Newsletter No. 001: It's been a while.
Too long, honestly. But we've had a lot happening behind the scenes.
We rebuilt basically everything. The Salon has a new home at cinematographysalon.com, the full podcast archive is back up and free, and there are a couple of tools we've wanted to exist for years (also free, right below). None of it sits behind a login or a paywall, and it never will. Most of us learned this from a stack of American Cinematographer and whoever on set was generous enough to explain a setup. Learning how to be a cinematographer shouldn't come down to what you can afford.
One more thing, and we'll have more soon: the podcast comes back in August.
David
Two free tools, still in beta
A lens database. More than 3,400 cinema lenses, searchable by coverage, mount, focal length, and speed. Built for the part of prep where you are trying to remember what actually covers the sensor. Open the database
Fixture Match. 295 fixtures compared on verified photometrics, not the numbers printed on the box. Both are still being built, so if something looks off or you want something added, the feedback button goes straight to us. Open Fixture Match
From the Salon
A couple of years of Salon nights: the sold-out CineGear kickoff in Los Angeles, the New York holiday party, color sessions, panels. We've already started planning the next one, the holiday party in December.
The work stays free. Someone still pays for it.
Every episode, every article, and both of the Resources tools are free to use. No paywall, no membership fee, no login. That is not a growth tactic, it is the whole point: learning to light a scene should not depend on what you can afford.
Sponsors cover part of it. The rest is people chipping in.
Monthly or yearly, from $5 a month, less than the price of a coffee. It costs real money to keep the podcast, the writing, and the tools running, and supporting is what covers it.