NYC Documentary Shoot
11.20.2009
The Director David McConachie
The Legendary Bert Sugar
The Almost as Legendary Empire State Building
The Producer Paul Middleton
The Crew
Read more...
Can't Afford a Follow Focus?
11.15.2009
I have always run into the same problem when trying to get a shot of an inanimate object. For example, Let's say I am shooting a wedding and I want the rings to be out of focus and then to come into sharp focus. It always takes me about ten times to get it right. I have the rings out of focus. I turn the focus ring slowly and then just as soon as I have the rings in focus .... Oops I turned it too far and they are back out of focus. I can't afford a follow focus set up currently. So I had an idea yesterday while working on an edit. The hardest part of the whole process is knowing/being able to stop when the item is completely focused properly. So what if I work backwards. Get the rings totally in focus then rack focus backwards. Know the shot is a one take deal. Drop it into my NLE of choice,and reverse the clip. I am dumbfounded by the fact that I just thought of this. So I would be interested to hear if other people have already been doing this. So anyway this is my brilliant idea of the week. Read more...
HEADSHOT: The DSLR ROUNDUP
11.13.2009
A new segment in the blog where I will be doing a quick roundup of things I find interesting,helpful links, cool shorts and anything else I think is suitable.
Films I'm Digging This Week:
Perili Ev - canon 7d from Firar Güney Kayran on Vimeo.
An autumn's tale from Leonardo Dalessandri on Vimeo.
This was just FUNNY and very informative...
How to increase the Canon 7D dynamic range (Tutorial) from Luka on Vimeo.
These aren't Exactly new but definitely amazing pieces of Art:
China's 60th Anniversary national day - timelapse and slow motion - 7D and 5DmkII from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
Hecq Vs Exillion - Spheres Of Fury from Tim.Chris.Film on Vimeo.
jc plus esther // all 7d highlights from stillmotion on Vimeo.
Venice's People: Canon 7D 24p from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.
AND NOW FOR SOME USEFUL LINKS...
Firmware Update for 7D
http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos7d/firmware.html
Canon White Papers on 1D MKIV
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=1787
SNL shoots opening Sequence with 5D and 7D
http://philipbloom.co.uk/2009/09/29/saturday-night-live-use-canon-7d-and-5d/
Hands On with Canon 1D MKIV
http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2009/11/11/eos-1d-mk-iv-hands-on-with-brian-worley-of-canon-europe/ Read more...
Youngnuo MC-C3:Intervalometer = AWESOME! Me = Not so much...
You could spend $200 + on the official Canon Intervalometer,but if you're like me, you are a poor
starving artist and every dollar counts so my advice is put that $200 under your mattress. You can
buy a 50mm 1.4 for $300 and that lens has become a steadfast workhorse for me. I bought my
intervalometer for $34 on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/TC-80N3-
This seller has a great rating and for good reason. Delivery was prompt and the item
This seller has a great rating and for good reason. Delivery was prompt and the item
works like a charm. However,if he has sold out, the link to the item on the manufacturer's site is here.
I found it to be very simple to figure out and shot my first timelapse ten minutes after it arrived
(plus the half hour it took to shoot). That being said a few friendly words of advice I learned the hard
way.
1) Don't set the Canon 7D on Auto ( at least indoors). I made that mistake and the flash would fire on
some shots and not others creating a very undesirable flickering effect when I played the timelapse
back.
2) If your using a 50mm 1.4 and doing a timelapse of making eggplant parmesan. Don't put the garlic
container or spoons to close to the camera as this also causes a very undesirable focus shifting effect.
3) Once you are done shooting and have transferred all the stills onto your computer. Do not. I repeat
DO NOT select all 5,000 + stills and then click - Open with Quick Time.Although this will provide
some entertainment as 1000's of huge QT windows pop up on your screen, this will quickly turn to
aggravation as your computer slowly grinds to a halt and crashes. Luckily no damage was done but I
definitely got a bit of a scare doing this. Instead I would advise selecting the first Image in the
folder and then in QT selecting Open Image Sequence or something to that effect.
-So what I have learned is that despite the natural learning process of trial and error the Youngnuo
intervalometer works great. Hope this is of some help!
Nikon,Nikon, Wherefore art thou Nikon?
11.11.2009
Dear Nikon,
I have seen the bewildered looks of abadonment and anguish from your longtime customers. I've heard them say,"I'm just waiting for Nikon's answer to the 5D." Each word of that sentence painful to speak as it escapes their lips.They want to believe, blinded by their brand loyalty and heavy investments in glass. They sit waiting with baited breath. Waiting for their day in the sun when they can scoff at the droves of impatient fools who jumped ship too soon. The day when they too,will bask in the glory of beautiful 1080p HD footage. The world is headed there Nikon. Yet, you rest on your laurels.Complacent. Like an old man resigned to his fate. "Life dealt me a bad hand.", he says. "I suppose it's time I moved on." But alas Nikon,it is the 21st century,the age of Twitter not Hemingway. This is not some dusty novella,this story is about a battle for the lion share of the DSLR market. Yet,you stand there, and watch as customer after customer walks away, satisfied that you are a still camera manufacturer and will remain so. Your dedication to "purity" is beginning to look like a company caught with their proverbial pants down.
Sincerely,
A New Canon Owner
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning for 5D's,
The wretched refuse of your teeming store.
Send these, the videoless, tempted by the 7D,
I lift my Canon beside the golden door!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
