Twitchfilm :)

I have been going on twitchfilm since I stared film school, they always cover the awesome crazy movies that are coming out that you wouldn't get information on anywhere else. Its pretty cool that they posted a trailer for a great short film I shot last summer.

http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/05/check-out-the-trailer-for-the-time-bending-short-frankie.php

Def looking forward to seeing the finished product of the movie it is a really awesome little piece.

Haven't Updated In Awhile

Been real busy on Criminal Intent and haven't really updated this thing. Mr. Dream video I shot did very well and got on rollingstone, mtvhive, and the fader.com. First time a music video of mine has gotten on some of the bigger sites now the next goal is to get a video to play on one of the mtvs.

Shot a short film this weekend with director John Lopez. Story and visual style was greatly influenced by the work of Darren Aranofsky. Shot on the RED MX and really put the camera to test. It was a two day shoot one day in a apartment and one day on the R subway line. Mostly natural light and had the camera rated anywhere from 800-2000 ISO. Have to say I was very impressed that I could light a scene at times with 150 watt practical as key and another 100 watt practical just giving a little extra to the frame. With that said my bulbs blew but for the subject matter it worked and with the new REDGAMMA2 I am able to get some more info out of my lamp shades.

Right now I just am hoping to get a film project soon, last time I worked with celluloid was on a spec commercial in November as a loader. I just want to shoot something, digital is getting better but its still not film.

Mr. Dream Trash Hit

Haven't updated in awhile. Mr. Dream's music video Trash Hit premiered on rollingstone.com and mtvhive.com

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/rolling-stone-video-blog/video-mr-dream-turn-garbage-into-art-in-trash-hit-20110419

Video is a interesting piece we were going for something high quality but not pretty if that makes sense. Shot on the RED MX with a 15mm nikon. Anthony Sylvester did a great job with directing on this one.

PMW-F3 Test

This Saturday I firsted on a test/short film with the new Sony PMW-F3. It was a two camera test the other body being the Sony SRW9000 PL which is a cross between being a digital cinema camera and ENG.

The PMW-F3 is a beauty. I am a sony guy and have always loved there gear, the only problem has been Sony can look too video. Thats kind of a idiot statement since it is video and not film but digital cameras from companies like Panasonic and RED tend to look a little more filmic in terms of how there sensors produce images. I love the EX-1 but with the work I have done with it has always been with a 35mm Adaptor.

Well now we can bypass the adaptor since the F3 is a super 35mm sensor that can take PL mounted lens and also still lens (I think adaptors are coming out in the future to allow for Nikon, Canon, etc). On this shoot we were working with a set of old Arri Variable primes and the 3 sony lens kit (35mm, 50mm and 85mm) that comes with the F3 if you buy the more expensive package.

The menu system is exactly the same as the EX-1 for the most part, takes SxS cards, shoots 1920x1080 and slow motion still has to be done at 720p. Changes are of course the sensor and ability to attach cinema lens. Also the camera is like most of the new digital cameras coming on very good at low light levels. We didn't do any night stuff but the DP was telling me he tested at 6400 and was amazed by how clean it was at that level. As of now the camera has been said to be rated natively at a 800.

For this shoot we had a pretty ridiculous rig that was a pain in the ass. We were going to a nano flash in order to record to 4:2:2 and at 220 mbs with that we had to set up this crazy zacuto rig with the arri variable prime (which is basically a zoom lens) it was almost like setting up a 12-120 zoom on a 35mm camera system. Actually a 35mm camera system in that set up is much more friendly than what we had with the PMW. Without a external recorder it records at 35mbs (RED's highest is 42) 4:2:0 and 8 bit. But with a new sony recorder coming out you will be able to record in Log, 10 bit and 4:2:2.

We also got to use those new lens that sony include with the more expensive F3 package. They are really nice. There big barrel, light, and open to a 2 almost like a Cooke (though not as nice of glass of course). It was a pretty fun shoot and nice to get to know the camera a bit I'd love to get a day with it to test out its ISO's more and possible shoot with a very high quality piece of glass.

Def. a camera I hope to shoot with.

RED MX & Law and Order CI

Finished a real fun video for the rock group Mr. Dream this weekend. Really great song and a great conceptual video from Anthony Sylvester. Also this marked my first time using the MX sensor on the RED. It took a few shoots to finally get to use it but it def makes the RED a beast.

Everyone has seen the tests and know that the MX has improved noise and DR. Though a lot of people recommend shooting at a 800 ISO which is pretty high for a bright day exterior and did leave me a little worried about IR pollution because of stacking ND's (and I didn't know if we would be able to get a Hot Mirror Filter or IRND combo).

I shot at a 640 ISO and either had a HM filter with a .9 or a HM combo + 1.2 since both days were sunny. Inside I shot at a 800 ISO and switched to 1,000 for some high speed scenes. At 1,000 the sensor is incredibly clean. Latitude is also greatly improved, I could see right off the bat that more information could be captured in the highlights as well as the shadows. Is it comparable to film? I still would say no, but the MX is def in the top 2 of digital cinema cameras in my opinion.

Thanks to my great crew for helping out.

Last Friday I camera PA'd on Law and Order Criminal Intent. Its fun to get on union shoots as a camera pa. You get to learn and experience what it is like to work on a union crew for a big job and you make union contacts. Its def helpful with preparing for the union test. CI shoots with the Alexa but its Panavised. I haven't been a a Panavision shoot so it was really cool to finally get on one and see how there gear works. This was my second time on a job with the Alexa and it is a amazing f'ing camera.

Waffle In SXSW

Waffle a short horror film I shot directed by Rafael De Leon has be accepted into this years SXSW film festival in Austin Texas. Over 3,000 films were submitted and only 150 were chosen to play. Congrats to the whole crew who worked on the project.

February Happenings

Just wrapped day 1 on a music video for Tierney Boisvert directed by John Lopez. Great song with a nice story element treatment. We shot it in black and white noir style with the 7D and as set of Compact Primes (28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm). I loved the CP2s, the big barrel, good markings and the ease for the assistant to pull focus is just such a nice luxury as opposed to using still photo lens that are not made for cinema use. Really glad how the footage came out looking for today. Tomorrow were just picking up some broll shots as 95% of the video is done.

Thanks to my first Chris Cafaro and my gaffer Matt Pecca.

This past Saturday I directed and DP'd a music video for one of my favorite hip hop artists Apathy. I've been working on doing something for him since I was a sophomore at SVA and after 2 and half years of keeping in touch we finally got to work with each other on a project. The track is amazing, one of the best hip hop songs I have heard in a long time. We shot with 2 7d's Anthony Sylvester was on B camera getting some awesome slow motion footage and I was on A camera getting the performance and story elements of the video. Was a pleasure to work with Apathy super nice guy and very professional. Thanks to everyone who helped out on that - Ap, Ben, Open Mic, Janina, and Tony Sly. The video so far is coming out awesome and hope to have it done by the end of the month.