Ryan Wiebe Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 When I got the Flyer, I noticed that it doesn't have crosshairs or any type of on-screen display. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to mess up the LCD screen with tape or anything else. Thanks, Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted May 22, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 When I got the Flyer, I noticed that it doesn't have crosshairs or any type of on-screen display. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to mess up the LCD screen with tape or anything else. You would need a frameliner for that. As an aside I hate crosshairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Underwood Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 How about going to the paper supply store and getting a couple sheets of clear polyester that you can run thru your laser printer? Print whatever you want for safe zones, cross hairs and tape it over your monitor. Cheap, removable, changeable. Not so great for glare outside but certainly functional indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Robert Starling SOC Posted May 22, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 (edited) When I had a Flyer I just used a grease pencil / china marker very lightly directly on the front of the LCD to do framelines but never a crosshair. It comes off easy enough. Edited May 22, 2008 by Robert Starling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Wiebe Posted May 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 You would need a frameliner for that. As an aside I hate crosshairs Actually, I hate crosshairs also, but I just needed a reference to practice keeping it straight while I am learning. Thanks for responding everybody, I will put these suggestions to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Colin Donahue Posted May 22, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 You would need a frameliner for that. As an aside I hate crosshairs Actually, I hate crosshairs also, but I just needed a reference to practice keeping it straight while I am learning. Thanks for responding everybody, I will put these suggestions to use. Just curious. Why do you guys hate crosshairs? Colin Donahue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hughes Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Personally I hate them and anything else but the essentials like my horizon level or maybe some battery information cropping up in my green screen because they will ultimately result in a detraction from my perception of the frame I am trying to compose. Anything apart from what i need to know just gets in the way, if you cant accurately judge half way across a 3 inch screen then you shouldn't be framing anything with any lens. They are essential for practicing giving you something to focus on as you track towards a target will cure your wobbles. Clear your screens of all but YOUR essential information that YOU need no more no less. My philosophy anyway. Keep it simple innit. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Colin Donahue Posted May 23, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Personally I hate them and anything else but the essentials like my horizon level or maybe some battery information cropping up in my green screen because they will ultimately result in a detraction from my perception of the frame I am trying to compose. Anything apart from what i need to know just gets in the way, if you cant accurately judge half way across a 3 inch screen then you shouldn't be framing anything with any lens. My philosophy anyway. Keep it simple innit. Dave. From: American Cinematographer Title: The Steadicam and "The Shining" - GARRETT BROWN "I quickly realized that when Stanley said the crosshairs were to be on someone's left nostril, that no other nostril would do" I sounds like Garrett Brown was using crosshairs!! I will let him know he has "no business framing anything with a lens" :P :P the next time I see him! Actually i have been shooting for 25 years and never used crosshairs, Recently during a workshop I added them with white tape to my monitor to help with some exercises. I left them on for a few months. I found them useful for some shots and distracting for others. I peeled them off about a week ago. I was just a little bit suprised by the passion of some towards them. Colin "still learning to frame"Donahue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Eric Fletcher S.O.C. Posted May 23, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 From: American Cinematographer Title: The Steadicam and "The Shining" - GARRETT BROWN "I quickly realized that when Stanley said the crosshairs were to be on someone's left nostril, that no other nostril would do" I sounds like Garrett Brown was using crosshairs!! I will let him know he has "no business framing anything with a lens" :P :P the next time I see him! Actually i have been shooting for 25 years and never used crosshairs, Recently during a workshop I added them with white tape to my monitor to help with some exercises. I left them on for a few months. I found them useful for some shots and distracting for others. I peeled them off about a week ago. I was just a little bit suprised by the passion of some towards them. Colin "still learning to frame"Donahue Just one question. When was the last time you saw a set of crosshairs projected at the movie theater or broadcast on TV? NEVER, it's not how we see or how we compose. Crosshairs provide an artificial reference point that influences composition (See "Left Nostril") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jerry Holway Posted May 23, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Many (most??) film cameras have crosshairs centered on the groundglass; so they must be useful for some things. I like having the option of enhancing those electronically, and the ability to move them around for a number of different situations. One especially good crosshair-in-the-center use is for shooting POV's, where you want to place the crosshair on exactly what the creature is looking at (all other framing is out the window except avoiding bogeys). (And POV gun shots DO have crosshairs on the screen for the audience...). Another is matching two CU's in dialogue - it can help judge the looks. Not necessarily a rigid rule, but an aid to composition and matching. Other uses for crosshairs-not-necessarily-in-the-center: for matching eyelines, or indications of where graphics or other elements might be added (could also use alternate framelines for this), rotational points for a weird dutch, holding a raking frame with the appearing point locked in the frame... Like everything else, crosshairs can be helpful for some shooting... but ignored for most compositions. Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Ed Moore Posted May 23, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 When I got the Flyer, I noticed that it doesn't have crosshairs or any type of on-screen display. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to mess up the LCD screen with tape or anything else. Thanks, Ryan What camera are you using? Most video cameras have a setting somewhere in the menus that will output a crosshair on the monitor out if you want. You can usually toggle the amount of other info on screen off and just leave the crosshair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Imran Naqvi Posted May 23, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I always have the crosshairs up. I've learned to ignore them when I don't need them and and see them when I do. Some shots need you to land something in a very specific place, but not for the entire shot. I find even just the centred crosshairs give me the option of an additional reference point in the frame if there isn't anything handy within the shot, especially in a CG plate/green screen shot. Ultimately there aren't any rules about what helps you compose a shot provided the DoP and Director are happy you can frame by your sense of smell if they like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Bryan Fowler Posted May 24, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 I for one, welcome any hair I can get ahold of, cross or otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Wiebe Posted May 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 What camera are you using? Most video cameras have a setting somewhere in the menus that will output a crosshair on the monitor out if you want. You can usually toggle the amount of other info on screen off and just leave the crosshair. I am using a Sony Z1U HDV Camera. It does have a crosshair display. However, it will not output to the Stedicam monitor, only to the flip-out LCD on the Camera which I cannot see very well while using the Steadicam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Fisher Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 How about going to the paper supply store and getting a couple sheets of clear polyester that you can run thru your laser printer? Print whatever you want for safe zones, cross hairs and tape it over your monitor. Cheap, removable, changeable. Not so great for glare outside but certainly functional indoors. great idea!! i just did this and it's perfect. i got laser transparency sheets from staples. i printed an overlay with crosshairs and one for a 2.35:1 crop. perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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