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u/Annual_Nerve_8486

Image 1 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 2 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 3 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 4 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 5 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 6 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
Image 7 — I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.
▲ 371 r/cinematography

I made a short film in Korea using a $2 DIY stocking filter.

Hi everyone,

I’m a cinematographer based in South Korea. I recently finished a small narrative short film and just put together a technical BTS video to share some of the random things I learned on set.

This is actually my first time sharing a narrative short film here, so I’m genuinely curious to see how this story and its specific atmosphere feel to an international audience.

For the night scenes in an outdoor mall, I really wanted a soft, dreamlike look for the neon lights. Instead of using expensive glass filters, I bought a cheap pack of black 5-denier pantyhose (comes out to about $2 a piece) and stretched it over the front of the lens with a rubber band.

I did some tests beforehand with different colors and thickness, and while 20-denier ate too much light, the 5-denier gave a really nice, subtle bloom to the pink neon signs that shaped the climax of the film.

We also had a scene where a coffee cup needs to spin on its own. We tried fishing lines first, but it kept wobbling too much. So I ended up 3D-printing a custom mechanical mount to hold the cup steady during rotation, and then painted the rig out in post.

Also, we strictly followed our storyboards, but my favorite transition shot actually came from a mistake. During a lighting setup, an unexpected light leak hit the lens like a lightning bolt. It felt so much more chaotic and immersive that we threw away the planned version and kept the mistake.

You can see the actual side-by-side filter tests (pantyhose vs glass filters) and the 3D-printing VFX breakdown in the BTS link above.

Anyway, it was a project full of constant problem-solving, but a lot of fun. I'd love to hear your honest impressions or feedback on the pacing and cinematography.

Thanks for watching!

u/Annual_Nerve_8486 — 5 days ago
▲ 383 r/cinematography

I'm a cinematographer based in Korea. I've always been conservative with exposure — sticking to base ISO, believing it gives you the cleanest data and optimal dynamic range.

Then I read that Greig Fraser pushed to ASA 2000 when shooting Dune. That made me question everything.

So I ran my own test with the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55. I raised the ISO in bright sunlight expecting the highlights to hold better. They didn't. The noise just increased.

Turns out there are two fundamentally different ways a camera handles ISO — what I'd call EI-based (ARRI, Blackmagic, Sony) and Gain-based (Fujifilm, Panasonic). With EI, the DR distribution shifts. With Gain, the signal is simply amplified.

I made a video breaking this down with actual test footage comparing the ARRI Alexa Mini and GFX. The video is in Korean but English subtitles are available.

I also shot a short art film using the GFX with raised ISO — the grain ended up giving it a film-like quality I actually loved.

Has anyone else noticed different ISO behavior across camera systems?

https://youtu.be/k3msvMEHa7Q

u/Annual_Nerve_8486 — 25 days ago