[John Sharaf]

Using strobe lights for still photography is a very good way to learn about lighting, because one must “pre-visualize” or imagine what the effect of each light will be. We used to use a Polaroid to help visualize the effect, but now with digital cameras I suppose that is not necessary.

One of the great features of studio strobe lights is the ability to use a switch to control the power of each source; you can dial in full power, half power or quarter power. This is obviously much easier than physically modifying the output with scrimns or diffussion.

As regards the modeling lights, they are really just useful in an otherwise completely dark setting. There they can reveal the lighting contrast and overall effect to the eye, but when used in ambient light, they will not accurately show the effect of the powerful strobe light; here if anything they are most helpful in revealing reflections and highlights in objects with reflective surfaces (like eye glasses for example).

I would not recommend their use to light video though, because for the most part they are not of the intensity that would be required (especially when bounced into an umbrella or through a softbox.

[John Sharaf]

Joni, while the 1200A can downcovert DVPRO100 to DVPRO50, DVPRO25 or composit NTSC it cannot record in anything but DVPRO100.

JS

[John Sharaf]

I’m not familiar with your Decklink capture card, but I know you could capture directly to FCP (5.0.4) from the camera HD-SDI spigot in the DVPRO100 codec with the Kona 2 (or LHe). By mistake I captured a 60fps tape with a 24p setting and it came in in slo-mo!

I don’t understand your 33% though; if you’re capturing to a 24p project it will be slowed down by a ratio of 2.5; to a 30fps project, by a factor of 2 (100%) Obviously you can adjust the ratio by changing the frame rate.

Furthermore you’ll have to convert the HD 24p (or 30p) slo-mo to a SD format; export it and render it out? Play it out as downconvert and re-record it (so you have a SD on-line master)?

Hope this helps, if not you might try the FCP Forum.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Dara,

The schools’ Cartoni will probably suffice, but you should know that most camera rental vendors include a tripod, batteries and charger and AC power supply with a basic camera package (body and lens). Also included are “standard” camera accessories such as tripod plate, on-camera microphone, viewfinder and carry or shipping case.

Your lens choice is either the standard 21 or 22x zoom lens or the wide angle version of 11 or 13x (depending on manufacturer – Canon or Fujinon). Most professionals carry both lenses as the WA is better for hand held and interior or other small locations while the longer zoom lens is more appropriate for extrerior shooting. Based on your shoot specifications one or the other (or both if money allows) will be the better choice.

The more important considerations will be how you setup the camera. as it has many subtleties in dynamic range, detail, color reproduction, etc. I’d recommend that you peruse Goodman’s Guide to the Varicam at the least to help prepare for using this camera. Maybe the rental house will indulge your presence for a custom setup during checkout. I’d suggest buying a memory card to record several settings which might be appropriate for different scenes in your project.

You’ll need to know the intended workflo and exhibition objective to guide the setup parameters, for example will it be shown on video screens or projectors, or is the intention for eventual “film out”?

[John Sharaf]

Frank,

Watch any Barbara Walters interview and you’ll see the Fogal at work. It’s really easy to apply with the “I-Ring” net holder which slips on the rear of any B4 mount lens. The tricky thing is streaching it tight and matching the stretch camera to camera.

Personally I prefer using “Tulle” which is the netted fabric which is used at weddings to make the bags that contain the rice to throw afterwards (and often for veils). It comes in many colors, although usually black is preffered behind the lens. The Tulle has two advantages; it costs about $3 per square yard (!) and is starched in a fixed pattern so any two rear lens applications will match perfectly. Check it out!

Happy New Years to all,

JS

[John Sharaf]

It won’t be the chip size “making matters worse” with the prosumer HD camera, but rather the additional pixels in the same space rendering more detail!

As far as old people looking old, that’s a fact of life. There are things obviously that you can do, and I think you’re aware that lighting, filtration and lens size all will have an effect. Here in Hollywood we run into this all the time, as we’re called upon to interview aging divas and others who have relevent information and stories to tell yet are also concerned that they look like they did in their heyday.

The same is often the case with the correspondents we photograph, especially the women. In extreme cases we use expensive black net stockings on the back of the lens (notably a brand known as Fogal) and this does have a rather glamourous way of softening the wrinkles on an older face and more-or-less smooshing the skin into a more continous tone. Because of the fixed lens on cameras like the HDX and PD you can’t do this trick.

I think the best effect for the buck then is in your lighting; you already have a Chimera, which is a very functional way to create a large soft source. Ovbiously the larger the better and the more direct from camera the better to fill in the wrinkle shaddows, while of course flattening the modeling at the same time.

In practice it’s common to use the softlight closer to the lens for women and raked a little more to the side for men, but you might consider getting a large unit like a Small if you XS now or a Medium if you already have a Small. This way you don’t have to have the unit so close to get the ultimate wrap-around effect.

[John Sharaf]

Yes (you can capture at 29.97 in standard def downconvert) and no there are no issues syncing sound!

JS

[John Sharaf]

Matt,

The Cine Alta has eight speeds:

23.97 PsF
24 PsF
25 PsF
29.97 PsF
30 PsF
50i
59.94i
60i

When it records at 23.97 and 24 it slows the tape down and records distinct, unrepeated frames at those rates, no built in pulldown.

When you record at 29.97, again every frame is a unique progressive type frame (both fields are the same). To get a “telecine-like” effect you must play the tape out through a capable Sony VTR such as the HDW500 or J3H.

This was the origional specification that George Lucas and others in Hollywood sought from Sony in the development of the camera and it was only later when Panasonic developed their Varicam that the builtin pulldown concept was realized. Since then I think most people understand that it’s a great feature toi have, especially because so much monitoring, editing, distribution and exhibition is done in the NTSC environment.

JS

[John Sharaf]

Yeah Ken, that’s absolutely correct. This scheme definately requires a good sized fill light from the camera direction, and in a two camera situation, great care in not hitting the other person. We usually use a 2K zip light (when tungsten) with an eggcrate or a 200w HMI and Chimera with louvers or honeycomb grid (when daylight).

JS

[John Sharaf]

Ken,

We almost always use a K5600 Black Jack with either the HMI or Tungsten housing (some of the other LD’s I work with prefer tungsten, myself I prefer the HMI). The snoot, of about 24″ in length is to control the spill and to “aim” the key light into the portrait area. The great advantage of the BJ’s is that it’s designed with a really strong and efficient “disc” brake system to lock the tilt; if you try to hang even a foamcore “snoot” off of a Mole Baby Baby, it will probably sag – right in the middle of your interview!

The snoot is modeled after the famous Hollywood “Cronnie Cone” which was first used by a Hollywood DP named Cronenworth (spelling?) to control traditional studio instruments like Juniors and Seniors. Inside the snoot (just short of the business end) we’ll cut a slot to insert diffussion frames or just secure the diffussion inside if it’s a one-time use. Effectively we’ve created a spotty area of softer punch light.

We make the snoot out of B&W foamcore (black outside) and 2″ paper tape to hold the seam together. The whole arrangement is easily attached with grip clips onto the barndoors, and really allows more area control than just the barndoors by themselves. You’ll see this device in use on a lot of sit-com sets where the lights are hung at a great distance and control of spill and area lit is desired.

Obviously, the Chimera and other commercial softbox devices found their origin from these type of handmade devices; the same is now true of overhead softboxes and large fill-light boxes that were built for many years by the grips for one-time installation or use on a TV series or feature film set. For example, I just used a very cool 4×8′ collapseable soft box with six built in nooklites (500 or 1000w globes) that fits inside a small 4′ coffin case for transport or storage on the truck.

Hope this paints a picture for you!

JS