[vimeo video_id=”12629856″ width=”700″ height=”398″ title=”Yes” byline=”Yes” portrait=”Yes” autoplay=”No” loop=”No” color=”00adef”]

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.

We shot the “Twisted Metal” trailer over one night in downtown Los Angeles a few weeks ago.   I was the DP on the gig with director Levi Ahmu, producers Chris Jones, Loni Peristere, and EP Erik Press – and a pretty fantastic crew.

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.

Millions across the country are unable to pre-order the iPhone 4G - apparently (once again) AT&T doesn't have it's act together. FAIL

If there’s been one SIGNIFICANT strategic blunder that Apple has made since the launch of the iPod and the incredible (some would say historic) resurgence of their company – it is  to have associated themselves with AT&T.     For those of us who have been online to get the first iPhone, and the second, and third – and been through all of the incredibly headaches of failed activations, endless lines and horrid customer service from AT&T (to be fair the people on the phone you get when calling customer service at AT&T are actually great – I’m referring to the service at the stores) – I can’t believe that with the iPhone 4,  Apple and AT&T have still not been able to get their act together.   It’s an embarrassment – and mostly to Apple.

It’s safe to say that no one expects much from AT&T.  I never have.   But I am a huge backer of Apple.   However, by associating themselves with a subpar company, their value – and record of near perfection – has been tarnished – badly.   I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Steve Jobs has lost many nights of sleep due to his decision to go with AT&T and sign that exclusivity agreement.

And don’t even get me started on the phone service – basically the running jokes these days (and for awhile now) is that the iPhone is the best phone in the world – that can’t actually make any phone calls.    I drop 2 out of 3 calls on average.   And it’s taken every bit of self control not to throw the phone against a wall/car/you name it – on a number of occasions.

In the end – I’m not debating whether or not to get the iPhone 4 at all.   I debated setting my alarm last night for 1 a.m. to get online and order one.   I guess part of me is growing up (or becoming fed up with the hype) and I decided not to.  I decided I could wait a few extra days/weeks to get the phone if that’s what would result in putting the order in the next morning.

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The ARTEMIS app (by Chemical Wedding) is a fancy director’s viewfinder for the iPhone that answers the digital age question any director, DP, or photographer going into film might have: what lens should I use given the size of the sensor (and the resolution it is currently set to) that I am using today?

Most photographers and filmmakers know instinctually what field of view they are looking for in a lens, and can tell you exactly what lens they want on their 35mm camera. However, this process can become complicated as you begin to use a number of different cameras with different sensor sizes and their accompanying crop factors (for example, the Red One shoots a Super 35 format at 4k, but it crops into the sensor when it shoots 2k).

ARTEMIS is an elegant solution that allows you to point your iPhone in the direction you are shooting and, using the iPhone’s camera, see the exact outlines of what each standard lens will bring given the particular format and resolution setting on the camera you are using.

It works with everything from a Canon HDDSLR to a 65mm film camera – and pretty much every camera and lens in between – and at $29.99 it is pretty much a no brainer (especially when traditional viewfinders can cost hundreds).   There is also a nifty iPad app that I have yet to try out that apparently allows you to tether the iPhone to the iPad.

If you are interested in this app, go to the following link on iTunes by CLICKING HERE.