But what do you want to DO?

I was talking to a friend of mine while driving home the other night... He'd been very hot to get himself a T1i, the Canon camera that sports HD video capture in a Rebel-esque sub-$1000 body. That day, Gizmodo had an article proclaiming advance information on a newer version of the T1, potentially called the T2i - which would incorporate many 7D features, but in the consumer-style body.

Naturally he was deciding to hold off- to wait until the better featured version would come out. He said "I don't really want to buy a year-old camera - a camera that's already been out for a year." This comment struck me- how can you concentrate on WHAT you're shooting if you're obsessed with WHAT you're shooting on?!

I asked him - "what do you want to DO with whatever camera you eventually get?"

"What?"

"What do you want to do? Do you have some ideas?"

"I just need a camera."

"Yeah, okay but what are you going to DO with it?"

"No, I just need a camera- I just have to have another camera!"

We went along like this for a few more minutes.

My problem is that when we get too concerned with the gear, with having something, with possessing stuff, with the features and the buttons, we LOSE the reason one would want to shoot or film anything- to offer experience of different points of view, or situations, to other people. Not to show how cool our kit is, or which lens we have, or how large our equipment-penis is...

I've been a bit of a camera nerd for years now- and I don't claim to be very good at all - I do claim to (roughly) understand how the things work, and to be able to make my gear perform- but I recognize that I have much to learn, and that photo and video are lifelong pursuits, like painting or sculpture.

It bugs me to no end when I see the material-obsession in useful people. It's like an addiction, it takes precendent over lots of other more direct and important needs (like paying your rent or paying on debts you owe) and is so easy to be consumed with that starting to do creative work becomes almost impossible- you end up "playing with" your gear too much.

It's like the people who post pictures of their computers, their workstations, for others to see how sleek they are- rubbish!

Caught You Pickin' Comedy Videos

So...

I have to admit something.

I've always wanted to make comedy.

We grew up watching The Kids in the Hall, SCTV, and old SNL reruns. These shows all combined to warp my sense of humor, but to make comedy one of my favorite things- there's nothing else like cracking jokes and making people laugh.

That said, we've started to put some sketches on YouTube under the group name "Caught You Pickin'" - composed of John McGhee, Shadiah Sigala, Lou Susi, Sean Kelly, Tom Lato and myself.

Here is FelonDate (the one that most people say is by far the funniest)...

These are all shot on the DVX-100b as well.

Another Video...

Our 2008 Boston 48HFP entry.

Shot on the Panasonic DVX-100b by Shaun Clark, it looks pretty darn good- however I think that the edit was far too heavy-handed.

So it goes.

Attending a Virtual Conference

This week a segment in my company is holding a virtual conference- supplanting the usual travel and location arrangements for a schedule of WebEx Meetings and Events.

Now, you might think that this is a good thing- sure, they’re saving a TON of money on T&E, and I won’t have to fly out to California for a week and miss friends and family- but there are a lot of things that I’m going to miss- you know, the things that you do at a conference… Maybe we’re not all as nostalgic about attending conferences as I am, but if you’re the kind of person who saves all those nametags from all the different events you’ve been to- then I’m talkin’ to YOU.

So, I’ve come up with a list of things that I will do this week to get back that “on location” feeling- here’s a list…

- I will wear a name tag all week long. I’ll even put it on one of those tassel-fob things, and enclose it in plastic. I will wonder if the chip inside really tells my boss what sessions I attend!

- I will eat lunch with strangers in the company cafeteria- and purposefully pick food that won’t sit well in my digestive system, so that I can really get that “away from home” feeling…

- I will go out every night this week to either a mediocre local *bump-bump* club (which will be dead, ‘cause it’s Tuesday) or to a hotel bar. I’ll try to act like I can really put ‘em away, but get tired and leave after only a couple of drinks, or total strikeouts with whatever females are around…

- I will show up late to all meetings, starting on Tuesday, due to “food poisoning” (my hangover).

- I will attend all my meetings from the conference room so that I feel like I’m really part of the audience.

- I will wear a suit on Monday, slacks and a collared shirt on Tuesday, and jeans and a “No I will Not Fix Your Computer” t-shirt (the same one) for the other 3 days.

WebCam Background and Lighting Tips...

A few thoughts on how to get the most out of your Webcam...  

- Be Aware of Lighting: Since the sensor on even the highest-quality webcam is pretty darn small when compared to, say, a digicam sensor which, again is small compared to a full-frame 35mm DSLR (or actual 35mm frame) we realistically can’t expect too much in the way of dynamic range.  Therefore, we have to have optimal conditions in place to get a good image- to make us look good. 

- Windows Kill: DON’T sit back-to a window- natural light will overpower anything but powerful studio lights.  DO put the webcam BETWEEN you and the window!  This will let you use the powerful natural light to light the subject- YOU.

who is that masked man?

- Get a desk lamp: either point it at yourself (this is a Key light), or at a cube wall so it bounces some light onto your face (this is a Fill light).  In a normal video shoot, there is the classic “3-point” lighting setup- which includes a Key-, Fill-, and Back-light to isolate the subject from the background- but in lighting for a basic webcam conference, you only really need one good light- if you use an advanced video system, you may want to invest in a more professional lighting package.

standard 3-point lighting for an interview...  only 1/3
needed for our webcam presentations!

- Background Information:  Sometimes its the little things that tell people the most about us...   Make sure that whatever is behind you is clean & clear, and free of debris.  Make sure to remove any dead plants, KISS posters, or old computer junk.  

- Missed Opportunities...  Now that it's blank, how can we use it?..  I like to think of that empty wall as unused advertising space- space for advertising YOU!  Not sure about this one? All you have to do is flick on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc to see how all the major news channels interview in front of cityscapes, cool graphics, bustling newsrooms, or libraries of books.  This adds a level of credibility to the speaker, and communicates even more to the audience.  Take a little time to "pretty up" your area, and think about how you can make your own background advertisement out of the artifacts in your office space- diplomas, degrees, books, plants, framed art, accolades or even magazine covers.  

- The Right Stuff- Don't have a web conferencing tool that will support this kind of webcam video?  Check out WebEx.  I know, you've heard this one before, but there's a reason for it- it works!

Don't forget to check out my post on how to have better web meetings...

- Josh

Tips for better WebEx Conferences - Or Video Conferences in General...

People seem to think that because we've called a meeting, everything will just take care of itself. That's where they're wrong! Meetings require leadership - not necessarily Robert's Rules of Order leadership (egad, shudder to think of those hours spent in the Student Senate...) but some kind of direction. Here are a few pointers, from one who is in/part of/attends a LOT of meetings. Heck, I do work for a company that provides a serious meeting platform...

1. Bring an Agenda (what are we here to do???) Regardless of what the format is - Powerpoint, Keynote, Notepad, etc - make up some kind of bullet list. People LIKE bullets. They like things synthesized for their consumption- the salient, important points. Outline the basic framework of what's supposed to happen in the meeting, and show it to everyone.

2. Show Yourself! - Use your web conferencing tool's video option. This lends seriousness and credibility - if you're not willing to show yourself, it makes people wonder what color your pajamas are (the ones that you're obviously sitting at home in, in front of the television no doubt!). Don't have camera options with your web conference? Get WebEx.

3. Annotate (Draw & Text on the Screen!) Use the marker and text tools to highlight and outline what is important. Change and adjust the agenda, or add to it as people make comments. You can also let your attendees use these tools simultaneously for brainstorming & planning sessions. For example, in our team meetings there is a specific agenda item called "feedback." Our manager opens up a blank slide, and turns on the annotation tools for everyone- then asks us to throw out words and ideas about how he can help us be more successful- with the idea that nothing is off-limits, but that if you put up something heavy, just be ready to discuss!

4. Follow-Through - on movie sets there is a dedicated person who watches for continuity- IE to make sure that props, wardrobe and makeup are consistent from scene to scene. In meetings we need to have similar people- someone who's specific job it is to make sure we have targets set for what happens next. Don't forget to either snap a quick screenshot or record important points of the meeting. If your conferencing provider doesn't offer this option, you can always click "Print Screen" (it's above the number pad) and then Control-V to Paste it into either Word or Powerpoint as a captured image. Also, there are tons of free screen capture tools out there that let you record directly from your desktop, and end up with a video. You can use some of the converter tools from my earlier post to convert to other formats.

5. Encourage Participation - ASK QUESTIONS! "does that make sense," "are we all on board," "does anyone have any questions," "do you think that's a good idea?"

RedOne vs Canon 5D Mk2

Pretty cool. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have...

Stuff for DSLR cinematography...

Useful (FREE) Video Converter Programs

Any Video Converter-

Convert from anything (AVI or WMV, Quicktime, etc) to almost anything else.  It’s got really easy controls- just pick your original file, then select the device/type of output you desire, and click convert.  Doesn’t get much easier than this!!!

 

Input formats:

avi, asf, mov, rm, rmvb, flv, mkv, mpg, 3gp, m4v, vob, YouTube videos

Output formats:

avi, wmv, mp4, 3gp, wmv, flv, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, mpg (PAL or NTSC)

 

http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

 

 

 

DVD Decrypter-

 

Simply pop a DVD into your computer, then right-click – select “decrypt with DVD Decrypter” (or whatever it says!) and let this program do its work.  You’ll end up with a folder of “VOB” files, which are playable in some NERO DVD player programs.  Use Handbrake (below) to convert these folders into useable standard-format (decent quality) AVI files for playback in your Windows Media player…

 

http://www.mrbass.org/dvdrip/SetupDVDDecrypter_3.5.4.0.exe

 

 

Handbrake-

Primary use is to convert from DVD “VOB” files (entire folders of a ripped DVD) to avi files or Apple formats like M4V, etc.  For PC users, this is great because you can easily convert a whole DVD (3-4 gigs) into a 500MB file, which is much more transportable/storeable – IE your collection isn’t going to eat up entire hard drives… 

Input Formats:

  Any DVD-like source: VIDEO_TS folder, DVD image or real DVD (unencrypted--protection methods including CSS are not supported internally and must be handled externally with third-party software and libraries), and some .VOB and .TS files

  Most any multimedia file it can get libavformat to read and libavcodec to decode.

Output Formats:

  File format: MP4, MKV, AVI or OGM

  Video: MPEG-4, H.264, or Theora (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer/rate encoding)

  Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)

 

http://handbrake.fr/

 

 

 

Some Basic Tips on Webcam Etiquette…

Okay, I work for WebEx- Cisco-WebEx.  Let me be clear that this isn’t a pitch for our tools, but rather some helpful ideas around WebCam meetings in general.  Think of this as an experienced Web-presenter’s Basic Tips on Webcam Etiquette…

 

1. Look Good – seriously, comb your hair.  Put on glasses so you look “smart.”  Have a collared shirt on, at least…  Your audience can’t typically see you in excruciating detail (zits? No big deal!) but they CAN see your most prominent features. 
2. Find Your Good Side - I’m regularly on meetings with people who have bad angles…  Some look like they’re on the Space Station with their awkward wide-shot cameras, some noses I can almost see UP, and some people facing an entirely different direction from their camera (perpendicular to it, usually).  Look at CNN, see how hosts look are positioned towards the camera.  This lets us see the person from a natural, straight-on angle as though we were meeting with them across the table in “real life”
3. Get Lit- With cheap webcams or video cameras, light makes all the difference.  Without exception these cameras have a slow/small aperture (F-Stop)- they’re mostly plastic lenses combined with very, very small imaging chips.  That said, Logitech is my personal favorite brand.  I currently use one of these and it’s a great little unit!
4. Have a “Set”- Again to take a cue from our friends in cable & broadcast news (they set the appearance standards for professional meetings!) it is important to at least have a nice, clean area behind you.  Notice how when lawyers are interviewed on television, they have lots of books behind them- and when reporters are sitting in the studio, there are monitors and producers in the background…  It lends some credibility to the speaker.  Even if you just have a nice plant, or a couple of framed pictures in the background, put something in there- and keep in mind, this is YOU that’s on display, so this will directly affect how people think of you…
5. Smile!- Hey, it seems easy, but we all forget to do it.  Show your customers or your colleagues that you’re a team player and you’re happy to be here!  People like to see other people smile, and as corny as it sounds, breaking through to your audience with general niceness or carefully positioned humor can really give them a good impression.
6. Look at the Camera- While you’re smiling, looking good in your collared shirt and sitting in your private studio (get a sweet On Air light if you work at home, so the husband/wife/kids know when to be respectful of your space) remember to actually look into/at the camera.  It’s really the same as looking into your attendee’s eyes- they will think and respond as though you were really talking to them as opposed to an inanimate object that’s sitting on top of your monitor…

And, as always, have fun, and deliver good content to your audience…

A Few Cameras...

CAMERAS that I like…

- Canon 5d Mark 2

- Red Family

- Most Canon Digital SLRs*

- Most Nikon Digital SLRs

CAMERAS that I currently have…

- Nikon D70

- Canon G7

- A variety of older film cameras (Nikon, Canon, Rolliflex)

CAMERAS that I use…

- Panasonic DVX100b

- Sony V1U HDcam

- Sony PD-170 series

- Sony VX-2000 series

CAMERAS that I have owned in the past…

- Sony VX1000

- Canon XL-1s

- Canon 10D

- Canon Elph

Webcams that I use right now…

- Logitech

* except the Rebel, but I understand if that's what you bought... however, I would ALWAYS recommend checking your local Craigslist for a deal on a higher-quality Nikon or Canon body before paying retail on anything...