Scene File to Try
 

After much experimentation I've setup a scene file that I really like in any scenario. It is a 720p30 file that you can adapt to 24p or SD just by changing the framerate. Please give it a try and let me know if it works for you as well.

Click here to download

have fun and Keep shooting!

Stephen, how do you load it to the card? I do have a card reader...

A video tutorial for you....

Click here for wmv

BTW: This wmv should work for Mac as well....

Thanks Stephen!

I'm looking forward to trying your scene file out tomorrow.

Thanks
 

Hi Stephen,

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time out to create that little tutorial. I class things like that as a bit of forum gold. It may seem easy for others but some us get really stuck with that kind of stuff.

Thanks again mate, Greg C

Stephen,

Would you mind writing down the recipe for those that can't upload the SCN file?

Also, how would you classify this setting? Warm, cool, neutral, wide-dynamic range, high-contrast, etc?

Oh, and the wmv audio works on the Mac, but there is no picture, just white. Which WM codec was it?

Hi Stephen,

Would you mind posting the settings?

I too am a MAC Geek, and cannot read the settings.

Thanks,

Tom Chaney

For those without a card reader, click the link for the settings display.

Click for settings. I forgot to give the screenshot for the color matrix. It is set to G gain +1, G rotation -1 and the rest set to "normal"

all the best

BTW: It'd be nice to have a thread that only contained SCN files and settings. Tim, maybe you could make one that only you or one of the other moderators could add to as the settings came in? Maybe that way it wouldn't get off track?

Thank you Stephen!

I look forward to trying it this weekend.

AE Level
 

Hi Steve,

I played this weekend with the settings you provided (very nice) and I have one quick question.

The AE Level you have set at -3, and coming from the film world that would be a bad thing (unless you were going for an effect).

I always overexpose my film at least 1/3 of a stop, I actually set my meter that way.

When I was shooting on the weekend I kept finding myself opening up from the setting. (It seemed too dark)

Can you explain to me how you use that setting, or are you exposing with a meter?

Thanks for your help, again. I am coming from film thinking and new to the video world.

Tom

www.tomchaney.com

A lot of film stocks react well to having a slightly over-dense negative, with which you can print down or correct in transfer.

Many HD shooters (coming from a film BG) think the other way...wanting to preserve their highlights. In my opinion, one of the biggest give-aways for electronic acquisition is the way highlights transition to over-exposure...so I just try to do without them entirely, or definitely limit how much of the frame they cover.

In practice, when lighting a setup, this usually means (for me) setting exposure by the on-set monitor for the correct highlight handling...and then supplementing with fill if needed.

In a run and gun situation where you might be using AE, this means making sure the camera isn't going to be clipping too many of your highlights (by using AE -3), and then hoping that your shadow detail can be pulled out in post if you decide you want it later. I myself often find that I can live with shadow detail that is gone, but if I have lots of highlight clipping (and the skin tone chroma problems that come with it), there's never any coming back from that and it always looks horrid.

[p.s. I've noticed that the new season of Battlestar Galactica has adopted an aesthetic of blown-out HD. I myself think it looks horrid, but you know, whatever floats their boat]

Tom,

I put the + and - AE on the User buttons to make it easy to keep the lens at F2.8 in any scenario (except super low light). You can easily adjust the AE up or down using the User buttons and the lens in "A" mode then get the aperature to F2.8 to F4 using ND or not. Also, I put the Gain switch to L "0" and M "+6" this covers most scenarios that would need gain or not in one flip of the switch. Then only thing more I need to change about the scene file is to put Black Stretch +2 on "User 3" in order to compensate for low light shadows when use in conjunction with Gain M (+6).

I'm getting great results across the board with this scene file and I've tried to make it convenient with the User buttons and the Gain switch. I've also developed a "Dark" scene file that is for use in 60 Lux scenarios. We NEED a thread dedicated to scene files structure and intent here on this board. Tim, is this possible??

Nate,

I agree with the overdense negative, that's why I always overexpose. It gives me more on the negative to work with in post.

If I underexpose film, it gives me nothing to work with. Many guys do that for a look, which I don't personally like.

Thanks for the info.

Tom

I think a scene file thread would be a great idea. Thanks Stephen.

Example M2T's
 

These are some example m2t's of the "steve" SCN file. As you can see you can absolutely push the limit of the white's and still retain skin tone.
Lattitude zoomed to 88mm
Skin tone on a fair person.
These are 30p files.


Comments and your experiments welcome...

Pretty impressive, Stephen. I'm trying to imagine what these would have looked like without the scene file. It seems like you might be able to achieve a nice "CSI" look.