Steadicam Operator on Hugo

This shot near the end of the recent film Hugo is pretty amazing. It is a very involved continuous take requiring precise actor timing and blocking, but also requiring incredible skill on the part of the steadicam operator and focus puller.

The operator has mounted a GoPro camera atop the steadicam rig to give us a wide angle view during the shot. I was impressed also by the smoothness of the transition from the steadicam push at the end to the digital zoom that takes over to finish out the scene. Watch the BTS and the finished scene here.

Final Touches on The Solomon Bunch

We are just six weeks away from the premiere of our film, The Solomon Bunch. If you have not purchased your tickets, do it now at thesolomonbunch.com. In the next few weeks, we will finish up the sound mix and will go into the studio to record the live instrumentation for the original score. We are also doing the color grading this month. At the left is a still from the opening credit sequence (Mike Lunsford played this part perfectly! I am surprised no one stopped to try to buy peanuts while we were shooting.)

The Weather Channel

I enjoyed working at The Weather Channel for the first time this week. We spent two days shooting all kinds of stuff with a bunch of people including on-camera meteorologists Stephanie Abrams, Mark Elliot, Jeff Morrow, Crystal Egger, Mike Bettes, Dr. Greg Forbes and more. All of them were very down-to-earth and we had a great time. Some others took a bunch of pictures (including Crystal Egger who was more excited we were there than we were.) If I get them, I will post them here as well.

Canon DSLR Shooting in a Nutshell

A friend of mine who is doing translation work in the country of Tibet just asked me to give him the best settings for shooting video with his new Canon 60D camera. I gave him a very basic list of tips that I thought others who are new to DSLR shooting may find useful. This is a good starting point, though there is, of course, much more that could be said on the issue. Hope it helps...

SHUTTER
• Set the shutter speed as close as you can get to double whatever your frame rate is. For example, if you are shooting 24 frames per second (which I recommend), you would set the shutter speed to 48 or as close as possible. You should not change this except maybe in extreme circumstances or to achieve some sort of special visual effect.

IRIS (Aperture)
• Adjusting the iris will affect the depth of field (DoF) quite dramatically. With the iris all the way open, you will have a very shallow DoF and with it stopped down, you will have much more of the scene in focus. For example, if you set the iris to f4, only your subject will be in focus. If you set it to f22, both close and distant objects will be in focus. You use this to your advantage. In larger scenes where there is a lot that is important, you will want to close down the iris a bit. Also, when the subject is moving and it is hard to keep them in focus, you will want to close down. However, the thing that makes these cameras so good to use for video is their ability to get shallow DoF. Any time you are shooting a single person, small scene or a static object, try to open up the iris if possible to get a beautiful shot where only the important stuff is in focus. Outdoors, it can be difficult to accomplish this in bright sunlight since you often have to stop all the way down just to keep from over-exposing. This is where neutral density filters come in handy. They reduce the amount of light coming into the lens. I recommend the FaderFilter, since it gives you varying degrees of neutral density from two stops to eight stops in a single filter.

ISO
• Once you have set shutter and iris, you will adjust the ISO to get the proper exposure. You will want to use only multiples of 160 for best results in video mode (stills can use any setting). The choices you will have on the 60D, for example, will be 160, 320, 640, 1600 and 3200. At 1600, it begins to get grainy, though it is still usable when necessary. Before going to 1600, you should open up the iris as much as possible (without losing the ability to focus on the important elements of the scene). This balance between Iris and ISO is a bit tricky sometimes. With experience, you will begin to make the right decisions. I would avoid anything higher than 1600 unless it is the only way you can get a shot. It will certainly not be a very professional-looking shot.

PICTURE PROFILE
• If you will be adjusting the look of your shots in an editing program, it is best to shoot an image that is a little flatter. Therefore, choose the NEUTRAL picture profile or download the CineStyle profile from Technicolor for much better results. Shooting flat gives you the maximum amount of information and dynamic range to work with in post-production. However, it means that your shot will not really look good until you do color-grading. If you do not plan to make adjustments in post, you can still shoot with NEUTRAL or you can choose one of the other settings, such as the STANDARD setting.

TIPS
• The audio is not really very good in the camera. The best thing to do is record audio separately on a digital audio recorder when doing interviews or anything where the audio will be out front. The Zoom H4N is the most popular model for this, though there are a few cheaper options.
• You have 12 minutes at the most for any single shot. Occasionally it will be less if the camera begins to overheat. Be aware that this camera is not really an option for shooting lengthy events.
• Always use a tripod! Handheld shots rarely look good with this camera. If you do not have a really smooth fluid-head tripod, then you are better off doing only locked-down tripod shots for the most professional results.
• Focus manually. It is not necessarily easy, but will come with practice. You can keep the lens in AF mode and push the shutter button down halfway to find an initial focus if you like. Once you start recording however, you will pull focus manually. I do use the zoom feature quite often to check my focus, but again, this cannot be done once you have started the recording.
• Do not over-expose. It is better to under-expose a little than to blow out the bright parts of the image. The only thing really that should ever blow out is an actual light bulb or the sun/bright parts of the sky (or occasionally a window if you are shooting indoors in a very dark interior). Even that is only if they are background elements and it is absolutely necessary in order to capture a scene effectively. White shirts, white walls, etc really should never be blown out. There is a setting in the camera that will display blown out areas of the image by making them flash black. This only displays AFTER you take the shot, however, so I often take a quick still pict of the scene to see if I am over-exposing before I start rolling. Once you use the camera for a while, you will get to where you know what you are getting just by looking at the LCD screen.
• The lens is the single most important element affecting the quality of your shots. More expensive lenses will yield better results. When you can, you should upgrade from the stock lens to better lenses. I would start with the Canon 50mm f1.4 or f1.2 lens since the 50mm is the most affordable and one of the most useful. You can really shoot an entire production with this one lens if you have to.
• You will eat up battery fairly quickly when shooting video. You will really need at least two batteries--one to use while the other charges. If you only have one, there will be a lot of down-time.
• Find the interesting angles. Low, high, through interesting objects (foreground objects should be used as much as possible) and any other way you can keep it interesting. You also want to get as many diagonal lines happening as possible. For example, shoot a building from an angle rather than straight on. This will create diagonal perspective lines out of the roof-line and foundation that make the shot more interesting.
• People almost always look better when back-lit than facing direct sunlight. Shoot towards the sun when possible, just make sure you have a way to keep the sun from flaring in your lens. The sunshade that comes with the lens is often inadequate and you will need some other way to block the sun. A piece of cardboard shading the lens can work--or even your hand. Of course, the best option is to purchase a mattebox kit, which can be quite expensive. Just be aware that it is difficult to tell on your LCD screen when you are flaring the lens. This can create undesirable bright spots in the image or can make the entire scene appear foggy or washed out.
• Shoot a lot. The more you shoot (and critique your results), the faster you will get to a level of proficiency that will allow you to get great stuff on a consistent basis. If you only pull the camera out when it is time to shoot something important, you will rarely get good results. These cameras have great potential for video, but it really does take an experienced operator to make it happen.

The Solomon Bunch Premiere

Getting ready to start pushing our ticket sales for The Solomon Bunch movie premiere in the next few weeks. This is the first draft of our poster design, which will be put up at churches and other locations around the Atlanta area. It will also be produced at a smaller size for insertion in church bulletins and as handouts.

The premiere, which will be held in south Atlanta on the 14th of April, will include live performances in addition to the first showing of the film.

The Solomon Bunch is a family film that I directed this past summer and have been working on editing for the past several months. We are working on sound design and ADR right now while the composer and colorist do their thing. Hope to see you at the premiere if you can make it. Check out the website for more information on the film or to purchase tickets.

Avid Comes to the iPad

I just read this article about a new app just released by Avid for the iPad 2. It is the first video editing app that I have heard of where people are actually positive about the user experience on the interface, so maybe it will actually be a useful program. For more on features, you can visit their site on the iTunes store.  There are some significant limitations, and it is really a consumer-level editor, but for only $5, every editor with an iPad will want to get this app.

India Shoot

Filming in the country of India this week. This is an ungraded screen grab from the Canon 60D I am shooting with. It is quite an experience trying to offload footage, recharge batteries and do editing when the power is prone to disappear at any second. It has been off for anywhere from a few minutes to over 10 hours at a time in the past three days. The internet is very unreliable in these parts as well--fortunately I have Charter at home and was prepared.

Advanced Fill Lighting Techniques

Art Adams has another great article about all the different ways to utilize a fill light. This will be a worthwhile read for anyone who lights scenes or even interviews on a regular basis. Very in-depth explanations with plenty of illustrations.

Visit his article at ProVideoCoalition.

Pionair Radio Spot

Produced a radio spot today for a company called Pionair and their Air Treatment System. Chris Chase, one of the founders was featured in the spot along with one of their very satisfied clients. Check out the website and see what their MiniMate can do for fruit in the refrigerator. Pretty neat.

Shooting Flatly (not the Riverdance guy)

I have been shooting quite a bit lately on Canon DSLR's, and am just now getting the hang of it. Since I am a trial and error type person, I had to learn the hard way some things that should be obvious. The biggest is that the lens makes all the difference. There is just no way to get great footage using the stock or cheaper lenses. While you can get probably get something usable in a good lighting situation, you will never get that smooth, sharp look that makes you feel really good about your footage as you sit in the editing bay. Hint: Use Canon L-Series lenses or better for great results. The second thing I have had to be convinced on is shooting flat. (This means shooting a very low-contrast, desaturated image to preserve as much detail as possible for using in post production.) Since I have started using this process, however, I have seen a great difference in the look of my footage. On the left is an example of a shot that I captured flat with a 7D and graded in post using a simple plug-in and one click.
If you are a Canon DSLR shooter, you can download Technicolor's Cinestyle picture profile for free as well as the S-Curve LUT that will "decode" the image in post. (Be sure to read Technicolor's instructions carefully to ensure best results.) The only other thing you will need is the free program from Magic Bullet called LUT Buddy that plugs in to Final Cut, Color, After Effects or Premiere Pro.  Once installed, you will simply apply the S-Curve LUT to your footage in your editor and adjust it to taste. Of course, you can do all of the grading yourself without even using this plug-in, but it is a great place to start.

Circle of Wealth Conference

Setting up the equipment at our shoot last week at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, FL. This is a conference that we handle the sound, lighting and video for each year. The conference was attended by 800 financial advisors from around the country and is an enjoyable event to work. The four-day event kept my crew of five busy shooting every session (including breakout rooms), running sound and video screens, shooting stills and b-roll footage, taping video interviews and even putting together a last-minute production for use at the conference.

AMTC's SHINE EVENT

Here is a snapshot of the view from my judges' table at the SHINE event last week in Orlando, FL. This event is a top-knotch talent showcase featuring some of the best new performers as chosen by Actors, Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC).

Other VIP's included the heads of casting for MGM, BET and 20th Century Fox, as well as the top agents and managers in the country. I had the opportunity to audition a number of amazing actors (and even a singer or two) for potential roles in upcoming films. A big thank you to actor Craig Crumpton for the heads-up on this organization.

Erin Bates/Andy Leftwich in Studio

Just finished up studio sessions at Playground Recording Studios in Nashville producing Erin Bates (TLC's 19 Kids and Counting) and Andy Leftwich (4-time Grammy Winner). We had two very long days, but got some great stuff in the very unique piano-fiddle combination. One session was shot by a video crew for an upcoming TLC special on Erin Bates family. It should air in March sometime. I will post it here once I know the date.

Doddle

If you are looking for quick and interesting reads each day to keep up with what is happening in the film and television industry, subscribe to Doddle at http://news.doddleme.com/ for their daily news update. They also have an app called DoddlePro that has tons of industry info and contacts, although it does not seem to be particularly helpful in my market of Atlanta just yet.

Directing Fact #5 - Your Script Matters

Somewhere around Day 5 of shooting and then once again around the halfway point in editing, you will have a realization that this film is a lot of work.  At that point, you will either be encouraged to think how worthwhile the project is or will be completely deflated to think of the huge waste of time and money you are in the middle of. Your response will be determined primarily by how good your story is. Do you have something that is barely passable as a movie--or do you have something that will move, inspire and thrill people?

There was a time (only a few short years ago) that you got credit for trying. What I mean by that is that anyone who was actually able to turn out a finished film was lauded and people would watch it. I remember going to a screening about 12 years ago for a film that a friend of mine had helped finance. They were all raving about it, but when I saw it I was thoroughly embarrassed that I was even sitting there watching it. The tools back then were not as inexpensive as they are today, so it was not a cheap production. The story was so weak, however, that it was truly a waste of an hour and a half. Afterwards, everyone was congratulatory of the filmmaker and were honestly excited that they were a part of the project. I assure you that this is not the case anymore. With the number of indie films released each year, and a very large number of them with pretty high production value, it takes a great story and an interesting premise to even get people interested. Major Hollywood releases are even taking huge losses these days when they do not connect with people on some level with the story.

The lesson in all of this is to make sure you have something great before you commit a large part of your life to it. The least expensive stage of production is the writing stage, so take the time to find or develop a script that you can be truly excited about and that you know will connect with your audience. If you do, then you will find the strength to press on when the process of making the film turns from fun to work--and it always will at some point.

The Solomon Bunch Official Trailer

Lighting With What Is Available

Probably my favorite blog for practical information about filmmaking is the one by ASC Cinematographer Shane Hurlbut (Terminator Salvation, We Are Marshall, Act of Valor). Shane is happy to share his knowledge and has garnered quite a following among aspiring DP's. In a recent post entitled, "Lighting Basics: Going With What Is Available," he breaks down the lighting (almost nothing) and light control instruments used in the street scene of one of his films. It is not easy to find this type of breakdown anywhere (believe me, I have searched far and wide), so certainly take this opportunity to read about his decisions and learn from one of the best in the business. His newest movie about to hit theaters is Act of Valor, which he shot almost entirely with Canon 5D MkII DSLR's. Read and follow Shane here.

Targeting Your Audience

No matter who you are or what your business is, all of us can benefit from good promotion on the Internet. Lance Cummins of nearlyfreelance.com has a great post about building traffic on your website through great content that is narrowly targeted. You can read it here.

Canon C300 and RED Scarlet

For the past several months, filmmakers have been eagerly awaiting this day for the announcements from Canon and RED about their new "game-changing" cameras.

Canon's C300 seems to have hit the mark as far as rolling the best features of the large sensor DSLR's into a truly workable film production package. The footage looks great, of course, and the features are what everyone has been asking for. The only problem I see is the price point. I really was hoping they would realize who their largest market is on these things (not generally the same market as those who would and could buy a RED Epic) and offer this solution at a price no one could pass up. The MSRP that I heard was around $20,000. Not an unfair price at all, but still way higher than most of their current 7D/5DmkII owners can afford to upgrade to. That said, it looks like perhaps there could be another lower-cost version coming soon, though no guarantees on that. I am curious to see also what the price point will be on their new cinema prime lenses. Those certainly look enticing.

As for RED, the Scarlet (also a large-sensor 4k camera) looks great and is an amazing product for the price--probably a better deal than the Canon. The biggest downside to products from RED, however, is the post workflow and the number of expensive accessories needed to do it all properly. It would have been nice to see a test film using the Scarlet, like we did with LaForet's C300 film, but I guess we will have to wait a little for that. Learn all the details about both of these cameras at www.prolost.com. All in all, a good day for filmmakers. Always love having great options when it comes time to shoot a project!

Envato Mail Freebies

Envato is a company that has created websites (which they term "marketplaces") for every type of creative professional. They have over a million members on their marketplaces. The two sites that I use most often are VideoHive.com for footage and After Effects templates, and AudioJungle.com for music cuts. Their prices are among the lowest for the quality they offer. Each month they send out an Envato newsletter that includes eight or ten free downloads from their various sites. Check it out.