Help Desk: What’s A Violet Wand?
Don’t Google it at work!
At AbelCine, we offer sales, rental and service of all types of professional video cameras, and as part of that work, we also get a wide variety of technical-support questions.
Video Assist: Infrared-Faced
How IR filters can help
Recently, a very generous friend lent me his gear for a small project that I was shooting.
Production Takes: Fixed It In Post!
How creative editing saved our doc
It was 1992, and we were shooting a documentary on an air-refueling wing for public television.
Video Assist: Not Just For Show
Your matte box, rails and follow focus explained
I really don't understand matte boxes. At first I thought they just were what you found on a big 35mm motion-picture camera because I see them in all the behind-the-scenes/on-the-set shots.
Production Takes: The Bike Pirate
A new take on Follow Me
Driving at highway speed in a crew cab loaded with gear, four filmmakers, and two pro mountain bikers and their two bikes outside the town of Kamloops, B.C., Canada.
Video Assist: Play Misty For Me
How a simple hair dryer saved my shoot
You turn the page to this column, and before you begin reading, a question pops into your head: “What does a cow have to do with high-definition video?”
Production Takes: A Short Lesson In Preparation
MacGyver to the rescue
It’s first-year film school, and I’m waiting in line at the equipment cage so I can sign out one of two ARRI BL16 film cameras.
Video Assist: Like A Rolling Stone
Is rolling shutter a deal-breaker?
Rolling shutter does seem to be a popular topic, as yours isn’t the only e-mail I’ve received on the subject.
Production Takes: What Happens On XDCam
Be careful what you say on camera
I was working as an Avid editor for entertainment news in Los Angeles.
Production Takes: My Wife’s First Infomercial
Triple generator failure and seeping sewage on the set
About a year ago, the cosmetics company my wife was working for wanted to produce an infomercial.
Video Assist: Just The Facts
Is the Internet the best place to get your information?
This month’s column is a continuation of my last Video Assist column.
Production Takes: Hit The Switch
A DP remembers How the West Was Won
It’s 1977. I’m on location in Canyon City, Colo.
Video Assist: Addressing Schemes
Explaining the difference between linear and log
I don't understand the whole issue of linear and log. I'll admit I've never been much of a math whiz so to me everything is just numbers. What difference does it really make?
Production Takes: Jolly Old England
Shooting in a snowstorm in Piccadilly?
In April 1991, I was on a commercial shoot in London with Japanese clients. The shoot had problems from the start, and just getting around the city was a nightmare that knocked the schedule on its heels.
Filtering For HD
Filter manufacturers offer creative choices for cinematographers to create a multitude of effects
When cinematographer Daryn Okada, ASC, went to a gathering held by Formatt, a U.K.-based filter manufacturer, and Bogen Imaging, its U.S. distributor, he heard the Formatt Filters factory manager Ann Davis ask for ideas for new filters.
Production Takes: Where’s The Camera Truck?
A small DSLR handles a large ad campaign
I’ve been working as a DGA assistant director for almost 20 years on projects ranging from indie features to multimillion-dollar blockbusters.
