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serving the Indie filmmaker with information, education, and tools |
Vol 2
- October, 2004 |
Howdy!
An Introduction
To those of you receiving
this newsletter for the first time, my name is Michael
Morlan. I am an independent writer, director, and D.P in Austin, Texas. This is
my occasional newsletter to producers, directors,
cinematographers, and all creators of
Central
Texas independent
narrative projects. As an Indie film creator myself, I like to keep in
touch, share philosophy and insight, and yes, even promote opportunities to
shoot projects for others. :) Ultimately, this newsletter is about
networking, being a part of the Indie film scene, and giving a little something
back.
In each issue of this newsletter, you may find
news, views, and muses about;
- writing
- pre-production
- directing
- cinematography/videography
- editing
- image manipulation
- visual effects
If you don't know me yet
(heck, even if you do know me) take a moment to scan my web site at
michael-morlan.net. There you'll find;
-
animated and live short films
- short film scripts
- seminars, tutorials, and technical know-how
- lighting, camera, and audio rentals
Vol 2 - October, 2004
In this volume:
Lighting Seminars!
- Lighting for Film & Video I & II - Seminar
scheduled for November 13th in Austin.
D.P. Diversions
- Chasing the Sun - A Day in the Life of an
Exterior Shoot
- White Balancing with Color Correction Gels
- The Elusive "Film Look" - Part 1
Post Pro
- Video De-interlacing with Vegas
Gear Rentals
- Austin Film Gear Rental Survey - Win a $195
lighting package rental.
- Bogen 2950 Autopole adjustable lighting pole
system
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Seminars
- hands on training for the Indie filmmaker |
Lighting for Digital Video -
November 13th & 14th in Austin, Texas - If you are new to digital filmmaking
or have been shooting video for awhile, you may learn something new at one of my
hands-on lighting workshops.
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Lighting for Film & Video I -
A six hour lecture
and hands-on workshop covering fundamentals, practical application, and art
of lighting for digital video. Starting with discussions and demonstrations
of the nature and quality of light, the seminar will culminate in the
examination and creation of 4-point lighting for an interview.
$145 early registration!
Attend both seminars for only $240!
Read more about the Lighting for Film & Video I seminar
here. |
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Lighting for Film & Video II -
A six hour,
hands-on peer workshop starting with a review of the techniques and tools of
the lighting craft, and continuing with the examination and recreation of
scenes from a feature films. This
workshop will be a guided discovery of tools, techniques, and hands-on
lighting setups.
$145 early registration!
Attend both seminars for only $240!
Read more about the Lighting for Film & Video II seminar
here. |
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Quotes of the Moment
- imagery from our literary lexicon |
"Meanwhile the sky circled round, and the night fell over the ocean,
wrapping in a single darkness the earth, the high heaven,
and the treachery of the Greeks." - Virgil
"A mild lemon light rinsed the
streets." - Saul Bellow
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D.P.
Diversions -
micro-budget cinematography |
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Chasing the Sun or A Day in
the Life of an Exterior Shoot - While any exterior scene is fraught with
variables beyond a production's control, shooting with sunlight poses
particular challenges to a cinematographer's shooting schedule. For a
production with sufficient budget, some of these obstacles may be overcome
with thousands of watts of light and a ready supply of overhead butterfly
silks, nets, and reflection to represent the sun and sky dome. But, if
those tools aren't available to you, it is still possible to get the shot
with the natural light already in place.
Read more about Chasing the Sun
here. |
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White Balancing with Color Correction Gels
- There are many options available to videographers and cinematographers to
control color balance – gels on lights, practicals and windows, filters on
lenses. One additional technique available to D.P.'s shooting with
video is the use of standard color-correction gels to alter the results of
white-balancing. By placing an appropriate light gel over the camera lens
during a white-balance, one may purposely shift the balance in-camera to
achieve creative effects.
Read more
about White Balancing with Color Correction Gels
here. |
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The
Elusive "Film Look" - Part 1
- I have had a lot of
discussion regarding achieving a "film look" for video projects.
There is a lot of misinformation and marketing hype out there. All too
often, filmmaking news threads and marketing hype don't differentiate between aesthetic and
technical points of image manipulation. In this first of a multi-part
series on the "film look", I will offer specific technical parameters with which
to understand and perceive the moving image. In subsequent issues, I will build on this technical foundation to first, challenge the notion of the "film
look", then offer an aesthetic framework within which to craft your own
project's look.
Read more
here. |
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Post
Pro - from
footage to
finished micro-budget film |
Video De-interlacing with Vegas - There
has been a great deal of excitement about progressive video of late. Several
new cameras have arrived on the prosumer and professional scene that acquire
imagery as whole frames (30p & 24p) rather than the interlaced fields (60i) of
traditional video. For those confined to older standard-definition cameras with
60i acquisition, there are a variety of post-production de-interlacing solutions
available. Here is one such option using Vegas 5 from Sony.
Read more
here.
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Gear Rentals
- equipping the micro-budget shoot |
Austin Film Gear Rental Survey
I am expanding my rental inventory
and could use your opinions regarding what I should buy next.
Receive 10% off
your next rental
and a chance to
win a Weekend Lighting Package rental valued at $195.
Time is running out! Survey ends October 25th,
2005.
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Bogen 2950 Autopole adjustable
lighting pole system
The Autopole is an extendable pole with
rubber-cupped ends that may be spanned between walls or floor and ceiling.
It may support lights and grip gear with the help of
super mafer clamps.
features:
o creates a beam between ceiling and floor or between walls
o supports lights and grip gear in tight corners or across ceilings
o extends from 83" (6'11") to 145" (12'1")
o cantilever single action locking system exerts pressure to
securely wedge the rubber cup ends in place
Read more about the Bogen
Autopole
here. |
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