Panasonic solid-state shooters have had a fantastic tool called P2 Genie for quite some time now. The software simplifies and automates the process of dumping P2 cards to disk so they can be re-used in a shoot. I’ve used it, and it works beautifully. So I was delighted today to see a similar application for Sony SxS shooters, ShotPut EXpress. It’s cross-platform for PC and Intel-Mac users, and at just $49 it looks like a worthy investment. Here’s the scoop:

ShotPut EXpress features Single card (manual) and Multiple card (auto) modes. Simply insert the SxS card into a PowerBook or Notebook’s ExpressCard slot and ShotPut EXpress makes secure, verified copies of the SxS card’s video contents (the BPAV folder) in up to three (3) locations. ShotPut EXpress makes a printable activities report log of all the file transfer activities. This text file shows all the details including names of cards and files, the copy destination names, file sizes, duration of each transfer and aggregate transfer time, date, etc. A great way to document and organize your project and billable time.

Fast Copying: Perform copies at top speed without the overhead of Finder or Explorer.
Automatic or Manual Copies: Manually select one or more drives to copy. Or use the auto offload mode to sequentially copy SxS cards upon insertion.
Easy Folder Naming: Save time and improve consistency and organization by auto-naming the copy folders.
Improve Workflow: Make up to 3 simultaneous SxS card copies at the same time.
Reformat Cards: After offloading is finished, automatically Erase the BPAV folder contents and Rename the card so it’s ready to return to the camera.
Security: Verify byte-to-byte comparisons of your media copies to ensure integrity of the files.
Verification Report: Create a record of file transfer activity, how the copies were named, time, date, etc. Save complete details for project organization and billable time.
Print Offload Log: Offload results are presented in a text file, printable with the click of a button.
Session Error Checking: Prevents overwriting of existing folders and duplicate offloading of the same card.
Progress Bar: Displays overall percent completion and file-by-file progress during the copy process.
Copy Cards or Disks: The BPAV contents of any mountable volume (drive) can be copied.

You can purchase ShotPut EXpress for Mac or Windows via Imagine Products.

The Digital Cinema Grant Program is a recurring grant that awards a Red Digital Cinema camera to filmmakers for PSA’s, indie features, shorts, and non-profit productions. They are now accepting applications for productions starting in August 2008. Have any FreshDV readers had experience with this program, or it’s founders?

To have your project considered for the Digital Cinema Grant Program, you must submit a complete proposal to the program. This proposal is then reviewed and a decision is made as to whether or not the proposal meets and scheduling requirements. What to include in the proposal:
A cover letter describing the status of your production, who you are, etc.
A shooting schedule - or at least potential shoot dates.
A copy of your script
A copy of your budget
Resumes and bios of all key people involved
A three line synopsis
Application Fee ($55)
Feel free to add anything that you think will cause you proposal package to stand out (location photos, storyboards, past work, etc.) After receiving and reviewing your proposal, we will notify you as to
the possibility of you obtaining an equipment grant. We will respond as quickly as possible, but please allow three weeks for an initial response.

One of the production disciplines we talk about here at FreshDV is the all-important planning process. Hours put into a project on the front-end can literally save days when you are in the field. Unfortunately, pre-planning is all too often overlooked and marginalized…talk to anyone that has worked in production and they’ll tell you the horror stories. This article by Simon Wyndham talks about working with your client to clearly define their needs and expectations, as well as taking care to plan effectively for the location and shoot. It’s a good basic primer on how to approach a challenging shoot and (hopefully) turn it into a quality production that fully meets the needs of the client and properly impacts the intended audience.

“…while clients are often willing to spend less and less on video production, they still expect the same high quality. At the same time we, as the video producers, still have to pay bills. In other words, our overheads do not decrease just because clients have decided to pay less for the same work! The way around this conundrum is embedded within the entire video production process. At the end of the day it all comes down to project organisation, and importantly, project clarity.”

Here at FreshDV we talk a lot about using 35mm lens adapters and the “film style” workflow in your digital productions. Daniel Boswell of DVArtistry is a wedding videographer that has adopted using the Letus adapters in his wedding films for quite some time now. When the Extreme hit the market, he snapped one right up. He’s now shooting with the LEX + Sony EX1 combo and discusses it in the current issue of EventDV. You can read it online here.

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).

Kenn Bell has a post up that talks about how he used the iPhone to storyboard a recent music video shoot. His technique is quick and looks to be very effective…take digital images while location scouting, throw together a quick iMovie video slideshow, and use the video on-set with the iPhone.

“Basically, we’d arrive at a location, I’d play the movie and let everyone, including Baby Jay, see what shots and looks I was interested in. It only took a minute and everyone was on the same page. I can’t stress enough how much time I saved! The three days went incredibly smooth and I really believe it was because the movie on my iPhone. It actually got everyone excited to see how cool the music video would look and I gained a great deal of trust from it.”

This would also be a good time to check out Kenn’s interview on the Digital Production Buzz podcast.

Via Anthony over at Techthoughts comes this great little Conan O’Brien bit where he takes over the Late Night director’s role for a few minutes (while concurrently hosting). Gives a little insight into the process. Watch below.
Continue reading ‘Conan Live-Switches Late Night’

HD Expo and Panasonic are offering a free two day camera production workshop for ASC, IGC, SOC and other guild members who have been affected by the Writers Guild Strike.

“The P2 Workshop is being offered at no charge to guild & association members in a show of support for the cinematography community, and will offer career-advancing training that can be utilized once crews return to work. The workshop prepares the professional cinematographer with sophisticated knowledge and understanding of this dynamic tool set that is changing production models. The P2 Workshop is an informative, professional-level class that will introduce attendees to the next generation of solid state, P2 HD camera systems and support equipment. It will impart an understanding of how to integrate the benefits of non-linear, file based IT compatible technology into a production workflow.

The two-day session is set for February 29 and March 1, 2008 at Panavision in Woodland Hills, CA. Several industry stalwarts have lined up to support this educational event including Panavision, Fujinon and Birns & Sawyer. Panavision is contributing the use of its stage, screening room facilities, support gear and staff. Birns & Sawyer will provide camera and support equipment, and Fujinon is donating lenses and sponsoring lunches for participants.”

Registration forms are available online, and you can contact HD Expo at 818.842.6611 with any questions.

LATimes has a nice analysis of the finances behind the film Sahara, widely generally regarded as major budget bomb after it recorded a $105M loss. It’s hard to grasp the scale of a production that required over $100,000 for “walkie-talkies”, $81,375 worth of camels, and $1.6M for boats (sadly, many of the boats perished in the film). No wonder they had to write in script changes to accommodate sponsors. Perhaps they should have re-dubbed it $ahara while they were making revisions.

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

The guys over at Letus have had a very busy fall. First they announced the shiny new Letus Extreme, a 35mm adapter with built-in prism flip and a mere half-stop of light loss. By most reports, the Extreme has been very well-received in the video community. Not content to rest there, Letus has just announced the Letus35 Mini, a 1lb 9oz compact lens adapter designed for small cameras with a filter size under 43mm. Weighing just half of it’s big brother Extreme, the Mini should be able to be used without rods or additional support, though a custom support bracket is available. As with the Extreme, Letus states that this adapter has “absolutely no vignetting” and excellent edge to edge sharpness. Mount options include the Canon FD, Nikon AI, Canon EF (EOS), Pentax K mount, Minolta MD or the optional PL mount and OCT19 mounts. Check out this image for a side-by-side size comparison of the Mini vs. Extreme.

I’m told that a supply of adapters are currently in stock and available to ship in the next 3-5 days, the price is listed at $1,099.00. Just in time for Christmas…you can put it on your shiny new Canon HV20 camcorder. Put those two together and you’ve got a 35mm lens adapter and HD camcorder for under $1900.00. That is incredible. Independent filmmakers rejoice!

We previously mentioned the Extreme here. If you are interested in seeing some beautiful Letus Extreme footage, definitely check out what Phillip Bloom shot recently on the EX1.

In Smooth Moves News, Dave Williams of DVideography will be teaching an intensive two-day workshop in Las Vegas for Glidecam users. Dave is a professional Steadicam and Glidecam operator, and has been working with stabilizers for years. He really knows his craft. So if you’re a stabilizer user that doesn’t know your Don Juan from your Missionary, you might want to check out this workshop coming up on January 27-28, 2008.

See below for a detailed schedule breakdown with all the topics that will be covered. And here are a few pictures from one of Dave’s recent V-25 workshops.
Continue reading ‘Upcoming Glidecam Workshop in Vegas’

Newtek is now shipping the latest version of their $4,995 Integrated Production Suite, a collection of software tools and hardware designed to facilitate live switching/streaming production as well as virtual set technology that quickly integrates with live broadcast. Continue reading ‘NewTek Ships VT5′

Titus Films blog has released the second part of their six-part series on How to Tape a Live Concert. This second segment talks specifically about audio production and live capture.

“In Part 2 of this guide on how to tape concerts, I will be exploring the different options for capturing the sound of the show in the way of microphone setup in the venue, microphone types, specific microphone models that I recommend you check out, soundboard recording and the different recording devices available to make your job in post-production a bit easier. I will also discuss a bit about room acoustics and things you should note about the venue you are taping in order to maximize the potential quality of the recording.”

In a Microfilmmaker Magazine feature aptly entitled “Fund-Raising For Your Micro-Budget Film”, authors John Gaspard and Dale Newton cover the process and legalities of courting investors, getting grant money, calling in favors, and other ways of raising funds for your film budget. On a similar note, I also recommend reading The DV Rebel’s Guide.

EXCERPT:

Of course, there are moments during the money-raising process that may cause you to feel panic or even desperation. During these moments, you may feel as though you would do anything for money. Anything. There are a few situations that do not qualify in the strictest sense as found money, and we recommend that you don’t succumb to these temptations when money gets tight:

* Your distant, ailing aunt asks for a second opinion, and you arrange an appointment for her with Dr. Kevorkian.

* You accidentally place your younger brother’s kidney up for auction on eBay.

* You enter a convenience store wearing a ski mask and carrying a prop pistol, and the goofy night clerk inadvertently gives you all the money in the safe.

(Via Camcorderinfo)