I just returned from a wonderful 2 week production in Italy. The trip confirmed that I still want to retire in Tuscany and that I am still madly in love with the Mediterranean. Seriously – this is the place for me.
We shared some unbelievable food, wine, and sites in the Chianti region of Tuscany. The second half of our trip was spent in Naples. Napoli is an amazing city on so many levels and a place that I will definitely return to – I can’t wait to go diving along the Amalfi Coast as well.
We took a boat ride along the coast and it brought back so many wonderful childhood memories of mine. I spent many summers along the mediterranean with my father, ranging from Perpignan in the south of France all the way down to Corsica.
I have a LOT to share with you on this blog regarding the gear we used on this 2 week production (for a TV pilot.) That will keep me busy for sure in the upcoming weeks on this blog as we brought quite a few prototype pieces with us – definitely stay tuned.
For now, here is a quick time lapse video of a beautiful scene from Napoli. I love time lapses as much as anyone out there – but I think that they take on an entirely new dimension once you are able to actually move the camera itself. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the biggest challenges for on set production with HDDSLR’s (or really any camera for that matter) is recording sound. Unfortunately, no camera has an onboard microphone capable of recording sound that’s up to professional standards – to achieve such results you have to use an external audio device (I use a Sound Devices 744t) with a boom mic, lavalier mic, or both.
This of course means that once you get into the editing bay you have to sync all of your dailies to your recorded audio. Because HDDSLR’s do not record time code this can be tricky. I usually use my digital slate (by DENECKE) to apply a synced time code to the audio recorder. The digital slate displays a running time code that the camera can see. When I get to the editing bay, I pick a frame from the beginning of a clip where the slate is showing. Using the time code that is displayed on the slate, I assign the clip a matching time code at that frame. I can then merge this clip to the corresponding audio clip based on the time code and theoretically my audio will be synced. Sound tedious?IT IS.
However there is an elegant solution for this by Singular Software called PluralEyes. The program allows you to drop everything (video and audio) into one timeline and then simply command PluralEyes to sync everything in that timeline. The program analyzes the waveform of the audio attached to your video, as well as that of the audio you recorded separately, and syncs them together on your timeline. This is incredibly convenient, a huge time saver, and very cool.
PluralEyes is especially helpful when shooting multi-camera events (such as a concert or interview) because it lines everything up so that all you have to do in the edit is cut between your different camera setups. No more syncing your video files, or even having to set up a multi track video project, because PluralEyes does it all for you – just by pressing a button. It’s also helpful when you’re shooting in a guerilla or documentary style and there’s no time to jam time code – much less slate a shot. And of course its useful to anyone shooting on an HDDSLR given the absence of timecode…
[vimeo video_id=”12951892″ width=”700″ height=”398″ title=”Yes” byline=”Yes” portrait=”Yes” autoplay=”No” loop=”No” color=”00adef”]I know that many of you who read this blog regularly are interested in learning opportunities and workshops, so I thought I would pass this along…
My friend and fellow Explorer of Light, Shane Hurlbut, ASC, is putting on an HDDSLR Bootcamp on August 28th and 29th in Los Angeles. The two day course is pricey at $3250.00 – but you’ll get what you pay for.Shane has spent the last year and a half running around with these cameras and perfecting his technique and workflow. During that time he even shot a feature film – “Act of Valor” – entirely on HDDSLRs.
The bootcamp is designed as a crash course in all things that Shane and his team have learned over the past year and a half of HDDSLR production. It aims to educate others how to turn these prosumer cameras into something capable of shooting motion pictures. Shane is a true believer in this technology (what he has coined as “digital film”), and its a rare opportunity to be able to learn from someone of his experience.
**UPDATE – Shane is graciously offering a discount of 40% on the bootcamp to all of my readers – bringing the price down to $1950.00! If you are interested – email Lydia@hurlbutvisuals.com with the subject: BOOTCAMP – LAFORET DISCOUNT**
Check out more details on the bootcamp by CLICKING HERE.
