Brian Drysdale

HDV is the consumer format for HD, past experience with DVD players etc. indicates that prices will drop in the longer term. There are single chip HDV cameras on the market at the moment. The HDW 700 & F900s have been around for a while now, so you'll find the older cameras on the market. Also, the depreciation on camcorders is steep that the prices of the early cameras will now be noticeably lower. There are so few Genesis and the D-20 cameras around that they won't have an impact on the pricing of the other cameras. They're also in different market sectors to HDW 700 & most F900s.

I would tend to avoid filming in the middle of the day. Try early morning before the the sun gets too high (predawn even), you may find the the light is a bit softer before the day heats up. The shadows will be a lot longer and you may find that they're doing interesting things. I'd tend use a cross or 3/4 backlight with careful framed shots to suggest menace. You can put grad filters in to darken the sky. Unfortunately, bright sunny days tend not to be scary.

Check that the shutter switch is in the ON position, it sounds like the shutter is off.

A fast film is more light sensitive, but there's no restriction on the lenses you can use. You just need less light to correctly expose the film at a particular stop. It's like applying gain to a video camera and there are trade offs for this extra sensitivity: with a video camera you get more noise and using film you get more more grain.

I shouldn't worry about it, people have different expectations, just go for what you what to achieve. You'll find that some people just won't understand, while others are slightly jealous, but that's their problem. Friends will accept you for who you are, rather than the job you're doing.

Although they use the same stick, you might find that the settings are different. For example the F900 and HDW 750 have different settings and they're both HD cameras (The menu layouts are also different). However, I suspect that the DSR 450 might have the same settings as the XDCAM 530.

Fortunately, this industry requires you to have a lot different skills. There are hobbies and/or interests that that will assist you both in your career (with new skills) and your social life. Also, it impresses employers if you've done something that might be of use on their production. I know one NY DP who was into mountaineering - sailing and diving are also useful. I've done acting classes (don't give up the day job), which is useful when dealing with actors and also good for meeting people. Dance or Tai Chi can help with developing your sense of movement which is useful when you're hand holding or operating Steadicam. Classes are always difficult to fit in when you're freelance, but learning about art history, drawing, music etc. might be useful later.

I believe the BFI library in London has back copies of the American Cinematographer magazine.

One of our storyboard artists used to be an artist on the Judge Dred comics. His drawings much better to work with than anything I've seen out of Frame Forge. Although, he's always worth a leg pull about having crossed the line in his drawings. Although, personally I prefer (for average stuff) just drawing plans with the camera positions (including the tracks) and where the actors are going to be doing their stuff. From this layout I know in my head what the shots will be looking like and get a feel for the flow of the action. I've noticed that inexperienced directors tend to forget that there's time before and after a storyboard drawing. The drawing itself often just being a snapshot of a shot. However, really good drawings will give the sense of time and movement.

I was about to say similar things. I'm not sure if the Magnasync is motorised, but it's a big advantage on the Pic Sync, which it means to can listen to your sound without hand cranked induced wow & flutter. I was referring to when the BBC was cutting on film. I suspect the most of the film editing equipment in the BBC these days is be is found in their film libraries. Although, I suppose you may still find the odd Steenbeck in a backroom room for viewing purposes.

yes, if the output selection switch is at the VTR position. This is found under the flap below the LCD display.

Does the camera have a SDI output?

In the UK a 16mm cutting room usually had a Steenbeck and a Pic Sync on an editing bench. Every BBC cutting room that I've seen had them, so this could explain why there are so many around on the used market.

The only time that I've seen the focus puller never check for hairs after a good take is when shooting with an open gate on 35mm. The Aaton is extremely good regarding picking up hairs in the gate, but you do need to check. I was shooting in an airport lounge and we had endless hairs in the gate. It could have been due to static being created by the tracking shots over the carpet.

On a shoot in Sudan we had a Carnet set up because it would impress the local customs officers and also it would help get the equipment back into the UK. When we arrived in Sudan the equipment was held overnight at the airport by customs until the people we were working for arranged a bond. The Carnet worked going the other direction, got straight through two country's customs on the return trip.

Pic Syncs are great, I've still got a 16mm one lying unused - you can do a lot of the detailed work on one. Not so good for viewing the overall piece, but easy to use for track laying. In practise with 35mm I believe you're correct regarding edge numbers (16mm is a bit easier). Although, unless you were in a film making centre, you might have to send off your synced up rushes for this to be done.

You need to check with customs where you can get your Carnet stamped when you leave a country. Usually customs only interested in when you enter a country. Leaving a country can involve you going to the arrivals area to get the customs stamp before going on to departures. It's something that needs to be planned, otherwise you can find yourself in a mad rush finding out where you need to go. To be correct a Carnet needs to be stamped every time you enter and leave a country. On one occasion, an Irish customs official got a bit tight about audio tape stock not being listed on the Carnet (The film rushes were being send back daily to London). Fortunately, his superior took one look and asked if the tapes had been used and was happy when we told him that they'd had been recorded on.

Rubber numbering is the best method, the added difficulty with 35mm being that there are 4 perfs per frame. If you don't have a rubber numbering machine available, you're going to have to be extremely anal about your frame marks when you're track laying.

Failing that, remember to put sync marks on every sound and picture trim, together with shot info and keep the trims together.

I've shot film at 25 fps in the US, but whenever I was shooting under fluorescent lighting I'd change the camera to 24 fps to avoid flicker. Down side was that it involved sending these sound tapes to be transferred to mag film at 24 fps, but it was still cheaper than sending all the tapes (the 25 fps tapes could be transferred locally at a much lower cost).

For a feature film shoot 24 fps. Shooting at 25 fps can add quite a few minutes to the final running time of the film when projected at 24 fps in the cinema and upset the overall pacing. It's quite noticeable if the story is slow paced to begin with.

Humidity has the record warning light flashing. The exclamation could be caused by a number of things, as Stephen mentioned a gain setting could be one. You should go into the menu and check the items for the ! LED. The Shutter being on could be another thing.

You can work out this and any other conversions here: http://www.panavision.co.nz/main/kbase/ref...lenseqvform.asp A 24mm on a 35mm stills camera (32 x 24mm) would be the same as a 16mm on 35mm film or motion picture camera. So, if you multiply the 35mm stills lens focal length by 0.66, you'll get the 35mm cine equivalent (projected 1.85).

I've had conversations with an editor friend of mine about how the use on non linear editing equipment has changed the pacing of feature films compared to those films cut by the more traditional route. Using a traditional film route you'd get a cutting copy or workprint made from your camera negative. You'd do all your editing on that and when everything is locked you'd sent the negative to be cut so that it matches the edits on your workprint. This has dissolves etc marked out on it by chinagraph (grease) pencil. The neg cutters use the edge numbers on the negative to match up with the workprint. You then sent the cut neg to the lab who will make an answer print, you use this to begin grading the film. You may need a few prints before you finally get a print that you feel happy about the grading.

The only book that I believe is currently around is "16mm Film Cutting" by John Burder. The principles are the same, although things like the layout recording tracks on 35mm magnetic film are different. It's kinda fun and when you lose sync you can always throw the splicer against the cutting room wall!! You need to log everything and have loads of labeled film cans to store the trims. You'd need to check if the dubbing suites can handle 35mm mag film these days. So much of it is digital. About 6 years ago I saw a feature that had a credit declaring that it had been cut on film. Shows how rare it has become.