Archive for June, 2010


Monday, June 28th, 2010

Erika’s Call – scene filmed during Canon DSLR Boot Camp Level2

This scene was filmed by participants of the Canon DSLR Level 2 Boot Camp on May 29, 2010.

The boot camp is put on by The Association and instructed by Snehal Patel of FearlessProductions.tv

http://www.canonbootcamp.com

The video was shot on a mix of Canon 5Ds and 7Ds. One of the cameras used was a converted 5D with a PL mount and Zeiss lens provided by Hot Rod Cameras.

Audio was recorded in-camera using a mixer and Beachtek pre-amps. Marshall Monitors were mounted on a couple of Red Rock Micro shoulder-mount rigs for hand-held shots. In the opening sequence, we utilized a Micro-Dolly while the second scene was filmed with a Losmandy Port-a-jib. Manfrotto 6′ suction cups were used for the car mounts.

The Canon 5D and 7D footage was transcoded in Final Cut Pro using the EOS1 Plugin from Canon into ProRes422 files. Grading done with Magic Bullet Looks. Post completed by Snehal.

A special thanks to our DSLR partners who contribute products and services for our Boot Camps:
http://ProHDRentals.com
http://GreenScreenLA.com
http://LCDracks.com
http://redrockmicro.com
http://litepanels.com
http://zeiss.com
http://beachtek.com
http://canon.com
http://hotrodcameras.com
http://hoodmanusa.com
http://productionhub.com
http://digitalcinemasociety.org

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Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Zeiss sent Compact Prime lenses for evaluation

Zeiss sent over a set of CP2 Compact Primes with Canon EF mounts for us to evaluate.  I’m shooting a commercial spot tomorrow and I will try these lenses on a Canon 5D.  The CP2s were designed for film-style shooting so they have film-style gears and focus markings, cover the full frame of the 5D sensor (no vignetting), are made in a cine style housing and connected to a EF mount, PL mount or F mount depending on your application.  Best of all, they are not that expensive compared to other quality film lenses.I’ll post my evaluation after the shoot and those coming to workshop on Saturday can see the lenses first hand: http://www.canonbootcamp.com

Snehal Patel

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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Janina’s ‘Love Lockdown’ goes viral

Music video for Love Lockdown performed by Janina Gavankar.

Directors: Caitlin Pashalek & Ian Lyman
http://www.thedmp.com

D.P.: Logan Schneider
http://www.youtube.com/user/LoganSchneider

Ian says, “Shot in Los Angeles in early 2010 with Canon 5Dmk2 & 7D. Street stuff we used a doggiecam body rig.”

I’m really proud of these guys.  It’s a great looking video and Janina is awesome as usual.  Nice use of a body rig and also – did I catch a glimpse of Timo Chen bumping into Janina? http://t-monicmusic.com

Snehal

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Monday, June 21st, 2010

Canon 5d Bootcamp Offered At Loyal Studios

Canon 5d Bootcamp Offered At Loyal Studios

Intense one day instructional for cameramen to be offered at Santa Monica studio to educate professionals on shooting live action with the industry’s hottest camera, Canon’s 5D.

Snehal Patel at Canon 5D Boot Camp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release)Jun 21, 2010 – DSLR instructor and aficionado Snehal Patel, in collaboration with The Association and ProHD Rentals, will be offering an intensive five hour boot camp seminar this coming Saturday, June 26, for industry professionals still unfamiliar with the Canon 5D, the most in-demand digital media camera today.
“The technology is amazing and has grown in popularity tenfold,” Bob Bekian, president of ProHD Rentals explains.  “So we wanted to provide a learning environment where cinematographers can master the new technology and use the information in a real world environment.”  To support the Boot Camp Bekian has provided his Santa Monica  stage at Loyal Studios as the hosting site of the event.  The attendees will have the opportunity to test the 5D in a myriad of environments and work conditions that Loyal Studios will provide, including a green screen stage, a New York street set on stage, and a practical exterior location.  “We love hosting the seminar at Loyal Studios,” adds Patel, who runs the hands-on experience.  “Students get to use the cameras in a variety of lighting situations with an actress that we provide for the event.  It’s not just a lecture, but a valuable experience where the students can immerse themselves in real world situations.”
The Boot Camp will also provide educational information and practical usage of support gear for the Canon DSLR, including Zeiss lenses, Red Rock Micro accessories, Nikon lens adaptor kits, Apple Final Cut Pro integration, and Lite Panels lighting equipment.  “Understanding how the 5D works isn’t enough,” Bekian says.  “Cinematographers and camera crew members need to know how the Canon integrates with the necessary accessories to gain a complete experience.”  ProHD Rentals, an expert in the Canon 5D realm, has embraced the success of the Canon 5D and 7D DSLRs as they continue to focus more equipment rental support in this area.  “Students need to know more than just how the camera itself works,” Patel confesses.  “That’s why we provide so many manufacturers’ accessories at the Boot Camp to use, so the take-away from the event is a complete understanding and mastery of the 5D and the support system behind it.”
Past Boot Camps have proved an invaluable resource for even the most experienced cinematographers.  In the fast-paced evolution of digital technology it is critical to stay current so that you remain relevant.  Daniel Pearl, member of the American Cinematographers Society, explains, “Although I have a lot of experience as a cinematographer and I understand a lot about cinematography, I knew very little about digital capture and it [5D Boot Camp] was great.”  Traditional motion picture acumen doesn’t always apply to new technology, especially when the quality of HD capture is perfected in a digital SLR camera such as Canon’s 5D.  “There is a paradigm shift taking place in the world of filmmaking,” explains Fletcher Murray, co-founder of The Association which is co-sponsoring the event.  “Take a look at the show “House,” the season finale was shot entirely on 5Ds.”
The June 26th event is just the first of several Boot Camp opportunities to be offered by The Association and ProHD Rentals this coming summer.  It is Patel’s intention to demystify and educate the camera community about the value of the industry’s newest favored son, the Canon 5D.
For more information regarding the Canon 5D Boot Camp or to register for this event, go to http://www.theassociation.tv/canonbootcamp.php.

# # #

ProHD Rentals is a digital equipment and studio provider for media production and content, including green screen stages, Canon 5D DSLR, RED camera, Panasonic P2 and Sony digital equipment.

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Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

I love my Canon DSLR Boot Camp

I really enjoy teaching others what I know about these cool little cameras.
Here’s a few nuggets for you to enjoy:
1. The 7D’s sensor size is almost the same as a super 35mm film frame so film lenses behave almost the same, unlike on the 5D which has a larger sensor, making film lenses behave like they are wider by a 1.6x zoom factor.  Plus the 5D’s larger sensor creates a shallower depth of field, meaning you have to stop down a bit to get the same DOF you would get on a 7D.
2. I tried a beta piece of software from www.rarevision.com/5dtorgb/ that is supposed to provide a better way to convert Canon EOS files to ProRes.  The site boasts the software squeezes more quality than a quicktime conversion of the h264 files coming out of the camera, but my tests show their conversion also effects the color, changing light levels during transcoding.  I’ll stick to the Final Cut plugin for now so that I get a match between what I see on the camera’s LCD and in my edit software.
3. There is a exponential increase in the number of mainstream television shows and feature films that will be utilizing Canon DSLRs this year.  Look out for a lot more of that 5D/7D look this fall.
I’m having another Boot Camp on June 26th: www.theassociation.tv/canonbootcamp

Snehal Patel

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Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Hot Rod Camera’s Canon 5D converted with PL mount

In my Canon 5D/7D Level 2 workshop this last weekend, we got a taste of a new Canon 5D conversion by Hot Rod owner Illya Friedman (www.hotrodcameras.com).  He came prepared with a PL mount Zeiss Compact primes.  We dropped the camera on a Port-a-Jib and took it for a spin.

Snehal

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