You may have noticed not much activity has been going on here lately. My apologies for not staying current. I have been busy with a great many thing these past couple of months. One of which was jumping ALL the way across this great country of ours and relocating to my hometown of Portland, Oregon. My wife and I packed up about 6 years worth of stuff we accumulated in Maryland, loaded the Puggle and the cat in the U-Haul, and away we went driving nearly 3000 miles.
It is great to be back in the Pacific Northwest again. NOW, I have another challenge. Now that I’ve moved out this way, I need to network, find work and continue my freelance career on this coast. All of my contact information will remain unchanged. So everyone can still reach me just as before.
SO, if you know of any leads, contacts, or have advice, I would greatly appreciate the assistance. If you need any kind of references, you can ask some of my East coast colleagues that I’ve enjoyed working with over these passed few years. Also, simply passing the word along or forwarding this post along would help a great deal.
I will soon have some updated content on my site… so stay tuned.
Being a photographer or a cinematographer is all about manipulating light. Sometimes when you are shooting portraits or a boring interview you want to make your lighting a bit more interesting or dynamic even. So here is a quick tip to create some interesting background light for your next portrait or interview shoot, using cheap, easily accessible items you may be able to find just around your house.
One item I’ve used on many occasions is something you may have in your kitchen at this very moment, a colander. It is such a simple thing. A metal or plastic bowl shaped item with holes strategically placed around it. When placed in the path of a light source, it can spread out that light and create an interesting pattern onto your background. (see below image)
[NOTE: If the colander you happen to find is made of plastic, do NOT place it directly onto your light as I'm certain you will no longer have a colander when your shoot is through.]
Another item that you pet lovers and/or parents may already have around your home is a baby gate. It can be wooden or plastic, either one should be able to break up your blast of light. Some baby gates also extend or retract like an accordion, which you may be able to use this to your advantage, allowing you to alter your light pattern how you see fit.
One final quick & easy gobo is to simply grab some cardboard, draw a variety of shapes out, and cut them out. Boom, a gobo in-a-pinch. Now if you can’t seem to find these items in YOUR particular domicile, then just dig around a bit more, you may just find something that will fit perfectly. Also, if you have any other quick DIY lighting tips, I would LOVE to hear them. If I get enough, I’ll feature my favorites in a future DIY article.
Check out a mini-documentary I shot using this DIY lighting technique:
The gift giving season is upon us once again. As a matter of fact, Christmas will be here in less than a week. Perhaps you have a budding filmmaker or photographer on your list and have YET to get them something great or even something they could really use. Have no fear my wandering gift giver, I’ve compiled a short list of unique, fun, and even practical gift ideas that your photog, filmmaker, or even YOU yourself will love.
There you have it boys and girls. A quick, last minute gift guide for Bryan To… I mean for the filmmaker/photographer on your list AND each one under $25. I want to wish every single one of you fun loving and talented people a VERY safe and VERY happy holiday. Don’t forget to follow on Twitter and Facebook so you can share all of the cool new gear you rake in this holiday.
Whether you’re on Twitter everyday or once a week, I’m sure you’ve come across a tweet or two from Mr. Tony Reale and his website Next Wave DV. He runs a successful video production company – in Green Bay, WI – and has done so for several years now. Having had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with him during a social event at NAB in April of 2011, I found him to be an approachable and down to Earth person.
Tony is also quite knowledgeable and is always willing to share that knowledge with others via Twitter and his Next Wave DV site. There you will find a variety of tutorials and “how to” videos as it relates to video production. One of his latest ventures is a short course on the business side of video production entitled, what else, Video Business 101.
Once Tony announced the release of the course, via Twitter naturally, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. I got in on the introductory price of $50.00 – which you can still take advantage of for a limited time – and couldn’t wait to press play. Now I’m finally ready to give my thoughts and opinions about Video Business 101.
Tony Reale’s Video Business 101 is just that, a brief look into some of the business aspects of running your own video production business. The video comes with a handy study guide you can either print out or just follow along with via the PDF, I found this quite useful when going back for a second and third viewing. The video course itself is well organized into 10 separate chapters covering areas such as Investing In Gear, Setting Up Your Business, and my favorite, Marketing.
What I LIKE, overall, about Video Business 101 is how well organized it is and how it flows from topic to topic and doesn’t jump around. Tony is comfortable in front of the camera and doesn’t speak over the viewer’s head or talk down to the viewer. There is definitely some useful information throughout the course, not only for beginners but also good tips for even seasoned veterans to re-visit. One of my favorite chapters, as I previously mentioned, is the chapter on Marketing. Granted, there are entire college courses dedicated to the world of marketing, but Reale recruits one of his business partners – Jim DeGroot - to give us the quick and dirty version and he does it quite well. There are also some great references Jim gives the you to further your marketing knowledge. Tony also gives some great advice on how to deal with clients and how to NOT get too attached to a project.
There were a few, albeit small, areas that I didn’t like. I felt there were some spots that seemed to slow down the rest of the course. It may have been good information, but I feel that if certain things were omitted, there would have been more room to discuss other aspects of video business. The chapter on Investing in Gear, although great information, could have been more brief in my opinion. Tony also speaks on the importance of forming relationships with ad agencies or marketing firms. While it is sound advice, I would have liked to hear how one goes about even meeting, engaging, or networking with these ad agencies. Do you just walk into their place of business, give them a cold call or email?
All in all, Tony Reale’s course in Video Business 101 plays multiple roles. It is a great way for beginners to get a better handle on the administrative side of their creative business. It can help someone who is on the fence about starting their own video business. Even intermediates and vets alike can gain a different perspective on familiar subjects. Reale does an excellent job of covering a vast amount of topics in an hour and forty-two minutes. I for one will be utilizing what I’ve learned and I recommend checking out the Video Business 101 course. Don’t forget, you can also go over to the Next Wave DV website for more educational tutorials.
I’ve been organizing meetups for sometime now, nearly a year I would say, and have had some great successes and some epic failures. I guess that goes with the territory when attempting to organize ANY type of event, large or small. The December meetup has come and gone, but it was, in all accounts, a great success.
We had a decent turnout of film folks representing a varying degree of skill levels and skill sets. We had people who could be considered veterans in the industry and also had folks who were just curious about DSLRs and what others had to say about their experiences. Most of the attendees brought out some of their gear to share in some grown-up Show-N-Tell. (NOT that kind dirty mind.) And everyone had a positive experience at Arlington National Cemetery.
So what is the point of these meetups? I’ve heard that quite a few times and I find myself not being able to give ONE solid answer. Then again, that is the correct answer in that there is no ONE answer. Each person takes away something different from each meetup. I know I do. Some attend to get out and meet people that share the same passion as they do. Others come out to network and learn more about the industry.
I, for one, love meeting people and getting away from the computer & the social networking. I love being able to help others in what ever small way I can. And you never know what will come out of one of these meetups. You could end up getting pulled onto a gig with a fellow meetup attendee.
So, if you get invited to one or see a posting somewhere about a future meetup, try going into it with an open mind. You may just end up having a little fun.
I want to thank every one of the talented and good natured people that attended the recent meetup at Arlington National Cemetery. A special thanks goes out to my meetup partner Rob Ruscher of Ruscher Visuals for playing a huge part in the planning of this and future meetups. Also would like to thank Jessi Adams of Jessi Adams Photography and Paul Pierce Jr. of Paul Pierce Media for providing some great photos of the event.
Keep updated on future meetup events via Twitter or our Facebook Group.
Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for will soon be upon us. The battle of the brands, the fight for low light, the slaughter of the sensors, it’s the main event between two camera juggernauts.
In this corner, weighing in a variety of sizes – depending on model & lens choice – notorious for its still photo dominance, and in recent years packing a 1 – 2 punch of brilliant stills & video strength. I give you the one and only CANON. (uproar of cheers & applause)
And in the opposing corner, weighing a bit more than its opponent, barreling into the industry with an aggressive look and stellar resolution and is now looking to be the standard in Hollywood, lades and gentlemen, the R3D. (uproar of cheers & applause)
It may not be as dramatic as I just made it to be, but it almost seems that way. One of the first official mentions of anything from Canon was simply the image below.
Now I don’t know about you, but that seems a bit dramatic to me. I mean first off, “The Story Begins”. That in itself is pretty bold, but then they go on to make an even bolder statement saying their announcement is going to be historic. This is pretty exciting stuff if what they are stating is to be true.
RED made an announcement themselves. They had a different date in mind, but they soon changed it to the same date as Canon, November 3rd. This just adds to the drama and excitement of these announcements and what these two powerhouse companies will have to offer us professionals.
What will it be? Is Canon unveiling a video camera body with a full size sensor? Is RED introducing a “DSLR-like” body into their line?
There have been an array of theories and predictions out there. A couple I just mentioned. All I know is THIS professional feels like a new world of choices and possibilities is about to open up for all of us and I can not wait to finally see what Canon and RED have planned.
What do you think we will see on November 3rd? Will this be as historic as Canon would like to think? Who will come out on top, if anyone comes out on top? Did you notice that the leet version of the name R3D is also an anagram for 3RD?
To keep up with all of the events of tomorrow, I’ll be paying attention to the following:
This may or may not come as a surprise, for me personally it was a surprise, that GoPro has released there NEW Hero camera. Introducing the GoPro HD Hero 2. The leader in super-small, badass HD sports cameras has made their camera even more… well, badass. According to the press release, there have been some significant upgrades.
• Professional 11MP Sensor
• 2x Faster Image Processor
• Professional Low Light Performance
• Full 170º, Medium 127º, Narrow 90º FOV in 1080p and 720p Video
• 120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p Video
• 10 11MP Photos Per Second Burst
• 1 11MP Photo Every 0.5 Sec Timelapse Mode
• 3.5mm External Stereo Microphone Input
• Simple Language-based User Interface
• Compatible with Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote™
- Wi-Fi Video/Photo Preview, Playback and Control via GoPro App
- Live Streaming Video and Photos to the Web
Physically, it appears to look very similar. The first obvious difference I notice, however, is the lens. Another claim is that the menu is improved and is now a “simple language based” menu. The operation of the menu looks to be the same, slow and sometimes frustrating, 2 button system. Of course, the menu operation is something I’ve learned to deal with given how versatile the GoPro cameras are. All in all, I can’t wait to get a closer look at this new “professional” version of the Hero line.
A demo reel is like a business card that stimulates the senses. It should be your calling card. It should include some of your best work, if not ALL of your best work… right? Well, here are a few quick tips to get your demo reel on the right track.
SPEED: Your reel shouldn’t be putting your prospective employer to sleep, but it shouldn’t give them epileptic seizures either. Try to find a rhythm that feels right to you. It shouldn’t be 5 minutes long by ANY means. Most people will decide whether they like your reel within about 30 seconds, so a 2 to 2 1/2 minute reel should be plenty to entice them to hire you.
MUSIC: To help you get that rhythm you are looking for, choose something that moves you. Go with your instincts. And don’t forget to edit TO the music. It will help the viewer settle into the pace of your visuals.
ORGANIZE: It goes without saying that you want to make your clip choices pleasing to the viewer and in no way throw them off guard. Meaning, don’t use a series of HD clips and then suddenly throw in a Standard definition clip. Try to place yourself into the seat of the viewer. If it looks off or out of place, move it somewhere or lose it completely. Try to match colors or temperatures. You could go from warm colored clips and transition slowly to some cooler colored clips. Also, if you wear multiple hats like many of us do, section off your reel by talent or you could even make individual reels for each talent.
GWYG: Go With Your Gut – Most of us are our own worst critic. If you feel something is off with your reel, then chances are it really is off. If you’re confident in your reel then others will be too.
I’ve gathered a few of my fellow filmmakers’ demo reels so you can view some excellent examples of what a solid reel should look like. I’ve also included they’re Twitter profiles if you would like to check these guys out further, and I suggest you do.
Recently received my Zoom H1 Handy Recorder. I’ve needed a new audio recorder for sometime now. Previously I had been using the M-Audio Microtrack II, which is okay for some things, but I’ve found it isn’t that great for interviews. I’ve also noticed a slight hiss when recording at times with certain microphones, mainly a standard shotgun mic.
I’ve seen, or heard rather, some tests done with the Zoom H1, with no external mic plugged into the H1, and the H1 simply mounted onto the hotshoe of a DSLR. The results were pretty great in my opinion. I’m planning on using my H1 in a similar fashion from time to time, but will also be utilizing a lav mic for interviews in the near future. Check out my unboxing and initial reaction video below.
One of my favorite “go-to” guys in the industry, especially with DSLRs, is Mr. Shane Hurlbut ASC. Since the explosion of DSLR filmmaking began a couple years ago, Shane and his team have been showing all of us how to get the most out of our cameras.
One of the first things I saw in which Shane and company used the Canon 5D Mark II was a gorgeous piece about Navy Divers. He created a rig affectionately called the “MAN-CAM”. This rig essentially makes the user hold the camera like a weapon. He is currently using this rig for the Navy SEAL film, ACT OF VALOR. It is simple, quick, and effective. Great for action sequences.
After looking over my own rig – AND being bored in my hotel room in Jacksonville, FL – I thought, “You know what, I bet I could make my own “Man-Cam” from my Jag35 Field Runner.” This is what I came up with.
