My very first quasi professional job was working for Brick Price Movie Miniatures during my summer break visiting my dad who lived in LA when I was just 15 years old. I started out sweeping floors of the model shop and when I was done I was taught how to sculpt and make molds some of the projects going on in the shop. This was during the late 1970s and mind you everything was done practical. There was no CG and no digital post compositing. Everything was created to shoot in front of a film camera and then re-composited with on camera techniques. I was able to learn a lot of the tricks of the trade for that time period. Believe it or not some of those tricks still are effective today working with our nice HD video cameras and they are not that difficult to do. No digital compositing with After effects needed.
Miniature models and locked down cameras with matte paintings. Forced perspective shots and rubber latex prosthetic makeup. Puppets and black powder squibs. Lets not forget stop motion animation and Ray Harryhausen the king of visual effects. All of this was what I was raised in as a young artist in the film industry.
I just want to touch on the point,s but I will go into detail about these methods of film making later on in the blog.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
EPISODE 5: The Rolling Shutter
The rolling shutter is an artifact you get from lower end throw away cameras that do not have a large CMOS chip.
This is due to the chip not scanning the image fast enough and part of the scan lag is carried over to the next frame. The effect It is very noticeable in fast action camera movement and tends to look like a jello effect on the image as it wobbles on the screen.
The only way to compensate for this is to limit fast action shots.
Better quality chips are starting to show up in cameras just under a $1000.00.
Most of these cameras are just shy of a thousand dollars. $700.00 on to around $2000.00. The equivalent of this ten years ago would cost you 30 grand.
These newer and better chips capture images clean and fast and tend to minimize rolling shutter problems, plus they have better light sensitivity and color depth. I'll place a link to my favorite low end camera, the
Canon EOS Rebel T3i which cost around $700.00 plus. The link below is very thorough showing comparisons and video samples.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/T3I/T3IA.HTM
This camera will get you stunning HD video at 1080p with superb night time shooting with very little noise. There is a bit of manual handling to do such as using manual focus while filming since the auto focus tends to be a little slow to catch up and will be annoying.
This or any of the Canons EOS Rebel T3i's bigger bros are worth investing in.
There are other competitive cameras in the same price range and they all do a great job, but they all have features that you may or may not need for your type of production work. So you will need to research the features to find what works for you.
This is due to the chip not scanning the image fast enough and part of the scan lag is carried over to the next frame. The effect It is very noticeable in fast action camera movement and tends to look like a jello effect on the image as it wobbles on the screen.
The only way to compensate for this is to limit fast action shots.
Better quality chips are starting to show up in cameras just under a $1000.00.
Most of these cameras are just shy of a thousand dollars. $700.00 on to around $2000.00. The equivalent of this ten years ago would cost you 30 grand.
These newer and better chips capture images clean and fast and tend to minimize rolling shutter problems, plus they have better light sensitivity and color depth. I'll place a link to my favorite low end camera, the
Canon EOS Rebel T3i which cost around $700.00 plus. The link below is very thorough showing comparisons and video samples.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/T3I/T3IA.HTM
This camera will get you stunning HD video at 1080p with superb night time shooting with very little noise. There is a bit of manual handling to do such as using manual focus while filming since the auto focus tends to be a little slow to catch up and will be annoying.
This or any of the Canons EOS Rebel T3i's bigger bros are worth investing in.
There are other competitive cameras in the same price range and they all do a great job, but they all have features that you may or may not need for your type of production work. So you will need to research the features to find what works for you.
Friday, June 8, 2012
EPISODE 4: Disposable Cameras
I talked earlier about using HD 720p and 1080p cameras that cost just around $100.00 to $200.00 you can use to shoot a low budget production. This episode is dedicated to that subject.
I call them disposable because you will not be afraid to put them in extreme situations with the fear of destroying them. This means you can abuse them to your liking to get the job done.
The interesting thing about this subject is that you will spend more on accessories for mounting and recording than you will on a pair of cameras to shoot your production.
You can purchase two or three cameras for less than $400.00 and own them. Shooting a low budget film with two cameras is a lot easier and faster for scene setup and saves time capturing dialogue between two actors. The time saved in editing is valuable and the the use of one continuous soundtrack for both actors is nice too.
Below is a list of cameras that work well if used properly with some good forethought to how you are approaching your shooting. With good shot setup and post processing you can create a look that will be hard to discern from a pro camera.
Kodak playspot, Kodak Z18, JVC Picsio, Sony Bloggie, Panasonic HMTA1H and most aiptek digital camcorders.
Prices range from $70.00 to $195.00. Do a Google search on these to see video samples and reviews if you are interested to know more.
NOTE:
None of these cameras allow for additional lenses and may use different formats for video compression.
I embedded a youtube video from Youtuber Hairybearz who takes these fantastic environment shots with this $150.00 aiptek camera. It just shows you the possibility with this low coast technology.
And here is another for WarmWeatherGuy talking about $100.00 HDcamcorders.
Here is a link to a short film made with the iPhone4...
Apple of My Eye
Enjoy!
I call them disposable because you will not be afraid to put them in extreme situations with the fear of destroying them. This means you can abuse them to your liking to get the job done.
The interesting thing about this subject is that you will spend more on accessories for mounting and recording than you will on a pair of cameras to shoot your production.
You can purchase two or three cameras for less than $400.00 and own them. Shooting a low budget film with two cameras is a lot easier and faster for scene setup and saves time capturing dialogue between two actors. The time saved in editing is valuable and the the use of one continuous soundtrack for both actors is nice too.
Below is a list of cameras that work well if used properly with some good forethought to how you are approaching your shooting. With good shot setup and post processing you can create a look that will be hard to discern from a pro camera.
Kodak playspot, Kodak Z18, JVC Picsio, Sony Bloggie, Panasonic HMTA1H and most aiptek digital camcorders.
Prices range from $70.00 to $195.00. Do a Google search on these to see video samples and reviews if you are interested to know more.
NOTE:
None of these cameras allow for additional lenses and may use different formats for video compression.
I embedded a youtube video from Youtuber Hairybearz who takes these fantastic environment shots with this $150.00 aiptek camera. It just shows you the possibility with this low coast technology.
And here is another for WarmWeatherGuy talking about $100.00 HDcamcorders.
Here is a link to a short film made with the iPhone4...
Apple of My Eye
Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
EPISODE 3: The new iPad
I have been a proud user of an Apple iPad since the iPad 2 came out. I now own the third generation iPad with the retna screen and 1080p video recording capability.
For the cost of just over $600.00 dollars you have a decent quality camera with built in editing software and Internet cloud connection and storage. With a little extra cost you can get accessories that allow you to mount the iPad on a tripod and add wide angle and telephoto lenses to the device. I'll link a YouTube video below.
In my opinion if you look at the iPad as a content creation device as well as a multi media machine the $600.00 plus dollars is worth the investment.
For the cost of just over $600.00 dollars you have a decent quality camera with built in editing software and Internet cloud connection and storage. With a little extra cost you can get accessories that allow you to mount the iPad on a tripod and add wide angle and telephoto lenses to the device. I'll link a YouTube video below.
In my opinion if you look at the iPad as a content creation device as well as a multi media machine the $600.00 plus dollars is worth the investment.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
EPISODE 2: Cameras Cameras Everywhere
A question that is asked of me a lot these days is "what kind of camera do I need if I want to make a production?"
10 years ago I would have been very specific with this question and blurted out a few brands because there were not a lot of cameras to choose from and the digital technology that exist today wasn't around in its low cost user friendly guise.
Today with the on-vent of the internet and self publishing and free websites like YouTube and Vimeo and new ground breaking cheap $100.00 editing software, I had to change my evaluation on what can be used to make a production. There are so many choices of tech out there that it is a smorgasbord of devices to pick from and what works for your production depends on what you are doing. Low end Webisodes verses High end full HD productions. Etc.
Save money!
At the risk at getting the evil eye from my brethren the "pros" the amateur film maker does not need to spend $5000.00 dollar or more on a camera. If you have the right software tools for processing you can do a decent job on a $150.00 HD 720p or 1080p camera. The newer cameras in the blister packages on the shelf today have built in stabilizers and are easy to import into editing packages. iPad 3 with its good quality 1080p camera and editing software, you have a studio in one device. For the non stabilizing cameras, today's editing programs will stabilize, remove or add noise and grain to the image. Add special effects and transitions and you can begin to create.
The professionals will always complain about resolution, color depth or light sensitivity among many other elite settings you wont get with with cheap cameras. But today with the way content is being quantized (compressed) and viewed on multiple platforms, Image quality can be dealt with and accepted to a certain degree. With the use of proper lighting, editing applications and software filters, these visual artifacts and anomalies can be cleverly hidden and or resolved. Shooting your scenes in proper light will decrease noise and if you have to shoot at night, cover your scene with lights. It takes a bit more set up time, but with the cost difference, it will be worth it.
You can buy two or three of these low cost cameras and have a multi-camera shoot and then cut all your scenes the way you want and save time and money. Plus if you damage or drop a camera, you have a spare and you wont run around pulling your hair out screaming about the multi-thousand dollar piece of equipment you just dropped.
Yes, go out and buy that Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It's a technology marvel. If you have the money to spend... do it. But don't let money be the issue here. Use what you can get your hands on and get good at it.
You may have to make a few bad movies before you learn how to make a good one, so don't let this stop you from trying. You can't learn unless you make a mistake and you can't make a mistake unless you try.
When all is said and done the real measure of it all comes down to story telling. If you have a good story and a good script and good actors to play out your script, the media you shoot on becomes secondary to what it is delivered on. I find people are afraid to go and make a movie or a short film based solely on the fact that they think because there are so many people with cameras, everyone will want to make a movie and that the market will be saturated. The fact is, it doesn't matter how many people have cameras, not every one of them is going to be able to pull it off. Just because everyone has access to pencils and paintbrushes doesn't mean they can draw or paint. Believe me, people try. Sure, there is going to be a lot of crap that will be produced and we all know that it is out there, but with all the crap that is made, there are a few diamonds that shine and make the whole movie watching experience worth it.
Just remember, tell a good story and you will captivate your audience.
10 years ago I would have been very specific with this question and blurted out a few brands because there were not a lot of cameras to choose from and the digital technology that exist today wasn't around in its low cost user friendly guise.
Today with the on-vent of the internet and self publishing and free websites like YouTube and Vimeo and new ground breaking cheap $100.00 editing software, I had to change my evaluation on what can be used to make a production. There are so many choices of tech out there that it is a smorgasbord of devices to pick from and what works for your production depends on what you are doing. Low end Webisodes verses High end full HD productions. Etc.
Save money!
At the risk at getting the evil eye from my brethren the "pros" the amateur film maker does not need to spend $5000.00 dollar or more on a camera. If you have the right software tools for processing you can do a decent job on a $150.00 HD 720p or 1080p camera. The newer cameras in the blister packages on the shelf today have built in stabilizers and are easy to import into editing packages. iPad 3 with its good quality 1080p camera and editing software, you have a studio in one device. For the non stabilizing cameras, today's editing programs will stabilize, remove or add noise and grain to the image. Add special effects and transitions and you can begin to create.
The professionals will always complain about resolution, color depth or light sensitivity among many other elite settings you wont get with with cheap cameras. But today with the way content is being quantized (compressed) and viewed on multiple platforms, Image quality can be dealt with and accepted to a certain degree. With the use of proper lighting, editing applications and software filters, these visual artifacts and anomalies can be cleverly hidden and or resolved. Shooting your scenes in proper light will decrease noise and if you have to shoot at night, cover your scene with lights. It takes a bit more set up time, but with the cost difference, it will be worth it.
You can buy two or three of these low cost cameras and have a multi-camera shoot and then cut all your scenes the way you want and save time and money. Plus if you damage or drop a camera, you have a spare and you wont run around pulling your hair out screaming about the multi-thousand dollar piece of equipment you just dropped.
Yes, go out and buy that Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It's a technology marvel. If you have the money to spend... do it. But don't let money be the issue here. Use what you can get your hands on and get good at it.
You may have to make a few bad movies before you learn how to make a good one, so don't let this stop you from trying. You can't learn unless you make a mistake and you can't make a mistake unless you try.
When all is said and done the real measure of it all comes down to story telling. If you have a good story and a good script and good actors to play out your script, the media you shoot on becomes secondary to what it is delivered on. I find people are afraid to go and make a movie or a short film based solely on the fact that they think because there are so many people with cameras, everyone will want to make a movie and that the market will be saturated. The fact is, it doesn't matter how many people have cameras, not every one of them is going to be able to pull it off. Just because everyone has access to pencils and paintbrushes doesn't mean they can draw or paint. Believe me, people try. Sure, there is going to be a lot of crap that will be produced and we all know that it is out there, but with all the crap that is made, there are a few diamonds that shine and make the whole movie watching experience worth it.
Just remember, tell a good story and you will captivate your audience.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Pilot Blog EPISODE 1 Introduction
Hi,
my name is Nicholas and welcome to my blog!
I should have started this one a long time ago. Well, better now than never.
A bit about myself...
My daytime job is:
I'm currently a SR Director of Product Design and Concept Development for PDP. Performance Designed Products. I manage an uber talented group of artist and designers that create accessories for the video game, mobile and consumer electronics industry. Cool and fun stuff!
My nighttime job is:
I'm a virtual reality enthusiast, product designer and tinkerer/maker that specializes in using digital tools for use in product design and collectible industries. I also moonlight as an independent film maker. It is safe for me to say my passion is more for film and the related world around it.
Before PDP I worked at Walt Disney Imagineering as a designer, Show Producer and Blue-Sky prototype developer.
Other employers...
Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, DreamWorks, Universal Studios.
The list goes on...
I have been working behind closed doors and on secretive projects for big companies for so many years. I have been exploited by the best of the best and have toiled away for the little mom and pop establishments, all this time just being a good down to earth team player. I have loved every bit of it. I have been fortunate enough to make money doing what I want to do and to be creative and have fun doing it! Work isn't really work when you can have passion for what you do and have fun doing it too.
Now I am at that point in my life where I am ready to share my insights and experiences for what it may be worth..
This blog is for the curious people seeking a different point of view, a different perspective on the creative process. A non orthodox view of doing things. I'm going to share my thoughts about creativity, inspiration and how to problem solve past the roadblocks. I will talk about making movies and art directing video games and designing theme parks and whole lot of other seemingly non related projects. Non related they may seem, but non the less connected to the overall created process called imagination. We will peer out of the box and observe the non conventional approach to creative thinking. We will talk about techniques long lost and forgotten that were once used before the digital age took hold. Techniques that are rarely used and can be applied to today's film making process.
You know the cliche...there is more than one way to skin a cat and so goes it... there is more than one way to approach a creative problem, especially when it comes to making a movie. In today's technology and internet driven society there are more opportunities to realize a project than there ever have been in the history of film making and even story telling for the printed page. And just as there are more opportunities, there are more roadblocks to overcome.
In my career I have probably worked on over 200 film projects from both behind and in front of camera. The thing is, I was hired to work on these projects. I took advantage of this in one big way...I observed and learned the process of making a movie.
Today I have two indie films under my belt that I am partly responsible for. I didn't write or direct them, but I played a major role on each one of them and I am part owner of them.
One is an animated feature film called "AeroTroopers".
The other is a horror film called "Dead and Gone" Both have been direct to DVD releases.
They are not the greatest achievement in film making by no means, but they are technically proficient and are just part of the learning experience for me to go on to the next indie film I want to make.
Working on these two film projects were the most educational times of my life. After working on them I was hooked as an indie film maker.
In the next chapters of this blogg I will start with making movies on the cheap with low end cameras and inexpensive software.The conversation will progress into what ever direction it seams fit to go into. But it will be about the being creative and not being blocked by the expense of hi tech gadgetry. Though I will discuss all valid means of making movies and short stories. I will not hold back on my opinions if I know it is valid enough to talk about.
my name is Nicholas and welcome to my blog!
I should have started this one a long time ago. Well, better now than never.
A bit about myself...
My daytime job is:
I'm currently a SR Director of Product Design and Concept Development for PDP. Performance Designed Products. I manage an uber talented group of artist and designers that create accessories for the video game, mobile and consumer electronics industry. Cool and fun stuff!
My nighttime job is:
I'm a virtual reality enthusiast, product designer and tinkerer/maker that specializes in using digital tools for use in product design and collectible industries. I also moonlight as an independent film maker. It is safe for me to say my passion is more for film and the related world around it.
Before PDP I worked at Walt Disney Imagineering as a designer, Show Producer and Blue-Sky prototype developer.
Other employers...
Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, DreamWorks, Universal Studios.
The list goes on...
I have been working behind closed doors and on secretive projects for big companies for so many years. I have been exploited by the best of the best and have toiled away for the little mom and pop establishments, all this time just being a good down to earth team player. I have loved every bit of it. I have been fortunate enough to make money doing what I want to do and to be creative and have fun doing it! Work isn't really work when you can have passion for what you do and have fun doing it too.
Now I am at that point in my life where I am ready to share my insights and experiences for what it may be worth..
This blog is for the curious people seeking a different point of view, a different perspective on the creative process. A non orthodox view of doing things. I'm going to share my thoughts about creativity, inspiration and how to problem solve past the roadblocks. I will talk about making movies and art directing video games and designing theme parks and whole lot of other seemingly non related projects. Non related they may seem, but non the less connected to the overall created process called imagination. We will peer out of the box and observe the non conventional approach to creative thinking. We will talk about techniques long lost and forgotten that were once used before the digital age took hold. Techniques that are rarely used and can be applied to today's film making process.
You know the cliche...there is more than one way to skin a cat and so goes it... there is more than one way to approach a creative problem, especially when it comes to making a movie. In today's technology and internet driven society there are more opportunities to realize a project than there ever have been in the history of film making and even story telling for the printed page. And just as there are more opportunities, there are more roadblocks to overcome.
In my career I have probably worked on over 200 film projects from both behind and in front of camera. The thing is, I was hired to work on these projects. I took advantage of this in one big way...I observed and learned the process of making a movie.
Today I have two indie films under my belt that I am partly responsible for. I didn't write or direct them, but I played a major role on each one of them and I am part owner of them.
One is an animated feature film called "AeroTroopers".
The other is a horror film called "Dead and Gone" Both have been direct to DVD releases.
They are not the greatest achievement in film making by no means, but they are technically proficient and are just part of the learning experience for me to go on to the next indie film I want to make.
Working on these two film projects were the most educational times of my life. After working on them I was hooked as an indie film maker.
In the next chapters of this blogg I will start with making movies on the cheap with low end cameras and inexpensive software.The conversation will progress into what ever direction it seams fit to go into. But it will be about the being creative and not being blocked by the expense of hi tech gadgetry. Though I will discuss all valid means of making movies and short stories. I will not hold back on my opinions if I know it is valid enough to talk about.
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