Time To Play Stump David Mullen!!

[Guest dpforum1968]

Do you ever wonder if there's any thing David Mullen doesn't know?

 

Gee that guy is smart.

 

I think we should have a prize for the first person to post a question David can't answer. Perhaps Kodak could donate 20K feet of film for a first feature? Or perhaps the winner gets to spend a weekend at David's house?

 

People all over the world can play, it will be fun for the whole family!

 

DC (if you can't guess, this is a **JOKE** posting)

[David Mullen ASC]

Thanks for cheering me up... I just sat through another meeting of the ASC Technical Committee with various experts in lab, post work, special effects, digital, etc. and felt like an imbecile compared to these guys. Kinda hard to pretend you know something when you're surrounded by a half-dozen winners of Sci-Tech Oscars.

[Book/TV Project]

"I think we should have a prize for the first person to post a question David can't answer."

 

Which is the better film, Day for Night or Fanny and Alexander, given that both deal with the same themes?

[Greg Gross]

I think your question is one of personal taste rather than exact answer.

Excuse my use of the english grammar as I skipped school a lot and

played with cameras when I was younger. I prefer Day For Night, one

of my favorite films. I bet David Mullen knows what film stock it was shot

on, do you?

 

Greg Gross,Professional Photographer

Student Cinematographer

[Greg Gross]

Its a funny thing about those three letters ASC and what they mean,

stand for. Not too many guys on my block have ASC after their name.

For me and my money, I'll bet on David Mullen.

 

Greg

[Mike Panczenko]

Mr. Mullen, how much wood would a woodchuck chuch if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Also, how does a bagpipe work? That is all.

[J. Lamar King IMPOSTOR]

I'm pretty sure he is the guy who constantly outbids me for old AC issues on ebay. I still haven't read one pre 1980. He controls the knowledge and he owes me a hamburger next time I go to LA!

Edited November 14, 2004 by J. Lamar King

[Filip Plesha]

I must say, that whenever I posted a question in the past, I would wait for

David's answer, even if I had other answers. It was kind of a confirmation.

I always trusted his experience and judgement.

 

But I allso must say that too often there are people that say "i dare not to doubt your knowledge etc." and I think that it is not a good attitude towards gaining knowledge, and in a way, it is not fair towards David because his knowledge

loses value that way. There is no reason why even David could not be wrong, or misinformed about something. A healthy debate is the real way to gain knowledge. A message for those people: Show your respect by analising David's

information, and not blindly taking everything for granted. In my mind this is the same as disrespect.

 

Anyway, this forum would not be the same without David. I have learned a lot from him. Not only because of all the information he gives (other people do that too), but because of his wisdom, and I really mean that.

[David Mullen ASC]

I've certainly been wrong many times, usually whenever I preface what I'm saying with "I think" (i.e. I'm not sure) which is a clue for you experts in various areas to pipe up!

 

A long time ago, I tried to answer someone's question on how optical tracks are exposed onto print stock edge, in terms of the silver needed, only to be then corrected by a lab person who knew exactly the answer (I wasn't far off though...) Actually, it still confuses me (sensitive silver applied in a stripe, then the optical track is exposed, then developed?)

 

Anyway, it taught me two things: (1) there is always someone who knows more about a subject than I do; (2) try and only answer questions when you know the answers. And if an expert never speaks up, then preface your remarks with the comment that this is a guess or a layman's interpretation of how it works, etc.

 

Over the years of only answering questions I knew the answers to, people got the mistaken impression that I know all the answers because whenever I did speak up, I seem to know something. It's just because I resist the temptation to speak up when I don't know something.

 

I'm a generalist. People like Phil know a lot more than I do about certain subjects; I wouldn't be surprised if Phil is hiding the fact that he has an engineering or computer science PhD. Mitch knows more about lenses than I do, especially for 16mm, because he's a hands-on guy as a owner of gear (and he's very smart). Filip obviously has proven he knows a lot about commercial still photography digital scanners. And we've got pros like John Pytlak, Dominic Case, Mike Most, etc. who pop up occasionally.

 

I learn an awful lot from all of you, which is why I seem to know so much. And why I hang around on the internet so much.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

No, believe me, I wish I had an advanced degree. I was offered the chance of doing a Master's but it would have been in the area in which the lab worked, which was essentially educational computing. Yawn. People who do, people like the guys at Filmlight who write the software for the Baselight grading software and Truelight calibration, make me feel like a complete idiot. Anyway, having a head full of meaningless trivia isn't actually very useful in most circumstances - it takes up space I could be using to... to... well, do something more profitable, certainly!

 

Phil

[Luke Prendergast]

Noone knows what Lee 130 is for

[Filip Plesha]

Filip obviously has proven he knows a lot about commercial still photography digital scanners. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Now this was totally unexpected. I don't recal ever "proving" this.

I don't think I deserve to be in this list of yours, but thanks.

[Filip Plesha]

Noone knows what Lee 130 is for

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

clear, animation cells?

[David Mullen ASC]

Clear gel is used on frames for various reasons, like for rain hats over lights, or as a way of deflecting some heat, although what we call "heat shield" may be a different product number. Clear gel could be used over an open window or door, let's say, to make it seem open but keep smoke in the room. I have used ND.30 gel for that purpose because I didn't have clear gel.

[Kevin Zanit]

I have used clear gel to protect the lens of a light during a sequence with water splashing around. A few drops of cold water on a hot lens can cause it to explode.

 

I have also used it for the various reasons David stated.

 

 

Kevin Zanit

[Greg Gross]

David,

I remember one time I did'nt know how to pronounce the word telecine

and you took the time to come back and tell me how to pronounce it.

I did'nt want to make an ass out of myself in front of my cinematography

mentor/instructor. I rely on you for expert advice,as your are the expert

here sir. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping us student cine-

matographers here on the forum. Your posts are greatly appreciated and I

have learned so much from them and posted notes to my journal. David here

in Camp Hill,PA in my circles you are known as the DP of "Northfork", the eye

lighter. You revealed the charcacters with eye light. Best regards.

 

Greg Gross,Professional Photographer

Student Cinematographer

Edited November 15, 2004 by pd170user

[Alvin Pingol]

I think we should have a prize for the first person to post a question David can't answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Mr. Mullen, what is the geometrical meaning of the central extension of the algebra of diffeomorphisms of the circle?

[David Mullen ASC]

Same answer as to how many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb: a fish.

[Annie Wengenroth]

I was going to ask how many film school students does it take?

[Dominic Case]

(2) try and only answer questions when you know the answers.

David's advice here is excellent - (and it doesn't slow him down much;-) ).

 

For an example, look at the recent thread on bleach bypass. Couldn't hope for more thorough yet concise answer. But - that's a question that gets asked on these forums about once a week - I reckon everyone on the list should be able to answer it now.

 

here's a simple question to tell what your approach to filmmaking is (anyone). What does IP stand for?

[Mike Panczenko]

That would be an inter-positive. What do I win?

[David Mullen ASC]

And how many people know that an interpositive and internegative use the same stock?

 

Anyway, is it time for an FAQ for this forum?

[Wendell_Greene]

Anyway, is it time for an FAQ for this forum?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Absolutely. And the first question on it is should be the answer to perennial term paper question "What is Cinematography?"

[John Sprung]

here's a simple question to tell what your approach to filmmaking is (anyone). What does IP stand for?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It could be either interpositive or internet protocol.

 

 

 

-- J.S.

[Dominic Case]

It could be either interpositive or internet protocol. 

-- J.S.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

John's doing better than mpanc1. But there's another one that's relevant too.

????