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Question 1: "Brad - You've successfully fooled the experts by convincing
them that your movie, Hall of Mirrors, was shot on 16mm film, when it truth
it was shot on Digital8. You used a number of
techniques to do this, one of which was lighting. Some people recommend to
'layer' the lighting and set actors quite far from the background. Other
people recommend using heavy contrasts in the light levels used in a scene;
others recommend classic 3 point lighting. This can all be a little
overwhelming for the young filmmaker - what advice would you give them when
they come to light their film?"
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Since the context of this discussion is achieving a "film look" with video,
my advice is to avoid flat lighting whenever possible. High contrast lighting
not only gives you a more cinematic feel, but it also makes scenes more
interesting. The way you light your shots should be totally consistent with
the mood you are trying to convey. In other words, use lighting as a
storytelling tool, as important as your script, your locations, and your
actors.
You don't need an expensive light kit, but I do highly recommend that
beginning filmmakers get a good monitor, and whatever you do, DON'T rely on
your camera's LCD screen! Some of the most effective lighting we achieved in
HALL OF MIRRORS was with a battery-operated "Sun Gun" positioned 6-8 feet
from the actors. No backlight, no wash, nothing but a key light positioned
just so. It gave us the highlights we needed for the actors, while keeping
the periphery dark and moody.
I would also recommend that beginning filmmakers become familiar with color
temperature and gels (cool blues for nighttime and outdoors, warm light for
interiors). it's especially nice when you can get a combination of both in a
scene, like a warm "lamp" illuminating the actor while cool "moonlight" from
a window bathes the background. The absolute best example of this is in
Kubrick's EYES WIDE SHUT - a film I recommend every filmmaker watch simply to
behold the amazing way it's lit. Watch those scenes in the apartment and
notice how the cool light from outside contrasts with the warmth of the
interior. Gorgeous stuff.
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Question 2: "What equipment and cheap tricks would you recommend to today's
digital director working with either a very low, or no budget, to make their
film look more professional?"
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We shot HALL OF MIRRORS with practically zero budget, so we tried every trick
we could think of. One of the most effective we found was a digital in-camera
function on our Sony Digital 8 called "Flash," essentially a frame-by-frame
mode which - on it's fastest setting - really took away the "video" feel and
added a subtle shutter effect. But it also required higher light levels to
avoid excessive grain. Most digital camcorders now have some sort of frame
mode that will at least attempt to emulate a 24-frame aesthetic. Of course,
the latest HD cameras accomplish this astoundingly well (and are out of the
question for most microbudget filmmakers).
But lighting and camera tricks aside, there are two essential ingredients for
a professional-looking production which simply cannot be compromised. One is
convincing performances by your actors, and the other is quality sound. If
either of these elements suffer, so will your entire film.
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Question 3: "There has been much talk of the Adobe Premiere plug-in, FilmFX,
and the After-Effects plug-in, CineLook, when it comes to making video look
more like it originated on film. FilmFX even has a number of preset stocks
it simulates. Have you tried any of these, or any similar software
solutions? If so, what were your impressions?"
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I have worked with CineLook before, and while I'm not crazy about the quality
of the simulated film grain stocks, the field merge process does wonders for
taking away that fluid video feel. I'm currently producing a teaser trailer
for our next project, MOVIEHOUSE, which we shot it on a D-30 BetaCam, and
we're using CineLook for that.
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Question 4: "There are lots of alleged ways of softening the harder edge of
video to make it look more like film. Some people recommend smearing
Vaseline on a filter. Other approaches include pulling nylon across the
camera's lens, or simply purchasing a 'film look' filter, such as Tiffen's
ProMist. Have you ever used any of these techniques? If so, what were your
impressions, and what are your recommendations?"
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We used a #2 diffusion filter for almost all of HALL OF MIRRORS, and it gave
a nice, cinematic softness to the film. Filters are relatively cheap and can
provide great results. And I would never recommend smearing Vaseline on any
part of your camera!
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Question 5: "In addition to the expertise you have been able to pass down in
the previous 4 questions, is there any other advice you would like to pass
down to today's young digital filmmakers? (this can be on emulating film
look or anything else you wish you'd known when you were starting out)"
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Dollars definitely show on screen. But when you've got virtually no budget,
you have to be even more creative an innovative than most Hollywood directors
in order to achieve a product that your audience will "lose themselves in"
and forget about your lack of funds. And that creativity really starts with
the script. Be sure to have a great story to tell before you get anywhere
near a camera. After all, when it comes right down to it, films are just
another way to tell a story.
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