View Full Version : rehearsal
http://homepage.mac.com/shailevy/zimmer.mov
1 min. / 8.1mb
------
this little exercise i shot some months ago in a studio with two actors. i think that i even posted some grabs back then.
this footage is from the rehearsal we did one day before the shoot. the "real thing" is still in editing (... just waiting for these students to finish they're 4 min directing exercise... >:( ), so i cut one minute out of this rehearsal tape that i kept, since it's still one of my favorite looks that i managed with this camera. even though chroma level is maybe too high...
special settings (from what i remember...):
built in 16:9
chroma phase: -7
color temp: -2
low gamma
cine matrix
i white balanced on a piece of light-blue plank that i found on the set.. *:P *which explains the very warm tone.
10 points to the one who recognize the soundtrack....
lenguyen
11-10-2003, 01:42 PM
nice work. twin peaks... how appropriate.
twin peaks... how appropriate.
err... nope!
lenguyen
11-10-2003, 02:46 PM
doh! my bad... how about... lost highway.
only 4 posts and already 10 points to mr. lenguyen! :D
the full credit is: Dub Driving / Angelo Badalamenti from Lost Highway.. great score
triseven
11-10-2003, 03:48 PM
Boy, you sure know how to make our camera look good.
David Jimerson
11-15-2003, 11:06 AM
Doggone it! Everyone else always soaks up the bandwidth before I get to see this stuff.
>:(
Mark_Monciardini
11-21-2003, 06:23 AM
Still Works!
Nice work man. I love the editing. Did you use a Matte box or anything for this? I noticed the white balance was off, was this on purpose? Cool effect.
Don't you hate it when people just coment about the music?
Hi Shai,
I really like your work here and in "Der Besuch". It really shows how much depth of field adds to a "film look", and creative ways one can compose for foreground, mid, and background with only minimal props and clever blocking of actors. I like this so much better than the very flat look a lot of people get with video. Though I think the wheatfield shot in "Der Besuch" is cheating, too easy ;). Have you seen the new Meg Ryan movie "In The Cut"? The depth of field on that is ridiculously exaggerated. The actors eyelashes are out of focus, but their eyes are in focus. Very stylized, but looks good I think. The director is Jane Campion (The Piano).
Anyways, my question. I just got my DVX100 and Anamorphic lens. When you are doing handheld work, what zoom setting do you usually use to achieve your "look". I've already realized that focusing with the Anamorphic is difficult, so when do you feel comfortable between being able to properly adjust focus, and still getting a nice depth of field in a moving shot. Thanks for your help, and keep up the good stuff!
hi zot, thanks for the words :)
if shallow depth of focus is important to you, don't compromise just to have a safe focus range. focusing with the anamorphic takes one or two focus rehearsals before the shoot, there you can mark positions and learning by heart the numbers in the EVF / LCD. that's what i did.
finding the focus with ana is tricky... someone (don't remember who) gave this tip: look for the shiny dot in the talent's eye when zooming in, and use it as reference for focus. an accurate field monitor could also be helpful.. though i rarely use one when doing handheld.
hope it helps...
Thanks Shai, yes, that does help. I have a thick forest in my backyard with lots of branches. I will go out with a friend and practice until I feel comfortable pulling focus properly. If you have the time I'd like to ask one more question.
In achieving a cohesive look for a dramatic film. What settings do you suggest leaving alone, and what do you suggest manipulating for each individual scene. In your explanation of "Der Besuch" You had only one "scene file" setting as such. Is this enough for interiors, exteriors, etc.?
I imagine a lot can be achieved simply with white balance alone. I'm not planning any "dream sequences" or "flashbacks" that would need a seperate distinguishable look. I heard of someone describing the scene-files almost as a "film stock", do you feel this is truly a good comparison, or did you find you had to fine tune each scene. I appreciate your thoughts. One last thing, do you play with the shutter at all, or leave it at 1/50?
zot,
i leave the shutter untouched (1/50) for "normal" shooting.
you know that chroma phase / temp / level settings will influence only a manual white balance (and not the the 3.2K / 5.6K presets)... so just keep in mind, while working your look.
i found that -4 in chroma phase gives a more natural skin tone.. in this "rehearsal" i pushed it a bit more in conjunction with a little warm up. they work together well that way.
anyway, a certain setting should work for a certain location or lighting condition. it could also work for a whole shoot, in different lighting and locations if this set-up is not too radical (in colors for example). it's more commonly recommended to set your camera to something basic to start with, to gather as much information as possible to the tape, and fine tune it later in post. in this "rehearsal" shoot, we had only one location, i knew that i will have no real "post production".. i was hot on messing up with the settings of my new camera, and it worked... :) though i don't think i would do it if i had to shoot the next scene outside in available light condition.
but hey.. test anything.. even when i shoot with a film stock that i know very well, i test it with the actors and lighting.. it's pretty much a must.
did i answer your questions? :-/