Leo Ticheli
Forum Replies Created
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No.
Good shooting!
Leo
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I think it’s a very bad idea to try to change the color of the spill with an amber or yellow kick.
In the first place, you can’t “dye” light colors; light doesn’t work that way. More importantly, you now have a strange, unmotivated colored edge on the subject that looks like a bad key problem.
I light my screens to 60%. Test to see what works best for your screen and keyer.
Good shooting!
Leo
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Yes. And no.
First, consider the Softlight Law:
“The softness of the light is directly proportional to the relative size of the aperture of the light to the subject.” The aperture of the light is the size, for example a 4′ x 6′, and has nothing to do with the lens aperture.
A Kino Flo has a larger aperture than a naked Fresnel or open-faced lamp, so it’s softer at any given distance from the subject. That’s the “yes” part of the answer.
On the other hand, the Kino Flo aperture is much smaller than the size of most softboxes; that’s the “no” part of the answer.
So, here’s the deal; Kino Flo fixtures with out diffusion to increase the size of the aperture are soft, but not as soft as a larger aperture softbox.
I would never put a Kino in a softbox, however; their silk is too dense, designed for hot, higher wattage lights. Just put so light diffusion over the Kino Flo doors and that will do the trick.
I like very light diffusion for many shots because it has a bit of hot spot, giving a nice soft look with more snap than a solid softbox.
Good shooting!
Leo
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Run, don’t walk, away from incandescent lights!
Get some Kino Flo Diva’s and a Mole Richardson Biax 8. You can throw in a couple of small Fresnels for back ground and specials, but key with the Biax.
Here’s why:
1. The Biax and Kino Flo fixtures can be tubed for either incandescent or daylight color temperature.
2. They are lightweight and fairly rugged.
3. You’ll never trip a breaker again; they draw very little power.
4. They setup quickly and easily.
5. They burn very cool so you won’t roast your talent.
Of course there are different brushes for different paintings, but for small shoots and most situations, fluorescent fixtures are very hard to beat.
HMI’s are terrific, but out of your budget range.
Good shooting!
Leo
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Rain towers.
Hire an effects guy.
Don’t forget to back light from both sides so the rain will show up.
Good shooting!
Leo
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Looking at large numbers of people, the prestige of your school does affect career income. However, it’s difficult to determine if the effect is the result of the schooling or the caliber of people who choose that school in the first place.
I can think of one Yale graduate who has poor job performance, while Gordon Parks, who never graduated from High School, had a profound ability in a wide range of arts, visual, literary, and musical.
For our business, I believe the most well-rounded education in all the arts and sciences serves us the best. Where we get that education may matter far less than having it. I think we must have a natural love of it, of making art; there are certainly easier and more economically fruitful ways to make a living.
Best regards,
Leo
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Hi Kevin,
ASA does not change as the frame rate changes, of course you must adjust your iris when you change frame rates just as you would with a film camera.I should point out that the VariCam has a special feature that allows you to change frame rates without adjusting the iris! This is primarily for ramping the frame rate in shot; you set the shutter to either 1/60 or 1/100 and then you can ramp with constant exposure.
The VariCam, and any video camera for that matter, does not have an “ASA.” The sensitivity of the camera varies over a wide range depending on your individual settings. I’ve set my VariCam up to have a sensitivity roughly equivalent to 1000 ASA, but hate the look at that setting; I most often have the camera setup somewhere around 200 ASA using Film Rec and a Dynamic Level of 500.
Professor John Sharaf recommends a lower Dynamic Level, by the way, and that gives you a higher “ASA” and more contrast with the highlights clipping more.
I am aware of the sensitivity of the camera in ASA terms only for planing the lighting. I must emphasize that you are treading on shaky ground if you try to set exposure with the VariCam using a light meter; it’s much better to use a good HD monitor and waveform monitor to view area of clipping.
To further complicate things, it’s reported that the sensitivity of the camera may change with the light levels; it’s not linear. At low light levels you may find the “ASA” different from high light levels.
I hope this helps.
Good shooting!
Leo
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I did not say no prep was required; I said you don’t need scripts or a storyboard. You need an overall concept, but this is not breaking new ground; it’s a standard format.
Typically, you shoot the interviews first and then write supporting copy for any voice over required to tie things together. The interviews will themselves suggest the B-roll and you should insure that the subjects discuss material for B-roll you know you want to show. It’s quite normal to have some VO copy written beforehand, but it’s best to wait to record it after the interviews in case you need to change it.
Sounds like you’re not in control of the project; there must be one, and only one, Producer. It may be too late, but you need to go to the very top, the single decision maker, and explain that the job must be controlled. If you have the skills, it should be you; if you don’t, you need someone who knows what they are doing.
I sympathize with you for not being the one doing the interviewing; this job calls for a considerable amount of skill and an ability to get a moving story from the subjects. If your interviewer was incompetent, you may have little to work with.
By the way, it’s not usual to use the interviewer’s questions at all, but if the questions were so poorly constructed that the answers depend on them for clarity, you can use voice over questions or lead-ins.
I’m mystified about your comment that the interviews should have been two or three minutes instead of much longer. That’s what editing is for. The more raw material the better. If you don’t have time to edit the project, then you simply have no way to turn it around. Hire a fast Editor, work overtime, or throw your hands over your head and exit the building screaming.
Good luck,
Leo
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I hope you’ve not waited a week and a half to get moving on this project.
It’s not difficult, nor does it require long lead time, and certainly not scripts or storyboards since it’s interview based. You, as the Producer, are responsible for the shot list.
All you need to do is schedule the interviews; I typically allow two to four hours per location to light and prep the area and conduct the interview.
You do need to be knowledgable about the subject so you can ask the appropriate questions, then let the subject just tell their stories. I believe there are excellent interview techniques tips in the archives here at the Cow. Prepared statements tend to suck; they sound stilted and forced. Real people rarely have acting skills; they are best when they speak extemporaneously.
Schedule some time for B-roll; the campus, student life, etc., and some studio time to shoot old photographs, etc.
Good luck,
Leo
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Get a good wide zoom, such as a 13×4.5 MM Fujinon or 11×4.7 Canon.
Good shooting!
Leo