Mark Rimmer

Hello My grad film, to be shot later this year, takes place entirely on a moving bus, at night. for budgetary reasons, as well as issues with sound, and operating hand-held, i think we're likely to shoot on a stationary bus. Can anyone give me some advice, or links to articles, about how to use moving lights outside the vehicle to give the effect that it is moving? please? Again, because of those same budget restrictions, i expect the bus will be located outside, and i really need ideas to keep cost to a bare minimum. at the moment, i'm thinking to use the upstairs of a double decker, where less would be seen through the windows, as well as dirtying the windows from outside, or steaming them up inside, so that any details seen through them are little more than abstract shapes. and while i'm here, i'm planning to rig lighting on the bus so that we can shoot 360 degrees. how easy is it to build my own fluorescent fixtures to fit along the ceiling of the bus? i'm aware of the colour issue with standard fluorescents, but if they are the only source, then timing out the green shouldn't be a problem, right? or i even think that a slightly sickly green tint would work well with the story we're telling. i will be shooting tests before the shoot, but want to have as many ideas to play with as possible before i do. that's all for now, i look forward to your helpful replies. Mark

Hello all after shooting several music promos on video, I finally have a budget that will allow me to shoot on film. The idea for the promo is a single shot (hoping to avoid too many takes!) but what I wanted some advice on is the postproduction workflow. I need to finish on Digibeta, so would anyone recommend telecine first and then digital grading, or grading the negative and then telecine? What would be the difference in picture quality, and what would be the difference in cost? all comments welcome. thanks Mark Rimmer Prague, Czech Republic

Hi all I want to build some of my own lighting units, to give me a bigger lighting package, and let me spend my lighting budget on bigger, or more specialised units. The kind of thing I'm talking about are (for example) soft boxes with 4-6 500W photofloods. the problem is, I really don't have the technical knowledge, regarding what kind of cables and fittings etc I will need. are there any good books or websites with information about this that anyone knows about? thanks Mark Rimmer 'beginner' cinematographer Prague PS is it possible to build my own fittings for kinoflo tubes?

cheers clive this might be a stupid question, but do lcd screens display 50 fields too, or is there such a thing as a progressive scan tv? i guess i could use video files shot at 25p.

Hi I need to shoot, on 35mm, a wall of 25 tv screens. First question: Does using plasma or flat screen tvs eliminate the need for a sync between the camera shutter and the screen(s)? 2. How do I sync 25 screens to play 25 different video clips? has anyone done anything like this before? o yes, and how do you expose for tv screens? thanks Mark Rimmer Czech Republic

sorry, i misread the posting. that's where the fade trigger is on the XL1S, but i don't know where it is on on the XL2. it definitely has the function though.

use the fade trigger. i never use it because i usually do any fades in post, but i know it's there. on the same button as colour bars and digital zoom. just not sure how you activate it, and i can't find my user manual.

the setting isnt my choice, it's the director. but we wont be having any big dance routines like sweet cheeks. i'll definitely post some stills once it's done. but i'll be back before then, cos there's a 2nd promo to shoot for the same artist. director hassn't even finalised the location yet. thanks for all your help. more advice still welcome!

i will be using smoke. the club has two rows of moveable spotlights above the dancefloor, i can use for an edge/back light. the walls and floor have flourescent lit panels that change colour. so i was going to fill from camera with kinoflos. i might even mount them on the dolly, so if i follow her through the crowd it will ligght her and those around her. not very realistic, i know, but........ not sure where a legal video copy is available. i noticed some on limewire, but by law this should not be dowloaded without the correct licence... mark sorry the pictures so small, i did a screen capture on my mac and it was 64kb, and the forum has a max size of 100kb.

Hi I am shooting a music video on my XL1S, it is mostly set in a nightclub. I really dont want the place to be overlit, but i dont want it to be too grainy. the producer has said i can have the lights i need, but it's a low budget, so i dont want to rent lights then find i don't need them. obviously the artist (solo female) needs to be well lit, but will i get lots of grain if the rest of the club falls off into darkness? i was planning to use a couple of kinos for lighting the singer. the location has plenty of aimable little tungsten spots that can be arranged to pick up the background detail. its quite a small club. maybe 8 x 20m. i wish there was a budget for testing. its my first gig and i need to get it right...... any comments or tips would be great! Mark