Camaleon Cine

Line Up Phantom Cameras |High Speed Film Services High speed recording is without the shadow of a doubt an entire world that can grant astonishing images and a jaw dropping point of view on everyday reality, and lately thank to the increasing native ISO sensitivity of the high speed cameras and the 4K technology the possibilities in this field of expertise are practically unlimited. But we must not forget that as an high specialized sector, it requires high specialized crews to handle it and get the best possible results out of it. For instance, shooting at 1000 frames per second requires an outstanding coordination, special lighting equipment and... More info HERE

Take the camera and RunAs happened to me quiet a few times lately (and I have the feeling it will keep on happening) I found myself in one of the shooting situation I dislike the most, which is when more or less suddenly the 1st AD tells me :”Put in that van everything you’re gonna need for the rest of the day, we’re moving to a new location which is an hour drive from here. Don’t forget anything, be fast and please… keep it simple!”. Of course I’m not speaking about situation where this was in the callsheet, in that case it is pretty easy to be prepared. I’m speaking of those times when a sudden change comes up (rain on location, new shooting plan, talent’s agenda variations and an awful long etc.) and we need to improvise, which is from my point of view one of the most important skills of a good AC. I’m pretty sure that some of you came up quickly with an answer like :”Ask the DoP!” and even though it is logic, if life was so easy everybody could be a top notch assistant cameraman. Normally, when this kind of situations happens, there has been an important change in the order of the shots, so is pretty likely that the DoP has his hands full speaking with the gaffer and/or the best boy about the new situation, discussing with the director all kind of lighting issues etc. Of course the camera crew also will need confirmation from him, but is gonna be... More info HERE

This post no is appropriate to this section but the forum Steadicam yet hasn't a lens section and i think that is necessary to the issue in question. Fujinon Cine Cabrio Zooms: More than a Convertible, an Off-Road. ...The first big pro is the weight and the size: ENG style operators will still probably find them a little heavy,but we have to keep in mind that there is no other cine-style zoom lighter than 3 kg with such a focal range. In fact, they are a little heavier than the Angenieux DP style, but the focal range is much wider, while the Angenieux that has the closest one (19.5-94mm) weights about 6 kg and has a front diameter of 136mm, wich requieres a 6x6 mattebox This takes us into the second big pro of these glasses: focal range. Even though I prefer prime lenses, I can think about quite a few number of situation where this zoom would be the best choice. For instance, being that light can be mounted on a steadicam and the operator would need to balance the camera just once for the whole day, but having at his disposal a full set of focal distances. Speaking of wich, another very interesting thing about this zooms for steadicam operators is that the servo can control the tree rings, so with the help of a dedicated cable it is possible to connect it with the brain of a FIZ system and control the 3 axis wirelessly without the need to attach any motors, which is much better for weight and balance.... For more information click here Fabio Giolitti - Focus Puller

Arri WCU-4 & UMC-4: lens Mapping | Ideal for steadicam I don’t know what you guys think on this matter, but if you want my two cents it is crucial to be fast when you change the lens while using remote control systems, in situations such as steadicam, cranes or simply hand held when the cam operator wants to be more free than with a standard follow focus. Previously I used to prepare pre-marked rings during camera prep and switch them while the motor were calibrating, but I always dreamed about a more precise and reliable system. A couple of months ago, a local distributor of ARRI products hosted a workshop on how to map lenses on the new WCU4, but sadly I wasn’t in town so I couldn’t attend. So I thought that I could try by myself with nobody explaining me how to do it. This way I could test how really easy and fast it is and if it is well designed enough to be “dumb proof”. As usual I need to thank guys at Camaleon Cine who offered me the possibility to have an Alexa XT Plus, an Amira, one set of Zeiss Standard Prime T2.1 and one of Cooke S4i T2, plus a Fujinon Cine Cabrio 19-90mm T2.9. Aside of that a WCU4 with CLM4 motors and a UMC4. The choice of the lenses and of the cameras was due to the fact that I wanted to test the method with and without lenses with LDS system and... More info HERE.

SequenceShoot: The great Orson Welles used to say :”A long-playing full shot is what always separates the men from the boys. Anybody can make movies with a pair of scissors and a two-inch lens.” And as usual, the master was totally right. Thanks to movies such as “Children of men”, “Gravity” or “Birdman” (and a lot more) the sequence shots are once again very popular and with the help of digital cinema that removed several limitations we previously had (such for instance the time limitation of 10 minutes due to the size of 35mm film magazines), this kind of shot has become RELATIVELY easier (or at least possible even for small and medium-sized productions). The capital letters are on purpose, since shooting a one-shot sequence is still an extremely complicated thing to do, the longer the harder. Last week, a friend and DoP offered me the chance to pull focus on a short movie which would be shot on a single shot of approximately 1 minutes length, in a studio with 9 actors. The camera would be the whole time on a J.L. Fisher dolly with rubber wheels to not disturb the actors with tracks and... More info here. Fabio Giolitti - Focus Puller.