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Cuts Like Fashion Pt.2 – Pollen

JDavis — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:37:02 +0000

Every spring the pollen allergies hit. It gets in my eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Sunglasses help a little but I still just want to put my head underwater.

When choosing the colors I tried to create the feeling I have when pollen is on my skin and my eyes are itching. The sounds I worked toward with Van help convey the mind haze pollen brings on.

Concept & Camera – Jhoe Davis
Model – Eva Natal
Music – Van Zeng

Websites:
http://www.eva-natal.com/
http://www.modelmayhem.com/2518237
http://www.vanzeng.com/

‪Just Actors Pt.8 – recreating Girl Interrupted (1999) with Diomargy Nunez & Sarah Seeds‬

JDavis — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:09:42 +0000

I’m doing something different with this one. I decided to do the scene twice and have the actors swap roles. This seemed the fair thing to do since the scene felt more like a monologue with another actor’s support. As I reviewed the script prior, I realized that my key to making this scene work is that Lisa must invite her own disaster. Therefore I directed it as such, Lisa starts off focused on Susana then her attention spirals inwards.

I have to congratulate the girls as they really broke from the what the film established. Sarah showed us her mocking humor and we end on a high note as Dio let it rip.

Read more about the original film here LINK.

Actors websites:
http://www.sarahseeds.com/
http://diomargy.com/

The Opposite of 007 – Limits of Control by Jim Jarmusch.

JDavis — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:34:58 +0000

I found The Limits of Control to be a metaphorical rejection of Hollywood. A satire spy film that reverses James Bond. He never has sex, even when constantly confronted by the nude femme fatale (who in turn references Jean-Luc Godard).

There are many references to art and music and in particular art covered up. I also interpreted the three different colors of suits that he wears as referencing the three-act structure.

After the story is over we see a final scene where he changes out of the suit. I interpret this as the actor shedding the character. The camera then switches to hand held and the final second has camera movement that is the camera coming off the cameraman’s shoulder.

After enjoying the meticulous care put into the cinematography for every scene of this film, to then have the final moment break the viewer out from the film and into the film set … it’s perfection. A subtle sign that nature of narrative film itself is the subject of The Limits of Control.

Art covered up

Below shows the film poster also referencing the down-the-gun-barrel imagery of 007.

Just Actors Pt.7 – recreating Chinatown (1974) with John Henry Soto & Javier Marquez

JDavis — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:21:42 +0000

I broke this scene down into sections. The first where Javier projects that he is lying about his purpose as he knows very well who has died. The second concentrates on the humor of the mortician. He has a casual manner with the dead bodies that surround him and also doesn’t seem surprised at the visit.

A strong beat change happens when Javier’s character places his hand on the morticians arm and he realizes he has been rude and crossed a line. John does well to show that he is slightly put out. Kudos to the actor for wiping his hands on his shirt, underlining his indifference to his daily tasks.

Also for the fans of Chinatown, how could I not visit the famous knife scene? Where Jack Nicholson’s character gets his nose cut? In the film the knife wielding thug is played by Roman Polanski himself, heh … we had so much fun filming this!

Read more about the original film here LINK.

Actors websites:
http://www.johnhenrysoto.com/
http://javiermarquez.net/

Just Actors Pt.6 – recreating Silence of the Lambs (1991) with John Henry Soto & Diomargy Nunez

JDavis — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:04:08 +0000

Dio’s screentest was the spark that started this. Choosing Silence of the Lambs also helps me see more of John in an aggressive and psychopathic role, something that he only hinted at in Just Actors Pt.4 LINK.

Like the others in this series, this is one take – and with a two shot I asked Dio to turn to the camera during John’s verbal attack so we can see her subtle plays of expression. I also directed John to alternate between aggressive and calm as the script changes beat. This way we could break from the original (played by Anthony Hopkins). Before I close I just want to say that Dio’s quiet talent really surprised me and I look forward to having her return to my Just Actors series.

Read more about the original film here LINK.

Actors websites:
http://www.johnhenrysoto.com/
http://diomargy.com/

Just Actors Pt.5 – recreating Up In The Air (2009) with Javier Marquez & Douglas Robbs

JDavis — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:22:35 +0000

I happen to really love the script for Jason Reitman’s Up In The Air (2009) which earned several Academy Award nominations.

Here’s our recreation, with Javier Marquez and Douglas Robbs. Directed by Jhoe Davis. If you’re familiar with the original, check out the delivery from Doug when he downplays the line “I’m not a tour guide” and note the way Javier has escalated the aggression.

Just Actors Pt.4 – John Henry Soto, Off the Cuff

JDavis — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:28:24 +0000

We spoke for an hour while drinking coffee and my instincts told me that when we get under the lights to just let the camera roll. So this is John Henry Soto, Off the Cuff. One take (edited) – the only take. The characters sprang forth and flowed naturally to fill the space.

See John’s reel and get in contact with him at his website JohnHenrySoto.com

How to fix Chroma Moire and Chromatic Aberration during Post Production

JDavis — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:08:41 +0000

Here is my post fix for chrome moire that I see in the footage from todays Canon DSLR’s. I’m demonstrating in After Effects but once you understand the principles you can adapt it to Final Cut and Premiere. I also use this technique to remove Chromatic Aberration. Note: this will not work for luma (greyscale) moire.

The example below is three frames from the original footage for Broken (with Liz Dugas). The material texture created a pattern that clashed with the Canon sensor and a rainbow of moire flickered and shimmered across the frames.

You will need to know how to create a shape and how to set keyframes so that the shape animates over time. There are plenty of tutorials on youtube for this so I’m not going to explain it here.

Create your shapes, use the eyedropper to set the color close to the material, give them a soft edge and set key frames.

Just Actors Pt.3 – Characters from Douglas Robbs

JDavis — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:57:28 +0000

When talking with Doug about acting I discovered that when he is laughing and joking with friends, he does these little characters.

I pointed out that a lot of characters we see portrayed in Hollywood movies probably start out this way. Just like comedians can source their material, actors can also draw on the same channel of inspiration.

Actor – Douglas Robbs
Characters – Douglas Robbs
Concept and Direction – Jhoe Davis

Get in contact with Doug at his webpage cargocollective.com/Dr

GH2 skin tones for In-Camera Profiles, Smooth vs Nature vs Nostalgic

JDavis — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:27:47 +0000

Here are some quick skin tones tests I did on a hacked Panasonic GH2.

The top row is a high key shot with an equal lighting ratio, the bottom row has the left light flagged.

In camera profiles: Smooth vs. Nature vs. Nostalgic

Numbers reflect settings: Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, Noise Reduction at zero.

pTool Sanity v2 patch

(special thanks to my son for being patient with me)