The Making of The Janitor Sequence From “The Last 3 Minutes”
When Canon and Hurlbut Visuals teamed up on this joint venture, we wanted to put together a trilogy of behind-the-scenes videos. In them, I narrate what goes on inside my head as a cinematographer.
Even though there’s a planning process before filming, there’s a certain spontaneity that happens in the moment.
We hope you find this Janitor sequence to be both informative and inspiring.
Watch The Janitor Sequence
The Janitor – Episode 1
The Janitor is the first of three episodes that takes you on a BTS journey. You will see how we captured, lit, and shot William’s custodial duties leading up to his heart attack. Then, you are thrown on his emotional roller coaster ride of memories from his young wife leaving him backward in time until his birth.
You see problem-solving, thinking on your feet, and lighting with instruments that you can build or things that you can buy at Home Depot. This was lit very simply. I wanted to inspire you with tools that anyone would have access to and not big Hollywood lights and generators. So, I used lots of practical lights to my advantage in the office space and there were some that I could not turn off that I had to deal with and you see that thought process.
I break down the whole scene as it played in the short film, by labeling each shot with a lens and an f-stop so that you can see the depth of field. The fact is that I light most of my films from purchases at Home Depot and Grainger. So, using a good amount of practical light and shaping it so that it has mood and can assist in telling the story is paramount.
I want to thank you all for your amazing comments and support on this little short film. We are sending it to all the film festivals. Stay tuned for details on where it will be shown so that you can see this baby on a big screen.
Watch the Next Parts of The Making of the Last 3 Minutes:
Schedule 1-on-1 Video Call with Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Looking for mentorship in the film industry? Schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with Shane Hurlbut, ASC today! This is where you can get expert advice from an industry professional on your career or a particular project.
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.
Fantastic Shane, I’ve said it before but thanks for sharing with us all so openly you are a master! Nice to see you getting hands dirty too!
Sam Phibbs, You are very welcome, that is the only way I roll. I started out as a grip truck driver. I need to touch the gear, I need to set the lights and I try to help my crew as much as possible that had been up for 18 hours at this point. They rocked this baby out.
Shane,
I just wanted to say thanks for all of your amazing blog posts, BTS pictures/videos, and overall presence on the web and elsewhere in the world (NAB, etc). Whether it’s your bold and brave comments in the Zacuto Shootout, your discussions on the NAB show floor or Tiffen booth, your judging for Vincent’s “Beyond the Still” competition on Vimeo, or merely your day-to-day interaction with the web via twitter and your blog… you truly care about your readers. It’s nice to see a blog out there that doesn’t just focus on posting someone’s most recent work in the form of a Vimeo video without context or other content. It’s nice to see a blog that aims to share the knowledge you’ve learned as a skilled and trained shooter with the rest of the community… and you’re doing it without any personal gains or profit! The true essence of the “DSLR Revolution” is not in the technology… the cameras are just tools… but rather the DSLR Revolution is the culmination of talent, tools, time, artistry, creativity, and culture that surrounds the world of filmmaking/broadcast spanning across zero/guerrilla/indie/micro/low/traditional budget productions and truly focusing on individuals as shooters and cinematographers. People in business/marketing would call this developing one’s personal brand, but I think in essence it’s not necessarily a brand, but rather a cinematographer’s true character.
Please keep it up… we all can learn a lot from you… and don’t forget to ignore the trolls, spammers, and haters… although I doubt they’ll ever dare step foot on your blog.
All the best,
Joseph Stunzi
Joseph Stunzi, that was one of the nicest comments that I have ever gotten. You words make all the long hours, answering every comment personally, all the testing and pushing the limit worth it. You are an excellent writer.
When my wife and I set out on this journey to create this website and blog we wanted it to be about the art, the story and not get so techy. We wanted to keep it intimate, unique, and not the same old shit. We do not advertise. This is a site to find inspiration, to dream and to learn. I thank you for your kind words and your support. Peace
Shane
Makes the budget for this seem miniscule. Canon should be grateful.
Jim Culp, Canon has been incredibly grateful and supportive. I look forward to our next project together.
What ISO were you at in that scene, Shane? Great behind the scenes piece. Thanks!
Jerry W. The opening shots were 640 ISO, then when I go into the wide low angle I was at 160 ISO, but most was at 640 and 320 ISO’s. You are very welcome.
That was awesome! It’s such a valuable resource to have professionals like you out there giving us these behind the scenes glimpses into your amazing work with these cameras. Your blog and others out there like this make me feel like the barriers to filmmaking have really been torn down. Equipment is accessible in these new DSLRs and the information is out there thanks to people like you. All that’s left is the hard work on my part. It’s an exciting time to be a dreamer.
Thanks again for all the inspiration to get out and make things happen!
John Behrens, thank you so much for those kind words and continued support. The old way of holding things close to the chest our done. I am very open about what I have learned and want to pass that on to everyone who wants to listen. It is an amazing time to dream, because all of your vision is now possible. Get out there and create. It is the story that drives the bus, not the camera. You are very welcome.
Shane, beautiful “making of”. Thanks so much for sharing. I love the headlight shot and was convinced you needed bigger lights than you used! Have you experimented with the LED 1×1 panels available from a variety of manufactures? Obviously they are more pricey than some of your wonderful homemade setups but I’m often running a very small crew and they seem appealing for their size and portability? Id love to hear your thoughts about them if you get a chance. Thanks again.
Anthony Quesada, you are so welcome. I use the light panels a lot. I built these baton lights on Mr. 3000 and I have been using them ever since. The quality is soft put controlled. Not like a soft source that requires tons of flagging. The lite panel LED quality is nice but very harsh. I find that I have to diffuse them to make them appealing to my eye. Where I use them is in ceilings where I cannot fit another kind of light for hot pools. I use them for Radar screens, I used them on the Navy Seal movie in the choppers at night. I gelled them red. I also used them in the Nuclear Sub because of their light weight and portability. As well as their battery power option.
Shane, thank you so much for this! I am a huge fan of BTS videos and can never get enough. This is one of the best ones I’ve seen because you don’t just show us the BTS footage, you take us through your process. You are my hero! :)
Can’t wait to see the rest!
Tony Reale, you are welcome. I am so glad you liked the approach. I feel that people can learn form these instead of just being about look at me, look at me. I want to educate and inspire. One a week will be released. Stay tuned.
Shane – This is fantastic! Thanks for being so open about your process!
Smari, you are so welcome and thank you for your support.
Thank you Shane for your inspiring blog. You have really given me lot of tips through your blog. Your blog is so original and one of its kind. You are a true “GURU”. Thank you so much for sharing and teaching. Your blog is about sharing knowlege and skills, not just about ads and adlinks.
Bipul, thank you for your kind words and support. My wife and I set out to do a personal, intimate blog where you learned and are inspired. Where every question or comment gets answered by me personally. Not many of those out there. We do not make any money at this. It is to get the word out. Keep this Global Revolution alive.
Shane, Thanks again!!!!
It’s great to see the behind the scenes and to really get a taste of what you are doing to make a great film.
I really like your natural way of lighting, never overdone and great atmospheres.
I noticed you do use all Canon lenses, you must be pretty happy with the quality.
Did you have any problems focussing with the short throw?
I will definitively stay tuned for things that are coming.
Mario Toscani, thank you so much for your kind words, I had to use the Canon glass because it was a joint venture with Canon. After the shoot I fell in love with the 35,50,85, and 100mm Macro lenses. They rocked. The focus throw we put the big Red Rock 32 pitch gear rings on their and it works great.
thanks so much for sharing!! invaluable!
Dirk, you got it man, Thank you for your support.
Terrific information from a true pro. Thanks Shane for sharing this and everything else you have in previous posts. This site has not only been a source of inspiration but a great place to learn. Thanks for advancing the craft in a positive, objective manner.
Mike Andrade, you are very welcome and thank you for the kind words and support.
Thank you very much for sharing. This is very inspirational for me especially for being a student.
Rob Sholty, I am glad that you are learning from it. That was my intention. I did not want it to be just a lot of BTS crap, I wanted to take you on my journey and thought process.
Thank you for sharing you behind the scene with us, i learn something watching it.
Vincent Follézou, you are so welcome, it is my pleasure.
Thanks again Shane for sharing your BTS of this shoot. I love that you explain the whys of you lens and lighting choices, and of course your cheats too.
Awesome stuff.
Darren, you are very welcome, thank you for the support. Got to get the inside track.
Thanks for posting this. Being a student I found it very interesting and enjoyable. We want more!
PD: Where can I get music like the theme from the short?
Alejandro Torriggino, you are welcome. I am glad you liked it. You will be getting more two more to follow along with me breaking down the one shot wonder Helicopter crash in Terminator: Salvation. The music you can find on Tim Godwin’s my space page.
timgodwin.net
home.myspace.com/timgodwinmusic
More pleeeease!
Juan Carlos Pena, more are on the way, two more in fact along with the full breakdown of the one shot wonder Helicopter crash sequence in Terminator: Salvation.
Shane,
Excellent blog, thank you so much for taking the time to share so much with us. Are you using utility clear bulbs to light the interior? Do you think there is a Home Depot equivalent would you recommend for the metal halide fixture? Also did you just use house power with your lights?
I have a few questions that are less technical. I admire and respect you immensely, so I’d like to hear your thoughts on protocol and communication. If you don’t want to answer them in this blog, I certainly do understand.
How much time do you spend with the director when discussing the shoot, and the shots themselves? In the video it appears you weren’t working with a shot list, do you normally work with or without a shot list?
How do you go about running things on set with your crew, are you strict or lenient with them and the lighting? How do you handle communication on set, by sheer lung power, walkies, or both?
Have you ever worked with a director who’s attention you have to fight for? Or what about when a shoot is moving too fast for its own good, where you don’t have any time to make any lighting or shot adjustments, or review footage. How would you go about addressing this, especially if you don’t have an AD to turn to at the moment, or clout like you have? How often do you scrutinize your own work or mistakes?
I could really use some guidance here.
Thanks for your time, and I apologize for going off topic.
Thanks so much for the behind the sceens video. Looking forward to more. Less than 7 weeks until we start shooting our feature “Absentia” using the 5D2. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fallbackplan/absentia-a-new-vision-of-horror-from-mike-flanagan-0?pos=1
Rustin Cerveny, you are very welcome. That is great. Keep this revolution going. More fuel on the fire. Knock it out.
Shane,
Good work love your blog!
Thanks
Kuwan, you are so welcome.
Shane,
Really enjoyed the video and look forward to seeing the next installments. I liked your batten lights. It reminds me of similar rigs that Roger Deakins, ASC uses. I was wondering could you post an article or video on how to rig up those batten lights? How much power do those lights draw?
Also I love the idea of how you use a lot of practicals in your lighting plan and was wondering if you could do a post or video that could go into more detail about your thought process in using practicals and how you light your sets.
Great stuff as always,
Shaun
Shaun, copy that. I will work on that. The lights take 8 amps in 4 ft and 20 amps in 8 ft. mode. The batten lights are very simple. Just go out and buy some plastic sockets from Home Depot, go grab some 65 watt R-30 Spot globes, screw one into the plastic socket and then screw another one into the socket, push the globes so that they touch and that is your spacing. Measure that and start wiring and screwing you sockets onto a 1 x 3 piece of wood. 12 lights go on a 4 ft. and 25 onto a 8ft. There you have it. Any other questions feel free to ask as always.
Shane as an aspiring Cinematographer, I would like to thank you for share your art and I can sense that you are a master at your craft. Hope to run into you sometimes in the future.
Cheers
Greetings from London
Raffaele, thank you so much for your kind words and support, and you are very welcome. I was almost in London for the convergence conference but my schedule did not work out. I hope to get over there soon.
Hi Shane,
Great, informative video. Thanks! I can see that you use quite a bit of DIY materials from Home Depot and other places. I did notice however that you’re using a load of professional grip equipment: c-stands, grips heads, diffusion frames, etc. Can you point us in the direction where one can make or find our own grip equipment on the cheap?
Thanks,
Micah Smith, Thank you so much. That is one thing you cannot really build is a c-stand and other grip equipment. But you can go online and find cheap grip equipment. Vendors are always updating there gear so they sell it off and good prices.
Thanks so much for the Behind The Scenes look at the last 3 minutes.
I love the synergy of the the still & video world merging. I’ve noticed that some of the printed Still Photography magazines still don’t know what to make of it. This month, one of the British film publications is treating the DSLR Movement much like IBM looked at the creation of the Mouse.
Digital Photo Pro has probably done the best job of covering this movement but still could do more. Although I love American Cinematographer, and I’ve been reading it for 50 years now, it’s focus is on the Mega Blockbusters. That’s not the world I’m living in.
By now, some reading my post are probably thinking printed publicans are SO OLD SCHOOL, and to a point, I agree. Please consider this, the more the DSLR Movement gains traction, the more equipment manufactures will jump on the band wagon with equipment and accessories that we need and at better prices. Case in point, Zeiss is now producing some film style Primes in the Canon mount. $5000 to $8000 price range, I think. Tremendous lenses, way cheaper than Primes in a PL mount. But why can’t Tokina or Sigma come out with a set of Primes for even less?
Greg Crawford, I want to clarify the Zeiss CP2 lenses. They are not cinema primes, they have not gone through the same tests and coatings and expertise as a Cooke or a Primo, or a Master prime. They are the exact same glass as the ZE Zeiss still primes that go for $1200.00 a lens and under. Same glass, different housing. I am not a big fan of them, but I do own 4 sets of the ZE’s. Which out perform the CP2’s in my tests at Panavision. I do agree that most of the Pro Photo magazined do not know what to do with this platform, hell I don’t think Canon had any idea what was coming.
Hey Shane, I dont know what to say anymore, this blog is just a true goldmine, thanks to you and your wife for taking time and having this awesome blog.
I have a couple of questions. Did you build that lamp you had high up at the parking lot yourself? can you tell us more about it?
do you know any cheaper alternative for the HD 2480 lighting monitor you are using? apple 23 ?
you mentioned ones that you measure the light temp with a color meter, is that to get the right WB on the camera?
thanks for your support!
jorn, thank you so much, I will pass this onto Lydia, she is the brains behind this whole blog thing. Did I think I would become a blogger 15 months ago. NO WAY!! But here I am loving all of your and your creative input. No that is a 1500 watt Metal Halide Sports FIxture. You can buy them at Grainger online. It costs about 350.00, it gives you the output of a 4K HMI par and plugs into a wall outlet. Now that is what I am talkin’ about. I have not found a cheaper monitor that delivers what the HP does, sorry. I use the color temp. metter to gauge my kelvin color temp for WB. But what I found now is that I use the short cut on the top of the camera WB. You push that and you are able to scroll through your different color temps and choose your look. You are welcome.
Hay Shane, you are top notch for responding to each person that leave a comment. Thanks for the encouragement after my previous comment.
The Canon L primes are really nice. On top of being an amateur filmmaker, I am a wedding photographer who loves to shoot primes, so I have most of them. I love the 24L and the 85L. I also have the 50L, and 135L.
Home Depot is great! I live right by the one in Marina Del Rey. I feel like I am always running there for one thing or another before a shoot.
Shane,
Once again, I’m blown away. The wealth of information you’ve crammed into a 9-minute clip is nothing short of amazing: from the lighting and lens choices; to the headlight gag; to the through-the-crystal shot (which I’d automatically assumed had been done in post — I knew it was simple trick … just not THAT simple); from the high-tech to the low-tech, you had me simply spellbound and hanging on every word … and wishing it would go on for another seven hours. :-)
Well done, sir, well done — really (I mean, REALLY) can’t wait for the next episodes.
Now … questions.
Aperture: you often speak of f5.6 being the 5D’s butter zone, yet there isn’t a shot above f3.5 in the Janitor sequence — and some as low as f1.4!
Was this to compensate for the fairly subdued lighting (looks like it was, anyway) or a strictly artistic choice? (Or both.) Whatever the case, it must have been a bitch for the focus-puller.
My Canon L lens (24-105mm) can only manage f4 … that DOF is wafer-thin — DO NOT MISS YOUR MARK!!
Pelican cases: with so many models and sizes to choose from, which work best for you?
In closing, I cannot emphasise enough what the discovery of this site and your top-notch work (saw Swing Vote, last week, by the way — beautiful) have meant to me: your relentless passion, enthusiasm, and generosity (with your time and knowledge) are truly, truly inspiring. Kudos, my friend.
I’m having a vision of Shane Hurlbut, ASC, 5D in hand, standing heroically atop a mountain of old film cans and massive, unwieldy cameras; with a large yellow ‘S’ emblazoned on the front of his shirt, and a flowing red cape trailing behind (ok, minus the blue tights) — can you feel it?
As always, sincere thanks for your time.
Have a great day.
Cheers!
Steve K, WOW!! Thank you for those amazingly kind words and support. I am so glad you liked it. I wanted to put something out there where people would actually learn something. Not a look at me, look at me. Educate and inspire at a personal, intimate level is what we are all about at Hurlbut Visuals.
Now here is the focus thing. The reason I was at an f-stop lower than a 5.6 was that the actors were hardly moving. Capturing action is where you need that higher f-stop so that your focus puller has a chance in hell. My CU’s were done with a Macro and I wanted it to feel like the world was caving along with William, so I used the shallow depth of field to assist the story. But with these specific actions, William did not move much. When we got into the rest of the piece I was at a 5.6 most of the time. I really wanted to see how well the Canon glass responded wide open, and it kicked ass. The 24-105mm Zoom does have a weird focus and the f-stop changes when zooming in.
Pelican cases, go for the 1560 with organizers and dividers along with a 1560 lid organizer. I use the Pelican 914 cases for all of my CF cards too. OK Steve, I think you have gone too far with the Yellow S and the cape, but I love it. Don’t get me wrong, I love film and the reason my work looks the way it does is because of my years of experience exposing it, pushing the envelope, trying different processes and going with my eye. Now I am onto another leg of my career and I feel like I am 5 years old all over again, wet behind the ears and loving everyday. Thanks again for your undying support while I crack this HDSLR egg.
Shane,
Going too far is just my thing — blame it on 25 years as a Rock n’ Roll musician. :-)
But, seriously folks, I’m glad you enjoyed the visual: it seemed only too obvious, what with your pioneering efforts in pushing this groundbreaking camera into the spotlight, that you should be depicted as a triumphant superhero, towering over the wreckage of the old technology.
… and sorry about the yellow ‘S’: Superman’s is RED! (Must have been thinking of the one on his back — that’ll teach me to write at 3 AM.)
Don’t get me wrong, either: I also love film (grew up with it, it’s in my DNA), but, as you’ve voiced many times, what with the current ecological state, we have no choice but to embrace green technology and do away with the old.
And, as someone who is re-learning the craft (more on that in a bit), with minimal resources and budget, what other choice do I have? It’s digital or bust.
That said, while some of the new films being released look painfully digital (I won’t name names), I can envision a day when you won’t be able to tell the two platforms apart — I believe it’s just over the horizon, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. (**Can’t wait to see Act of Valor**)
Q&A
• Aperture/Focus:
Thank you for illuminating (no pun intended) the issue — I especially like how, as you say, you wanted it to feel like the world was caving in. Very effective.
So, for movement, cut your focus-puller some slack and shoot around f5.6. Otherwise, go with what looks best for the scene. Check.
•Pelican cases:
Check. And thank you.
Finally, a little bit of context: in 1977, I saw STAR WARS for the first time, which completely changed my life. From the age of 10, I dreamed of nothing but filmmaking, and, armed with a Bell & Howell Super-8 camera, set out to produce my own grand epic. (That never happened, but anyway …)
Then, at the impressionable age of 15, I fell to the lure of Rock n’ Roll, bought a bass guitar, retired my Super-8, and never looked back.
(Flash forward a quarter-century.)
After years of performing, (some) recording, and touring, I suddenly awoke and realised that I simply didn’t want to do this anymore — I wanted to make movies! (Took me long enough, yeah?)
(Flash forward another 18 months)
In January, I got my hands on a 5D (after experimenting with Canon and Panasonic camcorders), discovered Hurlbut Visuals, and have been an on exciting journey of rediscovery ever since — with you as the captain.
Just thought I’d share that, to give you a better understanding of where all this enthusiasm is coming from. Like you, I’m a kid having just found a new toy, and every day feels like a grand adventure. It’s SO-O-O-O-O-O cool!
Thanks for your time and for putting up with my rambling.
Till next time, keep doing what you’re doing (please!); I’ll be right here, taking it all in.
Have a super(hero) day.
Steve
Shane,
For the card carriers, did you mean the 940?
Pelican lists the 910 for SD, and the 940 for CF. (I realise they may have simply updated the product line.)
Thanks.
Cheers!
No, you are right, sorry typo while in flight. 940 is correct. You are welcome.
S
Thank you, Shane.
Cheers!
Shane, I have a query as an amateur being inspired by your blog, work and ideas, it’s about the 100mm macro, excuse my lack of knowledge but does the macro part come into play with the shots in the janitor, I assume the 100mm choice is to flatten the depth some but how does the macro part affect the shot?
diffid, The 100mm Macro is just the lens that Canon makes that rocks. The macro qualities of the lens was not used, just the focal length that I love.
Hello Shane,
I saw the short “The Last three minutes” and I’d like to know some informations about your work with the Canon 7D.
What kind of picture profile did you use ? Superflat or Neutral with less contrast, sharpness, saturation ?
What kind of color correction did you do ?
Thanks :)
Guillaume
Guillaume, I only used the 7D in one shot, which was the shot in the old truck watching the migrant farmers pass by. That was it. All the rest was the 5D with picture style neutral, contrast -4, saturation -2. The color correction was very minimal but I did it on a Speedgrade DI color corrector.
Dude, you are blowing my mind with your dedication to teaching… exploring…
I’m a total beginner. So, I’ve set reasonable goals for myself, knowing there’s only so much a guy can do with a camera, an internet connection, and couple of thousand bucks.
Well, I just wanted to say thanks for taking me beyond what I thought could be possible.
OK, thank you a lot Shane. You didn’t change the sharpness and stayed on 0 ?
Guillaume, Correct
Shane –
First, thank you so much for being so giving of your time and talent. The information you’re sharing is invaluable.
I have a question (or two) about the external monitor you’re using. It appears to be just a regular HP flatscreen computer monitor, am I correct? I used a 7″ Marshall monitor on my recent shoot and would like to use something bigger next time around.
Do you have any suggestions as far as optimal specs for an external monitor? Would a consumer LCD TV work just as well or better? (I’ve been told that it will, as long as it has a 120-hertz refresh rate.) And are you just using the HDMI out from the camera directly to your monitor?
I’ve been looking at the high-end Panasonic monitor, but its $3000 price tag is a little high for me. When I saw you using the HP monitor, I was pleasantly surprised and would like to incorporate something similar to my next shoot.
Thanks again!
Eric Haywood, you are very welcome and thank you for your kind words and support. The HD monitor is an LCD HP computer monitor. It is a 2480 ZX Dream color monitor. It is amazing in the field and holds its calibration up to 9 months. HDMI straight out of the camera is what I light to, then disconnect. The Panasonic sucks and has to be constantly calibrated.
hey Shane, the 5D is truly producing nice skin tones. the question I have is regarding makeup, in your opinion is there a reason for having it? is it only to make actors look better or is there a technical aspect like light refections on face etc?
the reason I ask is because I would like to minimize my team to the essential on my next project.
thanks
Jorn
jorn, A good makeup artist is worth their weight in gold. Some days your actor forgets to shave or comes in after a hard night; you never know what the world will throw at you. But it depends on your piece. Ours was a period piece so the makeup was very important to stay period. I would have to hear more about your project to help you fully.
thanks shane, my piece is not a period piece it’s an action movie. I want to be very close to reality almost like a documentary with the movie.
jorn, I would get someone that is looking for the experience and keep him or her in your back pocket. Keep it real, but that requires, sweat, blood, bruises, etc.
Shane – Just wanted to say thank you for posting this information. I loved the Last 3 Minutes and as the owner of a new Canon 7D, this helps me so much. I love how you broke down each shot with the lens and f stop information, thank you again. Totally geeking out at this point so I’ll stop.
Chris, you are so very welcome and I am so glad you have a 7D in hand to create. I am glad you liked that. My editor Vashi thought it would be a good idea to be able to articulate what I was trying to do with my lens choices and my f-stops. I thought it was brilliant. I love Vashi, he kicks ass. Geek away!!
Shane,
There are lenses and there are lenses. Specify “L Series “ lenses, where there is a choice between a “regular” consumer lens and an L Series lens in the same focal length would it be a safe bet to say an L Series lens was used? Looking at the F-stops listed in the overlays I do not see them dipping into the L glasses range so maybe they were not?
Bill
Bill, I only use L series Canon glass, anything else does not resolve well. I also stay away from the wide L Series. The 14,15 fisheye and the 24mm L series are dicey. I try to stay at a 35mm and up. The wider glass I use the Zeiss ZE primes.
Shane,
Thank you for the reply, when using the Ziess ZE primes which adapter have you found to work best?
Bill
Bill, With the ZE’s you do not need an adapter they have a EOS Canon mount on them, only with the ZF Zeiss lenses.
That makes it it easy, I’m learning! I have been shooting with Canon still cameras since th early 70’s (my first eas an FTb)Stayed with Canon with the XL2 and now going into HD it feels like I am coming home!
I am going for the 5D do you think that is the proper choice? Should I consider the 7D some more?
Thank you,
Bill
Bill, I would go with the 5D, that baby is the king of the hill. Bigger sensor, more filmic.
Shane,
Thank you once again. My thinking exactly, I know several people who have bought the 7D how well do the cameras match.
In film, you buy your film at a rated ASA/ISO for the conditions of your shoot. In a digital camera, you set the ASA/ISO to the sensitivity you require (the lowest I can get away with.) How does this work when shooting in movie mode? Can you set the sensitivity of the sensor in movie mode, at what ASA/ISO do you set it, and when do you change it?
Bill
Bill, these are the ISO that are the cleanest regarding digital noise. 160, 320, 640, 1250 and 1600. Day Ext. I would use 160 ISO. Day Int. 320 ISO, Night Int. 640, 1250 ISO. Night Ext. 640, 1250 and 1600.
Well I pulled the trigger on a 5D cannot wait until it arrives next week. I will have to learn on my (cringe) EF lenses until I can afford better glass. I can borrow L glass if I need to. :)
CF cards what is good what is not and how fast a card do you really need? Specs say read/write at least 8MB/sec do you really need lighting fast media?
Thanks,
Bill
Bill, Your CF cards have to be UDMA and at least 45mb/sec. I use the SanDisk Extreme which are 60mb/sec. Your welcome
Shane if you had to choose one lenes to start off with which one would it be? Bill
Bill, Probably the 50mm Canon L Series USM II 1.2
Shane,
Thank you for all your help, I have crawling all over this site and between the videos, blog and Q&A have learned more here than anywhere else about shooting with the 5D. In many ways, it reaffirms what I have already learned even still the learning curve of using a new camera will be much shorter because of you and this site.
Thanks again,
Bill
Bill, I want to thank you so much for those kind words and that is exactly the reason why I do what I do. When I get amazing colleagues like yourself helping push this revolution. It is a testament to what my beautiful wife and co-founder of Hurlbut Visuals set out to create. I hope to see you at the Bootcamp.
Shane,
How good/bad is older Canon FD glass when used with the 5D?
Thanks,
Bill
Bill, It sucks, you have to use an adapter that has a piece of glass in it. It is very soft.
Shane,
Went to my first shoot with the 5D, I was to shoot B-Roll for a Music video. Thanks to your help, I looked like I knew what I was doing and after the first set-up, I was moved to principal photographer. I shot the rest of the day as main camera. Without this site I would have floundered around looking for the answers instead of knowing what to do. THANK YOU SHANE you are da man! Lydia is the bomb as well thank you for all your help as well.
Bill
Bill, Wow, that is great. I am so glad all the time and effort that Lydia and I our putting into this site is helpful. That is our motto. To educate and inspire one filmmaker at a time and you are the perfect example of this concept working. Thank you for kicking ass out there and keeping this revolution alive. I would love to see you at the bootcamp. Do you have plans?
Let us speak of Memory Card workflow.
Card is full or it is a good time to get a new one.
It goes to the Media manager they…
Copy it to multiple hard drives (Hopefully)
Then what? Do they erase the card return it to the camera to be re-formatted? How often should you re-format? Should/can the card be formatted in the computer? Inquiring minds haven’t a clue what to do!:)
Thank you,
Bill
Oopsie, found the answer on another blog!
Shane…I cannot begin to say how inspiring you’re site and what a breath of fresh air!. I have been shooting on the 5D
since Nov 2009 and learned lots! but this site is so comprehensive and you’re decision to go through the Janitor sequence and show the T-Stops and lenses was worth its weight in gold.
I am extremely interested in Noise on the 5D (comes from battling a Z1 for two years!) can you explain why the ISO figures you listed are cleaner than a setting only a few clicks up the dial?
Hi Marc, If you sign up for the Inside Track newsletter and go to archived newsletters. I do a whole break down on the noise at all the different ISO’s on all of the Canon cameras. Check it out. It demonstrates it better than I can describe. Thank you so much for your awesome comments. I love what I do and my passion is what drives me as a filmmaker.
Hi Shane, great film really inspiring for an aspiring film maker like myself! I really love the ECU of the janitors eyes shot on the 100mm macro at f3.5 I was just wondering would it be possible to replicate this shot with a long lens as well i fyou dont have the budget for both? Would using a longer lens get you the same result? Thanks for you time
Joe Miller, yes to some extent. But you won’t have the intimate feel that you get being in there so close and personal.
Hello Shane,
I was wondering, you know how the 5D has such limited depth of field at low apertures.
What’s your general approach to deal with these limitation? nothing worse than a soft shot.
Thanks
Francisco
Francisco Bulgarelli, The 5D’s sensor is over 2X as large as the 7D, so that image area reduces your depth of field. I try to stay around a 2.8 to a 5.6. Never dipping below this unless it is a lock off shot or a macro shot that you are looking for this shallow depth of field look. I have focus puller’s that make me shine bright with this.
Shane,
How do you mount the hp monitor to the top of the Pelican case?
Brilliant,,,,,,, Beautiful
Kashif, thank you so much for your kind words.
Wow… I watched that at least 3 times in a row because there was so much information packed into this about your thought process (and state of mind). Thank you so much for being so generous and sharing so much! Beautiful results!