Andy Sparaco SOC

Even if you do this deal you won't stop looking for your next gig ...right? This a typical bad deal/scam in which you end up working and hustling to find work because you are highly motivated then giving 20% to someone who you have no control over. Key question -are you the only client for this "manager"? Unless the "manager" has an established track record like a talent agency you are looking at a form of indentured servitude. You loose control of your clients and reputation. Work hard, be patient opportunities will come.

Busy, Busy, Busy Looziana is awash in work

Shooting a S-16 feature in New Orleans. Looking for a three week "affordable" rental. B-Camera in support of currently owned S-16 pacakges 1) Super 16 2) Video Assist 3 PL Mount 4 Two Plus mags Cinematography Electronics speed control a plus. P+S Conversion a plus Have a batch of these films to make so a purchase might be possible. Contact: Andy Sparaco 312.543.5742

These folks are top notch for re-celling batteries> Rathbone Energy 865-484-1178 www.rathboneenergy.com

I have made and been paid for dozens and dozens of projects using Standard Definition Progressive transfers from film. By your definition no digital format would qualify as video because they are data data recorders.

*****(No, you can't. DVCPro50 is an interlaced format, just like DV25, Beta SP, and Digital Betacam. There is no such thing as a progressive standard definition video format.)**** Yes your right DVCPro50 is interlaced I miss typed 50 for 100. However there are two progressive SD video formats I use all of the time.

Sams correct one full interlaced frame. There are no repeated frames. You can count film frames against video frames 1 to 1 non drop frame. You can also xfer progressive to say DVCPro 50. Film shot at 30fps still looks like film

You might consider next time a transfer direct to hard drive as a Uncompressed 720X486 Interlaced Quicktime file ( a digibeta file}or a DVCPro 50 file which is a progressive file format. Either will give you better color (4:2:2) and more apparent dynamic range. With the cost of a 320 GIG Firewire Drive drifting toward $120USD you will save the cost of having, borrowing, renting a tape deck. I know people recommend using a camera with firewire out to capture a Xfer tape but you really don't get the detail and benefit.of a good xfer on to a good high end capture system. While Xfer to DVcam looks good the format itself does not have a lot of bandwidth and goes to hell if you step on the files once or twice. Other then that suggestion you seem to be on your way to a good start. Remember todays film stocks are very low contrast and you may have to add contrast by adding a strong light souce. If the lighting is to flat colors go muddy and the film appears more grainy then it really is, and also less sharp- Frame six shows this as opposed to frame five which has more snap.

Good Gaffers and Keys always find work. Once you move up the food chain work becomes harder and harder to find. If there was one job which is "technology proof" it is the Gaffer. Regardless of what happens to camera and recording technology--Somebody will always be setting up a light. ;)

Super 16 Greenscreen is routine now. If properly lit and exposed mattes for composites are no problem at all. 7217 works well 7212 works better and 7201 works best of all. The key issue is 1) the keying software -I recmmend the Ultimate plug in or Discreet Combustion which has the keyer from the Flame and 2) what the transfer format is. A really excellent approach is to do a transfer to hardrive as a progressive file or as a tiff still sequence.

The great yellow father is George Eastman, and his mighty sword is Eastman Kodak from whom all flmakers joy starts. You must be respectful or he will smight you with another cost increase I worked in a lab as an intern in college. It is a full time undertaking. You need air and temperature control, densitometry to do anything repeatedly. Yes you will get a "look" each and everytime you make a film run. Plus the emotional response of your audience will be your film looks like it was shot in a snow storm or in 1916. Have fun cause you won't be shooting very much As I said before Best of Luck. You will learn many new things and :D then give up This is like brewing beer because there is no six pack in the fridge Once again enjoy the experience I learned a lot and so will you. I made some very strange films with the labs optical printers.

You are going to learn about many, many new things unforunately none of them which have anything to do with making films. Best of luck and may the great yellow father above smile upon you but you are out of your mind.

Check with Tim Carroll at www.arri16S.com a frequent contrib on this board with excellent advice . Also www.duall.com and of course ebay. For general information you might go to www.cinematechnic.com-Jorge Diaz-Amador is a very knowledge fellow and there is a wealth on information on his website -which will soon be an actual book. Although Clive Tobin is moving away from camera motors and accessories he still has a few models www.tobincinemasystems.com/ You would do well to search the blogs on cinematography. and/or net for Arri-S

Looks like a composite shot to me. With the background stretched or blown up a bit in post

If you call Glideshot they will sell you a set at the sale price. Ebay is a form of Advertising for Glideshot and many other companies. Don't be shy=always ask for a discount-they can only say no "the meek inherit what's left"

when I was in school in pre-historic time before video-my college advisor was an egyptian film maker. And after patiently looking at my first 16mm film turned to me and said "Andy, your next film will be 50% better" And he was right and I always try to make my next film 50% better -as should you. I looked at your film actually without sound and it tells a story. With a little distance you will find it isn't half as bad as you think it is.

....USB port on a laptop. You can us tha audio software on the cmputer or the supplied Mackie software to record. Most Pro mics are 3 pin XLR.

You might check this out> http://www.tapcoworld.com/products/linkusb/index.html A USB/Preamp takes hi/lo inputs/1/4 and 3 pin XLR/ powered from USB port. Marketed by Mackie includes there multi-channel software. Records up to 96mHz

[ find somewhere to copy it to other miniDV with miniDV format or a hard drive? Rent a deck? Many thanks You are far better off having a professional Post house capture your DV tape to the file format you want to work with. In fact you should have had the Xfer to hard drive. The days of video tape are numbered. The cost of a firewire drive will be the same or less then the cost of a deck rental. Have the post house capture in less then 8 gig chunks so you can back up on DVD-ram

The function of the cup is to sit on top of the sprinkler and deflect and insulate heat from a lighting fixture. It shields the "wax" plug. THe bottom of the cup points up toward the ceiling Does it work probably to some degree> never had a sprinkler go off> if nothing else it sez to the agency/client you are aware of the possible problem and have some way of addressing it> due diligence. I have gorilla repellant and never had problems with a gorilla also :rolleyes:

When I am shooting in a location I have the gaffer place styrofoam cups over sprinkler heads which are within 3 feet of lighting instruments. Takes a little time but worth it

I own a Grey card and color chips. I know what they look like including the dents and scratches. It is a point of reference I am familiar with regardless of the voltage in the building the day of the transfer, regardless of the argument the colorist had with her boy/girlfriend, regardless of the general disarray in the engineering core of the post house. A grey card and chips are just like Burger King.

If you don't know how to use them. Like anything else they are a tool. A tool which prevents the colorist from wagging the cinematographer.

I use framing charts I download from the Panavision New Zeland website. That way I don't lose them. I usually have someone in the production office print them on foto paper we steal from the location managers-oops I'm in for it now

Yes it would. The "chips" are a known reference for the colorists. Most colorists can work quite happyily without them. The "Chips" are there to help you-so use them often. They help you speak to the colorist in the context of a known reference. Once again the Grey card is also helpful as it is easier to see The Kodak Seperation guides are actually two printed strips/ There are other "chips" Macbeth makes one and there are other extremely expensive ones which are part of a on-site color grading system. I like the the Kodak because when they get beat up they are inexpenive to replace like an eyepiece chamois. On a feature I include a set and greycard as part of the expendables