We’re putting the final touches on the piece that includes what I’ve called a "game changer" including a behind the scenes video tonight. If all goes well, we should have the piece up by tomorrow evening or Friday (barring any technical difficulties.)
I’ve been directing a commercial in the midwest all week and my goal was to post the piece up by tonight. But given how busy we are, and the fact that this "device" and its creator are also with me here on this shoot (I really can’t imagine ever going to any shoot without this "device" as part of my standard kit ever again) it’s been particularly difficult to get all of the logistics lined up as people on both the east and west coasts are helping us with the finishing touches.
So WHAT is this "device?"
Here’s what I can tell you with all due honesty: I have a hard time imagining the day where I won’t be using it on a shoot. While I’ll always rely on other types of "devices" on my shoots for specific purposes, this is the ONE I would pick were I given the choice to pick only ONE. And that’s not something I say very often.
One of the reasons you should be interested in what this is, is the fact that almost every single filmmaker whether they are documentary shooters, indie filmmakers, or major hollywood directors or DPs will find that this device will allow them to do their jobs in ways they never could before – but that they have always dreamed of since they first picked up a camera.
The Canon 5D MKII was a "game changer" for several reasons. It had a huge sensor that was incredibly sensitive to low light. It was relatively affordable (under $3,000 at the time) and especially so when compared to the cameras it came to compete with at the time. And it allowed all of us to create imagery that competed with the "big boys" as well as shots that were never possible with traditional cameras at the time due to its weight and size. It truly allowed us to do things that we all dreamed of at the time – and that many of us have since come to take for granted.
Just as the 5D MKII didn’t come to replace all other cameras and never will, neither will this device. But the HDSLR Revolution definitely had quite a significant effect on our industry.
I’m predicting that this device will follow a very similar path and will stir things up (in a positive way) in our industry. I know it has already changed the way I shoot. And while it will be more expensive than the Canon 5D MKII was, its price will pale in comparison to the current tools that it will come to compliment or perhaps even replace.
And that to me qualifies it as a genuine "game changer." Not only is the technology behind it amazing, but it’s also going to be within reach for the vast majority of "us."
Lastly – I appreciate and respect this blog’s readers. I don’t make these comments lightly. I have been dreaming of this type of device ever since I first picked up a camera that produced moving images… and now that I’ve had a chance to use it, I think the vast majority of you will come to feel the same.
