On the show today we are breaking down a recent television commercial I shot here in Australia.

The ad is a simple premise and nothing too dissimilar to themes and ideas that we have discussed before but every location and every script offers up their own unique challenges and that is what we will be discussing in the podcast.

Enjoy!

A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach - Volume II

The latest course went live last week and I couldn't be more excited to get this content out in to the world and start getting feedback on the system.

The course continues the exploration of my own system for blocking and coverage that I call the BODVO system. I use it on every single scene I shoot but I haven't shared it in great detail here on the podcast because it can get so complex.

This particular course is Volume II and it centers on the most common scenario which is the Office Scenario. The name office has nothing to do with the physical location of the scene but rather the orientation of the characters relative to one another.

Once you see the system, you can't unsee it.

Nothing has improved my cinematography more than leaning in to this methodology and so far the feedback has been nothing short of amazing.

If you want to learn more about the course and the BODVO system you can check it out here:

A Cinematography System: The Playbook Approach - Volume II

Patreon Podcast - A Love/Hate Relationship

On the Patreon podcast this week we are talking about the reality of the business side of things and how one relationship is more important than anything else when it comes to you career and your overall professional fulfilment.

It isn't complicated but it is easy to screw up which is why we are going over it.

The Wandering DP Podcast Patreon

Many thanks to all the Patreon supporters that make this podcast possible. Without your support this adventure would have ended a long time ago.

The Spot - Depth = Good

Shot #1 - The Long Wide

The Shot

This is the establishing shot of a woman getting ready to attack the day. The camera is constantly moving in this spot on the easy rig.

The Lighting

For this entire set up we had 2 4k HMIs going into mirror boards to try and add some shape to the foreground and the mid ground.

Inside the bathroom all the walls were covered in duvetyne to create some local contrast. Above the mirror (which you can see in the above 2:1 image straight out of the camera) is a Titan Tube with a grid on it.

The still presented here are 2:1 but the final spot was framed and shot for the traditional 2.35 anamorphic frame.

The Result

Shot #2 -Down the Line

The Shot

Same as above but we punch in to get closer to the action.

The Lighting

See above.

The Result

Shot #3 - The Hard Light

The Shot

We reverse the camera position relative to the action and do it all over again. As the actress leans down to cough she is exposed to the harsher light from the 4k outside.

The Lighting

Same as above except we changed some of the diffusion inside the bathroom to get more of the contrast between the down low light and the higher up softness.

The Result

Shot #4 - The Soft Light

The Shot

A continuation of the previous angle.

The Lighting

Same as above but now the actress can be seen in the soft light rather than the harsher light.

The Result

Shot #5 - The Hallway Wide

The Shot

Wide shot outside the door frame of a couple waking up early in the morning. The man gets up and starts having a coughing fit on the side of the bed.

The Lighting

We shot this scene during the day and it was more about taking light away rather than adding it. There is black duvetyne everywhere in the room that the camera can't see.

The window has diffusion over it plus the sheers inside plus the curtains. To keep the level of the window consistent there is a creamsource vortex set up outside.