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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 :)

Trailer for Beyond Skyline

Christopher Probst

Christopher Probst

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Hello folks,

It's been a long time coming but a film I worked for a while now is finally finished and coming y'all's way this fall...

Shot w/ Red Epic Dragons, Hawk Vintage 74 anamorphics.




https://youtu.be/y1imqqFZlF8?t=9s
 
This has a really great feel, and the actors emotions come through perfectly. I know you often shoot with master prime anamorphics which are about optically perfect, with the vintage Hawks did you do any special charts so the vfx people did lens correction on those seemlessly intermixed vfx shots?
 
PatrickFaith said:
This has a really great feel, and the actors emotions come through perfectly. I know you often shoot with master prime anamorphics which are about optically perfect, with the vintage Hawks did you do any special charts so the vfx people did lens correction on those seamlessly intermixed vfx shots?
Click to expand...

The Vintage 74 set we used are actually the prototype set that the film's producers, the Strause brothers commissioned and let to Vantage to see the merits for a flairier set and marketed them as "Vintage". The set the Strause brothers own is actually barreled BLACK and not white like the Vintage 74s would later be branded as. So the "decision" to shoot with them was more about our intention to shoot anamorphic in general. I own Kowas, which I shoot a lot of, but then I shoot a bit of every type of anamorphic glass depending on the look I'm going for.

As for matching them. Hawks, especially on the wide lenses, can often have very soft bands at the top and bottom of the frame. I did battle that quite a bit with the 45mm and 55mm. If I could afford it, I had to stop down more than I like (I like it shallow) to combat it. For a lot of the low light work, I either went with it, or sometimes opted to use one of my wide Kowas. They match fairly well, and are slightly creamer with nice flairs, but don't veil as much with soft sources and the Vintage 74s do. The Vintage 74's anamorphic blue streak flairs on the other hand don't feel as smooth and organic, they feel a little edgier, less of that cream that the Kowas possess. So it's a give and take.

Regarding the VFX integration, fortunately, they own the set of lenses so they have access to shoot as many grids and flair elements as they desire... Not to mention they own the VFX house doing the post! Which was all part of the strategy.

Hope that answers your question.
 
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Jeff McCoy said:
I love the dark and moody look; it doesn't feel like the typical overlit sci fi. Can't wait to check it out.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, the film is rolling out staggered across the globe on different dates this fall. It will have a domestic release in early Dec, so I hope people can check it out there as it won't have much of a advertising campaign. We basically pulled of a $200 million looking VFX movie independently and are distributing it with various release avenues... There will be a short VOD run as well before it ultimately ends up on Netflix this spring.

It was truly a long labor of love, so I'm excited to finally get it out there for all to see.
 
Christopher Probst said:
The Vintage 74 set we used are actually the prototype set that the film's producers, the Strause brothers commissioned and let to Vantage to see the merits for a flairier set and marketed them as "Vintage". The set the Strause brothers own is actually barreled BLACK and not white like the Vintage 74s would later be branded as. So the "decision" to shoot with them was more about our intention to shoot anamorphic in general. I own Kowas, which I shoot a lot of, but then I shoot a bit of every type of anamorphic glass depending on the look I'm going for.

As for matching them. Hawks, especially on the wide lenses, can often have very soft bands at the top and bottom of the frame. I did battle that quite a bit with the 45mm and 55mm. If I could afford it, I had to stop down more than I like (I like it shallow) to combat it. For a lot of the low light work, I either went with it, or sometimes opted to use one of my wide Kowas. They match fairly well, and are slightly creamer with nice flairs, but done veil as much with soft sources and the Vintage 74s do. The Vintage 74's anamorphic blue streak flairs on the other hand don't feel as smooth and organic, they feel a little edgier, less of that cream that the Kowas possess. So it's a give and take.

Regarding the VFX integration, fortunately, they own the set of lenses so they have access to shoot as many grids and flair elements as they desire... Not to mention they own the VFX house doing the post! Which was all part of the strategy.

Hope that answers your question.
Click to expand...
Yeah, have struggled with that soft band issue as well. A bummer but sounds like you made it work.
 
Looks great, will catch this wherever I can
Where is the Asian location? Looks like Angkor Wat.
 
Joachim Hoge said:
Looks great, will catch this wherever I can
Where is the Asian location? Looks like Angkor Wat.
Click to expand...

Indonesia, mostly Yogyakarta for the location work and Batam for stage and a few locations. Then there's a mix of LA and Toronto for the rest of it.
 
Christopher Probst said:
The Vintage 74 set we used are actually the prototype set that the film's producers, the Strause brothers commissioned and let to Vantage to see the merits for a flairier set and marketed them as "Vintage". The set the Strause brothers own is actually barreled BLACK and not white like the Vintage 74s would later be branded as. So the "decision" to shoot with them was more about our intention to shoot anamorphic in general. I own Kowas, which I shoot a lot of, but then I shoot a bit of every type of anamorphic glass depending on the look I'm going for.

As for matching them. Hawks, especially on the wide lenses, can often have very soft bands at the top and bottom of the frame. I did battle that quite a bit with the 45mm and 55mm. If I could afford it, I had to stop down more than I like (I like it shallow) to combat it. For a lot of the low light work, I either went with it, or sometimes opted to use one of my wide Kowas. They match fairly well, and are slightly creamer with nice flairs, but don't veil as much with soft sources and the Vintage 74s do. The Vintage 74's anamorphic blue streak flairs on the other hand don't feel as smooth and organic, they feel a little edgier, less of that cream that the Kowas possess. So it's a give and take.

Regarding the VFX integration, fortunately, they own the set of lenses so they have access to shoot as many grids and flair elements as they desire... Not to mention they own the VFX house doing the post! Which was all part of the strategy.

Hope that answers your question.
Click to expand...
This is perfect, exactly what I need. I like how you explain the problem solving your doing, as your working through shots. I am never shooting a high dollar end production, but attempting to get high end results, so I will be studying this film in detail when it is in my market.
 
Elias Tejeda said:
Man... if we get a breakdown of this like back in the old days (the swift/eminem stuff) I'd die...
Click to expand...

You gotta wait for it to come out first, but sure! Unless I do a larger story for AC mag...
 
I have seen quite a bit of this film with Chris and he did an amazing job with little money or resources. He was especially innovative with some interactive lighting using a old printer or scanner I believe...Glad to see it is getting released Chris....
 
Beyond Skyline opens in the domestic US for a limited release Dec 15th... If you're near these theaters, be sure to check it out on the big screen... If you're not, it's also available as video on demand...

dym8UJ5.jpg
 
Chris, Do you have any details on where to find it streaming/video on-demand? Unfortunately I am booked Friday so I’ll miss the LA screening but I’d love to see it somehow.
 
Jeff, it's not just 1 day.. it opened Friday, and I think should be there at least a week. It's also available for rent or purchase on iTunes...
 
I just pre-ordered the Blu-Ray. Thanks for working on this, the original Skyline film is one of my favorites. I’m really happy to see another installment in the series.
 
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