think the negative fill could work too if you want more contrast I'd do that last though and if your shooting on an 85mm you might only need a couple 4x4 floppys. To be honest your equipment list is very small and odd generally if you are using sources this big you will have a range of gear to support it. In all honesty I think you would be better of with a range of frame to work with and a couple smaller heads like an arri M18.

thanks much for the information, it's a new relationship and the situation is a little weird because of how the production has gone about things. Hopefully should work out today. Nothing worse then a rental house that won't just admit they don't have the right stuff they told the producer "Yea we have the best filters, nothing better then Tiffens" haha. I'm in a 2 stage box and shooting 1/8 pro mist so I can't toss anything else in there and would really like to not anyways even if I had the space. Hopefully can get them to sub rent some hot mirrors. yea wide open in the day is tough! I had ND 2.1 on the last thing. luckily we had hot mirrors. I bet those lecia's were looking good though

Hey Satuski I have a production about to start and the rental house only has Tiffen IRND's and they are pushing it on me. I'm curious what your experience was that resulted in you saying that "IRND's pretty much dont work with the red mx" thanks much!

yea cinealtas or 35mm ...usually 35mm if they are bigger artists. and lots of light always, strong edges were a big thing too for sure. lots of videos with maxies in the background flashing the lens on dimmers in frame and stuff in the early 2000's

I agree that prod companies always change dates and cancel late so i don't feel a special obligation everyone is playing a bit of a game usually Anyone have cancelation policy? I double hold dates all the time .... Last week I triple held a date for a couple weeks from now... Of course one job of the three actually went. That said once I'm committed I'm usually on board. I think the line of "extenuating" circumstances is what is up for debate ... How much better does the new job have to be?

I need to buy some good 100mm tripod legs. They are primarily for use with a small slider and I'd like to get something with 2-3 stages that can get decently low. Heavy is alright and ideally trying to stay under $400-500 which I know is a bit limiting Any thoughts ... Maybe something used that's built tough?

I think tungsten heads are a bad idea you will need very big heads to match the Hmi with tungsten. Ctb cuts about 2 stops of light ..... A 2k is like 500w. A 4k Hmi is equivalent to Atleast a 10k tungsten light You will want a few hmis China balls I don't think will be very useful, maybe for a little bit of ambient fill in the space when shooting people. I often see people use soft top light over tables with sunlight coming in through windows but thy are using daylight balanced sources like the 200w jokers inside a china ball.