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 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 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 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 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 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).
Read MoreDavid wanted to gradually transition from a deep depth of field to a shallow depth of field in one shot to blur the background and isolate the foreground subject. This draws attention to the depth of field effect and communicates to consumers the capabilities of the P10 phone and the artistic value that the feature offers.
Read MoreThe novel Cinefade system synchronises the external iris motor of a professional camera system with a light transmission filter to vary depth-of-field in film.
The same light transmission filter can also be used individually as a motorised variable ND filter that is remotely controlled by a cmotion lens control system to allow for precise and fast exposure changes when the camera is inaccessible or when the creative brief calls for an exact T-stop to maintain a consistent depth-of-field.
Tracking shots at a shallow depth of field in which the camera tracks closer to the subject are notoriously hard for focus pullers to keep sharp, especially if the subject is also moving. A variable depth of field can be used to extend the depth of field when tracking towards the subject to give the focus puller a better chance of nailing critical focus.
Read MoreOur Motorised Polariser can be used independently as a RotaPola that is automatically calibrated, allows users to set marks and can be controlled remotely, which sets it apart from similar products such as the Tiffen Multi Rota Tray or ARRI’s Rota Pola frame.
Read MoreThe Cinefade shot is often compared to the Dolly Zoom shot, also known as the Vertigo effect, Trombone shot, Zolly amongst many others. Although it is technically different, the comparison refers to the narrative motivation behind applying one of the two shots in a film: Accentuating a pivotal moment in the narrative.
Read MoreThe cmotion Cinefade VariND is made up of a Motorised Polariser and a Static Polariser which when combined can be used as a motorised variable ND filter that is remotely controlled by a cPRO lens control system to allow for precise and fast exposure changes when the camera is inaccessible or when the creative brief calls for an exact T-stop to maintain a consistent depth-of-field, even in changing lighting conditions.
Read More“Director Jaume Collet-Serra and I wanted a severe depth-of-field shift to accentuate Liam Neeson's experience - something to isolate him from his surrounding world. I was in the process of designing a system when my A-camera first AC, Dave Cozens, came upon Cinefade. It was exactly what we were looking for.”
- Paul Cameron ASC
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