Farewell - Blog Post #15 -

Where do I begin! I really enjoyed taking this class this semester! Words cannot really describe all of the new things that I have learned. I really enjoyed getting to work with many different kinds of camera models. Learning the pros and cons of each model that we have in our TCF department was really cool and interesting. Even though I never got to check out the EX3, I would have to say that it was probably my favorite camera that we used. I was blown away by the quality of image it recorded and all of the neat features that it has. In the future, I hope to shoot some kind of sporting event with it. Another major thing I learned this semester was lighting. In TCF201 we touched on the basics of scene lighting and that was really it. In this class, I learned how to get rid of shadows, the difference between certain kinds of bulbs and their color temperatures and how it would look thru a camera lens. I learned to not over expose a scene and to keep my lighting as subtle and smooth looking as possible. I never had a really good grasp on how to light a scene until taking this class. I know that it is going to help me in the future. Another thing I really enjoyed about this class, were the people that were in it. It never really occurred to me just how much talent there was in the room until we watched our reels. I also really enjoyed how everyone treated each other with respect and was not harsh one another when it came to critiquing each other’s work. All of the comments and critiques that I was given really helped me out through out the course to this class. Most importantly, I learned what I wanted to do with myself as a person. All of the filming assignments and working at the many different roles of a film crew helped me solidify the fact that I want to be an editor. It is what I truly am best at, and by working as a director, or a DP, or as an AD helped me realize that. I will never forget the friends I made while taking this class or the things I learned. I hope to work with everybody on projects in the future.

-Ted

DSLR Film Making - Blog Post #14 -

DSLR Filmmaking is an interesting subject to me. The imagery these cameras are able to produce is nothing short of astounding. The fact that you can get a great video-capable DSLR with a kit lens for under $1,000 is almost too good to be true. But let me say straight out: there are some serious drawbacks to shooting video with DSLRs. They are anything but newcomer-friendly. Doesn't that mean they're not worth the investment. You do, however, really need to know what you're getting into before you start investing in a DSLR video rig of your own. Here are some of the pros and cons of DSLR Cameras.

Pros:

1. DSLRs are capable of producing beautiful, cinematic images that look closer to film than otherwise possible without spending $100K.  For many of us, this is reason enough to put up with all of the cons.

2. DSLRs are small, lightweight, and can be used in a huge variety of settings.

3. DSLRs themselves are very budget-friendly given the professional imagery they can produce.

Cons:

1. DSLRs record audio so poor that it's completely unusable for any kind of professional production. There are ways around this, but the long and short of it is that you'll need to be ready to invest some time and money into audio solutions in order to use this for live event or interview scenarios. 

2. DSLRs require some sort of stabilization solution in order to be usable. I think it is necessary to get a shoulder stabilizer when you purchase the camera - shots holding the camera itself while trying to focus will look amateur.

3. DSLRs have very short clip limits. The Canon's can shoot clips that are 12-minutes long max, and as far as I am aware that's longer than the Nikons or the Panasonics. This is great for concept shorts, but can become a serious problem for live event projects such as weddings or worship services.

A good reel - Blog Post #13 -

Personally, I think whether you are putting together a directing, cinematography, or editing reel, you should show more than just montages. People need to know that you can be consistent with your shots and directing and editing. For example, anyone can put together montages of pretty shots, but how consistent are they when it comes to the lighting and framing of a scene is hard to tell with their montages. Good reels are challenging to make, and I think that it says alot about the person that made the reel if he can be consistent and visually compelling.

Money $hots - Blog Post #12 -

A money shot is a provocative, sensational, or memorable sequence in a film, on which the film's commercial performance is perceived to depend. A money shot is something that makes a person think to themselves "there it is! thats the glorious shot!". In general film-making usage the term "money shot" can also refer to the scene that cost the most money to produce. The scene may or may not be a special effects sequence, but may be counted on to become a selling point for the film. For example, in an action thriller, an expensive special effects sequence of a dam bursting might be called the "money shot" of the film. In order to achieve a money shot, you need a strong or compelling moment, or an amazing event to film! Using all of your knowledge with cameras and their capabilities, a good cinematographer can capture something truly breathtaking!

Camera Movement - Blog Post #10 -

A camera’s movement provides more than an audience’s viewpoint and perspective of the action. Movement may also provide an aesthetic means by establishing emotions, whether of a character’s or from experiencing it from a third-person perspective. Always, when the camera moves, it moves in relation to something, and that something may either be a character or an object. Camera movement should be planned ahead of time, and employed dependently along with camera angles and composition to create any effective emotions all around.

DP Scene Assignment - Blog Post #11 -

Boy oh boy was this assignment interesting! I've NEVER really been very good at any other job on a film set. I don't know why. I mean, I guess I'm a pretty good gaffer and all but then again, who really has a hard time gaffing. When we had to pick a scene, rewrite it, do a story board, and draw up floor plans, I thought it would surely be the end of me. It turns out, that Im not as terrible as I thought I was. Doing all of the preproduction stuff was fairly easy. It was when it was time to film that things got a little complicated. I had a good DP that knew what he was doing. I just wasn't a great director. I think the hardest part for me in the on set process was trying to convey exactly what I wanted to my DP. You see what you want in your mind but just have no idea as to going about describing it in words. I think the hardest and biggest challenge that the cinematographer faces is creating and capturing the exact vision that the director wants (also doing it in a timely manner). But once you figure out what the vision is, its not so difficult getting the shot. When I was directing my scene assignment, my DP really understood what I wanted to do with my lights and was very good at lighting the scene, and it shows in the final product. I think that in order for me to improve on the work I've done, I need to learn how to communicate my vision better. That would make things alot easier on everybody.

Demo Reel

Good DP's - Blog Post #9 -

I really love the cinematography used in the chase scene above. In my opinion, it may be on of the best chase scenes in cinematic history. The angles and camera movement are simply breathtaking. Phil Meheux was the cinematographer for both of the clips above. Sadly he doesnt have a website or anywhere on the internet where he has his artist statement.

Scene Assignment

Artist Statement

Ever since I was in the eighth grade, I have had a large interest in making and editing movies. I always found it amazing how movies and videos could put people in good moods. I began teaching myself simple editing programs for my PC such as Windows Movie Maker and Pinnacle Studio. I edited videos with my PC until senior year of high school. It was at that point, my video editing capabilities changed for the better! My parents gave me a Macbook for Christmas! Things would never be the same. Now that I had an Apple computer, I had the option of being able to use one of the industry’s leading editing software packages. I’m talking about Final Cut Studio of course! Once I owned the software package, I started teaching myself the ins and outs of the program. I would film just about anything just so I could tinker around with it in Final Cut. I originally wanted to be an editor for Hollywood feature films. It was at the end of senior year that I realized what my niche in. After making highlight videos for my high school’s men’s and women’s basketball teams (which were received so well that they were projected on the wall of our gymnasium before each game) I had finally found a form of video editing that I was really good at. Making highlight videos led to the best job I have ever had. This previous summer, I interned with ESPN in New York City. It was there that I helped create the nominee videos for the 2010 ESPN ESPY Award show. After getting some of the videos I edited on national television, there is no other type of video editing I can see doing. My vision and purpose is simple: I want to create highlight videos that will inspire and motivate other athletes to be the best at what they do.

The Road to Perdition - Blog Post #7 -

The Road to Perdition is an American period drama film directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay was adapted by David Self, from the graphic novel of the same name by Max Allan Collins. The film stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, and Daniel Craig. The plot, taking place during the Great Depression, follows a mob enforcer and his son as they seek vengeance against a mobster who murdered the rest of their family. Mendes collaborated with costume designer Albert Wolsky, production designer Dennis Gassner, and cinematographer Conrad Hall to design the film's style. Wolsky designed costumes that were "very controlled, with soft outlines and very soft silhouettes". Gassner built sets that could capture the cold look of the era. Mendes sought a muted palette for the film, having dark backgrounds and sets with dark, muted greens and grays. Mendes filmed Road to Perdition using the Super 35 format. The director filmed exterior scenes in Illinois in the winter and the spring of 2001, using real weather conditions such as snow, rain, and mud for the scenes. Mendes considered the usage of bleak weather conditions and the intended coldness of Gassner's exterior locations to define the characters' emotional states. Pullman became a key location to reflect this theme, having several settings, including the town's historic Florence Hotel, easily redressed by the crew for the film. Filming concluded in June 2001. 

The following screen grabs are from the scene where Michael Sullivan Sr. (Tom Hanks) is teaching Michael Sullivan Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) how to drive a car so he can be his getaway driver when they are robbing banks.

Here we have our establishing shot of a road in the country. The Cinematographer uses the trees to make the road look very long and give a sense of depth.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Medium shot / "semi" over the shoulder shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Exterior shot of car with Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. sitting inside. The audience can now see just how small Michael Jr. is.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr.

Exterior shot of the car. The director is using the trees on both sides of the road to show that the road is deserted and that they are the only ones on the road.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. I'm pretty sure there is some filter work going on here in order to see thru the glass but still let the audience see the reflection coming off of it.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. Here is some more filter work going on in order to see thru the glass but still let the audience see the reflection coming off of it.

Long Shot of the car as Michael Jr. is driving. The lines of the road are used to convey depth and length.

Exterior shot of the car looking thru the woods as it drives down the road.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. Notice the bullet hole in the back window.

Interior shot from the back seat of the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. Establishing there is a tractor ahead.

Medium shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. from the front of the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The tractor is now closer to the car.

Interior shot from the front passenger side of the vehicle. Panning right view as the car narrowly zooms by the tractor.

Interior of the car from the backseat as Michael Sr. looks back at the narrowly missed tractor.

Medium Shot of Michael Sr. and Michael Jr. from the front of the car as the scene ends.

Lighting - Blog Post #6 (and according to syllabus also post #8) -

In cinematography, the use of light can influence the meaning of a shot. For example, filmmakers often portray villains that are heavily shadowed or veiled, using silhouette. There are many different instances in which different types of lighting are chosen to light the scene based upon many different factors such as the type of look the director is going for and the location in which the scene is being filmed. The screen grabs below are just a few examples of lighting that I like to see used when lighting a scene to film a portrait of someone.

By using lights and other equipment to help change the illumination of a scene, you can alter the look and feel of the shot, and that is what lighting and cinematography is all about.

What I learned - Blog Post #5 -

After showing my portrait of a place to the class last Thursday, I was able to take a couple of things with me. I realized that the shots I used could have been more aesthetically pleasing had I used filters on the camera. The shot I included of Matt holding hands with the statues out in front of Bryant Denny was more so intended to be funny, but ended up interrupting the entire flow of my video from being serious, to kind of funny, and then back to serious. I wasn't really expecting such an in depth critique but every bit of advice was welcomed. I really wish that I had reserved a set of filters for the camera when I shot this. By using filters, I could have enhanced the look of the portrait tremendously. I will definitely remember to take into account the aesthetic conditions of the locations that I film at in the future.

Portrait of a Place

Sony vs. JVC - Blog Post #4 -

When it comes to the Sony and JVC cameras, I kind of have a hard time choosing which one I really like the best. Both cameras have their positives and negatives. The first issue that I feel is important about a camera is what type of equipment/media it records to. When it comes to tape or flash media cards, I wholeheartedly pick flash media cards every time. They are more efficient in my eyes and we are working with actual memory size and not just length of tape.  And transferring the footage over is a breeze compared to logging and capturing the footage on tape in Final Cut Pro. Also, tapes can break very easily if not handled carefully. If you have just shot a very important interview, sporting event, wedding, etc. and the tape you recorded it to somehow breaks, you more than likely will not be able to use that footage. I prefer the image quality of the Sony to the image quality of the JVC. I'm a big fan of the clean, dynamic images that are captured by the CMOS sensor. I think it really depends on your project- I've used the JVC to shoot a lot of live video, and it's been pretty great (especially being able to hot-swap cards), but I think I prefer the Sony for well-thought-out narratives or pieces like our portraits. Overall, they are both very nice pieces of equipment, each of them with their advantages and disadvantages, but nonetheless a really nice camera.

What are my goals? -Blog Post #3-

My goals are fairly simple. I want to edit. It is what I have wanted to do with my life since about the 11^th grade. I have always had a strong talent when it came to editing short videos for school and it was something that I really enjoyed. They say one should do what they love to do, and what I love to do is edit film. Not necessarily editing feature films, I’m pretty sure I would go crazy if I were to only be able to work on the same project for a couple of years. I have found that my niche is editing sports highlight and promo videos. I did an internship with ESPN this summer in New York City and edited a couple of the nominee pieces for the 2010 ESPN ESPY Award show. During those three months, I learned a brand new software program called Maya. I used Maya to construct urban landscapes in which we could put videos of the athletes that had been nominated for an award. After getting to be a DP and Director this semester, I have had no trouble solidifying my choice to be an editor. Putting it nicely, I probably am the worst director to walk this planet. After I graduate, [no matter how long it takes haha] I hope to use the contacts and friends that I made this past summer to get a full time job working for ESPN as a sports video editor in New York City.

My Visual Style -Blog Post #2-

My favorite visual style of movie is any kind of movie that takes you to a different period in time. I really like war movies and how a lot of the action shots used in the movie are not filmed on a tripod. The feeling that the audience gets from a handheld shot is really cool. It makes you feel like you are standing in the movie and are just observing everything that is going on. I also like how some of the colors are washed out and dull, examples of this would be Saving Private Ryan, Enemy at the Gates, and Band of Brothers.

The above shot is from Saving Private Ryan. I really like how the color temperature is cool and how it makes the colors in this shot look. It gives the film a look of a certain time period, and in this case, that period is the 1940's. I also really like the framing of this shot. You can tell that the camera has been focused on the soldiers eyeball in order to give him an "extremely good marksman" look. We are looking into the eyes of a killer.

This scene is from the motion picture Enemy at the Gates. Just like the scene from Saving Private Ryan, this shot displays the same cool color temperature. It has the feel of a different time period, which is what I really like about it. Any time a movie takes me to a different time period, especially the 1920's - 1940's, I usually enjoy them alot.

10 Favorite Things -Blog Post #1-

1. Macbook
2. Car
3. My TV
4. Final Cut Pro
5. Friends
6. Family
7. Christmas
8. Music!!
9. Steve Jobs
10. Alabama Football