motion – Page 11 – Journeys of a Hybrid

November 29, 2009December 14, 2009

Video Production Tips

Don’t assume anything – ” But I thought ( fill in blank) was going to ( fill in blank).”

Keep an email trail – document everything between you and your client.

Keep a binder – it’s always good to keep a hard copy back up even if everything is recorded electronically.

What to look for on location:
• where the outlets are
• where the windows are and which direction they face
• do the windows have blinds or shades
• what is the ambient lighting in the room
• what kinds of ambient noise is in the location and can it be controlled
• what’s the best-spot for an interview
• where are the bathrooms
• where is the freight elevator
• where is parking
• what is the building contact person’s name and number

When packing for location – don’t leave things behind unless you absolutely have to. It is far better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Be redundant – bring extra connectors, adapters and cables. If you only bring one – it almost guarantees that one will fail.

Make friends with doormen, secretaries, building electricians, janitors, security guards – you will need these people on locations.

Whenever the call time is – be there early. I’m always the first one on set.

If you don’t schedule a rain day, you will end up needing one.

Always shoot the most important shot first thing of the day.

Maintain an attitude of calm and professionalism – the crew will look to you for the answers. If you show indecisiveness they will go off in all different directions.

Never label a video file or tape “Final” – Whenever you do – there always ends up being another revision.

Always break for lunch – working through lunch guarantees a hungry and cranky crew. Ultimately you won’t get 100% from a hungry crew, thus defeating the time saved.

Slate everything you can. Use the back of the slate for a white balance target. Also attach a printed color bar chart to the slate. This can be helpful in color correction later, matching scenes and/or cameras.

Tape/storage media is cheap. Don’t be afraid to overshoot. That extra b-roll or cut-aways will become valuable assets in post. Get room tone at the same time.

During the mic check for interviews, record a brief statement where each subject states their name, the date and that they are giving permission to be taped. Always make sure your subjects also sign hard copy waivers/releases.

Things always take longer than you think – so estimate more time when scheduling.

In post production back up projects as different versions. Save a clean sub master version without titles and lower-third graphics and where the audio tracks are not mixed down. Most likely you will get a request to change a graphic or a music track and it’s much easier to make those changes on a sub master than to have to redo an entire project.

When a client suddenly takes the project in an unexpected direction, save a version of the project file up to that point.

When editing with a room full of client people – only answer to the guy/gal who signs the checks.

November 12, 2009March 30, 2010

More Convergence – DSLR’s + Video = VSLR

It seems like this has been the year of the video capable DSLR or VSLR. Not only are manufacturers continuing to roll out new models but third party companies have made a big business out of selling attachments or add-ons for these cameras.

Dabblers as well as professional still photographers have gotten into video because the entry level has become easier and more affordable with the advent of these cameras. While traditional news crews haven’t embraced the new hybrid cameras yet, filmmakers have created a cult around them. I must confess that although technically I have had my hands on these cameras, I have not done any test runs using them in the field. But it is on my list of things to do.

What’s Out There Now

The Nikon D90 shooting 720p was the first DSLR camera to shoot video in HD. Canon followed with its impressive 5D Mark II which raised the bar by shooting full frame 1080p with external mic input and recently rolled theyout the Canon 7D with variable frame rates for under $2000!

The most attractive features of these hybrid cameras besides the price, is the ability to change lenses, have controllable depth of field and large sensors that work phenomenally in low light situations. However there are limitations that traditional video cameras that come at a higher price don’t have. Camera stability is one problem due to how the shooter needs to hold the camera because they are designed to shoot in video mode with the mirror up. Since the camera operator must see and focus using the LCD monitor instead of steadying their eye up against the viewfinder, it’s harder to stabilize the camera when hand holding it. Audio capture is very basic as well and must be supplemented in some way.

Third Party Options

Because of these limitations, third party manufacturers have gotten in the game by designing add-ons. Zacuto

has come up with a few interesting items. One item is the Z-Finder DSLR Viewfinder, which is a device that fits over a 3” LCD and provides magnification for better focusing. It runs around $400. Hoodman provides a lower cost version called the Hoodloupe without the same optics but at a quarter of the cost.

An added benefit to using these viewfinders is that it provides another contact point with the shooter’s body and therefore provides more stability. There are also camera support systems available that help remedy the need for better stability in “run and gun”

situations where the shooter can’t use a tripod. Zacuto makes two stabilization devices, the DSLR Rapid Fire and the Quick Draw each designed with a different type of shooting situation in mind. In addition a Cavision has come up with a shoulder mount device the RS5DM2SET-S.

Package for 5DII-8 — Cavision shoulder mount

As far as audio is concerned, if you want to move beyond a supplemental external mic that’s plugged into the camera and use a more professional audio solution you’ll need balanced XLR inputs which will also enable you to use multiple external mics off the camera. Beachtek makes the DXA-5D for around $375 and juiceLink has come up with the juicedLink CX231 for about $300.

Or you can capture your audio with a stand-alone recorder like the Samson Zoom H4n, also around $300 and sync it later in post.

Regardless of how you ultimately “trick out” your VSLR (video single lens reflex) you can be sure that there will continually be newer models and solutions as technology keeps moving forward. Pro Video Coalition puts out a great newsletter online keeping us abreast of the latest tools. Check out their DSLR Shootout where they test these hybrids and adaptors. Take Dirck Halstead’s Platypus Workshop now incorporating the new DSLR’s in the program. And become a Facebook fan of From Still to Motion for ongoing information and updates. It’s an exciting time with loads of possibilities.

October 28, 2009December 14, 2009

Tools of Change and New Distribution

Up early again, my mind restless and spinning with ideas, thoughts and reflections on last week’s Photo Expo in New York City. Ironically this year’s Expo didn’t really reveal anything “new” for me in the way of new toys and tools of the trade. What was new was the obvious absence of Adobe on the exhibitor floor – a sign of the economic times? Or is it a sign of how the photographic business is shifting – from professional to prosumer?

While in NYC I took time to see Robert Frank’s exhibition “The Americans” at the MET. His beautiful images have stayed in my head and no doubt will provoke me to jump-start one of the many projects that continue to bubble to the surface in my mind. But there was one thing I read in context of the exhibition and that was a statement made about the camera being a “tool of change” during Frank’s time. I started thinking about that and realize that the camera, whether it be a still camera or a motion camera is still a “tool of change”. James Natchwey’s images are powerful examples of that.

What is radically different today is our means of distribution – of getting our imagery seen. No tool has the power to make a difference or a change if what it creates is never seen. I started thinking about the demise of newspapers and print in general and I was dismayed about the future and the still photos that may never be seen.

With the Internet and global distribution, the playing field has been leveled and democratized and anyone can share anything they create with the rest of the world – right? Maybe not – because ultimately the web is controlled. It’s controlled by what search engines find and how information is ranked. Listen to Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO talk about the Internet of the future. Even Facebook now is deciding which friends will see our news feed. That default can be changed of course – but you have to be aware of it to change it. How many of us are aware? And I mean that in the broadest sense, meaning aware of what and how our information is delivered.

All the “free” content we get these days over the web excites us all. It’s great – but even free comes at a price. I can only hope that future generations will understand the underlying cost of “free content” and be aware of who is controlling distribution in this new paradigm.

October 15, 2009December 14, 2009

Making Still Images Move

Burlesque club, Las Vegas (click image for motion sample)

I’m often asked how to prep still images and how to make them move in a multimedia/video piece. My initial response to this question is to reply with a series of questions – “Why do you want to make your images move?” “What’s your motivation? What do you want to communicate to the viewer?” “Do you need sound and movement to better tell your story?”

I’m not one to do things just because I can – I need a reason. For me a still image is an entity in and of itself – a moment in time to be studied and contemplated. When I present still images in a multimedia presentation – those “moments in time” become part of a greater whole. That new entity becomes a different visual message with sound and motion becoming the underlying spine of the piece. Added information that’s needed to convey that particular story. The still images become sequences and the sound and movement of the piece create the “feel” and “pace” of the whole.

As far as the practical aspects of creating a multimedia piece – the first step is to choose an editing software that works into your workflow. I use Final Cut Pro Studio on a Mac. I use Final Cut Pro (within the suite) if I don’t have a lot of images to edit but lately I’ve been using Motion (also included in the Studio suite) – because it’s easy – once you know it. You don’t need the depth of these software applications to create a simple multimedia piece. There are plenty of software applications to choose from – iMovie and FCP Express in the Apple family, Adobe Premiere (cross platformed if using an Intel Mac) , Sony Vegas for PC’s and simpler programs like Soundslides or Audacity.

There are many tutorials on this subject – check out Ken Stone or Lynda.com – both great places to learn. In the meantime I will share my recipe for how I size and prep my images for multimedia presentations. Like anything else, there are hundreds of ways to get to the same end – but these are my suggestions that I find work best. Another note – I use large image sizes so that I when I bring the images into my editing timeline – I have room to zoom into the images without having to enlarge them beyond 100% in the video application.

My sizing/prepping suggestions for still images:

RGB color mode

Srgb color profile for SD (standard def)

HDTV (Re.709) color profile for HD (hi def)

Tiff, PSD or PNG – better than Jpeg

Don’t over sharpen image – it will jitter on screen

Use de-interlace filter for web videos – but this is something you need to test – I don’t always like the effect this filter has.

Sizing – I always upsize my images 2.5 x needed for video timeline if I will be moving them “Ken Burns” style. Below are different specs for HD and SD and different aspect ratios:

Standard Def – DV NTSC 4:3 – 1800x1350x72 (pixels)(res)

Standard Def – NTSC 16:9 – 2132x1200x72 (pixels)(res)

HD – 720p – 3200x1800x72 (pixels)(res)

HD – 1080i – 4800x2700x72 (pixels)(res)

It’s really never been easier to prep still images in an application like Photoshop because there are lots of built in presets. I always prep all my assets and import them into my editing software before I even begin to edit. That way I don’t need to depart from the edit and lose a train of thought whenever I need to add a still image or other graphic.

Have fun – and when you do decide to move an image – ask yourself why first?

October 10, 2009December 14, 2009

Why Shoot Video Instead of Stills

Video seems to be the “hot” topic these days. There’s nothing really new about video – it’s been around for quite some time. So why do we see and hear it everywhere? You Tube gets one billion hits a day! Perhaps the short, simple answer is because society interacts and communicates more and more via the web through social media sites. And because of broadband capabilities – we “can” watch videos without the painful experience of watching stuttering video while it downloads.

So as the economy stays soft and still photographers try to stay afloat and camera manufacturers incorporate video capabilities into still cameras – there seems to be more and more photographers who feel the need to start shooting video. I’m a big advocate of video – but for all the right reasons and those reasons are different for each and everyone of us. But – you must have a reason why to shoot video from a story point of view. Because visual communication should be all about telling the story or relaying a message.

I used to shoot a lot of stories for the National Geographic Traveler – mostly city stories. I spent quite a bit of my time – observing life and waiting for the “moments”. I’d also spend a lot of time talking to people and listening to their stories. I stored a lot of those conversations in my head over the years but because I am a photographer – my images were published – but not those conversations. So in a sense there was a large part of my experience that was never shared.

When I started shooting video projects, along with it came the need to do interviews. A big part of many of my videos are interviews that drive the narrative of the story. Interviewing someone on video can be a powerful thing. That is truly one of the most powerful aspects of video and the reason “why” I choose that tool when I do. When I sit down and speak with someone face to face – I get the type of experience and interview that one can only get in person. I pick up on all the nuances – the body language – of the subject. When I really care about my subject – the connection becomes that much stronger – the questions are answered not only with words but with the body and the eyes and everything in between. And that shows – on camera and can drive the story in a meaningful way.

So when I need to tell someone’s story and that person tells their story not solely through their words but with every inflection of their voice and body – then video is my tool of choice. That choice is made because it makes the story stronger. Not just because I “can” because my camera has video capabilities. Choose your tool wisely. I’d love to hear how and why others decide on which tool to choose. There’s so many reasons.

October 8, 2009December 14, 2009

The Business of Video

The “business” of video encompasses a lot of things – your marketing strategy, your cost of doing business, your skill set needed to survive in business, your management of employees or outside contractors and paperwork. For now I’ll speak to paperwork and how critical it is in communicating with clients.

A paperwork trail starts with an estimate for a job and I don’t take the process of estimating lightly. I try to get as much information that I can when a client comes to me and asks me to bid on a job – or asks me to provide an estimate for a job I’ve already been hired to do. I keep a database of past SOW’s (Statement of Work) to use as references. While every job is different, I use these archived SOW’s as a starting point.

In addition to estimating the costs of crew, equipment, location needs, pre-production and post-production, I clearly state terms as well as a schedule for post-production – including client response time and completion dates.

Terms – Here is where I state rights and “usage” of the finished product – where will it be used and for how long. I also spell out payment terms, cancellation fees as well as provide an accurate description of exactly what I’m going to deliver. For instance:

10-minute video to be delivered on DVD and compressed files for the web.
One day shoot on location at………….includes 2 interviews and b-roll
Post production – edit will include x amount of still images – sized and digitally provided by client – logos provided by client– stock photos and/or footage – narrative (voiceover) track and music.
Payment – one third upon signed SOW – one third after shoot – and balance due upon delivery of final product.
Cancellation terms and fees
Change fees
How many edit revisions are included and the additional hourly editing costs if more revisions are needed.

Schedule – This is extremely important in video production – a schedule sign off by the client that stipulates delivery dates for each part of the process. The reason this is critical is that if the client delays things on their end – it’s clearly understood that the rest of the schedule gets extended in terms of deadline dates. Otherwise if your client needs their boss to approve things and their boss has an unexpected out of town trip come up – thus delaying the process – you won’t be left with half the time you need to deliver the final product. Example of post production schedule:

Aug. 31 – Script approved by client
Sept. 1 – Casting reel delivered to client
Sept. 7 – Talent decisions made by client
Sept. 20 – Shoot date
Sept. 25 – Voiceover recorded
Sept. 26 – All logos, graphics and still images provided by client
Oct. 5 – Rough Cut delivered to client for review
Oct. 12 – Any edit changes noted by client and communicated to production house.
Oct. 19 – Final cut delivered.

Lastly here’s a link to AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) with examples of bid forms and contracts that are helpful in terms of bringing to mind all the things that should be covered in your SOW.

September 30, 2009December 14, 2009

Video, Editing and Chroma Key (green screen)

Even though I started shooting and editing video some 10 years ago – I can honestly say that I still have a lot to learn. The “learning” part of my craft has been non-stop. I continue to learn as technology constantly pushes us all in that direction. But I love it. I love raising my bar every chance I get. And these days, even though the learning curve may be steep in certain aspects of video production – it’s also a lot easier to access information and help than it was 10 years ago. Again – thanks to the volumes of information online – at the click of a button.

I love the editing process of video production because this is really where I craft the story. I can get totally lost in the story and how I can mold that in whatever direction I choose in the edit room. But I’m not a professional editor and I have the utmost respect for what a pro brings to this part of the process. So I lay down my rough cut – to get the storyline down and then hand it off to a pro to take it to the next level.

I’m editing a recent shoot that was quite challenging on all accounts. A lot of what was shot, was shot on “green screen”. Green screen or “chroma key” is the process of removing a background color, – green for video – blue for film – so that the “subject” or “object” can be placed into another background in post. There is a lot of info out there on green screens so I won’t go into it in depth, but the biggest thing you need to know is how to properly shoot green screen so you won’t have a major melt down in post – or won’t have to spend a fortune for an editor to clean up your mistakes. ResidentialExterior_NewTech

A couple of tips for shooting on green screen:

•   Turn off edge enhancements or sharpening in Picture Profiles – in camera menu
•   Create a new Green screen Picture Profile w/o sharpening
•   Keep subject lighting off background
•   Keep background lighting off subject
•   Keep green screen as far away from subject as possible
•   Minimize seams, wrinkles, folds
•   Even out your green screen lighting within 1/2 stop
•   Brightness level should be about one stop under key light on your subject.
•   Light your subject complimentary to your inserted background
•   Don’t use dimmers – changes color temp toward red – not good for keying
•   Create an edge or separation light – keep it subtle!!
•   Watch out for reflective objects and surfaces (CAR SURFACE) that can pick up green screen

So if you’ve successfully shot a good clean composition as described above – then of course you need to put things together in post. Windshield Outside This used to be a tedious process and would involve a lot of work in post production. But thanks to some incredible plug-ins available – you can get a pretty amazing “key” without a lot of hours in the editing room.

I found a product that really helped me out. DVmatte Blast and DVmatte Pro from www.dvgarage.com. These plug-ins will work inside Final Cut Pro as well as Motion. I chose to work within Final Cut. I was amazed by not only how easy it was to use but by the price as well. DVmatte Blast was $99 but I purchased DVmatte Pro for $199 because it gave me more “tweaking” options. And as always whenever I need to learn a new piece of software – I went to http://www.lynda.com. So instead of laboring with greens screens in post for an entire day – I got the job done in a matter of a couple of hours – and I had a lot of compositions to make.

I love to learn but I also like to lead some sort of a personal life – away from the computer. And these days – thanks to a little help from my “friends” I’m achieving a nice balance.

September 28, 2009December 14, 2009

My Hybrid World

This is kind of off topic in the sense that it speaks a bit to my personal lifestyle as opposed to my professional one – yet in a way it’s the perfect analogy to my hybrid existence of working in both the still and the video worlds.

I live 38 miles west of Manhattan Island subway – close enough to commute if I were so inclined or had a “job” to commute to. But since I’m a self employed freelancer and always have been – I look at that short distance to the “city” as the bridge that connects my two worlds. The “city” can pretty much provide me with just about every cosmopolitan need that I may have and my other world – the idyllic little “bubble” where I live – a small rural town in Northwestern New Jersey – gives me space and serenity. bicycle Both are important in my life and I don’t think I could give up one for the other.

I feel this way in terms of working with both still photography and video. They each in their own way are creatively fulfilling. Because I’m a storyteller – I look to each medium in terms of being the right tool to tell the story. I think differently in each medium and for this reason it’s very difficult for me to shoot both stills and video on the same job – although I have done that on many occasions. But my head is in a totally different place – depending on which medium I am working in.

I’ve said many times that it’s not about the tool – I can’t just swap out the tool because it’s really not that simple. With still imagery it’s all about the moment in time. With video it’s time in motion. With still imagery I’m selecting that precise moment where the story gets told. With video I’m telling the story through a sequence of imagery – always thinking in terms of the beginning, middle and end and ultimately with the “whole” piece in mind.

I could never make a choice between the two mediums at this point in my life because they are each needed in their own unique ways. Each serving their own purpose in how I choose to communicate – visually and creatively. Just like the hybrid personal world that I live in.

September 24, 2009December 14, 2009

Video Production in the Deep Freeze

I just spent the last week in New Hampshire working on an “industrial” video for a new business venture that will be licensing an amazing new “ice” technology. It was perhaps the most challenging job that I’ve had in many years – especially from a technical level. One day we worked from 8AM – midnight in a “cold room” at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) shooting “ice” experiments. We were dealing with extremes on all levels. The Russian scientists – brilliant electrical engineers – were pushing their own boundaries as they ran tests with ice on power lines and automobiles and as much as I was witnessing this work in sub zero temperatures – it was amazing to watch them work. If I hadn’t been so busy with my own technical challenges – I would have loved to just observe them and try to get into their head. scientists2 You could almost see their brains working – just by watching their faces. Then to see the triumph in their eyes when their experiments worked – what a thrill. I now need to go to Russia.

My partner Tom had done a great job with pre-production, making sure we would be fully prepared to work and have our equipment work in these extreme cold temperatures. We put the cameras into “polar mittens” mittens to keep them warm and swapped out the warm packs as we shot late into the night. We had to erect large “green screens” so that in post I can insert winter scenes. Problem was our green screens were large pieces of fabric and the chill blowers were blowing them all over the place. We tried to anchor them but in the end we had to turn the blowers off during the shoot. Thank goodness we didn’t need usable audio. We used hot lights and a lot of them. Used every extension cord we had and every outlet in the room – 10,000 watts. Ironic huh – hot lights in a “cold room”. Because of that we had to leave the lights on the entire time because we knew that when we turned them off – we’d get condensation on the bulbs. When we finally did break the set down at midnight – we turned the lights off, let them cool a bit and put garbage bags over them so that as they warmed we wouldn’t get moisture on them. Didn’t really work too well though. set We did the same thing with the cameras and that worked great. Because we had the lights on all day and were using long extension cords – one cord got over heated and actually melted and fused to itself. The Russian electrical engineer noticed it – Thank God – or we would have burned down the building.

We shot an interview with another brilliant Russian scientist who was passionate about ice and also shot b-roll of all kinds of things, the campus (we were at Dartmouth), labs, refrigerators, icemakers and the computers in the cad labs. All in all things went quite well considering the adverse conditions we were working in and pushing our equipment and ourselves to the limit. One HUGE bummer was that the assistant that Tom had hired – who came recommended from another photographer – quit after the first day. We got through the shoot though – but had to muster up everything we had within us. The client wrote today to say he was extremely pleased with the roughs he had seen and impressed with our fortitude on the shoot given the situation.

Now on to phase two – to record the narrative, research a ton of stock footage and photos, pick the music, work with the motion graphics team and put it all together. As much as the postproduction inevitably involves a lot of work and long hours – I love this part. This is where the story comes together and is really crafted. And that’s always the best part for me.

September 21, 2009December 14, 2009

Letting Go of What We Know

There’s so much angst these days in the “photography” community and not just the photo community but everywhere. People are almost paralyzed from fear – fear of the future.

I don’t think we ever get anywhere if we let “fear” take over our lives. Certainly not if we live and work in a creative field. The fear seems to creep up when what we are “used to” is no longer there. Anyone who works for newspapers can relate to that statement. But we can’t change “what is”. I don’t look “back” often but when I do – I do it to get perspective. And when “fear” of the future manifests itself so strongly – to quote Jackson Browne “it seems it’s easier sometimes to change the past”.

We all know we can’t change the past – so why do we dwell on it? Because it’s really scary to face a future where all the rules have changed. Technology has forever changed the game. We can moan that our clients don’t respect us and that they just want work that is “good enough” and worse yet – coming to terms with the fact that maybe, just maybe “good enough” is good enough for their needs. As we communicate visually over electronic platforms like the “web”, do we need an image file that is 8000 pixels in its longest dimension with 300 res – like we did for those glossy brochures?

On the other side of the table is that nagging notion that we all must learn to shoot “motion” and “video” and we’re intimidated by it because it’s not what we know. I guess I’m an oddball because I’ve never really been too intimidated by what I don’t know – I’m actually drawn to it and excited by it. Sometimes I rush to the unknown almost carelessly without even considering the consequences. And there’s always consequences – many times negative ones – or ones that may seem negative at the time. But every now and then – if you just “let go” of holding on to what may not be working anymore in your life – you’ll find that you’ve opened yourself up to wonderful possibilities. I keep my eye on those possibilities and it’s so much better than holding onto the past.