Lighting Practice

This past week we went to our location and did a lighting practice set up. While it isn't 100% locked in as what we are doing it was very helpful and will speed up our on set setup time.

The main thing I will need to focus on now is the upstairs bedroom which we didn't get the chance to set up in and also making sure I can set some eye lights in because it was difficult with the mostly practical lit set.

Here are some stills from the shoot with some extremely handsome stand ins.

More Test Footage

This week, the crew and I went down to location to figure out just where we were going to place lighting on our set. This visit was one of the most crucial moments of pre-production. The Gaffer, Sound Recordist, Assistant Director, and myself had taken loads of lighting equipment to set during our second visit. This visit definitely gave us some advantages.

The first advantage was that obviously, we were able to figure out how to light each room for every shot in advance. When we go to set on our shooting dates, there will now be no time wasted trying to figure out just how to light our project. We won't be referencing loose diagrams and fixing issues as we go, we will be ready and prepared to set up and get to that first shot in significantly less time.

The second advantage to our visit was that because we have fixed the various issues that come with lighting our particular set space, we will no longer have actors sitting around and waiting to be lit properly. When we can get in the zone and begin grabbing takes sooner, the talent is likely to give a better performance because he or she is not impatient and/or waiting around.

The third advantage to our visit was that we can give our editor something to work with that will get him prepared to handle the actual footage when it comes his way. He can play with various presets to get our footage looking much closer to what we desire when we have finished collecting it.

Finally, because we brought our Sound Recordist, we have some room tone to work with, featuring random creaks in the house, cars passing by, and at some points, rain falling outside and on windows. This will give both her and the editor a sense of what kind of sounds we should prepare to work around in our natural space, since we do not have total control of what's outside the set.

All in all, we came out with some footage that we were happy with, but it is also footage that we can now improve upon when it comes time to actually shoot this thing.

Lighting Information

I just figured for this weeks blog I would share some information about lighting.

First off is Color Temperature. As I'm sure most of you know Daylight is 5600k and Tungsten-Hallogen is 3200k. Lights that we can check out from Ppecs are generally Tungsten-Hallogen meaning they are 3200k. So how do you make the light match daylight? Its pretty simple you use what is called CTB gels. CTB stand for color tone blue and it goes on a light to bring its color temperature up to 5600k.

Now what do you do if you are shooting in a house that has windows and it is daytime but your scene called for it too be night time. Well what you do is black out the windows with garbage bags. this can be accomplished by using tape to put them up over windows. Make sure when doing this to get every crack and to avoid seeing ugly garbage bags in shots i suggest taping them up outside as much as possible.




One final good lighting trick is the use of Muslin and Duvateen. Muslin is an off white fabric which is great for breaking up light and making it so that its casts nice wide and soft natural looking light. A very useful trick that we saw in the workshop. The other is Duvateen which is black heavy fabric which stops all light from going through. this is great for shaping your light sources.

It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

For about seven years now, my all time favorite movie has been Fight Club by the amazing director, David Fincher. From the perfected cinematography to the phenomenal acting, there are too many good things to say about it. Here is a list of why Fight Club is one of the best movies of all time:

1.     Perfected cinematography

Fight Club is probably one of the cleanest films I know. Every shot and every cut is completely intentional and flawless. Shots are well composed following the rule of thirds with a variety of angles and perspectives.

2.     Phenomenal acting

We all know that Brad Pitt is one of the most well known actors out there but his relationship to Edward Norton in this film is one-of-a-kind. Seeing the narrator’s bland personality next to Tyler Durden’s rebellious charisma is a groundbreaking performance. Not to mention the animated presentation we get from Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer, the two main characters’ love interest.  

3.     Insightful and thought-provoking quotes

The quotes from this movie are ones that really tend to stick with you. Tyler Durden doesn’t want to waste a second of his life away, so the words that come from his mouth are quite powerful. Here is one of my favorite examples: “You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.”

4.      Subliminal messaging

There are a lot of interesting facts about this movie that many people are unaware of. For example, throughout the entire film, there is a flash frame of Tyler Durden on the screen four times before we actually meet his character.

5.     Ominous coloring and lighting

Last but not least, one of my favorite things about this film is the coloring and lighting. It is tinted blue throughout giving it an ominous effect and the lighting within every shot amplifies what’s happening.

Overall this is an amazing film. I highly recommend seeing it multiple times. Every time you watch, I guarantee you will notice something new that you never did before. It’s a movie full of surprises.

Electrician-ing for Dummies

Electricity. It's an interesting topic to discuss in a blog post, right? I think so. In fact, I believe electricity is SO interesting that this very post is all about it! In case you didn't realize, electricity is actually a huge part of a film set. It's how the lighting and operation of many other systems run! It's fascinating, I know. But who runs all of this electricity? Who makes all of this stuff work? It's funny you should ask, because I just so happened to finish an article on electricians! Whoopie!

An electrician does what you would most likely assume they do. People typically just don't think very much about it. To begin, an electrician's main job on set is tending to lighting the sets and locations. They don't design the lighting for scenes or anything like that, but they make sure that everyone can actually see where they're going. The electricians actually work under the direction of the Gaffer, so they help out with the set up of the lights. Without lights, people would be bumping into each other and whatnot. Duh. Electricians make sure sets and locations are safe to work on before anyone else even gets there.

With all the lights and equipment in place, the electricians run electrical cabling throughout the set and distribute electrical power to all of the equipment. They work in coordination with the DP, Gaffers, and whoever else has their own equipment or whoever else can tell them where the wires won't be in shot. The electricians have got to make sure they have everything in place with absolutely none of it getting in people's way. For anyone who's ever set up lighting at a shoot before, they can tell you it's not an easy task.

"But what if something breaks? How do I keep track of all this lighting equipment?" Have no fear! Electrician Man is here! Another responsibility for the electrician is to maintain and manage all lights and lighting equipment. They make sure all the equipment is accounted for and is working properly. It's not exactly the most glamorous part of the job, but hey, someone's got to do it. The electricians are specialized in electrical work (again...duh), so they're the people to turn to when you're not quite sure how to work specialized equipment like a generator, or...you know...lights. The electrician is an incredibly skilled professional. They have knowledge of the workings of equipment many people never even pay much attention to, and for that, we thank you.

I'm truly sorry for the briefness of this riveting post, but alas, I'm writing it while eagerly awaiting my call time for the second shoot of the day for Guilty. I'll catch you all next week for another for Dummies!

Director of Photography-ing(?) FOR DUMMIES

Oh hello there. Didn't see you there. No, don't go! As long as I have you here, we have a very important matter to discuss. For centuries (or at least for a little while), there has been a daunting question on people's minds. What exactly does a Director of Photography (or cinematographer) do for a film production? Hmph, that's certainly a tough question. Let's go to the expert to try to find an answer to this inquiry.

...

What's up, guys?! You know me. I'm that guy. From that thing. You know, that thing? No? Ah well, might as well just give you what you came here for. So you want to know what a director of photography does, huh? Well you're in luck! It's time for this week's "...FOR DUMMIES!"

Like quite a few other crew positions (Producer, Director, etc.) the director of photography's (or DP for short) job stretches out over all three stages of production: preproduction, production, and postproduction. They really don't get any sleep, but who needs sleep?! Let me break it down for you.

Obviously, we start with preproduction. Duh. The DP begins his/her job with discussing the director's vision for the overall film as well as scene by scene. Based on what the director is looking for, the DP determines what exactly is needed for each scene, and, following that, hires a camera crew and organizes and purchases any equipment and supplies that will be needed. When deciding what's needed for each scene, the DP works with many other departments--including sound and lighting--to coordinate production needs. In summary, the DP uses his preproduction time very wisely. He pretty much plans out every shot and gets any and all the tools he'll need to acquire these shots.

After many months of planning, the DP's job moves into production. The most essential thing the DP must do during this step of the process is to coordinate the crew while working closely with the director to make sure every scene and shot is set up to match the director's vision. If the director doesn't get what they want, may Hitchcock have mercy on your soul. Here's where the difficult stuff comes in. For each and every shot, the DP must decide on: the best combination of cameras (oh yeah, filters and lenses, too), the placement of the cameras, what the lighting should look like, AND when the best time would be to shoot. On particularly large films, the DP often oversees several cinematographers who supervise different camera set-ups. He often ALSO manages the photography budget, so the DP is kind of like a part-time production accountant.

Finally we come to postproduction (yeah right, we're not done yet). The first step of the third step of the three-step film production process begins with the DP working with the processing lab to make sure the film retains the color and the mood that he and the director were aiming for. If this part of the process gets screwed up, then a big chunk of all the hard work and planning goes right down the drain. The DP also reviews dailies as well as cuts of the film throughout the editing process. It's important for the DP to participate as a critical eye throughout postproduction.

Alongside the film director, the director of photography has some of the most creative control of the entire crew. They decide what we see and how we're going to see it. Often times, the DP is the person who makes a good film into a film that we'll never forget...

Or they can be the person who absolutely ruins it. Either way, they're really important.

A Knight in Golden Armor

Get it? Chris KNIGHT? GOLDEN ratio? I digress.

I'm a big fan of this article, mainly because our man Chris Knight found an unpretentious, non-patronizing way to tell us not-so-savvy-with-a-camera people how to make small adjustments to better our poorly composed scenes. He understands what a film/television student really needs: big pictures with not a lot of words underneath.

This is a circle.

I've had a slew of high school teachers attempt to explain the golden ratio, and all I really got out of it was that I would never pursue a career in math and George Clooney was scientifically gorgeous (duh).

Symmetry is sexy.

But along came Mr. Knight with his diagrams and BAM! I am now a member of the club known as "Basic Understanding of Rectangles". Shot a little too crowded? Take ten paces to your left and try again. Subject look a little boring in the center of the frame? Shimmy over to your right and the interesting shot is yours.

The most adorable Rule of Thirds.

I was most affected by one of the smaller points of the article. Knight explained the basic technique of using a frame within the frame (a tunnel, a tree, a window, etc...). But, you can also use darkness as a frame. If you want to highlight a subject in the distance, keep your foreground dark. I always found lighting tricky, but this quick little tip really helped keep the basics of lighting in perspective.

Obviously these concepts are only the basics of composition, but it's a great start to the more complex aspects of setting up a shot. So put down your "Composition for Dummies" book, check out Chris Knight's "The Ultimate Guide to Composition", and explore the depths (of field... ha...) of framework. 

Lighting in A Clockwork Orange

The name Stanley Kubrick is synonymous with innovation both on the screen and off. He was the first to bring the steadicam onto the scene for the filming of The Shining, and has also created other tools and techniques that make his films stand out as some of the best. As I was re-watching the cult classic A Clockwork Orange, I couldn't help but notice one specific scene where there appeared to be no set up lights, which I found astonishing.

The scene where Little Alex chases, and subsequently murders the Cat Lady is shot on a handheld 18mm Arriflex camera, and involves him moving around the room as the scene unfolds. The camera focuses on all four walls at some point throughout the shot, which means it would be impossible to set up lights in the room (you can see the ceiling too). Kubrick used his innovation, and actually included illuminated sculptures around the walls, which ended up lighting the room perfectly, and was soft enough to cast no shadows, including his own as he moved around the room.

This was not the first time Kubrick had used this technique; he used similar lighting in the war room in Dr. Strangelove and the circular space ship in 2001. I really like the whole aspect of him building the lighting into the scene as opposed to using set lighting. It adds a certain realistic and natural quality to the scene which in my opinion makes this shot rather eerie.

Lincoln

Over break I got the chance to see the film Lincoln. I thought that it was very well made, the lighting was great, and the acting was spot on. After the movie was over my parents and I always discuss what we liked and disliked about the film. The thing that stood out to me the most was how they showed all the famous event about lincoln and the civil was, such as his death. Everyone knows that Lincoln was shot at the theater so they decided to show that event taking place from a different perspective. Instead of showing Booth shooting Lincoln they showed his son finding out the news. I feel that it made it much more powerful by seeing his sons emotions then the actual shooting of Lincoln. All aesthetics of the film were amazing and you could tell that a lot of research had taken place inorder to make this movie what it is. I would recommend this movie to anyone and I consider it a must see!!!

Tori

50/50: Strong Odds for a Good Movie

This last weekend I saw 50/50, a dramedy written by Will Reiser starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen. The film, which is loosely based on the life of Reiser, is about a 27-year-old guy who learns he has cancer and his struggle to beat the disease. While it may sound sad and depressing, the film, because of the work by the production team especially by the writer and actors, was a perfect blend between comedy and drama. It really had the entire spectrum of emotion and made it one movie I had to write about.
Even though Elizabeth has already done a great post about this film and how great the script was, when watching the movie in the theater there were many moments that I thought to myself that this would be a great movie to write about and have people discuss. I am going to look at more of the production side instead. Going back to the idea of the spectrum, 50/50 used a specific color scheme to give the film not only a certain look but also a certain feel. There are a lot of neutral colors and hardly many bright colors. Grays, browns, blacks, and dark greens are very evident when watching the film. The sky is usually cloudy and gray. I do not remember seeing any bright sun shiny days. (Photos taken of the film from online do not do the film justice because they were most likely taken by an on-set photographer and are not screenshots from the final color-corrected film). Not only do these very subdued colors seen in the set and sky reflect the setting of the film (Seattle, Washington) but it also creates a very bleak and sad mood that goes well with the main character’s battle with cancer. The brightest color I remember seeing was red, which the main character’s therapist often wore in accessories like scarves. Throughout the story she helps Adam sort his feelings and emotions through this ordeal and by the end of the movie after Adam has recovered six months later they begin dating. She is the bright spot in Adam’s life during this process literally and figuratively.
Another interesting production choice I remember seeing was a lot of scenes of the main character in the dark with a small light somewhere on screen. Either he was walking down a dark street with a streetlight visible ahead of him or he was alone in a room with a side table lamp. To me this was to show that Adam was in the dark about the future. He did not know what was next and if he would survive. There is a theory that when you die you go towards the light. This lighting that the production team chose was their way of telling the audience that Adam was currently on a dangerous path that could have ended with him dead at a young age of 27. At the same time there is a saying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel which means that after a difficult adventure there is hope or a bright future ahead.Even though the script was great, one of my favorite scenes was actually improvised by the actors. The scene where the main character shaves off his head with his best friend Kyle was not in the originally script. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who played Adam, actually shaved off his head as he improved lines and jokes with Seth Rogen, who played Kyle. This just goes to show how important choosing actors are and allowing them a chance to give their ideas about the movie. It may end improving your odds of box office and critical success (no pun intended).

Manson's Music Videos

So, I have a confession to make: I am a complete music video junkie...and my latest obsession is Marilyn Manson videos. While I realize that he might not be the most loved person in the music industry, I have immense amounts of respect for him for speaking his mind, and the combination of shocking (but most often, true) lyrics and images in his videos. His videos always manage to be incredibly interesting, often not only telling the story of the lyrics, but somehow managing to tie in commentary about current issues, and past issues that he himself has dealt with.

My personal favorite has to be, "I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)." The first time we see Manson, he is pinned up on a cross made of televisions, dressed in all white, in between shots of people with huge eyes peering out of falling-apart buildings. This is all going on while he sings the lyrics:

"Norm life baby,

We're white and oh so heater

And our sex is missionary...

Norm life baby,

We're quitters and we're sober

Our confessions will be televised..."

Next, the camera switches between Manson on the cross and the people inside, huddled around a television and learning simple words from flashcards, indicating societies isolation of children and teaching them a narrow range of subjects. This is all while these lyrics are said:

"You and I are underdosed and we're ready to fall,

Raised to be stupid, taught to be nothing at all,

We're taught to be nothing at all..."

At this point, Manson finally gets off the cross, and is being chased by headless police officers, portraying that the law has become less about what is right and wrong, and more about doing as you are told. He runs from the officers into an emergency room, complaining of a hurt arm, while he sings:

"Norm life baby,

Our God is white and unforgiving

and we're piss tested and we're praying...

Norm life baby,

I'm just a sample of a soul

made to look just like a human being..."

While he continuously talks about "norm life," the video shows flashes of different scenes, all in white. Two more verses of "norm life" later, Manson finds himself armless, trying to represent being forced to live without an essential part of himself. He runs into a Jerry Springer-ish talk show set, where looking around, he sees the madness of the entertainment industry, touching on everything from doe-eyed pageant girls being primped by their mothers to the sexualized fights that occur nowadays on "trash TV." In the midst of all of the chaos, the lyric, "Raised to be stupid, taught to be nothing at all," in sung.

As the video concludes, Manson finally "escapes" from the insanity, only to find himself wandering around aimlessly, all while still being chased by the headless officers. Law enforcement seems to be a common subject in almost every Manson video, which could be attributed to the amount of issues he has had with it in real life. Just like he has said in many interviews, at the end of the video, Manson is faced with a decision to surrender himself and face silence, or death. In the end, he chooses death over silence, and jumps off the building that he has been cornered on top of.

Once again, I realize that Marilyn Manson's music may not be everyones cup of tea, but I encourage you to at least check out some of his videos. They all hold a staggering amount of symbolism pertaining to not only the lyrics and the tone of his music, but issues that he (and many other people) are facing in everyday life. Below is the link for, "I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)," be sure to check it out!

I Don't Like The Drugs (But The Drugs Like Me)

Molly Boekenheide

Dexter: A Good Way to KILL Some Time

I love television but there is one show for me that sticks out above all the rest and that is Dexter. Dexter is a show on Showtime about Dexter Morgan, a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro police department. The first season was based on the book Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter is your average guy except for one small difference; he kills people. One of the reasons I like this show besides from the suspense it creates is how it makes the viewer feel for Dexter. Even though he kills people, he only kills bad guys and other killers. So in a way he is an anti-hero and the viewer almost roots for him to escape so he can rid the world of evil. It brings up a good question. Is Dexter a good person doing bad things or a bad person doing good things?

Besides from great storytelling and acting, done especially well by Emmy nominated actor Michael C. Hall who plays Dexter, the production team makes some interesting and great aesthetic choices. First off the color of red is everywhere. Dexter will drink red wine and eat red meat. Streetlights behind Dexter’s head will often be red. Red, obviously, is supposed to signify blood, which Dexter sees a lot of. Another example is what they do to show the different sides of Dexter. When Dexter is the good, average Miami citizen upbeat Latin music plays against the sunny Miami city. The colors are bright and the world just seems happy. However when Dexter is acting as his “dark passenger” the lighting becomes chiaroscuro. There is a sharp contrast between light and dark (which is a metaphor for the sharp contrast between his two sides). Soft and creepy music also plays as Dexter slowly lurks in the dark.

Harry Morgan, a cop and Dexter’s dead adoptive father, will interfere with Dexter’s life and remind him about the code they set up so he will not get caught. Whenever Dexter sees him the scene gets a little blurry and the lighting becomes brighter, especially around Harry. This could be interpreted like Harry is Dexter’s guardian angel, a mystical figure coming back to help Dexter when he needs it the most.

One of the greatest aesthetic pieces of Dexter is seen every week in the opening credits, which is Dexter’s morning routine. There are many close ups and extreme close ups that show Dexter getting ready for the day. All of these show his precision and his eye for details. It is also edited in a unique way. First it is edited into “choppy” segments (pun intended) and like a horror movie the killer is not revealed until the end (Dexter is finally visible in the last few seconds of the video). These shots, especially in extreme close ups, also look very scary and brutal. For example when he tightens the lace on his shoe or cuts into a piece of meat, it looks like he is strangling someone or cutting into a body. It’s practically his killing cycle! The audience will definitely know what they are getting themselves into as they watch these credits! Finally despite all of these scary images his morning routine is very similar to ours and is supposed to show no matter how crazy or demented Dexter is, he is still human. He shaves, flosses his teeth, and locks the door to his house as he leaves just as we all do every morning. In a way he is just like all of us (except he finds very different ways to use his free time).

For more information on Dexter, check out it's Showtime website. The new (sixth) season premiere is October 2nd!