Four Camera setup (for a crew of one)...

 As a crew of one, sometimes you can't control the environment you film in. Gigs and concerts are a perfect example of this as there is bound to be at least one person who will stand in front of your wide shot, or some drunk idiot who won't leave the hand-held roaming camera alone. But these things are worsened when you are running 4 cameras on your own.

  Last night was a perfect example of this, I had 3 mounted cameras and a 4^th hand-held roaming. With the exception of an SD card failure it seemed to go alright. I regularly checked the cameras to ensure all were recording and my wide unobstructed, and of course each and every time I checked the wide the same guy was standing directly in front of the camera and every time I asked him to move either to the left or right... But seemingly to no avail (especially since playback).

Hoodie wearing $#!* in my shot!

Camera Layout/Positions:

Camera 1 = Kodak Zx5 (Playsport)

Format: PAL 1080p 25f

Angle: Wide

Mount: Tripod

Position: Sound desk

Unmanned

Camera 2 = GoPro Hero 2

Format: PAL 1080p 25f

Angle: Wide (Fisheye)

Mount: Bicycle GoPro mount

Position: Lighting Stand Stage Right (behind PA)

Unmanned

Camera 3 = GoPro Hero 960

Format: PAL 720p 25f

Angle: Wide (POV)

Mount: GoPro Headmount

Position: Drummer POV

“Manned”

Camera 4 = Kodak Zx5 (Playsport)

Format: PAL 1080p 25f

Angle: Wide

Mount: Hand-Held

Position: FOH Roaming

Manned

Diagram:

  There is no footage/audio syncing, these are just random shots from the 4 different cameras (audio from camera - Final audio was recorded from mixing desk but not featured).

  When running 4 cameras as a crew of one, where possible, ensure your wide shot is elevated as far above the crowd as possible, in most instances this will be at the mixing desk as this is usually the most elevated position and should ensure extra height for your Tripod (unless of course you have a tripod which is excessively tall). The wide shot will always be your master and fallback. 

  With the drummer wearing the 3^rd camera, it was more for cut away shots, as the excessive movement will irk the viewer and or cause slight motion sickness, so more than anything it was a gimmick to throw in and make the final video a little more interesting and fun. 

  As the second mounted camera was on stage left, it was often obscured by the Guitarist on that side of the stage, who for the most part wasn't stationary.

  The only other major contributing factor to your final or finished edit is whether or not there is a lighting person and whether or not they are a professional or merely a random drunk punter, sadly for this shoot it was a rather violent and very drunk punter, who for the majority of the time suspended the stage in complete darkness. This does give the feeling of perhaps “being there”, but it's really not ideal.

  There are so many outside influences on your filming which are either out of your control or just out of reach, so you have to do the best with what you have. I decided instead of a full pack in of gear I would simply use an entirely digital kit. Less luggage, less weight, less setup time and most importantly quicker transfer time (as my main camera is a Sony V1P MiniDV – although now with Atomos Ninja Digital by-pass).

Small Digital Kit

  This is the first time I've run 4 cameras on my own as usually I would have one wide shot manned and a roaming hand-held which for this type of filming is more than sufficient.

Good Luck

Occupational Overuse Syndrome...

 Often, as a film-maker or potential film-maker, it's easy to find something you love to add during filming or in post. And there is a long list of directors who just can't drop certain techniques or post effect and sometimes the gimmick works, but other times it just starts to get over crowded and will bog a film down.

HAND HELD

  The frenetic hand held camera action scene techniques of Paul Greengrass were initially inspirational and at times perfectly suited to a scene, but as it progressed from film to film it went from a technique to a motion sickness inducing on screen blur. The worst of his films for this was clearly The Bourne Supremacy.
  In the trailer below (from around 25 seconds), it is 'blink and you miss them' fast cuts and hand held freneticism which was NOT just limited to the Trailer. Thankfully he toned this down in the following sequel, but Supremacy is clearly the weak link in the series because of the excessive use, it was even reported than some people left screenings to inform staff the film was out of focus!!

Bourne Series

LENS FLARE

  The Lens flare is a technique often used, and abused by JJ Abrams, in some films it is to good effect, but often a little excessive. Although entirely unnecessary in say Mission Impossible III, the effect was over used in his Star Trek films (especially the sequel), the screenshot below is possibly one of the least offensive, but clearly shows the addition of manually added and manipulated lens flare.

BACKGROUND

  Although, I find this inoffensive and actually generates a need for multiple viewings of a film, scene background is often overlooked. Where Stanley Kubrick was renowned for his excessively long shoots in search of perfection, Terry Gilliam is equally renowned for excessive takes due to the movement in the background of a scene. Twelve Monkeys is a perfect example of this overt attention to detail and garnered the title for this perfectionism as "The Hamster Factor". The term came about when Gilliam took an entire day to shoot a very basic scene, because the hamster (in silhouette) in the background didn't move during the takes. I can easily forgive this of Gilliam because his films are so beautifully riddled with detail, but for budding future film makers, these are delays that just can't be allowed.

  These are just some of the traits and hang ups that can bog down a production, post production process or just have a detrimental result on the end product. I myself have a nasty habit of overusing Aged Film effects and the Bad TV effect in FCP, even to the point of manually creating these effects or micro-managing effect changes in the timeline, believe it or not the video below is the tamed down version. 

  There are millions of far more talented Directors and DOP's (than me), but noticing these traits within yourself can aid in trying something new or a little different instead of going back to what quickly becomes "old faithful". 

PS: Some may note the lack of "Bayhem", but there are just far too many of his traits to discuss AND his films really aren't that substantial from a pure filmic perspective, they are for lack of better words, Box Office Popcorn films. Let's face it, they aren't going to win any Oscars

The squeaky wheel MIGHT just get the original (unedited) trilogy...

 After the 2000 Special Edition re-releases of the original Star Wars Trilogy it suddenly became apparent the Star Wars we knew and grew up with was going to be no more. Although there were changes made to the 1977 theatrical version in 1981, those changes were more to tidy what was seemingly rushed for theatrical release. Despite many people speculating there were differences between the 35mm and 70mm prints, this was always denied and has never been proven. But in essence, the 1995 THX VHS releases, were the last "pure" versions before George Lucas couldn't help himself and, for the most part, ruined the original films. Years of debate and fan boy woe have passed and it seemed we would NEVER see these original films on Blu Ray as we best remember and loved them, that is until this post.

 The mention on Oh No They Didn't does suggest these may still never see the light of day, but for my money, I'm hoping I get the opportunity to buy these films YET again on Blu Ray. I may soon be able to cull some of the versions I have retained on the various formats!

 One can only hope that Disney are indeed going to release the original theatrical versions, as it seems rather strange they haven't yet capitalised on their investment and flooded the market with a spate of re-branded version releases, merchandise, television shows and even MORE re-carded toys/figures. In fact when Disney made the purchase the first thought that crossed my mind was a further diminished and watered down saga and cannon with halfhearted and poorly implemented editions and releases. But in all honesty it would seem Disney are taking their time. Time will tell whether that is to improve or further ruin the franchise.... We can but wait for, firstly, Star Wars Rebels and next years coming film in 2015.

Robin Williams RIP - The Fisher King

 The world has lost another talent, details aren't clear (at the moment), but it would seem Robin Williams has died. I don't want to fixate on his death as I'm sure there are plenty of news sites and blogs doing that.

Details (if you need or want them) can be found on the BBC website

 But to celebrate Robin Williams, his films were hit and miss at times, but he was a major talent for many decades, from stand up comedy and comedy TV to film roles and his often overlooked dramatic roles he leaves us with an impressive resume to watch and re-watch.

My personal favourite, from his vast career, would have to be the classic 1991 Terry Gilliam film The Fisher King.

 The Fisher King is a beautiful film of redemption and unlikely friendship. With so many moments of levity intertwined with a sadness and stark realism which made Robin Williams such an unlikely choice for the role of Parry, but Gilliam saw in him the ability and the talent, it is a perfect ode to William's abilities as an actor. On screen moments shared by both Bridge's heavily flawed character Jack and Williams'  will have you laughing one minute and fighting back tears the next.

RIP Robin Williams

1951 - 2014

The (lost) Art of Cinema Etiquette

  At an early age the cinema provided a short lived suspension of disbelief and the opportunity to live vicariously through the enormous people made with shimmering light on a "silver" (it's really white) screen. No matter how bad the film you could lose yourself for around 90 minutes in a darkened room with a scattering of strangers and the smell of stale popcorn. There were no cellular phones and often very few patrons, in fact matinees in the 1980's were sometimes special screenings just for me, as often I would find myself the only person in the cinema. From about the age of 7 years old, this is how I spent many a Christmas school holidays, catching a bus into the Central City and then going to a film. Although limited to seeing, what on occasion could only be described as terrible films (Hot toTrot, and several Police Academy films inclusive), the ratings system seemed to be respected and adhered to. And one thing was clear, with the exception of a few Jaffas, Snifters or Tangy fruits rolling down the wooden aisle (yip, some cinemas didn't even have carpeting) there was no talking.

 Fast forward to 2014, I find myself in the cinema early on a Sunday morning to see Guardians of the Galaxy, which in New Zealand is an M Rated film. The M rating is explain thusly:

M	Suitable for Mature Audiences 16 and over (but still unrestricted). Possible descriptors: Anti-social behaviour; Horror scenes; Scenes of cruelty; Offensive language; Violence; Sex scenes; Violence and offensive language; Violence, offensive language and sex scenes.

 So it makes me question why I had to endure this film with two constant talking Primary (Elementary) aged children a row behind us? But more to the point, where is the respect for the other movies goers, all of whom are now spending $18.50 (per adult ticket - for a NON 3D film). The father of these children did nothing to dissuade or discourage their constant nattering, which was never at a whisper but always in competition with the volume of the film. BUT I'm THAT person, I  eventually turned around, and without wanting to be rude to the children (because they've not been taught better), I directed my comment at the father, which was tame and something along the lines of "Seriously Dad, can you please rein them in!". From this point on, it was loud talking children closely followed by a loud 'Shhhh' from Dad, I effectively made it worse.

 Often films will be ruined by the conversations of other patrons, this is something we are seemingly now forced to endure (it would seem) and have to tolerate, because I like everyone else paid $18.50 to listen to someone else's conversation. Conversations can range from, "Absolutely nothing to do with the film", to "I've just been to the toilet so I need you to tell me what I've missed and subsequent running commentary as I continue to miss the film as you explain it to me", or my personal least favourite "I'm going to repeat what I just saw because movies are a visual medium and it's clear no one else is watching". But the cinema experience is not limited to just conversations between people IN the cinema, it's also privy, on occasion, for people to answer their phone (YES even with those public service announcement pre-film clips about phones). Of course there are other outside influences, such as the seat kicker, and the people who purchase food from the supermarket to eat during the film, you know the ones, finding their way into what is obviously a child proof plastic shopping bag before doling out additionally noisy packeted foods. The cinema's themselves are just as bad often selling foods which are in noisy packaging and more recently doing their part for the environment with those extra noisy but easily crushed water bottles which only need to be glanced with a finger to make a noise.

  It becomes more and more obvious that movie cinema ticket prices are increased by the rental costs of the films from the studios (all working towards breaking box office records and recouping money and then plain and pure profiteering), this sees most theatres understaffed, poorly cleaned, and serving overpriced food and drinks. But I have to ask why the employee who entered three times (one of which found her wander almost to the front) during my screening, at no point do anything to stop the talking? 


 What can we, as cinema-goers, do to stop these vicious hate crimes?

1.) Don't talk - If you can't do this, wait until the film is available for rental, then talk through it to your hearts content in your own home!

2.) Turn off your phone or at least mute it!

3.) If you can't eat relatively quietly, DON'T EAT!

4.) Be THAT Guy/Gal, and say something!

5.) Illegally download films (joking)

6.) Go to a film toward the end of it's run, but not when I'm there.

7.) If you insist on taking small children, either go to a midnight screening (because you're already a shit parent) or go to the cry baby sessions!

 What can the cinemas do?

A.) ENFORCE the ratings system!

B.) If someone looks like a complete c#^t, don't sell them a ticket!

C.) If you're so worried about pirating that you have employees entering a cinema during screenings, have the employee EJECT the noisy patrons!

D.) Teach your employees the skills required to do C, or have them get a manager to perform C.

E.) Don't force patrons to have to leave a cinema to get a manager mid film, because C AND D should be part of the provided service. Patrons are effectively renting a seat for the duration of a film which makes the on duty manager a landlord with the power to evict!

F.) Learn from THIS initiative!

VIVA LA REVOLUTION!

From The IT Crowd (Season Two)

Studio Ghibli Announces Closure

 

 Sad news yesterday, Toshio Suzuki the GM of Studio Ghibli announced, on Japanese Television, that the studio is closing. There have been rumours on the internet of closure for a while now; it's also been known that the studio has been struggling financially as their last few films haven't performed very well at the box office, but this announcement is still a bit of a shock.

UPDATE:
 It would seem the English translation was, well, incorrect. It would appear the studio is on a "pause" while they re-evaluate. A more accurate translation can be found HERE

Original Source Article on Hypable - Updated

Studio Ghibli Filmography - IMDB

Ghibli Museum Site

A selection of my personal favourites, in no particular order

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