Shane Hurlbut

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut explains lighting for day exteriors, writing, "Lighting day exteriors is as much about choosing the right time as it is about your manipulation of the daylight. Sometimes you can choose the time that you shoot. Many times, you are locked into a schedule that doesn’t necessarily work for your lighting approach. If it is not the right time, you have to go with it and do your best."

Read his full post here on his blog.

Shane Hurlbut of Hurlbut Visuals writes: Many of you have asked me to write a post on camera movement that encapsulates the three questions of: Why, Where and When. Motion is a very powerful tool in telling your story. It can create tension, evoke tears, make you laugh and keep you on the edge of your seat. I love moving the camera, but only if it helps the story. Moving a camera just to move it is not a good rule. Read the scene and ask yourself how will movement make this better? How will it support your character’s emotions?

Max A. Cherney of Indiewire writes: To select a camera for Scott Waugh's street racing film "Need For Speed," cinematographer Shane Hurlbut pitted nine cameras against one another in dozens of tests simulating every possible shooting condition. Then, Hurlbut had each camera’s footage color graded and presented with a 4K projector on a 42 foot screen.

Hurlbut didn’t tell anyone working on the project, including the director, which camera was which. It would be a blind test. Eventually, Hurlbut revealed the details, but the unanimous, final decision was based on the picture alone.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Shane Hurlbut of Hurlbut Visuals writes: Many of you have heard me talk about how I light to eye by either looking at the back LCD screen or a  lighting monitor like an HP DreamColor. Lighting to eye is something that is based on experience and what you like esthetically. I trained my eye through the use of exposing film, not an LCD screen or a monitor, but a photo-chemical process and by the use of a light meter. Many say that the light meter is dead with digital. I disagree. It is the only tool that you have in your box that can measure what you love. It can tell you how you lit a specific scene in case you have to go back and pick something up later in your schedule. You will need that tool to measure footcandles and f-stops to guide you to make the match perfect.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

Shane Hurlbut has conducted a screen test with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, writing of the experience, "I love that this camera fell into a nice color palette and delivered pretty good skin tones, as well as holding the sky. Some of it felt a little clippy in the over exposure, but again, I was going to eye and trying to figure it out. I would say that I exposed a little hot. Many people told me not to starve this camera of light, but I think I went a little too far. With that said, the image holds up for a $3K camera. We color graded the scene with Davinci Resolve, which is included when you purchase the camera."

Read his full post here and see his color corrected scene below (there is no audio).

Shane Hurlbut writes about experimenting with color temp to create depth and achieve unique looks. He writes, "When I shoot film, I use specific stocks that are either daylight or tungsten based to react to blue daylight color temp at 5500 deg. Kelvin or 3200 deg. Kelvin for tungsten. I never set my digital camera to either one of these settings. On some cameras, it is your only choice. One reason I have gravitated towards the Arri Alexa and Canon cameras is not only for their incredible sensors, but also because they understand this fact. You can rotate the wheel in WB mode on a Canon or on the Alexa in a sub menu to scroll to your look."

Read his full post, in which he delves into achieving the unique look of Crazy/Beautiful, here on his blog.

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut blogs his experience on testing out and ultimately choosing three cameras for his latest feature, Need for Speed. He writes, "I trusted my instinct on film and its emulsion attributes. This is exactly what our digital cameras are, another film emulsion. You have to pick your emulsions, not singular, because specific cameras have their unique benefits, their unique emulsion. So trying to use their best aspects and not being locked to one emulsion to shoot your movie is paramount."

Read his full post here.

Hollywood DI in conjunction with its strategic partners invites you to a "Collaborative Workflow" Open House on Saturday, October 20th from 10am to 4pm, at The Lot, West Hollywood. As well as presentations and demonstrations of the latest in digital capture and workflow applications including technical Emmy winners, there will be three presentations from award winning ASC cinematographer, Shane Hurlbut. He will be presenting several brand new cameras from Canon and Blackmagic Design.

Cinematographer Shane Hulrbut reviews the Cineped, a 360-degree rotatable slider. He writes, "Something that I have incorporated on my last few features is to use the slider on the dolly at all times. It gives you this wonderful movement within moves and more of a liquid camera feel than a locked in dolly in or dolly out. The other option that the Quatro does on the dolly or on the Cineped is to increase freedom on over the shoulder shots. The ability to slide over when the actor or actress leans in or back allows you to keep a consistent OTS.

Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut writes about the importance of testing out your color options and looks in a digital world where it appears as if anything is possible. He writes, "We have so many new digital tools at our disposal that you cannot just pick them up and start shooting with them. It is a disservice to the tool as well as to you, the cinematographer. Let’s think about it in a totally new way. Treat your new digital camera like a new film emulsion that needs testing. Why? Because every sensor is different.

Shane Hurlbut explains some basic frame compositions including how to create them and what they usually convey emotionally. He writes, "Many of you have expressed an interest in composition: what makes a good frame or a bad one. There are a few classic frames that I customize to give them flare. I think this will help all of you find your compositional voice. Remember that the best creative inspiration can come from not always following the rules."

DP Shane Hurlbut blogs about using the ARRI Alexa, Canon 5D and Canon C300 on an anti-drunk driving PSA for New Mexico's Department of Transportation. He writes, "Our concept wanted the look and feel to take place at dusk, right after the disaster.

For Shane Hurlbut, storytelling always trumps technology. But he’s no slouch when it comes to trying out new things—the renowned cinematographer’s latest film, Act of Valor, is the first HDSLR-shot full-length feature to be released by a major studio. Directed by Scott Waugh and Mike McCoy of Bandito Brothers, nearly 70 percent of the narrative film, which details the covert operations of a group of U.S.

DP Shane Hurlbut has posted a behind-the-scenes video of short film "The Ticket," which was shot on the brand new Canon EOS-1D C and which premiered at NAB last week. Hurlbut particularly focuses on how the light weight and low-light capabilities of the 4K DSLR camera captured shots that would otherwise have been impossible.

Cinema 5D presents the full video from Canon's "Image What's Next" Keynote from their pre-NAB screening event where DP Shane Hurlbut presented his EOS 1D C short film "The Ticket" and spoke about his experiences shooting with the new 4K camera.

Shane Hurlbut has nothing but amazing things to say about the Canon EOS-1D C after shooting Po Chan's short film "The Ticket" on the new 4K camera. He says, "Everything about this camera will blow your mind. The image stands alone, with not even one competitor entering the playing field. What you are going to see on the web will never do this camera justice.

DP Shane Hurlbut performed a very interesting real-world comparison between the Canon C300 and the ARRI Alexa while shooting a Game of Thrones promo.