The majority of the time in these breakdown episodes we are looking at a complete spot and going over every detail to get you up to speed.
This week I was looking for some examples of my Cooke Speed Panchro set that I am selling so I could send to a potential buyer and I thought it might be fun to share a few different set ups with modern lenses vs vintage lenses.
It is one thing to talk about the differences but I think these examples help drive home just how much of a difference the lenses and their coatings are actually making to the finished product.
Enjoy!
New Course: Mastering Exposure is LIVE
Mastering Exposure is out now. It is the latest course in the line up and so far the reviews have been awesome.
In the course I detail how I learned exposure and I share how I would get up to speed the fastest way possible if I was starting over today.
Cinematography can seem incredibly complex but underneath it all there are some fundamental decisions that must be made if you are going to get images you are happy with. Exposure and understanding how to best manipulate exposure and why one way is better or more efficient than another is absolutely essential if you are going to work with a crew and on schedule.
THis course is my attempt at sharing my exact process so you don't have to struggle to find answers like I did.
If you are interested you can check out the course here:
Patreon Podcast - Side/Main Hustle
Cinematography can be very lucrative one minute and not so lucrative another. Work comes and goes and you never know when your next job is going to pop up.
Over on Patreon this week is a podcast were I talk about how I deal with the ups and downs of the industry and what has worked best for me in the past. I also talk about things that haven't worked.
In the end if you want to pursue a career in cinematography you are the CEO of a business of one and sometimes you need to take stock of how well the business is performing and what the realistic future production might be.
If you want to hear the podcast or check out any of the past content you can find it all by clicking the link below:
The Spot(s) - Cooke Speed Panchros
Shot #1 - The Wide
The Shot
This wide was the final shot of the spot we were doing on this day. A big ride on crane number and we needed to see 270 degrees for the shot to work.
The Lighting
The sun and the right time of day at just the right angle.
The Result
Shot #2 - The Realization
The Shot
This was the first shot of the day and needed to be directionally cheated for schedule purposes.
The Lighting
We had an overhead diffusion in place that I think was a 12x12 of Half Soft Frost. I always net a half soft frost so that was there s well taking out some of the unnatural heat and spread from the sun.
The key is a 12x12 ultra bounce paired with a 12x12 Neg frame right for contrast.
The Result
Shot #3 - The Second Day
The Shot
This was the same set up as shot one for a different spot in a different location.
The Lighting
The sun, the direction, and the schedule.
The Result
Shot #4 - Overcooking the Coverage
The Shot
This was the final shot of the day for the previous set up.
The Lighting
I tried to wait as long as possible for the sun to come around but sometimes you have to make do with what you have.
Here I probably went to heavy with the sun diffusion hence the levels feeling overly HDR'y. IF I could go back I would let more level through on the sun side and kill some of the bounce from the ground.
The green is actually coming from the grass she is standing on even with surrounding her with blacks on the ground.
The Result
Shot #5 - The Wide #3
The Shot
Two neighbors say hello to one another.
The Lighting
There might have been a 12x12 on the right side of the camera but I doubt it.
The Result
Shot #6 - The Balance
The Shot
THe coverage of the above wide as the talent realizes his neighbor is also doing yardwork.
The Lighting
Sun diffusion in a 4x4 frame coupled with ultra bounce in a 12x12 for the key and then a 20x12 of neg frame left.
The Result
Just After Wrap
Here is what the lighting looked like just after the sun went below the house roof line.
