Blog
Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 5 of 5 posts
Night Exterior Lighting for Indie Films: Exposure Math
Plan a night exterior with measured ambient light, exposure ratios, fixture photometrics, cable loads, and color checks before the crew reaches location.
Every ND Filter Combination You Will Ever Need: A Reference Guide by Stop
ND filter nomenclature uses at least three different labelling systems simultaneously. The same filter can be called ND 0.9, ND8, or '3-stop' depending on the manufacturer. This post converts every common density to stops and shows which combinations to stack to hit any target reduction from 1 to 16 stops.
Day for Night: The Exposure Math and the In-Camera Technique
Explains the exposure strategy for day-for-night shooting, the stop-loss calculation, sky blocking techniques, and how modern color grading has changed the technique. Includes worked examples from different solar conditions.
The Exposure Triangle for Cinematographers (Why It Works Differently Than in Photography)
Covers shutter angle vs. shutter speed, the 180-degree rule, how ND filters replace aperture in video, and the EV system applied to cinema. Includes a conversion table for shutter angle at 12 common frame rates.
ISO, Noise, and When to Push Your Camera: A Working Cinematographer's Guide
Goes beyond 'just use native ISO.' Explains dual-native ISO, when noise is acceptable, how noise compares to grain aesthetically, and provides a decision framework for pushing ISO on 6 common camera sensors.