Introduction
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CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Introduction This book consists of edited conversations between DP’s, Gaffer’s, their crew and equipment suppliers. As such it doesn’t have the same structure as a “normal” film reference book. Our aim is to promote the free exchange of ideas among fellow professionals, the cinematographer, their camera crew, manufacturer's, rental houses and related businesses. Kodak, Arri, Aaton, Panavision, Otto Nemenz, Clairmont, Optex, VFG, Schneider, Tiffen, Fuji, Panasonic, Thomson, K5600, BandPro, Lighttools, Cooke, Plus8, SLF, Atlab and Fujinon are among the companies represented. As we have grown, we have added lists for HD, AC's, Lighting, Post etc. expanding on the original professional cinematography list started in 1996. We started with one list and 70 members in 1996, we now have, In addition to the original list aimed soley at professional cameramen, lists for assistant cameramen, docco’s, indies, video and basic cinematography. These have memberships varying from around 1,200 to over 2,500 each. These pages cover the period November 1996 to November 2001. Join us and help expand the shared knowledge:- www.cinematography.net CML – The first 5 Years…………………………. Page 1 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Page 2 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Introduction................................................................ 1 Shooting at 25FPS in a 60Hz Environment.............. 7 Shooting at 30 FPS................................................... 17 3D Moving Stills....................................................... 31 4*3 or 16*9 .............................................................. 39 85 or 85B.................................................................. 45 Time Code on Film .................................................. 55 Arri Variable Primes................................................. 73 Aerial Filming........................................................... 77 Bleach Bypass and related processes..................... 87 Blue V Green Screens............................................... 97 Borescopes, Probes & Frazier ................................111 Bounce Lighting ......................................................119 Colour Blindness.....................................................131 Chinese Lanterns ....................................................139 Cold Conditions ......................................................145 CP16.........................................................................155 Complex Crane Moves ...........................................161 Cross Processing ....................................................171 Deep Focus..............................................................177 Deserts & Backlight ................................................183 Director & DP’s relationship ..................................189 Enhancing Filters ....................................................207 Eyelights ..................................................................211 Explosion Proof Shooting.......................................217 Fluorescent Lights ..................................................235 Focusing ..................................................................243 Filming Smoke ........................................................257 Page 3 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Page 4 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Green Screen (16mm).............................................261 Gun Flashes.............................................................267 Infra Red ..................................................................271 Interaction with Directors ......................................279 Invoices....................................................................285 Jokes ........................................................................293 Krasnagorsk ............................................................301 Latensification.........................................................305 Mattes ......................................................................313 Meters......................................................................319 Monochrome ...........................................................347 Moonlight ................................................................353 Movies as Music......................................................359 Neons.......................................................................375 Night Interiors.........................................................379 Night Shooting........................................................387 Making a Rainbow ..................................................393 Shooting 3 perf 35mm...........................................401 Safe Speeds for Ramps...........................................411 Sunsets ....................................................................417 Tilt & Shift Lenses...................................................425 Time-lapse ..............................................................431 Tropicalisation ........................................................443 TV Screens...............................................................449 Ultra High Speeds ...................................................457 Varicon.....................................................................465 White Backgrounds.................................................471 Women (close-ups & lighting)...............................475 Page 5 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Page 6 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Shooting at 25FPS in a 60Hz Environment An upcoming job requires 25fps shot in the States. The question is what is a flicker free shutter angle? 144 degrees? Someone has suggested 150 degrees, which isn’t an actual setting, is it? There will be xenon in the show and Varilites; it’s a concert music video. Also, what about going to 50fps? Thanks, Harry Dawson Yes, 150° is to be used for 60Hz HMI at 25fps: (1/25 s. x 150/360 = 1/60 s.) 144° is used to shoot NTSC CRT screens at 24fps: (1/24 s. x 144/360 = 1/60 s.) Which isn’t an actual setting, is it? This shutter-opening angle is available on XTRprod’s and the latest SR- 3’s. Jean-Pierre Beauviala With intermittent sources (HMI, HTI, magnetic ballast fluorescent, etc) you can shoot 25 fps at 75 or 150-degree shutter. Xenon’s are DC constant arc sources and will not flicker at any frame rate. The Varilites are probably HTI sources with magnetic ballast’s so you WOULD have to pay attention, as you would with any of the non incandescent theatrical follow spots EXCEPT for any of the Strong Xenon Super Troopers which are xenon, DC, and therefore non-flickering. If you are working off generator power, there is another thing that you can do. Page 7 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Most 60Hz generators will not function at 50Hz properly (20% underspeed is to far from “home” for them) but they will almost always run at 62.5Hz...and at 62.5Hz, you can shoot 25 fps with impunity. I have not actually tried this myself, but the late Bernie Grubeman of Camera Mart NY convinced me of this back in 1980 or so and I have heard other people HAVE done it. I hope this is helpful information. Obviously if you can go to a lighting rental house that has Varilight’s and shoot a short test this would be a GOOD idea. By the way, 150-degree shutter will work both for 25fps and for 50 fps. At 25fps, 150 degree is 1/60th sec, 75 degree is 1/120th sec At 50 fps, 150 degree is 1/120th sec. Mark >Hello, An upcoming job requires 25fps shot in the States. Silly question but why not shoot at 24fps? The Americans do it all the time and then send their stuff over here for TX at 25fps. Looks and sounds fine - Kind Regards, Shangara Singh. Others told you that 150 degree shutter at 25fps is the way to go ... btw. 150-degree shutter and 25 fps is also the perfect combination to shoot NTSC monitors w/o having to sync. At that combination there simply isn’t a roll bar ... but trying to get exactly 150 degrees can be a problem... While testing this combination with a Platinum Panastar I had better “luck” setting the shutter to 150 using the scribe marks on the back of the shutter itself (visible after pulling the movement) vs. using the digital shutter display. When I asked Panavision about it, the mechanical engineers said their marks were more accurate, while of course the electronics people said that their digital display should have been more accurate...? Page 8 CINEMATOGRAPHY Mailing List the first 5 years Arri says their digital display is completely accurate, however when we tried the test using a 535A and inputting the shutter angle via the CCU computer link, the test footage showed that something was slightly off...? DP, Gary Thieltges (spelling?) who seemingly “discovered” this combination because he shoots a lot of European commercials at 25 fps, apparently had Arri Burbank add a 150 degree “notch” to his camera(s). If the shutter is slightly off, you will start to see a few white or black (depending in which direction its off) dots in a line in your footage. These are the beginning of the out of sync line forming. Certainly better then a solid line. I don’t know how exact the 150-degree shutter setting has to be for your application with lights.... Even using the handy RCU control unit, you should be able to very accurately dial in 150 degrees with either an Arri 435ES or 535A camera. Mako Kowai Since the mirror shutter of the