[Frank Otto]

Let’s go with Grease as an example:

If you “rent the book” from a rightsholder like Sam French (Grease) or MTI you have the right to use portions of the production for publicity purposes. This includes on-campus CCTV, over-the-air brodcast/cablecast and theatrical (that “local” filler at the local cineplex), and it’s usually limited to a 30 second length. Unless it’s speciffically in the contract to the contrary (and Grease has language of that nature), any scene or dialogue or music can be used, limited only to :30sec and the accepting agency’s technical/community standards.

Companies like MTI also have some pre-shot video packages of their more mainstream shows avaiable “clean” for you to insert your local graphic information. Both French and MTI also sell rightspackages to allow you to record the show and distribute it in a limited manner, i.e. POP sales in the lobby, friends/family/classmates, etc.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

Bill, check out Times Square Lighting… https://www.tslight.com/

They have an extensive line of archetectural lighting instruments, many in white.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

A burn with skin dammage can be simulated in several ways.

Old school, use facial tissue and corn syurp. Paint the area with a thin wash of syrup (say about a 1/2 teasoon if your only covering a cheek or forehead) then gently apply one ply of the tissue, using tweezers. Pat the tissue into place; the syrup will hold and dry with the tissue. As it dries, using your fingers, press the tissue into scar ridges. This all cleans up with warm water and soap – if you don’t like the look, wash it off and go again.

Liquid latex is a more permanent solution; it will stay up longer and depending on the action, hold up for more takes. Apply with a brush over the area and if necessary, cover with makeup when dry – sometimes the color of the latex looks pretty close to dead or scarred skin sometimes it’s too white.

There are dozens of tutorials on-line, look in the area of “halloween makeup”. Many “halloween” effects companies (haunted house props and make-up) sell simple makeup kits for that type of effect, most with detail instructions included.

Remember to take photos of the subject, before and after, plus any detail photos – if you have to re-create/re-shoot, you’ll have a reference for continuity purposes.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

It could mean anything from “I want my name on the credits” to they own the show after the production to a 50/50 split on costs to they pay, they get merchandise and ancillary rights (or you do).

Not knowing the show, the network or the costs to mount, I can’t be much more specific…but if you’re in negotiations already. now is the time for legal help, including making sure that your production entity is covered by orginzation, i.e. formed as a company.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

Most of the time, I’ll have all the cameras available to me. The thing about iso records is if I have to bust my 45 wide to say, a tight shot of the singer’s g.f. entering from stage right, (or the President of the United States – yes Mr. Clinton unrehearsed did that to me once, the Service guy barely let me know just before he walked out) I’ve still got a cover shot somewhere, and i-mag got a killer look.

I also don’t over call the show – I tend to work with operators who sell me shots and who understand music and flow. And who can spin and pick and roll focus on cue so I’m able to concentrate on flow rather than telling my crew what shots to get all night.

As far as looks to the screen, I try not to put anything wider than a head to toe, except video roll-ins, unless I’m directing for a satellite screen in an ajoining venue – then we cut it like tv.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

We’re just now begining to see requests for “poddable” video from our sales and long range planners. And now every request for a 720×480 sd video has a 320x wma and usually a .swf or QT file as well.

We’re also seeing HD requests for master/original production, but it’s being delivered to us for editing as 720x480mpeg2 files for final delivery as mentioned above. I don’t get the need for HD originals if the end product is going to be a wma file.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

“Design is a process by which you create something for a client who has no idea of what they want until they see your design – then they know what they want, but your design isn’t it.”

[Frank Otto]

Then there was the shoot I TD’d for Korean television…three cam music video – mixed crew of U.S and Korean, nothing big. The show was running ok but throught the first segment, the exec producer (Korean, from Korea Broadcasting Co.) and the producer ( U.S Korean speaker – kinda…) kept yammering about something. Then the Exec comes up to me and from there it went like this:

Exec: “He does not understand. Can you make picture bigger?”

Me: “Sure…Two, slow push in…”

A second or two and…

Exec: “No…make my picture bigger.”

Me: “Ok…ready one (already on a wide cover shot) and going thru to one…”

Exec: “Can you make my picture bigger? Not that big…?”

Me: One…slow push in – hold the stage…”

Exec: “Please make picture bigger.”

Now I went thru all three cameras, various tight and wide shots, to no joy for this guy. Finally, the audio mixer ( the brother of the artist we were shooting), who heard part of the previous conversation between the Exec and the Producer, clicks on his p.l. and says: “I think he wants a bigger monitor on the back bench…have him put on a headset so I can ask him…”

Dang….

As to kaptivate’s original question: TThere are just a few phrases or directions that differ from standard camera direction. Those are:

“Arm up/Arm down” – also called as “crane up/down” and is pretty interchangeable.

“Arm left/Arm right” – occasionally uses the “tongue left/tongue right command, a hold over from the days when many studio cameras rode on dollies and cranes instead of pedestals

The next three are ones I’ve used while operating myself, or with many of the music/concert production operators…but your operators may or may not have used them before:

“Swoop and spin” – generally an arm down/arm left or right/pan to hold the target in the center of the screen.

“Arc” – moving the arm left or right only, with the camera in a fixed position

“Orbit” – high arm position over target, camera tilted straight down and panned (rotated) left or right.

I’ve found that it’s always best to have a meeting with specialty operators like crane, jib and steadicam folks and see what they prefer and what their limitations are. Plus each operator has a variant of standard moves that they’ll likely point out to you in rehersals…

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

I’m partial to Mole-Richardson fixtures because of their robust construction – I’ve got fixtures in my inventory 25-35 years old that work well.

I use a mix of Arri, Mole and some older Colortran and Century-Strand units. The largest are a few Mole 5k Seniors and Colortran 2k Pan/Cyc fixtures…the bulk are 1k Babys, 1k-650 Arri fresnels, 1k-500w. open face Mini-Moles and Arri along with a assortment of 300,150 Arris and 1k and 750 w. Source Four par fixtures.

I don’t own any Kinos yet, and I rarely use flos – or HMI so I rent.

Don’t forget about controlling the light – flags, cutters, c-stands, gobo arms and heads. I swear it seems that I have three stands for every fixture and another milkcrate full of scrims, gobos, gels, clamps, clips and barndoors for each one as well.

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Or you can use a 9″ b&w portable CRT tv with the brightness/contrast munged up and just about any off air signal…

During my real means real period, I shot a spot with people on a couch and/or Barcolounger watching “the game.” TV efx light was 3 – nine inch Emerson b&w/am/fm/tv sets on an apple box, tuned to the same local station…about f2.8 on a BVP90/BetaSP w/ a f1.2 Canon 14x – camera set 12′ and source tv’s about 4′ back from talent.

I’ve also used the “Magic Gadget” and the GAM Flickermaster and they both work well…and it’s easier to carry around one of those in your kit vs. the three tv sets – I just like to point out alternatives…

Cheers,

Frank Otto

[Frank Otto]

Unless you’re shooting with a Panny rig or flying a Wescam, the Chapman Lenny or Fisher 23 is leased overkill from what you describe as your curret set-up.

You might look at the Intela-jib from CSS. Alan Gordon sells it for around $6,500.00 check out the link:

https://www.alangordon.com/s_jibarms_intelajib.html

It’ll fly 80lbs at 10′ extention, 120lbs at 6′ (which is long enough for most small studio work.

Cheers,

Frank Otto