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What is the WarmCards System?
The WarmCards
System is a sophisticated set of white balance cards that make
it easy to get a warmer white balance, and then to keep the warm-balance
consistent throughout the shoot -- with exact precision.
Why do professionals
need WarmCards?
Today's video cameras just don't deliver the warm beautiful images
that television cameras used to have, and even the best digital
SLRs don't have the same tonal qualities of film.
CCDs and CMOS
sensors have made cameras less expensive, smaller, and more reliable,
but they have also made the pictures colder and harsher. Compared
to the tube cameras of yesteryear, today's video cameras simply
don't have the same warm, rich-looking pictures.
Diffusion filters,
ProMist filters, warming filters, matte boxes, and soft lighting
techniques have never been more popular. Why? Because these tools
are necessary to combat the harsh, cold, electronic look of modern
CCD and CMOS cameras.
An ordinary white
balance is rarely acceptable these days in professional video
production or photography. By tricking the camera's white balance
into producing better colors, it is possible to get the "warm
look" that audiences prefer -- but today's cameras can't
deliver that without some help. The problem is that cheating
the white balance is difficult to control and risky. The WarmCards
System changes all that by providing an easy-to-use and consistent
way of getting a warmer white balance. WarmCards can turn ordinary
shots into extraordinary shots.
What are the benefits
of WarmCards?
* Designed
for professional use by experienced shooters
* Perfect for extending the "golden hour" look throughout
the day.
* Eliminates wasted time color correcting/matching footage in
post.
* As easy to use as ordinary white cards.
* More cost effective and easier to use than glass warming filters
* Does not interfere glass filters used at the same time.
* Ensures a consistent "look" from different crews
working separately.
* You don't need a monitor to know what the warming effect will
look like.
* Different grades (strengths) for different needs.
* Available in two card sizes -- large and pocket-sized.
* Strong, durable, water-proof, unbendable, and are easily wiped
clean.
* Grommeted for easy carrying or hanging.
* Designed to improve skin tones for interviews and on-camera
talent.
* Easier to use than adding "warming" gels to your
lights.
* Clients and audiences love warmer video.
What cameras work with
WarmCards?
WarmCards work perfectly with any television, video, or digital
camera having a manual white balance. Unlike filters, WarmCards
System will work with any camera, any lens, with or without other
camera accessories. They are as easy to use as ordinary white
cards. Many producers, freelancers, and directors of photography
-- (even without their own camera equipment) -- have their own
personal WarmCards System to take to shoots because they know
that it will be 100% compatible with any camera package they
use.
Is a video monitor needed?
No. Once you have experimented with WarmCards and have an understanding
of how they will affect the video you shoot, a monitor is no
more or less necessary than if you weren't shooting with WarmCards.
Unlike haphazard "warming" techniques, the results
you get with WarmCards are very consistent. You'll feel confident
in white-balancing with WarmCards without checking the results
on a monitor.
What is White Balance?
There's
more to white balancing than you think.
Click
here to
learn more about white balance in general.
Click
here
to learn
more about using WarmCards with Digital Cameras.
How do I decide which
WarmCard grade to use?
WarmCards
can be an important part of the "look" of a production,
and the extent of warming (or cooling) you need won't always
be the same. That's why they come in four grades of differing
strengths so that the extent of the "warming" can be
tailored to suit the needs of any production. The higher the
number, the stronger the effect.
How is WarmCards 2.0
different than older versions of WarmCards?
Click
here
to find out.
What are CoolCards?
CoolCards
provide the opposite effect of WarmCards. Rather than using a
WarmCard, sometimes you may want to choose one of he two CoolCards
to get a totally different look for your video. For example,
CoolCards are a great way to add more blue to the sky and/or
water.
What is Minus Green?
This unique card removes the greenish tint you typically get
while shooting under common fluorescent lighting. If you think
ordinary white balancing compensates for the green hues of fluorescent
lighting, you'll be very surprised to see the difference the
Minus Green makes. Colors are truer and skin tones look healthier.
Cheap fluorescent
lighting usually has a green cast - distorting colors and making
people look sick. This is a common problem at places such as
car dealerships, factories, airports, schools, retail stores,
office buildings, supermarkets and hospitals. Many shooters work
under the mistaken assumption that a "normal" white
balance compensates for the greenish tint of these lights --
but it does not.
How easy is it to use
WarmCards when
hooting a typical television interview?
1) Choose the
card that will provide the amount of warming
(or cooling) that you desire.
2) Have your
talent hold the card in front of him/her, where the lights are
focused.
3) Zoom in until
the card fills most of the viewfinder. Put the camera on automatic
exposure or adjust the exposure manually so that it isn't over
or under exposed by more than a stop or two.
4) Set your camera's
white balance control to manual (usually it's an A / B toggle
switch), and then press the manual white balance button.
5) Zoom back
out, compose your shot, set your exposure, and start shooting.
What's the difference
between WarmCards Complete
and WarmCards SLR?
The main
difference between the WarmCards Complete and WarmCards
SLR is the size of the cards that are included. WarmCards
Complete includes both large and small cards, while WarmCards
SLR only includes the small cards. Both products include
all eight shades of colors, and all cards have metal eyelets
for carrying on chains or lanyards.
I already own a set
of WarmCards.
Can I get a Warm-1/4 upgrade?
Yes.
We realize that many customers will want to upgrade their original
WarmCard kit to include the new Warm-1/4 card, so we have a special
order form just for that purpose. The cost is $18.00 for both
Large and Small cards. Note: The design of the new Warm-1/4 cards
matches the style of the older cards in your kit. ORDER
WARM-1/4 UPGRADE ONLY
Why does WarmCards Complete include
two sizes of cards?
The small cards are very portable and east to carry around in
your pocket, but they are too small to use when you are setting
up for a television interview. In a typical interview setup,
after all the lighting is finished, the camera will almost always
be located too far away to zoom in and fill the frame with the
small card when it is held near the subject's face.
The large cards
are perfect for interviews, but they are too big to carry in
your pocket. That's why television and video cameramen need two
sizes. Most still photographers can get by with having only the
small cards.
What shades are included
with WarmCards?
Four shades for warming your video:
Warm-1/4, Warm-1/2,
Warm-1, Warm-2
Two shades for
cooling your video:
Cool-1, Cool-2
One shade for
getting a better white balance under fluorescent lighting:
Minus Green
One regular white
card for normal white balancing:
White
Sometimes a particular
card might be used for just one shot to get a certain look. But
more often, a chosen grade of card is used throughout a production
to provide a very precise and consistent "look" during
the whole shoot. As the production moves through different lighting
conditions, various locations, and even indoor and outdoors --
using the same grade of card will consistently shift the color
balance from shot to shot. The WarmCards System gives you exacting
control over the color balance of your camera.
How tough are WarmCards?
WarmCards are strong and durable. They won't get bent, folded,
dirty, faded, or dog eared, under rugged everyday use in the
field. They are waterproof, easily wiped clean, and the matte
finish reduces reflections while white balancing. Many divers
use WarmCards in the water.
How can you get client
or producer approval to use WarmCards?
When
shown a side-by-side demonstration of a warm-balance vs. an ordinary
white-balance, clients and producers will almost always choose
the latter. The perception of what looks "correct"
quickly changes when people seem to look ill under a "normal"
white balance. Unlike more subtle filter effects, the WarmCards
difference is very noticeable and impressive to anyone looking
at the monitor.
Most professional
video cameras have two white-balance memories. Try white-balancing
on a WarmCard with one memory, and then an ordinary white card
with the other memory. Now, switch back and forth between the
two settings to demonstrate the difference. Your client will
be impressed with WarmCards.
How does the WarmCards
System work with
HMI lights, Chimera's, and fluorescents?
WarmCards help soften the harsh, cold, bluish hues produced by
HMI lights. Granted, some blue is desired, otherwise you wouldn't
be using an HMI. However, WarmCards can soften the harshness
of HMIs and greatly improve the skin tone of on-camera talent
without destroying the overall outdoor color balance of the shot.
Putting amber
or straw-colored gels on lights is a common warming technique,
but can only be done AFTER the camera has already been white
balanced. Furthermore, Kino-Flo, Chimera, Photoflex, and Rifa
lights are tough to put gels on -- and the results are haphazard.
WarmCards eliminates these problems, particularly for interviews.
Go ahead and use colored gels on your background lights, but
let WarmCards handle the warming effect on your key light. It's
fast, it's easy, and it's repeatable for different setups.
Why is a uniform consistent
"look" among
different crews so important?
Previously television networks, magazine shows, and other high-end
producers had complete control over the "look" of their
footage because their staff shooters used company-owned gear
that had been setup by staff technicians. However, in recent
years there has been a big shift towards using independent, freelance,
owner-operator crews with their own gear.
Short of having
all the independent crews get their cameras setup by the same
technician, how can producers effectively control the "look"
of their footage? Even if a producer only hired crews with the
exact same model of camera, there are too many other variables
(camera age, camera setup, lens, lighting instruments, lighting
techniques, etc.) to ensure that the footage will "match".
The answer is often WarmCards. WarmCards can't guarantee 100%
matching footage, but it can make a big difference.
How do WarmCards compare
to other
"warming" techniques?
WarmCards is not the only way to get warmer video. Other haphazard,
hit-or-miss methods have been used for years. What WarmCards
provides is a fast, easy, and predictable way to get consistent
results without any hassle at all. For less than the cost of
one Tiffen 812 warming filter, WarmCards provides so much more.
WarmCards
vs. White Balancing through Blue Gels
This technique has decent results if you have the time; the camera
is on a tripod or you have an assistant to help; and you don't
care about consistency between different shots. The age, condition,
and hue of the gel will all affect the white balance -- and so
will the white card that you are shooting through the gel. Is
it pure white? Is it the same white you used on previous shots?
Is it the same exact gel? Can you hold the gel and the white
card while you are doing hand-held b-roll? Are you carrying the
faded, wrinkled gel in your pocket? Is your "warm look"
going to be consistent from shot to shot, and match with other
crews working on the same program? Do you dare white balance
through a gel without checking the results on a monitor?
WarmCards
vs. Adding Warming Gels to Your Lights
Once again this technique can have good results, but it is a
hassle -- and only works if you are lighting the shot yourself
and can white balance before you add the gels. What about
natural light in the shot -- how would you warm it? What if you
are shooting in available light only? What if you are shooting
outside? Can you easily add gels to your Kino-Flo, Chimera, Photoflex,
and Rifa lights? Are the results going to be consistent between
setups? What about matching your "warm look" with other
crews?
WarmCards
vs. Warming Filters on the Lens or Matte Box
Using dedicated "warming" filters is popular these
days, but very problematic. First of all, you have to remove
the filter every time lighting conditions change and you want
to re-white balance otherwise the camera will try to compensate
for the warmth created by the filter and lead to a more neutral
result. That's a hassle. Second, unless you have a matte box,
most lenses are only able to handle one screw-in filter at a
time. What if you also want to use a SoftFX, ProMist, polarizer,
or other filter at the same time? You can get "warm"
versions of these filters but they only come in one grade, and
each one of them will cost more than the whole WarmCards System.
And what about matching footage with other crews? Even if two
crews have the same warming filter, the white balance will still
be affected by what you white balance on. Sheets of paper, Porta-Brace
white cards, tee-shirts, and other supposedly "white"
references are not all created equal and will result in widely
varying color temperatures.
WarmCards
vs. Camera Setup by a Qualified Technician
Having your camera adjusted by a service technician so that it
always looks warmer is expensive and limits your flexibility.
The "warm" look is not right for everything, and sometimes
accurate color reproduction is very important. Do you want everything
you shoot to look warmer? Investing in a set of WarmCards is
very inexpensive and keeps your camera within factory specifications. |
