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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

Flashlights handled by the actors would fall under the control of the prop master, but obviously if they affect the photography, it's your job to be involved in their selection and the art department usually expects that, the only limiting factor may be budget.

At least in a modern story, you can live with the daylight-balanced cast of modern LED flashlights, which can be a bit cheaper than the Surefire-type tungsten halogen-type super-bright flashlights. Plus these days you have 800+ ISO digital cameras, so you don't necessarily need something insanely bright anymore.

If you want to find a particular brand to use, you can get ahold of it yourself and then show the prop master what to buy, or you can just tell that person your requirements and let them do a little research and get back to you. Many props people are enthusiastic about their jobs so might appreciate getting more involved in the selection.
 
David,

What are your thoughts on RED's Vista Vision 8k sensor vs S35 8k sensor cameras? What would you rather be shooting with and why? Also, what are the other cinematographers in your circles saying about these larger sensors?

Thanks,
Cody
 
I don't think there is any argument -- a S35 sensor size is the most practical because of all the cinema optics designed to fit on it. If the Helium sensor had been more like 18mm tall, then you wouldn't have to shoot on the 8K VistaVision sensor just for anamorphic photography if you didn't want the cropping that happens with 2X anamorphic on the shorter-than-18mm sensors (some people don't have a problem with it.)

As for me, it all depends on the details -- I don't particularly need 8K for what I normally shoot, but if the 8K Helium sensor image is better than the 6K Dragon image, with even better (less) noise, then I'm likely to prefer that even if I don't need 8K.

Creatively, I'd love to try a VistaVision project but I don't see that coming along all that often.
 
Okay that is great info. Do you feel that the 8K VistaVision sensor will be preferred on anamorphic projects shot on RED?
 
David, speedwise, how much can I push an Arrisun 60 or a 12k HMI fresnel with a "flicker free" 75Hz electronic ballast (not the newer 1000Hz type) without flickering?
Can I do 120fps or even 240fps? Thank you so much.
 
I don't know, you'd have to test... I suppose a guess would be that if the light is pulsing at 75 Hz then 75 fps and 150 fps will probably be "safe". HMI "flicker" is actually a process where each frame of image capture is getting different amount of the sine wave of the pulsing light, so at "safe" speeds, you are getting a consistent number of peaks and valleys per frame. So assuming everything is running at a consistent speed, in theory a 75Hz pulse and a camera running at 150 fps, with an exposure time of 1/300 per frame, should capture part of a sine wave, but in theory a consistent part -- so the problem might not be flicker, it might be exposure because you aren't getting the peak level every time the shutter opens -- and the next time you trigger the camera, you may catch a higher or lower part of the wave, so each take might not be consistent, exposure-wise. But there wouldn't necessarily be flickering.
 
Hey David,

Im sold on picking up Glimmerglass but was curious as to which strength you would consider a starting point. It looks like a lot of people are saying 1 but a rental house told me 1/2 goes out the most. My plan is to get one strength first and go one up and down from there. I know you've discussed it on here a few times but strength on this particular doesn't seem to have been discussed much.
Thanks
 
Hi David. I'm just starting to DP a film. Due to budget (very low), I use a set of Compact Primes CP2 mixed with Canon 24-70 and 70-200 when on Gimbal Stabilizer. I used 1/4 Promist on the Zeiss Compact Primes (all this in Red Epic-X) and did not filter Canon lenses on the stabilizer (also with the Red Epic-X with Canon mount on). What is the best advice on this kind of unfortunate mixture of good combinations and wrong ones...
 
Are you saying you already shot the footage? If so, you'll need to find some post trick to add the ProMist look to the unfiltered shots. Tiffen has a filter effects software, so does Magic Bullet, but I don't know if it would work for something posted in 4K, for example.
 
Hello again David.


Have you shot in deep forest during daylight when it is strongly bright daylight above the canopy but fairly gloomy at the ground, with a digital cinema camera that is natively about ISO 200 daylight without added gain? Adding gain brings up sensor noise which the cammo doing the job seeks to avoid.

The real-world dynamic range of the camera is about 10.5 stops. He suspects added light will be needed in the darker pockets. There may be dappled strands of light reaching the forest floor. It is evergreen forest in a subtropical environment. There will be traditional close-up and reverse dialogue and some action sequences.

Skin tones will vary between olive and mid dark which is why we think there will need to be at least some soft fill lighting plus something a little harsher to set off some highlights in darker complexions to define facial features and expression. There is no opportunity to inspect the location except within very few days of the shoot commencing.

Can you offer any general hints to deal with this.


Cheers.
 
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Deep woods can vary in exposure from where 200 ASA is plenty to other spots where 1600 ASA is barely enough, but that's more in overcast weather. You may just have to restrict yourself to the brighter parts of the forest. Sure some soft bounced or diffused HMI or LED lighting might help as long as it doesn't make the shot look overlit.

Luckily you often don't need to expose the subject at key exposure because you are splitting some of the exposure with hotter highlights in the background.
 
Hi David. I might be shooting a project which would involve shooting into mirrors. I had previously done something similar and ended up with having double overlapping reflections from the mirror.Would you happen to know the name to the type of mirror I need to ask for in order to avoid this issue? Thanks in advance!
 
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