Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register Log in
  • 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 :)

Bad RED footage...

Status
Not open for further replies.
David Mullen ASC said:
In regards to technology, one of my professors in film school was director Alexander Mackendrick ("Sweet Smell of Success", "The Ladykillers", "The Man in the White Suit") - he once said: "Technology is inherently seductive... and often a director spends time dealing with technical problems as a way of avoiding dealing with human problems." (i.e. it's more fun to play with the camera than learn to talk to actors and get a performance out of them.)
.
Click to expand...

David,

If Makendrick was one of your teachers then you went to the same school I did.. Do you remember Bill Jackson? He is a wonderful man and was my mentor while i was there. I still speak with him off and on. And I miss Sandy.
:(

Jay
 
New Camera-New Operator

New Camera-New Operator

Wasn't that footage shot on a fast trak? As I would imagine new camera for the DP.....MEANS.....oh yeah this isn't my Panavision 35 that I've worked with for how many years? I'm kinda slow, but I gotta play with my NEW cameras for sometimes weeks before I have usable footage in some cases to seek out what i think are usable settings under the shooting circumstances. I know that's not the case with some professionals out there, but it is mine.
 
acehole said:
David, I agree. The grainy night scenes to me were most definately a deliberate Homage to Television reality drama.
Click to expand...

Enough said. I also was working at Chiat / Day when the shaking camera look came in 1990 with people talking about dog food?! (Sorry, I forget what the commercial was for and the random dialog.) A few of us then and now still hate random bad camera work. At least now, it has evolved into a subtle dynamic energetic look used in 24 (very well done) that does not draw attention to itself - unlike Miami Vice - grainy and soft or random shaky camera work done on purpose by Chiat / Day or Blair Witch with similar styles done by amateurs).

There is nothing wrong being an artist, add grain, put Vasoline on the lense, shake the camera, under light, over light, (hey have your actors mumble and underexpose like the Godfather and win an Oscar.) I'm just saying there is a high end, commercial look, or Paramount look that most would say was and is beautiful and there is the opposite of a dirty, dark, grainy, shaky, raw, look. Like music, it can be overproduced or produced badly - its subjective which you like and which fits the story or song best. But when you sing out of tune on purpose, don't expect me to like it for your homage to American idol. ;-)
 
laguun said:
oh boy, nobody would survive that amount of drinking necessary....
Click to expand...

Hey, I'm drunk... but ... I've been watching some of my favorite Hollywood films with your film student drinking game and since most film student cliches are borrowed from the master copiers - or homage payers - depending how you see it - I might blame the parents and the film business (lets do the same movie but different - hmmm Die Hard on a Boat (done)) rather than blaming the students.
 
- Use a poor quality prime or zoom !.
- To forget that the camera is a tool and that´s the indian the one that matters. Not the arrow.
 
Greg Voevodsky said:
...I might blame the parents and the film business (lets do the same movie but different - hmmm Die Hard on a Boat (done)) rather than blaming the students.
Click to expand...

Noted Greg, and very true. As per the other discussions, it is the narrative that binds it all together. The students use the cliches in suprising density as they are feeling their way through this complex medium. Obviously my game is in good humor. I could certainly kick back a few watching films I did or worked on in school!
 
Shoot the interior of a biplane cockpit, with your RED, under exposed 3 stops and pump it in post because you only shot two days. If you hurry before they fix the black vertical banding you will be able to duplicate it!
 
4k Production value

4k Production value

Whats interesting about RED is that some people are approaching it from the "run and gun" perspective because of the price bracket and methodology. And others (me included) thinking posibly I can have more control and maybe time (through Apple' Colour) to manage a look. Its a different way of working to the traditional film model. I can grade while the edit is happening etc.

I've always shot film, and its taken the incredible event that is RED to make me jump away from film because it expands my creative horizons. It can reflect more of my vision and the production team, but it does need a good team.

There were elements on PJ shoot that I picked up on, but it was a shoot that I'd reckon would need two and half days to shoot with two units, so the crew did great. The upshot is though if you want to deliver a project in 2k/4k, any weakness's in your production will be exposed. Whether its not good makeup, design,lighting, or a so so focus puller.

Resolution alone does not make a film.
 
8. Shoot 4k porn?

Ugh. Some things were just not meant to be done in HD. :D
 
pixelchef said:
8. Shoot 4k porn?

Ugh. Some things were just not meant to be done in HD. :D
Click to expand...

Dont underestimate the porn industry. As you may recall, VHS won over Betacam in the consumer market strongly effected by that particular industry. But I agree in terms to the 4k porn. I doubt that will happen soon, they did choose VHS :poster_oops:
 
Shoot with the wrong framerate. 12fps instead of 120fps.
 
Back on topic here, I just shot a beer commercial (wide open) with an HVX200 and mini-35/Zeiss Ultraprimes. (Normally I'm on shoots as an HD tech or 2nd Cam Assist).
I always knew/understood focus was a challenge when maintaining a shallow depth of field...and experienced it first hand. There's a reason why you need a camera department when shooting 35mm. It took me (the operator) 3 or 4 takes to get closeups (leaning in to sitting down) right. Something most of us will need to practice before shooting, as we don't want to have a perfect performance ruined by soft focus.
I'm certainly up for the challenge....and look forward to becoming a better focus puller...but Jim has a very good point.
 
Going from DV to HD(1080) with manual focus I think was a real challenge. I have tons of shoots that is a tad out of focus. scale down to dvd and you dont even see it. Keep it in 1080 and its quite evident IMO. 4k...phu, I can only imagen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top