NARCISSUS BLOSSOM, Stunning Model Elze-Sophie Wiskerke shot by Ivan Friedman

[ivan friedman]

NARCISSUS BLOSSOM, Stunning Model Elze-Sophie Wiskerke shot by me in one of the most suggestive landscape of the world: the two weeks-long ephemeral flowering of white narcissus in the high mountains above Montreux, Switzerland. The film was shot on my freshly red Scarlet.
As I am a new user of Red camera.. and actually all in one new in all the film activity ( I am a classical musician basically) I would be really very glad and honoured if somebody has any advice to give me on this work made with heart. I wanted a special look for that film but I may have pushed a bit much the light. also.. I have notice that some images have some noise.. while others are clean..if somebody has any idea for making my technique better... you are really welcomed.. :-) Thanx for watching!

[Ariel Weiss]

Hi Ivan
Very nice. I love the Mozart 23' concerto and this movement is one of the most beautiful music ever written. Regarding the shooting, first you have a strong magenta cast. Maybe you wanted it that way or created it in color correction and it's fine just know it's there if you didn't do it on purpose. To correct this to normal if you wish you need to use the tint. but I find it nice that way, old 8 mm style. It can be an IR issue also, if you use heavy ND filters you may want to use IR filter as well.
You also have all frame flares which reduce contrast. If you choose it it's fine but if you wish to avoid it in order to have solid blacks and greater contrast you need to avoid hard light hitting the lens through matte box or sunshade.
Noise: difficult to tell with youtube compression so I write generally:
1. Underexposure. Even if there is strong sun, when you close the iris to protect highlights you may not give the shadows enough light. Solution: lighting or hdr or giving up some highlights
2. Compression: stay as low as you can when you challenge your camera limits. This is also a high contrast, high detail scene which is the most difficult for the compression to handle.
Tip: with Red resolution you can use some post image stabilization to make it even smother just remember it will crop your image so if planing to use it shoot 15% wider.
Nice:)

[Robert Andriessen]

Hi, i quite like the magenta colors. But I would say try using ND filters, and keep your shutter speed at 1/50 or 1/48. The staccato movement due to the high shutter doesn't fit the soft images.

[ivan friedman]

Hi Ivan
Very nice. I love the Mozart 23' concerto and this movement is one of the most beautiful music ever written. Regarding the shooting, first you have a strong magenta cast. Maybe you wanted it that way or created it in color correction and it's fine just know it's there if you didn't do it on purpose. To correct this to normal if you wish you need to use the tint. but I find it nice that way, old 8 mm style. It can be an IR issue also, if you use heavy ND filters you may want to use IR filter as well.
You also have all frame flares which reduce contrast. If you choose it it's fine but if you wish to avoid it in order to have solid blacks and greater contrast you need to avoid hard light hitting the lens through matte box or sunshade.
Noise: difficult to tell with youtube compression so I write generally:
1. Underexposure. Even if there is strong sun, when you close the iris to protect highlights you may not give the shadows enough light. Solution: lighting or hdr or giving up some highlights
2. Compression: stay as low as you can when you challenge your camera limits. This is also a high contrast, high detail scene which is the most difficult for the compression to handle.
Tip: with Red resolution you can use some post image stabilization to make it even smother just remember it will crop your image so if planing to use it shoot 15% wider.
Nice:)

Hi Ariel. I do agree with you.. this is great music!! and i couldn't see anything else for this type of images.. it was so obvious... :-)
Yes, after trying different things i decided to use the magenta shift. somehow the camera didn't catch (or I didn't) all the poetry of the place and i needed something to restore it. I thought that like this the white looks even purer... but yes...maybe i used it a bit too much at some moments.
Interesting what you say about noise exposure...for most of the shots, i used more the variations of shutter speed to adapt to light conditions. and tried to leave the iris as open as possible. a bit too systematically maybe. but could the noise depend on the shutter speed also? i'll try some tests.
for some reason i cannot compress it less then 7:1 in my scarlet...while shooting at 4k 25 fps. is that normal??

to you very much for your kind help. I will make treasure of your advices.

best wishes,

Ivan

[Lliam Worthington]

Double post don't know quite how I managed that one sorry.

[Lliam Worthington]

Ivan you should be able to shoot 6:1

Incredible scenery. And yes, gorgeous girl :) My two cents, though there has been very good advice.

Firstly I would say look at your opening transitions. Fade to blacks etc. I find a few unnecessary and the rhythms of the edit to be a bit jarring. I think it gets better in this regard as you progress.

Correct exposure. I actually love how RED handles blown highlights. But this is mostly too heavily over exposed I think. You thought underexposed Ariel? Seemed washed out and to be clipping heavily. Though the grade can make it hard to tell. A better curve should make a significant difference I think. You should post up a still for people to play with. Usually see a range of great results.

Also what stop were you shooting? Did you have ND's? If so what kind? Or were you just only stopping down and using shutter?

Also were you using a decent Polariser? And did you rate it at 320 or 800. I made this mistake early on to reduce light and then learned you get better ext results rating at 800 and using ND & stopping down and conversely rating lower at 320 when I'm in lower light and adding lights. Hope thats of some help.

Best
Lliam

[Nathaniel Kramer]

Ivan, you have some really nice imagery.. Pm me and Ill give you my thoughts.. Congrats on a beautiful creation

[ivan friedman]

Thank you Lliam for your message and compliments. i really do appreciate your attention..

Yes... about the opening transitions and fade to blacks... i have been discussing that with a friend a lot and he told me the same as you. I should say that its in purpose.. I see this film a s a kind of dream...
and I looked for a way to suggest that kind of last "wavy images" we have before sleeping, or even looking out the window in a boring office day.. remembering a sweet, beautiful memory. first just short flashes.. then your in.
this short images have that quality i think.. but they can also give some issues as you say very well... Rhythm.. loss of attention.. I agree.. but i didn't find something else to express that until now..

It is overexposed. and mostly for the same reason.. the atmosphere that i wanted. a bit surrealistic. but i do think differently after seeing more professional films and your comments. too heavy. its not the camera.. it the post prod in Redcine.
maybe the problem of all beginners.. to overdo with effect... I know that in music too. by the way.. i really cannot find a way to restore the original file in Redcine.. it seams to keep the changes in memory.. cutting and colour correction. do you have an idea?

yes i didnt have any ND filter and all was made with the shutter.. very little with the iso.
no polirizer too...

lot to do and to buy still.... i was just very enthusiast to try things out the first days :-)) such a cute camera... irresistible.

thanks Lliam... yes, still a lot to do. but it give me a better direction really.

a lots of nice wishes.

Ivan

[ivan friedman]

Thank you very much Nathaniel, I've sent you a PM.

[KETCH ROSSi]

Beautiful Ivan... So is the music choice... ;)