Monthly Archives: August 2012

Notes from the Manual: Sensors, Still Photos, and Motion Pictures

Excerpt from the Canon Boot Camp Manual

 

Canon developed the 5D’s sensor to replace 35mm still photography film, which measures approximately 37 x 24mm (the size of a VistaVision frame). They were successful.

Direction of 35 mm film in a still camera

 

35mm film runs through a still camera horizontally. The frame size is approximately 37 x 24mm. That’s the size of the Canon 5D sensor.

 

 

 

 

Direction of 35 mm Film in a Movie Camera

 

35mm film runs through a movie camera vertically. The frame size is approximately 22 x 16mm. That’s the size of the Canon 7D sensor and the Panasonic AF 100 and many others.

 

 

 

Here is a comparison of the Canon DSLR 5D, 1D and 7D sensor sizes.

Canon DSLR Sensor comparison 5D 1D and 7D

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Promotion Tips for the Independent Filmmaker

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there for independent filmmakers when it comes to getting their films noticed. And if most of the budget is spent on getting the film produced, promoting an independent film afterward might be a challenge. Unless you’re loaded with extra cash.

There’s not much point in producing a video, film or feature of any kind if no one ends up watching it afterward. If you’re a new filmmaker starting with a minimal base of fans, there’s no time to waste. Increasing your online fan base during production is imperative.

Fortunately there’s something you can do about it and it doesn’t cost anything but some time and consistency. Let’s keep it simple, shall we? There’s two free tools available you can put into use immediately.

Google and Email

Yep. Those could be your best tools.

Even older gentlemen know how to use Google SearchWhy? Thing is, just about everyone, regardless of age, knows how to search on Google AND they have an email address. Both are tools you can use to your advantage without a lot of know how. Forget focusing on social media. Should you establish a presence on social sites? Yes. But don’t focus on them only. A blog you can own, social sites can be taken away from you. If you establish a huge presence on Facebook and the Page gets deleted, what then? Besides, we all know people who still haven’t figured out Facebook or Twitter. Probably because they keep changing how they work!

Create a blog on WordPress or Posterous.com. Get a friend to create the look you want or do it yourself if you can. Then blog everyday. Just write something every day. It doesn’t have to be about your film all the time. Just express yourself. Make it part of your routine.

Once you get used to blogging every day, it will get easier.

After about 50 blog posts or so your blog will start getting picked up by the search engines. Google and other search engines like new content, and if you add content all the time, they will come back for more. Search Engines love content, and every blog post (over 150 words) creates an indexable page from their point of view. From your blog you can distribute your content to your social networks (whichever ones you have).

http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=getvisibleonlinenowAt the same time, establish an email newsletter. Most email newsletters have a built in way to collect identities, such as a form you can post on your website. Or a least a built in form you can link to so people can submit their email addresses. You’ll probably have to offer something in return for their email addresses, so that’ll have to be figured out. Constant Contact has a variety of plugins for social media interaction already built in. For example, a form that integrates with Facebook to allow people to sign up for your newsletter.

If you do a good job, people will find your blog, sign up for notifications on your progress or future showings of your project and then you’ll have a list of people to market to when the time comes.

That’s really the simplicity of the basics. Content and a newsletter. Content leverages the tendency of fans to search for content, and email newsletters keep them in touch afterwards. There’s more to do, but if these two things aren’t mastered first, you won’t be found online at all.

 

Tom Myrdahl: Cinematographer Extraordinaire

Tom Myrdahl: DP at The Association

Where are you from and where the heck have you been for the last 25 years?

I’m a California boy, born in Pasadena. I went to film school at Loyola Marymount and specialized initially in documentary. I made several award-winning projects in my early period, then I went to work for the UN and did projects in Asia. When I came back I got into the IA. I was an assistant cameraman along with having my own production company in Hawaii, where I worked on series shows and shot documentaries that were pertinent to Hawaii at that time. 

After I came back to the United States, I lucked out and got a job with Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin, and started a career that really never stopped. I’ve been with Lockheed Martin for 25 years. I’ve shot projects with the [aircrafts] SR71, 117, F22, and the F35, shooting most of their commercials in the last couple of years and specializing in their product web videos. Everything I’ve been shooting with Lockheed has been with the Mark II 5D. We’ve gotten such good results that Lockheed Martin no longer shoots anything with their agency. We do everything for them, so it’s been a really great experience. We already have over thirty projects lined up for next year.

What do you do here at The Association?

 

I’m a Director of Photography at The Association. I also help them put together camera packages and help them analyze creative shooting elements in a script they might have.

Favorite camera?

 

The favorite camera that I’ve been using right now has been the Mark II 5D, and I’m looking forward to this new C300 and other cameras that Canon will be bringing out.

Most exciting project you’ve ever done?

 

 

It’s hard to choose, really. I’ve had a good experience shooting Lockheed Martin’s aircraft carriers. I’ve had great experiences shooting the SR 71, which is the CIA aircraft that spied on Russia for 40 years. Airplanes have been a big part of my life. Also, when I was getting my M.A. at Loyola, I was very much involved in the Chicano movement in East LA and with one of the films I did, I ended up going to about eight riots. The last documentary I did for them was the Chicano moratorium when Ruben Salizar was killed. It became sort of the pivotal event between Los Angeles and the Chicano community. I was honored to give them a twelve-minute documentary on that, which became sort ofa historic piece for their movement.

What’s so great about the Canon Boot Camp?

 

It’s best because it teaches people the basics. They have checklists that the teachers go through with the students on how to set the camera up properly. You end up fully understanding the still camera and video settings so that you won’t end up making a mistake when you go out to shoot something.  What’s really great about this boot camp is that it not only teachers you how the camera works but it also teaches you about the pitfalls and mistakes you can make on the way. I use the 5D because it gives me the best picture, although it’s not very easy to work with. When you take this boot camp you’re going to walk away with the knowledge to use this camera properly.

Adobe Premiere Pro vs. Final Cut Pro X in November 2012

Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro

Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro TrainingIf you’ve been wondering which editing software to purchase, and hoping for a way to test drive both softwares WITH a guide (instead of plowing through ignorantly by yourself), here’s your chance.

Larry Jordan has been helping editors navigate both these softwares for years and is intimately familiar with every aspect between the two programs. Accordingly, we’ve put together two workshops that cover both Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X so you can get your hands dirty and compare.

The Association is pretty well known now for our signature Canon Boot Camp. In the tradition of “Active Learning” we strive for in our Canon camera classes, our digital editing workshops won’t just be a simple adobe premiere demo and a simple Final Cut Pro Demo. No. Larry will be taking you through the actual programs and actually EDIT a project. So bring your laptop and don’t forget the free adobe premiere download or the FCPX free trial! You’re going to need them.

Sure you can stumble your way through random tutorials on YouTube, but why not go the direct route? Dive into both programs with a guide who’s been there and knows the landscape like the back of his hand. Ask questions. Get empowered to make a decision about which software is best for YOUR projects. Larry CAN answer all your questions.

Stay tuned for registration signup form. The class date is set for November 17th, 2012 and will run from 9 am to 4 pm if you attend both workshops. The Adobe Premiere Pro workshop will be in the morning, and after lunch we’ll pick up with the Final Cut Pro X workshop until 4 pm. To get our event updates sign up for our Filmmaker’s Notebook newsletter or Like us on Facebook.

Students Filming Students: Video for Good

Students in Maine are getting busy learning filmmaking (as well as acting) to bring social issues into the spotlight. Project Aware, an organization based in Saco, Maine, has been working on film projects with younger generations since 2003, on difficult topics such as teen anxiety and bullying

Carl Lakari heads up Project Aware and is also a co-founder. The overall purpose of Project Aware is to empower young people to lead, and they achieve this through a variety of projects and programs.

What caught my eye are the films Project Aware is teaching students to create. Here’s an example of a anti-bullying PSA:

There’s so much to Project Aware, I find it hard to describe it in just a few words, so I’ll focus the remainder of this article on their Summer Film Institute for Teens. Imagine empowering younger generations to visually communicate about resolving important issues that affect their own generation? Powerful. Here’s a few results taken from their website:

  • SFI Attendees produces the movie Listen (available on DVD) was produced along with powerful PSAs on cyberbullyingracism and distracted driving.
  • two (13 and 14 years old) attendees created a PSA on parenting that ultimately served as the basis for Project AWARE’s 3rd movie Influenced. This award-winning movie was created at the 2009 institute and is available on DVD.
  • 10 Sanford kids who attended the Institute went back to school, got involved in their film club, and created the award-winning movie April’s Heart
  • a young women returned to her school and created a PSA with her new skills; it received rave reviews and the commercial was picked up, re-produced professionally and aired nationally.
  • PSA created on teen pregnancy has received over 200,000 views on You Tube and has sparked deep conversation about this contentious issue.
  • Recently an 8th grader used his PSA and story on bullying in his hometown; it now airs on broadcast TV in Maine and he was nominated and chosen as a top 10 finalist for a $10,000Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award from thousands of applicants nationwide.
  • 4 young women created a powerful video about sexual assault as they processed their own childhood experiences. Sexual Assault Response Services is planning to use the PSA for education in schools.
  • finally, a 14 year old teen was able to write, direct, and lead in her own movie about the healthy passions of youth. A Shoestring for Mackenzie is planned for a 2012 release.

Tell me, where do you find such programs today? Far and few between. So when you find one, be sure to support it in any way you can. Love filmmaking? Foster it in the younger generations. You can donate or possibly offer your time as an instructor.  At the very least, share this article with your fellow filmmakers and spread the words.

Good deeds deserve to be shared, don’t you think? Know another filmmaking-related project worthy of a little recognition? Let us know by communicating to us in the comment box below.

Notes from the Manual: VistaVision – What it is & How it Compares to 35mm Film

Excerpt from the Canon Boot Camp Manual

When Shane Hurlbut says the Canon 5D is equivalent to a VistaVision camera, you
may wonder what he’s talking about.

Briefly, the VistaVision process was created to produce a huge image in the theater.
It uses wider-angle lenses to give greater scope on the big screen. The 35mm
negative travels horizontally through the camera frame (with eight sprocket holes
per frame instead of four), producing a negative image with an area nearly three
times the size of the standard 35mm movie image.

300px-VistaVision_8_perf_35_mm_film.svg

The Canon 5D sensor is as big as a Vistavision frame. Pictured below is a VistaVision negative on the left, and regular 35mm movie film on the right.

VistaVision and 35mm Comparison. Image courtesy of www.hometheaterforum.com

[NOTE: For a full history regarding VistaVision and it’s part in film history, visit the VistaVision entry in Wikipedia.]

 

The above data is a taste of what awaits you at our Canon Camera Classes, specifically Pro Level I (the first day of our 2 day boot camp). Hungry for more? Download Part I of the Canon Boot Camp Reference Manual by clicking on the red link below.

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Notes from the Manual: Canon 5D Sensor – Size Matters

Excerpt from the Canon Boot Camp Manual

 

How Big Is Big?

It’s interesting to point out here that the 5D’s sensor is as big as the RED Epic.

Take a look at the illustration below:

Canon 5D Lens Size Comparison Chart

 

The lavender area is the size of Canon’s 5D sensor.

In other words, the Canon’s 5D is HUGE.

Find the Alexa’s sensor (2880 x 1620). The RED Scarlet has a sensor measuring 3072 x 1620. Even the new Canon C300 is smaller, at 3840 x 2160. The 5D is bigger than all of them, at 5616 x 3744 pixels. It just can’t push a sensor full of data at 30 frames per second . . . YET!  That will probably take faster circuitry which means heat, which means fans and a different camera body.  Even Canon’s new C300 doesn’t have a sensor as big as the 5D Mark II.

Many expect that the Canon 5D Mark III will improve the output specs of this camera, which is already a favorite in Hollywood. Canon introduced their new cinema camera, the C300, with a sensor dimension of 3840 x 2160. That’s 34 percent bigger than the Alexa.

The C300 is also capable of shooting at 3200 ISO with no noise. In fact, skin tones look their best in camera tests at 3200 ISO. It has tiny fans to cool the sensor! AND it has less problems with moiré patterns.

The Canon 5D Mark II still beats the C300 with a 5616 x 3744 sensor image. So in a way, the 5D is still a great choice for filmmakers on a budget.

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How to Make a Video Viral

Pretty much anyone involved in custom video production is going to tell you video is an important part of any effective marketing plan. And we’ve all seen those videos with millions of views that make it to the top of the list. With that kind of example, the idea of having a viral video can get tweaked in the wrong direction.

First off, a viral video doesn’t mean that it has to have millions of views. That’s good for small business owners. If you own a small coffee house with a local clientele, is it really going to help you if millions of people see your viral video?

 

Here’s another problem. What determines when a video will be viral? Many of the viral videos went viral due to their entertainment value. Funny, amazing, interesting or whatever it was that clicked and it just got shared by a LOT of people all at once. Some of those moments just happened to have been captured on camera and weren’t rehearsed.

And how many funny commercials have you seen that everyone can talk about, but they don’t remember what company or product was being represented. They remember the video, but couldn’t tell you the product.

What’s the point of all the promotion if it doesn’t lead to sales? NOTHING!

I offer you this advice. Get busy creating content on a blog, including video content. Make sure you include written descriptions on YouTube or wherever you’re hosting your content since search engines can’t “read” video, which hinders indexing (for search results). Anna Easteden, Actor

Here’s the hot tip. If you share all of that content on social networks like Facebook people have the chance to share the content. If you write and video about OTHER people and share it with them, they sometimes share it with their friends who share it with their friends.

Even if you don’t get millions of hits, you can get twenty, thirty or more hits you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Free exposure. Who’s to say what might happen if you do it consistently? And if it’s being shared, even by just a view, it still is viral. It might not be famous, but it’s viral.

On of the most popular blog posts we had was written about an actor we’ve used in our Canon Boot Camp several times. I interviewed her, wrote a blog post promoting her work with us, and the other projects she was doing, and shared it with her on Facebook after I posted it on our blog. She went on to share it with her network, and before long, we’d had nearly 100 hits on the article.

So just consistently create and share content and you’ll win out over about 80% of your online competition.

And while you’re here, if this article helped you in any way, please share it on Facebook or Linkedin!