What’s Next For Ruscher Visuals?

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This is something I have been thinking about for a while now. What do I want to do with Ruscher Visuals? There was a time where I wanted to take a large investment (including all of my time) and see what I could do on my own and for a while I did that. But then I started freelancing for a company called 522 Productions and things changed. I found a company in which I could not only be myself but do what I love to do. They were working projects I wanted to be a part of as well as having a team that I wanted to be on. It wasn’t long until I was brought on full time.

Before I go into more detail I want to say something to my current clients and the weddings I have this summer. I am 100% committed to what we have started. I am extremely passionate about video production and will put everything I have into those projects. All this means is that I am not taking on any new jobs other than being hired as a camera operator. My current position at 522 Productions, along with being a ‘soon to be’ husband, have not only taken up my time but given me new inspiration. It is a great thing and I couldn’t be more excited about what is to come. I will still be available for hire but only on weekends and only as a steadicam op, camera op or director of photography. I simply do not have to time to take on new editing or producing jobs. The best email to reach me is ruscher.r@gmail.com and I will continue to keep up the Vimeo page with my personal projects. I encourage you to check out what I am doing on the 522 Productions’ Blog.

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I love what I have done on my own and all the things I have learned from my freelance career but, 522 has pushed me to a whole different level and I want to put everything I have (including time) into this company. At age 25, I have used every camera system possible which is something I didn’t think would be possible, especially when not in LA. I have talked to, met up with, drank with, and even had dinner with some of the most reputable people in the industry. I want to put all of this into 522. The number 1 reason is because I believe in the mission and talent of the company. The creative team is like nothing I have seen before. Everyone is rooting for each other and loves to see each person succeed. They are so talented and it is a challenge to stand out and feel valued. An amazing way to push myself to be the best I can be.

Be sure to check out 522′s Youtube Page. My Twitter will still be my own thoughts and include tons of information on gear (and the Washington Capitals) and it will be the best way to reach me (along my personal email ruscher.r@gmail.com). 522 has their own Twitter as well and you can check it out here.

At 522 we create a wide range of videos including recruiting, promotional, commercial and documentary. It is at an amazing quality and I am so proud to be on this team. Feel free to email me at rruscher@522productions.com with any questions about 522 or at ruscher.r@gmail.com for anything else.

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Thank you so much for those that have helped me get to this point and supported me along the way.

Steadicam

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For the past two years I have been training with the Glidecam and recently, I have been investing my time and money to master the art of the Steadicam. The reason is to continue growing in this field and to add more value to the 522 Creative Team. Although the Glidecam is a great tool, it does not compare to a full Steadicam rig.

Here is a test I did with the Steadicam Pilot. I called up our art director Chris Jurchak and he was all about putting something cool together. There are a few handheld shots in there as well and can be pretty easily separated from the smooth steadicam shot.

A Night in Old Town – Test Footage from Rob Ruscher on Vimeo.

Please contact me if this look is something you are interested in for your next project. I will be honest in my skills and abilities to make sure I am able to produce the scenes exactly the way you want them. Stay tuned as I am working on a Steadicam reel to showcase my talents.

Learning From Shane Hurlbut

In my last ‘Learning From’ post I talked about learning from Wally Pfsiter via interviews and watching his work. With social media, there’s a chance to connect with people all over the country (and the world) and learn from them. Someone I’ve learned a lot from is Shane Hurlbut, ASC. He does a great job of sharing information and giving back to the community.

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Shane Hurlbut is one of the pioneering bloggers and information sharers. As far as professional cinematographers go, he is not only a reliable source but extremely passionate about teaching others. Just watching his work you can learn something. His blog is a site I visit daily due to the amount of quality information it contains and the detail he goes into. He is also very active on Twitter. Although I haven’t had the chance to meet him in person, I have been lucky enough to have a few conversations with him online and I am truly greatful. If you ever have the chance to go to an event where he is at, I would. Masters in Motion was a hit and everyone raved about how great of a job he did. I wasn’t able to go this year but hoping I get a chance next year.

I could go on all day about how great his blog is, but just see for yourself. He goes into amazing detail on how he lights scenes and the gear he uses and it is in a way that anyone can learn from. It is great to read a few posts and then apply it to your own project. For me, that is how the information sticks. Whether you are just starting out, or a seasoned veteran, there is something you will learn from his site. Lighting, cinematography and gear are all covered on his site which makes it even more kick ass.

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As an ASC, Shane has shot some great movies. These are some of my favorites:

*Act of Valor
*Termination Salvation
*Semi Pro
*We Are Marshall
*Drumline
*The Skulls

He is currently working on the Need for Speed movie which looks amazing from the pictures he has been posting on Facebook.

I was shocked the first time he responded to a question I had on Twitter. Most times you don’t get a response from someone with so many followers. The one thing I have learned about Shane is how passionate he is about the filmmaking community. I asked him what inspires him and one of his responses was ‘young filmmakers.’ I couldn’t have thought of a better answer. He also recently helped me with my Demo Reel which was a huge help and meant a lot.

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I suggest checking out his blog and you will soon see why his blog is worth reading everyday. I am hoping one day I can repay him. As I grow as a filmmaker my goal is to share my knowledge and help others in the field. Thanks again Shane and keep the information coming!

What’s Cool: ikan D5w Monitor *Video Update*

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I’ve had the opportunity to use and abuse the ikan D5w monitor and I absolutely love it. It’s well made, can use a wide range of batteries and has a ton of great features.

There’s a lot of monitors out there and it makes it hard to find the right one. You need to be sure that the monitor you purchase not only meets your needs now, but if you were to buy or even rent a different one. We all know that different projects require different cameras and there’s no point in buying a monitor for only one camera.

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Features Not Included:
Although the D5w doesn’t have HDMI loop through, it does have SDI loop through. Not a deal breaker, but if you are always going from camera monitor to client monitor this is something to consider. If you own a Black Magic box, this won’t be an issue. For an additional $150 you can get a 1.4″ larger screen, and HDMI loop through. This is the D7w. Pretty good deal but I am a fan of the smaller monitors since they can be used for more compact setups.

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What’s Included:
First thing I noticed was the price point. Through ikan, you can purchase this for $1199.00 Like I’ve said in my other posts, with ikan you don’t just get a product, you get a kit to go with it.
Here’s what you get:
-Monitor
-AC Adapter
-DV Battery plate of your choice
-Eyelash*
-Hot Shoe Mount

*The Eyelash is not a sunshade. It adds a little lip to keep light out of the monitor. If shooting in broad day light you will want the D5w Sunhood.

Other than an articulating arm and batteries for the plate, this gives you everything you need to get out and start shooting. Although an articulating arm isn’t needed, I highly recommend picking one up.

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Waveform and False Color
I’ll start with my favorite features/options first. I am a big fan of using false color when lighting a subject, especially for interviews. But when I work on green screen, nothing compares to a waveform. Editors have preferences on where they like the green to hit and without a waveform I’d have no idea how to do this. Not only does the D5w allow you to see the waveform in full screen, but you can split the waveform, RGB parade, and vector scope along with your image into fourths. Awesome feature and the only thing better is that you can have it take up the bottom of the screen while your image takes up the rest. When setting up for green screen this is HUGE. EX3 is the camera of choice for myself and 522 Productions for green screen. I love having a personal monitor then looping SDI to the director’s monitor. No more running back and forth from the large monitor to camera to make sure the green screen is at the perfect level. Having the ability to go between these features is sure to cover all your needs when making sure you have proper exposure for any scenario.

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RGB Parade and Vectorscope
Once you have proper exposure, it is time to get the correct color balance. Same as coloring in post production. There is plenty of information online on how to read vectorscopes and RGB Parades so I won’t go into much detail about that. I tested the accuracy of them by shooting various scenes and then uploading them to the computer and bringing them into both Premiere CS6 and Davinci Resolve. I was pumped (but not surprised) to see that they matched up perfectly. Learning how to use these tools makes this monitor even more powerful and a step above the rest.

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Peaking:
The peaking on the d5w has a two versions. A colored peaking where you can actually change the color (I like red best) and one where the image goes black and white and the sharp images shows in the chosen color. It is great for interviews and tight shots. When you go wide, it is hard to show what is in critical focus. For those shots, I use the pixel in pixel option. Unlike other monitors, you can actually move around the screen while in it.

The Screen Itself
With a 1280×800 resolution, this screen produces clean, crisp images. I noticed the color was slightly different then what the LCD on the 7D showed and a little flatter, but when bringing in post, I didn’t see much of a difference. With any monitor you will want to play around a bit before taking it on a paid project. Knowing the ins and outs will help on set and insure you get the best possible image to your editor and colorist. I am really happy and feel this is a very reliable monitor.

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Final Thoughts:
This monitor is great for a single monitor onset, personal monitor for a camera operator and even for an AC as a focus puller. The physical features make it great buy and will allow you to use on various camera platforms. The size and weight make it easy to add to a hand held rig, tripod rig and even for a Glidecam.If you have any questions on the monitor let me know and be sure to check out ikan for more on this monitor and others.

Rob Ruscher 2013 Demo Reel

Please enjoy my Demo reel for 2013. It highlights various projects that I have shot. Feel free to contact me to view additional examples or with any questions you may have.

I am a director of photography, assistant camera, camera operator, editor and producer available for hire. Although I specialize in camera operations, I also work as a media manager and digital imaging technician.

References and resume are available upon request.

Learning From Wally Pfister

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Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a huge believer in learning through experience. I love to read and watch, but I learn the most by going out and shooting and putting myself in positions to learn from others. Unfortunately, Wally Pfister has yet to call me and ask to work for him (Wally if you are reading this, I am willing to do whatever it takes to work for you).

Since I can’t learn by working with him just yet, I try to read and watch as many interviews as I possibly can. I first fell in love with his work when I watched Memento for a project in my TV production class. I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do before that point but after watching that, I knew I wanted to be in the video production business. When Batman Begins came out I was blown away. I wanted to shoot and light like that. The Dark Knight then came out and I have probably watched that movie more times on mute than I have with sound. I am sure it will be the same with the Dark Knight Rises. Among other influences, Wally Pfister is someone I learn from just by watching.

I wanted to share some of the tips on cinematography I have gotten from his interviews:
*You have to respect the story first
*Respect the actors
*Respect whatever it is the director needs
*You are there to guide and help directors but there are some battles you will need to fight
*Cinematography is one part artistry and one part craftsmanship
*Don’t let others dictate what tools you use, use your expertise to know what tools are needed to get the job done

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There is so much to learn from people like Wally just by listening. The key is to use this on your next project, no matter how big or how small. Who do you learn from? What have you learned? Would really like to hear this and expand my list of DPs and Cinematographers that I can learn from.

Here are my favorite movies that Wally has shot:
*Memento
*Moneyball
*Inception
*Batman (all three)
*The Prestige
*The Italian Job

Looking forward to checking out Marley once I have some free time.

If you have time, here is a great interview of Wally talking about cinematography.

What’s Cool: ikan Handheld Rig

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Finding a good handheld rig that fits your budget and will last is not an easy task. With all the new cameras coming out, it is a good idea to find one that is will work with different platforms and easy to add on to. Being able to use the rig on a tripod is also a huge plus.

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I’ve been able to use the Flyweight DSLR Shoulder Rig from ikan for a few weeks and it is a solid rig. Not only is it solid, but the rig is comfortable to shoot on all day. Other than the DSLR baseplate, the handles are my favorite part. A comfortable grip, well made, and even has a female 1/4 20” thread which is perfect for an articulating arm. I’ve been using it to attach a monitor and it works great. With a lot of one-man-band shoots, you can never have enough places to attach more gear. I also like how easy it is to strip down and make smaller when you need to be more discrete or just want rails on a tripod.

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The shoulder pad is different and doesn’t look like anything I have seen, but it works. At first, it even felt odd but the results and comfort were great. The rig is also very easy to customize. Handles move in all types of positions, shoulder rig moves back and forth, and the DSLR baseplate can be moved up, down, left and right.

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The rear of the shoulder pad has two attached cheese plates which is genius in my opinion. Ikan ships with a weight bag and adapter to mount, but I’ve attached batteries and even the Zoom H4n to it. Great for a counterweight and doesn’t take up room by the camera. The shoulder pad’s rail mount is a little tough to take on and off but I like how secure it is once attached.

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What I like most about this rig, is I don’t need another one. I can add parts for different cameras or to make a more compact set up. A great example of this is when I was on a shoot in Pittsburgh last week. I had the rig setup for the 7D to do BTS and then we wanted to through the Sony F3 on rods for a tripod setup. By simply putting the EV2 Baseplate on and threading two thumb screws into the F3, we just turned the DSLR rig into an F3 studio rig. I have a small set of rods (I think 6”) that work great for a 7D tripod rig. I throw on a follow focus and handles which I attach a monitor to.

Overall this is a great rig to build on and at a great starting price.

Sony FS700

There’s a lot of good posts out there with tons of information so I won’t bore you/repeat what is already out there. All you need to know is that this camera is awesome and has a ton of capabilities. I was able to have it all weekend and decided to have some fun with it. Although the video I am sharing is just showing off the slow motion capabilities, this camera also does an amazing job at standard 24fps. Throw a PL mount and a prime lens on there, like I did this week, and you’ll get some amazing results.

I can’t wait to work with this camera more. Having the ability to shoot in super slow motion is a great tool for telling a story. It takes some getting used to and a little extra planning but definitely worth it. Hope you enjoy the test video I put together.

A Gear Partner for Life

Crazy title right? I know. Sounds so serious and so permanent. Don’t fear, this post isn’t serious, I just want to talk about making long term decisions related to a video production career. Especially related to equipment.

I was looking back at some of my original posts and gear reviews and could not help but laugh. My original blog was “On the Road to Being a DP.” Then, after operating a camera I thought I became a DP and completely changed my blog and advertised myself as a DP. Four year laters I am happy to say I am still on that original road. I have met without question the best, worst, craziest, serious, funniest, and passionate people I could ever imagine. I would have never guessed that a $1700 camera could have taken me to so many places and introduced me to so many people.

Quick Recap:
Got charged by an 800 elk in Colorado, hung out in Jimmy Eat World’s private studio in Phoenix, got on the ice with Alex Ovechkin (along with others), hung out with Adam Richman at a bar, interviewed countless congressmen/women and senators, shot a famous NY photographer, shot steadicam in the CIA, shot countless weddings, got on a clothing line, almost got beat up in an MMA shoot, helped the Salvation Army raise over $65,000, got hoisted in a sketchy lift for a construction video, got sick in Minnesota due to concrete polishing, and (what this post is all about) found a company I can trust for the best quality gear for the best price.

Before I get into this people may think I am getting paid to write this or I get something from it. The answer is no. I just want to give out advice that I wish I had when I first started. With that said, lets do this.

Ikan (didn’t want to you to keep guessing). I’ve gone through a lot of manufactures. Mostly, because money was such an issue. Post college, freelance jobs range from $0 – $500. Maybe more but non-the-less, when you already spent all your money on a DSLR and a lens, it is very hard to spend money on more gear. I went for the cheapest gear available and within a few months I regretted it. Once you break through a few random jobs and start shooting on monthly, weekly or even daily, you will want durable parts from a company that has great customer service.

I got into Ikan a few years back with their lights and accessories.I loved the prices and all the reviews were positive. Being the “confident” young man I was, I suggested that Ikan should offer custom light kits with more options and guess what? They listened! They sent me what I suggested and was able to test out in various situations. At a previous GVExpo I met two reps and fell in love with the baseplate. It was exactly what I was missing from my rig. From there I began to complete all my video rig needs with Ikan products and they have yet to fail me. Lights, mounts, monitors, rigs, teleprompters and anything else I need. I know it sounds like I am just selling this brand, but please know: I have put this gear, along with other brands, through more than I thought possible. Ikan has always lasted. Never broke nor failed on set and if I had any questions I got an immediate response. Their products are mostly geared towards lightweight cameras, especially DSLRs. I have used their large baseplate and teleprompter set up on the EX3 and worked great. The small baseplate was a perfect fit for the FS700 along with their handheld rig.

If you are new to the field, or a successful production company, Ikan is where you want to get the gear. Plain and simple, it gets you the shots, gets the job done and lasts. If you aren’t sure if certain things will work with your camera, call them. They know the gear and love talking about it. Check out all they have to offer and feel free to ask me about any product on their site. If I have any experience with that specific piece, I promise to give you my honest opinion.

Gear Reviews, Camera Tests and More!

Those who follow my blog may notice I have been slacking a little compared to when I was working 100% freelance. Since February I have had the amazing opportunity to work for 522 Productions and part of my role there is blogging and vlogging. I wanted to point my followers to this site to see what I have been doing and hopefully continuing to learn a little something.

As our blog is getting more popular, more of my time is spent working on it. I would love to hear what you all out there want me to test, talk about and give my opinion on. You can comment on here, email me or even comment on a 522 Blog Post. Here is a few of my favorites that I have done.

Crystal and Logan

I had such a good time shooting Crystal and Logan’s wedding. From the moment I first walked into the lake house they made me feel like one of the guests. It made for a very personal video and I was so happy I could film all the details that Crystal worked so hard on. I had so much footage that I even put together a separate first look video highlighting this picture perfect event on the water. Enjoy!

Crystal and Logan’s First Look Teaser from Rob Ruscher on Vimeo.

For questions on what I can do for you check out my Wedding Page.

Importance of Taking a Break from an Edit

You have to love those projects you work on that you absolutely look forward to editing. The story that just comes together and you become glued to the monitor. It’s awesome to be this passionate about anything but be sure to take a break here and there.

Sometimes you end up being a stereotypical computer nerd. Hey it happens. Soda and chips (or your favorite snack) next to your mouse, face lit up by multiple monitors, and ignoring the outside world. Hey, if you have a deadline, do what you have to do but be smart about it. After doing this on many projects I have a few tips on things you can do to not only get away from a project, but to keep the project fresh and allow for new ideas to keep flowing.

Exercise. Time consuming in some ways but this is the best way to stay healthy, relieve stress, and keep you looking good! This isn’t always ideal but something as simple as push ups or even a door gym can get the job done. Another idea is eating away from your computer. Simple enough but doesn’t always happen. Just getting away from the computer can give you a bit of a refresh. What if you are on such a time constraint that you can only think of something else during a render? I am a sucker for poker such as Party Poker. I realize some aren’t fans of gambling but to each their own and it works for me. Other options out there.

These are just a few things I’ve learned from those long edit sessions. Hopefully it’s something that can help you out with your next project. Look out for the next post which will be my view on Magic Bullet Looks!

Lindsey and Steve and The Coloring Process

(Two part blog. Scroll to the *** to read about the coloring process)

I remember the first wedding I shot. I was nervous, stressed, and at the end of the day I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to shoot more. Well that didn’t last long. I did more, got better, learned a few things, and started having fun. A few weeks ago I shot a wedding that reminded me how much fun shooting a wedding can be.

I’ve known Lindsey since I was a freshman in high school and was honored that she wanted me to shoot her wedding. It was in a beautiful location right after the bay bridge on the water. Made for an awesome backdrop and added to the fun of the wedding. You will see in the video below just how easy going Lindsey and Steve are along with the bridal party. It was really something to be a part of, even had steak and crab cakes for dinner! You’ll notice in the video there is a little car burnout scene. This was a complete surprise to me but was pretty cool to see. Thanks again to Lindsey and Steve and congrats!

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Since CS6 came out I have been working exclusively with it. Although it takes time to relearn and remaster a new editing suite, it has been well worth it. Faster, more powerful and just better, especially when dealing with HDSLR footage. The one thing I wasn’t a fan of was the coloring. Well thanks to Chip Dizard (his other site) who got me hooked on Magic Bullet Looks and Colorista, that all changed.

Red Giant Software is doing crazy things for post production. I got myself Looks and Colorista 2 and it has made a huge difference in my end product. The reason I am combining this with the above section is because the was the first project that I colored 100% with Magic Bullet. I did a combination of Colorista 2 and Looks.

The best way to describe Colorista 2 is a 3 way color corrector/grader on steroids, lots of steroids. Allows you to adjust a primary, secondary and master layer. What I like most is I can adjust it all within Premiere (or whatever program you are editing in). One can quickly change exposure, saturation, contrast and color. If you want to dive in deeper, adjust a secondary layer with a vignette and finish it with a master grade. It even allows you to adjust HSL which can add or take away certain colors. With some practice, this is real powerful.

Looks is just a monster. I will be putting a lot of my time into mastering this program. One of my favorite features is that you build it in an outside program but it automatically links to your clip in your timeline. Shortening or lengthening clips are done in Premiere even after making the grade in the Looks program. Time saver. It even has Colorista built in to make final tweaks. There is so much to looks that I am saving it for another post. I am working on doing a quick overview video/intro tutorial. Be on the lookout for that. If there’s anything you want me to specifically cover let me know!

If You Don’t Like How Someone Does it, Do it Yourself

I first heard this quote from my dad a long time ago. I can’t remember the exact scenario but it is something that has stuck with me ever since. I recently used it to help make a decision on buying a new computer.

When I got my first Mac and edited my first video on FCP, I thought I’d never go back to a PC. Adobe CS6 changed all of that. On the 29th day of my 30 day trial I bought Creative Cloud and I was soon shopping for an upgrade to a slow MacBook Pro. I put together what I wanted out of a iMac and that was pretty expensive. I hate how the iMac doesn’t allow you to upgrade down the road it makes the price not worth it. The MacPros are awesome but crazy expensive and with Adobe CS6, Mac OS wasn’t mandatory. Is it just me or is Mac going 100% consumer and 0% professional? That’s another blog post!

So I did the unthinkable, I searched PCs. After looking at all those I couldn’t find what I wanted. I needed a fast computer that would be only used for editing. I needed a great NVidia graphics card, Intel i5 or better processor, 8GB ram to start, 1TB internal drive, DVD burner, esata and USB3 ports. That start costing as much as the Macs and there wasn’t a lot of ability for add ons do to the cases.

I didn’t like how everyone else was doing it, so I did it myself. I picked out each piece I wanted and built it myself. ***Disclaimer*** I am not telling you to go out and build a computer if you have no knowledge (or skill) in this department. It is very easy to mess up and ruin the parts you just bought. With that said here’s how the build went down.

Shopped online for a week and built a few different computers. Then I went to MicroCenter to talk with a salesman (someone that knew a lot more about PCs than I did) and walked into a huge 4th of July sale. Something told me I wasn’t leaving empty handed.

After hand picking each piece that would make this an editing machine, I then picked out a computer case. This may have been the most fun. Different colors, LED lights, fans/airflow, and expandability options. For a gear head, a cart full of computer parts was pretty awesome and I really enjoyed putting it all together.

With some help from forums and online videos I put together a machine that rips through all my editing needs. Key components include Intel Quad Core i5 Processor (3.4GHZ), 8GB ram, 1 TB hard drive, nvidia graphics card, DVD burner, wireless internet and all the needed ports (USB, USB3, ESATA). Have the option to add firewire, multi card reader, and 4 more hard drives. Any questions on the build let me know!

Anyone interested in having a custom PC built for your editing suite please contact me.

A Closer Look Into SPKSMEN

A year ago I shot a video for Jon at Spksmen and this time he wanted to shoot a different type of promo video. A two location shoot which included his artist sketching up the design for the newest hoodie and shots of the new hoodies being printed. Not sure if this paragraph includes the correct terminology, but I’m a video guy :)

The set up for the graphic was the Ikan 500id LED light, a 7D on sticks and I viewed it all through the Marshall 5″. A great set up and was able to get sharp images with the Nikon 85mm lens. The factory was a bit of run and gun/stealth. Shot it all with the 7D, a Z-finder and Sigma 17-50. This kept me out of peoples way and allowed me to blend in a lot easier than if I had a huge camera on my shoulder.

Edited this in FCP 7 and colored the first part of the video in Magic Bullet and the second part with the 3 way color correction. Enjoy!

Why I am Starting to Love FCP X ***Updated***

Many of you are probably laughing at this title, and to be honest I still don’t believe that I like editing with Final Cut Pro X. It looks like iMovie and the workflow is totally different. But I continued reading about it and watched some great tutorials from Chip Dizard over at Web Video Chefs (click here to see the webinar). It got me more curious and a few days later I am here.

So once I got used to the different workflow it began to make more sense and it didn’t bother me. As I mention in the video below there are still things I don’t like and hope they change. Along with that, I am still learning and it will take many more projects to become proficient.

I’ll start with the things I do not like and would like to see changed and then quickly get into why I am starting to love FCP X. No bins. Media is organized by date (See Below). Can not do multiple sequences, must be multiple projects but you can duplicate. This one I am sure I will get over, but on bigger projects, especially when making multiple versions may not work out. I have not found an easy way to mute all audio tracks. That is about it for now and I am sure like anything, there will be more after using it more.

Lets get on with the good stuff. Speed. This software is packed of so many features that it was hard to pick the ones I wanted to talk about. Granted, a lot of this features and filters/effects you would never use on a professional project, but there are many that you will.

The ones that stand out to me are; back ground rendering, color correction/grading, searching sound effects library, key framing, trimming, Ken Burns, and chroma key. Another feature I haven’t played with too much is the text tools. If people want, I can work on that and put out another video, even a tutorial. Check out the video below to see these features.

I hope you enjoyed the video and if you want to see more tutorials please check out Web Video Chefs. If you want me to go over more features and have additional questions don’t hesitate to ask. I would be happy to try and help!

 

***Updates***

As I mentioned I am still very new so in about a month I will do another post after working on paid projects with this software. For now, there is something I wanted to add:

You are able to do a bin type organization. Right click on the event name in the Event Library and create a new folder. Name this whatever you want, lets say BRoll. Under this folder you are going to add a ‘New Keyword Collection’ and from there you can drag and drop your media into. Again, different/weird workflow but as time goes on I am getting used to it.

 

What’s Cool – Ikan Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit

iPads are being used more and more in video production and Ikan is making some awesome products that go with this trend. I was lucky enough to get a new teleprompter both hardware and software from Ikan. Awesome piece of equipment and recommend it to anyone doing teleprompter work and those with very quick set up and break down times.

The first thing I noticed about the kit is weight. I remember as an intern I had to carry a big bulky kit around DC all day, up and down stairs for a construction safety shoot. Needless to say I hated teleprompters from then on. This is under 10lbs and takes only about 5 minutes to set up and the same to break down. When you order yours, be sure to take the time to put it together before going on a shoot. There is a little installation time and luckily I had the time to put it all together the night before.

So how’d it do on set? I was shooting for 522 Productions for a corporate training video so the talent were the ones who worked there. Non of them had experience with reading off a teleprompter nor speaking into a camera with Kinos lighting them up. Some of the comments I received were ‘That was so easy to read’ ‘The pacing was perfect’ ‘After a while I forgot there was a camera behind it’. As a producer and director, that’s exactly what you want to here. As the teleprompter(er) it makes you look good. We shot on the Sony EX3 and the big Ikan baseplate worked great.

The only thing I didn’t like, which isn’t much of a problem for me and many others, is there was no case included. For only $699 I wasn’t surprised and rather then jacking up the price by adding a case, it gives the owner an option on how they want to case it. I recommend a Pelican case. Wouldn’t need anything big and mostly just something to keep the glass and iPad holder safe.

That covers it for the hardware. I will be posting a video soon to accompany this post. The other thing I was able to test is the Elite Prompter iPad App. This thing is great. Simple, easy to use, and you can import scripts from Drop Box and Adobe Story. What I did for this shoot was open the script in Mail, copy the script, and pasted it right into Elite Prompter. From there I was able to change the size, color and bolded certain words. The other feature I loved was cue points. There were different topics that needed to be touched on and I ‘marked’ the beginning of these. What this enabled me to do is easily skip to each topic like you would chapters on a DVD. Although you can set a speed and let the iPad automatically run, I used an Apple wireless keyboard and recommend that. Much easier to control and didn’t have to move. Although you can hook up a monitor to your iPad, I just sat a little aways from the talent and that worked fine.

Overall both of these products work great. If you have any questions, or want me to test out anything in particular be sure to comment and I will try it out for you. Hope you enjoyed this review and be on the look out for a video!

What’s Cool – The Ikan iLED-One Light

I usually test out new gear a few times before using it on a paid gig but on my last shoot I had to break that rule. I was shooting some shop safety videos for MetaMedia and had the Ikan ID 500 LED light which does a great job but with all the shadows and sharp edges of a sheet metal factory, I needed some extra fill in certain places.

The Ikan iLED-One did an amazing job of getting extra light into the tools, machines, and hands of the worker. I was a little worried that the tungsten bulb wouldn’t play nice with the daylight balanced ID 500, but I was wrong. It added a nice golden punch and looked great. Having the set up that Ikan put together made for some pretty awesome options. I connected the light to my tripod, light stands, cables, tools, benches and pipes. Pretty cool right?

So what’s cool? The flexibility and output of this light are very cool. Will test as a fill light soon and update this post. The articulating arm allows the user to easily point the light exactly where they want it quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get another one along with the other available bulbs. Check out more at http://ikancorp.com

December DC DSLR Meet Up

This past weekend, Bryan Tosh and I put together a meet up for those interested in learning more about video and DLSRs. We have done a few before but this one was the best yet. We had a great group of people come out from all different backgrounds and skill levels. The one thing everyone had in mind is that they have a passion for visuals, whether still or moving.

These meetups are a great way to learn something new, teach others something you know, network with professionals and enthusiasts, and try out some cool gear. I hope that more will join us and those that have, Bryan and I are already planning for the next one and it will be even better. Hoping to have more hands on, planned scenarios, lighting, audio and shooting!

I made a quick video showing some of the attendees and Bryan explaining what’s going on. Enjoy!

Ikan at the GV Expo

Ikan was the booth I wanted to see first, and I’m glad I did. They got a lot of cool things going on in Houston, including two prototype lights they brought with them to DC for the GV Expo. The first light shown on the video is the ID 1500. This thing kicks some serious (insert your choice of word here). My first thought was an LED version of Kino Flo. I think this may be about right but I’ll let you be the judge. A very long soft throw with an arm that works like the Kino Flo arm makes this one serious light that everyone should be looking at. He also mentioned that it will be bicolored (tungsten and daylight). And one last thing, I could easily pick this up on the stand with one hand and move it. Yeah, this light is awesome.

The Second light Ikan showed me was their new 508. I’ll take 2! It has the same throw as their ID 500 (we tested it side by side) but has an affordable battery option. I have the ID 500 and this will make an amazing addition to that. Extremely light weight, portable and even has the option to power via AC. Great stuff from Ikan.

Side Note: I also played with the follow focus and that thing is amazing! For only $349 you get a complete kit and it feels identical to the Zacuto. Built tough too. I had that rigged to their stealth rig.

Great Stuff Ikan!