Shooting flat

JasonFox

JasonFox

Internet Sensation
My apologies if this belongs in the lighting section.

I've recently gotten back into shooting after 6 months of move-induced time away. I am having a total lapse in recall when it comes to shooting flat. That is, making sure the darks aren't too dark nor the highs too high -- better to have some latitude in post. Do I just underexpose? Am I drunk? Where am I?

Fox
 
I used to be the biggest advocate of shooting flat, but that could be becasue of my background. Cerntainly, if you are shooting HD 4:2:2 or 4:4:4, shoot as flat as you like, but when shooting with DV, I have found that shooting as close to the final look is best. Why, well the color space sucks, to put it bluntly. While I have had good results shooting flat and CC in post, your results will always be better if shot as close to the final look as possible. Even crushing blacks in post I have seen have adverse side effects on some scenes. This is not always the case, but my advice, do lots of tests, get the camera to look the way you want, and then make any other adjustments in post from there.
 
Scharky Hi, and thanks for the input. What is the master pediestle level? Is it on my camera? And how do I lower it...a little more explanation.

Thanks
 
If you want some real good blacks, adjust your master ped to about 6 or 7

Master Ped is an in-camera control for your black levels

In order to change your master ped you must go into menu > scene file > down to the selection that says Master Ped - higher numbers give you darker blacks, and lower, lighter

hope this helps, Im sure someone can give you a better (technical) explanation of master ped then me, im just tellin you what i know

-Matt-
 
Actually, Dyrseve989 you have it backwards, the lower the number ie -15 the darker the blacks. The Master Ped goes from -15 darkest black to 15 lightest black. about -5 to -7 will give you true blacks without crushing them. anything below that will then crush your blacks, -15 being the most dramatic.
 
good catch scharky, these graveyard shifts at work are starting to eat a hole in my head. Sorry for the incorrect information

-Matt-

i forget to add, going along with scharky's corrections, I ment to suggest -6 to -7 for very good blacks
 
Thanks, fellas. It's all coming back to me now. Need to dig Barry's book out whatever box it's packed in.
 
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