Video

Film Anatomy. Location Scouting.

Last week was unseasonably warm and beautiful, and we went to scout one of our top locations. It was only 50 miles from my place in Brooklyn, but with New York’s traffic it took over 2 hours to get there. As a rule of thumb, when scheduling our shoots, we DOUBLE the estimated travel time by Google Maps. The worst scenario is arriving early, which often leads to a shorter than expected day or having a bit more time to set up, neither too bad if you ask me.

For our short film we essentially need three locations, all interiors. Why? Well, because we’ll be shooting in New York the middle of January so the chances that the weather will be as nice as last week are rather slim.

The house we scouted is almost perfect. It provides two of the three locations we are looking for, and we might be able to fake the third one through some movie magic. An added bonus is that the basement is full of old furniture and appliances that we could use as props. There’s a B&B nearby which would be perfect to house the crew, and there are a few good restaurants in the area. For us, good food is a top priority on any video production. A well fed crew will always work better, and I truly believe that a happy people make better products.

I’ve been getting some interesting emails/questions regarding this project and “how much do you plan in advance” is one of them, so the specific answer will be our very next post. Stay tuned!

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Video

NAB 2014 Wrap-up. Top 10 Products. Livestream’s Studio

Another “toy” we really liked at NAB was Livestream’s Studio HD510, a great looking, ultra-portable live production switcher. It’s so portable that one of our friends takes it as a carry-on!

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The slightly more affordable ($8,000) Studio HD51 with five HD-SDI or HDMI inputs, and all the Studio Software features, seems like a great place to get started. Technically speaking, you could just get the $800 software, build a killer machine for under $2,000, and start recording. But the elegance and size of the HD Studio solutions are VERY tempting.

Here are some useful links:
http://new.livestream.com/studio/surface
http://new.livestream.com/studio
http://new.livestream.com/studio/remote-cams
http://new.livestream.com/studio/tech-specs

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Have you done any live-switching or are you considering it sometime soon? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter (@EA_Photo)

This is our 7th post on our favorite toys at NAB 2014. The other highlighted products are:

1. G-Speed Studio and G-Raid Studio
2. Grass Valley’s EDIUS 7
3. Syrp’s Genie
4. Kinemini 4K camera
5. AJA Cion camera
6. Blackmagic 4K Film Scanner
7. Livestream’s Studio solutions
8. Edelkrone pocket series
9. Atomos Shogun and Ninja Star
10.NHK 8K Camera

Video

Amazon adds storytelling tools to its arsenal.

 
updated 20140114

Amazon Studios was launched 3 years ago to develop feature films and episodic series. In a new effort to pack another punch to its arch enemy Netflix, as well as increasing its original content catalog, the company has rolled out the beta for “Storyteller,” a free online storytelling tool that (more…)

Video

DSLR Video Shooter Interview; Panasonic GH3, Post NAB gadgets, backup solutions and more.

 
Update 20130706: Amazon just posted a crazy deal: $1,049 for the GH3. Not sure how long it will last but if you have been considering this camera, go grab it now!
 

interview with DSLR Video Shooter, Caleb Pike

Recently, we sat down for an interview with our friend Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter, a blog dedicated to videographers and cinematographers that use HDSLR video for quality storytelling. It was great to chat about NAB 2013, upcoming events, gear he have been using or testing like the Panasonic Lumix GH3, and share other useful digital workflow solutions. (more…)

Video

NAB 2013 is here. Ghost Town goes wild with DSLR Shooters.

 
This coming weekend I’ll be working with Jem Schofield and a very talented crew on a unique DSLR Video Field Workshop in Nelson, Nevada. The event, hosted at an awesome Ghost Town and surrounded by incredible landscapes, focuses on the craft of filmmaking, camera movement and lighting controls.

Attendees will have four production stations to shoot:

• Tripod, Slider & Dolly Station (with actors)
We will learn how to properly balance a tripod system, operate a camera on a slider and how to use a proper dolly system (including being a dolly grip).

• Rigs Station (with actors)
How and when to use handheld and shoulder mounted rigs from a number of manufacturers to get different looks in camera. Students will focus on tracking shot and other set ups while filming live actors.

• Jib Station
Learn how to operate small to medium sized jib systems, to get “money” shots of the town for establishing shots, reveals, etc.

• Filters & Exterior Light Station
Controlling natural light for exterior shots using a selection of filters, reflectors and silks is paramount.

We’ll have great equipment from sponsors such as Genus, Ikan, Indie Dolly, Induro, Kessler, Lastolite, Manfrotto, Marshall, Nice Industries, Redrock Micro, Tiffen and Zacuto.

Check the video below, and I hope to see you there!

Registration includes round-trip transportation from Las Vegas Convention Center to Nelson Nevada Ghost Town, lunch and on-site instruction.