Cine Gear took place few weekends ago, but as they say “better late than never.”
This video is small selection of some of the exciting products I encountered at CineGear. There were literally hundreds of vendors, so I didn’t see everything - but these are some of the ones I was able to catch on a quick afternoon visit (check out LitePanel’s new Fresnels, BronColor’s Kobold lighting system, RED’s Epic, and ARRI’s Alexa!). The expo itself was awesome - if you are in LA next year during it, I would strongly consider checking it out.
Of course, also keep checking out the blog in the future, as I plan on featuring more videos like these - including product overviews, interviews, and behind-the-scenes features. You can check in daily - but I’d recommend you subscribe to the blog to get an update whenever we post something up!
A little under two years ago I started this blog with a post titled “The Cloud is Falling.” I then went to cover the Olympics for Newsweek which helped to increase readership - and then I posted a little video called “Reverie” on this blog. And everything changed from that point on - for a lot of us.
Since then - nearly 5,000,000 visitors have graced us with their presence. And at times this blog has utterly overwhelmed me. In the months following Reverie or Nocturne - it was not uncommon for me to wake up each morning to more than 500 e-mails in my inbox from fantastic people from around the globe. (This number would not include junk mail.)
The problem was: My staff and I simply could not keep up. We were missing jobs left and right as they were becoming buried amidst the hundreds of e-mails. This blog’s readership is now north of 150,000 people per month.
At one point - I considered ending the blog. And then I realized that I couldn’t. This community is far too special to turn one’s back on. I’ve simply met far too many interesting people in the past few years - and any single one of them alone would justify continuing the blog. This HDDSLR movement is a bona fide thing - not just a flash in the pan.
So now I’ve come to the following conclusion: I need a little help from some friends to keep this blog healthy. I’m not able to focus on my career to the degree that I’d like to AND simultaneously focus on producing regular content for you all on this blog - let alone to be a husband and father to two young wonderful children. In this case, those friends are the “supporters” illustrated above. I’ve formed great relationships and friendships with the people at these companies and use their products on a regular basis.
Therefore, a little over a month ago I went to them and asked if they’d help support this blog in a non-traditional manner (more on that below). In effect these companies are contributing to help me hire someone to manage this blog. Every post you will see on this blog will continue to be written by me - that’s something that is essential to me. That new person (a young buck by the name of Justin Hamilton) will simply be there to help me grab the relevant graphics, links, check my spelling, and to shoot and edit the videos you will see as a new feature of this blog. For those of you who run your own blogs - you know that it’s not uncommon to spend 5+ hours to shoot, edit, grade, EQ and post a video - that runs all of a whopping 2 minutes on the blog…
My goal is to keep this blog as close to what is has been over the past few years - but to add more content to it with Justin’s and the above “supporters’” help.
So that’s the short version - below is the longer version for those who have been regular readers all along. It will cover a lot of the pertinent questions you might have btw.
While I’d be foolish to think that I ultimately had anything to do with his decision - I do find the last line of his post extremely interesting…The one where he states that RED is taking a lesson from Apple and that RED “will no longer discuss what we are doing until we are done.”
That is pretty much the conclusion that I came to when I stated that RED’s main “issue” was to over promise and deliver late within my post. Obviously, I think the RED team is making the correct move. My quote was:
“If there’s only one criticism that I have with RED - it’s that they’ve tended to over-promise and deliver late… basically the opposite of what Apple does (Apple stays absolutely secret about their projects, deny they’re working on anything, and releases them only when they are confident the product is ready for prime time…) I personally would prefer to get hard deadlines from RED on future product releases - even if those dates are overly conservative on their end.”
Again - I’m not claiming that Jim hadn’t come to this conclusion in any way as a result of what I said of course - but what IS CLEAR - is that yes - RED does listen and they do care…
Yesterday I posted a trailer for the new “Twisted Metal“ Playstation game that we shot in downtown Los Angeles. That shoot also happened to be the first time that I was able to put my iPad 3G to use on set. I have always found iPads to be a helpful tool for creative professionals - especially in film and photography - for sharing images, videos, and other multimedia material with potential clients and collaborators. This shoot marked the first time that I found it served an important role on set for me (albeit a high tech one.)
As is often the case with commercial shoots - storyboards, shot lists, and schedules are constantly changing until the last minute (if not during the shoot itself In this case critical information changed and was e-mailed to everyone just ten minutes before I arrived on set - the clients and creatives made some important changes to the storyboard.
Here’s where that can get tricky: I always like to arrive early to any job - at least 1-2 hours before my “call time.” Doing so helps me to relax and to feel ahead of the curve, it also allows me to chat with people and also to avoid any potential traffic nightmares in LA. The problem with doing this is that I am often out of touch during that time - i.e. away from my computer and printer for a few hours.
If schedules change, I can always deal with that on my iPhone, and the same goes for shot lists. But when storyboards change - that’s another issue entirely. Downloading storyboards in a trailer and printing them can take 10-15 minutes - way too long on set. And that’s where the iPad 3G comes in - I can download the files and view them on screen immediately - plus they are ALWAYS on hand from that point on (no more rolling them up and putting them in my back pants pocket…)
Obviously, as either a Director and/or DP, having access to the latest information is incredibly important - if I don’t have access to the latest, I could potentially make incorrect decision that could waste very valuable time - not to mention thousands of dollars… (more…)
Here is a trailer that I worked on with the incredibly talented folks at Zoic Studios that was revealed at the Sony Playstation press conference today at E3 gaming convention.
This shoot was a blast - I think it’s safe to say that everyone on the crew had fun hanging out with a couple dozen actors dressed up as crazy clowns and freaks ready to light their hair on fire. While the cast and camera moves were real - the flames were all VFX of course.
The original plan was to use the Canon 1D MKIV or 5D MKII as this would be a low light shoot. I worked with the VFX team and we were worried that the H.264 compression would bring up too many potential headaches given that some of the characters had to be comped in - and each character had to have the flames added to their heads with VFX. Therefore we decided to work with the Red Mysterium-X. I was really impressed with how well the new sensor handled a pretty incredible range of exposure / latitude - far in excess of what I’m used to working with on digital. I’ve since used the Mysterium-X on two separate videos and keep being surprised at how well it holds highlights and shadows at the same time.
Someday - I’d love to see how the Canons would do relative to this sensor - but until the Canons can offer RAW recoding (i.e. not H.264 compressed footage that they currently do) we’ll never really know… As I’ve said - each camera has it’s unique place in the market today - each has pros and cons and I love to work with both of them.
Huge kudos goes to the crew and especially gaffer Mark Lindsay for finding us a spare generator at midnight when ours died at a pretty inopportune time - (anytime a generator dies on an exterior night shoot is a pretty inopportune time!) - Mark had a new one delivered within less than 30 minutes believe it or not… that’s something VERY few gaffers can pull off out there…and the guy can light circles around you too…
And kudos to Christian Hurley the Technochrane operator who pulled off the wicked shot with the cigar - the shot of the cigar being thrown from the cab ( that cigar in mid-air was CGI - but it was a real move on a real cigar from there on) the 180º turn back to Sweet Tooth (the clown) all the way to the pan up to his head is a SINGLE shot… and it was done on INCREDIBLY uneven ground mind you. Sweet. Always nice to work with pros/veterans.
I’d of course mention the dozens of SFX people - but I don’t yet have all of their names. I also hope to put up a higher res video on Vimeo (full 1080) to show off the quality of the Mysterium X camera.
Thanks to Loni, Chris, Erik, and Nick C. for thinking of me on this one. More Behind the scenes videos on the shoot to come in the next few days.
I just completed an HDDSLR project that involved shooting stills and video at several locations across the U.S. The shoot was commissioned by Greg Sylvester of VSA Partners a well known agency that has a wide range of corporate and commercial clients. Our goal was to produce an annual report that would live both in print and digitally on the web as both stills and video segments. While this was by no means a “small shoot” it still lives in the mid-level sized corporate shoot in my book - this is no means what I would bring to an editorial shoot for example.
Given the level of interest in this new technology - I though that readers might appreciate a slide show of images that show what such a production might entail in terms of gear. Please note that over the next few weeks I will be going over the gear that I used in this production on this blog in detail - so please hold all of your gear questions for now.
I can image some of the reactions to seeing (or trying to find) a Canon HDDSLR buried under all of this gear. ”Why in the world would one go through this?” - someone might ask. Why not get “x” camera. Well the long and short of it: the LOOK of these cameras is incredibly unique - the video coming out of these camera looks incredibly close to 35mm motion picture film (see image 13 in the slideshow for a good example of what separates this breed of cameras from the others.) Pulling off a similar production with a 35mm film of system would be significantly more time consuming and expensive - there is absolutely zero doubt about it. And don’t forget: the way these cameras perform in low light - also separates them from the competition. So there absolutely is reason behind all of this madness. I had to mention this because I sometimes catch myself asking the very same question… and then I see the results on screen and all doubt is removed. (more…)
I have two predictions on what 2010 will bring that I wanted to share with you as we are about to close the book on 2009:
1. 2010 will be coined the “Year of the Tablet” as different hardware and software companies offer a new platform and delivery system for the media. This will happen only if print publishers get their act together (this would be a minor miracle given their total ineptitude to date) but I’m cautiously optimistic that we may just witness a noticeable revival of the print industry as it finds a way of delivery that is not dependent on decimating forests.
There have been many rumors, slipups of some of the major print powerhouses getting ready to provide content for an unnamed “Apple Tablet” or “iSlate” - I’ve heard rumblings from The New York Times, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Wired, GQ and others that their teams were approached by Apple more than 6 months ago…
Apple is not alone in getting tablets ready… Yet they are in a perfect position to capitalize on the print industry’s weakness right now - and become the GO TO provider for print content as they have done with the music industry (remember how they revitalized the ailing music industry? When was the last time you purchased a CD? I predict that they will do the same with print media and that we’ll be saying the same thing about purchasing a newspaper or magazine 3-5 years from now…) (more…)
This is a pretty huge development for me in terms of my post workflow with the new breed of HDDSLR cameras - so I hope that many of you too willx be excited with the upcoming piece of software from Glue Tools.
I know that the developer has been working on this for quite awhile - and I’ve been waiting to share the news for a release candidate to be on the horizon. (Check the Glue Tools website for updates on pricing and availability - don’t ping me - I’m just reviewing the beta at this time and announcing it)
Of course - this workflow only applies to Mac people and Final Cut Pro users at this point. But for those who do use FCP - this is a very very nice solution that will solve many problems for a lot of folks.
So what does this plugin software do? Well on a basic level - it’s “simply” a Final Cut Pro “Log and Transfer” plugin. Stick a disk in - launch FCP - and open the Log and Transfer menu up and you’ll be greeted with the familiar FCP menu here.(more…)
MPEG Streamclip for Mac or Windows is a CHAMP at converting the H.264 footage! And it's FREE.
One of the most common questions that I get from people regarding the new breed of HD-DSLR cameras is “What’s your post-workflow?”
Truth be told - most of it is actually extremely straightforward. It does get fancy when you try to do some high end stuff- but that workflow applies to maybe one percent of people - so here is the simple workflow:
Simply put - all you need to do is to convert the native footage from the Canon 5D / 7D / 1D MKIV from the AVC H.264 format to a format that your computer and software will support.
For me it’s simple given that I work with Final Cut Studio - I work with Apple’s ProRes codec. What this means is that I simply convert the H.264 footage to the higher quality (and less compressed) ProRes format. (Avid supposedly supports the H.264 format natively according to some post houses that I’ve worked with - but I admit to not being an Avid or Adobe Premier expert by any means.)(more…)
UPDATE: CANON HAS REQUESTED THAT THE VIDEO BE TAKEN DOWN FOR NOW. PLEASE SEE THE MOST RECENT POST.
In 2008 we witnessed the birth of HD-DSLR Cameras.
In 2009 you will be introduced to cameras that can see in the dark better than the naked eye.
Just a little over a year ago my jaw dropped when I stumbled upon the 5D MKII and saw 1080p video coming off of a full frame chip for the first time.
Just a little over two weeks ago my jaw dropped even harder when I took a prototype of the Canon 1D MKIV outdoors to test it at night. I was on the road, it was late and I had just rushed back to my hotel to get to the unit. I was expecting a 1D body, with 24p, a 1.3 crop factor sensor, 10 fps for stills, a new AF system - 60 fps at 720p - and of course 1080p video.
Nothing prepared me for what happened next.
I set the ASA to high - and I pointed it towards an area lit by a single flood light. The image was overexposed by 4-5 stops. I then started to play with the settings, pointing my light into an area in complete shadow (my eye saw nothing but black) but on the rear of the LCD I saw sharp, green leaves as crystal clear as if it were shot in daylight.
I think it’s safe to say that every single filmmaker and photographer has always dreamed of cameras that can see what our naked eyes can see. This time these cameras can actually see more. Sure - they may not have the dynamic ranges of our eyes just yet - but they see more than my naked eyes can see in low light.
Period.
And that’s qualifies as a paradigm shift in my book.
The next few years will see photography and filmmaking redefined by technology. While there is no substitute for exquisite lighting - artists will now be able to explore areas once thought impossible to photograph.
Think of all of the images you’ve missed throughout your career. Think of all of the places you didn’t even consider going to film - because they were too dark. Those days are now but a distant memory. Even if you don’t need to go into the shadows - imaging photographing at f 5.6 or at f 8 at some point soon in areas you are struggling to capture at 1/50th, f 2.8 at 1600 ASA currently…
In many ways these past two weeks felt like Reverie all over again. I had not expected to get the 1D MKIV until after the Photo Plus Expo. When I got a voicemail letting me know in a very unceremonious way that two units were waiting for me to try ”we need your shipping address” the message said - I was surprised. Canon did not have any plans to have me or anyone shoot anything this year in time for the announcement.
When I saw what this camera did at night, I pushed the all hands on deck button - calling my friends and colleagues to engage in an “interesting project” that I could not elaborate on. They pretty much had to trust me that it might be worth their time and commit to it blind.
Once again - we had very very little time to prepare. Just under 72 hours. And we were ALL busy working on other jobs as this economy seems to be awakening again.
What you will see below - is what we were able to pull together under a pretty ridiculous deadline. Once again there were no film permits (no time… no time to location scout and apply) no fancy anything. But I did have some incredibly talented people out here in LA willing to help on such short notice - we shot over two nights in downtown Los Angeles. Most of the cast and crew had worked a 10-12 hour day shift. We all worked close to 48 hours straight last weekend. Everyone was bitten by the bug if you will - once they saw what this camera could do. I was incredibly fortunate to work with one of the best group of people out there -period.
Here is the main point that I hope you take into account: the short film you are about to watch was shot in pretty much the very worst light that I could possibly find in an evening urban landscape. I did not chose “pretty lighting” in a mall or under neon signs. That would have been cheating in my book.
The short was shot near East 6th and Mateo St. in Los Angeles - in an industrial part of the city. If you live in the area - go check out the area - you won’t believe the video you see below came from the poor lighting in that area. Sodium and mercury vapor lights. That’s it. Really awful lighting.
Not a single external light source was used / added. In other words I did not use a single flashlight, LightPanel, flood light - nothing. For one shot only I pulled out a silver reflector… just to say we did it really. And yes it worked (see the shot of the young girl.)
The ISO stayed locked in the 6400 ASA range - with a very few shots hovering 1 stop above and one or two set to 3200 ASA because we had TOO MUCH depth of field…(on the bridge.) At one point I found myself shooting at 12,800 ASA by mistake - and I didn’t even notice any noise on the rear LCD in the skies… 6400 ASA is the new 1600 ASA - maybe even the new 800 ASA. Stop to ponder that for a second - and what it can mean to the way you approach your craft.
In the upcoming days I will share more details, behind the scenes, post workflow etc. A huge thanks goes out to my co-directors Stu Maschwitz, David Nelson and our incredibly resourceful Uber Producer Michele Abbott - and every single member of the cast and crew. For now - if you even made it this far - take a look into the shadows:
CANON HAS REQUESTED THAT THE VIDEO BE TAKEN DOWN FOR NOW. PLEASE SEE THE MOST RECENT POST.
P.S. Before the end of the year - I plan to release a series of downloadable videos - that cover numerous production tips/aspects of these HD-DSLR cameras - as well as post workflow. Basically everything I know. If you are interested - pls send an e-mail to production@vincentlaforet.com - with the word “NOTIFY” in the subject only. I will then contact you when those are available. No obligation on your part of course - just send me an e-mail if you’d like to be notified. We are already in pre-production for the series.
P.P.S. - on a technical note: because I know everyone will ask: the footage was graded with Stu’s Magic Bullet Colorista software (PLEASE CHECK OUT STU’S BLOG POSTING ON THIS SHOOT HERE) that he helped design and treated for noise (not a significant amount at all to be honest - at some point I may put up raw clips.) The point here is to show what this footage CAN look like when processed on an average laptop (i.e. nothing fancy!)
The 1080p footage on SmugMug is pretty incredible - but remember that a 365 MB compressed file was initially uploaded and then re-compressed a second time - from a 2.32 GB original uncompressed file. You can expect that the blacks will be a bit clamped, and that there will be a loss in sharpness relative to the original.
In this case critical information changed and was e-mailed to everyone just ten minutes before I arrived on set - the clients and creatives made some important changes to the storyboard.
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