Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

[David Mullen ASC]

Cinematography is a form of visual communication, so becoming steeped in literature and narrative can't hurt as a filmmaker. It also doesn't hurt to know how to express yourself in writing -- not just in the film industry but in life in general.

But obviously the benefits to one's career as a cinematographer are subtle at best.

In general, I think it's good to have some knowledge in areas outside of filmmaking, if only to make you a well-rounded artist and individual. So I've never been completely convinced that a BA in filmmaking was a good idea for an 18-to-22-year-old; it's a bit early to specialize.

[Andrew Phillip]

Hey David,

Thanks for responding to my earlier question. I now have another one. I'm wanting to shoot my upcoming project with anamorphic lenses. So should I use something like this, http://cgi.ebay.com/ALAN-ANAMORPHIC-...item3a4ee58530 or this http://cgi.ebay.com/Sankor-16C-Anamo...item2a0b169095? I'm just the director so I'm not super technical with these things but I'll forward to my DP. Also what would you recommend for shooting settings? We are using RED :)

[Stephen Williams]

Hey David,

Thanks for responding to my earlier question. I now have another one. I'm wanting to shoot my upcoming project with anamorphic lenses. So should I use something like this, http://cgi.ebay.com/ALAN-ANAMORPHIC-...item3a4ee58530 or this http://cgi.ebay.com/Sankor-16C-Anamo...item2a0b169095? I'm just the director so I'm not super technical with these things but I'll forward to my DP. Also what would you recommend for shooting settings? We are using RED :)

The first lens a 609mm F16 lens is not going to be of much use to anyone, the second one has few details but I doubt it will be very useful either. I think you will need a 'set' of lenses, why not just ask your DOP what he needs for the script, and go from there?

[David Mullen ASC]

Neither of those lenses look usable for filming.

[Evan Prosofsky]

Cinematography is a form of visual communication, so becoming steeped in literature and narrative can't hurt as a filmmaker. It also doesn't hurt to know how to express yourself in writing -- not just in the film industry but in life in general.

But obviously the benefits to one's career as a cinematographer are subtle at best.

In general, I think it's good to have some knowledge in areas outside of filmmaking, if only to make you a well-rounded artist and individual. So I've never been completely convinced that a BA in filmmaking was a good idea for an 18-to-22-year-old; it's a bit early to specialize.

Thanks David for your time! I definitely agree that it can't hurt to be steeped in literature. Though as you say, the benefits aren't exactly direct. Happy shooting.

Evan

[marasco ivan]

hi david,
i cannot test split diopter so if you have to buy two of it wich grade do you can suggest me?
wich one give you more flexibility during shooting?
i'm interested to use it not as a fake deep of field but as particular effect like in this video:
http://vimeo.com/15084621

p.s:does the diopter change also focal lenght?how i can calculate this?
thanks
ivan

[David Mullen ASC]

I can't tell from the video which strength they used. Normally you'd rent a set, +1/2, +1, +2, +3. They are regular diopters cut in half so you can use the tables for regular diopters to see how much they offset the focus compared to the distance setting on the lens, which would be for the clear half of the image. I would think a pretty light one would be enough for the effect in the music video.

They don't change the focal length much, slightly I guess with the light grades. Technically though they are magnifying elements and affect the focal length. See here:

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=001Fl7
http://imaginatorium.org/stuff/cufilter.htm

[Andrew Rieger]

Hey David, quick question.

Can a diffusion filter (specifically the Classic Soft) cause problems when using wide angle lenses? The filters have these little micro lensets in the glass and I was wondering if they (the little dots) can show up on a wide lens like an 18mm if you are focusing close to the lens. Thanks.

Second question, do you think that diffusion filters could help make Red footage look more filmic since they slightly soften the image? I have an upcoming project where we are trying to create a very convincing (even for DP's) film look and we are looking into options for adding real film grain (or simulated if real grain is not possible) to the footage. Any advice or suggestions? I saw some Manure footage that looked very filmic. Did you shoot without filters for this project and was there any post manipulation beyond color correction?

[David Mullen ASC]

Yes, any pattern in a diffusion filter, or net, can come into focus when you stop down too much and/or use a really wide-angle lens. It's more of a problem when the pattern is large like the Classic Softs, which is why Schneider made the HD Classic Softs, which have a finer, smaller pattern.

Tiffen's diffusing lenslets in the Black Diffusion-FX are also very fine and small, but they removed the black dot pattern for their Digital Diffusion-FX version for the same reason that Schneider made the HD Classic Softs, the dot pattern was coming into focus when you had too much depth of field (though in both cases, they were primarily thinking of the smaller sensor market when designing these new filters, but they work fine on larger sensor cameras.)

I don't necessarily think Red footage "needs" softening because it's not "edgy" (over edge-enhanced) and I think their OLPF does a good job of keeping the image from getting too crispy and harsh-edged. But the image is very clean. Though it's not the same thing as grain, some people feel that the mist + black particles in filters like Black Frost / Black ProMist add a texture that makes a digital image feel less slick and smooth. These filters have been popular for years for HD cameras.

I used Schneider Classic Black Softs on "Manure" (Classic Softs + 1/8 Black Frost), but a lot of shots had smoke on the set too, which softens the image. There is a Schneider version which combines the 1/8 Black Frost with the HD Classic Soft line, but instead of being called "HD Classic Black Softs" they are called "Hollywood Black Magic". The diffusing effect is more subtle with fewer artifacts due to the smaller size of the lenslets.

I usually rent a sent of Classic Soft Blacks (or Hollywood Black Magic) plus get a straight 1/8 Black Frost and sometimes a 1/4 Black Frost. Since the lightest Classic Soft Black is the 1/8, which is a combination of the 1/8 Black Frost and the 1/8 Classic Soft, that means that a straight 1/8 Black Frost is even lighter in diffusing strength than a 1/8 Classic Black Soft. That way I have a filter for my wide shots that is as light as possible.

Now sometimes I prefer the hazier halation from the 1/4 Black Frost over, let's say, a 1/4 Classic Black Soft, so I have that filter as well, but I play that by ear (or eye.) For example, if I had someone in a smoked room, I might use the 1/8 Classic Black Soft for the close-ups, or the 1/4, but when they stepped into another room without smoke, or outside, I might use the 1/4 Black Frost (or even 1/2) because it has a slightly hazier look and would blend the footage better to the shots made in a smoked room.

I also sometimes use the 1/8 White Frost instead as well, which lowers contrast even more than a 1/8 Black Frost.

[Andrew Rieger]

So let's say that I was shooting a lot with an 18 mm Red Pro Prime, I would A.) want to use the Hollywood Black Magic because they were designed for small sensors/deep DOF/wide angle lenses or B.) use a 1/8 Classic Black Soft or an even lighter 1/8 Black Frost? I assume that the lower the diffusion of the filter (1/8 for example) the smaller the lenslet pattern on the filter compared to say a Classic Black Soft 1 which should have larger lenslets.

So If I was shooting a lot of deep focus/wide angle in S35 or if I was using a Scarlet 2/3, the Hollywood Black Magic should help me avoid the filter pattern showing up in the footage?