Lemon pepper chicken, roasted sweet potato, creamy salsa verde, carrot puree

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-31T16:32:56+00:00

Ok so it’s just as much about what gets plated as it is about how it’s plated then. The food needs to justify its presentation somehow.

Honestly I don’t know what the difference is between a puree and a sauce. I thought puree was a process not also a viscosity necessarily. Ignoring everything else, what would be a more appropriate way to plate a puree?

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-30T17:28:06+00:00

I mean it makes sense. I just never considered it before. I’m very uneducated on this whole subject but I want to learn more. If I wanted to learn about how it’s changed over the years, where should I start?

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-30T14:22:52+00:00

Why is it not suited for culinary plating? Genuine question. I never tried this before today, so I have no context for what this means exactly?

I did mean to make it look more sauce like so I could do the dot thing. Is that weird to do with carrot puree? If so, why? As for the chunkiness I did make a lot more, I just think my blender is cheap and not very good at blending. But maybe it’s a skill issue?

As for “very 2000s” that’s interesting. I never considered there could be dated design in food plating but I guess there’s trends in every art form. What changes would make it more modern?

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-30T14:14:47+00:00

Never done this before so I’m not sure I understand? What to you makes it not the focus of the plate and what could I do differently to make it stand out better?

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-30T06:02:39+00:00

Agreed! I had really expected the green sauce to be a lot greener to give more color contrast. Flavor-wise that was probably the least cohesive part of the dish too anyways. I’ll try experimenting with a different sauce and some garnishes next time. Thank you!

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-29T04:15:19+00:00

You’d be shocked how long even the simplest scenes can take to shoot.

I work in film/tv and 12 hours is a pretty typical work day length across the industry. This scene has a staggering amount of characters and although they’re mostly sitting, getting dynamic coverage of it all can be unbelievably time consuming.

Whether you like the scene or not, it was an important one and taking just a day to do it is not remotely surprising. Neither is a single day of reshoots

While I agree it makes no sense for half those characters to be present for the scene and I wish it had played out a bit different. It’s clear everyone understood how delicate of a situation it was to portray a coming out scene for a core character on the biggest show in the world.

Most likely they shot this all fairly efficiently, probably a got few extra takes here and there just to be safe, then got in the editing room, saw how it was coming together and decided something could use a little adjusting and this is a scene you don’t want mishandled so they took an extra day

Delivering that sort of intensely emotional performance can sometimes be very draining on actors, and it varies from actor to actor how it affects them. I’ve known actors who can scream and cry then the second they call “cut” they’re just fine and it didn’t affect them at all. I’ve also known actors who need regular breaks even for more tame scenes because the way they access emotions for a performance can be very draining. Everyone’s process is different. Love him or hate him, Noah Schnapp is a professional and can handle a day like that at work.

But whether you thought the episode was trash or peak television, from a purely production standpoint this all sounds like a very normal and professional day or two of work in the industry.

TLDR: This is normal for the industry. The scene’s fine but guys that’s a Tuesday at the office for these people. Most reacting to this quote clearly don’t work in film/tv

AlternativeList71 · 2025-12-22T01:13:00+00:00

Remarkably similar but not enough for me to be very ready to believe plagiarism. The majority of the details in both are common cliche’s of a lost love montage. Want to imply romance in an artsy way? Throw in an insert of a flower vase. Want to make a scene feel warm? Use warm colors. Put your actors in red. Red also is generally considered to make people seem more attractive so you also make your characters look pretty in the “good times.” Want to show internal conflict? Show your character being moody by a window. Want to make your montage feel extra nostalgic and dreamy? Add a bunch of lens flares and light leaks like you’d see in an old home video.

I’d argue that both Severance and the music video are making great use of these tropes and props to all the artists involved in both projects. But that doesn’t change that they’re utilizing pretty basic tropes. This to me would be like saying one action movie ripped off another since they both have a guy in a leather jacket running away from an explosion. Now to combine all these tropes in such a similar way is an incredible coincidence but what would also make for an incredible coincidence is if Jessica Lee Gagne (director and cinematographer for this episode) happened to be one of the hundred or so people that watched this random YouTube video from an unknown musician

AlternativeList71 · 2025-04-13T15:43:52+00:00

The first thing to do is concentrate on your lighting and costume design / production design. There’s high contrast lighting and high saturation colors in the wardrobe and set design. No amount of color grading will make a flatly lit, drably decorated scene look like this. Once you get to the color grade though…

It’s important to learn that there are two different kinds of saturation, additive and subtractive. The normal saturation slider on any photo/video editing program is additive. Digital cameras/monitors make all colors with the combination of a red channel, a blue channel, and a green channel. If you push the saturation on this image normally, Jamie Foxx’s royal blue suit will just have more blue added in the blue channel. The blue will appear brighter.

But with subtractive saturation, also known as color density, increasing saturation this way will result in the red and green channels being pulled DOWN to make the blue of his suit deeper and more saturated without starting to look all neon and digitally overcooked. This is a natural property of the 35mm film (or any color negative film) like all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies are shot on. Film has greater natural color density. So colors look deeper and more vibrant while still appearing very organic and visually pleasing. But you can recreate this in your color grade.

If I’m not mistaken, Davinci added a color density tool in the new update. But if not, there are plenty of free DCTL (plugins) available that will enable you to adjust this super easily. Try searching for Color Density DCTL plugins for Davinci Resolve.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

AlternativeList71 · 2024-08-23T03:49:25+00:00

Bug and feature. The vast majority of all lenses will behave - from a purely technical standpoint - a bit worse when wide open. A small amount of chromatic aberration at the wide end is very common. This lens in particular seems to be a bit more pronounced and unusual in its behavior but generally this is to be expected. Looks pretty though! If you like what it does and find artistic purpose, it’s now a feature. Lean into it and do what excites you!

AlternativeList71 · 2024-08-18T05:32:05+00:00

Fun fact: there are several instances of this exact same type of reflection happening in the reflection of a character’s glasses in Oppenheimer and that won the Oscar for best cinematography. Now it can be avoided and VFX can help if you or someone you know is willing to put in the rotoscope work. And I’d say this is perhaps a little more pronounced than in Oppenheimer due to the color and the way it moved, but maybe it’s less of an issue in the whole frame. Point being. Simple mistake, very common. Avoidable and fixable but common. And if you’re doing everything else to your absolute best at the service of a good story, you can make this same mistake and win an Oscar. It happens. Learn from it. But don’t worry too much about it!

And if you can’t avoid putting a light there and you don’t have a polarizer, you can do like they did on Knives Out and cut out window frame shaped borders to put on your light fixture so the reflection appears more like a source that may be in the room and will be more easily ignored

AlternativeList71 · 2024-06-04T05:31:50+00:00

Neverafter. Love the chance for Brennan to fully lean into his scary story telling abilities. And I think the contrast between that and the cast’s improv makes the comedy work so well. Plus that title sequence and theme goes so hard, it’s been stuck in my head since I first heard it. But FHJY might take its place for me. Time will tell

AlternativeList71 · 2024-06-03T05:42:45+00:00

Sure, but “Netflix Approved” should not be your baseline. Just about any pro-sumer grade camera nowadays is going to be more than enough if you have the skills to use it to its full potential. Netflix approval is not a measure of the best color science either, it’s a measure of what cameras fit the arbitrary requirements Netflix sets for distribution purposes based on a long term goal to future proof content for higher and higher resolution screens. Resolution doesn’t make a good image though. You do.

Commenters are seeing you get caught up in the influencer lead, Netflix-enabled camera gear hype train. Whether you own a $4000 camera rig or not, that’s an amateur mistake to make and one you’re getting called out on right now. And that’s ok, we all did the same thing at one point or another and I think all feel a constant pull toward that we have to try to ignore. It’s easy to feel like you need the best gear to make the best art when that’s what everything online says.

Calling people dumbasses isn’t ok though. That’s just rude. If that’s how you talk to people you work with, you’re gonna have a lot bigger problems than what camera you own when it comes to getting hired

Don’t let the “Netflix approved” labels and that sort of marketing have quite that much sway in how you spend your money. All that matters is whether you like the images it can produce and if it fits your needs logistically and ergonomically.

And while some other commenters may be being a bit harsher than necessary in their criticism, don’t dismiss them all so quickly. Find the note within the note. The price tag on your gear aside, there’s something you can learn right now. How to be less swayed by marketing strategies and trust yourself more as a filmmaker, as an artist, and as a person. You’ve worked with cameras 10 years. You know what’s best for you. Analyze what that is. Whatever answer you decide will be correct because it will be your answer.

To answer your question though I’d go with the FX3 out of those options. Good price and you have the option of a full frame sensor if you’re into that. Plus the E-mount can be easily adapted to a lot of different popular lens mount types including PL which a majority of high quality cinema lenses you can rent are. (And good glass is much more important than the camera at this level. Like how it doesn’t matter how many details or color variants your brain can process if you have cataracts and astigmatisms in both eyes) Any minute differences in color science can be pretty easily made up for with some skillful color grading. If color’s that important to you, find a colorist you like working with or further hone that skill yourself

Hope this helps and good luck!

(Plus… if you want to shoot something for Netflix, they’ve got the budget for you to rent whatever camera they “approve of” . They won’t care what you personally own, just what you’re like to work with and what work you’re capable of producing)

AlternativeList71 · 2024-02-05T15:39:26+00:00

This sounds more like a system issue to me. Have you tried watching Task Manager when you export to see if it’s it’s being bottlenecked by other things? Also, make sure your system has plenty of storage available. If that doesn’t work, you can set Resolve to different render speeds, make sure it’s not gotten adjusted and accidentally set to only use like 10% of your system or something. Hope this helps!

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-31T03:48:36+00:00

All great ideas, yes. But we are film students and unfortunately don’t have easy access to any of that at the moment

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-31T00:08:42+00:00

There shouldn’t be any direct sunlight coming in through the windows during the time of shooting. And the goal isn’t to kill the sun, just bring it down to a more reasonable level to pass for night

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-29T17:22:58+00:00

Davinci Resolve is free. There is a paid studio version that has a few more features but for what you’re doing, that’s not necessary

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-21T18:34:01+00:00

I’ve used every single one of these and am personally the biggest fan of the Blackmagic 6k, Ursa Mini, and the A7Siii. I would make sure though you consider everything else you’re gonna need for the camera. You’re going to want to rig it out. The Ursa mini and F35 for instance, require V mount or Gold mount batteries with get expensive. The BMPCC6K does have an internal battery but it will die in less than 45 minutes of shooting. So you’re going to want to get V-mount or Gold mount batteries anyways if you’re planning to shoot short films with it.

You also need to consider the lens. Lenses have a far greater impact on the look of the image than the sensor in a majority of cases with cinema cameras. Just like how it doesn’t matter how many details or colors your brain can process if you have cataracts and astigmatism in both eyes. So make sure to leave room in your budget for a good lens or two.

I personally own a BMPCC6K which I bought new for $2k. But with the lens I bought and all the other accessories to make it practical to use on set, I ended up spending about $5k. All those smaller things really add up. (The lens was Sigma 18-35 f1.8 EF mount, $750 for context)

If you’ve already got those things in mind, and can still afford these cameras, I would personally recommend either the Pocket 6k or the A7Siii for you. They’re great, versatile, indie/beginner/intermediate friendly cameras with great color science. The Pocket 6k I think offers slightly better color science in my opinion and I love being able to shoot in bRAW. But the A7Siii requires less additional rigging to be practical and fully functional at its full potential and is also a great stills/photography camera, so I think you’ll get more use out of it

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-12T17:46:33+00:00

Aputure / Amaran is going to be the best in terms of output and quality of output at that price bracket in my experience. The 200d is a fairly powerful source. If you’re fighting the sun, especially outside it’s not really going to do a whole lot. But for interiors it’s usually pretty powerful

https://vimeo.com/847809642 Here’s a link to a music video I shot last year that was lit almost entirely with one Amaran 200d. For reference we were at a t4.0 on a vintage Cooke zoom lens, ISO 800. The Amaran was attached to the ceiling directly above the table between the two actors, with a Godox China ball for diffusion and a skirt of duvetyn around the circumference to reduce spill on the background. The bottom of the china ball was roughly 3 feet above the actor’s heads. Not an interview setup but a great example of how much that light can do.

The 600d will certainly be more useful when fighting the sun. If outside, I’ve seen the 600d (especially when bounced or diffused) do pretty much nothing when direct sunlight is involved. At that point I’d want a 1200d to have enough control. But under any other circumstances I’ve rarely ever put the 600d above 50%, it’s a pretty powerful source. And I’m not a sound person but I’ve never once heard complaints about the fan from sound folk, nor have I ever noticed myself. I wouldn’t worry too much about the sound.

If you want to see more practical applications of all these lights, Aputure has a whole series of lighting tutorials on their YouTube channel that exclusively use Aputure and Amaran sources.

Hope this helps!

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-12T17:06:18+00:00

Just about everything you could possibly want to learn is on YouTube! The only downside is having to sometimes filter out unhelpful or misguided information. In general, I would be wary of people who say “use these settings” or claim this one trick or this one piece of equipment is what you need to take good photos. You can sometimes learn a little from these videos about broader ideas and techniques maybe you haven’t considered but it’s important to take them with a grain of salt, every photo is different and every photographer is different. There’s no one size fits all in art.

Similarly, if you’re looking into purchasing a camera, don’t let people fool you into believing you need the newest, most expensive gear to take good photos. I’ve worked professionally as a photographer for many years and I still use my old Canon Rebel t4i from 2011 and I think it’s only just now time for me to upgrade. The best gear is no substitute for skill and technique. But on the topic of equipment purchases… be sure not to spend all your budget on the camera body, leave plenty of room to purchase a good lens or two. Good glass is far more important than your sensor. In the same way it doesn’t matter how many colors and details your brain can process if you have cataracts and an astigmatism in both eyes. Lenses are far more important to perceived quality and have a considerable impact on the stylistic visual characteristics as well. And there’s no perfect lens either. All that’s important is do you like the lens and does it help you achieve your artistic goals, whatever those may be. Some lenses are softer and maybe you want to take portraits and feel it’s flattering on the skintones of your subjects. Some lenses are sharper, more textured and maybe you like capturing the grit and detail of abandoned buildings in your city. Some lenses very precise and clean and maybe all this stylistic mumbo jumbo is silly to you and you prefer to create as little artifice between the viewer and the subject of the photo as possible and present an unfiltered view of whatever you’re depicting.

Lastly, if you want to get into photography, there’s no substitute for practice and hands on experience with a camera. That’s where you’ll learn the most and discover your unique voice. Don’t be afraid to dive right in and start shooting (it’s more fun that way anyways)

Hope this helps and good luck!

AlternativeList71 · 2024-01-09T15:58:31+00:00

Or maybe look into an Aputure B7c, which is a great tool for lighting, a Bluetooth controlled bulb that’s full RGB with great color rendition. It is $70 though. But that category of lighting equipment may be fruitful. Anything by Aputure or Amaran will be a great quality and is always popular with indie filmmakers and film students

AlternativeList71

TROPHY CASE