Cinematography

I'm consistently "blown-away" by how Hollywood NASA's footage is. ;)

Always love a good Murder MystryStory.

Gotta love total CGI simulations.

I waited for a couple of weeks in hopes that someone else would chime in. Oh well.

A few questions to narrow down the scope of your question.

What is the mood of your picture, what is the mood of this scene or is it more than 1 scene? From your description this is to be a Day Interior scene. Does it have to be?

What is the amount of light you are looking for in foot-candles or lux, or what camera, lens and camera settings you wish to use? Is the camera moving? You have 3 people seated on one side of the table and the other is at the head of the table or across from the 3 seated people or pacing? Are the 3 people always seated?

You have 4 lights, any grip equipment? What about foam core or reflectors? What bulbs do you have available for your lights? You mentioned gels, which do you have? Do you have bulbs that can fit the practical lamps in the house? Find the electrical panel and note the size breakers for each circuit. If the electrical panel is old and takes fuses, make sure to bring spares. What about filters for the camera?

What direction do the windows face? Are the windows readily accessible from the outside? Are all the windows covered with sheers? What about sound, are the floors hardwood, lots of echo?

What is your crew size and how many hours of shoot time per day do you need? How many script pages in total?

I am attempting to do something similar with at least 12 shots done in an old Spanish Mediterranean home in Los Angeles. Any and all advice/discussion is welcome.

What time of day the scene occurs in the script will determine how you treat the window and what color temp light (if any) comes through the window. Beyond this tidbit of advice, no budget stuff is usually more of a headache than it's worth.

OK< time passed, how did it work out ?

Thx for this!

Usually, things with fabric straps tend to loosen and slip. A time proven Mafer or Cardellini with a threaded adapter to a tripod mount is a more secure piece of kit, IMHO.

Arri Alexa, Red Scarlett, Red Raven or the Canon C700. For TV you need the top of the line raw image.

Most reality shows use a ton of gear in different formats, from GoPro to handy cams to full ENG style cameras to cine-style rigged cameras, all for different applications. 8 to 10 cameras would be considered simple coverage for most things. Certainly 3 at an absolute minimum, each assigned to certain people, spaces or anticipated events.

Then there are the wireless mics... dozens...

I am in the same boat as you. I was told that Netflix won't accept anything less than 4k. So, should we all be thinking 4K if we ever want to submit this type of work for consideration even if its not Netflix? For the quick run-and-gun stuff, I was considering a JVC GY-HM170U Ultra 4K HD 4KCAM (approx. $1200) or a Panasonic HC-WXF991K 4K Ultra HD (approx. $900). Anyway...just some thought.

Different exhibitors have different Production and Post-Production requirements. Yes, Netflix is 4K. But not just any 4K. These are their requirements.

https://backlothelp.netflix.com/hc/en-us/articles/217237077-Production-a...

The choice of what to shoot on for anyone else is quite simply one of two choices. Shoot the specific requirements asked for or shoot for the highest standard asked for and it will fit most of the lesser standards.

Of course its always best to start high and be able to downgrade from there. No argument from me.

At the risk of oversimplifying it, cameras today are like saws and hammers- they all do the job in the hands of a craftsman. Some are more suited to some tasks than others. Unlike carpentry, cameras are subject to whims of fashion that don't really come from usability but from murmuring or opinions.

FS5 is not nearly as common in most professional work as FS7. What do you want to know exactly ?

Adrian, thanks so much. I had looked at Sony but not Canon yet. Cheers

I second Adrian's comment. A used Canon 5Dmkii or 7D or Nikon D800 will produce great images when used properly. The only caveat is that you'll have to record sound separately with a Zoom or the like and re-sync in post (but don't let that stop you, it's a few extra steps that's all). I also recommend testing (or least get a hands on) with every camera you are considering. Look at the image quality, it's limitations vs it's advantages, even the ergonomics. (Can you use it out of the box or do you have to buy a bunch of accessories?) Unfortunately there is NO perfect camera, so it will boil down to your specific needs, budget, AND preferences. For example, I prefer dslr cameras for b-roll because I hate re-syncing audio in post, so I own a Sony Fs700. I like my camera and there are newer models being released almost every six months. For now, it's still good for what I need it to do. Shopping for a camera can be tedious but also exciting so have fun!

I love Sony!

It depends on how long the shots are. DSLRs shut down after around 16 min of continuous shooting. If you need it for longer shooting time. I recommend a camcorder or something like it. Panasonic makes good ones.

I have a few Sony's that I use for what you are doing you can go far with a Sony X70 I use this as my C camera with great results. My prime camera's are Sony FS7.

Hi Lindbergh, thank you for book advice, i'll try it. Hey, it's nice to know, that they are at Koliba collaborating international! What was that movie? Our cinematography is just growing up now. The change from communism to democracy was difficult for filmmaking here. But now it is on good way i think. ;)

"Behind Enemy Lines" (20th Century Fox). Really enjoyed visiting Bratislava. Most of the crew was picked from all over Europe.

Jakub, there are 2 general types of film, negative and reversal. Negative creates a negative image on the original film stock. Reversal creates a positive image on the original film, like slide film.

To see the images correctly a negative film has to be printed to a print film which shows the images with the colour and exposure as shot. When working with negative, a “work print” is first made. The “work print” is the actual film that is handled and cut in the editing process. Editing can be done on flatbed editor like those made by Steenbeck or Kem, the classic upright Moviola, a simple film viewer with rewinds to be able to move the film through the viewer, or every just holding the film up to light and cutting it if you are just cleaning up flash frames. Flash frames are those frames at the beginning of each take that are overexposed as the camera comes up to speed. The work print will be made with one light. One light means there are no changes to compensate for exposure or colour. One light is based upon the correct exposure for the print film stock used. If what you shot needs exposure or colour correction, that will be added later. Working with the work print will entail viewing the film, marking where the cuts are to happen, physically cutting and taping the pieces of film together in a tape splicer. Once you are happy with the edit, the negative is then cut conforming the negative to the print film using edge numbers on the film. Negative cutting uses a hot splicer and glue to bond the film bases of two different shots together. This means that one of the negative will have a portion of the image scraped off to have clean base to glue to. These hot splices would be visible. To hide the splices the shot used is spliced to a black film , called black leader, which is scraped to provide the bonding surface. The negative is bonded to black in A-B rolls so one shot on one rolls the next on the other roll. Back and forth between the A and B roll until the end of the edited picture. These A and B rolls can then be printed onto one roll of print stock. This would be the time when there would be light changes to correct the exposure and colour correction would be added as well. If a few prints are to be made, then an intermediary negative or internet is made to protect the original images in the A-B rolls.

If you shoot reversal, then you can in fact cut using a tape splicer and run it through a projector a few times as was done to News film for television. Better is to make a work print of the reversal film and edit that the same way as described for negative. The types of print stock used and the process for making multiple release prints are different but follow the same general idea that is used for negative.

Shooting negative and reversal is very different in many areas, latitude being the biggest difference for shooting. Of course you will need a light meter to set the exposure although you might be using one now when shooting. There is nothing scary, and the magic of looking through the viewfinder of a reflex camera when it starts to roll and the image starts to flicker is one of the biggest things I miss about the process of shooting film.

good luck

I did this back in film school. It’s an entire process bro. I don’t recommend it unless you 1) have a lot of money to waist & 2) a lot of time. One person cannot make a theatrical film alone in this way. The crew is 5 minimum. There are tons of books on this but no one does it anymore. Finding Mylar tape, acetate glue and a splicer might be difficult. Even the guys that shoot film in HWD telecine the reels and do the post in a computer. Don’t ruin yourself, keep it simple.

Hi guys, really thanks for comments, especially Andrew, your detail explanation was really usefull. Now I am just finding how that camera works, I need to clean it up, cause it is a full of dust.. :) after i order some film and try something.

Ken, I dont want ruin myself, it should be just fun. ;) Yes I saw really easy ways, how to digitalize footage, maybe i will try that at first, who knows.

Tell me more Ken. Just stating it's not against the article provided above is insufficient.

All phone cameras shoot in composite HD. They have no raw independent controls in post. The lens is ultra wide and the zoom (if there is one) is digital, not focal. Film is an industry. I’ve been doing this all my life. Shooting a professional film for release on a screen bigger than a 60” TV, needs the highest possible raw image and you need to use and Cine prime lenses to give it the look of a film. In all I recommend Red or Arri, (Because that’s what I use) but I hear that the new 5d Mark iv with 4K video raw is pretty good. I just want to make it clear to all indi-film makers, not you particularly — There ARE NO SHORTCUTS. Shooting a film on a phone is not an option! You have to use the technology of making films. This is taught in film school and is in itself a series of basics. You can’t miss these basics.

Understood and I appreciate the feedback. What's your take on DSLR's shooting "Raw"? ISO1080/ 60sp?

Most DSLRs are made to be a still camera. The most they can do for video is composite H264, 1080p resolution. The only DSLRs that can do raw video is the higher end Canon models. (I haven’t looked into DSLRs in over a year so that might not be true anymore) Also, remember to think in futures. If you do your homework, the footage you take today can be used again if shot properly and archived in high res. The main thing is that if you shoot a film in low res or low color depth and then want to project that film at a film festival. Say that festival is on a major theater screen in NY or LA? You WILL have a problem. My point is that if you understand color depth meters and dynamic range, the idea of using C4k or H264 is not an option. Not if you want to USE the footage. If it’s just a fun pic of the family? Fine. For a silly YouTube video? Fine. For pro use? No way. You can do it sure but it will take time and money to fix. The two things we don’t have. Lol!

Lol! Word.So what's your honest professional opinion of the film "Tangerine" and other films shot with 4K phone camera? If you haven't seen or read the reviews it's worth it for those among us on a budget. I am using a Canon ESO 80D with Ziess prime lens 1.2 60fps @ 1080ISO. Some filters like chocolate and teals or oranges for richer higher resolutions. I would love to get my hands on a RED or a SonyDF7 but that is too far out of reach.

Do you mean a storyboard?

Most re-shoots come from story changes, recasting, technical errors or general lack of planning. But many very cohesive things are shot without even a storyboard, sometimes without a shot list- not that planning does not happen. Creative teams work different ways, but suffice it I have shot projects with detailed storyboards that were a mess, and others that were very well designed and executed because people were on the same page.

There are also look-books, video clip references, design renderings for wardrobe and sets, all of which should help departments plan their movie as a joint effort to one cohesive piece.

If you actually mean a literal comic book / graphic novel, this is a thing that many people have started to create as a companion piece or POC to a pending original web series/ film / whatever.

I just worked on one like that. The comic book was great. But very little coordination was realized in making the filmed trailer, and it mostly looks like it... despite very experienced pro team, went way over budget and the creator was quite unhappy.

Which sort of points to my belief that money or intentional process (or lack thereof) do not matter.

All that matters is good people are on the same journey together and making the same movie.. and that is actually extremely challenging for anything ambitious.

I meant an actual comic book.

The comic book idea makes sense to me you have the main idea of the story which saves time deciding what to write about. How do you make it evolve without being so halting and develop the plot without going out of bounds is what you have to work on.

It's an interesting theory, but I don’t think it’ll hold. I won’t go so far as to say it will never work, but so far I don’t think it has. Even the most loyal adaptations (Sin City, Scott Pilgrim, Logan, 300) will almost always use storyboard and concept artists to create production materials, same as any other film. I actually did concept art on Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter, and Robert Valley did the storyboards, and that was based on a comic jam packed with 9 panel grids over 12 full issues of source material.

The big problem with trying to use comics as storyboards and/or concept art its that it’s a different visual language that really doesn’t translate all that well to film. When filmmakers move into comics to try and sell film pitches (and there are plenty) they’re almost always garbage. They use a storyboard approach, and thus ignore everything that actually works in comics because they don’t understand comics. It just doesn’t works.

On occasion, you’ll see a comparison shot of a comic panel and the finished film that seems to match up exactly. However, those tend to be ‘key moments’ where the director wants to capture that certain look, or pay homage to the comic. If you reference the comic as the full film plays out, those match points are actually quite rare.

There are just too many differences in the mediums that complicate trying to use the comics as storyboards and/or concept art. Comics are isolated images, static information, iconography, keyframes, combined with text, sound effects, and balloons. When we move to the next frame, we create an entirely new image because our story flow is mostly about page design, or more specifically, how things move down the page to build our stories. Every single image is different, otherwise, it’s redundant. They’re all meant to create a series of snapshots that eventually tell a larger story. In comics, we can (and usually do) pick a new camera angle and design for every single panel drawn, because again, static images are what we're all about.

Trust me, the kind of jumping around we do in comics would drive a film audience absolutely insane because one is static chunks, and the other is continuous motion. I think everyone in the audience would get motion sickness if comics were ACTUALLY used as storyboards for films.

Although a ton of us in comics also draw storyboards for film and animation, storyboards are quite different. They’re designed to imply continuous movement and flow from one frame of film to the next because our job is to mimic camera placement and movement. We do our absolute best to create transitions and offer smooth break points for editing because it’s essential for great filmmaking. The cuts are better when they’re invisible. The ‘panel borders’ in film are deliberately hidden with editing and smooth transitions. But in comics, panel borders are our bread and butter, it’s where the story lives, and we fully embrace the jumps.

The pace is also ver different. Film is frames-per-second, and if you're the viewer you'd better keep up. With that, filmmakers present information in a way that everyone (or most people) can keep up. It’s essential, so the entire process is built around that premise. In comics, our readers can linger on a panel for as long as they'd like. They control the pace of the story.

Film is motion, Comics are static.

But again, if you can make it work, I say go for it.

No because you still need to do a screenplay, break it down into shots, assign those shots numbers, assign those numbers to shoot days. This is how it has worked for almost 100 years of film making. A comic book can be a good reference to design, story and overall art direction, but it’s not a broken down script.

You might try some of the stock footage libraries.

This is an offer for 7 days of free downloads, including plates, from an ad in an American Cinematographer junk mail I received

https://www.videoblocks.com/join/offer?utm_v=2&utm_source=AmericanCinema...

good luck