Warm Cards

Yeah so I guess the reasons I bought the actual warm cards were

1. I don't have a large format printer.
2. I don't like having to debate what the proper RGB settings are.
3. Clients that actually have money expect professionalisim and not DIY.
4. My warm cards have gotten more positive comments than I can count.
5. They are nicely laminated and come in a handy pouch.

DIY most times looks cheap. If that is the message you want to send to your clients and more importantly your crew (mainly interns and students), then the savings of 40 bucks is probably worth it. Just make sure that you aren't wasting that 40 bucks on things like large format printers and lamination fees and lost bids due to DIY instead of Professionalisim.

It is really a shame buy the addage 'reality is meaningless outside of someones perception of it' is totally true. Like I have said in other posts, I drag a 1k arri fresnel to almost all of my gigs because it 'looks' like I mean business. Stupid I know, but the paychecks certainly aren't.
 
I drag a 1K, 2 650's, 2 300's, and 3 150 fresnels, all Arri, (not to mention Chimera soft boxes, C stands, flags, scrims, reflectors, and a very extensive collection of gels) to almost all of my gigs because I 'do' mean business! My paychecks are pretty good too. In fact all of my income comes from making movies and television.

DIY doesn't have to look cheap. I'd put my warm cards up against the "store bought" ones any day. The great thing about my cards is that they have my logo and website on them. I choose to advertise myself rather than the maker of the warm cards. THAT is the message I want to send to my clients and more importantly my crew (mainly professionals)!

Anyway Naanan, please don't feel like you have to explain yourself! It's all good.

:)
 
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I love to DIY alot of stuff, I even built a 22ft Jib but sometimes it's worth it to just buy them. They are nice and easy to use and work really well. To each thier own!
 
I don't want to turn this into a separate issue to keep debating, but DIY and "rigging" is a great part of our business. As a wedding & event videographer, I certainly don't have the equipment needs of filmmakers--which it seems the majority of DVXuser members are--but I do also enjoy the benefits of professionalism. Again, this may be more pertinent to wedding video than cinematography, but a "professional" videographer, by definition, outscores what the lay public is accustomed to in the way of equipment and such. Walking into a church carrying 2-3 large bags, setting up things in advance, walking around with a camera that most people in the congregation have never even heard of--much less used--and moving into spaces to get that great shot where no one with their mini-handycam would step all add to the mystical professionalism we project.

This reminds me of something I read on some other forum where they were comparing the DVX and XL2 ... may have been here actually. Anyway, the point was that if you are willing to sacrifice quality in order to have some certain "look" (XL2 "looks" more high-level and professional than DVX), then go for the XL2. But if you want the quality ...

The same could apply to DIY. The fact that you hold something up in front of your cam or constantly modify settings at all, adds to your look of professionalism--again, moreso with weddings than film.

Anyway, I'm rambling. That's my 10cents.
 
yah.. what the point of the cards?? just to white balance to off colors for different effects? i dont get it
 
KHendrix2 said:
Here are the settings that I used when I made mine. I found this information somewhere on the Internet, but I can't remember where. They work great:

Warm 1: C/15 M/2 K/5

Warm 2: C/20 M10 K10

1/2 Warm: C/7 M/1 K/2
Click to expand...


would Y be set to 0 in these?

thanks!
 
I have a set of paint sample cards from Home Depot and OSH that can produce some interesting effects besides the warm/cool tones - although I do have some blue/orangish ones. IMHO, the subtler, lighter colors produce the best effects, whereas the stronger ones often produce too heavy of an effect with too much noise. (but that can be good depending on the look you are looking for) They may not be the most accurate things to use, but they are certainly are useful for experimenting and free.

Garrett
 
Unix said:
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why not just dropping some MB on the timeline
Click to expand...

I like MB but then again I would rather be able to get the look I want instead of having to wait for long renders and chances of quality loss with added effects. So, if I can do it while shooting it would save me a but load of time while keeping the full quality.
 
I rather get the actual colors, that I can manipulate later on , and export different versions of it, instead of being stuck with ONE color from da beginning
i.e. it's gonna b harder to convert a blueish look 2 normal, than getting a normal look into warm,pastel,matrix,bleach bypass, etc.

but then again I guess warm cards would create some interesting FX, as far as RGB being 4 broadcast and CMYK 4 print... isn't our stuff gonna b displayed on some kind of monitors instead of print????? but yeah I guess we have 2 "PRINT" da cards somehow huh?

I wish I had all the equipment u guys carry arround.
 
Forgive me if it's already been stated but....
Why not just use the little, free Roscoe gel sample booklets? If I want to warm up an image, I just stick a 1/8 or 1/4 CTB if front of the lense when I white balance.

If you have gels for your lighting, just grab a piece of it and stick it in front when you white balance. No need to spend the money.

Jeff Patnaude:beer:
 
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