Can't enter the Beyond the Still Contest Because You're Not A U.S. Citizen

I am a fan of anything that supports competition and inspiration. I know a lot of people not from the U.S. were bummed they couldn't enter the Beyond the Still Competition so here's the answer for you.
Make sure to check this competition out. It is totally different then the Beyond the Still Competition and it's international!! It also has some amazing prizes including a Canon 1D MKIV, Two Canon 5D MKII's,a Canon 7D and a ton of other cool stuff.
Can-Do International Film Festival and Competition

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Simple Yet Powerful

Thanks to my good friends at www.jag35.com for putting this on my radar.
Not saying this was easy to shoot but the idea is a simple one yet, it is quite powerful.


Goes to show you a good idea can trump extremely complicated camera movies any day. Obviously there was Visual FX involved but the majority of it was straightforward shots that could be achieved on a tripod.

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The Things You Don't Know You Don't Know

by Jon Connor (via Steve Schwartz )
If you are offended by colorful language please stop reading now. I think it illustrates a good point and would assume it's nothing you haven't heard yet, anyway.
Just read an amazing blog post by Steve Schwartz titled "No One Knows What the F*** They're Doing" It comes with a handy chart for all of us to refer back to in times of need.

Make sure you read his blog post as it contains a lot more useful info and insight. He talks about feeling like you don't know what you're doing sometimes and the fact is that no one does. However, as the chart illustrates we all have "shit we know", "shit we know we don't know" and the most dangerous of the three "shit we don't know we don't know". Our goal through education should be to narrow that gap. More importantly just realizing that there are a lot of  things we don't know we don't know is a big step in and of itself. That moves a lot of stuff from that category to the "shit we know we dont know" category. This makes you less dangerous. Plus no one likes a "know it all". So next time you feel like you have gotten involved in a project that is over your head and you feel underqualified. Remember most of the other people involved are probably as clueless as you. Even if they are not, the fact that you now have this chart to refer back to should help. Don't be afraid of not knowing. Look it up. Ask questions. The most dangerous thing is to think you know it all. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. If you're reading this blog you are probably like me and always looking to learn, so the good news is your head is in the right place. Don't let the chart scare you. Embrace it. Seriously though read the original post here. 

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Mind Blowing Short Film + Making of

There are no words in my vocabulary to do this justice. Just watch it now.

Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.

Making Of Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.

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Is ISO the New Megapixel ?

"In 1975, the first digital camera took 23 seconds to record a 100-line black-and-white photo onto cassette tape. Today, a Nikon D3s takes photos with 12 million pixels at 1/8000 of a second. And it can see in the dark.

The conventional wisdom is that the romp-stomp-stomp of progress in digital imaging has proceeded on the mostly one-way track of ballooning pixel counts. Which wasn't always a pointless enterprise. I mean, 1.3-megapixel images, like you could take in 1991, aren't very big. The Nikon D1, introduced in 1999, was the digital camera that "replaced film at forward-looking newspapers." It was $5,000 and shot 2.7 megapixel images using a CCD sensor, large enough for many print applications. But still, there was room to grow, and so it did. Now pretty much every (non-phone) camera shoots at least 10-megapixel pictures, with 14 megapixels common even in baseline point-and-shoots. Cheap DSLRs from Canon are now scratching 18MP as standard. Megapixels were an easy-to-swallow specification to pitch in marketing, and became the way normal people assessed camera quality..."- Gizmodo.com
To read the whole article click here

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Sometimes You Can't Try to Play the Flute...

A long time ago when I was a child my Dad had an expression he loved using,as most Dads do I am sure. He used to say,"Sometimes you can't try to play the flute you just have to blow into it." This was usually in reference to his job as a civil servant which I don't think he found particularly fulfilling or fun. I thought it was a stupid saying when he I was younger and I never understood it really. Yesterday it popped into my head when we were debating whether or not to make a last minute entry in the Beyond the Still Contest. Watch our entry here and I will explain more
below.

Beyond the Still Chapter 2: See No Evil from Cristina Valdivieso + Jon Connor on Vimeo.

So here's what happened. We had a brilliant idea for the next chapter. It was going to be a masterpiece. We fly to Austin for a conference, Chicago for work and had a backlog that needed knocking out, so we basically procrastinated as many of us are guilty of. We had the perfect actor the perfect story with a perfect twist at the end. I blame myself for the next part but I thought the contest deadline was Feb. 15th and when I double checked earlier this week realized I was wrong and it was actually Feb. 11th. So we scrambled. Called friends. Found a new guy to play the main role. Then we got walloped with 20+ inches of snow. We gave up. "We'll get them next time," I told myself. Well, yesterday rolls around and it's about 3:00 p.m. the deadline is looming. We didn't want to enter the contest with less then our absolute best. We also don't like giving up. So at 5:30 p.m. we decided to do it. About half way through shooting we thought,
"We're never going to make the deadline, the film is going to be too short, let's scrap it." That's when I thought about what my Dad told me all those years ago,"Sometimes you can't try to play the flute. You just have to blow into it." So with some quick thinking we came up with an ending we were okay with. Is this the greatest film I have ever seen? No. Did we blow away the competition? No. Will we win this round? I have no clue. That's for the judges to decide and there's 100+ other entries from extremely talented filmmakers. If we did I would be shocked to say the least. However, by adopting my Dad's,"Sometimes You Can't Try to Play The Flute" theory
we accomplished something. We wrote,shot,edited,color graded, exported and uploaded our entry with 10 minutes left before the deadline. So even, if it isn't the greatest film the world has ever seen, at least we showed up. I have a feeling a big difference between those who succeed in life and those that don't is largely based on just showing up and doing it. I am not saying we should go through life doing things half-assed. I am merely trying to say sometimes we shouldn't quit so easy.So next time you find yourself making excuses for why you can't do something just remember "Sometimes You Can't Try to Play the Flute. You Just Have To Blow Into It."

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Transcoding Workshop and DSLR Sound Seminar in SoCal

This looks like a very cool event.

"Createasphere/EXPLORE: Entertainment Technology Exposition
FEBRUARY 18, 2010 | Universal Hilton | Universal City, CA

Welcome to the DSLR Video Track of the February 18th Entertainment Technology Expo. The world of filmmaking and photography are merging and it is exciting to see video DSLR education added to this event.

In addition to the workshops, there will be a video DSLR breakfast meet-up and orientation with interesting guests and great door prizes. Coffee and donuts should help get the ball rolling along with a quick rundown of the days DSLR topics. The Expo includes a trade show floor with access to some of the top companies involved in video DSLR and digital cinema. If you pre-register, the show passes are free, as is the Canon Intensive (wait list only). The two-hour transcoding and audio workshops are only $69 when you purchase them together. Breakfast, Show Access, a Canon Intensive, and two great workshops for $69. If you are serious about DSLR video, this is a no brainer.

10:00 AM-11:00 AM - DSLR Breakfast MeetUp and Orientation - Limited space, during registration you will see an option to check that you want to attend.
11:00 AM-1:00 PM - Canon Intensive Workshop - Canon EOS HD Video: New ideas. New Technologies
1:30 PM-3:30 PM - Transcoding Workshop: From the Camera to the Web - Your Files and What to Do With Them -
4:00 PM-6:00 PM - Sound Workshop: An Audio Primer for DSLR and Small Crew Productions -"

For more info on this event click here.

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USA Today Feature on DSLRs

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Did you buy a Canon 7D and are pissed about the T2i?

Well let me ask you a question. Why? Have you seen this camera put thru the paces yet? Have you seen any real world footage across the full gamut of situations you will encounter in your field of work that you bought the Canon 7D for? Or are you outraged because that just seems like the thing to do. Sure at first glance it looks on paper very identical to the Canon 7D which I purchased as soon as it came out. I am not made of money. That took a lot of hard work and saving and I emptied my bank account when I bought that and you know what? I have absolutely no regrets.
It has been an amazing camera for me and has gotten me paying jobs doing both video and stills. At $1700 it was a steal. At $800 the Canon T2i definitely also looks like a great deal. It offers the same video frame rates as the 7D, the same megapixels. Am i furious? No. Not even close. Why? Because I haven't seen a thing this camera can do yet. It has one Digic IV processor. So that to me indicates it will not be as good in low-light and may have other problems the 7D doesn't. So what happens if the T2i comes out and I'm wrong? What if it matches the 7D stride for stride in video. Then surely I should be outraged. Right? Wrong. The day and age we live in is one where technological strides have turned to leaps and they happen overnight. If I waited and didn't buy the 7D when I did, how would I have shot everything I did between now and then. Plus, what would happen if I bought the T2i and then something else comes out for a little over $1000 and is way better. The point is this. If Canon is releasing a T2i for $800 and it has all of the frame rates of the 7D you should be happy. That means now you can get a second camera for cheap if you are in the market. Or if you haven't been able to afford a DSLR for filming they have now given you the opportunity to get your feet wet. I'm personally extremely excited!
Also what do you think the next camera is going to be like?
So if you're already mad. Take a deep breath. This camera hasn't been tested yet in the real world. Technology will always be forever evolving at a more and more rapid pace. So put it all in perspective and buckle up. DSLR's are going in a very good direction in 2010. But then again that's just my opinion.
Let me know what you think I'm always up for hearing different opinions and view points. As they say variety is the spice of life.
-Jon Connor
Twitter: @jonconnorfilms

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Canon DSLR Plug-In for FCP

This should alleviate a lot of headaches when editing Canon DSLR Footage
in FCP. Sorry PC people.This is HUGE!!

Press Release:
EOS MOVIE plug-in for Final Cut Pro


London, 8th February Month 2010 – Canon today announces the development of a plug-in that will enable quicker and easier editing of EOS MOVIE footage in Final Cut Pro. A free Beta release of the plug-in will be available to download for testing and evaluation in March 2010.



‘EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro’ is being developed to provide an even smoother workflow for EOS MOVIE users who edit using Apple’s Final Cut Pro software suite. The plug-in will enable the ‘log and transfer’ of video footage from Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 7D and EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR cameras – all of which offer full 1080p HD video recording.



The plug-in will convert EOS MOVIE footage to Apple’s high quality ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily – further enhancing the experience of EOS MOVIE users when editing their footage.

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First Look Canon Rebel T2i

At first glance this thing seems like quite a freaking bargain on the video side. I noticed it seems to only have one Digic processor as opposed to the Canon 7D which has two. However at $800 you could hardly complain. I'm going to get my hands on one to test it so stay tuned for an in depth side by side comparison between this camera,the Canon 5D MKII, and the Canon 7D. Anyway here's a review by someone who got a pre production model.
Canon Rebel T2i Review

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Spike Lee Shooting with Canon 5D MKII

My good friend Anthony Quintano (twitter @quintanomedia) just sent out a link to this picture
of him with legendary director Spike Lee who is at the Superbowl shooting with a Canon 5d MKII.
Now that is pretty sweet!!
Obviously Spike decided to "Get on The Bus" and "Do the Right Thing". Sorry I couldn't help myself. So,what do you think about this?

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