Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

[David Mullen ASC]

Auto anything doesn't negate the need to know how to do it manually.

[scott william]

Just wondering if you've had a chance to see the dark knight rises yet and if you enjoyed it?

[Kemalettin Sert]

what kind of filter you would use if you looking for this type of look.You prefer in camera effects or post for certain looks.

[David Mullen ASC]

I'd probably try an Antique Suede as a base filter and then augment further in post.

[David Mullen ASC]

Just wondering if you've had a chance to see the dark knight rises yet and if you enjoyed it?

Not yet, hopefully this weekend.

[Rob Ruffo]

I'd probably try an Antique Suede as a base filter and then augment further in post.

I in no way wish to be annoying, (and apologize if I am doing so) but earlier you had mentioned that all color-based filter effects (not diffusion, not ND of course, but just color) could now be done just as well -no visible difference - 100% in post. Is there a caveat to that? Did I misunderstand your reply? Also, still would love to know the answer to my previous questions, which you perhaps forgot about in your very busy days (if you simply don't feel like answering it, then I apologize again if I am being annoying):

"07-20-2012, 12:26 AM

Hi David! I've now read this entire thread twice and have leaned so much! Thank you again on behalf of all of us!

I have today a boring question, and perhaps a more interesting one.

Boring: What do you use to help with IR contamination on Epic? How hot does it have to be on set before that IR filter fails?

More interesting: Today I was having coffee with a fellow D.P., and his opinion was that more experienced you get, the fewer light sources you tend to use "It's the new DPs who feel they need twenty lights for a close-up". Would you agree with this? Do you use fewer sources now than when you started?"

[Stephen Williams]

20 lights for a CU, Oh dear, not good news me thinks!

[David Mullen ASC]

I in no way wish to be annoying, (and apologize if I am doing so) but earlier you had mentioned that all color-based filter effects (not diffusion, not ND of course, but just color) could now be done just as well -no visible difference - 100% in post. Is there a caveat to that? Did I misunderstand your reply? Also, still would love to know the answer to my previous questions, which you perhaps forgot about in your very busy days (if you simply don't feel like answering it, then I apologize again if I am being annoying):

"07-20-2012, 12:26 AM

Hi David! I've now read this entire thread twice and have leaned so much! Thank you again on behalf of all of us!

I have today a boring question, and perhaps a more interesting one.

Boring: What do you use to help with IR contamination on Epic? How hot does it have to be on set before that IR filter fails?

More interesting: Today I was having coffee with a fellow D.P., and his opinion was that more experienced you get, the fewer light sources you tend to use "It's the new DPs who feel they need twenty lights for a close-up". Would you agree with this? Do you use fewer sources now than when you started?"

For a minor shift in color, do it in post because it's so easy and you don't have to deal with extra glass in front of the lens. But for an extreme shift in color, there is an argument to be made for getting the original halfway there so that you don't have to push the RGB gain levels in post into heavy imbalance and thus risk noise, though creating an extreme blue image from a neutral image would be more likely to add noise than creating an extreme orange one.

I don't have an answer about how hot it gets on set before an IR filter is necessary -- I guess I assume that when it becomes a problem, I'll see that it is a problem on the monitor and address it then.

To some degree, I keep things more simple over the years simply because I have learned to prioritize and I also like a simpler image, and too many lights and flags creates as many problems as it solves. But I will use as many lights as is necessary if I have enough time to use all of them.

Shooting digitally has allowed me to use less lights, not necessarily because the cameras are more sensitive, though that is a factor, but because I don't have to second guess myself as much -- with film, sometimes you add a light because you are worried about something being too dark, as a safety net, etc. but with digital, you can see whether it is a problem or not.

[Rob Ruffo]

For a minor shift in color, do it in post because it's so easy and you don't have to deal with extra glass in front of the lens. But for an extreme shift in color, there is an argument to be made for getting the original halfway there so that you don't have to push the RGB gain levels in post into heavy imbalance and thus risk noise, though creating an extreme blue image from a neutral image would be more likely to add noise than creating an extreme orange one.

I don't have an answer about how hot it gets on set before an IR filter is necessary -- I guess I assume that when it becomes a problem, I'll see that it is a problem on the monitor and address it then.

To some degree, I keep things more simple over the years simply because I have learned to prioritize and I also like a simpler image, and too many lights and flags creates as many problems as it solves. But I will use as many lights as is necessary if I have enough time to use all of them.

Shooting digitally has allowed me to use less lights, not necessarily because the cameras are more sensitive, though that is a factor, but because I don't have to second guess myself as much -- with film, sometimes you add a light because you are worried about something being too dark, as a safety net, etc. but with digital, you can see whether it is a problem or not.

Thank you for your awesome answers as usual. the noise issue makes perfect sense. I am wondering - which brand of IR filter do you use on Epic?

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't recall what we rented on "Big Sur" in terms of IR ND. We use Tiffen IR ND's on "Smash" but that is an Alexa show.