Digital Camera Class Creates Thriller Short

Canon DSLR 5D Boot Camp Instructor Snehal Patel and Model ham it upOne of The Association’s 2010 innovations was our Canon DSLR Boot Camp. Realizing the game changing nature of the Canon DSLR 5D and 7D, we took it upon ourselves to provide training for both new videographers and seasoned pros.

There are two levels to the boot camp. Level I is more of a beginner’s class, so pretty much anyone interested may take it. We’ve given our own Canon certification to still photographers looking to add video to their repertoire, all the way up to pros such as Daniel Pearl, ASC and Geary McLeod, ASC.

Level II is where the real hands-on action occurs, and the students film a short. The Association staff come up with a script, and the students shoot it using the Canon DSLR 5D. If the students don’t have their own cameras, we provide DSLRs as well as any related equipment. This gives everyone a chance to give the theory they learned in Pro Level I a swing in the real world, as well as walk away with credits on a great visual asset. So it’s not just any old Canon camera class!

The vampire short below was created by the Level II grads from the Pro Level II Boot Camp we held in October 2010. We chose a Film Noir, black and white setting to show off the exceptionally thick, rich (no grain) blacks the Canon 5D can produce.

The class used a dolly, jib arm and car mounts to follow the nun’s escape from a dangerous, blood-sucking casting call:

Special thanks to EVS in Burbank for the use of their facilities and generous support, to all our talented cast and crew, and to Vara Reese for her editing. If you’d like information on the next available Canon camera classes, the upcoming classes are posted here.

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