Indie Film Tools

2013-01-05T04:14:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,
Has anyone had a chance to go and watch the new Hobbit movie?
The film was shot in 48 frames per second, this is revolutionary as standard films are shot with 24fps. This dates back to the old days where you would shoot on film, and it was very expensive as well as time consuming. So, the people of the day figured out that the minimum you could get away with to have motion was 24fps.

Today, many films are shot on digital film, this makes the process cheaper and easier, it also makes the need to limit the film to 24fps redundant. I have heard mixed reviews about the hobbit, it was the first feature film to have been shot on 24fps, some people say that it the motion is almost too life like and it puts them off the experience. Others say that it is a great new experience as it seems so real.

The film also uses Dolby Atmos, better than 5.1 surround sound, Dolby Atmos places speakers all around the cinema, even above you!

Quality Cheap Cinematic lighting (Video)

2012-06-30T05:40:00.003-07:00

Rotolight RL48-A Stealth HD LED Ringlight

Rotolights have to be one of the most useful pieces of equipment in my filmic arsenal. They are very cheap for filmic lights at only £100 per light; they consist of 48 colour accurate (white balanced LEDs). They provide you with a full set of CT, ND and diffusion gels which are very useful for various situations. They are equivalent to 50w tungsten light in terms of output. They can create warm, shadowless lighting with a pleasing ringlight effect, this is good for a close up shot of a persons face, this gives the twinkle spot in there eyes. Finally they have a range of mounting options available including hotshoe, stand, tripod and shotgun mic. They run on 3AA batteries which give you about about 4 hours battery lifeFinally, the creme de la creme is that they only weigh 200 grams. Overall these lights are very useful for portable professional lighting and filming in a studio.Here is the Product

Description given by amazon:"The multi award-winning Rotolight RL48-A Stealth Edition HD LED ringlight provides naturally warm, shadowless light and delivers studio-accurate 6900K, Dylight 5600K, 4100 and Tungsten 3200K light fast, when you need it, so you'll never miss that perfect shot. As a continuous light source, Rotolight is perfect for HD-DSLR photography, videography or HD cinematography. Accurately dimmable (using supplied neutral density filters) over a range of 1.5 f-stops, Rotolight can be mounted over a shotgun mic or, by using the optional mount, an accessory shoe, lighting stand, tripod, lighting clamp or rail support system. Easy to use and providing perfect colour balance in a lightweight and highly portable package, Rotolight gives the user a superb, self-contained lighting solution for virtually any shoot."

Up and Coming

2011-05-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have known, Dillon Pearce, for a few years now, however he lives on the other side of the globe, down under. He uses a Canon 550D, the same as I have, with the magic lantern firmware.

Check out his website:
http://www.dillonpearce.com/

Check out his youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dillonp23

Sorry people

2011-05-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

I am very sorry, for the past two weeks I have not put up any new posts due to having to complete my final 2 projects at university this year. This included an essay about modernity in relation to hip hop and an interactive animation. However, I hope you will be happy to hear that I have finished them and will be posting interesting content very soon. so sit back, relax and come with me on this exciting journey.

People to watch...

2011-05-06T02:46:00.000-07:00

Film Riot is one of the best internet shows to watch for tips tricks and everything film.

http://www.youtube.com/filmriot

Indy Mogul is also very amazing, I was able to make a slider and many other cool things on the cheap.

http://www.youtube.com/indymogul

Magic Lantern Firmware - MUST HAVE

2011-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hello again, i would just like to inform everyone of the Magic Lantern Firmware. I have installed it on my Canon 550D and it has helped me improve my filming because it adds new features that turn you $600 camera into a $6000 camera.

Here is a short video explaining what the firmware does:

The only problem with this firmware is that it voids your warranty and at the moment only supports a few cameras. That being said new features are being added all the time to add to you film making arsenal.

Watch Indie Films Now

2011-05-05T06:06:00.000-07:00

Go over to vodo.net to check out the best new indie films.vodo is powered by bit torrent so you will get very fast download speeds with no waiting time. I would recommend watching The Yes Men Fix The World - P2P Edition.

THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world's most outrageous pranks. This peer-to-peer special edition of the film is unique: it is preceded by an EXCLUSIVE VIDEO of the Yes Men impersonating the United States Chamber of Commerce. Because the Yes Men are being sued for this stunt, p2p is the only way that this film will get seen. Please spread the word!

FROM THE YES MEN
"We have been impersonating people in power in order to make political points for over a decade. The Yes Men Fix the World is our second feature film. It's won a bucket of awards and accolades, but we're still broke. We are hoping that people who share it will donate some money so that we can do even more outrageous actions.

How outrageous? Outrageous enough to get us sued! Not long ago The US Chamber of Commerce took us to court for impersonating them. That is why on this special p2p version of the Yes Men Fix the World, we have included an exclusive video that the US Chamber of Commerce does not want you to see. You can only see this surprising film on the exclusive VODO p2p release.

One final note: making films takes lots of hard work. And money. We busted our asses to make this film and still owe our friends barrels of cash they loaned us. By supporting us and joining the Yes Men Labs, you not only get a membership card and an entry into the prize draw, you also help us to pay all those people back and fund future projects. We're sharing by P2P because we made this film to be watched, and with your help we'll able to carry on with what we love doing."

ABOUT THE YES MEN
The Yes Men are Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, a culture jamming activist-duo raising awareness around social problems caused by corporations. Operating under the mission statement of telling the truth and exposing lies, they practice a concept they call "identity correction", in which they impersonate entities that they dislike -- some would call it social engineering on a grand scale! From their offices in Milwaukee, they create and maintain fake websites similar to ones they intend to spoof, which have successfully lead to numerous interview, conference, and TV talk show invitations. These occasions are then used to expose, through parody and surreal humour, the dark motivations of our multinational world. - http://vodo.net/theyesmen

Download it here, today, 100% Legal: http://vodo.net/theyesmen

Which DSLR is best for filming.

2011-05-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

This is the big moment, this is where you begin your film making career... or maybe it is because you want to be a vLogger. Whatever your reason for looking to buy a DSLR camera, your making the right choice. One of the best things about owning a DSLR is the wide range of lenses that you can use for macro shots, wind angle shots and mid shots. The only gripe with the DSLR’s available at the moment in time is the audio. However this is not the end of the world. Many different mic’s can be used with an XLR input on a Zoom H4N. However I shall be covering that in another post.
If you have the cash the Canon 5D mkII is the way to go:

21.1MP full frame CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4 processor
ISO range expandable to 25600
Full HD (1080, 30fps) movie recording
High-res 3.0” VGA LCD with Live View
Up to 3.9fps JPEG shooting up to card capacity
9-point AF + 6 Assist AF points
Magnesium alloy body

The Canon 7d is another high end DSLR:

18MP APS-C CMOS sensor
Up to 8fps shooting
ISO range up to 12800
100% Viewfinder
19 cross-type AF points
iFCL metering system
Dual "DIGIC 4"
Full HD movie
Integrated Speedlite Transmitter
3” Clear View II LCD
Magnesium alloy body with environmental protection

Finally there is my camera, the Canon 550d:

18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 4
ISO 100-6400, H:12800
Up to 3.7fps shooting
Full HD movies
7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
iFCL metering
Quick Control screen
Ext. Mic socket
Movie crop

I hope that I have been able to give you a look into the right direction when buying a DSLR. I must admit I am bias to Cannon over any other make because I believe in their image quality and price.

Welcome

2011-05-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

A nice big hello to everyone that has come to this blog; in this blog I will be sharing all my tips and tricks as an indie film maker/ photographer. I am always ready to answer any question that you may have about anything. Just leave a comment on any of my posts and I will try to do my best to get you a speedy reply.