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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

Hello and Happy New Year David!

I watched for the first time all the way through last night and wondered.

If you know what Lenses were used to shoot "Basic Instint" ?

Also what is your relationship to the impressions of your viewers of your work? What I mean is where do you turn ( If at all ) to reflect over what you have done so you can build and develope it. Do you have some trusted colleague who you discuss with? Do you have the need or gain any type of satisfaction in that stage of creation or do you turn your back and move on leaving it for others to consider?

Cheers,


DogDay.
 
David Mullen ASC said:
Also, remembering the old rule that a tree is a tree and a rock is a rock, you may save close-ups that need lighting for a small wooded area near a power source.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of a Michael Caine quote where he had just spent 6 months shooting in the jungle. He saw the cut - mostly closeups - and said, geez we could have shot most of the movie back in London.
 
"Basic Instinct" (the first one) was shot in 35mm Panavision anamorphic. I seem to recall it was the C and E-Series anamorphics -- considering how much Steadicam work was in the movie, I doubt that a Primo anamorphic was used much, or at all.

I am my own worst critic and will nitpick my own work to death, far more than any colleague would do for me. I have very high personal standards -- i.e. I compare my work to my heroes and generally find myself lacking. So it's very clear to me where I need to improve and there's always room to improve. I guess that's a good thing because if I was very satisfied with my work, it would probably be time to retire...
 
AntonyCASAFilms said:
So I was wondering if there are any battery powered lights which are worth bothering with?
Click to expand...

The one foot light panels are great. You can battery power and build them into larger sources.

Few hire houses seem to have them!

regards

Michael L
 
The classic small Dedolight heads can be battery powered, either 24V 150W or 12V 100W. They're tungsten balanced though.
 
Sure DP can be a union position -- even above-the-line folks like Will Smith and Steven Spielberg are in unions (SAG and DGA respectively).

Movie technicians fall under a union called IATSE (international Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) -- it's quite an old union going back to 1893, pre-dating cinema. It covers everyone from camera people to make-up people to editors, even lab technicians, etc.

Cinematographers belong specifically to IATSE Local 600, the International Cinematographers Guild:

http://www.cameraguild.com/

Membership requirements for Local 600 are fairly straightforward, unlike some other unions or locals -- basically you have to prove you've worked 100 days within a 3-year period up to the time of application. It has to have been paid work specifically in the category you are applying for, and it has to have happened in the U.S. of its territories. There are other ways people have gotten in though.

There is a hefty fee for joining, and there are quarterly dues. On the plus side, if you work regularly (which is not always easy), there is access to a healthcare plan, a pretty good one. And there is a pension plan which the producers pay into (as well as the healthcare plan).

I shoot features mostly, and right off the bat, I went from earning an average of $1000 to $2000/week to around $4000 (which is basically guild minimum more or less for feature work, and often it is higher than that due to overtime.) So within a year, I was earning more than double, if not three times, what I was earning in all the years of shooting non-union movies. That was a jump of averaging $20,000/year to around $40,000 to $60,000/year, which was welcomed in my household, I can tell you.

However, I've always been living in Los Angeles so I can only speak from the perspective of the feature industry, union and non-union, operating out of here.

I've often talked to commercial DP's, some of whom haven't even joined the union yet, and many make a lot more than I ever did. Features is not a place to earn a lot of money, but it's what I love doing the most.

Basically there's a point in your career as a DP where the budgets are climbing when it makes sense to join the union, just as there is a time to get an agent. You sort of know the time when it comes.

After the 22nd feature, I started shooting features with budgets over the 1-mil. mark, was being considered for features in the 3-mil. budget level and higher, and it seemed like the time to join the union because half those movies could end up being union jobs, if not all of them. And I was right, because I haven't shot a non-union feature since then.
 
Also, most of the top gaffers, key grips, and ACs are in the union, so if you are seeking top key crew members, you will have a hard time attracting them to your project unless it's a union show.
Cheers,
Harry
 
Food Product Tabletop/Pros and Cons

Food Product Tabletop/Pros and Cons

Will be shooting some food product shots on a Milo with Arri Macro Close Focus lenses/tungsten lights. Any suggestions on shooting with the RED or should I shoot film? Thanks in advance.
 
http://www.cameraguild.com/

You can check the website, if I remember correctly, you need 100 days. Also to join as a DP, it's going to cost you around $11 grand. It was a while ago, so I don't remember exactly how much it is.

Cheers,

Nick
 
"Local" used to mean local...

In the case of the cinematographers guild, though, it is a national local, if that makes any sense! Years ago, the West Coast, Midwest, and East Coast camera locals merged into Local 600.

The only caveat is that you have to declare which region you want to be considered a "local" in, because when you work outside of that region, producers are obligated to pay you per diem, travel, and housing expenses. This was one financial way of encouraging producers to give preference in hiring to local crews first.

---

The RED should work fine for food shooting. If you have enough light, usually not an issue for food, you can use a light blue correction filter if shooting under tungsten light to keep the blue channel cleaner-looking. Or gel the lights, or use HMI's.
 
Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith

Hi David, first I would like to say I think its great that you take the time to answer all these questions, I've learned so much from reading your replies.

I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on the Cine Reflect lighting system seen here: http://www.cine-rls.com/
 
Alexander Smith said:
I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on the Cine Reflect lighting system seen here: http://www.cine-rls.com/
Click to expand...

I haven't run into one of those lights yet, but if they really can give me the effect of parallel rays like from a 1K Xenon, but at a lower cost, size, and weight, then I'm certainly curious to see one in action.
 
Hi David,
I want to thank you for all the information that you are giving us with this thread. I have a question, I've tried to search around with no luck: how do you achieve the "slow shutter" effect in the opening sequence of "Chunking express"? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RvLGDrVHSck
Thanks again.
 
Barry Gregg said:
It looks like working with the sun and reflectors. But it doesn't move.

Amazing. I wonder what the cost to buy or rent is?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately it is not out yet ... I spoke (emailed) with the makers and they are in the process of finalizing pricing and distribution- they hope to have it available soon- probably in the next month or so. I'm looking forward to finding out more as they come to market.

BTW- the reflectors that they have developed are HIGHlY efficient and controllable. I've tried some home brew stuff and it does not work nearly as well as what you see in that system...
 
Luca Immesi said:
Hi David,
I have a question, I've tried to search around with no luck: how do you achieve the "slow shutter" effect in the opening sequence of "Chunking express"?
Click to expand...

Those shots were done on film with a normal shutter angle (180 degrees) but at a low frame rate, like 6 to 8 fps, with every frame reprinted / repeated four or three times (in an optical printer in this case) in order to get the motion speed back to 24 fps. But because of the low frame rate, each frame has a per frame exposure time of only 1/12th at 6 fps or 1/16th at 8 fps if you are using a 180 degree shutter angle. So there is a lot of motion blur and very few frames that sample the motion, so it is very "steppy" and "smeary" at the same time.

For a more subtle and more complicated effect, look at the early flashbacks in "Avalon" -- shot at 16 fps and then every other frame was reprinted to get back to 24 fps, for a silent movie era look.
 
The "shoot at 6ps and print every frame 4 times" thing is also a practical solution to shooting at night in the city, because at 1/12th of a second exposure time, you have effectively two stops more light than at 24 fps. So it may be a case of what works for exposure is also what works stylistically. I think a lot of directors would consider this "solution" to a low light situation unacceptable, as if it were a low quality, cheap method, but others (and many viewers) feel just the opposite.
 
David Mullen ASC said:
Those shots were done on film with a normal shutter angle (180 degrees) but at a low frame rate, like 6 to 8 fps, with every frame reprinted / repeated four or three times (in an optical printer in this case) in order to get the motion speed back to 24 fps. But because of the low frame rate, each frame has a per frame exposure time of only 1/12th at 6 fps or 1/16th at 8 fps if you are using a 180 degree shutter angle. So there is a lot of motion blur and very few frames that sample the motion, so it is very "steppy" and "smeary" at the same time.

For a more subtle and more complicated effect, look at the early flashbacks in "Avalon" -- shot at 16 fps and then every other frame was reprinted to get back to 24 fps, for a silent movie era look.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot, it works also with red and final cut/AE. I will try also the "avalon" effect.
Douglas Underdahl said:
The "shoot at 6ps and print every frame 4 times" thing is also a practical solution to shooting at night in the city, because at 1/12th of a second exposure time, you have effectively two stops more light than at 24 fps. So it may be a case of what works for exposure is also what works stylistically. I think a lot of directors would consider this "solution" to a low light situation unacceptable, as if it were a low quality, cheap method, but others (and many viewers) feel just the opposite.
Click to expand...
And I'm very surprised how much light you can get for night shots only decreasing the shutter speed.
 
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