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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

Charles Angus said:
Motion control...
Click to expand...

I may not be David Mullen but the answer I'd give is glowing tracking markers. We've used them on set quite a few times for this type of shot.

Motion control? Sure, that could work. It'd be overkill unless you have a massive budget but it'd work
 
hi sir david, i want to introduce myself to u.. im an aspiring DP here in the Philippines, and now as i started my career please allow me to get in touch to you and your work through this website.. im a fan of your work.. i just wanted to be you student online and learn from you! thank u
 
jericho vir filomeno said:
hi sir david, i want to introduce myself to u.. im an aspiring DP here in the Philippines, and now as i started my career please allow me to get in touch to you and your work through this website.. im a fan of your work.. i just wanted to be you student online and learn from you! thank u
Click to expand...

Ask any question you want!
 
Gunfire

Gunfire

Hi David,

Thank you for your time and knowledge. I really appreciate it.
I'm trying to simulate light from machine gunfire on the actor's faces and wondering if you have any tricks of the trade you could share.

Thanks,


Thomas
 
oker 800 Source-4

oker 800 Source-4

David Mullen ASC said:
I meant Source-4 Lekos, whether tungsten or HMI, but yes, a Joker 800 in a Source-4 is like a mini-Xenon. Here are some shots I took on the set of "Manure", with shafts of light:

Two Joker 800 Source-4's off camera right:
900manure185.jpg


1K Xenon outside the window:
900manure186.jpg
Click to expand...

Hello David
I just purchased 3 800w Jokers and bug a beams. What kind of
front did you use? What degree? Do you have recommendations regarding the front side of this, should I buy 3 similar or 3 different fronts or two and one?
Thanks a lot
Ariel
 
thomas s stanton said:
Hi David,

Thank you for your time and knowledge. I really appreciate it.
I'm trying to simulate light from machine gunfire on the actor's faces and wondering if you have any tricks of the trade you could share.
Click to expand...

I've used simple strobe lights during machine gun battle scenes to augment the chaos, but I didn't try syncing anything to one particular gun.
 
Ariel Weiss said:
Hello David
I just purchased 3 800w Jokers and bug a beams. What kind of
front did you use? What degree? Do you have recommendations regarding the front side of this, should I buy 3 similar or 3 different fronts or two and one?
Thanks a lot
Ariel
Click to expand...

If you are talking about adapting the Jokers for a Source-4 Leko, I carry a full array of lenses, 19, 26, 36, and 50 degree barrels. I find the 50 degree lens the most useful for bouncing, plus it is the most even beam, and I use the 36 degree lens for hot slashes in rooms. But sometimes you need the 19 and 26 degree lens when the light is backed away or else the circle is too large.
 
Hello David,

This "1K Xenon" light, can you tell me who makes it?

A link to it perhaps?
 
Hello David,

Thanks for the Xenon info.

Do you know where I can obtain a copy of Adrian Lyne's
TV Commercial Director's Reel from the 70's and 80's?
 
David Mullen ASC said:
Unless it's on YouTube, I have no idea other than to contact his agency. Have you tried searching online for it?
Click to expand...

I have, and no luck with the on-line search.

I use to have a copy and it got lost during a move I made.

Have you ever seen his TV Ad Reel? It is fantastic!!!

Also, do you know who his agency is?
 
On my last Show I had a Gaffer I never worked with before. Somehow we got a bad start because he liked to discuss, but that one we got out of the way. But there is still one thing that won't get out of my mind. In one of his annoying generel discussions he said that the characteristic of light gets softer if you place it further away from the subject. David please correct me, but I think to know that the quality of light depends on the relative size of the light source to the subject. So even if you use a huge silk, the moment you move it far away the light source shrinks and the quality will get harder again. You see me confused. I'm sure that's right but please help me out.
 
Kim Frank said:
On my last Show I had a Gaffer I never worked with before. Somehow we got a bad start because he liked to discuss, but that one we got out of the way. But there is still one thing that won't get out of my mind. In one of his annoying generel discussions he said that the characteristic of light gets softer if you place it further away from the subject. David please correct me, but I think to know that the quality of light depends on the relative size of the light source to the subject. So even if you use a huge silk, the moment you move it far away the light source shrinks and the quality will get harder again. You see me confused. I'm sure that's right but please help me out.
Click to expand...

A light source gets smaller when it is backed away from a subject, so the shadow it creates gets sharper, not softer.

He may have just been using the wrong term and meant "less harsh" not "more soft" in that the fall-off is more gentle, gradual, when a source is farther away.
 
Hi David

I just bought a set of MK III super speeds for my red and the pics so far are great.

My question is I need a 14mm or 16mm lens and also a 100mm and a 135mm lens.
What do you suggest I could buy second hand that would match my set?
 
Last edited:
David Mullen ASC said:
If you are talking about adapting the Jokers for a Source-4 Leko, I carry a full array of lenses, 19, 26, 36, and 50 degree barrels. I find the 50 degree lens the most useful for bouncing, plus it is the most even beam, and I use the 36 degree lens for hot slashes in rooms. But sometimes you need the 19 and 26 degree lens when the light is backed away or else the circle is too large.
Click to expand...

Thank you David.
What do you think about the more tight lenses, there are also
5, 10 and 14 deg.?

they have something called "enhanced definition"

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/435637-REG/ETC_7060A2046_19_Degree_EDLT_Black.html

Did you try one of these? Do you think it might have some advantage? They claim for more output and sharper beam.

Thanks a lot,
Ariel
 
Hello David.

I am interested in the colors of the second shot here: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=711607&postcount=889

I am going to try to shoot a quick test tonight, but could you please explain how to handle skin tones when getting deep purple tones from the blue atmosphere after sunset? I suppose the purple (which might also turn tungsten yellow?) comes from a WB setting, so I worry it might send skin tones in a bad direction.

If it is in fact a WB setting, and skin-tones don't look pleasing when shooting like that, what would be the gel color necessary to light talent with? And could you use a very weak gel to minimize the jump in temperature with the BG and finish pulling the skin tones in post? Or just do all the skin tone work in post?
 
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