Low/no budget filmmaker blogs daily on subjects like video production, HD cameras, screenwriting, etc.
Canon has done quite a bit of “different” thinking when coming up with its new EOS C300 camera/camcorder. Some in-depth reviews can be found here and here.
If you are one of the people who own a DSLR from Canon, you are aware of their current trend to allow the camera to function as a camcorder as well (especially, the 5D Mark II). So the new C300 shows that the Canon can drop their hybrid approach and focus fully on a camera that is like DSLR in terms of form factor but has the feature set of a full-frame movie camera.
The important question is this: “Is Canon EOS C300 going to replace Canon X line, HVX200 or Sony’s new generation of indie video camcorders“. I think the answer is pretty clear – only if you have a pretty impressive budget! The list price of the new camcorder is 20,000 USD with the “real” price being in the 14,000-15,000 range.
So amateur filmmakers can forget about this camera but if you are shooting even a (semi) professional documentary, you could definitely go for it.
Last night was the Hollywood premiere of Conan.
There’s a ton of photos at IMDB.
Apart from Jason Momoa, we get Ron Pearlman, Stephen Lang, and Rose McGovan (rumored to be groomed for Red Sonya at one point).
The world premiere is set for August 19! I cant wait to see the end of this swing in 3D:
I’m talking about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Yes, the title is quite long and the release date is still a few months off but I’m very excited about seeing Gary Oldman in a meaningful role, i.e. not as a madman (from Azkaban or wherever).
If you are fan of the video game series and the TV series, you might want to check Mortal Kombat – web series!
As Cinematical put it: “Video game fans were happy to see a film adaptation that actually tried to match the tone and impact of its video game predecessor.”
I saw TRON Legacy last night and I still see some of the scenes in my head. I guess I’m an 80s child.
For some much needed perspective, check the Lightbikes scene from the original TRON (1982). I’ve played Snake a few times but it is far from my favorite retro game. I’ve always preferred the tactical games and fantasy RPG’s that came out in the 90s. Yet, watching this scene makes for some Snake on steroids fun.
Now compare it to the modern take. Frankly, the lightbike scene is not even close to being an effective adrenaline rush. Same as modern games, it’s not about player skill anymore. It’s about effects. Which is saying a LOT about how games have changed. Instead of games of reflex like Pong and Snake, kids nowadays play Assassin’s creed and WoW – button mashing which rarely makes a big difference.
Back to the movie. This time around we get an improved story and somewhat better acting, courtesy of Jeff Bridges. Olivia Wilde is very easy on the eyes. The main character can be anyone from the audience, which I guess is the idea.
Verdict: Watch the movie but keep in mind it will PLAY a lot better as a video game!
Uwe Boll has done another movie, this time he hasn’t massacred a video game but history itself. The movie is about Auschwitz.
It seems Uwe is hellbent on keeping the title Worst Movie Director Ever and The Guardian confirms it:
Uwe Boll, who has been described as the world’s worst film director and a “schlockmeister”, said he felt it was time to present the Nazis’ crimes in their “full horror” in his film Auschwitz.
Trailer for Auschwitz (not recommended):
Dino De Laurentiis, one of greatest film producers of all time, has died on Wednesday at 91. According to this, he has produced over 500 films, including Fellini’s “La Strada” and “Nights of Cabiria” – he has received Oscars for both.
He produced cult classics such as “Serpico” (1973), “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), “King Kong” (1976), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Hannibal” (2001).
Yet, his most memorable appearance for me was on the B-side of my Conan the Barbarian – Collector’s Edition DVD. I found the whole production back story fascinating, especially the hiring of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
To paraphrase Mao, Dino has let a thousand flowers blosssom. Rest in peace.
P.S. Speaking of Conan, you must check out Conan’s soundtrack, Dino has hit the jackpot hiring Basil Poledouris.
It’s probably every indie filmmakers wet dream to lay his (or her) hands on an Arri film camera. Well, you got something better – the new Arri ALEXA camera!
Jason Momoa is Conan for the 2011 movie version. The production is currently under way, shooting on location in Bulgaria.
The biggest question is WHAT will the new movie be about. Here’s the answer according to an insider:
A remake implies a new version of an original script. This movie has no connection to any previous Conan movies, it is a franchise restart, like “Batman Begins”. It is a brand new adaptation of the original Conan stories by Robert E. Howard.
So it’s not a remake or a sequel, it’s a RESTART 
Solomon Kane is a character created by Robert E. Howard. However, unlike Conan, he has remained a cult “classic”, being more of an adventure hero.
It looks like the movie will follow a similar trajectory. It has been released in Europe, but it’s less and less likely it will get to screens in the USA. Of course, it will eventually end up on DVD (and video-on-demand), so you still be able to see it.
The movie starts with a great scene where Solomon Kane is going after the gold, as a typical pirate. Much to his surprise, the gold is “guarded” by the Reaper who has come to claim Solomon’s soul. Obviously, his soul was damned for his many crimes.
Solomon manages to escape and retreats to a monastery. This is the new Solomon Kane, who has repented and wants nothing more but peace. We wouldn’t have a movie, if everyone got what they wanted, so Solomon is thrown into the world and forced to confront violence.
I wouldn’t go into spoilers but the story arc is very interesting and paints Solomon’s childhood in a harsh light.
It’s a nice little movie, with a budget that’s probably 10% of Prince of Persia’s. James Purefoy does an amazing job, as always. If you haven’t seen him in Rome, you should definitely do so.
Sidenote: If you’re a fan of the Diablo games by Blizzard, you gonna love it. It plays a lot like the Diablo movie that’s in the works!
Depending on where you are, Canon’s new flagship might carry different letters but the the bottom line is the same: this photo is GOOD news for aspiring indie filmmakers.
According to DPreview:
The EOS 550D redefines the boundaries of Canon’s consumer DSLR range, incorporating technologies and features more commonly found in semi-professional DSLRs into the compact, lightweight body favoured by consumers. With a newly-developed 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon’s advanced DIGIC 4 image processor and the ability to shoot Full HD movies, photography enthusiasts are empowered to explore new levels of creativity.
Yes, full HD and an ISO range of 100 – 6400 (expandable to 12800) means you’ll get a lot mileage from scenes with natural (often poor) lighting.
The camera itself is too new, so the previews have been based on pre-production units but I’m pretty excited!
The Wave is an amazing little gem of a movie. A friend of mine suggested we go see it…
A German movie about autocracy (dictatorship)? Sure, sign me up. There’s just one thing that would make this movie better… set it on a German U-boat during WWII. Alas, we can’t have every German movie on a U-boat like my favorite Das Boot.
The premise of the movie is quite simple – take a group of high-school students, dress them uniformly, drill them, and voila, you end up with a true brown (black) shirt movement from 1930s (a.k.a. Fascism). The movie is based on a book that is based on a true story that happened in California, not Germany. The moral of the story is that it could happen anywhere with the right ingredients.
In terms of filmmaking, the movie is very solid. I could imagine it done with an even smaller budget in true Dogma style, without losing much of its appeal. It’s definitely worth checking out.
While the new Panasonic AG-HPX300 might be a bit out of your budget range ($8000 street price), it comes with plenty of bells and whistles.
It shares pedigree with Panasonic HVX200 and it offers much of the same features: a ton of formats and frame rates. It records on P2 cards as well as DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPROHD.
In terms of lenses, it comes with a 17x Fujinon lens that’s well above the usual pro-amateur fair. The sensor is big – 1/3″ and incredibly crisp, recording in FULL HD – 1920×1080.
If your budget allows it, I urge you to rent this baby for a test and then include it in your arsenal!
This is a tutorial on how to increase the dynamic range of an SLR. SLRs and camcorders are pretty close in terms of dynamic ranges, so you might find it useful in your post-production of video as well. Keep in mind that “digital” has a significantly smaller range when compared to film, so every little bit helps.
How to increase the Canon 7D dynamic range (Tutorial) from Luka.
This camera shootout is a bit old (end of 2008) but it’s quite comprehensive: 35mm motion picture, RED, EX3, HVX200, HPX170, HPX3000, Sony EX3, Nikon D90, Canon 5D Mark II, Letus35 Ultimate and Elite DOF adapters, RedRock Micro and more.
Sony HVR-Z5U is the same Sony HVR Z7U, however, Sony has fixed the lens on this one. Let’s find out if it’s such a good move.
First off, the new Sony HVR-Z5U is affordable – $4200 street price ($4950 list). It’s in the same league price-wise as Sony Z1 and a bit more expensive than Sony FX1 and Sony FX7. It’s very competitive pricing considering a Panasonic HVX200 goes for more than $4,200 – and in some stores it goes to $5,000.
Let’s examine what could make you upgrade to Sony HVR-Z7U – it usually costs about $1,200 more. Both camcorders use the same electronics. The controls and I/O are a bit different but it’s more a matter of personal preference rather than anything “measurable”. The key difference is the lens – the Z7U has a 12x Zeiss lens that can be REMOVED. Just so you know, this is where your $1,200 will be going – giving you flexibility to change the lens.
The lens on the Sony HVR-Z5U is a fixed 20x Sony “G” zoom lens. In this, Sony is consistent – all its camcorders in this range have sported a similar lens – all the way back to (my beloved) Sony VX2000.
If you’re easily impressed by ZOOMs, Sony estimates the 35mm equivalent is 29.5mm – 590mm! Impressive! If you go with the Z7U, it stops at about 380mm. So in practical terms, you get a lot more tele from the fixed 20x lens. Frankly, I’m not a big bird watcher, so zoom isn’t that important to me. However, if you plan to shoot architectural videos, you might need a wider lens (or adapter).
Same as the Sony Z7U, this camcorder uses the new Sony’s ClearVid CMOS with 1440×810 photosites. Through extrapolation (i.e. software), Sony achieves 1080 resolution. The sensor deliver very similar picture to full resolution 1920×1080 sensors which cost a LOT more.
So in conclusion – do you need it? If you already have a Sony Z1 or comparable, you probably don’t need to upgrade just yet (unless money is no object).
If you’re in the market for a new camera, the Sony HVR-Z5U is a very solid choice and comes highly recommended from all the reviewers I follow. The only caveat is the fixed lens but let’s admit it, at $4,200 you won’t find a camera with a removable lens anyway.
Michael Rubin, an author of books on Mac and editing, has decided to give away his Droidmaker book for free!
The book describes in detail the development of nonlinear editing (NLE) and computer graphics. The book is written from his perspective of working with Lucasfilm and Pixar.
I think this could be a valuable tool for independent filmmakers too, after all, the cost of doing computer effects has been falling steadily.
The new Conan has finally found a lead. You might find it hard to believe but the new lead shares a LOT of similarities with Arnold.
Roland Kickinger
I guess the list could go on and on. I could imagine someone from Nu Image is having a DUH moment right now. They’ve looked everywhere but the one place where Arnolds are born and bred. They gotta be careful though, so that photos of him in skinny jeans don’t surface anytime soon.
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