What can I say? It's been the most amazing week with the most amazing group of people ever. I can't that you all enough for such a fantastic experience. The morning shoot at Gilbert's under Danny's astute guidance was simply spectacular. It was a very well choreographed shoot full on camera lighting changes and difficult cues and it came off well even with the limited time we had to shoot - Danny, you should be proud.
The afternoon found us at the Winery where Alex and Al lit the heck out of the location, finessing the available light as a location DP should. You should both be very proud of what you accomplished as it wasn't easy, with mixed lighting from windows, HMI's, fluorescents and tungsten sources. Vitorio Storraro would have been proud.
Thank you for such a fabulous week and I very much look forward to all your work in the future - you all rock.
Good night and good luck - oh, and I'll see you tomorrow at nine.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Thursday night roundup
Team Location Lighting has done it again. We've wrapped out another fantastic day of shooting.
Today found as at in the Campus Residence conference room in the morning where Dave set up and shot a cross-keyed interview with Kevin and David seated across a conference table. The shot was complicated (and delightfully so) by shooting Kevin in front of a window, forcing the team to deal with a mixed lighting scenario compounded by a four stop difference between interior and exterior light levels. But Mike got his shots and Kevin and David, with the help of Tanya, put on a great interview and we wrapped with a good selection of footage.
The afternoon was in the very capable hands of Mike as we lit the interior of the Kate's Cottage attic with a plethora of small instruments all on dimmers. The scenario was incredibly Tarkovsky-esque with lights dimming up and down to show the transition from morning to day to night in a single shot. Russel proved a wonderful subject to shoot and hit his marks with aplomb and delivered a stellar performance. We managed to get the shot in one take - an incredible feat of symphonic orchestration - and we wrapped the location with time to spare - and just in time as the heat in the attic was sauna-like. Thank god Zardon had the good sense to open a window before we all passed out.
The night scene was captained by the incomparable David who pulled out all the mixed lighting tricks with multiple gelled lights mixed with HMI and tungsten instruments, including an Arristar Light Balloon sponsored by ALNY and set up by the very capable Duane Shue who joined us on set from New York - thank you Duane. We had a small hitch with the helium for the balloon, but nothing a hair dryer couldn't handle and with the help of a nearby tree, a twofer and a strong arm provided by Alex we got the balloon up in the air, smoked the heck out of the location and got the shots. A Triumph motorcycle was brought in to completed the scene, which was apparently very well captured, though I've not seen the footage yet as I was atop the motorcycle during the shoot.
It's amazing that we've scooted through the week so quickly. It seems like yesterday that Julie and the gange were shooting a nice little poor man's process in the sound stage. Actually, I think that was yesterday. It's been a great week so far and in some strange, perhaps sleep deprived way, I wish we could go for another week with this gang of lighting fanatics. I can't wait to see what Danny (who graduated magna cum laude from the Video Camera class last week), Alex and Al have in store for us tomorrow when we visit Gilbert's and the winery.
Props to the gang as you are, without a doubt, the hardest working, most delightfully enjoyable group of students I've ever lit with. I can't imagine a better class and a more imaginative, gifted and enjoyable group of humans.
Good night and good luck - now let's shoot this pig.
Today found as at in the Campus Residence conference room in the morning where Dave set up and shot a cross-keyed interview with Kevin and David seated across a conference table. The shot was complicated (and delightfully so) by shooting Kevin in front of a window, forcing the team to deal with a mixed lighting scenario compounded by a four stop difference between interior and exterior light levels. But Mike got his shots and Kevin and David, with the help of Tanya, put on a great interview and we wrapped with a good selection of footage.
The afternoon was in the very capable hands of Mike as we lit the interior of the Kate's Cottage attic with a plethora of small instruments all on dimmers. The scenario was incredibly Tarkovsky-esque with lights dimming up and down to show the transition from morning to day to night in a single shot. Russel proved a wonderful subject to shoot and hit his marks with aplomb and delivered a stellar performance. We managed to get the shot in one take - an incredible feat of symphonic orchestration - and we wrapped the location with time to spare - and just in time as the heat in the attic was sauna-like. Thank god Zardon had the good sense to open a window before we all passed out.
The night scene was captained by the incomparable David who pulled out all the mixed lighting tricks with multiple gelled lights mixed with HMI and tungsten instruments, including an Arristar Light Balloon sponsored by ALNY and set up by the very capable Duane Shue who joined us on set from New York - thank you Duane. We had a small hitch with the helium for the balloon, but nothing a hair dryer couldn't handle and with the help of a nearby tree, a twofer and a strong arm provided by Alex we got the balloon up in the air, smoked the heck out of the location and got the shots. A Triumph motorcycle was brought in to completed the scene, which was apparently very well captured, though I've not seen the footage yet as I was atop the motorcycle during the shoot.
It's amazing that we've scooted through the week so quickly. It seems like yesterday that Julie and the gange were shooting a nice little poor man's process in the sound stage. Actually, I think that was yesterday. It's been a great week so far and in some strange, perhaps sleep deprived way, I wish we could go for another week with this gang of lighting fanatics. I can't wait to see what Danny (who graduated magna cum laude from the Video Camera class last week), Alex and Al have in store for us tomorrow when we visit Gilbert's and the winery.
Props to the gang as you are, without a doubt, the hardest working, most delightfully enjoyable group of students I've ever lit with. I can't imagine a better class and a more imaginative, gifted and enjoyable group of humans.
Good night and good luck - now let's shoot this pig.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tuesday night roundup
Team Location Lighting (perhaps we need a better name), today was amazing. Three locations, three very different lighting scenarios and three fantastic shoots. You are all simply marvelous.
The morning's shoot was spectacular, especially with the addition of our very special guest, graciously donated by Panavision, the Genesis camera. She was a fantastic sport and didn't complain once about standing in while we lit her and then such a good sport through numerous takes, all of which were stellar. The lighting was superb and, as always, we executed the plan with aplomb and a great sense of team spirit.
The afternoon's shoot found us at the bucolic Pearse Dairy Farm (big thanks to the Pearse family for welcoming us into their homestead - 200 years and still going strong). It was a location that presented many unique challenges, especially the mildly uncooperative key light provided our friend, the sun. But we kept to our game plan and set some amazing bounce light and got off three great setups. I am so very proud of Tanya for her excellent eye and amazing composure on set. It was a great shoot and I can't wait to watch the rushes tomorrow.
The night shoot presented a host of challenging situations at a fantastic Rockport location, the Remsen Farmhouse. Props to the Remsens for giving us access to their home and allowing us the opportunity to lighting the living daylights out of their barn for the better part of five hours. Phaedon came to the location with a solid plan and the team executed that plan with precision and care and we got all our shots and wrapped on schedule without a hitch, though somehow Russell managed to get lost on his way back from dropping off Virginia from Virginia back at the 'shops. It could happen to anyone; thank goodness Russell is a great sport and he had my cell phone number handy.
The team continues to give it their all and rise to all the challenges that come our way. It's a beautiful thing to behold and our time together, in just these first two days, has been so very rewarding and enjoyable.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.
Pictures to follow at the Flickr site - stay tuned.
The morning's shoot was spectacular, especially with the addition of our very special guest, graciously donated by Panavision, the Genesis camera. She was a fantastic sport and didn't complain once about standing in while we lit her and then such a good sport through numerous takes, all of which were stellar. The lighting was superb and, as always, we executed the plan with aplomb and a great sense of team spirit.
The afternoon's shoot found us at the bucolic Pearse Dairy Farm (big thanks to the Pearse family for welcoming us into their homestead - 200 years and still going strong). It was a location that presented many unique challenges, especially the mildly uncooperative key light provided our friend, the sun. But we kept to our game plan and set some amazing bounce light and got off three great setups. I am so very proud of Tanya for her excellent eye and amazing composure on set. It was a great shoot and I can't wait to watch the rushes tomorrow.
The night shoot presented a host of challenging situations at a fantastic Rockport location, the Remsen Farmhouse. Props to the Remsens for giving us access to their home and allowing us the opportunity to lighting the living daylights out of their barn for the better part of five hours. Phaedon came to the location with a solid plan and the team executed that plan with precision and care and we got all our shots and wrapped on schedule without a hitch, though somehow Russell managed to get lost on his way back from dropping off Virginia from Virginia back at the 'shops. It could happen to anyone; thank goodness Russell is a great sport and he had my cell phone number handy.
The team continues to give it their all and rise to all the challenges that come our way. It's a beautiful thing to behold and our time together, in just these first two days, has been so very rewarding and enjoyable.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.
Pictures to follow at the Flickr site - stay tuned.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Monday night roundup
An absolutely fantastic day for location lighting, though we didn't actually get away to any locations - that's for tomorrow when we trek out to the dairy farm and the Remsen Barn - two fabulous locations that will be both challenging and fun.
It was such a rewarding day of lighting in the sound stage, and there would be great images posted on the Flickr site if someone hadn't forgotten to bring his digital camera home to upload the images - sorry, gang.
We had a marvelous time talking about how the camera interacts with light. We discussed the interplay between f/stop, ASA, DoF, lens focal length and subject distance. It's always a pleasure to discuss how these aspects of the camera interact with lighting to create depth, dimensionality, mood and ultimately propel a story forward. And especially so with a group of people so very interested in the topic - cinematographers simply rock.
The afternoon was an amazing display of group dynamics and collaboration. Everyone worked together to light a simple interview scene organically and then plot out a similar scene and light it without the aid of camera and monitor; to light by eye with the aid of a light meter. It was impressive to behold everyone's grasp of how the light meter and an understanding of contrast ratios can be used to set lights and then see it all come together as anticipated in the video monitor. It seems so very simple, but to trust the light meter and one's comprehension of what it is communicating and let the lighting proceed without peeking at the monitor or looking through the video camera is a phenomenal process to behold.
Tomorrow looks to be a most fantastic day as well - and a morning of table-top photography will be a good and gentle segue into the challenges and rewards of shooting on location in two very bucolic settings.
I'm so glad you're all here.
It was such a rewarding day of lighting in the sound stage, and there would be great images posted on the Flickr site if someone hadn't forgotten to bring his digital camera home to upload the images - sorry, gang.
We had a marvelous time talking about how the camera interacts with light. We discussed the interplay between f/stop, ASA, DoF, lens focal length and subject distance. It's always a pleasure to discuss how these aspects of the camera interact with lighting to create depth, dimensionality, mood and ultimately propel a story forward. And especially so with a group of people so very interested in the topic - cinematographers simply rock.
The afternoon was an amazing display of group dynamics and collaboration. Everyone worked together to light a simple interview scene organically and then plot out a similar scene and light it without the aid of camera and monitor; to light by eye with the aid of a light meter. It was impressive to behold everyone's grasp of how the light meter and an understanding of contrast ratios can be used to set lights and then see it all come together as anticipated in the video monitor. It seems so very simple, but to trust the light meter and one's comprehension of what it is communicating and let the lighting proceed without peeking at the monitor or looking through the video camera is a phenomenal process to behold.
Tomorrow looks to be a most fantastic day as well - and a morning of table-top photography will be a good and gentle segue into the challenges and rewards of shooting on location in two very bucolic settings.
I'm so glad you're all here.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Sunday night roundup
Our first gathering as a class has come and gone and the week ahead looks to be simply fantastic. The group is excited about what the coming days and nights hold in store for them - lots of lights, lighting and ... well, more lighting. It appears to be a solid group, though the representation from the midwest seems to be a little overwhelming, but I'm sure they will come to appreciate us non-midwesterners all the same.
Each member of the group seems to have a good idea of what they hope to accomplish in the class and that will ultimately translate into a level of satisfaction and growth for the group as a whole. Clear goals lead to successful projects and allow for the possibility of discovery and an appreciation for the unexpected. I'm certain the week ahead holds both in store for us.
As the week progresses I hope that everyone who cares to participate in the blog and provide images for the flickr site will do so. Those other perspectives and contributions make for a more enriching experience for us all in the moment and ultimately give us something to look back on in the weeks, months and years ahead as a gauge for growth and change.
Here's to a great Monday.
Each member of the group seems to have a good idea of what they hope to accomplish in the class and that will ultimately translate into a level of satisfaction and growth for the group as a whole. Clear goals lead to successful projects and allow for the possibility of discovery and an appreciation for the unexpected. I'm certain the week ahead holds both in store for us.
As the week progresses I hope that everyone who cares to participate in the blog and provide images for the flickr site will do so. Those other perspectives and contributions make for a more enriching experience for us all in the moment and ultimately give us something to look back on in the weeks, months and years ahead as a gauge for growth and change.
Here's to a great Monday.
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