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<title>Ryan E. Walters&#x2c; Cinematographer</title><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/index.html</link><description>The musings of Cinematographer Ryan E. Walters.</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2008 Ryan E. Walters</dc:rights><dc:date>2010-01-14T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:48:43 -0800</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Ryan E. Walters&#x2c; Cinematographer</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Ryan E. Walters&#x2c; Cinematographer</itunes:name><itunes:email>ryan@ryanewalters.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:category text="TV &#x26; Film"/><itunes:keywords>cinematography, film, video, lighting, how to</itunes:keywords><itunes:subtitle>Life Behind The Lens.</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Go behind the lens and explore the world of award winning cinematographer Ryan E. Walters. Check out ALCHEMY (On set&#x2c; behind the scenes lighting setups of actual productions)&#x2c; ORDEALS (Gear testing and reviews)&#x2c; &#x26; SMITHERY (Custom built equipment &#x26; modifications.).</itunes:summary><itunes:image href="http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/podcast_channel.png" /><item><title>The Importance of the DIT</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>DIT</category><dc:date>2010-01-14T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Get_A_Good_DIT.html#unique-entry-id-83</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Get_A_Good_DIT.html#unique-entry-id-83</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Production technology is always in a state of flux and this is especially true in these digital times.   Towards the end of the 90&rsquo;s we saw a change from analogue video to digital video.   While this was a huge change for productions I would argue that it is not as big as the transition to a completely tapeless workflow.   At the end of the day of an analogue shoot or even an early digital shoot you had a physical tape - the master copy of the results of that days work.   For many, those days are long gone, and for those few still on tape days are about to disappear completely as everything moves to solid state recording.   And it is this change in technology that can have a huge impact on on a production if proper consideration is not taken when making the change to a tapeless workflow.


Enter the DIT (Digital Imaging Technician), also referred to as a DMT, or other acronyms.   The DIT is the one person on set who is responsible for handling the media that has been recorded that day.   Often times this role is neglected, or regulated to a lowly PA on set.   They treated like a data monkey- just someone who needs to know how to copy footage from one device to another.   And while the basic duties of a DIT do not sound very impressive, or that complex, the role of the DIT is THE MOST CRUCIAL one on set.   I can compose and light a beautiful scene, and the talent can deliver amazing performances but if the data does not get copied correctly, or if it gets corrupt or deleted nothing else matters.   Once those 1&rsquo;s and 0&rsquo;s are gone, they are gone.


The role of a good DIT was made very apparent to me twice last year on two separate projects.   The first project had footage copied to multiple drives and the drives were kept in a separate place for the production.   All as it should be- however, the drives that were used were cheap and not well tested.   So, after a couple of months after the shoot both drives ended up failing and all of the footage was lost.   This was un-replacible footage as we had shot an unrepeatable event.   The second mishap was on a production where the role of the DIT was regulated to another crew member who was very technically competent, but had other responsibilities and tasks - not someone who was there specifically as a DIT.   The first day of production went well.   However, the second days footage was not copied over correctly for back up.   So they ended the shoot with duplicate copies of the first day and no second day.   Unfortunately this was not discovered until later in the week after production had wrapped.   This time the footage could have been reshot, but it was cost prohibitive to do so- it too was a lost production.


For this reason alone it is imperative to have a good DIT.   Even if all the DIT is doing during the shoot is backing up and verifying footage a good DIT is worth their weight in gold.   After all, it is much cheaper to pay the day rate of the DIT then it is to schedule a reshoot.   But there is SO much more that a good DIT can bring to a production.   Any entry level DIT should be able to copy, verify, and backup the footage, but the professional DIT, or aspiring professional level DIT can bring additional savings & usefulness to the production even while principle photography is going on.


This last week I was working on a production where I had the pleasure of work with a great DIT- Sean Rawls .   Using the tools at his disposal, after backing up the footage, Sean was able to generate proxy files for the editor on the spot.   So at the end of the day the production walked off with edit ready footage.   There was no delay or extra time spent processing the footage for the editor.   Further more, Sean can use his tool set to evaluate the footage on a larger screen away from the chaos of set to see if anything unusual is going on.   I really appreciated it on this last production as I had several filters stuck in the matte box and they were causing a bit of a reflection.   On set, it did not look that offensive, it was just a small reflection- but back on the large screen the reflection was quite disturbing.   His notes back to me on set helped me make the decision on the spot to pull the offending filter.   Could it be fixed in post?   Sure, but having that knowledge on set saved many hours in post.   Additionally, during production, I had Sean pull a reference frame from each of the circled takes and then format them for my iPhone.   Then at the end of the day I would load them on to my iPhone for lighting reference on the following days.   While I was not planning on using them, as we where scheduled to shoot everything i sequence, I did end up using them every day to match lighting setup on previous days.   (We did end up shooting out of sequence.)   I also gave a copy of these files to the Director and Assistant Director to use as needed.   If discriminated to the right people in the production these reference images can be helpful for Makeup, Sets, FX, anyone who needs to match something shot on a previous day.   There are many more things that a good DIT can bring to the table, like one light color grading, and look creation / verification on set to name a few.


So while many may regulate the role of the DIT to an inexperienced PA, or discount their importance on a production, I strongly support and encourage the employment of a good, professional DIT like Sean Rawls.   The cost of the DIT on set will easily be recouped by the time that they save post production, and the piece of mind they provide knowing that everything that was shot is safely backed up.   We are no longer in the era of tape- those hard drives are your master copy.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Creating Your Own Path</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2010-01-04T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/creating.html#unique-entry-id-82</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/creating.html#unique-entry-id-82</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This past year has seen quite a change in technology with the acceptance of the Video DSLR on may different production levels- Lucas Arts has even started to take notice and investigate these little cameras for use on one of their films.   Regardless of what you think of images produced by these little cameras they are pushing the envelope of imaging making allowing for new creative possibilities that were either not possible, or were prohibitively expensive.   And it is with this spirit of taking things to the next level & pushing the limits that I want to encourage you to get out there this next year and create something great - create your own path, go where few have gone, challenge the norm, challenge conventional thinking.


Earlier this winter I went out shooting just for fun (a practice I do quite frequently) and on my hike to the bottom of Snoqualmie Falls I encountered many signs that told me to keep on the boardwalk.


(The sign that was posted at the end of the boardwalk, reminding me of the impending peril should I choose to not heed the warning.)


At the end of the boardwalk I could see the falls just beyond the trees - but the view photographically SUCKED.   It was not the angle or the distance I wanted to be at to capture the falls.   It was at a safe, unobtrusive, mediocre distance that would be good enough for most everyone who ventured that far.   And I&rsquo;m sure for 90% of people, it is fine.   But I have never been one to fully follow conventions.   One of the patterns in my life has been to challenge convention and see things in a different way - to create my own path through life.   So at the end of the boardwalk, since I could not get what I needed, I opted to make my own path to get where I needed to be.


(The view from the other side of that sign - looking back up at the end of the boardwalk.)


From here I hiked with my camera to the bottom of the waterfall to capture the images I had originally envisioned in my head.   It was not an easy path to take- climbing up and over rocks in the river bed with a 30+ pound camera package - but it was worth it.   I have found that rarely does an interesting or unique image come from following the easy path.   It is through challenging myself to take my work to the next level, through challenging what I have conventionally done, though pushing myself to be stretched, that growth in my craft and skills is truly developed.


So what is holding you back?   Are you engrained in your default routines?   Are you comfortable doing what everyone else is doing?   Have you fallen into taking the path of least resistance?   Technology is no longer a barrier to creating compelling images.   The only barrier that remains is personal vision or lack there of.   This is a new year, a chance for a new beginning.   Take this opportunity to get out there and push your art, your creativity to new levels of excellence.


Here is the short film I cut together from the footage that I shot at the falls, as well as around Oregon.   It is also available in 1080p on VIMEO.   Otherwise, just click the picture below.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Twitter Content</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-12-24T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Twitter_Content.html#unique-entry-id-81</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Twitter_Content.html#unique-entry-id-81</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Starting today I will be sharing some exclusive content through my twitter feed, so if you would like access to this content, please follow me on Twitter.


Why only on Twitter?   Well, there are various tests and sample shoots that I complete in the process of preparing for a production or to further my own learning and experimentation.   These tests and shots are less formal and more subjective then a test I might do for a formal write up on my blog.   Additionally, I do not always have the time or resources to write a blog post about it.   So, I will be offering links through my Twitter account to downloadable footage that I shoot.   These links will be valid for a limited time (usually only one week), and the tests will be a little rough around the edges, but I&rsquo;ll do my best to include some notes, or thoughts in the audio.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Gear Odreals: Filter Test</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Gear Ordeals&#x2c; Cinematography</category><dc:date>2009-12-23T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Filter_Test.html#unique-entry-id-80</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Filter_Test.html#unique-entry-id-80</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Shawn and Jerry have been slowly building their filter collection and we wanted to take the time to set up several test to see the filters in action side by side.   But before diving into the test, I want to especially thank Mary Nelson and David Nelson (Shawn's younger sister and brother) for their help on this test- without them it would not have been as fruitful of a test.   Mary, a talented actress, was brave enough to sit in front of the camera with very little makeup on and let us use her as our model for the test.   (With out her, we would have put one of our ugly mugs in front of the lens, and let me tell you, the results would not have been as pleasing to look at. 

...With one of the two Red's we had on us, Jerry and AJ setup a resolution chart along with a Macbeth color chart. ...  The lights were each at a 45 degree angle to the chart and it was lit at an even T5.6 2/10 at 320 ISO. ...  The camera was set to ISO 320, white balance at 5600k, frame rate 23.98, shutter was at 180 degrees, and Redspace was used for the Color and Gama space. ...  The point of this test was to provide an easy way to see measurable differences between each of the filters, and to see the flare / blooming characteristics of each filter.


...Using the second Red, Shawn and I setup a basic scene that was lit with a 2k big eye fresnel into a bounce card at about 60 degrees to camera right. ...  A small candle was placed on each table to help show any blooming that may be produced by the filters, and Mary was asked to wear a finely patterned shirt to help show any reduction in sharpness caused by the filters. ...  The camera was set to ISO 320, white balance at 3200k, frame rate 23.98, shutter was at 180 degrees, and Redspace was used for the Color and Gama space.


...The camera was set to ISO 320, white balance at 3200k, frame rate 23.98, shutter was at 180 degrees, and Redspace was used for the Color and Gama space.


While charts are a great way to see technical differences, we wanted to shoot a "real word" setup from which the visual differences could be seen in action. 

...In addition to the Red Pro Primes (T1.9) we also had a 40mm Cooke S2 (T2.2) and an Angenieux 25 - 250mm (T3.9) lens on set with which we did a lens comparison test.   The point of these comparisons was not so much to say which lens is best, but rather to find out what kind of look each lens gives to the final image. 

...There were two things that I noticed right away when I put on the Cooke S2 (CS2) as compared to the Red Pro Primes (RPP) and the Angeniuex (ANG). ...  When I used Red Alert to white balance the chart results of the clean lens images, the CS2 came in at 3559k, the RPP at 3983k, and the ANG at 4010k. 

...When it comes to the CS2's, I have to admit that I am bias towards these lenses as I think they produce some of my favorite images. ...  It is almost as if  there is a classic soft filter on the lens, as the imperfections are removed, but detail is still kept. 

...In the end, with all things being the same, I would use the RPP's when I want a very technically correct image without a lot of look introduced to them. 

...It is also interesting to note that according to the chips all of the lenses are underexposing the image as they are all considerably darker then they should be. 

...But I was VERY surprised by the CS, I would not hesitate at all at putting a 2 in front of my lens. 

...What I like most about this filter is that it removes all the "right" things while keeping all of the detail and sharpness without giving itself away.   Taking a look at the images with each successive strength more and more skin blemishes are being removed but the overall detail and sharpness is not being effected. 

...(I will not be using either of these filters when there is strong light source in frame.) ...  Maybe this is just how it is, but I would like to get a hold of another complete set and test it out to see if this is true across sets or if it is unique to just this set.


...These filters are definitely a "look" set of filters, as it does not take a very strong filter to start to introduce a noticeable shift in the final image. ...  It is also good to note that with the stronger filters exposure compensation will need to be made as they do darken the overall image.


...However, the most noticeable differences are that this filter feel softer the the BPM of the same strength and yet it does not exhibit the same amount of blooming as the BPM. ...  (Disclaimer- we only had this filter in a 6x6 size which was too large for the matte boxes we had on set, so this filter had to be held to the front of the lens.)


...It should also be noted that the filter does "pull" light into the frame if the light source is just out of frame.   If you take a look at the HF 1/2 the glow of hair light is being pulled down into frame ever so slightly- just something to be aware of when placing lights and using this filter. 

...(Disclaimer- we only had this filter in a 6x6 size which was too large for the matte boxes we had on set, so this filter had to be held to the front of the lens.)


...Like the Fog filters, this filter has a tendency to pull light sources into frame that are just outside of the fames edge.


...On the first feature that I shot, (which Mary was one of the leads) I took along with me a full set of Coral filters and I used it to warm up the image when needed. ...  While helpful for the warmth it provides, personally I'd most likely use strengths of 1/8 or 1/4, as 1/2 feels like a bit much to me.


...I have a hunch that I could use a 1/2 and still get away with it- but I'd like to see the full line to know for sure.


...An optical flat could be used to create a lot of very interesting and specific effects in the camera- I think it is a fun and creative specialty filter- definitely different from the rest!


...First, I've come to the realization that what some of these filters are doing is changing optics in a way that I don't think can be properly changed in post. 

...Using a lens like the Red Pro Prime 35mm there is very little flaring when shot clean, but put just about any of these filters on and immediately you get a lot more flares. ...  Take for instance the Classic Soft 1/8, the affect on resolution is almost nothing, but it immediately flares nicely and has just the tiniest amount of bloom to help Red's clip to the whites.   On an intense filter like the Black Pro Mist 1 or the White Frost 2, the blooming is so intense it brings a lot of attention to the light sources. 

...An interesting note that Ryan brought up is the inconsistency of the Schneider Classic Soft filter set in their blooming strength. ...  As such I could see using the 1/2 and 2 in a scene and avoiding the 1/4 especially (unless I like the bloom). 

...I think a scene that could really benefit from these filters would be a street exterior at night, just to put out some otherwise absent atmosphere.


...For a color only filter, such as a Coral or Tobacco, I don't see myself using them unless I strongly wanted that cast uniformly over the image, as that effect is just too easy to reproduce in just about any color grading tool.


...That has its uses (such as a green screen shoot, which I would avoid filtration on), but for many other uses I will be pursuing optical filtration on set.


...:) I think that what I learned from this test is that each set of filters has its own specific uses, and that while I might use one set more then others (CS) there might be a place and a project where I'll need a specific look, and knowing which filter to turn to will be key in creating that look.   Another lesson that continues to be reinforced as I do more and more testing, is that the best way (for me at least) to really learn and know how things work is to get out there and test it out for myself. 

...***SIDE NOTE: As I've shot more and more with the Red, I've come to the place where I feel that the Red benefits from some kind of filtration- either through the choice of lenses, or through the use of filters. ]]></content:encoded><enclosure url="http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/podcast_80.m4v" length="44868281" type="video/quicktime"/><itunes:author>Ryan E. Walters&#x2c; Cinematographer</itunes:author><itunes:category text="TV &#x26; Film"/><itunes:keywords>cinematography, film, video, equipment, testing</itunes:keywords><itunes:subtitle>GEAR ORDEALS: Filter Test</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Shot on the Red One this episode of Gear Ordeals shows the results of various filter sets and strengths. A detailed write up is available on my blog at: www.ryanewalters.com</itunes:summary></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy BTS 01</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><category>Cinematography</category><dc:date>2009-11-16T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Lighting_Alchemy_BTS_01.html#unique-entry-id-77</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Lighting_Alchemy_BTS_01.html#unique-entry-id-77</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Go behind the lens and explore the worlds of award winning cinematographer Ryan E.   Walters.   Check out ALCHEMY (On set, behind the scenes lighting setups of actual productions), ORDEALS (Gear testing and reviews.)  , & SMITHERY (Custom built equipment & modifications.)


Sign up for the podcast HERE so that you can always be up to date with latest behind the scenes videos.]]></content:encoded><enclosure url="http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/podcast_77.m4v" length="47706575" type="video/quicktime"/><itunes:author>Ryan E. Walters&#x2c; Cinematographer</itunes:author><itunes:category text="TV &#x26; Film"/><itunes:keywords>cinematography, film, video, lighting, how to</itunes:keywords><itunes:subtitle>LIGHTING ALCHEMY 01</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary>Behind the scenes of a commercial shoot with Lyon FIlms. See the lighting setups and the final results of this shoot.</itunes:summary></item><item><title>Project Management</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><category>Stock Footage</category><dc:date>2009-10-06T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Proj_Man.html#unique-entry-id-76</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Proj_Man.html#unique-entry-id-76</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What a crazy couple of weeks- I shot two short films, worked on several corporate projects, and now I&rsquo;m preparing to move at the end of the week.   All of that to say that I have not had the time to post as often as I would like.   Hopefully after things settle back down I can resume a more regular routine.   The process of moving has reminded me of how important it is to organize and prepare before a production or a shoot begins.   The better you organize upfront, the easier it is later on to archive, consolidate, and retrieve files and information.


As I sit here and type this, a stack of DVD&rsquo;s sit beside me- all un-labled, but filled with information and past projects.   These DVD&rsquo;s are from my earlier years before I started to methodically archive, organize, and label projects.   I am NOT looking forward to going through them.   (If the DVD&rsquo;s even still work ....)   The people who work closely with me know that I am very type &ldquo;A&rdquo; when it comes to organizing and having order with my gear and computer files.   Everything is marked, labeled, and has its proper place.   So this stack of un-labled DVD&rsquo;s bothers me- and so I begin the process of copying and organizing the clutter of my early years.   And as I begin this process, I thought it might be useful to share my methodology for managing my projects so that maybe you can develop your own system for keeping everything organized.   The system that I have developed works well for the my own personal projects that I work on most regularly - which is stock footage.   Feel free to adapt, change or disregard anything that does not fit your needs.


When I first begun to consider project management I asked myself these questions: 1.   What files do I create for every project? ...  What files do I HAVE to keep from each project? ...  What files would I like to keep? ...  What files do I find myself returning to, or looking for once the project is completed and archived?   My answers to the questions are as follows:


...Project files for Final Cut Pro, Color, & Photoshop.   Word documents for ideas & concepts. ...  Original media / footage. 

...Knowing the answers to these questions, I decided to develop the following system for managing each of my projects.   First, I set all of my render directories to one folder on my secondary media drive.   And I made sure that this folder was the default folder for the application so that I do not have to check it every time a new project is started.   Secondly, I create a project folder for each new project that contains individual subfolders for each specific element of the project.   To automate that process I use an Apple Script to make the folders.   If you want to use this script you can download it HERE.   (To modify the folder names or add additional folders, just open up the script using Script Editor.)   Thirdly, I shoot, edit and grade my project making sure to place each created element in to its proper folder.   Finally, when the project is complete all I have to do is to delete the files in the render folder I created and then archive the main project folder.   I can now go back and retrieve anything from that project, or make any changes that I feel are needed and render out the appropriate new file.   This way, I keep only the data that I need and if anything needs to be recreated I have the original files to pull from.   I have been using this system for the last 7 years and so far it has yet to fail me.   Regardless of the system you use, it is most important to develop one that allows you to find data quickly and reliably- and not have to waste time sifting through unorganized material ...


For those of you who are curious about the project folder system I use for my stock footage here is a list of the folders and what I use them for:


- [PROJECT NAME] (This is the parent folder and is named according to the specific project.)


	- PROJECT NAME-Project (All project files from FCP, Color, PS, etc.)


	- PROJECT NAME-Final Clips (These are the final edited clips, usually at 2k in ProRes HQ)


	- PROJECT NAME-Final Stills (The final thumbnails I&rsquo;ll use for each clip at 2k in PNG)


	- PROJECT NAME-Docs (All documents relating to concepts, ideas, or reference material. 

...	- PROJECT NAME-Reels (All the original unedited footage.)


	- PROJECT NAME-Facebook (Watermarked images for my Facebook page in JPG)


	- PROJECT NAME-Flikr (Watermarked images for my Flikr page in TIFF)


	- PROJECT NAME-For Models (Watermarked files for the models to use in their portfolio.)


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Strip Light&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-09-17T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Strip_Light.html#unique-entry-id-75</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Strip_Light.html#unique-entry-id-75</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[While I&rsquo;m working on the post about the DIY CFL Brute light that I built, I thought I would throw up a quick post about another DIY CFL project I just completed: The Strip Light.   No, you will not find any scantily clad women, and please keep your cloths on- it&rsquo;s not that kind of light.   :) After talking with one of my friends (Hunter Richards) about my DIY brute project, he mentioned an idea of using a power strip and plug adapters to create a line of lights.   I thought this was a great idea, and it made my idea of building a &ldquo;coffin light*&rdquo; a whole lot simpler. ...  And thus the strip light was born!


(* A coffin light is a light that is made out of wood and has sockets in the inside.   It is skirted off with duvateen and then usually faced with diffusion.   The end result is what looks like a coffin- hence the name.)


I think that there will be several uses for this kind of light.   I can see doubling up on this light to get even more output out of it and then hanging it over a table to get a nice soft light over the table.   It would need to be skirted with duvateen to help with spill, but it should get the job done without the additional work of building and wiring a full coffin light.   I can also see using a couple of these lights to quickly & evenly light a green screen, or white background. (should be easier and cheaper then doing the same with Kino&rsquo;s)


Below are some pictures, equipment list and additional thoughts on the light.


...- 6&rsquo; Power Strip ($20 - $30 at a hardware store.)


- 10x Light socket to power plug adapters. ($2 at a hardware store.)


- Cardilini Clamp (This is what I had on hand but it is not what I would end up using in the final fixture.   I would buy a baby plate and permanently attach that to the power strip.   A baby plate is about $15, and the clamp is about $60.)


- Gorilla Glue (I would also glue the plug adapters to the light strip, as the lights did not plug into the strip very securely.)


...65w CFL with light socket to plug adapter.


10x 65w CFL&rsquo;s. the strip is mounted with a Cardilini Clamp.


...- Here are the photo metrics (T stop is based off of ISO 320)


Distance - Foot Candles - T Stop


...6&rsquo; - 130 - 5.6 2/10


9&rsquo; - 64 - 4.0 2/10


12&rsquo; - 34 - 2.8 3/10


15&rsquo; - 21 - 2.0 6/10


18&rsquo; - 16 - 2.0 2/10


- With the open nature of this light, a lot of the light output is lost to the sides of the light.   Building an enclosure of some kind would help not only control the light better, but should provide for more output from the lights.


- I did a quick test using one bare CFL and one with a basic reflector pictured below: (I only had one small reflector on me to test.)


Here are the results from that test-


...Distance - Foot Candles - T Stop (ISO 320)


3&rsquo; - 64/64 - 4 2/10 / 4 2/10


6&rsquo; - 14/16 - 2 / 2 2/10


9&rsquo; - 6/7 - 1 8/10 / 1.4


12&rsquo; - 3.7/4.3 - 1 / 1 3/10


15&rsquo; - 2.5/2.8 - 0.7 5/10 / 0.7 7/10


18&rsquo; - 1.9/2.1 - 0.7 1/10 / 0.7 3/10


From the numbers it looks like the reflector adds about 2/10&rsquo;s of a stop output.   Unfortunately there is still a lot of bulb sticking out of the reflector, so additional spill is being lost.   But this is the smallest reflector that I had on hand to test that would allow for multiple bulbs to still be attached.   If this was to be multiplied out over 10 bulbs that would be an increase of 20/10&rsquo;s- or 2 stops of light.   Not to shabby- although I&rsquo;m sure the real world results would be less then that.   (The math and the reality usually end up being different.   My guess is that it would increase the output by 1 - 1.5 stops.)


Well, that is it for now- this was just a quick test to see if it could be done and what the crude results would be.   I think that there is something here, but there needs to be more refinement.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


...<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Archival In The Digital Age</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>How To</category><category>Equipment</category><category>Stock Footage</category><dc:date>2009-09-16T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Digital_Archival.html#unique-entry-id-74</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Digital_Archival.html#unique-entry-id-74</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As the transition to a completely tapeless workflow has emerged, and the move towards a completely file based / digital workflow becomes the norm the question of how to archive it all becomes very important.   With the plethora of options out there, what is the best way to ensure that your final project is not only backed up, but is easy to retrieve for future use?   As a freelance cinematographer who shoots a fair amount of stock footage this has been a constant question on my mind.   After doing a lot of research on this matter, I&rsquo;ll attempt to outline the various options along with their strengths & weaknesses. ...  I&rsquo;ll be approaching this from the stand point of shooting stock footage on a tapeless camera (Red One).   (At the end of each stock footage project I&rsquo;ll have in-between 50 - 75GB of material to archive.)   My needs, and requirements may not apply to your specific situation, but hopefully it will at least give you a good idea of where to begin and what to look for when archiving your assets. 

...It is the current standard for backing up all of your information by the government and the financial industry.   If it is reliable enough to keep all of your banking statements on, you can bet that it will be reliable enough to keep your project assets on. ...  In general, a LTO drive can read back two generations, and write back one generation.   So your LTO 4 drive can read back to LTO 2, and write back to LTO 3.   If you want the gold standard of reliability, then this is it.   However, keep in mind that your data is only as safe as your tapes.   If you are careless of how you handle your LTO tapes, then it doesn&rsquo;t matter that you are using LTO.


...Here are some rough numbers of the startup cost for a system that will work on the Mac: (Prices are MSRP.)


...If you are connected via the SAS port you can get write speeds of about 120 MBps which equates to about 240 GB per hour. ...  If you need to restore any of your data, the software has an easy interface for restoring all or just part of your lost data.


...The last statistic I heard was that 50% of computer users have had a hard drive fail on them at one point or another.   Now I heard this on a local radio program, so you can take that with a grain of salt, but the truth of that statement is that hard drives do fail. ...  (It is as if they know when it is most inconvenient and fail at that precise time.)   As of this writing, I have found that the Western Digital 320GB 3.5&rdquo; drives do have a good track record and have been found to be the most reliable from the user reports I&rsquo;ve read on sites like New Egg.   If you are going to choose this method, I highly recommend using two drives to make two separate copies.   And just like tape, the hard drives will only last as long as they are properly cared for and handled.


...Connect your drive with the doc via eSATA or USB2 and it shows up on your desktop waiting for you to drage files over to. ...  When the drive is full, just store it in the Hudzee case to keep it clean and safe. ...  (If a drive sits for a year or more it will be more likely to fail on it&rsquo;s next use.)


...There are many online services that provide great reliable backup services where you can upload and archive your entire system and retrieve any lost data at anytime.   And because you are uploading to a server, you can feel confident that your data is automatically being redundantly backed up.


...(Realistically, this is not an option as of yet- the high cost of the service, & the slow connection speed for transferring 50 - 75GB of assets makes this cost prohibitive.)


...DVD&rsquo;s, especially those that are of the burned variety (-R / +R etc.) do not have a good track record of being very reliable.   After burning a DVD, the computer can verify that the data has been correctly copied, but after a while of storage the disc generally starts to develop issues as the various layers start to come apart.   I&rsquo;ve heard shelf lives of 20 - 30 years given for DVD&rsquo;s, but it has been my experience that even a good burned DVD can develop problems in as short of time as 1 year. ...  If there is a constant fluctuation of temperatures the DVD will begin to peal itself apart- layer by microscopic layer, making the DVD unreadable.


...However, burning a DVD can take some time depending on your burners speed, and if you create a perfect DVD on the first burn, it could be as short as 15 minutes, or as long as 45 minutes per DVD.


...CON&rsquo;S: Not reliable, need to be VERY cautious about storage, and takes a long time to back up assets.


...Theft, vandalism, & fire are all potential issues that need to be accounted for in the archival process.


...	I have spent many an hour contemplating my choices and going back and fourth between all the pro&rsquo;s and con&rsquo;s. ...  With hard drive prices falling, and with the development of solid state hard drives I think that it will be a much more feasible to go this route.   I realize that there is a potential that the current standard of SATA and eSATA connection will eventually fade away. ...  I&rsquo;m confident that going forward there will be a cost efficient method for accessing the drives in the future.   And when Solid State (SSD) becomes more affordable, I&rsquo;ll switch my archival drives to them.


	After doing the math I found that it is not until after I have bought around my 740th hard drive that I will be at the point of loosing money by going with the hard drive solution over the LTO solution. ...  And right now, at my current rate of filling up hard drives VS LTO tapes the LTO standard will change past LTO 6 long before I get to the 740th tape. ...  At my current rate of production, I am filling about 15 - 20 drives per year. 

...	How am I going to address the short comings of the spinning drives, and the additional considerations that I mentioned above? 

...My entire library / each project will be copied over to two separate drives and contents verified.


...I will routinely spin up the drives on site, and the ones out of state to ensure that they remain viable. 

...	By following this game plan I should be able to keep my stock footage library viable for years to come.   If for some reason both locations where I store my archives are destroyed, then I&rsquo;ll have bigger problems on my hands, and my stock footage library will be the least of my concerns!   I hope this review of my approach to digital archival has been helpful to you as you consider how to protect and manage your digital assets.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy 05</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-09-10T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Black_Line_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-73</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Black_Line_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-73</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In this latest installment of Lighting Alchemy I want to share one of the two popular methods for lighting glass and transparent materials.   (The two popular methods are white line lighting and black line lighting.)   I&rsquo;ll cover white line lighting in a future post.   For now I&rsquo;ll show you how to light a transparent object using the black line method.


[SIDE NOTE: I recently came across this very helpful and easy to use program for creating lighting diagrams.   While it is geared for photographers, it is free and it offers an online and photoshop version.   Check it out at: Lighting Diagrams.]


Sample 01 - The How:


This is the final resulting image from the lighting setup.   Notice the blown out white background and the nice hard black lines defining the shape of the transparent liquid (water).   This same method can be used on anything that is transparent.


...(With the free version of the diagram software, there are limits to what is available, so I used a person to represent where the water tank went in the diagram.)


...A white background was hung from floor to ceiling  and the water tank was placed as far away from the background as possible.


...I hung my C-1600 soft box from a C-Stand over the center of the background.   As I was going to be shooting at 120 fps, I needed to get it as close as possible to the background in order to get the background just below clipping.


...Because the light was so close to the background it produced a hotspot in the center.   In order to even out the lighting, I places one of my DIY Kino&rsquo;s on either side, and then a couple of 65w CLF&rsquo;s on the ground.   This gave me an even exposure across the entire background just below my clipping point.   (Which I verified with my meter and on screen meters.)


...Immediately to the sides of the water tank I placed a sheet of black foam core which was hung from a C-Stand.


Here are some pictures of the actual setup in my garage:


...The basic concept in black line lighting is that you are lighting the absence of the object, you are trying to define the edges of the object by making them as black as possible.    It is because of that reason, the &ldquo;why&rdquo;, that I made two choices.   First, I wanted to keep all the light off of my subject (the water).   And second, I wanted my background to be as bright as possible.   (I also need more light due to shooting at 120 fps.)   That is why I chose to keep my subject and my background as far apart as possible.   If I did not have the space like I did here, I could have kept everything close together.   But then I would have needed additional flags to keep the light from hitting the water.


In earlier tests that I did with black line lighting I found that as with any highly reflective material, reflections can have a strong impact on the final results.   To negate as many reflections as possible, and to ensure that any reflections that did appear would be black, I put up black foam core on either side of the water tank.   This also had the added benefit of blocking any light that was bouncing around the room from entering the water tank.


...This is the final resulting image from the lighting setup.   Notice the blown out white background and the black lines defining the shape of the transparent liquid (water).   And the peppers have a proper level of exposure.


...Everything from the previous setup was kept the same.   In addition to that setup I added two 65w CFLs, one to the right and left of the camera.


Pictures of the actual setup:


...For the shot of the peppers I wanted to keep the edge of the water as black as possible.   However, without additional light the peppers were underexposed and did not read properly on camera.   So I plugged in a couple of CFL&rsquo;s and adjusted them by eye until I had a key to fill ratio that I was happy with.   Since there is light directly hitting the water now, it does mean that the black edges of the water are not as punchy, but for this shot the focus is not the water, but the peppers.   So the importance of the light setup was towards the peppers and not the edge of the water.   Although I was paying attention to how much of the edge of the water I lost when placing the lights.   In the end it all comes down to balancing between the light for the peppers and the light for the water.


A sample quicktime of the resulting video can be seen HERE.   Additionally I have uploaded the full 1080p video to VIMEO.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey With A Cinematographer: TFG - The Film</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-09-04T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_The_Film.html#unique-entry-id-72</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_The_Film.html#unique-entry-id-72</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 12: Behind The Scenes of TFG.  


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Now that the festival has come to an end, Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men can now be shown and distributed online.   TFG won best new comer in the DVXuser.com film festival and now you can view it in HD on VIMEO.   Enjoy!


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Modifying the C-1600</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-09-02T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Modifying_C-1600.html#unique-entry-id-71</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Modifying_C-1600.html#unique-entry-id-71</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I recently purchased the C-1600 16 bulb CFL light with the intention of putting in 16 65w CFL&rsquo;s.   Unfortunately only 8 of them ended up fitting in the stock configuration.   So I took the light apart and rearranged it so that now I can get 10 65w CFL&rsquo;s in the light.   Here is how I did it:


(If you want to see samples of this light i action, you can check it out at this POST.)


The Problem: Only 8 lights fit, and I did not like their distribution.


The Solution: Take it apart and rebuild it!


The Tool List:


- Philips Screw drivers (Small)


- Tin Snips


- Electrical tape & or a soldering iron


- Drill with drill bits to drill through plastic


- Wrench for removing bolts (Small)


WARNING:


I did this myself and the light works fine.   However, i take no responsibility, offer no guarantee, or warrantee of any kind.   Proceed at your own risk.   This will void any kind of warrantee that came with the light.


Step 01: Take off the back.   Be careful when removing this plate as the grounding wire is screwed into the housing, so be gentle.


Step 02: Unscrew the light board.   There are 4 - 5 bolts that hold the board in place, one of which is the grounding wire.   (The green wire.)   Be sure to remove all of these prior to trying to remove the board.


Step 03: Carefully screw in as many bulbs as you can in a comfortable arrangement.   Then mark the sockets of the ones that you know that you will keep.   (I kept the four corners and the four middle sockets.)


Step 04: Remove the bulbs and then remove the sockets that you will not be using.   Before removing the sockets it is a good idea to mark the sockets with a black and red marker to let you know which wire went in which connector.


Step 05: With all of the unused sockets removed screw the bulbs back into place.   Now with a free bulb and socket carefully find a location for the new socket.   You will want to find a place that allows easy bulb access.   I was able to fit 4 more bulbs on the light by placing them towards the corners of the light.   Once you have found your location, mark it with a pen.   Then remove the bulbs and drill holes into the board to attach the socket to it&rsquo;s proper place.   You will need to connect the appropriate wires from the missing sockets in order to maintain a working light.


Step 06: Reinsert the board back into the housing and fasten it using the original bolts.   Make sure the grounding wire is secured back into it proper place.


Step 07: Using tin snips, the silver reflective plate will now have to be recut for the new sockets.   To fill in the holes of the old sockets use a reflective material like aluminum foil.   As you can see from my light I did not bother removing the two center sockets that I was not going to use.   Instead I just tapped them off with electrical tape.


Step 08: Finish reassembling the light and you are all set- Enjoy!.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Best Cinematography Award.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Red One</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-09-01T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/2009_48hr_Award.html#unique-entry-id-70</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/2009_48hr_Award.html#unique-entry-id-70</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Last night was the results night of the 48hr film festival.   And the entry that I worked on (The Sample) received two awards: Best Cinematography and Best Director.   This was the first time that I had participated in the 48hr Film Festival and let me tell you, it is quite an experience!   For those of you not familiar with the festival each team is given 48 hours to write, produce, edit, and deliver the final video - which is quite an accomplishment.   I knew going in that compromises would have to be made in order to get the film done and submitted in time, but after competing in the festival I now have a new appreciation for every film that makes it in by the deadline.   Our team (Splat Films) did a great job at pulling together and making this film possible.   I am a firm believer that each person is only as good as the individuals around them, so a big THANKS & CONGRATS goes out to everyone on the team.   This film would not have been possible without every members contribution.


Some of the behind the scenes pictures from the long weekend can be seen HERE.


The 2009 Splat Films Team


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>It&#x27;s ALIVE&#x21; The CFL Brute.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><category>Stock Footage</category><dc:date>2009-08-31T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_CFL_Brutte.html#unique-entry-id-69</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_CFL_Brutte.html#unique-entry-id-69</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[My on going quest for lights that are power and cost efficient, while maintaining the quality and usability I desire has led me to what many people are calling the CFL Brute.   I have always been fascinated with CFL&rsquo;s as they roughly put out about 4 times their wattage and they can come in color temperatures of 3200 up to 6500 kelvin.   But until recently, I had not really played around with them in a professional capacity.   (My house is exclusively lit with 5600k CFL&rsquo;s, and I have enjoyed the light they produce.)


A couple of months ago, Shawn Nelson turned me on to this lighting unit: Fotodiox C-1600 Cool Light .   It is a light that can accept up to 16 E26 bulbs. ...  And that got me thinking- what is the largest CFL that I could get to fit with a E26 base?   And after some research, I came across these bulbs: 65w 5000k CFL&rsquo;s.   Now if I could get 16 of these 65w bulbs into the C-1600, that would give me an equivalent of a 4k light for only a about 1k of power.   And the light would be nice and soft since the bulbs are CFL&rsquo;s, which are soft by their nature.   Before placing my order I inquired with Fotodiox to see if 16 of the 65w CFL&rsquo;s would fit, but unfortunately their customer service is less then stellar.   After a month of no response or clear answer I decided to try it out for myself.   So I placed my order for the light and 16 of the 65w CFL&rsquo;s.   While on the subject of customer service, it should be noted that the people at 1000 Bulbs were GREAT- they processed & shipped my order the same day, and even followed up with a phone call to let me know it was on its way. 

...After receiving the light and putting it together I have the following comment: the optional soft box is a piece of crap. ...  It is more difficult then needed to put on the light and the support arms easily bend / warp causing the front diffusion panel to not be taught.   Fortunately for me, I&rsquo;m not using the front panel, but I will be looking into alternative soft box options... ...  But for about $150, you can&rsquo;t get to picky as the price is very affordable. ...  You can turn half of them on, or have them all on - very helpful for when you do not need the full strength of the light. ...  But, because it is so small not all 16 of the 65w bulbs will fit in the unit.   I was able to get about 8 bulbs in the light before modifying it.   After taking the light apart and adjusting the placement of the sockets I got two more bulbs in the light for a total of 10 65w CFLs - which equates to a 2,750w light at a power draw of 650w.   I will be posting how I modified the light in the days to come.   (After doing the modification I&rsquo;m fairly confident about building my own light, so I think form now on I&rsquo;ll just build what I need, and not hassle with the poor customer service of Fotodiox.)


Once the modifications were complete, I setup the light and took some measurements to see how the light performed.   The following measurements are based on a 10 bulb configuration using 65w 5000k bulbs, and the T stop reading is based off of ISO 320:


...After seeing the light in action, and taking the readings I was very happy with the results.   At 15 to 18 feet out I could still be at a T2.8 @ ISO 320 - which is great news for me.   As I took the measurements I was careful to observe the shadow I was casting, and at no point did I see multiple shadows.   I think that this was due to the softness of the CFL and the help of the soft box. 

...While having numbers and seeing the light in my garage was fun, what really matters is seeing the light in action.   And it was perfect timing, as I had a music video shoot and a stock footage shoot coming up that same week, so I put the light into action.   Below are some still frames from the video and the quicktime video can be seen HERE.   Additionally I have uploaded the video to VIMEO if you want to see the 1080p version.   Below the frame grabs I have made notes regarding the lighting and camera setup.   (And in the days to come I will be posting how I lit the stock footage along with pictures showing the setup.)


...LIGHTING: Key Light: C1600 about 15&rsquo; to camera right and about 9&rsquo; up. ...  Practicals have the original bulbs from the bar in them.


CAMERA: Red One, Build 20.1.3 / ISO 320 / 5000k / Red 18mm - 50mm @ T3 / 4k / 24p / 180 degree shutter


LIGHTING: Key Light: C1600 about 15&rsquo; to camera right and about 9&rsquo; up. ...  Practicals have the original bulbs from the bar in them.


CAMERA: Red One, Build 20.1.3 / ISO 320 / 5000k / Red 18mm - 50mm @ T3 / 4k / 24p / 180 degree shutter


...CAMERA: Red One, Build 20.1.3 / ISO 320 / 5000k / Red 18mm - 50mm @ T3 / 2k @ 120 fps / 24p / 180 degree shutter.


LIGHTING: Key Light: 65w CFL&rsquo;s in achina hat. 

...CAMERA: Red One, Build 20.1.3 / ISO 320 / 5000k / Red 18mm - 50mm @ T3 / 2k @ 120 fps / 24p / 180 degree shutter.


After using this light, I can see that it is going to come in very handy in the future. ...  Additionally, it should be noted that I have yet to see any flickering issues with high frame rates.   (But as of this writing I have only tested 24 / 48 / 60 / 120 fps.)   I am very excited about the possibilities that an affordable light like this can provide.   CFL&rsquo;s are definitely not for everything, but I am really liking what they can do.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Purple Sun Solution&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-08-20T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Purple_Sun_Solution.html#unique-entry-id-68</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Purple_Sun_Solution.html#unique-entry-id-68</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As you may remember on a recent stock footage shoot I was having trouble grading out the purple sun effect that is produced by the Red One.   Incase you are not familiar with this effect, it occurs when a point of light is so overexposed that the sensor protects itself by shading that specific point.   But instead of mapping it to a useful color like white, it gets mapped to a purple dot.   I still do not know why this happens, but it does- and it can be very frustrating to try and grade out of your footage!   (You can read my previous post about my purple sun woes.)   That is until I stumbled upon the quick and easy solution to grading out the purple sun ...


After spending many hours in Color tracking and correcting out the purple sun in the footage that I shot directly accessing the R3D&rsquo;s I rendered out the final images and they all felt a little soft to me.   I was frustrated by this as I had remembered the footage being sharper then the final image.   Now I did shoot in 2k, so I knew the images would be softer then if I had shot in 4k, but they shouldn&rsquo;t be this soft!   I pulled up the original R3D in Red Alert, and sure enough the image was sharper.   ARGH!   Color had softened my image to a level that was not acceptable to me.   Unfortunately as of this writing, while Color does allow direct access to the R3D&rsquo;s, it does not allow you to set any of the debaying settings - which is what directly effects the sharpness of the rendered footage.   So without these controls, I had no way of getting to the correct level of sharpness using the R3D&rsquo;s.   This meant that I would have to use another program to render out the footage.   Since I had all of the footage edited, I decided to use Clipfinder and RedAlert to render out 2k ProResHQ clips using a Color Space of Camera RGB and Gamma Space of REDlog.   (I Chose these settings to maintain as much color information as possible.)   Now that my images were tack sharp, it was time to regrade them - not something I was looking forward to doing ...


I took my newly created 2k clips into Color and began grading.   Upon coming to my first clip that had a purple sun in it I began with the Primary In room to set the basic levels for the rest of the grade.   To my surprise when I adjusted the highlights the purple sun disappeared!   I raised the levels and it turned white just like I had wanted it to!   I did not have to track that pesky little dot as it moved in and out from behind my subject!!!   What a life saver!   Here is the difference between the grades:


Grading from the R3D&rsquo;s in Color.


(10 secondaries split between two different grades are used just to remove the purple dot.)


Grading from the ProResHQ Clips in Color.


(The one secondary being used is to adjust some saturation in the red channel.)


I couldn&rsquo;t be more excited!   Now, not only is my footage not bastardized by the poor debayering of Color, but the problem of the purple sun has gone away!


The Purple Sun Quick Fix:


1.   Do not use the direct R3D&rsquo;s in Color.


2.   Render out in your preferred codec.   (I chose ProRes HQ in this example)


3.   Make sure to set the color space to Camera RGB and Gamma Space to REDlog.


4.   Adjust the highlights until the purple sun blows out to white.   (It should not take a lot of adjustment.)


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Headed back to Alaska&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-08-03T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Back_To_Alaska.html#unique-entry-id-67</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Back_To_Alaska.html#unique-entry-id-67</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It is with mixed emotions that I write this- on the one hand I&rsquo;m excited to be headed back up to Alaska for the fourth time, but on the other hand, this will probably be my last trip up.   Each trip up has been quite an adventure- beautiful remote country, isolation, huge equipment and tight deadlines all make for an eventful experience.   As you read this I&rsquo;m most likely in the air somewhere between Washington State and Alaska.   This trip up I get the privilege of flying up in Wilson&rsquo;s private jet.   I&rsquo;m looking forward to not haveing to go through security, wait through long lines, and get stripped searched as I go through security with my camera.


Upon my return at the end of the week, I&rsquo;ll be flying out to California for my 10 year anniversary with my wife.   We&rsquo;re headed to wine country for the following week.   I can&rsquo;t wait, should be a good time of relaxing, sunshine, and good wine!   And if that was not enough, when we return from that trip I&rsquo;m participating in the 48 hour film festival here in Portland.   Needless to say, I&rsquo;m going to be pretty booked up until August 17th.   When I return I&rsquo;ll be sure to post some pictures and footage from all of the adventures.


So stay tuned as there is more to come ...


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Poof&#x21; And they were gone&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-08-02T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Comments.html#unique-entry-id-66</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Comments.html#unique-entry-id-66</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Over the last week I have been updating my website and it looks like I have inadvertently deleted the comments on my blog.   I&rsquo;m not sure how I did that- as that was the point of using an outside service for the comment section.   But be that as it may, I just wanted to let you know that it was not done intentially.   I appreciate your comments, and will reply back as quickly as possible.


Thanks for reading my blog, and keeping up with me.   :)


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>New False Color Guide</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Red One</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2009-08-01T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/False_Color_Guide_2-0.html#unique-entry-id-65</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/False_Color_Guide_2-0.html#unique-entry-id-65</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


Red has just updated the way False Color now displays on the RED LCD.   Not only has it been calibrated correctly to work in RAW view, but it has less colors, and is more evenly distributed, making it an easier and better tool to use.   I&rsquo;m looking forward to implementing this new tool into my every day shooting.   Thanks Red!   And a special thanks to Stuart English who allowed me to test and provide input / feed back on False Color as it was being rewritten.


DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy 04</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><category>Red One</category><dc:date>2009-07-31T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Exterior_Location_Lighting_01.html#unique-entry-id-64</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Exterior_Location_Lighting_01.html#unique-entry-id-64</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Lighting a scene does not always mean that you have to employ massive amounts of equipment, or large crews.   Great lighting can be achieved on a small budget, with a small crew, and minimal equipment - if you know what you are doing.   (This is one of the many important skills that a cinematographer has to have.)   In this installment of Lighting Alchemy, I want to share with you some of the how&rsquo;s and why&rsquo;s that I use to get great results with minimum setup and crew.


(As I was working with a VERY minimal crew on this shoot, I was not able to get any behind the scenes photos.   But I did create a lighting diagram, and there are some sample stills from the shoot.)


...- Equipment: 1 Camera, 1 4x4 reflector (Silver / white), 1 HUGE ball of gas (the sun)


- Format: Shot in 2k at 100 fps on the Red One with the Red T3 18mm - 50mm lens.


Before I go into the how to and the why, here are a couple of stills taken from the final footage:


(If you would like to see all of the stills, you can check them out on my Flikr page: Care Free Stock Footage)


...Before deciding on any specific equipment that is going to be used on a shoot, the most important thing that I do to prep for a shoot is to scout the location.   For this specific shoot I drove all over the Portland Metro area looking for a location that had a field that with a golden wheat feel to it and did not have any buildings in the background.   After a lot of time spent searching for the location I settled on Powell Butte.   It was the closest location that met my needs without having to drive out to the country.   However, it did require a 1 mile hike up to the top of the butte, but it was well worth it.


After finding the location, I went back three separate times to watch how the sun traveled over the location and to observe how the light effected the colors.   I also brought my compass to figure out where the sun would set, and what the path of the sun would be for the shoot.   For one of the scouting trips I went during the early afternoon, another I went later in the afternoon, and for the final one I went in the late afternoon and stayed through sunset.   Each time I went out, there was a difference in how the light played on the location and how the cloud cover effected the look.   And these differences all played into my choice of when to shoot at that location. 

...In the diagram below I have included two different setups that I used though out the shoot:


I chose to use the Sun as a 3/4 back/rim light and at times as a side light.   I then used a bounce card from the opposite side as a fill light.   (A 4x4 silver bounce for the wider shots, and a 4x4 white bounce for the close ups.)   In my direction to the talent, I made sure that her position would always allow me to shoot using this setup.   The sun would always be behind her - either to her left or right.   All my assistant had to do was to reflect the light back onto the talent to help me get the exposure that I wanted based on the frame size I needed.   This could not have been an easier, quicker, or more affordable lighting setup.


...The concept for this shoot was to create footage that had a happy, warm feeling to them.   I wanted the images to feel like something that you might see in a linen commercial, or maybe on a health commercial. ...  The location already had a lot of warm colors in it, and shooting around sunset meant that the warm glow of the sun would make the colors of the location pop even more.   Art direction also played a roll in this choice, as I had brought along a white scarf for her to play with, and she was instructed to bring a lightweight, white summer dress. 

...The position of the sun in relation to the talent was chosen for several reasons.   First, if I were to shoot with her (the talent) facing into the sun I would get a very flat, dull looking picture. ...  Secondly, by having the sun come from behind or to her side, I was able to get a flattering rim light, making her glow and radiate light.   And finally, having the sun lower in the horizon meant that I could get some great lens flares in my footage.


I decided to go with the silver / white bounce card because it gave me the control and options that I would need for the shoot.   I knew that the talent had darker skin, and that I would need to bring up the exposure in order to get detail where I wanted it.   I also knew that this shoot was going to be handheld, I needed to be light and mobile, and my lighting need to be the same.   So I chose the silver side of the bounce card to help bring up the exposure on the wider shots.   Using silver enabled my assistant to stand further back out of frame and still provide enough light to light my subject.   The white side was too weak for the wide shots, and did not have the reach that the silver did.   I opted against gold, as I did want the additional gold cast added to the light.   I was already shooting when the sun had a nice rich gold color to it, so the reflected light from the silver card would contain the warm gold colors.


I used the white side of the card for close ups as I did not want to overpower the shadows- I just wanted to bring them up some.   If I had used the silver side in the close ups I would have lost the separation, and it would have been uncomfortable for the model.   The white card also gave me a nice wrap around her face that felt very pleasing and flattering to her.


In the end I was very happy with the footage I was able to get from this easy and minimalist setup.   Getting great results does not always mean a lot of people, equipment, and money.   The footage from the shoot will be available soon on my stock footage page, and I&rsquo;ll be editing together a short clip which I&rsquo;ll post here on my blog so that you can see the final results.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Importance of the Frame.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-07-29T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Framing.html#unique-entry-id-63</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Framing.html#unique-entry-id-63</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I recently picked up the following pieces of art and I did not have any frames that were the correct size for them.   So I decided to cut them down and make them fit what I had.   Here they are in their frames, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:


Leonardo&rsquo;s Last Supper


Van Gogh&rsquo;s Starry Night


Warhol&rsquo;s Cambell&rsquo;s Soup


Leonardo&rsquo;s Mona Lisa


&ldquo;But these are not the same works of art as the originals!&rdquo;   &ldquo;And the message, idea, and content has changed completely!&rdquo;   Well, to that I say, &ldquo;Theses are the frames I had, and I wanted to see them, so I made them work.   And I think they still contain the import elements that were in the image- so that should be good enough.&rdquo;


Okay, so this is a little tongue in cheek.   I would never really do this to any work of art that I have.   But my point is this- framing and composition matter, and it is through those compositional choices that the artist is trying to communicate an idea or message.   The relationship between the foreground, mid-ground, and background convey meaning.   The size of the elements, and where they are placed in the frame all add up to tell the story.   Removing elements and repositioning them ends up omitting important elements and &ldquo;re-telling&rdquo; the story in a way that was not originally intended by the artist.   Besides, when was the last time you went to a museum  and saw a painting cut down to size to fit a particular space?   Never.   So why then do we let this happen when it comes to our images on the screen?


The destruction of the compositional intent of the artist happens any time you see the disclaimer &ldquo;Formatted for TV&rdquo; or you see the heading &ldquo;Full Screen&rdquo; on a DVD box.   The image is being taken and chopped up to &ldquo;better&rdquo; fill the delivery device at the cost of the original image.   Fortunately, there is hope- as more and more content gets released online, and as HD TV&rsquo;s become the norm, it is happening less and less to movies and other content.


Ideally it would be great if an international standard would be developed and accepted.   Then any content creator could be sure that their production would be viewed the same way by all viewers worldwide as they had originally intended.   Unfortunately, this has yet to happen.   In 1998, Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC did develop a format called Univisium (originally Univision) which is shot at the 2:1 ratio.   But this new format has yet to be accepted and adopted.   So until that day happens those of us who create content that will be delivered through multiple channels will have to grin and bear it while our work gets bastardized for the masses.


Just something to think about the next time you go out to rent a movie.   Be sure to pass on my the titles that say &ldquo;Full Screen&rdquo; and get the version that has the composition as it was originally intended.   And to give respect to the artists work who I bastardized above, here are their paintings in their original composition: (Now you really can enjoy them.   :) )


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why I Hate Purple Suns&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>General Musing</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-07-28T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_Purple_Sun.html#unique-entry-id-62</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_Purple_Sun.html#unique-entry-id-62</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Just incase I have not been clear yet, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HATE PURPLE SUNS!   So what is a purple sun you ask?   Well, for all of the things I love about the Red One Camera there are a couple of things that I strongly dislike and find rather annoying.   And one of them is the Purple Sun Phenomenon (PSP).   And as far as I can tell, it is something that is limited to the Red One.   Here is an example of what I am talking about:


...With all of the digital cameras that I have worked with the Red One has been the only one that has exhibited this problem.   I am told that the reason this is occurring is that the sensor is receiving too much light at that point and it is protecting itself. ...  I want my gear to take steps to protect itself if it can. ...  There has to be a better solution then that.   If the camera can tell where the sensor is in danger, and then protect itself at that point, then why can&rsquo;t that value be mapped to something useful like white?


Now I realize that I am on a bit of a rant here, so please forgive me.   But I just do not get why a piece of professional kit like the Red One has this issue.   I can take any $1,000 camera and point it at the sun and it will give me the results I expect- clipped highlights with no purple dot.   And this is not a problem limited to the sun- it is a potential problem with any light source that shines directly into the lens.   I have seen the PSP when a 300w Arri has been shines into the lens. 

...So why is this an issue?   It is an issue because a lot of work has to go into fixing a problem that should not be there in the first place.   The still frames above are taking from a stock footage shoot that I recently did during magic hour at Powell Butte.   I wanted to expose for the model and let most of the sky blow out.   I also wanted to flare the lens, and have my model pass in front of the sun.   All of this means that the center of the sun would be REALLY blow out, and it introduced the PSP.   Other then the PSP, I was very happy with the footage that I produced.   (In the next couple of days I&rsquo;ll be doing a write up of the lighting strategy I used on the shoot. 

...After shooting the footage and ingesting it to color grade I found that I was having to use up all of my secondary rooms to track the sun, and then tell color to over expose that purple dot.   Color does a great job at over exposing the dot, but it does not do a great job of tracking an object that disappears and reappears behind an object.   Which is why I had to use more then one secondary, and more then one tracking dot.   There where times when I had to use 10 or more secondary rooms.   Since there are only 8 secondaries in one grade I had to use multiple grades.


An example of more then 8 secondaries being used on one clip.


To make matters worse, a secondary room is either on, or it is off.   It cannot be animated on and off throughout a grade.   Usually this is not a problem, as secondaries are not meant to be animated in this way.   But for this type of correction (Did I mention that I shouldn&rsquo;t have to be doing this?)   it means that the little over exposure dots stay put throughout the shot, regardless of if they are being used or not.   Which is not a big deal if it stays in the sky.   But if the model crosses in front, or it dips below to the ground all of the sudden a bright feathered circle appears- not very pleasing.


This is what I had to do to overcome that problem:


...In Color I would have to create at least 2 grades- one with the basic grade with no PSP correction, and the second with the grade and PSP.   If more then 8 rooms were required, I then had to add additional grades.   I then rendered these grades out and sent them back to FCP.   After lining up the grades, and stacking them on top of each other I then had to go in and create animated masks that followed the sun.   Now only the corrected PSP grade would appear when it was needed, and all of the extra floating dots would be gone.


I can say that I am very happy with the results.   The clips are now how I had originally envisioned them.   But it should not have taken this amount of work to get there.   Fortunately, I did not need a secondary room to create a vignette or other adjustment.   I can&rsquo;t imagine what I would have had to do to make that happen...


And that is why I HATE PURPLE SUNS!   Hopefully this is something that gets fixed in the Red One, and is not a problem with the new cameras coming out.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Redrock Follow Focus + Anamorphic&#x27;s</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><dc:date>2009-07-23T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Redrock_Micro_Follow_Focus_V02.html#unique-entry-id-61</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Redrock_Micro_Follow_Focus_V02.html#unique-entry-id-61</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I do a fair amount of traveling, hiking, and my own operating.   Because of that, one of the things that is important to me is weight and speed when it comes to camera packages that I own.   Every pound counts- and it can get expensive at the airport if your checked baggage is more then the weight limit, or they weigh your carry on only to realize that it too is more the their weight limit ... but I digress.


One of the items that I have been on the search for is an affordable, light weight, reliable follow focus.   I started my quest with Redrock&rsquo;s original follow focus.   For the money it was a good deal.   It had the same amount of play in it as units that cost twice and much.   (And that amount of play was minimal.)   The follow focus was built well, it was small and light weight- but at the time I was using a mixture of cinema glass and SLR glass which meant that at times the follow focus had to be flipped around to the dummy side.   Mechanically, the follow focus still worked great, but it the large gear box got in the way of any matte box I wanted to use. 

...I came across an old arri mini follow focus, and I enjoyed using that follow focus for a while.   It was small, light weight, and solidly built.   But as it was from the 60&rsquo;s, it had developed some play in it - not much more then Redrocks follow focus version 01.   Additionally, it had a very small arm that meant that it could not be used on wider lenses, and time to time the arch in the mounting unit would get in the way of the lens preventing me from using it.   So I sold it, and started renting different follow focuses to find one that worked for my needs.


I rented, and borrowed them all- units in all ranges even up to the big guys costing in the neighborhood of $4,000.   After all of this I realized two things: 1.   I think that the most versatile and robust system is the Arri FF4 or FF5; & 2.   At the next price bracket down around $2,000, I&rsquo;d rather just save my money and buy the FF4 or FF5, as that would be a better long term investment.   But there was one thing I did not like about the FF4 - the size and weight.   So even if I were to save my pennies, it still would not fit my needs. 

...One day I was out on a shoot where the production company had the latest version of the Redrock Follow Focus.   For that shoot my AC put it on the camera and we left it on for the rest of the day.   I was VERY surprised with how well it performed- it was even better then the first version that I had owned.   Redrock had changed the rail mount so that it now clips on like an Arri, the arm extends out further, and the gear wheel is bigger and more robust then the previous generation.   And if that was not enough, they made the making disc &ldquo;3D&rdquo; so that it is easy to view by the operator, and there was NO play in the unit.   All of this in a package that is small and light weight.   I had found my follow focus!


Version 02 is a significant step up from their first follow focus.   And at $545 it is a steal of a deal!   (I remember paying around $650 for the original one I bought from them.)   After having a great experience with the version 02 follow focus, I went ahead and placed my order.   The only thing I did not like about the order process was that on the front page it said that the shipment time was 5 days, but it actually took closer to 15 days.   After talking with customer support, I was made aware that the page did say 15 days, but that it was posted further down the page.   I commented that the big 5 at the top of the screen is what caught my eye, so I did not think to look for another date.   They said they were aware of the problem and were working to fix it.   I mention this so that if you are in need of a follow focus ASAP, I would contact them directly before buying to ensure that you can get one in time- as the date on the shipping page may not be correct.


Since purchasing my follow focus, I have switched over to exclusively using cinema glass.   This means that I have not been able to test it out on some of the wider configurations of SLR glass.   However, I did get a chance to use it on some Russian Lomo Round Front Anamorphic Lenses.   And the 35mm lens is HUGE.   I was sure that I would have to use a different follow focus for that beast ...


The Redrock Micro Follow Focus Version 02 with a 35mm Russian Lomo Anamorphic Lens


Well, after a couple days of shooting with the lenses I am happy to report that the follow focus works flawlessly with all of the lenses that I had. (35mm / 50mm / 75mm) The arm is long enough and low enough that even when the 35mm lens is on there is enough clearance to use the follow focus without issue.   The one thing to note with the Lomo lenses is that the barrel extends when focusing. ...  To make sure that the focus gear of the Redrock does not come off while focusing, extend the barrel all the way out, and then place the gear as close as you can towards the camera.   Between the wide focus ring and the width of the focus gear, the follow focus will hold through out the barrels travel.


 I can&rsquo;t speak highly enough about this follow focus- it is small, light weight, works with all of the cinema glass I have thrown at it so far, and is VERY affordable!   This is a piece of gear that I will have in my kit for a long time to come.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nexto DI - Easy Back up&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Red One</category><category>Review</category><dc:date>2009-07-21T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/On_Location_Backup.html#unique-entry-id-60</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/On_Location_Backup.html#unique-entry-id-60</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have come across an even easier way to backup and verify footage shot on the Red - actually anything that shoots on CF, or just about any media card for that matter.   It is the Nexto DI Extreme ND2700.   I can&rsquo;t speak highly enough about this little device!


What makes this little device so great is that it will automatically copy and verify the contents of a media card to a hard drive all in a unit that is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and requires no external power.   So this is perfect for those times when I do not have access to a laptop, or I just want to keep shooting, and not be hassled with the time it takes to dump and verify footage.   Additionally, since it has an eSATA connection, transferring footage off of the drive couldn&rsquo;t be any faster!   (It also has USB 2, but why use that when you can use eSATA?)   For the two units that I have I bought just the bare enclosure (ND2700), and then I got an 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD).   I&rsquo;ll be buying the external battery, and &ldquo;leather&rdquo; pouch as well.


I have used the enclosure on about 5 shoots now and here is what I have found:


- SSD IS the way to go!


	SSD = Safe and secure while shooting.   I have used the unit while filming in a small helicopter (Hughes 500) and I never once lost any data, or had any problems with the vibration.


- SSD IS the way to go!


	SSD = Longer battery life.   I have 2 8GB CF cards, and if I fill up the card completely and then dump the card I have found that I can fill up the entire drive before running down the internal battery.   However, on a recent shoot, I was using up only about 1/2 the card before dumping and verifying and I used up the internal battery before filling the drive.   So the amount of dumping and verifying that you do has a direct relationship to how long the battery lasts.   You can also extend battery life by using the quick verify function, but I&rsquo;m not comfortable with a quick verify- I want the complete full verification.   Nexto DI does offer an external batter that is not much bigger then a pencil.   So I&rsquo;ll be picking up a couple of these just to make sure I have enough power when I&rsquo;m out in remote locations.   (The drive can also be plugged into an outlet and powered externally as well.)


- Did I mention SSD IS the way to go!


	SSD = Faster transfers.   Unfortunately when transferring footage from the media card to the hard drive you are slowed down by either the speed of the card, or of the enclosure itself, so there doesn&rsquo;t seem to be any speed gains there.   But the real speed gain is when you transfer the data from the drive to another drive via eSATA.   At that point, you are only limited by the speed of the drive you are transferring to.   I have copied off a full drive in about 20 minutes for a faster drive, and about 30 minutes using a slower spinning drive.


- Automation is GREAT!


	I love being able to stick a CF card in the unit and have it automatically recognize the card, copy it, and then verify it, all hands free!   So I can load in one card and then keep shooting on the second card.   Using this method, I can have &ldquo;endless&rdquo; shooting time with very little down time.   I just keep the enclosure on my hip, and swap the cards as I go.


- The included pouch is not so great.


	A pouch with a belt loop is included with the drive.   And while it does fit, it is a little tight, and can make removing and inserting the drive a bit cumbersome.   So I&rsquo;d recommend getting the optional &ldquo;leather&rdquo; case.   I&rsquo;ll be ordering a couple shortly, as this included one is getting on my nerves!


It also appears that Nexto DI is coming out with an enclosure that will be able to play back the files on the media cards as well.   So look for more interesting things to come.   You can check out what is in the works here:


http://blog.abelcine.com/2009/07/10/nexto-video-storage-pro/#more-1735


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>TFG Makes it into the final round&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-07-14T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/In_To_The_Finals.html#unique-entry-id-59</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/In_To_The_Finals.html#unique-entry-id-59</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: The Finalist Announcement.  


View: DVXuser.com Thread


View: The Final Film 


Just a quick update that Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men has made it into the final round of the QuestFest film festival for DVXUser.com.   If you haven&rsquo;t checked out the thread, or seen the announcement you can view them at the links above.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 12</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-07-06T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_12.html#unique-entry-id-58</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_12.html#unique-entry-id-58</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Now that the film is done and submitted to the first festival I can share all of the behind the scenes (BTS) pictures, and talk a little bit about the production and post process.   This will be the last post in this series regarding my work on TFG.   It has been a fun journey, and I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing what comes of the film.


I have posted all of the BTS pictures on my Photos page so if you want to see all of the action, or you want to check out other BTS pictures check them out HERE.


...As I had mentioned in the previous post there were several last minute problems that really could have brought the production to a halt. ...  Having spent the time in pre-production, it was now time to make the vision a reality- and I had a blast working on this film. 

...One of the ways that I pushed myself creatively was to use a lot of practicals to light scenes.   For example in the hotel room scene, except for the red light the entire scene is lit by the china balls that we hung form the ceiling.   Using careful placement of the lights and putting them on dimmers allowed me to adjust the intensity of the key, fill and rim lights to the levels that I wanted.   While this did take a while to rig up, once we were rolling it was easy to shoot the scene, as we did not have to relight or re-rig any of the lights.   I also kept one of the china balls rigged to a c-stand so that I could move it where ever I wanted.


Since I spent the time scouting the locations I was ready with my plan of attack, which really helped when it came to shooting all of the exterior scenes.   The director, Devon, and I talked about the ideal times to shoot the various scenes and since we were able to arrange the shooting schedule accordingly, we were able to shoot the exteriors without any additional lights. ...  (The roof top scene however did require light as we were filming at 12 am in the morning.)   In the picture below you can see that I was using the sunlight as a 3/4 rim light and then filling in the white and silver card we had on hand. 

...The other scenes that used only practicals were the stair wells, hall ways, and the safe room.   The only two scenes that used movie lights were the scene of the Tarts finding the empty room, and the final fight scene on the roof.  For the stair wells I just replaced the existing lights with clear 100w bulbs, and then for the hall ways I used the &ldquo;guts&rdquo; of the china balls to hang the clear 100w bulbs down further from the existing outlets.   These bulbs were also rigged to dimmers so that I could adjust their levels so that the element would not over expose on frame.   And like the hotel room, I kept one mobile light on a c-stand that I could move around for either framing reasons, or for additional fill.


The first scene that used the traditional movies lights was the scene with the Tarts finding the open room. ...  A bare 100w bulb acted as their key at their first stop point, and a baby acted as the key side fill, while a tweenie (650w) was used for the rim light.   As the tarts rounded the corner the baby was netted off to even out the exposure as they approached camera and it became their key light while an additional tweenie was added to give a rim light for the reverse angle.   My goal with the Tarts was to always make them look as attractive as possible. 

...When we got to the roof I used a 1.2k HMI into a 6&rsquo; x 6&rsquo; silver lame.   My preference would have been the white ultrabounce, but it was not giving enough exposure for the T3 lens I had.   We also had a 650w hung just above the door to act as a practical- so that used up our one 20 amp circuit that we had on the roof.   We did bring the 7000w generator, but it proved to difficult to get up the three stories of stairs to get to the roof. ...  So we could not use the other two 1.2k HMI&rsquo;s that we had on hand.


...Jerry did a great job at getting it done and compressed for the composer and sound designer to work on their parts of the film.   Once we had a locked edit it was time to get everything over to Color, and this is where the problems started to pile up.


The film had been edited in Premiere as this is Jerry&rsquo;s NLE of choice.   (And I can&rsquo;t blame him as it gives direct access to the R3D&rsquo;s.   :) ) After the locked edit had been completed, the people at RED had released a new build for the camera and for the software that greatly improved how the Red handled tungsten and low light levels.   Unfortunately, it had not filtered down through to the Adobe or Apple products, so we tried a couple of workflows using Clip Finder and Red Alert.   But after spending a couple of days trying to get that to work to no avail, we had to move on, as the deadline was approaching.


We were back to square one with figuring out how to get the final edit over to Color so that I could begin the grading process.   While it would have been nice to use After Effects to do the grade, (it also accesses the native R3D&rsquo;s) this was not going to be an option, as I needed a tool that I could easily use to grade the film.   AE is a powerful program, and we did have access to the Color Finesse plug in, but I did not find many of the tools that I had in Color to be readily available or as intuitive as they are in Color.   So without the time to learn a whole new program (AE) and a new plugin (Color Finesse), I had to use Color.


After trying several unsuccessful workflows using EDL&rsquo;s, XML&rsquo;s, etc. to get the edit over to Color what we ended up doing was rendering out uncompressed 2k QuickTimes which I then took into FCP and recut into the individual clips and sent over to Color where I was able to grade each clip and get the look that I wanted.   When the grade was done it was then rendered back to an uncompressed 2k QuickTime where Jerry then synced it up with the final mix and began the process of compressing it down to the festival submission specs.


...And with the impending deadline and the last minute changes to the audio mix it was a close call.   However, I was VERY surprised how much the final compression could effect the final results of the film.   The compression used can play as much as a roll in the film as the color grade does. ...  I commend him for his work, and the ability to get things done with the tight deadline we had. 

...So now that the film is 95% done (we still want to tweak some of the VFX, and some of the grade.) it is time to total up the hours spent on this production.   Throughout this process I kept a careful diary of my time spent on the production for two reasons: 1. ...  So that for future projects I can better judge how long to budget for, so that I can more accurately forecast the time requirements. 

...As I get to opportunity to work on more films like this I hope to keep this series going with additional projects. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Disambiguation: FoV &#x26; DoF on 4k &#x26; 2k</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Red One</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-06-19T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/FoV_and_DoF_with_the_Red.html#unique-entry-id-57</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/FoV_and_DoF_with_the_Red.html#unique-entry-id-57</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[* UPDATE: (06/22/2009) I have updated this posting with more &ldquo;scientific&rdquo; images that do not have so many variables at work.   While they are not as pretty, they do show what is going on better then the rose pictures. 

...It has come to my attention after hearing some things said on various sets, as well as reading posts online that there is some confusion out there when it comes to lens characteristics and shooting formats especially when it comes to shooting 4k and 2k on the Red One.   For some reason there seems to be the perception that when you switch from shooting in 4k to 2k using the same lens, you automatically get the same results as sooting on a lens that is twice as long.   To help provide some clarification on the matter I decided to shoot a series of tests to provide a visual example of what is actually going on when you choose various shooting formats and how that impacts the final image.


**If you get nothing else from this article get this: If you keep the lens the same, and only change shooting formats the only thing that changes is the Field of View, everything else about the lens stays the same.

...But before I can dive into the test, I need to provide some background on some of the characteristics of lenses and what makes them different from one another.   While there are many nuanced differences between lenses, for the purpose of this article I&rsquo;m going to limit them to these three: Field of View (FoV), Depth of Field (DoF), & Perspective Compression (PC).


...- DoF = The total area of the image that is perceived as being in relative focus.


- PC = The size of the individual picture elements and how close together or far apart they seem to be within the given picture.   PC is most noticeable when going from a wide angle to a very telephoto lens (18mm VS 80mm).   For the purposes of this article 20mm & 40mm focal lengths were used so some of PC is less noticeable.


When it comes to the characteristics of wide angle lenses they exhibit the following: FoV = Wide, DoF = Large, PC = Minimal.   A wide angle lens will yield a picture that has a wide view, more of the image will be in relative focus, and the elements in the foreground, mid-ground, and background will appear to be further away from each other and each individual element will be relatively small. 

...For a telephoto lens the characteristics they exhibit are as follows: FoV = Narrow, DoF = Small, PC = Great.   A telephoto lens will yield a picture that has a narrow view, less of the image will be in relative focus, and the elements in the foreground, mid-ground, and background will appear to be closer together to each other and each individual element will be relatively big. 

...(The images posted here are rather small, to view them in a larger format, you can view the HD 1080p video on vimeo by going here: www.vimeo.com/5236056)


* A quick disclaimer: at the time of this test it was rather windy (as seen in the video) so the rose bush was moving around a lot. 

...The common misconception that I have heard, and read when it comes to changing in-between 4k and 2k on the Red One while using the same lens is that when going to 2k you just double the lens focal length and that is the lens you are using.   For example if I were shooting on a 20mm lens in 4k when I change over to 2k I now have a 40mm lens. 

...- DoF: The focus was set on the yellow rose center frame.   The dead rose above it appears to be in relative focus.   The leaf in front appears to be just slightly out of focus.   The yellow roses in the background are out of focus but the details are clearly discernible.


...There is clear separation between the foreground leaf, the mid-ground yellow rose, and the background yellow roses.


...The text on the bottle is discernible, but blurry- as are the details on the bunny in the background.


...There is clear separation between the sheep in the foreground and the background, Each duck is clearly separated as well.


...What happens when I make this change is the camera is taking a center crop of the 4k sensor as detailed by the following image:


...- FoV: Covers just three of the yellow roses, and a small portion of the sky.


- DoF: The focus was set on the yellow rose center frame.   The dead rose above it appears to be in relative focus.   The leaf in front appears to be just slightly out of focus.   The yellow roses in the background are out of focus but the details are clearly discernible.


...There is clear separation between the foreground leaf, the mid-ground yellow rose, and the background yellow roses.


...The text on the bottle is discernible, but blurry- as are the details of the bunny in the background.


...There is clear separation between the sheep in the foreground and the background. 

...To further verify that this was the only change in the image, here is the full 4k image shown at 100% and then the center was cropped out, and the 2k image:


...- FoV: Covers just the three yellow roses and a small section of the sky.


- DoF: The focus was set on the yellow rose center frame. ...  The leaf in front appears to be more out of focus.   The yellow roses in the background are more out of focus & the details are less discernible.


...The separation between the foreground leaf, the mid-ground yellow rose, and the background yellow roses has been flattened / diminished.


...The text on the bottle is NOT discernible, nor are the details on the bunny in the background.


...The space has been compressed making it feel as if one element is on top of the next.


...To recap what is going on when you change from 4k to 2k using the same lens: only FoV is being reduced, all other characteristics of the lens remain the same.   So if using a 20mm lens in 4k, in 2k the FoV is now roughly 40mm, however, the DoF and the PC still remain the same as the 20mm lens.   Unfortunately, switching over to 2k does not give you a &ldquo;new&rdquo; set of longer lenses, as you can achieve the same results by recording in 4k and then just taking the center crop of the image.


And now a new question comes to mind &ldquo;What if I want to shoot in 2k and have all the characteristics of the 40mm lens? ...  If you want the characteristics of a 40mm lens and you want to shoot in 2k then you need to be using a lens designed to cover that format (16mm film lenses).


...Hopefully not - I hope this exercise has helped clear the air on what is going on when switching between 4k and 2k when using the same lens on the Red One.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 11</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-28T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_11.html#unique-entry-id-56</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_11.html#unique-entry-id-56</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Here is how it all broke down and what we did to overcome the trouble that came up during principle photography.


...The thursday before principle photography I went out with my Red and shot the plates for the rear projection. ...  The next day (friday) I went out shooting B-Roll for a documentary I&rsquo;m working on using the same car rig. ...  I finish shooting the last shot, and decide to power down the camera before getting the CF card and backup the footage.   After the camera powers down, I decide that I want to play the footage back on the camera, so I go to power it up.   The camera starts the &ldquo;launch sequence&rdquo; as it gets to place where you can see the display on the monitor the camera turns off. ...  It starts booting up again, only this time it turns itself off before getting to the display preview. ...  I swap it out for the last fresh brick to no avail- the camera will NOT TURN ON!!!!!!   Principle photography is scheduled for Tuesday at 12 pm, and I have a camera that will not turn on and it is 4:30 pm on a friday! ...  They quickly respond to my email wanting more information, and I send it off to them along with pictures of the setup I was using.   As it is the end of the day, all goes silent for the rest of the weekend as I wait, and wait ...


...Plan 1: Continue to contact Red and see if they could get me a loaner body while mine is in the shop.   Plan 2: Contact the rental shop in town and see if they could rent me just the body.   (I would have rented from a friend, but his Red was already out on another shoot.) ...  Plan 1 was what I was hoping for as I would still get to shoot on the Red and it would not be any additional money out of my pocket.   I also had some other paying gigs that I need the camera for as well, so I needed a working camera regardless.   Plan 2 was an option, and I talked with the rental shop and they were willing to come to the rescue if Red did not come through.   But plan 2 would hurt, as it would be more then doubling the cost to shoot this project.   Plan 3 and 4 were viable options as I had access to the cameras at no additional cost - which fit with the budget for the short.   It all now comes down to what was to shake out on Monday with the response from Red.


Monday comes and goes, I have a body lined up at the rental house, the HPX300 and the GH1 are available, and Red is working on getting me a loaner body for the shoot. fortunately they are based out of Southern California, and I&rsquo;m in Northern Oregon, so FedEx can get me a package next day- if it makes it to the truck in time. and the kind people at Red are working as hard as they can to make that happen.   I get an email from my contact at Red saying that they were able to get it on the truck by 5 pm PST for a 10 am delivery tomorrow at the location we were shooting at. ...  The only catch is that in all of the rush to get the camera out the door, I was not provided with a tracking number.   So I had no way to verify where the camera was at in the delivery process.   Red had done their part in providing great customer service- it was now up to FedEx to do their job and get the camera body to me in time.


...I arrive at the location with my camera kit and all of my Red accessories and no camera body. ...  The first shot is up at 12 pm, and the camera is supposed to arrive by 10 am. 

...The HPX300 is put into place in order to help workout the hight of the dolly and the practicals that would play in the scene. with no way to know where the camera is at, I have to plan on using the HPX.


...I go to check on it - it is Fed Ex and they are pulling up to the location!!!


Now that the camera body has arrived the HPX can be dismantled and the Red assembled for the shoot! 

...As I wake up on Tuesday morning I check my text messages and find out that the makeup artist has sent me a message. ...  One of the actresses knows some other people who might be available last minute, so she follows up on those leads. ...  That means that for tuesday the Talent will be left to do their own makeup.   Not ideal at all, but fortunately both the female leads are very adept at makeup and do an excellent job.   The second half of the day will be improvised as the ladies will not be with us for the next scene and have to head off to work. ...  Making do with what is on hand, fake blood and some mud are used on the only actor &ldquo;requiring&rdquo; makeup.


For the second day (Wednesday) of principle photography makeup is also needed, but again it is not an intense day for makeup.   The ladies again pitch in and do a great job on their own makeup.   And for the Fools, we do not see their faces in yet so they do not require any makeup.   There is now three days to find someone to help with makeup before the final and most intense day of principle photography - Sunday. 

...The last shot of the day on tuesday was supposed to be a crane shot of the G-Men driving off. ...  Since the location is a good 30 - 45 minutes away and it is a tight schedule already, there is not enough time to head back and pick it up.   But again, the team comes together with some great problem solving skills and devises a plan to get the shot.   The scene gets shot and as we prepare for the last shot of the day my 1st AC, Jerry Turner, and the Gaffer, Kale Heily, build a crane out of the grip parts we have on set.   Using the dolly, cardellini clamps, and a gobo head they construct a crane that is able to get the shot!


...The first half of the day was interior, so that caused no problems, as it did rain on and off. ...  Upon arriving at the location, there was some rain - it was a light drizzle. fortunately it did not read on camera, and as long as it stopped before filming began, it would not read on the talent either.   So we setup the camera and gear and by the time shooting commenced there was just a faint mist that stopped after the first couple of takes. 

...I can&rsquo;t stress enough how grateful I am to the people at Red, and the cast and crew of this production of being able to come together and figure out solutions to some major problems. ...  But they were able to find solutions to last minute problems, and that made all the difference.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 10</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-23T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_10.html#unique-entry-id-55</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_10.html#unique-entry-id-55</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 09: Overhead Diagrams


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Although most of the preproduction work is done, the ideas have been solidified, and the plans have been made, this does not mean that things just move forward in a mechanistic fashion during production.   It is actually quite the opposite - all of this planning and prep work will inform the choices we make on set, but they will not dictate it.   They are just the jumping off point from which the creative process will begin.   And although it will evolve and change as we move into production, it is time to go over all the elements and make sure that we have all of our ducks in a row before principle photography begins.


One of the elements that I have to have completed prior to principle photography is the creation of background plates for the rear projection that we will be doing for a driving scene in the film.   So it is time to send out the second unit to get the plates.   (Second unit in this case is myself and my car.   :) ).   After noodling around with the various pieces of gear that I have laying around I devised a system by which I could mount my camera in the car and shoot as I drove down the street.   While not an official camera rig, it did enable me to get the shots I needed for the background plates.   You can see the pictures of the rig I used below.


After driving up and down the street getting three different angles of the street.   (Driver Side,  Passenger Side, and Rear View.)   It was time to process the footage.   Since I was filming on the Red.   I took the footage into FCP and did a quick grade before rendering out the final quicktime file.   Since I knew that we were going to be using a friends 3500 ansi lumen projector, I knew that I wanted to keep things light, and make more of the corrections on the projector rather then on the footage.   Ideally, I would have liked to have had access to the projector before hand, so that I could grade the footage on the projector, but with the schedule and limited budget, that was not an option this time.   When all the work of the second unit was completed I had 3 looping video files that ran for about 4 minutes before looping and were all ready to be projected!


Preproduction time is an exciting time for me, as I get to really get involved with all of the ideas of the project.   However, what excited me even more is principle photography - and that day is drawing close!


2nd Unit Car Rig 01 (Windows were down while filming.)


2nd Unit Car Rig 02 (Interior View)


2nd Unit Car Rig 03 (Interior View 02)


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: Part 11: Disaster Strikes x 3.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 09</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-21T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_09.html#unique-entry-id-54</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_09.html#unique-entry-id-54</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 08: Location Scouting


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Overhead diagrams are a very effective tool in the preproduction process, and they are usually something that I create after the location scout.   (Which is another reason I take so many pictures when I scout a location.)   For my needs and use, an overhead diagram needs to accomplish several goals.   The first thing the diagram needs to do is to describe the physical layout of the space that will be filmed.   Knowing what is already there, or what will be added to the set on the day of the production will help me to plan out what light sources already exist, and what opportunities I have in camera placement.   The next goal the diagram needs to accomplish is the layout of the movement of the actors.   This in turn will effect light and camera placement.   Once these two goals have been met I can then really start to consider how best to light and shoot the scene.   The lighting & camera choices  have already been shaped by the numerous talks that the director and I have had along the way.   However, now is where those talks get translated into the reality within the location we are shooting.


These diagrams also have the benefit of helping to guide communication with my gaffer, 1st AC and other crew members when setting up for a scene on the day of production.   Having planned this out in advance really helps to in the speed and overall understanding of what needs to be accomplished with the lights and camera.   This is not to say, however, that there are not changes on the day of production.   I may get to the set and after talking with the director, opt for a different setup.   Or after seeing the action of the actors may inspire another camera angle or better lighting setup.   Or it may just be that the specific lighting setup I had envisioned is not accomplishing the results I desired, and we have to change it up to get the results I had originally intended.   But regardless of whether or not the diagrams are strictly followed they give a starting point and provide a plan that can enable more creativity on set.


I&rsquo;m currently using photoshop to create my diagrams, and while it is working for me, I do find it to take some time to create an accurate diagram.   I&rsquo;m hoping to find a program that will allow me to create these kind of diagrams at a much faster pace.   Below is an example of a diagram that I created for the Hotel room scene that opens Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men.   The numbers next to the camera positions relate back to the story board images that I had drawn up previously.   The other notations have to do with specific lights or lighting needs.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: Part 10: 2nd Unit Work


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 08</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-20T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_08.html#unique-entry-id-53</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_08.html#unique-entry-id-53</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 07: Camera Test- Speed Ramping 


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Location scouting is one of THE most important steps in the preproduction process for me.   I do everything I can to get out to the location we&rsquo;ll be shooting at prior to production.   It is during this scouting time that I am able to see what opportunities the location holds, and what problems I may encounter.   Ideally, I like to go to the location with the director.   For Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men (TFG) I have been fortunate enough to be able to go to almost all of the locations with the director, Devon Lyon.   Unfortunately, however, due to schedule conflicts we both had with paying work (TFG is a completely creative undertaking with no budget.) we were not able to visit the Tractor Graveyard at the same time.   Devon visited the location first, and met with the owner.   We talked over his experience and thoughts, and then I went out and scouted it in order to prepare for the shoot.   While I was at the location I made sure to gather as much information as possible in order to make the production day be as beneficial as possible, and that meant asking a series of questions.


When scouting a location I am looking for the answers to the following questions:


- How can this location best be used to help visually tell the story?


- What are the existing light levels of the location?


- What do I need to add or take away when lighting?


- What camera moves, or other camera gear would be helpful in this location?


- Where is the power located?   How much power is available?


- What about power for charging batteries, or transferring and backing up footage?


- What time of day would be best to shoot this location?


- Where does the sun rise and set?


- Are there any audio issues that should be taken into account?   (I consider this last one as a location may be visually perfect, but if it is impossible to get decent audio, and there is no time or budget for ADR, then that will be a consideration that the director will want to take into account.)


To help provide useful answers to these questions, I&rsquo;ll bring along my light meter, a compass, the script, a digital stills camera, and a note pad.   The light meter will help let me know what I need to do in terms of lighting a location.   The compass helps me to determine the path of the sun.   The stills camera will help me figure out angles, and layout of the location when I am making my overhead diagrams.   (I&rsquo;ll take lots of pictures while I&rsquo;m there, sometimes as many as 20 - 40 at each location.)   And the note pad is there to jot down notes about the location.   Just remember the old adage: &ldquo;If you fail to plan, you plan to fail&rdquo;.   Many of the issues or problems that come up on set can be avoided or worked around if the proper pre-production work is done ahead of time.


Here are a couple of pictures that I took while scouting the Tractor Graveyard location and some notes of what I was thinking when I took them:


&ldquo;This is where the sun will set.   If we can shoot here during magic hour, and position the scene such that I can use the sun as a 3/4 back light, I&rsquo;ll be able to get some great lighting and colors for the scene that takes place at this location.&rdquo;


&ldquo;This would be roughly the starting position of a dolly move that would reveal the action happening in the background.&rdquo;


&ldquo;This is roughly the ending position of the dolly move.   I love the foreground elements, and the sun will be at the 3/4 position I want it at for lighting the scene.&rdquo;


&ldquo;The texture of the place is just awesome!   This spot will be great for the drive away portion of the scene.   It would be great to have a crane shot here.&rdquo;


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: Part 09: Overhead Diagrams


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 07</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-19T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_07.html#unique-entry-id-52</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_07.html#unique-entry-id-52</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 06: Camera Test- Black Pro Mist Filter 


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Slow motion and action movie are almost synonymous terms, and that is especially true for &ldquo;Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men&rdquo; (TFG).   There are various key moments where the film will be playing with the element of time.   In TFG there will be two specific uses of slow motion that I wanted to test out before production began.   The first application is where the action goes from real time to slow motion and then back to real time.   And the second application is where the speed goes from real time to ultra fast motion.   To test this out before hand I shot two sample actions at 97 frames per second and then adjust the timing in post to evaluate the results.   I am happy with how the results turned out, and I definitely prefer shooting at the slow motion rate and then speeding up in post. shooting the footage this was give the slow motion the true look and feel of slow motion, since it is real slow motion.   I have never been very satisfied with how footage looks when shot at normal speed and then processed via an NLE into slow motion.


You can check out the test video here in SD or on Vimeo HD: Speed Ramp 01 & Vimeo HD: Speed Ramp 02:


Shot in slow motion, the final clip has been sped up to real time, cuts to slow motion and finally cuts back to real time.


Shot in slow motion the clip then cuts to ultra fast time.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: Part 08: Location Scouting.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 06</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-18T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_06.html#unique-entry-id-51</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_06.html#unique-entry-id-51</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As I had mentioned in a previous post, camera tests are an important step in the preproduction process.   They allow you test results and make educated choices before you are under the pressure of the daily schedule of the production.   With the advent of many robust effect filters in the post world many question whether or not you should apply filters in post.   After all, in post you have limitless options right, so why should you lock yourself into a choice on set?   Well, this may work for a production or a director that does not have a clear vision, has unlimited time, and a cinematographer who is not sure of his craft, I would say that it is sloppy camera work on the part of the cinematographer.   If you know the look you are going for, and you have a clear vision, then why not get everything possible to achieve that look &ldquo;in the can&rdquo;?   It is going to be quicker, easier, and ultimately cheaper to get it on set then to try and figure it out in post.   And it is these camera tests that help to guide the choices while on set.   But I digress, this post is not about the importance of camera tests rather it is about one specific test: The Black Pro Mist filter.


The Black Pro Mist filter is a filter that is often used to help soften wrinkles and other small blemishes while still allowing sharp defined edges.   Different manufactures approach making this filter in different ways which yields subtle differences in the final image.   However, the back idea is that tiny black dots in various densities are put on a filter.   These small dots help to diffuse the image and smooth out the small imperfections while keeping the overall sharpness.   You can think of it as a selective softening filter.   Additionally it brings up the shadow areas of the image by helping the highlights to fill in or bloom into the darker areas.   Many times these filters will be used on women to help smooth out their skin making them appear even more attractive on screen.   The set of filters starts at a strength of 1/8 and makes its way up to 2.


For Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men (TFG) in the opening scene we are wanting to create a soft, sensual feel.   The scene will have a lot of light sources which will come from the china balls and candles in the frame.   These lights will help to create most of the mood, however, both the Director, Devon Lyon, and I want to take it even further by using camera filtration.   To run these tests, I went to the local rental house (Picture This) and got the complete line of Black Pro Mist filters to test out.   In addition to seeing how this filter would effect this particular scene, I also wanted to see what it did to a generic landscape shot.   So in the links to the video samples you will see a series of shots take just outside of Lyon Films&rsquo; office.   Finally, after the tests were complete Steven Dempsey was kind enough to provide me with a Schneider Classic Soft 1/2 filter to test out.   The resulting video clips, still frames, and my comments below are what results from these tests.   (The light in the background has been included to show the effects of the filter on the highlights and any light sources that appear in frame.)


You can check out the test video here in SD or on Vimeo HD: Black Pro Mist & Vimeo HD: Schneider Classic Soft:


...The highlights begin to bloom, and there has been a subtle smoothing to the skin.


...The highlights bloom a little more, and there has been a subtle smoothing to the skin.   The effect is more pronounced with this filter.   So far the 1/8 and the 1/4 are feeling like the right amounts to switch in-between.


Black Pro Mist 1/2. ...  I particularly do not like the amount of blooming that is going on in the light in the background.   This would be the strongest filter strength I would use and prefer.


...If I am in need of this particular effect where I want the highlights to really bloom, then I could see myself using this strength of filter, but for this project it is way to strong and pronounced.


...For me, the 2 strength filter is a special effects filter. no longer is it subtly effecting the image as it has dramatically effected the final results.   This strength is not my preference in general, and especially not for the scene in question.   But if I need that look for a shot in the future, I can see myself pulling it out on a very limited basis.


...The image has been softened, and there is almost no blooming in the highlights.   I could definitely use this strength of filter on a regular basis.   However, for this scene, I think it will be a little too much.   I like the strength of the 1/4 in the Black Pro Mist better.   However, unfortunately I did not have the Classic Soft 1/4 on hand to test.


...I see the filter strengths of 1 & 2 as being special effects filters.   They are ones that you would pull out to create a specific look.   Whereas the strengths of 1/2 and below are more subtle and pleasing to my eye. ...  They will help to get the image to where it should be and will work on a more subconscious level.   Additionally, it should be remembered that the strengths will have a different effect at various focal lengths.   So to keep a consistent look from lens to lens, the strengths will need to be adjusted.   For TFG I&rsquo;ll be using the Classic Soft series of filters as I like the softening it provides without the blooming that the Black Pro Mist has in the highlights.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 05</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-15T20:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_05.html#unique-entry-id-50</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_05.html#unique-entry-id-50</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 04: Creating A Look 


View: DVXuser.com Thread


As you may or may not already know the Red One camera is a daylight balanced camera.   That means that you will get noticeably better results shooting under daylight balanced light, then when shooting under tungsten balanced light.   There are three methods for approaching this fact: 1.   Shoot with only daylight balanced lights; 2.   Gel all of your tungsten balanced lights; & 3.   Filter the lens.   While my personal preference is to go with the first option, that is not always possible.   For example, I will be shooting a scene that will be lit with candles which fall in the tungsten range of the color spectrum.   This means that I cannot use daylight colored light, nor can I gel the lights.   (Although gelling candles would make for an interesting day on set ;) ).   So this leaves me with one option- filtering the lens.


In my research for filters I found that to perfectly correct tungsten light you would need to use an 80 A filter, however you loose about 2 stops of light - not very appealing when working with tungsten lights.   The other options are the 80B, 80C & 80D which loose 1 2/3, 1, & 2/3 stops respectively.   The 80D seems to be the most popular as it looses the least amount of light.   Additionally, Schneider has just released a set of CTB filters in strengths of 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2.   And it is this series of filters that got me thinking- what if I were to take the CTB gel I already have and make a 1/4 and a 1/2 CTB filter of my own?


Now I realize that this filter will not be as robust as the Schneider, but at a cost of only $16 ea, I'm willing to at least try it out.   The lens that I'll be using this filter on will be my Red 18mm - 50mm which has a 72mm threaded front.   So I went to my local photo store and bought their crappiest 72mm filter, which was $8.   I then bought a new piece of 1/2 CTB and 1/4 CTB gel at about $8 each.   Now all I had to do was to remove the glass and cut the gel to fit.   Now that I have my CTB filters, how do they perform?


Overall, I'm happy with their performance for their price.   And since this short is a no / low budget project the $16 per filter fits the bill!   Before creating the filter, I ran these tests with a range of CTB gaffed to the front of the lens.   The results and my thoughts are below.


You can check out the test video here in SD or on Vimeo in HD:


...No correction- the Red channel is WAY out in front, and the blue channel is lagging far behind, not a good thing, as the blue channel is where most of the noise lives in the Red One ....


1/8 CTB-


A slight improvement over no correction, but not enough for my likes.   Light loss = 1/3 stop.


1/4 CTB-


The green and blue are getting closer together, and the red channel has been knocked down.   I'd use this for nominal correction, or where I really did not have enough light - but more correction is needed.   Light loss = 2/3 stop


1/2 CTB-


Green and blue get even closer, and red is considerably knocked down.   While they are not perfectly aligned, this is an acceptable level for me.   Light loss = 1 stop.


...Almost perfect!   The green and blue are almost exactly the same, with the red channel still peaking out in the lead.   While it is not a perfect correction, it does get me there without loosing the 2 stops that I would loose if I were using an 80A filter.   This will be my preferred filter as long as I have enough light to compensate for it.   Light loss = 1 1/3 stop


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: Part 06: Camera Test- Black Pro Mist


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 04</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-13T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_04.html#unique-entry-id-49</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_04.html#unique-entry-id-49</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 03: Story Boarding


View: DVXuser.com Thread


The very first thing that I do for a narrative piece is to read the script a couple of times just to get a feel for the story and the characters.   I do my best not to jump a head and start figuring out how I would shoot & light it- but that is easier said then done.   After I have a solid understanding of the story and the characters I begin to think through the technical and creative approaches that might lend themselves to this particular production.   I then discuss these ideas with the director to get a feel for the direction that he/she feels is best for the film.   And it is through this exchange of ideas that a final look and feel is developed.


Before I can discuss anything with the director, I need to have some kind of intelligent input to contribute.   So what I usually have done in the past is to jot down basic ideas and concepts in the production folder / binder that I create for the project.   (The production folder / binder contains all my notes, thoughts, schedules, etc. that relate to the project.)   For "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG) I decided to take this one step further and to go through the script scene by scene and write down notes on how each scene felt to me and how that impacted the visuals.   (I was inspired to do this after watching an interview with Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC.)


When reading a script there are many cues that are provided by the writer like "Interior Day" or "Exterior Night".   But these cues are very general and do not tell you much about the visuals.   What time of day is it?   Is it the morning. afternoon, late evening...?   What specific time of day would lend itself best to emphasizing the story elements?   Could another time of day or night be better to emphasize a given story element?   (Maybe an approaching storm in the background would be a good visual cue that trouble is approaching for the character...)   It is with these thoughts and considerations that I begin to re-read the script and examine it for ways in which both the lighting and camera movement can help tell the story.


Usually I like to physically write notes on paper as it allows me to also sketch ideas, but as I was on the road and without a physical copy of the script (just a digital PDF) I typed up my notes as I went scene by scene through the script.   Unfortunately, as with the story boards I cannot release my notes at this time as it would be giving away to much before the release of the film, but I can provide you with a sample so that you can at least get a feel for what I am talking about.   The full notes will be released after the release of the film, and I plan on making them available for the DVD.   But for now you can at least see what I am talking about in the sample below.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: PART 05 Camera Test- CTB Filter


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Shout Out On Red Centre</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>Review</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-05-06T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Ryan_on_Red_Centre.html#unique-entry-id-48</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Ryan_on_Red_Centre.html#unique-entry-id-48</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I was listening to one of my regular pod casts this morning (Red Center) and they began their talk about light meters when all of the sudden I heard them mention my name and the blog postings that I had done on using a light meter as well as how to calibrate it.   What a fun way to start the morning!   It was a rather surreal experience hearing my name mentioned on one of my favorite pod casts!   If you are not familiar with Red Centre, it is THE pod cast about Red related news.   Additionally they branch out into other areas, and even talk about other cameras.   (For example this week they talked abut the SI2k and Slumdog Millionare.)   If you are not already listening to the pod cast, I highly recommend it.


Listen to the pod cast here.


Now get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 03</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-05-03T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_03.html#unique-entry-id-47</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_03.html#unique-entry-id-47</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 02: Preproduction


View: DVXuser.com Thread


Story boarding is not technically an area that a cinematographer is directly involved with- at least it is not expected or common for the cinematographer to be drawing the boards.   However, with "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG) I am taking on that roll.   The budget for the film is miniscule (Translation: No budget for a storyboard artist.) and after our second production meeting we had discussed some great ideas for the opening sequence and before those ideas slipped away I found myself drawing them out.


While I do not consider myself any kind of artist apart from my cinematography, I do feel comfortable enough drawing some sketches to help communicate ideas.   So I developed a template in Photoshop at the correct aspect ratio for this project (Cinemascope - 2.35:1) and began jotting down my ideas.   To further complicate the situation I have to use the track pad on my laptop to draw them freehand as it is the only tool I have available to me.   (Translation: they look very rudimentary.)   But I think that they will be a helpful tool in the preproduction process.


No matter how basic the boards are, I have found them to be a very helpful tool in preparing for narrative work.   By nature I am a very visual person, and the boards enable me to better communicate my ideas to the director.   Using these boards we can discuss the various angles, shots, and compositions that are best suited for the film.   Once these ideas are finally locked down they will help to inform me of the actual setups that we need to get on set.   This isn't to say that while on set we ignore inspiration, but it gives a solid footing from which to begin.


Furthermore, it will help me in the creation of the overhead diagrams that I will be creating to determine the location of lights and camera placement.   These diagrams are essential to helping the crew work together in an efficient way, and they really help when it comes to the planning and scheduling of the shoot.   But I'm getting ahead of myself...   (I'll be talking more about overhead diagrams in a future posting.)


So what do these boards look like?   Unfortunately I cannot post the full boards at this time, as it would give away story elements before the release of the film.   Instead I have blurred out the board and left a few frames to give you an idea of how I create the board.   The full boards will be available once the film has been released on DVD- hopefully in an "extras / special features" section as a comparison with the final frames of the film.   As with everything during preproduction these boards are subject to change as new ideas are explored by the director & locations are secured.


Until next time, get out there and shoot!


View: PART 04: Creating A Look


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 02</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-04-30T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_02.html#unique-entry-id-46</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_02.html#unique-entry-id-46</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[View: PART 01: Introduction


View: DVXuser.com Thread


The preproduction methods vary from cinematographer to cinematographer, and I do not think that there is one correct method for preparing.   However, there is a wrong way to prepare and that is to not prepare.   The demands of each production depend on the specifics of the project, and the cinematographer will fail to deliver consistent results  if no prep work is done for the project.


The first set of questions that I think about before preproduction even begins are what are the parameters of the project?   What issues should I be concerned with?   What are potential problems or challenges that I may face?   & How can I best prepare myself for the production?   The answer to these questions help to inform what I need to accomplish during preproduction.   The answers to these questions are always reshaped and informed by the specific needs of the production, the director, and the constraints of the schedule and budget.


In the initial idea phase of "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG) the production team wanted to produce a piece that would challenge us creatively and push us to grow, what this translated into was a stylistic action film, that would contain some very specific looks.   Since I have not shot an action film before, there are a number of tests that I want to complete during the preproduction process.   The purpose of these tests is to see what works & what doesn't before production begins.   The last place you want to be figuring something out is in the middle of production.   This is especially true for a short film on a tight schedule.   So before the preproduction process can begin in an informed way for the camera department, I need to figure out what I do not know, what I think I know, and what I know as it relates to the script and then test everything.


After getting the final script, reviewing the story elements and figuring out what needs to be tested I have developed the following list of preproduction tests:


1.   Black ProMist Filter


2.   CTB Filter


3.   Speed Ramping


4.   Smoke Reveal


5.   Muzzle Flash


6.   Key Side Fill


7.   Lens size for fights


8.   Debayering R3D's


9.   Rear Projection


10.   Post workflow


11.   Compression Settings


Now that I have this list completed I can begin to shoot tests that will shape how the film is going to be shot once production begins- hopefully saving us time and money on set, and in post production.   I'm sure that as the preproduction process begins this list will be modified, but at least I have a solid starting point to begin from.


As the saying goes "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".   Now get out there and shoot!


View: PART 03: Story Boarding


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Journey with a Cinematographer: TFG Part 01</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Production Diary</category><dc:date>2009-04-28T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_01.html#unique-entry-id-45</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/TFG_Entry_01.html#unique-entry-id-45</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[What does the work of a cinematographer entail and look like on a narrative film?   What is the process?   What happens?   What is he/she thinking?   Why are decisions made the way they are?   What are the struggles the cinematographer faces? ...   These are the questions many aspiring cinematographer's wonder about.   I know because they are the same questions that I was asking when I began, and still ask to this day.   Being a cinematographer is a journey of discovery- discovery about yourself, and how who you are as a person influences your vision when it comes to the visual aspect of filmmaking.   I do not claim to have all of the answers, nor do I think that I will ever have them all.   But I do have experiences that I draw on that help shape the direction, methodology. and choices I make.   As production begins on the short film "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG), I want to take you along on my journey.   From preproduction, production and through to post production you'll get a front row seat to the inter-workings of what it means to be a cinematographer.


TFG is being produced for the international short film festival that is held on a quarterly basis on DVXuser.com.   You can view the thread for the film HERE.   On this thread I'll be answering questions and responding to posts as I feel nesicary.   The theme for this festival is Quest Fest, and all of the  films that are currently in competition can be viewed in the MAIN THREAD.   Because this is a film competition, and I do not want to give away too much information before our film is released, I will have to obscure or omit some information.   But I will do my best to share as much as I can.   Hopefully, when the film is completed, everything will be available to you on the forth coming DVD.


So as I conclude this first entry in Journey With A Cinematographer, let me introduce you to the team we have lined up so far:


...Producers: Kevin E.   Curry, Devon Lyon, Jerry Turner, Ryan E.   Walters


Production Company: Lyon Films, LLC


Director: Devon Lyon


1st AD & Writer: Kevin Curry


Cinematographer & Colorist: Ryan E.   Walters


1st AC, Editor, & Post Guru: Jerry Turner


Sound Design & Mix: Matthew Tibbs


Composer: Siddartha Barnhoorn


Gaffer: Brad Reeb


Production Assistant: Aaron Larsen


CAST:


FOOL 01: Geno Romo


FOOL 02: TBD


YOUNG G-MAN: Gavin Bristol


OLD G-MAN: Rick Dancer


THE JOHN: Todd Robinson


TART 01: TBD


TART 02: TBD


I hope you come along with me on this journey.   Now get out there and shoot!


View: PART 02: Preproduction


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Usable 2000 ISO &#x26; The Red One.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><dc:date>2009-04-27T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Usable_ISO_2000.html#unique-entry-id-44</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Usable_ISO_2000.html#unique-entry-id-44</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Ever since the Nikon D90, and the Canon 5D MKII came out with "HD" video modes I have been intrigued  with the possibilities that are opened up by the ability to shoot great looking video with low noise, and low light levels.   If you have not seen the Vincent Laforet's video REVERIE you should really check it out.   Using available light, and some low powered photography lights he was able to get some amazing images on a camera that is below $5,000.


...I have shot some test images with the Red One at an ISO of 2000 and I have never been able to get the kind of noiseless images that were possible on the 5D.   (Granted, there are a lot of other things that you give up by shooting on the 5D- there is a reason that it costs below $5,000 and the Red One costs above $17,000).   So the quest began to try and figure out if it was possible to tweak the Red One, or the footage in post to see if any usable footage could be produced when using the Red One at an ISO of 2000.


Through my research I was able to find several programs and plug-ins that allow me to remove noise from the 2000ISO footage.   But with a wide range of options and cost, what direction would be the best option? ...  Fortunately for me, they all offered a free demo version which I was able to try out and compare the results.   And after my testing, I was able to find a solution that gave me useable footage at 2000ISO.


Disclaimer: This test was meant for me to find a solution that would work for my own footage / small projects.   The requirements were that it would be affordable, timely, and I could process with the tools that I had at my disposal (I would not have to invest in a new editing suite for example).   While I am quite satisfied with the results I was able to achieve, if you are working on a high end project that has a budget, I would recommend using the services of a trained master in noise removal and grading.   There is an art to this, and it is not just a matter of dragging and dropping a preset onto footage. 

...:) When shooting with the Red One, there are two things that you want to stay away from: 1. ...  So for this test I decided to really push the limits of the software and shoot at a high ISO and use tungsten light.   What this means is that the noise created by shooting at a high ISO was going to be even worse as the noisiest channel (blue) was going to be starved for light making it even noisier.   If post processing could handle this tough setup, then it should be able to handle a more likely / realistic scenario of having less then ideal light on a documentary.   With these parameters in place I got out my trusty Sekonic test chart and went to the garage to shoot a test.


...Over all I was very pleased with the results from this plugin from RE:Vision.   As you can see form the results, it does get rid of a lot of the noise in the image.   It does the best at removing noise in the upper end and mid tones.   But it does struggle a bit in the low end where most of the noise lives.   Crushing the blacks will help to hide some of this, and applying the filter twice goes a long way in helping to get a better image. ...  What I do not like about this option is that it is a FCP plugin.   While I do like FCP, as that is the NLE suite I have, I have always been less then impressed with the controls available in FCP- they seem to be limited and tough to use. ...  Additionally it takes a lot of rendering time to process out the footage- especially if you are on a laptop.   This is a plugin you want to use on a desktop with lots of power behind it.


...The controls are a lot more friendly as it is used within Color, so that goes a long way for me, however, the noise was still present in the upper end and in the mid tones.   Even trying to hide the noise in the low end by crushing the blacks did not help a whole lot.   But it was a quick process to use as I was within Color. 

...Denoise did a decent job, the controls in G Smart were easy, and I knew that I could split the RGB channels in Color so that I could specifically work on the noisiest channel (Blue) - so I decided to use the two to see what would come of it.   After processing the footage in FCP with DE:NOISE I sent it to Color where in the FX room I split the footage into its three channels R, G, & B.   Then with the B channel I applied G SMART, and tweaked the footage until I could get most of the noise removed. ...  It created usable footage, but it did take a while to process as I first had to go through FCP. 

...I was amazed that it almost completely erased all of the noise even in the low end.   Unfortunately the demo version only allows a small area to be processed so it is tough to see in the sample. ...  I really like the flexibility that you have in the controls, and the wide range of presets are great starting points for removing noise.   The major draw back for me is that when I tested it, it was only available for AE, which puts it out of my price range as I would have to buy AE.   (Not something I want to do, as I would only be using it for noise removal- I am not, nor do I want to be a compositor or motion graphics / VFX guy.) ...  I have yet to try it- but if it has the same flexibility as the AE version I would definitely get it.   However, my concern is that having to use it with FCP might take away some of it's flexibility and might add to its rendering time. 

...This stand alone app was easier to use then then combination of the DE:NOISE and G SMART, however, the end results were not as strong as the combination.   There is a lot of possibility for adjustment within the program, and you can really find tune the settings. ...  Once I figure that out, it was a snap- but it did take some time.   The high end and mid tones are acceptable, while the low end is just ok, leaving more to be desired.


CONCLUSION: Acceptable results for SD use, a bit cumbersome to figure out on first use.


...So after processing all of that footage here is how I would stack up the results from the best to the not so impressive. 

...Hopefully this has been a helpful test for your next project where you need to remove noise from an image.   But it is always best to do your own testing for your specific application, as my needs & preferences may not suit yours. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Red One Profile Update</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2009-04-11T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Red_One_Profile_Update.html#unique-entry-id-43</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Red_One_Profile_Update.html#unique-entry-id-43</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When working with the Red One at an ISO of 320 there is about 1 stop over exposure and about 7 - 8 stops underexposure, for a total of around 9 stops.   Further more, when working in the Rec 709 color space, there is usually more information hiding in the highlights then you can see on screen.   To see what information is there you have to switch over to RAW mode.   (Not a big deal if working by yourself, but it can scare a client.)   So back in November of 2008 I calibrated the Red One with my Sekonic meter and came up with the corresponding PROFILE.


This is all well and good, as it allowed me to meter & expose properly.   However, I would still have to switch over to RAW view if I wanted to see what was going on.   And I was never quite happy with the distribution of exposure at ISO 320.   When working with film you have a much more even distribution across the dynamic range.   So for a 9 stop range there would be 4 exposures under, 1 at exposure, and 4 above exposure.   Additionally, the roll off to white on film is much more pleasing then in digital.   Well, what if I told you that a profile for the Red One had been developed that allowed an even distribution of exposure, what you saw on the monitor in Rec 709 was what you would get (no flipping to RAW view), AND you could get an additional stop of dynamic range out of the camera, for a total of about 10 stops?   Well, a profile for the camera has been developed that does all of that!   Over on Reduser.net, Macgregor has shared the profile he created to over come the aforementioned problems, the Salvaculos Curve version 4.1.


After loading the profile onto my camera, and spending some time with it, I decided to re-profile the camera with my Sekonic L-758c meter.   And not only did I walk away with a calabrated meter, but I also found that the curve was allowing me to get about 1 more stop of dynamic range from the camera, bringing the total to 10 stops (9.7 to be exact, which is getting closer to the 11.3 that is advertised.)   So if you would like to download both profiles- the Curve and the Meter - you can get them from the link below.   In the ZIP file that you will download you will find two folders, one labeled CAMERA and the other labeled METER.   The profiles are in the corresponding folders along with a PDF detailing what is going on with the curve, and a TIF that shows the profile of the meter.   Now get out there and shoot!


CURVE & METER PROFILE (1 MB ZIP FILE)


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Getting The Most From Your Meter</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2009-04-08T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Metering_Tips_and_Tricks.html#unique-entry-id-42</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Metering_Tips_and_Tricks.html#unique-entry-id-42</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The very first meter I ever got was an old analog meter that I purchased from my photography store.   It was a trusty meter, and served me well, but I had a lot of equations that I had to keep in my head - which could get daunting at times as the last thing I wanted to do was go look up an equation in my ACS manual in the middle of a shoot.   But as that was the meter I could afford at the time, I got use to it.   Since those times I have had the chance to upgrade my meter to the Sekonic L-758c, and I must say that it was worth every penny.   It will not only do calculations / conversions for me, but the amount and precision of the measuring tools are priceless.


Last year I had the good fortune to meet Phil Bradon (He is the distinguished gentleman in the blue shirt in the video titled &ldquo;Watch Data Transfer Software in Action Video&rdquo;.).   He has been very helpful in providing me with various tips and tricks in order to get the most out of my meter, and he has been very receptive to thoughts and input I have had regarding the meter.   So I thought that I would pass on these tips so that you can get even more out of your meter.   After all, it is all about speed and precision when on set in the middle of a hectic production. 

...When you have the meter in Incident mode the memory button saves a reading and the measuring button takes a reading.   It feels quite natural as you hold the meter in your hand.   Then you switch to spot mode and holding the meter in your hand you have to use your thumb to press the measuring button. ...  Wouldn&rsquo;t it be great if you could use the memory button instead, that way it would operate more like a trigger.   Well, I&rsquo;ve got good news - those two buttons can be switched / reprogramed, all you have to do is to set it up that way in the custom settings mode.


...With the meter off, press the MODE button while turning on the meter.   (CS will display in the upper right corner to let you know that you are now in the custom settings mode.)


...You have now just programed the meter so that it will function as usual when in incident mode, and when in spot mode the memory and measuring button are switched so that you can use your trigger finger to take a reading.   To change it back, all you have to do is set the custom function back to 0.


...Wouldn&rsquo;t it be great when setting you key light and fill light if you could take one reading and then have the meter let you know what the ratio was?   This would be a lot easier then having to take two readings and then having to do the math yourself. 

...Using the incident mode take a reading of just the key light.


...Now take a reading of any other light / area- (The Fill light for example).


...The meter will now display the contrast ratio of the two lights.


Additionally you can just hold down the measuring button to get a continuos reading as you meter.   I really like this method for determining contrast ratio of my key to fill- it is quick, easy, and I do not have to worry about the math.


...So what if I have a scene in which I want to verify that it falls within the dynamic range of the recording medium that I am using? 

...Using the spot meter mode take a reading of the darkest area of the scene.


...Now take a reading of the brightest area of the scene.


...The meter will now display the total range of the scene.


This is only helpful is you know the dynamic range of your recording format, and why it is so important to do testing prior to shooting.   You can read the results of the testing that I did to determine the dynamic range of the Red One HERE.


...Due to the logistics of the scene I cannot go place a grey card in the scene, nor can I go use the incident mode to take a reading, further more I am having trouble determining what in the scene should be a middle grey.   How do I figure out the correct stop for my lens? 

...Using the spot meter mode take a reading of the darkest area of the scene and then press the memory button.


...Now take a reading of the lightest area of the scene and then press the memory button.


...It will also show you on the graph at the bottom of the screen where the values fall in relation to the dynamic range of your recording medium.   This is of course as long as you&rsquo;ve done the proper testing prior to shooting.


...Generally speaking, I know that it is best to expose to the right when shooting digital.   How can I make sure that I am putting my exposure to the right as much as possible while avoiding clipping my highlights? 

...Using the profile that you created for your recording medium, find out the EV reading from mid tone to the highlight edge.   (Using my example from the Red One Profile it is 4.3 Stops.)


...(See Tip 01 to learn how to set a custom setting.)   This will set the ISO 2 button to be a filter factor button.


...With the meter turned on, and set to the correct camera profile, press the ISO 2 button and turn the jog wheel to the correct setting.   (In my case this would be 4.3)


...Take a spot reading of what you want to place at the top of the histogram / shoulder. 

...Press and hold ISO 2, it will give you a mid tone reading that will keep your highlight at the top without clipping.


...The more you know before hand the better and quicker you can implement that information on set.   Without knowing the dynamic range of the recording medium, this tip, as well as some of the previous tips would be useless.


I hope that you have found these tips useful and informative. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>2 Awards + 1 Finalist&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2009-03-18T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Awards.html#unique-entry-id-41</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Awards.html#unique-entry-id-41</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Just a quick note to let you know that three projects of which I was the cinematographer for are receiving awards.   The top prize Platinum Best in show award went to Pure Desire, and the Gold award went to Agricultural Safety.   Additionally, the political spot &ldquo;Creepy Cauldron of Lies&rdquo; was a finalist for the national Reed Award.   These three projects were all directed and produced by Lyon Films. 


The Aurora Awards is an international competition designed to recognize excellence in the film and video industries.   Entries have come from across the US, and abroad, such as Russia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, Mexico, etc.   The &ldquo;Platinum Best of Show&rdquo; is the highest honor given.   Only about one in ten receive this honor, while about two out of ten receive the Gold Award.   The Aurora Awards have been awarded for 12 years.


Now get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>DIY Kino Update</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Lighting</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-03-19T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Kino_Update.html#unique-entry-id-40</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Kino_Update.html#unique-entry-id-40</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Yesterday I went over to Lyon Films to build a couple of the DIY Kino&rsquo;s that I had made for myself.   Devon Lyon was very interested in having a couple of the units on hand for lighting green screen and as inexpensive lights to use for interview situations.   He also wanted to have a couple of banks of lights to provide a bigger source and higher output.   So after he gathered together the needed supplies, I set out to build the lights, and I must say that I was impressed with the lights.   I built a 3 bank (3 bank each with 2 lights) and a 2 bank (2 banks each with 2 lights).


Below you will see pictures of the final lights.   To build the bigger light banks the lights we connected using metal braces that can be purchased at any hardware store like Home Depot.   The braces were then drilled into the back of the lights and connected via bolts and nuts.   Each light bank has one baby pin to attach to a C-Stand.   The 3 bank light needed two braces on top, bottom, and in the center, while the 2 bank just needed one brace on top, bottom and center.   These braces not only allow the lights to be properly aligned, but that also keep the lights from twisting.   You can see where I attached the braces in the pictures.   If you want to add even more light banks, I would highly recommend moving up to a junior pin, as at 3 banks I think the baby pin is at its limits.


Pictures courtesy of Lyon Films.


The Pictures:


The final 3 bank and 2 bank DIY Kino.


The back of the 2 bank DIY Kino.


The back of the 3 bank DIY Kino.


Now get out there and shoot!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The James Bond Case</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-03-03T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/James_Bond_Case.html#unique-entry-id-39</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/James_Bond_Case.html#unique-entry-id-39</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Over the last several months as I have had my Red camera I have been looking for a mobile solution that would allow me to both edit footage and back it up.   The requirements were: it had to be as fast as possible, reliable, portable, operate off of both external power and laptop battery power, and allow at least 1080p viewing. ...  In one of his older posts he details out a case that he uses in the field to review and backup the stills he takes. ...  But the setup that he uses would not meet the needs I had, so I had to do some modification.   After a some trial and error, I came up with the following James Bond Case that met all of the needs I had.   Hopefully this setup will help you whether you are in need of a mobile solution for Red footage, or for any other CF or FW800 based media. 

...The first thing I had to do was to find a laptop that met my requirements. ...  (When SSD become more affordable and reliable I&rsquo;ll be swapping it out for one of those drive- like the yet to be released SanDisk.)   The second thing I had to do was to get a reliable Extress34 to eSATA card for the Mac.   After going to my local electronics store and buying two cards that did not work with the Mac, I went to Mac Guru&rsquo;s web site and purchased their recommended card. ...  Since then Sonnett has come out with their own card which is supposedly faster, and works better with their other offerings.   I have not tried it out, so I cannot confirm this claim, but it is recommended by the Mac Guru&rsquo;s so at the very least it will be compatible.


...He has had reliable results with that setup, but it was not fast enough for me.   Additionally, I have experienced some problems powering drives via USB when not connected directly to a power source, and I also wanted a larger capacity then the drives he recommended. ...  It is a drive array that is powered via FW400, it is very small and light weight, and it connects via eSATA. ...  At the time I bought it, 640GB was the largest offering they had, but now I believe that they go up to 1TB.   The drive can function as an array (where it shows as one drive) or a two separate drives.   Since redundancy is imperative in the tapeless workflow, I use the drives as two separate 320GB drives and make a copy of all of the footage to each drive.   (And I&rsquo;ll replace these drives with SSD at a future date to increase the speed as well as decrease the power needs.)   The cables that come with this drive are the standard eSATA cables which work great if you have a lot of space to use them in, but not the greatest in tight spaces as they are stiff.   Fortunately the people over at Cool Drives offer a very flexible eSATA cable that is perfect for this application.   You&rsquo;ll need these cables in order to not put strain on the F2 or on the Expresscard when they are in use.   In keeping with the theme of speed, I also found a FW800 CF card reader.   While it is not as fast as eSATA, it is faster then USB2 and it allows me to transfer the CF cards as quick as possible.   Because the CF card reader is FW800, this is the one bottle neck in the system- the eSATA can only transfer as quickly as it gets information from the CF card reader.


...It makes the viewing of the laptop screen much more manageable- especially when out in the field on a sunny day, or on those occasions that you feel like editing in a park. ...  Because of the way the FW400 connection is on the MacBook Pro, you&rsquo;ll actually need to buy the Up Angle FW400 cable.   If you buy the Down Angle FW400 cable it will actually be an up angle, and not work correctly in this application.   For the FW800 cable, you need to use the custom cable creation option at USBFIREWIRE to create a FW800 Extension cable that has a down angle 9 pin Male to a 9 pin Female panel mount cord.   And since it is being custom made, you might as well have it made as short as possible, which is why I went with 6 inches. ...  First it saves room in the case allowing everything to fit, and secondly it takes the strain off of the ports, ensuring that they will last longer and not become damaged. 

...After putting all of these items together I have a completely mobile editing station that allow the fastest transfer of CF cards possible, quick access to the footage on the hard drives, and I can operate without the need for an external power source.   The two things that I&rsquo;ll add at a future date will be additional MacBook Pro Batteries and a Battery Charger / Conditioner.


...After looking around for cases, the majority of cases that i found would only fit a 15&rdquo; Laptop, which would not work for me. ...  (If you are a DVXuser or Reduser member he offers a discount on the case- it is always great to save some money. ...  I prefer for everything to travel as set up as possible so that there is minimal connecting and disconnecting of cables.   So in order to have enough room for the Express card to connect I removed the inner organizer that was on the upper lid.   (It connects via velcro, which was perfect, as I put velcro on the CF card reader and I had an instant place to connect it to.)   The laptop now rides on top of the foam allowing the Express card to easily be connected, and the FW cables stay connected as long as the latop remains in the case.   (There is enough clearance in the upper lid to allow for both the CF card reader and extra space for the laptop to not be affected.)


...The Fusion F2 is small enough to fit into one of those cut outs leaving the second area available for the storage of the black stinger.   (I was able to find an 8&rsquo; black stinger for a couple of bucks at Target, unfortunately they do not show it online, but it is similar to the one that I linked to above.)   Also, with the help of my AC, Jerry Turner, (Thanks, Jerry.) we drilled a hole and installed a power outlet that enables me to plug in the laptop should external power be available.   He was also able to find a recessed male connection that works much better then the one that I have linked to above. since it is recessed, there is a lot less potential for damage. ...  If you plan on swimming with your laptop, then I would recommend that you not make this modification to the case. ...  After cutting a couple of slits in the foam I was able to feed all of the cable to their respective places.


I should also note that initially I left the foam padding as it was and just let the laptop ride on top. ...  So to fix this I took apart all of the foam inserts for the upper laptop portion and then used Gorilla Glue to fasten them back together. 

...All you could need for mobile editing and backup of your Red One footage.   It should also be noted, that this application will also work with the Red Drive as it also connects via FW800. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>DIY &#x22;Dim-able&#x22; Kino&#x27;s</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>Equipment</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2009-03-02T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Kino.html#unique-entry-id-38</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Kino.html#unique-entry-id-38</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I wish that I could take full credit for this project, but as I was just following the design of David Tejada I must give the credit to him.   However, I did make a modification to his design, and I am providing step-by-step instructions on how to make your own DIY Kino-Flo Lights.   So if you are interested to find out how you can make your own &ldquo;Dim-able&rdquo; Kino&rsquo;s then read on.


*UPDATE: See how to create a bank of lights here: DIY KINO UPDATE.


...If you want all of the functionality / flexibility of a Kino, then you&rsquo;ll need to buy a Kino-Flo.   If, however, you are looking for an affordable 4&rsquo; soft light that can be &ldquo;dimmed&rdquo; then this solution will work for you.


Also, please forgive the quality of the pictures, All I had on hand at the time was a little point and shoot digital camera...


...Lithonia Lighting Diamond Plate Utility Light $30


This light is more reflective then the standard utility light due to the diamond plating.   It should also be noted that Home Depot&rsquo;s online system is not very reliable.   When I clicked to see if any were available at my local store it said that they were not, and further more that they could only be bought online.   I went to the store anyway, and found an ample supply of them.   So disregard what it says online, and go see for yourself.


...Avenger F805 Baby Wall Plate - 6&rdquo; Stem $14


In the build that David did, he chose to use 3&rdquo; Stems- which will work just fine if you desire to use just one light on one stand.   But if you want to group two lights on one stand, then I&rsquo;d recommend getting the 6&rdquo; stem.   You&rsquo;ll see why later...


3. 4x Bolts, nuts, & washers.   Slightly bigger then 1/8&rdquo; $1


Sorry, I have no clue what size the bolts, nuts, and washers were.   They were just extras that I had on hand.   I do know that they were slightly bigger then 1/8&rdquo; as the drill bit that I used was 1/8&rdquo; and the bolts had to be threaded through in order to fit.


...4. 2x Florescent Bulbs T12 base 4&rsquo; long. 

...This is where the choice is going to rest with you.   I would recommend getting the highest wattage, highest output, highest CRI bulbs that you can.   At Home Depot those were bulbs that were 40w, 2200 Lumens, and 92 CRI.   They ran $10 each, and you&rsquo;ll need two of them per light.   There are cheaper ones that you can get for $2 each...   (Also, my preference is to get Daylight balanced bulbs 5000k or 6500k, but that is because I&rsquo;m shooting on the Red.)


...Un-box the light and remove the two screws that are holding the reflector to the ballast.   (They are located on either end of the light.)


...Set the reflector a side and make room to flip the ballast over.   (The reflector will still be attached by the light switch, but you will still have enough room to flip the ballast over.


...Now measure the ballast box and center the plate on the box.   For mine I found that placing the plate at 22&rdquo; from either side placed me at the exact center.


...Now mark the holes using the plate, and then with the appropriate drill bit (1/8&rdquo; in my case) drill the holes. 

...Screw in the bolts, and then add the washers and the bolts.   If your bolts were slightly bigger then the holes (like mine) then your need to thread the holes by gently forcing them through.   But as it is a thin metal, it should not take much effort.


...Repeat this process for as many lights as you have. and you are now done. 

...So how do I attach more then one light to one stand? ...  That is why I had you use the 6&rdquo; pins.   You&rsquo;ll need one short arm and grip head to complete the mounting, but if you mount it this way, they will function as one light that will rotate as one.   And now since you have two lights next to each other you now have a &ldquo;dim-able&rdquo; light or more correctly selectable banks, as you can turn on all four, or just two bulbs to get the light output you want.   To attach both lights to one stand follow the pictures below: (The long stem allows you to attach the extra head and arm to the back of the stem.)


Now that you have a 4 bank, &ldquo;dim-able&rdquo; Kino, get out there and shoot!   in a future post I&rsquo;ll be sharing what this light looks like in action.   If you are currious about the photo-metrics of this light, here they are:


...<div class="js-kit-comments" permalink=""></div>


<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sekonic - Learn From The Pros</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Review</category><category>Red One</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2009-02-25T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Ryan_on_Sekonic.html#unique-entry-id-37</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Ryan_on_Sekonic.html#unique-entry-id-37</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This past November I finally received the Red One camera that I had on backorder for over 6 long months.   One of the first things that I like to do with any new camera system is to put it through it&rsquo;s paces and various tests to see how it will perform.   After ordering and receiving the latest Profile chart from Sekonic (Version 2) I decided to profile the newly acquired Red One.   (You can view the process and my results at this post I made in November: RED - Profiling the Sekonic L-758c .)   What I did not count on was a new relationship that would develop as a result of the testing that I was performing.   As I was doing the testing, I found out that the current version of the software was designed with photographers in mind, and as such, they did not have settings for cinema use within the profile software.   So after doing some reach and posting questions online, I was eventually contacted by Phil.   (He is the dapper looking gentlemen in the blue shirt on the lower video.).   Phil was very helpful in guiding me through shooting the chart, and then processing the stilling using the software.


And it was after this exchange that Phil asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for a video for use on their website.   I was honored by the invitation and gladly accepted.   After arranging a time for the phone call it was just a matter of sitting down one morning and having a fairly easy conversation about my work, and use with the Sekonic L-758c.   And I&rsquo;m happy with how the final piece turned out.   Although I don&rsquo;t think you can tell by my voice in the interview- I was a bit nervous.   My comfortable place is always to be behind the lens, out of the spotlight, so when the spotlight is put on me, it feels unusual.   The interview did go smoothly, and they did a great job of editing it all down to something useful.   (I&rsquo;ve noticed that when I am nervous I tend to talk too much- so some poor editor somewhere had their work cut out for them.   :) )


Anyway, I hope that you find the following video useful on why it is important to use a meter- even in the digital age.   Enjoy!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A Gift For the New Year</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-12-24T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/A_Gift_for_the_New_Year.html#unique-entry-id-36</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/A_Gift_for_the_New_Year.html#unique-entry-id-36</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As a cinematographer it is very important to always be learning, watching, experimenting, reading, and even listening about all things related to the field.   That is why I started my Resource Page that not only has links to various tools but it also has links to the various books and DVD&rsquo;s that I have found helpful over the years.   And it is in this spirit of helping to provide you with useful resources for furthering your own education that I thought I would provide you with a list of the podcasts that I listen to that are related to cinematography.


At last count I have subscribed to 14 podcasts, half of which are related to my profession.   If you do not already listen to podcasts, I highly recommend that you do.   You do not need an iPod to listen to them - just iTunes or QuickTime (which are both free).   There are many other media players that will play these as well if you do not want to use either of the aforementioned programs.   Listening to podcasts is a great way to keep up on what is going on and learn new information that helps shape my work.   And what better way to spend a long car or plane ride to a location then by listening to some of the great cinematographers of the ASC?   I have added the list below to my resource page, and will be updating that list as I find more useful podcasts.   So this is my gift to you this Christmas and New Year season - Enjoy!


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


Great Podcasts to subscribe to:


American Cinematographer


Conversations on Cinematography


Image Method


Red Centre


The Grip Guide


Chase Jarvis Photography


Movie Geeks United


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Why Shoot On The RED?</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Red One</category><category>Review</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-12-23T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Why_Red.html#unique-entry-id-35</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Why_Red.html#unique-entry-id-35</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[So what is the big deal with this Red One camera anyway?   Isn&rsquo;t it just a lot of hype?   Isn&rsquo;t shooting at 1080p good enough?   These are all great questions that should be looked at and considered before you shoot your next project.   In an effort to provide some clarity on the issue I have come up with 18 reasons that shooting on the Red One will benefit your production - even if the final delivery format is the web.   Originally this was just going to be a blog post, but when I was done with it I realized that I needed to devote it to its own page.   So if you want to know why the Red One is so beneficial, then you can check it out all the details on my WHY RED?   page.


But before you head over to that page here are a couple of notes that I thought were worth mentioning:


1.   A camera is just a camera.


While the more I shoot with the Red the more sold on it I become, in the end it is just a camera.   What you put in front of the camera will have a bigger effect on the final results then the format you shoot with.   If you have great lighting design, talent, script, and locations your images will look better shot on miniDV then if you have horrible lighting, talent, script and location and then shoot that on the Red.   (Your images will be technically better with the Red, but last I checked no one went to go see a movie because it was only technically good.)   However, all things being equal, shooting on a better camera system will yield better results and allow for greater creativity.


2.  The devil is in the details.


Something that I found interesting when processing the images for this write up was the results of the detail comparison.   In that sample image both cameras were focused on the center figure holding the word &ldquo;love&rdquo;.   The Sony video camera by it&rsquo;s very nature has a greater depth of field so more of the image is in relative focus.   Whereas the Red has a shallow, film depth of field.   What this means is in theory the part of the image that has been blown up should be &ldquo;sharper&rdquo; in the Sony sample then in the Red sample.   (The part that was blown up is behind the focal plane, and thus more out of focus on the Red.)   However, as you can see by the results even though the Red sample is technically softer due to the shallow depth of field the camera has it still retains all of its detail.   The lower resolution of the 1080p image shot by the Sony camera just cannot retain the detail even though it is technically more in focus.


I hope you find the write up useful.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy 03</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Lighting</category><category>Red One</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-12-12T08:01:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Beauty_and_Extreme_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-34</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Beauty_and_Extreme_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-34</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[In the two stock footage samples that I posted recently (Red Beauty & Sports Promo) I promised to detail out the lighting setup used for these shoots. ...  I have made lighting diagrams to help visualize the setup better as well as provided a couple Behind The Scenes (BTS) stills from the shoot. 

...I began the day by hanging up the muslin against the back wall and then laying it on the floor to create my black (and white for the Red Beauty shoot) infinity studio space.   I then placed 2 1.2k HMI Pars on opposite corners of the set making sure that each beam hit the center of the room.   The barn doors were used to help keep the light off the background and then 4x4 floppies were used on the inside of each light.   Finally 4x4 frames of 250 diffusion were placed in front of each light.   The talent then could preform their action in the middle of the studio and the camera was placed on an 8&rsquo; jib for the duration of the shoot.


...(As a side note- the blue furny pad that you see pictured is for helping to catch the soccer ball and later the tennis ball. 

...Going into this shoot I knew that I wanted the final result to be a very graphic look - one that emphasized form and movement.   To accomplish this I chose to go with a set of 3 1.2k HMI&rsquo;s.   Unfortunately one of the ballasts was D.O.A so I did not get a chance to play with the third light, but for this shoot it would have been overkill. ...  When using a bigger light from further away not only is the spread of light bigger, but it is more consistent and even in its drop off.   Since I would be working with very active subjects I wanted to have an even light spread around their frame of action.


The next thing I decided to control was the quality of light that would be hitting them.   While I did want a graphic look, (one which a hard light would give me) I did want the light to wrap around the subject a little bit and help provide a little bit of fill.   So to take some of the edge off of the light I placed 4x4 frames of 250 diffusion in front of each of the lights. ...  Placing the frames close to the light means that the light would be softened some, but would still retain some of it&rsquo;s original punch.   (If I wanted more softness and less punch I could move the frame further away from the light.)


...To get rich blacks not only do you have to expose properly, but you have to control the spill correctly.   To control the spill first i used the barn doors on the lights to get the spill in the rough area I wanted it.   But that was not enough, there was still some light falling on the background making it a milky black. ...  So to stop the spill from hitting the back wall I placed a 4x4 floppy on the inside of each light. 

...With my lights set in place I was able to get the hard edge with a slight wrap for the graphic look that I wanted to achieve for this shoot. 

...For this shoot the black muslin was changed out for the white muslin and then I repositioned the lights accordingly.   A single 1.2k HMI PAR with a soft lens was used to light the majority of the wall from about a 45 degree angle.   The second 1.2k HMI with a soft lens was used for the key light and was placed at about a 45 degree angle from the camera.   A 4x4 frame of 250 was placed in front of the key light and then an open single and an open double were placed to the left side of the light cutting down the foreground.   A 150w HMI with 250 was placed as a key side fill coming from almost the same position as the camera.   A second 150w HMI was hung high and pointed down to act as the hair light. and again the camera remained on the 8&rsquo; job for the shoot.


...My preference would have been to light the white muslin with two 1.2k HMI&rsquo;s and use the third as the key light.   But since this was not an option, I had to use one of the 2 1.2k HMI&rsquo;s to do double duty...


To light the muslin I added a soft lens to the 1.2k HMI and pointed it towards the wall. ...  I experimented with adding a frame of diffusion in, but that cut my light down to far. ...  The second 1.2k HMI helps to supplement this light and finish off the the back wall.


...In opposition to the last lighting setup, I wanted this to be even, pleasing, soft beauty lighting.   To soften the key light I added in a soft lens to the 1.2k HMI and placed a frame of diffusion to further soften the light.   If the third light was working I would have spaced out the frame and the light so that it would have been even softer, but as it was I still needed some of that punch in the light to help over expose the back wall.   To help me further separate the background from the foreground in exposure I placed a single and a double open net so that it cut 3 stops of exposure to the talent. ...  (An Open Net is one that does not have a hard edge on the side of the frame. 

...As we were lighting the talent, Jerry suggested that we try an old Hollywood glamor lighting trick - to use a key side fill.   A key side fill is one that comes from the same side as the key and it gently wraps around to the fill side of the subject.   This flattens out the lighting and helps to hide any wrinkles or blemishes that may be present - and was a must for many leading ladies of earlier films.   This was a great suggestion as it was in keeping with the look and feel that I was after, so we went with it. 

...Finally, it was time to help add some separation to the talent and the background.    The 150w HMI hair light helped to give a bit of an edge to the talent as well as to the white cloth that she was playing with.   Not only would this help to provide separation from the white background, but it would also help me later when I was grading the footage as I need the separation to keep the detail in white cloth. 

...While it was not imperative for this shoot to be on a jib, having it on a jib allowed me to do two things which in the end really added to the success of the shoot.   First it allowed me to add some extra movement to the shots making for a more dynamic feel. ...  This allowed me to keep to a tight schedule and get what I needed without a lot of lost time in changing setups.   So consider your options on your next shoot- is there a solution that will both help inspire your creativity and vision as well as help cut time - if so that will go a long way in making for a successful shoot.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Sports Shoot - Stock Footage</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Stock Footage</category><dc:date>2008-12-12T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Sports_Stock_Footage.html#unique-entry-id-33</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Sports_Stock_Footage.html#unique-entry-id-33</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Almost two weeks ago I coordinated a stock footage shoot using the Red One and filming at high frames rates.   Below you can view a selection of the clips that I edited together from the sports collection.   You can view the beauty series at the flowing post: PART 01.   I am working on the write up of the lighting used and will be posting that shortly.   (You&rsquo;ll be able to find it under post 03 of the Lighting Alchemy series on my blog.)   With this series I decided to really push the color grade, as I wanted an extreme look to the final images.   Enjoy!


Footage from this shoot is available for purchase on my Stock Footage Page.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Comments Are Active&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-12-11T20:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Comments_Are_Active.html#unique-entry-id-32</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Comments_Are_Active.html#unique-entry-id-32</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As many of you can probably guess I am not a web designer.   A real shocker - I know.   Over the years maintaining and designing a web site has been a bit of a challenge, as I want something that will do the job right and be easy for me to update and change at a moments notice.   It was suggested to me recently that I move from the limited iWeb application over to RapidWeaver.   And I can&rsquo;t say how much that has benefited me.   It is easy to use, and most importantly I can update and change things as often as I wish.   (I&rsquo;m sure that a web designer would be pulling their hair out in frustration by now with the amount of revisions I&rsquo;ve done...)


Anyway, one of the features that I have wanted to have on my site is the ability to leave comments on my blog entries.   And now after doing some research and signing up for a free service from Haloscan everyone now has the ability to leave comments on my blog.   So have at it.   :)


(Now I&rsquo;m on to entering all of the useful metadata and other tags....)


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Waveform VS Light Meter</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>Equipment</category><category>Cinematography</category><dc:date>2008-12-11T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Meters_VS_Waveforms.html#unique-entry-id-31</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Meters_VS_Waveforms.html#unique-entry-id-31</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[(The following response is in response to a question I received about using a light meter or a waveform.   I&rsquo;m posting my response here in hopes that it will help to inform you on your monitoring descisions.)


Waveform monitors are great tools, and very handy to have on set.   The Red One actually can provide a waveform output on screen.   (But it is no where near as useful as a real waveform.)   If you have the time, the tools, and the ability to use a waveform that can be a handy way to go.


However, with that said I prefer a meter over a waveform for the following reasons:


1.   Setup / power- A meter is a quick and easy tool to setup and use.   I do not have to lug a heavy monitor that I have to figure out how to power and then have to cable into the setup.   This is something that will never happen on the Doc's that I shoot- where we want / need to be quick in order to follow the story.


 


2.   Ease of use- I always have my meter on me.   It is a quick and easy thing to whip out and take the needed readings.   I do not have to go back to video village to see what is going on.   I can also take the meter with me on location scouts and meter the scene without having to build up a camera and waveform monitor to see what is going on.


3.   Ratio's & compensation- A waveform will tell you you where different values fall from 0 - 100, but it doesn't tell you as easily what your ratios are.   Nor does it help in communicating those numbers to the rest of the crew.   I can tell my gaffer that I want the fill light to be at 100 foot candles at 20' and he can place it accordingly.   Or I can say that I want to be working at a 5.6 with a 3:1 ratio.   This is something easily done with a meter, but not a waveform.   Also, if I want my key to fill ratio to be a 4:1 to figure that out on a waveform is very cumbersome, but it is quick and easy with a meter.   (Especially one like the Sekonic L758c.)   Lastly, my meter can quickly and easily tell me how much a I need to filter a light or my camera in order to get it where I want.   Or I can dial in filter factors to see where an exposure would fall if I were to use it.   These are both things that you cannot do with a waveform.


4.   Purpose- The waveform is really only a valuable tool for myself, as most of the other people on set do not know how to read it, nor do they care.   I prefer to operate the camera and be behind the lens, so adding a monitor that I have to go back and look at would slow things down and not allow me to do my job the way I prefer.


Waveforms are great for overall scene reading and for general exposure, but for the reasons above I will always prefer my meter over a waveform.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Red Beauty - Stock Footage</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Stock Footage</category><dc:date>2008-12-05T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_Red_Beauty.html#unique-entry-id-30</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_Red_Beauty.html#unique-entry-id-30</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Almost two weeks ago I coordinated a stock footage shoot using the Red One and filming at high frames rates.   I have finished processing the first set of footage and I am moving on to Part 02.   Instead of waiting until I was completely done with everything and posting the final videos as well as a write up on the lighting I thought that I would share this teaser video with you.   Enjoy!   (And check back soon for part 02 as well as for the write up of the shoot.)


Footage from this shoot is available for purchase on my Stock Footage Page.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>GOAL&#x21;&#x21;&#x21; 4k Soccer.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-12-02T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Soccer_In_4k.html#unique-entry-id-29</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Soccer_In_4k.html#unique-entry-id-29</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This past weekend I made my way down to Kaiser, Oregon to shoot a spot and series of training videos for Tekk Soccer Goals.   For this production, which was produced by Lyon Films, we needed to rent the Angenieux 25mm - 250mm HR T3.5 zoom lens, 64&rsquo; of straight dolly track, and a 20&rsquo; diameter circular dolly track.   We used my Red One and the rentals came from Koerner Camera (Lens package & accessories) and Picture This (Dolly & Lighting package.).   With a very long day, and a tight schedule to keep, this production was all about the prep.


In prep for the shoot, director Devon Lyon and I made a trip down to the field to scout out the location and choose the shooting angles.   Knowing that we would not have a lot of time to move the camera around we opted for shooting on a zoom lens as opposed to primes.   This saved us from the time it would have taken to change lenses during the shoot.   In addition, having the 64&rsquo; of straight track allowed us considerable freedom of movement - making for very dynamic shots - perfect for a sports promo.


The Angenieux 25mm - 250mm HR T3.5


The 20&rsquo; Diameter Circular Dolly


The 64&rsquo; Straight Dolly


According to the forecast all week leading up to the shoot we were expecting sunshine.   However, on the day of the shoot we were stuck in a fog bank for the entire day.   It added a unique look to the shoot, but it was not what we had expected.   It also meant that I was not going to get a chance to test out the ND&rsquo;s and the IR filter that I had ordered in anticipation of the sunshine.


Setting up in the fog.


Shooting in the fog.


Metering in the fog.


Dollying & Data Management in the fog.


Did I mention it was foggy?   :) This shoot was the first time I had used the 25mm - 250mm lens and I was very happy with how it performed.   It was silky smooth in all of its rotation, (Unlike the original Red Lens which is very chunky) and while there was some breathing in the lens, we were not doing a lot static pulls to that was minimized with the camera movement.   It is a beast of a lens, requiring rail support as well as a 6 x 6 matte box and the accompanying sized filters.   The end of the lens is 138mm so while it would work with the Redrock Micro Mattebox that I have, the rail support is a 15mm studio offset - a size that I do not currently have.   However, the Arri MB14 mattebox that we used was amazing - the fine adjustments it has made it easy to get setup on the lens.


This was also the first time that I had used this much straight dolly track.   The people at Picture This were great about getting together the order, as it was beyond what they had currently in stock.   And I&rsquo;m glad that we got every inch that we did, as we ended up using the entire length.   (Nothing like having the length of a soccer field to cover.)   The grips did a great job at setting up the track, and having the professional field to lay track on helped out considerably as it was fairly level to begin with.   Tom Hanson, our key grip, was great about pushing Jerry Turner and I back and fourth on the track - I&rsquo;m sure he is feeling it now...   Thanks Tom.   :)


Overall, having the equipment that we had, as well as the crew to set it up and operate it went a long way to keeping us on schedule and getting what we needed in the can.   And for the entire day we only experienced two tech problems, which were both quickly resolved.   (Not bad for a Red Shoot.)   The first was that the Red LCD was only displaying the blue channel.   (Which was fixed by re-patching it.)   And the second was a computer freeze.   (Which was resolved by restarting it. in retrospect I think that the computer was over worked as we were dumping cards and transcoding the footage at the same time.   A bit much for a laptop.)   But for all that we had to accomplish, these were very minor tech problems.


If you would like to see more (and larger) behind the scenes pictures from the shoot, check out my photo page.   And a special thanks to Hunter Richards for taking the photos as well as wrangling all the data for the shoot.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy 02</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-11-29T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Green_Screen_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-28</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Green_Screen_Lighting.html#unique-entry-id-28</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Lighting for Green Screen - What could be more fun then playing with puppets? ...  The concept was to shoot a couple of political humor spots using puppets shot against green screen. ...  Not only did I get a chance to practice my lighting skills for green screen, but I also got to try my hand at puppeteering- and let me tell you my skills are much better suited behind the camera ;).   (Operating a puppet is not as easy at is looks, I&rsquo;ve got a new found respect for puppeteers.)   When lighting green screen there are two challenges that need to be taken into account. ...  I&rsquo;ll be tackling each of those challenges in this edition of Lighting Alchemy, so lets get to it...


...For this particular setup we were in Lyon Film&rsquo;s studio which is roughly 25&rsquo; x 50&rsquo;.   The green screen is a foam backed chroma green material that was hung off of two stands and a cross bar which was positioned against the far wall.   Two 150w HMI&rsquo;s from Cool Lights were placed opposite from each other at a 45 degree angle to the screen. 

...The first thing you want to do when lighting any green screen is to get the screen as far away from the talent as possible.   This will minimize any green spill on the talent making for an easer time in post when you pull the key.   To accomplish that, I made sure that we set the screen at the far end of the studio, making use of the entire length of the studio.   Having lots of room to separately light the screen and then light the talent makes this process very easy. 

...The goal when lighting any green screen is to get a nice even illumination across the screen.   To help me achieve this, first I chose two lights that were of equal wattage - two 150w HMI&rsquo;s. ...  Of the two light sources that I was going to be using (Tungsten & Daylight) they were the closest to in color to green. ...  Next I placed these lights at an even distance and angle from the screen. ...  However, to ensure that I had an even exposure I placed diffusion in font of each light. ...  Using the frames of diffusion (in this case two silks) turned the spread of each source into a bigger area creating even illumination.   When I metered the screen in both spot and incident there was no variation- even down to the 1/10 of a stop.   If you find that you do have a variation of 1/10 of a stop, that is ok as that much of a difference will not hurt you.


...Here are two additional tips for getting a better green from your green screen:


...And since they are a naturally soft source it is easy to get an even spread from them.


...Depending on the wattage you are using this may or may not be a viable option.   While the filters help increase the green output of the light, they do decrease the total light out put.   The filters you need for this are: Lee 738 or Lee 138. (738 is better but it cuts the light output more then the 138.)


...Having relegated the daylight balanced lights to the green screen, this left me with a set of tungsten lights to use on the talent.   For this setup I had a basic 3 point lighting kit that consisted of 2x 500w soft boxes and a 250w lowell pro-light. ...  While I did have four different lighting setups to get for this shoot, I kept the basic theory the same for each of them.   The 250w pro-light acted as the rim light, a 500w soft box was the key, and the flex fill was my fill light. ...  Also, it should be noted that for one scene a puppet was watching TV.   To help sell the effect I used the 250w pro-light with 1/2 CTB to act as my TV light.   This light was pointed into the puppets face and then turned up and down to mimic the glow of a TV set.   (I would have liked to use full CTB, but the light output of the 250w was not strong enough to read on the puppets face with the full CTB.)   When settings the exposure and lighting the scenes I made sure that my talent was roughly 1 - 1.5 stops brighter then the green screen.


...The biggest consideration when lighting the talent against green screen is to determine what the background will look like.   You need to know where the light will be coming from in the scene, and what the volume of light will looks like - is it day, is it night ... etc.   For this shoot we did not have the specific background plates picked out before hand, but we did know what they were going to be and feel like. ...  All of the scenes were to take place during the day and they would have a high key / comedic look to them. ...  Since it was a comedic shoot I wanted the lighting to be light and airy- reflective of the humor of the shoot.   (Had it been lit dramatically and highly stylized the lighting would have been fighting the style of the piece and sending a mixed message.   ) And using the tungsten lights helped to give the talent a warmer look to further reinforce the comedic feel that I was after.


Placement of the key and fill lights were determined by where the light source would be in the background plates.   Since they were not picked out, and I wanted each location to look a little different I chose to set the key and fill on opposite sides for each scene.   I chose to use the pro light as my rim light to give the puppets a hard edge of light around the puppet.   This was done more as a technical consideration as it would help to separate the puppet from the green screen and remove any green spill from the puppet.   For the TV scene the classic gag to sell the viewing of the TV is to flicker a light to simulate the glow of the TV, and I felt it was appropriate to use it here to help reinforce the final environment the puppet would be in.


...To further help remove any green spill there may be on the talent a minus green (magenta) filter can be placed on the rim light.   This will help to cancel out any green that may be spilling on to the talent- especially if you do not have a lot of room to separate them from the green screen.


...(It should be noted that Jerry Turner did a great job at comp&rsquo;ing together the final images from this shoot.)  ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED - False Color Chart For Your LCD</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2008-11-20T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/False_Color_Chart_For_Your_LCD.html#unique-entry-id-27</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/False_Color_Chart_For_Your_LCD.html#unique-entry-id-27</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


Just in case you haven&rsquo;t caught on yet from the various posts I have made in my blog, organization and ease of use are important to me.   Being organized and having a quick and easy way to access that information goes a long way in the middle of a hectic schedule.   So these latest blog posts have been covering the various things that I have been doing to make life easer when on set and shooting on the Red.   And this quick and dirty entry is the same - an additional tool to make life easier.


One of the viewing options that the Red One camera gives is a false color mode.   In this mode the camera maps different exposures to various colors.   For example: 18% (middle grey) gets mapped to green, and skin tones get mapped to pink.   (I know, not very politically correct huh?)   That is all well and good, but what about purple, the different shades of blue, yellow, red .... and what if you do not want the exposure values, but rather you want to know where the colors fall in IRE?   Well, fortunately in the Red manual they do provide an exposure guide to the colors, but who wants to riffle through that in the middle of a shoot?   (And the guide does not provide IRE values.)   To make remembering this chart easier, and for quick reference I put together this PDF and sized it so that it will fit exactly on the lower portion of the Red 5.6&rdquo; LCD.   Print, Cut and tape and you will always be able to quickly reference the exposure values and the IRE values for the false color meter on the Red camera.   Enjoy!


DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


P.S.   - I also updated the RED Menu check list, it has now been arranged into a one page form with room for additional notes.   You can download it by going to the POST that I made about the form.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED - Menu Check List</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2008-11-14T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Red_One_Check_List.html#unique-entry-id-26</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Red_One_Check_List.html#unique-entry-id-26</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


Organization is key.   And no where is this more crucial them in the camera department.   I spent some time recently online researching various forms people have put together for the Red One- and there are a lot of them out there.   There was one form that I was particularly impressed with- it was a menu setup check list made by XL Films.   Of all the various versions I found, theirs was the closest to being what I needed.   They had the right idea and format, I just needed to add a couple of lines, and make the form completely digital.   So after spending some time learning how to create forms in Acrobat, I have made a version that can be filled out electronically, saved, and archived along with the footage which means that all of the camera settings will be preserved and easily referenced at a moments notice.   I&rsquo;ll be updating this form and refining it as I use it more in the field.   Right now I have some of the fields pre-filled in with information that should stay relatively the same, which should speed the process along.


The only gotcha is that I am having trouble saving the document after making modifications- Acrobat doesn&rsquo;t want to let me save it with the changes.   Fortunately I have figured out a work around that solves the problem.   Here is how you do it if you are on a mac: Open the PDF in Preview and complete the form.   Once all changes have been made,  go to FILE - PRINT.   When the print menu comes up, select the option SAVE AS PDF.   (It is in the lower left hand corner).   Then just rename the PDF with the project title and save the document.   Enjoy!


DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED - &#x24;3.25 DIY Base Plate </title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Red One</category><category>How To</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2008-11-13T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Baseplate_for_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-25</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Baseplate_for_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-25</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[&ldquo;You either have time, or you have money.&rdquo; the old adage goes.   And after plunking down a significant chunk of change for the Red One, that this point I have more time then money.   And as I&rsquo;m always up for trying to build or make something with my own two hands making a base plate for the RED One that would accommodate a 15mm rail mount was just up my alley.   Before embarking on this endeavor I had tried using the Redrock Micro cheese plate that I already had.   Unfortunately it was not big enough and further more the rails were to low for the matte box and the follow focus to work correctly.   So another option had to be devised ...


This leads me to this past tuesday when I called my 1st AC, Jerry Turner.   (In addition to being a great AC, Jerry is handy with making things from metal, as demonstrated by his universal idler gear that he designed and manufactured.)   We met up over at his place and began the process of figuring out the dimensions of the base plate, and then building it.   The toughest part of this DIY project was the measurements- as once that is figured out it is a simple matter of executing the plans.   I have included the plans below as well as sample pictures of the base plate.   Our local hardware store sells scrap aluminum for $6.50 per pound, and they were even willing to cut the piece for us.   Coming in at 0.5 lbs, this project only cost $3.25 in supplies.   If you do not have some of the tools already, you&rsquo;ll need to buy those, and if you want to had a 15mm rod mount you can by that piece from Redrock Micro directly.


The Plans:


...Aluminum plate (1/4&rdquo; x 7&rdquo; x 3 5/16&rdquo;)


2.   Redrock Micro 15mm Rail mount (If you do not already have one.)


The directions are as follows:


1.   Cut the metal down to the needed size.   (Or have the Hardware Store do it for you.)


2.   Drill 2 holes up top to mount the 15mm rod plate.


...Drill 2 holes for the mount to the camera. and then counter sync them to get them as flat as possible to the plate.


...Drill 2 holes for the tripod plat to mount to the base plate, and then tap (thread) them.   (It is best to find where the center of gravity is on your camera and then drill the holes in that area.)


...Sand the edges to smooth it all out.


...Paint it and call it good.


Couldn&rsquo;t get any easier. 

...Tools you&rsquo;ll need:


1.   Small metal drill bit.   (Sorry I don&rsquo;t remember the size, it is for the rail mount.)


2. 1/4 - 20 metal drill bit and tap.


...Counter sync.


...Electric drill.


...Metal cutting saw.   (If you are not able to have the store cut it for you.)


...Grinding Stone Drill Bit.   (This can be found in the sand paper isle.)


...Drill Press.   (Not absolutely needed, but it will make your job a lot easier.   We did not use one.)


...(To hold the metal while you drill and cut it.)


The final pictures are below - enjoy!


(By the way, the plate mounts to the camera with the rail mount pointed up.   See the second picture below.)


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED - Profiling the Sekonic L-758c</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Equipment</category><category>Red One</category><category>Review</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-11-10T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Sekonic_Profile_For_The_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-24</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Sekonic_Profile_For_The_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-24</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Since the advent of digital acquisition many people are of the opinion that light meters are no longer needed.   After all, just fire up the camera and see what you are going to get.   However, I think that now more than ever meters are needed in digital cinema, specifically with cameras like the Red One.   Film has amazing latitude, and its roll off into the highlights can be very forgiving.   In the digital world, once you clip your highlights they are gone, no software can recover information that doesn&rsquo;t exist.   Furthermore, having a properly calibrated meter opens up a whole new world of learning, communication, and flexibility that you just cannot get any other way.   For example it is not always feasible or advisable to bring your camera along and set it up when you are scouting locations.   Having a properly calibrated meter will allow you to take quick and accurate readings allowing you to figure out what the light levels are and what you need to supplement them.   The meter will also allow you to quickly read and evaluate ratios and levels within a given scene- so you do not have to guess where a specific value falls, or do calculations in your head.   The meter can take the readings and do the calculations for you.   And finally, the meter will allow you to communicate specific measurements that can be told to the rest of you lighting crew, and notated for future reference should you ever have to come back and relight a given scene.   At a bare minimum I would recommend getting an incident meter.   And I would strongly recommend that you get a meter that offers both incident and spot metering, like the Sekonic L-758c.   If you are good at snatching items on Ebay, you can get one of these meters for in-between $400 - $600.   (Buyer beware of purchasing off of Ebay- many of the meters on Ebay are the japanese versions which means that they will not work with the flash module should you purchase it at a future date.)   Be sure to get the &ldquo;c&rdquo; model as it offers additional features that are important to the cinematographer that are not available with the &ldquo;dr&rdquo; model which is geared for stills.   The last thing I would recommend getting is a properly calibrated test chart.   In this case it would be the Sekonic Profile Target II (Cat. ...  If you get version 2 of the chart you will only have to shoot 3 test images as opposed to the 11 images if you use version 1. 

...With meter, chart, and camera in hand it is now time to shoot a series of test images to calibrate the meter to the camera.   For a step by step guide on how to shoot the test images I recommend checking out the tutorial video on Sekonic&rsquo;s Site.   Following the method as outlined by Phil Bradon, I shot a series of test in Tungsten, HMI, and Daylight.   Phil Bradon was very helpful with providing input and guidance to me in the process of completing these tests.   As of this writing (11/10/02008) the Sekonic software version 2 for processing the images does not support a shutter of 180 degrees at 24 fps (or 1/48).   The only options are for 1/60 or 1/30, both of which are slightly off of ideal.   To compensate for that difference Phil helped me to figure out other frame rates and their corresponding shutter speed in the software.   After spending a full day shooting tests, another full day processing the images and creating the profiles, and then some additional time evaluating the results I have created.   If you want to download the profiles, test notes, and sample charts you can do so here (6MB): Sekonic Profile for the Red One.   The profiles that i have provided contain no additional processing to them.   Because the images from the Red One can be manipulated in any fashion, I would recommend that you use the original Red RAW files to create your own profile if you find that you are adding your own curves to the images.   This will ensure that the Sekonic profiles match your own workflow.   Ordering information for the $7 DVD containing all of the needed files can be found in the test log pdf of the Sekonic Profile download.


Going into this test I was under the assumption that shooting with the Red One under the different light sources (tungsten, HMI, and daylight) was going to yield drastically different results in the profiles.   However, the results show this to not be the case.   The camera has a remarkably similar response curve regardless of the light source.   This is contrary to my own experience in that when shooting under tungsten light the underexposed areas become much more noisy, more quickly, then when shooting in daylight balanced light.   The Red One does have a 5000k balanced sensor which is why it is more favorable to daylight sources.   But when the images are processed purely by the numbers, which is what the software is doing, the response curves are the same.   What this means is that you may or may not agree with the acceptability of the noise floor as determined by the software.   To know for sure, you will have to conduct your own tests and adjust accordingly.   Additionally I found that white balance and frame rate had a negligible effect on the results.   Using the camera white balance or a default white balance yielded in a 0.1 EV difference between the results.   While using the incorrect 24p @ 180 degrees (1/48) yielded results that were 0.2EV lower then the correct 32p @ 180 degrees (1/60).


What I did find from the test results was that the color space and output gamma has a bigger effect on the dynamic range and response curve of the camera then the light source.   Further more, while I find RedSpace to be more pleasing visually then REC709, it actually offers less range than REC709.   The final results of the dynamic range stack up in the following order: RAW = 9.1 stops / REC709 = 7.9 stops / RedSpace = 6.7 stops.   While these numbers are important when you are exposing the image, I think it goes to show that the final image cannot be judged on numbers alone, for aesthetics are not quantifiable by a software program.


Below I have posted a couple of the resulting charts from the tests - enjoy :) .


...Red One RedSpace Composite


...<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED - Batteries For Broadcast</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><category>Red One</category><dc:date>2008-11-06T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Batteries_for_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-23</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Batteries_for_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-23</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[When I look into buying new gear I am always evaluating the three following factors: quality, easy of use, and of course cost.   Over the years I have found that sometimes these factors are mutually exclusive- for example getting a quality piece of gear can mean that it will not be affordable.   And through some of my own personal experiences I have found that it is better to spend the money up front on the right piece of gear and spend it once, rather then spend the money twice on a lesser piece of gear. 


With my recent purchase of the Red One camera I was evaluating my power supply options and trying to decide if I should go with the more pricey Red batteries, or get a 3rd party battery and charger.   In my past experience with the Red One and their batteries I had a very mixed experience with them. ...  The camera can display on screen how much power is left in the battery.   However, in practice the drawbacks to this system I found to be frustrating, especially for their premium price. ...  First, you can only charge one battery at a time with the Red charger.   So, if you have more then one battery that needs charging, you had better have enough time in-between uses to fully charge both batteries.   Second, even though you can see the remaining life of the battery on screen, it is displayed in a percentage.   And while it is a helpful reminder that there is only 5% left, what does that 5% mean? ...  Can I get this last shot in, or do I have to power down and swap batteries? ...  While Red continues to improve (shorten) the time it takes to boot up the camera, it still takes in-between 60 &ndash; 90 seconds, and with the current Red offering of batteries and mounts there is no way to hot swap the batteries.   And while 60 &ndash; 90 seconds may not seem like a long time, when you are on set and all you need is one last shot, having to wait can spoil the mood of the scene or the flow of the actors- not a good thing.   So after weighing the plus side and minus side, the only benefit I saw with the Red batteries was that I would know that they would work with the camera straight out of the box.   But $1,500 for two batteries and one charger felt a little steep for that reassurance.


...In the past I have rented various camera systems from rental houses here in the area and one of the brands of batteries that they use is Batteries For Broadcast (www.batteries4broadcast.com).   On the rental cameras the batteries had worked fine and I did not have any complaints with them. ...  As of this writing (11/6/2008) they offer a 150Wh V-Mount battery package that includes 2 batteries and 1 charger for $1,000. ...  That was a savings of about $600 from the Red batteries- nothing to sneeze at.   Additionally the B4B batteries offered 10 more watt hours then the 140Wh Red batteries, and the B4B charger would simultaneously charge both batteries.   Saving $600, getting a little more run time, and being able to charge at the same time all seemed to add up to a no brainer choice for me.   One of the problems that I knew that i would run into with any 3rd party battery is that I would loose the ability to monitor the percentage of battery life on screen. ...  (Additionally, I plan on buying the ViewFactor Orgio, which would allow me to monitor remaining battery power.) ...  The order went easily, quickly, and in about a week I had my batteries and charger. 


After receiving my order, I still had about one week to wait until my camera arrived so i charged the batteries and anxiously awaited the arrival of he Red One. ...  With the camera assembled, the moment of truth was now at hand- I had to plug in the battery and fire up the camera.   As I pressed the power button and the LCD on the back lit up as the camera began to turn on - it was alive!!!   One minute passed ... two minutes passed ... three minutes passed ... and the camera was not starting the boot up process.   The back display was on, but it was not showing the boot up text. ...  Had I just received a camera that needed to be sent back?   (Which is not unheard of as I have a friend who received their new Red One with a faulty CF Card module.)   Before freaking out, and worring about sending the camera I just got back to the manufacture I called up my friend and fellow Red Owner Hunter Richards.   Fortunately he was able to let me barrow his Red batteries and power adapter to test out with my camera.   After testing my camera with the Red batteries, the camera was able to boot up just fine.   So the issue was not with the camera, but was with the batteries I had. 

...Apparently they have received some other reports that their batteries are not working when directly attached to the Red One.   They were in the process of figuring out why this is the case, as they did not have any solid answers.   Kevin did offer to refund my money and take the batteries back which I appreciated. 

...Apparently with the dual mount in-between the B4B batteries and the Red One the batteries will power up the Red one just fine.   And when using the dual mount you have the option of using two batteries for extended run times, or for hot swapping batteries.   So that meant that I could run the camera for longer, and not have any downtime between battery changes!   While this adapter did cost an additional $170, I still ended up saving about $400, and I could now run the camera for longer - still a head of the game when compared to the Red batteries.   Kevin made sure to ship out the adapter that day, and had it rush shipped to me in order to cut down on any lag time.   In this day of big companies and automated systems, it was nice to be able to speak with a person and have the problem quickly resolved. 

...While in this case I was bitten by going with the more affordable option, in the end I actually ended up coming out ahead.   Being able to hot swap batteries, charge them at the same time, and save $400 on top of that made the experience worth it.   Fortunately, I had the time, as well as access to other options while I figured out the problems.   But even with the minor set back, I would still recommend getting these batteries from B4B.   Just be sure to order the GT-TS - otherwise you will be shooting yourself in the foot.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>The Hot Shoe Clamp</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><dc:date>2008-10-30T08:01:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Hot_Shoe_Clamp.html#unique-entry-id-22</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Hot_Shoe_Clamp.html#unique-entry-id-22</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I really enjoy creative solutions to unique problems- especially when the solution is the rest of a DIY project.   I recently had the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee with Matthew G.   Monroe who is both a successful audio recordist, and photographer.   (You can check out his work by visiting his web site: www.matthewgmonroe.com or his blog: www.theglobalphotographer.blogspot.com.)   In his spare time he also designs and builds various gadgets to help him in his endeavors.   One of these latest creations is the Hot Shoe Clamp, which he talks about on his blog.   Along with talking over a cup of coffee, Matthew brought one of his prototype units for me to test out in the field and provide feed back.   So I promptly took the clamp and began using it in production that afternoon.


The Hot Shoe Clamp:


You may be asking yourself, why in the worlds would I need a hot shoe clamp?   And that is a great question.   While I imagine that there are lots of different uses and applications that this can be used for, here is what I see myself using it for most of the time.   I have come into situations on set where I&rsquo;ll get a little lens hit from a light in a scene that i just can&rsquo;t flag off, or use the matte box to block.   Using this clamp along with a piece of black wrap or black foam core I have an easy to use extendable eyebrow for my matte box.   It is one of those odd looking tools that comes to the rescue and helps save the shot.    The arm extends out far enough that I can put it anywhere I need to blog the light effectively.   Additionally, since it is attached to the camera it moves with the camera, making it effective when the camera is in motion.


Ok, great, but why should I use the clamp?   Why not just tape some black wrap to my matte box to extend it out?   Well, this (Black wrap) is the solution that I have used many times, and it will work.   However, what I have found frustrating at times is that the taped black wrap can sometimes settle back into frame.   Or the angle is funny enough that a piece of wrap big enough to block it creates other logistical problems, not to mention the time it takes to tape it all together, and reset it if it fails.   With the Shot shoe clamp all of these issues are removed, solving the problem quickly and efficiently - which is great when you are pressed for time.


As this is just a prototype unit, Matthew will be taking my feed back and refining it accordingly.   He is experimenting with various sized clamps, and materials to make this accessory both as useful and as adaptable as it can be.   Keep your eyes out for this clamp, as it will be a useful tool to have.   If you have specific questions regarding the clamp, please contact Matthew.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


Here are some pictures of the clamp in action as it was used on a Canon A1 that was on the end of a jib arm that was on a dolly.


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Lighting Alchemy 01</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Lighting</category><category>Cinematography</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-10-30T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Lighting_Interviews.html#unique-entry-id-21</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Lighting_Interviews.html#unique-entry-id-21</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I have always wanted to find a resource online that dove into lighting- not only just the &ldquo;how to&rdquo; part of lighting, but also the &ldquo;why&rdquo; behind choices made. ...  Even in the many lighting books I have read, they tend to favor the &ldquo;how&rdquo;, rather then the &ldquo;why&rdquo;.   Do not get me wrong, there are many GREAT books and web sites on lighting, a few of which I have linked to in the Resources page in my site. 

...As the projects allow, and as I remember, I&rsquo;ll be taking photographs of the various setups and talking about the results I achieved. ...  Each installment in the series will begin with showing the results, talking about the &ldquo;how&rdquo; and then delving into the &ldquo;why&rdquo;.


...One of the reasons I&rsquo;m sure a series like this has not been done (That I&rsquo;m aware of at least.) is that during production there are a lot of people, equipment, and schedules to manage. ...  So I am going to do my best to continue this series as long as possible- providing that time and schedules permit during production.   To make it easy to search for the next in this series each lesson will be labeled &ldquo;Lighting Alchemy ##. 

...Regardless of what type of projects you do, you will inevitably come across a project that requires an interview.   So lets take a look at some different set ups and the results I was able to achieve.


...The black background can be used as it is, or if desired, the editor could even pull a nice color matte and replace the background with whatever background they wanted. 

...The talent was then lit from about 60 degrees on the far side of the camera. ...  A flag was placed placed next to the key to stop any light from spilling on the muslin.   A 250w Lowell Pro Light was then placed about 180 degrees from camera and angled down to provide the hair light. ...  Also note that the camera was placed at on a dutch angle in order to provide an off axis framing. 

...For this project there were a series of interviews done at various locations.   The set up here was for a series of interviews that covered tough issues relating around sexual addictions.   Because of this, the director and I felt that it would benefit if the visuals were a little unsettling, adding to what was being said.   The director also wanted a black background so that the viewer is completely focused on what was being said.   So we agreed that putting the camera on a dutch angle would help to visually reinforce the message of the interviews.


...Because of the content of the interviews, I wanted to keep things moody, yet provide a pleasing light to the face of the talent.   To make the light more moody, I placed it further back then the traditional 45 degrees.   This made the shadows on the opposite side of the face darker, and provided less wrap around fill.


I also like to place my key light on the far side of the talent. ...  If the light was placed on the near side (also called the dumb side) it would hide more of the shadows, and provide less definition and flatten out the image more. 

...Due to the size of the key light, there was some light that was spilling on the background.   To make sure that the black was rich and black, I placed a flag to remove all of the spill on the muslin.


...As you have probably noticed, I chose to go without a fill light in this set up.   Usually I will go with a white card to provide some fill.   However, due to the story, i chose to go without the fill for this set up.   I felt that the chimera provided enough wrap around fill to expose the face where I wanted it, and it kept the shows darker then they would have been if fill had been used.


...In this setup I needed to ensure that the talent did not meld into the background. ...  This light ended up not only acting as a hair light, but also as a nice rim light around the entire subject.


...The key light is a 150w HMI with 250 diffusion on it to soften it out like a chimera, which is placed 45 degrees on the far side of the camera.   The Fill light is a 42&rdquo; gold reflector, placed on the near side of the camera. ...  And another 150w with 1/2 CTO is shooting through a cookie to provide the background light.


...So I chose the 150w HMI with 250 on it to go for speed. ...  (Not as soft as a chimera, but close enough for this project where time matters.)   Soft light is very pleasant on the skin and faces, which makes it a great choice for interviews.


...I wanted a soft fill light to bring up the near side of the faces, and to soften the shadows. ...  This interview was not particularly dramatic / moody, and so I wanted a more calm / warm look. ...  I am of the firm belief that if you do not need to use an additional light, then don&rsquo;t.   Using the gold side of the reflector did exactly what I wanted it to do, and I didn&rsquo;t have to worry about using an additional light. 

...With the fill light, I also wanted to complement the warm glow of the fire place and the yellow walls, so I decided to go with the gold side. 

...Only this time it was spread out more to hit both people as much as possible.


...I decided to warm up this light with 1/2 CTO to further enhance the warmth of the fireplace that would appear in the shot.   However, with just a warm light on the background, which was a yellow wall, it was looking very clinical and stale. ...  (The map had to do with what they were talking about - remember content is king.)   I then added a cookie to provide a soft shadow on the wall to break up the light and add some texture. 

...That concludes the first installment of my lighting tip series. hopefully you have found this enlightening. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Updated Blog&#x21;</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-10-28T08:02:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Blog_Update.html#unique-entry-id-20</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Blog_Update.html#unique-entry-id-20</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[As many of you know my site has been undergoing changes over the last couple of months.   I have updated to new web publishing software.   Yeah!   It has provided a lot more flexibility, however, this process has gone slower then I had hoped, but as I do not have a team of individuals managing my site for me I guess I have to deal with it.   :) One of the results of this change is that not all of the content that was on my previous site made it over to this new one.   I appreciate all of you who have written in to let me know about articles that were important to you.   I have updated my blog and site to reflect those requests.   If you see something that was of value to you and it is missing, please let me know and I&rsquo;ll see what I can do about getting it back online.


Going forward I&rsquo;ll be updating this blog more regularly with product reviews and my experiences working as a freelance cinematographer.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


<div class="js-kit-comments" permalink=""></div>


<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Idler Gear - DIY Project</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>HVX</category><category>Equipment</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-10-28T08:01:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Idler_Gear.html#unique-entry-id-19</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/DIY_Idler_Gear.html#unique-entry-id-19</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Having worked  with both cinema glass and SLR glass on the RED and getting great results from the SLR glass, I have decided to see if I can adapt the Redrock follow focus to work in a cine-standard with the Zeiss ZF SLR glass that I have.   Currently, the Nikon SLRs rotate backwards from the cinema standard.   If you do not know any different, then it is not a big deal.   But if you have already trained with cinema lenses, or want to get used to using cinema lenses, then this is a big problem.


After doing some research on how to solve this problem I found two solutions: 1.   Have the lenses rehoused to the cinema standard, costing thousands of dollars or 2.   Add an idler gear to the follow focus, many idler gears sell for well below $200.   If I was going to spend multiple thousands of dollars to have the SLR lenses rehoused, I&rsquo;d rather just buy the cinema lenses.   But as that is currently out of the question, I opted to look into the idler gear.   As of this writing, Redrock does not offer an idler gear for their follow focus, and the other ones on the market are not compatible with their follow focus. so, I decided to build my own idler gear using some extra parts from Redrock, and some supplies from Home Depot.   In the end the idler gear cost me $4.76, and an afternoon of my time.   Which is a considerable savings in my opinion.


Before I get started explaining how to build your own idler gear for the Redrock Follow Focus, first off I thought I&rsquo;d explain what an idler gear is and does for those of you who are wondering.   An idler gear is an additional gear that sits in-between the follow focus gear and the lens gear.   It is a free spinning gear that when introduced to the follow focus, reverses the direction of the rotation of the lens with the follow focus.   The idler gear has to accomplish two things in order to work correctly: 1.   It has to be free spinning, and 2. it has to introduce no additional play or slop into the system.


Now on to building the idler gear....


To build your own idler gear for the Redrock Micro Follow focus, you will need the following tools, and supplies.


...- Drill w/ Metal Drill Bits (At least one of the bits has to be able to drill a hole for a 6-32 screw)


...-6-32 x 1.5" Screws & Nuts (6 pack): $0.98 (Part# 030699283514)


...Extra drive gear


...(You'll have to talk with Brian at RR to see about pricing on these)


To build the mount for the idler gear, see the schematic to see where you will be cutting, and what the final piece should look like.   With each Post Base, you will be able to make two mounts, so if you mess up on the first, you have a back up to play with.


...Disassemble the RR drive box, you will now have two shafts, each with a small black gear on the end.


Cut down the post base according to the schematic.


When cutting the post base, make sure to cut around the big hole in the plate, as this will be where you will mount the drive shaft & gear.   If you mess up do not worry, you can use the other half of the plate, as there are two holes.


In the bottom of the plate drill two holes for the screw to fit through.   It is VERY important to get these holes to line up correctly, as if they are off, it will cause wobble in the idler gear, which is a BIG NO-NO.   I used the plate of the follow focus to mark exactly where I needed to drill.   Before proceeding on, assemble the unit with the plate to see if you have any wobble once everything is attached.   If you do, then you need to remake this plate.   If not you can proceed to the next step.


Once you have verified that there is no wobble, mount the drive shaft in the big hole.   It will be a VERY tight fit, but if you mount it with the small black gear end in, first, then it will fit.   If you try the reverse, it will not work.   When you are mounting the drive shaft, make sure to un-mount the extra drive gear.   (The big black gear.)   To get the drive shaft to snap into place, you may need to lightly tap it into place using a screw driver and a hammer.   Make sure to tap on the outer casing of the shaft and not on any of the moving parts.


Once the gear is in the mount, reassemble everything in the following order.   (Except use the 1.5" screws instead. the head of the screw will need to mount in the upwards direction.)   Base plate - idler gear plate - extra nuts - original gearbox with plates & cover - final locking nuts.   (The extra nuts are to raise the gear box into place so that the gears interlock securely with the idler gear.   You may need to add one or more extra nuts depending on your setup.)


Lastly, attach the extra drive gear to the shaft and you are ready to go.


...FINAL - EXTRA NUT (In-between plate & gear box.)


...<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>HVX Scene Files</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>HVX</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-10-28T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/HVX_Scene_Files.html#unique-entry-id-18</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/HVX_Scene_Files.html#unique-entry-id-18</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[With the introduction of the HVX200 by Panasonic, a new powerful tool has been given to the low budget indi-filmmaker.   With unparalleled control over the look of our images, as well as variable frame rates, there is now a plethora of options and looks we can now achieve.   Over the last year that I have operated the camera, I have had the chance to experiment with all of the various settings &ndash; providing me with some insight on how to achieve the look that I am after in my productions.   With that said, the scene file settings that I have provided to you are the style and look that I desire- if you like the look & style feel free to use them.   It is my desire to provide these to you as a place to start &ndash; I can&rsquo;t recommend enough that you sit down with your HVX and spend a day or two (or more) just playing with the settings to discover the look & feel that you want to emulate.   Below I have detailed out what the scene file settings are, and what I use them for in my productions.   As I continue to refine my settings, I will be updating the scene files on my web site. 

...These groupings of scene files are the settings that I use day in and day out in my productions.   From testing out additional accessories (the M2) to filming in a multi-camera shoot with the DVX100, these are the settings I use most often.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This file is what I currently use when I have the RedRock Micro &nbsp; &nbsp;


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This file is used with the M2 when I want a little more detail in


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This file is used for testing & comparison- it is the &ldquo;default&rdquo;


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This File is used when I am just using the HVX and I want a


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This is the file I use when a DVX100 filming at 24p is also being


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This is the file I use when I want just a clean, neutral image


...These grouping of scene files are the settings that I use when I have the M2 attached to the HVX and I want to use frame rates that are not available via the standard menu options.   (To use these settings you must be filming in 720pn.)   This is the HVX frame rate hack &ndash; while the camera will film at frame rates other then what you have accessible from the menu, they are not officially supported by Panasonic, and as such, I do not take any responsibility to anything that may happen to your camera as a result of using them. ...  (After a year of using them, my camera still works just fine.)


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 2 frames a second with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To film 6 frames a second with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 10 frames a second with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 50 frames a second with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;To film 54 frames a second with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;To film 58 frames a second with the M2.


...These grouping of scene files are the settings that I use when I want to use frame rates that are not available via the standard menu options &ndash; with out the M2 attached.   (To use these settings you must be filming in 720pn.)   This is the HVX frame rate hack &ndash; while the camera will film at frame rates other then what you have accessible from the menu, they are not officially supported by Panasonic, and as such, I do not take any responsibility to anything that may happen to your camera as a result of using them. ...  (After a year of using them, my camera still works just fine.)


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 2 frames a second.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 6 frames a second.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 10 frames a second.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 50 frames a second.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 54 frames a second.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film 58 frames a second.


...These grouping of scene files are the settings that I use when I want simulate that an object &ndash; usually a car &ndash; is traveling faster then it really is.   &nbsp;(The M2 adapter is attached to the HVX) For example if a car is driving at 60 miles an hour, and I use Scene File 1 then on screen the car will appear to be going 240 miles an hour.   This is a great way to get some high-speed footage without endangering the driver&rsquo;s life.   (To use these settings you must be filming in 720pn.)   This is the HVX frame rate hack &ndash; while the camera will film at frame rates other then what you have accessible from the menu, they are not officially supported by Panasonic, and as such, I do not take any responsibility to anything that may happen to your camera as a result of using them. ...  (After a year of using them, my camera still works just fine.)


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film an object traveling 4x the speed it actually is traveling


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film an object traveling 3x the speed it actually is traveling


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film an object traveling 2.5x the speed it actually is


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; traveling at, with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;To film an object traveling 2x the speed it actually is traveling


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To film an object traveling 1.8x the speed it actually is


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; traveling at, with the M2.


...&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To film an object traveling 1.5x the speed it actually is


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; traveling at, with the M2.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED: Aerial Cinematography</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Red One</category><dc:date>2008-08-19T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Aerial_Cinematography.html#unique-entry-id-17</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Aerial_Cinematography.html#unique-entry-id-17</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I just returned from a shoot in Ketchikan, Alaska where I was hired as a team of two cinematographers by Mike Falconer of Oregon Media Services to help film a program for the Discovery Channel. ...  He brought along his RED, and was kind enough to allow me some time behind the camera as well.   On this project, we had three cameras to capture the action: an HVX-200, HPX-500, and the RED.   The HVX-200 was used to capture interior cockpit shots of the pilots in action, and to get into other areas where it's small form factor made it the camera of choice.   The HPX-500 was used to capture most of the on-site close ups, interviews, and other miscellaneous B-Roll.   And the RED was our workhorse for the aerial shots from the helicopter.   Equipped with the Cine Saddle, we strapped ourselves in to the helicopter, the Cine Saddle to us, and the camera to the saddle. ...  If you are interested in seeing samples of what we attained with this setup, you can see shots from this shoot in my reel.


Warren's RED one was equipped with the viewfinder, CF cards, Red RAID, and the Red 18mm - 50mm lens.   Not only was the image quality of the 4k recording we were doing superior to what we were getting out of the Panasonic cameras, but the added resolution meant that we could stabilize the images in post, making for silky smooth aerial shots.   Even though there will be some stabilization in post, we were flying with some very skilled pilots who made the rides very smooth.   With the added weight, and the form factor of the RED, when it sat in the Cine Saddle, we were able to get very smooth shots.   Stabilization will need to be done in post - but it will not be a lot of work to do - not at least compared to the HPX-500, which felt and looked like a constant 10.0 earth quake.   For the 3 days of filming that the RED did, they were all done with the Red RAID, and of the many hours up in the helicopter, we only experienced one dropped frame error, which occurred in the last shot of the shoot.   This shot was from one of the larger helicopters that we had not shot out of before, so I wonder if the size of the helicopter, or the harmonics of that one is what caused the error.   Either way, I was very surprised with how well the RED RAID performed up in flight.    Shooting on Build 16 (v 3.1.5), we experienced only one significant problem when filming.   Whenever there was a slight over exposure of 0.5 - 1 stop that covered more then 1/3 of the screen there would be a codec error that would stop the camera from recording.   This made some of the shots of helicopters more challenging as they would cross from dark green threes to a white cloudy sky causing the error.   We ended up having to roll the iris and keep it a little underexposed to protect anything from going over 100 IRE. ...  On the living barge we had a laptop to transfer the footage to the external hard drives.   However, on the laptop that we had we only had two choices for drive connections- USB or eSATA.   For the P2, this was not a problem as we connected the P2 cards to the laptop directly, and then went via eSATA to the external drives.   However for the Red Raid, we could only connect via USB, and with about 280GB to 300 GB of content, this meant that we had to wait 4 - 5 hours to transfer all of the footage to the backup drives.   It made us really wish that there was a LEMO to eSATA cable that we could connect the RED RAID to the laptop with. ...  The slow speeds of the transfer meant that we had to think hard about how much we filmed, and when we transfered the footage, otherwise we could miss an opportunity to film the shots we needed.   Even with this limitation, it was nice to have roughly 2.5 hours of recording time.   If we had used the CF cards, it would have meant a lot more hassle with off loading and data management in the field- something we didn't want to be concerned with when we had to follow the action as it developed.


As you may or may not be able to tell from the pictures, we were in the middle of no-where Alaska in the midst of an Alaskan summer.   Which, for us, meant rain and lots of it. ...  Thankfully, all of the gear held up well, and the inclement weather did not hamper our work.   For the HVX and the HPX we had a Petroff rain cover that held up well.   It was made for the HPX, so it was a little big for the HVX, but it did the job.   For the RED we whipped out the big guns, and made a custom rain cover out of a heavy duty garbage bag and rubber bands. 

...With the Panasonic cameras, we shot directly to the P2 cards (1x  32GB, 2x 16GB and 2x 4GB) and then off loaded via a laptop to external drives. ...  Fortunately, the long recording time allow us to be out in the field to shooting for a while before we would need to head back to the barge to off load the footage.   Having direct access to helicopters, meant that we could return from our drop points at a moments notice if needed.   During the entire shoot, we did not experience a single dropped frame or error when using the P2 media. ...  The HPX was equipped with a battery mount that allowed the use of two of the HVX batteries to power the HPX.   While this adapter was handy, as it allowed us to only carry one type of battery for the shoot, it did have its draw backs. ...  When hiking the camera to remote locations, in and out of helicopters, and the general movement and jostling that comes with the territory, the batteries would pop off from the camera. ...  There was one shot where I was filming a transport of some heavy equipment, and the battery meter said that there was full power on the batteries, but halfway through the shot the camera shut down. ...  (Luckily, I was prepared with extra batteries- but it would have been better to know before the shot, that I was running low on power.)   The second problem with using the HPX-500, was in trying to capture arial shots.   I attempted the shots a couple of times, but in the end we relied on the RED for all of our aerial shots.   Even at its' size and weight, the HPX-500 was too light to get steady aerial shots.   Using the Cine Saddle did not do much for it either.   Recording to the P2 cards, was not a problem, and both the HVX & HPX were very reliable even with the constant shaking of the helicopter.


...We were in a remote location, that was beautiful and wet, working with a great crew on the ship who was very helpful and accommodating.   It was a pleasure working with Warren and Mike- both professional people with lots of experience and a great sense of humor. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>HDR Cinematography</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><category>How To</category><category>Red One</category><dc:date>2008-07-21T20:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/HDR_and_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-16</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/HDR_and_the_Red_One.html#unique-entry-id-16</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I am a big fan of what photographers can accomplish with the still frame- being able to work with a single image offers a lot of creative freedom that those of us who work with moving images do not enjoy. ...  Over the last year, as I&rsquo;ve seen more and more HDR photography (High Dynamic Range) I have often wondered if a similar process could be employed with the moving image.


...He does a great job at breaking it down for the novice, And it was while reading his tutorial that in step 5 I came across the phrase: &ldquo;To generate an HDR from a single RAW file...&rdquo; and this got me thinking. ...  So I wondered if I could figure out a way to employ the raw capabilities of the RED to generate HDR Cinematography, and what follows below is my process for creating HDR cinematography.   So far I have been happy with the results- but be warned, this is a labor of love, as it will require time and horse power to get the job done. 

...(One quick note- if you want to see a sample of the HDR cinematography I have done, please visit my Reel Page. 

...When you are out shooting you images, be sure to properly expose the frame for 320 ISO, as this will be key later on in the process.


...This process will get very confusing very fats if you do not have a system in place to manage all of your files.   I have an Apple Script that I use to set up a folder system for each project that I do.   If you want to use this same set up, you can download the script from the ZIP file above. ...  All you need to do, is to launch the script, enter your project name, and then choose a location for the folders. 

...(This is especially important if you will be editing you footage on a slower computer, or on a non-Intel Mac, as this will increase the speed at which you can edit.)


Using Compressor, which comes in Final Cut Studio, export out 1k ProRes Proxies so that you can edit your footage. 

...(Quick Disclaimer- I am not an editor, so I&rsquo;m sure there is a better way of doing this. 

...This edit contains the all clips that I like, and then I narrow down to the clips I&rsquo;m actually going to use, put in the order that I want.


...This way I am sure to have enough space within each clip when I go to do the online. 

...As of this writing, Crimson is currently the best way to take your XML file from FCP and render out your online version of the edit you just created. 

...Regardless if it works or not, make sure to rename the Substitution rule so that the first box matches the end of the proxy files you rendered out via compressor and then match the clips.


...Again, as of this writing, Color (which is included in Final Cut Studio) can only grade clips that are up to 2k in resolution.   So, using the Frame tab in Crimson, set all of the clips to render out at 2k. 

...I do not know why, and maybe it is just me, but for some reason when Crimson automatically finds the clips, the metadata in the clip gets read wrong. ...  I&rsquo;m sure that this will be fixed at some point, but it is better to double check and make sure that your settings are correct. 

...It is VERY important that the Gamma and Color Space get changed back to REDlog and cam RGB, otherwise Rec 709 will get in the way of the next steps in the processing of your images.)


...What you need to do now is to organize the clips in such a way as to facilitate the next step in the processing of the image. 

...For example, all of my 160 ISO exposures have an &ldquo;a&rdquo; at the end, 320 have a &ldquo;b&rdquo;, and the 640 have a &ldquo;c&rdquo;.


...When you setup your project with the folder creation script at the start of this endeavor, a folder was created that has the name &ldquo;Organized Clips&rdquo; in it.   Using this folder create the same number of Event folders that were created by Crimson when you exported out one of the ISO renders.   For example, in my case there were 17 event folders, so I created 17 new event folders within the Organized Clips folder.


Next, using one folder at a time, drag all of the frames from one ISO into the corresponding event folder within the Organized Clips folder.   For example, you&rsquo;ll take all of the Event 01 frames from the 160 ISO, all of the Event 01 frames from the 320 ISO, and all of the Event 01 frames from the 640 ISO, and put them into the same Event 01 folder within the Organized Clips Folder. 

...As of this writing, there are two ways that you can do this- one is with Photoshop CS3 or later, or the other way is with Photomatix. 

...The first step is creating the settings on a sample frame, and the second step is batch processing the series of frames of a given clip. 

...If this frame is not a good representative frame, then choose on in the sequence that is representative of the clip, and use those three frames (a,b,c).


...When it is done loading, click the Tone Mapping button, and you can now begin to play with your image.


...So you will have to go in and figure out the settings for each clip that you have. ...  When you have it how you like it, be sure to save the settings using the drop down menu at the bottom of the Tone Mapping bar. 

...Starting back at the original place you begun when you launched Photomatix, now click the Batch Processing button, which will launch the next series of windows:


...You are again returned to the Batch Processing window, where you need to make sure that Select&nbsp; &ldquo;#&rdquo; images at a time is set to 3.   And then under Source, select the folder button, and then select the Select Source Folder button and navigate to the appropriate Event folder containing all of the frames for that clip. ...  It will take a minute for all of the frames to load, but once it has, the names will update in the box on the lower left.


...If you are using the folder structure I have provided, then you will create a new Event folder within the Photomatix Export folder that was previously created. 

...Upon completion of all of the clips you should have the same number of Event folders within the Photomatix Export folder that you had within the Organized Clips folder.   If you want to do a little more house cleaning, you can delete the Details Enhancer.xmp file that gets placed in each of the Event folders by Photomatix.


...But one thing it does not do well is in its&rsquo; handling of image sequences. there is no better way to bog down FCP then to image an image sequence. ...  So to help with this issue, QuickTime Wrappers need to be created so that FCP sees the TIFF sequences as one clip instead of a bunch of individual frames.


...- Go to FILE - OPEN IMAGE SEQUENCE and navigate to the first frame of the exported clip from Photomatix. 

...Now that you finally have all of your HDR clips processed, you can bring them back into FCP. ...  (While you can use the fancy online / offline method to automate the process of on-lining, I have found this workflow to be more reliable- especially for the next step. ...  But for me this works, as I am familiar with Grading my work in Color, and I have gotten use to what Color likes, and what it doesn&rsquo;t.   If you know a better way, feel free to email me a step by step how to, and I&rsquo;ll add it to this tutorial. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>RED Lens Test: Zeiss SLR VS Zeiss Cinema</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><category>Red One</category><dc:date>2008-05-20T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/SLR_Glass_VS_Cinema_Glass.html#unique-entry-id-15</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/SLR_Glass_VS_Cinema_Glass.html#unique-entry-id-15</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[On May 12, 2008 I met up with fellow cinematographer, and RED owner Hunter Richards (www.hunterhampton.com) and we headed over to Lyon Films (www.lyonfilms.com) where we met with directors Devon Lyon and Kevin Curry.   Later, we were joined by Owen Stephens, SOC & inventor of the Pampalite (www.pampalite.com) who got in on the action, and showed us his great line up of florescent lights.   The purpose of this get together was two fold, first Hunter updated everyone on the developments that had been made on the RED camera as well as demonstrated the workflow and post process of using the RED in a production environment.   Secondly, Devon & I used this opportunity to test out two sets of lenses.   Both of us wanted to see how big of a difference there actually is in-between a lens designed for cinema use and for SLR use.   The RED can mount both PL lenses and Nikon SLR lenses with a simple change of the lens mount.   My cinematography has taken me around the world, and being able to use small, lightweight lenses on a camera capable of shooting raw 4K intrigues me.   If the SLR lenses are able to perform at the levels needed for the RED, this would enable me to have a smaller profile and a lighter load to carry when traveling.   Scheduled to begin production in the first quarter of 2009, the documentary Walking Through Worlds (www.walkingthroughworlds.com) will take director Joel McEwen and I to remote locations in Asia, and being able to use the SLR lenses on the RED may enable us to get the images we need for the production while keeping down the form factor and weight.   But can SLR glass hold up when compared to cinema glass?


For the last two years I have been using a set of Zeiss ZF SLR lenses and various 35mm adapters on projects that have smaller budgets, but still want the cinematic look of film.   For the projects that can afford it, I have been renting the cinema lenses.   Having used both styles of lenses I have seen the mechanical differences between the two, and now with this opportunity with the RED I had a chance to see how big of a difference, if any, there is in the image quality of each set of lenses.


To highlight the potential differences between the lens sets I settled on the following tests: sharpness, color, breathing, vignetting, and the mechanics.   To keep the results consistent I decided to shoot both charts as well as a real world test.   Charts are helpful for consistency and measurements, where as the real world test will show you what you actually get.   The cinema glass used for this test was a set of Zeiss Superspeed Lenses (MKIII) with a T-stop of 1.3 and the SLR lenses were the Zeiss ZF lenses with a T-stop of 1.4.   To keep as many of the variables out of the equation as possible, the footage was all processed through RED Alert using the same settings. ...  The only change made to the real world footage was a change to 709 Gamma in the Output LUT.


All of the still frames have been left unprocessed and have not been graded, while the sample footage has been graded using the same settings in each set of clips in Color.   You can download the Color project files, as well as the full res sample images and footage at my web site, by going to the resource page.   In the download you will find this review in PDF form as well as the setup notes for the tests which details out the various settings used, and lighting setups. 

...If you would like to read the full text, you can download the PDF&rsquo;s here:


...(The breathing and mechanics tests are detailed more in the PDFs, and the breathing test video can be downloaded at the link at the beginning of this article.)


After processing the footage, and reviewing the results, I was surprised to find that the SLR lenses were holding their own against the cinema lenses.   I would even say that they were out performing the cinema lenses, as the SLR&rsquo;s felt a little more sharp then the cinema lenses.   Not only do the SLR&rsquo;s feel more sharp, but they are completely color matched with each other and the cinema lenses, and there is no vignetting either.


The results of this series of tests was very surprising to me, and it was very welcome news as well.   It was great to find out that the set of SLR lenses that I have will be able to get the job done.   My only hunch as to why the lenses perform as well as they do on the RED, is that the film plane on the SLR is larger then the film plane on the RED.   So the SLR lenses have to be able to resolve a larger image, and due to the increased image, the breathing in the lenses is probably falling outside of most of the RED&rsquo;s sensor.


So what does a good set of Zeiss Super Speed lenses costing well over $20,000 get you that a good set of Zeiss ZF SLR lenses costing just under $6,000 can&rsquo;t get you? ...  The last series of testing that I did related specifically to the mechanics of the lenses, and this is where the rubber meets the road and the differences really stand out.   And it is these differences that will be the deal breaker for many- especially those who have been around for a while.


The first major difference in is the size and weight of each set.   The cinema lenses weight almost a full pound more then their SLR counterpart, and they are about twice the size as well.   The second difference is the most important difference in my opinion- the SLR lenses rotate backwards.   On the cinema lenses, to focus close to the lens you turn the lens counter clockwise, and for the SLR lens you turn it clockwise.   The reason this is such a big issue is that an AC (Assistant Camera) has learned their trade very carefully and precisely in order to do there job well.  &nbsp; A good AC is worth their weight in gold.   Having learned their craft on cinema lenses, if they were to use an SLR lens, all of their natural reflexes will now be backwards, making their job much more complex.   To further complicate the issue the third major difference between the two sets of lenses has to do with the degrees of rotation to get from one end of the lens to the other.   On the cinema lenses the shortest throw was on about 300 degrees on the 35mm lens, where as on the SLR lens it was about 115 degrees.   That means that there is less movement between distances on the SLR, making the AC&rsquo;s job that much more challenging. ...  On the cinema lenses the aperture rolls smoothly all the way through the range, allowing for smooth transitions.   On the SLR lens, there are hard stops at each half and full stop, with no smooth adjustments possible.


In the end, having a set of SLR lenses may save you a chunk of change on buying lenses, but it may end up costing you more in the long run depending on the application you are using them in.   For myself, I&rsquo;ll be hanging on to my SLR&rsquo;s to use in applications where small form factor, and lightweight portability are needed.   And then I&rsquo;ll continue to rent the cinema lenses for the projects that require them.   Either way I can see a need and application for both sets of lenses.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Is There Life Beyond 24p?</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2008-05-09T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/More_then_24p.html#unique-entry-id-14</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/More_then_24p.html#unique-entry-id-14</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Ever since I was a child I can remember going to the movies.   The first vivid memory of one such event was going to go see E.T. with my dad.   I can remember being immersed in the world I saw before me- becoming scared when the men in suits came to take E.T. away, being excited when E.T. enabled the bike to fly so they escape their pursuers, it was quite the adventure.   There is something magical about film, and the worlds they create.


As a cinematographer, it has always been my desire to create compelling images that both reflect my own personal style (in keeping with the style and taste of the production and director) and embody a cinematic feel or essence to them.   Through out this pursuit I have been involved in various productions that want their project to be as cinematic or film like as possible.   In my opinion, the best way to get there is to light, stage, and move the camera like a film production regardless of the format being employed.   Doing this will go a long way in taking a production to the next level, and enable it to have the look and feel of film.   On the technical side of the production, being able to shoot in 24p will also help add to the over all feel and look.   However, if the lighting, staging, and camera movements are not up to par, then shooting in 24p will not help one bit.   But the cadence of 24p does help the production feel more film like.


With all of the development over the last 10 years in enabling professional and prosumer cameras to shoot in 24p, I have often wondered why is there a continual demand to get 24p?   I know that the studios shoot in 24p, since the majority of films are shot on actual film, and that is the standardized frame rate.   But technology has enabled us to go beyond that.   This is especially true as we enter the all-digital age of filmmaking.   Now I&rsquo;m not saying that film is dead, but I am wondering if we will continue to see films at the standard 24p that we have all been accustomed to?   With technology and cost becoming non-issues, why do we continue with 24p?


That leads me to do some research to figure out why 24p has been set as the standard for film productions throughout history.   The following is a condensed version of what I found online, and in various books.   (The most prominent resources used were: www.filmmakers.com and Charles Clark&rsquo;s Professional Cinematography.)   The moving picture comes about through the flashing of light onto a piece of film through a projector.   Flash enough of these still images in sequence and the perception of motion is introduced.   At 10 frames per second (fps) the human eye perceives a continuous motion, however there is significant flickering in the image.   In the early days of motion pictures various frame rates were use, ranging from 10fps up to 18fps.   It wasn&rsquo;t until 1926 when the SMTPE set the frame rate at 16fps, or 60 feet per minute, that a standard was introduced.   It was this standardization that brought about the reliability of a consistent filming and playback speed when the final film was projected.   From what I can tell, 16fps was decided upon as a happy medium between reducing the flickering effect, while not using up a lot of film.   After all, in the beginning of the motion pictures, the cost of film and developing was very expensive, and the studios were in favor of conserving resources.


Then in 1927, sound was introduced to motion pictures.   With the ability to record the sound to the filmstrip, a new frame rate had to be found since 16fps was to slow to support the recording of audio.   Many tests were conducted, and they found that at 30fps all of the flicker that was previously present at 16fps was removed.   They were also able to record the audio track to the filmstrip. ...  It is at this minimum frame rate that most of the flicker is removed, and sound can still be recorded.   This compromise again afforded a great savings in overhead cost to the studios in film stock and processing.


So it seams to me, that our current notion of 24p containing one of the elements of the &ldquo;film-look&rdquo; is based on technical and financial decisions made back at the beginning of the art form, rather then on any artistic, or aesthetic preference for that speed.   Now if one is shooting on film, then this standard has to be followed in order for the projected image to play back correctly.   But as we move towards a completely digital workflow, I wonder if this standard will ever be challenged, and if it to will evolve with current technology.


With the ability to bypass the cost of film, and with the cost of digital storage dropping, the original financial reasons for shooting at 24p are being removed.   That coupled with the ability to distribute digitally (Theaters, Computers, Internet, etc.), means that the correct frame rate can be imbedded into the production to ensure proper playback.   So the barriers to the standard of 24p are being removed.


And that leads me to question why we continue to shoot in 24p?   Now I know that we are not in a completely digital age yet.   And if your production is destined for a film out, then it would be wise to keep within the tried and true standards.   But for those that choose a completely digital workflow, will the current assumption that 24p is &ldquo;the way&rdquo; be challenged?   If film is art, and those who practice this art continue to push the limits both in terms of content and in technical aspects, ever attempt to subvert the 24p standard?   With the broadcasting standards of 30p (60i) and 60p in 720HD, I wonder if those frame rates will ever be seen as &ldquo;film-like&rdquo;?   Or will they continue to be associated with the &ldquo;video-look&rdquo; of the nightly news that it is so often associated with.


...As a cinematographer who was born and bread on films shot at 24p, I can help but associate that frame rate with feature films.   I wonder if this is true of our greater consciousness- and if everyone has been so ingrained with this frame rate, that trying to overcome it would just be too much.   After all, with over 100 years of history behind it, when we see a feature film, we come to it with certain expectations- and the cadence of 24p is definitely one of them.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Modification - Ron Dexter&#x2c; ASC Style</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2008-03-17T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Modifying_the_150w_CDM.html#unique-entry-id-13</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Modifying_the_150w_CDM.html#unique-entry-id-13</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Ron Dexter, ASC, has been quoted as saying &ldquo;You never have to accept a product as delivered to you by the manufacture.&rdquo;   Stories of him modifying cameras, and other equipment to fit his needs abound, and from his web site: www.rondexter.com&nbsp; you can see that this guy does what it takes to get the job done.


In keeping with that same spirit, I would like to offer my own modification to some lighting equipment that I received from Cool Lights. (www.coollights.biz) After several months of working with the 150w and 575w HMI&rsquo;s, there has been one issue that has come up that I have not liked about the 150w HMI- the base stand connector.   Although the rest of the light is made of metal, this connector is plastic, and I think the one weak point of the light.   Specifically speaking, I was out on a shoot last week, and I had the connection break on me.   Fortunately this did not impact the shoot, but as it broke rather easily, it did concern me.


...In order to get this connector to work with the 150 HMI you have to make some modifications to both the light and the connector.   To make this modification you will need the following tools:


...Drill with a metal drill bit (Bit size is about 3/8&rdquo;)


...Saw for cutting metal


...Needle nose pliers


...Regular pliers


...Hex bolt screwdriver set


...Philips head screw driver


...Heat resistant gloves


...First you will need to remove the yoke from the light.   On one side of the light is a knob that you can remove with your hand, and on the other side you will need the hex bolt screw.   Unscrew these to remove the yoke.


...Now you can remove the connector from the yoke. using the Philips head screw driver, unscrew the two screws to remove the connector.


...With the connector removed, you no need to drill a hole in the center of the yoke, between the two holes where the original connector was connected.   Check the drill bit size first- I believe that the size is about 3/8&rdquo;, but my drill bit is unmarked, so I am not sure of the exact size.   I do know that the drill bit I have is slightly smaller then the screw for the new connector.


The 575w HMI I have has a metal connector, and it is very solid with no issues at all.   So instead of getting a replacement plastic connector, I wanted to get a metal one.   I contacted Richard at cool Lights, and was aware of the issue with the 150w connector, and agreed that a metal one would be better.   While he does not currently stock the same metal connector that the 575w HMI has, he does stock another metal connector, and in keeping with the great customer service, he sent me out two metal connectors.


...Next, thread the screw of the connector through this hole in the yoke.   My hole was slightly smaller then the screw, but I was able to thread it through, which created some threading in the hole.   Once you know it will work, unscrew the connector from the yoke.


...Now you need to cut down the screw on the connector.   As it is delivered from Cool Lights, It is to long and it will get in the way of the light.   You will want to cut about 1/4&rdquo; off of the screw.   Cut it down so that it is no taller then the wings on the wing nut.   To cut the screw, you will need to place it in a vice and use a metal cutting saw.   (Be careful to handle the metal with gloves, it gets VERY HOT after it is cut.

...Once the metal screw is cooled, you can now rethread it through the yoke, and secure it with the included wing nut.   Make sure that the wings of the nut are perpendicular to the yoke.   Otherwise they may get in the way of the light. use the pliers to ensure that you have tightened the nut securely.


...Finally, you can now reattach the yoke to the light.   If the bolts in the light did not stay in place when you unscrewed it, you can use a pair of needle nose pliers to push the nut back into place when you thread the screws.


...The yoke should now be able to swing clear of the light.   It will be a tight fit, but it should work.   (I did notice that on one of the 150w HMI&rsquo;s I had to remove the washer in-between the wing nut and the yoke to get it to work correctly.)


...*** It is very important to wear gloves when touching the hot metal.   When I cut the top off of the screw,&nbsp; it was hanging on by a thread, and I thought that I could quickly take it off.   But upon touching it my hand was instantly burned.   I now have an interesting looking burn on my index finger.   Be advised. 

...<div class="js-kit-comments" permalink=""></div>


<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Going Cool - Lights From Coollights.biz</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Lighting</category><category>Review</category><dc:date>2008-02-15T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Coollights_Review.html#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Coollights_Review.html#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Over the past year, I have been looking to put together my own lighting kit that I can take with me to light both for interviews and for the stock footage that I shoot.   While these are two very different applications, my goal is to first build an interview kit, and then add to it for my stock footage kit. up to this point I have only considered tungsten units as they have been the most affordable option.   But I have always wanted to use HMI lights in my kit as I like the quality of light they put out better then the tungsten lights.   Up to this point, HMI has always been out of the question, as those units can be 2 - 3 times as expensive as their tungsten counter parts.


...Richard is on a quest to provide quality florescent, HMI, and tungsten lighting at affordable prices.   I have been following the development of his site and products for some time now, and this past December, with the release of the HMI units I took the plunge and bought a couple of lights from Richard.


...You can get a high out put light using a lower wattage bulb with HMI. ...  Two reasons: First the lower wattage means that you can add more units to one circuit before breaking it.   For example, on a 15 amp circuit you could safely put 2 650w (7 amp - roughly) tungsten lights, or you could put 7 150w (2 amp - roughly) HMI lights. ...  It also means that if you have an older building, that you are putting a lower load on the circuit, which decreases the chance that something will go wrong.   Secondly, at 150w an HMI is putting out significantly less heat then a 650w tungsten light will.   A room with 2 or more 650w lamps can heat up quick and get uncomfortable for both the crew and the talent.


Additionally, when I was using the HMI lights I noticed some other benefits that I desired in my own productions.   The first of which is that HMI lights are color matched to daylight.   Since they fall in the 5600 Kelvin range they can be used in daylight with out having to be balanced to match daylight.   In a mixed color sources environment you will typically have daylight streaming through a door, or a window, and tungsten light in the interior.   Since daylight resides in the 5600k range it appears blue in color, while tungsten is in the 3200k range rendering it orange. ...  This can be done in one of two ways. either you can gel the windows with CTO (Color Temperature Orange), or you can gel the lights with CTB (Color Temperature Blue).   Depending on the situation, you may not be able to gel the window, this means that you have to gel your lights.   It is this second solution that I usually have to employ to my tungsten lights. ...  When you use CTB on your lights you can loose up to 50 - 60% of the light output of your light.   However when you use CTO on a light you only loose up to 20 - 30% of the light output.   This means that you have to have some large tungsten lights if you want to expose both the interior and the exterior through the window correctly.   So if you can use a light that is daylight balanced from the get go you will not have to wrestle with mixed color, or having to loose the output of the light due to gels.   If you really need to match your light to tungsten, you can always use CTO on it, without loosing a lot of light output form it- which is especially important if you are using a 35mm adapter on your camera.


The other aspect of the HMI light that I prefer over the tungsten light, is the quality of the light that comes from the HMI as compared to the tungsten.   I&rsquo;m not sure if it is just my own biases or perception, but to me the light that comes out of an HMI feels crisper / sharper then a similar tungsten unit.   The Tungsten units I have used in the past (both Arri&rsquo;s & Mole&rsquo;s) due produce some great quality light, but it has always felt a little more warm / soft as compared to when I used the HMI.   Now tungsten does give off a sharp light- but to me the HMI feels sharper.   This may be more of a color temperature issue- but either way, I prefer the quality of light that comes from an HMI over a tungsten unit any day.   If I do need to soften, or warm up an HMI I can always add some diffusion or gel to get the results I need.


...Now having used HMI lights in the past, I have always wanted to incorporate them into my own lighting kit. ...  But before plunging in and going with his line of lights, I thought that I would buy a couple of lights and see how they performed.   The two lights that I bought were the CL-SFT1 Soft-box kit (a florescent light 200w @ 5600k) and a CL-MF0150 CDM Fresnel (CDM is similar to an HMI. 

...It said that the 150w HMI was going to be available on 12/17/07. ...  A little frustrated with this, I emailed Richard to see what was going on. he advised me that the best way to order was to order directly through him, and he would see to it that my order was taken care of.   One of the ways that he is able to save money is through having the units delivered via cargo ship, rather then air. ...  That coupled with a high demand for his lights, means that many times the lights are sold out before they arrive. 

...By January 11th, 2008 I had received everything in my order except the soft box, and the bulb for the soft box, both of which were still on back order.   However, Richard had rushed me the 150w HMI as I was interested in using it for a shoot I had on the 12th. ...  It felt and looked very similar to other fresnel Arri lights I have used in the past. ...  I especially like that the ballast has a clip on it so that you can hang it from a light stand. ...  And the light weight of the ballast did not significantly add to the weight on the Matthew's C-Stand that I was using.


Once plugged in and fired up the light brought forth that same quality of light I had experienced in the past- I was excited to use it on the shoot. ...  (I&rsquo;m sure this would make these lights much more expensive if they were.)   What that means is that they have to cool down first before they will re-fire. ...  So you do need to put more thought into where you place your lights, and if you need to power them off for any reason.   But with a bulb life of 6000 - 8000 hours, I&rsquo;ll just be leaving the lights on for the majority of the time, only turning them off during substantial breaks.


When all is said and done, I was very happy with the light, and I look forward to ordering more to fill out my lighting kit.   I would highly recommend that you consider these lights when putting together your own kit.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Redrock Micro: Follow Focus Review Update</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2007-10-17T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/RRM_FF_V01_Update.html#unique-entry-id-11</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/RRM_FF_V01_Update.html#unique-entry-id-11</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Back in May of this year I wrote a review of the Redrock Micro Follow Focus and I was amazed at how well it performed for the price they were selling it at.   For half the price of the Chrosziel you could get a good follow focus.   However, the one draw back of the unit was that it had 1/16&rdquo; of play in the wheel compared to the 1/32&rdquo; of play in the Chrosziel.


&nbsp;


Always seeking to delivery quality products at affordable prices for he indi market, Redrock Micro has released an upgrade to their follow focus.   Brian Valente at Redrock was kind enough to send me the upgrade, and I am amazed at what they have done with the follow focus.   All current models of the follow focus are now shipping with these upgrades, and in short they have met and exceeded the quality of the Chrosziel- which is twice the price!   For owners of the old version of the follow focus, you can order a replacement gear box from Redrock for $65.


&nbsp;


The new gear box is easy to replace and install on the follow focus, within 5 minutes I had disassembled and reassembled the follow focus.   Redrock supplies an instruction manual as well as online videos that fully explain the process- making it easy and simple.   Once installed there were two noticeable changes in the follow focus, both of which add up to a product that beats the Chrosziel, and is knocking on the door of the Arri follow focus.   This first change that i noticed is that the wheel no longer freely spins.   With the previous model you could spin the wheel and it would keep on turning.   This is not that case any more.   The wheel has been dampened so that it can no longer spin freely.   The second change is the lack of play in the wheel.   The previous version had about 1/16&rdquo; of play in the wheel- which isn&rsquo;t bad for such an affordable follow focus.   Well now with the current follow focus the play is almost non existent.   I would guess that they play is somewhere around 1/64&rdquo; or less.   But as I do not have anything that measures that small, I can not say for sure.   What I can say for sure is that the play is significantly less then the play in the Chrosziel!   (And the follow focus is getting very close to the same quality as the Arri follow focus, which comes in at over $3,000.)


&nbsp;


I recently shot a short using the RED camera, and we used the old version of the follow focus with the RED lens.   The follow focus fit nicely with the RED, although my AC was a little frustrated with the 1/16&rdquo; of play in the wheel.   But now with the removal of that play, and knowing how easily it fits with the RED lens, I feel very confident taking this follow focus and using it when I go out to shoot with the RED camera.


&nbsp;


In summary, the old version of the follow focus was a good buy, with the added upgrades and reliability of the new follow focus, this unit is a GREAT buy.   And at $650, it is a steal of a deal- a follow focus that will work for your 35mm adapter and be able to perform well with the RED camera and cinema lenses, who could ask for more?


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


&nbsp;


To find out more, or to order go to: Redrockmicro.com


<div class="js-kit-comments" permalink=""></div>


<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>A / S / L - Production Diary</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Production Diary</category><category>Cinematography</category><dc:date>2007-09-14T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/ASL_Diary.html#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/ASL_Diary.html#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After just completing principle photography on the feature film A.S.L.   I thought that I would take some time to reflect on my experiences as the cinematographer of the film.   If you are interested in viewing behind the scenes pictures or following up with the progress of the film, the following links will be of interest to you:


&nbsp;


ASL links:


&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A / S / L Film Website


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;IMDB Page


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Behind The Scenes Pictures


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Statesman Journal New Article


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Variety Magazine Production Chart


&nbsp;


ASL is an independent feature film that was shot in and around Salem, Oregon.   Using local talent, and crew, this ambitious film was shot in 19 days, and has just entered into post production.   The film explores the impact the internet has had on 4 different story-lines.   Tackling tough issues such as child predators, adultery, and pornography this film seeks to convey a positive message in the midst of some tough life lessons for its&rsquo; characters.


...Shooting a feature film of this size, with the number of locations that were involved within a 19 day period was ambitious to say the least.   When we wrapped principle photography and totaled up the hours spent and compared that to the schedule that had been laid out the whole production only went over by an hour.   This amazing feat was due in a large part to our Director, Devon Lyon, and Assistant Director, Kevin Curry.   Their leadership not only allowed the production to be well run, but made for an enjoyable atmosphere for all involved - even during the more stressful moments.


...As with any production, one of the major rolls that the cinematographer plays is coordinating the lighting of a location within a given time frame.   This is a challenge that I enjoy facing as a cinematographer.   How do I get the look that I am after within the time frame that I am given?   The answer for me lies in preproduction - and no where was this more true then in working with the locations for ASL.   During the preproduction phase of ASL I met with Devon, Kevin, and the Gaffer, Steve Waters, for a couple days of location scouting.   At each location I was able to do a rough sketch of the layout of the place and get an idea of the flow of blocking of the scenes.   My trusty compass helped me to determine the direction of the windows and determine if I would be competing with direct sunlight through windows on the sunny days.


...When I arrived back from the location scouting I was able to review the script and my location notes to get an idea of the lighting scheme that I was going to use in each location.   This helped me tremendously on the days of principle photography.   Being prepared before hand helped me to figure out where I could place lights, and helped me to be better prepared when the unexpected came up or time was running out.


...For example, at one of the locations we had planned on shooting a scene in the bathroom which had 6 100w bulbs in the fixture above the sink.   Our original plan was to replace those bulbs with our own 211 bulbs and then replace the light switch with our own dimmer to control the light level.   This seems like the best solution since the bathroom was no bigger then 6&rsquo; x 6&rsquo; and those bulbs would be adequate for lighting the quick scene.   Our other option was to hang a keno from the ceiling, which limited movement in the bathroom, but would be our backup plan.


...Then came the day of the production.   In the morning the lighting department set out lighting the first scene, and then moved to switching out the light switch in the bathroom.   (That scene would be shot towards the end of the day.)   We made it through the first half of the day without a hitch- however the lights in the bathroom did not work- or at least the dimmer we bought was not working.   We spent some of our lunch break trying to figure it out- everything was wired correctly, but the dimmer would not work.   So it looked like we had a bad dimmer- without having enough time to go buy another dimmer, we had to go to our backup plan.


...Having already thought through what our options were, we had a keno on hand and flew it in as high as we could get and then shot the scene careful to avoid shooting the lights just above the bathroom mirror, and making sure we hid the c-stand that the kenos hung from.   In the end, we were able to get the shot we wanted with a little creativity in lighting and framing, all with out putting us behind schedule.


...This is just one of many stories of the challenges that we over came through the production.   Without the team work of all involved, and the work we did in the preproduction phase of the project, I&rsquo;m sure that things would not have gone as well as they did.   I can not recommend highly enough to those who are looking into doing narrative work, whether for short films or feature length- do your prep work well.   The more you do before hand, the better things will go on the day of principle photography.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>ISO &#x26; The HVX</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>Review</category><category>HVX</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2007-06-19T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/ISO_and_the_HVX.html#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/ISO_and_the_HVX.html#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The most powerful tool that a cinematographer, or a director of photography has in his arsenal is the craft of lighting.   It is with the careful placement of light and shadow that mood, meaning, and subtext are communicated.   But before the appropriate lighting can be accomplished, the DP needs to know what speed of film he/she is working with - as it will guide how much light is needed.   This is where it is helpful to know the ASA / ISO rating of the film, or the camera that you are using.


...&ldquo;But, I&rsquo;m shooting digital.&rdquo; you say, &ldquo;Why should I even care, my camera has Zebras?&rdquo;.   Well, if you simply want to know if your image is over exposed, then you can continue to go forward with whatever method you have been using, and you will continue to get the results you have had in the past.   (Which may or may not be a good thing.)   If you want to get the most out of your camera - getting the widest range possible - keeping your image exposed properly, then I would suggest that you get familiar with your camera, it&rsquo;s ISO rating, and a light meter.   It has been my experience, and my observation that digital cinematography has allowed many corners to be cut.   Some of them good, and others have lead to a decline in the aesthetics of cinematography.   Having the proper tools, experience, and knowledge will allow you to successfully expose your image and use the zone system in your craft.   (If you are not familiar with the zone system, I will expand on it in a future entry.)   In short, knowing the ISO of the camera you will be using will allow you to plan appropriately for the lighting needs of your production.   You will know if that 250w light will provide enough light for your key, or if you will need more light.


...Dan Coplan, SOC wrote a great article in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of High Def magazine (www.highdef.com) where he talks about using a light meter in digital cinematography (p. ...  At the end of this article he reviews several methods for determining the ISO of your camera.   It is the third method that I used to determine the ISO of the HVX as well as the ISO of the HVX with the M2.   For more detailed instructions and other options, you can read the article- but here is a quick summary of what I did:


...Framed up my gray card (Zone V - 18% gray) so that it filled


...Lit the card with a 500w Lowell V-Light


...Set the HVX to f4.0


...Used the spot meter in the HVX and adjusted the position of


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;the light until it read exactly 50%.


...Used and incident light meter to take a reading at the grey


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;card, and adjusted the ISO until the F-stop read the same as


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;the HVX.


...For the testing I wanted to figure out what the rating of the HVX was with out the M2, and then what it was with the M2.   This not only gave me a good idea of what the speed was for each configuration, but it also allowed me to determine what the actual light loss was with the M2.   To determine the light loss of the M2, I took a reading with only the M2 attached to the camera.   This allowed an accurate reading without additional light loss due to any lens I might put on to the M2.   Also, for the test, I used the same scene file settings (REW-M2) so as to insure consistent results.   (You can download the settings from the resource page.)


...The results of my testing using the HVX, M2, and a Minolta IV F light meter were as follows:


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The HVX-200: ISO = 320 &nbsp;(SF Settings: REW-M2 / F4.0 / 180


...&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The HVX-200 w/M2: ISO = 100 (SF Settings: REW-M2 / F4.0 / 180


...&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The HVX-200 w/LetusFlip*: ISO = 64 (SF Settings: REW-M2 /


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;F4.0 / 180 degree shutter)


(* While I did have a LetusFlip to test, it is an older model and it may not accurately reflect the light loss in current models.)


...As you can tell from the results, the HVX is a light hog coming in at and ISO of 320.   When you add the M2 to the mix you loose about 1 and 2/3 stops of light.   (So the M2 introduces almost 2 stops of light loss.)   If you are using the LetusFlip (www.letus35.com) you will loose about 2 and 1/3 stops of light (2/3 of a stop more then the M2).   Whether or not these results are acceptable or not will depend on the production, but if this camera is going to be used in any of these configurations, you at least now have a starting point from which to make intelligent decisions on how much light you will need to expose your image properly.   After all, as a director of photography, it is your job to make sure that the images you record are not only lit well aesthetically, but that there is enough light to get proper exposure.


...(Film speeds are calibrated in 1/3 increments [Ex.   ISO: 6 ISO: 8 ISO:10].   A full stop is either double or half of the current rating.   So a for a rating of 160, one stop down would be 80 and one stop up would be 320.)


...<div class="js-kit-comments" permalink=""></div>


<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Redrock Micro: Follow Focus - A Review</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Equipment</category><category>HVX</category><category>Review</category><dc:date>2007-05-03T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Redrock_Micro_Follow_Focus_V01.html#unique-entry-id-8</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Redrock_Micro_Follow_Focus_V01.html#unique-entry-id-8</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[WOW, for $650 this unit is a steal of a deal.   This follow focus (FF) is easily on the same level as a Chrosziel FF both in terms of craftsmanship and in results &ndash; the price could easily be higher and it would still be worth the extra money.   The only major difference from the Chrosziel FF is the size of the gear box - the Redrock FF has a bigger gear box then the Chrosziel.   I think that Redrock has found the magic balance of quality and price for the indi filmmaker.   While this is not the most affordable unit on the market &ndash; it is the most reliable and affordable unit that I&rsquo;ve worked with to date.   When compared to cheaper FF on the market, the extra $350 dollars that you will spend on this unit is worth the reliability, and ease of use that the Redrock FF brings to your productions.


...Why is it worth the extra $350?   The lack of slop, and the repeatable reliability of the unit alone makes it worth the added cash.   With a smooth gearbox, and securely connecting gears, you will hit your mark every time.   This is not the case with the cheaper units.   If you are working in SD being off you mark by a little bit is not as noticeable as if you are in the HD realm.   In HD it is imperative that you make you marks, as soft footage becomes much more noticeable.   So if you want to avoid the frustration of unreliable operation, then get this unit.


...The additional benefit of this unit is the easy placement, alignment, and connection of the gears to the 35mm lenses.   Each gear has spacers that evenly align the gear to the lens ensuring a secure and even connection to the lens and to the gearbox.   The lens rings are then tightened to the lens via a single screw which means placement and removal are quick and convenient.   This has not always been the case with cheaper units where multiple screws have to be adjusted and you have to carefully align the ring on the lens to ensure maximum contact with the gearbox.


...While I do have very high praises of the FF, there are two small things that I found lacking.   Neither of which are deal breakers by any means, but would be helpful to round out this excellent product.   The first thing I found lacking was the inclusion of hard stops.   The FF does not come with any hard stops, and as of this writing, none are available from Redrock.   Having two hard stops ensures that you&rsquo;ve hit your mark each and every time you pull focus.   This may not always be the case with a focus pulled with out them &ndash; as it really depends on the skill of the focus puller to hit his / her marks on the disk.   To alleviate the lack of hard stops an easy and affordable solution is to use either large paper clips or small binder clips.   While it is not the most elegant solution, it works well, and is very affordable.   The second thing I found lacking was that extra ring wedges were not included with the unit.   The rings attach to the lens with a singe screw that feeds through the ring and then is secured on the other side by attaching to a wedge.   The wedge is not connected to the ring at all, other then by the screw.   And I can foresee loosing one or two as they are relatively small, and could be dropped into a small crevasse, or hole, never to be seen again.   &nbsp;It would be great if two or three spares came standard with the FF.   Again, neither lack of hard stops or extra wedges is a deal breaker, and it is rather trivial- but they would complete an already outstanding package form Redrock.


...I recently had the chance to be on set with my Redrock FF and the Chrosziel DV Studio Rig FF.   It was a great opportunity to test these two units out side by side.   What made this testing even easier, was the fact that both of the units use a 32 degree gear pitch, so they could be mounted at the same time.   Coming in at over twice the price of the Redrock FF, the major advantages of the Chrosziel is the smaller gear box, and even less slop then the Redrock.   The gear box on the Chrosziel is about 1/2 - 1/3 the size of the Redrock, so if you have a tight space to work with, the Chrosziel is ideal.   This may only be an issue if you are using a 35mm adapter other then the M2, as the Redrock FF works perfectly with the M2.   To gage the slop on both units, I very unscientifically used an erasable felt pen and marked the discs of both units.   I backed each unit up to the beginning of the throw, and then turned it forward until it caught the gear.   I then used a tape measure to measure the distance between the marks giving me my final measurements.   My final results were that the Redrock has about 1/16&rdquo; of slop, and the Chrosziel has about 1/32&rdquo; of slop.   Both of these are negligible in operation of the FF, and have not been an issue as of yet.   So is the Chrosziel worth the extra money?   It all depends on your needs.   Either way the Redrock and the Chrosziel are head and shoulders above all of the other FF in this price range and lower.


...So if you are on the fence about spending the extra money for the Redrock FF, I would highly encourage you to spend it, as you will not regret it.   The time you save in setup, and the frustration you avoid in operation of the FF is worth the extra $350.   &nbsp;This is a high quality FF that will last you for a long time- well past the life of your current video camera, so it is a great investment in your current and future productions.


...To find out more, or to order go to: Redrockmicro.com


...<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How To Navigate The World Of Nikon Lenses.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2007-04-16T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/What_Nikon_Lenses_To_Get.html#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/What_Nikon_Lenses_To_Get.html#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[So you have done your research, received peoples input, viewed sample clips and stills, and you have made your purchase of your 35mm adapter for your digital camera.   But now you head down to your local camera store, or over to e-bay and you find a plethora of options to choose from for your 35mm lenses - arghhhh!!   How do I know which lens will be the best?   What do all of those initials mean?   Now I&rsquo;m really confused ....


&nbsp;


Well, I&rsquo;m here to help you get started navigating all of your choices when it comes to purchasing a 35mm still lens for your 35mm adapter.   It is my goal to give you a quick start guide to making your purchase decisions.   If you would like more detailed information, then I will encourage you to check out the following two web sites.   The first is on Wikipedia - this page will give you a complete breakdown and details on each of the various Nikon lenses that are available to you.   With 20+ different designations for each lens Wikipedia is great for keeping current on the latest info regarding specifics.   I will focus on what lenses you should look for, and what ones you should avoid, all others will be omitted from this article.   The second place that I&rsquo;ll direct you is to Bjorn Rorslett&rsquo;s site.   There he gives a ranking of various lenses that he has used and tested for himself.   With a collection of over 100 lenses Bjorn has a lot of experience to draw from in his testing.   With that out of the way, we are now on to my quick start guide to buying 35mm lenses for you 35mm adapter.


&nbsp;


First off the lenses that you can avoid.   Currently all 35mm adapters do not have any electronic body for the still lenses.   What this means to you is that you want to stay away from the newer electronically controlled 35mm lens.   That is unless you want to stay at one fixed aperture - which I would not recommend as it gives you less control over your final image.   And cinematography is all about crafting your image.   The designations to stay away from would be lenses with the marking &ldquo;G&rdquo; or &ldquo;AF&rdquo; on them.


&nbsp;


The next lenses to stay away from are the &ldquo;E&rdquo; and &ldquo;DX&rdquo; series of lenses.   While the &ldquo;DX&rdquo; lenses are great for digital SLR use, they are designed for the smaller imager &nbsp;of the digital SLR.   So you will notice vignetting in your 35mm adapter when using the &ldquo;DX&rdquo; lens.   This can be over come by zooming in with you video camera, but then you also magnify the grain of the ground glass - not the best idea in my opinion.   Just stick with the lenses designed for 35mm film.   The series &ldquo;E&rdquo; lenses are a cheaper version of their lenses, and if you are going to all the trouble of putting 35mm lenses in front of your video camera to increase the quality of your image, you may as well as put the best lens you can on there, and not use a cheaper imitation.   The series &ldquo;E&rdquo; will usually be labeled Nikon, but it will not be labeled &ldquo;Nikkor&rdquo;.


&nbsp;


So what lenses should I be looking for?   The short answer is to get the highest quality you can afford.   If it is an important shoot, then consider renting a lens if you can from your local camera store if you cannot afford to buy them.   The first designation to look for would be the &ldquo;ED&rdquo; (Extra-low Dispersion glass) or the &ldquo;Super-ED&rdquo;.   This lens reduces the chromatic aberration that the lens has, and allows for a cleaner image over all.   The second designation to look for is &ldquo;Pre-AI&rdquo; , &ldquo;Non-AI&rdquo; , &ldquo;NAI&rdquo; , or &ldquo;AI&rdquo;.   These are all completely manual lenses with will give you the greatest control of your image.   And as a DP, your greatest job is to control the light coming through the lens of the camera.


&nbsp;


Hopefully this quick start guide has been helpful &nbsp;to you, or at least pointed you in some useful directions.   Until next time, get out there a shoot.   :)


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>What Is A DP?</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2007-02-15T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/What_is_a_DP.html#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/What_is_a_DP.html#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[So you&rsquo;ve gone out and purchased your camera, and you even splurged and bought a tripod for it.   You set it up, insert the tape, and press record- you&rsquo;re a DP now correct?   Not so fast &ndash; what is a DP and what do they do?


&nbsp;


When many people hear DP the first thought that comes to mind is some one who operates a camera.   But being a DP involves much more then picking up a camera and pressing record.   Depending on the production, the DP may never even touch the camera, for the true job of the DP is to create the feel & look of the production through painting with light.   The more a DP knows about, and the more familiar with light he/she is, the better skilled they will be.   The canvas is the set/location, and the paint brushes are the lighting instruments.


&nbsp;


Some of the greatest DP&rsquo;s have spent hours upon hours studying light and how it interacts with the environment.   They will go and sit in a location for an entire day to see how the natural light would interact through out the day.   But before you can become a master of the craft, you have to begin to familiarize yourself with your tools.


&nbsp;


Today, through the use of the internet, it is becoming easier and easier to be able to research and study light.   The first place to look is to the great painters of the renaissance- the paintings of Leonardo are a great study in the use of light to create a specific mood.   Through studying the painters, you will begin to see their influence, as well as keen eye for the effective use of light to communicate to their audience.   The second place to look is right out your window.   Watch the light around you- whether it is out in the open, or within the confines of a moody restaurant- ask yourself questions like- what mood is created by the light?  , how is that mood being created?  , what would it take to replicate it?   Evaluate the light you come in contact with- the direction, the source, the color, the quality, and the color.   When you come across a scene you like, take notes to that you can replicate it later.   Thirdly, read all you can about light.   The internet is an easy place to start, but unfortunately there seems to be a shortage of quality writing on light available online.   One place that has an excellent expose on light is: Itchy Animation.   You can also find good information on lighting in many photography books that are available at your local library, or are easily bought online.   And finally, watch your favorite films- try watching with the sound off, and just pay attention to the visual elements.   What mood is created- how is that mood communicated through light?


&nbsp;


As you become more familiar with light, and how to use it to communicate a particular mood your skills as a DP will grow, and you&rsquo;ll be come more effective in your position- regardless of if you operate the camera on the production or not.   With the affordability of today&rsquo;s cameras it is easy to pick one up, and call yourself a DP.   But the truly talented DP&rsquo;s go far beyond the realm of point and shoot camera operators- they control each frame of the production through the careful placement of light in a scene.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>How Do I Get Started?</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>General Musing</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2006-11-28T08:00:00-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Getting_Started.html#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Getting_Started.html#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I know it has been too long since I have posted here.   Life has been very eventful as of late- I&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to travel some, as well as begin production on a short film for a DVXuser film festival.   So that has filled my plate for the time being.   I have been asked from time to time on what it takes to get started in filmmaking, and I wanted to share three quick tips that anyone can do to begin their journey into the world of indi-filmmaking:


&nbsp;


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;1.   Read, read, read, anything and everything that you can.   Any books that have to do with filmmaking, or the like will help give you an idea as to what people have done in the past.   Before you can break the rules, you have to know what the rules are.   So the better you are at knowing why things are done the way they are, the better equipped you'll be when you decide to do things differently.   Some reading suggestions can be found in the side bar on the right.


&nbsp;


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;2.   Participate in user groups.   (Like DVXuser.com or others.)   These groups are a great way to rub shoulders with other new-be's and some talented people.   For the most part everyone is very helpful, and eager to help out.


&nbsp;


&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;3.   Get out there and do it.   Reading and participating in user groups is great, but in reality it will not help you any if you are not trying it out.   It is like riding a bike- you can read about it, but you will not get any better unless you get out there and fall down a couple of times.   Just be prepared that you will make mistakes.   That is ok, as long as you learn from them.   So grab any camera you can get you hands on, and start practicing.   Lots of times people will get hung up on having the latest equipment.   And while having better gear does help- you will never get better if you just sit there and wait until you have all of the latest / best gear.


&nbsp;


If you are feeling a little apprehensive about completing your own project, then another way to get involved is by being a PA (Production Assistant) on someone else&rsquo;s project.   (Not a glamorous job, but at least it will get you out there on other projects to see how things are done.) check your local Craig&rsquo;s list as there are regular postings for PA&rsquo;s and other positions.   They may not be paid positions, but at this stage that is ok.   The idea is to build you experience, and right now you have none.   As your talent and experience grows, then you can begin to worry about your daily rate.


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Letus Flip With The HVX.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>HVX</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2006-10-26T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Letus_Flip.html#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Letus_Flip.html#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I initially was introduced to the Letus35a when I was filming Pandora (A short SiFi film).   When my partner, Norm, and I began our preproduction work for the film, we took a look at various 35mm adapters on the market for miniDV cameras.   At the time I was shooting on the DVX100a. ...  Affordability, we were shooting with two camera and so we needs to have two adapters with lenses.   And since we were limited with our budget, this made the Letus35a an easy choice.


...Ever since the day I was able to use 35mm lenses on my digital camera, I have grown to love the feel and look that they can give digital video.   No longer does the footage look sharp and home video-ey, now it can look more organic, smooth, and the depth of field (DoF) can accurately be controlled!   Something that I did not like about this adapter, and others like it, is the fact that the image is flipped upside down.   So while you&rsquo;re filming you have to view the image upside down- which takes some getting used to.   There are some tricks to get around this, and they are covered in various forums, like DVXuser.   But, even still, when you get back to edit your footage, you have to flip it within your editing system- causing a render hit- meaning more time spent in post production.


...Then came the next short film that I worked on-Sparrow.   By this time Quyen had developed a &ldquo;Flipped&rdquo; version of the 35mm adapter called the Letus Flip.   Through a series of various mirrors he flips the image so that the camera correctly records the image.   I was excited, as this option is not available in other 35mm adapters- at least not in the same price range.   (The PS-Technik runs about $10,000) No more work a rounds during production, and no more render hits during post production. ...  The shoot went great, and the adapter delivered some great results- which you can check out at the Sparrow web site, or by ordering the DVD.


...But as is always the case with technology, new developments happen, and new gear becomes available.   After selling my DVX&rsquo;s and acquiring the HVX I was ready to shoot HD.   Ever since making the change over the HD, I can confidently say I would never go back.   I love the results I get &ndash; not only in resolution, but more importantly in my opinion, color rendition.   HD has brought me one step closer to being able to capture images the way I see them in my mind.


...Having enjoyed HD for several months now, I began to remember my experience with the 35mm lenses on the DVX. ...  So, I yet again began the process of researching what my best option would be for an adapter for HD.   Through my research, I have narrowed it down to the M2 developed by Redrock Micro.   They have certified the M2 specifically for HD, and as you can see by the sample footage, it produces some beautiful images.   But before I plunked down $1300 for the adapter, a thought crossed my mind- &ldquo;Hey, I have the Letus Flip, I wonder if that will work?&rdquo;.   Now the Letus Flip has not been designed or certified for HD use at this time.   But I figured that I had one on hand so why not test it out- all it will cost is my time.   So I attached the Letus Flip to my trusty HVX and set out to see what I got.   Below are links to footage that you can download to view for yourself.   The first test was done with only ambient / natural lighting that was present in my garage.   The second test was done using a 250w pro-light as the backlight, and a 500w v-light as the key.   And the third uses the same lights, only this time the shot includes a woman as the subject.


...There will be an updated posting that will include samples clips from the Letus, M2, and the Brevis.)


...After viewing the footage I was surprised by how well the Letus Flip did.   Now granted in the Natural light text you can see a lot of noise, and it does not look good at all- but once adequate light is used that problem seems to go away for the most part.   The footage appears very clean, and it preformed much better then I was expecting.   Especially since it appears cleaner then some of the results that I got when using it with the DVX.   This really surprised me, since the HVX is HD and records more detail then the DVX.


...While I was happy with the results, I must honestly say, that I can&rsquo;t whole heartedly recommend it for HD.   If you are on a tight budget, and can&rsquo;t afford the extra $400 - $500 for the M2, then by all means it should work for you.   But if you are going to do 35mm, then I would recommend getting an adapter that has been built and tested to work with HD.   The draw backs of this adapter for me are the grain sizes, and the non-uniformity of the patters.   Some of the grain specs appear to be larger & smaller then others which leads to an irregular pattern. ...  Both of these can lead to aberrations, or odd looking patters in your image.   Something that I do not see within the sample footage posted using the M2.


...As I plan on acquiring the M2, when I do, I&rsquo;ll be sure to do some side by side comparison to test out the results for a more accurate conclusion, as my conclusions at this point are based off of personal experience, and from what I&rsquo;ve seen on the web rather then actual side by side testing.   So take then with a gain or two of salt, they are not definitive by any means.   I also need to do some testing with the Letus and the HVX using subject outside to see if that yields any different results. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>On Set With The HVX.</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>HVX</category><category>Equipment</category><dc:date>2006-10-02T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_HVX_On_Set.html#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/The_HVX_On_Set.html#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Just over a week ago I had the opportunity to use the HVX to film a short.   With a deadline for the submission of the short film in just over a week, this short was quickly developed, shot and delivered for the festival.   Having gone through that experience, I thought that I would offer my thoughts and incites.


&nbsp;


This was my first real experience using the HVX for dramatic work.   Up to this point I have been using it to short promotional videos, as well as stock footage.   And I am happy to report that it held up very well under the rigors of dramatic production.   While on set I had use of the Marshal monitor, 2 4GB P2 Cards and 1 8GB P2 card.   The use of these accessories was of great help and added to the ease of use of the camera while on set.


&nbsp;


I was very thankful to be able to test out the marshal monitor on set.   I must admit that I was skeptical that an 800 x 480 monitor could really be trusted for critical focus of the 1920 x 1080 footage.   But time and time again I was able to hit my mark and pull focus using the monitor.   This monitor made the production roll much more smoothly, as using the on camera Focus Assist in the LCD is a little time consuming.   While I still used the Focus Assist feature on the camera to double check my focus for the first couple of scenes, I quickly realized that it was performing as I desired and gave up on using the Focus Assist feature.


&nbsp;


While this is a relatively light monitor, added to the camera it makes it a lot less ergonomic, and easy to operate handheld.   This is especially true if you use the optional battery back, which felt like it doubled the weight of the monitor.   While you could use it handheld, I would recommend against it- if you really want fluid handheld motion, attach it to a steadicam rig.   Not only will your arms thanks you, but you&rsquo;ll have much better control of your camera allowing you to get the movement you want without worrying about damaging your equipment.   I would highly recommend getting this monitor, or one like it, if you are planning on shooting in HD.   HD is great because it shows every beautiful detail in your shot- but your image becomes noticeably less beautiful if it is out of focus.


&nbsp;


The second accessory that added to the ease of use while on set were the P2 cards.   While there have been complaints of the low recording times when using them, this was a non-issue while on set.   With a little for thought and planning you will never notice the difference from switching from the long record times of tape to the shorter record times of the P2 cards.   To keep the production moving as quickly and smoothly as possible, I brought my laptop with me on set which is able to read the P2 cards, and transfer the footage.   Before production began, I setup my laptop to automatically copy and erase the P2 cards upon insertion into the computer.   This was effortlessly made possible by using the P2 Genie on my PowerBook G4 Laptop.   Then once production began, I had an assistant (PA) on hand to transfer the footage for me.   I would always have 2 cards in the camera at all times.   Once one card was full, it was handed off to the PA who gave me the card he was holding, and he would go transfer the footage while I continued filming.   Using this method we never missed a beat, and we never experienced any down time due to the P2 cards.   There was down time of course- but that was do to other production needs like scene and lighting changes, which were opportune times to transfer footage as well.   If you are a producer or director who prefers long takes you need not worry, this system can still work for you.   Because the P2 cards are hot swappable, once a card is full you can take it out, put in a new one, and keep on going.   So if long takes are a must- just make sure to have ample amounts of P2 cards available on set.


&nbsp;


And those are my thoughts of using the HVX for dramatic work- now all is needed is the addition of film lenses and the package will be complete- which introduces the M2, from Redrock Micro&hellip;


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Welcome to The World Of Color</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>HVX</category><category>General Musing</category><dc:date>2006-09-10T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/422_VS_411.html#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/422_VS_411.html#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It&rsquo;s like going from day to night, off to on, black and white to color &ndash; making the switch to 4:2:2 has brought me that much closer to being able to produce images that more closely convey the world as I perceive it.   The only thing better would be working in 4:4:4 color space.   Which in time with the development of cameras like the Red Camera will make this a reality too.   But in the mean time I have really loved the added richness that 4:2:2 has given me.


&nbsp;


When I first began contemplating the move to HD, one of the major factors that impacted my decision to go with the HVX-200 was the added color space.   Being able to use full 4:2:2 really excited me, and I knew it would open up new possibilities, allowing greater freedom of creativity and expression.   All of the other options at the time I made the switch to HD only offered a 4:2:0 color space, and from the images I saw, they were not quite what I was looking for.   Yes they were better then the miniDV images I was familiar with- but something about compressing an HD image into 4:2:0 and then compressing it into MPEG-2 to record onto miniDV just didn&rsquo;t sit right with me, but I digress.   Working in miniDV and a 4:1:1 color space for such a long time, I have become very familiar with the limitations of the format.   Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, some amazing images can be produced, and have been produced by people using this format.   But nothing beats having more information to work with when creating your images.


&nbsp;


For starters, the added information will aid you greatly in the use of any green screen work that you may need to do.   Trying to pull off a convincing green screen using 4:1:1 (miniDV) was a laborious process that still wasn&rsquo;t completely satisfactory.   But now with the added color space, these problems are minimized making green screen work that much easier.   Then there is the ability to capture rich saturated colors, and retain that rich chroma information that gets discarded when compressing down to 4:1:1.   I am a cinematographer through and through.   And one of my own personal preferences is that I prefer to do as much image manipulation in camera as possible.   Yes there are amazing editing programs in which you can color correct your image, and tweak it to you hearts delight- but the world as I see it is one full of rich colors and magnificent beauty.   So I would rather try and capture it using the camera rather then try and fix it later in post.   Besides, if you can capture the image the way you want it in camera, why not do it right the first time, and save yourself the headache of additional render times later?


&nbsp;


Well, if you are still in the world of 4:1:1, and are considering a move up- I would highly recommend moving up to a camera that records in 4:2:2- there are many options out there.   So do some research, and pick the one that best fits you needs.   Either way- it&rsquo;s time to make the move and switch from the days of black and white TV to color- the view is much better on the other side &hellip;..


Cheers,


Ryan E.   Walters, Cinematographer


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<script src="http://js-kit.com/comments.js"></script>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Nature Cinematography</title><dc:creator>ryan@ryanewalters.com</dc:creator><category>Cinematography</category><category>How To</category><dc:date>2006-08-24T08:00:00-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Nature_Cinematography.html#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/Nature_Cinematography.html#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Whether it was walking through an ornate garden, lush fields, or stopping along side a road to enjoy the scenery, she would have her camera in hand to capture the moment. ...  Each picture telling a story, capturing just the right moment in time - I credit a lot of my own abilities and interest to her influence in my life.


...My earliest attempts to capture nature through the use of digital video were less then stellar.   This was in part due to the low resolution and capabilities of the miniDV camera I was using at the time, and in part due to my inexperience.   But now eight years have passed and the format has matured along with my experience.   My interest was reawakened in nature cinematography about 2 years ago when I stumbled upon Steven Dempsy&rsquo;s website which features some amazing scenes first captured using the Panasonic DVX100, and now filmed using the Canon XLH1. ...  With the release of affordable HD cameras it is now possible to really capture all of the beauty and detail nature has to offer.


...With what follows, it is my attempt to share some tips and tricks of nature cinematography to allow you to be better prepared the next time you go out film.   It will not be within the scope of this article to discuss composition and framing, as that is well covered by the various intro to photography books that you can find in the library or online.   Rather I wish to share some tips from my experience of what works in nature cinematography.   (This is by no means an all inclusive list, but it should enable you to come away with better images the next time you go out.)


...Tip #1 &ndash; Exposure:One of the current weaknesses of digital video is the inability to capture detail in the highly exposed areas of an image.   When an area reaches 100% white just about all detail is lost.   If your image is over exposed you have lost any information you may have had in the white areas and no amount of color correcting will bring that information back.   So it is very important that you expose properly so that you have as much detail as possible to work with in your image.   Whether you will be CC&rsquo;ing or not, the correct exposure will insure a beautiful image.


...So how do you know if you are properly exposing your image?   My first suggestion is to get to know your camera - take it out and play with it.   The better you know how your camera handles the highlights and the dark areas, the better equipped you&rsquo;ll be to expose properly.   Now days most prosumer cameras come with Zebras &ndash; no, not the African plains kind, but the little strips that flash on screen telling you what level of white the image is at.   With the HVX you have the option of setting two zebra levels at various levels in-between 80% and 105%.   I have found that setting one on a lower setting like 80% and the other at a higher setting of 100% works well in determining exposure.   I then use these zebras to gage where I have lost the detail (at 100%) that I may want to keep.   Generally speaking, I allow only the 100% zebras to be in the brightest areas of my highlights. 

...Along with exposing correctly, it is important to keep your lens within the optimum exposure range to maintain the highest resolution possible. ...  If you keep within the optimum range you will be sure that your image has the highest resolution, while outside of the range your image will suffer from resolution loss, bringing down the detail of the image- not something you want when trying to capture the detail nature has to offer.   While the resolution loss is not significant, and you or your viewers may not even notice it, it is better to use everything you can to your advantage.


...Tip #2 &ndash; Filters:Keeping with in the optimum exposure range brings me to the next tip- using filters.   Having a good set of Neutral Density (ND) filters on hand will greatly aid you in your ability to expose your image correctly and keep your resolution.   Now days most cameras come equipped with ND filters, and they may suit your needs just fine.   But I have found that having additional ND filters will provide you with greater control and allow you to have more flexibility.   The additional ND filters can also be used with your on camera filters allowing for even more options.   Using these filters should allow you to expose properly, and stay within the appropriate range to attain maximum resolution.


...This filter will not only allow you to see through windows and water without capturing the reflections, it will also allow you to get those rich blue sky&rsquo;s you see in many photographs. ...  An additional effect of the filter is that it acts as a mild ND filter.   While this is not the main purpose of the filter, when you use it be aware that some light is lost with the filter in front of your lens. ...  To get the best results when using the Polarizing filter you will want to be at 90 degrees to the sun. ...  (The best way to see the results of any filter is to take it out and experiment with it, nothing beats trial and error.)   If you want a quick overview of what filters do to your image, you can check out Tiffens web site at: Tiffen.com. 

...Tip #3 &ndash; Timing:The most opportune time to film nature is during the morning and evening hours.   Not only is this the best lighting, but it is the most likely time that you will find various animals out and about.   From sunrise until the sun is about 45 degrees up, and from when the sun is at 45 degrees on its way down until sunset are the best lighting conditions.   Also known as &ldquo;magic hour&rdquo; the sun has a pleasing warm glow to it, as well as casting pleasing shadows.   When the sun is in-between these times it tends to be too bright and casts some rather harsh, unpleasant shadows. ...  This works well for filming wildlife, as most animals tend to be more active during the morning and evening hours of the day.   As another benefit, you are less likely to run into other people during this time &ndash; leaving you to capture nature uninterrupted, and unhindered by other people.


...Summary- Expose your image properly, use the appropriate filters, and film during the morning and evening hours and you will be well on your way to capturing some beautiful scenery and wildlife.   No matter what you skill level, get out there and practice- the more experience you have the better results you&rsquo;ll get. 

...Wait just a second before you take off- if you want to see some example footage of what I am talking about you can view the footage I shot at a recent trip to Samish Lake in Washington State.   A special thank you to my Aunt Pam, who lent me the use of her summer home for the weekend.
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