FilmmakerIQ.com » Cinematography

SNL Film Unit’s DP talks Canon C300

John P. Hess — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:52:31 +0000

At the 11th Annual San Francisco FCPUG Supermeet, cinematographer for SNL Films and Canon Explorer of Light, Alex Buono gives us the high points of the C300, and he also tells us why he’s so excited about it.

Buono also talks support gear for the C300, and throws props to Redrock Micro’s Ultra Cage.

Cheap DIY Follow Focus Ideas

John P. Hess — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:03:12 +0000

Evan Luzi lists off a few ways to rig up your lens to create a simple and cheap DIY follow focus with items that can be found at your hardware or grocery store.

Most of these DIY follow focus units will be more usable on still or ENG lenses. This is because those lenses are not geared like Cine-style lenses and a lot of these solutions depend on the sticky rubber of the still lens’ focus ring. Still, this could be a jumping off point if you’re trying to make a DIY cine-style follow focus
While searching the web and many forums, I came across a variety of techniques, but most of the methods fell into these five types:

1. Hose Clamps

The hose clamp method is fairly simple: You take a hose clamp roughly the size of the lens barrel, drill a hole into it, then use a bolt to attach a knob/handle to the clamp. Some other methods have used a rubber band underneath the clamp to soften it against the lens and help it stick better.

The Black and Blue | Read the Full Article

Filming mountain climber Alex Honnold

Dennis — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000

If scaling a 1,600-foot rock face seems terrifying, imagine scaling it without ropes or a harness. That’s what Alex Honnold recently attempted in Yosemite National Park, using nothing more than his hands and feet. “60 Minutes” cameras were strategically placed along the climb, capturing every harrowing move.

Lara Logan’s full “60 Minutes” report on Alex Honnold:

Filming of mountain climber Alex Honnold:

Nikon woos the pros with long-awaited D800

John P. Hess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:39:34 +0000

Could the Canon 5d mkII finally see some serious competion?

Because of its lack of video capabilities and its relatively low resolution, the Nikon D700 never attained the level of buzz the Canon EOS 5D Mark II did, despite being an excellent camera. With the D800, Nikon looks poised to catch up to, if not overtake, Canon in the hearts and minds of full-frame devotees.

With all the information about the D800 having leaked in advance, it’s easy to tell what’s been most attention-grabbing: the high-resolution sensor and the D800E sibling model which incorporates a modified low-pass filter system that results in little to no antialiasing. There’s no doubt that the combination should appeal to professionals like studio and wedding photographers.

— CNET.com | Read the Full Article

With clean 4:2:2 video coming off the HDMI port, this camera has a lot of people very excited. Here’s one of the first shorts shot on the Nikon D800.

Behind the Scenes:

Be a Better Camera Op – Part 1: MINDSET

John P. Hess — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:51 +0000

In the first part of his three part series, Chris Weaver dives into the mindset of how to become a better camera operator.

Being diverse, responsible, flexible, enthusiastic and creative are just a few of the values you’ll need to succeed as a camera operator. In this part, I’ll be talking all about how what goes on up here *points to head* directly effects what’s happening around you. So… let’s go! Don’t switch off here because you think this might be boring, yes I’m not offering advice on operating itself, that will come later – this stuff is fundamental.

1. Know Your Craft:

Elevate yourself beyond mediocre. The world’s full of mediocre people…be outstanding! You’re a professional camera operator, make it part of your identity, be proud of it. Learn everything you can about your craft and master it…and I don’t mean dabble in it…I mean really master your craft. Become a recognized expert and you will always be in demand.

— Film Camera Course | Read the Full Article

Controlling Depth of Field with the Canon C300

Dennis — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:46 +0000

In this video by AbelCine they show you how to control your depth of field when using 35mm sensor cameras.

When you think of a 35mm sensor camera, what characteristics come to mind? Probably the first is shallow depth of field. It is part of what many consider the “look” of that imager size and a principle defining difference between it and other formats. But while some consider this the chief attribute of the format, others may find it to be a detriment in certain situations. For those shooting documentary, run-and-gun productions, a deeper depth of field may be preferable to maintain focus. Fortunately, there is another major facet to the latest crop of 35mm sensor cameras – a very low noise floor. This means that in a camera such as the Canon C300, a wide range of ISO settings can be applied with little objectionable artifacting to the image. Using the concept of the “variable depth of field camera,” you can adjust the available parameters of the camera to yield the depth of field desired for any given image. Watch the video to see this concept demonstrated.

Kitting Out the Red Epic/Scarlet

John P. Hess — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:11:31 +0000

Mitch Gross from Abel Cine takes us on a tour of a battle tested configuration of a RED Epic/Scarlet package available for rental. A full list of accessories they used is available on their website.

A fully dimensional look at 3-D and its use in “Pina”

John P. Hess — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:20:31 +0000

“Pina” is a German dance film dedicated to the choreographer Pina Bausch. Nominated for an Oscar for best documentary feature, Pina is also dazzling audiences with breathtaking 3-D that has been compared to Avatar in terms of total audience immersion. Lewis Segal explores how the use of 3d breathes life into this dance documentary.

The Trailer for Pina

But right now 3-D is arguably just a novelty act, existing in so many formats and processes that it’s premature to embrace it as the future of film and video dance. For starters, the stats on “Pina” say it exists in Digital 3-D and Real 3-D (that’s a corporate name, not a value judgment), as well as 2-D. And current 3-D eyewear ranges from those red-and-green plastic glasses you need for most YouTube 3-D on through so-called passive movie specs to expensive electric goggles required for 3-D TV. Most of them darken the image or desaturate color and some impose a flicker or shimmer.

What’s more, “Pina” is a special case, a valedictory compendium of excerpts, not a dance film per se. Indeed, Wenders arguably misrepresents Bausch’s achievements by emphasizing early and pure-dance pieces, never revealing that some of the exquisitely eccentric passages on view are embedded in multidisciplinary three- to four-hour panoramic epics. Bausch’s sense of time in the theater and her use of audience-confrontation tactics are ignored. What remains is eine kleine Pina: her Tanztheater with only the Tanz.

— LA Times | Read the Full Article

DIY Flexible Top Handle DSLR Rig

Dennis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:48:25 +0000

In this video, by Caleb Pike, he shows you how to build a simple yet efficient handle rig for your DSLR camera.

Parts Mentioned:

Up with Cameras: eye3 Helicopter Drone for $999

John P. Hess — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:37:59 +0000

This campaign has been cancelled by Kickstarter. See our follow up article for details.

Kellie Sigler and her husband have spent the last two years developing a low priced helicopter platform for aerial photography. Launching through Kickstarter, the basic 6-blade hexacopter with 24lbs of thrust can be yours for a cost of just shy of a grand.

But that’s not the coolest part…

For a few more dollars, this badboy can be rigged up with the APM2 - turning it into a fully automated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). That’s right – a full autopilot system programmable with Google maps.

Check out their Kickstarter page.