

shooting 35mm film is not like it use to be!
Everything I bid on or was DP on was shot on 35mm film for years. Some 16 and super 16, but 35mm was the way to go! In the past couple of years I have only shot 4 - 35mm productions. (I still have 35mm film stock in my fridge) HD has taken over most all film in the commercial world and definitely in the corporate. Also, Budgets have been declining more and more. It does depend on who the client is but in general a lot of clients are cutting budgets and day rates. I once owned 16 and 35mm arriflex cameras and lenses. It was good for low/med budgets and stock footage. Today you can own a HD camera for around 5k and be a cinematographer ! I cannot even rent the camera and lighting packages for that rate! It's a changing world out there, although many clients still want high quality production with great lighting, the use of 35mm lenses on HD for the look, and the ability to be creative as a DP, That's what keeps me working!
Days of 35mm are dwindling and HD is becoming

The good news is, I still shoot HD film style ! And that makes us old film guys still look good,
if not better ! We understand the old style lighting that the masters taught us and we can still use it
with any camera. You have to be careful with many of the HD cameras because you cannot get the
look that the client wants. That is if they want the HD to look close to film and with creative lighting.
Most al the HD cameras have a hard time with everything always in focus. That's the way of the
chips, lighting, and lenses. When using 35mm lenses especially primes you can create
the circles of confusion, and blur the backgrounds.

Now comes along the RED camera. I actually like it a lot if I have to shoot HD. I like that you have to build the
camera like a 35mm Arriflex, I like that you change lenses and without a gigulator adpter! I like that it's all
manual, You can mount this camera in any modular configuration possible. It works great for me and my
AC/DIT Simon Manes (who I have worked with for the past 25 years +). Don't get me wrong I will use any
camera you want on your shoot. For me it's just a tool for the gig.


I still prefer FILM and if you want to shoot film ... I'm there for you!

FILM RED
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