Question for disjecta

svf1972

svf1972

Active member
Let me start by saying I went to your site and was very impressed by all of your films. Great work.
I'm pretty new to the DVX, and was wondering if you would share some of your techiques. My main questions would be:
a: what settings do you use on the DVX and editing software for the letterbox format?
b: Do you use any special lenses or filters?
c: What frame rate do you shoot at and how do you convert it to 30fps if you do at all?

I'd be very grateful for any tips you could give me and completey understand if you don't want to share all of your secrets :)
 
Re: Question for disjecta

In the interests of a timely response, I'll answer b and c. I'll answer your other questions later, when I have time.

b. I use a 1.6x Century Optics Teleconverter. Because of my subject matter, this lens is as important to me as the camera itself. I occasionally use a graduated grey filter to bring an overcast sky into a tolerable exposure range. Other than that, it's just the in-camera NDs.

c. I shoot exclusively in 24pa and when I produce DVDs, they are native 24p progressive so there is no need to convert to any other frame rate. I use 30p for timelapse shots and occasionally use 60i which I edit on a 24p timeline only for slow motion shots.

There are no real secrets to what I do other than how I choose to shoot and frame my subject matter. I'm aware that I have a gift for "seeing" and you either have that or you don't. Most of what I learned about composing came from my experience as a musician and a scholar of art history. Studying the latter gave me a good sense of what makes or breaks a balanced or intentionally off-balanced frame and the former gave me a good sense of timing in my edits.

More later.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

[quote author=disjecta link=board=news;num=1107979002;start=0#1 date=02/09/05 at 12:30:22] I'm aware that I have a gift for "seeing" [/quote]
That's the most pretentious thing I have ever read.

;)
 
Re: Question for disjecta

He definitely does.

Thanks disjecta for writing me back. That would be great if you could give me the letterbox tips whenver you have the time. My gift for seeing is about all I have right now, everything else is slowly being learned.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

I was just looking at his footage also and wanted to know his letterbox tips. The footage look great. :o
 
Re: Question for disjecta

To know you have a gift for something is not being pretentious. I'm sorry you read it that way. I'm simply demonstrating that some things cannot be taught. And just to clarify what I mean by "seeing", I'm talking about an ability to be able to compose well and see the potential for a shot in an otherwise busy and mundane scene.

Many people ask me about what settings I use, etc. To me, I just pick the camera up and go. I don't spend a lot of time with settings so I try to dissuade people from putting too much emphasis on that part and pay more attention to what they are seeing.

So if I'm coming across as being self-righteous or pretentious, then my choice of wording was bad.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

[quote author=Coltrain link=board=news;num=1107979002;start=0#2 date=02/09/05 at 13:00:58]
That's the most pretentious thing I have ever read.

;)[/quote]
Groucho%20Duck.gif
 
Re: Question for disjecta

Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified

That wasn't pretentious Coltrain.

Djis' has mad skills and knows exactly what he is framing and composing. To say "Hey, I know I can see" is merely just telling it like it is. Am I being "pretentious" when I say I have a "gift for painting?" cause I do.

Djis' comment was not at all unjustified.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

Watch it John, you're right on the edge, the fine line, you're on point, don't cross the line.......to the other side....
ScaringMe.jpg
 
o

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[quote author=John Hudson link=board=news;num=1107979002;start=0#10 date=02/09/05 at 14:30:44]
Djis' has mad skills and knows exactly what he is framing and composing.  To say "Hey, I know I can see" is merely just telling it like it is.  Am I being "pretentious" when I say I have a "gift for painting?" cause I do.[/quote]

I did not find it pretencious at all, but I would have rather he said "I'm aware that I have mad skills" ;D
 
Re: Question for disjecta

[quote author=John Hudson link=board=news;num=1107979002;start=0#13 date=02/09/05 at 14:53:14]I am the masta blasta and I run DVX Town. (pretentious, I know)[/quote]

Since you're the masta blasta, would you happen to have an easy route to the letterbox format? I'm using Final Cut Pro HD and obviously the DVX100a. Doesn't have to be the best quality, so long as it looks pretty good.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

Oh okay, I'll answer the blasted letterbox question!! :D

Basically, I shoot for an aspect ratio that approximates Cinemascope or 2:35:1. You'll find that a lot of big budget movies use this ratio and it has a very cinematic look. I like the look of it so I approximate it in my films.

There are two ways of going about it.

On a 4x3 timeline:

If you shoot in 4x3 mode, either regular or letterbox, simply go to your crop tool in your NLE and define a crop amount for the bottom and the top. You are basically going to be cropping the entire picture vertically by 50% so define a crop amount of 25 for the top and bottom.

On a 16:9 or widescreen timeline:

If you are shooting squeeze mode or with the anamorphic, both of which are 16:9, then you need to define the letterbox slightly differently. Again, using your crop tool, define the top and bottom amounts to be 12.5 each. We are actually talking about percentage amounts here.

Doing this will give you an approximate 2:35:1 look.

If you don't know how to crop in your NLE, I'm afraid I can't help you because I'm only familiar with Premiere Pro and that has a Crop filter.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

That about sums it up. I always reccomend shooting 4:3 for masking later; it gives you a ton of room to work with in POST.
 
Re: Question for disjecta

Thanks Disjecta. I apologize if I seem impatient but I was going to experiment with a little something tonight. I'm sure I can figure out the crop filter in FCP, it's very user-friendly.
 
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