Dimitrios Koukas

This movie goes to the theaters first, so actually at first I ve said let's go 35mm, then they said why not with the new HDV cameras? What can u say.... Just said make it S16 at least? Anyway after the second meeting, I believe I am convinsing them for S16, thanks to Stephen that reminded me the ''dynamic range'', and just because is a road movie, we want the most a media can take in terms of latitude. I will make some tests within the week same shot with an HDV camera, and a S16 one, one will go for the digital process to 35mm and the other for the blow-up to 35mm too. There is no way I can't convinse them about it, after the results. Dimitrios Koukas

Joseph, 800ASA for television is a good choise, And also rate it at 640 like you said is a good option, since it will not go for theatrical release, it's a stock that has a nice latitude and very flexible it terms of transfer, so a lot can be done there. Yes it has more grain than other stocks but not something unacceptable. Going on 35mm also gives you a better look. Just light the blacks a bit more and then ''crash'' them in the telecine. But this can be achieved only by overexposing like u said. It would be a pain if you have exterior daylight shots , u will need some ND to compensate I guess? Dimitrios Koukas

Oscar, one thing that it will help is to ''flag out'' any unwanted light falling on the walls, and use some bright sunlight effect on the walls in places to ''brake'' this monotony, Are u going to use the existing daylight or u can control this by adding your lights and simulate it? For night interiors I believe it is more controlable, just avoid big diffusion sources or bounched ones. Or at least use them across the wall not pointing at it. As for the film stock whatever u will use ,overexpose by 1/2 to 1 stop. And then compensate for it in the colour timing. Try not to lit the walls as possible (only some areas) and use more directional light to your actress. This will give to the walls a ''greyish'' look in parts and will add some atmosphere, unless u want them lit like white paper all even, wich always by my oppinion it's not very interesting and flat out the image. Dimitrios Koukas

I would prefer the HD -SDI route too, thanks for mentioned it. I have no worries about any camera to be honest, by my experience I will do the job by any media available, it's just that I don't want to rush into a project without dispalying the plus and minus of a media to the production office. And all this in the pre-production meetings, and not after. Dimitrios Koukas

Brian, There is something wrong with your file I can't open it. It says that a bad atom was found in the movie. Dimitrios Koukas

I don't know the camera, Does it have an always auto f/stop on (wich I don't think so) in relation to the camera's photometer? If not, just use a photometer and rate your stock at 160ASA, a little overexposure never hurt anyone. So put the 200 ASA in and use the photometer readings to adjust your f/stop manualy I guess? Dimitrios Koukas

Just joking here, I didn't got the white and black reference cards either, I would suggest a colour patch or a grey card instead. Dimitrios Koukas

Jonathan, Are u talking for the plastic cores that come with film? Usually u unload the film with them on the stock and send them for proccesing (for example 200 magazines for Arri IIC). 200 ft magazine have a little space to work in the changing bag so I believe that u will have to take the exposed film out of the magazine (always in the bag) and then remove the plastic core if you like. If you are talking for a clip core adapter then it should be really solid there and don't move alone, just move with the camera's movement. Most of the cameras that use this system have a clip core that has a notch used to avoiding moving on it's free axis. I hope this make sense my English are sometimes average. Dimitrios Koukas

Thank you very much Brian, I believe that u can use firewire and the camera as a player ? (that doesn't mean that I will choose this camera). Dimitrios Koukas

Ok he can use a photometer then. Dimitrios Koukas

File... dude? :D Dimitrios Koukas

:) David... Thanks for the telecine explanation, I believe I ve used one first time back in 1992. I have made transfers in my life, film to_digital_or_whatever_format way, it's just I haven't ever did the opposite,(video to film) only experimenting thru a crt monitor. I guess my question was very general, so I am sorry for this. Thank you , and what about the sound? This comes after I guess? Dimitrios Koukas

I will suggest you to do a test before you go, and push it one but rate it 800. Dimitrios Koukas

Thanks Landon, I ve checked the camera u suggested and I ll go with it, if I don't manage to change for s16. Dimitrios Koukas :) There is one camera operator and assistant in the crew anyway. No problem changing magazines and loading, for me it takes the same time to reload a tape and write 1:30'm colour bars by EBU standards. Real HD will take half of the budget! Editing suite costs a lot. Dimitrios Koukas

Stephen thank you very much, I was just wondering ''how it works'' meanning the printing method. Is it a video monitor that is scanned? or a projected image on lcd or DLP , does the procedure comes in a continuous light or by flashes on the negative? Dimitrios Koukas

Matt, My mistake,I have write down XL2 while the camera is the new XL H1 (suppose to be HD). Anyway i am pushing for film. Still couple of meettings and I think that I am about to convince them. Dimitrios Koukas

Hello, I need some explanations about 2k or 4k, systems. The terminology 4k is been used to clarify the fact that an image 4k is used (1024kx4=4096), but what this means for the result? How this is achieved? Frame by frame or real time? Dimitrios Koukas

Evan, One good stock to try experimenting with is kodak's 7205 250 Asa Daylight film, U can just go out on the streets and start shooting, no correction filters needed, just some sunlight or daylight. Dimitrios Koukas

First of all, Try to ask the director what needs excactly, or how he is imagine this, it's difficult sometimes to have saturated colours with diffusion, not that it's impossible. I would suggest go with 1/2 pro-mist and overexpose about 2/3 of a stop. And then do some colour correction to get the rich colours. You can use the 7245D film stock for the daylight scene, unless it's really ''early morning'' like magic hour? I don't know if u are shooting a person, one really rare thing that was used in the old days form still photographers is the use of petroleum gel on a clear filter, u can just add gel only where your subject is, whille leaving the rest of the frame untouched. This is really nice as effect if you don't go too far with the amount of gel, but it's really tricky when changing lenses, u will need different thikness on the gel layer. DImitrios Koukas

David, If I got it correct, u used smoke as a reflecting source? What a brilliant idea this is! Despite the low light, I believe it will give you the ''heat'' effect, when the craft is entering the atmossphere! Like u wanted to be. I definately want to see this! Dimitrios Koukas

There are many palm-pc's that have cinematography softwares, most of my assistants using them. Dimitrios Koukas

Another book from focal press that helped me a lot, is Sylvia's Carlson, ''professional cameraman's handbook'' DImitrios Koukas

You don't have wrong information at all, it's that the grey cards were used more for still photography, while in cinema the photodome incident meters seems to have established. You see it's much more easier to walk around the actor's path with the photo meter on hand than having someone hold u the grey cards that u will measure with the spot meter from cameras point of view. This doesn't mean that u can't use the gray card for any reason, it's just more practical this way i guess. A spot meter is good when u have your subject on a distance, or different areas that reflect different amount of light to your film's frame, that you want to check them for exposure reasons. For example if you have a window somewhere on your frame and you want to see if the compensation lighting you are using for it is enough or you need some more, or gel the window with ND filters. 18% of a gray card simulates white skin. The same does the 18% photodome on an incident light meter. DImitrios Koukas

Do u need hairs and scratches, among with strobe/ 16 fps movement? Dimitrios Koukas

As I ve seen from the day that the site changed skins and fonts (among other things), there is an error screen that posts out after you post anything, so as a result people keep posting their messages on and on, so that's why I ve seen kore than 3-4 topics with the same author and title. At the time I am just ignoring the error msg and don't panic, when I check the last forums my name and subject is in. Dimitrios Koukas