Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

[Matt Gerrand]

Hi there

Does anyone know any good online videos or sites with images that show many different images and then reveal what lighting setup was used? I have been searching online for months and haven't found anything other than very basic, 101 kind of stuff. Any help would be fantastic.

Thanks

[David Mullen ASC]

Not aware of any... Whenever someone asks why some info they need is not on the Internet, you have to ask why someone would go through the bother, the time, or the expense to put it on the Internet. Maybe it exists somewhere but I haven't run into that specifically, advanced lighting set-ups and demos of how it was done.

[Rob Ruffo]

Not aware of any... Whenever someone asks why some info they need is not on the Internet, you have to ask why someone would go through the bother, the time, or the expense to put it on the Internet. Maybe it exists somewhere but I haven't run into that specifically, advanced lighting set-ups and demos of how it was done.

These pages are the best on-line resource for cinematography I have ever found, by a long-shot. Free or paid for.

[Jed Shepherd]

Hey David.
Hope to see another Big Sur update soon. Great to be able follow a production behind the scenes like that.
Just a quick question that probably sounds simple but its something i struggle with. What is your approach to Cut aways normally? Whenever we require a cut away I always struggle on whether the shot should be from the actors perspective/pov or just a shot from anywhere? My films typically have moments that look professional but then I hit certain shots which throw the amateur straight back in. I know there is no simple answer to this but I just noticed from comparing some of your older work to your newer work that somewhere along the line you have found the 'formula' for making extremely professional images. Not to say your older work was bad as it was still great but just not as on par with what you do these days.

Any info you could give me on your thought process for choosing cutaway shots/framing would be great.
P.S Just watched Astronaut Farmer. Beautifully shot.

[David Mullen ASC]

I don't think there is any rule per se... if a cutaway is a true POV shot, then it should mimic the POV of the character, it should feel like it is from their perspective, and the shot size should be appropriate to the level of detail that the POV is supposed to see. But if it's not a true POV, then generally your only restriction is screen direction, otherwise, you are more free to shoot the cutaway from whatever angle is attractive for that object in terms of composition and lighting. I think Ridley Scott movies have great examples of inserts and cutaways.

[Steve Das]

...Does anyone know any good online videos or sites with images that show many different images and then reveal what lighting setup was used? I have been searching online for months and haven't found anything other than very basic, 101 kind of stuff. Any help would be fantastic...

Yes..there really isn't anything out there on lighting..there was a camera/shot analysis type blog but it seems not online anymore. But
Shane Hulbut ASC has lighting articles w/video clips from his movies...he has The Rat Pack..Crazy Beautiful..Drumline..and The Skulls online.
The Rat Pack one is probably the best one as he answered a question on how it was lit for multiple cameras..no CU tweaks..looks amazing.

http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/c...graphy/page/3/

..I wanted to design lighting that would let the actors roam on stage, where ever they wanted to go. All of this photography was shot on 6 cameras that all worked together to catch those lightning in a bottle moments. Lighting like this is very important. As a cinematographer I light an area not a mark. This way the actors feel real and not blocked into submission. There were no tweaks for Close Ups. Everything was set to grab the moments and make the performance feel free form and fresh, the Rat Packs signature....
...The six cameras were capturing wide, tight, side angles, crane, etc. Yes, we rolled them all at the same time and the operators had the freedom as well as the actors to improv and bring this scene to life. A lot of planning went into being able to light a multi-camera set up like this. It is very easy to light for 1 camera, to make 6 look extraordinary is an art.

[Jon Chema]

Hey David,

Had a quick two questions for you. First of all, have you ever used the Tiffin Smoque filter and if so what does it do exactly? I realize its supposed to add a pseudo haze to the shot but does it affect just the highlights or the overall image? Do you have any examples of this filter if you've used it? Can't seem to find images of it anywhere.

Second question-
I recently AC-d a shoot that was shooting with the Red MX and some older Lomo Anamorphic lenses (the square element ones). We were very unhappy with the edge to edge sharpness and overall lenses in general and wish we would have used something else. In your opinion what anamorphic lens set is normally your go to? I've heard several opinions on this but Hawks seem to be the most talked about.

Thanks in advance!

Jon

[Rob Ruffo]

Hey David,

Had a quick two questions for you. First of all, have you ever used the Tiffin Smoque filter and if so what does it do exactly? I realize its supposed to add a pseudo haze to the shot but does it affect just the highlights or the overall image? Do you have any examples of this filter if you've used it? Can't seem to find images of it anywhere.

Second question-
I recently AC-d a shoot that was shooting with the Red MX and some older Lomo Anamorphic lenses (the square element ones). We were very unhappy with the edge to edge sharpness and overall lenses in general and wish we would have used something else. In your opinion what anamorphic lens set is normally your go to? I've heard several opinions on this but Hawks seem to be the most talked about.

Thanks in advance!

Jon

Re read earlier posts in this thread for thorough answers about Smoque and even pics.

[Jon Chema]

Re read earlier posts in this thread for thorough answers about Smoque and even pics.

Theres nothing in the thread mentioning Smoque filters

[Jon Chema]

Re read earlier posts in this thread for thorough answers about Smoque and even pics.

Theres nothing in the thread mentioning Smoque filters