It's time to play "I Wish I Shot That!"
- Thread starter JPNola
- Start date
dmitrizigany
Veteran
I want to know as well...
DPStewart
Veteran
First you need a super high dynamic range camera like an Alexa or high-end RED.
This is for Apple. I wouldn't be surprised if they spent one million dollars on this shoot.
Bet your ass that $50,000 worth of high powered lights on cranes are just out of frame on probably every shot.
dmitrizigany
Veteran
And personally I wish I shot this:
https://youtu.be/yWPyRSURYFQ
(How the hell do you embed the video?)
(How the hell do you embed the video?)
yeah i was gonna say, i have no personal experience on big shoots like that but the likely way its done as that the high contrast image youre seeing is probably not as high contrast as you think, being balanced out by reflectors/lighting/diffusion, etc., retaining the LOOK of high contrast while actually being within the range a camera can handle.
Grug
Veteran
Not sure I follow you guys, that Apple commercial's been shot in direct sunlight. Frontal direct sunlight isn't a particularly high-contrast scenario. It's backlit situations where you'll stress the dynamic range of the camera.
You could achieve a similarly attractive result on much lesser cameras than the Alexa or Dragon.
You could achieve a similarly attractive result on much lesser cameras than the Alexa or Dragon.
CharlesPapert
Director of Photography
I agree that the Apple spot is not particularly rocket science. Filling against sunlight is pretty standard stuff for any reasonably budgeted production. A 20x20 ultrabounce will lift shadows by the amount seen in the spot across a significant sized area for a very reasonable rental. I stress rental because at that level it's not about purchase price (I have no idea what an $18K costs to buy, only to rent). A decent camera and colorist go a very long way to helping with all of this as well.
Paste the link into the "film strip" icon (second from the right, next to the "quote" icon).
As to the "Blade Runner" Deckard /Rachel interrogation scene - a few years ago, someone tried to copy it shot for shot just to see if one could do it on a budget. I can't find the links now. It was on NoFilmSchool site.
DPStewart
Veteran
Oh, you wicked person.....
Don't even BRING UP Blade Runner.
I know many career cinematographers and lighting designers who feel they could die happy if they could ever just once hit some of the marks that Blade Runner hit.
Samuel H
Major Contributor
This is the nofilmschool article mentioned earlier.
I also think they're using strong lights for fill in that Apple ad. I can't afford that, but if the shot is not particularly wide a bounce will work very well. Actually I think a 180cm (6') foldable reflector is one of the first things any beginner should buy. Mine is a 7-in-1 (white, black, gold, silver, green, blue, and diffussion) and it sells for $64 right now (amazon link) (yes it could be a lot better, specially for greenscreen, but it could also be a lot more expensive).
I also think they're using strong lights for fill in that Apple ad. I can't afford that, but if the shot is not particularly wide a bounce will work very well. Actually I think a 180cm (6') foldable reflector is one of the first things any beginner should buy. Mine is a 7-in-1 (white, black, gold, silver, green, blue, and diffussion) and it sells for $64 right now (amazon link) (yes it could be a lot better, specially for greenscreen, but it could also be a lot more expensive).
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dmitrizigany
Veteran
dmitrizigany
Veteran
Yes, I always say that I won't call myself a cinematographer until I've shot something that is close to Blade Runner. So I guess it will be a while
This looks like it was shot in RAW format, exposed to retain the highlight detail, then processed in post to lift the shadows with little effect on the mid-tones and hightlights. Once you had the contrast you were looking for you would apply a grade to get the color you are after. Does not look like rocket-science with the right gear.
JPNola
Veteran
Freeze the Apple spot at the :21 mark. The girl is backlit yet the image isn't contrasty. And you don't see any huge fill source in her eyeglasses.
So, in agreement with what others said, the look is achieved with...
* higher end cameras like ARRI or RED
* post-grading
I don't do post so I haven't the slightest clue as to the various techniques, terminology, or software.
Here is another Apple spot that I found particularly nice and wish I'd shot...
You may not like Apple and you may find some of their ads pretentious, but you gotta admit their ads are often highly "cinematic" and visually stunning.
CharlesPapert
Director of Photography
Even modestly budgeted commercials can afford VFX to remove unwanted reflections, let alone Apple! Can't say for sure but she looks pretty front-filled to me (the slight shadow of her left leg against her right, and the overall skin tone).
Fill light, giant silks to block direct sun, edge lights.
Wish I shot this:
https://vimeo.com/17487040
One of my favorite iconic videos.
Here is another I wish I had a hand in: NSFW
Shot by The late Harris Savides
https://vimeo.com/3554226
https://vimeo.com/17487040
One of my favorite iconic videos.
Here is another I wish I had a hand in: NSFW
Shot by The late Harris Savides
https://vimeo.com/3554226
Run&Gun
Veteran
Maybe I'm just getting old and nostalgia is setting in, but music videos from "back in the day" seemed so much better. So much more production value. So much more professional. So much larger and with more scope. Until they closed down a few months ago, I worked out at Gold's and they had monitors up all around playing videos constantly and every damn one of them seemed like it was shot in a 20'x20' studio, half of them green screen, or literally in a closet.