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!@#$%! · 04.05.2012, 11:00 PM

i can only answer quickly tonight but maybe tomorrow with more detail.

okay so what's the problem here is you need a crew! if you're doing this all on your own it's bananas. make the fucking actors crew for you when they are not in the scene.

i highly recommend you storyboard and draw a floorplan. that way you can work out your blocking, your lights and your camera moves ahead of time. more on that later.

i get that you want that office/curb your enthusiasm looks but even with those single camera sitcoms the framing is always done right, the camera angles work, and you get a good variety of shots-- e.g. when they talk into the camera, etc. look here for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcf2CO65lf4

see how yheres a closeup as he approaches then the 2 shots are from the front & the side and it mixes them up?

storyboarding can help you set that up and figure where you wanna place yourself before it happens. what you wanna avoid especially are the high angles on characters who are sitting.

re: lighting you can work with regular bulbs and shop lamps that you clamp to things, as long as you have the same color temperature and while balance to them it should be okay. yeah, it's not as controllable as fresnels or light banks with egg crates but at least you get an improved look.

the scene in the room w/ curtis, they are in the shade and the back wall is brighter.and your camera if it's got auto iris is adjusting for the wall and not the subject.

and that's why i suggest using high key light, it's lower contrast and you don't need to set up every shot. here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQfztMBi6A

one thing you could do is get some shop lights and bounce them off the ceiling or walls, it's as cheap as it gets (tho it can blow fuses, ha).

anyway good to hear you've been thinkig about this things. don't fear the storyboard or feel confined by it-- it's like a rehearsal for your camera-- if you're going spontaneous, you're gonna do that, but at least in your mind you'll have an idea of what you want instead of getting stuck in a bad shot or "searching" with the camera and shooting all over the place.

ps re- the floorplan-- it helps you see light ahead. for example when he opens the door and lisa is there, there could be a light behind the door so she looks better. know what i mean?

but def keep working on this! you're on to something, i swear.

oh and workaholics is on netflix online, if you have access watch it, it's fucking great, very funny, similar documentary style but not self conscious like office, but great fucking characters, you'll see.

oh and there's an episode about juggalos!

anyway we can chat about sound tomorrow, if you'd like. i hope i'm not being a fucking blowhard with the advice, i really believe in what you're doing that's why i'm taking the time to go over everything.

okay. seeya!

04.05.2012, 11:00 PM	#15
!@#$%! invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: mars attacks Posts: 42,496	i can only answer quickly tonight but maybe tomorrow with more detail. okay so what's the problem here is you need a crew! if you're doing this all on your own it's bananas. make the fucking actors crew for you when they are not in the scene. i highly recommend you storyboard and draw a floorplan. that way you can work out your blocking, your lights and your camera moves ahead of time. more on that later. i get that you want that office/curb your enthusiasm looks but even with those single camera sitcoms the framing is always done right, the camera angles work, and you get a good variety of shots-- e.g. when they talk into the camera, etc. look here for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcf2CO65lf4 see how yheres a closeup as he approaches then the 2 shots are from the front & the side and it mixes them up? storyboarding can help you set that up and figure where you wanna place yourself before it happens. what you wanna avoid especially are the high angles on characters who are sitting. re: lighting you can work with regular bulbs and shop lamps that you clamp to things, as long as you have the same color temperature and while balance to them it should be okay. yeah, it's not as controllable as fresnels or light banks with egg crates but at least you get an improved look. the scene in the room w/ curtis, they are in the shade and the back wall is brighter.and your camera if it's got auto iris is adjusting for the wall and not the subject. and that's why i suggest using high key light, it's lower contrast and you don't need to set up every shot. here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQfztMBi6A one thing you could do is get some shop lights and bounce them off the ceiling or walls, it's as cheap as it gets (tho it can blow fuses, ha). anyway good to hear you've been thinkig about this things. don't fear the storyboard or feel confined by it-- it's like a rehearsal for your camera-- if you're going spontaneous, you're gonna do that, but at least in your mind you'll have an idea of what you want instead of getting stuck in a bad shot or "searching" with the camera and shooting all over the place. ps re- the floorplan-- it helps you see light ahead. for example when he opens the door and lisa is there, there could be a light behind the door so she looks better. know what i mean? but def keep working on this! you're on to something, i swear. oh and workaholics is on netflix online, if you have access watch it, it's fucking great, very funny, similar documentary style but not self conscious like office, but great fucking characters, you'll see. oh and there's an episode about juggalos! anyway we can chat about sound tomorrow, if you'd like. i hope i'm not being a fucking blowhard with the advice, i really believe in what you're doing that's why i'm taking the time to go over everything. okay. seeya!
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