Over the next few weeks you’ll see a few posts on the gear we used on Mobius, as well as the pre-production we did on it as well as the post workflow.   First – here is a video on rotoscoping that you might find of interest.

A few months ago we did a piece on dynamic linking between Adobe Premiere and AfterEffects.   In the above video, Jon Carr, gives a more practical breakdown of how these features were used on our latest film, "Mobius" – notably in terms of rotoscoping.  During a particular scene in the film our protagonist (David Lyons) is taking pictures of a Cartel execution from an outcropping of rocks.  Unfortunately, the rocks that we used on location were covered with graffiti (the location is usually a well trafficked off-roading recreation area).  

However, in the film, this location needed to sell as the middle of nowhere, not to mention Mexico – so the graffiti had to go.  The above video walks you through the workflow of this: linking the footage out of Premiere and into After Effects, from there exporting a still from the footage into Photoshop, and then using the photoshopped version of that still in After Effects with the rotoscoping and tracking tools.  The end effect is unnoticeable – but that’s the goal – as it sells the scene as being in a remote location.  This workflow will work for you no matter what effects you are trying to achieve, and shows just how seamless the Adobe workflow is across the multiple application in their Production Premium suite.

LED Lighting will continue to grow in my opinion and become a greater and greater part of how we light things in the cine/docu/photo world.  To date a major limitation has been power…  most LED cannot output enough light to fight daylight.   But as you’ll see in the upcoming year or two – that barrier is about to be breached.    That makes things very interesting as we will need to rely a bit less on hot lights (literally burning hot lights) as well as generators as many of these lights can be adapted to work of batteries such as the Anton Bauer Dionics all the way up to the big Anton Bauer "lunch box."

Litepanels has recently released two new lights that are pretty cool for filmmakers.  The first is the Sola 4, which is the younger sibling to the Sola 6, a DMX controllable light, with an embedded touch screen.  And while the Sola 4 does not have the touchscreen control, it does have DMX input for control from a lighting board which can make this a pretty versatile tool especially if you don’t have easy physical access to the light.   What I find of particular interest for filmmakers is that they are fresnel lights, which are a staple of Hollywood and the film industry.  They are named "fresnel" for the lens that the lights have at the front of their casing.  This lens provides a uni-directional source that can be more accurately controlled than say the 1×1 Series lights, which are less controllable in terms of how focused the light is.  A significant improvement over traditional fresnel lights is of course the fact that these lights are LED – so they don’t get incredibly hot.  A Traditional 1k fresnel pulls 1000W of power out of the wall, and outputs an equivalent amount.  The Sola 4 pulls just 30W from the wall, and outputs up to 300W (the Sola 6 is 75W/650W).  You can also dim these light from  0 – 100% brightness, which is not possible on traditional 1k fresnels unless you have a separate ballast.   Therefore these lights give you a pretty incredible level of control relative to traditional lights.

The other light is called the Croma.  This light appears to be an evolution of the MicroPro.  Like the MicroPro it is either stand- or camera-mountable, can be run off AC power or AA batteries, draws 9W of power, and outputs approx. 50W of soft LED light.  The added advantage of the Croma is its adjustable color temperature (like the 1×1 Bicolors) – from 3200 to 5600 degrees (tungsten to daylight).  Also like the MicroPro, this light seems to be most valuable to documentarians or photojournalists in run n’ gun shooting conditions.  However, with the aid of the Croma, they will now be able to adjust the temperature of their camera-top light so that it can match the ambient light and look more natural.   I’m not as in love w/ the design of the Croma as I am with the MicroPro (it’s built like a tank – or a brick to be more accurate) but the ability to adjust color temperature is a big plus…  to some AAs may also be welcome.   Like the MicroPro it does have a 1/4-20 mounting port on the base of the unit.

2011 was incredibly eventful – as you’ll see in the video below.

I just wanted to thank all of the readers of the blog, the blog’s supporters, and everyone I know and have had the chance to meet, share a few laughs, and work with in the past year.

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and new year celebration!  I hope you can spend it with friends, loved ones, and family – not computers!  

To that end – I’m going to unplug entirely from my computer for the next dozen days for the first time since I began interacting with the internet. Wish me luck!

See you all in 2012!

A good friend of mine Michael Muller has been working on this series for the Travel Channel on sharks  as a photographer and filmmaker.  I’ll be making sure to tune in on December 18th on the Travel Channel to watch this episode – here’s an official  description of it followed by  a quick Q&A with Michael that we did over e-mail – definitely sounds like a super exciting project mixed in with some very fun photography and filmmaking toys!

 

In this special, Mike seeks eight different species of sharks all converging in Fiji. Mike and his crew are high tech “MacGyver’s”, building big toys to get the perfect shot! They are bringing the Hollywood Photo Studio 70 feet underwater to capture these one-of-a-kind photos. The stakes are high; Mike and his crew risk it all to capture images that will shatter all of our misconceptions about the elusive shark.

  SHARK SHOOT:  FIJI

Hollywood photographer Michael Muller goes on the adventure of a lifetime – up close and personal with the world’s wildest animals in the world’s wildest places. Through Mike’s unique, irreverent, unprecedented point of view, you’ll see animals, places, and people in an entirely new way. He’s in constant demand as one of the top Hollywood photographers, creating famous portraits of stars like Brad Pitt, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey, Jr. But Mike is more interested in a different kind of elusive subject for his camera. In fact, Mike wants us to get to know the real celebrities on this planet – and he’ll do whatever it takes to show us how passionate he is about his cause.

 Together with his eclectic group of friends and fellow adventurers, Mike creates all kinds of specialized rigs, shooting platforms and lighting apparatuses to get the job done. These contraptions allow him to get as close as humanly possible to his unpredictable and extremely dangerous subjects – making it possible for Mike to swim with great white sharks, run alongside cheetahs on the attack, plunge into active volcanoes, dive with polar bears hunting seals, fly into the heart of a killer storm, or put himself between a mama grizzly bear and her cubs.

 In a nutshell, if we’ve ever been told NOT to do something – that’s exactly how Mike plans to do it. Why? Because Mike has the determination, imagination and mad skills to do what others aren’t willing, or able, or brave enough to do. Mike’s goal is to convince the world that there’s more to these amazing creatures than typically meets the eye – but he needs to get the perfect shots to prove it. Read the rest of this entry »

There are few people in this world that are as special as Tom Lowe.   Most of you know him as one of the pre-eminent time-lapse photographers/filmmakers out there who has been redefining the medium for years now on Timescapes.  (Tom was named  Astronomy Photographer of the Year last year.)     Tom has worked with Terrence Malick and many other pre-eminent filmmakers in fact (and given how humble Tom is – he’ll probably be upset I mentioned Terrence’s name.)   Tom is also an author, a Gulf War Veteran and generally a Zen master.   Tom has lived outside of his pickup truck for more than a year, on top of freezing mountains and in the desert for months at a a time.  Granted he’s gotten to witness some of the most beautiful sites that our land offers.

Tom is out to raise the bar even higher now – with his 4K film "Timescapes" that he’s been working on tirelessly for close to two years now.    He’s been shooting with Kessler motion control cranes and dollies,  lenses from Canon / Leica / RED / Duclos, and Arri Master Primes, with RED’s Epic camera,  the Canon 5D MKII  and the PL-modified Canon 1D MKIV by Denz as well – to produce some of the most gorgeous footage I’ve ever seen shot on this continent in the last decade.  

The level of dedication, passion and just plain hard work (not to mention sleepless nights) that Tom has put into this is unparalleled.   He and his team (assistants Dustin Kukuk and Nilo Merino Recalde)  have likely seen more sunrises and sunsets over that time than almost anyone else in this country.   Their level of dedication to their craft is unparalleled – something that I’ve witnessed many times in person – and most recently during the Timefest get together in Lone Pine thanks to Eric Kessler.   Most filmmakers put in endless hours, days, weeks, and years into their films.   But we are almost always surrounded by dozens of others who are there to support us (if we’re lucky;)    Making a film on your own out in the wild for close to 2 years – with nothing but faith and a dream takes a very special kind of person.  A special soul.  Like I said:  Tom is a Zen master who happens to love Dubstep.  

Tom is the truest example of an artist dedicated to his craft – and to sharing with others.    While you’ll be hard pressed to get him to lead a workshop because he really doesn’t like to hear himself talk  - he’s always there to lend anyone a helping hand, and won’t hesitate for even a millisecond to share one of his favorite shooting spots with you, location, angle to shoot, and time of year.  He’s just that kind of guy.  

I can’t wait to see this film premiere – and you bet I’ll do my best to have a front row seat.   If you’d like to help support Tom you can go ahead to the film’s site and pre-order it.    Supporting fellow filmmakers is important – for example, I know that I could easily get a copy of the Blu-ray for free from him  - but instead I’ve gone ahead and ordered the limited edition one because I simply want to show my support and keep artists like him busy forever in our community.    I think we need people like Tom out there – and I can’t wait to see a lot more people discover who this man is and to follow his example.   I already know that many of your will end up following in his footsteps…     

For those of you that would like to see more – here is a previous trailer:

I wanted to give a quick shout out to my friend Tabb Firchau of Freeflycinema.     

Tabb has been piloting helicopters (RC and real ones) for close to 2 decades and I’ve know him since my first HDSLR productions including "JOB First Look."   We’ve worked on several productions together over the years including most recently "Mobius."   You can see his reel below as well as a behind the scenes look at some of the productions he’s done.  They will fly your 5D, you Epic, Scarlet, F3, AF100 an anything of that weight category without a problem.

I’m a big fan of RC helicopters (RC stands for Radio Controlled helos)  for situations when you can’t get a traditional helicopter close enough to your subject or when you’re in a remote location where getting a traditional helicopter is simply not affordable (the ferry time back and forth to a distant location can be pretty substantial.)  I will say that I will only work with extremely experienced pilots for both full-sized and RC helos.   These are not toys and can be quite dangerous to both your gear and more importantly other people if operated by an inexperienced pilot.   Even though I’ve personally flown a  (real) plane and a (real) helicopter myself – I have to admit I’ve crashed a half-dozen RC helicopters within the first 2-3 flights… it’s far from easy to fly those little guys.   So at the risk of sounding patronizing – please choose your pilots carefully on your productions.  If you want to learn yourself – I definitely recommend you don’t hook the camera up to your RC until you’ve done a few hundred flights…

The best compliment I can pay Tabb is that he and gimble operator Hugh Bell (the gimble is the pan/tilt/roll head at the front of the RC [one person controls the helo and the other the camera for obvious reasons]) are responsible for both the opening and closing shot of "Mobius."  We had a very tight schedule and I was pretty slammed during that production.   I gave both of them several notes on what shots I was looking for in terms of aerial coverage of the scene and had to run over to work w/ the actors with the main unit.   Tabb and Hugh did such a perfect job that they earned BOTH the opening and closing shot of the film.  

As we say in French "Chapeau"  - or "hats off."  Having that happen is a director’s dream – it doesn’t happen unless you work with extremely talented people.  Normally I pay very close attention to each shot – but with nearly 60 setups over 3 days and given that the execution scene was the first thing we shot for the film –   we were very rushed to get going.  I didn’t have the luxury of running the action for more than two extra takes for the aerial unit – and I think they nailed it in those two shots.  

You should look to hire RC and traditional pilots not only because they are safe – but also because they understand how to make shots work and how they can be intergrated in films.   Tabb and Hugh do just that and more…

 You can see two behind the scenes video with the RC helo -one from Tabb first and one from Mobius below the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have an upcoming post for the holidays that will involve a few charities as I think that giving back and helping others is one of the best things anyone can do.

Today unfortunately, I’m going to digress into a more materialistic world… on the eve of the day Americans call "Black Friday" where they go to shop ’til they drop … I must (obviously!) admit I do love my gadgets…

If you’re looking for some advice on gear for the holidays – for you or for others – don’t forget to check out the My Gear Page on this blog.  I share a ton of information, advice, and examples for almost all of the video / photography / accessories / support / sliders / time lapse / lighting / audio / software and photography gear I use on a regular basis.  

By using the coupon codes below and by shopping MY GEAR page mentioned above – you help support us and the time it takes to update the gear section on this blog, and allow us to create more instructional videos to populate the section –  and it doesn’t cost you a dime.   In some cases (below) you’ll even get a discount.  

Given how many videos/graphics there are on the list – please click below to see it.   So without further ado:

Read the rest of this entry »

I just wanted to make a quick announcement that my book "VISUAL STORIES" is out today.   There is 35% off coupon on Peachpit’s site as well for a short time – use the code "PPE2011" when you check out to get the discount.

Here is a link to the hard copy: Visual Stories: Behind the Lens with Vincent Laforet  (HARD COPY)

And a link to the eBook version: Visual Stories: Behind the Lens with Vincent Laforet (eBOOK)

For more information on the book and to see a few excerpts CLICK HERE.

The book has gotten some very nice feedback so far:

"Visual Stories blends art, meaningful technical know-how and thoughtful discussion on the role and power of photography to make an impact on society. It’s one of the best photography books I’ve seen."

-Christopher Robinson, Editor, Digital Photo Pro Magazine 

"Once in a while a Creative comes along who’s body of work causes anyone who sees it to stop in their tracks. That’s the gift that Vincent Laforet has given us here. Life Through the Lens with Vincent Laforet is an inspiring gift that demands to be on your bookshelf (virtual or otherwise)."

- Dane Sanders, Photographer & Writer, DaneSanders.com

"99% of the process happens before you even get the opportunity to press the button. As much as anything else, Visual Stories is about that process. It is about previsualizing, planning, cajoling, persevering — and whatever else it takes to transport an image from your mind’s eye into print."

 

- Scott Bourne, Photographer & Writer, Photofocus.com

 

"Visual Stories will be an instant classic. It is well written and is an easy read for photographers of every level. It contains over 100 of the author’s photos with information on the shot as well as the technical camera settings used.

 

Also included with Visual Stories is a DVD that contains 60 videos that provide a personal view of the author and his work. Here he explains in more detail about his work and how he captured his images. If you want to see into the mind of an award winning photographer and learn from his experiences then I very highly recommend Visual Stories."

 

T. Michael Testi – via Seattle Post Intelligencer / Blog Critics

Also – here is a book and an app that friends have out: Read the rest of this entry »

Two of the most exciting things about the Canon C300 are the sharpness of the image, and also the "organic" or granular structure of the noise pattern the sensor produces.    

As I worked with the footage from "Mobius" with VFX and color correction – I noticed something I had rarely seen coming off a digital sensor.   The image structure, and notably the alpha channels looked strikingly similar to traditional photography/motion picture film (or negatives.)

You can read my previous post if you’re interested in a detailed opinion of where the Canon C300 stands amongst other cameras (notably the RED Scarlet/Epic, Arri Alexa, and Sony F3.)    

Below you’ll find a frame from Mobius – beneath it is the alpha channel (shot more tightly to emphasize important details) that shows two things:

1. The incredible sharpness of the sensor (1080p coming off of a 3.7K sensor) on the letters "Navigator" from the exact same frame below.

2. The granular structure the sensor produces. 

I can speak to this "organic" noise, following a half-decade of experience working in a series of darkrooms at the start of my photographic career (black and white film, C-41, and E-6) and regularly holding up a loop below a projected negative to ensure focus.

I’m also working on making "Mobius" downloadable on iTunes this week – both the finished product as well as a raw ungraded scene.  

For now, I’ll share with you a frame grab (click on the image below to enlarge it to its full 1920×1080 resolution) and you should be able to appreciate the incredible level of detail the camera offers.  Note that this is the RAW ungraded footage out of the camera. [Note: we used Scneider "Classic Soft" and "Sahara Gold" filters on the shoot, and on this shot]

Below you will also find a series of frame grabs off of a monitor.   

The only time that I have seen this type of granular structure in noise is with the Arri Alexa.   

I think that this just might be the future of digital sensors:  taking digital noise and giving it a more filmic or "organic" structure.  

While digital sensors are slowly closing the gap with film in terms of dynamic range – most don’t have the same granular structural beauty that film offers.  It seems that too is changing.

Below you’ll find another example of a shot made at the start of the film at sunrise.  The camera was able to hold (and exposed for) the highlights of the scene. But you’ll notice that the shadows still have an impressive amount of detail – deep down in the dark areas of the file.   

Read the rest of this entry »

Just last week Canon unveiled the Canon C300 and C300PL cameras.  A series of cameras with incredible sensors with  wide exposure latitude and incredible low light performance that shoot 1080p video up to 30fps on CF Cards.

A little over an hour later – Red announced the Scarlet camera.  An equally compact camera capable of 5K but in effect 4K at 25fps in full RAW mode.

After what had already been a huge news day in the film world  - Canon snuck one last announcement in:   Their Canon Cinema Concept camera – that shoots 4K.

As I saw the announcements coming out – I felt like I was witnessing a fencing bout between two camera giants.   Each trying to steal the other’s thunder with subtle parries and strong reposts.

The truth is: all 3 cameras should be of strong interest to all of us.   

I do have the benefit of having shot with all of the cameras mentioned in this post- quite extensively.   (Notably the C300, and although I haven’t shot with the RED Scarlet (it isn’t available yet,) RED tells me the image performance (depending on compression settings) will be identical to the RED Epic-M that I own and use regularly.)

First an important rule that I firmly believe in:   a two newspaper town (or 3) is much better than a one newspaper town.   I can speak from experience following my old newspaper days, that a one newspaper town has the paper’s staff become complacent far too quickly.  

Without competition, there is no desire to show the other paper up.

I can also say without hesitation that the Canon C300 has one of the top 6 sensors (and supporting processing hardware/chips) in the world.   Many people/bloggers out there are erroneously saying the 5DM KII can do as well- but they haven’t a clue, to put it very bluntly.    

I’ve tested both – extensively and side by side.  The C300 wins hands down- and that’s in relation to almost all cameras out there today (short of the very high end,) not just the Canon 5DMKII.   I look forward to putting some tests out there this week.

The Scarlet was a fantastic announcement as well.   It is the "Little sister" to the Epic - as Jim Jannard said.  

The big surprise:  a Super35mm sensor, and the price tag – under $10,000 for the body.   Closer to $13,000 – $17,200 depending on how you accessorize it of course.   (I’d have to add their gorgeous EVF to the package myself and then add a few 128GB SSD Cards which will add up quickly beyond the $17,000 price mentioned above depending on how many $1,800 128GB SSD Cards you need.   Don’t forget that the C300 shoots on compact cards that you already likely own.   Both cameras can thankfully shoot on Canon EF lenses – which will significantly help your pocketbook when compared to cinema PL lenses.)   This is an incredible camera to own for almost any filmmaker out there – and future-proof.   Not only will you be shooting 4K+ resolutions for tomorrow’s screens – but you will also be able to swap out the sensor with more modern sensors down the line – something that is in line with Jannard’s desire to never let your cameras become obsolete.  A small detail that you should pay big attention to.

Then came the announcement of the Canon cinema concept camera.    All that’s really been said so far is that it will shoot 4K footage and be optimized with a better codec (Motion JPEG) – though likely not a RAW one (but that still remains to be seen or clarified by anyone.)

So where does that leave us?  (The filmmakers that is.)

In short:  in a very, very good place!  

Competition can only benefit us.   We will directly benefit from having Jim Jannard and RED going toe to toe with Canon.  

And don’t forget Sony, Panasonic, Arri etc.    No one can afford to rest on their laurels in this fight. 

Trust me.  

I will leave you with a few last thoughts:

I had a fantastic set of conversations with a few key executives at Canon as we celebrated the launch of the C300 and the Premiere of Mobius at Paramount studios.

To their credit – they said, and stood firm that a $20,000 MSRP was warranted, given the quality of the sensor and technology of their camera.   On that point I entirely agree- and even respect them for not racing to the bottom if you will (of rates/prices/fees) as is unfortunately so often the case today.

That being said, I am also very well aware of the market today, and of the economy.   Apple has proven that they can make a significantly greater amount of money by selling cheaper versions of their Aperture and Final Cut X software on their Apple Store – than they did when they sold them at higher prices.   (They’re making a significantly greater amount with volume selling the software at a lower price point relative to the higher priced boxed versions to a smaller group of people that they chose in the past (the lower price- not the box vs download is relevant here.)

Read the rest of this entry »