Are Depth of field adapters useful for tight shooting schedule??? (TV)

P

pablovi

Active member
Hi,

I'm shooting a miniseries episode next week, but I only have 3 days of shooting for a 45 min episode, so I was wondering if, with this tight shooting schedule it will be wise to use a depth of field adapter? or should I stick with shooting straight from the camera?

I'm a cinematographer and have used the DVX100a, but only once and for a documentary(mostly talking heads) some time ago, but I've never used it for fiction, I shoot mostly film, that's why I like the narrow depth of field. But i have never used such adapter for video, and I want to know if it will be as slow as shooting film? I want to know if it will be feasable to do such thing with the adapater in such little time before I suggest(demand?) it to my producer.

BTW the adpaters i have access to are the Movietube and the Mini 35. Or if the network can lend us a DVCPRo HD, it will be the Pro35, but the movietube is the more accesible option, because it fits the camera we have DVX100A.

Thanks in advanced and sorry for my bad english, I hope I made sense.

Pablo Villegas
 
As long as you have a 1st and a second AC it should be no problem. Approach it like a film camera with primes.
 
It will take longer to work with, take longer to light, and be a lot more hassle.

If you need it for the look, then go ahead. But it will absolutely take longer to shoot with one than without.
 
j said:
As long as you have a 1st and a second AC it should be no problem. Approach it like a film camera with primes.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I only have 1 AC, and the guy who's gonna be responsible for the Adapter, he can lend a hand too.

But I'm worried about attaching the camera to the adapter and back focus every time you change a lens, how the handeheld works with the adapter, the light loss, etc... I'm worried about the specific problems that come up by using the adapter.

Thanks again.
 
>But I'm worried about attaching the camera to the adapter
>and back focus every time you change a lens, how the
>handeheld works with the adapter, the light loss, etc...
>I'm worried about the specific problems that come
>up by using the adapter.

I shot a short this weekend and had intended to use my adapter for some flashback scenes, but on set I decided it wasn't worth it. Our crew was a little green, so it would have taken longer (as it was we went 2 hrs over schedule), and it was a night shoot, so I would have lost 2 stops of light in our background light.

As for back focus concerns, it is not a problem if you are using primes, it just means the focal plane is shifted a little and the focus marks may be off a little. Not a problem if you have a follow focus as you write new marks for each shot.

The *real* concern is the focus from the camera to the GG. a slight bump on the focus or zoom ring can cause real problems in softness, and you need a full sized monitor to tell if anything is off.

-J
 
WEll if you know what youre doing no ( aka experince) they shouldnt slow you down. if your unfamiliar with the adapter and its workflow then yes it will slow you down. but interms of time it takes to do everyhtin, every shoot ive been on producers are always alloting time for lens changes, and adapter related time constraints, and they alot of the time are amazed by how quick we move with it. keep your lenses nearby, keep a magnet on the LCD to flip the image and frame up, and chekc focus with a measuring tape and monitor. Just like film.

IT shouldnt slow you down significantly.

heres a few tips.


1: GAFF doen the focus ring and Zoom lever once the DVXis set on the GG. The whole thing. make a collar of gaff around the front end of the camera.

2: Make sure the GG is getting proper exposure. many people are tempted to light a set, then adjust exposure with the 35mm lens. leaving the GG properly exposed, but the DVX ccd's starved of light. Go 1 stop wider than normal on the 35mm lens, then bring down exposure with the DVX iris to correct levels. GG's have this weird "activation level" of light where if they get proper exposure, most of the time, all the grain and noise gets elimnated. I have used 5 different adapters, and this is true on almost all of them excpet the SGpro, it doesnt care how much light it gets, its spinning GG eliminated grain no matter what. I imagine the M2 is very similar. Though i have not used one yet, so i cannot besure.

3: (as stated above) check the back focus. it will make your life easier, because you can then focus with measuring tape. (do this before you get to the set)

4: Keep your lenses, lens cleaner/chamois, spare magnets, spare batteries (for the adapter), and an air puffer, practically on your person or on your AC's person. it sucks having to run back and for across set because the 18 was too wide, and the 24 is 80 feet away.....

5: Monitor. MAke sure you have a monitor, to check critical focus. Let the 2nd ac keep an eye on the monitor. however leave the monitor in its correct orientation, (ie dont turn it upsidedown to look at the picture right way up) Turning it upside down causes color artifacting, and gausing on the monitor as they are not designed to be upside down, and you will go crazy trying to figure out where that GODDAMN GREEN LIGHT IS COMING FROM!!!! Like i did on the set.... Oy.....

They are a pleasure to work with. once you get used to their work flow.
 
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