Now I really hope that this one proves to be good. Spike Jonez in charge and Maurice Sendak working with the production, so it should be. I know it’s a little off topic for this blog, but anyway…
It really seems to bring to life the vivid illustrations of the book. Now waiting for the big screen adaptation of the very hungry caterpillar. Maybe not.
Scottish Screen has produced a guide for all you budding filmmakers out there. Nicely put together by Nigel R Smith, it details the festival circuit , awards and digital distribution. Well worth a read for the serious filmmaker.
check out this link for general info
http://www.scottishscreen.com/content/sub_page.php?sub_id=177&page_id=33
and this link for the download of the guide.
http://www.scottishscreen.com/images/documents/short_film_distribution_guide.pdf
Well the 5d mk2 has been out for a little while now, and a lot of people have got their hands on one. I’m still holding off to see what Canon are going to do about the 24/25p issue. For those of you not aware, the camera shoots at 30frames per second. This is pretty much the standard frame rate in the US and Japan, but for Europeans, we have 25 frames per second. The 24p relates to the speed that film runs at and is obviously great for those wanting to shoot more filmic videos.
Anyway, lots of sites have been moaning at Canon to do the decent thing and update the camera to work properly in the UK. They’re selling it here, but we don’t get the same functionality that they get in the US. We’re already paying a massive premium on top of the US prices, so don’t make me any more depressed. Come on.
If Canon don’t get the job done, then maybe the people at CanonHack.com will do it for them. Another good place to find out if it is being updated is at canonrumors.com
I was also interested to see if there is any more nice footage out there to show what the 5D MKII can do. Vincent Laforet’s blog is still a great resource, and he has some tips and tricks. Tips and tricks for the 5D MKII – Part 1 Tips and tricks for the 5D MKII – Part 2 Audio. He certainly seems to be getting a lot of work as a cinematographer since releasing Reverie into the wild.
Another good place to see what the camera can do, especially in low light (what I really want it for), is on Angus Giorgi’s Vimeo page. Vimeo is a great site, full of interesting videos. Vimeo works more like a showcase for new and existing talent, rather than Youtube’s mass of lifted programmes and sneezing pandas. No more yapping from me, just click below to see Angus’ video.
There’s also a forum thread over at dvxuser.com where desperate 5D MKII owners are retiming the speed of their clips to make them 25PAL footage. It looks like it’s going to take a long time rendering if you want to do it.
If you have no idea what the Canon 5d mk2 is, or why it’s so revolutionary for moving image then read a good review of it here or read my original blog entry
update – check out all the latest on the camera at http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos-5d-mk-ii-hd/
James Miller details a high shutter speed workaround on his vimeo page
This is something that really shows what Machinima is capable of, and how it can be used as a viable filmmaking medium. I’ve not been overly keen on most that I have seen, but this really has a high level of emotional impact and it’s moody, minimal nature is great. It features a couple of characters in a bleak snowy landscape, but it is really the sound where this comes alive. A great deal of work has been put into the soundscape, and watchers of it should really think about this, and apply a higher level of sound design to their own work. In reality, very little happens, but by employing a few simple cinematic principles (albeit to a high level) this piece draws you in and takes you somewhere else.
This has won the Best of the Fest Award at the Machinima FilmFest 2008, and as well as watching the film, you can also read an interview with the filmmaker by clicking on the picture above.
Thanks to SubmarineChannel for this, and remember to visit their site for lots of interesting creative video work.
Read my post on Machinima for a bit more info on what it is
Wow. If this is really what the video footage shot with the new Canon EOS 5D MKII DSLR looks like then it’s pretty astounding. Canon and Vincent Laforet are putting explicit statements out there that there is no post production or altering of these images. Thanks to Ash for the heads-up. Click for the video.
Obviously Vincent Laforet is an experienced professional photographer, but he has discussed this camera with a pro editor and is pretty blown away. Just read his comments on his blog.
“1. The 5D MKII camera produces the best stills in low light that I’ve ever seen – what you can see with you eye in the worst light (such as sodium-vapor street lights at 3 a.m. in Brooklyn) – this camera can capture it with ease.
2. It produces the best video in low light that I’ve ever seen – at 1080p. A top commercial film editor who who regularly edits RED camera footage – and has seen the raw footage from the 5D MKII – says the 5D MKII is “far superior to the RED camera” in terms of low light performance…
3. You can use your prime and zoom lenses from your Canon still cameras with it – and shoot wide open… so you can shoot films with fisheye lenses, 50mm 1.2 as well as the 200mm f2 or 400mm 2.8 that you may already own…
4. This camera is so easy to use – that you can work incredibly quickly, mostly handheld – without a huge production – and using natural light – ergo you don’t need a huge budget and tons of preparation anymore… forget the lighting trucks and generators that take up entire city blocks…
5. This camera will sell for approx. $2,700 – and perform better than many $100K plus video cameras out there…
6. Photojournalists in particular – will be able to take full advantage of this camera’s strengths – because they are used to walking into any room, and finding the best natural “available light” in the room – or knowing how to add a single light source to make it pop… they are used to working quickly and with small or no budgets… which is something this camera is begging you to do…
It has the potential to change our industry.”
OK it costs £2299 without a lens, and as you can see below, Vincent has used a number of expensive lenses to shoot with. But still, this price is not bad for a high level DSLR and HD Camera, but if the quality of the images and low light shooting are as good as this, then combined with the lens interchangeability then it’s astounding. It’s kind of taken the wind out of Nikon’s sails.
As explained on the Canon site -
“This video was shot with a pre-production Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR. The files used to create this video were not manipulated in any way, only re-compressed for ¼ resolution display on our website. To view Vincent Laforet’s comments and behind-the-scenes video on the making of REVERIE, please visit his blog: blog.vincentlaforet.com
Uncompressed, Full-Resolution Sample Video Clips
To download and view three uncompressed, full-resolution sample video clips from REVERIE, please click here.
Sample Photographs
The CDLC has posted a gallery of in-camera JPEGS shot by Mr. Laforet during the making of REVERIE. Click here to view the gallery.
EF Lenses used in the making of REVERIE:
FD 7.5mm f/5.6 (converted to EF mount)
EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro
EF 135mm f/2L USM
EF 200mm f/1.8L USM
EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
EF 500mm f/4L IS USM
TS-E 24mm f/3.5L
TS-E 45mm f/2.8
Video ©2008 Laforet Visuals Inc.”
Now that I’ve had a little time to check out more details, the camera appears to be able to shoot video in raw format. This should be great news for people doing compositing as the lack of compression will enable smoother keys. Also the raw ability should give a greater control over exposure in post production. The biggest problem is that the video frame rate is set at 30 FPS!!! Oh why can’t there be a 25FPS PAL Mode. Hopefully soon this can be sorted out for the european market. The terrible auto exposure jumping which is present on the D90 is not apparent in this footage, which gives a much smoother exposure change. Still some jumping is evident, but only slight and should only cause minor problems. Look at the tilt down the building to see it in action.
Links to check out.
Super 8 is a filmmaking medium which is seeing a resurgence recently, and has rightly been an essential part of the creative moving image artist/filmmaker/designer’s arsenal for a long time.
Before home video cameras existed, there was super 8. A cheap, accessible film camera. Using smaller strips of film than conventional film cameras (the 8 refers to the film size – 8mm, versus 35mm for professional film camera) it allowed reasonably well off families to make their own home movies and to film their holidays and family occasions. It gradually died off as video cameras became cheaper in the 80’s.
Film is far more tricky to work with than video, and for the amateur market the benefit of video over film was clear to see. Video is instantly accessible - just play back the tape, you can even hook it up directly to a TV set. Before you can see a super 8 film, you have to finish off the reel – approx 3 mins worth of footage, then send it off for processing, then project it onto a screen – minimum about 8 weeks later. You could find at this moment that it was badly out of focus, under/over exposed and that your footage was unusable.
But while the practicalities of using super 8 meant that it lost out to home video cameras, the actual quality of the images are often much richer. Video is always chasing the look and feel of film, and for purists it will never get there, just the same way that a digital recording will never have the warmth and pure sound that a vinyl record has.
The super 8 look is often used to show dream sequences, flashbacks to childhood and many more experimental uses.
Due to its fall from use, many owners of cameras were selling them for a few pounds on car boot fairs, and you can still pick up a bargain today (although more difficult to find – check ebay or other auction sites). If you do so, then try to get the camera and a projector, as you need to be able to see the finished film as well. Be aware that there is also standard 8, which uses a spool of film rather than a cassette. Check that you are buying super 8 kit, as standard 8 is more tricky to use and process.
Super 8 comes in cartridges containing approx 3 mins of film, as shown in the picture above. The filmstock is increasingly hard to find in the UK. As far as I know, Kodak (the last major producer remaining of super 8 cartridges) has stopped making them. There is stock left, try the widescreen centre to see what they have. The standard film for Super 8 cameras is Kodak Ektachrome 64T Colour Reversal Film.
If you have more epic intentions, then you can go for more expensive filmstock, and move between Colour Reversal to Colour Negative film. The cost starts going up, but so does the quality. If you look into buying colour negative film, then you will need to pay for the telecine process which will convert it into a format of your choice – Mini DV, DVD etc. Once again, check out this page at the widescreen centre for more info.
You can also try pro8mm who take pro 35mm filmstock and cut it down to 8mm and package it up into super8 cartridges. This means that you can use the same filmstock as the pros use in feature film production. They have a London office – details here. They also take old cameras and refurbish them, making them super super8 cameras.
A big exponent of super 8 is straight8. They had a season on channel 4’s 3 minute wonder recently, and run competitions and screenings for super 8 filmmakers. See below.
For more info, try the following links.
http://www.projector.demon.co.uk/super8.html
http://www.cambridge-super8.org/
I know, It sounds rubbish. But I’ve been investigating the 6pli visualisation tool for delicious bookmarks. A bit geeky maybe. But it does look great and it’s really useful for working your way around hundreds or thousands of bookmarks – which I have. I’m looking at using it when building my new creativevideomovingimage weblink archive for students, so this is a test run.
The only problem I’ve found is that it seems to start you off on a random page. In order to get home, and to a nice starting point I suggest clicking on the CLICK ON THIS IF YOU’RE LOST AND WANT TO GO HOME link that should be on most pages – if not then try clicking on a few things, especially the floating tag categories and it’ll soon appear.
PLEASE CLICK ON HERE OR ON THE PICTURE BELOW – GO ON IT’S REALLY NICE.
Every time you click on something the whole thing animates and reveals new links and tags. If you want, you can spin around by this 3d visualisation clicking and dragging the mouse in an empty piece of space.
I’m not sure really how useful it will prove to be, but please try it anyway. Especially as there’s a lot of really useful links out there. The direct link to the page is http://www.6pli.com/cvmi
Festivals are an essential part of the calendar and I have decided to pull together some of the most relevant (and local) festivals that students should attend / enter. You will be amongst people who share your interests and passion, and who would make great contacts / collaborators. You will be inspired to push your work further – by being astounded by something’s brilliance (or even by its mediocrity - thinking I can do better than that). These films will be something that you are unlikely to see on TV or the internet, and are often surrounded by talks, workshops and seminars.
So go see some work – Raise your game – Enter some festivals – Meet some contacts – Win some awards.
This is a work in progress and if you have any more finds then please let me know. I’m mainly concentrating on UK Festivals / Conferences etc primarily concerned with Creative Video & Moving Image, but will occasionally drop in an international festival if I’m hoping to go to it or to take my students.
Oct
22-23 Oct 08- Power to the pixel. – London
“Power to the Pixel brings together the leading innovators, filmmakers and entrepreneurs who are changing the way independent film and media is financed, created and reaches audiences.” Looks very interesting for digital pioneers and runs alongside the London Film Festival. Has also run in Feb
All Month – Noise Festival – Online
“NOISE is not your typical arts festival. It has no physical location; the central hub of activity takes place on the NOISE website and across the media – print, television, radio and online – making it the first ‘virtual’ festival of its kind in Europe. NOISE exhibits the very best in creative talent from people 25 and under – any creative work that can be presented digitally (on screen or on air) including across fashion, film, music, design, architecture, written word, graphic design, fine art and illustration.”
Nov
12 – 16 Nov 08 – Aurora – Norwich
“AURORA is an annual festival in Norwich, UK which focuses on the manipulated moving image. A uniquely multidisciplinary, progressive event, it fuses artist retrospectives and thematic film programmes with discussion events, live performance and installations, alongside the very best new work from across the world for space and screen.”
12 – 15 Nov 08 – Bradford Animation Festival
“Bradford Animation Festival (BAF), the UK’s biggest and longest-running annual animation festival, is a project of the National Media Museum. Host to masterclasses, seminars, workshops, screenings and special events led by some of the animation industry’s top names, the festival’s high point is the annual BAF Awards, which celebrate the very best in new animation from around the world.”
18 – 23 Nov 08 – Encounters Short Film Festival Bristol
“screening the very very best short films from around the universe!” ‘The big thinking short film festival’ the Guardian. Encounters offers an important platform for both new and established filmmakers to showcase their work and is the place to be inspired, to talk technology, share ideas and make new connections. 6 days of screenings, special events, workshops and masterclasses and those all important networking opportunities: the parties!”
29 – 30 Nov 08 – Bang Film Festival Nottingham
“Bang! is a non-competitive festival of short films hosted and supported by the Broadway Cinema, Nottingham, UK, and mixes local, national and international films to create an original and exciting programme. Without filmmakers or an audience we would not exist, so we do it for them. Bang! looks at all short films, and has no genre restrictions whatsoever.”
Dec
29 Nov – 6 Dec 08 – Camerimage – Lodz, Poland
“The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography PLUS CAMERIMAGE is the greatest and most recognized festival dedicated to the art of cinematography and its creators – cinematographers. It is held annually in Lodz, the second biggest city in Poland, the capital of the Polish cinema. PLUS CAMERIMAGE contributes to the growth of cinematographers’ prestige. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, has turned out to be an alternative for traditional film festivals. As all our guests emphasize - PLUS CAMERIMAGE is unique. The Festival proves to be a great forum not only for presentation but also for further development of international moviemaking. PLUS CAMERIMAGE helps young filmmakers and integrates the community of those already recognized, allowing them to explore new artistic areas ”
Jan
Feb
TBC – Flatpack Festival – Birmingham
“The festival remains fiendishly difficult to summarise, but intrepid punters can expect to find shorts, animation, music documentaries, independent features, live soundtracks, discussion events, web oddities, installations, parties and plenty more besides – with a general focus on people using limited resources in imaginative ways. ”
Mar
Apr
TBC – Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival. UK
“The Super 8 format has undergone a creative renaissance in the last few years due to the digital revolution. Our competition and panorama programmes will show the best films originated on the brilliant Super 8 format. In 2008, the second Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival was a successful event with more than 88 short films shown in three days! More than 20 filmmakers from all around Europe joined the festival for a great three days of networking and films. All genres were represented (animation, fiction, documentaries and experimental film), showing the diversity of our selection.”
TBC – Moves 09 – Manchester
“moves08! focused on the interaction of sound and movement in film through screenings, debates and hands-on creative events. most films shown at moves and in fact most experimental film work, do not have dialogues, which gives a prominent role to sound in the pieces. moves’ remit is to present work with a strong take on movement and moves08 explore the connection between these two elements.
24 – 30 April 09 - Sensoria – Sheffield
“The UK’s Festival of Music and Film: Sensoria 2008 saw a heady mix of films, music, exhibitions and fun. Jarvis came along and introduced his art school films, Richard Hawley kicked off the proceedings on the opening night, Reverend and the Makers joined in the industry day fun, Richard H Kirk gave an av installation in the surreal location of the Grosvenor Hotel and ITN gave a stunning soundtrack performance in the atmospheric surroundings of the cathedral.”
May
TBC – Lovebytes – Sheffield
“Lovebytes invites you to experience challenging and experimental new art and design at the wave-front of digital culture. Everything is free and open to everyone, welcoming both newcomers and seasoned festival goers alike.” – Last year this festival was scaled down considerably from previous years, but also made free. Some you win, some you lose.
13 – 16 May 09 – Futuresonic – Manchester
Futuresonic Urban Festival of Art, Music and Ideas
Futuresonic is an international festival now in its 13th year occupying the orbits of both digital culture and music. Futuresonic has 4 main strands: Art, Music, Ideas and EVNTS. At its heart is the Futuresonic Conference: The Social Technologies Summit. Futuresonic 2008 featured 5 days and nights of live music, art premieres, exhibitions, club nights and events featuring a world-class programme of over 350 artists attended by 50,000 people in 30 venues and spaces across the city centre. Click here to visit the Futuresonic 2008 website.
Jun
TBC - B.Tween – Sheffield
“b.TWEEN events have networking, business and inspiration at their core. Our events provide a level playing field where creative innovators can meet potential collaborators and big industry clients“[b.TWEEN] creates unique opportunities for practitioners from the independent digital creative and content sectors to interact with broadcasters, commissioning bodies and brands”"
Jul Aug Sept
International Festivals
Camerimage
Wow, now here’s a great little piece of film. Make sure you watch it in Higher Definition version if possible by opening it up in youtube.
Sacha Feiner has created a spectacular sequence using found footage, brilliant models and compositing skills, along with a great sense of humour. I really love this as he has avoided the “let’s do it all in CG” route that many of people would have taken. There’s a common misconception that you should do everything in a 3D package, but I find the result of doing this is often images that lack the life that only reality can bring.
But instead, Sacha has taken the best things that can be achieved from the puppets as used in the original films, and used computer compositing to put different shots together to build complex movements. This I like as it’s getting the best out of both worlds.
The making of video is extremely interesting, well worth a look as well. It gives you an idea of the dedication, passion and innovation that he has.
I hope that this guy gets a job out of this. He certainly deserves it.
There’s an interesting history of fan films, which I hope to write more about when I get some time. But you should certainly check out Troops, a parody of the TV show cops and Star Wars.
