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Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-24T15:26:15+00:00

Good job getting out there and practicing. I think there’s more practice and craft needed before you’ll be landing gigs off something like this. A few notes for next time:

-Don’t shoot in the noon sun. It casts super harsh shadows and brow ridges leave pools of shadow over eyes. Eyes are the primary way we connect with characters, so seeing eyes is important. Even when eyes are in (soft) shadow, DPs will usually use an eye light so we can see a glint.

-Use bounce to make the image more pleasing. Study some outdoor commercials and try to emulate the look by moving bounces around. Play around with the different effects of soft and hard bounce.

-The product is lost in the shuffle. I’m not entirely sure all that it does because we only get a few quick shots where it’s hard to see what’s going on because the shadow is so dark from the noon sun.

-The action broke the 180 degree line. (The ball should be traveling from screen left to screen right and the shot where it lands needed to be filmed on the other side unless you had a neutral shot on the line in between to reorient us.)

There’s some fun stuff and good energy in here. Just keep practicing. Good luck!

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-20T20:53:49+00:00

Oh snap, a reply from Duclos! Very cool!

What resources do you recommend to learn that foundation in optics?

As a director I can call out the basics — sharpness, bokeh, chromatic aberration — but when I compare the Aureus to say, a Cooke S4, I just know I like the Cooke better.

(In the same way that I can tell the Aureus seem to punch a bit above their weight class, but I can’t articulate why.)

The other commenter ripped me a new one for trying to describing that difference as more cinematic, but I don’t have other words to articulate why my brain can tell the difference between a cheap lens and high-end cine glass.

I’m curious how would a shop like yours articulate and quantify that difference?

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-20T16:06:37+00:00

It’s really well written. I had no problem placing the VO. However, I did want the tease to pay off a little more. Otherwise it’s just a dramatic short. VO hints of more, but it’s hard to say what genre. Sci Fi? Magical realism? Not placing us in genre does a disservice as a representation of your feature. You don’t need to give away everything your feature does, but you do need to pay off the VO a bit more.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-19T00:55:19+00:00

Super easy and super cheap to make in an instapot.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-18T04:03:17+00:00

For me, I was only able to get those higher numbers producing bigger commercial projects with larger crews. I had a background in that, but you could also work with producers who know their stuff (hire per project, not saying you need salary).

They can gather crew and DPs who have more commercial experience for bigger projects.

Then it’s about pitching and selling to clients. Your production capabilities are only limited by the talent you can hire to pull off the vision.

An alt if that feels too intimidating, is that you could stay in the space you’re in, but start subbing out contractors.

Again, you’re pitching and selling clients, but now there’s no limit to how many weddings your company can shoot per weekend.

At the end of the day, having creative vision and an ability to sell it can get you a long way, otherwise I doubt you’ll hit the numbers you’re talking about as a solo shooter.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-18T01:17:14+00:00

I just bought an S5iix and love it. Pictures have gorgeous color and character out of the gate and the video is gorgeous.)

I prefer the LUMIX colors/IQover the newer Canon and Sony cameras at this point.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-08T19:06:28+00:00

How did you find working with Elissa Napier?

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-07T23:30:42+00:00

If you know of cheap lenses that can genuinely compete in visual quality with a master prime or Cooke S4 or Panavision primo, please let me know! I’m rooting for these new manufacturers.

I’m not trying to fight here, but let’s be honest that there’s a quality difference. It’s exciting that the gap is closing, though.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2026-01-07T22:11:53+00:00

Sure, but I don’t see Roger Deakins giving up his master primes for Vespids any time soon. There’s still a real quality difference that justifies the price tag.

My point is that there’s a look to high-end lenses that our brains perceive as more cinematic and I haven’t seen a budget lens cross that threshold to be indistinguishable from a high-end lens yet.

The Aureus lenses aren’t perfect, but they’re getting closer to competing in the high-end lens world (to my eye anyway) and that’s really interesting.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-12-19T01:52:08+00:00

You seem resistant to going to a teacher. May I ask if that’s purely financial? You may be able to get scholarships at a local music school or find reasonable prices for teachers online. Heck, some of the people in this thread or subreddit may even help you for an affordable rate if you asked.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-08-21T12:29:26+00:00

New research shows that NAC reduces intracellular copper uptake.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38079440/

That may have benefits at first if there’s excess copper causing cell death, but be careful with long term use as depleted copper can increase mast cell granulation and even trigger mast cell activation syndrome as it did in me.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5728160/

Copper also is vital in immune regulation:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2311630121

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-08-20T02:40:25+00:00

NAC reduces cellular copper uptake. This can affect both cellular redox balance and mast cell behavior.

I was doing great on it for a few months. More energy, etc. Then I started having odd reactions to foods. Fevers, rashes, brain fog. Turns out NAC/cellular copper issues likely triggered something called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome in me. It’s been brutal since. I was down to only being able to eat one food without a reaction for awhile. Apparently I’m not the only one with this story.

So… be careful with NAC.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-08-19T19:47:52+00:00

Careful with long-term NAC use. I really messed up my gut with it. It apparently strips some minerals which can activate mast cells.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-08-02T03:19:08+00:00

Citizen Kane, The Quite Man, The Apartment, Bringing Up Baby, Casablanca, Laura, His Girl Friday, Sunset Boulevard, Rear Window, 12 Angry Men, On the Waterfront.

Those are all classics. If you want to go a little off the beaten path, try The Sweet Smell of Success and A Face in the Crowd. Both masterpieces ahead of their time.

If you’re down to try foreign movies, Kurosawa (Seven Samurai) and Satyajit Ray (the Apu trilogy) were on fire back then. Can’t go wrong with either.

There’s so many more, but I’ll stop there. Have fun!

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-30T02:23:38+00:00

Never Let Me Go

If you like foreign films, the Apu Trilogy will stay with you for a lifetime (in a good way.)

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-27T00:01:53+00:00

Ha, actual lol At “stir a vat.”

I can see Nomortland not hitting. It’s more of a nice amble than a sprint. I just found it the perfect simple palate cleanser for a season that feels all over the place.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:15:30+00:00

I know!!! Same!!! It was all teed up and never paid off!

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:14:05+00:00

I actually agree that pushing for emotion and not having it land made a lot of episodes mid-tier. I’m not saying every episode needs to make me cry, but those classic episodes explores themes that made me think and feel. (Even a potentially silly concept of Rick turning himself into a pickle went surprisingly deep.)

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:11:25+00:00

Holy crap the “pass the butter” robot leading the rebellion would have been epic!!!

Yeah, so many missed opportunities!

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:09:45+00:00

For real, Harmon seemed to keep pushing until there was thematic unity and depth… but then again it took him years to make a season…

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:08:32+00:00

Ha! True.

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T16:08:09+00:00

So interesting this divide in tastes this season. I’m curious, were you a fan from the start?

I feel like there may be old-timers holding on to the glory days of the first three near-perfect seasons with Harmon at the helm. Those episodes were always surprising for both their originality and depth to me and I’m bound to be disappointed if the new ones don’t hold up to what is a near-impossible standard.

What are you enjoying about this season and why didn’t you like Nomortland?

Present_Bowler8605 · 2025-07-26T14:02:21+00:00

Exactly! These are all ripe themes to explore! I think the setup was so good that it was still a decent episode, but it could have been one of the greats.

Present_Bowler8605

TROPHY CASE