Max A.

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  • in reply to: Merry Christmas! #216700
    Max A.
    Participant

      Merry Christmas to you Luca, Mr. Deakins, Mrs. James, and all the forum members! ❤

      in reply to: Sicario/close up #216540
      Max A.
      Participant

        Thank you so much even just for taking the time to read the various points of the question Mr.Deakins! I really apologize, I actually got too carried away with the curiosities related to this sequence that I adore.

        Your light “cheating”, in my opinion, is brilliantly embedded in the story. The viewer will never be able to perceive the changes because they are all micro changes brilliantly connected to the mood of the scene (the most difficult thing in my opinion), so those changes are essential for lighting characters and only if we analyze and study cut by cut the lighting (angle-pattern etc.) we can see those and admire how brilliantly are matched in the whole sequence.

        As I said in another topic some days ago, the difficult thing is to cheat but maintain the mood of the scene, the sequence, and even the whole movie in a set that runs fast and sometimes can be very distracting and put a lot of pressure.
        At home, in front of my/our pc’s, it seems “easy” to think about an inch more left or right, but I think it is not easy on the day (especially at the end of a day when tiredness is very present).

        Now is the time to stop to write for me 😁

        Thank you very very much again Mr. Deakins.

        I wish you a peaceful day.
        Max.

        in reply to: Sicario/close up #216532
        Max A.
        Participant

          Last part of questions (I cut some questions otherwise it would have been incredibly too much, but the curiosity is really great).

          For the medium and close-ups, do you maintain the same positions of the characters where they stay in the “wide” or did you cheat by moving to another nearby spot? I do this question because it seems to me that Josh Brolin’s character does not have so much space behind him (since the two are in a sort of trench) but when the camera is looking at him he seems to have more space behind him. The background is brilliantly dimly lit on the top to create depth and pattern (probably with a fresnel lamp as I see a “hot spot” in the center and warm soft fall-off around).

           

          In her close-up, I better “see” the two gold bounce sources in the reflections of her eyes. I suppose those bounce sources lit also the rocks behind her (I love the fall-off along the rock line).
          The car is greatly placed to create a dark area in the middle top but also highlights in the headlamps and back-side (probably hitting by a small lamp), together with the light on the far rock wall is pure art of photography (composition and lighting) in my opinion.

          I really apologize for this amount of long questions, since it was a long time since I didn’t write in the forum I really wanted to study and analyze this incredible sequence once it comes out on the forum topic😁

          I want to thank you in advance for your availability and your time. But over everything I want to thank you for your art and experience that always triggers me and (I think all of us) to study and admire your incredible works.

          I apologize for my bad English which can make questions less clear.

          I wish you a peaceful day.
          Max.

          in reply to: Sicario/close up #216531
          Max A.
          Participant

            2) For this Wide shot that “prepares” the audience for the close-ups dialogue (the one in the first question of the topic), I love the alternation of lights and shadows from the background to the foreground of course,  that light that “wash” the foreground come from right frame (in the close-ups there is a little cheat of angle) and has a different color temperature (warmer and brown-ish, probably you achieved it dimming the tungsten lamp/s) that give depth to the shot in my opinion.
            Is that light achieved with the same 2 gold bounce that you mentioned to use for the close-ups?

             

            For her medium Close Up, I suppose you move the bounce sources a bit closer and angle those to 45° to see the highlights in “her eyes” and have depth.
            What I notice is that, as you often mention, is like the “farthest” bounce source is more “directional” to better shape the facial feature and the closest is more “soft” to gently wrap her and go into the shadows gradually (but probably is just one 4×4 bounce and I’m overthinking).

            I apologize for my bad English and for the long questions, the next reply will be the last of the series. Thank you very much for your patience.

            in reply to: Sicario/close up #216530
            Max A.
            Participant

              Hello Mr. Deakins and Au, if I can ask more questions on this topic and analyze this night sequence with you Mr. Deakins, and all the people on this fantastic forum I would like to understand some processes about these dark night shots that always amaze me in terms of lighting results.
              I can’t write and attach everything in one reply (I don’t know why the website doesn’t allow me to do this) so I try to do my best to compress words and replies.
              Of course, if these questions will bore you Mr. Deakins I apologize and totally understand if you don’t answer.

              If I remember well (but unfortunately I can’t find the topic where you Mr. Deakins talk about it), for the wide shots you used tungsten lamps to “argument” the headlights of the cars, this can seem “easy” to say but the placement and the “patterns” of light and shadows that you achieve are outstanding in my opinion.
              I attach some frames to show the reference for the question better.

              1) In this wide shot (Dolly-In) characters walk toward the camera, into the background there is a “strong” light hitting the rocks (with moving casting shadow that I love), on the characters, there is a soft directional side light that reaches faces and body, but when they come in the foreground and the camera pan to compose the group shot there is nothing (I maybe think that there is some 8X8 bounce) over the cars to light those.
              Another amazing thing (in my opinion) is that cars are perfectly in the darkness, so the light doesn’t come from there (I guess). At this point, I can only suppose that the light is the result of the ground sand bounce of the “big” light that hit the background rocks. Am I right about this, or is there another process behind it?
               

              Ps. I love the fact that you and the director positioned the cars in a way you can “always” argument the headlights for every shot even when the camera looks in another direction.

              Max A.
              Participant

                *, unfortunately, I can’t edit the post, I wanted to mean ‘sweat’ and not ‘swear’.

                Thank you for your reply Mr. Mullen, it’s interesting this kind of tip. Of course, a big framing change can help to “cheat” the light. As I said, my “fear” is always to add something that “destroys” the original mood of the scene (as a light that can wash a wall that before was dimly lit), and of course often (this happened to me in my little experience) the “set” is more “impatient” when you are moving things inside a scene shot by shot. Is like the AD or Producer wants just to move the camera and “let’s start rolling”..

                In my “vision” (if I can really talk about a vision, as I consider myself a Mr. nobody), I often search for “natural” effects in lighting (obviously the story is decisive in choosing the style of the image) so I try to think about “build” an atmosphere in which characters can stay and move, but often happen that when I move the camera the light is “off” so I have to adjust things, and doing it in the “natural” way that I was looking for often seems tricky to me.

                Sorry for boring you with my long message 😅. I apologize for my bad English.

                I wish you a peaceful day,
                Max.

                Max A.
                Participant

                  Thank you very much for your reply Mr. Deakins! It’s always fantastic for me read your words.

                  It’s interesting (and also a bit funny) how calm you are when you write “I probably raised the level of the overhead rig as it was important to see the character’s reaction at this moment“- I probably would swear to understand how I can bring a bit more light to the subject in a short amount of time and probably take the wrong decision to add a light from the ground and “destroy” the lighting world that is in the scene (starting also to fighting with cast shadow on the back wall).

                  Your words really calm me down very much, as when a master gives you the “tips” to think better. I will try to bring with me this kind of “calm” when I’m in “trouble” as if you Mr. Deakins are standing by me and we talk each other to facing the tricky situation 😁 this can sound weird I know but I think that often is a matter of staying calm and thinking well, as the set often starts to become frenetic and unfortunately losing mental clarity is very easy (at least for me). Especially when so many people start talking about the shot.

                   

                  Luca, the short is not available yet because is in the editing process. Maybe when is ready I can give you the link to watch it. Maybe I can share the link in private cause I don’t want to appear as a “spammer” 😅.
                  I often suffer from impostor syndrome, so I can’t share calmly when I do something, it seems like I want to show off, but actually, I accept criticism if it’s constructive much more than any compliment (to which I don’t really know how to respond). I warn you, however, that, as always, I am not fully satisfied with my work – I have often understood it to be a question of “reaction” as well as “preparation” and I am not always able to make the correct decision. After calmly at home I think I would have I could have done differently but… it’s too late then.

                  Max A.
                  Participant

                    in reply to: Front lit shots – how to deal with #216081
                    Max A.
                    Participant

                      Of course, mine was just a shared thought, I was reflecting on the fact that sometimes perhaps the technical aspects can guide the staging and the positions of the characters and, in some way, deliver a certain narrative point to the audience.

                      Your suggestions and advice are very relevant and I hope to be able to bring them out at the right time, when I am dealing with a situation similar to the one described in the post 😁.

                      Thanks again for your response and advice BH Goddard.

                      I wish you a peaceful day
                      Max.

                      in reply to: Front lit shots – how to deal with #216076
                      Max A.
                      Participant

                        Hello BH Goddard!

                        Thank you very much for your reply, I love dialogue and confrontation so your reply makes much sense to me.

                        Thank you for your explanation, I agree with all of your points, very interesting.

                        If I can add a thought, camera height and position should depend on the story and the narrative point we would like to achieve, but probably sometimes technical (and spacial) reasons can beat this to achieve a shot “photographically right”.

                        Thank you again for your suggestions!
                        Apologize for my bad English.

                        Have a nice Sunday.
                        Max.

                        in reply to: Front lit shots – how to deal with #216073
                        Max A.
                        Participant

                          Max A.
                          Participant

                            Exciting narrative key and brilliant shifting of point of view in the visual language.

                            Thank you very much for explaining Mr. Deakins, and thank you Frank for your interpretation.

                            I wish you a peaceful day.
                            I always learn from this fantastic forum.
                            Max.

                            Max A.
                            Participant

                              Thank you very much for your reply Mr. Deakins! I think this kind of “discrepancy” in the shots are absolutely normal, only when you break down shot by shot (like me in this case to study for example) you can notice the subtle differences but the audience never saw this kind of light “discontinuity” in my opinion.

                              As you say, maybe just two feet away from the wall and the mirror can make the difference as the character has a small vertical window on his right side so in that case the light can hit his face and his body.
                              In these difficult circumstances (second floor, scissor lift-crane-condor) to light and control natural daylight how complex is to “balance” light shot-by-shot?
                              I mean, to create shapes and form shadows in relationship to the character’s and camera position shot-by-shot, do you ask your electric crew to spot or flood lamps (or maybe rotate the lamp’s heads and angle) to “throw” the light where you want based on the shots? If so, I think in this location’s scenario it would be complex and stressful (in my case, as a Nobody, probably the AD would come to me to ask to be quick and therefore I would have to accept some compromise).

                              Regarding the line crossing, was it a necessity in order to get the shot of the two characters and the mirror or was it a Narrative choice for the audience and so you asked for the art department to position furniture and mirror right there to obtain this kind of shot?

                              I apologize for my bad English, I hope the message has a logical thread 😅.

                              Thank you again for your reply and your availability.

                              I wish you a peaceful Sunday,
                              Max.

                              in reply to: Magic Cloth: How many stops? #216028
                              Max A.
                              Participant

                                Hello Tom,

                                I have a sheet of notes that I made over time and researching around, unfortunately, I don’t have certain data on the Magic Cloth but as regards the Grid Cloth the reduction of light is around 2 and 1/2 STOPS when it is projected through.

                                So I think we are around that value, but surely someone else will be able to give you more accurate data, or better yet if you can try to do a test with a light meter you will certainly have more certainty.

                                I apologize for my bad English.

                                Have a nice day.
                                Max.

                                in reply to: BR2049 – Exposure Metering in extremely dark scene #215982
                                Max A.
                                Participant

                                  Thank you for your reply Mr. Mullen. This point of view is reassuring and basically, I agree with you. Some prosumer cameras have problems with the noise floor, in some cases, it is visible also a STOP below the native ISO of the camera, which is probably something related to the codec compression.

                                  I own a BMPCC6k and I have to say that even at 400 ISO (the first native) the camera has visible noise in the underexposure areas (let’s say around -3 stop) so I’ve “built” my own two LUTs, one with 1/2 STOP of underexposure and one with 1 full STOP of underexposure to have a sort of “lift” in the shadows, but what I think is this:
                                  if I have a room with 60% of the area at -3-4 STOP (let’s say the noise floor) and 20% at – 5 or more STOP (let’s say pure black) with this “overexpose by 1 stop” method I lift the 60% of the area to -2 stop (out of noise floor) but now I have the 20% of the area in the noise floor. Basically, I’ve shifted the noise floor to other areas, so maybe I will consider understanding the largest area in the frame (and scene) that may have problems with the noise floor and choose whether to bring it above it or not. This is a bit cumbersome and could take away mental energy during a set.

                                  I haven’t shot with an Alexa yet so I don’t have a reference for the camera, I used a Red some years ago for a low-budget feature film, and in some cases, the DIT told me to “boost” my lights to have a half or a full STOP over in some dark scenes because the camera “suffered” the dimly lit scenes.

                                  I apologize for my bad English and I wish you a good Sunday.
                                  Max.

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