John Sharaf
Forum Replies Created
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Try Lee Cosmetic Peach (#184), Cosmetic Burgundy (#185), Cosmetic Highlight (#188) or Cosmetic Rouge (#187). Like alkl the other solutions, the ultimate will require testing and skillful observation!
JS
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Bob,
Something as simple as fooling the auto white balance with a warm card might just do the trick. An 812 filter is often used for the same warming effect, which essentially adds color saturation. Some cameras, notably the Ikegami’s have an overall “Saturation” effect which serves to add color to an otherwise “pastey” complection. Otherwise as i suggested, painting a more colorful matrix will solve this problem, especially by “growing” the saturation in the red/yellow direction, where the flesh tones fall.
These solutiomns are in addition to anything you might do with makeup or lighting. as you can see there arte many ways to ‘skin a cat’.
JS
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There are several methods to add color to a “fair skinned” subject. As you correctly suggest, cosmetic gel is one method, another is makeup and another is in the camera set up; add saturation or adjust the matrix to feature the red/yellow direction.
If you do go the cosmetic gel route, keep in mind that when you white balance the camera, you should do so with out the gel, then add the gel. Otherwise if you white balance with the gel you’ll just subtract the additional color you’re trying to add!
I’d try to use camera setup first, as using gels requires maintanence of the gels over time as they fade and burn, so the effect might not remain consistant over time.
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Shane,
The “dirty little secret” of the Vaicam is that at 24p (when brought into a 24p FCP project by firewire) the origional bandwidth of 100mb (DVPRO100!) is reduced to 40% (or 40Mb) because only the flagged frames are brought in (40% of 60fps=24fps). This is 20% less than DVPRO50 (50Mb) and less than half of DigiBeta! The marvel is that it looks so good!
JS
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Ken,
I couldn’t think of a better replacement for a full sized van than the Sprinter! The ability to standup in the cargo space can not be undervalued. A diesel engine runs forever with very little maintainance and those folks I know who’ve gone this way (Sprinter) couldn’t be happier.
One of the camerapersons I know who has gone Sprinter finished the interior with a bulkhead to create an aft compartment that is virtually theft proof. It was the medium sized body and just forward of the bulkhead he built a padded jump seat with storage underneigth. This van is very frisky and still can be parked in most regular parking spaces; the fact that you can’t park in undersground facilities can often be an advantage, enabling you to pull up in front to loading zones or by using dedicated loading docks at the rear. I carry orange cones in my truck which make things more “official” when I have to park in otherwise questionable spots.
The one disadvantage of the Sprinter is that it falls in the middle of the spectrum in that it is large enough to be overloaded and small enough so that the large Backstage Equipment-type carts are to big and heavy to fit (and use without a proper liftgate – which further lengthen and decreases payload limit). The real determination is whether a cube van and liftgate provide a better platform for your style of production? If your van carries enough and you just want to replace it, the Sprinter is an excellent choice, and will leave you with plenty of room for expansion.
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Bob,
I wish I had the luxory of a chauffeur for my grip truck, but alas, I must be the truck driver as well as the cameraman, secretary and bookeeper of my small company. In fact I just got back from a grouling road trip to San Diego for GMA where we did the first multicamera live HD news remote yet at Sea World with Shamu and Baby Shamu.
After working all night (10:30 pm call) we packed the truck and left San Diego about 7am this morning and I’m just filling out the expense forms, time cards and invoices now, about fifteen hours later. Very glamorous!
Regards,
JS
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Badilla,
A professional video camera with an auto white balance (AWB) feature is as accuare a method of reading relative color temperture as any meter! All you need do is white balance off the same target, preferably a grayscale chip chart, which is what the preset and auto white circuitry is adjusted to in the engineering lab.
But the question begs a discussion of why white balance at all? Many folks, myself included rarely white balance (with single camera production) once we know and are satisfied with the presets of our camera. You’ll notice if you compare the preset and a white balance of the same scene (including flesh) that the preset is usually warmer and better looking. By using this same preset setting and same lighting everyday you provide the postproduction folks matching material.
Of course if you are shooting under fluorescent or otherwised mixed or discontinuous light sources you might want to auto white, but still if you’re able to, compare the resulting color with the preset on an accurate monitor.
With multicamera shooting, in lieu of complete engineering controls (charts, waveform/vectorscope, ccu’s and a skilled engineer) the best quick matching method is to turn off the matrixes and white balance on the same chart.
You’ll find that in general white balancing “takes the color out” of the picture. especially in early morning and twilight, when the sun turns warm. This is a very pleasing and interesting look, unless of course you’re trying to match scenes from midday, in which case, yes, you should be taking the color out. Even under fluorescents or sodium vapor street lights, the off-color can sometimes lend the proper effect to the scene, by recreating what the eye sees and the mood of the location that’s lit that way (like a large warehouse)!
The few times that accurate color must be achieved, like when doing a Campbell Soup commercial, or an automobile commercial with crs of a distinctive hue, it’ll take more than white balance to do so. In these cases careful engineering of the matrix to the standards of a chart like the Chroma de Monde from DSC with a properly calibrated Vectorscope are called for, but remember even in these cases powerful post production color correction on a Da Vince or the like is almost always budgeted too!
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Skip,
This is a fair question, because at once the Varicam serves to replace a conventional beta camcorder and also it replaces a full dressed 16mm film camera. These two different sets of users would naturally require two different tripods – probably the very two that you mention; the largest 100mm Sachtler (like a V18 or V20) and the smallest 150mm Sachtler (like the V25). I have both, and I can tell you catagoricly that “bigger is better” unless you have to carry it around all day!
The ultimate decision most likely will come down to price and actual use; if you intend to do ENG with your Varicam (no film-style accessories) you’ll pick the V18/V20 but if you will be dressing your camera up with marr/box and rails, on-board 8.4″ LCD monitor, follow focus, etc. you must get the bigger sticks.
Remember also that the legs are a critical element here. the more heavy duty the better, to minimize twist and flex. Fortunately the carbon fiber offerings combine both strength and light weight (of course at the expense of coin!).
As far as brands are concerned, I agree that Sachtler is probably the best; although they are owned by the same company that owns Vinten and O’Conner as well. although it must be said that in Hollywood, amongst the “film-folks” the large O’Conner (2016?) is often asked for, and probably worth a shoot-out with the V25 before you spend $10000!
JS
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Kevin,
The backgrounds of interviews can be very important in attracting and keeping the viewer’s attention to what the subject is saying. Both non descript and themed colors, forms, textures and objects can all either lend credibility or alternately distract from the total effect.
It’s often a good idea to create a unified approach that guides you in the production of a complete project; if for example you decide to use subjects in their own realistic settings, it’s probably best to do so throught that particular show or project. Alternately, if you decide to create more abstract backrounds by painting colored light and shapes on a mottled backing, this could be a satisfactory style for another type of show or project.
Sometimes the choice is made for you by the logistics of the assignment; if cowboys are the subject, it might be most appropriate to shoot the interviews outside with pastures or horses in the bg. If you’re interviewing teachers, a classroom setting would be a natural. Sometimes you’re forced to shoot in hotel rooms and here the challange is to disguise that fact, try to make it look like someone’s home or go the other extreme and put up a background cloth or seamless paper.
It’s often preferable to “fuzzup” or soften thew backround, effectively drawing more attention and focus to the subject in the foreground. This is accomplished by using a telephoto lens, and by shooting with a wide open iris effectively keeping the depth of field to a minimum. This can be done by controlling the amount of light or using ND filters or the shutter to allow a wide open lens setting. This is even more important with smaller imagers (like the 1/3″ types found in prosumer dv cameras) where the depth of field is so great to begin with.
It is a mark of the skill and creativity of a camera person/ photographer to come up with interesting backrounds for each and every shot you encounter. Good luck!
JS
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I’d try Band Pro in Munich, they represent Chroszeil in the states and most certainly could ship the gear you needed by FedEx overnight!
JS