The Indie Filmmaker Process - How Deltree Rolls
People have been asking about my rig, my settings, and my overall setup and workflow. In the spirit of openness, I would love to share with everyone if they are interested, and as I have time. Almost everything I have learned regarding my current setup has been found at the HV20.com forums and the cinevate.com forums. For an indie filmmaker, I think there are three key stages to producing a final video. There stages can vary in complexity and the roles that are needed to fufill them. I am going to ignore traditional film school “rules”, so if anyone would like to add to it.
Disclaimer:
Can anyone follow my process and become an “indie filmmaker”? Yes. Will everyone do it? No. Knowing the equipment, workflow, and process is one thing, the years of experience and research put into visual design, photography, and music production all helped me understand these concepts. All the way from choosing a lens to what exporting preset for Vimeo HD. This blog post is not meant for the beginner, this is meant for someone who is familiar with the basic concepts of photography and videography. Finally, I am still learning, so nothing is set in stone, or gospel. I did not go to film school for this.
Concept/Vision
This will be covered later on. But basiclly, think about the overall vision. What is the concept for your video? You don’t always need a script, or a shot/location list. Sometimes you can just go shoot and pull a concept out of a hat in the editing room. But, it definitely helps to think through a concept/vision. But, don’t get caught up in this! Just do something! If you have to get caught up, get caught up in the post. Hey, its what George Lucas does. Haha.
The Shoot
In my opinion, you can get “film” quality shooting with digital, with either a Red One, EX3, and a variety of cameras most of us can never bootstrap. For people who are financing films on a small budget, HV20 combined a 35mm adapter can create stunning results. For shooting, I have a camera rig which consists of:
- Canon HV20 - This is a HD consumer camcorder, there are problems using this unit, namely lack of manual control, and having to remove pulldown fields. However, the image quality is great for under 700 bucks. The camera I want to buy next is either the Red Scarlet, or Sony EX1. While the HV20 is a consumer level camera, on a totally different playing field, I would like to make a brief comparison. Briefly speaking, prosumer or professional level cameras (like the Red One), the resolution is limited, and there is no RAW output.
- Cinevate Brevis 35mm Adapter - This is the heart of the unit. This allows me to connect 35mm photography lenses to my HV20. This allows manual aperture and focus control , and the shallow DOF that many find desirable for some types of shoots. Originally, I had purchased a DIY one made by a user on the HV20 forums called “Worley” (around $400 USD). This was a great adapter, and the original Fifty People, One Question video was shot on it. Now, I use a Cinevate Brevis adapter. The Brevis allows for better image quality because of multiple things. It has a larger and better quality achromat (glass), it has a vibrating focus screen, the imaging element is higher quality/sharper, and the whole unit is made to a higher quality. More info on 35mm adapters. For more information on the Brevis, read here: cinevate.com
- IndiFocus Upside Down Rig - This holds the whole rig together. It also flips the Canon HV20 upside down. I have mine outfitted with short rails and a top handle. You can buy these at http://www.indifocus.com. Try talking to Jim for any questions, this guy is an amazing source of knowledge.
- Nikon Lenses - I have a MANUAL FOCUS AI/AIS 28mm 2.0, 50mm 1.8, and 1.4 and 85-200mm 3.5 lenses. I primarily use the 50mm and the 28mm. When I am going handheld, I try to use the 28mm as shorter focal lengths usually produce less shaking. Also, I try to buy lenses with large apertures, as they allow for maximum flexibility and quality (the glass is bigger/sharper). My next lens will most likely be a 85mm 1.4. Everything about lenses, I learned from researching photography, and the other videos on Vimeo with the same setup.
- Matthews M25 Tripod- I don’t have any rails, dollies, cranes, or anything special. All my movement at the moment is done by hand, or by panning/tilting on the Tripod. This is a great tripod, with a fluid head, and decent sticks. Again, I found this by researching on HV20.com
- Settings: Shoot in HDV, 24fps, usually using shutter priority mode. I lock the exposure when I have time to setup the shoot. Sometimes, I like the camera handle the exposure if I am in a setting with enough light
Post Production
Shooting (for me) is the easy part. Editing takes time, patience, revisions, feedback, and a meticulous eye. Editing a piece usually takes me from 8 hours, on something like “Meet the Painter” and 80 hours on “Fifty People One Question”. I think that my years of experience producing and editing music allows me a keen sense for editing video. My editing setup consists of:
- Pentium 4 2GB ram, Windows XP, home built. - Yea, its crappy, I need a Mac Pro really bad. Any donations?
- A 20″ Apple Cinema Display, 22″ Dell
- Premiere Pro CS3 - Again, I know its not FCP
- Cineform - I use Cineform to remove the pulldown that the HV20 inserts on capture. It works magic. It also encodes it in a format that edits/plays back and applies color grading in real time. Even on my crappy machine.
- Capturing the footage
- Organizing footage to meet the concept
- Finding the good cuts
- Placing the cuts in the right order
- Finding the right music (if needed)- this is VERY important to me
- Refining cuts to music
- Getting feedback, refining
- Apply color grading, and various refinements - For color grading, as a starting point I usually desaturate a bit, crush the blacks, adjust brightness/contrast if needed, adjust the reds, and apply a sharpening mask.
The Deltree is Exploding!
I wish to apologize to my small (but hopefully dedicated audience). There are a number of things I have been up to that have been demanding my attention. Besides finishing up on a nice music video piece right now, I have been directing a bunch of different projects since I last posted.
The piece that is primarily in the spotlight right now, is “Fifty People, One Question”. Thousands of blogs, websites , and forums (an interesting one) , have written about it, and continue to re-post it. The audience seems to be primarily the creative community (as most bloggers are). Interestingly enough, a couple of directors /dps blogged it:
Processing a Visualization Language
While searching for vector generators and other “sci-fi/80s” graphic inspiration, I stumbled upon the open source animation, interactive, and design programming language, Processing.org:
While I personally do not have the programming skill to develop a visualization, I am intensely interested in integrating this type of program into footage processing, to where it could potentially interact with live action footage. While, I am not interested in visualization representing “data”- data in the form of sound waves, and axis points in motion, seem quite compelling. Any programmers up for a collaboration? We could collaborate on song selection, I could shoot the footage, and do the editing. 
Check out this music video done with Processing:
Solar, with lyrics. from flight404 on Vimeo.
iPhone 2.0 Apps for Filmmakers
Since I have received my iPhone, I have been researching every app under the sun, particularly those suited to my needs as a designer and indie filmmaker. I wanted to share this modified list of iPhone 2.0 apps suited for video production (originally located on a list serve):
LlamaSlate (made for video productions)
Does digital slates for video! A digital slate can cost $400 and up easily. The one down side is the audio sync is kind of quiet. However, I plan to put my boom right next to it, hit the take, and then go. Promised great upgrade on the way. Good way to mark multicam shoots, also. Very simple, but more text and such promised in a new update.
Update: I emailed Scott, the developer of LlamaSlate, and he emailed me back saying, “The next version (should be out soon) will make it a lot more useful. I’m working on it right now.”
Update #2- Scott emailed me screen caps of the new version!
Update #3- the new version will be submitted to apple next week.
iSee4k(made for video productions)
DoF, angle, lenses 2 lens, and 16mm, 35mm, and RED calculators.
Gel Swatch Library(made for video lighting)
A library of standard gel colors, complimentary colors, lighting graphs, etc. A must have for anyone who does creative lighting!
Daylight Clock
Shows sunrise and sunset times for your current location. I have (and I hope others will) put in a request to the makers of this handy little app that for us photographers and videographers, we’d like to see future dates, as well.
TalkingPics
Stores text, audio recording, and photos in one single note, and notes can be organized into projects. Thus, a Project can be a storyboard, and you could go to your locations, take photos with your iPhone of your intended shots, type in data, voice record your thoughts, presto, STORYBOARD DATABASE! Here’s a real life example; I’m putting together a TV shot in August, very important client. I went to the restaurant and took photos of the shots, labeled them with text, recorded voice thoughts about lighting and movement. Later I’ll go back and finish, then run it by the client before we start shooting. I have (and I hope others will) put in a request to the makers of this handy little app that they tweak it, or a version of it, specifically for film/video storyboard use, that could be exported in tact to your Mac/PC in some manner, rather than a web site the way it’s set up now.
TapeMeasure
Just that, a fancy tape measure that uses the GPS function of the 3G iPhone (or locater model used in the regular iPhone) to measure distance (can be miles), hight info, direction, etc.
Additionally, here is a list of iPhone web apps for filmmakers. It seems there is a market out there for creative professionals that are iPhone users…..
I am the One.
I am the One that burns like a light in the sky.
But I am the One, I am the One.
We both know that I am the One.
Anatomy of a Design Process
While doing research on process for web and social media development, I came across this quote by Saul Bass (who is among many things, the creator of the AT&T logo and frequent collaborator with Alfred Hitchcock). When asked asked about his design process:
“The process of defining what it is that you wish to communicate inevitably defines the objectives of the design process. Then, the search is for imagery or form that will adequately- and, one hopes, interestingly- express this. Where one goes from this starting point can be unexpected and may not follow a totally rational methodology, but it is helpful to frame the problem in rational terms as a beginning point.”
The main point I took away was this: The objectives are your foundation. What do you want to accomplish? The process will change, and is inconsequential. In fact, attempting to apply a formal approach may even be harmful. Just like the creative nature of graphic design, the dynamic nature of web technologies may not allow for methodological or “tested” approaches to project management and implementation of web products.
Three Amazing Design Portfolios
Alberto Seveso
This portfolio has a unique style of his own. I have been following this port for years. Check out the music, and photos for bonus ear and eye candy.
Logan
I just discovered this portfolio, trying to figure out who had a hand in the design and animation on the new apple ads. Amazing motion portfolio.
Coldplay - Viva La Vida from swindlr on Vimeo.
SignalNoise
No, not the oh so serious blog of 37signals- the amazing portfolio of James White. I really dig the old 80s analog style graphics. Its definitely inspired me with my branding process for my upcoming “studio”.
The Death of Traditional Media: Three Thoughts
There is no cohesion to these thoughts, but here it goes:
1. Internet advertising is not the end all be all. A lot of local New Orleans businesses are picking up on the new media/ social media craze, by hiring new media savvy marketing and IT staff. Its amazing how marketing firms continue to blindly exploit internet advertising to sustain their businesses. This is unsurprising looking at the recession in the advertising industry general, as marketing firms are looking for ways to sustain and increase business. However if you look at the numbers from a TNS Media Intelligence report released two days ago, even Internet advertising took a big hit compared to the last QTR:
Not only did the internet lose half of the steam- but they still only account for a fraction of media buys. Is this ignorance from business at large, or is this just a symptom of the immaturity of the “technology”?
2. How can we predict the usage and adoption of digital and social media? Think about what they call the “internet generation- a 20 year old in 1995 (when the internet became prevalent) would now be 33 years old. Think forward another 10 years. Not only are we looking at an increase in education, maturity, and access around the internet- but also an influx of internet savvy youth, who will grow into their jobs, taking an “internet aware” approach to their work.
3. Print Will Never Die: The Internet in harmony with print. Arianna Huffington, with the HUFFINGTON POST uses this great analogy: “The shifting dynamic between the forces of print and online reminds me of Sarah Connor and the T-101 in The Terminator. At first, the visitor from the future (digital) seemed intent on killing Sarah (print). But as the relationship progressed, the Terminator became Sarah and her son’s one hope for salvation. Today, you can almost hear digital media (which for some reason has a thick Austrian accent) saying to print: “Come with me if you want to live!”
Social Media in Plain English
Awesome. So simple it makes me want some cookies and cream. The guys over at Common Craft are at it again- Social Media in Plain English:
Social Media in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.
I would say this explains a certain aspect of social media, but (pardon the pun) a digestible aspect.
Louisiana & Social Media: Facebook by the Numbers
With Facebook recently overtaking MySpace as the most prevalent social networking site, it is clear: Facebook is a channel to be heavily considered in any 15-24 communications campaign or youth community outreach based in the U.S.
What does this mean for Louisiana? Does this matter for a state in which region has the lowest internet penetration rates (Pew Internet Report here)? Six months ago, my co-worker and I put together Louisiana specific demographics for Facebook. I went ahead and updated them today. I thought it might be interesting to make a comparison to six month’s ago. Again, data is provided by Facebook (most accurate available):
Looking at this graph- the demographic spread across age groups looks very similar to national data (see here for more information on national/global data). Total Louisiana population on Facebook is 266,560 (wow, this is just one Social Media site). College aged users are still the heaviest bracket (No surprise here). However high school users slipped slightly in overall numbers (this goes against national trends). But what if we break out the 30+ age bracket, and take a closer look?
This is interesting, in the age 30+ brackets, nearly every age group doubled in LA user accounts on Facebook in the past 6 months.
Is this a national trend? We could be hitting a ceiling here, but the only way to know would be to continually monitor this trend. Logically, I would think that time increases adoption, but also ages the “internet savy” youth into the older brackets as well.
Outlook for Louisiana:
Right now: Marketers, community managers, and organizational directors are all beginning to look to Facebook as a means to communicate and tap into online communities and the 97 percent of youth that participate.
Soon: Look for a less “targeted” approach in social media and general marketing campaigns- as the variety of demographics spread on these social media websites, the marketers and technologists will have to consider the older 30+ demographics heavily. Louisiana based organizations will begin to adopt, channel, and consider Social Media tools such as Facebook as they feel more “keeping up with the Jones” pressure.
P.S. If anyone wants to run their own report, just use Facebook’s tool, and you can drill down into even more specific demographics.
Update- Damien added these excellent points:
“The trends are national it would seem, yet the misconception is that Facebook is just a way to reach teens and in betweens. Are they their largest Demo? Sure. Are they the most influntial? Perhaps not. More and more young professionals are drifting onto social media sites as a way to connect with other young professionals. Business networking, Graduate School Alumns, these are the late 20 somethings early thirty-somes that are quickly becoming the norm on Facebook and other sites…just look at Ning for another example. Blogs are another commonly misconceived demo, with more blog readers falling in the 34-54 demo than the 19-24 as conventional wisdom would hold.”
