Leo Ticheli
Forum Replies Created
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Hi Bill,
Using the best camera you can get certainly makes sense, but the most important factor is not the camera, it’s the lighting and composition.Here’s a quick little guide for a typical, dramatically lit, portrait shot:
1. Position the subject so their head is at a ratio of 1:1.6 to the frame; that’s roughly the old “rule of thirds,” but not quite. Psychologically, a subject looking to the right is more “positive” and looking to the left is more “negative.” Maybe it’s because we read left to right and the right suggests “future,” but, for whatever reason, it seems to be true. When I shoot the “bad guys” in a commercial or dramatic scene, I often put them looking camera left. It’s a subtle effect, to be sure, but it all adds up.
2. Set a very large key light close to the subject, well above the eye line if you want the neck to go dark, lower for a brighter, perhaps more modern look. Start the key at a 90
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The Skin tone detail circuit can lead to very unpleasant results.
It isn’t magic; it simply softens everything in the “skin tone” color range and that includes everything else in the scene that the camera thinks is skin tone. This can produce odd looking softness where it’s not wanted. I never use it.
I think you’re far better off controlling the look first with lighting, by using relatively large aperture softlights, and then with lens or post filters.
Remember the Softlight Law: The softness of the light is directly proportional to the relative size of the aperture of the light to the subject. Bigger and closer fixtures yield softer looks; smaller and farther away yield harder light. A big soft source, such as a 4′ x 6′, very close to the subject can fill most lines in the face.
On a more philosophical note, age and character can be very beautiful when the lighting is properly set; it’s our job to find just the right balance of visible lines. Even flawless twenty year-old skin can look bad under harsh light.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
The single most important element is the skill of the puppeteer.
Perhaps whomever you hire can provide the hand-made puppets you need without worry about the rights.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
Hi Bob,
I’ve got a couple of these monitors; they make terrific client monitors on the set, they’re bright and can be viewed from pretty severe angles.Unfortunately, the built-in Waveform Monitor is no substitute for a dedicated unit; the scale is just a larger version of the one in the little 8.4 inch HD LCD, fine for a shooter’s reference, but not for engineering.
I do recommend the units; everyone who’s seen them loves the picture.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
On my Chapman dolly, I use the O’Connor 2575, superbly steady and smooth.
On the sticks or jib arm, I use the Vinton 250, almost as capable as the 2575 and a lot lighter. I really like the built-in illuminated bubble level as well. The head is a bit heavy for tripod use, but with light-weight carbon fiber legs, it makes a nice package.
I’ve tried smaller heads in the past with unsatisfactory results.
Sachtler doesn’t seem to offer enough drag for my tastes, but those who like a “looser” feel seem to prefer it. NAB is a great place to try many heads and choose the one that feels right for you.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
I would love to help, but don’t have any PAL experience!
Sorry!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
More straightforward and easier is to shoot the BG clean and use it for the BG of the graphics.
I believe it’s a good idea to always shoot the BG clean; you never know when you might need it.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
This is why FCP has offset control. As I mentioned, we prefer to set this in FCP as material is ingested, then you are working with material in perfect sync through out the edit.
When the picture and rough audio are cut, we generally send a Quick Time to the Audio Suite for sweetening and music mixing. The audio Engineer returns the finished audio file which simply replaces the original audio tracks.
Best regards,
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
I can think of two possible causes that your BG looks off-white: Either your camera is setup a bit warm or, more likely, you do not have the BG hot enough to just touch clip.
Shooting talent against a smooth white BG is not as simple as it looks! You must insure that the BG is lit almost perfectly evenly to a level that just touches clip. Anything under will show off-color or grey. Go to far, too hot, and you will get a milky look on your FG.
I first light the BG, my white cyc, either with grid-mounted Altman cyc lights (Kino Flo fixtures would be better), or a huge Chimera F2 soft bank. The latter provides absolutely flat and even BG lighting. Fortunately for me, I own an F2; they are costly to rent and take quite a while to set up. Mine stays hanging in the studio for just this effect or lighting cars. Perhaps you can find a studio equipped with an F2 or good cyc lights.
After you’ve got the BG established, light your foreground subjects to a compatible level. Sometimes I put the subjects under the F2 and provide three dimensions with kicks. It’s really a matter of your own taste and the look demanded by the mood you’re trying to set.
If your subject is far enough from the BG, always a good idea, you’ll have no problems with shadows on the BG.
As I said, it’s not as easy as it sounds unless you’ve got a lot of experience and the proper tools.
Good shooting!
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA -
Hi John,
We prefer to set an offset at the time of ingest. Then you have perfect sync throughout the edit process.
Good shooting!
Leo