Still Lenses That Can Grace The Big Screen

posted February 6th, 2010 by Shane

On the still lens front, you have a variety of options.  I am addressing this topic from a 40 foot screen digital projection perspective, not a still photography one.

ZEISS ZE PRIMES

21-Zeiss-ZE

21mm-Zeiss-ZE

Zeiss ZE primes rock.  Their resolution is spectacular and they are lightweight.  Their focus is alittle more cinematic then a Canon or a Nikon, so it gives your focus puller a chance.

28mm-Zeiss-ZE

28mm-Zeiss-ZE

The lenses do breathe, which means they zoom in or zoom out when you rack focus.  This asthetetic bothers some people so you should see if you like it and or can deal with it.

CANON L SERIES PRIMES

EF 35mm

Canon L Series 35mm

EF 85mm

Canon L Series 85mm

Canon L series primes deliver very beautiful, sharp images.  They do not resolve as well as the Zeiss primes.  So you will loose a little detail and color gradation choices in post.  If you are fine with that, then the Canon primes are a great choice. Their zooms are not as sharp as the primes and they don’t hold contrast as well.

Canon L Lenses

Canon L Series Lenses

The Canon EF lenses cannot hold up on the big screen. I used them on the first 2 shooting days of the Navy SEAL movie and they were just plain soft. When I went into color correction, I was not able to have the full range of detail of the 8 BIT compressed color space, that I had with the L series or the Nikons. Canon lenses also have one tricky issue: the endless focus wheel.  It is amazing for a still photographer but not a trained focus puller. Companies like Zacuto have put lens stops on their zip gears to try and correct the problem but it is still something to contend with.

NIKON AI SERIES PRIMES

Nikkor 28mm

Nikon AI Series 28 mm

50mm

Nikon AI Series 50 mm

Nikon glass delivers well with the AI series. They were the cream of the crop back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and still are in my book.  They deliver images just like the Zeiss in contrast but the glass has a warmer tone. However, their focus range is short like the Canon’s.

LEICA R SERIES PRIMES

Leica 1:2.8

Leica 35 mm R Series

I tested Leica and found that they delivered beautiful contrast and color throughout.  They felt the closest to the Panavision Primo primes and had more of a cinema focus throw, even more than the Zeiss ZE primes. These lenses resolve so well on the big screen.

HASSELBLAD MEDIUM FORMAT ZEISS PRIMES

50 mm Hasselblad Medium Format

150 mm Hasselblad Medium Format

Hasselblad medium format lenses were very interesting on the 5D.  It had the same contrast and color of the Zeiss ZE Primes. You need to check it out. They have an amazing cinema focus throw, but  breathe like the Zeiss. I like the large focus markings and the weight, they felt really nice on my Red Rock Micro shoulder rig.  As long as you feel comfortable shooting above a 4.0 these lenses are a great choice.

With all of the lens options out there, these are still just tools.  The story and the characters are KING!  These players all have a back story that never makes it to the screen, but it is the thread, the tapestry that binds the film.  Find that thread, follow it to dream and create your next work of art!!!!

Cinema Style Lenses

posted February 3rd, 2010 by Shane

I am back on land and ready to tear it up.  The January newsletter has been a big success and I thank you all for your comments and suggestions.  This is a collaborative effort and we value your input.

I have been getting many comments from people on what is the value of cinema style lenses compared to still lenses.  So, this is part one of a two part blog. First we delve into cinema style lenses and what makes them useful. Part II focuses on still lenses and the variety of options. The choice ultimately comes down to the look that you want to achieve as an artist and your budget.  When you read a script you have to let the story speak to you and have your lighting and lens choice be character driven.

For example, on “Terminator: Salvation,” what would a world dominated by machines look like?  Well, I thought about what machines are made of: steel, iron, titanium; these materials all have the color silver in them.  What would a world filled with silver look and feel like?  It would be pretty black and white.  McG and I did not want to make a black and white movie. With a movie that had silver threaded through its visual language, we then added color in their faces and threw in a little warmth in the Resistance to make it visually interesting.  My Elite Team and I set out on a mission to deliver a new look for a post-apocalyptic world that no one had seen before. We used the story and the Terminators characters to drive the look and feel of Skynet proper.  It was cold, filled with contrast, uninviting, dark, edgy, and depressing. The only warm color in Skynet was fire for the fear factor and the color red because that was a franchise established color.

T4 Skynet - Click for larger image

T4 Skynet – Click for larger image
T4 Skynet - Click for larger image

T4 Skynet - Click for larger image

In contrast, the Resistance bunker and personnel had color with warm skin tones to give it life.  I wanted to use greens and gold’s and warm sunlight to show that our characters were trying to survive in this world of machines where they were not a machine.

The exterior landscapes had little life or hope, so we let our silver color bleed into this world.

These are the colors we chose to use in painting our canvas, and they were driven by the story. I turned to the Panavision Primo Primes for their resolution, contrast range and crisp feel.

T4 Resistance - Click for larger image

T4 Resistance - Click for larger image

T4 Resistance - Click for larger image

T4 Resistance - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocalyptic Landscape - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocalyptic Landscape - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocalyptic Landscape - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocalyptic Landscape - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocolytic Landscape - Click for larger image

T4 Post Apocalyptic Landscape - Click for larger image

When I was asked to lens “ We are Marshall” McG and I had gone through a variety of different looks for a movie in the early seventies.  They had been done before and we wanted something unique.  There were a slew of period 1970’s movies that had hit the theaters and we were feeling inspired to make it different.  The story was such an amazing rise from the ashes story.  The characters in the film had lost so much and their town had suffered emotionally and financially for decades.  I walked around the town scouting locations and this event literally touched every single person in some way.  It was truly profound.  I would be in an elevator in Kansas City and some one would notice my Marshall University hat that I was wearing and they would stop me and say.  “You know I was one of the first firefighters on the scene.  The plane crash was so intense and hot that we could not get near it for hours. “ It was a monumental event that effected generations.  How do you translate that into a lens choice or a photographic style?  Well, I went back to still photography and to the Kodachrome images of the late 1960’s for my inspiration. The 70’s looks in cinema that had been done recently had been de-staurated and flat. I felt that this would be incredibly depressing and this story was not about the tragedy; it was about the community’s rebirth.  So what better format than the most beautiful film stock that has ever graced our printers.  KODACHROME!!

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

Once McG and I strategized, I went out to search for period glass for the image capture.  I settled on 1968 Zeiss Panavision Ultra Primes.  There were plenty of beautiful still lenses that had been converted by many manufacturers to work on our Panavision cameras but none of them were ready to be tested in a movie making environment or one that required specific focus capabilities.  The Ultra primes had been making movies since the 1960’s.  The glass had less contrast which was a big advantage. Kodachrome has a very colorful and stark look but it also has this very beautiful chalky effect in the blacks.  So in the coloring process, I coined the phrase “chalk and drop,” where we took the lower contrast 1960’s glass and pushed the mid tones to the extreme, then brought the blacks way down   This created a halo in the transition area from light to dark. Then with a little added saturation, period art direction and a colorful costume palette, it breathed eternal life into this tragic but uplifting story.  So, it is really up to you as an artist to let the story and the characters speak to you.

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click here for larger image

We Are Marshall - Click for larger image

Transitioning from film to HD has required a whole new level of creativity. One big weakness in the 5D platform is the 8 BIT compressed color space.  How do you deal with that?  Well, I use it to my advantage by shooting with the sharpest lenses possible.  It gives you more range in the color grading process.  The minute something was a little soft, the details in different shades of color went away first.  The Elite Team and I have done multiple tests and found the Primo Prime resolution is far superior to every still lens out there.  They are all hand made Leica glass with state of the art coating.  Each lens varies from $18,000.00 to $40,000.00 in the prime lens department.  Not $200.00 up $3,500.00.  The Primos deliver about 3 more stops of latitude.  Because of the lens size it captures more light, so seeing into the shadows was increased by about 1.5 stops.  Then with the coating and design of the lens, it holds more detail in the highlights, about 1.5 stops.

Unfortunately, Panavision is currently in a lawsuit against Canon pertaining to Canon copyright infringement of their CMOS Sensor http://image-sensors-world.blogspot.com/2009/10/panavision-sues-omnivision-aptina.html. Until this gets resolved, the Panavision lenses will not be available for rental. Everyone is now on the bandwagon to give you PL mount lenses. So the market is wide open for engineers to take apart the Canon 5D and 7D cameras and carve it out so that the PL mounted rear element does not hit the Canon mirror.  This will then enable you to use the Cooke S4 Primes, Arri Ultra Primes, and or the Zeiss Master Primes.  Clairmont Camera has started to tear them apart and retool the mount. Illya Freidman at http://www.hotrodcameras.com/ has done a 7D that I saw at Sundance for around $4,000.00 and it looked sweet.  He will convert your 5D if you provide it.

Just be aware that if you interfere with the Canon body in any way, it voids all warranties. I know in my heart that at least one lens manufacturer will see the light and build a cinema style lens with a Canon mount in the near future.

John Guerra,Elite Team Member: Lighting On The Sub

posted January 24th, 2010 by Shane

We have been getting may questions about the 5D and lighting. The sub experience was a lighting challenge to even the most seasoned expert. The lighting approach has to be very different when you are in an active working environment and the SEALS are in operation mode. The luxury of having your static set is gone and John and I talked about we needed to be stealth, fast and unobtrusive to the subs crew. I wanted to feature John Guerra, one my Elite Team members and how he pulled it off.

Lighting On The Sub

“I’m a gaffer. I’ve been a gaffer for over twenty years. That means I’ve done a few things and some of them I’ve done twice. None of those things, however, involve lighting aboard a Los Angeles class submarine while underway. This was a first. It was a unique, exciting life experience that happened to involve a little lighting. In the following piece I may not address all, or any questions, you might have about the current state of motion picture nuclear submarine lighting. Feel free to write to me for whatever specific information you require. I have a very tactile approach to what I do. I’m not big on diagrams, foot candle graphs, the inverse square law or anything appearing in bold face type in American Cinematographer.

There are a few things I feel are essential to the success of any project. The first is information. 90% of my job is completed in the prep. We knew what units to bring on the sub based on our experiences over the past few months. We had good intel. But good info needs to be applied properly to any situation and that requires good thinking. Good thinking is positive thinking – my number one rule of gaffing is simple, “no one is paying you to say no”. If you’ve been invited on to a project, it’s because someone needs your help – so be positive, be helpful. Finally, I like to ramble. I enjoy it. It’s who I am.

At first I thought it might be interesting to compose a short essay about the intricacies of lighting for the Canon 5D, 7D and 1D aboard a nuclear (or nukular if you’re a Republican) submarine. Realizing the dire necessity for a comprehensive instruction manual directed specifically at motion picture lighting for nuclear submarines I took to the task with the zeal of a tele-evangelist. The result could best be described as a six page sleep aid, second only in effectiveness to a happy finish from a Philippine massage specialist. So after a reread followed by a long nap I deleted that tome and began this one.

Prior to boarding the USS Florida, I had shot previously on a World War II era sub, the USS Pampanito. It’s a tourist attraction docked at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. The major differences between the Pampanito and the Florida were as follows:

  1. The Pampanito was tiny, about half the size of the USS. Florida.
  2. The Pampanito had diesel engines and though they hadn’t been used for fifty years the smell was still overpowering.
  3. The Pampanito was dockside so we brought power aboard from a generator on the dock. That meant the only variable limiting our choice of instruments was what we could fit down the hatch.
  4. Most important, as we were shooting a music video for the song, In The Navy, we had The Village People with us; a source of tremendous close quartered amusement.

In reality, my experiences aboard Pampanito have little to do with this blog, it was just a good excuse to make a joke about the Village People.

On to more serious matters. If you’re a lighting guy and you get a call to cast some lumens about aboard a submarine you’ll probably have a few questions. I know I did.

  1. Is there a decent craft service person on the job or are we relying on the US Navy to supply snacks throughout the day?  The Navy did their best.
  2. How much power, and of what type and voltage is available aboard the boat? I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand having to rely on battery powered units of any kind, even LEDs. Perhaps it’s a holdover from the days of unreliable HID sunguns, but battery powered instruments make me very uneasy. Luckily, the USS Florida was lousy with standard 120 volt AC outlets. Considering the reactor aboard the boat makes enough electricity to power the city of Las Vegas for almost six years without refueling I shouldn’t be so surprised.

So power was no problem as long as we relied on small units, 20 amps and under. As you all know the Canon cameras allowed us the luxury of using very compact units that worked within the established parameters of the USS Florida’s existing lighting scheme. Only the underwater sequences showing the SEALs using the DDS (Dry Deck Shelter) to access the SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle) employed battery powered instruments. More about that later.

The power question having been addressed the next huge issue was, “how much stuff can I bring?” The answer depended on who you asked. The producer said, “You’re already bringing too much stuff, whatever it is. Bring less”.  Shane said, “Since you’re not bringing a crew and you’ll be doing the work by yourself, think in terms of a five ton as opposed to a ten ton package”.  In keeping with the old adage, “it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission”, no body as far as I could tell bothered to consult the US Navy as to our limitations.  There was one restriction however, everything we brought had to fit into a hard Pelican (or similar) case, and no case could be larger than three feet across.  The reason for the restrictions, everything we brought had to loaded by hand, down a vertical ladder into the sub. Don’t ask me how they get those big missiles in there.

After a day at the rental house picking and choosing instruments, rigging gear and expendables I loaded it all into cases. When I was finished, the lighting package totaled about 40 cases or so separate. I piled it all up on the floor of the rental house and waited for someone, anyone, to come to their senses. “Holy Crap that’s a lot of shit, Guerra” (I might have the crap and the shit reversed but you get the idea), the voice of reason finally tolled from somewhere.  So we pared down the package to 28 cases, a surprisingly reasonable amount. Here’s what we brought for the dry work:

1 Dedo kit

6 – 3×6 LED Lightpanel

2 – 1×1 LED Lightpanel

12 – MR-16 Par Cans w/ 75 watt globes

approx 250 feet of incandescent rope light

I can hear it now, “what, no Kino Flos?” Earlier in the year we had an experience lighting a rescue sub using Kinos, which were the perfect tool for the job. The sub interior looked fantastic but after a full day of lighting we were told that fluorescents were not allowed in submersibles because of the chance they contained mercury and if broken, out gas fluorine  as well as other toxins. Sorry Frieder, Kinos es verboten.

Lighting with Sub SDV

Lighting with Sub SDV

The following units comprised the arsenal for the underwater work:

4 -  Hydroflex LED Micro Lightpanels

2 – Hydroflex LED 1×1 Lightpanels

These Micro Light panels are powered by 6 AA batteries each. The 1×1 panels require a separate battery pack be attached to the lamp exterior making the whole unit a little bulky and weighting it to a state of negative buoyancy. Both these units are easy to use, however changing the batteries requires some disassembly of each unit so plan your time accordingly. The specs for battery life can be found on the Hydroflex website.

Now we’re ready to go. We’ve got 28 cases for lighting, about 16 cases for camera – how the hell did that happen – and we’re on our way. Almost. At the last minute I panicked and make a final Home Depot run. I get some LED automotive trouble lights (the kind you hang inside the hood), more AA batteries (the coin of the realm aboard a sub, good for bartering for an extra desert), more sticky pads and zip ties (essential!!!!!) and some of those anti-nausea wrist bands (yes they really work).

The single most important item we brought aboard the sub didn’t fit into a Pelican case however, nor was it to be found (forgive for saying it) on the shelves of Home Depot.  We brought experience forged in some unforgiving circumstances, the swamps of Stennis, Mississippi and the heat of El Centro. When I was first contacted to do this job, the sub portion was at the beginning of the schedule. When it was postponed I was quite disappointed. In retrospect, that was a tremendous gift. By the time we boarded the USS Florida we understood the limits and tolerances of the Canon platform enough so that we were confident in our choices of lighting instruments. We didn’t know what to expect aboard the sub, but we knew that the sensitivity of the Canon sensor gave us tremendous latitude with a minimum of instruments. Armed with the knowledge we’d collected in months prior we were confident that whatever we found, we could handle it with what we brought. And we weren’t wrong, far from it in fact.

Sub Interior Con Dive

Sub Interior Con Dive

The interior of the sub is lit primarily with small overhead fluorescents. That’s right, fluorescents. Don’t ask me why their fluorescents are any safer than ours, they’re not. The ultra sensitive Canon platform allowed us to use the existing sub lighting and punctuate it with our mini pars and Dedos. Often times we turned off, or gelled all but a few of the existing units and relied on our light panels and a rope light based invention we have since dubbed the “light colon”.

Sub Interior

Sub Interior- Helmsman on the con

The Canon sensor really showed it’s stuff when we shot the two helmsmen on the con as they put the boat into a steep dive. The con contains all the ships navigational instrumentation, as well as a bunch of other cool stuff that we weren’t allowed to photograph, and at night it’s kept dark. Really dark. In fact, it’s really only illuminated by its instrumentation and whatever displays and screens are currently displaying information. It would have been impossible to shoot in there with a film camera and expect anything other than the brightest screen to have been exposed. We shot two entire scenes in there using two 3×6 panel lights with red gel, a single 1×1 panel light with medium blue green gel (dimmed way down) and one of our new fangled “light-colons”.

The results were beautiful.

We’ve all seen what it looks like when it’s been built to the director’s specs by the production designer and lit by the DP over the course of a few months after spending untold hours of camera tests, tantrums and the inevitable onslaught of relighting. I’d put our four hours on the bridge up against any footage from any big studio picture. In a nutshell, five guys went down for five days and got five million bucks worth of footage for – well I don’t know for how much but it probably involves the number five.

There are certain experiences that we come to cherish in our careers. We mark time by them, in some way they define who we were at such and such a place in our lives. This was one of those experiences for me. At the risk of sounding trite, shooting aboard the USS Florida was a once in a life time experience. I’d like to be invited back, but it’s unlikely the opportunity would present itself.  One thing I can say for sure is that the memory was made all the more sweet by how the Canon platform allowed me to create within an already established environment. I didn’t have to angst over figuring our how to create a key source that would actually make a dent in the emulsion but wouldn’t look out of place in a darkened control room. I had the luxury of being able to participate creatively, without having to stress about fundamental and rudimentary concerns (such as seeing the actors face).  Because of the freedom afforded me by this remarkable camera my appreciation of this experience and my appreciation of the Canon platform are inextricably intertwined.

Sub Con Periscope

Sub Con Periscope

I’m sure there are a lot of questions I haven’t answered in here. Please feel free to ask whatever you wish and I’ll answer it in any way I see fit. That’s just who I am.”

Jonathan Guerra

Hurlbut Visuals Elite Team Member

How A Strategic Team Makes You Shine

posted January 23rd, 2010 by Shane

I am frequently asked how we get so many set ups in a day and how we stay on schedule and budget while shooting.  The answer is my Elite Team. I am nothing without my team and they make me shine everyday.

There is another team that is behind the scenes at Hurlbut Visuals: my Strategic Team. The reason that we have been able to accomplish so much in a short period of time (4 months) is because this strategic team has my back.

Teams are so important because they create:

  1. Innovative ideas with brainstorming
  2. Synergistic learning
  3. Rapid growth
  4. Accountability
  5. Fun

I want to emphasize the importance of each team member and their unique contribution in bringing together the final product.

Here are the Key Strategic Team Players at Hurlbut Visuals:

Lydia Hurlbut: Marketing strategist and joint venture planner. She coordinates the efforts of our amazing team and keeps forging ahead with our growth vision.

Ryan Fritz: Web design guru, social media expert, marketing strategist, editor and technical trouble-shooter. Ryan makes the site look amazing and can handle whatever snafu technology decides to throw our way. He does photography as a hobby and owns a Canon 5D Mark II, so he gets the visual language! Ryan always over delivers. His company is www.rynotechnologies.com

Nate Zich Graphic artist, business card wizard, label designer. Nate makes all of the Hurlbut Visuals assets look phenomenal and interesting. The most amazing thing about Nate is the turn around time and the fact that he is never fazed by deadlines. He is reliable and amazingly professional. His company is www.simplydesigninc.com

Russell Hand Business manager, CPA, business plan writer, and handles whatever other financial needs that arise as we grow. Russ keeps costs to a minimum and values reinvesting. He specializes in the entertainment industry and constantly changing tax law. I have known Russ for 22 years since he first did my taxes and I have recommended him to many friends. Russ rocks! His company is Russell D. Hand, CPA.

As we grow this year, I know we will add to this core group! We have many exciting things planned for 2010 and a few unexpected surprises.

HurlBlog Sound Guru: Gene Martin

posted January 17th, 2010 by Shane

We are so excited to feature our first guest blogger Gene Martin on the HurlBlog. Whenever I am asked about a specialty such as sound, specifically sound with the 5D, I turn to this expert to weigh in with what he feels is the best. Visit Gene’s website to learn more about what he offers at www.audiodepartment.tv.

What I love about Gene is that he is a one man sound mixing machine. He delivers top notch quality audio as the only member of his sound department, so it fits perfectly with our small footprint work-flow. Gene always has a smile and can do attitude that is required to be one of the cowboys with this new technology in the wild, wild West.

Indie Film Sound And The 5D

“Sound is never noticed unless it’s bad.  It can make a beautiful film or meaningful documentary painful to watch.  So, for the Canon 5D you’ll need to make a small investment to enhance your film’s sound.

The 5D records 16-bit 44.1kHz linear PCM audio and you have no real control of the camera’s input levels. Its AGC (Automatic Gain Control) is ok for general b-roll, but it’s going to amplify any loud unwanted sounds (near by lawn mower/wind).  I know there is a firmware hack that changes the settings, but it’s still not the final solution.

First lets avoid spending more money than you need or just buying items that don’t really solve the Canon’s sound issue.  The BeachTek DXA-5D and the JuicedLINK CX231 both add XLR inputs, phantom power and gain control, but just plug into the camera’s 3.5mm input leaving you with the same 16-bit 44.1kHz audio.

Double system is the only true solution for the Canon 5D. Treat it like film. Just like the Red One camera, both can record sound, but any sound recorded on the camera should only be used for reference in post.  It will add a little more time in post, but the result is well worth the time. The most important step in doing double system is a slate.  Whether it be a actual slate, the clap sticks from a slate or even the clap of your hands you just need to ensure the clap is heard by both the onboard camera mic and whatever mic you may be using for your external audio recorder.  In post if you look at the audio waveforms of the camera and your external audio recorder you’ll see a spike in the audio when you clapped your slate/hands. Once the two audio clips are lined up via the spike in audio you’re now synced.

Zoom H4n

Zoom H4n

There are many options for an external audio recorder, but the best solution for the money is the Zoom H4n ($299).  The Zoom H4n can record up to 4 tracks simultaneously via 2 onboard microphones and 2 external inputs via XLR or ¼”. It records WAV audio files from 44.1kHZ 16-bit to 96kHZ 24-bit.  (Typically we would record at 48kHz 24-bit) The Zoom records on SDHC cards up to 32gb, which would give you 15hr and 25min. It also has phantom power if needed and has a headphone jack for monitoring.  If you are using the Zoom’s onboard mic’s for ambient audio recording outdoors you’ll want an additional windscreen.  Rycote and Red Head both offer windscreens for the Zoom H4n that will protect you from unwanted wind noise.

Zoom H4n

Zoom H4n

Tip: If you wanted you can get a y-cable to split the headphone jack and use one side for your headphones and plug the other into the 5D’s 3.5mm input jack.  This will make it easy to sync the audio in post, plus if you play back your files from the camera you’ll have your actual audio (reference only) to listen to while viewing back your shots.

G3 wireless

G3 wireless

As far as what mic’s you’ll need to capture dialogue there is a very large variety.  For the money if you need a wireless system Sennheiser G3 is the way to go.  They come in a kit with everything you’ll need to get started.  As for a boom kit, you can’t go wrong with Rode.  They are very well priced and offer a 10yr warranty on most of their products.  The best boom mic for most dialogue situations would be the Rode NTG-2 or the Rode NTG-3. Both are good microphones and will get the job done, but the NTG-3 is more than twice the money.

Rode VideoMic

Rode VideoMic

If in the end you just want an improvement of the 5D’s onboard mic, again go with Rode.  They have two different options, the Rode VideoMic and the Rode Stereo VideoMic.  Both are battery powered and have a hot shoe mount for easy mounting on the 5D.  Again these are best for improving ambient audio recording or just creating a better reference camera audio track for syncing your audio later. The audio is still controlled under the camera’s AGC.  If you did NEED to record dialogue this way you would want the Rode VideoMic and would need to be fairly close to the subject speaking in a not too loud environment.”

To rent or purchase any of these items please visit www.audiodepartment.tv or call Toll Free: 1(877) 566-6526

The Sub Shoot

posted January 14th, 2010 by Shane

Captain Randy Crites the commander of the USS Florida SSGN Ohio Class Submarine was so graceful in giving us permission to come along while they were doing covert ops just of the coast of Cuba.  He let us shoot on the Bridge while his amazing, talented crew piloted her through the depths of the Atlantic.  I would say “lets go back to one,” and chief David Newsome the Dive Officer of the Watch would say I will be ready in two seconds let me get her stable.  “No problem.” This is the area where the periscope lives and where they steer and maneuver this huge impressive fortress; it’s like the cockpit of an aircraft.

Customized Canon 1D hits the Sub

Customized Canon 1D hits the Sub

With all the gauges rear illuminated for night ops the Canon 1D went in and kicked butt.  The sensitivity of the sensor is absolutely incredible.  I shot at 3200 ISO at a 2.0 on a 21mm Primo Primes.  All the gauges glowed beautifully and with a little medium blue green fill light and a red light edge you felt like you were on the Bridge of the Enterprise.  I was in Man Cam mode starting high overhead looking down over the Dive Officer’s shoulder onto the control panel then I wrapped around him and moved into a close up.  This would be impossible with any other camera. For film this would have to be a set that the Production Designer builds, more natural resources being spent, he would engineer the ceiling so that it could be removed for camera and lighting assist.  The camera would be then put on a Technocrane, more labor, more fuel being consumed, etc.  We would build the control panel so that I could use movie lights to back light all the gauges.  Then add the necessary fill and accent lights to bring it up to a film exposure.

Walkway between the missile tubes

Walkway between the missile tubes

We then took the Canon 1D to the Missile Launch tubes that extend 5 stories down into her hull.  We shot the SEALS hauling ass through them, we lit with 12 MR-16 Par cans that we placed at the end of the walkway that flared the camera out, all the rest was available light.  We photographed the SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle) launching from the DDS (Dry Deck Shelter), which is a huge compartment that is attached to one of the missile tubes, this has a door that swings open to release the mini-sub holding the SEALS into the open ocean.

Entering the DDS

Entering the DDS

We shot a 3-page scene in the BMC, which is the Battle Management Center; again taking advantage of the low light capabilities of the camera we were able to use their practical light, their cool monitors and screens to add to the reality of the scene. With all this said and done it would have taken about 50 build days, 4 pre-light days, 8 shooting days, a crew of over 175 people to make this happen, with resources being consumed from all over and money being spent for no apparent reason.  We did this in 2 days and with five crewmembers. Gene Martin (sound mixer extraordinaire), Elite team members John Guerra: gaffer, Darin Necessary: 1st A.C., Michael McCoy the Director, and myself.  Multi-tasking to the max!!!

Mouse McCoy and Shane lens the approach

Mouse McCoy and Shane lens the approach

This does not even include the ocean portion of the operation.  Which was a recovery op. of 2 small zodiacs filled with SEALS that were ripping across the Atlantic when all of a sudden the Sub breaches in front of them, they ride the wake onto the stern of the sub, jump out and head down into a lock out chamber.  We did this all with 2 boats, 2 boat drivers, 5 Navy crew members to coordinate the sub, and talk with the zodiacs on Comms, the SEALS, 44 Pelican cases filled with lights, underwater gear, cable, cameras, props, and wardrobe in one day.

Seals activate first person helmet cam

Seals activate first person helmet cam

What makes this sub so amazing is that she is 560 feet long Special Operation Forces sub that delivers Navy SEALS to front line in very cool toys. The SDV is a mini sub that is a totally flooded vehicle that they load six SEALS into on re-breathers so bubbles won’t give them away.  The SSGN Ohio Class Submarine’s propulsion system equals 15 million foot pounds of torque, over a million horse power that catapults her to speeds way over 20 knots, (the speed is classified).  She’s fast.  Living in this community was an incredible life experience and I thank the U.S. Navy for giving me this glimpse.

Sub recovers SEALS off the Horn of Africa

Sub recovers SEALS off the Horn of Africa

So I go under the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Cuba for three days that expands to five because of squall conditions.  We had 3 boats bobbing around the Gulf of Mexico, with boat drivers barfing their guts out; they were there to try and retrieve us.  Not a chance.  We starting thinking about other ways that we could get off the sub, the Navy offered because the Director was an ex-stuntman to shoot him out of one of the Torpedo tubes in an air bubble with a life raft and a light beacon, but none of them came to fruition because the seas were at 8- 10 feet.

Our bunks on board

Our bunks on board

So we had a few more days to live in this incredible self-sufficient living environment.  I had no idea how awesome a nuclear sub was.  So much of the world could learn how to become green from this monolith.  It uses a nuclear reactor to power its engines, 2 steam generators that give her power with zero emissions for 25 years at full throttle or power up Las Vegas for 5.76 years.  It has its own desalination plant on board to provide water for showers, drinking water, etc. Best water I have ever tasted. It makes its own O2 from the seawater she takes in. No plastics are brought on board.  All paper and cardboards are recycled and stowed on deck till they head to port.  It seems like she has it all figured out, how to live in harmony and save the environment. Plus packed with the power to defend us.  Wow, what a novel concept.

Sub bathroom

Sub bathroom

Bandito Brothers, sticking with their small footprint approach, fit right into the eco-system of the sub.  As we recycled our flash cards they recycled paper, as we conserved on film processing, using less lights, less crew, less fuel, less food and water being consumed on shore because of this small, nimble Canon HDSLR platform, the Submariners did the same at sea. DIVE!! DIVE!!

Going Under The Atlantic For Pick-Ups On Navy SEAL Film

posted January 8th, 2010 by Shane

I will be off the grid for the next 5 days to go under the Atlantic Ocean in an Ohio Class Nuclear Submarine.  We are doing pick-ups on the Navy Seal film in Key West. So, please give me a few days to catch up on questions when I surface!

The Elite Team and I are shooting a SEAL op that starts with 2 little zodiacs barreling across the open ocean, when all of a sudden a Nuclear Sub breeches in front of them. The zodiacs surf the swell and land onto the sub, 2 SEALS deploy and head down the hatch.  We are shooting this with a helmet cam, 4 cameras on boat to boat, a camera in a helicopter and then 2 cameras on the Sub once it breeches.

SEALS In The Hatch

Then we go in the Sub and shoot 3 sequences of the film while the Navy goes through their op schedule.  We will be shooting a briefing in the CON and a walk and talk sequence that travels through the ICBM missile silo tubes.  Then, we will be filming the SEALS doing their recon mission where they get deployed out of the Nuclear Sub in a mini Sub called an SDV (SEAL Delivery Vehicle) with 3 underwater cameras and piecing together a sequence where the 2 SEALS suit up, head into the Nuclear Silo, they flood the tube with water, they swim four stories up to the DDS, (Dry Deck Shelter) where the mini Sub awaits.

They open up the huge door that reveals the ocean, the mini Sub slides out on rails and the two SEALS take off on the mini sub.  Their mission is to gain intel on a meeting between two bad guys on a dry lake bed on the Horn of Africa. Once they get their info, they head back to the mini Sub and then to the Nuclear Sub where the mission ends.

I have just purchased 2 1D mark IV cameras and will be using the clean high ISO range of this new camera to capture the beautiful available light that exist in a Ohio Class Nuclear sub on a night mission op.  We are bringing minimal lighting and a very small camera package with a crew of 5.  One Director, one Cinematographer, one A.C., one sound mixer, and a gaffer.

In four words: Small footprint, Big Vision.

Vincent LaForet, Canon and Vimeo Video Contest

posted January 4th, 2010 by Shane

Vincent LaForet recently announced an exiting video contest where he is collaborating with Canon and Vimeo. I am excited to be one of the judges because I know the creative product will be amazing!

Here is an excerpt from Vincent:

“There is A LOT OF POTENTIAL here for something very special to come out at the end…  each video chapter will start with and end with a still image… you need to interpret the previous photographer/filmmaker’s still to start the (your) subsequent chapter (those are pretty much the ONLY rules/guidelines (outside of the obvious))… should make for a pretty unique series of chapters in the end!

So watch the video above and find out more!  I’m on vacation with family and I’ll get rolling with regular updates and much much more information early next week!  For now – start charging those batteries… it’s your turn!

The Story Beyond the Still – Behind The Scenes from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Judges for the contest include:

Philip Bloom - Director/DP

Russell Carpenter - DP – “Titanic

Rodney Charters – Director/DP – “24

Nick Childs – Director/Producer /VP Grey Advertising

Shane Hurlbut – DP – “Terminator Salvation

Stu Maschwitz – Senior Visual FX Supervisor – “The Spirit

Rick McCallum – Producer – “Star Wars

Blake Whitman – Director/Editor – Mr. Vimeo himself.

I’ll be a judge as well of course.”

Picture Style: How Do You Choose?

posted December 27th, 2009 by Shane

I am frequently asked about picture style.  There are so many internet sites making RAW picture styles, Flat picture styles, Panavision Genesis Picture Styles and all the picture styles in between for the Canon 5D, 7D, and the 1D. It is confusing to know which one to choose and I fell into a trap.

Coming from the world of film, I am used a lot of latitude and uncompressed 16 BIT color space. I want whatever will give me the most range so I have options when I get to the point of color correction. I like to bend it, shape it, stretch it, push it to have maximum flexibility and creativity.

So, I downloaded a RAW picture style from the Internet.  It claimed to increase latitude in the highlights as well as digging into the shadow areas.  I shot 9 shorts, 2 commercials and 25% of the Navy Seal movie on this.  What a BIG, HUGE MISTAKE!  It was fine for the controlled lighting set-ups that I had on the short films and the 2 commercials, but when it came to the big yacht take down in Key West it buried me.

Picture Style Menu

Picture Style Menu

The Elite Team and I quickly learned that while shooting day exteriors, the downloaded RAW picture style made it impossible to gauge a correct exposure on the back LCD screen due to the light contamination.  You could not tell whether it was overexposed or underexposed because it was so stretched to give you both ends. Consequently, we underexposed 25 or so shots trying to gain contrast. I will never repeat that mistake again!

After this error, we needed to rethink our approach.  The Elite Team and I had a think tank session and came up with a new strategy. We designed a RAW file that I liked with the Canon computer software, that we called SEAL RAW.  Our approach was to start with a neutral picture style with -1 saturation to expose our day exteriors and to light our day interiors, night interiors and night exteriors. Once the exposure was set on the day exteriors and the lighting was dialed in just before rolling, we switched from the neutral setting to SEAL RAW and then recorded on that picture style to give us the ultimate latitude. Our neutral picture style was equivalent to the final look of the film. In theory, it is similiar to a DIT superimposing a final picture look up table on the raw files of a RED One, Sony F35, Sony F23, Panavision Genesis, Arri D21 etc.

Neutral Picture Style

Neutral Picture Style

Getting Brave With -1

-1 Saturation to Desaturate the Reds

This is what works for my lighting and visual style.  Which picture style fits your vision?

Tim’s Visit To Bandito Brothers

posted December 21st, 2009 by Shane

Tim was the second place winner for our “Where’s the 5D” online contest. He came to Bandito Brothers this week to meet me for lunch. It was an amazing experience for both of us! Tim is very bright with a vast knowledge of still photography.

Tim checking out the lights used on "Terminator:Salvation"

Tim checking out the lights used on "Terminator:Salvation"

The day started out with Tim meeting Scotty Waugh, one of the directors of the untitled Navy SEAL movie. Then, Tim and I viewed a variety of scenes from the movie that have not yet been color corrected and we analyzed the shots for lighting and how well the Canon 5D held up to big screen projection. The footage held up very well!

Tim and Shane screen scenes from the movie

Tim and Shane screen scenes from the movie

Then, we discussed the difference between the sensors in the Canon 5D and 7D cameras, as well as the depth of field. Tim is a huge fan of the 5D and I share his love of the big sensor.

Tim and Shane discussing the Canon 5D Mark II

Tim and Shane discussing the Canon 5D Mark II

Tim and I also discussed the nuances of lighting. He was shocked to learn that most of my films are practically lit with lights that come from Home Depot and Grainger.

d Shane discuss the power of a 1500 watt metal hallide fixture from Graing

Shane talks about the power of a 1500 watt metal hallide fixture from Grainger

The day ended with Tim examining our Hurlbut Visuals “Movie Maker in a Pelican” that will be available for rent in early 2010. He was there when our equipment came back from a Marine commercial and helped with the checking in process and organizing. Tim even offered to do lens testing over the holidays!

Tim checking out the pelican

Tim checking out the pelican

Shane and Tim discuss lens choice

Shane and Tim discuss lens choice

Thank-you Tim for spending the day with us and for your valuable contribution.