I recently listened to this audio podcast with the Coen Brothers (and Barry Sonnenfeld) on the editing process for “No Country for Old Men.” They apparently used Final Cut Pro on G5 systems, and have a unique way of divvying up the editing tasks. They also discuss the creative filmmaking process in general, it’s an excellent listen. Here’s a few quotes:

Ethan: We cut now much the way we cut on film, which was actually a little odd. I would have the Moviola, and Joel would have a flatbed, and I would mark incoming shots to Joel who would basically do an assembly on the flatbed. And we do a weird digital equivalent now on Final Cut…it doesn’t feel like the actual process of cutting is that much different.

Joel: When we first started cutting electronically, Apple set up the system so that we could work together in the cutting room the same way we were working on the other machines. Ethan marks up the takes electronically in one computer and sends them to me, and I assemble them in the timeline. The only non-electronic part of the whole process is that he has a hotel bellman’s bell button on his desk and as soon as he marks up a take he hits it so I know when he’s sending the marked-up takes over. So that’s the secret of the way we edit…I have access to the takes as well, so if I need an alternate I can bring them up on my computer…it’s hugely faster…and you don’t lose the little two-frame trims in the bottom of the bin.

You can get the podcast here (iTunes link).

In a shocking exposé amusing post over at Gizmodo the author informs readers that J.J. Abrams new film Cloverfield was NOT in fact shot on a garden-variety consumer camcorder. I for one am completely taken aback! I can’t be the only one that was certain that Paramount Studios backed a film with millions in financing knowing full well it would be shot on a camcorder bought at Best Buy…

Ok, enough messing around…while the Sony F23 WAS in fact used for much of the filming, there may actually be some truth to the camcorder rumors. Officially, Cloverfield was sourced with a mix of the F23, Grass Valley’s Viper and a few “handheld and intermediate cameras.” This article in Variety references a “lightweight Panasonic HD HandyCam” (can you say HVX200?) used for 1/8th of the film, and a “3-lb. Canon” used for about a third of the film. So perhaps Best Buy figured in there somewhere. UPDATE: Videography has a feature article on the production process, apparently the HVX was used quite a bit, and the F23 and Viper mainly for VFX shots (of which there were plenty).

“The HVX 200-shot images could look as genuine as everybody hoped, but if they weren’t robust enough to hold up to the heavy digital effects work required in post, all the realism gained would be lost. Oscar-winning character animation expert Phil Tippett’s company would be creating the CGI monster and Double Negative would create significant set extensions and backgrounds. And Banks wanted to give them the purest, cleanest images possible to start with and let them match the look of their completed shots to the lower-end footage after completing the composites. Footage from the Viper or F23, laid down to HDCam SR tape, would ensure the most flexibility possible in post and yield the most believable composites.”

Here is a Sony press release on the subject of the F23. And you can find out a lot more behind the scenes information in this extensive interview with Director Matt Reeves. Here is an interesting excerpt: Continue reading ‘Cloverfield Shot on a cheap Consumer Camera?’

This article is part of a series of tests FreshDV conducted with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1. Thanks to Miami rental house and Sony dealer Midtown Video for providing a XDCAM EX camera. And thanks to DSC Labs for providing test chart patterns. You can read more about ours and others experiences with this camera here.

After shooting with the XDCAM EX1 for a few days and reviewing gigs of footage, Kendal and I have a lot to talk about. This audio podcast is a discussion about my personal experiences and tests with the Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 camcorder. We open with a discussion about the evolution of shooters and how they tend to seek upgrades as they evolve in their craft and hit the ceilings and limitations of their gear. We then cover the EX1’s ergonomics and layout, menus and image control, lens and handling, the SxS workflow with FCP, transfer software and metadata, codec and compression (and how it fares against DVCPRO HD in initial comparisons), and finally CMOS sensors and all the good and bad that comes with this variety of imager. You can listen to the discussion via our normal Podcast Feed, or download the MP3 manually below.

 Sony XDCAM EX1 Discussion [1:06:49m]: Download

Thanks again to both DSC Labs and Midtown Video for making this EX1 test series possible. Stay tuned here or at our EX1 link page for more test results.

This audio podcast is a discussion with video guru Adam Wilt about his experiences with a pre-production Sony XDCAM PMW-EX1 prototype camcorder. The interview was recorded prior to the holidays, but we feel it remains relevant and informative even with some of the changes made in final EX1 production models. Adam talks about the camera’s ergonomics and handling, display and evf options, image controls, latitude and sensitivity, CMOS rolling shutter issues, his opinions on the HDV format and HDV vs XDCAM, the EX1 codec implementation, on Mike Curtis running, lens operation, the requisite vignetting discussion, sharpness and resolution, the SxS workflow and data wrangling, HD-SDI output and colorspace, and finally Adam’s picks on what areas the EX excels in, and what drawbacks it brings to the table.

You can listen to the interview via our normal Podcast Feed, or download the MP3 manually below.
Read more about Adam Wilt and his extensive DV research at adamwilt.com.

 Adam Wilt XDCAM EX1 Interview [41:31m]: Download

A tip of the hat goes to Paul Harrill of Self-Reliant Filmmaking for linking this article at ESPN with interviewing techniques and tips that could prove useful to filmmakers and videographers. It was written by veteran journalist John Sawatsky.

 FreshDV Film School [54:00m]: Download

FreshDV had the opportunity recently to speak with Jerome Courshon on the marketing and distribution of movies and films. Jerome offers a full course in the “Secrets of Distribution” . If you are a filmmaker of any kind you owe it to your crew, your cast and yourself to watch this segment. From contracts, residuals, and pitfalls to avoid Jerome covers the 101 basics of film distribution and helps prepare you for what you need to know once the ink dries on the DVDs. In Jerome’s words:

So you’ve taken the Sisyphean journey and made a movie, maybe your first. Congratulations! Now what? What do you do to ensure the final step of your filmmaking journey, getting distribution? What is the ‘correct’? strategy to take? Is there even one??

The answer is a resounding YES. Whether you’ve just finished your final cut or are already on the film festival circuit or EVEN if you’ve been turned down by distributors already there is a strategy for successfully getting Movie Distribution that MOST producers & directors do not know. Consequently, most filmmakers give up after spending a year or two spinning their wheels, with only the inner satisfaction of having made the movie.
Continue reading ‘FreshDV Film School: Distribution 101′

I discovered the Filmschool podcast some time ago, and have been slowly catching up on old episodes. In one episode back in December of 2006 Nathan and Mike interviewed reknown documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. I was struck by the sheer amount of useful tips and knowledge dispensed by the director, and it dawned on me that this single podcast is more than just an intriguing interview…it is in fact an excellent tutorial on the basics of what it takes to be a documentary filmmaker. Wiseman is a wealth of insight and experience, and he shares freely. If you have a documentary bent, this particular podcast episode should be required listening. You can download the MP3 directly via this link, and I recommend subscribing to their podcast feed for more great content. A description of the episode follows:
Continue reading ‘How To Be a Documentary Filmmaker’

FreshDV spoke with Michael Kent of DSC Laboratories recently, the following short podcast contains a few interesting excerpts from our discussion. Michael talked about the importance of camera calibration and making your film and video projects more polished…or at least “not look ghetto.” He discusses why they offer a cavity black option for DSC’s popular ChromaDuMonde chart, how (and why) to use a framing chart, and the frame issues in the new film American Gangster that could have been avoided with such a chart. You can download the interview from our normal Podcast Feed, or snag the MP3 manually below.

 DSC Labs Interview Excerpts [7:04m]: Download

Exclusive FreshDV interview with Daniel Gurewitch
By Matt Jeppsen, Editor FreshDV

A Senior writer for College Humor TV, Daniel Gurewitch is actively involved in the screenwriting process for the site’s popular series of original online shorts. We caught up with Daniel recently to get a snapshot of how CHTV’s creative content comes to life.

Matt Jeppsen: Daniel, why don’t you give us a quick summary of how you came into this writing position at College Humor, and what your background is.

Daniel Gurewitch: I was a TV & Film major at Syracuse University, where I focused on screenwriting. I set out from college writing TV spec scripts with the distant hope of one day being paid to write comedy. CollegeHumor hired me as a receptionist, so instead of being a good receptionist, I started writing like crazy. My articles did well, the staff took notice, and they were kind enough to bring me on as an editorial assistant right around the time that CHTV was taking off. The other staff writers are hilarious, but they didn’t have a lot of screenwriting experience at the time, so that nudged me towards scripts. Also, Sam Reich (the director of CHTV) and I have similar comedy tastes and philosophies, so we’re a good team. I guess a lot of things clicked.

MJ: So do you feel that your Film/TV major from Syracuse really prepared you for the specifics of screenwriting in this role?
Continue reading ‘FreshDV Film School: Interview With Screenwriter Daniel Gurewitch’

Anthony Burokas managed to corner Sony’s Juan Martinez at DV Expo and get some detailed technical questions about the PMW-EX1 answered. Questions like, does the EX1 record in 24p mode without additional “pad” frames? I’ve also excerpted a very interesting exchange about how the encoder allocates bitrate below. Continue reading ‘Sony XDCAM EX Nitty-Gritty Q&A’

B&H has been creating a lot of great original content lately, very informative stuff. One recent offering that I appreciated is an interview with Doug Jensen, creator of one of the first training DVD titles on the new XDCAM EX camera and workflow. His instructional DVD entitled “Mastering the Sony PMW-EX1: A Complete Guide to the Camcorder and the XDCAM EX Workflow” is currently available from B&H. You can read the full interview here. Below are a few interesting excerpts. And for more EX1 news, stay tuned to our continually-updated EX link-dump.
Continue reading ‘Doug Jensen Takes a First Look at the Sony PMW-EX1′

Videography has an interesting article on the use of Final Cut Pro in post-production for TNT’s The Closer. It seems that purchasing multiple FCP systems was a more affordable option than a year’s season’s Avid rental fees.

“The Closer has six systems that each cost only about $10,000, which in total is less than Avid rental would typically cost for a season. More important to me is that I can afford to own a system at home. I’m a young mother, so sometimes I’ll take the drives home and work on an episode there. This gives me a chance to spend more time with my kids, which is very liberating. In addition, the assistants have greater access to the project and can cut some scenes on their own, giving them a way to hone their own skills.â€?

A documentary in production, Transcendent Man follows visionary and futurist Ray Kurzweil as he performs his normal speaking schedule around the globe. Filmmaker Barry Ptolemy is lensing the doc, and he spoke with Studio Daily about the process. They are sourcing everything on P2 media using a stock Panasonic HVX200, capturing audio with my favorite wireless mic system the Sennheiser G2, and editing on an Avid.

HD For Indies is hosting a video presentation by Mark Pederson of OffHollywood, taped at Tekserve recently. Mark talks about their involvement with Red Digital Cinema early on, learning to shoot with this new camera and format (“…take most of what you know about High Def and throw it out the window”), and how they have positioned themselves early on as experts in this new arena. He also discusses the tools the RED camera gives you, like a histogram and the “false color” mode, both which indicate clipping and exposure data. These and other tools contribute to the overall RAW digital negative philosophy of shooting with the RED camera…get the most dynamic range and data in the field, and make it pretty in post (my words). Mark also addresses the “disruptive technology” aspect of the new camera…how players in the industry are being careful with their statements about RED based on if it might have an adverse effect on their career. He briefly mentions RED plans for worldwide local service centers, which is also another major concern with this new camera system.

We’ve also added this to our continually-updated big bucket of RED-related links.

 The Art of Pulling Focus Part 3 Demo - 720p HD [15:00m]: Download

FreshDV recently spent a day with Bob Sanchez, a Chicago-based career 1st A/C with 30 years of feature filmmaking experience. In Part One and Part Two of our video series with Bob, Kendal Miller interviewed him on what exactly it takes to do the job, and the tips and tricks he’s learned over the years. Bob explained his unique method of focus pulling with a speed crank, how he approaches measuring and marking a scene, and the tools he uses on a daily basis. In this Third and final segment, we take you behind the lens as Bob shows us how he works hands-on. You’ll get a chance to see us block out a few scenes with an actor, and watch over Bob’s shoulder as he pulls focus on the HVX handheld 35mm adapter rig while Kendal operates. In the split screen you will see both the operators POV synced with what is actually being shot through the 35mm lens. Watch the Part 3 video below. You may also be interested in our video review of 5 popular Follow Focus systems.

Continue reading ‘FreshDV Film School: The Art of Pulling Focus (Part 3)’