Matt Irwin

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=47570 Well... wow.

I'd have to agree. The Surefires also have a far more even pattern than the Maglite "ring" pattern.

"So, like, how many beers would that be, in metric?" (too obscure?) How about 1 frame every 1 minute? Maybe even every 5 minutes? That should cut down on "choppiness" since an average traffic light lasts, what... 2 minutes max?

Volkswagen's new ads: German Engineering

(source)

Yep, it's called the HPC2000. Here are some links: http://digitalproductionbuzz.com/news.php?newsid=732 http://www.p2info.net/index.shtml

Having not seen a side-by-side of the HVX200 shooting DV 24p to tape and the DVX doing the same, it's hard to say. Obviously, the footage will be technically the same, but the HD lens on the HVX will probably improve the image somewhat. As for your import problems, are you trying to import the MXF files directly into Final Cut? Apple hasn't yet updated Final Cut with full MXF support yet, so you have to use an intermediate program to "unwrap" the MXF files into an FCP-native format before importing. Also, as I understand it, when you copy the card contents to your HDD, you have to copy EVERYTHING. There are supplemental files that go with each clip which contain all of the metadata. If you don't copy those files, the clips will be corrupted permanantly.

I wish! The camera only records the DV format to tape. In order to record anything else (DVCPRO, PRO50, HD) you have to use the p2 cards or a DTE unit like Cineporter or Firestore. When you record on tape, the camera effectively becomes a beefed-up DVX100B (same tape transport).

Usually the "poor man's macro" works pretty well. Just move the camera close and zoom in. The MOD on the dvx100 is pretty close if I recall.

Thanks guys, I'll definitely look into the "amp probe" and "clamp meter".

Well when that film was in production I was very young and did not spend a lot of time on set. I don't remember hearing anything bad about that shoot from my dad. I can say that on all the films that I have worked on with him, the atmosphere is always very easygoing. He has no tolerance for inter-department rivalry, which is not even much of an issue since he has been working with the same gaffer, grips, and camera department for at least ten years. We're like a big family. I saw Robocop 2 on DVD fairly recently, but I'm not sure which release it was.

Is there a way to use a meter (or something) to safely determine how much juice is available on a circuit? It would be good to know in case a situation comes up where not all plugs on a circuit can be checked or there is limited or no access to the breaker panel.

Are you referring to the speed ramp at the end of Bottle Rocket? It's been a while since I've seen it, but I'd guess around 48fps.

I've been passively looking around for an old mole beam projector that I can have rewired with a 1k-2k lamp socket and edison plug (so it can be used on a 20amp circuit). Anyone seen one or know where to look?

"Irwin's pushes more for the grittier, minimal, instinctive aesthetic (in both expressionism and naturalism)" I think the bottom line is that different cinematographers have their own twist on certain genres. One of his mantras has always been "less is more", which I think has rubbed off on me quite a bit. Under normal circumstances, I know he goes for a natural look that is very much grounded in reality. Of course, "natural" can be a somewhat subjective term...

Hey Guys, My dad took a look at this thread and sent/told me me some responses. The responses that were sent were not formatted to post, so I will paraphrase somewhat (I have permission from him to do so). Whatever I put inside the [ ] comes from me. "it felt like a made for television movie that was shot on video." That's exactly what it was. There wasn't even enough money in the budget for a studio large enough to accomodate a full length airplane interior. [For the record, the film was shot on Clairmont-Sony F900's with Fujinon E-Series zooms. Additional plates were shot with ZIU's and DVX100's.] "I think that maybe the producer/studio was pushing for a certain crisp, "perfect" look. It didn't look like there was any color correction, probably all done in camera. " I'd say the film was quite the opposite of crisp or perfect. The entire film was shot handheld with delibrate camera shake and snap zooms (at the request of the director). [if I remember correctly, he supervised several days of post. If it didn't look like there was any color correction, good. That's the point :)] Things change in life- you get a mortgage, you get another mortgage, you move to a new country, producers start making more comedies than horror films... and then you realize that while your son is growing up, shooting days is a lot more fun than shooting months of nights. I have shot literally every kind of film that there is to shoot-- from pornos to industrials for ExxonMobil to low budget first time director flicks like Dumb and Dumber to big budget shows like RoboCop 2. And I shot them all for exactly the same reason: I was hired to shoot them. If I shot a horror film today, it wouldn't be a problem. Same goes for a drama, sci-fi, thriller, whatever. I have made many friends, shot all over the world with people like Jackie Chan and Bill Murray and, in retrospect, have put together a career that people can examine and analyze and make assumptions on. The truth of the matter is that I usually take the next film offered because I have to. So much for retrospection. 96 films to my credit ... so far. Over a billion in box office... so far. If you do the math, that's 3.4 films a year. That's where all the grey hair came from! Thank you guys for the interest. All the best, and keep shooting! (Oh and no relation to Greg Irwin, though I have met him.) Mark Irwin CSC/ASC Los Angeles And a quick correction on my initial post: Todd Philips (the director) did, in fact, "have his poop together."

I've met him once or twice :P . (Kevin's right, he's my dad) I actually grew up on his sets as an uncredited/unpaid camera trainee, and I was on 10 Things for all but two weeks of shooting. As for who designs the moves, it really depends on the director (among other things). A lot of the comedies he has shot were with first-time directors. On Dumb and Dumber, the Ferrelly Bros' first film, he and the 1st AD designed and coordinated all the shots while the Ferrelys directed the actors. Road Trip was much the same way, if I'm not mistaken. More often than not though, it's a collaboration. Funny you should mention that... He's been trying to get out of comedies for some time now. After shooting almost all of the Ferrelly Bros films, Old School, etc, he's been branded as a "comedy guy" even though he has a huge body of work in sci-fi, horror, drama, and action films. I think his last project, Flight 93, was a step in the right direction. (also his first HD feature) I've mentioned these boards to him before, so maybe I can get him to post a better response to the original question (or dictate one to me).

I think that cinematography and photography are only similar in "technical theory". Both a DP and a photographer have to think about lighting, composition, aperture, film stocks, processing, etc; however, that is where the similarities end. When it comes to the practical execution of lighting and framing as well as the technical terminology, it's two completely different dimensions. My girlfriend is a fine art photographer and when we get into conversations about shooting, we often look at eachother like the other one is crazy. (yeah, were both total dorks in our respective fields) When I think about framing, I think in rectangular "do-it-in-camera" terms. When she thinks about framing, the's thinking square (medium format) and sometimes with cropping in mind. When I started taking pictures as a kid, I would compose and expose for a single frame. Nowadays when I take stills, I often compose and shoot through a roll as I would if I was shooting motion.

You could try putting a mirror under the water and covering the edges with sediment from the river/pond floor. This should help to boost the reflections, but you will still have to take David's advice and make sure the actor's face is brighter than the background. I've seen this trick work well (so long as the mirror is hidden properly) several times before. Hope this helps,

Andy, check out these threads: http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...0146&hl=theater http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...9527&hl=theater Hope this helps,

Have you thought about augmenting the existing lighting in the elevator? Most elevators I've been in have overhead fluorescent light with hard plastic diffusion or plastic egg crate in front of them. If there's enough light in the elevator you use, you could cover the fixtures in gel diffusion to soften the tubes and supplement them with a bounce. It's very unlikely that the elevator will have any power outlets, so this is probably the simplest plan of action.

Perhaps you can substitute the rear-screen with a large LCD monitor (like a cinema display or a large HD TV) positioned very close to the subject. Then, surround the monitor with duvetyn to kill any other reflections and poke the lens through the duv. Having never done this, I can't be sure it will work... but could be worth testing. Of course, if you have access to workable rear-screen or a vfx guy, go with those. :) Can you post your results? I'd be interested in what you end up doing.

I'm planning on building one as well. Here's another thread with some worthwhile info (toward bottom of p 1 and onto p 2): http://www.cinematography.com/forum2004/in...showtopic=11517

I've used the Mechanix gloves and I agree, they're awesome-- for gripping. They can't be beat for tactile control. However anytime hot lights come into the picture, the Setwear Hot Hands are the best. Out of curiosity, I placed my gloved hand on the metal heat sink of a 2k just after turning it off and didn't feel uncomfortable heat for about 30 seconds (more than enough time to adjust a barndoor or change a scrim). For those in LA, Modern Studio Equipment sells the Hot Hands for about $40 instead of $50.

Wow, thanks for the replies guys. Robert, you told me exactly what I wanted to know. I was on a shoot running a 1200 off of a 3k genny and upon firing the light, the genny choked but kept running and the 1200 fired properly. That's pretty much what prompted the question. Thanks again.