Ask David Mullen ANYTHING

[Jon Chema]

Not exactly the same brand (the photo may be of a Panatape, not a Cinetape) but look here:
http://www.cinemaelec.com/products/cinetapemeasure.php

Ultrasonic distance measuring device.

Super cool! Probably makes your 1AC's life much easier! Are there any other similar solutions that aren't so expensive? Say for a smaller budget shoot? I've heard of laser measuring tape?

[Jon Chema]

You have to dim a higher wattage bulb more to match the output of a lower wattage bulb, and more dimming means a lower color temp.

There is no right or wrong answer, sometimes you deliberately put a very bright bulb in so you can dim it way down to an orangey color. But otherwise, you try and get something close to the level you like so that the amount of dimming is minimal, hence why you carry a wide range of bulbs. Yes, some sockets are not really designed for the heat of high wattage bulbs up full, though if they are only turned on for the shot, you will probably be OK. Whether I start out with a 60w bulb in the fixture versus a 150w bulb mainly depends on how bright I need the lamp to be. Often as a starting point, let's say with a crew that comes into the room early, I will have a whole room of lamps globed the same way... let's say all with 100w bulbs... and then start to either dim some or change the bulbs to get the look I want. Thing is that not every lamp is there to provide light for the room or the actors, sometimes it's just an accent in the background of a shot, just to create a highlight back there, and being fairly dim is OK.

Kino just came out with some practicals that are pretty cheap. I think $14 a bulb and they have them in daylight and tungsten balances. 100w equivalent CFLs

[David Mullen ASC]

Super cool! Probably makes your 1AC's life much easier! Are there any other similar solutions that aren't so expensive? Say for a smaller budget shoot? I've heard of laser measuring tape?

The cheapest thing is an ordinary tape measure.

[Jon Chema]

The cheapest thing is an ordinary tape measure.

This is true. I was referring to something OTHER than a tape measure though! ;)

[Harry Clark]

I'll chime in, if it's OK with David.
The sub-$100 Fat Max laser is a nice replacement for the tape measure in certain circumstances. A little hard to see in the sunlight compared to more expensive Hilti and Leica products. Excellent for crane work (if you affix a small show card at the camera's film plane and "walk" the actor's action while the crane goes through its move) and better than a steel tape at intermediate distances, and quicker than rolling up the cloth tape.
Be VERY careful (beyond normal caution!) pointing it at an actor's face. Even if you have a steady hand they can turn their head unexpectedly and get the laser in the eye. It's best to have your 2nd go out with a small showcard and hold it at the distance of the actor's eye, off to one side. Good 2nd ACs always have "eyes on" the 1st and can discreetly dash out for a last minute focus check (they are usually out there with the slate anyway)
Some actors (and even some stand-ins) are understandably nervous about the use of lasers, and will sometimes request that you not use one. Respect their wishes. An easy way for an AC or any other technician to get fired is to be a distraction on set or making on-screen talent feel unsafe. Using a laser tape creates the opportunity to fulfill both of those criteria.
Sorry to hijack the response, David. I feel strongly that lasers are overused at times and often in an unsafe manner.
Cheers,
Harry

[Awi Suryadi]

Need advice urgently... I'm shooting a feature in 3 weeks, just had a testcam with RED... Colorist is pretty new with Red also, so we need advices on how to get the best out of that camera... We will be using Lustre to color-grade it... We shot both with 2k and 4k during testcam, couldn't really tell the difference in the grading room... So the colorist suggested 2k instead for easier/faster transfer... So my questions will include (but not limited to): should I shoot in 2k or 4k? 24fps or 25fps? Any other settings that you can recommend? Thank you so much...

[David Mullen ASC]

Need advice urgently... I'm shooting a feature in 3 weeks, just had a testcam with RED... Colorist is pretty new with Red also, so we need advices on how to get the best out of that camera... We will be using Lustre to color-grade it... We shot both with 2k and 4k during testcam, couldn't really tell the difference in the grading room... So the colorist suggested 2k instead for easier/faster transfer... So my questions will include (but not limited to): should I shoot in 2k or 4k? 24fps or 25fps? Any other settings that you can recommend? Thank you so much...

DON'T shoot in 2K unless you absolutely have to for slow-motion shots!!!

That's my main suggestion. If you want to end up in 1080P HD, shoot 4K HD, if you want to end up at 2K, shoot regular 4K.

2K shooting mode only uses 1/4 of the pixels on the sensor and the final resolution is not 2K, it's probably around 1.7K at best. Plus noise and moire will be worse.

24 fps or 25 fps? If this is for European broadcast, shoot 25 fps. If this is for theatrical but will be posted in Europe, it's a toss-up, 25 fps may be easier to deal with. It will get shown at 24 fps on a film print, a slight slowdown.

[Stephen Smith]

David,
Do you have any suggestion on how to properly balance two cameras to each other... I am on the current stable build and I find though I create looks in the camera and transfer to another I am still having issues...

[Rob Ruffo]

DON'T shoot in 2K unless you absolutely have to for slow-motion shots!!!

That's my main suggestion. If you want to end up in 1080P HD, shoot 4K HD, if you want to end up at 2K, shoot regular 4K.

2K shooting mode only uses 1/4 of the pixels on the sensor and the final resolution is not 2K, it's probably around 1.7K at best. Plus noise and moire will be worse.

24 fps or 25 fps? If this is for European broadcast, shoot 25 fps. If this is for theatrical but will be posted in Europe, it's a toss-up, 25 fps may be easier to deal with. It will get shown at 24 fps on a film print, a slight slowdown.

Interesting... Do you find the results actually better in 4K HD vs. 4K 16x9 for 1080p?

[David Mullen ASC]

Interesting... Do you find the results actually better in 4K HD vs. 4K 16x9 for 1080p?

In theory, it's a simpler downscaling so would introduce fewer artifacts, but I haven't tested it.