Ryan E. Walters, Cinematographer: 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Portland Lens Test 2011

On December 10, 2011 Indent Studios organized a lens test that was very eye opening and educational for all that attended. I feel fortunate that I could partake in making it a successful event. :) With the release of "affordable" cameras like the Epic-X, Scarlet, C300, and F3 (among many others) everyone is wondering what "affordable" lens package they should invest in, or rent for their camera. Indent Studios organized this event to use 3 Epic-X's to shoot with 7 sets of lenses and find out the answer. After handling the lenses, and reviewing the footage we all came across some surprising results.

Check out the footage for yourself and download the R3Ds after the jump...

Asking The Right Questions

Over the last month or so I have been asked at least once a week the following question: "If money wasn't an issue, what camera would you shoot with?". While I get that the people asking this question are trying to determine what I think the best camera is on the market currently, I think that this question is fundamentally the wrong question to be asking. What is the "right" question after the jump ...

Modern Family Show Reel

Produced by Ryan E. Walters, this is a small collection of clips from the Modern Family collection of stock footage. The complete collection can be viewed here: Modern Family.

Ryan E. Walters brings a cinematic taste and aesthetic to his stock footage collection. You can check out his entire offering of footage here: Ryan's Stock Footage.

List of gear after the jump.

IR ND Filtration + EPIC

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN]

As cameras get more and more sensitive to light, infrared (IR) pollution becomes a bigger issue as stronger neutral density filters are used to maintain exposure. IR pollution ends up changing the color rendition of the entire image and can result in some VERY funky color shifts. (I have seen dark green leaves change to magenta for example.) These color shifts can be next to impossible to get rid of once they are recorded into the digital image. There are creative ways to get rid of this in post, but many of these solutions - like rotoscoping and painting out the problem - are cost prohibitive. Besides, a "problem" like this should have been corrected in the camera at the time of filming, not left to post. Always remember this mantra, and practices it daily: "Fix it in camera, NOT in post."

Lighting 101: Using The Meter

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS FULL SCREEN]

Welcome to the language of light! In the Lighting 100 series of videos you will be taken through the basic concepts you need to understand and master in order to creatively use light to tell visual stories. In episode 101 Ryan reveals the need for, and the use of the light meter, an often overlooked and misunderstood tool. But through the proper use and understanding, it can allow you to shape light in a whole new way.

At the end of this video I show a couple of helpful tips for working with the Sekonic L-758Cine, and make mention of additional tips on my blog. After the jump you will find the tips I demonstrated in the video as well as three additional tips you might find useful:

How To Get Better At Negotiation

Cinematographers are great at what we do because we care about our craft- we put in a LOT of time learning, experimenting, and preparing for what our job requires of us - and we LOVE IT. :) However, we are usually horrible business people. The creative side of our brain is massive and strong, while the business side is anemic - as is often the case with people in the creative world. This translates in to our inability to negotiate appropriately when landing a job. I know I've made a lot of mistakes over the years in this area. Unfortunately, I haven't put in as much time as I should have learning the business end of it as I have put in learning the creative and technical side of cinematography. Fortunately, however, it is never too late.

And The Next Superstar Is ...

November 3rd was a highly anticipated day by many. Months ago Canon announced that it would be making an HISTORIC GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Not a company that usually makes these kind of claims, many people projected that they were going to announce and release their next camera, the update to the Canon 5D MKII - the MKIII, and it would be 4k. Days later, and never to be one who is out done my hyperbole, Red Digital Cinema announced that they too would be making an announcement of their completely updated Scarlet camera. Jim Jannard himself said this battle was going to be the next "Ali VS Frasier". Now that the "fight" is "over" and the dust has settled - who one? And who is going to be the next superstar?

Master Cinema Series Lunch Party Wrap Up

The digital revolution is just now starting to come into its' own. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you must have been living under a rock somewhere. Welcome back to civilization! This is the next erra of filmmaking - one which is being shaped by digital cinematography. Like it or not, digital capture devices are changing the way stories are told, and even shaping what stories can be told.

Epic + HMI (Mag Ballast)

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN]

Just because it works in theory doesn't mean it will work in practice. And just because it works in one application, that doesn't mean it will work in another application - which is why testing durring preproduction is SO important and should NEVER go over looked. I recently spent a day camera testing in preparation for a short film I was shooting for Director Shawn Nelson and it was during one of the camera tests that we stumbled upon some interesting results when shooting with the Epic and HMI's that use a magnetic ballast. What I had thought would be safe speeds on the camera turned out to not be safe at all ...

Zeiss ZF.2 Lens Test Chart

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN]

Charts are not very sexy I know - but they are very useful. I completed this test to evaluate where these lenses perform the best so that I can get the most out of them. When wide open, the chromatic aberration, and the slight softness that the lenses produce means that for my tastes, I'll be using them stopped down at least one stop. Once they are stopped down by one stop, everything looks sharp, and the chromatic aberration goes away. The 85mm seems to be the worst offender, as the image is not clear until around T4 / T5.6. And both the 28mm and 35mm seem to hold up better then the 50mm or the 85mm. Overall, I'm happy with the results as they bear out what I have experienced first hand when using these lenses in a production environment. I'll be using these lenses in the T2.8 - T8 range going forward. Download the stills after the jump.

Camera 101: Introduction to the camera.

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN]

Welcome to your camera system! In the 100 series of videos you will be taken through the basics of using your camera. In episode 101, Ryan introduces the basic components that makeup any camera system and explains their use and offers insight into their importance. He explores the importance of the camera body, lens selection, the follow focus, matte box, monitors, tripods, and light meters.