Camera Slider and Crane/Jib All In One

My Facebook friend Giulio Sciorio tagged me in a post this afternoon. To my surprise, the video below is what I found.



I think the people at Floatcam really have an interesting take on the camera/jib combination. Kessler Crane has products which offer similar functionality, but they are quite a bit bulkier and not always easy to set up on the fly.

I haven't been able to find much information about the Floatcam Dollycrane but I am willing to wager some guesses based on the above video. The rails are probably made of aluminum and look very similar to the Igus DIY sliders. The rubber wheels look a lot like the Pegasus Cable Wheels sold by Cinevate and the counter balance system reminds me of the one on the Cinevate Atlas 10, except the Atlas 10 counter balance only worked for vertical operation
(I think). The mount for the slider is pretty unique in design, but seems to function like most tripod/camera slider mounts. There's also a clip in the video that leads me to believe there will be a hand crank or motor option for this production and if not, one should be pretty easy to fashion DIY style.

I can't find an exact price for this, but Giulio heard rumors of $4500 on Cinema 5D. I'm not sure what that price will include, but it could be a really good option for someone who hasn't already invested in a slider or jib.

Thanks for sharing the video Giulio.

If anyone has any more information on this product, please drop me an email, or leave something in the comments below.

The Canon 60D Has Been Announced!

Canon recently posted this press release announcing the Canon 60D. For those DSLR film makers who already own a Rebel T2i/550D or better, this isn't too ground breaking, but for those who have yet to purchase a DSLR for it's video features, this is great news.

The 60D is replacing the older 50D, and as far as specs and features, sits in the middle of the T2i and the 7D. The above press release gives a full break down of the camera's features, but here are a few that make this camera a great buy for the new DSLR film maker

• 3 inch articulated rear LCD screen (great for low angle or high angle shots)
• Manual Audio Controls (not during video recording, but you can preset before shooting)
• Manual Exposure Controls (incremented in 64 steps like the latest firmware update for the 5D)
• The ability to trim video clips in camera (saves time in post production)

For those shooting stills as well as video, the camera boasts 5.3 shutter cycles per second (faster then the T2i but slower then the 7D) and the ability to process RAW files in camera, among many other features.

For T2i and 7D owners; the internals of the 60D aren't much more advanced then the cameras you own, so I wouldn't run out and place and order. The articulated screen and manual audio are nice, but by now, you've probably purchased an external monitor and Zoom H4N for audio. I would start saving some money, because I think it will be a short time before Canon releases a camera able to shoot in RAW, or a full frame camera with all of the erganomic features the 60D is flaunting.

If you've yet to purchase a DSLR, and are working on a tight budget, this is a great camera for you. The addition of the articulated screen and manual audio control alone will save you money on accessories. Combined with the other features, this is a powerful camera, great for the aspiring DSLR film maker.

Vests are a Great Accessory for Any DSLR Cinematographer

I don't know why it took me so long to figure this out, but a Photographers Vest is a great way to transport your gear while shooting, be it a live event or a studio type of shoot.

I usually film live events, or work alone, so I am always looking for ways to transport and access my gear when on the move. I first started out with a Canon Back Pack, which was cheap, held a lot of gear, and was comfortable to wear. The down side to the back pack was that I had to take it off, and set it down if I wanted to swap lenses, or change filters. The other problem is that it was too big to get in and out of the smaller venues I was filming in.

I now have a Nikon Camera Bag which I really like. It was relatively cheap, and with some space management I was able to fit all 4 of my lenses, the camera body, a loupe, filters, extra battery and charger, and a few other goodies into this small sholder bag. It's much smaller then the back pack, and easier to get around with, but I still have to set it down to change lenses. Almost the perfect solution, but not quite there.

It hit me the other night while watching the Matrix. All bad ass guys have vests. Neo had one, Arnold in Predator, and Commando, El Deuche in Boondock Saints; and all for the same reason, all your gear is right at your finger tips. BINGO!!!! I found this Photographers Vest, and it's perfect. Upon arriving to a location shoot, I can take whatever lenses and filters I might need, stick 'em in the vest, set the camera bag aside, and get straight to shooting. If I need to swap lenses, I just grab the lens from one of the pockets, and BAMO, lens swap has taken place.

On little day trip shoots, I won't even have to bring the bag, I can pack everything I need right into the vest. If I were working on larger projects, I would have an assistant camera person who would carry the camera bag, or be in charge of guarding it, making sure nothing is stolen. Until then, this is an inexspensive and effective way for me to manage my gear on a solo shoot.

If you have another solution to dealing with your gear as a lone shooter, send me picks of your setup, or post me a comment and tell me about it.

The Film Makers Cooperative- Thank You to the Frugal Filmmaker

I just wanted to give a big thanks to Scott Eggleston, author of the Frugal Filmmaker for posting a link to my Hoodman Loupe tutorial. Scott is a valuable source of information, as well as an inspiration and example for the low/no budget film maker. With a variety of DIY projects, which are full functional, multi-applicable and often costing under $10 he proves it is possible for an aspiring film maker to stop aspiring, and start film making, no matter how small the budget may be.

Scott's willingness to provide links to valuable information, even if he isn't the author, speaks to his commitment to the independent film making community. The film industry is a difficult one to be in. By freely sharing information and working together, it might not be as difficult.
"One hand washes the other".

For some great DIY projects, and valuable tips and info on film making with a small budget, I strongly recommend checking out Scotts blog.

Gorilla Film Making- A Must for Film Students and Aspiring Film Makers

For the past two days I have been working with a group of students on a short film for their class. I was brought on as a gaffer, but like most small shoots, I've been filling in other roles, like media management. They're a good group of people, punctual, ready to work and knowledgeable in the craft of film making. It's interesting working with college students. They are familiar with the names and applications for industry standard gear, and they run a shoot by the book. The only problem with college students is their dependency on gear, and book taught procedure.

On yesterday's shoot, we were short on C- stands, and some of the students couldn't figure out how to hang flags and scrims. Having worked on a lot of low budget gorilla shoots, I've learned how to do a lot with very little, so I grabbed some spring clamps and gaff tape. Admittedly, it's easier setting up for a shot when you have the proper gear, but at the end of the day you need to get the job done with whatever you have.

Every film course should require at least one low budget film assignment. They could call it the Film makers survival training. Groups of students would be given a camera and a tripod, and have shoot a short film with supplies they could buy at a hardware store or Duane Reade.

Working with professional gear is great, but depending on it is not. Unless you are one of the fortunate few who can transition from college into big Hollywood productions, then chances are your going to be working on indy films. No matter where you end up working, no one wants to hear "we can't get it done cause we don't have a C- stand". Everyone wants to hear "I can make it work". If you can get the job done with spring clamps, cardboard, gaff tape and clamp lights, imagine what you'll be able to do with proper gear.

A Brooklyn Tale - DSLR Meet-Up with The DSLR Master Philip Bloom and the Love Of Filmmaking

Last night I left work early, gear bags in hand, and trecked my way out to Brooklyn Bridge Park for a DSLR meet- up hosted by Philip Bloom. I use the term hosted lightly, as Mr. Bloom's first priority was shooting some timelapse footage of the East River. For those who don't know, Philip Bloom is a bit of a rock star for many DSLR cinematographers as he has strove to prove that they are a viable tool for film making.

I wasn't sure what to say to the man when I met him. Being a bit of a celebrity in my mind, I didn't want to being like a teenager at a Back Street Boys concert, so I did what I'm best at... made some jokes and got a chuckle out of him.

Our conversation pretty much ended at that, but what was nice to see is how light hearted he is. Watching him jump from camera to camera checking the timelapses, and seeing the smile when the shots looked good, reminded me of the reason I wanted to be a filmmaker in the first place. It's not about the gear, or the budget of the production, it's about the love of making films.

By some stroke of luck, the weather cleared up for us, only relapsing into a light drizzle for about 10 minutes. I got some really great shots of the sun coming down over the New York skyline, and there will be a video posted up shortly.

I met some really nice people at the event, and was surprised by how many of them came up to speak with me. Many of the conversations revovled around my camera support system which really surprised me. It's nothing special or fancy, but maybe less common among the DSLR users.

The people attending the event seemed to be split into three distinct groups. There were the talkers, the doers, and then some people that floated in between the two. Some of the talkers brought gear, I met a few who brought nothing, and they just kind of floated around chatting about filmmaking, and gear, and the industry. Many people in this group talked alot about buying gear, but not very much about working with it. I got the sense that many of these people picked up a DSLR as a hobby.

The doers had their priorities straight, They came to film, not to talk, and although they paused for a brief conversation, they would go straight back to shooting. Philip was one of the doers, as well as Brian Russell. I had a very interesting conversation with Brian as things were winding down at the end of the night regarding the advantages of using DSLRs in small/location shoots, as well as ways to use youtube and a blog for marketing.

I fit some where in the middle group maybe closer to the doers. Upon arriving at the meet- up, I went straight to setting up my gear. I wanted to go down and shoot by the Brooklyn Bridge for weeks, so I didn't want to waste the opportunity chatting away. Once my gear was set up, I spoke to people as they approached me, shooting video in between the beats of the conversation. I think there's one factory that seperates me from the doers. They make a living as a filmmaker. I still haven't reached that point.

I think working a full time job is slowing down the process of becoming a full time filmmaker. Many of the professional cinematographers I spoke to dove in head first. They had enough money saved to not work a 9-5er, leaving a lot of time to make films, post them on the internet, build an audience, and find paying clients. I work on my projects when I get home from the day job, which makes it very hard to turn projects around quickly. With this schedule, it usually takes me 1-2 weeks to edit footage from a days shoot.

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss working at Metro Bicycles just for how much free time I had. I only worked three days a week which left me lots of time to work on film projects. With that schedule I could turn out two short films a week. Look at Brian Russell's awesome video from the event. He shot the footage, cut it together and had it posted on vimeo last night.

Well until I save the money, I guess I'll continue sleeping less and editing more.

A Question on Speed

I've seen and read lots of great tutorials on making beautiful slow motion, and awesome timelapse sequences with DSLR cameras. My question is, how do you remap the time of a clip, essentially combining the two? To clarify, I once took a clip shot on a Canon HV30, a consumer grade camera, recording in 24p to HDV tape. After all the transcoding, I dropped the clip in the timeline, and using the time remap tool in Final Cut Pro, slowed the clip down, and gradually brought it up to normal speed.
Is this possible with DSLRs, and how?

Granted, I've haven't done a lot of test with the camera, so I still have a lot to learn and figure out, but I've tried using the time remap tool, and despite looking cool, it doesn't look as smooth or natural.

For anyone with more experience, please feel free to drop some knowledge on me. To give another example of what I'd like to achieve: I have a clip of someone kicking a soccer ball. I like to have the player running up to the ball at faster than normal speed, gradually step down to slow motion as his foot contacts the ball, and then snap to normal speed as the ball goes flying off.