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Cinematography, Production

Mixing Formats: Arri Alexa, Canon 5D and C300

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut operating RED camera

I love shooting commercials that make a difference and give back to local communities. Hurlbut Visuals recently collaborated with Vaughn Wedeen Kuhn to lens the next set of Department of Transportation spots for New Mexico. The agency’s storyboards were visually unique and compelling, and we could not wait to bring them to life. They were captured by mixing formats. We combined elements of the Arri Alexa, Canon 5D, AND the C300.

Aftermath: 60

The first, Aftermath, was a DWI spot that showcased the random tragedy caused by a drunk driver. What began as a wonderful graduation celebration for a budding surgeon instantly became a nightmare. Our concept wanted the look and feel to take place at dusk, right after the disaster. We had one day to shoot this commercial that had to take place in a 30-minute period of dusk. To control the daylight, we used negative fill and large solids. This allowed us to block the sun and create a mood that felt like dusk.

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

I had an Arri Alexa with Leica glass. So, I pushed the underexposed envelope to create that wonderful fragility of light experienced at dusk and or dawn. Then, I cranked the camera to around 4200 K so that the daylight had a coolish tone and used several stops of Tiffen Water White Neutral Density filters to get us around a 2.0. I have found that the Arri Alexa has about a 1.2 worth of IR filtration on its sensor. For anything above 1.2, I use an additional IR filter.

An example would be if I wanted 7 stops worth of ND, I would use a 1.2 straight ND and then a .9 IRND to add up to the 7 stops. The look and feel of the spot was inspired by the photographer Todd Hido. I love his still work of dawn and dusk. His earth tones mixed with muted cyans rocks.

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Large solids blocking the sun and providing negative fill

Mixed Format Approach

The tone of this spot was about silence, that dead calm that slowly puts you on edge. These intimate lock-off frames show you an intimacy, an uncomfortable, personal moment in time. We chose to shoot with a mixed format approach with the Arri Alexa, Canon 5D and the C300.

I used each format to its advantage. The 5D was used for its shallow depth of field on Macro CU photography. We chose the Leica 60 and 100 macro lenses.

Canon 5D

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

ARRI Alexa

The Alexa was our A camera, shooting all of the graphic wides as well as the medium shots of destruction.

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Arri Alexa on the Super Techno Crane

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Canon C300

Our third camera would be the C300, which was used for the final twilight shot of the drunk driver being loaded into the car and the empty liquor bottle in the foreground. We capitalized on the high sensitivity of the Canon sensor to extend our dusk light.

Arri Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Canon C300 on a Kessler Cineslider in the wrecked car interior

“Jekyll and Hyde”: 30

The boards for this spot were in the development stage when we got the job. As co-directors, we loved the idea of the concept, which was Jekyll is a nice guy who develops a Mr. Hyde temperament when he gets behind the wheel. Our vision was a single lock-off shot positioned on the hood of the car. This lock-off would showcase Jekyll’s crazy driving habits in a comedy of jump cuts.

I chose the Arri Alexa as the A camera for this lock-off because of its dynamic range ability. I knew we did not have the time to light the car’s interior, so I would have to go with the available light. This would be problematic with other cameras because of the necessary 14.5 stops of latitude, which is what you need when you have the burning light of a New Mexico day and the dim interior of a Honda Civic. The final footage had a unique Hipstamatic look and feel. Mounted on a hood mount and using a 19mm Leica lens to add to the interior comedy, we embarked on a mission to shoot at all times of the day and night that showcased Jekyll as a crazy man behind the wheel.

Many thanks to Morgan Estill for shooting all the great BTS stills and video.

 

Arri Alexa on the hood with a 19mm Leica

Arri Alexa on the hood with a 19mm Leica

 New Mexico DOT spot

New Mexico DOT spot

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About Filmmakers Academy Cinematographer Mentor Shane Hurlbut, ASC

Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema. He’s a storyteller, innovator, and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hurlbut frequently joins forces with great directors: McG’s Netflix Rim of the World and The Babysitter, plus Warner Bros. We Are Marshall and Terminator: Salvation; Scott Waugh’s Need for Speed and Act of Valor; and Gabriele Muccino’s There Is No Place Like Home and Fathers and Daughters. His additional film credits include Semi-Pro; The Greatest Game Ever Played; Into the Blue; Mr 3000; Drumline; 11:14, which earned Hurlbut a DVDX nomination; and The Skulls. Notably, his television credits include the first season of AMC’s Into the Badlands.

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July 20, 2012/by Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Tags: Canon, Canon 5D, canon c300, Cinematography, Cinematography Online, commercial, Director of Photography, Film Education Online, filmmaker, filmmaking, NMDOT, Tiffen
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https://www.filmmakersacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/P1000535-1.jpg 576 1024 Shane Hurlbut, ASC https://www.filmmakersacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Filmmakers-Academy-Filmmaking-Courses.svg Shane Hurlbut, ASC2012-07-20 13:27:012022-08-20 21:35:33Mixing Formats: Arri Alexa, Canon 5D and C300
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39 replies
  1. Mattyme
    Mattyme says:
    July 20, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    Lovely work, I’m a huge fan of Todd Hido

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 7:47 PM

      Mattyme, thanks so much, me too.

  2. Baron
    Baron says:
    July 20, 2012 at 5:33 PM

    I’m a little fuzzy on your explanation about using ND filters and stacking them I guess due to my lack of experience in this area. but I love the BTS pics & videos, very informative as usual. Thanks Shane!

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 7:47 PM

      Baron, I guess it is a little difficult to explain. The Arri Alexa has about an Infra Red filter of about 4 stops, some 6 stops, Arri will not verify. So to be safe I IR filter above 4 stops. Hope that clears it up. If not so sorry. Thanks for the kind words and your support

      • florian
        florian says:
        July 27, 2012 at 12:27 PM

        Shane,
        Re IR filtration. So what I gather is that the Arri has a base IR block of 4 stops sans any ND on lens. Add ND past that point, then the visible gets blocked at say 7 stops, but IR at only 4 stops, thus a net +3 stops of IR illumination…
        So to knock that down, you need to have two or more filters with IR block along with ND coating to make sure IR and Visible are blocked at the same level?
        Do all the ND filters have IR blocking? Or do we need to choose specific ones?

        What about the Vari ND’s? I see that Tiffen makes ND with IR, does one do the job if you stack 2-3 NDs, or must you have all with IR to stop the inequality?
        Thanks

  3. Guilherme Rambo
    Guilherme Rambo says:
    July 20, 2012 at 6:08 PM

    I love your BTS videos, keep ’em coming :)

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 20, 2012 at 7:49 PM

      Guilherme Rambo. Thanks for the kind words and support.

  4. mel haynes
    mel haynes says:
    July 20, 2012 at 8:57 PM

    Shane, Beautiful spots. the explanations and BTS are always fantastic learning material. Was the whole set “dressed” before you figured out your shots or did you have storyboards as reference for creating the scene, or C) all the above?

    Also, I think I recall you mentioning the C300 being too “video”ish. Would you use the C300 for anything other than low lighting scenarios?

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 5:09 PM

      mel haynes,thank you so much for your kind words. Yes we dressed it all and then went in there for the shots. They were already storyboarded so we had the vision. Right now I love it in low light. Using it next week on Boeing in all different applications. Give you some feedback

  5. Ben
    Ben says:
    July 20, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    That was great – especially that final shot. And thanks for the BTS video. It’s always so fascinating to see how much goes into it. We can really feel your passion.

    But the opening aerial shot seemed to have lots of rolling shutter, at least I assume that’s what it was. Is it too severe to fix, or is there a reason it was left in?

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 5:02 PM

      Ben, thank you so much for your kind words, that aerial shot was a grab shot out of a very ruff ride in a Cessna which beat the crap out of me. These were then stabilized in post. That is what you are seeing. But for me it sets the tone so I am not interested in the rolling shutter, but the image, the mood and the tone. Story first.

  6. Kim
    Kim says:
    July 21, 2012 at 5:21 AM

    Was the Leica 19mm you used on the Alexa a leica R, or the leica summilux-c pl primes? If it were a leica r i presume the 60mm and 100 was also?

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:55 PM

      Kim, the 19mm was a cinema glass Leica and the 60-100mm were R Glass.

  7. Sam
    Sam says:
    July 21, 2012 at 11:51 AM

    Thanks Shane, that was a really insightful BTS! Learnt quite a bit from the setup. Have a question about shooting through a car windscreen during daylight. Was it primiarly the Arri’s dynamic range that helped cut through the glare? I suppose there was a polarizer than helped too?

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:54 PM

      Sam, you are very welcome. Yes we used a Tiffen WW pola filter in front of the lens along with Tiffen WWND. I rotated the pola just enough to take some of the reflection out, but not all of it.

  8. Jack Borcherding
    Jack Borcherding says:
    July 21, 2012 at 5:46 PM

    Shane,

    I love the video, it shows so much on the effects of what your trying to portray to your audience. I want to so a piece like this for a class. Also, how would I be able to shadow you sometime on a shoot?

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:53 PM

      Jack Borcherding, thank you so much for those kind words. Do you live in LA?

      • Jack Borcherding
        Jack Borcherding says:
        May 31, 2013 at 8:19 AM

        I am not in LA, I wish I was. I am currently in the Midwest. Do you ever do any projects in the Midwest? Is there anyway we could connect to stay in touch and maybe I could work on set with you in the future? Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you.

        -Jack Borcherding

  9. Matheus
    Matheus says:
    July 21, 2012 at 10:43 PM

    I’m always learning a lot here…Thanks to Shane and your incredible team.

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:52 PM

      Matheus, you are so welcome. Thank you for those kind words

  10. k wasley
    k wasley says:
    July 22, 2012 at 3:36 PM

    Hi Shane,

    You mention shooting the car ‘hood mount’ scene on a 19mm Leica. Since there isn’t a Leica cinema series 19mm, are you using the R lens? If so, how are you getting the Leica 19mm R onto an Alexa?

    Thanks

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:52 PM

      k wasley, yes there is.

  11. Ron
    Ron says:
    July 22, 2012 at 11:09 PM

    Your videos are so fun to watch and educational. Enjoy all your work. Awesome.
    By the way, Magic Lantern is releasing version 2.3 today with a donation and free on Aug. 13. Supposedly quite stable. Image adjustment for camera LCD monitor (although doesn’t affect video) can be done. Also, ISO adjustments…perhaps better DR? And so on.
    http://wiki.magiclantern.fm/userguide
    http://www.magiclantern.fm/104-releases/124-ml2rc-2

    Cheers,
    Ron

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:49 PM

      Ron, sweet, I will try these out. Thanks

  12. Todd Hido
    Todd Hido says:
    July 23, 2012 at 12:41 AM

    shane, thanks for the shout out. I can’t wait to show your blog and the BTS stuff to my son in the morning.
    he’s gonna love it all.
    great stuff!
    thanks,

    todd

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:48 PM

      Todd Hido, You are so welcome. Thank you so much for the inspiration my friend. I am HUGE fan of your photography. Mark shared your music vid with me, nice work as well. I hope your son enjoys it.

  13. Bill Hamell
    Bill Hamell says:
    July 23, 2012 at 8:08 AM

    Impressive!

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:44 PM

      Bill Hamell, thank you so much for your kind words

  14. Mark Rutherford
    Mark Rutherford says:
    July 24, 2012 at 3:59 PM

    Shane, thanks as always for your generosity.

    Impressive to see how the multiple formats cut together seamlessly.
    Inspring to see the vision behind the technology.

    Cheers,
    -Mark

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      July 25, 2012 at 4:43 PM

      Mark Rutherford, great to hear from you. I checked out your work with Todd, nice stuff. Thank you for all of your support and give my best to Todd, a HUGE FAN.

  15. Oli Kember
    Oli Kember says:
    August 14, 2012 at 12:11 PM

    Interesting to hear where you think the Alexa’s IR protection limit sits. It does seem to arrive with very heavy ND-ing. Something we’ll have to be aware of with each new camera that comes out. Thankfully with digital cameras it’s spottable on the monitor. Great spot and you nailed the dusk all day look. I presumed you kept your lenses at T/2 because that’s what they would have been at that time of day, so the depth of field felt right? (In addition to simply knocking the daylight levels down).

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      August 14, 2012 at 5:16 PM

      Oli Kember, yes it is and Arri won’t tell which camera has the IR filtration and how much for that matter. Once again to eye. Thank you so much for your kind words and support as always Oli. Yes kept it to a t2 or sometimes a t 1.3.

  16. Ben Hess
    Ben Hess says:
    September 18, 2012 at 9:50 PM

    Hi Shane, first I just want to thank you for all that you share with us, it’s really an amazing help. Anyways, regarding the first scene/ariel scene, was that real footage or just a picture? If it was a picture how did you go about making it? Thank you!

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      September 19, 2012 at 10:10 PM

      Ben Hess thank you for your kind words and support. That was an aerial shot which was done with a C300 at 1000′ feet. The plane was shaky, and I was shooting out of the side window, we had to stabilize it in post.

      • Noel Evans
        Noel Evans says:
        November 4, 2012 at 6:23 PM

        Those are the worst. Had to try and hold a shot from a Robinson R44 for 8kms (about 5 miles I guess) hanging out the door on a gusty day last month – C300. No love from any of the elements.

        Love these spots Shane. Gorgeous visuals. Thanks esp. for your BTS thoughts and descriptions. Love seeing those. Would love if you were in Australia one day – would be front row at your masterclass. All the best.

  17. Arun Meegada
    Arun Meegada says:
    December 6, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    Enjoyed the video thoroughly. For someone like us that kind of production gadgets is WOW. Was there a continuity error in the night shot when the cop sits in the front seat while in the other day light (6500K) shot he walks to his own car. Please disregard if it is purposeful per the screenplay. Cheers.

    4CornersPictures – Youtube Channel
    4CornersPicture – Twitter

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      December 6, 2012 at 1:03 PM

      Arun Meegada, thank you so much for your comment, kind words and support

  18. Paolo Mugnaini
    Paolo Mugnaini says:
    January 15, 2014 at 7:36 AM

    HI Shane,

    Stellar work as usual and thanks for posting this!

    Could you please go through the camera settings? meaning did you dial the K the same of each camera? I assume the C300 was on log and the 5D on neutral right? If not what did you do to make sure post was not going to be more of a challenge in terms of CC.

    Thanks!

    • Shane
      Shane says:
      January 15, 2014 at 7:28 PM

      Paolo Mugnaini, Thank you so much for the kind words. Yes 5D on Neutral, -1 sat, -3 contrast. C300 in log and Alexa in Log C. All color temps dialed into the same settings over all cameras.

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