DSLR vs. 35mm Film!

In case you missed the tweet, Zacuto are hosting a spectacular event on March 24th.
The DSLR Vs. Film shootout!

For details, check the trailer here: http://vimeo.com/10238227

So now we wait...

The DIY Rig Project (contd...)

Made the rail system today. Well, when I say 'made', I kinda mean 'cobbled together some junk and hope my cam doesn't fall of it at some crucial moment'!




Next stop: The Follow-focus...

The DIY Rig Project...

Part 1: The Matte Box.

I'm working to an incredibly small budget right now and the new camera and accessories pretty well wiped me out. So, being the resourceful bugger that I am, I popped to my local DIY store and grabbed a handful of materials.

I'm making a fully railed rig with follow-focus, matte box (with filter holder) and a slider. All of which will be tripod mountable.

To get things moving, I started with the matte box. Cut from a gas fire installation plate (a light guage aluminium) and held together with a combination of 2mm pop-rivets and m6 bolts. The bolts are currently 25mm and have large, unattractive wing-nuts but I'm on the lookout for 20mm replacements and some prettier anodised thumb-screw-type nuts. Meanwhile, cost is more important than looks.




Next step will be the rail system with mounts to support the camera body and matte box. Then I'll work on the integrated filter holder. Finally, I'll make a follow-focus to fit the rails.

Keep posted for the next instalment.

The best 59p I ever spent?

I found a fabulous app the other day called Tiltshift (http://imimux.com/tiltshift/).
It's available on the iPhone or as a mac application (not sure if there's a windows version).

I could harp on about its incredible image processing capabilities or the wonderful effects it renders, or I could just post some photos below and let you see for yourself...

BEFORE:



AFTER:






Yes it's silly.
Yes it'll be easy to over-use.
But hey, it's a whole lot of fun!

Vimeo group established

We now have a group at Vimeo.
Look forward to seeing you there.

To cast, or not to cast!

The casting breakdown went out yesterday for the latest project (where would we be without PCR)!

As the CVs and headshots come in I’m struck with how similar this is to recruiting staff in an office…

Some emails simply state “Oi! Here’s me headshot, have a gander” (I’m paraphrasing but you get the idea). Now amongst these mails are some headshots which look right for the roles, but…

On the other hand, there’s the odd email which is well crafted and before I even get to the link to the dreaded headshot I’m putting this person in the ‘to be considered’ pile.

If you’re planning on applying for a role, it pays to take a moment to consider the quality of your introductory message.

A

Awaiting delivery...

I couldn't resist it any longer. The EOS 550d looks too good to be true so the credit card has been dusted off and I'm now waiting for the postman to knock in a few days time.

Since I'll be using the almost camera exclusively for filmmaking, I went for the body-only option and will be adding some old Zeis primes with the help of Canon AF -> M42+1 and Canon AF -> K-mount adaptors.

Contrast can be a little high with these old lenses and highlights a little more prone to clipping but I find the flatter colours more pleasing than canon's warmer EF range.

So now I wait...

Canon redefines the boundaries of the consumer DSLR with the EOS 550D

Happy days for the HDSLR Filmmaker:

EOS Movies: Full HD video with creative control

"As the ability to record Full HD video becomes increasingly important, Canon continues to deliver DSLR technology that sets the industry benchmark for multimedia functionality. The EOS 550D records video in full 1920x1080p HD resolution, allowing photographers to select the frame rate preferred from 30, 25 and 24fps, as well as offering 720p video at 60 and 50fps. The EOS 550D also includes a 3.5mm stereo microphone socket, enabling the use of an external microphone when capturing video.



Photographers can also take manual control over exposure settings, changing the depth of field and degree of motion blur to shoot more creatively. To provide the best possible video quality, highlight tone priority (HTP) can be set independently for movie capture, without changing any still image capture settings."

Official Canon Press Release


So what does this mean for us?

In a nutshell, it means the world of low budget digital filmmaking will again be turned on its head as the sub £1000 Canon EOS 550d with an image quality to rival many £10k+ units hits the shelves on Feb 24th.

Its sensor is comparable in size to the EOS 7d and its video compression and bitrate are the same h.264 codec dumping 330MB/min at 1920 × 1080 making this a formidable new member to the Canon HDSLR range. Nikon have a lot to learn from this model.

Much of the price reduction comes from a lack of stills photography features found on the 7d such as its twin processors and 100% viewfinder (the 550d boasts 95% viewfinder coverage). That said, many of the 7d’s video features have cascaded down to this model.

Most noteworthy are its:

1. Revised 3” lcd which now has a widescreen format, 1.04 million dots 100% sensor coverage
   
2. Dedicated start/stop video button.
   
3. Recording speeds of 24, 25 and 30 frames per second at 1080p (30,60 fps at 720p)

With a feature-set this strong, and a price point this low, there really is no excuse to not grab the bargain of the year and dig out that screenplay you’ve been dying to make a reality.
Film schools across the country should be filled with these great new cameras!