Just arrived back in Milwaukee after spending a week in Los Angeles. This year I had the opportunity to attend Adobe Max which took place in downtown LA from the 4th - 8th of May. Most sessions were conducted at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This was the first time that I've attended Adobe Max and it was awesome!
On Saturday (05/05) my time for Adobe Max commenced. On both Saturday and Sunday, I participated in the Adobe Max pre-conference workshop; Adobe Premiere Pro for Experienced Editors, that was conducted by Abba Shapiro, master editor for Adobe and Apple. It was a privilege tackling down the new Adobe Premiere Pro CC (Creative Cloud) pre-release with a dozen other video/film editors from across the world. All the new Adobe CC apps will be available on June 17.
Monday was the general opening day of the conference. Around 5000+ attendees, including myself, joined Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Adobe's SVP and GM of Digital Media, David Wadhwani, and a collection of Adobe visionaries across digital photography, illustration, video, web design, and more as we unveiled brand new creative workflows and capabilities. We took a look at endless possibilities in our creative future. Below, I have embedded a video by Adobe TV to provide you with a visual summary. You'll be able to see me say a few words too.
Throughout the rest of the conference I attended small group sessions and labs that were mostly related to video. Many of those labs and sessions discussed areas such as, using all the video tools in creative cloud, archiving, transcoding, visual effects, and 3D. A session I should mention is "Max Sneak Peaks." This was a session where a couple of Adobe's officials gave us a few peaks as to what they were working on, for the future updates.
Last but not least, to end things up, Adobe hosted the Max Bash. The event comprised delicious food and drinks, an awesome environment and spectacular entertainment. We even had a live performance by The Black Keys.
I had a valuable experience at Max 2013 and for all you creatives out there, I highly recommend that you attend the next Adobe Max.
We all try to make the most out of the gear we have, but every video producer hits points in their career where they become limited by their equipment. Anybody who does video seriously knows it can be an expensive venture, and that it takes time to acquire all the gear we want. The world of camera support equipment is vast and can range from relatively affordable to shockingly expensive. A good tripod is worth it's weight in gold and everyone should have a shoulder mount to get basic handheld shots, but eventually, you're going to want to get some more dynamic shots. When it comes time to plunk down some of your hard earned money on another piece of camera support gear, it's important to know what each piece of gear can and can't do.
Jibs
Jibs or Cranes range from fairly compact to huge, but in essence they perform the same function. They give you the ability to add vertical movement to a shot. Of course the bigger the jib, the bigger the move can be. Panning with a long jib arm can also mimic a trucking move, but your shot will move along a defined curve, rather than a straight line. A large jib can also get you some nice high angle shots you wouldn't be able to achieve otherwise, and you can achieve some really artistic shots if you use it in conjunction with a robotic head. Jib or Crane shots are particularly effective when there are items in the foreground that show off the movement.
Cons: Jibs tend to be large, and while they are great at getting those sweeping grand shots or high angle shots, the can be cumbersome to setup.
Dollies
Whether we're talking tabletop or full-on rail systems, dollies are designed to provide smooth rolling camera movement. A good dolly is fairly versatile when it comes to usage. Whether you're moving through a scene, following your talent or host, or just adding a bit of movement to an otherwise static interview, a dolly can add motion to many types of shots.
Cons: The degree of setup difficulty can range from minutes to hours depending on how level the shooting surface is. Track systems work well, but can be pricey, while tabletop dollies depend on smooth surfaces.
Floating Stabilizers
From simple handheld stabilizers to vest systems, floating stabilizers are designed to give you smooth shots while you walk, while maintaining the ability to control the side to side and up to down pivot. Great for following a moving subject, or walking through a scene with tight spaces or stairs, this can make handheld work look amazing.
Cons: If you've ever tried to operate a stabilizer for any length of time, your arms or your back have surely paid for it. The bigger the camera, the more it can tax the operator. A stabilizer is a great tool for the job, but may not be usable in a wide variety of situations.
Sliders
Sliders are essentially a condensed, mountable version of a dolly on a track. They provide smooth movement along a straight path. One huge advantage is that they can mount to your tripod so rough and uneven ground is not an issue, and the setup time is consistently fast. Kessler even makes a great camera mount that allows you to use a slider vertically.
Cons: While sliders can be up to 6 feet, this is fairly limited when compared to the range that a jib or dolly can achieve. Also, while dolly tracks can be curved or straight, sliders are usually only straight.
The Verdict
Of course it's tempting to give the old, “it depends on what you're shooting” defense, but that hardly seems like it answers the question I posed in the title. I've done my best to list out the pros and cons, but the bottom line is this. I've been lucky enough to have a jib, dolly, slider, and floating stabilizer at my disposal for a number of years, and hands down, the one I've used far more than any other is the dolly. I just find that it has more uses than a jib or floating stabilizer, whether I'm shooting commercials, training videos, weddings, or narrative material. I could make the argument for a slider as well, in that it does perform many of the same functions, and being able to use it vertically is a huge plus. To be fair, the slider I have access to is under four feet without the vertical mount, so I might be persuaded to change my answer if I had the right setup.
Before you make any decisions, it's good to know what these tools can and can't do, and be prepared for the pitfalls that each one presents. If you're lucky enough to have some money burning a hole in your pocket that's earmarked for new gear, you'll be opening up new artistic possibilities regardless of which one you choose.
Since Baauer's "Harlem Shake" is being quite the talk these days, I decided to come up with a short film idea that incorporated the dance. I'll be introducing you to "Harlem Falcons Shake." This short film is about a president of a Christian university, who has a strange Harlem Shake dream during a short accidental power nap. Harlem Falcons Shake will premier March 11, 2013
This term has been pretty intense with MBA course work and production combined.
Just completed an International Marketing course. Got to research and digest some really cool material. Was also privileged to collaborate a project relating IKEA with a talented group of professionals.
On the other hand, I've been running up and down filming some music videos and promotional videos. One of the music videos had an entire session outdoors right here in cold Wisconsin. It was plenty of fun though!
In case you missed the Oscars, here is the list of who all were nominated and victorious. - BEST PICTURE
- AmourMargaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz, ProducersView Trailer /More Information
- Winner
ArgoGrant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, ProducersView Trailer /More Information - Beasts of the Southern WildDan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, ProducersView Trailer /More Information
- Django UnchainedStacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, ProducersView Trailer /More Information
- Les MisérablesTim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, ProducersView Trailer /More Information
- ACTRESS in a Leading Role
So I'm here in Miami. It has been great so far! The city is pumped for the big game between Notre Dame and Alabama...so is ESPN!
Here is the trailer to the web pilot series I'm working on. Keep in mind, November 30th is the release date.
Many of us like capturing photos of things we admire, people we love, one in a lifetime events, and many more. Most of us prefer to capture such photos with the quality shot with a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR), in a cheap and convenient way as shot with a Digital Compact Camera. To all of you who have that preference, your time has come.
The talk on Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Cameras (MILC) is rapidly increasing in the camera world causing people to become more curious about what the big deal is about. An MILC is a new form of digital camera that is taking its place in the market. The intent of the MILC is for the user to benefit from both a Compact Digital Camera and a DSLR, all in one camera.
There are two key components in a camera that allows for a good quality picture. They are the image sensor and the lens. What the lens mainly does is that it gathers all the light (information) required to form a frame (a picture). What the image sensor does is that it takes all that light and converts it to a digital signal, creating a digital file allowing the user to review later on. The bigger the image sensor and better the lens, the higher the image quality the reviewer is going to get.
Generally, DSLRs tend to have bigger image sensors and use higher end lenses over Digital Compact Cameras. In addition, DSLR’s also have a mirror that reflects the gathered light through the lens, which then sends it to a part called the viewfinder. The viewfinder is a preview allowing the user to see the image before capturing it.
Now, how viewfinders in DSLRs and Compact Digital Cameras work are different. A DSLR requires a mirror system for the user to preview the photo and the Compact Digital Camera directly generate an electronic image preview. The mirror system in a DSLR requires more space, causing the entire body size to be large. So what scientist and innovators for the MILC did was, they took a DSLR design, took out the mirror system for the viewfinder and replaced it with an electronic viewfinder, allowing them to reduce the size of the camera body while retaining the bigger image sensor.
Therefore, an MILC, as what I would call a Mini DSLR, is a cheaper and an effective way for both professional and consumer level photographers to capture stunning images. After all, this type of camera is allowing you to capture the best with less in hand. How could you see an MILC helping you as a photographer, regardless whether you are a professional or an amateur?
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