Watch and Drool: MOVE

This is the way to go: a wonderfully simple idea, executed to perfection. "3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage..."
I don't want to seem to be obsessed with numbers... (perhaps I am) but these guys have blown the roof off the house with their numbers: almost 4 million views in 8 days!! Almost 24.000 likes on Vimeo!! Granted it wasn't shot on an afternoon in the park around the corner- it took a wee bit more time and a few extra dollars but this is crazy, out of this world...
They also made 'EAT' and 'LEARN' but after having seen MOVE... that's a hard act to follow... Respect for the makers of MOVE.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Super Takumar test footage

I shot some video here in my father's place in Vero Beach, Florida using the Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 on my Panasonic GH2. I also used my SmallHD DP4 for the first time in the way I will most often use it- without being plugged in to the wall, battery-powered. (what a pleasure to work with, by the way!)
The footage was shot with available (evening) light, which was very little. I was wide open and had to up the ISO from 1600-2500. No grading. The image looks tacksharp and has great bokeh. I pulled focus -manually, on the lens(!)- from inch to inch and you can see how incredible a job it does with the twigs, coral and shells. In the last shot the focus moves from the couch and pillows and then closes in from twig to twig. (it looks like a lot of dissolves but it's 'straight footage')

The music is from a CD that was lying around here and it won't get me in trouble with copyrights: it's kind of a spoof made by my niece Frederique Masselink-van Rijn, who has moved on to becoming a rising star as a photographer.

Super Takumar test footage from Filmersblog on Vimeo.

Mailbox: OEM LP-E6 batteries

I received my much-awaited LP-E6 clones today, for which I paid express shipping so I can use my SmallHD DP4 during my stay here in the States this month. I paid $30,- for 2 batteries including travel charger, car charger and express shipping.
The batteries do not display information to the camera but since I am solely using them for my monitor, I don't need that function. And I hate to pay for something I don't use.
These batteries are 2200 MAh, which I believe is more than the standard Canon 1800 mAh and I confirm that they work ;-) The question is, of course, for how long. Time will tell.
For now they power up my DP4 and I've had the pleasure to shoot some video with the battery-powered monitor, my GH2 and my new Super-Takumar 50mm 1.4. I love this lens already- will post footage tomorrow!

Commercials in the USA

I've been coming to the States since I was a little boy.

I have strong memories of American television. Endless cartoons, the Adams Family, Batman! It was children's heaven. The commercials also made a big impression because you couldn't escape them; every few minutes the program would interrupt with advertisements for cereals, toys, dog food, to name just a few...

My memories of these commercials are of positive, dynamic and naieve images of a Disney-reality. They represented a fantasy world of happy, wealthy families with big houses, cars and dogs. Pictures of the American Dream.

Today I am here and see that commercials have not really changed in more than 30 years. They still have that goofy optimism. But for the first time I also notice how simple many of them are made: people shouting in your face with harsh lighting and unattractive scenery. Like cheap soap operas. American filmmakers have changed the world with their creativity and craftmanship but in TV-commercials very little of that talent is reflected. And I can't help but wonder: why?

Mattebox-deal

Vitaliy Kiselev, the guy who hacked the Panasonic GH1 and GH2, has a lively website and a lot of discussion on filmmaking, camera's and good, cheap gear in general. If you register on his website and 'post something really useful", you can sign in for a group buy deal.
I registered and immediately made an important contribution in the form of sound advice on cheap lav mics and, by God, Vitaliy deemed me worthy of becoming a member of his 'community'...
So it looks like I'm getting a nice deal on a TrusMT mattebox, more than $100 off the regular price.

Initial results: the 10.000 viewer challenge

Two weeks back I posted my submission to the 10.000 viewer challenge: a simple clip of dogs playing in the park. My goal was to reach 1000 viewers in a month, 10.000 in six months.

Today I'm halfway the month and I can proudly say that the current viewer number between YouTube (353) and Vimeo (139) : 492

That means I'm perfectly on track for reaching 1000 viewers in a month- if this trend continues. The problem is, I don't expect the numbers to grow at the same rate if I don't actively promote the video. Which, by the way, is an important lesson I learned from this enterprise: don't count on the video doing its own marketing. You have to work at getting your video seen in the right market. You may have made something brilliant but if you don't tell people it's out there, the chances of it being discovered are small. Now I'm not saying my video is brilliant, far from it. It's just a nice, 'feel-good' clip with a popular subject (dogs) and a catchy song.
The response has been nice, especially from dog-owners. I signed up with a dog-forum in Holland and within one day I had almost 30 written responses to the video, all of them enthousiastic.

But to be honest, I counted on a 'snowball-effect': dog-people ending it to other dog-people. But to accomplish that, the clip was simply not special enough. I may get my 1000 viewers in a month, but I will not reach 10.000 viewers in 6 months, that I know now.  It needed something extra, something that would lift it out of the crowd. It needed a very rare moment, like a blooper, a freak accident, something nasty or way out of the ordinary. THEN it would have been forwarded and created a snowball effect.

While writing this, I read about the YouTube Creator Playbook, a new tool that will help you create an audience. Should be interesting and I will defintely delve in.

I also have another idea for a clip that will definitely create a stirr. You will hear about that when I'm back in Amsterdam.

But first let's see if I can get my 1000 viewers by the end of this month. Help me out and send this clip to all the doglovers and/or doghaters you know.


The 10.000 viewer challenge! from Filmersblog on Vimeo.

Mailbox: SmallHD DP4

SMALLHD DP4 ON PANASONIC GH2

GREAT PICTURE WITH ALL THE NECESSARY INFO ON DISPLAY

I received my SmallHD DP4 today. First -superficial- impressions: great design and feel. The monitor itself is featherlight, the viewfinder feels rocksolid, almost clunky in comparison. I'm almost afraid to mount it on the monitor for fear of bending/breaking it! It's probably better to attach the monitor to the viewfinder than vice versa. That is to say, don't mount the viewfinder when the monitor is on the hotshoe or on a flexible arm. Hold the viewfinder in your hand and press the monitor in place, that way you can exercise more controlled pressure.

I did a quick tryout with my GH2 and the resolution and picture looks great, straight out of the box. Have to get used to the menu but that's to be expected when you don't RTFM... The feature set and options are manifold and there's 2 preset buttons for your favorite settings. scroll/push button, usb port, HDMI in and out, replaceable battery plates (for now you can only use Canon LP-E6 batteries), and headphone jack for monitoring audio.

QUICK OVERVIEW OF BUTTONS AND PORTS

I didn't get a signal out of the camera straight away: I was about to start sweating when I discovered that either the camera or the DP4 doesn't like it when the camera is turned on before the monitor is. After I turned the camera off and back on again, the picture showed up.
As expected, the package feels very professional and complete. From the design to the materials to the accessories, this EVF/monitor makes me feel I can really go to work with my DSLR's.

I will write more about how the DP4 performs in the field and -when I get back to Europe- how it works with my Canon 550D/T2i.

If there's anything in particular people would like to hear about, let me know.

FALSE COLOR FOR JUDGING EXPOSURE

Mailbox: Super Takumar 50mm 1.4

The Super Takumar 50mm 1.4: at the wrong end of the camera

An item I bought on eBay and had sent to my father in the US many months ago: the Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 It's a beautiful lens and I plan to show you what it can do in the next weeks during my travels in the USA. I need a 50mm lens like I need another hole in my head but this one cuts so well with the Panasonic Lumix 20mm 1.7, I couldn't pass it up.
This lens is in pristine condition, everything smooth and clean. For around $90,- you can pick up a real nice one on eBay right away but there are cheaper ones to be had. This is a good investment: this lens will retain its value.

SmallHD DP4 on the way

 I bit the bullet and ordered the SmallHD DP4 monitor/electronic viewfinder. I am really looking forward to using this device with my GH2 during my stay here in the States. Problem is, the DP4 ships with a Canon LP-E6 battery plate. Since I don't own a 5D Mark II or a 7D, I don't use these batteries. I asked SmallHD about an optional Sony NPF plate (I have a bunch of small NPF's for use with my Z96 led light.) but they don't have an alternative plate as of now. They wrote they are working at it but it doesn't seem to be a priority. They should have alternatives: how hard can it be to produce such a plate?
So I am looking at a charger and a few LP-E6's. There's a lot of really cheap deals: $20 for 2 batteries and a charger. Too good to be true? I'm gambling that they are cheap because the camera doesn't 'read' the battery info. But since I won't be using them on a camera, that's fine with me. I'll let you know how they fare. And I'll tell you all about my SmallHD DP4!

GH2 airport timelapse

I love the activity in this timelapse, shot at Philadelphia airport on my Panasonic GH2. The window we were looking out at was the perfect frame. My Slik tripod was checked in so I placed the camera on the radiator on the wall. A very nice timelapse except for two frames that went nearly black and I have no idea why...
Since I don't have Quicktime 7 Pro installed on my Macbook Pro, I had to find an alternative to make quick 'n easy timelapses. Well, in no time I found Time Lapse Assembler, a completely free, very simple program that makes timelapsing a breeze! I love it. Who needs Quicktime 7..?

GH2 Airport Timelapse from Filmersblog on Vimeo.

Mailbox: Cowboy Studio shoulder support

SALESPERSON BUSY SHOOTING A WALL

I completely forgot I ordered this thing some months ago and had it sent to my father in Florida, where I am right now. This is a cheap shoulder device that I had been reading some good stories about. Especially considering its $25 pricetag... (price has gone up by about $5-10) It's an all-plastic device that you can adjust so it will fit small operators as well as larger ones.
In the picture you see a small operator; a diminuative salesperson pretending to shoot video. I tried it on myself and it fit so snugly the shoulder support with camera hangs on my shoulder without the risk of sliding off.  Nice! I felt I could do nice, smooth pans with this combination.
The support feels strong yet lighweight and comes with a shoulder strap and carrying bag that in my opinion are completely useless. The carrying bag is so thin it does nothing to protect the shoulder support and the shoulder strap hangs in the way.  When a camera is mounted and you use the carrying straps, the whole rig hangs dangerously upside down. I don't have a clue what the idea was behind the shoulder straps- but thanks any way.
Because of the materials used I don't think this would work well with my Sony EX1-R, but if you're a DSLR-shooter looking for a cheap shoulder support, I doubt you'll find a better deal.

LOOKS NICE BUT FORGET THE BAG+SHOULDER STRAP

Vacation, Filmersblog style

 

A taste of paradise

Filmersblog is on holiday!  In filmers' mecca, the US of A! But as we all know, no filmer is ever truly on vacation… The framing, shooting, thinking and researching continues. I will try my best to post here as regularly as possible but hope you will forgive me if I don't make it every day due to lack of an internet connection, alcohol poisoning and/or sunstroke.
Here's a toast to all the shooters, filmers, videographers and photographers in the world! And to peace in our time.

Dust and fingerprints nearly killed me...

SONY EX1-R/AUTOCUE COMBINATION

So I had kind of a bad start yesterday: our soundguy had gallstones and there was no time to replace him. My client rented an autocue (a device that scrolls text before your eyes so you don't have to memorize text) and spent the evening before assembling it and preparing the text. Working with an autocue was new to him -and me, for that matter. We had 12.000 words of presentation to pack in a single day of shooting. And four locations in a beautifully renovated farm to do so. The talent was a Dutch speaker doing commentary in English on philosophical debate. This was no 60 second weather forecast...
I had a lot to consider: a wireless lavalier mic, a wired mic on a stand, directing, lighting and operating the camera. We were shooting with heavy sunlight pouring into dark interiors. The neighbours were screaming at their horses and riding motorcycles. The autocue broke down several times, for no apparent reason.

Zacuto EVF review

SALESPERSON DOING WHAT SHE DOES BEST

Andrew Reid from EOSHD has done a thorough review on the Zacuto EVF. I wanted to ask why he chose the Zacuto over the SmallHD DP4 (especially because he already owns the SmallHD DP6) but you have to register to be able to ask a question... I don't want to register!! Open up the response-box, Andrew! I still lean towards the SmallHD DP4 because of the bigger screensize. (And I don't own a Z-Finder...)

Where is my soundguy? Gallstones!

What are the odds that your soundguy has an attack of the gallstones the night before a very busy shoot? One in a million? Well, I won the lottery today...
Also, the autocue doesn't seem to work as should be expected and we have to go back the rental shop to pick up an extra mic and softie. That's at least an hour right off our precious shooting time...
But the show has to go on, as they say. To call it off is not an option. Wish me luck and I hope to be able to send you some 'live' photomaterial later on in the day.

The importance of furry things

yellow: the last color on earth for a softie

When I was employed by broadcasters I worked with camera crews on a regular basis. The 'softie' has always held a special place in the crew's gear-bag. The 'furry' is placed on a microphone on top of a boompole and dampens the sound of the wind.
Children and animals love the furry because it's soft and cuddly. And so does the crew. It is often referred to and has nicknames such as 'Muppet', "Moppy', 'The Hamster', 'Pussycat' and 'The Beaver'... (I didn't make that up, the crews did)

THE BIG FURRY

Now I'm mostly shooting as a one man band and I have used 'the fur' often on my camera mic when shooting outside. But only a few years ago did I learn about the softie for lavalier mics. I had always used the foam covers but noticed that they would do very little to reduce wind noise. As a result, I would avoid doing interviews outside with my lavalier mic. But then I discovered the mini-softies. They run around 25 bucks and they are worth every penny. They make the difference between poor and professional sound. (There's even one you can stick on DSLR's!) Make sure you get a good one, though. They look simple but a lot of thought has gone into the design and the materials being used. Rycote makes good softies but I'm sure there are others.

THE 5D FURRY!

I have a shoot tomorrow and much of it is outside. It is supposed to be summer but here in Amsterdam it is windy and rainy. Where would I be without my tiny windjammer? What the world needs is more soft and furry little things...

A FURRY FOR EVERY SKIN COLOR?

Overwhelming interest in lens-adapters from Middle East!

There has been an incredible surge in blog-visitors from the Middle East, practically doubling my visitor numbers! And it has been consistently growing for the last week or so. Apparently my article on lens adapters has really touched a nerve with our friends in Quatar, Palestine, Saudi-Arabia, Jemen and Iran, to name just a few...
Granted I did a pretty good job on analyzing the pros and cons of various lens-adapters on the market and I really nailed this topic from a user-perspective, but to think this subject would be my top article of all times..?! A writer can only dream of such success! I hope that my new-found guests will continue to visit my blog, even if I discuss topics other than lens-adapters.
In conclusion I would like to share with you an important lesson learned from this story: don't ever underestimate the power of a professional salesperson...

Amazing GH2 hack footage

The latest Panasonic GH2 patch seems to be able of some awe-inspiring stuff. The Vitaly team has been able to pump up the bitrate to a dazzling 50 MBP/S (factory bitrate is 17 MBP/S at highest setting!) and GOP3 ('Group Of Pictures.' To put it simply, the shorter the GOP, the better the quality (and less efficient) Is what they say...) Check out this footage, which is compressed for Vimeo and not even at 1920x1080! Original footage is said to be twice as good-a number of people compare this to RED 4K footage.
Not bad for a €800,- body... Aren't we having fun?

GH2k hack - 50mbp/s GOP 3 from BC Olejniczak on Vimeo.

Odd Sony camera repair...

THE TIEWRAP SOLUTION

Today I received my EX1-R from the Sony repair service. I had busted my camera after it dropped 5 feet from my bicycle unto the pavement. The bill was €600,- and the Sony repairman came up with this remarkable solution: three tiewraps to hold it together! Do you think I should file a complaint? Or write them a letter to tell them their service guy deserves a Nobel prize?

I'm kidding. I applied the tiewraps myself, as a temporary solution. First I unscrewed the little screws on the handle, looked if there was anything crooked inside and then gently pressed the handlebar together while tying the tiewraps. It works! The 'record' button functions again, the zoom lever recovered and dust and moisture are kept outside. Great work, if I say so myself. This solution will keep me in business until after my upcoming 2 camera-shoot this week...

In my book, the invention of tiewraps is way up there, along with the Wheel and the iPhone lens-adapter ;-)

BEFORE

AFTER

Greatest hit? My entry to the 10.000 viewer challenge!

A little over a week ago I challenged myself to make a clip that would reach 1000 viewers in a month, 10.000 in six months. I was going to be a hog for numbers. No artistic pretentions. SCORE is the motto. But discretely. No porn, no violence. So that leaves dogs: one of the top attractions on YouTube. Guaranteed to be a box-office succes.

Help me reach my goal: send this video to friends, family and acquaintances! And if you hate dogs, send it to your enemies!
Don't just sit and watch (cranck up the sound)- be part of history! (ok, that's way over the top but I really like the sound of it)


The 10.000 viewer challenge! from Filmersblog on Vimeo.