Freelancer Insights
Quantifying the Large Format Look
Large format is no longer out of reach of the average filmmaker, but the look is difficult to quantify. Naturally, that means I’ll give it a try. I…
Behind-the-lens nets: a lost art makes a comeback
I’ve always been a little different. That’s the only explanation I have for cutting gels out of Rosco and Lee swatch books and putting them behind…
Chromatic aberration: hard edges, hue shifts, and storytelling
Accidents yield interesting truths. This is especially true in lens and camera tests, where it’s hard to know what to test for but there’s always something…
Three lenses: a look at bokeh, depth of field and geometry
Some people take time off during the holidays. I borrow a half million dollars worth of camera and lenses and shoot whatever comes to mind. It’s a sickness…
Film lens vs. digital lens: what are the differences?
I’ve worked with a lot of cameras, and I’ve always come back to ARRI cameras whenever I’ve had the chance. It’s just…
Lens coverage, sensor size, and pushing the limits
Sensors and lenses don’t always get along. In the HDR and UHD world, it’s important to test, test, test. Recently I shot a diffraction test meant…
Signature Primes vs. Ultra Primes: The Pixel-Peeper’s Guide
For nine months I’ve been working periodically as a trainer for the ARRI Academy. Recently we added an Alexa LF to the class, accompanied by a set of…
Casting the look of a camera into glass
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting with ARRI’s senior color designer, and I asked him the question I like to ask all camera manufacturers: “Why?”…
Large sensor lens coverage: taking old glass to the “breaking” point
Old glass and large sensors need a lot of testing. The results may surprise you. In this article I took a look at how older S35 lenses performed on a…
The simplest interview setup ever: the modern update
Many years ago I wrote about the simplest interview lighting setup ever. Here’s my modern take on that same setup. The TL;DR version is: I still use…
Speed lighting: more lessons from the ARRI Academy
The ARRI Academy isn’t only about learning how cameras work. We also teach how to use them. I’ve never seen a class as motivated as the…
ARRI Signature Primes: the conscious design of softness
This is a story about a lens family whose soft focus backgrounds were consciously designed, and the lens mount that made them possible. For the last six months I’…
Excellence – 28 Weeks of Post Audio Redux
Editor’s Note: “28 Weeks of Post Audio” originally ran over the course of 28 weeks starting in November of 2016. Given the renewed focus on the…
Working With Clients – 28 Weeks of Post Audio
Editor’s Note: “28 Weeks of Post Audio” originally ran over the course of 28 weeks starting in November of 2016. Given the renewed focus on the…
AE Project Diary: 6) Xian part 1. Compositing.
When I started on the Xian project in 2011, it was the largest and most complex compositing project I had worked on. Even though about seven years have passed since…
