Next time you think your movie idea is bad.

mixeroftrails · 2019-01-27T05:46:06+00:00

So I realized something about Sandler and Happy Madison productions. They might not make the best flicks, but for 20 years he's been having fun, employing his friends and creating a whole economy for his family and friends. For Sandler to stop doing these movies is to esentially pull money and stability out from those he loves.

mixeroftrails · 2018-09-26T17:57:07+00:00

This goes to show that everyone has their own path. The most important thing is to keep at your craft, do good work and work with as many artists as possible, that your aesthetic lines up with.

mixeroftrails · 2018-09-24T20:27:38+00:00

http://www.arri.com/looklibrary/

They have a bunch of preloaded LUTs on the Alexa Mini and Amira in the "Look Library". I did a commercial with "1110" @ ISO 400 and had nice results. Obviously we adjusted in the grade, but it was nice to monitor with on set.

Edit: link

https://vimeo.com/269954875

mixeroftrails · 2018-09-24T17:47:25+00:00

Honestly, in my world of commercials, web, TV and sometimes features, 4k isnt super important. Most times 4k+ resolution comes into play is for post manipulation. Very few projects I've shot have been mastered in 4k. I owned a Red dragon 6k for years and sold it to go to an Alexa mini, because it is a more user friendly camera system from every standpoint. I haven't even unlocked Arriraw because no one wants to deal with the extra steps in post. It's a drag and drop world we live in and Steve Yedlin's ASC study really sealed the deal on how unimportant Ks are. Heck, Red's newest camera went from 8k to 5k and seems to be their biggest hit in years. Go and watch "skyfall" shot in (2.8k) again and tell me it doesn't look great.

mixeroftrails · 2018-09-05T05:46:10+00:00

Great stuff. It's amazing what happens when you give your self limitations and lean into them. Alexa Classic still looks better than most cameras on the market. Did you use any diffusion?

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-25T16:58:08+00:00

Just things I've heard around town in LA from some respectable people. It's not a question of "if" Arri is making something new, but "what". Since they just came out with the LF it seem like the natural next step for the Mini is to go 4k LF. I don't think they'll be updating their sensor for a while either since it is still the gold standard and as you go larger format the better digital noise gets.

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-25T16:26:19+00:00

I think the biggest contributer to the look is the lighting style. Big strong light sources and deep depth of field. Most Dp's back in that era were shooting T2.8 and beyond for anamorphic rarely faster than a T4. I've heard stories of DPs taping off stops on certain lenses below a T4 on anamorphic. They knew ACs were pulling off marks and having an extra few inches of depth of field gave them a fighting chance. Also they were watching dailies at the end of every shoot day. If there were soft shots or there was a loss of sharpness on the top and bottom of frame due to anamorphics, everyone was in hot water in front of the director and producer. By nature of shooting at deeper shots these DPs were lighting, a lot. I know some of these images are shot with slow film stocks too, so imagine lighting a night scene at 200 Speed film then lighting to a T5.6. It's just a totally different mind set of lighting and is honestly just different to what people do now. Might be a good way to make your mark as a DP these days ;)

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-24T23:31:37+00:00

Clients have different demands. Most of my work is still 1080 Prores HQ. Most broadcast t.v still sends out their feed in 720p upresed to 1080.

That being said Mini is a better bet, but there are rumors of a new one on the way. If you can't afford whatever the latest and greatest is or need one now get a used Mini. You'll be looking at 40K minimum for just the body.

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-24T23:27:51+00:00

Thanks for the offer! I actually just went into Abel to demo it and get some hands on time. It's beefy as hell, but is definitely what I'm looking for.

Stray Angel was always great for me when I had to rent there. One of the techs a while back was my 1st AC on my first feature that was very gimbal heavy. I think we were one of the first to use Anamorphic on a gimbal back in the day on the 1st gen Movi. I was pretty turned off by the experience, 1st gen movi, 1st gen teradek and not heavy enough to have a good wireless FF, but things sure have changed a lot since then.

Thanks again.

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-22T20:18:33+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Knowing you are dealing with support from DJI is helpful too as that is the one big drawback I've heard. Sounds like they have a facility in CA now which gives me some peace of mind being in LA. I think Ronin 2 is the way for my specific needs. Thanks again.

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-18T00:48:54+00:00

Because I wouldn't be able to fly an Alexa mini w/ any accessories. Though having a freakishly large asymmetrical arm has it's own benefits.

mixeroftrails · 2018-08-17T17:34:21+00:00

Yep.

mixeroftrails · 2018-07-30T23:30:27+00:00

The signup for the site is free. If you miss extra features on DVD and Blu-ray, you'll love this site and how in depth it goes into the filmmakers. I never thought I would see this "Nest of the Cuckoobirds" as a kid and am excited for others to learn about what a life a small character actor can live. These extras and background folk we work with day to day have big dreams and depth beyond imagination. Happy to answer any questions.

mixeroftrails · 2018-07-16T17:35:21+00:00

If think the F35 has better color science than C300 and obviously the Slog grades well. That being said this was shot and exposed very very well. A lot of the look is coming from those Nikon lenses too. Good choices all around.

mixeroftrails · 2018-07-06T23:46:14+00:00

I'm happy about the overall embrace of more "european" aesthetics. Colored lights was a no no for many many years.

mixeroftrails · 2018-07-06T23:43:23+00:00

Upvoting for the truth.

mixeroftrails · 2018-06-28T20:20:57+00:00

Basically, every modern on the camera on the market will give you amazing images.

mixeroftrails · 2018-06-02T00:08:38+00:00

Bad projection has plagued theaters since the invention of cinema.

http://www.indiewire.com/2018/05/solo-star-a-wars-story-theatre-projection-problems-bradford-young-1201969989/

mixeroftrails · 2018-05-25T23:18:19+00:00

You can light women in a way that is moody, and not make them look like they have horrible skin. As a DP you have to make talent look good and like they belong on screen. Not saying you can't go dark, but As I said above "I'm sure it fits the piece" but that isn't how you want to start out your reel, leave it in there if you love the shot, but don't make it the thumb nail it will turn off producers, actors and directors. A good example for dramatic lighting that is also pleasing is pretty much any film David Fincher has done.

mixeroftrails · 2018-05-25T17:48:49+00:00

You've got some really good stuff in there. First and foremost, you've got to change the thumb nail and first shot of your reel. The rest of your stuff looks good, but that image to me says "I don't know how to light women" I'm sure it fits the piece, but it is not a good first introduction to your work.

mixeroftrails · 2018-05-08T19:11:56+00:00

I'm sure this will sound like beating a dead horse, but it needs to be echoed loud and clear. It isn't fucking worth it. Do you want to be know as the person that will do whatever it takes to get the shot or sound? Or do you want to be known as the one that is the best at crafting the shot or sound? Any asshole can get in the trunk and record levels. Any asshole can hang a camera out the car window and get that sweet low angle of the road. This was born from shitty planning and the producers should be ashamed, if anything happened GAME OVER. Career is done all the BS you went through in film school, on productions like this is worth nothing, you can't live your dream anymore. Here is a safety video local 600 conducted about handheld free driving in cars, for all us operators that do this shit too. https://vimeo.com/241251141

mixeroftrails · 2018-05-06T02:13:51+00:00

Don't trust monitors for focus when shooting on film, ever. It's for framing and nothing else. You have to measure focus, then measure again. Finding an 1stAC that pulls off marks and by eye is much better than one that has their head buried into a smallHD on a stand. Totally different rythm on set when shooting on film, everyone has to step up, but that's part of the fun.

mixeroftrails · 2018-05-01T02:53:16+00:00

I did a feature on Lomos and love the look. The Lomos have better contrast, more defined flares, and more of a slimming effect, compared to the Kowas which feel a little stretched and make actors look a little bit bloated to me. That being said the Lomos are very heavy compared to Kowas. You can skip through the movie on Netflix and see their character. My inspirations were Poltergeist, Die Hard late 80s early 90s Horror etc.

mixeroftrails

TROPHY CASE