The place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on all things lighting, framing, cameras, lenses and technique
When it comes to storytelling, one of the most overlooked creative choices—aside from camera or lens—is how you move the camera. Do you shoot on sticks (tripod), use sliders, dollies, gimbals… or go handheld—or some mix of all of them?
Speaking of handheld, a few films really stand out for fully embr...
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This week’s blog from Ashley Smith digs into what Stage 32 is really about, beyond scripts, reels, or trying to land that one perfect connection. She shares a moment from the recent Community Open House where a new member asked if Stage 32 was “worth her time” because she only wanted to meet someone...
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I agree, Lindsay Thompson. This is a must-read blog! I've built relationships with people over the years, like on Stage 32. I get hired over and over by the same people because of the previous work I...
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The camera is built, every battery is charged, the cases are labeled, color-coded, and ready. And for the first time in my filmmaking life… I’m stepping onto a set where my only responsibility is DP. That still feels strange to say.
For...
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Congratulations on starting production tomorrow and stepping onto a set as just a DP, Lindsay Thompson! Hope you and your family had an incredible Thanksgiving!
"Letting your team carry their part isn’...
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Quick heads up for anyone looking to sharpen their cinematography skills — the Stage 32 Black Friday sale ends today.
If there’s a class you’ve been eyeing, especially anything on lighting, lenses, visual language, or DP prep, now’s the time to grab it while it’s still discounted.
Here’s the full list...
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I've said it here before... I love a good practical light! Simple, utilitarian. Oftentimes, quite beautiful. Many years ago, I shot a small indie film where our primary location was a musty, old recording studio (where magic happens of course). The space was huge and extremely dark. I needed to find...
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That's a great idea, Michael Fitzer, MFA! I like the way the scene looks!
Improvisation, lighting, ideas, and lenses go hand in hand.
The still of the set looks amazing the lighting was perfect. it has become a challenge with lighting to be original because it seems the Bi-color practical lighting teal foreground orange background has become the signature template.
Want to bring a cinematic edge to every project you shoot? These webinars and classes, taught by experienced DPs and industry pros, dive into everything from lighting and camera techniques to visual storytelling and post-production, giving you practical skills to make your work stand out.
We wanted t...
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What about a webinar, class, or lab on video game cinematography, James Lagrimas?
Wow, that's a brill suggestion Maurice Vaughan ! I wholeheartedly second that. I wonder if cinematography for a video game crosses into transmedia?...
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Cinematography is so nuanced. I'd love to see collabs with working DPs like Sam McCurdy, Sal Totino, Ernest Dickerson, or others about their processes and approaches to cinematography. I'd also love to learn more about metering/contrast ratios, EL values, etc.
Thanks, Morgan Aitken Ipg. Great question.
I think it would be cool to know more about using AI to come up with shot-lists and creating a 'feel' for the production. There's only so much I can think of, and figure I'm missing a lot of creative...
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On Atlas Falling, I still produced, wrote, edited, acted, and DP’d. That was normal for me.
Doing everything felt safer than trusting that the pieces would come together without me holding every rope.
But on The Shape of Kindness, everything changed.
This time we have a producer. A seasoned director. D...
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Learning that half of your job is trusting that everyone else can and want to do their job. Genuinely inspiring and brings a little more peace to the process.
I stepped back as casting director on a feature film I was producing, Lindsay Thompson. What surprised me most was how little I knew about casting compared to the person I gave that role to....
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@Lindsey Thompson With a well-coordinated team, everything becomes easier. I wanted to be the center of attention, but I found flaws in the filming, directing, and script, which I hadn't written mysel...
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If you can make a film trailer for your unproduced script, AI is a way to do it for little cost with cinematic-level outputs.
But, not to say that it won't come with frustration to nail any given scene with consistent characters and getting the cut acceptable. It does take patience to hit each scene with the right cinematography.
Bummer, the video didn't play, or load. I'm mucking about with AI for colour grading and certainly learning that it might not be the time-saver we hope it is. More often than not, at least for grading/correction, the eye is quicker than the AI(hand).
We’re one week out from principal photography on The Shape of Kindness.
Today I meet with our director and producer to lock the shot list and shooting schedule.
Next Wednesday is camera prep.
Next Friday is the final tune-up.
It’s all becoming real.
And this week has brought something into sharp focus fo...
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Congratulations, Lindsay Thompson and The Shape of Kindness team! I can't wait to watch it!
"If you’ve spent years carrying everything yourself, collaboration will feel like losing control at first… bu...
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Several years ago, I had the pleasure of attending an advanced cinematography workshop with DP Shane Hurlbut, ASC. One of the workshops I took away the most from was a night lighting workshop wherer Shane used Streetlamp practicals he purchased at a hardware store to light the street. For about $800...
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That's incredible, Michael Fitzer, MFA! I like when colored light shines on walls and objects, making the place look scary or strange.
Personally, I love the look of tungsten or halogen lighting. Then again, who has the power supply to run them? Can you even get them anymore?
Not practicals, but close: 1K PARs of various beam spreads. Powerful, long throws and short, easy to hide and they only draw 9 amps. I've lit entire night scenes with them. And the light quality is a lot like street lights since they have similar glass in front.
That's a fantastic story and such an important reminder, great filmmaking is about problem-solving, not just budget!
Yup, I got the 'it's a wrap!' blues. Kind of like that feeling of free-fall after being shot from a cannon. Principal photography: done! The wrap-party is a fading hangover. The footage is hoovered away into a post-production lair, where the mysterious coven tasked with adding the magic that turns y...
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Congratulations to you and the team on wrapping principal photography, Morgan Aitken Ipg! I usually jump into another project.
Morgan -- vacay! Go somewhere you've never been, bring a camera (small) and get a change of scenery. Fast.
If you’ve ever noticed that some mid-century lenses like certain Canons, Nikons, or Pentax models, have developed a warm yellow or amber tint over time, you’re not imagining it. It’s not dirt, haze, or coating degradation. It’s physics.
Matt Duclos breaks down the phenomenon beautifully in his new ar...
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This is really interesting and I've actually head about both, but have never seen the UV light bleaching of the radioactive lenses. But I have seen fungus infested lenses. I've even fixed some of my l...
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This is fascinating!
Had no idea this was why - I saw this happen in my father's old camera lenses and never thought anything of it. Very cool Ashley Renee Smith
What!? This is freaking awful. You mean I've been irradiated by my dad's super-8? No wonder I'm so weird nowadays.
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I use a lot of handheld primarily or locked off. I really love locked-off wides, but I also mix it up depending on the scene's emotional tone. I approach OTS shots the same as well. Dirty OTS has a di...
Expand commentI use a lot of handheld primarily or locked off. I really love locked-off wides, but I also mix it up depending on the scene's emotional tone. I approach OTS shots the same as well. Dirty OTS has a different feeling than Clean. Handheld has a different emotional and psychological reaction than a locked-off or a gimbal. That choice lies primarily in the emotional tone and feeling the director wants the scene to have or the scene to progress to. A scene may start locked off, but let's say two characters begin to argue halfway through. I'd switch to handheld at the moment the tension begins to rise because of the psychology associated with that approach.
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Interesting convo. I hated hand-held when it became ubiquitous. I hated it even more when I discovered it was being applied in post. I ken the application of it, when it is called for, (as Lindsay Tho...
Expand commentInteresting convo. I hated hand-held when it became ubiquitous. I hated it even more when I discovered it was being applied in post. I ken the application of it, when it is called for, (as Lindsay Thompson , explains) but when it is slathered on like a way beyond best-before cliche it is a major turn-off. As for Children of Men - the war-correspondent look had me thinking the entire film was a cold open, and I kept waiting for the story (was there one) to start.
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Horses for courses.
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@Stephen Folker The script and its genre will tell us what the film needs. However, many action films use the shoulders and arms.
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Go with Intend! I used to love the shaky feel of handheld cameras often seen in movies that came out in the early 2000s. Later on I developed a taste in slow & static compositions as seen in Lawrence...
Expand commentGo with Intend! I used to love the shaky feel of handheld cameras often seen in movies that came out in the early 2000s. Later on I developed a taste in slow & static compositions as seen in Lawrence of Arabia or Mishima - A life in four chapters.
It all depends on what you want to achieve, and as soon as you adapt this philosophy, you end the hellish cycle of burning out from the "mainstream" or trending media, because it will never go out of style. Handheld or sticks, It will always look good, as long as you bring the right argument to justify it's presence.
You're right on, Children of Men looked amazing- the story developed into quite a personal journey through and through.
It always kept you right there, in the moment, in the action- thus, the choice for handheld.
Incredible tension, solidified through intention!
So rather ask: what is the story trying to tell me? That would be my approach going forward but i'm also interested in hearing other takes on this. Especially when it comes to developing a personal style like Emmanuel Lubezki for Terrence Malick or Sir Christopher Doyle for Wong Kar Wai.