2014. Since late last year It's been a shit-house couple of months...nothing is working out the way I planned, in fact nothing at all seems to be working out. I'm losing friends, loosing money and I'm apart from the person I love most (not for long honey!). I'm not sharing this because I'm looking for sympathy, I'm sharing it because it's real and it's part of my life. Ultimately, it's perfect I guess....Shit times like these give me new perspectives and a space to think. They also bring clarity to the bigger picture and my biggest dreams. Is it all better now? Time to take charge? No, not yet. I've still got some moping to do hehe ;) Keep'n it real!
LIGHTING FOR HIGH SPEED ( behind the scenes of "corruption" )
Grieg Fraser has been an inspiration for me since I stumbled upon this fricken awesome piece titled 'Burn', which he shot on a DSLR. From there I stalked him and found more of his television commercial work from a few years back. I really like his style and how far he has taken his career - especially since he's an Ozzie hehe :) Yep, he's an Australian DoP who is smashing it...Zero Dark Thirty, Snow White and The Huntsman, and Killing them Softly are just a...
RESET (after seeing "HER" I got thinking)
Are you doing what you truly, deeply and desperately want to be doing with your life? If not, are you doing whatever you can to empower those around you? Just over 5 years ago I hit the reset button of my life. Not some soft reset, where most of your settings are retained. I'm talking, ripping the plug out of the wall reset, crash the system, total non-bootable, system failure, reset. It was quite literally my most terrifying experience to date (I just turned 33). At the time (2007) I had a long term partner, a house, my dream car, my own piano, an awesome cat, a big back-yard and I was just about to build an underground studio and buy a drum kit. The problem was, I hated my job(s), I wasn't happy in my relationship (after much effort to mend it) and I knew that my time could be spent doing much greater, much more rewarding things, or at least help others do the same. "Things" weren't even that bad.... I mean, I had great health, was relatively happy, had a reliable, disposable income and could basically do what most people enjoy doing - holidays at Christmas time, adventures on the weekends, movies on Tuesdays and take out twice a week. But let's go back to that phrase.... "relatively happy". That's the part that bugged me. To me now, that sounds like a living hell. I'd rather be depressed, than moderately happy. Sounds like a curse, right? Sometimes it feels like it. Sometimes, like this year so far (hate to sound negative hehe) it's shit. But I know those shit times aren't permenent, and usually a shit time means positive change is coming.
I have by no means figured out life, but I know that I'm now on a path that resonates with whatever it is I'm supposed to be doing on this earth and it's awesome. As I navigate my way through these uncharted waters (I'm a really bad swimmer), it's nice to remember that I'm lucky enough to have an amazing family that support me no matter what I do, beautiful friends to share experiences with and THE most perfect of perfect life companions to help me along the way - Laura McCann (love you maddly baby xx)
When life gets shit for too long, dont be afraid to change it... or better still, feel the fear and do it anyway. There really is no reason you shouldn't be doing what you love. These days with Facebook, Mini Magnums and 4K TV's, it's easier and easier to be "relatively happy". I say, fuck that. That's like watered down, diet cordial in a plastic cup. Grow some balls and hit that reset button. Or tell me I'm crazy and we can still be friends :) PEACE!
*you can Blame Spike Jonze for all of this*
MY FIRST DIRECTOR/DP GIG (corruption)
LENS UP! (My Nikkors VS the Rockinon/Samyang Cine)
What's worse than a low light test? A LENS test of course!! Ahhhh tests. They are what fuels the internet when it comes to camera and film-making forums. So, here's one that's sure to get your argumentative type on. This is more of a comparison though, not really a test, but hopefully you'll get something positive out of it. Not long ago I purchased a Rokinon/Samyang Cine lens set which...
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? (dissecting the work of a master)
Can you imagine being a chef and going out for dinner to a new restaurant? Or a builder who's looking to buy a new home? What are they looking for in a meal? Or a house? I think it's natural for anyone passionate in their field to study and enjoy the work of their peers, but sometimes it gets in the way of the experience. I know I find it very difficult to watch a movie and NOT analyze the craftsmanship behind it....but you know you're watching a good one when all you can see is the story un-fold, but even then I can't help but notice...
TEASERS & TRAILERS AHOY!
I have never been good with patience. Ever since I was a kid I would get frustrated having to wait for anything! Now, don't let that paint any spoiled-little-brat pictures of me in my youth...I was far from it. The difference is that now I'm almost an adult (I'm 33), I have complete control over my life....right? hehe....again, far from it! I'm still just as impatient as I ever was.
When you're lucky enough to shoot exciting films like NINJA: Immoveable Heart, Queen Of The Bees and Dead Therapy (I also hear that something isn't too far away with Thrombosis, Daniel?? hehe) there's the frustrating part that comes with the job. Waiting. Sure you get to look through the lens and get a quick review of a shot, but waiting to see something from the depths of post can feel like a lifetime! That being said, when a teaser lands...it really does tease! Working on set as DoP is one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had (and I've many)...but actually seeing everyone's hard work come together on the screen is something very special indeed.
DEAD THERAPY
Written by Brett Bentman, Directed by Lucas Sheffel
NINJA: IMMOVEABLE HEART
Written & Directed by Rob Baard
QUEEN OF THE BEES
Written & Directed by Joseph Russell
2013 has been amazing!! Bring on 2014 :)
[ DEAD THERAPY ] Colour Grading & The Film Look
For my presentations at InterBEE this year, (trade-show in Japan, kinda like NAB but smaller), I was demonstrating color correction at the Grass Valley booth. I talk about knowing your medium and how super important it is for DP's to understand the process of colour grading and what can be done in post. When you know the advantages and limitations of RED footage for example, it really does help you make better choices on set - shooting with optimal ISO's for a given situation, using the right white balance, understanding RED's resolutions, etc, etc. So knowing your medium is important, but so is actually having some grading skills under your belt. What bugged me over the past few days though, was that people were asking me to show them how to create "the film look". Or how to create a "Hollywood" look.
Lucas Sheffel, director of DEAD THERAPY (written by Brett Bentman) was kind enough to let me share this clip from the film with you before the trailer is even released! (Madness, thanks man!) I think it's a great example of "the film look"...but I also think it has little to do with how I graded it. Sure, it looks pretty slick (even if I do say so myself), but most of that "look" has to do with the AWESOME location, AMAZING acting, the blocking, the dust on the steps that I made sure was floating there before each take and of course, the lighting and lens choices I made. Let's no forget makeup and wardrobe either....and remember, this shot doesn't even have sound added to it yet. Can you imagine how much more engaging it could be with the first sound you hear being that shotgun shell falling into frame? Mad.
Anyway my point is, "the film look" isn't just some LUT and a few nodes that transform your shots into masterpieces. Yes, colour grading is amazing and adds huge value to any shot, but once again, it's about collaboration and dedication. It's about caring enough about what you're doing before production, during the take and later in post. When all departments come together and share the same passion and dedication, magic happens.
Below is a 30 minute tutorial where I show you step by step how to create this look :) Thanks for visiting!
(here is the youtube version if you have trouble with vimeo: http://youtu.be/lvRhE93aNS8)
LOW LIGHT IGNITE! (samyang lens test)
I recently purchased the 16mm, 24mm, 35mm and the 85mm Samyang Cine lenses for my RED Scarlet-X. As much as I love my Nikkors (and always will), I knew what an advantage that extra stop of light was, especially when shooting extremely dark scenes like the shots above and below.
*Sorry guys, I shouldn't have started this post without finishing it. In short, the Samyangs are excellent value for money and have already opened up creative doors for me. Don't be too skeptical about bad reviews on line...even the 24 is good (better than my Nikkor 24 which is great). If you need a sharp lens that doesn't have any issues wide open, then go spend $15k per lens and be happy. If you want a fast set of primes that are sharp as hell at T2.8, and very, very useable wide open (see images and clips above), then you can't go wrong with these babies! I purchased them from FATJUMP on ebay. Fast postage, great price, it was a risk but it paid off.
Now get out there and shoot something!!!
BTW, if you're interested in how I lit this, here's a DIAGRAM.
TWOTHOUSANDANDTHIRTEEN (6 films down, a lot learned)
This year has easily been one of the best years of my life! I'll be 33 years old in a couple of weeks and things are going well according to the master plan hehe :) That is, to start my own family (found the best girl on earth) and to shoot the biggest and best films on earth, or mars, or wherever that may be over the next 50 or so years. The good thing is, I somehow have the same enthusiasm that I did when I was a kid playing Zelda on my Nintendo in 1990, the same passion I had when skateboarding for years until I was 23 and the same desire to be the best I possibly can be in everything I do. The other cool thing is, even though I act like a kid and probably write like one too, I think I'm figuring out how to be an adult....no wait........that's a terrible idea! Adults have responsibilities right? Exactly.
A few months ago I finished shooting the Australian action packed feature film NINJA: IMMOVEABLE HEART which was an incredible challenge, to say the least. A lot of good things came from shooting that film, the best being my amazing crew, (see the CREW page above) but I also learned a lot about my responsibilities as Director of Photography. I love shooting, lighting and composing what I think are amazing shots. That's why I started this shit! But there's a lot more to it than that. Committing to a film means hours of pre-production, meetings about locations, gear, styles, shots, color, moods, budgets, effects, scheduling and crew. But more to the point, it means that I am responsible for a lot more than just "the shot".
When it comes to responsibility, bringing the director's vision to life is one of the small feats required of the DoP, and to make things even harder, imagine that their vision conflicts with your own creative ideas! What if their vision forces you to do things you don't like doing? Or think in ways that go against everything you work for? This may seem like conflict, but honestly, it's one of the best things about being a cinematographer. When you take full responsibility for the job, you are forced to push the boundaries of comfortable shooting and what you think you know is best.
Since the Ninja, I've had the pleasure of working with three very different directors on three very different films (Queen of the Bees, Dead Therapy and Thrombosis). Each film presented it's own set of challenges in terms of shooting styles and complex shots, but the thing that is becoming easier and more enjoyable for me, is allowing myself to explore new territories and really embrace true, creative collaboration.
Whenever I use the word cinematography to describe what I do, I use it as a descriptive word that encompasses many art forms and responsibilities from many different departments. I've talked about collaboration and team work a lot in previous blog posts because for me, cinematography isn't really about 'camera work' or lighting...it's a multitude of things that when in harmony, can produce amazing images. So not only do I embrace collaborative creativity (film-making), but I'm also realizing that collaboration really comes alive when each department is 100% dedicated and responsible for their contribution to the film. It also makes life easier when you don't have to worry about another person's job, because ideally (as my 2nd AC pointed out the other day), every person is doing their job better than anyone else could! That's a perfect crew, right?
Will I ever stop harping on about crews, on-set relationships and what it means to be a cinematographer? Probably not, but I'll try and ease up ;) I actually have some useful posts coming up which include lens reviews (Rokinon Cine series) some lighting experiments, talk about blocking (so important!) and more broken glass filter action...stay tuned and thanks for visiting :)
LOW LIGHT BLUES (contrast, detail, noise and motivation)
In the weeks of per-production before we began shooting Queen of the Bees, director Joe Russell asked that I try and keep lighting for the film, to a minimum. It's easy to go over-board with lighting and in my case, it's easy to get carried away and light every shot as if it were a portrait (that's one thing I need to work on NOT doing hehe). So, this is the first time I have actively and deliberately used less light than ever before.....annnnnd it's not easy. I'm also trying to light with motivation from practicals and windows so that my wide shots match my closeups. Again, not easy. I'm generally not a fan of "low light" shoots. To be more specific, I hate reading how amazing cameras are in low light....so amazing in fact, that you don't even need to light! Kill me now. Using no lights, regardless of how sensitive a camera's sensor is, still looks un-lit. I like to call it, ISO-lighting, and I personally think that ISO-lighting is a crude short-cut to the true art of cinematography.
HOWEVER....
The past few shoot days have been very frustrating for me. I'm trying my best to use less light, less fill and still get pleasingly clean, nicely-lit, well balanced shots with good contrast. The hard part is, I know exactly how I can fix the shot with an extra light or two....but I'm not allowed hehe ;)
At the top of this post is a frame grab comparison from the film. I'm not allowed to show you the moving shot yet (which is gorgeous, even if I do say so myself hehe). But I'm pretty happy with the final look, leaving the warm tones in tact.
From my experience shooting with the RED Scarlet-X at 4K, I get the best results lighting for 800ISO in all situations. I may have stated otherwise in earlier blog posts, but after many shoot days (and nights) since then, I still find 800ISO to be the "sweet spot". So I'll basically use ND filters to bring exposure down during outdoor shoots and conversely, open up my iris when shooting in doors, or in low light. Many suggest shooting at 320ISO in low light, and that is how I used to shoot, but I found that my dynamic range dropped too much and highlights were not as safe as they were at 800ISO. The trade-off is, 800ISO isn't super clean on the MX, especially when parts of the frame are under-exposed. So...what the hell do you do when you actually WANT underexposure? I'm still trying to figure that out. Shooting RAW on the RED MX sensor is no-where near as simple as forum masters and blog posters make it out to be.
Above is what the shot looks like in RAW (320ISO, 5000K). As you can see, it's very underexposed and has virtually no contrast. Now take a look at what 800ISO looks like with a simple white-balance and curve adjustment in RedCINE-X.
It's looking better but, besides the fact that it's no longer warm and cosy (like my finished example at the top of the page), it's FULL OF NOISE!!! Check the 100% crop below to see what I mean.
And don't get me started on "the blue channel is starved" debate. This sort of exposure level is noisy no matter what lighting temperature you shoot at, no matter what white balance is set to and no matter how many times you black shade. It's basically a good example of how the MX sensor reacts to under exposure.....but wait...what if I WANT to under-expose?
I graded the final shot (above - or press play at the top of this page) in DaVinci Resolve. Instead of boosting my ISO to 800 using RedCine-X, I kept it at 320ISO and used Resolve's YRGB curves to push my "exposure" where I wanted it. This helped keep noise levels down. I then used power windows to help focus and de-focus certain parts of the image (eyes, face, background, etc). The result is much nicer, much cleaner and was done using no noise reduction. So, the long and convoluted point to this blog post is, I'm still learning how to light with low light, but once again, it comes back to knowing your medium.
How flexible is RED's RAW codec? What is the best way to develop RAW files? What ISO should I be monitoring with? And how can I as a cinematographer better understand lighting to confidently light for any situation?
One thing's for sure though, it IS possible to get clean, nicely lit, low light shots with good contrast (take a look at the long list of Hollywood blockbusters shot with exactly the same sensor)...but I'm not yet consistently recording those. Experience and experimentation is key, and thanks to Joe pushing me to shoot shots like this, I'm learning fast :) Would RED's new Dragon sensor fix all of my problems? Probably, yes. But I never did like short-cuts.
For a lighting setup and shot breakdown of this shot, click HERE or visit the LIGHTING section above :)
DAVE DUGDALE REVIEW (awesome review of the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera)
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to meet Dave at NAB in Vegas. I was demonstrating colour correction techniques, talking about bit depths and compression formats and how important it is to understand your recording medium so as to get the best results in post. Since then Dave has shared with me his tests and comparisons and we have discussed various nerdy camera stuff. Today he released his awesome review of the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera. Dave's website, LEARNING DSLR VIDEO is awesome and like me, I'm sure you'll quickly feel at home with his easy going, non-bias, honest and very informative approach to film-making. Check out the review HERE :)
QUEEN OF THE BEES (shot update: frame grabs from the RED)
Awesome location, awesome crew, amazing preparation and attention to detail....this film will be sweet! Written and Directed by Joseph Russell, Produced by Anna Russell and shot by moi, Queen Of The Bees is shaping up to be something special. Below are a few grabs Joe let me share with you. Thanks for visiting the blog! For more info on the film, visit the facebook page HERE :)
18 MONTHS IN (since I chose RED)
Instead of buying a car, new clothes and a finding a nice place to live, I put all of my money and hard work into purchasing a camera and focusing on what I really wanted from a career. I'll never forget the day I got my confirmation from www.RED.com that my RED Scarlet-X was coming in the mail. Before my new camera arrived (3 months later!!!!) I got batteries, a charger and an LCD screen. That package alone was enough to inspire me to try out a product shoot hehe ;)
I'm not usually one to reflect, but since I reset my life back in 2008, my story went from "I want to become a full time cinematographer" (among other VERY important things, AKA, finding and falling in love with Laura McCann), to "I am a cinematographer, I get paid to be one AND I work with amazingly talented people all of the time". It's pretty awesome to live this life and I don't say that to bloat....I'm just sharing my thoughts today as I look into the future and celebrate the rewards that hard work, dedication and trust have delivered.
Will I upgrade to a Dragon sensor? Hell no! I've not yet mastered what the MX sensor can capture, and until I do, I'll be sticking with it. Lenses on the other hand....hmmmmm.
BTW, that last shot has no post effects...all done in camera!
CUSTOMIZATION GOODNESS (project preset icons for EDIUS 7)
Who doesn't like customizing shit? I love it. Here's some RED icons I created for EDIUS...download them above!
Also, check out a new tutorial I made for the guys at Grass Valley that talks about RED and the 4K workflow HERE :)
QUEEN OF THE BEES (Awesome Sci-Fi short in Melbourne)
Stills by: Justin Leijon
Principal photography began over the weekend...so good to be back with my crew and to be working with some amazing new talent. Writer/Director, Joseph Russell and Producer Anna Russell have assembled one hell of a team. We are two days down and I'm loving it! Here's a quick shot that Joe allowed me to share with you :) I thought it came up nice, even after some heavy noise reduction. I shot this at 800ISO on the RED and we really needed to be shooting at 3200ISO....luckily we have the option to change that in post, but let's not forget that ISO doesn't come for free. Noise was everywhere. Eventually, this will have a spaceship exploding behind the soldiers as soon as they exit it....awesome!
Noise reduction software (like Neat Video) is great, but it can be more harmful than good if you're not careful. Check out this tutorial where I demonstrate how to selectively reduce noise only in under exposed areas, so as to keep things like skin tones intact :)
For more info on the film, check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/queenofthebeesfilm
Stills by: Justin Leijon
Stills by: Justin Leijon
PREP WOIK (time spent leading up to a new film)
The past week has been filled with tutorial creations, reading different scripts for possible up-coming films and prepping for the biggest day of my career, day 1. I literally feel like I have the best job in the world. Today I was sitting amongst friends and crew, some new and some like family. It's the day before our first shoot day for "Queen Of The Bees", written and directed by Joseph Russell.
As an artist, I love music and emotion, communication and deeper meaning. As a technician, I love cameras, lenses, Steadicams and everything in-between. Creating a film with a close knit crew is one of the most rewarding things you can do, especially when you immures yourself in it like I do. It's also nice to have a loving partner and family who believe in my dreams, for sure :)
Here's a short test I shot this afternoon with my awesome AC's Ben Mix and Eddie Ng. The new completely wireless Steadicam system, this is going to be awesome!!
DO YOU KNOW YOUR MEDIUM? (free home-brew film grain + some rambling)
Lately I've been watching interviews and reading articles about the great cinematographers of our time. Each have vastly different backgrounds and upbringings, differences in taste and style and opinions about what works and what doesn't. The one thing that was consistent throughout however, was their knowledge of the medium they worked with - in most cases, film. One of the obvious limitations of film was that you never REALLY knew what you were going to get. You had to "know" what you were going to get, based on your experiences behind the camera and time spent in DI (digital intermediate) suites. You really had to KNOW how a certain film stock would react to the scene at hand. But take it a step further, and then you have the ones that would play around with chemical processes, experiment with flashing and other techniques....all to get a desired and deliberate finished look. The point being that today, we don't shoot with film. Today, we shoot with digital cameras that either bake in a look for us, or shoot in formats that need to be developed. This means that today's cinematographers need to learn how to process digital formats like RAW, 4:4:4 and other high fidelity flavors of digital image capture. Without an intimate knowledge of how to process your images, you are missing out on some huge potential. I've mentioned how important lighting, lensing and composition is to the art of cinematography, but let's not forget the importance of mastering your capture medium.
This post won't cover how to do that unfortunately (there's an ever-growing tutorial collection at the top of this page for that), but I'll be sure to follow up with some new material soon. I do however, have something pretty cool to share with you. Shooting digital often means capturing a super clean, grainless image which seems to be critizied by the old schooler's as looking too "digital" or "overly sharp and clinical". This is why everyone wants "the film look". What the hell is the film look anyway!!?!? Rather than go into that, I'm happy to share with you a project that allows you to create you're very own, customized, organic film grain for video....in 4K. All you need to do is find or scan your own 5000 x 3000pixel (approx 16mp) film grain image, import it and voila! 32 seconds of awesome FREE film grain, in 4KHD. I have supplied one already to go, so go ahead and download it from the downloads section at the top of the page and watch the tutorial below for more info.
If Vimeo is playing up (above), try this YouTube version :)
COLOUR FROM WHERE? (amazing historic photos that have been coloured)
Young boy in Baltimore slum area, July 1938
Original Photograph by John Vachon | Prints available @ Shorpy.com
Colorized by Jordan J. Lloyd (photojacker on Reddit)
I found a link on my Facebook feed today and was blown away by it. Don't you just love that feeling when all you want to do is drop everything and TRY something new? That's how I'm feeling after browsing through this collection of stills.
It's always a challenge to get skin tones right when grading your footage, but image creating them from scratch! Check out this amazing collection of colour perfection where a series of old-school black and white photographs have been completely transformed.
http://twistedsifter.com/2013/08/historic-black-white-photos-colorized/
Isn't it amazing what colour does to an image? I mean, some of these shots look like they were taken just yesterday. Do our minds instantly associate black and white with historic/vintage/yesteryear? These days the craze seems to be manipulating clean, crisp images to look older, aged and vintage...but here's the opposite, and I'm loving it :) I'm excited to give it crack myself!
Albert Einstein, Summer 1939
Nassau Point, Long Island, NY
Colorized by Edvos on Reddit | Paul Edwards
Abandoned boy holding a stuffed toy animal. London 1945
Original Photograph by Toni Frissell
Colorized by HansLucifer
It's also interesting to note that the artists who have coloured these images, have chosen a specific pallet. Why? Basic colour theory will explain that, but isn't it funny how that "teal & orange" look never seems to die ;) Take a look at the images below to see what I mean!
Two major complimentary colours.
Teal and Orange anyone? Looks good to me, I'm sure Einstein would agree hehe :)
Here's a slightly different example, this time green instead of blue, but still, it's such a good example of colour contrast and effective pallet choice.
Again, two major complimentary colours.
The image below is one of my favorites....and again it utilizes two complimentary colours. That classic Hollywood grade...it will never die! Colorized by artist Sanna Dullaway, it almost looks like a movie set. What incredible work. If you click on the artist's name it will take you to their Facebook page where you'll find more info :)
SAVING THE BACON (set design, wardrobe and colour)
Rob Lloyd get'n serious in "Saving The Bacon"
The more I shoot these days, the more realize how each and every department contribute so much to the finished product of a film or commercial. Learning how to light, shoot and grade is one thing but without careful consideration to your actors clothes, the space they occupy and colours that surround them, the end result will never be as good as it could be. Does that even make sense? I guess I'm trying to make the cliche point that you are only as good as your team...make-up included.
A couple of years ago I shot "Saving The Bacon", an awesome short written and directed by Ryan Thomas, produced by Joel Buncle. We had one location, and how perfect it was. The stale cream walls and the ghastly yellow hallway...I still remember the smell of the carpet too.....shuddder......BUT, it was perfect for the film and made my job so much easier.
John McCollouch, always a pleasure to work with.
If you Google "complimentary colours" or "colour contrast" you'll hopefully see where I'm going with this post. Your job as a DoP is to bring the director's vision to life (among other things) but how much easier that is when you're environment is already half way there. If you take a look at the frame grabs accompanying this article you'll notice two dominant colours - Blue and Yellow. You could almost compare them to the classic Hollywood "Teal and Orange" look that we see in so many blockbusters these days. The yellow tie, the yellow wall....complimented by the cool shadows and dark jacket. And when talented John McCollouch looks ahead, his blue eyes really shine. Good makeup also plays a huge role, thanks to Emma-Ray Stewart for the excellent work you see here :)
I made some minor tweaks to the saturation and contrast but the look you see here was almost entirely created on set and captured that way in camera.
I got news today that the film is now on-line after its festival run :) Here it is below:
I'm really looking forward to working with Ryan again on his next film, he is a genius!
