Okay... So this is my first REAL post. I had hoped to have this blog up and running earlier so I could enthrall you with my first experiences using the RED camera on the set of my McDonald's commercial, and the subsequent post-production workflow, but best laid plans...
Anyway, I will work backwards in the coming weeks to discuss the process. No drama to speak of... the camera, cast, crew, and designers were all superb... although... I have to admit I was more than a little nervous to experiment with an unknown camera and an unknown workflow on such a high profile project. But, hey, I always say prepare as much as you can and go for it... that's what my Passion For Production is all about.
So... these are a few shots of us prepping the toys as we waited for the crew to return from lunch and the kids to arrive from make-up and wardrobe. Oh, and can I tell you I want this kitchen in my house!! What a great location... and we needed every inch of the great room for the opening & closing shots with the dolly... and I'm not sure you can tell, but we raised the table & kids on a platform about 18 inches off the floor and covered it with a huge oriental rug, so we could see more of the kitchen behind their heads. Just a little production magic.
More to come...
Seeing an HD image on set is wonderful for me. And judging from how I’m lighting and exposing, the dynamic range is pretty decent actually, better than the F900 but not as good as film. But how it burns out is much more graceful and less artifacty than most HD cameras look when something clips. The live 720P debayered image does have some noise and pattern problems that’s not in the recordings. And looking at the RAW files, which have a somewhat flat and murky look before color-correction, the impression I get is that the camera really isn’t faster than 320 ASA; in other words, the sensor seems to like more exposure as long as you don’t go nuts with the clipping at the other end. It’s a little like film in that respect; giving the recording more shadow information helps lift low-end detail out of that murky noisy bottom. So I go back & forth everyday in regards to exposure. I use my light meter for a base reading and then adjust the f-stop based on the highlights, but I keep questioning whether to go up or down a little to either protect highlights or pull up the shadow detail above the noise floor. The AC’s are getting used to me changing my mind on the final f-stop by one-third of a stop all the time.
~ David Mullen ASC
