Be proud to be a small business owner. Small businesses create more than 70% of the jobs in this country and account for 52% of America’s Gross Domestic Product. Small businesses make up more than 99.7% of all employers. Small business is the most important part of the American economy. Home-based companies account for over 53 percent of the total small businesses.

And with all due respect to large businesses, small businesses are more involved with their customers. Because there’s no bureaucracy, small businesses can respond more quickly to customers needs. They get to know their customers so much better. How many people do you know at your phone company?

A small business can be started at a very low cost and on a part-time basis. Small business is also well suited to Internet marketing because it can easily serve specialized niches.

Most entrepreneurs are fiercely independent. They make their own decisions, take risks, and reap rewards. But as any small business owner can tell you, it’s not all peaches and cream. Long hours and lots of hard work are just part of it. But most small business owners wouldn’t change it for the world.

Small businesses are the backbone of America.

Sony EA50 Reviewed

I finally pulled the trigger on the new camera Sony NEX EA 50UH. This is a preliminary review since I am still learning the camera. First, the camera has a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor very similar to Sony’s mirrorless line of still cameras, nearly as big as the Super 35mm sensor.

The Pros

I was looking for a camera under $4000 (mine was $3425 with automatic discount from B&H including power zoom 18- 200 lens.) I’d wanted a DSLR-type large image sensor in a camcorder. I do documentaries and despite what some say, I just don’t find DSLRs ideal for docs.

Also I loved the idea of interchangeable lenses like every DSLR has. There are adapters for sale for Canon, Nikon, and other lenses which convert to the Sony E mount on the camera. The catch is that not all electronic lens functions are working yet in some adapters, but manufacturers are sure to fill that gap. There are, for instance, lenses from Rokinon/Samyang that are affordable and use the Sony E mount without adapters:

14mm T3.1 Cine Lens for Sony E
24mm T1.5 Cine Lens for Sony E
35mm T1.5 Cine Lens for Sony E
85mm T1.5 Cine Lens for Sony E
They’re new and available now.

And the included XLR inputs are a must in my list.

Another plus is the viewfinder tube or eye loupe much like the Sony EX3 (which costs about twice this camera). This long viewfinder tube is great for shooting outside or in a bright location where an LCD would wash out. Like DSLRs the aliasing is an issue, but according to Jerome Cloninger another EA 50 owner who also loves his Canon 60D, the moire and aliasing are not nearly as bad as any Canon DSLR in video mode. I’ve seen very little of either in my tests so far. I haven’t yet explored the 16.1 megapixel still camera that is part of this camera.

In addition the camera will produce 4:2:2 which is the color sampling format used by most professional formats. This is via the HDMI port of the camera if you use an external media recorder. This avoids the AVCHD recording which is 4:0:0 colorspace. You can simultaneously record to both a memory card in AVCHD and to the external recorder in 4:2:2. The 4:2:2 provides a very clean key for green screen shooting. The Sony HXR-FMU128 flash memory recorder can record more than 12 hours at 24Mbps and 10 hours at 28Mbps. It’s $639.00. I’ll try this as soon as budget permits, but it sounds promising.

The camera can shoot in either 50Hz or 60Hz systems so you can shoot for anyone in the world with this camera. It also has a built in GPS. At first glance, I thought who would ever want that? Then I realized the Boating Life video I am planning to shoot could make very good use of that feature to add Google map locations to the video. We’ll see.

While the kit lens is slow, I was very impressed with the how good the video looks at higher ISO ratings. To my eye 3200 ISO looks good, but I am told it does not look good on TV. For a general discussion on Gain Versus ISO see our article on the topic.

The large Sony NP-F970 battery will power the camera just about all day. You can save money by buying the excellent Pearstone NP-F975. I’m using 32 GB SDHC San Disk Cards for about $25 each. Some prefer the 64 GB card, but I feel safer with two smaller cards.

There’s also a very clever shoulder mount. It pulls out and while the weight distribution is not like the old style ENG cameras where the weight was evenly distributed so the camera can almost balance on your shoulder, this is a good attempt to make a better hand-held camera. Some people add small weights using the threaded sockets which are apparently just for that purpose.

The Cons

Like most reviewers of this camera, I am not thrilled with the kit lens, but it does fine. Just accept that this is a kit lens and the camera can use many other lenses. The 18- 200 power zoom kit lens has a 35mm-equivalent range of 27mm to 300mm. It’s slow, F 3.5 at its best, but it looks good. There are some sweet prime lenses and short zooms I am putting on my list. While the slow kit lens does not make for great low light shooting, a faster lens will help. At the same time this 18-200 kit lens is being grabbed up by still photographers at $548.00.

One big complaint is that the camera has no built-in ND filters! While it’s certainly not ideal, you can shoot outside in full sun if you stop down and increase the shutter speed. But gee whiz. It ain’t supposed to be that way. On the bright side, there is an Eclipse Genustech Neutral Density Fader Filter for about a hundred and sixty bucks I will be adding soon. This type of variable ND filter is simply two glass polarising filters sandwiched into the same filter mount. The more you rotate the darker it gets. In bright sunlight, you can limit the light that enters the lens. This allows you to get that classic shallow depth of field look on a sunny day.

The reason this camera does not have ND filters is that Sony decided a mechanical shutter for still photography was more important than NDs. If they had asked me, I would have said forget the still camera, give me NDs.

Conclusion
This is a unique camera that has an unusual, appealing look and does a good job. It evolved from both still and video cameras. For the money I am delighted with the results. I will post some sample footage soon. If you own this camera or are thinking about, I’d like to hear your comments or questions.

In the 1930s Texas-born filmmaker Melton Barker began to mass produce a short formula film that would star neighborhood kids which he charged their parents for. Barker would repeat this same script in numerous towns changing only the child actors. It was called “The Kidnappers Foil.” It was about a band of kids who outsmart two sleeping criminal. The kids then perform a series of song-and-dance routines.

It was a scam aimed at the unrealistic dreams of parents who believed their children could be stars no matter whether they had any talent. He continued the game for nearly 40 years. You can see some of the films at his web site. You can read more in the New York Times story The Legacy of a Camera-Toting Huckster.

Not all itinerant filmmakers were selling such shady ideas. Back in my New York documentary days we knew a filmmaker who made travel films, much like the old travelogues you’d see on weekend television. These were made on spec before the Internet. When he finished a film, he would book a local library, do some local advertising and sell tickets. These were silent films as sound cost a lot more to do. So he took his projector to the library or other venue then show the film while he did a live narration. His audience loved it. Then he’d take his projector, film reels and advertising materials and move on to the next town.

His travel films often featured more obscure corners of the planet. I’d bet an enterprising producer could do the same thing to day. People do it online as in the films you can watch through iTunes, Amazon, NetFlix, etc. But there’s something to be said to actually being with a live audience and interacting with them.

Filmmakers are doing similar things today such as Sam Green whose film ‘Utopia in Four Movements” can only be seen live. He narrates onstage, while a soundtrack and lyrical score are also performed live. Read about Sam Green’s film.

Now Available As Pre-Order

This one is very maneuverable so you don’t need the skills of a fighter pilot, and it is not nearly as dangerous as the larger quads. Open source software makes it friendly for developers. One developer has added a keychain camera to it. It has “training wheels’ which protect the blades while you are learning. Inductive charging so you don’t have it plug it in. Computer vision control and lots more. The kit requires soldering skills and is not for beginners. $149 – $173 More Information

The MōVI M10 is produced by Freefly Systems of Seattle WA. The device is a digital, 3-axis, gyro-stabilized camera gimbal. People are calling it a game changer, but it is just now in production. The device weighs less than 3 and a half pounds and can be operated solo, or with the help of a second operator.

It is an amazing stabilizer, but there’s a catch – it’s $15,000. A second, smaller version called the M5 is planned to sell for $7,500.

What about this invention 3 years ago by Adam Sidman?

Colorado based team called SkySight is a small band of producers who hand build each craft together, work on every shoot together, and share adventures and travel when we’re not working. Their backgrounds are in aerospace, optical engineering, aviation, technical rescue, and adventure guiding.

The documentary film today is a mostly informational. It’s about causes or personalities. The art film has no plot or narrative, no dialogue. The ethnographic film is used by anthropologists investigating the cultures of other peoples. It is a more formal film devoted to analyzing data and advancing arguments.

Lucien Castaing-Taylor is both a filmmaker and anthropologist who teaches at the at Harvard at the Sensory Ethnography Lab. Students and faculty at this lab have been been responsible for some of the most daring and significant documentaries in recent years. For a more in depth discussion see The Merger of Academia and Art House in the New York Times.

This is an interesting type of film because it has no narration, interviews or even dialogue or plot. Is this a valid film? Is it an art film? Do we have to know what it is? Perhaps it all depends upon whether the audience thinks it is a worthy film. What do you think? Please make your comments below. It’s not yet available in Netflix, but it is coming.

The NY Times, like nearly all newspapers is shrinking. A great many are already out of business. Jill Abramson, the executive editor of the NY Times recently sent this memo to her staff.

It says that the Times is shrinking its staff by offering many staffers buyout packages. At least this is better than laying people off. Rick Berke, currently an assistant managing editor, will now focus on video, an area the company has been trying to expand. Video is becoming an even bigger part of our news report. She goes on to say that video is deepening our ways of telling stories.

If you check out the home page of the NY Times, you will notice more video stories and although it is not clearly obvious, there are probably fewer print stories. I’m glad to see that video is growing in a good way. Video journalists typically shoot, edit and often presents their own stories. The times currently employs 12 video journalist most who come from a television and documentary background. As of 2005 the BBC has more than 600 of its staff trained as video journalists. I am both an avid newspaper reader as well as a video producer so this trend is bittersweet.

If you look closely at the names of those two boats, you’ll get the concept that has put many kids through college. The big boat is named Change Order. The small dinghy is named Original Contract. It’s a concept I first observed in the construction business. The client wants to change some part of the project from what was specified in the original contract agreement. It may be something like adding a window or moving a door or something even more trivial. These changes generally take more work and that costs money. To make the change, the client must agree to a new contract or change order with new prices and terms.

The concept works in video too as well as in many other fields. But you have to make it part of the deal from the start. It must be prominently placed in the contract. Point it out to your prospective client. Explain it. Invite discussion. Make it an integral part of every contract you offer. It will make your business more profitable and remove those uncomfortable feelings that can come from the grey areas inherent in every artistic business. Clearly spell it out in writing.

I learned this the hard way, but when I figured it out, it changed my business in a good way. I wrote a report about this just for video producers. The strategy is fully explained. The report includes several video production contracts you can use. You’ll see exactly how to use them in your video productions.

SL DigiSlate



A slate(clapboard) intended for use in professional film productions. Designed for anyone that needs a digital slate for their production. $9.99
Available from SL DigiSlate on Google Play

DSLR Controller is the first and only app that allows you to fully control your Canon EOS DSLR from your Android device with only a USB cable. No computer or laptop required. $7.73 DSLR Controller on Google Play




iOS Apps For Filmmakers

Shot Lister



Shot Lister can work from pre-production to the minute by minute decisions on set. It’s designed to deliver a solution that can build, organize, schedule and share shot lists digitally. $13.99
Shot Lister at iTunes Store






Works in much the same way as a traditional directors viewfinder but more accurately and with loads more features. Perfect for location scouting or making storyboards. Camera formats included.$29.99
Director’s Viewfinder at iTunes