puredrifting
Major Contributor
Hi all:
We booked a project that shoots next week, it is a table read for a new TV series that the producers want to shoot for various purposes. The producer requested C300s that we are renting. The size of the room is unknown but will probably be realy msall with 15-20 actors, writers and producers in a 360 degree layout because that is typically how table reads are set up. Available light and we have instructions to be "a fly on the wall", in other words, no getting into people's faces, we won't have room even for tripods, we will shoot with monpods so as to take up less floor space. Originally it was going to be a two camera shoot and I convinced the producer that without us knowing who speaks when, we will be chasing the dialog as far as camera work. No rehearsal (this is their first rehearsal in a way) and we will not have access to the script beforehand as it will be getting tweaked right up until the table read. I suggested that we could also set up two Go Pros to capture some wide/of axis angles or possibly moer overhead angles. I managed to hunt down some Switronix power cables so the Go Pros will not have to have their batteries changed, we can power them up and hit record and record the entire read.
The Go Pros are Hero HD3+ Blacks so not the newest ones but they still look pretty good, I used them on a big car oriented project last month and was amazed by how good they can look. For the table read project though, I don't know how to set up the Go Pros to at least get in the ball park of the C300s. This producer likes a 90% baked in look with perhaps just a little saturation and contrast bump or a shift to move bad white balance to correct, this footage will never get a proper grade, just a few global tweaks by the on-line editor. This is a BTS table read and they really don't care if it looks polished. I am sure it will be in a room with greenish, possibly flickering ugly overhead flourescents so I have already accepted that I can't light this and make it look good. It is at one of the newest studios in Hollywood so my hope is that perhaps the building designers actually installed some decent lighting but I am not holding my breath.
1. I may end up either shooting Wide DR on the C300s or may load up the Abel Cine JR45Video CP, which has bright, punchy colors but still retains some dynamic range. I used the JR45Video CP on a big project last month and for having to deliver a baked-in look, it was okay. It still didn't look as good as it could have had I shot C-Log and been able to grade it but oh well, such is life.
2. The GoPros have Protune so I am obviously going to turn down the ISO from 6400 to 400 or 1600, depending on lighting levels. But from there, I am not sure how to setup the Go Pros to somewhat match the C300s. I am going to shoot white, black and gray cards and will manually set white balance but as far as sharpness and color, you only have "GoPro Color" and "Flat". As I said, this producer get's uncomfortable when I hand her log footage, they are always impressed when DPs and shooters deliver material that is "pre-graded" with high contrast and bright punchy colors. We shoot some larger projects where I deliver S-Log and C-log and they grade it and it looks great but usually they expect me as the DP, to deliver a baked in look that is mostly "there".
Has anyone shot with C300s and Go Pros and successfully gotten them to match without a lot of grading? Which C300 CP and how did you have the Go Pros setup? THey don't need to match in look overall and never will but if I can just get the overall color and exposure in the ballpark, cutting between them won't too jarring. Any recommendations?
We booked a project that shoots next week, it is a table read for a new TV series that the producers want to shoot for various purposes. The producer requested C300s that we are renting. The size of the room is unknown but will probably be realy msall with 15-20 actors, writers and producers in a 360 degree layout because that is typically how table reads are set up. Available light and we have instructions to be "a fly on the wall", in other words, no getting into people's faces, we won't have room even for tripods, we will shoot with monpods so as to take up less floor space. Originally it was going to be a two camera shoot and I convinced the producer that without us knowing who speaks when, we will be chasing the dialog as far as camera work. No rehearsal (this is their first rehearsal in a way) and we will not have access to the script beforehand as it will be getting tweaked right up until the table read. I suggested that we could also set up two Go Pros to capture some wide/of axis angles or possibly moer overhead angles. I managed to hunt down some Switronix power cables so the Go Pros will not have to have their batteries changed, we can power them up and hit record and record the entire read.
The Go Pros are Hero HD3+ Blacks so not the newest ones but they still look pretty good, I used them on a big car oriented project last month and was amazed by how good they can look. For the table read project though, I don't know how to set up the Go Pros to at least get in the ball park of the C300s. This producer likes a 90% baked in look with perhaps just a little saturation and contrast bump or a shift to move bad white balance to correct, this footage will never get a proper grade, just a few global tweaks by the on-line editor. This is a BTS table read and they really don't care if it looks polished. I am sure it will be in a room with greenish, possibly flickering ugly overhead flourescents so I have already accepted that I can't light this and make it look good. It is at one of the newest studios in Hollywood so my hope is that perhaps the building designers actually installed some decent lighting but I am not holding my breath.
1. I may end up either shooting Wide DR on the C300s or may load up the Abel Cine JR45Video CP, which has bright, punchy colors but still retains some dynamic range. I used the JR45Video CP on a big project last month and for having to deliver a baked-in look, it was okay. It still didn't look as good as it could have had I shot C-Log and been able to grade it but oh well, such is life.
2. The GoPros have Protune so I am obviously going to turn down the ISO from 6400 to 400 or 1600, depending on lighting levels. But from there, I am not sure how to setup the Go Pros to somewhat match the C300s. I am going to shoot white, black and gray cards and will manually set white balance but as far as sharpness and color, you only have "GoPro Color" and "Flat". As I said, this producer get's uncomfortable when I hand her log footage, they are always impressed when DPs and shooters deliver material that is "pre-graded" with high contrast and bright punchy colors. We shoot some larger projects where I deliver S-Log and C-log and they grade it and it looks great but usually they expect me as the DP, to deliver a baked in look that is mostly "there".
Has anyone shot with C300s and Go Pros and successfully gotten them to match without a lot of grading? Which C300 CP and how did you have the Go Pros setup? THey don't need to match in look overall and never will but if I can just get the overall color and exposure in the ballpark, cutting between them won't too jarring. Any recommendations?
