While I watched this video my iPhone rang and I didn't notice it, because I thought it's in the song!

About the technical stuff: It was shot on RED, all sounds sampled on ZoomH4N, then composed in Logic + Reason4 and edited in FCPX. The director, editor and componist is Chris Crutchfield. The Cinematographer is Pierce Cook.

Enjoy!

How many times did you already destroyed your HDMI plug or cable? I don't like the uncertainty that your cable could break any second and disturb your shot or even the whole camera. The team from the Italian company LockCircle, which is known for their DSLR Body caps, released another product in their series: LockPort.

The LockPort ist a small piece of accessories which has a baseplate and a fixed Mini-HDMI plug. It will save your “expensive to repair” Mini-HDMI port on your 5D and 7D camera.

Models

The current LockPort series exists of 4 models. Two of them are made as addition for RedRockMicro rig (one for 5D and one for 7D). The third one is a Universal plate and the fourth model (Available soon) is a Universal plate, which works for the Zacuto Z-Finder.

All models are available in Front or Rear version, which add a full HDMI connection for more security.

Manageability on set

I used my LockPort for all of my last shots. Most of them were shot with my RedRock micro Shoulder Rig, which gives me maximum flexibility and is ideal for one man productions. During the previous shots I often bumped to the Mini-HDMI cables and after a while both broke! There is nothing more annoying than a not working camera kit, especially if it is the only one. After the second cable broke I ordered the LockPort and it works awesome! I use it on my 7D since then and due to the simple design it is working very great. The large HDMI plug won't break unless you use brute force.
If you're using your 5D or 7D in combination with a monitor, I'd strongly suggest to buy one of these kits. Once you break your HDMI plug, when not using this accessory, it'll cost you a lot of money to repair it!

Price& Shop

• LockPort 5 (for 5D) $99
• LockPort 7 (for 7D) $99
• LockPort Universal (for 5D& 7D without RedRockMicro) $109
• LockPort Universal Z (for 5D& 7D with Zacuto Z-Finder) $109

All products are available through the online shop or at the following resellers: nivo-schweitzer.nl (Netherlands)/ cameratools.nl (Netherlands)/ lightcraftworkshop.com (Hong Kong)/ lab-collector.com (Hong Kong)/ photocinerent.fr (France)/ niobo.pt (Portugal)/ newi.de (Germany)/ kelvinkamera.com (Italy)/ ramaidea.it (Italy)

LockPort highlights

• Works with both 5D and 7D cameras
• Full-Size HDMI output allows you to use stronger standard cables.
• Standard size HDMI plugs locks securely in the socket – no signal loose!
• 90° FRONT or REAR output editions.
• Gold plated contacts.
• Better cable layout on your rig set-up.
• Ready in a few seconds.
• Instant reverse output direction set-up.

©Photos by Daniel Freytag

Sh*t Film Snobs Say, created by Jack Douglass (@jacksfilms). Watch it on YouTube [Link] and Sh*t VFX Artists Say:

This is a guest article written by the talented young filmmaker from England Phil Arntz. He recently shot the timelapse film "Nightscapes". You can contact him via email (contact@philarntz.com) or follow him on Vimeo /philarntz or on Twitter @philarntz. In the following text he describes his experiences and tips. Happy Reading!

“Nightscapes” is a piece i dedicated to my friends and family. The reason for this is, that our family really started to love London, but we are not sure, how long we will stay! Very uncertain times at the moment, so this is a great memory for what we have/had in London. I also dedicated this to my friends, because i go to a german school in london, thus meaning that many people only stay here for a year or two and I want them to treasure the London memories too!

Shooting Nightscapes was an experience, which changed my views on city-life. I have never experienced London, like I did when shooting the movie over the last months. The city comes alive at night, but it’s not all sparkly at night. There are many parts which should be avoided and you really see some strange things too!

Shooting the movie required an awful lot of dedication, sleepless nights and warm clothes. The main problem I had was, the cold. Even though it might not seem to cold in the UK, at around 0 degrees, it really starts to get to you when you are waiting an hour for your timelapse to finish on Millenium Bridge in high winds! I have met new people, made new connections and friends and overall, it was an experience, I am happy to have had! The movie is certainly a first chapter in regards to shooting a timelapse film, with a planned structure and loads of work! I am sure there will be other films around the corner, but for now, I have to take a break from the cold nights and get my head around narrative work, to build up my experience in actually shooting people, lighting scenes, directing actors and generally everything in a planned working environment! That doesn’t mean this is my first and last timelapse film, no, completely the opposite! I want to relive what I did, just in a very very different way! I want to invest in some new gear and make a trip around the country side and create a movie of the british countryside and show the stark contrast in Britain! This is a thing which needs loads more planning, but it would be a lengthy trip with film elements in it too, so not just a timelapse film!

Back to Nightscapes. Like I said, shooting was a straining experience, but I am very happy with the results and amazed how well my kit performed under these working environments. The gear wasn’t always as neatly packed away, as it maybe should have been, but then again, i needed to get as many shots as possible, so cameras, lenses and especially the tripod got knocked around like crazy!

The kit I used to shoot consisted of:

• Body: Canon 550D/T2i/Kiss X4
• Lenses: Samyang 14mm F2.8, Samyang 35mm F1.4, Samyang 85mm F1.4, Canon 24-105 F4 L
• Support Gear: Sachtler ACE - Ground Level Spreader Version
• Batteries: Knock-off Canon LP-E8 x 5, original Canon battery
• Media: Integral Ultima 16GB Class 10 SD Cards x 4
• Timer: Cheap Ebay Intervalometer, £15
• Occasional bits and bobs: Merlin SynScan Skywatcher as improvised Pan and Tilt Head, Lens Skirt

As you can see, it is not the most expensive kit which is out there! The body is cheap, the lenses are cheap, the cards are some of the cheapest you can find and the batteries are nearly free! If this isn’t a motivation to get you out and shooting, then I don’t know what is. If you really want to dig into the technical details of timelapse, read-on, if not, you probably pause it here and scroll down a bit to know some additional details!

There are a couple of essential tips when shooting timelapse!

• Very stable tripod
• Manual Settings
• High Quality lenses (Samyangs are great for the price)
• Memory Cards with a good speed buffer
• Loads of batteries - extremely long sequences, use a battery grip
• Always double-check before you start shooting!
• Dress comfortable and warm
• BE SAFE!! (Very important in cities where criminality is not uncommon!) Take an assistant if you have doubts!

You never want your timelapse to shake around and wobble about! You can avoid that by placing your tripod on firm ground, making sure its all locked down and shelter off from the wind if at all possible! Use a tripod with a spreader if you can, as this adds stability! Also weigh down your tripod, by using your camera bag (Very unlikely that you are carrying a couple of sandbags, right?).

Second thing is to use manual settings for a timelapse whenever possible! When there are no light changes at all, there really is no reason at all, to use any other setting than manual (M) mode on your camera! The reason you do that, is to avoid inconsistency in exposure times and get rid of flicker, introduced by inconsistent settings!

When shooting sunsets or sunrises, you can also shoot manual, but you would have to factor for the change of light and see which part is most important for you and expose for that! Another method is to use AV Mode, which is aperture priority! You can use that and it will adjust for the changing light, although you will loose certain control over your image and will have flicker in your timelapse! The so called flicker, which is introduced by inconsistent exposures (some brighter or darker than the others) can be removed in post production however, but don’t forget to factor in the time, this takes!Another thing are lenses. I have used my kit lens for some of the first timelapses i did and got mediocre results. I really like the Canon L Lenses, but I can’t tell you how much i love my Samyangs! They are amazing! I vote for Samyang to bring out more lenses (and no I am not being paid by them ). Another great feature of the lenses is, that they have aperture on ring, so you get no inconsistency in your aperture at all, because they have no electric contacts! This gets rid of any aperture flicker! I mostly used my 14mm and 35mm, but there were occasions where the 85mm was great!

You always want more cards than you would normally think are enough on you! Especially when shooting RAW Timelapses. These suck you out of memory so quickly, you wouldn’t believe it! Crazy! I shot everything in JPEG, because it works for what I did and wanted, and shooting HDR RAW sequences is just plain nuts!!! I tend to be alright with 64GB’s of Cards on a night! Another thing to consider is using cards with a high speed rating, so you don’t fill the buffer of the camera, which essentially stops your camera from shooting or going very slowly and thus ruining your timelapse!

Betteries - Not much to say! Always charge them and if you have any doubts, about a battery running out in a timelapse, don’t risk it. Change it before you start to roll. Changing a battery in a timelapse won’t work! You just have to knock your camera a little and get some intervals longer than the others and it’s ruined! Very important thing this, especially if you got an amazing sequence, which you won’t be able to get another time!

Reading all the tips above, it’s easy to mess something up! ALWAYS double check everything. Am i exposed right? Do i have the right Interval? Are my batteries full? Are my cards formatted/do they have enough free space? Do I have my tripod locked down? Are all the settings dialed in manual, have i factored for change of light? Have i considered certain events at given time? And a very important one: Am I critically focused on what I want to be my main focal point? Use the 10x punch in focus on the DSLR’s to check critical focus!

After you have done all that, you are ready to shoot!

Now the rest is about you! Bring some warm clothing when you are shooting night time stuff, or especially in winter! Bring warm shoes, bring warm socks and maybe some ski-underwear or something as warm as that. Bring a hat, bring gloves. Even if you think it’s not too cold, just bring them. Trust me, you will start to freeze and you WILL wrap early if you don’t feel comfortable shooting! Have you brought some coffee or tea to stay warm or have you brought emergency money for hot drinks/food? It’s the small things which get you to stay awake and keep you shooting!

Most important of all, stay safe! Please don’t ignore this tip, as it is the most important tip of all, because your gear and more importantly your health is at risk! Big cities like London have a relatively high crime rate and you can be easily mugged ( Verb: Attack and rob (someone) in a public place). Stay out of troublesome areas and don’t display your kit, wherever you are. Only take out what you need! Put the rest back in the bag, zip it up and watch it all the time! A slight distraction can come costly! Finally remember, safety is in numbers! Take people with you if they are up for it! Not only is it safer, but also more fun, if you get together as a group and shoot some timelapse together!

HDR Timelapses

Now this part might not interest everyone, but it’s still here, for those who want to know more about it! If you don’t want to know how to shoot HDR Timelapses, skip to the post production workflow down below!

I will only very briefly cover what a HDR Image is, because there are many explanations on the web. Do a quick google for HDR Images and you will find something in a few seconds! Basically, a HDR image consists of a normally, under-, and overexposed image. These are then merged in post, to create an image with amazing latitude, meaning you will get loads of details in the shadows, mid tones and highlights! Creating HDR Timelapses takes some more work, especially in post, but there are some scenarios where i just wouldn’t shoot normal timelapses anymore, just because I want all that detail!

Shooting HDR timelapses isn’t that much more work! It requires you to trick your timer into thinking it was an HDR Timer.

This is what you will have to do:

Camera settings:

• Set your camera to continuos shooting mode (symbol: stacked frames)
• Set the bracketing in your exposure compensation window by using the top dial!
• Set your base exposure for the midtones, you are happy with!

Timer Settings:
I will refer to the time, between the all of the 3 exposures as Interval, whereas i will refer to the time between every single HDR exposure as HDR-Interval.

• Your exposure time, which you can dial in on your timer, commonly marked as “LONG”, will become your Interval
• The HDR-Interval between each exposure of your HDR Images will be the interval setting on your timer, normally marked as “INT” - always set it to the lowest number possible (1)

That’s basically what you will set on your timer. That’s it to be honest. Not much more behind it!

Make sure to have your Interval long enough, to factor for all 3 HDR images to be taken. If your base exposure is around 1 second long, your under exposed image will take approximately 0.5 seconds or less to take, whereas your overexposed image can take up to around 4 seconds or more. That means you want an Interval of at least: 1s + 0.5s + 4s = 5.5s ~ 6 Seconds.

If you have change of light, like a sunset, be aware, that the time to take the underexposed and overexposed image might change, so your Interval can be “over-run”. You ideally don’t want that to happen, but if it does, it isn’t the end of the world!

Post Production

Before you start any post production, make sure you have enough space on your hard drive or use an external one, like I do (G-Technology GRaid 2TB).

What’s very important as well, is to have a neatly organized folder structure, so you can easily find your sequences. I use my finder to drag and drop, but will probably be getting Forklift on recommendation of a friend, to make it all a bit easier!

Programs I use are:

• Quicktime Player 7 Pro --> Image sequencing
• Photomatix Pro (HDR Only)--> HDR Tonemapping and Batch Processing
• FCP X for the final edit --> Use any editor of your choice! I get on with FCP X superb!

What you want to do, is use Quicktime Player Pro 7 to turn your single images into a film. It supports a massive amount of frame rates, but i convert them all to 24fps. I can still speed them up in post if i need to!

It’s all easily done: Open Quicktime Player 7 Pro --> File --> Open Image Sequence --> Select first picture of timelapse --> Open

Then you just hit the export button and make sure all the settings are correct! The timelapse doesn’t play in Quicktime Player 7, as it’s basically a whole bunch of full size images jumbled together!! Put’s loads of strain on the program!

I export my timelapses in 4K, ProRes 4444 and edit them in 4K, so i can step down the resolutions if I need to!

What I then do is load them into FCP X, to give them a color grade and to edit the final movie! FCP X allows me to edit the sequences in full quality 4K and scrub them in Real-Time. I have all the features I need and it makes for smooth editing!

HDR Post-workflow only

This is not a whole lot different, but requires a step, prior to image sequencing! You load 3 of your images into Photomatix Pro and Tonemap them, to your desired liking. Then you save the settings of what you have just done and just close the window again. Use the Batch Processing/Bracketing feature and select your pre-made settings, choose a source folder and location folder, name them to what you like, I only use things like “IMG_01, IMG_02,IMG_03...etc”. Select the format you want to save them in. I use JPEG for this.

After you have done that and have a full folder of your tonemapped timelapses, you can go ahead and start sequencing with Quicktime Player 7 Pro. Follow the steps above!

That’s it for the technical part. I tried to make it all as clear as possible, but I do understand if there are problems and if you have any questions at all, do get in contact with me, so I can help you out!

Thank You!

I would like to thank every single person who has supported me on the film and on my journey as a film maker!

The INCREDIBLE Soundtrack was done by the hugely talented Mr. Laurence Owen, who knocked this thing up in a few days! So impressed by his work! As far as I know, this is the first film he worked on, but he has loads of musical experience, so this guy is the way forward if you are looking for someone to do the music for you! I had the pleasure to film a music video for him and we went from there! Very impressed by what he has done!

His website: mrlaurenceowen.com

The track:

Download or Buy the song on corporaterecords.co.uk

The awesome animated title sequence for Nightscapes, but also my Ident are made by Yann Simard at Atrakt Studio in Paris. It was such a pleasure to work with him and he has such an indescribable dedication! I would like to give him a big thanks for everything he has done! He nearly killed off his machine, to render the 4K sequence at the beginning, but he has done an incredible job, don’t you think?

His Website: blog.atraktstudio.com

My last shoutout is to Greg Richters of Filmmakers United. He kindly let me borrow his motion head for a couple of timelapses and let me shoot with his 24-105 F4 L lens by Canon, but what was really fun is, driving through London with him, picking up Timelapse shots. This guy is nuts! He is currently working on his new feature film “51 Degrees”

51 Degrees Website: 51degreesfilm.com

This has been a huge sucess in terms of collaboration and I really hope that you have not only enjoyed my timelapse film, but picked up a couple of helpful tips and techniques!

I like to thank every single reader of this blog post and everyone who has been so supportive!

Thank You, For a very successful 2012!

Moods is an intuitive color grading plug-in with an on-screen interface for Final Cut Pro X, Motion and After Effetcs. All controls are displayed inside the window frame and all of them are adjustable there. This gives you an immersive and innovative color-correction tool with a full-screen interface. It works with Final Cut Pro 6, 7 and X, Motion 3, 4 and 5, After Effects CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5.

I personally tested it with FCP7 and X and I must admit that this plug-in is really powerful for quick gradings or adjustments! The wide range of presets are perfect to get started. The user interface is an attempt into a completely new direction, because everything not only happens in the actual editing programm, but in the actual video. The GPU accelerated rendering also worked awesome on my small MacBook Pro 13". 

Conclusion:

Yanobox Moods is the ultimative option for everyone, who wants a professional, but still simple to use grading tool for one of the supported editing program. The awesome price of $49 should make your decision even easier! Download the trial now and experience its full capabilities!

If you have any questions about Moods, please ask me in the comments below! I'll find an answer!

More information:

• Trial Download: .../Moods_Download
• List of all features: .../Moods
• Introductory video: youtube.com/...
• Buy it: .../Moods_Purchase

Text& Image credit: Rode Microphones/ Text and Image modification: Daniel Freytag

You can watch Part 1 here [Link] and Part 3 here [Link]!

Description by the creators:

We were funded by the Video Store of PlayStation® Store (http://www.greatfilmsfillrooms.com) to make a series of movie related videos using 'Immersive Imaging' which takes 3D projection mapping as its starting point, but gives the viewer a supercharged experience with the help of the PlayStation Move controller.

In the past, projection mapping worked only from a single, static view point, and thus was very limited. By attaching the PlayStation Move to the camera, we can track projections to screens in real time, enhancing the effect of spatial deformation and false perspective on the projections and allowing viewers to look round (virtual) corners, bend walls, create a hole in the wall, or remove the walls altogether to reveal vast expanses of virtual worlds.

Vimeo is recognizing these categories:

NARRATIVE

A live action narrative fiction told through the medium of video.

DOCUMENTARY

A short video that presents a factual report on a chosen subject or idea.

MUSIC VIDEO

A short video that accompanies a complete piece of music or song.

MOTION GRAPHICS

The use of graphic design principles to create a video using animation or filmic techniques.

ANIMATION

A story told by giving life to inanimate objects or character designs using computer technology or frame by frame animation.

REMIX

A video that is created using images, sequences or audio from existing works to make a new, original, independent piece.

CAPTURED

A video that captures your own artistic expression or performance as the subject.

SERIES

A set of related or thematic videos, released periodically.

EXPERIMENTAL

A video that experiments with new ideas and/or techniques, often characterized by the absence of a linear narrative.

ACTION SPORTS

A video that uses filmmaking to creatively showcase action sports.

FASHION

A video showcasing a fashion or beauty collection or trend with moving image.

LYRICAL

A video that showcases the natural world or personal experience using a distinct creative style.

ADVERTISING

A short video commissioned by a brand or advertising agency to promote a company, product or service.

Recording a video with a DSLR is only one part of your final movie. If you're shooting a documentary, a narrative piece or similar the audio plays an important part! Without images there won't be a great film and without audio there also won't be a great film.

Some might argue that their DSLR camera has a microphone built in, but PLEASE don't use this. This is a photo camera and so it wasn't meant to record high quality audio. For an acceptable result we need to go back to external recorders. Some examples are the Zoom H4n and the Tascam DR-100.
I bought the H4n, which is a quite popular device. You'll get it for ~ $300.
The built-in microphone of the H4n is much better than the one from your camera. In advance you even might attach an external microphone to the audio recorder, such as an Rode NTG-1 or NTG-2. This improves the audio quality a second time.

Before you start shooting, make sure your microphone is directed at the action or the actor. Plug in some headphones and make sure the audio level is not peaking, but also not to low. As third step control the recording settings, if they are set properly! The fourth step, which ruined my shot a few weeks ago, is to check the battery level. The H4n won't warn you. There is no alert that the batteries are low and the device might run out of power. While I did an interview with a race organizer my batteries (which seemed pretty O.K. before) died. The H4n did not stopped the recording and saved my file, but it turned off and gave me a corrrupted and unusable file. I had to redo this interview. :(

What you should learn of this? Be prepared on don't act rashly. Make a list, which things you need to check. It'll take some time, but it'll pay out!

Nathanael Macdonald from Ireland also had some problems to learn from:

On the subject of total failure whilst recording audio for film/video - I was recording interviews with Irish politicians for a mini doc. For visuals I was using a 550d and to record the sound I had with me a Sound Devices 702 DAR and a Seinnheiser mic. I had no sound recordist so it was just me, and I have little experience with sound recording so it all went absolutely terrible as I made the crappy mistake of not checking EVERYTHING to do with the sound gear prior to going to the shoot. The battery ran out midway through the last but most important interview...the card ran out of space (I didn't format beforehand). Luckily I had a borrowed Rode VideoMic on top of my camera which managed to record audio good enough for the edit, although slightly too faint as the camera was about 5 meters away from the subject. So my tips are to checklist every single thing and make sure you have backups, which could essentially save your life when it comes to delivering the edit!

You can watch his video and also read about this shot on his blog cameradslr.net [Link]! 

Post Production

After you (successfully) wrapped your shot, the post-production starts. There are a few different options how to deal with the separate audio files. If you use FCP7, Adobe or Avid you might sync the files by ear. This takes a really long time and often isn't accurate! A great alternative is to use the app PluralEyes. You simply throw all your clips and recordings in one timeline and let PluralEyes do the rest! It analyses both the wave-form of your H4n-files and of the reference audio from the camera's built-in microphone. Then it perfectly syncs them up in the timeline. If you're using FCPX (I hope you don't) then this feature is built-in.

Upgrading options

Some more great audio gear, I worked with:

• Soundman Binaural Microphones
  A pair of small microphones, which look like earphones. A complete Review is coming up soon!
• Zoom R16 [Link]
  A complete mixer with integrated recording functionality.
• Rode NTG-1 [Link] and NTG-2 [Link]
  The microphone, which I use myself. 

Read Philips full review on his blog: [Link]!

Additional short film: 13:59

Nino Leitner and Mario Feil also got a pre-production model, which they used to create the amazing short film "13:59". Have a look:

There is also a Behind the Scenes video [Link] and a blog post on Nino's blog [Link]!

See how the World Searched with Google's 2011 Zeitgeist:
http://googlezeitgeist.com

What happened in the Social Media World 2011? What are the facts? Have a look at this great video!

Filmmaking has been my life's passion so far and next year after I finish school, I'd like to begin working and learning in the film business.
I already worked on a couple of films in Germany, worked with regional tv stations here in Germany and produced numerous films, like a feature film, various tv reports, corporate films or product spots, as you might see in my Portfolio.

Next year in June/ July I want to start an internship in New York City to learn more about the film business and to work with great people! I aspire at 10-week internship, but I also hope that in the longer term we might extend it. Please contact me in case it would be possible to do an internship in your film company! If you have any questions, we also might talk on Twitter, Skype or so.
You might download my CV here: f.freytag-film.com/CrI8.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you!

Here are my contact details:

info@freytag-film.com
cell phone: +49 172 72 45 285
@FreytagFilm

MiStat shows detailed information for your CPU, memory, disk usage, disk activity and network activity. You can view realtime history graphs for CPU, memory, network and disk activity. Beside the popular iStat Menus Dashboard and Menu bar Widgets, this now allows you to see all information in one window.

In my opinion this is quite nice and helpful to see how FCP and other editing software uses your Mac's CPU and Memory. The app is available on the Mac AppStore for only $4.99 (3,99€). Download it here [Link].

Creative Lighting with Litepanels 1x1 Bi-Focus

Written by Van Nuys, November 2011 - Daniel Freytag from Karlsruhe works successfully as a free-lance camera operator. The young technically-gifted filmmaker has founded his own production company and has completed several diverse promotional films as well as video projects for regional television channels. Litepanels, a Vitec Group brand, helped him to realize his most recent short film project with the 1x1 Bi-Focus LED production light and the compact MicroPro camera light.

For the short film "Totgeburt" ("Stillbirth"), which was experimental both in terms of technology and content, filming was done in and outdoors in different locations in Germany. Throughout filming, the compact MicroPro dependably provided soft lighting to evenly illuminate the faces of the protagonists. During almost all of the indoor shoots, Freytag and his team relied on the 1x1 Bi-Focus production light. For most of the scenes, the lighting conditions ranged from gloomy to dark – particularly while filming in a café, in an underground garage and a public restroom.

Versatile application possibilities

In the café, the1x1 Bi-Focus was used as an additional fill for the actors to counteract the dim lighting of the location. In the underground garage, the 1x1 was used as a key light and as an effect light. The lights in the underground garage were dimmed to get the most contrast possible. "The Litepanels lights are capable of very versatile usage. We were able to experiment with the light and conjure up great effects," says Freytag. The 1x1's dimming function also won over the filmmaker: "Flicker-free dimming from 100 percent to 0, was a great help while working with sensitive HD-DSLR cameras. Furthermore, we were able to do without reflectors, filters and other accessories."

Compact and lightweight yet robust

Freytag sees the compact and lightweight yet robust construction of the 1x1 as excellent features for day-to-day production work: "The low weight makes transport to the set easier and simplifies set-up. In addition, the slender light can be easily installed everywhere, even when spatial conditions are difficult."

Convincing LED technology

LED lights by Litepanels generate hardly any warmth and are thus not only energy-saving but also capable of more versatile usage than conventional camera lights. This versatility enables creative filmmakers like Daniel Freytag to take their film productions in new and unique directions. "With the LED technology by Litepanels, we were able to use even the darkest shooting locations and didn't have to abandon ideas and filming plans," says Freytag.

The camera uses a two lens system with double 3MOS sensors, for professional-quality 2D and 3D images. You might catch the rare facts from the Panasonic product website, I only want to share my thoughts about 3D and this camera.

The first thing which amazed me was the great monitor. As I staid steady it created a real 3D image in my brain. But you need to stay really still! As I moved a step to the side, the 3D picture in my mind was gone. So on the one side the monitor shows how far the development already went, but it also shows, that all this 3D stuff is not yet that well-engineered for everyday use.

The next thing is the zoom ring. It isn't directly connected to the lens (as with DSLRs), but kinda electronical. This creates a short delay. Maybe because it needs to calculate the lens-offset for the 3D effect.... Who knows...

That brings me to my most important point: The 3D-effect. I was really sceptical, whether this camera would really work. But we connected it to a large Panasonic 3D TV screen using just a simple HDMI cable. And it looked surprisingly brilliant. It brought the room directly inside the TV and created an awesome view!
But shooting 3D brings some extra difficulties, such as the fact that you need to come really close to the lens, to give the viewer the feeling you wanted to touch his face. Otherwise the whole 3D effect is just behind the TV glass.

Okay, but it isn't enough to watch the live feed on a screen. It is much more important to record and share the images. THIS is the harder part!
At the moment the camera writes an AVCHD container using the MPEG-4 MVC/H.264 format, which you can't edit in most of the current editing programs. You also can't share it to other people, using YouTube or Vimeo. More important, it doesn't make sense to do so, because you need special screens and glasses to watch it, not a computer!

So in my opinion this camera is really well built, it records a great quality and is quite easy to handle. But we need to think where the 3D industry will lead us to! For me it makes sense to produce several certain cine movies in 3D. It needs to be something special. But it doesn't make sense to produce TV shows, football games, shorts or features in 3D, because we wouldn't appreciate the value of this format any more. Additionally many people hate the 3D glasses, which are kinda annoying when watching a movie.

Did you ever watched a movie (except Avatar) in 3D? What are your thoughts?

The first product I want you to present are the new KinoFlo practicals. They are compact fluorescent (daylight and tungsten) bulbs, which were already presented at Cinec and NAB. After those exhibitions they got forgotten a bit, but now @jan_odenthal asked the KinoFlo guys at IBC about the current status and they said, they'll finally release them in October for around 24€ (or ~ $14). They need 27 watts, which is equivalent to 100 watts standard bulbs.

What's the benefit? First they are color-correct, so you can screw them into the lamps on set and don't have issues with wrong color temperatures. Second they aren't producing that much heat, compared to standard bulbs. So this will be another bis help.

Canon 50mm f/1.8

Especially for young or low-budget shooter this lens is worth a look! For only around 100 bucks you will get a great 50mm lens with f/1.8. You can read my review here!

LCDVF

Standard camcorders are mostly delivered with an attached viewfinder, but with DSLRs you need to buy an additional one. Why? Because it gives you an ever better control of your picture and sharpness. Read me review of the LCDVF here!
There are also some more viewfinders, like the Letus Hawk or the Zacuto Z-Finder, but in my opinion the LCDVF is best in his price category.

Sachtler Ace

The Sachtler Ace tripod is one of the newest tripods out there at the moment! It was presented during IBC 2011 and as you might have read in my review it is very affordable and well built. Definitely an essential accessory for DSLR shooters!

The Glidetrack

The Glidetrack is another remarkable product. A simple slider, which is lightweight, solid and affordable. You can choose between different lengths, but 0.5m is enough for most shots. I also posted a review here!

shoot35 Follow Focus

We all love DSLRs for their shallow depth of field. But that's also a critical point, because you need to be even more precise than with an EX3 for example. The shoot35 Follow Focus is produced in England and delivered with the complete Rod system. I used it for our feature film "Endspiel" with the very sensitive Zeiss glasses and it worked awesome! You might check out their website for additional information!

Litepanels 1x1 and MicroPro

DSLRs have enourmeus low-light capabilities, but sometimes you will need an additional light. The 1x1 and MicroPro from Litepanels are my personal favorites. Of course the aren't very cheap, but price and value are not the same!

FaderND

If you shot outdoor with wide open apertures the Lightcraftworkshop FaderND is an essential piece of gear. It consists of two rotatable glasses, and by rotating the filter, it offers 2 to 8 stops added density, which helps you to shoot in very bright situations!

UV Filter

Additionally a UV Filter is a very usable piece of gear. Not only for it's feature to filter UV radiation, but for protecting your lenses. Imagine your $1000 lens gets a crack in the front glass, which is hypothetical but imaginable. If you use the UV Filter, only your filter will be destroyed and not your complete lens. And a Filter is much cheaper than a lens....

Audio

It is often forgotten, but Audio is also an important part of the final movie. Therefore you need additional microphones and an recorder. If you want to learn more about it you can read my Audio guide for HDSLR.

Timer

Very probable you watched on of the houndreds of Timelapse movies on Vimeo and you can do them on your own! The only things you need are a timer and much time! For my 7D the timer is for example the TC-80N3. A very good blog post about Timelapsing is also on Tyler Ginter's Blog!

Card Reader

Something which should not be missed in this list is a USB or FireWire CardReader. You might also use your camera and connect it to the computer, but a Card Reader facilitates the work quite a lot.

Bags

Last but not least I want to highlight the question about the "right" bag. Some prefer boxes, some backpacks and some hard cases. Here are some suggestions:

• Pelicase 1510 - a really rugged hard case
• Kata R-104 (the yellow bag in the center of the picture)
• ThinkTank Photo

Provided by content from the Free Music Archive and audiosocket Vimeo is now introducing it's own music store, with over 45,000 free and paid tracks! Find out more on http://vimeo.com/musicstore!

I'm not sure at the moment, whether this services will pay off, because the Commercial license is IMO very expensive. $98 for the Commercial one, which I can use for clients projects costs many times more than a Standard License on neosounds.com (even a Mass Market License is cheaper there!). And in the past hour I havn't found a song for business projects or similar.

The first video I wanted to highlight is an amazing video by Danfung Dennis, who shot a video inside the Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines in Southern Afghanistan. Featuring Sergeant Nathan Harris, he captured moving images, both in Afghanistan and in the United States. He did an amazing work using his 5DmkII to shot this whole film. This is an remarkable example for the use of DSLRs in combination with an great content. Please have a look at his trailer below! Public screenings are listed on their website. More information also on DSLR News Shooter.

The next video is from Matthew Allard (@mattaljazeera), he's an filmmaker and editor based in Malaysia working for many international channels. I want to highlight one of his videos, because he is following the new technologies and recently captured the aftermath in Japan with a Sony F3. For example he also uses a Cineslider (Pic) or a SmallHD DP-6 (Pic) for his work. The following video was shoot for Aljazeera using the previously named products. The reporter was Steve Chao, who presents the people, who are still struggling with the pain of loss. In the town of Onagawa one man hasn't stopped searching for his wife. He knows she is dead but he needs to find her. Have a look: 

More about video content in a next blog post next week!

The IBC just started and Sachtler just presented their latest product: The Sachtler Ace System.

A week ago I got the opportunity to work with a preproduction unit, provided by Sachtler Germany. So take a moment, sit down and read why this tripod is worth a look!

Independent videographers and DSLR shooter now can enjoy all the performance benefits of a broadcast quality. As you know Sachtler is one the industries best manufacturers for tripods. A while ago, they introduced the Cine DSLR, a professional fluid head for digital single-lens reflex cameras with HD video function. Now Sachtler went one step further and introduced the ace-System. Offered at an affordable price they are giving videographers the tripod they need for cameras up to 4kg.

During my work with the tripod I noticed some points, which I want to highlight below.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, I got this tripod from Sachtler for testing purpose, but this is not changing my view on the product. All reviews on this blog represent my opinion and aren't influced by sponsorships.

Legs

Let's begin with the tripod legs first. You can choose between two systems: One with footpads with retractable spikes and mid-level spreader and the second one with ground spreader. Both systems work with 2-stages, are made of Aluminium, have a 75mm bowl and can carry 20kg.

They are solidly built and even don't jiggle while operating at great heights. I personally worked with the mid-level spreader version, which was a great pleasure. But I think I'd prefer the ground spreader version, because the min Height is lower (40cm vs. 64cm) than with mid-level spreader.

Fluid head

So, now the most important part of the tripod. Working with a DSLR and the new Fluid head is truly amazing! Why? Here are my biggest advantages compared to a normal tripod:

The system is already delivered with a large Camera plate (14cm), which is helpful, because depending on which lenses and accessories you use, the rig's centroid is unusual and may be disbalanced. The large plate helps to compensate that.

In case the Camera plate wasn't enough to balance the camera you can make use of the 5 step Counterbalance knob. And as it is said in the article "How to Choose a Camera Tripod" [1] "Good tripods have counterbalance systems to help keep the camera balanced." It's hard to describe why this is useful but it's certainly a nice feature to have.

Last but not least a thing which shows the quality of this head are the horizontal and vertical Drag controls (3 +0 each). It is said that the more control you have the better a tripod is. And 3 steps is already a very great amount! During the time I worked with the head, I didn't had the wish for another few steps.

Altogether I was very pleased with the quality and usability of the ace Fluid head.

Is it worth buying?

This is probably a popular question after the release of this new system. And I'll answer it in the following way: If you're in film business, work with a DSLR and have a rig with a camera and a few accessories, then this is YOUR tripod. The Payload is 0-4kg, so with a 800g DSLR (e.g. 7D) you have 3.2kg for monitor, accessories, cages and more. This is truly enough and the features of this new tripod are making it easy balance it and use it.

If there are any questions left, leave a comment or ask me a on Twitter @FreytagFilm. If you appreciated this review, I'd be more than happy if you press the new "I read this page button", enter your name and click submit!

It's been a long since I planned to write about war journalism, and now finally the time has come.

Imagine the following scene: You're caught in a hotel. You were held as hostage, you try to escape, but outside the door several armed men await you. You still have phone connection and internet, but you cannot move. This scene happened to some international journalists in Tripoli a while ago:

These scenes look dramatic, but did you ever thought about the people behind the lenses? Did you thought about their reasons for becoming a journalist or photographer in crisis areas? How do they see their position in todays news business and how is their life like?
In the three-piece blog posts I’ll present you some of the people, who work in these areas.

Khalid Khan is reporter for Pakistans largest Media group, called Jang Group of Companies. He have never been to war directly, but he travels to the areas which are hit by war, those areas where many houses are destructed and the people live on the street. He speaks with witnesses and he has to deal with all the problems. “when you witness series of mishandlings and corruption, all in a row – you are just fed up“, he said to me during an interview on Skype. All started 1987 as he began as an internee. But during the past 24 years things changed for him. “You will be right in your writings, and sometimes, you would prove to be wrong“.

A few thousand miles further to the west is Palestine, where Omar Ghraieb lives. He is a freelancing journalist and blogger and says “I loved writing since I was young, plus being Palestinian u feel like ur entitled 2 becoming a journalist 2 illustrate the truth.“. Omar lives in an area in Gaza where lots of riots, fights and battles happen, but nevertheless he calls himself a journalist only and not a war journalist. Maybe writing is his personal contribution the achieve a bit more freedom.

In the film “war photographer” James Nachtwey talked about his motifs and his reasons. He worked a long time for the international press, did several exhibitions with his photographs and won some prices. My favorite quote of all his stories is “giving them [the people in crisis areas] a voice“.  Nachtwey understands himself as the intermediary between the concerned people and the global publicity.
Telling stories is one of the biggest reasons for many journalists, photographers and cameramen for becoming a journalist in crisis areas. Rheinhard Krause, the global pictures editor at Reuters said during a german documentary [Link] about his work: “A camera is the perfect excuse to go in these areas – Why would you go there otherwise?“.
All in all I think it’s primarily the will to tell stories and secondly a healthy portion of thirst for adventure.

What's up next? The following two posts are about the life in these areas, the supply of food, the ways into this business and the normality during the time there.

Thanks to Richard Gutjahr for providing his pictures from Kairo for this blog post! View more on flickt [Link]!

Today I'll present you two new features on this blog.

In the meantime there are a lot people visiting this page, but not everyone wants to leave a comment. This is understandable. 

Inspired by @MrMooky I offer you the possibility to click the "I read this page!" button, afterwards you only have to enter your email address and click submit. This is a simple, but effective and quite personal way of saying Thanks to the author. Every person will be listed within the normal commentators.

As you wrote your first comment, your Name and Email address will be saved into a cookie in your browser. If you load the next page, your Name and Email is now automatically in the comment fields. That makes commenting much easier!

So start over NOW and click the button below, or chose one of the numerous blog entries here!

About a year ago I reviewed the Litepanels MicroPro [Link], which is the ultimate light for run and gun interviews or as small spotlight. Now I got the opportunity to test the big brother, the 1x1.

Overview

First the facts: One Litepanels 1x1 has a size of 12"x12"x1,75" (30.48cm x 30.48cm x 4.4cm). So you can easily compare the size with the width of a 13" MacBook.

It weights 1,4kg, which is aprox. twice the weight of a 550D. During my test I didn't thought that both the size or weight are to bulky or unhandy to work with.

The case is made of plastic with steel rotary buttons on the back and a transparent plastic window in front of the LEDs. 

Power and Connections

The 1x1 can be powered through an AC adapter with 18-28V or using an V-Mount or AB adapter plate. I only used it with a direct power connection, so I can't say something about the battery strength and lifetime.

Additionally there is an option to use it a Remote Dimming or DMX Module.

Quality

At first sight you probably wouldn't trust the plastic housing, but it is amazing rugged! So it will survive your everyday production.  The more important part, the light quality, is even more amazing! The output of the Litepanels 1x1, compared to it's size and weight is truly epic.

The picture above is a screenshot from a short film we shot in April called Totgeburt (Click here and watch the trailer). The set was a temporary discontinued underground garage and we used only one Litepanels 1x1 as light. It created a very dramatic effect. Because of the Bi-Focus feature we were allowed to switch between flood and spot and could adjust the light into for the given situation.

Another situation where I tested the 1x1 was during several interview shots, both indoor and outdoor. It is a great help, because with this additional small light you are freer in the location. It is possible to shot in nicer, but darker areas, such as the small balkony under a tree in the picture below.

Conclusion

The Litepanels 1x1 light is the perfect help for one man interviews, because it is easy to set up, easy to handle and easy to carry. If you have more than one light it is also perfect for any kind of lighting, such as in scenic film and news productions. The 1x1 is a perfect addition for DSLR shooter, because it has the same qualties, like small size and low weight. 

But there is one little thing, you might worry about: the price. Depending on which model (Bi-Color, Bi-Focus, etc) you take it costs about 1700-2500$. This is a lot money for one light, but you have consider, that the LEDs will last for a lifetime and you'll use this light for a long time!

Continuing resources:

• Litepanels 1x1 PDF Brochure [Download]
• Litepanels Website [Link]
• View and Buy all products at B&H [Link]

DC and Ken Block present Gymkhana FOUR: The Hollywood Megamercial. 
GYM4 surpasses the high-production style of Gymkhana TWO with even more spectacular effects shot in the backlots of Universal Studios, California.
Filmed over the course of five days, director Ben Conrad
(Zombieland and 30 Seconds or Less) and his team at Logan deliver a Hollywood caliber production complete with pyrotechnics, massive stunts and a series of unbelievable tricks. 
Featuring robotic sharks, deranged zombies, and a hilarious cameo by the Epic Meal Time guys, Ken Block and his Hybrid FunctionHoon Vehicle (H.F.H.V.) bring the magic of Hollywood and gymkhana together.

Full video avalable on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btViXvIDsi0

Here are also two MakingOf pictures from their shot:

Both pictures are owned by DC shoes and are taken from their Facebook page. Click this link and view even more pictures!

After we finally finished shooting our feature film called "Endspiel" (in english something like final play). I'd like to show you some picture we took during the 10 days.

The whole film was shot on a 5DmkII except some Slow Motion scenes wherefore we used my 7D. If you scroll to the last picture, there is also a first MakingOf video!

Marcs sound equipment:

If you don't have a MakingOf shooter for all days, you need to be creative and that's the result:

Here you can see me with the ABC steadycam:

And we also would like to thank our sponsor kambeckfilm! They loaned us their dolly, which was a huge benefit! Thanks Markus!

Totgeburt Trailer from Daniel Freytag on Vimeo.

ISO noise on the 60D Part II: Cinestyle vs Flat Profile from Andrew Schär on Vimeo.

Camera: Canon 60D
Lens: 16-35mm f/2.8 L II
Shutter Speed: 1/50th
Frame Rate: 24
Music by: Andrew Schär - “The Warrior Poet” - To download my music for free, go to: bit.ly/​ajs-mu

A little while ago, Technicolor released Cinestyle - a profile for Canon DSLR’s - that aimed to give filmmakers a greater latitude in the shadows when filming.

Vincent Laforet had a post on his blog about this (http://bit.ly/q5KxOV) - you’ll notice from the still images there, how the highlights are roughly the same or perhaps even slightly less bright, while the shadows are much brighter than the Flat Canon profile.

Anyway, the previous test I did focused on seeing how much noise was produced at each ISO increment, bearing in mind that Technicolor recommends using multiples of 160 for the lowest noise - http://vimeo.com/23082874

However, after chatting to a friend & phenomenal filmmaker, Salomon Ligthelm (http://vimeo.com/ligthelm), he shied away from the Cinestyle profile, saying that it was too noisy for his liking.

So I wondered - If I shoot the same test using the “Flat” profile, and put them side-by-side, would I see less noise?

The EXACT same contrast, brightness, and curves settings, that I used to boost the Cinestyle test, were used on the Flat profile footage. The only problem was that I couldn’t see any noise! At first I thought that this meant the Cinestyle profile was in fact, much more noisy than the Flat profile. Why wouldn’t I think that when the results were clearly showing no noise, vs. plenty noise?

The thing is, I could clearly see though, that the Cinestyle footage was much brighter, or at least had a different gamma to that of the Flat footage. Of course that’s completely logical since we know the Cinestyle profile gives a much greater latitude in the shadows.

But what I wanted to know, was whether or not my images would be noisier if I shot using the Cinestyle profile. So I played with the brightness and contrast of the Flat footage to try and VISUALLY MATCH the brightness and contrast of the Cinestyle footage.

I found that if I increased brightness by 18.4% and contrast by 2%, I could practically replicate the Cinestyle image on the left.

After I had done this and played it back, the noise to me seemed practically identical, which lead me to conclude that the Cinestyle profile isn’t CREATING more noise, it’s simply DISPLAYING more noise, since shadow brightness is boosted by around 20%.

In the video you’ll see the Cinestyle footage top-left, the further-boosted Flat profile on the right, and the “same-boosted-settings-as-cinestyle” Flat footage on the bottom, for comparison.

I’m guessing that if you tried to boost just the shadows of the Flat footage in post, that the real-world footage wouldn’t be as clear, or would be more noisy than what the Cinestyle footage is creating in-camera, while filming.

In other words, the idea behind Cinestyle’s brighter shadows is that you’re going to ultimately DARKEN them a bit (along with noise) in post - according to your needs - whereas shooting with the Flat profile means you may need to BRIGHTEN the shadows in post - which logically speaking, would be worse for your image.

Whether or not this is true in everday filming, is up to the viewer and filmmaker I guess.