Kevin Smith Interviews the Director and Star of “The Key” 5/9/11
by Rich on May.08, 2011, under Crooked News
Kevin Smith, probably best known as “Silent Bob,” and filmmaker/radio host interviewed director Jim Blumetti and star Gabrielle Blumetti this past Monday about our film “The Key.” The broadcast took place on Smith’s podcast/internet radio show site Smodcast. Please listen in here:
Kevin Smith interviews Jim and Gabrielle Blumetti about “The Key” by richard-allen-crook
I was lucky enough to be Cinematographer/Editor on this. What a fantastic experience working on this beautiful film! Jim and I are slated to work on another short film set to shoot this summer. Can’t wait!
Grab a cup of joe and take a listen.
Philip Bloom Compares 5DMKII, FS100, AF100, and F3
by Rich on May.05, 2011, under Gear
When I was at NAB…the highlight of the convention was looking at my next possible camera. (And dinner at AquaKnox in the Venetian…but I’ll save that for another blog post) What I found out is that I am crazy about the new FS100 and was glad to see something that (finally!) came out that has the following points which are most important to me for my next kit camera:
- Exceeds the image quality of the 5dMkII, in terms of dynamic range, resolution, and low-light. (The AF100 does not exceed the 5d in any of these points…took me 45 seconds at NAB to see this)
- Was relatively affordable compared to DSLRs. (The F3 is 13-18k…whoa)
- Was small like a DSLR. (No other camera is small!)
- Returned features to a camera that I have had to work-around in the past 1.5 years while using my 5dMkII.
I also couldn’t tell much difference between the FS100 and F3 while playing with them at NAB, shooting their mock location set and playing with the settings…which even further solidified my FS100 crush. But I still wondered…why is the F3 about 3 times the cost of the FS100? I mean the images are similar…they use the exact same imaging sensor…why would anyone want to shell out the additional $$ for the F3 for cryin out loud? Even the preview I saw of the Zacuto Shootout (to be released in June) didn’t answer that or have comparisons for me as the FS100 wasn’t around when they shot this.
Well, Philip Bloom released a comparison video shoot that FINALLY shows these cameras in a REAL WORLD comparison. No charts and graphs, thank God. I mean, if I went off charts and graphs only, I would have dropped my 5d off a high cliff somewhere in the Nevada desert. So here’s the video:
AF100 vs F3 vs FS100 Part 1: The Real World from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
I had a little trouble comparing the footage because they’re so far apart in the timeline and it was hard to scroll the Vimeo player back and forth to switch from one cam to another. So I’ve taken the liberty of taking screenshots of the comparisons of all four cameras for you to download and compare yourselves. Keep in mind these are grabs from the 720p video as Philip didn’t create it in a 1080p project. I don’t really know why…but I still think you can tell the differences quite well.
So you wanna hear my take? Too bad…here it is anyway! 
- It is clear the SONY F3 has a superior image. Finally a video comparison that shows what 15k can buy. It is NOT just like the FS100. The detail is much clearer, and the dynamic range seems optimized and very…dare I say…filmic. Check out the camera’s zoomed in shot under the bridge. You can see the detail in the waves…the other cameras show not detail whatsoever. The dynamic range is impressive…barely blows out any highlights while maintaining shadow detail. This is also the only camera the offers an S-LOG option for maximum latitude in post for color grading. The only problem is price. For this camera, PL lenses,
- The SONY FS100 seems to be the best bank for your buck. Clearly has more detail than the 5dMkII, can maintain shadow detail and not blow out highlights better than the AF100, and just has a nice sharp image without having that video-ey fake sharpness look.
- The 5dMkII has fantastic dynamic range but sadly lacking in detail. I know Philip shoots with sharpness all the way down…which to me seems to blur the image and mess with the compression. I found in my tests that a setting of 2 is the camera’s sweet spot. But I STILL don’t think it would look as sharp at the FS100 and F3. This camera however will remain in my kit. I still think it has alot to offer…mainly because it’s so stinkin’ cheap and (oh yeah) it happens to take some of the best still pictures on the planet. The main downside of this camera to me is the codec. Even the new Technicolor profile can’t get past this major caveat. The compressed codec does not allow for alot of pushing in terms of color grading in post.
- The AF100 doesn’t quite measure up to any of these other cameras as far as the 4 points I listed above, except for maybe price. First, I don’t really understand why they created something called a micro 4/3 sensor. Why they didn’t just go for APS-C like a 7d or F3 or FS100 or something that’s been around for decade like Super 35mm is beyond me. This created too much focal distance for each lens and also minimizes depth of field. This also throws dynamic range out the window…as you can see in the footage the AF100 blows out highlights in every shot. The camera also seems to have some detail…but it looks artificial and video-ey like Panasonic took their soft/fuzzy HVX200 look and added sharpening to it. This camera just doesn’t work for me.
So there you have it. It looks like the FS100, the best value for the camera, will be a part of my arsenal this summer, with my trusty 5dMkII in hand as a “B” cam and also stills cam. I usually get my hands on these cameras before I purchase, and I’ll be able to do an informal 5d vs. FS100 shootout.
The Technicolor CineStyle Profile – Final Opinion
by Rich on May.03, 2011, under Workflow
I’ve had a chance to test out the new Technicolor CineStyle in depth and wanted to share my final thoughts. Overall this THE best attempt to create a LOG-C curve (or “Flat” profile). The folks at Technicolor mentioned at NAB that this profile was created to best suit THEIR post color grading workflow…which is the best in the world. For the rest of us…there just isn’t getting past that dang highly compressed 8bit H264 codec. The compression just cannot handle any sort of grading that pushes the image too far from the recorded or “baked in” image. Like a Picasso hidden underneath a finger painting…the Technicolor CineStyle is a dream curve trapped within a codec that just doesn’t do it justice.
Neutral, Contrast Added in Post
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It seems there is a gamma shift upwards with the Cinestyle. Brings up shadow detail but at slight expense of the highlights. I find I have to ignore scopes and light meters and drop down exposure a stop to get the best out of this profile (and to match it to the other stock profiles). You shouldn’t have to do this, because what you are gaining in gamma you are losing in exposure…which is a bad trade off.
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There is definately more shadow detail. For those who don’t crush blacks in post then that’s great. For me, I usually crush blacks in post and keep (or sometimes lower) highlights. The CineStyle is too far away from crushed blacks…so when it’s crushed in post, the noise and artifacts are enhanced. I would have liked to see more highlight detail in this picture style instead. This profile makes images more prone to clipping.
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If you find you are having to radically adjust grading in post to get your desired look, then the less the
- Cinestyle, Contrast Added in Post
compressed 8bit codec can handle it. That’s a great rule of thumb. This isn’t a RAW codec that can be pushed all over the place. The pictures on the right show obvious breakdowns in adding contrast to flattened images. It is best to use a picture style that is closest to your final look but with some headroom to play with. The areas you’ll see this breakdown is in smooth gradients like the sky or a wall, so extra caution is suggested in these circumstances. For the old film guys…treat this like reversal film stock and try to get it close in camera. -
To leave on a positive note…midtones and skintones look fantastic. Better than most other profiles out there, in my opinion.
The New Technicolor Cine Style for Canon DSLRs – First Thoughts
by Rich on Apr.29, 2011, under Workflow
Here’s a quick test I did with the new profile, comparing to stock profiles and “super flat” profiles and how it all holds up to color grading. You can get the profile here: http://www.technicolor.com/en/hi/cinema/filmmaking/digital-printer-lights/cinestyle
Just a note, I’ll be doing a three part video tutorial on color grading that starts with shooting for post and optimizing workflow for color. Will be out this summer!
Clarification on the new Technicolor picture style for Canon dslrs
by Rich on Apr.12, 2011, under Workflow
I know there are a lot of questions about the Technicolor Picture Profile for Canon cameras, and I got a good explanation today at the Canon/Technicolor booth.
The Technicolor Cine Style is a profile created by Technicolor to gain the most latitude for post grading. The picture style is uploaded into the any Canon DSLR via the Canon EOS software just like any other profile.
Many of us have used the Picture Style Editor to create a flat style, such as myself with my Crooked Path Flat. Doing this actually adds a “curve on a curve” and does so within the severe limitations of the Canon Picture Style Editor. We have seen the harsh falloffs of highlights and the weird muddy effect on faces/skin tones that these flat profiles create. But we also see the benefits of color grading on On flat styles too.
The Technicolor style is a very special edit of the native H264 gamma to a LOG color space rather than the standard REC709. What does this mean? Will it be a great improvement for color grading versus the flat picture styles created with Picture Style Editor? Great question! It still records to H264, so the 8bit 4:2:0 compression is what you will still be coloring. There WILL be limitations, but overall this is pretty exciting to me. Ill do some testing comparing to my Crooked Path Flat and the neutral profile and post results.
The Technicolor picture style is completely FREE and available April 30th from this page: www.technicolor.com/CineStyle
Here’s the brochure they are handing out at NAB:
Support Green Filmmaking!
by Rich on Mar.31, 2011, under Other
For the first time in relative history, we as filmmakers are in a unique technological position to help out our environment. The ability to consume less in the digital world is a great thing…but we can all do more, including myself. Even if it’s just an adoption of one of the principles listed below, your contribution to this cause will have more impact than you know.
Please join us in supporting “GREEN FILMMAKING.” If you adopt any of the below principles…please show your support by sharing this page on Facebook, and if you have a website, post the the badge at the bottom of this article in your site. The badge will link back to this blog post. Everyone who visits your site will know that you are a filmmaker who does their share in helping the environment.
So what can you do to be a GREEN FILMMAKER?
TAPELESS DIGITAL WORKFLOW. The majority of cameras out there shoot to either media cards or recording drives. It’s important to consider this when looking at choices for shooting your masterpiece. Digital tape is made of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which takes thousands if not millions of years to degrade. There have also been studies linking this material to overall toxicity in ground water. A tapeless workflow is not only environmentally friendly, but will provide a faster workflow. If you’re worried about losing data…I’m not going to lie and say it’s not possible…but if you follow a good workflow protocol (including making redundant backups) then the chances of that happenning are virtually eliminated.
MINIMIZE PAPER. There are many ways to save paper usage. The “old way” of film production using a ridiculous amount of paper. This includes paper callsheets, copies of scripts, release forms, budgetary logs, storyboarding, media logging, etc. etc. Today there is an electronic replacement for almost every type of production document ever created. If there isn’t, there will be an app for that soon. Yes…the iPad and iPhone (and now Android is catching up) has proven to be great tools for green filmmaking. Add this blog to your news feeds and keep up with the latest in useful filmmaking apps.
- Adobe Story (FREE!): This is a very slick production tool for screenwriting and script breakdown. It exists online only, and allows for numerous collaborators to work on it in realtime.
- Google Docs (FREE!): You can import a script into Google Docs and like Adobe Story, collaborate with others in realtime. This is also great if you need to collaborate on other documents like budget and callsheets.
- Callsheet. One thing you’ll notice when working on a set is that 90% of the cast and crew has an iPhone, and the other 10% has a very web-capable mobile. There isn’t much reason to print out a hundred callsheets every
day - Storyboard. Easily create professional looking storyboards and scroll through them on set with your talent and crew. Export to PDF and email
- Movie Slate. Save paper by using this app as your slate…since it logs every shot and can email it to your editor, director, media manager, etc
- Clip Sketch. Draw overhead diagrams of your set to easily convey lights/grip/camera/ positions to the crew. Display on your iPad or email to your Key Grip/Gaffer
- Easy Release. Probably the only thing I would think a production would never be able to do electronically…get your release forms created AND signed. Allows you to embed a picture too. Store the files on your media drives for backup instead of printing
- Office HD. Allows for office documents to be viewed/edited.
CARPOOLING. This might seem kind of rudimentary, but I’m not talking about encouraging your grips to ride to the set with the talent…that doesn’t work very well. What I suggest is having your AD direct your crew (via the electronic callsheet) to meet up at your studio or a centralized location and travel to the set from there. This not only helps in fuel consumption and costs…but helps your team get assembled on time.
SMOKING. It’s awful to see cigarette butts in a once pristine area. In places like Texas and California where the brush gets dry, all it takes is the ambers from a cigarette to get a fire started. Designate a smoking area with the proper cigarette receptacle. Ashtrays aren’t really good because the butts, ashes, and hot ambers are susceptible to wind.
CRAFTY. It’s not very hard to make craft services a little more environment friendly. Ask some questions of your craft services options and factor their practices into your decision.
- Do they provide recycling bins?
- Do they have a water station to reduce plastic bottle use?
- Do they utilize reduced-packaging products?
- Do they purchase from local vendors?
- Do they select vendors who have planet saving initiatives?
- Do they use biodegradable and 100% compostable utensils, cups and other disposable products?
- This is a biggie for me…do they stay away from styrofoam products?
- Are their products non-toxic?
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT. The idea of leaving and “ecological footprint” may sound like total devastation of a set location…but really anything left behind and/or alteration of the set location’s natural condition constitutes leaving a footprint.
- Try not to use a tree as an alternative to a c-stand or camera position. And never stick a nail or cut into a tree for any reason.
- Setup your staging area and other gathering areas in a designated spot…hereby keeping people from trampling the natural vegetation.
- Make sure when you do your walk through to ensure there is no gear left behind, that your crew is making a point to look for leftover garbage, gaff tape, stuff tied to trees, etc
Let us know if we missed anything. We’ll keep this updated regularly especially if more states and countries adopt green filmmaking incentives. Here’s a few resources:
- California Film Commission Green Resource Guide Provides contact information for eco-conscious companies dealing in warddrobe, catering, tape stock, set design, office supplies and more. Of course it is California-based, but some of the the companies may have locations in other parts of the country.
- Film New Mexico Green Filming Program This website provides many resources for productions wishing to film in New Mexico, including a green filmmaking guide, and outlines incentives for filming in the state that benefit environmentally sensitive productions.
- EMA Make Your Production Green A guide from the Environmental Media Association listing environmentally friendly resources for banners and signage, invitations, catering, plant rentals, and more.
- UK FIlm Council Environmental Strategy The UK Film Council has recently announced plans to make London the greenest place to film. While the program does not appear to be in full swing just yet, this page outlines their overall strategy and links to a guide for greener filming.
- Boulder, Colorado Green Filming Resource Guide A guide from Boulder, Colorado about green filming in the area.
Crooked Path Flat – Picture Styles for Canon DSLRs
by Rich on Feb.27, 2011, under Guides
Here’s a list of what’s offered and descriptions about each.
A NOTE ABOUT USING FLAT PICTURE STYLES:
The purpose of using a flat picture style while shooting video is useful if you plan to color grade the footage in post production. The picture style is not intended to be used as an in-camera method of color. You will notice that the Crooked Path Flat picture style will make the image very de-contrasted. This is done by editing the gamma curve to record detail in the shadows and the highlights that would normally be lost. This gives you ultimate latitude in post for color grading a beautiful finished movie.
When you are on set and getting ready to roll, it is important to NOT use flat picture styles while setting ISO, exposure and lighting. The picture style is SO FLAT that you cannot tell if you are properly exposed. It’s important to use a picture style (either one of the preset styles, one that you can create, or the CPF Graded style) that closely matches what you and your director’s desired final graded image. It’s okay if it’s not perfect in the camera…just close enough so that you can gauge your lighting and exposure settings properly. Then, right before you are ready to roll camera, switch to the Crooked Path Flat style.
BE CAREFUL!
- Shot with Extreme Contrast in Camera:
- Shot with Flat, Added Extreme Contrast in Post:
There are some downsides to using ANY flat picture style. If you planning on adding some serious contrast, you will notice noise and artifacts in areas that have a gradient texture like sky or walls. You will see a phenomena commonly referred to as “banding,” which is essentially the artifacting in the compressed H264 codec being ENHANCED…which is not good. What is happening when you shoot flat… is the compression creates, for example, 15 steps or shades in a gradient instead of 40 that would normally be there if you shot with the NEUTRAL picture profile. So when you grade this flat video and add contrast, the software doesn’t add more “steps” to the gradient bumping it back up to 40…instead it just contrasts the 15 steps that were recorded. This creates a more drastic difference beetween step 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, and so on. The result is enhanced artifacts and “banding.”
Check out this quick article and video which demostrates this phenomena really well: http://yodigroup.com/hdslr/news/hdslr-color-grading-before-or-after.htm
WAIT…SO SHOULD I SHOOT FLAT OR NOT!?!?
Yes and no. I still shoot flat when I’m certain there no smooth gradients and/or I’m not planning on pushing contrast to the extreme in post. I mean you really have to push the contrast to see the banding. Also, flat profiles work really well in high-textured environments like a forest in the daytime. Just be careful and go into it with this awareness and you’ll be fine. I still think my Crooked Path Flat profile is the best around, and think it looks much better after grading than grading the Neutral profile.
I also created the Crooked Path Flat 3.0 series, which is a completely re-worked set of picture styles that are “safe” for post grading, extreme or not. If you’re confused about which to use, I recommend using 1.0 and 2.0 for non-gradient situations and high-texture environments. 3.0 is for all-around use and gradient situations. The best advice I can give is to TEST THEM OUT for yourself. Decide what is best for you and your situation.
Current Picture Styles:
- Based of the FAITHFUL profile. Faithful is just like NEUTRAL only adds a touch more saturation to the highlights and midtones, and also pulls the midtone and highlight exposure down very slightly.
- Curve is not extreme, and is very gradable in post.
- Totally removes any muddy/terracotta/plastic look to faces.
- Totally removes any noice issues (assuming you’re properly exposed).
- Default Sharpness is set at 2. This is a very subjective area. In our testing, we noted that any setting below +2 seems to almost blur the image. Anything above +2 seems to be artificial looking. +2 seems to be perfect. We’ve also noted that the in-camera sharpness is much cleaner and un-artificial looking when compared to using the unsharp mask in after effects. It is recommended that you lower only if seeing moire issues.
- Default Contrast is all the way to the left. We don’t recommend changing this.
- Default Saturation is at zero. In 8bit 4:2:0 colorspace, it’s best to keep it here and adjust in post. Lowering will cause lost information.
- Default Tone is +2. In our testing the 5d seemed to bias toward red in the skintones. This is to compensate for that. Adjust to fit your needs.
Crooked Path Flat 3.0 (HiLight Helper)
- Exactly like 3.0, but pulls the curve down in the highlights for that extra help in maintaining highlight detail and/or keeping them from clipping.
Crooked Path Flat 3.0 (Graded)
- Gives you an in-camera preview of how 3.0 will look after grading is applied.
- Adjust the contrast and saturation levels to fit your desired end-graded video.
- Used this profile while adjusting aperature, ISO, and lighting, then switch over to 3.0 (or 3.0 HiLight Helper) when you’re ready to record.
- A VERY FLAT picture style to give you ultimate latitude.
- Adjust contrast to taste.
- Based off the “standard” picture style to give better skintones.
- Made the default SATURATION level ZERO. It’s important to keep the color setting at zero and adjust in post. In the 5d’s 4:2:0 8-bit colorspace, you are losing color information if you drop this below zero…and you can’t ever get that information back.
- Made the default SHARPNESS setting +2. This is a very subjective area. In our testing, we noted that any setting below +2 seems to almost blur the image. Anything above +2 seems to be artificial looking. +2 seems to be perfect. We’ve also noted that the in-camera sharpness is much cleaner and un-artificial looking when compared to using the unsharp mask in after effects. It is recommended that you lower only if seeing moire issues.
Crooked Path Flat 2.1 (High Gamma)
- This is the exact same style as my Crooked Path Flat style, but with the entire gamma curve shifted higher.
- This is useful for extremely dark settings when the extra gamma can help get detail across the entire range of the sensor. Prone to noise…so be careful.
- Earlier version of the 2 series without the “fixes” that are in 2.1.
Using my picture styles on a recent trip to Arkansas:
Texas Instruments OMAP 5 Video
by Rich on Feb.07, 2011, under Crooked News
We were tasked with providing a glimpse into the not-so-distant future of mobile technology thanks to the innovations happening over at Texas Instruments. Enjoy!
(View the press release here: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/ti-announces-omap-5-two-high-performance-and-two-low-power-core/)
Texas Instruments: Transforming Mobile Technology from Crooked Path Films on Vimeo.
Interview with Dave Dugdale of learningdslrvideo.com
by Rich on Feb.07, 2011, under Crooked News
I had the pleasure of talking with Dave over at learningdslrvideo.com, where we discussed flat picture styles and color grading workflow. You can read the full post here: http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/richard-allen-crook/
Download the full interview (MP3) HERE.
Click to see my color grading demo.
2010: What Was Supposed To Happen, According To Hollywood.
by Rich on Dec.31, 2010, under Other
A
s I smear blue sunblock on my face (due to the destruction of the ozone) and see that Jupiter turned into a second star, I realize 2010 is coming to a close. Let’s take a look at what Hollywood said SHOULD have happened in 2010, and what is to come.
- 2010 (1984): Monoliths engulf Jupiter and increase its density to the point that nuclear fusion occurs, transforming the planet into a small star. This FINALLY leads the US and Soviet Union to peace.
- The Simpsons episode “Lisa’s Wedding“: Lisa Simpson is married.
- Knight Rider 2010 (1994 TV movie): Being the lawless MadMax-type wasteland the US has become, Jake McQueen (not the Hoff) cleaned up the dirty Chrysalis Corporation. The car was a custom “Ford Mustang” built on a mid-’90s Ford Thunderbird chassis.
- Freejack (1992): Emilio Estevez uses a time machine to save our history.
What we have to look forward to (if John Cusack happens to save you with his limousine in 2012):
- I Am Legend (2007): Takes place in 2012. Emma Thompson invents a cure for cancer, with a slight side effect of turning the subject into a rabid sub-human monster.
- Back to the Future II (1989): Takes place in 2015. Whoever wants their own Mr. Fusion, yell “great scott!!!”
- The Running Man (1987): Takes place in 2019. That old dude from Family Fued gets his butt kicked by the former Governor of California. Yeah!
- Blade Runner (1982): Takes place in 2019. Robots that look like Rutger Hauer will turn on us. It’s up to Indiana Jones to help us.
- Soylent Green (1973): Takes place in 2022. Humans become menu items at TGI Fridays. “We’ve got to stop them SOMEHOW!!!”
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