DSLR Dynamics Video Tour Review (2013)

I was excited to attend the DSLR Dynamics Video Tour today at the Seattle Hilton, which was held from 9 AM till 6 PM. As longtime blog readers/listeners know, I’ve been working hard on improving my video work and finally feel like it’s getting to the point where it’s pretty respectable. Having experienced some excellent photography workshops before, I was optimistic that this workshop would help me build my skill set. The class was run by Mitch from Planet 5D and cinematographer Barry Anderson. I paid about $160 for the class and attended the first 8 out of 9 hours of the class, along with 10 other people.

Firstly, let me say I have the utmost respect for both Mitch/Planet 5D (a resource I’ve used time and time again) and Barry, whose e-book provides an excellent overview of DSLR filmmaking. I can also say that if you have never shot DSLR video before, this class offers a great survey about the history and basics of the process.

That being said, the opening five hours were overview of the concept of DSLR filmmaking, including a detailed run down of things like what lens you should buy, what camera body you should buy, as well as the basics of shutter speed, shutter angle, aperture, and ISO. This was followed by discussions on basic lighting equipment, basic sound concepts, a sales pitch from Spyder4, and some basic tips and tricks for post-production. If all of that sounds like it would interest you, then this is totally the class for you.

In general, the workshop was frustrating to me personally for a variety of reasons. Primarily, I already knew most of the things discussed on the agenda, and I imagine that many of my colleagues also did (most had already shot video professionally, or at least had done photography professionally). Secondly, it felt to me like the vast majority of this information is easily available online. Sites like Philip Bloom, LearningDSLRVideo, nofilmschool, DLSRvideoshooter, Film Riot, Vincent Laforet, and yes, Planet5D already give you a lot of the information that is provided in this class.

It is pretty clear that they are still working out the kinks of this presentation, both from a content perspective and from a delivery perspective. On numerous occasions, Barry and Mitch did not take pretty clear social cues from the class about where we wanted the class to go. For instance, at one point, Barry went into a section about the use of circular polarizers and asked the class whether they had ever used polarizers before. Every one in the class had used one before! So why continue to spend time describing the benefits and showing examples (which is what happened)? Just move it along.

I have to confess, I’m a bit puzzled by who the target market of this workshop is. Presumably, if you’re a follower of websites like Planet5D, which was a part of the desired audience here, you already know a great deal about the benefits of DSLR filmmaking as well as much of the basics. I mean, we’re talking about a site that details how to implement the latest Magic Lantern Hack on your Canon 5D Mark III. You don’t learn about that unless you are already ready to take things to the next level. This workshop provides an extremely broad but shallow survey of the world of DSLR filmmaking. As a result, it doesn’t end up doing any one particular thing very well. This is in stark contrast with the Strobist workshops, which only focus on off-camera lighting but are incredibly informative. To be most effective, this class needs to decide what it wants to be and who it is for.

I still have fond memories of the life-changing seminar I took with legendary photographer Jerry Ghionis. That was a class that catered to both beginners and people who had been doing photography for decades. Ghionis’s sheer skill and the strength of his presentation skills and charisma made it so that everyone could learn something. I did not feel like this workshop lived up to that level, though the vast difference in price between the two workshops helps to ease that pain.

It wasn’t all bad. Barry is a very engaging instructor and clearly knows his stuff. Plus I got some solid gear recommendations out of the proceedings. Nonetheless, there are a few simple things that I feel could have improved the class significantly:

I think the class would’ve been dramatically improved if the instructors had been a little bit more serious about asking what the class’s needs were. For instance, while Mitch did survey the class and ask about what their experiences were (e.g. have you shot photos before? Video?), that Q&A took literally 1-2 minutes and it felt like none of that feedback was integrated into the class. If nobody needs to learn what aperture and shutter speed are, then maybe spend that 1-2 hours on something the class would find more valuable?
The format of the class could use a lot of work. 80-90% of the class is a powerpoint presentation, with either Barry or Mitch talking directly at the audience. For a trade that requires as much activity and hands-on know-how as videography, this is a huge disappointment. For instance, why not spend more time shooting rather than talking about shooting? The lack of showing (rather than telling) was mind-boggling to me. The class began at 9 AM. There wasn’t any demonstration with real-world equipment until 3:30 PM, when Barry did a lighting lesson.
By far the best components of the workshop were when Barry and Mitch spoke from real-world experience. They would occasionally show footage and then discuss what went into making it. This was totally fascinating. Barry’s experience in particular was truly insightful, as he has worked on a variety of productions of differing scope. The prospect of getting a mentored is one of the reasons why people might come to something like this in person. More of this, please.
The lack of audience participation was a missed opportunity. Presumably, a lot of the audience members had already shot videos before. Why not allow them to share videos and open them up for critique? This is pretty standard for these types of workshops, and I firmly believe it would’ve been more useful than learning what aperture is.

It is easy to criticize (I would know). Conversely, it’s difficult to design a workshop that will be useful and applicable to wide swaths of people of varying skill levels. I truly believe that with the level of skill behind this project, it is possible to put together an amazing class that is beneficial for everyone. I hope the DSLR Dynamics Video Tour improves in the years to come and that it enables people to tell some great stories. But in my opinion, it is not there quite yet.

Shooting the 2013 NW Chocolate Festival

I had the pleasure of shooting the Northwest Chocolate Festival this weekend, which was held at the Seattle Convention Center. Amazing chocolate and some really interesting people there, many of whom are using chocolate as a means of changing the world.

Some footage was shot at 60fps, and slowed down to 24fps (the final framerate of the video). All footage was graded using FilmConvert. Beyond my Canon 5D Mark III, here’s the other equipment that I used to make this video happen:

Manfrotto 561B monopod – When I was just doing photography, I never thought I’d ever spend over $200 on a monopod. But as I’ve entered the video world, I’ve started to see what an amazing deal this Manfrotto monopod is. It’s lighter and more compact than a tripod, and allows you the flexibility to get shots that even tripods might not be able to get. Highly recommended. I can’t imagine living without it!

Kamerar 23″ slider – Bought this slider on the recommendation of Caleb Pike and it is really cheap, as far as sliders go (most other options are at least double this much, and often run into the $500-800 range). As a result of its cheapness, it often needs some finessing to get a decent shot – and by finessing, I mean many, many attempts at the same shot. The slider is a bit flimsy so making sure it’s balanced correctly and positioned for an even slide throughout can take some doing. But the lightness also works in its favor. It’s easy to carry around all day, slap it down on a table, and get to work.

Kinotehnik LCDVF Viewfinder – Essential for helping to make sure you’re in focus, but attaches to the camera using a magnetic stripe that you glue around the LCD screen. In use, I found that it fell off really easily with only minor disturbance. Still, can’t really beat it at the price.

24-70mm EF lens (1st gen) – This lens is rapidly becoming the bane of my existence. I have always had sharpness issues with this lens. Coupled with shooting in Flaat 10 Picture Style, this has often made focusing very difficult. I’m thinking of investing in alternate options but there are just so many that I’m having a difficult time deciding which one. But the fundamental problem is that none of the footage is ever remarkable. However, it’s always at least usable. It’s a trustworthy lens, but I can never take any shots that I think are particularly interesting. Thus, inertia keeps me from changing my setup.

Currently on my list of possible replacements: the Canon 24mm f/1.4 and the Sigma 35mm f1/.4. I’m also on the lookout for a Canon 135mm f/2, which I’ve heard has unparalleled sharpness. I’d like to move to primes to shoot as they are lighter and offer better optics, but just waiting for the right deal for this to come through.

70-200mm USM II lens – Spectacular lens that has served me well since forever. Probably the last zoom lens I’ll ever buy.

Zoom H4n – Acquired 3-4 years ago, this thing is still going strong. Used the onboard mics (90 degree mode), positioned close to the subject, to capture the audio for all the interviews.

Rode Videomic (1st gen) – Not a terribly good microphone, but good for getting a scratch track and a decent backup when all else fails.

***

In all, it was a pretty run-and-gun setup. But for five hours of shooting and a few hours of editing, I think the video came out pretty nicely! Your thoughts welcome.

Shooting Amazing Footage on the Cheap

Philip Bloom has been running a series of articles/videos by David Kong about how to shoot amazing video with very little equipment or budget. Here’s a video that Kong shot using only $1000 of equipment (including the camera):

Here’s part 1 of his tutorial:

Here’s part 2:

[Evidently there will be three more parts. I’ll try to update this post when those post but in any case, these two videos already cover a TON of useful info]

I love the whole ethos of this series. Too often, people can get caught up in the consumerist mindset in the world of videography/photography. As someone who has experienced this personally, I can say that it’s really tempting to spend days just watching/reading reviews, researching gear, and dreaming about the possibilities. And while good gear can help you achieve great results, the truth is that if you have at least a Canon T2i ($500) and a decent lens, you can create wonderful stuff.

It’s incredibly easy to use lack of gear as an excuse to get out there and shoot. I’ve tried to counteract that temptation by just doing everything I can to shoot a video on a regular basis. Shooting with what I have (a very capable Canon 5D Mark III) helps me to appreciate what is possible with it.

That being said, I am nonetheless still planning on a future post detailing the agonizing decision-making process behind purchasing my next video camera 🙂

How Ain’t It Cool’s Kickstarter Reveals a Major Flaw in Kickstarter’s System

Harry Knowles’s Ain’t It Cool News helped inaugurate the modern era of film fan sites. With its enthusiastic reviews, its incredible scoops, and its roster of talented film writers, Knowles helped create the template for a lot of what fans read on the internet today (including the film site I currently work for). While AICN has fallen on hard times as of late, it’s still going strong with boatloads of readers.

Recently, Knowles has taken to Kickstarter to try to raise money for his web series, “Ain’t It Cool with Harry Knowles.” That show aired on the Nerdist network for 30 episodes but was turned down for a follow-up season, so Knowles is now hoping his fan base will kick in some cash to keep the dream alive. I have a lot of thoughts on the show itself and its viability as an ongoing concern, but that’s not the focus of my post today. Instead, I wanted to highlight how Knowles’ Kickstarter project reveals one of Kickstarter’s major flaws.

When Knowles posted on his website about the Kickstarter, he was inundated with comments, the vast majority of which were nasty and vitriolic. That Talkback thread has now spawned over 16,000 comments, a massive number even by the site’s standards. The top-voted comment reads partially as follows: “WHY SHOULD ANY ONE FUND THIS? The ‘first season’ was just a vanity project for you – all about you, starring you, about you and your fabulous toys which you have and no one else does and we’re supposed to envy you. Any guest who came on who had accomplished more than you from humble roots you shit on.”

On a fundamental level, it’s fascinating that so many people who are regulars on Ain’t It Cool seem to vehemently hate the person who created it all. The Kickstarter talkback is a murderer’s row of users who have built up a lot of bitterness and resentment for what appears to be decades. The high asking price on the Kickstarter project is just their latest excuse for unleashing a verbal beatdown on Knowles. Reading through the comments, it’s difficult not to feel bad for Knowles, despite the potential veracity of the accusations hurled at him.

I was also struck by another realization. To my knowledge, Kickstarter has no (public) answer to the following question:

How do you stop people from manipulating Kickstarter in order to actively destroy your project?

If you visit the comments section of the AICN Kickstarter, you’ll find even more hatred from some of the project’s “backers.” In fact, at least one of the backers is clearly pledging massive amounts of money (i.e. in the thousands) with the clear intention of retracting that pledge later.

Why is this a problem? Here’s a graph of Pledge Distribution over of the life of a project, which Kickstarter itself generated:

According to Kickstarter, “As the graph illustrates, funding tends to cluster around the very beginning and very end of a campaign. There’s a logic to this. When a project launches the creator’s most fervent fans rush to show their support. And as time runs out, people who have been sitting on the sidelines are motivated to finally take action.”

Users who pledge massive amounts of money may seem totally legitimate at first. But Kickstarter gives them the option to retract those pledges or lower those amounts at any time. By pledging with the intention of retracting, users can effectively sabotage the Kickstarter by significantly lowering the urgency for people to pledge.

With less than 48 hours to go (and a project length of 30 days), Knowles’ Kickstarter hasn’t even reached its 2/3rds funding point, meaning he likely will not come close to his goal. Thus, the prospect that some of Knowles haters could significantly influence the outcome is pretty unlikely. Nonetheless, if the project had come closer, then a pack of his detractors could have easily led this project to a different outcome.

There aren’t really any easy fixes on Kickstarter for this, but one that jumps to mind is the ability to “lock in” pledges a certain amount of time before the project has expired. This way, if people are going to play the retraction game, at least the project owners still has a significant amount of time to get the money they need. But no solutions are optimal. As Kickstarter starts to experience more diverse “user scenarios,” I hope they’ll move quickly to solve problems like this.

Update: Scott in the comments points out that protection like this is already in place, but it is only for the final 24 hours and only if the pledge reduction doesn’t drop the project below its goal. I don’t feel this is adequate given the gaming that we are seeing here, but at least it is something.

Update 2: In a fairly stunning turn of events, the Kickstarter project is now fully funded. The project received over $60,000 worth of funding in under 48 hours. That is staggering. Worth noting: Average donation was $166/pledge (average across Kickstarter = $75/pledge). Plus, based on the rewards that were claimed, we can calculate that around $42,500 was donated by 10 people.

An Interview with Dave Porter

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview composer Dave Porter this evening. Dave Porter has crafted all the original music for Breaking Bad, including the now-iconic theme, and his work has been essential to making Breaking Bad the legendary show that it’s become. You can head over to /Film to download the interview, or listen to it below.

This is one of my favorite pieces of content that I’ve had pleasure to produce. Ever.

Black Magic MFT Cinema Camera – Test Footage

Last night, I had the unique opportunity to try out the relatively new Black Magic Cinema Camera with Micro 4/3rds mount. Local /Filmcaster Sam Kelly was kind enough to offer me an in-person tutorial. We met at Hilliard’s Beer in Ballard, which was hosting one of their many motorcycle meetups and just shot a bunch of footage in ProRes HQ. This is the result.

This footage was shot using SLR Magic prime lenses, then graded using FilmConvert. My first reaction to this video is: WOW! Shooting in ProRes gives you SO much more flexibility in post than anything that comes out of my DLRs. Details that might have otherwise been lost in shadows and highlights can be easily “pushed.” The video just has a “filmic” look that I’ve occasionally struggled to achieve with my DSLR footage. And FilmConvert works spectacularly with the BMCC “Film” Picture Style, which is what I used.

All that being said, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera is pretty clunky in a bunch of ways. The LCD screen makes it fairly challenging to focus, and the focus peaking overlay is sketchy at best, in terms of accuracy. The lens mount on the MFT version of this camera is passive, which is fine in theory but I didn’t like that there was no aperture reading on the screen that tracked with my adjustments. The lack of removable battery and the lack of charge in the existing battery means that an external battery solution is a must.

The firmware still has a lot of shortcomings. For instance, the inability to format your media or delete clips would probably drive me insane in the long term.

But in the end, when we’re talking about images of this quality for under $2000? I don’t think I will be able to resist purchasing one for much longer…

Big thanks to Sam for letting me play with this amazing camera, and to Hotels and Highways for the use of their song “People Have Spoken.”

The Wedding of Josh and Erin

I was honored to film the wedding of Josh and Erin this weekend (Erin, the bride, was coincidentally also in attendance at the last wedding I shot). The wedding was held at the scenic Kerry Park in Seattle. I did not attend the reception.

This video was shot on a Canon 5D Mark III with a Manfrotto 561BHDV-1 Fluid Video Monopod. Audio was recording separately using the onboard mics on a Zoom H4n. Song is “You Are Mine” (Instrumental) by Spencer Combs, licensed from The Music Bed.

I’m very pleased with how the video turned out, in particular from a color grading perspective. Again, I used FilmConvert while shooting on a Flaat 10 picture style. Every time I use FilmConvert, I feel like I get a better sense of what to expect from it – where I can push the software, and where I need to back off or avoid using it altogether. That being said, from a color/sharpness/composition perspective, there are a few shots in this video that rise to a level of excellence I’m very pleased with.

Also, on the video advice of Philip Bloom, I actually added a sharpening filter to most of the shots in this video. I think it really makes a huge difference; shots are crisper and have a lot more pop to them, only without the aliasing that would come from doing this on almost any of Canon’s other lower-end DSLRs. The lack of moire and aliasing on the 5D Mark III is truly freeing, and makes it difficult for me to want to shoot serious videos with my 60D anymore.

Nike+ Fuelband Video Review

I’m a huge admirer of The Verge. While I often don’t agree with their opinions, I appreciate that they put a lot of thoughtfulness and classiness into the site’s design and content. I’m particularly appreciative of David Pierce‘s reviews, which are always filmed, edited, and narrated beautifully, with a blistering pace.

It was with this in mind that I tried shooting my very first video review. Here it is:

Obviously the Fuelband has been out for almost two years now, but I’ve only recently hopped on the measuring-everything-you-do bandwagon, so thought it was a good as product as any to try my hand at shooting/editing/narrating a review video. A few thoughts on the final product:

Wow, this really gave me an appreciation for what goes into a video review. Specifically, I didn’t think through precisely how important matching the narration to the video would be. This is considerably easier when you’re doing a review where the reviewer is on camera and speaking to the audience – no matching footage required. On that note…
As you can probably tell, I did not shoot enough b-roll. Very simple to fix; I just didn’t have enough time to take care of it this time around.
I didn’t even bother color-correcting the video, as it was shot in a variety of different environments with different color temperatures. As a casual exercise, I didn’t want to take the time to fix this, especially seeing as how it was shot on a normal DSLR.

Technical flaws aside, my question to you: Did the review help? Did it strengthen your understanding of whether or not you want to buy a Fuelband? And would you want to see more of them?

Thanks to Eva for modeling the Fuelband in the video!