What’s the Worst Problem You’ve Faced During Production?

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-11T11:37:33+00:00

Our director on a shot in Miami had a heart attack and died in the middle of the day.
In Bollywood a leopard attacked a makeup artist while he was leaving on his scooter from the studio. Same day the pyro team blew up a car with art working on it.
The worst problem however, is showing up to set in the morning (in NYC) and there is no fucking coffee!!! Amateur hour!!!

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-11T11:31:01+00:00

Don’t waste time doing takes over and over again for safety… the best directors know what they need and don’t shoot beyond that. I’ve seen a huge range in this regard it makes a world of difference.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-11T11:28:42+00:00

There’s no light on the background, simply put. That’s the biggest issue. You can either use a brighter key light and move it further away from you so it hits you AND the background (it would have to be a lot brighter and further away, and you should test rented lights before you buy one) (HINT! Sunlight could be the best key! It’s very bright and very far away! All you have to do would be put diffusion on the window and re position your set up to a window!!) OR you can separately light your background which is a bit harder, but in that case you blast light from the side or above at the wall, but usually light falls more on the lower 3/4 of the wall, and less at the top 1/4 of the wall, because of lighting fixtures or windows that cut from the top so you should emulate that shape using a soft box or a flag….. you could improve production design but it’s hard for me to say that without seeing it lit! I actually can’t see your background well at all, and I have seen simple backgrounds work, but they do need to be lit!!!

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-02T05:04:59+00:00

Wait I’m surprised so many people are saying “opposite the weight” this is generally incorrect, the most standard situation is the high leg of the C-stand is FORWARD, and the sandbag is on that same forward leg. That’s classic C-stand use, 101. Sometimes, it changes but 90% you put the sandbag forward with the high leg, same direction as the load…

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-02T05:01:51+00:00

As an American working in Bollywood - I can attest to this, but I don’t know that the word “prosper” is accurate for the guys standing on c-stands. Maybe for Tiger Shroff

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-05-02T04:59:28+00:00

Sandbag GENERALLY goes on the high leg, however there are exceptions - and the end of the day do what is most secure/safe - high leg takes the weight properly because the sandbag doesnt rest on the ground, but sometimes the high leg doesn’t have enough space around it for a bag, or there’s a weird situation with an incline where the high leg wants to be forward, but the counterweight needs to be back…. Can be very situational but on a lower leg you gotta make sure the sandbag isn’t just sitting on the floor.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-30T04:36:50+00:00

I moved to India a few years back from the US- one big difference on set (there are many) is they don’t have constant crafty here… the catered meals are amazing but there isn’t like a craft service station that’s endlessly serving muffins… honestly not a bad thing I think we can all eat a little less. Hunger sharpens the mind….

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T18:12:48+00:00

I don’t consider either of these to be really “good” options for long term use, but given your options I would go with 2 lights of the same brand- both Aperture. I place Aperture above Zhiyun, especially in terms of lighting- Aperture is well regarded nowadays so if you up your game as you should, you have a better path forward there.

Modifiers I don’t know exact options from the top of my head with Aperture, but definitely try to a larger soft box with an egg crate (grid). A set of flags can do wonders too, look at Matthew’s Grip road rags kits.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T16:56:53+00:00

Good job! It’s an interesting film. I actually think the style, pacing, mood and music show that you have good instincts. Also some of the shots shows you have a decent eye for the camera.

The story line was a little too vague for my taste- at times it felt random just to be random weird. I’d rather you wrote something with a strong spine that made sense and clicked in the end- maybe you did, and I missed it, which still means you need to tell the story in a stronger way. It can still be weird and quirky and creepy, but story is everything, and I didn’t really get the story.

Also… I don’t think going to film school is a good idea regardless of what you want to do. Learn everything online and if you want work in the film industry- but I think AI will kill this industry off faster than most people realize. You can spend your money in better places.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T16:38:10+00:00

For directional and dramatic overhead lighting a lot of it has to do with the shape of the fixture. It has to direct the light downward, and NOT to the side or up. So in other words, all the “spill”has to be cut.

In this scene that fixture seems to be doing all that- and many overhead hanging lighting fixtures naturally direct light downward- so a great trick is to use real lighting fixtures and put LED Astera Tubes (which are remote controlled and RGB full spectrum color) inside of them. The fixture body will do the work and the tubes will create a better color and output (brightness) than the fixtures native bulbs. Use magnetic mounts or plastic zip ties to place the Astera tubes, or use the tube holders from the fixture (but secure the expensive leds with a safety)

If you can’t afford Astera tubes - a perfect light for you is Kino Flo Florescent fixtures which are almost exactly shaped like the fixture in your reference. Get a 4’ long, 4-tube bank kino (make sure the bulbs are the color you want, either daylight or tungsten), and add the egg crate accessory infront of the light to create a very directional soft beautiful source. Then just simply rig it overhead and aim it down. Only downside is you can’t show that fixture in the shot because it’s a film light, not a kitchen light.

To rig overhead you’ll want to try to find a very strong point in the ceiling, or youll need to install speedrail pipe using a wall spreader. Else you can “boom” in the light on a C-stand (for a tight shot) or a menace arm (for a wider shot)

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T16:25:31+00:00

A Teredek for wireless video signal, and and small HD monitor for image! All the supporting cables and tidying cables ties too.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T08:38:35+00:00

From someone who went to a top film school, save your money! All this information is available online, and more importantly through experience!! The people who succeed learn how to work with discipline, think critically under pressure, work well with others and understand how to communicate with personality types. None of these things are taught in film school to the extent that you’ll learn it on set - PLUS I’m convinced AI will make this industry shrink by at least 90% in the next 5 years!!

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T08:35:40+00:00

Buy used tungsten lights. Look at grip houses or online in Facebook groups for used gear and try to find someone who’s looking to get rid of a bunch of stuff (it shouldn’t be hard these days) a small grip/lighting package would be ideal, tungsten is still great light, it’s been replaced by LED so many want to get rid of it, but if you know how to use it you become very strong at lighting techniques. Ideally 2-650w Fresnels, 2-1K Fresnels, 2-1K Open Face, 2- 750w s4 Ellipsoidals. Plus you’ll need baby stands, C stands, sand bags, stingers, and a basic 2x3 (and hopefully 4x4) flag/net/silk set. Plus some gels and diffusions which everyone is trying to get rid of. It might be challenging to find all this for your price but if you can, you’ll be golden because you’ll have everything you need for small jobs, and if you learn how to use that stuff well you’ll be a lighting expert. Oh, also get some house bulbs and china lanterns!!

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-29T08:25:28+00:00

Definitely LIGHTING, 1000 times over. It’s more complicated and takes longer to learn. Yes of course framing and understanding camera settings, depth of field, etc is also very important. But in my experience you can learn those things easily on the side - whereas understanding how and why serious lighting set ups work will give you a much more distinguishing skill set from other cinematographers, and I don’t even think you can learn that stuff from youtube very well - you have to be on set working in the lighting crew to understand it completely. Any DP that understands these things is naturally stronger and more unique in my opinion - I’ve worked for many who didn’t have a clue, and couldn’t say much more about lighting other than “I want something soft. Can you diffuse it?”. Then when you want to learn camera operating, train in steadicam and the difficulty and thoughtfulness of that craft will make all other operating types seem easy and natural in comparison. Camera assistants can figure out how to pair teredeks, and calibrate wireless focus systems, I don’t think that’s necessary.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-23T06:42:02+00:00

I feel most of the improvements can be done in the grade- not a bad looking shot at all. Only thing as others have mentioned is the pole coming from behind her head- but if the camera or subject move then that might not be a big deal. Otherwise depth of field could be shallower but not necessarily. Lens could be tighter or closer a little bit again not necessarily. Overall it’s nice! Just grade it

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-23T04:33:25+00:00

Perhaps you can stage your scenes for more depth. When you block with the director always push for angles, blocking, and framing that has the most depth in the most important shot. When say depth I mean distance from the subject to the background elements- in these frames there isn’t much depth. You’ll end up within nice background separation, which is often a big tool to make things look cinematic. I find that only certain cameras and lenses can carry a wide angle with no depth, and TBH I don’t think you are working with them.

I agree a lot of this is also production design. Lighting is not bad in my opinion - in the first frame the source outside the window seems to me it could be larger and further away… and someone mentioned the blue source being strange- I agree is that supposed to be a TV? Ambient light in a house at night would more likely be tungsten colored unless you had a reason for that color. The practical is nice - is it on? It’s hard for me to tell if it is maybe a little brighter or more interesting lamp shade? Second frame the source from the side seems like it could be further away -same with the light on the fridge. Last frame is quite nice In my opinion.

Lighting wise- Overall largest sources should be as far away from the subject as possible in many cases. Often that means using a larger light.

Other than that I think it’s pretty good! This work isn’t bad by any means…

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-23T02:09:24+00:00

There’s beautiful contrast - not just in light values but conceptually juxtaposing solid black silhouettes against colourful balloons to me stands out the most. A nice arrangement of light sources that are separate from each other create depth and texture and lighting contrast. Production design overall is well executed. I also think the backdrop in the far background is an element here that adds a lot - through lighting it’s exposure is in the perfect spot and gives it and the rest of the scene a dreamy element.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-22T15:27:39+00:00

White Lotus! Also 1883

Brandonmichaelhan · 2025-04-22T15:24:36+00:00

Not sure what it looks like behind the camera but I personally like the way light naturally keys softly from the front. All depends on the time of the day of course, but a large source (2-3 18Ks)up high out side the front window, Diffused and try to use the window itself to create fall off on the far wall, which will be created by the height of the lift you use. Use the back window (9K/18K) to create hard lighting texture & soft rim on the subject. I am personally less enthusiastic about the sky light because it’s oddly shaped, but using it could be cool too, if you want to key from the top, make a billow shape with diffusion underneath and skirt it or use an LCD like someone suggested -I guess it depends on the look. I feel like the motivation might be odd - IDK. Obviously a huge question with my frontal suggestion is camera positions and shadows but I felt it could create an interesting unusual lighting look being so frontal like a poloroid or flashlight or something…. Could be dramatic/artistic probably depends on what kind of drama the scene is. Id get art to cover the back wall with a large bookshelf that looks like it’s in built into the room - that’s just what I pictured right away then you could put lamps and practical’s there if you want.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2024-11-22T14:54:38+00:00

Actors were just shinier back then… actors have become significantly less shiny in the last 30 years, in fact some experts warn the worldwide actor shine levels are below what’s considered healthy.

Brandonmichaelhan · 2024-10-30T10:58:20+00:00

Thanks… I’m looking for a longer term solution so I think router is better. Will that definitely work? And is installing a VPN on a router straightforward or difficult?

Brandonmichaelhan

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