The Nut Tree!

I got to do a spot for a favorite childhood destination: The Nut Tree!

For those who don't know, the Nut Tree is sort of Northern California's Knott's Berry Farm (before Knott's got big and the Nut Tree went away)

The Nut Tree is back and bigger than ever and I had a great time doing a 2-day commercial shoot for them. This was about as great a shoot as one can hope for. Great client, great actors, great crew and a great location. Easy and fun. Most fun for the kids. Imagine spending two days at a theme park, riding rides and eating ice cream...

The first shot (and most challenging) we did was to mount a camera on the roller coaster. For this shot I used an Aiptek HD video camera. Key Grip Justin Coupe helped me mafer clamp the camera to the stem of a bogen tripod which was ratchet-strapped down in the front care and pointing back.



The AHD is a consumer camera and has no Iris control, it is a fixed iris at f3.5 and uses shutter speed to control the light levels. I had to tape on 2 37mm ND9 Filters in order to knock the shutter down to something that would intercut with our main camera.

Here is the final spot:
http://emrl.com/j/downloads/NT.mov

Here is a beta run on the coaster to make sure everything is secure (notice the monkeys in the front):
http://emrl.com/j/downloads/JCoaster.mov

NorCal PET/CT commercial

This latest shoot was for the Northern California PET/CT Center, a non-profit high end medical imaging facility. This is a great facility that saves many lives every day through highly accurate imaging. I wanted to give the spot a very hightech glossy look, but also to keep a warm approachable feel to it. We shot it in 720p with the HVX200. I originally wanted to go for a glossy, colorful, C.S.I. Miami look with shallow focus and blurred foreground images. I wanted to use a 35mm lens adapter, but that was unavailable at the time, so a lot of the look had to be done in post.

You can see a copy of it online here:

http://www.emrl.com/j/downloads/NorCalPET.mov

Here are some before and after shots from the location scout and final screen grabs:
This is the doctor's office. We used the Century .6 wide angle lens adapter and a dolly in. For lighting, we turned off the overhead fluo, and dimmed down the overhead tungsten can lights. We also filled up the light panel with x-rays, strategically placing light and dark sheets to control the light. We also bounced into the upper corner just out of frame on camera left, a 500watt fresnell spot in with half CTO, to help provide a little bit of color contrast against the bluish xray prints. You can see it wrapping around the "doctor " above. Also notice the heavy prismatic bluring off on the sides, meant to emulate a defocused lens. There is also an ND grad placed sideways to darken the wall to the right. In the closeup shot on the spot we used a piece of beveled-edge glass (I picked up from a stained glass shop) to make some nice in front of the lens optical effects.

This next scene is from the waiting area. I wanted it to have a very cold, uncertain feel. We used the exesting overhead Fluo, but draped a duva teaser on the end to keep spill off the wall, in order to make a nice soft overhead source shining down. We also used a 2' 4-bank kino with CTB to light from down the hall. There is also a de-focused region and a dark vignette applied in post.

This is the main scanner room. For this shot we turned off all the lights except for the overhead fluorescents which have a nice "looking at sky and trees" fake stained glass image over them. We used the same 500w fresnell in the same config as in the doctor's office, you can see the golden light coming in from the left. We also place a 2' kino with full CTO on the floor behind the scanner to light up the cabinets behind. Finally we added a 200w fresnel with red gel shooting into the scanner tube from behind and below, to add a little high tech feel.

The last shot was a medium shot of the talent. For this one we used an ND grad at the 8-o'clock position to darken the white picket fence in the foreground, as well as a linear polo to darken the sky. We also used a shiny board for fill to help combat the harsh noon sun and overhead branches.

HDCAM EX

HDCAM EX

We had opportunity to demo Sony’s new HD camcorder, the HDCAM EX. We had a commercial shoot scheduled that day, so we took that camera out instead of the HVX. Here are my first impressions, starting with the good:

It has a better viewfinder than the HVX, and a better zoom preset. Unlike the HVX, you can preset the zoom speed in increments from 1-100. We made extensive use of this, you can actually tell the difference between a zoom out at “6” versus a “7”. It also has a cool “flip” built in lens cap.

It records on Express SxS cards which are much, much cheaper than P2 cards.

Battery life was great. We shot all day with one battery.

Now the bad:

First of all, it looks like a Proboscis Monkey. Ugly. Why does Sony load on all that equipment to the mic mount? Weird.

There is a feature that sounded good, it’s kind of a feathering that can be applied to the zoom or focus, instead of a hard stop. That’s cool, but the interface was typical Sony: buried in sub menus. We spend 15 minutes messing around with it on set and it never worked like we hoped. From the website, it sounded like it was a feather that you turn on to the zoom. In reality, you have to preset the zoom (or focus) in and out and the amount of feather, you then hit a button and the camera performs the pre-recorded maneuver. It never really worked right for us.

The camera records at 720 and 1080p. It also records at variable speed from 1-30fps and 60fps. It’s important to note that you cannot overcrank in 1080p, just 720p. This may be a bit of a disappointment if you are expecting to shoot in 1080p.

The last important note is that it does not have a standard A/V output jack, it’s some weird proprietary connector. NG.

One concern I had was the recording format. Sony chose to go with a long GOP 4:2:0 format. I only shot with this camera, so I can’t report how the image held up in post, although I heard it pulled a key pretty well. It was a bit of a pain to upload the images to FCP, Sony or Apple needs to do a bit more there. I did check out the images and they looked great. Still images are stunning. Motion images have a bit of a stutter. Sort of like the way the old XL1 rendered motion in “movie mode”

Still all things being equal, I’d pick up this camera over the HVX.

Panny: it’s your move.

Cloverfield

Got to see a screening of Cloverfield last night, thanks to a pass from this guy. It was fun. Good movie. Not a pivotal film, but worth the money. Go see it on the big screen. Ironically enough, even though it was shot handheld on an HVX (genesis for effects shots), it plays well on the big screen. I imagine viewing it on a smaller screen would accentuate the smaller recording format.

I’ve been tempted…

Every time I’ve been in Blockbuster I’ve been tempted to pick up a copy of one of Asylum Films knock-off versions of the recent batch of summer blockbusters. I know they’re gonna suck, I’m just curious to see just how bad they’re going to suck. Asylum is one of those production companies that cranks out knock-off films.

Here is their most recent release, “Alien Vs. Hunter”. No doubt released in time to capitalize on the trailers for the new “Alien Vs. Predator” sequel. Although why you would want to make a crappy knock-off of a crappy studio film is beyond me.

Here is their release of “Transmorphers” next to the more popular “Transformers”. Perhaps “Transmorphers” is based on a knock-off Chinese cartoon from the 80s…

They also have a movie titled “I am Omega”, skillfully blending the recent Will Smith blockbuster “I am Legend” remake with the Chuck Heston classic “Omega Man”. Nice.

When I was working in LA, I’d met several grips and electricians who worked on Asylum productions. They all worked on one, learned their lesson then moved on. I too had hoped to work on an Asylum film and learn my lesson, but never had the opportunity. Alas, I can only watch the productions and enjoy them from the viewer’s perspective. Perhaps some Saturday afternoon soon I will have an Asylum viewing marathon.

My new HD camera

So I got a new HD camera, but it's not what you think...

My consumer miniDV camera finally died, and I needed to buy a new personal camera. The trouble is I wanted to future-proof my purchase, as the 2009 analog transition is looming large. Unfortunately the cheapest consumer HD cameras are still around $600. Way too much for something I will likely drop in the water or leave on a train on vacation.

Enter Aiptek.

Aiptek (who?) has a couple of "hybrid" still/SD/HD flash card palmcorders out for very cheap. They have the GO-HD which does 720p and has a 3x optical zoom lens for ~$200. I almost got one. The problem is that it is autofocus and has a tendency to search for focus. NG. The other model is the A-HD. This is a fixed focus non-zoom camera, and it sells for ~$120. I picked one up. For $120 it's pretty darned cool. It records to .h264 mov files which is awkward for editing, but great for storage. I can record an hour of 720p onto a 2gig SD card ($20), and the quality is not too bad either.

At any rate, I decided to do a comparison between the AHD and the HVX200. The results can be seen here:

http://emrl.com/j/projects/AHD/

Red One

Well, actually it’s Red #21.

Saturday I had a chance to attend a RED Camera demonstration by Torrey Loomis of Silverado Systems. They have 2 Red Cameras, serial #s 21 and 22. The presentation only briefly discussed the camera, and instead spent most of the demonstration going over workflow and software. That seems to be the biggest end of the equation: post. We may have opportunity to shoot a spot in the next couple of weeks, but it’s all dependent on if we can make the workflow work with our Final Cut set-up.

We shall see…

The Mysterium revealed!

Jay Jib 3.0

So I think I may build another Jib.

This one will be my 3rd. The first model was highly successful. It’s main beam was 4” square aluminum tubing and was 8’ long. It was designed to fit on a Mitchell mount tripod (which were in abundance at my filmschool). It was simple and robust. It was strong enough to hold a fully loaded BL4 no problem. It also got a lot of use. At one point I lent it out to a friend, then another, then another – it spent 6 months floating around film school before I called it back for a feature. I’d occasionally see it on shoots around campus at random times. That worked out good for me, it wasn’t easy storing an 8’ hunk of metal in our 1 bedroom apartment. I eventually had to get rid of it due to storage issues.

Once we bought a house (with a garage!) I once again got the bug to build a jib. The 2nd version was to be built of tubular aluminum pipes and “T” joints. It worked great on paper and in my head. In real life – not so much. After building the fulcrum I decided not to proceed as the tolerance was just too loose.

After renting my friends Cobra II crane, I’m now inspired to build a new Jib. I’ve decided to model it after the Cobra II design, but with a few changes (upgrades in my book)

First, I’ve decided to build a junior mount base. This will eliminate the single most expensive part of any home built jib – the tripod. Instead I can use any common junior or combo stand. I can also extend the combo stand up for big height if needed, something you can’t do with a tripod.

The second change is to incorporate a lazy susan bearing into the base, this should (hopefully) allow for easy pans.

The third change is to have the option of a locked level, or a hand operated tilt mechanism. This picture shows it in locked position, but you could unlock and use the guide bolts to determine the level.

I’ve never liked the way the Cobra relies on the tripod head to tilt the camera. It has always seemed a fairly wonky setup - putting all that weight on a fluid head, then tilting it up and down. My design is similar to Agung’s design, and it seems a much better way to do it:

http://www.homebuiltstabilizers.com/MembersRigs/Jibsncranes/agungmardiyantojib/main/camcrane-08.htm

Here is a final shot that shows the back end where the weights will be mounted. I plan on filling the aluminum tubing with wooden dowels at this point and at the fulcrum to make it more rigid.

Well, hopefully it will work as good in life as it does in my head!

The Jazzman

So my cat (Jazzman) brought home her 7th trophy mouse head last night. She left it on the back porch. It’s kind of gruesome. She eats everything but the head and spine. It’s better than the alternative, which is to have 7 mice and their offspring running around my house. Good job mousebreath. In case you haven’t seen this before, here is a small clip of her in action when she was smaller and cuter:

http://emrl.com/j/downloads/jasmine1.mov

Oh Yeah...!

That's all I've got to say...

Deer

This is one of the great things about living in Sacramento. I try to go running 3 times a week, and it’s really nice to have an asset like this:

This is the bike trail alongside the American river. Actually, it’s the horse trail alongside the bike trail, and it’s 30+ miles long. I’ve seen wild turkey, quail, snakes, cranes, and deer like this one:It's a young deer standing next to a white egret (It's like a big crane) in the river.

I’m not going to take it for granted, especially when compared to the gravel oval track at the elementary school is my alternative.

Demo Derby-O-Rama

This last weekend was the state finals for the Demo Derby at the State Fair!!!!Always a great event. Below is a video clip from my new cell. OK, it's grainy, small and short, but it's new technology for me, so I think it's cool.


Even though the state finals were last weekend, I'm still looking forward to this: It's a benefit for the Rio Linda Public Library, and should a bit more "authentic" than the swanky affair put on at the Cal Expo last weekend...

Iran

I ran 8 miles along the American River bike trail.

Sunrise Blvd. to Old Folsom. It may have been 7 because the trails are unmarked, but I think it was 8. At any rate, I think that's the longest distance I have ever ran. woo-hoo. We will see how far I go next weekend.

(Update: The next weekend I ran 9 miles. My goal is to get to 10)

Koval’s Trade Market

Just finished post on a spot for Koval’s Trade Market. This was a branding spot for a new food store who is competing with Whole Foods and Trader Joes, while offering prices comparable to Raley’s or Vons. This a great opportunity to have a new business with no image history and create their public perception from scratch. We decided to go with a glossy, visually appealing ad. We shot it in HD with the HVX200, with a 35mm lens adapter using an 28-105 sigma zoom lens. We also had a .5 wide angle adapter we put in front of that for some semi-fish-eye shots. The spot turned out nice.

(update: 8/16/07) Here is an h264 version: http://www.emrl.com/j/downloads/Kovals16by9.mov

Here are some set shots:


Setting up for a dolly-out shot in the cheese Isle. Mike on Dolly grip, and Jeff Bloch on lights. In the foreground is Mark, the store liaison.

Here is the shot.

Jeff operating the jib for the opening shot.

Here is the shot, starting in a tight CU of the Koval's logo on the basket, then pulling out and up over the store.

Changing lenses in the wall-o-foods aisle.

Here is the shot. The wide angle adapter adds nice barrel distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration.
Working with talent in the hot foods section.

Here is the final shot, splitscreen with a CU of the hot foods.

Failsafe - 10x10 challenge

This last week I worked on a short film for a 10x10 challenge. (10 minute film in 10 days) I’ve always questioned the desire of people to do those, I mean if you are going to go thru the effort to make a short film, why limit yourself to one where you are under prepared and don’t have enough post time?!? I guess it’s like what I went through at film school. I always said I would never again partake in such an exercise, but last week… I did.

Why? For me it was an opportunity to work with friends, some of whom I hadn’t worked with in several years. We shot for 3 days, but I could only do the first 2. Unfortunately for me, they were night shoots that turned into overnight shoots... also I say, never again…

At any rate, I get to see the final film tonight, hopefully it will turn out as good as it looked through the lens. I also got to work with some great people and some great equipment. Here are some set stills taken by Andy Pischalnikoff (http://www.doctorlegacy.com/):

Night 1, an airplane hangar in Lincoln, CA.

The Director, Eric Espera.

Night 2, night interior and exterior. Here I am building my new light, a 7’ 1k softbox. It took a while to build and rig, but once it was set, we were lit for the scene.

Setting the light 20’ up with a mafer clamp on to a 2x6 beam. The light had a safety cable, I wish I had one!

Once the light was set, it was worth it.

Another angle with the director and myself in the corner.

I got to fly a glidecam, yea! Always love that.

A Dutch camera trick my friend and SoCal DP Eric Petersen showed me on my first film. Thanks Eric!

Antique Trove - The Musical!

I've just finished post on a 1950's Technicolor style musical commercial for a local client. The budget was small, and we put way too much work in on this spot, but it was just too much fun to stop…

This is my Father playing the roll of “The Dad”

And again, showing the lighting setup.

Here he is in the final composite.

This is a frame grab from the final edit, staring Susan Fore.

You can view the spot online here at: www.emrl.com/j/downloads/AntiqueTrove.mov