My film log: how I have filmed my project. Opinions?

Post by **steve hyde** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 12:53 am

...nice additions Nathan. The plates really add to the visual experience. I like the pacing too. Based on the footage you have shown us, your choice of music and your editing style, I think you have a very promising first short film.

I'm not sure what to say about getting the contrast you wanted out of the 500 asa film. Perhaps this was not the best film choice for the look you wanted. Maybe it would have made more sense to shoot K40 or E64 or even Plus-X and then color toned. Hopefully one of the post-production experts around here will chime in with some suggestions for working with what you have.

Steve

Post by **npcoombs** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:33 pm

thanks steve. The 500T certainly is not the best film for high contrast, but given the limitations I faced it was the only stock I could have used. I believe with enough hours of colour correction I can pull out the look I'm going for from the image.

The biggest gripe I have with the bonfire footage is the softness of it. Hopefully the telecine will improve this. I don't mind grain really, just when the resolution drops to the level of a consumer camcorder, which kind of calls into question the point of shooting s8.

I don't think I will be using anything faster than ASA100 in super-8 in the future. Although I have 5 carts of Vision 200T that I should really experiment with.

I used a red filter on almost all my Plus-X material from Italy and it really brings up the contrast without the grain of tri-x.

Post by **steve hyde** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:28 pm

...a couple more thoughts on using 500 asa for a high contrast image: we agree that its not the best stock for it, but you certainly would have gotten a higher contrast image if you had stopped down about two stops. If you would have shot at say F 4 I think you would see darker blacks.

Try shooting your 7217 at ei 100 (or over one stop) I always do.

I have some fire footage that I shot in 7218 (500asa) that cinePost xfered for me and the fire is remarkably orange. I really like the way it looks. It was shot around a bonfire and the film beautifully captured the faces of people standing around it. ( I regret not focusing more on portraiture for that shot).

I'll try to get some clips posted later next week using your templates.

Steve

Post by **npcoombs** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:58 pm

steve hyde wrote:...a couple more thoughts on using 500 asa for a high contrast image: we agree that its not the best stock for it, but you certainly would have gotten a higher contrast image if you had stopped down about two stops. If you would have shot at say F 4 I think you would see darker blacks.

Oh yes definitely. Its much better to get that right than lose image quality by color and contrast correction. If the shoot wasn't such chaos I could have metered different areas and judged all this. As it was I shot shot in a completely different way to more normal style: the run and gun technique - handheld, auto aperture etc..

Looking forward to seeing your clips. It will be more than a week before I see what CinePost have made of my neg stock and my requested contrast.

Post by **Superbus_** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 10:41 am

Very shortly: I like it! I hope that you could cope with every technical problem and realise your original idea.

Post by **npcoombs** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:37 pm

I have recieved my rank telecine of my material. Big surprise is the quality of the 500T - I am quite happy with it. Will post more soon.

Post by **steve hyde** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 6:53 pm

npcoombs wrote:I have recieved my rank telecine of my material. Big surprise is the quality of the 500T - I am quite happy with it. Will post more soon.

....good news. It's a lovely film stock. I looked at my fire footage again and think it is rather dark - plus the take is too short to allow the viewer to enhabit the image. (last shot on the reel)

Steve

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:22 pm

Is this shooting for the Savonarola project? Have you seen the filmed version of that story included in Borowczyk and Picasso's "Immoral Tales"? I just discovered that it's one of the shorts in that collection and the name reminded me of this thread.

Post by **npcoombs** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:30 pm

Some stills from my footage:
Vision 500T

Plus-X 100ASA

More 500T

Post by **npcoombs** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:25 pm

Evan Kubota wrote:Is this shooting for the Savonarola project? Have you seen the filmed version of that story included in Borowczyk and Picasso's "Immoral Tales"? I just discovered that it's one of the shorts in that collection and the name reminded me of this thread.

Very interesting. Ive never heard of that version before. Do you have any more information?

Yes, this is for my short doc on Savonarola. 8 minutes probably in First person narrative. The fottage has also been used as part of a tv pitch for a 60min commission on the same theme.

Post by **tlatosmd** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:55 pm

npcoombs wrote:Yes, this is for my short doc on Savonarola. 8 minutes probably in First person narrative.

"They've burned me on the stake, and now I'm here to tell you about it!"

Post by **Evan Kubota** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 3:28 pm

There is a DVD available through Anchor Bay, but I think it's out of print.

I think the Savonarola story is a kind of a subplot in one of the main tales:

The fourth story, set in 1498 Florence, would probably be considered immoral, as it involves Lucrezia Borgia having a threesome with Pope Alexander VI (her father Rodrigo) and a cardinal (her brother Cesare) while they send her impotent simp of an uptight husband, Giovanni Sforza away. Meanwhile, monk Hieronymous Savonarola rails against the immorality of the church, of priests openly displaying their sons, until he is captured and becomes Dominican barbeque. (Rating: 4 out of 5)

Anyway, it might be an interesting take. As far as other religious-themed, highly subjective films, "Mother Joanna of the Angels" is fantastic, shot in stark, hi-con black and white that is literally black or white.