fuzzynormal

Dark Enlightenment is a thing. 
 
Sure, you get a bigger number for selling used, but the money you get for it buys less as inflation screams upward.  Hooray.

It's more than half, just not by enough.  Minority rule.  As all totalitarian states are.  Plus, there's a lot of the sane ones that like to claim they "don't do politics" Well, politics is about to "do" you.
And, you know, this fascist playbook we're seeing here in the USA is a book that is wide open.  It's easy to read because it's simple. 
The ones that are attracted to that are insatiable. And the book has been used numerous times by bad people because it works.  What's happening here is neither new or abnormal.  These folks and their followers are ridiculous people that are gross, small, mentally horrible, and should be shamed for their terrible attitudes, but they've built political momentum and they're very close to reaching their orbit.  The journey leads no where good.  
Not even for them.
Finally, I like shooting f8 on an M43rd sensor.  It's "Spielbergean cinema"! (gotta stay relevant to the website after that rant; cleanse the mental palette)

Some do it like this:
https://www.instagram.com/vanessahorabuena/reel/DFaxsz3IAjD/
Hope that helps give you some context.

Genie. Bottle. Too late. 
No, in my opinion, from here it's a national existential crisis for the change to happen.  Like, mid 19th century stuff.
We got the monied power in the USA angling towards city states. Their ship has a pretty strong wake.  
Media is the rudder.  And the USA is more of a business than a country. 
If there's enough people here to lay down their lives to claw back the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, I kinda doubt it.  Most don't even understand the founding concepts of this nation much less respect them.
Trump is the idiot that will help speed run this thing, but if not for him then it would be some other puppet. Our culture demands it.

You would be wrong.  See, no one admits that they're poor here, they're just temporarily not wealthy.  They'll eventually be wealthy.  Somehow.  Have to support the rich to be rich, you see?  Plus, it's really hard to grasp just how truly stubbornly ignorant many people are.  There's a culture here of owning that ignorance like a badge of honor.

Nope.  Are you an American?  I feel anyone with a grasp of the culture here wouldn't be quite so obtuse.  Then again, weird times.

Nope.  Are you an American?  I feel anyone with a grasp of the culture here wouldn't be quite so obtuse.  Then again, weird times.

Are you a senator from New York?

"I'm getting too old for this shit.  I'm only two weeks away from my retirement."
I'm gonna be one of those craft people that refuses to use AI. Damn the consequences.  This all sucks.  
As a documentarian, even something supposedly innocuous like audio transcribing is causing more inadvertent issues than it's solving.  It's really getting in my way holistically -- although it "feels" like it's helping in the moment.
It divorces me from the nuances and intimacy of the material.  How can I be expected to make anything meaningful to the audience or to myself if I allow an algorithm to make crafting determinations, even the simplest ones?  Tools are tools, but when the tools diminish rather than enhance?
That's a recipe to being superficial.  I don't think I want to be superficial.  Unless I'm doing corporate bull shit for the pay day.  But then, the corporations using AI can now (or soon) cut me out of that calculus anyway.
Get off my lawn you damn machines.

"I'm getting too old for this shit.  I'm only two weeks away from my retirement."
I'm gonna be one of those craft people that refuses to use AI. Damn the consequences.  This all sucks.  
As a documentarian, even something supposedly innocuous like audio transcribing is causing more inadvertent issues than it's solving.  It's really getting in my way holistically -- although it "feels" like it's helping in the moment.
It divorces me from the nuances and intimacy of the material.  How can I be expected to make anything meaningful to the audience or to myself if I allow an algorithm to make crafting determinations, even the simplest ones?  Tools are tools, but when the tools diminish rather than enhance?
That's a recipe to being superficial.  I don't think I want to be superficial.  Unless I'm doing corporate bull shit for the pay day.  But then, the corporations using AI can now (or soon) cut me out of that calculus anyway.
Get off my lawn you damn machines.

"I'm getting too old for this shit.  I'm only two weeks away from my retirement."
I'm gonna be one of those craft people that refuses to use AI. Damn the consequences.  This all sucks.  
As a documentarian, even something supposedly innocuous like audio transcribing is causing more inadvertent issues than it's solving.  It's really getting in my way holistically -- although it "feels" like it's helping in the moment.
It divorces me from the nuances and intimacy of the material.  How can I be expected to make anything meaningful to the audience or to myself if I allow an algorithm to make crafting determinations, even the simplest ones?  Tools are tools, but when the tools diminish rather than enhance?
That's a recipe to being superficial.  I don't think I want to be superficial.  Unless I'm doing corporate bull shit for the pay day.  But then, the corporations using AI can now (or soon) cut me out of that calculus anyway.
Get off my lawn you damn machines.

"I'm getting too old for this shit.  I'm only two weeks away from my retirement."
I'm gonna be one of those craft people that refuses to use AI. Damn the consequences.  This all sucks.  
As a documentarian, even something supposedly innocuous like audio transcribing is causing more inadvertent issues than it's solving.  It's really getting in my way holistically -- although it "feels" like it's helping in the moment.
It divorces me from the nuances and intimacy of the material.  How can I be expected to make anything meaningful to the audience or to myself if I allow an algorithm to make crafting determinations, even the simplest ones?  Tools are tools, but when the tools diminish rather than enhance?
That's a recipe to being superficial.  I don't think I want to be superficial.  Unless I'm doing corporate bull shit for the pay day.  But then, the corporations using AI can now (or soon) cut me out of that calculus anyway.
Get off my lawn you damn machines.

Regardless of whatever pipeline you ultimately use, I really like what you're willing to do with the blacks. 

Regardless of whatever pipeline you ultimately use, I really like what you're willing to do with the blacks. 

tl/dr:  Made a small and simple doc film years and years ago with my first 'hybrid' camera. The process was inspiring and changed my outlook about working with motion pictures:
A bit of online chatter here about cameras that are older and it got me thinking because I recently posted a doc my wife and I are currently working on.  It was made with recent camera gear and fancy new computers and software. 
Something old.  Something new.
Well, as a retrospect, here's a look at the very first film we attempted.  This was in 2011.  My entire career at that time had been broadcasting and corporate.  Didactic stuff.  That was my reality and vocational training.  
If making a film was compared being an architect designing a building, my education was basically akin to being an electrician.  Installing wires and cables I could do -- and that was kind of it, y'know? 
So when we set out to shoot this 'Camino' flick, our assumption was that we were going to do what was typical for us:  Subject-matter-experts-interviews, b-roll, maybe even having a presenter doing stand ups and narration.  That type of thing.
Interestingly, this upcoming shoot was immediately preceded by a corporate assignment in southern Spain.  The experience of filming some pretty incredible scenery footage only to know that it was going to be handed off to my client who would hammer it into a dry travelogue video was disheartening.  Also, a year before we had also made a standard travelogue video ourselves in Japan.  We were underwhelmed by the results we created there too.
My wife saw my frustration with all this and started asking "why".  Why were we doing things a certain way.  What exactly would we be offering the world with another video that was a parade of talking heads telling the viewer what to think/feel?  No acceptable answers were readily available. 
So, the day before this journey we decided to ditch all the audio gear, the Sachtler tripod, and the HD video camera with multiple lenses.  Into the backback went a used 5DII and a nikkor 50mm prime.  That was it.  Felt a bit naked, tbh.  But that was the first day we set off into the world as filmmakers rather than as a cameraman or a broadcast ENG person.
We wanted to make something completely impressionistic and opposite of what was typical for us.  We'd only use 1 small cam, 1 small lens, a walking staff as a makeshift monopod.
This epiphany came about not only from the conversation with my wife, but also the realization that a really simple camera rig was not only going to give me an opportunity to run and gun cinematically; but to do it better than with the extensive gak I normally carried around.  Cinematic shooting was something that I never really felt the freedom to explore --until that moment.  And so we went to make a humble unassuming little film.  
The simplicity became it's value.  Less was more we reasoned.  Create a vibe rather than an info dump.
Our modest film might not seem like much, and there's so many mistakes I made first time out of the gate I still cringe at, but it changed our view about our careers.  From there we started to be interested in what it took to be better storytellers. Could we actually do that?  Really?
All of this to say that perspective really matters.  And that the gear we talk about here can actually offer new perspectives.  But it was the attitude first and foremost that needed a shift.  Cheers.

FWIW, I recently did a post about the doc the wife and I are working on.  Some of our production insights there.  Examples are posted too, so you can judge if what we're talking about measures up to your standards.  Not the first time we've done that either.  Yeah, it's a gear site first and foremost, but other info floats around too.

Good advice.  Thanks so much for offering your suggestion.  The director, my wife, is aligned with your take here.  She definitely wants to hone the focus and define the 'voice' of the film better.

Yeah.  Totally not depressing, that.

Might be a bit of survivor bias here. 
The older movies that were shot on film might seem to be of a nicer IQ standard, but those are the ones that are still acknowledged.
As an dude that went to the local 1$ 'grindhouse' theater rather regularly as a kid, I assure you that the quality of the image for the forgettable films were often nothing remarkable. 
However, I will say that the darker, deeper, contrasty look that was in fashion among better cinematographers back then is something I miss.  Less is more.  Too much detail in a scene can be a detriment at times. All that dynamic range often is not needed. 
Spielberg's West Side Story looked remarkable and like shit simultaneously, imo.

Anyone here specialize or enjoy documentaries?  My wife and I made a doc for our small community and were wondering if it had any viability beyond in-town screenings at the local film fest.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gorqbss1yxq6lufl81x44/HAWK_WATCH_SCREEN_DRAFT.mp4?rlkey=x5d8vcd4igr3bix0cdsgajq0b&st=mt1xzunz&dl=0
The 1st draft here is still loosey-goosey, but if you're so inclined, take a look and see if the story intrigues you enough to say, "Yeah, you might be able to get this out there other places."
We feel it's such niche topic that distribution isn't much of a reality, but maybe being niche is a positive in a certain way --and with a significant cut down it could have opportunities?  Not sure.  As one work on these things one gets rather myopic.  As you might imagine, feedback from folks in our local community is too biased.  They're just happy to see themselves, colleagues, and friends in a film.  
Any advice is welcome if you have time to watch. 

tl/dr:  Made a small and simple doc film years and years ago with my first 'hybrid' camera. The process was inspiring and changed my outlook about working with motion pictures:
A bit of online chatter here about cameras that are older and it got me thinking because I recently posted a doc my wife and I are currently working on.  It was made with recent camera gear and fancy new computers and software. 
Something old.  Something new.
Well, as a retrospect, here's a look at the very first film we attempted.  This was in 2011.  My entire career at that time had been broadcasting and corporate.  Didactic stuff.  That was my reality and vocational training.  
If making a film was compared being an architect designing a building, my education was basically akin to being an electrician.  Installing wires and cables I could do -- and that was kind of it, y'know? 
So when we set out to shoot this 'Camino' flick, our assumption was that we were going to do what was typical for us:  Subject-matter-experts-interviews, b-roll, maybe even having a presenter doing stand ups and narration.  That type of thing.
Interestingly, this upcoming shoot was immediately preceded by a corporate assignment in southern Spain.  The experience of filming some pretty incredible scenery footage only to know that it was going to be handed off to my client who would hammer it into a dry travelogue video was disheartening.  Also, a year before we had also made a standard travelogue video ourselves in Japan.  We were underwhelmed by the results we created there too.
My wife saw my frustration with all this and started asking "why".  Why were we doing things a certain way.  What exactly would we be offering the world with another video that was a parade of talking heads telling the viewer what to think/feel?  No acceptable answers were readily available. 
So, the day before this journey we decided to ditch all the audio gear, the Sachtler tripod, and the HD video camera with multiple lenses.  Into the backback went a used 5DII and a nikkor 50mm prime.  That was it.  Felt a bit naked, tbh.  But that was the first day we set off into the world as filmmakers rather than as a cameraman or a broadcast ENG person.
We wanted to make something completely impressionistic and opposite of what was typical for us.  We'd only use 1 small cam, 1 small lens, a walking staff as a makeshift monopod.
This epiphany came about not only from the conversation with my wife, but also the realization that a really simple camera rig was not only going to give me an opportunity to run and gun cinematically; but to do it better than with the extensive gak I normally carried around.  Cinematic shooting was something that I never really felt the freedom to explore --until that moment.  And so we went to make a humble unassuming little film.  
The simplicity became it's value.  Less was more we reasoned.  Create a vibe rather than an info dump.
Our modest film might not seem like much, and there's so many mistakes I made first time out of the gate I still cringe at, but it changed our view about our careers.  From there we started to be interested in what it took to be better storytellers. Could we actually do that?  Really?
All of this to say that perspective really matters.  And that the gear we talk about here can actually offer new perspectives.  But it was the attitude first and foremost that needed a shift.  Cheers.

tl/dr:  Made a small and simple doc film years and years ago with my first 'hybrid' camera. The process was inspiring and changed my outlook about working with motion pictures:
A bit of online chatter here about cameras that are older and it got me thinking because I recently posted a doc my wife and I are currently working on.  It was made with recent camera gear and fancy new computers and software. 
Something old.  Something new.
Well, as a retrospect, here's a look at the very first film we attempted.  This was in 2011.  My entire career at that time had been broadcasting and corporate.  Didactic stuff.  That was my reality and vocational training.  
If making a film was compared being an architect designing a building, my education was basically akin to being an electrician.  Installing wires and cables I could do -- and that was kind of it, y'know? 
So when we set out to shoot this 'Camino' flick, our assumption was that we were going to do what was typical for us:  Subject-matter-experts-interviews, b-roll, maybe even having a presenter doing stand ups and narration.  That type of thing.
Interestingly, this upcoming shoot was immediately preceded by a corporate assignment in southern Spain.  The experience of filming some pretty incredible scenery footage only to know that it was going to be handed off to my client who would hammer it into a dry travelogue video was disheartening.  Also, a year before we had also made a standard travelogue video ourselves in Japan.  We were underwhelmed by the results we created there too.
My wife saw my frustration with all this and started asking "why".  Why were we doing things a certain way.  What exactly would we be offering the world with another video that was a parade of talking heads telling the viewer what to think/feel?  No acceptable answers were readily available. 
So, the day before this journey we decided to ditch all the audio gear, the Sachtler tripod, and the HD video camera with multiple lenses.  Into the backback went a used 5DII and a nikkor 50mm prime.  That was it.  Felt a bit naked, tbh.  But that was the first day we set off into the world as filmmakers rather than as a cameraman or a broadcast ENG person.
We wanted to make something completely impressionistic and opposite of what was typical for us.  We'd only use 1 small cam, 1 small lens, a walking staff as a makeshift monopod.
This epiphany came about not only from the conversation with my wife, but also the realization that a really simple camera rig was not only going to give me an opportunity to run and gun cinematically; but to do it better than with the extensive gak I normally carried around.  Cinematic shooting was something that I never really felt the freedom to explore --until that moment.  And so we went to make a humble unassuming little film.  
The simplicity became it's value.  Less was more we reasoned.  Create a vibe rather than an info dump.
Our modest film might not seem like much, and there's so many mistakes I made first time out of the gate I still cringe at, but it changed our view about our careers.  From there we started to be interested in what it took to be better storytellers. Could we actually do that?  Really?
All of this to say that perspective really matters.  And that the gear we talk about here can actually offer new perspectives.  But it was the attitude first and foremost that needed a shift.  Cheers.

tl/dr:  Made a small and simple doc film years and years ago with my first 'hybrid' camera. The process was inspiring and changed my outlook about working with motion pictures:
A bit of online chatter here about cameras that are older and it got me thinking because I recently posted a doc my wife and I are currently working on.  It was made with recent camera gear and fancy new computers and software. 
Something old.  Something new.
Well, as a retrospect, here's a look at the very first film we attempted.  This was in 2011.  My entire career at that time had been broadcasting and corporate.  Didactic stuff.  That was my reality and vocational training.  
If making a film was compared being an architect designing a building, my education was basically akin to being an electrician.  Installing wires and cables I could do -- and that was kind of it, y'know? 
So when we set out to shoot this 'Camino' flick, our assumption was that we were going to do what was typical for us:  Subject-matter-experts-interviews, b-roll, maybe even having a presenter doing stand ups and narration.  That type of thing.
Interestingly, this upcoming shoot was immediately preceded by a corporate assignment in southern Spain.  The experience of filming some pretty incredible scenery footage only to know that it was going to be handed off to my client who would hammer it into a dry travelogue video was disheartening.  Also, a year before we had also made a standard travelogue video ourselves in Japan.  We were underwhelmed by the results we created there too.
My wife saw my frustration with all this and started asking "why".  Why were we doing things a certain way.  What exactly would we be offering the world with another video that was a parade of talking heads telling the viewer what to think/feel?  No acceptable answers were readily available. 
So, the day before this journey we decided to ditch all the audio gear, the Sachtler tripod, and the HD video camera with multiple lenses.  Into the backback went a used 5DII and a nikkor 50mm prime.  That was it.  Felt a bit naked, tbh.  But that was the first day we set off into the world as filmmakers rather than as a cameraman or a broadcast ENG person.
We wanted to make something completely impressionistic and opposite of what was typical for us.  We'd only use 1 small cam, 1 small lens, a walking staff as a makeshift monopod.
This epiphany came about not only from the conversation with my wife, but also the realization that a really simple camera rig was not only going to give me an opportunity to run and gun cinematically; but to do it better than with the extensive gak I normally carried around.  Cinematic shooting was something that I never really felt the freedom to explore --until that moment.  And so we went to make a humble unassuming little film.  
The simplicity became it's value.  Less was more we reasoned.  Create a vibe rather than an info dump.
Our modest film might not seem like much, and there's so many mistakes I made first time out of the gate I still cringe at, but it changed our view about our careers.  From there we started to be interested in what it took to be better storytellers. Could we actually do that?  Really?
All of this to say that perspective really matters.  And that the gear we talk about here can actually offer new perspectives.  But it was the attitude first and foremost that needed a shift.  Cheers.

FWIW, I recently did a post about the doc the wife and I are working on.  Some of our production insights there.  Examples are posted too, so you can judge if what we're talking about measures up to your standards.  Not the first time we've done that either.  Yeah, it's a gear site first and foremost, but other info floats around too.

Yeah.  Totally not depressing, that.