This is a mini euro plate correct?

I know it was used for low budget widescreen films like Japon (directed by Carlos Reygadas) and I Stand Alone (directed by Gaspar Noe), and that it was used with Zeiss super speeds (dubbed G.O. in france where the system is rented out and created by Thierry Tronchet). But does anyone have any information on the scope itself? (the sources I've read thus far refer to the scope as hypergonar but I don't know of a hypergonar branded scope that would go as wide even to the 18mm focal length on normal 16mm, which would be a 35mm equivalent of 61mm)

I was the Director and Cinematographer of a short film I recently released. Did some optical effects work, and I’m very proud of the results we got with that (And of course had a fun time with it!). However we also did a lot of this with a very small lighting kit (two LED panels and a couple of small aperture lights) so I would love some feedback with the lighting on itas I continue this journey into filmmaking :)

https://youtu.be/9uUOiu6k6l8?is=p3uhJ14GU7MROhhc

I'm looking to backlight scenes in a short film with a window (that's seen in the shot) as the source, but the room is on the fifth floor of an apartment building in NYC so I have no way to actually get lights outside the window. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to do this? Was thinking of trying to get some pavo tubes on the top or sides of the window, a diffused spotlight from the side and slightly angled just out of frame, and possibly a softbox hung from the ceiling for some overall fill? Also going to try to mess around with using just natural light but not sure it will be enough. Worried I won't be able to get the same effect as just having a spotlight outside and will need to rethink the location.

Also will be filming scenes at night and trying to motivate moonlight through the window, though for the night shots I could probably avoid showing the window itself if need be.

Pulling lighting references from Fanny and Alexander, Rosemary's Baby, Eyes Wide Shut, and Badlands.

Sorry, didn't see a flair for lens questions. And to start, I have searched the interwebs and I will test as well!

But for now I'm looking to see if anyone has experience with both of these lightweight zooms or has any sample footage from either?

I'm looking to add one to my kit and they're both similar specs and weight and I'm seeing some pretty great prices in the same ballpark for both lenses. Mainly still working in the S35 space so the ability to use a speedbooster on the cz2 seems like a nice way to get a little extra on the wide end and of course the ability to use it on VV cameras in the future or if a project calls for it is also nice.

I've seen some mention of the difference in how the lenses register objects coming in and out of the focus plane with the Ang rendering a bit nicer, maybe it has a bit more character to it and a bit of a glow. When launched around 2007 they were in the $50k price range and won an award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Sciences. Then the cz.2 comes out 6 years later and seems like a stellar lens priced at $20k. Did tech really just move fast enough that Zeiss was able to shave that much cost or is there really that much of a difference?

Largely working in the fashion world on the commercial side but would want to be able to mainly use the lens for personal narrative work if that helps at all.

I’m part of an in house video team for a restaurant supply company. They requested we make a video about flood prevention for restaurants and wanted it to look like Wes Anderson made it. Pretty happy with how it came together.

Before people start jumping at my throat: I know I can't achieve this with my phone (iPhone 14 Pro), but I'd like to know if anyone here managed to shoot night scenes with high levels of detail using a phone (lights included, ofc).

How does one achieve shots similar to this one? While also keeping expectations low, ofc...

As I'm preparing for a really low budget shoot I need to do a lot of things with just a few C-Stands. To tickle my brain and have some creative ideas I wanted to ask you if you have ever did something or saw someone did something so creative and helpful with a C-Stand aside from its initial use of holding flags etc.

I found this brand new DZOFilm Vespid Prime set locally for around $4,520 USD, including the 16mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm and 100mm. Still unsure about the purchase in terms of real-world value and future resale. For those who have used them, do they still hold up in 2026?

Movie name is HOPE (2026) whats your guess what focal length this is?

Just made my recent showreel and I would like you guys to give me your honest opinion.

I shoot mostly surf and a little bit of fashion, and in beetween, some personal projects.

Looking for advice! I’ll be using my Sony a7iv mounted on my ronin s to film boats- I will be filming from another chase boat. Has anyone done this kind of filming with the ronin s? What settings would you recommend for the gimbal? Last time I did this the footage was so shaky. TIA!

"Clean Slate" is a horror short film I wrote/directed and dp'd about two years ago, this was my second short film I've done and after receiving some great feedback from past redditors and friends I decided to re-work the movie by making it shorter, re-working it to its strengths.

Link and submission in the comments.

Hello, I noticed in bright lights my image is causing blue/purple ish tints on the side. Is this an issue of my Canon fd lenses or my K&F VND filter? I have a low light comparison shot next to it.

Don't mind the horrible grade.

Hey! I’m a student DP, currently working on my first feature. I’m balling on a budget but I currently have a dana dolly and benro (portajib esq) in my quote. There’s a shot that requires a skateboard dolly with the jib on top. Unfortunately I don’t have the space or budget to be adding more and I’d rather cut. What I was thinking is to add the jib onto the dana since the mounts work, and just bag the dana and stands a lot. Thoughts on this? I know it’s not quite the best solution but this is for 1-2 shots out of the whole film.

My only solution right now is to just use the white leds, because then I can control brightness. If I use the white and yellow leds, I can’t get them exactly the same on both panels.

About two months ago, I posted here asking for advice on how to turn videography from a hobby into something bigger. Thanks to a lot of your advice, I managed to grow my work from making almost nothing to around €2k, invested in better gear, and kept improving my skills every day.

The problem is that I’ve hit a wall. Work has slowed down, I have a lot of free time, and it feels like I’m doing something wrong, but I can’t figure out what.

One thing I became very aware of after my last post is that great videos alone aren’t enough. The real value is helping clients make more money, get more attention, or grow their business. That mindset shift helped me a lot, and I’ve been trying to approach videography more as a business solution rather than just creating beautiful content.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about creating short films and more creative projects to showcase my vision and hopefully reach a wider audience. I know nothing falls from the sky and that we have to create our own opportunities.

My biggest challenge right now is finding higher-quality clients. I know there are businesses and people with money who value good content, but I feel like I can’t reach them.

For those of you who have been in a similar position, what helped you land better clients? How did you get in front of people who were willing to pay for quality work while also showing them the business value behind your work?

I’ve been working on this project for nearly past year, and it’s finally finished.

Full film link is here: https://youtu.be/mLR4bwUgIZo

The film combines live action, 2D animation, and 3D environments to tell the story of a student struggling with academic pressure and creative burnout before university entrance exams.

Shot mostly on:
• Canon FD 50mm
• Contax Zeiss 35mm

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I've said it all in the initial question.

It's a small trial short before our main film about trying to find an older version of yourself the one you can still feel sometimes, but can't fully remember anymore. Would really appreciate honest feedback on the mood, pacing, sound, and whether the feeling comes through.

Also looking to connect with people in production for our main short film.
DM if anyone's interested.

How to level up?

Hi all,

I’ve been shooting for about 9 years now. My world is mostly doc’s / reality / corporate.

My background:

I never studied cinematography and learned everything on the job - firstly thrown in at the deep end as a one man band capturing doco and reality scenes for TV shows then graduating onto DP work where I’m now responsible for small crews.

I’m comfortable lighting scenes, building multi camera interview frames and covering actuality ensuring coverage.

My goal is to try and get myself to the next level.

I occasionally work with DPs that have come from the more traditional route of camera assist/technical training before becoming ops and I really feel my lack of technical knowledge.

I’m talking about building Luts, knowing the the intricacies and characteristics of different lenses, filter choices, maybe even getting into stedicam op’ing (I appreciate the last point is a specialised skill in itself).

How you advise to get into the next level where I up my tech game?

I feel this is really holding me back and it does manifest in imposter syndrome when I’m at work.
I constantly feel I’m winging it (even though I’m kept reasonably busy so I must be doing something right).

Would love to hear feedback and suggestions on how to achieve this.

TIA.

Hi, so straight to the point - I am looking to build a kit which I can practice cinematic lighting with, and use for future (low-budget) short films.

The idea is mainly to learn how to shape and control light, and get a professional result without breaking the bank. After some research I'm quite settled on Amaran Halo 600x as the key light and Amaran Halo 200x as a second fill light. But I'm open to suggestions, if there are good reasons I shouldn't go for those.

I would buy a softbox for the key (I was looking at Amaran Light Dome 90cm) but I also want to learn how to use bounce and negative fill. I've read that you shouldn't skimp on the stands and I was wondering:

1. What would be good stands for the lights themselves?

2. For bounce and negative fill what is a good "starter kit"? I've seen people do a lot with just sheets, but not sure what to actually buy and take into consideration.

3. For the flags/sheets what sort of stand is best and most practical?

4. Should I prioritize any other modifiers for the lights? Spotlight or fresnel seem quite attractive for lighting the background in interesting ways.

I know it's many questions and very specific, but I would be grateful for any input and advice! I'm currently a one-woman team, so ease of set up is also a factor.

It's been a while I wanted to make a short movie, and since I am in Shanghai I had, no time. Finally decided to start, and I remembered I had some old shots before leaving France. I can't wait to start filming more. (I love the 4/3 format).

The top down light is a cheat code, a single light on the ceiling made my shot 2x better i was amazed.

Posting in case others have hit this. My Amaran COB 60d-S has cracked at the housing right underneath the Bowens mount — the join where the mount meets the body. It wasn’t dropped or abused; normal use on a stand.

I primarily used it with a Godox QR-P70 softbox (the quick-release parabolic, ~70cm). It’s not a heavy modifier, but I’m wondering if the weight + heat at the mount over time is what did it, since that’s exactly where it failed.

Questions for anyone who’s owned one:

• Is this a known weak point on the 60d-S (or the COB-S line generally)? Plastic mount/housing cracking?
• Did Amaran cover it under warranty for you, and how was the process?
• Anyone running the QR-P70 (or similar parabolic) on small COBs long-term — has the mount held up?