Over all this is a really nice piece with some good information. I'd like to add another tip that was not discussed in the video. When maximising dynamic range one must also look at the type of glass being used. For example, Kowa anamorphics tend to be less contrasty than more modern anamorphic lenses. They also have different contrast when used wide open vs. a T5.6. Ie. less contrast wide open, more contrast when stopped down. They also flare very easy which will also effect contrast. I think utilizing a spot meter and the histogram are great ways to know how much contrast is in the shot. - Marc
Thats so true! And its not even completely consistent per set. Especially for older lenses. I've used sets of Kowas that were much poorer quality then these and I'd get crazy veiling flares that really changed the look. Definitely a good point.
Beautiful. The god ray from the haze with the back key lighting and the flare of the anamorphic were just wonderful. That tongue was delicious looking too.
So much truth in this video. Thank you! Weird comments were to be expected, as some points go against what beginners first "learn" on TH-cam, especially concerning ISO and its effect on dynamic range, so thanks for doing this anyways and enduring the aftermath. ;) Also love the Kowas on this, and yes, they are supposed to be less sharp around the edges... :)
Great video. The use of smoke def adds a beautiful diffusion to the footage. I wish you could provide a lighting diagram to better understand the distance of the key light, what key light was used and the same for the fill light as well as where the negative fill was placed.
Thank you for very informative video. Use of ISO more than 800, said to increase latitude in highlights. I went and tried 1600 ISO in an outdoor bright day and got resulted with weird grains / noise all over the image. Want to learn any sort of Guide lines when shooting higher ISO. TIA
The increase in dynamic range takes place at the edge of the spectrum. But you can't push the digital negative based on that. Once you expose everything properly after increasing the ISO by a stop and compensating it with either closing down a stop or adding a .3 ND, you still have to keep it within the necessary range/IRE. In fact, blown out highlights will have prominent noise as you experienced, so you still have to balance everything out. The point of shooting at 1600 to gain that small amount at the whites is the fact that you can pull down the gain or retrieve more information in the highlights in the grade. So unless you have absolute control over the lighting and unless it is a proper shoot with a complete lighting and grip crew, don't use it. It does NOT truly give a full stop of extra dynamic range. It should only be used as a finessing trick and shouldn't be relied on for any major pushing or pulling like color negative film. Thats why the NO.7 advice was most emphasized in the video. They even put up a disclaimer @4:15 :D :D Good luck mate! Hope this helps.
Arriraw would for sure give you more flexibility in post. BUT if you don't want to deal with that much data I find that Prores 4444 is sufficient in many cases. I recommend doing your own tests if you get the chance. Sometimes the needs change upon your specific shoot/situation. =)
If I'm remembering correctly the blue spotlight was a 4/5.6. We were shooting just about wide open at a t/2.8 (depending on the shot and lens) to maximize the anamorphic funk!
You guys shot with an anamorphic setup and then placed your subjects to the sides of the frame? Sharpness deteriorates when off-centre, so it's a bit off-putting and makes focusing on your video difficult. Please shoot non-anamorphic in the future unless it's a single person in center!
Thanks for the video. You can use filters like a pro mist instead of a hazer. Also, I passionately hate the term "negative fill." There's no such thing, it's a confusing term, and it outsizes one small consideration of lighting (bounce). If you want your lighting to support and motivate your story, you need to pay attention to shape, bounce, hardness/softness, reflectors, fixture type, color, output, etc. Gotta pay attention to them all.
Filters are great, but don't create volumetric lighting the way a hazer/smoke machine can. A pro mist filter will soften your image and bloom the highlights more for sure. Negative fill is a term used on sets around the world..like it or not! Haha. To each his/her own!
Why do people like kowas!?? Every single set and image I've seen from them are SUPER soft, and their bokah isn't pleasing, it's got a weird harshness to it... This is a "4k" video, but looks like it was shot in 720p on an old adapter. ugh.
To each his/her own. Kowas have a very distinct look and set of characteristics. People happen to like the way they dirty up the super sharp image of modern digital sensors!
The amount of haze is up to the eye of the beholder. I think on this shoot the point was to strongly see where the back edge light was coming from and was a stylistic choice..not necessary going for realism.
Finally some arri mini videos popping up! There's not much resourceful videos such as these with arri
Over all this is a really nice piece with some good information. I'd like to add another tip that was not discussed in the video. When maximising dynamic range one must also look at the type of glass being used. For example, Kowa anamorphics tend to be less contrasty than more modern anamorphic lenses. They also have different contrast when used wide open vs. a T5.6. Ie. less contrast wide open, more contrast when stopped down. They also flare very easy which will also effect contrast. I think utilizing a spot meter and the histogram are great ways to know how much contrast is in the shot.
- Marc
Thats so true! And its not even completely consistent per set. Especially for older lenses. I've used sets of Kowas that were much poorer quality then these and I'd get crazy veiling flares that really changed the look. Definitely a good point.
Excellent point Marc! One of the biggest draws to vintage glass is lower contrast they can sometimes provide.
Beautiful. The god ray from the haze with the back key lighting and the flare of the anamorphic were just wonderful. That tongue was delicious looking too.
So much truth in this video. Thank you! Weird comments were to be expected, as some points go against what beginners first "learn" on TH-cam, especially concerning ISO and its effect on dynamic range, so thanks for doing this anyways and enduring the aftermath. ;) Also love the Kowas on this, and yes, they are supposed to be less sharp around the edges... :)
Great video. The use of smoke def adds a beautiful diffusion to the footage. I wish you could provide a lighting diagram to better understand the distance of the key light, what key light was used and the same for the fill light as well as where the negative fill was placed.
Good idea, we'll keep that in mind in the future.
Thank you for very informative video. Use of ISO more than 800, said to increase latitude in highlights. I went and tried 1600 ISO in an outdoor bright day and got resulted with weird grains / noise all over the image. Want to learn any sort of Guide lines when shooting higher ISO. TIA
You still have to be careful not to blow out the image. There are definitely times when it can help. Thanks for checking out our content!
The increase in dynamic range takes place at the edge of the spectrum. But you can't push the digital negative based on that. Once you expose everything properly after increasing the ISO by a stop and compensating it with either closing down a stop or adding a .3 ND, you still have to keep it within the necessary range/IRE. In fact, blown out highlights will have prominent noise as you experienced, so you still have to balance everything out. The point of shooting at 1600 to gain that small amount at the whites is the fact that you can pull down the gain or retrieve more information in the highlights in the grade. So unless you have absolute control over the lighting and unless it is a proper shoot with a complete lighting and grip crew, don't use it. It does NOT truly give a full stop of extra dynamic range. It should only be used as a finessing trick and shouldn't be relied on for any major pushing or pulling like color negative film. Thats why the NO.7 advice was most emphasized in the video.
They even put up a disclaimer @4:15 :D :D
Good luck mate! Hope this helps.
Go Megan!! Awesome!
Ahhhh thanks dudes!!!
will be good if you share you post-production process
Hey! What would you like to know? We shot in Prores 4444, colored in Da Vinci Resolve to a Flanders Scientific monitor.
Thank you. when, you do color on Raw and Prores 4444 result is same?
Arriraw would for sure give you more flexibility in post. BUT if you don't want to deal with that much data I find that Prores 4444 is sufficient in many cases. I recommend doing your own tests if you get the chance. Sometimes the needs change upon your specific shoot/situation. =)
Megan Stacey thank you for recommendation i dont have Arri but may be for future) i used Red Dragon around 1 year but it is totally different Camera 🎥
Super!
Thanks!
What kind of Hot Spots light you have used for this shoot?
check out quasar lights, they sell bulbs that dim via app and can move in color temp from 3k up to 5.6k
If you paid for an Alexa and are watching this video, there´s something wrong with you...
nice one
How strong was the key light?
If I'm remembering correctly the blue spotlight was a 4/5.6. We were shooting just about wide open at a t/2.8 (depending on the shot and lens) to maximize the anamorphic funk!
You guys shot with an anamorphic setup and then placed your subjects to the sides of the frame? Sharpness deteriorates when off-centre, so it's a bit off-putting and makes focusing on your video difficult. Please shoot non-anamorphic in the future unless it's a single person in center!
All your video looks blurry.
Thanks for the video. You can use filters like a pro mist instead of a hazer. Also, I passionately hate the term "negative fill." There's no such thing, it's a confusing term, and it outsizes one small consideration of lighting (bounce). If you want your lighting to support and motivate your story, you need to pay attention to shape, bounce, hardness/softness, reflectors, fixture type, color, output, etc. Gotta pay attention to them all.
Filters are great, but don't create volumetric lighting the way a hazer/smoke machine can. A pro mist filter will soften your image and bloom the highlights more for sure. Negative fill is a term used on sets around the world..like it or not! Haha. To each his/her own!
Why do people like kowas!?? Every single set and image I've seen from them are SUPER soft, and their bokah isn't pleasing, it's got a weird harshness to it... This is a "4k" video, but looks like it was shot in 720p on an old adapter. ugh.
To each his/her own. Kowas have a very distinct look and set of characteristics. People happen to like the way they dirty up the super sharp image of modern digital sensors!
This video focus missed, not sharpness. What can you teach?
The vintage Kowa glass isn't the sharpest, but can be gorgeous when used correctly. Thanks for the heads up though.
Red all the way
To each his own. We love RED here at Sharegrid, too!
Too much haze
The amount of haze is up to the eye of the beholder. I think on this shoot the point was to strongly see where the back edge light was coming from and was a stylistic choice..not necessary going for realism.
Uh...yeah...to bring out the beam more as part of the test....shhhhh
Peter Dimako uh yeah obvious. I’m just saying it don’t look natural and looks flooded with smoke. Obviously it’s an artistic choice here. Relax