Page 3 of 4

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:25 pm
by smulnik
david antony wrote:Smulnik knowing and have met quite a few choreogrphers I find your work really fasinating. I looking forward to seeing this production in the future. More of your work, as you do them proud. Thank you so much for sharing. D A
Thanks, D A. I’m glad to hear that.
Sig

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 4:48 am
by smulnik
Hi All,
I just found out that we've got one more scene to shoot for Ashlock, but that won't happen for several more weeks. In the meantime, I thought I'd post a few shots from earlier scenes.

This group of shots is from a scene of an awkward moment between Ashlock and his family during dinner. It was shot inside the Director's Grandmother's kitchen. The kids did really well with a little bit of coaching.
Sig

Cleaning and getting non-period (modern) items out of view.
RX100M4, 9mm, F2, 1/160, ISO 1600
DSC07156.jpg
(240.5 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times
Adjusting the lighting.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.5, 1/200, ISO 1600
DSC07197.jpg
(220.93 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times
Coaching the kids.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/200, ISO 1600
DSC07259.jpg
(236.13 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 4:53 am
by smulnik
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/200, ISO 3200
DSC07254.jpg
(243.12 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/200, ISO 3200
DSC07272.jpg
(232.91 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.5, 1/200, ISO 3200
DSC07339.jpg
(245.76 KiB) Downloaded 3231 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 7:59 am
by david antony
More interesting photos Sig.
Some neat props, really like the old cast iron wood stove.
The guy defusing work lights, looks he might also be directing?
Again thanks for Sharing. Some really nice work.

(Dusty. Very sorry to hear you lost your son.)

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 6:03 am
by jbtaylor
Clearly you are doing what you love in life.
Much respect.
JT

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:35 am
by smulnik
Thanks guys!
Yes, the guy working on the lights is the Director. This is his project, so he's making sure everything's perfect.
That kitchen was very interesting. Stepping into it was like being thrown back in time.

The following shots are from a scene where the main character, Ashlock, initially enters the lead mine. This location shoot is at a different, smaller mine. Its floor is relatively flat which allowed for a smooth tracking shot using a dolly. This mine's floor is flat because it was resurfaced in order to repurpose the space as a residence. The occupying family allowed us to use the large unused space behind their living area, but they didn't like the idea of us using their electricity to power the lights. So I brought my generator to provide the electricity.
Sig

A secret undisclosed location.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/160, ISO 100
DSC03394.jpg
(249.47 KiB) Downloaded 2991 times
The unused section of the mine.
RX100M4, 9mm, F1.8, 1/100, ISO 1600
DSC06279.jpg
(243.03 KiB) Downloaded 2991 times
Testing the dolly and track.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F2.8, 1/200, ISO 3200
DSC03366.jpg
(249.18 KiB) Downloaded 2991 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:40 am
by jbtaylor
Just great but #2 is magical (even for a documentary shot).

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:43 am
by smulnik
The owners allowed us to drill a series of small holes along the wall in order to hang a string of trouble lights.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/200, ISO 3200
DSC03377.jpg
(246.85 KiB) Downloaded 2989 times
Lights are set.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/100, ISO 6400
DSC03414.jpg
(235.17 KiB) Downloaded 2989 times
The floor of the mine is covered with damp rock dust. As the dolly rolled down the track, the rock dust would make crunching noises when the metal track pressed into it. So we put wood shims under all of the track's contact-points with the floor in order to eliminate the crunching noise.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/60, ISO 6400
DSC03456.jpg
(247 KiB) Downloaded 2989 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:48 am
by aster
.

Hi Sig; :)

Truly enjoying the documentation and your clean approach to shooting the photos, with clear views of how each step was rethought and configured to create smoothly-running working environment. The mine itself is very interesting for its internal shape and walls/ground.

Thanks for sharing,
Yildiz

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:34 pm
by Dusty
smulnik wrote:.....
A secret undisclosed location.
Not too secret. I remember a Post-Dispatch article about that house many years ago!

It's interesting to see behind the scenes.

Dusty

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 5:27 am
by smulnik
Dusty wrote: Not too secret. I remember a Post-Dispatch article about that house many years ago!
I know, right? I didn't have a chance to talk to the family (I was too busy). Now I'm wondering how long they've been living there.

Sig

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 5:41 am
by smulnik
Here are some shots from the last scene that we recently finished for Ashlock. This is a scene of Ashlock's wife being lost in thought. The moment is represented by showing her alone within a black, empty space. So a "black box" was used for the shoot.

Setting up the dolly track in the black box.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F2.8, 1/125, ISO 2500.
DSC05328.jpg
(242.59 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
Since only the dancer was supposed to be illumitated by the lights, the Director wondered if it might help to use a couple of butterflies with diffusion screens. None of us had ever tried using these in a space like this, so this was an experiment.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/125, ISO 3200.
DSC05332.jpg
(246.1 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
The diffusion screens did a good job on the subject, but they also scattered the light all over the room. We needed to have the back wall (with the curtains) in total darkness, so we ended up abandoning the diffusion screens. They might have worked better if we were in a bigger room. Lesson learned. (The blue light on the floor is from 6 overhead spots which where focused straight down.)
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/40, ISO 3200.
DSC05345.jpg
(239.5 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 5:46 am
by smulnik
Plan B: Gels, barn doors, cinefoil, wooden clothes pins, and a lot of singed fingers. :)
A99, 24-70 CZ, F4, 1/125, ISO 2000.
DSC05993.jpg
(226.99 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
We spent a couple of hours arranging and focusing the lights, as well as repositioning the dolly track to get the right angle.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.5, 1/80, ISO 2500.
DSC05423.jpg
(239.82 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
Finally achieved the "endless black void" effect.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F2.8, 1/500, ISO 2000.
DSC05524.jpg
(161.54 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 5:52 am
by smulnik
Ran the scene multiple times, getting shots using the track and dolly.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/400, ISO 8000.
DSC05822.jpg
(233.85 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
Ran the scene a few more times, getting shots using a jib from a different angle.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/160, ISO 4000.
DSC05968.jpg
(229.77 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times
Made it through all of those runs in top form.
A99, 24-70 CZ, F3.2, 1/400, ISO 2500.
DSC05915.jpg
(141.47 KiB) Downloaded 2660 times

Re: Helping Friends with Short Art Films

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:36 am
by ValeryD
Continuing the remarkable work! :)