Not Afraid! » Indie Resources

Putting my money where my mouth is

Not Afraid! — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:37:49 +0000

Meet the new addition to the Not Afraid! family, the Canon 7D DSLR. I first mentioned these hybrid HD video/still camera’s in my post Don’t Wait, where I espoused the virtue of shooting with what you’ve got and can afford, and not waiting for the next amazing camera or firmware that may or may not ever see the light of day. (Yes I’m hinting about Scarlet.) As the old saying goes a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. But that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade when the timing is right.

Up until now, for our smaller or personal projects Not Afraid! has been relying on the venerable Canon XL2 which has never let us down. It’s an amazing standard definition camera, that creates excellent results and continues to hold it’s value pretty well, which is what actually helped make the decision to switch to the 7D ironically. You see for what I sold my XL2 for, I was able to step up to a High-Definition 7D with money left over to buy Zoom H4n or a Tascam DR100 (Jury’s still out on that purchase), and no longer needed to fiddle with my clunky old LetusXL depth of field adapter (which I also sold), to get that film look.

I also had the luxury of knowing I didn’t have a serious project booked to shoot until after I finish work on Universal’s new King Kong 360 3D attraction, giving me plenty of time to learn, play, and test the camera before shooting the next Not Afraid! short film, The Specimen. (More details on that soon.)

Many of you who have been following the video DSLR movement may be asking, “Why buy the 7D, when the new Rebel T2i has come out for half the price, with all the video features of the 7D?” Others may also be thinking, “Why not the 5D Mark II, getting the benefit of a full frame sensor now that the new firmware has been released adding 24P?”

The reasoning came down to the fact that the 7D hits the sweet spot for me in price, ergonomics, and functionality. While the 5D has the full frame sensor and the new 24P features, it’s missing 60P for slow motion, that dedicated video button, and costs nearly a $1000 more. In addition I already own a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens APS-c only lens, which I can’t use with the 5D. So in addition to the up front cost of the camera, I’d also have to invest in new lenses. While the Rebel T2i is about $900 less than the 7D, and has an APS-c sensor compatible with my existing lenses, it’s made of plastic, lacks the quick control wheel and other ergonomics of the 7D, making you have to dive through menus to get to all the controls. That time lost can be a deal-breaker on a set. There’s also early reports show the T2i overheating more quickly than the 7D, not to mention that it’s still not available in a body only configuration yet. Finally, I got a screaming deal on the 7D by buying it refurbished from Adorama camera halving the cost differential with the T2i. A no brainer.

I’ve had the 7D for about a week now. The imagery from the camera looks great, and I’m enjoying the flexibility of lens choices and the sensitivity to light that I couldn’t get with the light sucking 35mm Depth of Field adapter. I plan on continuing to blog about my experiences getting to know the cameras tricks, quirks, and issues, as well as examining the required accessories like the audio recorders I mention above. I shot some tests over the weekend trying out different methodologies for getting a flat or Raw look out the camera that gives me the most latitude in post for color correction. I’ll be posting those theories and results in a subsequent post in the next few days, but so far so good.

New Kid on the Digital Cinema Block

Not Afraid! — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:24:41 +0000

Move over RED ONE and Silicon Imaging there’s a new kid in town. Ikonoskop a Swedish company known for small form factor 16mm cameras introduces an HD Raw digital film camera the A-cam dII

This small file based camera sports a Super 16MM sized CCD sensor with global shutter. That means no jello-cam on fast moving shots like you might see on the CMOS based Red One, SI-2k or even the Sony EX-1.

The camera specs from their website:

Image size	1920 x 1080 pixels
Format	Individual files in RAW sequences. DNG format
Colour depth	12 bit
File size	3,5 MB/frame in RAW
Sensor	CCD: 10,6 mm x 6 mm (Super-16)
Framerate	1 – 60 fps
Sound	2 channel 48 kHz
Timecode	5 pol. Lemo SMTPE
Video output	Monitor and HDMI
Data output	USB 2.0
Power	7,2 V in, or onboard Sony NP-F770
Lens	Ikonoskop 9mm f/1.5 cine lens
Body	Milled aluminum
Measures	222 mm x 91,5 mm x 83 mm
Lensmount	PL, Leica M, IMS and C-mount
Threads	3/8″ and 1/4″
Weight	Less than 1,5 kg incl. memory cartridge and battery

Special features:
1:1 pixel zoom in viewfinder while recording for checking focus. Histogram. Preview monitor on right side for directors and sound people.

The preliminary price is €6.950 (about US$9,800) and includes 1 battery, 1 Ikonoskop 9mm lens and 1 Ikonoskop 80GB Memory Cartridge.

I love the fact that they are using the open standard of DNG files (pioneered by the folks at Adobe) , though a workflow will still need to be developed.

This doesn’t get you the resolution or depth of field characteristics of a Red One, but is a great alternative for 16MM film productions, or low budget independents who still can’t afford a Red with all it’s required accessories. I’m glad to see the revolution continues. We’ll all benefit from it.

A shout out to Stu Maschwitz for posting first!

UPDATE: now with video:

Red In the Wild

Paul — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 23:17:00 +0000

Red has begun shipping. The first 25 production units, are now out in the wild., and stirring up a frenzy.

If you’re looking for footage or image captures you can as always check out Reduser.net for the latest images, info, gripes, and praise.

Also check out FX Guides unboxing, and subsequent notes and image captures with unit production unit #22.

And FreshDV has links to many others, which I link to instead of repeating their work. As I’ve already discussed, cameras like this will change the production paradigm forever.

The Revolution Continues…

Paul — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:19:00 +0000

Speaking of RED, and more importantly the idea of getting high quality, high resolution image acquisition gear at a modest budget, enter Stu Maschwitz, film-maker, technologist, and author of the DV Rebel’s Guide who has taken this concept to the next level.

That rig on his shoulder (photo courtesy of Stu’s blog Prolost), is capable of recording full 1080p resolution images with 35mm film depth of field at the true progressive film cadence of 24 frames per second (fps) and can be put together for roughly ~$4,000. Yep $4K give or take a few hundred dollars worth of accessories. That’s not a type-o.

The system is what may be the perfect Digital Video Rebel camera rig, for those who want high quality HD images but still can’t afford a RED or Silicon Imaging Rig with all the accoutrements.

What you see here is a Canon HV20 HDV camera. A consumer HDV camera that has an impressive 1920×1080 CMOS sensor capable of recording progressive scan images at 24 frames per second (24P). Street price ~$1000. However as a consumer camera the lens and level of image and exposure control is pretty lax. Enter the Red Rock Micro M2 35mm adapter. Street price around $550 for the adapter, $2500 tricked out with rails and what not. This adapter attaches to the front of the camera and creates a new 35mm sized imaging plane that the HV20 focuses on. Once set, you can use traditional 35mm SLR lenses (Stu is using a Nikor 50mm f1.4 lens here) to enhance the optics and regain the image controls not available on the HV20. So now you’ve got high quality 35mm lens optics with the depth of field that goes with it being sent to the HV20 image sensor and then out digitally to disk or tape. Essentially the same concept as the RED or Silicon 2K, and only maxed out at HD resolution and without variable frame rates. But still, pair it up on Red Rocks’s prototype shoulder rig and follow focus like this:

Or create your own with a Spiderbrace, or DV Multirig, and some rails, and you’ve got yourself one pretty damn nice HD film-making rig. If you hook it all up on set via HDMI to a Mac or PC with a $250 Blackmagic Intensity card you can even record uncompressed HD just like the big boys. Cineform’s even announced support to record directly to their format (via HDMI) just like the Silicon 2K.

Sure there are limitations. [EDIT, Stu defines the nitty gritty of those limitations after the shoot here.]

You still have fairly lousy shutter control on the camera, and unless you shoot tethered to a computer you are recording to HDV which is highly compressed, but still capable of getting stellar results, and a quick YouTube search will bring up a number of examples.

I’ll update this post with Stu’s footage if/when he posts it. [EDIT: No footage but stills are here:]

For more information on the Canon HV20, and to ask real world questions check out the forums at:

http://www.hv20.com

http://canoncinema.com/

DVinfo.net
http://rebelsguide.com/forum/

Moby Gets It

Paul — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:50:00 +0000

Artist and composer, Moby, best known for his house music, but no stranger to film and tv production (see his credits here) is getting in on the Indi-film action by offering free music for use indie productions.

this portion of moby.com, ‘film music’, is for independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video, or short.

the music is free as long as it’s being used in a non-commercial or non-profit film, video, or short.if you want to use it in a commercial film or short then you can apply for an easy license, with any money that’s generated being given to the humane society.

So free music for your not-for-profits, and charitable licensing for the for-profits. All in all not a a bad deal. Check it out at: http://www.mobygratis.com/

And thanks to FreshDV for pointing me in the right direction.

The “Film” Revolution

The “Film” Revolution

Paul — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:24:00 +0000

The internet is always abuzz with hype on the latest and greatest video cameras and software innovations. If it wasn’t for paying work you’d see me blogging daily on bleeding edge digital video technology. As it is, I have to earn a living and so I leave the news gathering for the most part to the excellent blogs, DV Guru and HD for Indies. Subscribe to their RSS feeds and you’ll get more digital video news than you can handle.

One of their favorite topics of late is the RED camera. Considered the Holy Grail of independent digital video cameras, the RED sports some impressive specs not the least of which is 4K+ resolution at up to 60 progressive fps (The frame rate goes up to 120 fps as you lower resolution in the camera head).

To put that in perspective, its sensor is almost the same resolution and size as the lauded Panavision Genesis used to shoot Superman Returns. However what makes RED truly impressive is that it outputs full 4K resolution files, while Genesis downgrades everything to 10-bit log 1080p. While 10 bit log 444 1080p is no slouch (in fact I’d be happy to shoot a feature with the Genesis), it’s only about a ¼ of the potential resolution of it’s sensor and what RED can output as RAW files. Oh and did I mention that the RED sells for only $17,500 and can use almost any standard Super 35mm or 16mm film lens while maintaining the same depth of field characteristics…?

Now that you’re all drooling lets face facts that RED still hasn’t been released, and their website only gives an ambiguous “early 2007” date. That’s not stopping them from releasing some footage and images on their website, or organizing the first public screening of their footage, which takes place next week in Santa Monica. If this camera lives up to what it boasts, it’s going to make things very interesting in the coming months.

Another camera bursting onto the indie film scene is Silicon Imaging’s SI-2K camera. This camera is 2K resolution (slightly better than HD) and captures direct to disk at 24 fps at its highest resolution and up to 72 fps at 720p HD using Cineform’s proprietary RAW 10-bit intermediate wavelet codec. This necessitates the need to edit with Adobe Premiere Pro which has been the red-headed step child of NLE’s for years, but has matured of late and really isn’t a bad system.

UPDATE 11/9/06: I have learned that this camera can also record RAW Uncompressed 12-bit content that can be exported to DPX or DNG frame sequences. These can be wrapped in QT and used in Final Cut Pro or other editing systems.

One thing that Silicon Imaging’s camera has over the RED camera is that it currently exists. The film Spoon was shot with this camera, and the workflow, trials, and tribulations are detailed on the Indie Film Live blog. I also had the opportunity to see this camera up close and personal last week at HD Expo. After cursing myself for forgetting my digital camera to snap some pics, I examined the camera head and it’s remarkably small size and high image quality. They had the camera head only version on display which requires a laptop or other PC connected via gigabit Ethernet to record, but also have an integrated solution. They have images and WMV-HD files you can view on their website to see for your self. At packages starting at around $12,000 they’ll be giving RED a run for their money.

Now how does all this relate to the title of the blog entry and more importantly to you? Well simple, these tools are going to change the landscape of independent film production forever.

With the introduction of cameras at this resolution at these prices, and ever quicker and more powerful non linear editing desktop computers, it’s going to be easier than ever to make a feature film on a modest budget that looks like a Hollywood blockbuster. At 4k and 2k resolutions with the ability to use standard cine style film lens, we’re talking Hollywood caliber camera equipment finally within the grasp of the grassroots filmmaker. It’s a democratization of film production where for a percentage of the cost of a Hollywood feature film, you can get a RED or Silicon Imaging camera, couple it with a PC or Mac with your favorite NLE software and make a 4K or 2K resolution movie ready to distribute for film-out, digital projection, HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray whichever wins the format war), or standard DVD and you’ll never have had to even look at a Hollywood Studio. This technology coupled with an independently financed production model will turn Hollywood on its ear. These tools bringing the costs down enables storytellers not to need a big studio to finance their story. No studio means no studio notes. No studio notes means filmmakers will be able to try quirkier, weirder, more experimental methods of storytelling. It’ll be a film revolution fought in the trenches by independent filmmakers, and the viewing public will reap the benefits of new and interesting storytelling.

Now, I’m not saying a camera alone makes all the difference. You’ll still need a group of talented collaborators to work with, and a fantastic script to guide you. And sure, the accessibility of the technology and the proliferation of cheaply produced films will likely produce a whole lot of stinkers… but there will be those diamonds in the rough from trailblazing, innovative filmmakers who might have never gotten the opportunity to make a film without this technology. They will change the landscape of film as we know it.

Are you ready for the revolution?

[EDIT - HD For Indies just posted a head to head in depth comparison of the cameras and workflow. A must read. Check it out.]

johnaugust.com » As it turns out, I could care less

Paul — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:08:00 +0000

John August, who I look forward to hearing speak at this week-ends Austin Film Festival had this interesting point of view on the transition from screenwriting to directing: As it turns out, I could care less.

“I think part of being a writer, or an actor, is letting yourself feel things without judgment. A director leads an army into battle; a screenwriter leads characters into danger. They’re vastly different jobs, which require different temperaments. ”

For any storyteller considering directing, or anyone who wonders why it seems nearly all film-makers are assholes this is a must read.

No related posts.

Evolutionary biology meets screenwriting

Paul — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:28:00 +0000

Just finishing off my Monday morning blog reading. I love Craig Mazin. First, the writers utopia and now this. Anyone who compares selling a screenplay to sex and evolutionary biology is a genius. I could elaborate, but just go read it, and then get seducing…

The Anonymous Collaborator

Paul — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 17:59:00 +0000

I just finished reading the latest post on John August’s blog, “Test Screening The Movie.” It gave me pause to see that such and accomplished and prolific storyteller has the same stresses, anxieties, and problems my collaborators and I are facing on my latest project.Viewing your film with friends, family, and colleagues is great, and it will help you to make your story better. It’ll get you, and I’ll be generous, maybe 60, 70% there, but as he mentions, whether they believe it or not, they are biased. They are your friends, your family, and your colleagues. They WANT to like what you’ve done. They think you’re talented, and have hopes and aspirations for your story or they wouldn’t take the time to watch. So with that bias, how can you ever truly get an honest response? You can’t. That’s why you need, as John August puts it, the trustworthy stranger. This person has no bias. No agenda. Nothing but (hopefully) a purely visceral and honest response to the story and imagery you put before him/her. They become your anonymous collaborator, and they will make your story better.

Sharing your story and your passion with complete strangers, when it’s a work-in-progress is a scary thing and a risky proposition if you’re trying to break new ground, but it can also be the key that makes a good story great. As digital storytellers, how can we get these un-biased screenings? How can we put our work out there for constructive criticism without it being what people perceive to be a completed project? You can’t viably use a service like

YouTube, as you can’t control who sees it and how they are judging it. But you can use internet forums like DVInfo.net, or DVXuser.com. You can explain that what you’re posting is a work in progress and you need honest feedback. You’ll probably get more than you bargained for. I’d love to hear any other trailblazing solutions people might have. Be my new collaborator and help me find a test screening solution.

Is Digital More Natural?

Paul — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 21:50:00 +0000

I missed this years Digital Day at the Directors Guild, due to some business travel. I really enjoyed last years panels, particularly meeting the great Ray Bradbury. I‘ve been so busy I hadn’t thought too much about what I missed until I saw Chris Anderson’s article on “How shooting digitally changes acting,” a panel discussion featured at Digital Day.

I would have loved to have listened to Tony Bill (Flyboys, Untamed Heart), Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious), David Fincher (Fight Club), Rebecca Miller (The Ballad of Jack and Rose) and Brad Silberling (Lemony Snicket) speaking about “How choosing to work in digital affects the directorial process“.

Director Tony Bill says he learned shooting Flyboys with the Panavision Genesis that “The old model of acting is that the rehearsal is great and then things change when you say ‘rolling’–usually for the worse. Now there’s no film in the camera. You can shoot everything. So there’s no rehearsal. Or perhaps it’s all rehearsal. Either way, it’s far more natural. ”

There’s also a little detail into some of the pitfalls of shooting digitally, but as this article is for a blog and not a transcription I can’t help but wonder what other anecdotes may have been shared. Hopefully the DGA is preparing a podcast of the discussion for us all to hear.

via HD for Indies