Hello internets!
Sorry it’s been a while to update this website… Truthfully there hasn’t been much to say after the initial launch. For one, I don’t get to shoot anamorphic often and not much new knowledge to share.
However I’m pleased to report a new short film I’m working on here in Hong Kong, and I’ve convinced the director to go anamorphic!
Called ‘Static Dreams’, it’s a short sci-fi piece intended to promote a new series of graphic novels produced by The Immortal Peach crew – of which I’m affiliated to.
Here are a few screengrabs shot with the Sony FS100 + nanoFlash using 50mm roundfront and 30mm squarefront. I’ve also been using the 35mm T1.4 and 150mm T2.8 primes for a few scenes because of the need for close-up and tele.
Here are a few shots of home town in Dublin, Ireland. I wish I could do more but it was a really short trip and I had intended to travel to the famous Cliffs of Moher in the west of the country but weather was too bad. I think that would’ve looked epic! Plus I haven’t been there since I was a child. In fact I’ve been away from home so long sometimes I can be a tourist.
Shot with 30mm square front and 50mm round front on GH2 + NanoFlash@220mbit/s
OK, been getting a lot of queries about how to use OCT-18 lenses. First off, I TOLD YOU they’re a pain in the ass!
But I know how ya feel. I was also like that when I first embarked on my rather short Lomo anamorphic journey. Unless you’re filthy rich of course, and you’d buy PL or Hawks!
In short, the problem is that OCT-18′s are really designed for Konvas cameras with dovetail support. It holds the entire unit together so they don’t fall apart. Now, when I was using and selling OCT-18′s I used something called a SPT-1 by Velbon. It’s this magical accessory that helped me sell Hypergonar anamorphic lenses. It was designed for tele-lenses but I managed to configure them to push my anamorphic agenda! I bought them from a distributor in Hong Kong but if you Google it you should find it. It cost me about US$50 each.
Below are pics to illustrate. Here I use a GH2 with a OCT-18 (old version) adapter from ciecio7 on eBay. Now, the SPT-1 allows the OCT-18 unit to sit on top. The front element does extend while focusing so the SPT-1 provides enough room for it. I don’t have more pics but you can also stick a pistol grip underneath the SPT-1 to do some rudimentary handheld work. Entirely feasible but really a pain in the ass.
I’d been busy with a lot of work these months and ashamedly my anamorphics had been in a long slumber. But now they’re with me in Ireland and am using them in conjunction with a nanoFlash x GH2 test. Living and working in Hong Kong for so long doesn’t give me much inspiration anymore so it’s hard to go out and shoot much less use anamorphic lenses. Unfortunately the past few creative works I’ve participated did not warrant the use of anamorphics.
I’m taking a short break in my native Ireland and it’s the first time I’ve brought the Lomo anamorphic lenses. I’ll be travelling around Dublin as well as famous scenic sights around the country and doing some nice landscape shots using the nanoFlash/GH2 combo at 220mbps I-Frame rates. It’d be the highest bit rate I’ve ever used with these lenses – I might also get a chance to play with my friend’s RED Scarlet.
Doing the usual patrol on Vimeo and was immediately intrigued by this title!
When I got my first roundfront anamorphic lens, I was disappointed when I could not use my follow focus unit. This is because the focusing barrel was so stiff and heavy, and the front element extended too far when focusing. So you can see in that clip the follow focus gear is long and strong (motorized) enough to compensate!
Would just like to share what kept food on my table for 2011. Some were shot in Lomo anamorphic – you can tell which ones! Those scenes featured in this video I used the 35mm T2.8. Great lens but I had sold it a few months ago. Kind of miss it now especially since my 30mm developed an air bubble in the element!
The 1.5x cropped videos were just artificially cropped.
I first watched Manga’s cult classic “Ghost in the Shell” when I was a teen but only recently realised that the film’s city background is actually based on Hong Kong – my current place of residence.
When it was made in 1995, it depicted a grimy, futuristic city. Now, 16 years later, it’s interesting to see how Hong Kong has physically changed. So I set out to try and recreate particular scenes from the film. The biggest differences between the film and now is that Hong Kong no longer has those awesome low-flying airplanes (airport moved in 1998) nor do we have canals and river boats – though we do have tramcar systems which is the obvious influence for Masamune. Not every shot could be faithfully recreated. Simply because it was an animation! But when you do a comparison there are the obvious locations (youtube.com/watch?v=wYVbQ-GQTxQ)
I left the scenes with Motoko Kusanagi for narrative reasons (and I couldn’t be arsed looking for an actress!). Another note is the first two shots of the planes, they were ripped and up-rezzed from a YouTube video by airboyd. There is no way I could have recreated those scenes yet I wanted to show people just how crazily low they flew.
This was shot with Sony NEX5-N in 1080p/50fps with 30mm squarefront and 50mm roundfront Lomo anamorphic lenses.
Special thanks to Pete Furkidsinhk and his “fur kid” Cream.
Here’s an interesting extract from Wong Kin Yuen, “Science Fiction Studies #80, dated March 2000:
1. It is now widely acknowledged that Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982/ 1992) initiated a whole tradition of cult movies later grouped under the label “cyberpunk.” Blade Runner’s style draws its images from urban spaces all over the world, including such Asian cities as Tokyo and Hong Kong. Science fiction film critics are less aware, however, that when anime film director Mamoru Oshii was looking for a model of the city of the future in a computerized world, he turned for his primary inspiration to the cityscape of Hong Kong. Through his art designers, actual spots in the city of Hong Kong were transformed into the mise-en-scène of Ghost in the Shell, first released in the United States in March 1996. Science fiction has not fared well in Hong Kong (either in terms of production or consumption), nor is there a cyberpunk culture among Hong Kong’s young computer users. So the question arises: what elements in Hong Kong provided inspiration for this cinematic representation of a near-future city characterized by decadence, anarchy, and fantasy on the one hand, and a mistrusted, high-tech hyper-reality on the other? Taking up this question, I will first suggest a reading of a shopping complex in Hong Kong that emphasizes its fragmentation, disjunctiveness, and ephemerality. Like Blade Runner’s “Ridleyville,” this Hong Kong shopping complex intertwines past and future, memory and desire. Finally, I will analyze the setting of Ghost in the Shell, especially the parts that are clearly modeled on Hong Kong street scenes and architecture. I hope to validate Anthony King’s argument that colonial cities have the best chance of establishing a cityscape of the future that embraces racial and cultural differences.
The front element of my 30mm formed a small bubble, but it was enough to be seen in the image, especially when on a dark surface.
So I braved up and cracked it open. I was assured it would not affect the lens’ collimation.
I was mortified when I discovered the bubble was formed within one of the concave anamorphic elements. I heard if you mark a small black dot directly behind it, it wouldn’t reflect so much in the image. Turned out okay… but still a tad noticeable to the discerning eye.
I only had the lens for about 5 months, and it was stored in a dehumidifying chamber (along with other lenses) the whole time when not in use. Now I’m keeping it in its own storage case.
Anyway, here’s a rare chance to see the innards of the lens:
Basically every Lomo anamorphic lens is made up of a rear prime and anamorphic element. The anamorphic element itself is made up of two optics: A concave anamorphic element and a sort of wide angle element at the very front.
The series of AVC-intra bitrate hacks/patches by ‘Driftwood’ are getting crazy popular.
His latest servings include “seAQuake”, an AQ3, 166mb AVC-Intra patch. It’s quite stable, but you’ll need very good SD cards. The GH2 hack community recommends SanDisk 95mb/s cards. I personally have a 32gig card. But one thing to note is that it can only record in roughly 4:05 segments (equalling 4.3gig) – this is because the card can only record a limited chunk before it needs to go to a new file. But new tests seem to confirm that the 64gig SDXC version can record longer.
Of course, I was thinking how great it would improve anamorphic footage.
Usually I output to Vimeo with h.264 at 10000kbps. So this time when I’ve uploaded this seAQuake footage, it definitely looks sharper and less muddy. I can’t put my finger on it but I know it looks way better than stock camera footage. Though, in fairness, I think the 66mb hack 3GOP is already good enough for me. seAQuake’s 166mb does seem like a bit overkill.
I also tried out EX TELE with it but definitely not advisable with these kind of lenses. Lomo’s aren’t known for their sharpness and the EX TELE function only highlights it more! Oh well, guess I do need to keep my eye out for a tele anamorphic lens!
I’m spending Christmas holidays in my native Ireland next month so hope to shoot more anamorphic footage with the GH2.
You can find all the popular hacks compiled here.
Thanks again to Vitaly Kiselev and Driftwood.
It’s great to see someone utilising the GH2 x Lomo anamorphic combo for a full-length feature project. It’s ambitious to say the least given the small form factor of the GH2 and the well, “vintage” nature of the Lomo’s.
Director and lead actor Roberto Miller and I liaised a few times about anamorphic lenses in the past, so now it’s great to see his project is finally up and running. Currently they are shooting in his native San Francisco after having wrapped up in Lyon, France.
Here is the synopsis from his website: “Mandorla is a narrative feature film about realizing your dream and living a more meaningful life. Ernesto, who grew up being inspired by heroes in books and movies, is trapped in the corporate world when he is called to be the hero of his own story. He refuses, but the call escalates. Despite risk to himself and family, he takes a leap of faith when he starts to follow signs that lead him on a quest that he senses is his life’s true purpose. Ultimately, Ernesto must face the opposing forces within him that are tearing him apart, and find the alchemy that binds them together to create something new.”
