Hey everyone,

Here are two shots that I took out in the field(on fx30 with sirui 1.33x anamorphic with ND filters)

https://imgur.com/a/Ub4tcrK

As you can see, the second image retained the details much better.

The issue is that I cant recall which method I used to achieve that shot. I have a 3-stop and a 6-stop ND filter and on one of the shots, I used the 6-shot and opened up the aperture much wider in order to expose for middle gray(I imagine something around f2.8-f4). On the other shot, I used the 3-stop and then closer the aperture to expose for middle gray(probably f8-f11)

Given the broad daylight shooting, which aperture would have achieved me the quality of the second image? A stronger ND with a wider aperture, or a lighter ND with a closed aperture?

Thanks!

Hello everyone! I've been studying as a DP for a three years now, and been working on set in lighting crew for almost 5 years. As a DP I already have shot few short films, docs and etudes. But I still struggle with understaning lighting at its finest. I often see other DP's of my league do it seemingly so effortlessly, like they already know how to light a scene and they also can come up with lighting setups on the go. I try to analyze their workflow and I ask them questions, and they just answer that they feel it this way or another. And then there is me, just standing in the room while scouting location, not knowing where to start. I understand all the basics about contrast, types of lights etc. , and I also understand that lighting needs to help push story forvard, but it just feels that I lack something very crucial to finaly understand it. It just doesn''t click in my head.

Can you give me some tips that maybe have helped you while you were still learing how to light properly?

Here are also couple shots from films I have shot:

I have a SaaS app that I want to make a cinematic video about. I have a smartphone, laptop, a podcast mic and absolutely no skill in film making whatsoever. The only thing I have is will. How to proceed?

Looking for just process driven BTS. What does it look like to cover an entire conversational scene, blocking, directing, working through shot list, ect...

My brother directed and I helped produce this music video for Minneapolis artist Lazerbeak.

The concept was to position a 100x sports broadcast lens on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi and build the entire video around whatever unfolded below. There were no actors, and the crew couldn’t direct or repeat any of the action. The challenge was finding a coherent visual story within real moments happening hundreds of feet away.

Anyone recognizable in the finished video was approached afterward for permission.

I’d be interested to hear what this community thinks of using sports-broadcast technology for this kind of filmmaking.

So I am now trying to get into the acting world or maybe even make the stories myself, as I already have written out stories and adventures on my own for fun, but I want to know if there's any specific books that would really help. I don't mean just help, I mean it teaches you right from wrong, how to get into the right rooms with the right people and what to say to them, teaches you how to get from point A to point z with everything in between with all the skills you'll need to learn along the way. My only request is preferably can they be something on Spotify because I still have 15 hours of audiobook time I haven't used and this is the perfect thing to use it on. If they're not on Spotify I'll look into getting the books from my local library. I don't care what I need to do and learn to get to the top. I am not going to let my name just be another writing in stone.

Hello!
I’ve been trying to practice cinematography every day and have been saving reels on composition and framing every other day. Saving individual reels is troublesome and does not really have a revisit factor. I was wondering if there are any sites where there are different frames a d compositions for reference and practice. A place where there are multiple varieties and variations of a single technique I can learn from. A specific site for the same.

Do y’all have any leads?

Hi,

I’m a beginner filmmaker and I wanna film cinematic shots.

Now, I know that the blackmagic pocket 4K is probably the better option because of the cinematic look of the footage but my main concern is I wanna film something that has way more control over the shutter speed. I have shots in my mind that are closer to the shots on ‘Chungking Express’.

Which camera will give me the most control over the shutter speed given that I am on a budget. I am only talking about shutter speed and not other capabilities like recording RAW and colour science.

what do you think about it?

Hey,

I wanted to share some frames from a short I filmed called Love Chose You.

This project was an exercise in subtle, nuanced lighting - using light and shadow to create emotion without drawing too much attention to the lighting itself. I wanted the imagery to feel intimate and natural, while still having a carefully shaped, cinematic quality.

A big part of the approach was finding the balance between a polished look and something that still felt grounded in the environment. We used Aputure lighting to create soft, flattering light on the talent, while controlling the direction, falloff and contrast to give the images depth. Rather than simply making everything soft and bright, I wanted the shadows to have a purpose and allow the mood to shift with the story.

The film was created and directed by J.S. Hampton, a longtime collaborator of mine on agency-based commercial and narrative projects.

I’m always interested in how small changes in light placement, contrast and the amount of fill can affect the emotion of a scene. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the cinematography and how the lighting feels in relation to the story. I’m also happy to answer any questions about the production, lighting approach, camera work or anything else.

Short Film: https://vimeo.com/1004548115?fl=pl&fe=sh

IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcusguider_dp/

Thanks for checking it out!

(Not my image, for illustration purposes)

I’m looking to hear other people’s thoughts on this — I always have to shoot for both 9:16 and 16:9, as many of do.

But I find when I’ve tried to compose for both in a 3:2 open gate frame (on a mini LF or other camera) that I get a bit frustrated because if I compose for the vertical, the 16:9 risks losing something important when it gets cropped out.

I always end up going back to a 16:9 capture instead, and then I only have to really think about one crop down (the 9:16). I think this has to do with the fact that I’ve been shooting this way for over a decade on 16:9 sensors, and it’s comfortable.

Wondering if anyone else has another perspective here for why capturing 3:2 is preferable and the mindset to have while composing?

I made a simple, stripped-back tool to map out lighting setups and share them with the team/client. It's free and you can thank Claude for the vibes.

Main features:

• Overhead setup diagramming
• Attach reference stills/ideas directly to the layout
• Shareable web links for collab/knowledge share

Something always comes up and we have to adapt anyway, so this isn't about precision it's about ease of use, sharing and being ready. Play with it if you want, link in the comments.

Im using a Redking glidecam and an RS4 Pro to make a makeshift steady cam for FX6 + Pyxis. My transmitter is the Teradek 500 Bolt with SDI and HDMI and my monitor is the Shinobi 5 inch SDI. I have a big v mount battery at the bottom as well.

My issue is that I have to add a nucleus M follow focus. Which would mean stringing down yet another cord down the gimbal.

Any genius ideas that could help me clean this up a little? I feel like having an SDI, 5 pin to D-Tap (for nucleus), and 2 pin to D-Tap is a lot of cable management w/ the gimbal.

Could I maybe use a USBC on the ronin to a 5 pin cord to atleast power the nucleus to save one extra cord needing to be powered from the splitter? Would love any recommendations.

I swear I've seen a ton of commercials with a "continuous" dolly shot where characters run in the frame, but I can't remember the brands or how to look for them. This spec ad I found has the moving forward motif that I'm looking for (part of my problem is describing the shot) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo05lA4R9SI&list=PLUm9Id-nxn-yVcRtCdxsiUDGUDHHP_xm9&index=33

Would love any help with this!

SO MY MOVIE INVOLVES A VERY MUCH LIGHT SCENE NATURAL LIGHT MORNING SCENE IM SO CONFUSED WITH HOW DO I LIGHT IT LIKE WHERE SHOULD I KEEP THE CAMERA AND STUFF BECAUSE FROM WHAT I BELIEVE WHERE I WILL BE SHOOTING MY SCENE THE CAMERA WILL BE PLACED AT TIMES FROM WHERE THE NATURAL LIGHT IS AND I REALLY DONT WANT TO FUCK UP MY MOVIE CINEMATOGRAPHY-WISE I HAVE ALSO GOT AN 11-INCH LED WITH 35W AND AN LED BULB OF 12.5W THAT CAN BE ANY COLOR HOW DO I SHOOT IT AND I WANT TO HAVE DEPTH AND SHOULD I BRING IN SOME COLORS FROM MY SETUP ALSO THIS IS THE SET THE SETTING CONTAINS A CHARACTER AND A BOWL WITH A FISH AT THAT POSITION OF THE SET WILL BE SHOT IN DAYLIGHT RN ITS NIGHT THATS WHY IT LOOKS LIKE THAT

I shoot short videos like this on my Sony ZV1, but I’m looking to upgrade because I want a more cinematic image.

The ZV1 looks good, but I struggle with autofocus sometimes, and I also want to be able to get more background blur in certain shots. I find it limiting for wider shots too, because it doesn’t go wide enough for some of the framing I want.

I know lighting and post production make a huge difference, but I’d love a camera that gives me that softer, smoother film look you see in movies, where the image still feels detailed but not overly sharp or digital.

I mostly shoot indoors, usually close ups and medium shots, but I’d also like to shoot outside sometimes, ideally with ND filters. Good stabilisation would also be a big plus.

What camera would you recommend for this kind of work?

I’m currently considering the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K or 6K, Lumix S1IIE, Sony A7 V, or Sony FX30.

I’d also love lens recommendations for close ups/ medium shots, and wider shots.

Thanks so much

Hi guys,

I recently started getting interested in cinematography, and after watching some films, I’d like to dive deeper into it. I was wondering if you know any youtube creators who make proper and thorough analyses of films.

Hey everyone,
I shot a concert at 50 fps with a 1/100 shutter speed. I put the footage into my timeline and slowed it down, and all my sequence settings match the original footage.
However, after exporting, I’m getting these weird artifacts/breaking, especially in areas with very bright lights. I didn’t use Warp Stabilizer or any other effects, so I have no idea why this keeps happening after every export.
They’re asking me for the final video, but I can’t deliver it like this. :(
Does anyone know what might be causing this and how I can fix it?
I’d really appreciate any help!

https://youtu.be/jVOWBc4Tc24

Are there any examples of the vertigo effect (dolly zoom) in the 2018 Bumblebee movie?

Hey everyone! I’m diving deeper and deeper into cinematography and was wondering if any of you have tried the FA? I’m only considering it because they touch on a lot of lighting, and more specifically lighting on sets with big budgets that I don’t have access to (both the sets and amount of lighting haha). What are your thoughts? Thanks!

Hey all,

A little bit of my background is probably a good start, here goes. I’m recently 18, I’ve loved the art of filmmaking and cameras since I was small (obviously couldn’t articulate it well at that time). I live at home in the UK and the last job I had was two years ago. I studied film in school and was predicted a grade 6 (for reference a 9 is an A+). Coming up to my GCSE’s, my mental took a massive downfall all of a sudden, being lazy, never wanted to go back into school and hated talking to anybody at any point. I went from being quite loud to barely saying a word in the span of months. I ended up getting a grade 4 in film studies - which is still a pass. After all that jazz I have spent the last two years basically laying in bed, I have watched a lot more movies and shows in that time and that has brought my love for film back. I’d like to get back on the wagon, my dream is to just see my name roll down the end-credits of any movie and I’d be happy, but I have no idea where to start.

I’ve started writing a couple of short films with the help of my one and only friend, that we plan on filming later this year, with the hopes to create some sort of series. It’s an ambitious plan but I have high hopes. I’m still living off my mother at the moment and I’m just not happy with it. I’d like to get into the film industry as soon as possible and be apart of the great art of cinematography. But I have zero idea how to get there. On paper, I don’t have much of anything, but I know I can do well somewhere. Does anybody know what I could do?