Artful Camera | Analog And Digital Photography And Filmmaking

Episode 41 - Featuring Owen Masterson of Anthony-Masterson Photography and producer of the movie Grow! - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson are the wife/husband filmmaker/ photography duo known as Anthony-Masterson. They moved to Atlanta from Los Angeles 5 years ago because they wanted to experience a different part of the country.    Their first film FARM!, a 13 minute documentary about young farmers in Georgia, was shot on the Flip Ultra. In 2008 FARM! was an official selection of both the Rome International Film Festival and the Athens EcoFocus Film Festival. They have since picked up a Panasonic HPX170 P2. In this episode of Digital Convergence, Owen Masterson speaks with me about his latest movie project, the documentary: Grow!. The movie is about about young, new organic farmers in Georgia. They chose 12 farms located throughout the state. The cast includes 21 farmers, each one unique as far as education

Episode 40 - Featuring Patrick Inhofer of Fini! Color Correction + Finishing and Tao Of Color - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). In this episode we talk with colorist Patrick Inhofer of Fini! Color Correction + Finishing. Color grading and finishing are Patrick's passion. He has worked on a huge variety of projects including film, documentaries, television series, corporate videos. His work has appeared on HBO, NBC, ABC, Showtime, ESPN, Oxygen, AMC, Lifetime, TNT, TBS, and National Geographic Channel - to name just a few. With the advent of low-cost HDSLR video, many new filmmakers face a huge learning curve for not only production, but also editing and color correction, grading, and finishing. Where does a HDSLR digital filmmaker begin? What is the best way to learn colorist skills? How can the HDSLR DP shoot to get the best color results? Patrick Inhofer's Tao of Color website is an incredibly rich resource for learning the art and craft of a

Episode 39 - Featuring Jeff Regan of Shooting Star Video - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). Jeff Regan is the founder and owner of Shooting Star Video - a provider of high quality video equipment rentals and services in the Bay Area for over 25 years. Having been intimately involved in video technology since the Reagan administration in the early 80's, Jeff adds his unique voice and perspective to the Digital Convergence podcast. We talk about the evolution of video technology, bringing the cinema aesthetic to video, traditional video camcorders vs HDSLR gear, and the vital role collaboration plays in producing creative works. Jeff talks, too, about the new Panasonic AF-100 4/3 micro camcorder and answers a number of our questions about the camera, bit rate obession, AVCHD codec vs other codecs, etc. Jeff's insight into video technology brings a reasoned voice of balance in the near religious wars of HDSLR vs. traditional video. A must-listen e

Episode 38 - Featuring Brian Valente of Redrock Micro - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). Brian Valente of Redrock Micro join Chris and I in this episode of the Digital Convergence Podcast. Red Rock Micro, with headquarters located near Dallas, Texas, was founded in 2004 by a group of avid digital filmmakers whose desire to produce high quality movie images without access to huge budgets led them to start Redrock Micro: a company committed to the express purpose of bringing cinema-quality accessories to market at revolutionary prices. We believe in - and - enable the privelege of personal ownership of production equipment. Today, Redrock Micro designs and sells a line of high quality cinema accessories for independent filmmakers, film educators and students, and budget-conscious moviemakers.  Brian talks with us about the new microEVF viewfinder for HDSLR cameras and also brings us up-to-date on the amazing microREMOTE. Brian graciously and patie

Episode 37 - Featuring Tara Oldfield and Jason DeRose of Novacut - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com).  Chris and I begin this episode by talking about the Digital Dark Ages and huge problem of archiving and backing up video, photo, and other media files - affordably. Our banter migrates over to the controversial question "Is HDSLR video dead?" In the interview segement, I talk with Tara Oldfield and Jason DeRose of Novacut. Jason and Tara are developing a free video editor that allows artists to collaborate over the internet and harness cheap cloud computing. The Novacut editor is aimed at professional-grade TV and movie production using HDSLR cameras (like the 5D Mark II). These cameras have drastically lowered production costs, but we want to reduce costs even further... so they are taking the lean, distributed workflow perfected by the open-source community, and bringing it to video. Distributed teams are a big part of what has allowed open-so

Episode 36 - Featuring MIchael Safai and Alaric Cole of Soviet Montage Productions - with host Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and co-host Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). Carl and Chris talk with Michael and Aleric about their recently released amazing HDR film clip they produced using two Canon EOS 5D Mark II cameras and some proprietary post-production magic. The one minute 37 second film gives us a remarkable glimpse of the future of filmmaking. We talk about the state of the art of HDR technology and the aesthetic of HDR filmmaking.  

So, You've got a great song. You want to make a music video. You want it to be memorable so that you stand out in the crowd. But you only have $500 cash and one day to shoot. What are you going to do? Musician Tim Halperin and filmmaker Joe Childress join me on today's episode to discuss how they pulled off a spectacular continuous one-take music video using $500, several generous and willing volunteers, a handful of donated props, and a giant parking deck, and a whole lot of ingenuity - all in one day for Tim's song She Runs.  

Episode 34 - Featuring Khalid Mohtaseb and Jonathan Bregel of Next Level Pictures - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with hosts Carl Olson (http://16x9cinema.com) and Chris Fenwick (http://chrisfenwick.com). In the first segment of the show, Chris Fenwick talks about his behind the scene experience with Shane Hurlbut's Hurlbut Visuals HDSLR Bootcamp. Chris gives a feel for what it was like to be in attendance. Chris talks about how the editors at the HDSLR Bootcamp used Adobe Premiere Pro instead of Apple's Final Cut Pro and why. We geek out on data management when Chris reveals he collected over 680 GB of data at the HDSLR Bootcamp. In the next segment I talk to two amazing filmmakers who are in their early twenties. Khalid Mohtaseb was born in Doha Qatar in December 1985. He spent his childhood traveling from one country to another, until his father was relocated to Wayne New Jersey in 1993. Khalid's work includes the controversial Haiti Earthquake Aftermath video - an amazingly beautiful,

Episode 33 - Trey Ratcliff We have a great episode lined up for you today. My co-host Chris Fenwick shares a great tip for handling B-roll in Final Cut Pro that will save you a boatload of time. He has a great screencast showing step-by-step this technique: How To Edit B-Roll Faster. Chris and I also talk about a great little stopmotion video that the children of Chris' friend Jeff Dykhouse put together using iStopMotion, a huge Lego collection, and a firewire controlled camcorder over the course of two months. An amazing accomplishment in an attention-deficit world (video embedded at the end of this post). Today's episode features an interesting interview with Trey Ratcliff. Trey Ratcliff does not need any introduction to visual artists - he is the Jedi Master of HDR photography and the prolific blogger and curator of his website Stuck In Customs. In today's episode, Trey and I talk about a wide range of topics. For filmmakers, Trey discusses his interest in how the human brain responds to high speed video.

Episode 32 - In this episode Chris Fenwick and I talk with employee #1 of RED Digital Cinema: Ted Schilowitz. Ted talks with us about the Scarlet and EPIC cameras from RED. What is variable HDR - an intriguing feature recently announced for EPIC - promising over 13 stops dynamic range? Will variable HDR be available for Scarlet? When will Scarlet ship? What is RED's position on the HDSLR video revolution? Where can HDSLR photographers learn more about shooting with RED? Why should cinematographers care about 4K? How does Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premeire Pro CS5 workflow compare for RED footage? Chris and I also share listener questions with Ted. A great episode! Ted was a fine guest and we are going to be inviting him back soon to dig into more details about EPIC and Scarlet. Just not enough time in one episode to talk about all the great things the RED team is doing. This episode of the Digital Convergence podcast is also the first episode where I have the privilege of working with a co-host. Chris Fenwick

Episode 31 - Featuring Red Giant Software, Letus Direct and Robert Benson - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  You can find us on the web at 16x9cinema.com and on Twitter as 16x9cinema. The Digital Convergence podcast is designed for visual artists, photographers, and cinematographers embracing new technology and techniques in practicing their craft. In this episode's first segment I talk with Sean Safreed - the co-founder of Red Giant Software. He talks about Red Giant's new plugin Colorista II as well as exciting new things coming from the genius developers of Red Giant Software. In the second segment of the show, I talk with Aaron Pinto - CEO of Letus Direct - a primary marketer and distributor of Letus products. Letus made a name for itself with it's line of 35mm adapters that allowed videographers to achieve shallow DOF and a filmic look with video cameras ranging from the consumer grade HV

Episode 30 - Shane Hurlbut of Hurlbut Visuals - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  Featuring: Shane Hurlbut of Hurlbut Visuals Shane Hurlbut of Hurlbut Visuals is the general of the video DSLR revolution. He and his Elite Team sargents are conducting the HDSLR Bootcamp at Alternative Rentals Digital Cinema in Los Angeles, California, on August 28-29, 2010. Designed for video DSLR filmmakers, the course is two days of personally tailored intensive training on film production using Canon DSLRs. You will hit the ground running with hands experience with a wide range of gear. You will work with actors. You will see your epic production projected on the big screen. Shane and his Elite Team compress over 17 months of experience using Canon DSLRs for feature film production into this intense 2-day course. 16x9 Cinema Digital Convergence listeners may register for this epic event and receive a 40% disco

Episode 29 - Garrett O'Brien - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  Featuring: Garrett O'Brien - Go Visuals Freelance Cinematographer In this episode, I talk with Washington DC-based freelance filmmaker and director of photography, Garett O'Brien. Garrett talks about his experience using the Canon DSLRs and his work as an intern with Philip Bloom on LucasFilms' feature film Red Tails. Garrett shares his thoughts on film school and education, and shares LucasFilm's Rick McCallum's helpful advice to advance Garrett's filmmaking career. Garrett is an experienced Canon 7D cinematographer and is quick to share his knowledge and experience on this episode of the  Digital Convergence podcast. His blog is also a great source of information on shooting video with a DSLR. A fun and inspiring conversation with one of the up and coming filmmakers of the 21st century.

Episode 28 - Chris Fenwick - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.  Featuring: Chris Fenwick -  Video Editor and Post-Production Expert What does convergence, video conversion, color correction, grading, and Route 66 have in common? Chris Fenwick - editor, colorist, videographer, photographer, and traveler of off the beaten path. In our conversation, Chris shares his thoughts on ProRes versus DVCPRO-HD and why he prefers using DVCPROD-HD. Chris gives his take on color correction and color grading. What is the difference between an effect and a technique? Are you a credit-card DP? Chris makes us skirm a bit - but for a good cause. Chris is very generous with shooting and post-production tips for DSLR shooters in this episode. We wrap up with discussion of his recent 4,000+ mile journey east to west along the old U.S. Route 66. Chris Fenwick is one of those guys you need to follow. His insight and exp

Episode 27 - iPhone 4 Music Videos - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Sponsored by Kessler Crane. Featuring: iPhone 4 Music Video filmakers Kyle Roberts (Dr. Pants' Sarsaparilla Girl) and Marty Martin (Steve Failows' FLAKJAKT Cascade). Kyle Roberts, whose day job is working with pro broadcast video, talks to us about how he stood in line for the iPhone 4 as soon as it was available and decided to attempt to make on of the first music videos made on an iPhone 4. He connected with Dr. Pants and filmed the video for their song - Sarsaparilla Girl - at Pops (one of the largest root beer stores in the USA) along Route 66. Kyle's video received mentions on NPR and in USA Today. Kyle talks about his stop-motion filmaking with a Canon 7D camera and Dragon Stop-Motion software. Marty Martin, who is an independent filmaker, photographer, and visual effects artist, also attempted to be one of the first to

Episode 26 - A Majek Picture: Apple of My Eye - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Featuring: A Majek Picture: Apple of My Eye - an iPhone 4 Film In this episode I talk with the crew of Majek Pictures who produced the amazing iPhone 4 movie "Apple of My Eye." This movie has already amassed over 600K views on Vimeo. The film was produced and edited entirely on the iPhone. I talk with Michael Koerbel (Director, co-writer), Anna Elizabeth James (co-writer and editor), Eric Edmonds (co-producer), Rebekah Koerbel (co-producer), and Corey Wallace (soundtrack composer and conductor). While producing this movie on an iPhone 4 is indeed cool, the bottom line is it's the story and the production values that really make this movie shine. It was a joy talking with this talented group of artists.  

Episode 25 - Rick Sammon - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Featuring: Rick Sammon This is a quick little bonus episode of the Digital Convergence podcast. Back in March of this year, I featured Rick Sammon - Canon Explorer of Light Photographer and instructor on the podcast. A couple of weeks ago or so Rick and I decided to catch up. So this time we talk about his recent trip to China, Photoshop CS5, Lightroom 3, HDR photography, recent workshop to the American Southwest, and upcoming workshops - including a workshop in the Little Five Points area of Atlanta. We talk about video and Rick gets to see the Cinevate Atlas 30 LTS slider system. As always, Rick is a delight to converse with - always willing to share.  

Episode 24 - Steve Weiss, co-founder of Zacuto - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Featuring: Steve Weiss - co-founder of Zacuto Steve Weiss, co-founder of Zacuto, joins this edition of the Digital Convergence podcast with his thoughts on DSLR video and independent filmmaking and the need to focus on quality rather than gear. He talks about the genesis of the popular FilmFellas and Critics webisodes that have become the go-to source for film production conversation - bringing in over a million of views hosted on Zacuto's website. Steve shares a few of his ideas on monetization of web content and the future of the content production business.

Episode 23 - Nino Leitner and Sebastian Wiegaertner - The Philip Bloom Interns - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Nino Leitner is a filmmaker, DP and film producer based in Vienna, Austria. Nino focuses mainly on commercial work as well as documentaries. Sebastian Wiegärtner is an experienced graphic designer who recently started filmmaking with a Canon 7D. Both Sebastian and Nino recently worked together as interns in Prague with Philip Bloom on the George Lucas film Red Tails. A few days ago, I had an amazingly delightful conversation with these two brilliant filmmakers in Europe. I did my best to pry secrets out of them about working with Philip on the Red Tail feature film production by George Lucas. However, my cunning was no match for the steely resolve of Nino and Sebastian. They didn't budge. Next time I'll make sure there's a round of beer available. Nonetheless Nino and Sebastian talk

Episode 22 with guest DJ Vegh - of PhotoShipOne and AZ Choper Cam - on the Digital Convergence Podcast by 16x9 Cinema with host Carl Olson - a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Featuring: DJ Vegh - Founder of PhotoShipOne and AZ Chopper Cam.What if you could mount a Canon 5D Mark II, 7D or T2i on an aerial platform to shoot unique above ground POV shots? You can! DJ Vegh has mastered the use of radio controlled electric-powered helicopters as an aerial platform for the photography and video. If take a look at some of DJ demo videos on Vimeo and his websites, you will be amazed by what can be accomplished with these aerial platforms. DJ is an accomplished photographer, videographer and post-production editor. He also holds a fixed-wing pilot license. With over ten years of experience in aerial video and still photography, it was only natural that he would make good use of his practical mechanical design and aviation experience to concoct an amazing platform for shooting