Brian Drysdale

I believe the latest series has been shot HD using Varicams. The previous series was shot on DigiBeta. You can shoot progressive frames (25p) on DigiBeta using the DVW 970, but it wasn't used on Dr Who.

The focus scale on the ENG style lenses is awful, with very few focus distances actually marked. Usually I give the camera assistant marks by focusing by eye rather than using the distance marks on the ENG lens and measuring by tape. Although the assistant could make their own focus scale for the lens, it's very compressed. On many scenes the eye focused marks on the ENG style lenses are horribly close together. Cine style lens have a much better scale and you can use tape. However, you do need to check that the eye focused distance on the lens matches the tape measured distance because sometimes they can be out.

You can get a flat base for the IIC with the motor is mounted on the side of the camera rather than underneath. It was commonly used when the 11C was used on a Steadicam. I've used a Bridgeplate on a 11C, but I can't recall any riser details.

The Canon held up surprisingly well.

I usually tend not to put the peaking up full on the monitor for normal shooting. It's more trying to make proper judgements on diffusion filters. I much prefer the 14" HD CRT (or bigger), especially on dramas. I think being off axis is a major problem with all the LCD monitors, the Sony is just as bad. The backfocus is always a worry on HD.

Yes they do if you're doing anything more than just basic work and you need to make subtle colour judgements on set. Having used a Sony LMD 9050 on some HD work recently my concern is that you can't really tell if the picture is in focus. Also, you really do need to be square on to see the picture properly, glancing at the monitor in passing can give you a scare! I'm thinking about the 17" Panasonic as a replacement for my old 9" CRT SD monitor plus you have a waveform. Although, I think the CRT monitors are still better regarding the quality of the picture. An Astro would also be really nice tool to have.

Check up on the courses that have good connections with the industry. Find out if the students have made award winning films. You must also decide what you want from the course. Most of the UK media/film courses in the UK are not that good and have developed because of market demands of third level education rather than for their quality. There only a handful which are worthwhile.

I've used aluminium cooking foil when I didn't have black wrap. It works fine, just keep an eye out for any possible stray reflections, although I didn't see any when I used it. I've used untreated aluminium cooking foil when I didn't have black wrap. It works fine, just keep an eye out for any possible stray reflections, although I didn't see any when I used it.

In PAL counties it's usually easier to shoot at 25P because most post production facilities are set up for it. In the US they always shoot at 23.98 - not 24P - you should set your DAT up for the same frame rate. However, you should check that your post people can handle this frame rate. I've heard one major UK television production had problems in post when they decided to shoot at 23.98fps.

They are a Digital Imaging Technician. You can check out what they do on Peter Gray's web site: http://jkor.com/peter/engineer.html

It certainly introduces a debate as to the DIT's relationship with the DP. Unless they're just going to set up the camera menus to a prearranged setting a DIT should be trained and experienced in the job. On the actual shoot the 1st AC usually won't have time to make adjustments because they're too busy setting up cameras for the next shot. Checking the back focus during lens changes (or worse with some cameras) seems to give enough headaches without adding being a DIT at the same time.

Without recording a sync track the tape recorder won't hold lip sync at all, it'll drift very quickly. Given the effort and cost of getting the Uher modified you'd find it cheaper to use a digital recorder. You'd also have to ensure that the post production facility has the kit to do your transfer. If you really want to use 1/4" analogue for sync sound, the Nagra is much better than the Uher.

The 1/4" tape recorders used a crystal controlled sync generator that recorded a tone onto the tape that could be locked onto during playback. The non time code Nagras used pilot tone, either 50Hz or 60Hz. You need to have a separate pilot tone head on the tape recorder, there are other methods. Some Tandbergs were modified for sync sound with a head to record the sync track on the audio free track, I believe you could also get pilot tone machines. 7 1/2 inches per second was the tape speed most commonly used. The 1/4" tape machines didn't have crystal sync motors, although they had have a method of keeping a precise running speed; it was for audio reasons rather than for syncing up with film cameras, so you'd lose sound picture sync without the recorded sync track. The easiest method on the Uher would be to fit a head that can record a sync track. If you've got a stereo machine use one track to record audio and the other one to record your sync.

Is the car driving in the city or in the countryside? What do you see in the background? Where are you placing/mounting your camera? Are there source lights coming in from outside? Are you trying to recreate the look of a certain period? You don't need filters on the camera for a contrasty look, you do this with the lighting.

You can get them modified to run at 54 fps. I believe it involves replacing some of the bearings with those used on the LTR54 and you have to use the 16V batteries.

Nothing like the expensive stuff running through the camera to concentrate the mind. Would help a few directors as well.

Ah, the smell of raw film stock: smells of opportunities. The paperwork: unfortunately the trail follows everyone, not just the clapper loader. One advantage is that you can work for more people than if you're a DP. Also, it's a good way of building up contacts and seeing how other people work.

I'm wondering if the B & W sequence is there because of the rating. In the UK it's 12A and I hear they had to make adjustments to avoid a 15 Cert. The title song didn't do anything for me, it just got lost. I'm not a huge fan of 2k DI, they often seem to look soft and the highlight handling on DIs can give a video look. There are films on which the DI can be truly wonderful, but often you're left asking why? There is a sag around the love story. I don't think you can blame Ian Fleming, scriptwriters should know the weaknesses of the original material. I think that train scene was too expositional: do don't say. We should have discovered the common bond (sorry) between the characters, not have been told it. Poor writing. It's a return to the older Bonds. O.H.M.S.S. could've been the best if Connery had been in it, certainly it has one of the best Bond soundtracks. The love story worked better (much stronger acting from Diana Rigg).

Filming against large windows in room that leaves you nowhere to hide the lights is always a pain. The tighter shots are fine, but when the wide shot comes you spend ages trying to hide/flag reflections, or at very least have reflections you can live with.

I should have mentioned that the grey scale is logarithmic, which is why the 18% mid grey is usually set on 55. 90% is the taken to be the highest non glossy white, so I'll correct what I've said to 100 on the waveform monitor.

Since an IRE unit is 1% of the difference between peak white and the blanking level, it should be set at 90. If you're using this to give your camera an ASA rating be careful if your camera has a manual knee setup that comes in below 90%.

The main reason for shooting with the pro 35 is for 35 mm depth of field. If you're trying to match Super 16 you don't really need this, also the Pro 35 gives a slight Promist effect. I'd tend to go with the Fujinon and try for the best match in post. Also, have a talk to the colourist in your post house regarding the camera setting. The ENG style lenses are a pain when shooting narrative with a focus puller because of the terrible scales, but I think this would give you the best chance of matching the Super 16. Remember that the focus scale on ENG lenses is measured from the front of the lenses as against the focal plane used on the cine style ones.

These are just two different references. Film uses the 18% mid grey using an exposure meter and video engineers use the 90% level which they use with a waveform monitor. Some grey scale charts for film use have a 90% level instead of a 100% white, so that you can set up levels in the telecine for transfer from film to video. If you correctly exposure a video camera on a chart with a 90% level on a waveform monitor, you can use an incident light exposure meter to work out the ASA of the video camera by comparing the light falling on the chart and the stop that you've set on the camera.

LOL Still got my Nagra 4.2. It hasn't been used for quite a while, because all double system sound has been digital. Those Nagras were built to last!

You get a bit of a surge on start up with HMI and I heard you should allow around 50% excess capacity to allow for this. I'd tend towards at least a 6k or even bigger generator and use a flicker free ballast on the light. I recently used a 4k on a 10k geny and it was very comfortable with the load. On another shoot, a spark recommended that we only use a 1.2K HMI in combination with a 4k with a similar rated generator (as against using a 2.5K as the second light).