Monday, August 17, 2009

Ian Pfaff Demo Reel

Well, there is creative marketing and then there is CREATIVE marketing. In this case, we have FCP editor, prop builder, director (and other things) Ian Pfaff, who has put together one of the more original demo reels I have ever seen, showcasing what I assume to be most of his creative talents, though he may well have more...

Chances are, if you throw a rock in LA, you are going to hit somebody's demo reel with it, so take a page from Ian Pfaff's book and do something creative with yours!

Ian Pfaff's Demo Reel from Ian Pfaff on Vimeo.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Canon HF100: A Good Camera for Web Content


Canon HF100


One HD camera that is currently being produced by Canon (makers of the HV20, HV30 and XH-A1 among other models) is the HF100, an affordable and compact piece of equipment that has been rendering some pretty impressive results in terms of simple web content.

One example of the camera being put to use for these purposes is the work of personal trainer and fitness expert Brianna Graves, who runs the WitnessForFitness website. In the below clip, you can see the HF100 recording some of her instructions on static stretching.



As you can tell, the camera is rendering some pretty good detail, is handling sky and subject contrast quite well, and is just an all-around decent piece of equipment for recording and uploading to YouTube or the video hosting site of your choice.

As an additional example, here is a clip from the same site that focuses on some leg strengthening exercises. Over the course of these two videos, you get to see the camera operating and dealing with skies of various brightness. Given the relatively limited manual controls available for cameras in this price range, on the whole it does a pretty decent job of maintaining detail without silhouetting the subject or blowing out the sky.



Anyway, it's another option for you to consider if you are shopping in the sub-$1,000 range or looking for a "B" or "C" camera for your film projects.

As an "A" camera, I can imagine that with a very talented eye and some attentive color correction, you might be able to achieve something comparable to Ayz Waraich's "White Red Panic" but don't underestimate the amount of preparation and post-production that Ayz endured in order to get those results with a camera of that price range (the Canon HV20).