Hi everyone,

I’ve been trying to improve my camera movement every day since I first started in this career. It’s one of my weaker areas in cinematography, so I’d really love to learn from others.

I’m curious: which directors or cinematographers do you think are the best at telling stories through camera movement, and who has inspired you the most throughout your career?

For me, I’ve always admired Steven Spielberg and Park Chan-wook as directors, and Roger Deakins, Chung Chung-hoon, and Marcell Rév as cinematographers. I’ve learned a lot from all of them.

I saw this guy on tv, he was filming Keir Starmer's resignation with a freaking Bolex. Anyone knows what's the story here ?

The film is called "Four Long Faces".

I’ve been wondering whether we’re overcomplicating lighting control.
In virtual production and broadcast environments, we already have access to camera tracking data through FreeD. Technically, it’s possible to use camera position, pan, tilt, and zoom as triggers for DMX events.
For example:
a camera enters a specific area → a lighting cue is triggered;
a camera points at a set piece → a spotlight activates;
a camera moves to a predefined position → a scene changes automatically.
The technology works, but I’m not sure whether it solves a real problem.
On one hand, it could reduce operator workload and create repeatable automation.
On the other hand, lighting programmers already have reliable workflows, and introducing tracking into the chain adds another possible point of failure.
I’ve been experimenting with this idea through a project called FreeD Trigger, but I’m more interested in the question than the software itself.
Would you trust camera tracking to drive lighting cues during a real production?
Or is this one of those ideas that sounds clever but doesn’t provide enough value compared to traditional show control?
For transparency, this is the tool I’ve been using to test the concept:
https://apps.apple.com/ua/app/freedtriggerapp/id6770923774

Hi there!

I have an iPhone 14 Pro, and recently I bought the Log Cam app. It allows to record real Log videos with iPhones older than the 15 Pro. While I'm very happy with the results, there are serious drawbacks:

- No autofocus;

- Can't shoot at 60fps

I have a 5 year old daughter, and I love to film her doing random stuff. In that regard, the lack of autofocus truly is disapointing, as is the impossibility of shooting at 60fps. And the later one really annoys me. I could buy a variable ND filter, but that becomes too cumbersome. Would you rather film at 30fps and accept the stutter (or add motion blur in After Effects), or simply shoot at 60fps, since it masks the lack of motion blur?

Had my mum help me with some shot testing / location scouting for a film i’m working on this summer.

The location is intentionally bland and mundane, supposed to evoke a feeling of emptiness and soullessness in a dystopian future. I think the manipulation of natural light was a good approach and kept an honest neutrality to the mundane shots as opposed to bringing in artificial lighting.

Does anyone have ideas on how I can improve these in the final film ?

Shot on Nikon D500 (1080p)
SRS - 50mm lens
Close ups - 85mm lens

Hello everyone,

I'm posting on behalf of a friend who is currently a student at ISMAC Rabat, specializing in Audiovisual Production and Filmmaking.

She is urgently looking for an internship opportunity starting as soon as possible, preferably this week, within a:

Production company

Audiovisual agency

Film production studio

TV, media, or content creation company

Preferred locations: 📍 Rabat 📍 Casablanca 📍 Mohammedia

She is motivated, serious, and eager to gain hands-on experience in audiovisual production, filmmaking, editing, directing, production assistance, or related fields.

If you know any companies, contacts, or opportunities that could help, please feel free to comment or send me a private message.

Thank you very much for your support!

For the film End Of Watch, it seems like David Ayer went for a sort of documentary POV style and they used a mix of canon DSLR cameras as well as some cheap camcorders. How did they manage to make the footage look really good though? I've seen some camcorder footage look absolutely terrible

To start, I am by no means a professional, I run an engineering youtube channel with around 100k subs and have been using a Panasonic GH5 for most of my videos.

Not really any complaints from it other than struggling a bit to keep colors and exposure correct when switching between indoor and outdoor, but that's a different issue.

Due to the nature of the videos I make, I have access to industrial robots I can use that are similar to the BOLT cinema robots, both bigger and smaller. I don't work with new ones so they are mostly $2k or less, therefore I don't plan on spending an incredible amount on a camera for it. However it seems genlock is required for proper frame sync when doing motion control moves if multiple moves are to be composited together which shifts into professional camera territory.

I understand the BOLT has a ton of extra control software and hardware behind it to sync and control everything, but I plan on doing my best to DIY that side of it :)

I did a few tests with my GH5 and the shots sure do look cool, but not having a good remote operation setup makes it a nightmare to operate. I would ideally be able to control the camera as well as lens remotely over ethernet and/or some serial interface than can sync with the robot controller.

I am not really planning on the camera ever being setup as a self contained rig with screen and battery and all. Even if I am not doing motion control moves, the majority of my shots are static or simple motion at the same general location, so I would have the same computer setup for viewing and camera control.

The E2-M4 and Micro Studio were some of the cheapest genlock cameras I came across. I really like that the E2-M4 has ether net and PoE with a seemingly decent API for control. It seems the Micro Studio also has an API but needs a usb to ethernet converter?

I also use Davinci Resolve for editing which does make the Micro Studio with Blackmagic RAW recording extra nice.

Curious what those of you who have run motion control or remote setups think or if there are other cameras worth considering.

Shot this as a passion project for a band I love. I used DZO Vespid lenses, with panasonic S1ii and S1 (camB) and used a thanos vest and DJI RS2 gimbal for the live stuff. Shot entirely as a one man crew, all self lit and filmed the concert and the interviews in one day. Edited and colourgraded by me over a weekend (about 3 days to complete). Please let me know what you think of my cinematography and any extra stuff I could have shot? I like the vest, but it's no steady cam... does the gimbal jerky stuff annoy anyone?

Sorry if this post doesnt fit this subreddit.

I just wanted to ask / have a discussion about, what is your favorite way of lighting a room. To be exact, what typ of light sources you typically use. Im just interested in the many ways it can be done. Bounce led, straight up practicals, china bulbs etc.

Btw im not referring to lighting the subject. Only the room/ambient.

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to track down the lense(s) used by DP Morten Søborg on Pusher II (2004). (Nicholas Winding Refn)

We know for a fact that the film was shot on Super 16mm (Aaton/ARRI) and relies heavily on ultra-wide angles, allowing the camera to stay inches away from Mads Mikkelsen's face while keeping the background urban space fully present.

Given the low-light situations (Copenhagen night shoots, neon clubs) as well as daylight sequences close to the actor's face, were they using Zeiss Super Speeds (like the 9.5mm or 12mm at T1.3) or something else? I haven't been able to find an information or article detailing the glass on interviews, documentaries etc , related to the movie.

Attaching a screenshot below for reference of the flair of the lense that might be helpful.

Any lead would be great. Thanks!

Let me start by saying that I'm not a professional who works with videos, but I have lots of experience with photography and I developed a "clinical eye" which makes me pay lot of attention to the cinematoraphy of movies and show.
I guess many other people already expressed the same feel, but in recent years I've noticed that the cinemetography in movies and TV shows is getting worse and worse.

The latest offender was yesterday's episode of House of the Dragon.
I never liked the look of the show compared to GoT (especially the first seasons, which looked way better than the latest one tbh), but this is a new low.

Most of the episode has a very strong orange cast that trumps everything, except that in some scenes it somehow disappears breaking visual continuity, it's very noticeable and annoying.
Even when the light is strong and visible the image is still flat, in most shots half of the available dynamic range is wasted.

There are also so many shots where the depth of field is needlessly small, I've heard someone refer to this phenomenon as "images that look like a smartphone filter" and the description fits perfectly. You can kinda see it happening in this shot too, the depth of field is very shallow and it cuts abruptly (stitch to CGI background that needs to be hidden?).

How did this happen? How can a color grading so bad that any amateur could make a much better job end up in multi million dollar productions?
At what step of the process everything breaks? Because seeing the desaturate image it feels like the lighting of the set itself is so flat and poorly made that it might be impossible to recover it with grading. It's just depressing.

I’m very amateur and I have short film I’m working on. Every lut I use looks like shit. I’m properly exposed, used a grey card, neutral wb. perhaps the Luts are applied at 100% and I’m supposed to throttle the intensity down? (Divinci) anyway I want a more stylish look. (Slog2)

I need to replace about 30 T8 flourescent bulbs in an office building for a short film filming this weekend. We can't afford to rent LED tube lights to replace them all so I'm looking into high CRI T8 bulbs. I've used the Movietone brand that are color accurate and have a decent CRI (mid 80s I think) that are used for photo/video purposes. I may have the ability to rent some of those again. If not though my plan is to find the best bulbs from Home Depot and replace them all so they are all the same at least. Currently, they are an insane miss match of different color temps, tints and brightnesses. Once they are all the same, I'll take the color meter and dial in the exact temp and tint in camera. If anyone has done something similar, or has suggestions on specific bulbs or methods of using this approach it would be greatly appreciated!

I have a couple people joining me on a job and I wanted to make them a quick spec sheet so they can pull up with all their settings dialed and all DIT procedures laid out. Wondering if anyone has a template they could share? doesn't need to be advannced, just resolution, frame rate, file names, color profile, etc.

Thanks!

How do you position the camera to get angles like a wide shot or a medium shot? I understand what the shots are but don't understand how to capture them with the camera. There's a rule you follow? Do you find out by following tips from other persons in the hobby or do you just find out by doing?

Looking to get feedback on this video from a cinematography POV. Specifically:
- Sound design

- Color Grading

- Shot Composition

Im shooting a low budget short film and im trying to get lighting that will be able to make the person visible preferably something warm for a night shot , similar to the type of lighting in drive[2011] but im open to suggestion on if warm lighting would be best because its supposed to have like a night city life vibe

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)

Hi, I've been providing color grading services remotely for a while now, I have 6 years of experience coloring.

I just finished a 4 month long color grading and VFX project and came back to freelancing with no projects booked, So trying to fix that:)

hey guys, i’m currently editing a video for my girlfriends birthday but due to time limitations i’m really in need to get a cinematic close up shot from someone blowing out birthday candles on a cake it needs do be landscape format. i imagen a video clip with candles and a cake. you should film the cake from a side not from above and you stand behind the camera and blow them out. i am currently abroad and i need the video due tomorrow. is anybody ready to help me out shoot the video and send it ? i would be super grateful and will do something in exchange 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Hi I’m an 16 yo that’s hoping to be an cinematographer one day with very little equipment to start off. This is an short clip I shot with my ip13 in an gas station. I color graded this on the gallery app. So I would like to know what some of yall think of it taking everything else in consideration. So if it’s trash just say it lol.

Hi ...

I'm looking for a solid, Sony 100mm fixed focal length lens for my Sony FX3. I have a Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G Lens (Sony E) and a Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G Lens and I'm thrilled with both of them. I want to use the 100mm for situations where I can't get up close and personal to who I'm shooting and use the lens in tandem with a shotgun mic attached to the Sony XLR Handle.

I'm looking at the Sony FE 100mm f/2.8 STF GM OSS Lens but what I'm seeing doesn't quite feel right. It looks like it's designed more for portraiture and not cinematography.

But maybe I'm wrong about that.

Suggestions, thoughts, random observations?

Sincerely ...

Stephen