cinevate volunteered to create a gallery of all of the winning clips so we could ’show the world’. the shooting challenges have got to be one of the most arduous yet most rewarding parts of the workshop. check out the site to see a description of all of the challenges and what the groups came up with. you can also find the behind the scenes to see all of the groups in action.
http://www.cinevate.com/website/index.php/evo
P.
today marks day two of our speaking schedule in las vegas. justin and i are at wppi (the wedding and professional photographers international convention) and were asked by canon usa to speak on the advantages, strategies and techniques of adding cinematography to the photography repertoire.
being that justin and i are photographers that often shoot cinema, we have a pretty unique perspective on the matter. we know how challenging it can be to shoot photo on its own, and to shoot cinema on its own – but to combine the two…. let’s just say that the results can be out of this world.
but does it have to be daunting? that’s a question that many photographers are asking themselves. with HDSLRs at our disposal, so many are itching to test out the waters.
so here’s where we come in. over the last few days, and for the last time tomorrow at WPPI, we are sharing our perspective on how the transition can be made smoothly and in a really fun way. so for those of you who’d like to join us, check out our talk at the canon booth tomorrow (wednesday) at 1:15.
-amina
join amina, justin, + patrick and some of the best wedding and portrait photographers in our local industry. the location is the historic gladstone hotel on queen st west in toronto.
there will be a wide range of essential topics covered – everything from business, branding, marketing and sales right through to practical guides to posing to shooting technique. on top of that, the workshop is designed to open your mind and allow yourself the freedom to create images in new ways.
there are eight excellent photographers sharing their proven tools for success and we are very excited to be among them. P. is even hoping to sneak a cinema clip or two in.
the investment is a $599CDN for two days and includes lunch and coffee breaks.
as many of you know, every year stillmotion takes on up to three industry professionals, whether photographers or cinematographers, for its mentorship program. it’s a year long commitment that is intensely personal, specifically targeted towards each individual’s goals and hopes, and a channel for personal and professional growth.
in december, nicole anhel of confetti films decided that this is a journey she would like to take. over the next year, she and i will be sharing, viewing, creating, flying, shooting, laughing, crying, and a whole list of other things that i’m sure will come our way.
i’m looking forward to helping nicole achieve the things that will truly make her happy, while sharing an experience that is already proving to be unforgettable for me.
over the next year, both nicole and i will be sharing our views, successes, road blocks, breakthroughs, and excitement on the journey that we take together. this is my first blog post with many to come. to view nicole’s complementary post, click here.
-amina
as i sit at the back of the presentation room, i realize just how lucky we are.
we are in the middle of our third evolution experience in australia. we’ve already had a chance to inspire 30 people, and now we’re sitting with another 15. but what many don’t realize is just how inspired we become through all of this.
it makes us realize how incredible our opportunities are. it forces us to question everything that we do. it makes us realize that we make mistakes all the time and that through the passion for what we do, these mistakes turn into possibilities.
but the biggest thing that i feel makes us feel so privileged is the friendships we create in the meantime. whether these are relationships that are built with attendees, people at the camera store, or our couples, they are what pushes us to constantly evolve.
i’d like to share with you an email that we got this morning from serena and liang – a couple who got married this past saturday in sydney (whose SDE and photos you’ll see shortly), and who also came to our workshop on day 2 to model for our attendees’ exercises.
“hi Amina
Day 1 workshop – go team Melbourne! so wish we were there……
I remembered that Patrick said he had 150 emails to reply to, and here’s hoping you don’t, so I’ve forwarded my email to you. Have looked up some free range/organic restaurants and sent links. DOC is Italian/pizza that we love but isn’t free range. Can’t vouch for the others but fingers crossed they’re like Peasants feast.
DOC
Drummond St Carlton 3053. VIC (03) 9347 2998
http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/VIC-Melbourne-chocolatebuddha.aspx
http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/VIC-Melbourne-bcoz.aspx
Basically just wanted to confirm dates so I can book Toronto flights. For us anytime fr 18/4 to 8/5 is good so if you just give me a couple of dates that work for you guys, I can fix up our end :)
talk soon!
xoxo
S”
maybe this hit me a little harder because i read the email as patrick was explaining the importance of getting to know your couples during his presentation this morning. but we didn’t ask serena and liang to look up restaurants for us in melbourne. they simply knew us well enough to know that we love organic fare, and they cared enough to send us an email with recommendations (2 days after their wedding mind you).
not only this. they are planing a trip to toronto this april so they can visit with us.
THIS. THIS is what drives us. people like this are what inspires us. but i feel like it is our involvement and participation in people’s lives (and not just their weddings) that allows for such rewarding payback.
here’s a little peek into last week’s evo. a big thanks to cinevate for being the coolest corporation we know and donating three uno DSLR rigs for our personal reflection competition on day two. after our shoot out tomorrow in melbourne, we will be able to debut all of the winning and runners up and we are so excited to share these very thoughtful, inspirational, and original pieces with everybody. so thank you cinevate for your continually supporting all of our educational endeavors.
-amina
the stillmotion gear bag
cameras
we now shoot entirely with HD-SLRs. our most common approach is three to four bodies at one shoot, often with on setup specifically for the steadicam.
the 5d MKII // we love the image, latitude, and low light of these cams. the small form factor makes them incredibly versatile. the only thing missing – more dedicated video controls and true 24P. the 5d MKII has now been retired as a relic of the not so distant past. without 24P and with the increased rolling shutter (over the 7d and MKIV), we definitely favor the other cams. if/when the firmware update is released, it may be a new ballgame but we have come to love the crop on the other cams.
the canon 7d // this was our main cam for several months before the MKIV debuted. while the crop upsets some, we like how it lets us get in tighter. using the 70-200 now lets you get in closer than ever without the need for a tele-convertor. the low light on these is very strong as is the latitude. the form factor and dedicated start/stop record are great improvements, but more than anything 24P is why we love these so much. i can see us keeping one MKII for super wide shots and then converting to 24P via the 80% slowdown method in compressor. these are at such a great price point that they make an amazing workhorse camera. we’ve heard complaints about the cameras overheating, but in shooting in India on a weeklong shoot, we had minimal complications in direct sunlight. the cameras certainly do overheat when working them hard in hot conditions, but we found it very easy to work with by giving them little breaks (one to two min) or switching bodies every so often.
the canon MKIV // while the price point and feature set of the 7d are tough to compete with, this is our favorite cam of the bunch. to hold the MKIV is to love it. there is so much to be said for the form factor of this camera. the integrated battery grip (which also gets you longer battery life due to the bigger battery) adds some nice size and the additional weight goes a long way in handheld or moving shots. the grips on the bottom and side are also very natural feeling and fit very well with our monopod. having a different record button on all three cameras certainly takes some getting used to, but it is a small price to pay for the versatility you get in working with cameras that have different crop factors. our current setup is having one of these as the main camera, and then supplementing it with 7ds. the 1.3 crop factor is not nearly as noticeable as the 7d’s 1.6-crop factor, but it does make it tough to get that ever so popular 50mm field of view. we often run this with both a 35 f1.4 and the 50 f1.2.
lenses
we like to shoot almost entirely with primes, as we like to shoot below the 2.8 often offered in good canon zooms. a prime also forces you to know what you want to shoot. we see a prime as being much closer to shooting in full manual, where as a zoom would be akin to shooting in auto mode on your cam.
canon 14mm f2.8L rectilinear // this is out new go to wide lens when using the MKIV or 7d. being such a wide lens, the image looks much less distorted than the 16-35 f2.8 or the 15mm fisheye. this is our main steadicam lens because the wideness really accentuates the motion and the hyper focal distance is so short that it is much easier to keep more in focus while moving.
canon 24 f1.4L USM II // this was our go to wide lens for the MKII.. at f1.4 you can shoot in dark receptions and sometimes still get a high shutter to accentuate the look of your motion. great image and the perfect size for a steadicam. we run this as the main lens on our flyer. when paired with a 7d, keep in mind the effective focal length is closer to 35mm, which is a little tighter than some might like.
canon 35 f1.4L // with the introduction of the 7d and the 1.6 crop, this is now our main lens for preps and general coverage. it acts like a 50 with the crop and lets you focus super close, and at f1.4 you can get some gorgeous shallow shots.
canon 50 f1.2L // great lens on both the 5d and 7d. amazing image, great size, and you can’t beat f1.2. while the 1.4 is certainly much cheaper, there is something to be said for the image (tonality, color, contrast) out of an L series lens. it is so much more than just the extra stop of light.
canon 135 f2.0L // amazing tele lens. on the 7d you can get in tight for speeches or the ceremony but still let in a lot of light. what makes this lens amazing over the 70-200 is its minimum focusing distance. you can get much closer than many lenses in this focal range, and that means shallower images, great compression on your subjects, and gorgeous looking bokeh.
canon 16-35 f2.8L // a little bit more of an effect lens when you take into consideration the distortion at 16mm. the f2.8 is also not the best for low light. great for really showing grandeur of some venues and amazing when paired with the slider. also a good choice with the 7d to get wider than the 24 allows. the crop removes much of the distortion as well.
canon 70-200 f2.8L IS// the gold standard for tele-lenses. we have several of these on hand for the ceremony and speeches.
canon 70-200 f4L w/ or w/o IS // these hidden gems are the little brother of the f2.8 lens, but what most people don’t know is that they are sharper than the f2.8 lens and if you can live without IS, you can have one for $600. they are also incredibly small and light which makes them great for travel. f4 won’t work for natural light at a reception, but if your using lights, these work at most receptions.
audio
zoom h4n // a great little tool for getting high quality audio when shooting with dSLRs. the inputs in the bottom take XLR or 1/4″ plugs, which makes them very versatile when trying to plus into a DJs board. the battery life is awesome, they aren’t too big that they become awkward, and they are fairly easy to use. we suggest energized advanced lithium batteries – while they are expensive and unfortunately not recyclable, we can do a couple shoots on one set. the line input seems to be tough to get to work, and using the mice input means the signal is sometimes too hot, even when you turn the level setting all the way down (though this was remedied with a firmware update). when running dual inputs, such as two wireless mics, you also don’t have independent level controls so you need to set it for the loudest mice, which is definitely a pain. these are our main audio tools. we have also rigged up a piece from the cineaste undo rig that holds a zoom on a monopod and lets us run a shotgun mice into the zoom for natural sound. a great way to overcome the auto gain and compression of HD-Slurs.
talcum dr-100 // this little unit makes up for all of the shortcomings in the zoom. the line input actually works, it has independent level controls when you run two inputs, and it feels like a much more professionally built unit. the downsides are that the battery life is really quite bad. you need to charge the internal lithium ion and run new AA batteries to get a good amount of recording. the tacam also does not have a 1/4″ input, only axle or 1/8″ – which can be easily solved by an adapter of course.
sennheiser ewg2 wireless lav // these seem to be the gold standard for wireless audio in the industry. we have tried the more expensive lestronics units, and while they are certainly superior, they are much tougher to use (screwdriver to change frequencies, they take 9v batteries). we use these with rycote fuzzy windjammers when shooting outside.
iriver IFP series // we still have a couple of these old mp3 players kicking around. they are great as a backup or to run under a brides dress (with a white mice). they are hard to find since the newer models don’t have the same level of control over audio recording.
camera movement
cinevate linear tracking system (slider) // what sets this tool apart is that it actually has bearings and a bowl head, so you get super smooth slides on your first take and you can adjust the bowl to always have a level shot. these are a bit more pricey than something like glidetrack, but the first time you miss what would have been your best shot of the day because the plastic on the glidetrack stuck, i think you will agree why it is worth so much more. you can get these in different rail lengths, which makes them very versatile. we have a custom set of 6′ rails that are great for commercial setups and really long shots that would traditionally require a dolly. the downsides – the legs adjust separately so it can take some time (but this also allows you to work on uneven ground). the bearings do make some noise, so watch your audio. it is very tolerable in a quite church but a medium speed shot in close to an audio source wouldn’t work.
steadicam flyer // these little beauties are one of the biggest things that gave stillmotion its reputation back in the day. priced at nearly double the pilot, they certainly offer some bells and whistles that those other units don’t have. the carbon fiber adjustable post and oversized gimbals give the unit a great feel. the adjustment on the flyer’s stage couldn’t be easier. the base of the sled has full control over the position of the monitor and batteries, making it much easier to get dynamic balance. the vest on these is very comfy, and that is huge when you go on longer shoots. the is-elastic arm is probably one of the biggest things that make a stead cam unit stand apart. it allows the operator to position the rig high or low and the arm holds it in place. the flyer is what we use on all of our shoots. we use a modified version of the cineaste shoulder rig to go on our stead cam with the HD-SLR to give us more weight and protection for the cam.
steadicam pilot // we have some of these as well, but they are more for our workshops and training. the unit can do things comparable to a flyer when operated properly and the price point is pretty astonishing, but it does feel like a scaled down version of the flyer. the vest would be one of the biggest things that was stripped down to make the unit more affordable. the arm can also support much less weight, so if you have a bigger cam, you will want the flyer.
the cinevate uno HD-SLR shoulder rig // this new rig is awesome for a small setup, traveling, or getting shots with that slightly handheld feel. it is also one of cinevate’s sexiest products to date. here is what i love about this product – it feels so much like Lego. we have used pieces to create a holder for the zoom when running on a monopod.
manfrotto 561bhdv // the most common way we shoot when we aren’t on sticks or on the stead cam. the legs that pop out on the bottom in addition to the fluid head make this an extremely quick to adjust and versatile tool. perfect for using long lenses and rack focusing with perfect stability. at under $300, the perfect starter piece for HD-SLR shooting.
lighting
Lowell pro light // a $100 250 watt halogen light. with barn doors and some diffusion makes it probably the highest impact piece of gear in that price range. we use these to light speeches and dance floors. all of our preps and ceremonies are natural light. the pro light is also great when run bare for more power. their size is great for travel and for hiding them on location.
zylight z90 // probably one of the most expensive led lights, but they do offer the option for battery power, and the color temp is fully adjustable (including fine adjustments such as plus/minus green or magenta). the size and battery option makes these great for travel, but when your starting out the price point makes them very tough to fit into the budget. we use these mainly as hair lights.
post production
macbook pro // working with native h264 files from the HD-SLR cams is pretty taxing, so we are often upgrading to the most current macbook pro and often run with 8 gigs of ram. these let us rough cut the native h264 files and put our selects on a timeline so that we can only transcended those for a same day edit. a great time saver, and likely not possibly with an older machine.
contour shuttle pro 2 // a nifty little $100 device that lets you map the buttons to keyboard shortcuts in FCP. this cuts our editing time easily in half for an SDE and makes rough cutting your footage a very quick one handed process.
final cut pro 7 // FCP and the whole suite are the only way we like to work. we use the full suite of products to tweak audio, do DVD authoring, and color our footage.
tiffen Dfx // one of the most straightforward and powerful filter sets for FCP (and other platforms). much simpler than magic bullet in the naming conventions and functionality and these also have the added benefit of teaching you more about light, white balance, and gels. highly recommended for same day edits if you want to quickly brighten your footage and add subtle tints or tones.
P.
it’s finally here! with etiquette has launched! but what is it?
with etiquette is a music licensing house designed for independent artists and smaller labels to license their original music to wedding photography and cinematography studios!
for more info, visit www.withetiquette.com, and www.madewithetiquette.com.
and don’t forget to follow w.e. on twitter!
-the sm family
as march approaches quickly (and i can’t believe i am saying that, since christmas has came and past oh so fast) we still have some spots for the steadicam workshop here in toronto. registration will be closed shortly as we prepare the venues and we have five spots left.
in case you didn’t get my vibe from the last blog post about this, but THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY COOL WORKSHOP.
we would love a couple more people to join us. if you are at all interested please email jessica@stillmotion.ca for more information.
here is some more info:
stillmotion is proud to partner with steadicam to bring a special steadicam workshop to toronto. for only $550US per person, steadicam will send down a certified steadicam op come to the stillmotion studio and give a 2-day steadicam workshop. not only will you get to learn everything from the fundamentals to advanced techniques, but you will also get to do it inside the walls of stillmotion. we are very excited to be able to offer this exclusively to everybody coming to the evolution experience. join jessica and patrick at this awesome experience. if your interested in reserving a spot we ask for a $550 retainer. you can reach me (jessica) at our studio monday to friday (and in the afternoon on sunday) at CAN 647-477-5308 US 213-596-0885 or jessica@stillmotion.ca. stillmotion + steadicam will provide all the gear you need, and breakfast/lunch is also included in your tuition. you would be responsible for dinners and accommodations but jess can assist you in extending your stay. while it may be difficult timing, we felt it was best to have this on march 21/22nd. that means that this will directly precede the evolution experience.
we are so excited to be the featured speakers for this years IN[FOCUS} event. we take that role very seriously and konrad and i have been brainstorming for quite some time on how we can deliver the most punch in three hours. if your not registered, follow the link above for the best educational value your are going to find anywhere. time is running out as the conference starts jan 17th-20th.
while thinking of what we wanted to share as our intro film, we really wanted something that would express the battle we feel each same day edit is. when we met konga it just felt like such a perfect fit. we push and prod for every single second on a wedding day to make each same day edit the better than we ever thought we were capable of. what we really want to share with you is our whole philosophy on how this all comes together before the wedding, as your shooting, and then in the editing stage.
while we often shoot a full film and produce a same day edit with a team of two (usually konrad and I), we will also be discussing workflows for a single person or larger teams. as crazy as it sounds, we will even share with you some same day edits that were shot and edited by one person the entire day. it all comes down to preparation, practice, and the right workflow - all of which we will go into in great detail.
we want to touch on prepping for an sde, soundtrack selection, getting to know the couple, creating concepts (for the sde), how to storyboard, scheduling, shooting for the edit, storytelling with your shooting, balancing shooting for an sde as well as the full film, how to shoot parts of the day with one person, shooting as a team, editing workflow from importing to exporting, how HD-SLRs have changed our workflow, why everybody should edit their own footage, as well as a bunch of tips and tricks that have saved our showings time and time again.
if your already registered for IN[FOCUS], you have a chance to make our presentation even more personal. we are looking for people to send us one of their recent same day edits, or one of their favourite same day edits. in addition to the clip, please include a brief description of your workflow – how much time from start to showing, how many people, how many cameras, what else did you have to deliver? if your willing to take the time to share that with us, please feel free to also include any challenges you had, questions specific to same day edits, or any tips you would like to share. we would love to share some of our favourite same day edits as well as some of your work. we will work hard to make sure all questions and answers are integrated into our presentation.
please email me directly at patrickATstillmotion.ca with a link to your clip as well as your answers. please keep in mind that by sending us a clip, you are consenting to having it shown on stage.
thanks for all the help and we can’t wait to meet everybody in austin.
P.
from our same day edit promo piece, here is a little behind the scenes.
P.