To me, the importance of this interview is not so much about editing. It’s about the director shooting for the edit. And that only comes with experience of going through the process from concept to distribution many times.

When he says there are 78 pieces of film in about 45 seconds, you’ve got to know that didn’t happen by accident. It was planned and shot that way deliberately.

I’m sure there were clips that weren’t planned that made it into the final scene but all of the key angles were known before the film was loaded in the camera.

Most successful directors say they can see the entire movie in their head before they shoot it. I believe that’s the job of the director.

The opposite approach is something I call the ‘shoe-box’ production method.

You have some idea of a movie and go shoot a bunch of stuff that looks cool. When you get to edit, you find a piece of music that fits your idea of the movie then start looking in your ‘shoe box’ of clips.

You find something visually interesting, drop it in the timeline and keep going until you’ve used all the clips or the music ends.

If you’re doing commercial work, you might have a narration that you’re covering with B-roll but the same thing applies.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m just as guilty of this as anyone. It’s the visual version of cotton candy, sweet but no substance.

Run-n-gun is fun. But it’s not the way great art is created. After watching this clip of a great master, I feel more dedicated to doing the work it takes to create art.

Leave your comments and let me know what you think.
-a-

BTW – there are several other clips from Hitchcock around this one on youtube worth watching if you’re interested in being a student of film making.

“When I started looking in here I thought I knew what I wanted. Now I’m just confused.”

I understand exactly how he feels. I went through the same thing when the Nikon D90 first came out. It’s worse now with all the different cameras and gear to choose from.

That’s why I wrote the DSLR Video Buyer’s Guide.

(Click here for iPhone/iPad version on youtube.com)

I have over 30 years in the production business and decided to put that experience into helping people make confident choices. This guide will help you know what’s right for you and your production style.

I cover all the key equipment areas – cameras, lenses, support systems, audio, and all the rest of the kit. For each category I break out what’s needed for Basic, Intermediate and Advanced productions. I also take a look at each category from the perspective of a Photographer, Video Professional and Aspiring Film Maker.

Plus I’d loaded it up with tips, tricks and techniques to help people get started in DSLR video.

Click here to get your copy right now - http://dslrhd.com/buyersguide.

Last week I had an email from a reader with a ton of questions about which camera to buy. He’s an aspiring film maker and was stuck on which camera and lens to buy to get started.

I sent him to the DSLR Video Buyer’s Guide. Here’s the email I got back.

“I read the whole thing through then went out and bought a Canon T2i. The guide was super useful, I really appreciate the work you did here.”

So take a look and let me know what you think – http://dslrhd.com/buyersguide

I look forward to seeing your film on the web.

-a-

Enter your email and I’ll let you know when I
post more information like this is online.

Take a moment and leave your comments and questions below.

There are three important lessons this video can teach film makers about DSLR video.

“Apple of My Eye” – an iPhone 4 movie / film -
UPDATE: Behind the scenes footage included
from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.

#1 – Play To Your Strengths

While I’m sure they struggled with the limitations of this camera, one of its strengths is that it’s light-weight and very small.  Someone on the team must have been looking at the iPhone and wondered, “What if we mounted it on a model train and went for a ride!”

While there are other small HD cameras that could have been used – like the GoPro HD – they used the thin, light-weight form factor of the iPhone 4 to get shots where most cameras would never fit.

There is power in taking a limitation and turning it into an advantage.

For instance, if you’ve got a Canon T2i and are using the 18-55mm kit lens you’ll find it’s very hard to focus manually. I saw this as a limitation when I first got the camera and believed I’d need to replace the lens. Then I discovered how to use the auto-focus while shooting video and everything changed.

Auto-focus on the T2i is fast, accurate and can even be set to find and focus on faces. While you can’t use it when recording video, just click the shutter part-way down while you’re setting up the shot and it will hit the focus in a couple of seconds.

What looked like a problem became a strength when I worked with the tool rather than fighting it.

#2 – You Have To Shoot It Like A Movie If You Want It To Look Like A Movie

Check out the credits and making-of shots in this project. From top to bottom, they had people to play all the major production roles:

• They filled the key roles of Director, Producer, Set Design, etc. Even if the same team is just ‘changing hats’ it’s important to make sure the key roles are covered.
• They had a Writer. It’s true, all good movies are made from good scripts. This one came up with a sweet story that even leaves you wanting to know more as the movie ends. That’s good writing.
• Professional talent in front of the camera makes a huge difference in the emotional impact of the work.
• Original music grabbed your attention and led you through the emotional story line.
• No zoom? No problem. They used a variety of camera support equipment including dollies, glide tracks and cranes to move the camera into the action.
• The lighting was solid and fit the mood of the piece.
• They recorded the voices after shooting the video (ADR) and mixed them into the final sound track to get the best audio.
• The editor understood how to use the language of cinema to tell the story and maxed out the functions of the editing tool.

One of the things that impressed me about Vincent LaForet’s first DSLR movie – Reverie – was that it looked like a good movie in all respects. The fact that it was shot on a DSLR was stunning but it would have been worth watching no matter what the camera.

Making movies is not like shooting video for events or training. It’s not like shooting stills. Yes, they share common elements but the depth of skill and the breadth of specialties required for movies is unique and demanding.

If you aspire to make movies with a DSLR you may want to forget the camera for a while and learn more about the art and craft of movie production.

#3 – Movies Are Made For The Audience To Enjoy

I remember the first time I saw one of my productions on a large screen. No only were the sound and images completely different from all the times I watched it in edit suites and conference rooms, the reaction of the audience changed everything for me.

I realized that my job was to create entertainment. Sometimes the film had to help sell a product or influence opinions and beliefs. Sometimes it was to convey information required to get from point A to point B.

But if that was all I did then the film became one of thousands of meaningless productions cranked out like someone mowing a lawn.

The concept of an iPhone HD movie made me willing to take a look at this film. The opening shot and the entrance of the actors looked nice, kept me watching for a bit more to see what else they did with the camera.

But when they dissolved to that first train shot with the music twinkling magically, I forgot all of that and slipped inside their movie completely. I had to force myself to stop now and then to check out the tech. That’s an entertaining movie.

It’s a lot more work to get into the head of your audience and create something that speaks their language, something that pulls them in and entertains them, maybe even something that brings a deeper emotional moment to their lives.

But that’s the key to making movies that will keep you working in this business for years, no matter what camera you shoot it with.

Take a moment and leave a comment, let me know what you think.

-a-

Phil had a great meetup shooting time lapse of the setting sun and clouds over the beach at St. Petersburg, FL. I just got this Canon T2i and didn’t have an intervalometer so I took my monopod and grabbed shots of the beach and the people who showed up.

Shot with Canon T2i using 17-55mm kit lens. First time I’ve shot people or much anything other than test shots with this camera. I took some stills but must have hit a weird selection on the camera as they did not turn out well. My test stills at the house looked great so I’ll have to see what I screwed up.

The camera behaved pretty well. The biggest issue is focusing the kit lens. It’s way sensitive to the touch and takes just a bit of movement to throw the focus in or out. Other than having to shift from the controls on my Nikon D90, that was the only thing that felt strange. The LCD viewfinder through my Hoodman Loupe looked great.

I did feel a bit “under-dressed” as everyone else was shooting Canon 5D and 7D cameras with gorgeous lenses. My little T2i with the kit lens doesn’t carry much street cred. But I relaxed and started connecting with people, getting shots here and there. Everyone was having a good time and enjoying the great weather on the beach.

It was very windy and, even though I had a good wind muff on my recorder, most of the audio was filled with so much low end woof from the wind it was not usable. I managed to find enough background crowd noise without too much rumble to fill in the atmospheric tone.

A few of the backlit shots needed a bit of grading to pull up the faces. Some of the shots with the sun almost setting were so golden and warm that they looked like they’d been heavily graded so I pulled those down a bit. Otherwise, the footage is straight from the camera, through Magic Bullet Grinder and into Final Cut.

I dropped a track together in Apple Logic to set the pace for the edits then came back and added some fun bass and vocal lines.

Thanks for Phil for putting this together. If you ever get the chance, make the effort to get to one of his meetups, it was a lot of fun meeting everyone.

Yep, they really do ring that bell every night just as the sun slips below the horizon. Great place to visit when you’re in Florida.

Here’s a link to more video with some time lapse from one of the guys at the meetup.

Longshan’s People Part II – 50Mbit GH1 MJPEG from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.

Do yourself a favor and go to Vimeo to download this video. It’s worth watching in full HD.

Obviously, Andrew knows what he’s doing with a camera and has chosen a beautiful exotic subject. The sound track fits perfectly and his rough edit makes the most of his clips. And, considering his subject, I believe I can feel a sense of reverence in the work that carries through the video as well.

But the star of the show is a technical fact. The hacked firmware is allowing his GH1 to capture video at high data rates, as much as 50Mbit 1080p.

In other posts I’ve talked about how the quality of a video image from a camera is due to more than just the sensor size. The GH1 has a smaller sensor but this firmware hack results in less compression of the captured bits as they flow to the card. It’s a winning combination.

While the changes to the camera may not be easy for everyone they are programming changes and do not violate the warranty. You can change the programming back to the factory standard just as easily.

Also, the data rate is variable and the camera shifts the rate up to deal with more complex images. Evidently, it can shift the rate up enough that is can’t sustain the video recording for more than a few seconds on some shots.

To deal with this Andrew alternates between using the MJPEG video format and the 32Mbit AVCHD format. Like I said, this may be too much for some people to deal with but it’s very much in the spirit of exploration that is part of shooting DLSR video.

You can read the full details on his blog post.

Will someone come up with the same hack for Canon cameras? After seeing this, I hope someone is working on it.

Watch after the link.

The most interesting thing for people who don’t know about microphones is to hear how much of the room is picked up with the shotgun mics. Most people believe that shotgun mics are the best in noisy environments but you’ll hear for yourself that this is not the case.

Even the simple lavalier can be quieter than a shotgun and it’s a lot easier to use – especially when you don’t have a full time sound recordist.

My experience is that you can’t have too many mics on a shoot. Not only do you need to be able to match the mic to the scene (just like a lens choice) it’s wise to record with more than one mic. You can cover a problem with the video but if the sound drops out you’re out of luck.

I find that the best sound is sometimes a mix of two mics and it’s great to have that option in post. Most digital recorders can be used with two microphones, one fed to each track. If you need more than two tracks the Zoom R16 for around $400 is worth looking at.

Let me know what you think. Did the shotguns sound like what you imagined?

Zacuto has released the third installment in their Great Camera Shoot-Out of 2010. They brought in big guns (pun intended), called on top notch post-production facilities, and shot test sequences on 35mm film and a variety of DSLR cameras – including the Canon T2i.

What more could you want? Read more and I’ll tell you…

Click on the graphic or this link to watch. All three segments are on the same page and they’re well worth watching.

Zacuto makes high end support equipment for the film and video industry. They were one of the first manufacturers to make DSLR specific packages for shoulder mount and handheld use. While their equipment is more expensive than most, it’s also extremely well built.

To their credit, they don’t use the shoot-out video series to sell any of their products or services. They are providing a service to their industry and claiming a position of authority in the process.

The process is detailed on the site but the short story is they brought together top shooters, editors, special effects artists, and colorists. Other companies that support the film and video industry supplied 35mm film cameras, Fuji and Kodak film, processing and transfers, editing and full post production services.

They premiered the final films for a live audience at a local theater will a quality projection system. The  questions and comments from the audience reflects their professional production credentials.

The end result? I don’t mean to spoil the experience so stop reading now and go watch.

The hands-down winner was Kodak 35mm film transferred to 4K digital video files. While there were scenes where the differences were slight, overall that format is still the gold standard.

This doesn’t mean that you must shoot 35mm film or your project is worthless. The DSLR’s looked great in most of the scenes and every piece of equipment has it’s strengths and weaknesses. Imagine having to haul one of those 35mm cameras around for a few days.

But I said that there was something missing from this shootout. And that is your experience.

There’s nothing like taking the time to shoot test shots with your kit then taking the footage all the way through to web, DVD or projection. In my experience it can take two or three times through this loop to resolve major questions and get a firm grip on how to make your gear give you the final video you want.

In this shootout they show three wonderful shorts all shot on DSLR. The quality of film making enabled by these cameras is inspiring. So grab that gear, call some friends, set up scenes that are real world for you, and create your own shootout.

Let us all know how it goes, we’d love to see it when you’re done.

-a-

I recommended going with the Canon 7D. Why?

Being able to change the frame rate will be extremely useful in commercial production. Shooting at 50 or 60p then editing at 25 or 30p produces the smoothest slo-mo possible, lovely for all kinds of effects in commercial production. Even just a shot of a model walking looks a million times better in slo-mo.

I just came across this video shot on a 7D where they did exactly that – all the sequences were shot at 24p except those in the field. They were shot at 60p. This is why I believe this camera is a better choice for most commercial projects. Take a look and tell me what you think.

The Heart Won’t Be Denied from sebastian lopez on Vimeo.

According to an interview on DigitalCinemaFoundry.com they used natural light for everything but the party scene. Grading was kept to improving flesh tones and adding a color cast to warm things up. They must have not color balanced all the night shots as he mentions having lots of work getting the green out of some of those shots.

Like I’ve said – either you shoot it right and use your tools to make it even better or you’ll be using all that post-production power to make it not suck. I like the first option.

One other point – they shot all of this using a Captain Stubling rig from RedRock Micro. After about a minute of that and I’m ready for some decent steady shots – it’s just a bit too much for me.

In another post I’ll link to a video I just found with a Hollywood DP talking about shooting handheld with a Canon 5D and having to get better support for the camera after shooting for a while. The rolling-shutter jello was not helping. Guess what he went with…

A monopod.

Yep, one of my favorite ways to shoot with a DSLR on location is to put it on a good monopod. If you’re moving it adds weight and balance to the camera. If you’re grabbing regular shots it will be almost as stable as a tripod. And if you want to give the shot a little movement to match the action it’s easy to bob-and-weave just a bit without making your audience toss their cookies.

Here’s a link to the monopod I use. Everyone who’s touched it wants one.

[AFFILIATE LINK]

Moby – a composer and artist who supports independent work – has made many of his tracks available for film makers at no cost. I find his music visually inspiring and, like many others, appreciate his work and perspective on digital art in today’s world. It’s amazing to find music of this quality offered for free to help other artists.

Here’s an ‘unboxing’ video captured as I go through the process of accessing the music of Moby on mobygratis.com.

Click through the video or click here to watch in HD.

Moby has made this music available for free if you use it in a non-commercial film. If you want to use it in a commercial project you pay a nominal fee which he donates to the Humane Society.

The only downside in my experience is the turnaround time. If you need music for a project now this is not the place to go.

The site says that you’ll receive an email with approval within a few days. I made the video as I subscribed on March 30, 2010. I received my email with permission to use the music and a link to download it on April 10, 2010. This was no problem for me as I did not have a deadline for my project.

If you need music for a project with an immediate deadline you’ll need to go to regular stock music site.

Another thing to be aware of is that you will only be able to download the file one time. On a regular stock music site you typically have an account showing everything you’ve ever purchased with the ability to download a track again if needed.

Here’s a screen capture of the download page as I grabbed the .aiff file. The quality was very high and it should be great in my project.

On the positive side, Moby’s music is visual and thematic, making it perfect for DSLR video projects using all the great shot-making features of these cameras. Extremely short depth of field shots with rack focus, tight shots with bokeh backgrounds, shots from dimly lit scenes and other mood filled scenes all benefit from music like this.

It’s spring time in Florida and that means lots of people outside enjoying the weather. I’ve been shooting people jogging and exercising outside and plan to use this music for a short film playing to the strengths of DSLR video. I’ll post it here when it’s done.

In the meantime, check out mobygratis.com. It could be the perfect answer with a sound track to kick your project into high gear.