HDFilmtools.com has posted a multi-part interview with Matthew Wood, Supervising Sound Editor of WALL-E and The Clone Wars. These filmmaker profiles that Larry Jordan is posting have been a favorite of mine for a while now. Check it out.

Here is the eighth installment of our continuing series on the role of a Director and Assistant Director both on and off a production set. This part 8 segment deals specifically with an AD’s job on set, general set etiquette, and how an AD can take the load off a Director during production. There’s also a basic introduction to the order of commands and “calls” an AD makes during a take.

Watch all eight segments in the playlist below or at FreshTV, and please stay tuned for the next installment of this extensive series. Detailed descriptions follow the video playlist…

If you enjoyed this tutorial series, please tell a friend or post the link in your favorite forum. Thanks for watching.

Part 1 was a 15-minute introductory video that discusses the basic qualifications, job description and overall tasks a director is responsible for in a production.

The Part 7 segment delves into working with your cast and crew on a production set. Joe speaks to why a director should ensure equality and respect across all castmembers, and how to approach correcting an actor without making a scene. Finally, Joe offers practical suggestions on handling the inevitable unseen challenges and hurdles that will arise.

Last month at the IBC show in Amsterdam, a small Swedish company named Ikonoskop launched an exciting new digital cinema camera called the A-Cam dII. The dII offers nearly 2K resolution from a 16mm-sized CCD imager, records uncompressed DNG sequences to high-speed solid-state media, and can be overcranked up to 60fps. With a number of lens mount options that include PL, C-mount, and still image lenses (via the IMS mount), the dII has a lot to offer to those with an existing lens investment. Perhaps one of the greatest attractions of the dII is it’s compact, integrated design that thoughtfully includes a viewfinder tucked into the side of the body.

I wrote 1200 words on this new camera shortly after it was announced, comparing it to the Red One and Red Scarlet. You can read that article over at ProVideoCoalition. It’s an intriguing offering from both a price and performance standpoint, and since the announcement I’ve heard more speculation and questions about the dII than answers. So we got in touch with the Ikonoskop crew to try to get some of these burning questions answered.

The following 30-minute podcast is a frank and open discussion about the dII that should clear the air about what it does, and doesn’t offer. If you’ve got questions about this new camera, we hope this interview will answer them. Listen to the podcast by subscribing to our podcast feed.

 Ikonoskop A-cam dII Interview [30:21m]: Download

 Tiffany Shlain Interview [8:28m]: Download

I spoke recently with Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker, creator and founder of the Webby Awards, and a presenter at the upcoming event The Conversation. Tiffany discusses her role at the upcoming event for filmmakers, and talks shortly about her own self-distributed filmmaking projects. Listen to the podcast by subscribing to our podcast feed.

You can learn more about Tiffany and her upcoming projects at www.moxieinstitute.org. The Conversation event will be held this month in San Francisco on 10/17-18. Make your reservation at www.theconversationspot.com.

Recently FreshDV launched the first part in an exclusive multi-segment training series on directing. These intensive FreshDV Film School Director’s Course video tutorials delve deep into what is required of a director and assistant director, both on and off set, and what areas those on that career path can concentrate on to achieve their goals. The discussion is hosted by FreshDV’s Kendal Miller, and Chicago filmmaker Joe Martin brings his unique perspective in teaching the role of a director.

Part 1 was a 15-minute introductory video that discusses the basic qualifications, job description and overall tasks a director is responsible for in a production.

Part 2 deals with the script revision process, both in pre-production and on set. Whether a script change is sparked by a creative choice, a budgetary concern, or to fix a shooting problem, the Part 2 video segment covers the basic protocol and tangible essentials of how you can handle this in your next production.

Part 3 digs deep into the pre-production responsibilities of a Director and Assistant Director. Joe and Kendal discuss the process of breaking down a script by scenes and shots, assigning scene numbers, and building the day to day schedule. They show a sample script breakdown sheet and other necessary forms. Independent filmmakers by and large seem to have the attitude that planning doesn’t matter…but as Joe says in the video, pre-production should be 80% of a project. These tips and techniques will help you get a handle on the planning and pre-prod process, and help you come in under budget and make your shooting schedule.

Part 4 deals with daily production schedules, timesheets and the venerable callsheet…Joe’s “most beneficial information you can generate.” Joe and Kendal discuss planning, accountability, and working with the other members of a filmmaking crew to effectively reach the common goal…completing the project on time and budget.

In Part 5, the discussion transitions to the role of a Director and A/D in the casting and auditioning process. Joe talks about how he likes to run an audition and help faciliate the process, as well as what to look for in an actor’s audition. They also talk about making the offer to your actors, further table reads, and what to look for in the performances. These tips and concepts will help you better cast the roles in your next production.

In Part 6, Kendal and Joe talk about the specific roles and responsibilities of a Director and his DoP. The discussion centers around both the positive and the negative ways that a Director can interact with the camera dept, and how to avoid some of the common pitfalls on set and keep your production running smoothly and efficiently. They also talk about when to bring the DP into the pre-production process, to get the Director and DP on the same page creatively and practically. The discussion delves into using Overhead diagrams to visualize and help plan each scene, as well as the oft-overlooked yet critical location scouting process that can save time and money when it comes time to shoot. Finally, Joe and Kendal speak to the need to develop visual rules, style, and guidelines to help creatively guide a production.

This Part 7 segment delves into working with your cast and crew on a production set. Joe speaks to why a director should ensure equality and respect across all castmembers, and how to approach correcting an actor without making a scene. Finally, Joe offers practical suggestions on handling the inevitable unseen challenges and hurdles that will arise.

Watch all seven segments in the playlist below or at FreshTV, and please stay tuned for the next installment of this extensive series.

If you enjoyed this tutorial series, please tell a friend or post the link in your favorite forum. Thanks for watching.

 RedAntenna Indie Distribution Platform [14:57m]: Download

One of the challenges for independent filmmakers and content creators is distributing and monetizing your work. Independent digital distribution options are becoming more and more viable, but setting up a store, taking orders, and dealing with bandwidth costs are not trivial matters.

RedAntenna, a company billing itself as “eBay meets iTunes,” has built itself around the idea that content creators need a marketplace to share their work. They are developing marketing and exposure opportunities for users, as well as an affiliate structure with user configurable rates. With a simple business model that takes care of all the distribution details for a modest percentage of sales, RedAntenna looks to be an attractive option for indies.

I spoke with a RedAntenna representative about the finer points of the service and got all the details. You can listen to the interview by subscribing to our podcast feed.

 Garrett Brown Custom Olympic Camera Rigs Interview [29:26m]: Download

While watching this year’s Summer Olympic games in Beijing, I was struck by the unique and varied ways used to get the camera up close and involved in the action of each sport. From the submarine-style camera that followed swimmers from below, to the eye-in-the-sky shot overlooking the rowing venue, to the dynamic camera that followed platform divers down into the water, each a creative and technical feat. To find out just how these amazing shots were accomplished I spoke with the man who designed the rigs, the legendary Garrett Brown. Garrett really needs no introduction, anyone who has worked in the film and video industry should recognize the man who invented the Steadicam and countless other unique dynamic motion rigs over the years. In this fascinating podcast interview, we engage in a frank and open conversation about how he developed the rigs used in the Olympics, and the specific challenges that had to be overcome to make it all possible.

We discuss the underwater MobyCam used in swimming heats, and how it has evolved over the years from the first iteration which Garrett himself hand-cranked all through the 1992 Barcelona games. We talk about the DiveCam, a unique rig that allowed the camera to follow divers into the water during platform diving. Garrett discusses the relatively new FlyCam, a lightweight HD camera rig that rides a 1/4-inch line stretched taut 3000 feet over the rowing and canoeing venue. And of course we talk about the omnipresent Steadicam used to some extent in nearly every venue and event during the games. In the course of the interview I asked, in addition to live production, how these new tools and techniques are being used in traditional filmmaking. And late in our discussion, Garrett dishes on his dream that one day the horse racing industry will call upon him to create a rig that rides below the infield rail of a horse racing track and provides a stunning low-angle views similar to those you can see in films like Seabiscuit. To hear Garrett describe his vision of the shot is extremely compelling. Finally, don’t miss the word on the Mysterious MoleCam, still unavailable for rental. You can see the rigs we discussed, and more, at www.garrettcam.com.

We hope you find this interview interesting and informative, thanks for listening. To listen, subscribe to the FreshDV podcast feed.

Recently FreshDV launched the first part in an exclusive multi-segment training series on directing. These intensive FreshDV Film School Director’s Course video tutorials delve deep into what is required of a director and assistant director, both on and off set, and what areas those on that career path can concentrate on to achieve their goals. The discussion is hosted by FreshDV’s Kendal Miller, and Chicago filmmaker Joe Martin brings his unique perspective in teaching the role of a director.

Part 1 was a 15-minute introductory video that discusses the basic qualifications, job description and overall tasks a director is responsible for in a production.

Part 2 deals with the script revision process, both in pre-production and on set. Whether a script change is sparked by a creative choice, a budgetary concern, or to fix a shooting problem, the Part 2 video segment covers the basic protocol and tangible essentials of how you can handle this in your next production.

Part 3 digs deep into the pre-production responsibilities of a Director and Assistant Director. Joe and Kendal discuss the process of breaking down a script by scenes and shots, assigning scene numbers, and building the day to day schedule. They show a sample script breakdown sheet and other necessary forms. Independent filmmakers by and large seem to have the attitude that planning doesn’t matter…but as Joe says in the video, pre-production should be 80% of a project. These tips and techniques will help you get a handle on the planning and pre-prod process, and help you come in under budget and make your shooting schedule.

Part 4 deals with daily production schedules, timesheets and the venerable callsheet…Joe’s “most beneficial information you can generate.” Joe and Kendal discuss planning, accountability, and working with the other members of a filmmaking crew to effectively reach the common goal…completing the project on time and budget.

In Part 5, the discussion transitions to the role of a Director and A/D in the casting and auditioning process. Joe talks about how he likes to run an audition and help faciliate the process, as well as what to look for in an actor’s audition. They also talk about making the offer to your actors, further table reads, and what to look for in the performances. These tips and concepts will help you better cast the roles in your next production.

In this Part 6 segment, Kendal and Joe talk about the specific roles and responsibilities of a Director and his DoP. The discussion centers around both the positive and the negative ways that a Director can interact with the camera dept, and how to avoid some of the common pitfalls on set and keep your production running smoothly and efficiently. They also talk about when to bring the DP into the pre-production process, to get the Director and DP on the same page creatively and practically. The discussion delves into using Overhead diagrams to visualize and help plan each scene, as well as the oft-overlooked yet critical location scouting process that can save time and money when it comes time to shoot. Finally, Joe and Kendal speak to the need to develop visual rules, style, and guidelines to help creatively guide a production.

Watch all six segments in the playlist below or at FreshTV, and please stay tuned for the next installment of this extensive series.

If you enjoyed this tutorial series, please tell a friend or post the link in your favorite forum. Thanks for watching.

 Film Master Red Workflow Interview [16:39m]: Download

Digital Vision recently announced they would be adding native support for Redcode RAW footage in their grading/finishing app Film Master. The following is an audio podcast discussion with Simon Cuff, President of Digital Vision. Simon takes time to answer FreshDV’s questions about the specifics of their .R3D support and talks about how Film Master and Data Conform can be used both in the ingest and final finishing process.

To listen, subscribe to the FreshDV podcast feed.

Red One behind the scenes photo by Stu Maschwitz of Prolost. Used with permission.

 Digital Rapids Interview - Encoding the Olympics [17:47m]: Download

When the first games began a week ago at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, NBC launched their extensive coverage of the games on a handful of NBC Universal networks as well as at NBCOlympics.com. The site offers an unprecedented amount of live and archived video content…when the games wrap in a few weeks, they will have an archive of over 2000 hours of Olympics video. In the first 3 days alone they reported 17.7 million video streams served.

We spoke with Mike Nann of Digital Rapids, the company tasked with encoding the video feeds which ultimately end up streaming from NBCOlympics.com. Digital Rapids is one essential link in the video coverage chain…they take the source feeds from 100+ cameras coming in from multiple venues day and night, filter and compress them on the fly, and send every single stream (at multiple resolutions and bitrates) across the Pacific Ocean on Limelight Network’s CDN. Those feeds are then either streamed live from the NBC site, or archived for users to play on demand. Did I mention this was happening LIVE? This podcast interview is my discussion with Mike about how they are accomplishing this massive task.

Download via the attached link, or subscribe to the iTunes podcast feed.

Image by Kathy Zhuang, Creative Commons licensed with attribution.

About a month ago we linked an excellent interview and video demonstration with Steadicam’s Garrett Brown. Part 2 of the interview is now up and active, check it out here. There are some amazing photos of Garrett in action on Jedi, The Shining, and other classic films.

Users of the Canon XH-A1 may be excited to learn that the filmmakers making Crank 2: High Voltage are leaning heavily on the $3300 XHA1 and another affordable Canon offering, the sub-$1000 HF10. They chose these two camcorders for their image quality, compactness, and affordability. The first Crank film was shot on Sony’s HDCAM SR format using three Sony F-950 HD cameras.

“Mark: I won’t have back problems because, you know, they’re very light. And they’re really inexpensive so it doesn’t hurt my pocketbook, but no really, we can put these cameras in places that people haven’t and we can put 10 of them in places where people haven’t. And one of the things it allows us to do is…we’re doing this moving bullet time camera rig where we take 8 HF-10’s and we put it on a light weight piece of speed rail and I can roller blade and skate around Jason Statham as he’s blasting down the street with a weapon and capture just rad images.

Brian: I mean, this is an ADD movie so we should have ADD cameras, so you know the idea of like moving the camera in outrageous ways and being able to destroy cameras without blinking an eye is more important to us than, you know, sort of having this filmic image.”

I can find no references to capturing footage tethered (nor does the A1 have HD-SDI out, that is only available on the XH-G1), so it seems at least possible that they are recording HDV to tape. See the above image of the XHA1 on a handheld Fig Rig, it appears to have no tether. However they do mention the ability to shoot “full HD” 1920 x 1080, which neither Canon camera can do (HDV is 1440×1080, not full raster). Has anyone spotted other images or references of a capture device in use?

They also said that they are shooting with an aggressive in-camera look, and doing very little in post…which is an interesting approach. The Crank team showed a lot of excitement in the past about the Red camera, shot “Game” with it already, and they mention that in this article as well.

“Mark: We just want to move faster. We’re using these little cameras because, you know, red is a beautiful image. We love red cameras, we’re going to shoot with them again, but it’s like shooting a 35mm film and you need a ton of AC’s and it takes a lot of time for set up. With the cameras we’re using we literally can point and shoot and we have the same image quality that we had on “Crank 1”. You know full HD, 1920 x 1080 res—it’s great.”

It will be interesting to see how this film turns out, both in the way the camera is used cinematically, and the final image quality. Here’s hoping it turns out rad.

You can purchase the Canon XH-A1 and Canon HF-10 at B&H for $3299 and $819, respectively. Purchases made via those links help support FreshDV at no additional cost to you.

 Redrock Experts Panel on Indie Filmmaking [15:00m]: Download

One of the excellent Super Sessions at NAB 2008 was a panel discussion that featured filmmakers Stu Maschwitz, Taylor Wigton, Dave Basulto, and Alex Lindsay. The panel was organized and sponsored by Redrock Micro, with Brian Valente helping moderate the discussion. Following the presentation and Q&A, the panel shot a short summary presentation and Q&A with FreshDV. We believe that this fifteen-minute discussion will be of great interest to independent and low-budget filmmakers, the professionals on the panel dispense a lot of wisdom and realistic advice that you can put to immediate use. You can watch the video embedded below, via our podcast feed, or at FreshTV.

Studio Daily has posted a video that talks about best practices and workflows for getting Red footage from REDCine into your NLE of choice. Watch it here.

 Zacuto New Accessories [7:16m]: Download

FreshDV dropped by to visit the good folks at the Zacuto booth at Cine Gear Expo 2008 in Los Angeles. While we were there, Jens and Steve showed off their latest adapters and accessories, including the first look at a new prototype called the ZwingAway. It’s an articulated arm equipped with short rods to convert any standard mattebox into a swingaway design. Download the attached video or watch online at FreshTV.