Here you will find download links, tutorials, blog posts, FAQs and other goodies.
Short 5min setup video covering all the basics to setup and operate the cmotion Cinefade VariND and cPRO.
Iain interviews the Founder of Cinefade, Oliver Janesh Christiansen at Cinec 2018 to talk about the cmotion Cinefade VariND.
When I heard about the Cinefade, I said, "Oh my god, this is a tool that I can actually control exposure with while keeping the iris position where I want it for storytelling purposes", which in my opinion, is really what it's for. The iris position has an enormous effect on how you tell the story because it controls depth of field. I was really excited to use the tool for that reason.
Read MoreLive sport is increasingly turning to cinematic cameras usually seen on a film set to add emotion and drama. But blending those shots with rest of the action is no easy feat.
Read More“Primarily on 'Devotion' we're using the Cinefade VariND on the Technocrane so we can set a fixed exposure - whatever Erik wants to shoot at - and we don't have to bring the crane down or close or open the iris at all to compensate for any exposure changes. So, if Erik wants to shoot it at a T2, no matter the light we can just shoot it at a T2. Choosing what aperture you shoot at is storytelling and I think the Cinefade allows you to keep the story the way you want it.”
Read MoreDirector Nano Clow and DP Natasha Duursma challenged themselves to a particularly tricky one-take music video shoot. The idea was to shoot a time lapse with the camera taking an exposure once a second during sunrise. Shooting 16mm film on an ARRI 416 camera, one of the challenges was to maintain a constant exposure during the extreme light change at sunrise.
Read MoreMy relationship with the Cinefade system began a while before I even knew it existed. While prepping director Brandon Cronenberg’s 2020 feature Possessor, we had a crazy idea that we had never seen done before. When the character of Vos (Andrea Riseborough) would jump in and out of possessing someone, the world around her would start blurry in shallow depth of field, then sharpen up in focus, revealing her surroundings. Effectively a depth of field rack in shot while maintaining a single focal plane, without affecting the lighting.
Read MoreKarim Hussain CSC used the Cinefade system on feature film 'Firestarter' and discovers the professional variable ND filter is a high quality and more flexible alternative to using traditional ND filters, especially when filming at dusk during magic hour and on two-camera setups when matching different lenses shooting wide open.
Read MoreShooting on Sony Venice Cameras at 6K 17:9 with the new large format Leitz Prime lenses, the Cinefade enables Director of Photography Balazs Bolygo BSC, HSC to transition from a very shallow depth of field at T1.8 to a deep depth of field at around T8, a Cinefade of more than 4 stops. In the end, two distinct scenes made it into the final cut…
Read MoreCinematographer Shane Hurlbut ASC gives us a behind the scenes look of his newest feature film Tall Girl 2, available to stream on Netflix now. We analyse the Cinefade scenes and get a brief insight into Hurlbut's creative process of using our novel storytelling tool.
Read MoreOne of the first sports leagues to experiment with full-frame sensor cinema cameras during their live-sports broadcast productions is the Spanish professional football league La Liga and we take a look at how the Cinefade VariND helped to match the two different types of cameras and allowed the operators to quickly transition between a cinematic to a broadcast look.
Read MoreThe Sony FX6 and FX9 take the electronic ND feature one step further with bokeh control, which essentially allows operators to mimic the Cinefade variable depth of field effect. The aim of the bokeh control is to automatically change the built-in electronic variable ND filter to maintain a constant exposure when opening up or closing down the aperture.
Read MoreThe Cinefade variable depth of field effect is known as a creative storytelling tool that is often used as a visual effect to accentuate a particularly dramatic moment. The Cinefade system can however also be used as a practical tool to make the DP’s and AC’s job on set easier.
DP Kevin Fletcher used the Cinefade system on a complicated tracking shot to aid his 1AC in achieving critical focus. Starting on an extreme close-up, the depth of field was kept broad to increase the likelihood of maintaining perfect focus. As the camera tracked backwards to a wide shot, the Cinefade was used to imperceptibly decrease depth of field in order to maintain the shallow depth of field look and communicate the character’s sense of isolation.
Read MoreDavid Finchers neuester Netflix-Film »Mank« ist eine Hommage an »Citizen Kane« und an Gregg Tolands Arbeit mit Tiefenschärfe in diesem Jahrhundertwerk von Orson Welles. Dazu setzt Regisseur Fincher mit seinem Kameramann Erik Messerschmidt das von Oliver Christiansen neue entwickelte System Cinefade ein – und ergänzt damit das visuelle Storytelling um ein revolutionäres, bis anhin ungesehenes kreatives Element.
Read MoreListen to a short extract of the More Like This podcast from Netflix Queue in which cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt ASC discusses his and David Fincher's thought process behind using the Cinefade as a storytelling tool.
Read More“We used this tool called the cmotion Cinefade. It’s a motorized variable ND filter that you sync to the iris so we could effectively pull depth of field. It’s quite extreme. You could pull five stops of depth of field. So we could go from a T8 to a 2. That thing kind of lived on the camera. There were times where we’d say, “It’s too much. Let’s look at it at a 5.6.” So you set the iris to a 5.6, the VariND compensates and now you’re looking at the same scene but with less depth of field. So, it was nice to be able to use focus and iris as a storytelling tool instead of just an exposure tool.” - Erik Messerschmidt ASC
Read MorePolarisers are essential on any automotive shoot, allowing the Director of Photography to control reflections on the bodywork and windshield of the ‘hero car’. Automotive productions often use a crane, Russian Arm, Technodolly or car rig to stabilise and move the camera, making the camera inaccessible to the crew. Wireless control of the camera and its accessories is therefore essential and the Cinefade Motorised Polariser enables filmmakers to remotely control a polariser via the cmotion cPro lens control system.
Read MoreBruno had a revelation when he realised that he is able to also play with the depth of field and change it in shot: Starting the scene with a very deep depth of field and as the scene gets more intense he is able to gradually transition to a shallow depth of field.
Read MoreFocus and depth of field play an incredibly important role in the cinematography of ‘Mank’ and we are excited for you to see how DP Erik Messerschmidt utilised the Cinefade VariND to help craft the look.
Read MoreThe Cinefade VariND is available to rent directly from our base in London and from our local rental partners with same-day courier services.
Read MoreThe Cinefade VariND makes it easier for ACs to keep their distance to the camera operator and actors, in addition to avoiding unnecessary contact with the camera and accessories.
Read MoreIn the past, Cinematographers have always been limited to choosing a depth of field that stays consistent throughout the shot. A variable depth of field that creates a sort of focus blur or background blur effect has vast creative applications and the potential of becoming a must-have feature for Lens Control Systems (LCS).
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