Cinematography Lessons: Half In, Half Out

[@scottievee330]

Gotta respect someone that talks about shot breakdowns when his talking head shot of himself is pretty stellar. And simple. Good lighting and nice coloring. Always the same and always good. It works.

[@retlwiz]

These short ones are good. I also like the focus on the less glamorous shots that can nevertheless be problematic.

[@wanderingdp]

less glamorous, more problematic is my go to sales pitch for having me on board

[@superinfinityfilms]

Love the tip at the end. Blue hour is opposite of back light at golden hour. Found this out on a recent shoot. Thinking I wanted to shoot blue hour moody sky. Found out this opposite of my normal direction I face the camera to backlight.

[@JasonGenom]

Can you please explain this further ? I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around it

[@superinfinityfilms]

@@JasonGenom basically I normally point the camera towards the sunset to backlight talent but often The sky is too bright and wrong color. For blue look. 💙 But if you point it back the other direction that sky is a bit darker and more blue. 💙 Basically golden hour and blue hour can happen same time ish . Sort of. Hope that explained it better.

[@Motionandstory]

Compositing is the word. Overlaying still images on another image. Great Breakdown!

[@wanderingdp]

Yes! Thank you!

[@madtoyboxfilms]

Love the commercial breakdowns! Way more in line with what we do with smaller crews and I can relate to the set up scenarios. You’re amazing at the breakdowns. I would request going back to MORE of the commercials. Thanks for all you do Brotha!

[@drafeirha]

incredibly grateful that you do these. Your KZbin videos and teaching the framework really skyrocketed by skills and confidence in cinematography

[@wanderingdp]

glad it helps

[@awakencollective1639]

I start my work day by watching one of these breakdowns and they are always such a good refresher; today's was no exception. Thank you Pat!

[@wanderingdp]

hope they help

[@joshallanfilmandmusic]

Thanks for these in-depth videos! Just discovered the channel recently and as someone who’s main passion is the writing and directing side, it’s helpful to know more about a cinematographer’s process so I can avoid being the “annoying director”, and work in a way that accommodates for the DP and crew.

[@wanderingdp]

funny if it actually worked that way. In reality director works however they want, everybody else on set pretends every other director does it like that just so the director doesn't feel self conscious.

[@leoquesto9183]

Bracketing. Love this. Great thoughts and pep talk, as always!

[@wanderingdp]

i knew there was a word for it. fancy stills people

[@leoquesto9183]

@@wanderingdp oh, you humble Leica shooter, we know better. lol. Ooo, I’d like a Leica cinema camera.

[@YuvalAloni]

Very helpful. Love this channel

[@wanderingdp]

Glad to hear it!

[@joenicklo]

Interesting to see the trees in the background trimmed a lot more in the 1960's entry shot. Same for the coat hooks being updated over time. Nice attention to detail!

[@cokebottles6919]

I ran into this problem on a small shoot recently. No one was able to scout beforehand. The weird front entry was in a corner with a stair railing right behind it so the camera only had one angle for visibility to see the person outside. Director wanted the camera close in and pull back with the talent… we got it to look fine, but It was a nightmare. Front doors always give me anxiety unless I’m working with a collaborative director that preps.

[@-Evil-Genius-]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎥 *Introduction to Cinematography Challenges in Commercials* - Discussion on challenges cinematographers face in commercials. - Introduction to a specific scenario seen in ads, particularly in entrance shots. - Mention of the pattern observed in the commercial, hinting at the reasons behind it. 01:09 🏠 *Analyzing the Entrance Shot in a Commercial* - Breakdown of an entrance shot in a commercial involving characters entering a house. - Critique on the unrealistic portrayal of shared living spaces. - Focus on the difficulties of shooting entrance shots, especially when dealing with background lighting. 02:02 🌅 *Challenges of Shooting Entrance Shots* - Examination of why entrance shots are challenging, particularly regarding background lighting. - Explanation of the common practice of shooting from inside the door to control lighting. - Emphasis on the difficulty of balancing interior and exterior lighting in entrance shots. 03:11 💡 *Lighting Considerations for Entrance Shots* - Discussion on setting exposure for the exterior sky when shooting entrance shots. - Highlighting the importance of planning for lighting and blocking to avoid dark interiors. - Mention of the significance of balancing light levels inside and outside the house. 04:51 🎬 *Practical Challenges on Set* - Exploration of the challenges faced on set when executing entrance shots. - Emphasis on the time-consuming nature of moving and balancing lighting equipment. - Addressing the importance of having a realistic approach to maintain the desired quality. 06:27 🤔 *Adapting to Different Locations* - Advice on adapting entrance shots to various locations based on available space. - Encouragement to communicate effectively during pre-production about shot changes. - Emphasizing the need to offer alternative solutions rather than outright rejection. 08:35 🎥 *Analysis of Commercial Shots* - Analysis of specific shots within the commercial, focusing on lighting choices. - Noting the importance of maintaining three-dimensional looks in a two-dimensional medium. - Brief mention of using plates for specific shots to control lighting more effectively. 10:29 🙌 *Conclusion and Final Thoughts* - Closing remarks on the challenges of shooting entrance shots in commercials. - Appreciation for nuanced lighting and the importance of not rushing the process. - Sign-off and acknowledgment of the discussed aspects in cinematography. Made with HARPA AI

[@simonberube1544]

Tell me if I'm missing something but wouldn't the drastically changing exterior landscape suggest that this was a studio green screen shot with plates, making the problem of exposing for the outside irrelevant? Still a very valid lesson in most scenarios, just wondering!

[@wanderingdp]

i'd guess anything is vfx nowadays. as you say though in the end it doesn't matter. either you are lighting it in real life or in 1s & Os

[@thomaszikos]

Long fan of your channel and work man! Bravo! Could they have done it by tinting the windows and also holding a 2x2m nd 0.9nd gel on the front door (as its narrow and to me its seems doable) and the talents seem to be very close to the door. This would theoretically allow some levels of outside ambiance to enter the house naturally from the gap of the nd and the door and also a smaller fixture to balance the levels inside I think. Crazy theory but I would try it :p

[@wanderingdp]

yes same idea. reduce ambient or have enough light to overcome ambient. Figure out which is faster, cheaper, and you have the people/skills to pull off. a game of probabilities.

[@thatfilmfool]

How does he do the drawing and watching video at the same time... I cant figure it out. As always great video

[@JasonRefsland]

The three door scenes show a tree growing progressively in the background, are you confident they didn’t use a green screen in the doorway?

[@stevenchivers7631]

I would not allow that white sky. I would talk yo VFX supervisor & director, & find a way out. Easy for grips to build a 20 x GS, & shoot a separate BG plate . Filling from the front, u risk a kick as the door opens. This is easy stuff. Commercials DP for over 40 years

[@prottentogo]

I think they took it too far. It's hella bright inside compared to outside. But then I'm just sitting on my couch eating sandwich cookies and not have clients around shouting brighter!

[@wanderingdp]

that makes two of us. minus the cookies

[@Mrbenbarbie]

Question: how are you getting such nice eye lighting while wearing a hat? Is there some post affect or all in camera?

[@wanderingdp]

big source = more chance of going in eye

[@MaxKissler]

The solution to these entrance shots was obvisouly "Just let the sky clip mate. We'll add color in post, nobody will notice..".

[@wanderingdp]

it takes time and dedication to develop that level of indifference

[@MaxKissler]

@@wanderingdp Haha. I'm in the stage of my career when the tungsten threads in the practicals over there have to be defined and mustn't clip - so basically a noob...

[@tamasmarko993]

lessgoo🎉

[@wanderingdp]

indeed

[@DarrellAyer]

"dodging and burning" in photo

[@randallburgess6393]

They screwed up the lighting at the very end of the house at night. It looks like the colour temperature of the light didn’t match. The colour temperature of the sky looks too warm, bouncing off the white on the house.

[@wanderingdp]

good part about being a DP is that you can never be wrong. Just wrong according to someone else

[@darkizzz07]

man you look so skinny are you ok? Everything is alright?

[@wanderingdp]

no. i'm hungry. all the time

[@josephvanwyk2088]

If a cinematographer tells me, "no, It's going to take too much time to move the 1 light and re-balance everything etc, etc," - - Then I will simply find a grip that will do it, and replace you on the job. It's as simple as that.