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)

Here is a simple tip that will save you time in the field and lengthen the life of your cords and cables. It’s a way of looping up your cables in a Over/Under coiling pattern. You basically alternate the twist in each loop as you add each coil to the loop. But the process really is better explained by seeing it in action. So here is a short demonstration video by location sound man Chris Babbie, who walks you through the process and explains different variations of the over/under coiling technique. You can read more on this topic over at the IEBA blog.

Titus Films blog has released the first in a six-part series on How to Tape a Live Concert. The first post deals with Securing Permission, The Venue, and Camera and Microphone Placement. The tips seem to be well-thought out so far, I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

You might be thinking, “Oh come on, it’s not that hard to film a live concert… I’ll just round up 4 friends, smuggle in 4 small camcorders, position them around the audience, sync our watches to 11:00pm and then hit record… post the video on YouTube and embed it in my blog (hey, wanna check out my blog?) and I’m on my way to Internet stardom, right?� Not so fast, there, grasshopper. Planning your project, no matter what you’re shooting, is the most important part of a live event–especially in a fast-paced one-take event like a concert.

 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)’

I’m a big fan of Food Network’s programming. They have an abundance of quality, informative, and clean programming that also happens to be interesting for the whole family. “Iron Chef America” and Bobby Flay’s “Showdown” were instant favorites at our house, as was Alton Brown’s “Feasting on Asphalt”. And “Everyday Italian” with Giada De Laurentiis…need I say more? Food has literally never looked so good.

But one of my favorite shows on the roster is “Good Eats”, another Alton Brown creation. Generally the eloquent host digs into the nitty-gritty science of cooking, but in a recent episode entitled “Behind the Eats”, Alton takes the viewer behind the scenes of the show and does an incredibly detailed job of it. It really is an amazing mini-lesson on production in general. Regardless of your interest in food-related programming, I suggest you check you local listings for a re-airing, it’s well worth the time. As a bonus, towards the end you get to see Creative Cow contributor Walter Biscardi talk about his involvement in the series. For fans that simply can’t get enough Alton, you can buy his “Good Eats” and “Feasting” DVDs at Amazon.

Editor Daniel Hollister used to hate iMovie. But from his recent Why iMovie ‘08 Matters article, it sounds like the latest version in iLife ‘08 is begining to grow on him. He makes a good case for using iMovie for simple productions; “For anyone needing to edit video extremely quickly, this is a godsend.” For a slightly different viewpoint, Mike Curtis wrote a detailed review of iMovie ‘08 for Macworld.

The latest version of iLife is available for $79 at the Apple Store.

The October print issue of DV Magazine has a very interesting article on Les Stroud, the one-man-production machine behind Discovery Channel’s Survivorman. Stroud is a filmmaker with an outdoor bent, and single-handedly shoots his harrowing adventures with a 5 camera kit. He’s also intimately involved in the editing process. It’s an intriguing look at the making of a very unique show. Fans of the series may also wish to read Stroud’s blog.

I should also mention that FreshDV editors have two articles in that same issue, one on location lighting kits and one on follow focus systems. We’ll be sharing some accompanying video footage of those solutions here at FreshDV in the near future. Stay tuned to FreshDV’s Podcast feed.

(Via Digital Camcorder News)

Interview with Director Blake Calhoun by Eugenia Loli-Queru

Today we are happy to feature an interview with director Blake Calhoun, known for two feature films (”Killing Down” and “Hit”) and a number of short films during his earlier indie career. These days Blake is testing the waters for internet-based TV series. His first effort in the field is called “PINK“, it’s of TV/broadcast quality and it’s starring Natalie Raitano (of VIP fame, next to Pam Anderson). Two episodes have been released so far (1, 2), while new episodes are posted every Tuesday on YouTube, Revver and MySpace. Read on for what Blake had to say about this new trend.
Continue reading ‘Exclusive Interview with Blake Calhoun, Dir. of “PINK”’

Convergent Design is getting into the video field recorder business with their newly-announced Flash XDR DTE device. Attached to a camcorder via HD-SDI, the XDR records HDV, XDCAM HD, and high-bitrate MPEG2 streams to affordable compactflash media. The 422P@HL option allows you to record full-raster 1920×1080 (interlaced and progressive) and 1280×720p 50 Mbps MPEG-2 streams at 4:2:2.

Features:
*HD-SDI <> HDV or XDCAM HD MPEG2 Streams
*Supports MPEG2 4:2:2 @ 50 Mbps and 4:2:2, full-raster (1920×1080 / 1280×720) I-Frame @ 160Mbps.
*1080i, 720p, 1080p23.98
*Embedded or External Audio, Time-Code inputs
*Internal time-code generator, GPI Trigger input
*Two Hot-Swappable CompactFlashCard Slots
*Enables File-Based transfers, 5x-12x real-time
*Rugged, solid-state; silent operation
*Compact, Ultra-Portable, 2kg with battery

Continue reading ‘Convergent Design Announces Flash HD Field Recorder’