[Leo Ticheli]

I believe setting up a VariCam without charts and a scope is all but impossible. Further, I’ve not found the factory settings to be optimal, at least not for my eye.

You have myriad choices; Film Rec, Video Rec, all the knee settings, not to mention the color correctors, and many others.

I strongly advise you to buy Goodman’s Guide to the VariCam and a set of DSC charts. You’ll need a vector scope as well. Then block out a great deal of time to setup the camera and test your settings in the studio/field doing the kind of work you do. Having an experienced camera engineer along is a very good idea.

If you choose not to setup the camera yourself, hire a good VariCam tech to help develop the settings for you.

Good shooting!

Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

Are you setting up your camera with DSC charts and a vector scope?

How are you monitoring?

[Leo Ticheli]

Hi Frank,
I forgot you’re in Las Vegas; there isn’t a window in sight on the casino floors!

Corporate offices, however, have plenty, especially in the executive wing where a lot of shooting takes place. The prettiest compositions almost always include a window, if not a wall of them. At least that’s my preference.

As far the “Hollywood” bit, the Southeast is about as far away as you can get before you’re treading water in the Gulf Stream, but there’s no reason not to strive to make everything we shoot beautiful. Of course the overwhelming preference for Kino Flo type fixtures isn’t all due to a preference for beauty; fluorescent fixtures have numerous other advantages including small footprint, fast setup, cool burning, daylight balance, and low power draw. I’d almost rather retire than go back to the bad old days!

It’s not like I’m suggesting that emerging cinematographers purchase an expensive set of HMI’s; a single Kino Flo or Mole Richardson fluorescent fixture and a couple of small Fresnels make a very practical starter kit for doing beautiful corporate interview type work.

Good shooting!

Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

The Kino Flo fixture is the ParaBeam 200 & 400.

I don’t charge my clients on a per item basis for the Grip & Electric; it’s just part of my package price. I’m sure you can find a rental house that has them to glean the usual and standard rates. Perhaps Mole Richardson can help as well.

Good shooting,
Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

The Biax is very compact for an 8-tube fixture. It’s solidly built; not too heavy for me and I’m close to social security; can’t answer for you.

Color temperature does vary slightly when dimming all fluorescent fixtures. It’s not been a problem for me.

I don’t use ND on the windows. It’s time consuming and generally problematical; of course you almost have to gel the windows if your key doesn’t have enough punch.

No “cutters” really work on soft lights. Use the barn doors to mount diffusion. The honeycomb grid is effective in reducing spill.

I rarely rent my gear to others.

Doubtless there are alternatives to the Biax 8; Kino Flo has some fixtures with hard reflectors that are supposed to give more punch from fewer tubes but I’ve not tried them.

Good shooting!

Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

This is what I use for the kind of work you describe, location headshots:

Key: Mole Richardson Biax 8. Plenty of punch to work with a daylight window in the shot. Not as much punch or as soft as our 1200 HMI with a large Chimera, but takes up much less space, is cooler, and draws little power.

Fill: I almost never use a fixture for fill; a Flexfill works fine.

Kick: I often forgo the Kick because a no-kick look is usually more natural; when we do kick, I like a soft light such as a Diva 200. A Mole Richardson 300 makes a good kick and is more versatile than the Kino Flo.

Background: I like Fresnels for the background because I can paint and shape with much more control than with soft sources. Usually a couple of 300’s work fine, but larger scenes may require 650’s.

Good shooting!

Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

Hi Frank,
I must respectfully disagree.

While I’m sure you can do a masterful job with your kit, it has many disadvantages for the use described, especially for a novice. Perhaps your experience and style compensate, but I don’t think it’s as versatile or practical for most.

First, it’s all tungsten; to match for daylight windows or use in shaded exteriors, you’ve got to put enough blue gel on the lamps to reduce the output severely. There’s no way those small fixtures can balance a daylight window in the shot.

As far as the color balance issue, I almost never use tungsten in my Kino Flo fixtures, unless they’re working in the studio, which is all 3200

[Leo Ticheli]

Camera type makes little if any difference.
Number of viewers makes no difference.

Don’t buy a kit!

You need a soft key, either a Kino 4′ x 4 bank or Mole Richardson Biax 8 or equivalent.

If you like a soft kick, get a Kino Flo Diva. If you buy the 400, you can use it as a key in tight places with a bit of diffusion over the doors.

For the background, you can use a small Fresnel or two, such as a Mole Richardson 300w.

Buy a case and call it a “kit.”

Take any money you have left over and hire an experienced Gaffer to show you how to use the gear.

Good shooting!

Leo
Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

I meant to type: R x hours x infinity.

A simpler formula for the cost of unlimited services would be: R x infinity.

Seriously, all you can really do is help your client estimate the number of revisions and give them a flat rate based on that with the written agreement that work in addition will be billed at your standard rate. For our flat rate jobs, I add a 20% markup to cover the inevitable extra work.

Best regards,
Leo

Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Leo Ticheli]

Use this formula:

R = Your hourly rate

R x hours x ?.

Best regards,
Leo

Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA