I came across this site called ServoCity after following a link to a PT785-S pan and tilt servo head. This looks like a very cool and affordable solution at $350 for the arm mechanism with plug and play wired remotes starting at $50 and a wireless controller for $80.
This precision, closed-loop system is designed to manipulate cameras/devices up to 6 lbs even though the entire head only weighs a super-light 1.8 lbs. Each axis can operate up to 400° of … Continue Reading
There are times when you encounter a movie trailer that is so intense that it shakes the foundation of everything you thought was possible.
I’m seeing a trend in sexy little short fashion films featuring/promoting a model as the main subject. BTW, I’m not going to label stuff on the PCN site as NSFW because you (our readers) are professional photographers and filmmakers who typically don’t work in cubicles with someone watching their every online move.
So enjoy these two shorts as inspiration. This first one that I came across a while back is interesting to me because it looks like a scenario where stills and motion were being shot simultaneously. … Continue Reading
This Australian short was filmed using the Canon 5D MKII and mixes live action with time lapse photography. It’s got really beautiful imagery and pretty good story telling so I enjoyed it immensely this morning – even if I’d like to see a tighter edit. Thanks to Ryan Koos from NoFilmSchool.com who plucked this gem out of the Vimeo wasteland and brought it to my attention via his RSS Feed. Enjoy:
… Continue Reading
For those of you that haven’t heard it through the grapevine, I recently took the position of Education Director for Samy’s Camera here in Southern California. I’ll be bringing a lot of the energy and excitement from the PhotoCine Expo to the classes and workshops at Samy’s.
One of the first workshops I added was Audio for DSLR Video with Jeremy Ian Thomas. If you missed the last time Jeremy taught an audio workshop, this is your second chance. The class takes place March 5th at the Samy’s Fairfax Education building (down the street from the store). Cost is $50 register here.
Next up is an overview of DSLR video with Loren Simons on March 22cd for only $25. This 3 hour class is a great overview for anyone who wants to take their DSLR cameras to the next level. Instructor Loren Simons will walk students through everything about setting up the camera for video including shutter speed (180° shutter rule), frames per second, optimal ISO’s, depth of field/focusing techniques, audio recording, monitoring, and stabilization accessories. This class will also discuss tripods (fluid head VS. friction head), continuous lighting gear, and camera movement using sliders and steadicam. Loren is a great guy with a ton of knowledge (even though he looks 12). He’s often a hollywood go to guy for HDSLR rigging and he works the tradeshows for Redrock Micro.
Keep an eye on the Samy’s EDU blog for more DSLR video classes as well as Photoshop/Lightroom classes and interesting photo trips.
I’ll be hosting a Audio for DSLR workshop at Samy’s Camera in LA on March 5th with Jeremy Ian Thomas. If you’re a long time reader you will recognize Jeremy’s name because I hire him to teach when ever I have an opportunity. He is a very engaging teacher and experienced Indie filmmaker who also works as a colorist/editor on big Hollywood projects. The last time he taught this audio workshop we had about 70 people and it was very well reviewed.
What was pretty cool is that Jeremy Thomas, the tutor, brought in one of his actors and shot a monologue right in front of the whole class and then showed step by step how the whole process goes, from ingestion, transcoding, importing to FCP and synching with Plural Eyes. Definitely an exciting, explicit and very effective way to teach, that the crowd reacted really well to!
All attendees present will be entered into a raffle to win a Zoom Q3HD video recorder. The workshop is $50 and takes place at the Samy’s Fairfax EDU building (next to the store) from 10AM-1PM.
Click here for more information and to register.
