Ryan E. Walters, Cinematographer: Lighting

Showing posts with label Lighting. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How To Get the Most Out Of A Custom Profile (A Sekonic Update)

Back in July of 2012 Sekonic released the update to their camera profiling software (DTS) which I immediately started to use. After spending some time creating and testing numerous profiles for my 758Cine I realized something was not working correctly: the spot and incident readings were not matching up. Since that time, Sekonic has been hard at work finding and fixing the problem. With version 3.06 of their DTS software, you can finally rest assured that your meter will be calibrated correctly. If you plan on using one of my custom profiles, here is how you can get the most out of it.

An Intro To Lighting, Green Screen, & Copyright

When I began in this field, there were far fewer resources available that I could learn from and that gave me the knowledge I needed to have in a way that I could understand it. Today with the proliferation of high speed internet connections, that issue has disappeared as there are thousands of resources online. Now the problem is trying to figure out where to begin as the quality and information can be stellar, or downright appalling. And that is where Reel Classroom has stepped in by publishing three quality introductory training lessons. Here is what you can expect to get out of each lesson, and how you can save 10% on your order...

The Problem With Digital Cameras & My Secret Solutions

Thanks to many innovations in technology, digital cinema cameras are continuing to improve in quality by leaps and bounds. The mere fact that we can now shoot at an actual EI of 800 and have clean useable images with 13-14 stops of dynamic range was unthinkable just a couple of years ago. However, the pristine images that these cameras are delivering have introduced a new problem that we haven't had to think about until now: the images are getting too good. They are too clean. Read on for why I think this is a problem, and what to do about it.

The Secret To Great Lighting

One of the key elements to making your images look cinematic is in your lighting choices. Even if you have a great set and talent, if the lighting is flat and poorly executed, your images will not end up feeling cinematic regardless of what camera system you are shooting on. So how do you light cinematically? Well, I want to share a secret with you ...

Lighting Alchemy: Building A 4x4 Quick Frame

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS FULL SCREEN]

4x4 frames can be a great tool to help you shape light, however they can be cumbersome to transport when space is at a premium. Add to that the additional cost of buying a 4x4 break away frame, and you might opt to forgo the 4x4 frame all together. In this post I show you how to build your own frame that will get you 90% of the way there for about 1/3 of the price. Read on for links to everything you need to make this project happen.

See The Frame In Use On Set:
Lighting Alchemy: Behind The Scenes of Working From Home

Lighting Alchemy: BTS of Working From Home

This video explains in detail how I lit one of my recent stock footage shoots. Below you can find the associated lighting diagrams, as well as an equipment list of what was used on this shoot. If you would like to see the complete series of clips from the shoot you can view them here.

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:

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 ...