C300: Interview Demo Reel (100 Samples, 100 Seconds)

Eric Coughlin said:
Most of my event work involves shooting promos style videos. Basically, interviews and b-roll. Shallower (say f/2.8-f/5.6, so not super shallow) interviews on a large sensor camera tend to look better. For b-roll, it depends. Shallow can help some shots, others are better with deep depth of field. I think when comparing a large sensor camera to a small sensor camera people talk too much about the depth of field differences and ignore that a large sensor cameras has better image quality - dynamic range, colors, sharpness, low light, etc. I have not seen any DVX200 footage that impressed me and as such I would not consider it acceptable image quality for most of the work I do. In other words, for most shoots, too great of a cost to pay for getting a deeper depth of field and all-in-one lens.

Since large sensor cameras are also better in low light, it means you can raise the ISO, stop them down, and still get a pretty deep depth of field when desired.

You still don't get an all-in-one servo lens, but I've yet to have a job that needed that, as typically interviews and b-roll allow time to change lenses, at least for how I shoot.

I can see how some shoots such as sports could rely more heavily on an all-in-one lens setup.
Click to expand...

Hopefully I won't be doing any events in 2018 so it will be moot point! ;-)
 
Eric Coughlin said:
Your interviews do looks really good, Rob. Glad you're not in my market! :)

What is your typical camera and key light setup?

I'd like to start incorporating a book light, or just a softer key in general, but don't feel my Astras are up to the task. Skypanel is perhaps a bit much for a one-man-band, but the Litepanels Gemini I've got my eye on.
Click to expand...

Hah thanks Eric!

interview grid.jpg

All interviews except 3 and 14 use the BBS Area 48 as the key light. If there is a hair light, it's mostly a gelled/diffused DLH4, although 2. is an Arri 300w Fresnel with softbox and 3. is the area 48.
1. C200. 4x4 diffusion.
2. BMUMP. 4x4 diffusion. Hairlight - Arri 300w Fresnel with Chimera softbox. Background - Arri 650 on wall.
3. C300 ii. Arri 1.2 PAR through 4x4 diffusion, actually 3 frames stacked on top of each other (poor choice of light in confined space!).
4. GH4. Unrolled 216 hanging from c stand arm.
5. BMMCC. Unrolled 216 hanging from c stand arm.
6. BMMCC. Softbox
7. Same as 4
8. BMMCC. Softbox.
9. BMMCC. Softbox.
10. GH4. Softbox.
11. GH4. Softbox. Background - 2x575w HMIs.
12. Same as 4.
13. Same as 4.
14. BMPCC. Piece of crap LED.

You've probably already tried this but have you double diffused your Astra? Have you used your softbox and a larger diffusion modifier? If you're lacking output you could add these and use the 1/4 with the softbox then whatever larger diffusion is appropriate, just out of the frame.

Also, a roll of diffusion e.g. Rosco 250/216 hanging from a c stand arm is pretty compact to move around and gives you a larger than 4x4 area.

I'm interested in the Geminis too but haven't seen any yet. A gemini with softbox would make for a very easy set up.
 
Ah, the Area 48. That used to be my dream light. But I ended up going with Astras instead, particularly since the Astra Soft became available which is more similar to the Area 48 than what was previously available (during my dream period), but with internal bi-color and wifi control. I imagine the Area 48 still has a bit better colors than the Astras, and at 160w is more powerful (brighter) than the Astra's 110w. But the new 6x Astras I would imagine are just as bright, though they haven't come out with a 6x Astra Soft yet. BBS really kills you on accessories for that light. $2500 for the light, but then you may spend $1500 on accessories, so $4k for a 1x1 is rather steep. I guess that's still less than a Skypanel SC-30, but the SC-30 is a 200w light, so brighter.

The tight beam angle of the Astra makes it more difficult to shoot through a very large source since you'd have to back it up pretty far, and the Astra Soft probably doesn't have enough punch to work well for that. Hence me thinking the Gemini.

I've used umbrellas with the Astra. One of them is particularly large, which I'll bounce for quite a soft light source. Obviously not very easy to control, but in most cases I don't need the background flagged from from key light spill as I often go for a natural look over dramatic. Lately I've been more often shooting through a 53" five-in-one reflector diffusion as my key light. A bit more control than using the umbrellas.

I use the small softbox with the Astra when I either need the control the grid offers, want to keep things small and simple, or want a harder source (since the softbox is smaller). Don't think I've double diffused the Astra; I don't think it'd be bright enough to do so with the f-stop and ISO I typically like to shoot at. 1/4 diffusion probably wouldn't soften it that much.

The Astra Soft is basically a regular Astra with a (built-in) softbox on it, so if I don't need the control a grid offers, I'll often use the Astra Soft and forgo using the softbox on a regular Astra.
 
I think you are suffering from gear lust and trying to justify it with "I need it for a softer key." I have seen clients gang up two 2x4 Divas into a 4x4 diffusion frame as a key, I have seen them do that AND an additional piece 4x4 foamcore with a 1K or so bounced into into it, essentially making a 4x8 (landscape orientation) key. . .there are really no end to the things you can do with gear you probably already have.
 
Josh Bass said:
I think you are suffering from gear lust and trying to justify it with "I need it for a softer key." I have seen clients gang up two 2x4 Divas into a 4x4 diffusion frame as a key, I have seen them do that AND an additional piece 4x4 foamcore with a 1K or so bounced into into it, essentially making a 4x8 (landscape orientation) key. . .there are really no end to the things you can do with gear you probably already have.
Click to expand...
Sure, you can gang up a lot of lights that you already have to make things work. But to do so regularly means each and every shoot will require that additional setup time, which reflects back on you as someone who takes extra time to setup when there is more streamlined equipment available which the client could have paid you the rental for. For most clients I charge for the amount of gear I'm bringing, so the more gear I own, the more money I can charge.

I've thought of buying a t-bar to gang up more Astras, but still wouldn't be nearly as streamlined as a Gemini or Skypanel.

I always like watching the Masterclass trailers as you can see their top notch interview setups. Three or four Arri Amiras, cinema glass, Skypanel, Astras, etc.

 
Last edited:
Eric Coughlin said:
Ah, the Area 48. That used to be my dream light. But I ended up going with Astras instead, particularly since the Astra Soft became available which is more similar to the Area 48 than what was previously available (during my dream period), but with internal bi-color and wifi control. I imagine the Area 48 still has a bit better colors than the Astras, and at 160w is more powerful (brighter) than the Astra's 110w. But the new 6x Astras I would imagine are just as bright, though they haven't come out with a 6x Astra Soft yet. BBS really kills you on accessories for that light. $2500 for the light, but then you may spend $1500 on accessories, so $4k for a 1x1 is rather steep. I guess that's still less than a Skypanel SC-30, but the SC-30 is a 200w light, so brighter.

The tight beam angle of the Astra makes it more difficult to shoot through a very large source since you'd have to back it up pretty far, and the Astra Soft probably doesn't have enough punch to work well for that. Hence me thinking the Gemini.

I've used umbrellas with the Astra. One of them is particularly large, which I'll bounce for quite a soft light source. Obviously not very easy to control, but in most cases I don't need the background flagged from from key light spill as I often go for a natural look over dramatic. Lately I've been more often shooting through a 53" five-in-one reflector diffusion as my key light. A bit more control than using the umbrellas.

I use the small softbox with the Astra when I either need the control the grid offers, want to keep things small and simple, or want a harder source (since the softbox is smaller). Don't think I've double diffused the Astra; I don't think it'd be bright enough to do so with the f-stop and ISO I typically like to shoot at. 1/4 diffusion probably wouldn't soften it that much.

The Astra Soft is basically a regular Astra with a (built-in) softbox on it, so if I don't need the control a grid offers, I'll often use the Astra Soft and forgo using the softbox on a regular Astra.
Click to expand...

Yeah the Area 48 is not cheap. In Australia you pay exorbitant amounts for most film production equipment so often the differences in price between two brands isn't that much when in the US it's more lopsided. I'm glad I have one but wouldn't buy another one in 2018. BB&S are kidding themselves if they think anyone's buying a 4300K phosphor panel.

The first diffusion layer is more just helping spread the the light, which means you can move it closer too. The 53 inch five-in-one probably has pretty thick diffusion?

RE Gemini, I'm also interested in the Quasar Science Rainbow bulbs. At 50w each, putting 6 in a 4ft Kino retrofit should be the sweet spot of soft, bright, manageable...
 
Whatever works for you, but that still seems like faulty logic. The skypanel etc. does not have a very large surface area, which is ultimately what determines the light's softness, so you'll STILL need to bounce/diffuse it, so you'll STILL require additional gear and the setup time that goes with it, so it seems your time savings are minimal by buying/using these new lights.
 
Josh Bass said:
Whatever works for you, but that still seems like faulty logic. The skypanel etc. does not have a very large surface area, which is ultimately what determines the light's softness, so you'll STILL need to bounce/diffuse it, so you'll STILL require additional gear and the setup time that goes with it, so it seems your time savings are minimal by buying/using these new lights.
Click to expand...

Josh I'd argue that compared to most other lights of similar output, the S-60 is actually pretty big. Its size, along with wide beam angle means it can easily fill a frame without needing much distance to the larger diffusion. Output is also better retained because it doesn't need to be backed off much. As far as extra equipment, you probably don't need that in between diffusion as often. It's not much more equipment if you're clipping some diff onto barn doors but it could be the difference between needing a 4x4 frame in between a more traditional light and an 8x8 for example. If I owned an S-60, for one person interviews, most of the time I'd be perfectly happy just adding diffusion to the barn doors/using the softbox, which would makes a pretty simple, single stand key light set up.
 
Josh Bass said:
Whatever works for you, but that still seems like faulty logic. The skypanel etc. does not have a very large surface area, which is ultimately what determines the light's softness, so you'll STILL need to bounce/diffuse it, so you'll STILL require additional gear and the setup time that goes with it, so it seems your time savings are minimal by buying/using these new lights.
Click to expand...
Basically what Rob wrote, but since I'd already started writing this I'll say the same stuff anyway...

Skypanel is three to four times as bright as an Astra. Also, the beam angle is much wider which means you can cover a large diffusion or bounce area while having the light a lot closer to it. So, when bouncing diffused light, it basically gives you the benefit of being able to do so without stacking a few lights together to get enough output, as well as not needing to have the light far away from the bounce or diffusion.

In the Hans Zimmer video linked to above, it looks like they used the Skypanel a few feet away from a large bounce. An Astra would have been difficult to fill the large bounce in the setup they had since the Astra could only be put so far away from the bounce before hitting the floor or the interviewee.

I've had the same often faulty (and cheaper) logic of thinking ganging lights can be sensible. Why buy an M18 when I can more cheaply gang four 1Ks, or 10 1Ks with CTBs, and get the same output? May sound nice in terms of price point, but in terms of practicality, far from it.
 
"In the Hans Zimmer video linked to above, it looks like they used the Skypanel a few feet away from a large bounce. An Astra would have been difficult to fill the large bounce in the setup they had since the Astra could only be put so far away from the bounce before hitting the floor or the interviewee."


Eric, if you look at the wide shot at the 1:21 mark of the video you can see that an Astra is being bounced into a 4x4 bead-board bounce.



That's the thing, eh? Just when you think you got it all figured out, you don't.
 
I always wonder if crews sometimes go overboard with the lighting setups. Like @1:21 in that WS, was all of that really necessary?

I know you'd never really know unless you were there to see how it looked without any light and they are probably blocking some unwanted light with those boards as well, but so much work for such a subtle final look (assuming post was light).
 
Personally I am more impressed with DPs using minimal gear and making it look good. It's easy to have a RED or an Alexa, a 10 ton full of G&L and a crew and make everything perfect, you hire good gaffers and they tend to know just what you want or need in a shot. A documentary I shot in 2016 will premiere at SXSW next month and at the Toronto FF soon and all of the interviews in the documentary were shot with the lowly C100 MKI, all lighting was before I bought my Aputures and Brightcasts, I used my ancient, cheap Coollights, which were five years old at the time and had lost a lot of their output. Both the director and the colorist said it's some of the best looking interviews they've seen, we had interesting real locations all over NYC. I will post some stills but currently under NDA so can't yet.

Do more with less is much more interesting to me than do more with tons of gear and crew. Being more of a documentary type person, I like DPs who work from the bottom up, rather than the top down. What can you do with this old, far from state of the art, cheap gear and a good eye?
 
  • Like
Reactions: jb.
JPNola said:
"In the Hans Zimmer video linked to above, it looks like they used the Skypanel a few feet away from a large bounce. An Astra would have been difficult to fill the large bounce in the setup they had since the Astra could only be put so far away from the bounce before hitting the floor or the interviewee."


Eric, if you look at the wide shot at the 1:21 mark of the video you can see that an Astra is being bounced into a 4x4 bead-board bounce.



That's the thing, eh? Just when you think you got it all figured out, you don't.
Click to expand...
If you look at the shot at 1:46, you can see a Skypanel pointing upward. Then if you go back to looking at the shot at 1:21, while there are two Astras being bounced, you notice a large white bounce in the position of where the key should be (both bounced Astras are more on the fill side), which is lit up by some light. Assuming it's the same setup, it looks to me like the shot at 1:46 indicates that key bounce is lit with a Skypanel which is hidden from view behind the black flag in the shot at 1:21.

That's the thing, eh? Just when you think you got it all figured out, you don't. :)
 
Re: Hans Zimmer, large soft sources are the way to go when budget permits.

If it were me I would have made a booklight out of the keylight and had a solid on the fill side to sculpt the light a bit more.
I probably wouldn't have used any LED lighting, and I might have had a pizza box as a 3/4 kicker.

YMMV, as they say.
 
The film production equipment is also very much acting as props for the video too. When viewers are given a sneak peak at the behind the scenes shots, they're subconsciously associating the set up with Hans being an important person. It's elevating or reaffirming his status as an authority in the field. So I wouldn't be surprised if how the behind the scenes shots looked were planned too.

Also, the bounce cards/negatives may look big but the set up is fairly straightforward for a gaffer/assistant to handle, which they definitely would have had for this shoot.
 
puredrifting said:
That's a nice, but not totally elaborate talking head lighting setup. You could do that alone if you had some time? Two camera when shooting OMB always slows me down though.
Click to expand...

Wasn't trying to illustrate anything "elaborate", just a reflection of the style I use when I have the luxury of a budget and crew available.

On the other hand this was shot with a single light source (client decided on the blown out window):
Makers.jpg
 
Bill, does the blown out window bother you?

and for what it's worth, I really like the light on the lady; I know it's not as soft as many try to achieve but I think it looks great
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top