An easy and inexpensive solution to overhead shooting
Daniel Brockett
Finding an inexpensive, small and light way to mount an overhead camera has been a challenge. The methods we’ve used work but are not small, light or inexpensive. Until now.
One of my favorite types of production to light and shoot is tabletop. It’s rare as a DP to have complete lighting, art direction and stage control over a scene unless it’s... Read more
It was fortuitous that I attended the Hollywood Professional Alliance Tech Retreat in Palm Springs in February. Editing in the cloud and remote access were some of the key presentations. The demos were pretty impressive.
But now reality has set in. A lot of the workflows in the cloud require planning, preparation and, in many cases, a Hollywood budget.... Read more
What do you know about the H.265 codec and how to most effectively use it in your production and post workflow?
Daniel Brockett
The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H is one of the newest generation mirrorless hybrids that utilizes the H.265 codec for internal recording.
Does your current primary camera support H.265 recording? Other than a preset in your camera’s codec/recording options, what do you know about the H.265 codec and how to most effectively use it in your production and... Read more
Last time, I talked about the problem of judder—the stuttering or strobing that occurs when there’s fast movement in a scene. The movement may be caused by fast camera movement or by fast movement of objects in a scene—like vehicles. Judder is even more pronounced as we move to more HDR finishing.
At the Hollywood Professional Association’s... Read more
The most immediate solution to our very human problem of isolating through quarantine seems to be streaming
Daniel Brockett
Does this Zoom webcast interface look familiar to you, especially since quarantine started?
This is my first blog entry since we’ve been stuck in quarantine from the Covid-19 virus. Like all of you, I’ve been feeling the full range of the human experience—fear, uncertainty, boredom and frustration. We’re definitely in unprecedented... Read more
As I wrap up my writing about the annual Hollywood Professional Association’s Tech Retreat, I’d like to touch on new technology that I hinted at last time. It deals with motion in cinema capture.
The motion I refer to comes from either moving the camera—panning, tilting, dollying and handholding—or from objects that move within the scene.... Read more
A short film was shot on day two, and technologies like security and monitor calibration were discussed
Michael Guncheon
On the second day of the Hollywood Professional Association Tech Retreat’s Supersession, several scenes were shot for a short film. It demonstrated several technologies now being used on set and in post-production. Last time, I wrote about in-camera effects, but there was a lot more. Maybe not as flashy but still important.
Digital dailies and extensive... Read more
Instead of speaker after speaker, the day 2 Supersession featured live content creation
Michael Guncheon
Last time, I talked about an annual meeting in Palm Springs, California, where Hollywood minds discuss all things about content creation. The second day of the Hollywood Professional Association Tech Retreat is referred to as the Supersession. This year it certainly earned that title.
Rather than scheduling speaker after speaker to talk about various... Read more
Why would we want to discuss something as boring as ND filters? Simple, because the times, they are a changin’.
Daniel Brockett
This Tiffen Variable ND filter is one of the most commonly used ND filters for mirrorless hybrid and DSLR shooters.
Neutral-density filtration. Why would we want to discuss something as boring as ND filters? Simple, because the times, they are a changin’ and along with them, how we think about ND filters is also changing. Depending on which... Read more
Is it money well spent to sell off your X-T3 and upgrade to the X-T4?
Daniel Brockett
The new Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Hybrid is the latest offering from Fujifilm.
As you’ve seen if you’re tapped into camera/production social media and it’s resulting blogosphere, Fujifilm recently announced the successor to the Fujifilm X-T3, one of the most popular cameras it has ever produced. We shot a project for a Los Angeles NPR station... Read more