Star timelapses, or starlapses for short, are both visually impressive and difficult to pull off without a little direction. In this video from the guys at Syrp, Mark Gee explains how he sets up for his star timelapses.
Musicbed, one of the premier sources for finding the best quality songs and compositions for filmmakers, has always been about supporting artists across the board. Recently they’ve started a program called “Musicbed Sessions” that pretty much embodies that belief. What is it? It’s a mix of a right place, the right motivation, and the connection to the right artists. Sessions is about live music that gets local artists connected to each other while also sharing that with the rest of the Musicbed global network. It’s a program that highlights artists in a cinematic style that puts the focus on their work.
I’ll admit, when I first laid eyes on the Canon XC10 my response was, “What the heck is Canon thinking?” Not only was it a bizarre design, but the fixed telephoto lens really had me scratching my head. Finally, Canon had released a 4K-capable camera at a price point that was affordable for the everyday person, but it came in a weird package with limited customization options. “There is no way this thing is going to be good,” I thought to myself. “I’m going to hate it.” Well, after a few weeks of use (though I am still processing the video footage) I think I can pretty much say I was wrong. Oh so very, very wrong.
This one sort of flew under the radar (ha, look! A drone pun!), but I stumbled on this video yesterday that shows what DJI is working on for a future product. Though it’s pretty clear much of this video has heavy use of computer graphics to create the drone that flies itself, DJI’s Phantom X concept goes right for the throat of drones like the Lily Flying Camera, and that’s exactly what we should expect from the industry’s largest aerial imagine company. Oh, and they stuffed as many big names into the video as possible.
Because so many modern video enthusiasts and filmmakers are self taught, it’s not uncommon to run across a few that don’t know what the 180 degree shutter rule is, or why they should even care about it. So what is it? The rule states that your shutter speed needs to be one over two times your frame rate. In this video by Stronz Vanderploeg, he explains a lot about the rule and give you visual evidence as to why he endorses it. “When it comes to video cameras, there are 3 ways to control exposure internally on the camera: ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed/Angle. ISO affects noise performance, Aperture controls depth of field and Shutter Speed determines motion blur. All too often I see videos shot at different shutter speeds with varying amount of motion blur but is there really such a thing as ‘the right way to do it?'”
SmallHD makes some pretty awesome little monitors, the one getting the most buss as of late being their 502 HDMI/SDI monitor with the optional Sidefinder viewfinder. What makes this one special? Well, mainly its incredible pixel density and brightness, two things that make this monitor a joy to use while filmmaking. It has some other outstanding features as well, and in my time with it, I really see the appeal of these little monitors.
If you hate how huge motion control devices tend to be, this new product called the Hercules is probably what you’ve been wishing for. Using a tiny motor, only a single triple-A battery, two major parts and with enough power to use with basically any camera, this pocket-sized device looks pretty darn impressive.
Though the “in vogue” shooting rig has since moved on from Canon DSLRs, a great many independent filmmakers still use them. Many of the gimbals and rigs on the market still cater to the idea of using a Canon 5D Mark III, but I haven’t seen one with quite the level of integration that the SkyVideo.pro gimbal seems to offer.
The FS700 is great, but it’s a little long in the tooth. The sensor is the same as many newer cameras like an FS7 or FS5, but it’s bound and limited to HD… if you don’t get a huge 4K kit from Sony that makes it ridiculously expensive. In this video from DMDR, they speak with an Atomos representative who shows you how you can basically hack your FS700 and turn it into a camera that would normally cost thousands of dollars more in order to get those features.
Think of this as a kind of PSA for those looking to get started flying drones. If you’ve never done it before, you’re going to need a starting point and some advice so you don’t end up crashing your new quadcopter into a tree… or a marsh… or a house. That’s where a new book by expert Eric Cheng comes in.
Eric Cheng is an award-winning photographer, technologist and drone expert who spent nearly two years as Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI. He has also flown a camera drone above the Holuhraun volcano eruption in Iceland, which was broadcasted live to over 6 million people on ABC’s Good Morning America. Basically, Eric knows what he’s talking about when it comes to flying drones, and he has released a book that is basically an “Ultimate Guide” to the art of digital imaging from the sky.