Shooting For the Big Screen

[olindacat]

Don't forget to factor post production workflow into your camera decision.

Talk about an experienced word of advice that is....

Even though most of the stuff i shoot is total crap, what I dread most is having to go home and drag my bags of gear up the stairs and dump the menagerie onto my living room floor so I can stare at it for a week. Then start thinking about those horrible cards are just sitting there waiting to be lovingly downloaded, named, filed, imported, scrubbed, binned, and everything else. I'm positive even big time DPs like you must have to do that once in a while, although I fantasize that you just hand off the cards to your 1st AC, or maybe they do that and you just sit in the lounge and sip on martinis ;-)

In all seriousness, your point is so right. I have not spent 10 minutes inside Divinci and 'budgeting' for post is where the rubber meets to road, really. I have spent four+ years inside Premiere, and before that FCP, and I can tell you that color 'grading' makes me feel like a first grader!

I never felt so stupid looking at all of those wheels, God knows what they do.

I haves edited 100os photos in Photoshop, many with dozens of adjustment layers, masks, whatever, but color grading footage is one more art to learn and master and anyone who thinks cinematography is only about the camera is in for a rude awakening. Ugh.

That one is really going to bury me, I know. I can get away with the crummy golf stuff I do, mainly because Time Warner just loves to destroy anything my local cable channel gives them anyway, but the truth is out there on my YouTube channel and lord knows that part of 'my game' is seriously lacking. Thank God I only average about 35 views per episode....

I know you have written essays on cinematography because I have read them. Color grading is in that realm. Bloody technical, with nodes and all of that, tricky to no end, subjective as can be, even getting the monitor right is a science, and I haven't even gotten into transcoding, rendering, good grief. I only pray Davinci 12 is easier....

 

[TheDingo]

I got to work with that camera using Cooke lenses and HBM filters, and it gave me endless wood.

David, any words of wisdom on using the Hollywood Black Magic filters ?

I've never used these, so I'm wondering what you like about them, and what strength is a good starting point to try with these filters ?

Thanks.

 

[David W. Jones]

I really like what these filters do. They are basically a Schneider 1/8 black frost filter combined with an HD classic soft filter in increasing amounts as the number goes up. We had the whole set on ths project but I never went over 1/2. I really like to use a 1/8 on wide shots, and a 1/4 on tighter shots. Unfortunately, from memory 1/2 is the minimal amount available in a screw-on filter. I think the 1/8 and 1/4 that I would recommend starting with are only available in the much more expensive larger matte box sizes.

 

[Egg Born Son]

In all seriousness, your point is so right. I have not spent 10 minutes inside Divinci and 'budgeting' for post is where the rubber meets to road, really. I have spent four+ years inside Premiere, and before that FCP, and I can tell you that color 'grading' makes me feel like a first grader!

I never felt so stupid looking at all of those wheels, God knows what they do.

Been there. Still there really. Colour grading is such a steep learning curve. But the key is to just do it. Shoot some footage and then play. It took me months to achieve anything better than just throwing a LUT on. Still a lot of advanced controls that scare me but it's starting to come together. It still makes me nervous enough to try and match my footage in camera as best as I can but then that's just best practice anyway. Every now and then I seem to have an epiphany and it gets a lot easier. But weirdly, and this is unique to colour correcting for me, I don't know what it is that I learnt or why it's easier and the results are better. It's a very intuitive unconscious process I guess. You just sort of nudge hear, tweak there, stretch this and that. Slowly it gets better. I'm not sure it can really even be taught. I don't know how one would impart the knowledge to someone who didn't already possess it.

I really like what these filters do. They are basically a Schneider 1/8 black frost filter combined with an HD classic soft filter in increasing amounts as the number goes up. We had the whole set on ths project but I never went over 1/2. I really like to use a 1/8 on wide shots, and a 1/4 on tighter shots. Unfortunately, from memory 1/2 is the minimal amount available in a screw-on filter. I think the 1/8 and 1/4 that I would recommend starting with are only available in the much more expensive larger matte box sizes.

Yeah, other than for special effects anything more the 1/2 has no subtlety whatsoever. Those strengths maybe worked better with film. Anything stronger gets into Hallmark territory quick. That said haven;t had time to test them with my blackmagic yet, might be able to regain some contrast in post. Been too busy to do any equipment testing this year. After I move house next month need to allocate some personal time with my gear. Speaking of filters, what do you use to clean them? I've been using microfiber but I need a good fluid clean as the contaminants have built up. Mainly just spreading grease and dust about now when I wipe them. With filters of this type, especially in the stronger values dirty filters don't do the contrast loss any favours at all.

 

[CharlesPapert]

On the filter tip--been using the Tiffen Glimmerglass sometimes in conjunction with the Classic Softs for latest series and very much liking the results. Great for taking the edge off modern lenses without losing too much detail and looking filtered.