Canon HV30: Birth.Life.Death.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this. But I do think I have to say that whatever the filmmaker was going for, it was achieved. It was a combination of sexy-turned-disturbing and bleached-humanoid-something. Anyway, the point is, the filmmaker had a Canon HV30 and a depth of field adapter, and was able to achieve the not-so-simple goal of creating a mood, ambience and character...with the benefit of music but without the advantage of dialogue.

As well, there are some simple but effective editing tricks used in this piece. The filmmaker does a very good job of using post-production to create a sense of progress and motion, even when a number of the shots were locked down on a tripod.


Birth.Life.Death. from Tadas Svilainis on Vimeo.

Canon HV30: "The Shepherd"

Here, we get another glimpse at some of the work being achieved with the Canon HV30. In this instance, the project is "The Shepherd," directed by John Merizalde and David Torcivia. The directors are pre-film-school teenagers who simply had the initiative to "get out there and do it."

While it may not be the epitome of perfection when it comes to the technical side, there are some good moments and at this stage of one's career, just gettin' er done is a significant achievement. The piece has rightfully received some positive feedback.

Below you will see both the trailer and the finished piece.

The Shepherd HD Teaser from Via Optima on Vimeo.


The Shepherd HD (Full Film) from Via Optima on Vimeo.

Canon HV30: Green Screen by Richie Muniak

People are achieving some pretty decent key work with the consumer-priced Canon HV30.

I have previously put up a couple of clips by Richie Muniak from his posted ADP work but it is an interesting exercise to look at the variety of clips he has achieved by keying one simple shot (a few seconds of an unusual dance).

Some of the finished products will illustrate the possibilities for matching your keyed image to various backgrounds, including classic 1980s video games. And even if you find a couple of the placed keys aren't color corrected to perfection, the series is still worth it for a laugh.

What the fractal noise?


ADP: Raw footage from Richie Muniak on Vimeo.


ADP: Multi-Man Marathon from Richie Muniak on Vimeo.


ADP: Leisure Suit Larry 1 (EGA) from Richie Muniak on Vimeo.


ADP: La Muette on a good day from Richie Muniak on Vimeo.


ADP: Billy Blanks from Richie Muniak on Vimeo.

Book Review: "Set Lighting Technician's Handbook" by Harry C. Box

Yeah, that's right. The guy's name is Harry Box. Get it out of your system and then continue reading.

Okay, back to business. This is a book that is very good for what it is, but which may not necessarily be exactly what you're looking for. If you are indeed a set lighting technician, and you are learning or want to specialize in the technical side of lighting sets...then you have struck gold.

This book breaks down the various tools of the trade, describes the technical nuances of the equipment and principles in a digestible manner, and if you read attentively, you should walk away with a good understanding of electricity as it applies to the set, the organizational structure and chain of command involved in a shooting day, and some valuable tips that will enhance your efficiency and professionalism in this area of filmmaking.

However, a lot of people may be purchasing this book as an introductory guide to the artistic and mood-based elements of cinematography and set lighting. If this is your goal as you stock you library, then be notified that you still stand to benefit from having this book in your arsenal, but that those elements of the field are not the strong point (nor are they the intended aim) of this particular book.

There is a good (but fairly cursory) discussion on Lighting Objectives and Methods that will address these aspects of cinematography. But these are largely supplemental considerations to how you, as a set lighting technician, can better do your job as a technical professional. Nonetheless, in filmmaking, the technical cannot succeed without the artistic...and the artistic cannot succeed without the technical. So you had best verse yourself in both to some degree.

Harry Box is a... Quiet, class. Harry Box is a sound professional with good, experientially-based advice. Provided that you are purchasing this book for the appropriate reasons, it has the JC stamp of approval. You can visit his IMDB PROFILE to check his credentials for yourself.

Below is a link to the book where you can peruse the first few pages for yourself and, of course, draw your own conclusions...

HVX: "Should You Return" by Copeland

Here we have some interesting work done with the HVX. It is the music video to Should You Return by Copeland, which is quite an evocative song.



Here is also a link to the QUICKTIME FILE if you would like better resolution.

In this DVXUSER THREAD, the filmmaker briefly discussed his method for the piece, including his use of the frame rate hack and varying camera setups to achieve different looks for two different worlds. You can visit his OFFICIAL SITE to learn more about his work.

Twilight Fest: Films Are Up and Ready for Voting

Well, I mentioned earlier that the folks at DVXuser had implemented Twilight Fest, an online short film festival with a theme inspired by The Twilight Zone and other eerie / bizarre programming from the past.

The entries have been submitted and are available to be viewed and voted upon HERE. You may need to log in but the site provides a "test_user" login ID and password.

Take a chance to watch and enjoy what your colleagues around the world are up to.