Search Results for 'no'

[Roger Deakins]

Firstly, I like prep but that is not to say anything that is imagined during prep has to be what is shot. That is certainly not the case. In my opinion, little can be decided before the director has rehearsed with the actors. Therefore, any lighting I plan out, or indeed rig, prior to seeing a blocking rehearsal will not compromise the possibilities available to the actors and director. Naturally, during location scouting the director and I might decide what will be the preferred angle to shoot in and also what might constitute the widest view, but there is always a possibility of change on the day of the shoot.

I too tend to prefer European cinema, and especially Eastern European cinema, but I am not aware that these films, or ‘The Rider’ for that matter, are made with different equipment. We recently talked with Andrey Zvyagintsev and his cameraman, Michael Krichman, for our podcast and delved into how they shot “Loveless’, ‘Leviathan’ and ‘Elena’. None of the equipment they used was any different to that available to any ‘Hollywood’ production. To say that the ‘big studio ways’ of shooting a film are dead is to miss the point. Was the film ‘In Cold Blood’ dead? Was ‘The Wild Bunch’ or ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ or ‘Dr. Strangelove’ dead? While you can easily dismiss the big budget films that are presently being made as, to put it mildly, unexciting, it would be wrong to erase film history altogether. It is not the technology that will change the films that are being made but the mind set of the film makers. Consider Godard. He didn’t work with one of today’s lightweight digital cameras and his greatest films, ‘Alphaville’, ‘Band of Outsiders’, Pierrot le Fou’ , “Breathless’ etc. etc., were made well before Steadicam and stabilized heads. And what about the work of Peter Watkins? What about his ‘War Game’ or ‘Culloden’. For an extreme contrast, consider also John Huston’s ‘Red Badge of Courage’, a film that is made up of extended tracking shots. Look behind the scenes of this production and see the size of the camera and the technological challenges of making those kinds of shots. Limitations can be overcome if the film maker has a vision and a passion.

[quijotesco24]

What I’ve encountered is that at low budget productions  it really depends on the production itself and what workflow has been stablished with the people, how much crew there is around is also important. The type of the shoot is also important, if it’s doc or fiction, or an hybrid. Outside big productions anything can happen. And that’s the magic in my opinion. People are free to develop a system that work for them. At the end results is what counts and you can see how some films are amazing in part for how they were shot.

That’s one the reasons I really prefer European cinema (or anything outside US), as it’s more freer in that regard and the result they show, but watch “The Rider” for example in US, that film looks and feels more authentic than 20 big studio production together in my opinion. There are few interviews online that you can learn how it was shot. But it was a crew of a handful people.
Also to me thanks to newer and cheaper technology it’s gonna be what will really change cinema. How we shoot and plan a shooting day. The big studio ways to shoot a story are dead and completely boring to me as the results are often the same. And in the future with all these LED walls and Virtual Production systems coming the gap between commercial and authentic will be broader.

To answer your specific question is really hard as you have said some directors like to find the shots on location, some like to come with a define shot list to the set. Some do story boards some don’t.

Whatever they like you need to come prepared, if director tells you way ahead he/she doesn’t have any shots in mind and wants to get on set to discuss them you at least come prepared. Usually I like to visit all locations and discuss with them but sometimes it’s not possible so you have to improvise on the spot. But as I said you need to know how they work before shooting days so at least you have a plan already in the head and can transmit ideas right away. And it’s usually more than 1 option. So in case first idea don’t fall you have back-ups.

Also, and this is my personal opinion, every DP out there would need some years of experience shooting Documentaries on the field. Or at least work as photo journalists. The fast approach to get not useable images but amazing ones 1 minute after you arrive at one place gives you an enormous experience and prepares you to be in your toes and work fast and efficient. Something as basic as where is the best spot to shoot in any location (based on the actual light and architecture of the place) you can train even with your phone while you do your daily stuff. Next time you go to supermarket wonder yourself what would be the best spot to get the best frame you could get if you need to shoot someone picking a bag of carrots. Repeat this to any mundane action anywhere you go.

[Younes Boudiaf]

Hello, Mr. Deakins et al.

I am pleased to share with you some snapshots (quickly graded) from our low budget short that we’ve just just finished. seeking some feedback.

It’s a biopic of an artist who defended the freedom of art against the church in 1950’s Quebec, his wife took his children and left him alone.

90% of the film was shot in his original house which is considered now as a mesuem, so, we were not allowed to touch a lot of things, can’t hang lights, no negative fills on the ceiling, and the house was all white.

We used the same small house to shoot a gallery scene and a hospital room scene, so you can imagine the restrictions.

The weather also was not friendly! 4 days of shooting, 2 of them were -16 feels like -24 in which we had 2 outdoor scenes!

 

 

[Younes Boudiaf]

Hello, Mr. Deakins et al.

I am pleased to share with you some snapshots (quickly graded) from our low budget short that we’ve just just finished. seeking some feedback.

It’s a biopic of an artist who defended the freedom of art against the church in 1950’s Quebec, his wife took his children and left him alone.

90% of the film was shot in his original house which is considered now as a mesuem, so, we were not allowed to touch a lot of things, can’t hang lights, no negative fills on the ceiling, and the house was all white.

We used the same small house to shoot a gallery scene and a hospital room scene, so you can imagine the restrictions.

The weather also was not friendly! 4 days of shooting, 2 of them were -16 feels like -24 in which we had 2 outdoor scenes!

 

 

[Max A.]

Hello Mr. Deakins and all the DPs over this fantastic forum. I hope you Mr. Deakins and Mrs. James are well. I know you are very busy with the ‘Byways’ tour. I would like to ask you if it is possible, for your (Mr. Deakins and also other DPs who want to answer my question) workflow during prep about light schemes + staging + shot list, etc.

My question is about in which order you proceed. In my not big “experience,” I sometimes faced situations where the director want to stage the scene on location during the day and sometimes it vinified my initial light scheme, this for me was really stressful because, in a short amount of time, I had to rethink a light pattern which fit with the idea of the story (while the AD that asks for time for the prep.).

The same thing is applied with the angles of the camera, when a director wants to change an angle or maybe wants to “find” the frame during a day so maybe your initial light plan is vinified cause the light and the rig are on the shot.

In order to work better in the future and maybe reduce this kind of stress, I would to ask you about your workflow and, maybe, learn a better plan.

Do you always think and prepare your light plans after the staging/shot list of the scenes during prep? (I know that it will depend from director to director).
Of course, my scenario is really low-budget feature/short film/commercial, etc.

I always thank you for your patience and for your time Mr. Deakins. I can’t wait to see ‘EOL’, I will go to the theatre this Wednesday! Surely I will have tons of questions about the movie😁.

I wish you a peaceful Sunday.
Max.

[vijayank]

Ok, thank you so much, sir. Predicting how sharp the image is on the camera’s small screen becomes a little challenging if the focus puller is not very experienced. Can a suitable video transmitter help tackle this if we transmit the footage on a bigger monitor?

[dmullenasc]

You can’t really compare the two because your shot is not in focus. If you zoom into it, you can see that you’re focused on the tip of his nose, not his eyes.

[dmullenasc]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>The lens (and its f-stop setting) isn’t the only factor. You haven’t mentioned what camera you used nor the recording format nor the delivery format. Nor the source of the frame from “The Revenant”.  Also in a small image seen on a computer or mobile device, the difference in sharpness between two similar images might just be the amount of electronic sharpening applied.</p>

[Baudelaire]

Yet another great episode , and quite interestingly one in which Roger and James talk much more (than any other episode) about themselves and their life/work. As such I learnt a lot. thank you. SP

[JoeWilsonsWar]

I shoot mostly on Sony and there are a lot of variables here, but the noise is introduced the farther you go from the sensors native ISO.  Your picture profiles won’t come into play that much here. I’m not sure how the a6400 handles s-log but you usually need a bit more light when shooting in that format, which is why they advise against it in lower lighting conditions. This isn’y always the case, but it really depends on the sensor and if it’s true log or not.

The short answer is that if you want the least amount of noise possible you’re going to need decent light. Find out what the native ISO is for your camera and try to shoot as close to that as possible. There shouldn’t be any additional noise though from a profile.

[Frank]

In my original post I intentionally avoided singling out any individual person so as not to be invidious. Needless to say I was referring to multiple forum users who have posted in this topic. I’m not sure how me saying “You are on a private website that the Deakins’ can administrate however they wish” could refer to any posts Vanniyan made, and in fact it’s in direct reply to bizarre statements made by others like “Thank God we live in a democratic world where we enjoy freedom of speech.”

I particularly resent the accusation that I’m somehow being insensitive toward somebody because they don’t have native fluency in English. Bad manners like being presumptuous (“You are too busy making the podcast and ‘Byways'”) or badgering someone for something, repeatedly asking the same questions and making the same requests when you don’t receive a reply as soon as you would like, are not a matter of a language barrier.

[sheriftolba]

Well, I actually had an idea of blending her with the blackness as if it’s a drop of ink that appears from black, however, at the shooting day the performer had some reservations about her not being completely lit so I had to balance out showing her moves as she wants, hence, the reflector, but also having moments were my ‘ink drop from black’ shows on screen. That is why I was adamant about using one light on this one so I wouldn’t really have the option to do conventional lighting and keep it interesting to myself somehow.

[M Ryan]

It seems from some more recent films that no matter how it’s lit, post goes bezerk on female faces with relighting and “beauty” filters… male actors will get it too but not as heavy handed..

[Mike]

Vanniyan has always been a valued member of the forum, he has probably asked more questions than anyone else, his English is now very good. He has bags of enthusiasm and always want to learn new ways of  film making. He has never been disrespectful and always wants to please others.

I would employ him as film crew any day.

[Stip]

I don’t think it’s wrong, just too weak maybe.

If you had used a rim light, it would have separated the subject – but then it also would have looked exactly the same as thousands of other music videos shot against black. So there’s really no right or wrong.