Michael Collier

Funny you should mention shooting in cars. I am DP for a shoot this coming month (just got upgraded from a digibeta shoot to a 16mm shoot!) I told the director I was building this specificaly for the car scene, and his eyes got really wide and he got really excited. No proccess trailer is avalible for the shoot, so hiding lights in the cluster and roof is the only option for lighting. As for CRI, I couldn't descern any green shift on the LEDs I had, even after shooting them on preset daylight at various levels of over and underexposure, and checking the results with a color picker and vectroscope. Also all the LED panels avalible today don't have neg green attached to them. Where did you see an LED with a CRI spec? I haven't seen that in any data sheet.

Yes, K2 (and all luxeon lines) have a huge power dissapation. I think I read somewhere that on their 1watt models, something like 200mW-250mW must be dissapated through heat. Their data sheet specifies they MUST have a heat sink, or they'll die quickly. The plastic 5mm kinds are much more effecient and more robust (less heat dissapation anyway, K2s are more power effecient) I have a plan for heat reduction in my 400 and 800 light models I have planned. Reluctant to say how though, hall can figure it out I'm sure. No fans of course Also Rich said you need a single point source to make a par or frezzy, I have a design now to make a fresnel without needing a single point light. I won't say how, I think I can get it pattented. I will be attempting to build a 1.2K, 5K and 18K led fresnel light....down the road (equivalent HMI light output, they will actually be 1.5K, 6K and 21K lights delivering 110,000 lumens, 450,000 lumens, and 1.6M lumens respectivly.....no cooling fans needed) The panel I am building now I want to test it with some light diffusion, I don't want to loose the punch these lights will have, but I do need the light to look a bit nicer. Also to that end each light will be optically aligned, something not done with other pannels. I think a light hampshire frost or opal might do the trick, and of course stronger diffusion can be put on if you need a softer output. I like LEDs for the simplicity (of operation, not of construction) and the power savings. True, LEDs are only 100% more effecient than tungsten (the models I am running at least) and about 50% of an HMI, but lets face it, with an HMI or a tungsten, we are going to place a lamp more powerful than we need. I might throw up a 2K tungsten, but as I am lighting, I will probably scrim the light, wasting power. With LEDs when you need to cut the light a stop, you dial it into the controller, and the unit is instantly using 50% of the power. Also LEDs offer a huge range of power input. 110, 220, 50hz, 60hz, 12vdc, 14vdc, 30vdc, it really doesn't matter. Building a converter is cheap and easy to bring it to the voltage the controler needs. I could even make a universal power adapter, that could accept all those voltages. Fine adjustments are fast and easy, I think LEDs are the wave of the future.....and I have some really really big plans....foundation shifting plans for LEDs on set. I can't talk too much about it but I have great ideas for this. Those 60w and 150w lights are pretty interesting, I think I have some reading to do and decide weather to alter my plans any. Are they avalible in the US, or do I need to travel to china to pick one up?

Hi, Yes you are right, 2fc per LED at 4ft. so times 130 its 260. And I should have said 200hz, not 200Khz, my mistake. I am not sure, but its around there. I actually haven't put much thought to the frequency yet, since the for the program it really doesn't matter. The dimming feature works by a variable that is set, and a seperate timing routine sets the frequency. Right now I just have arbitrary numbers in there to give it long enough for the LED to turn on, but short enough that I don't see a flicker by eye (or as I tested today at 29.97 fps) Once I get the prototype pannel set up, I will decide on frequency. Right now I am testing just a single LED with the circut. Pictures will be avalible tommorow, but today, its a beautiful summer day in Alaska and we only get 4 months of summer, and 8 months of winter....so its time to play some frisbee golf.

OK, Some might remember my intervelometer project, that is almost done, but on hold. Today I got in the mail 130 white LEDs and have been putting together my panel. I will post some pics when I get home. This panel will differ from normal panels in its diming feature. First, it has a constant frequency. Not sure what that is yet (somewhere around 200Khz, but its flexible and I will set that when its ready) Secondly the dimmer won't be a simple 0-100 potentiometer style. I have built the circut to decrease or increase intensity exactly 1/3 stop each time the button is pressed. I figure that would be a bit more useful. After testing though I found I need a rotary encoder, since it has about a 7 stop useful range, which is 21 button presses to go from full on to nearly off. way too much. I plan to put 7 LEDs on top to indicate how many stops it has been cut by (one LED for each stop). I had no color meter, but putting my camera on preset the LEDs looked very close to 5600K. for production runs I will be able to buy LEDs that are tested at the factory to guarantee a temp value. After testing the LEDs I have found at 4ft they can throw about 2 footcandels. So I figure at 4ft average distance (for outdoor lighting of interviews) I can get up to 260 footcandles. That means on an average day with the direct sun at 500ft/cn I can achieve a 2:1 ratio, even if dark folliage is sucking up all the ambient light. I am also planning a 400 LED and 800 LED model comming soon. These will be availible for purchase sometime next year after I iron out all the details of the light. They should be cheaper than almost any light panel availible today. Pics to follow soon. I am happy to answer any and all questions. ....and yes this will definatley kill film....somehow. Its called blue.

You know, its a shame that those red-carpet specials don't delve into light meter fasion. Who cares whos wearing who....I want to know what color lightmeter Rodger Dekins is wearing this year. It doesn't matter if the meter is in calibration, just if its in style......oh well you'll all see. Next year blue will be the new black!

I got the blue one....kinda fisher price, but I haven't lost it yet.

I'll throw my support for the spectra. My first light meter, my only light meter. It has served me well, and still on the first battery after more than a year (though the batt light came on for the first time on my last shoot) great light meter, easy to use.

Looks great, I wonder if this was ever project in 35mm, maybe at NAB the year it was released? I ask becuase they say 'believe it or not, this is still 16mm' but the difference isn't redily apparent at youtubes compression rate. believe it or not, its still MPEG-4 double compressed.

A job that isn't willing to even pay a pittence, in my view should be suspect unless its with friends. The point here is that if they can't afford to pay, they can't afford a quality production, so your working against the curve to make your work stand out. Its tough to make a good flick if you suspect the producers don't even have proper permits in place to shoot. Also what scares me the most (as a person who has done numerous flicks for low low pay or for free sometimes) is that if they can't pay you, they don't have insurance. You can bet on that. If your not getting paid then your probably not rich, so what happens if you fall while placing a light, or otherwise get injured on set. Can you sue the producer? Probably, but they probably don't have money to settle or pay a judgement. So you loose a few weeks to do a free production, you loose the ability to make more money, since your employer was uninsured, and you loose your right to compensation for your injury (something that workers comp would have covered) I have and will work again for free in the future (gotta start doing student films to make connections). But my work always comes at a price. Can't pay me? rent an HMI, rent a quality camera, buy some film, get me a good script, get me a steady cam or crane for the shot I want to get. There is nothing free. If you ask for work unpaid, expect to make it up in other areas. And please please please get insurance, get permits, get your crew food and coffee. Every free film I have worked on has had one or all of those things in place. If not, I would pick up my own script and make my own flick. My problem with the advert is its a list of requests and requirements. I see nothing there to entice someone who does want to advance their craft to join up. Not one comment about resources there will be, only what resources there won't be, or that the DP is expected to provide. I have all of those things in the list, but I would need airfare and lodging and per diem from Alaska, do you think they'd be able to do even that? Low budget movie making is about tradeoffs, not trying to find the person who has the resources you refuse to try and find a legit way of getting. I suspect they don't want a DP, they want a camera...and if the guy can run it too, well all the better.

Well I think you overestimate manufacturing today. Keep in mind that some manufacturers have used chemicals known to be dangerous to save a few pennies per unit. I think we should be happy that all we have to worry about with CDs and DVDs is the occasional scratch, and not lead paint on the label that eventually causes althiemers or something like that. But I remember those old CD burners...that was like in the early 90s. I was still in grade school, we had one computer with one and then a room full of apple IIe's.

Netflix is great. The only disk I have had a read error on in the last year was seven samuri (surprised me, I thought since it doesn't get rented that much, it shouldn't be scratched) but its way less than with blockbuster. But the best part is they don't edit their movies like blockbuster will, and they cary movies BB would never touch. Just try and rent 'this film not yet rated' at blockbuster.

There are fast LUTs avalible for whiteballance. Common ones would be daylight and tungsten (you'd probably use tungsten exclusivley unless you don't use an 85b outside.) from there you can add your custom look to it. All light being the same, those should do what your looking to do (remove the green and make it 'normal')

Yes, I am looking at the honda gennys now. I think I might end up renting. And you would be correct, there is a great abbundance of gennerators in town...just few crystal sync. I am glad to find out I can run the HMIs off those, given their flicker free ballasts. And no, its not a true day for night. Its an Alaskan sumer night for Alaskan sumer night. There is something very eerie and odd about being up at 12am and still having light in the sky. The light is very soft but still directional, since the sun basicly hangs just below the horizon line for 4 or 5 hours. Its hard to describe but its my favorite lighting pattern we have up here. If the clouds are just right, its an amazing thing to see. I just want to capture that feeling for the last scene. In other news I bought a few hundred white LEDs, gutted a broken omni light and plan to make a small soft light for our car scenes. I even figured out how to make each button press decrease the light by exactly 1/3 stop. I think its fair to say I am looking forward to this shoot. I may even get to fly a steadycam on it!

Well movies and docs are two different things. A movie isn't covered by fair use rules. Fair use means if its there in public its fair game. If your shooting a doc on the parkstrip, and a band is playing on the parkstrip, you can use their music in your video (as long as its the live recording, not one played off a CD) the issue is weather its legit or not. If its there shoot it. If you have the right to be there then you have the right to shoot anything you can see, including logos. keep in mind this is a guidline to my understanding of fair use. Consult a lawyer but I think its correct. (please also note that yesterday I almost got arrested by two MP's for shooting, on public land mind you, because they said I had my camera pointed towards the base (if it was, it was unmarked as such). so just because you have the right doesn't mean people won't try and hasel you)

The 72db rating might be a signal to noise ratio. That would be the measurement of noise (referance level) to signal (dB). The higher the STNR the better, since the higher it goes, the less noise there is compared to signal strength. if that were the case it would be just about right. Most cameras fall between 65-80dB signal to noise range.

Halogens have no ballast, and rightly should not flicker, ever. I suspect you shot on the lowest setting. I do not know for sure what those switches do (weather resistence or otherwise) but I suspect its a simple diode. When on full the light sees both phases of the AC cycle. When switched to low, it channels power through the diode, which naturaly cuts one phase off. The result is a light that is still at 60hz, but half the cycle the light is recieving no power at all (compared to full cycle where only a brief moment there is no power as the cycle crosses the zero border) I think that might have led to the flicker. Interesting though, I probably wouldnt have thought of it looking at a halogen light.

Having shot a blind person before, my best advice is to make sure her feet (or knees if sitting) are pointed where you'd like her eyeline to be. Most times when talking blind people keep their head straight forward. They will turn their head if someone is talking to them, but when they start chatting its usually head forward, eyes up. Pointing their feet or knees towards their eyeline will make the 'rest' position look correct, and any wander will be passable by an audience who knows shes blind.

I guess that means you can advertise '12 out 13 filmmakers agree...the monster looks real!'

All I see on the front page is a post that says 'am i mad?' and Buicks name is next to it. Am I the only one who thought this was a setup? Boddington?

Ooooooh, I guess it was just a matter of time before that happened. I can't imagine thinking too hard on that before saying it. Seems like the sort of thing that rolls off your tounge without thinking. I have had people assume I was out at a range when I say 'Im out shooting'.

I am guessing the board in question is a high-frequency device. I suspect it may be something even simpler than board-trace impedence. At the rate they are moving data around I bet it could be anything made of metal in the proximity. A standoff, a power cable, anything could act as an antenna. One problem I have seen on boards from every segment of electronics is poorly designed ground planes. They will put a huge ground plane, only to divide it in half because some other line has to traverse the board. That leaves just a small area for the grounded noise to go from one side of the plane to another. I have heard that this small bridge can even set up its own resonance between planes and begin oscilating with the noise. crazy stuff. If I were Jim, and he may have already done this, hire a board designer. There are a lot of good ones out there, I am sure, and I bet that would be the fastest path to market. They have seen it all, and maybe just getting a few fresh eyes on the board could reveal a simple RF problem that everyone overlooked. Could be rudementary and already tried out (or even implimented) but look at LVDS. Better than ballanced pairs (though very very similar) LVDS can move lots of data around a board without inducing crosstalk and is resilient to RF interference. Cheap to impliment too, check out fairchild semi or national semiconductor. They both have LVDS chips availible. also once I had a problem with a board, and just put a small capacitor between the power rails and ground plane....problem solved (not that I think you haven't already thought of that) Good luck...troubleshooting electronics is frustrating when you can't see exactly whats going on (even worse when you can see it, but can't fix it)

So I take it this isn't a rodgers and hamerstien musical? Really ballanced a dark image well. Some were a bit dark for my tastes, but thats the line you walk and I think you did a great job of it. Good looking out with that klenex box light. Hmmm, I got 150 LEDs on order coming to me for my next project, I might stick them in a shoebox with 216 (I have spotty LEDs on the way, opal would be too light) I like the green in the car. Its definatley a good look, my question is is it motivated in anyway or just impresionistic? With the top light at the elevator, I can see it looking good if they move through the light quickly. If they linger in it for a while it might get a bit anoying, but for a quick pass through (hes pushing him in the elevator right?) I can see that light only emphasizing the motion. As for speilberg getting his first shot off in 30 minutes, maybe he does what I do, plan the simplest shot (of significance) for the first shot. Boosts moral if the first shot is done well and quickly, but that only holds if its has some dialoge. Nobody is thrilled to start the day with inserts. anyway good looking.

For the backlight situation, yes I would underexpose the face a bit. Maybe even up to a stop and a half. You can still see detail easily in that, and you want to sell the fact they are in the shade. That said what I typically do is over expose for the background a bit, 1-2 stops over, then use the fill to bring it up until it looks good to the eye. That is usually in the .5-1.5 stop below key range, but I have pushed it to 2-2.5 if I am going for dramatic. I assume your second question is asking what if there is nothing catching open sunlight in frame (its all in shade) then yes you would want to expose faces to key. In shade your eyes adjust and the shade becomes key exposure, at least to you. When there is direct sunlight typicaly the eyes adjust in between the contrast range, so the background is hot, and the faces are still a bit shadowed.

Yeah, I don't know what sort of alternator the car I have in mind has. I know some aftermarket alts can supply 140amp+ (at 12v thats around 1600w) and I could leave the car running, but it sounds like it might be cheaper just to rent a small generator (2-5k) for the weekend. The problem is this is not a film community and there is only one crystal synced generator in town, and its way too expensive for this film. can I run an HMI off an unsynced motor, if the ballast is a flicker free ballast?

I am prepping a shoot comming up this sumer. Problem is we have nothing but daylight these days. The sun doesn't go down until 10-11 and the sky remains bright until the sun rises again at around 2 or 3 am. I want to shoot during this period of magic hour for a dusk feel. I want to get contrast up but in that environment, I have little options. If I feel I can use it, the producers have let me put a few HMIs on there, but theres no chance of a crystal synced generator. Is it possible to drive an HMI off an inverter hooked up to a car engine? I understand the timing might not be perfect, but we are shooting video (digibeta, DVW-700WS), so flicker should be less of a problem. On their website they say the ballasts are 'flicker free' ballasts. I assume this means they are electronic and can accept a wider range of power before they begin to flicker? It would be great if we can, I might be able to get 2 or 3 HMIs, which would be a godsend in this environment. I want the dark blue of the sky, but I need that backlight to sell the image. Please tell me this will work, or let me know what I need to make it work (lots of stingers ran several blocks from freindly businesses? hmmm.) Otherwise my only option is to go the oposite route and put black grifflon in a frame as negative fill....not really what I want when the whole image will be on the dark side...I need more backlight. Its my cowbell for this film.