DP/Director reel

I think that a good reel would consist of only the person's best work and it would flow together somehow. It shouldn't be a bunch of shots put together randomly with some music that you think is cool. It should have pacing and tell the story of who you are as a director/DP. For instance:

Andrew Kurchinski Director Of Photography Reel 09 from Andrew Kurchinski on Vimeo.

This one had to be one of my favorites just because it had all the elements a reel should have. It had pacing of the shots with the music he chose, and it had stunning visuals from the films he shot. It was also quite short which is good. You don't want to present a 3 minute reel because often the people you want to look at your reel are employers, and they have short attentions for your work because they have to sort through tons of applicants.
A bad reel is this:

There is nothing that stuns me. It doesn't compare to the work of a dp that uses HD or uses quick shots of their work. This one held the shots too long and didn't have high quality work.
A DP would have to show how they can light a scene and how they can move the camera to show a feeling and tone of a particular shot. They would also have to show they can work in all sorts of locations and shoot what they may not feel comfortable with, such as timelapse or interview style.
A director reel would have to show creative works. They would also have to show that they can pick the right DP, because their work can be misrepresented by that choice.

Cinematographer style

The documentary we watched showed me that there is more than just picking up a camera when making a film. Being a cinematographer is an art and a science. You need to know what lens, light, and camera will compliment the actor/actress. Your style should help identify what film you have shot, but not get in the way as to overshadow the film's story. The main point of the film I believe was that there is no right or wrong way to make a film. There are just ways that can look unique and that can make your vision come to life. It is very exciting to know so many artists, express themselves in a modern art form like Cinematography. Another important thing that I learned was that our personal style comes from inside. And in expressing ourselves through that personal style, we are learning the meaning of our life, by showing it on screen.

Scene analysis: Taken

In the scene where Kim is in the house and is on the phone with her dad, Brian, she notices that her friend, Amanda, is being kidnapped on the other side of the house. She tells her dad what is going on and she has to hide under the bed, where Albanian criminals take her away, and eventually one of the Albanians picks up the phone and talks to Brian.
The first part of the scene is using a steadi-cam and a medium close up shot at eye level of Kim talking on the phone with her dad. The tracking is smooth and is at a moderate speed. This type of shot is used in a back and forth between her and her dad during the early, calms part of their conversation. Also, the lighting on her dad is sort of dim to show his personality of being very methodical and his worry.

Kim then notices that there are strangers across the house near her friend. This is where the camera goes from slow paced to fast and there is a dutch angle and the tracking of characters gets more frantic.
Amanda’s friend is then taken, and the jerky camera movement is used to show how both her and her friend are scared. This is also used to convey the fact that panic is setting in for Kim and that her dad is becoming increasingly worried about what is happening at the house.

While Kim is in the bathroom talking to her dad about who is in the house, the lead room changes to show that she is trapped, and also, the camera on her dad goes to quick tracking to show him grabbing recording equipment.

Kim is then told to go to the next bedroom and get under the bed. The camera is set at a low angle even before she gets under the bed and tilts down to follow Kim under the bed. This low angle is also important to showing the intruders black shoes coming down the hallway to the bedroom where Kim is, because rather than reveal who the intruders are, just their feet are shown to create high tension. It gives a subjective view to the whole situation and the shaky view that Kim has from under the bed.

The intruders are in the bedroom now and they talk for a bit and then some of them leave. This low angle is used to create the same suspense as before, because later, a person who stayed in the room pulls out Kim from under the bed, and the camera stays under the bed and she moves back out of the shot.
Then the shot changes to just her dad at a low angle and tracks him in a medium shot from him sitting down to standing up as he listens in the phone for what the intruder is going to say on the phone. This low angle shot used while Kim’s dad is standing up is to emphasize how deadly he is and how he will catch the people who took his daughter.

Entry #5

I learned quite a lot from the shooting assignment. First off; it would have helped to have a shot list or a storyboard because it would have let us get the shooting done quicker. The other thing would be that communication between DP and director is kinda hard. I had to stand over Collier's shoulder to make sure the shot is what I envisioned it to be. The other thing that would have been better would to have brought some filters along to get some different looks from the footage. I learned from watching other's films that it would have helped to have some nat sound from the location that I filmed at. Also, I learned from their films that the soundtrack should compliment the footage. I really liked the fact that people liked my film. I think that the positive feedback encourages me to do some of the same things I did in this assignment and that I should take into account of what I learned from other's films.

Abandoned: Portrait of a place

Here's the vimeo link: http://vimeo.com/19957537

What camera to film with?????

Well. It's about time for our first assignment and we must make a decision on what camera to choose. We can use the JVC or the Sony HDV camera. One major consideration is the continuity of shooting when selecting the camera. With the Sony, you must use an HDV tape that is limited to around 60 minutes and must record color bars just in case the tape snaps. Also, when editing with the HDV tapes, you can only use one hdv deck in room 130 if you want your portrait of a place to be in HD. But, the Sony is a good choice if you like using 2 rings for focus and zoom which is great for controlling your shot. The Sony also had good features such as 2 ND filters and the ability to use external filters for polarizing or fog. The Sony also feels sturdier in my opinion and looks more professional. The JVC is the best choice for what we are doing in this class. The camera is good for quick shooting and not having to worry about tapes messing up and getting the recording heads dirty. Also, the JVC is nice and portable. The JVC does struggle with its size though. Lots of controls and buttons we saw on the Sony are now in internal menus on the JVC, and there is only one focus ring. Finally, the JVC has the best HD editing because all of the bays in 130 have card readers, so everyone's project can be in HD.

Glidecam footage

Check out this video that uses the 5D mkii and a glidecam. Great use of the glidecam and of course, great quality out of the 5d. Plus, the soundtrack and the colors of the area make this a really good story of a place.

a video that shares my vision

Where The Trail Ends from Keith White Audio on Vimeo.

Besides being about mountain biking, this video shows great production value, and a good story of bikers pushing the limits of their bikes and themselves.

Here are some goals for the future:

My goals for filmmaking are to make a film longer than 60 minutes and also, to work with things that I like.  I really want to work with extreme/ alternative sports athletes.  In particular, I want to work with downhill mountain-bikers, skydivers/ BASE jumpers, snowboarders, and surfers.  The reason I chose those things is because I have done those things and am passionate about them, and I believe that I could take my experience in those areas and make a vision that would be enjoyed by people interested in the sport or just curious about it.  Maybe even take part in my own film, cameos are cool.  I don't want to star in it, but I would like to have fun with the talents doing a sport that they love and excel in.  My goals for this class are to take the vision I have in my head and make it concrete by using cameras correctly and having the experience to make a visually appealing work.  Some other things that I'm interested in are working with a group that could bring ideas I wouldn't have and also to have them be able to understand my vision and capture what I wanted.  I really also want to work with other people's vision so that I could learn from it and to help the production staff out.

5 feet of new snow on Summit Chair - Mt. Bachelor, OR from Jason Brownlee on Vimeo.
The rig this guy uses with the gopro gives it unique points of view.  Plus I like snowboarding.

My visual style

My items basically consist of cars, bikes and scenery.  I really enjoy good color and contrast in what I watch, in particular, Top Gear, a BBC show, does a really great job with this.  They seem to capture a car, while still, and can make it seem fast and powerful just by their framing.  The biking stills are from films made by Anthill Films/The Collective.  These guys have very unique production techniques that include using camera operators using zip-lines through the forest to get shots that a boom couldn't do, using camera sliders and long-exposure on a dslr (the stars in the sky shot) to act as an intro to a new location, and using sliders to get cameras under bikes.

I really enjoy this shot, with the car in the lower third and the vignette in the top corners, the car really stands out and looks menacing.

This is probably one of my favorite zip-line shots because of the way the camera floats between the riders doing tricks. Plus, the lens flare and the green color adds to the tone of the shot. 

I really like unique ways of capturing a shot and this is really well done because it captures what's going on to the rider's side and in front of him with the reflection.

A Murcielago  in bright orange following a bright yellow line in the desert.  The car really stands out in the desert and looks almost alien. 

This is part of a long exposure camera shot on a timed slider.  The clouds flow like water in the sky constantly changing as the camera goes from inside to outside.

The plane in the right third plus it creating a silhouette makes the plane look powerful, not to mention how close the plane is to the camera.

This shot is coming out of a rack focus and the rider really stands out with the coloring. 

Another unique way to shoot. A slider under a bike to show scope of the location, and to reveal the new rider in a cool way.

Silhouette use is well done.  Plus the ground can't be seen which make the rider seem like he's flying into the orange and blue sky.

Long exposure shots of the night sky transitioning into the day in BC.  

Good story telling...

A great short documentary:
http://vimeo.com/16435404

Slow motion with DSLR

Watch this in HD full screen!!!!

"10 favorite things"

1. Exploring new places, areas, or activities
2. Action sports
3. Modifying cars 
4. Going on long road trips 
5. Downhill mountain biking
6. Off road rallying
7. Photography
8. Finding cool videos about cars or racing 
9. Music with good bass and flow
10. Slow-motion