In a great example of practical visual effects, DIY Filmmaker Joey Shanks created a short video that at first glance appears to be some sort of cosmic time-lapse, but in reality is nothing but a clever, small-scale setup using household products that naturally react and create motions and colors in unique ways.
This short film is a great piece of satire, aimed at some of the stereotypical characters and views found on an indie film set. Couple that with a concept that is ridiculous, yet believable enough to be true, and you've got gold. This humorous short takes you behind the scenes of a film shot using only the Toyota Prius backup camera.
Fripito is a new mobile application made for photographers, by photographers. With many travel guides catering to the casual tourist, the creators of Fripito wanted to have a resource where professional photographers could research and plan their shoots for a specific destination, while also offering information on transportation, food, lodging, and so on.
In this video from Aputure, Director of Photography Julia Swain is invited to share her techniques for lighting a dinner table scene, which are common to film productions, but also have applications in the corporate and documentary video world. After the video, check out some of my own personal examples from lighting a similar setup, but instead for a corporate roundtable with an all black background.
In this episode of The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan is running around downtown Los Angeles capturing some product photography. He demonstrates how he is able to create interesting compositions and work with natural light to get the most usable shots possible with just a camera and a reflector.
Last week I shared a video that used a couple of alternative techniques for aerial video, and coincidentally I was contacted shortly after to check out another video that had some unique drone video shots. In this kite surfing video, you'll see some interesting macro-style clips, speed ramps, zooms, and more. The fact is, all of this was done in post.
I don’t always write about power solutions for video and photography equipment, but when I do, it’s because I see something that is versatile, space-saving, and designed with traveling in mind. I appreciate all three of those things in a product, so the Crank Juice Box might be a product I get behind.
You're either going to feel very satisfied or very upset. Regardless of what group you fall into, relax and have a laugh at the stunned reactions from these folks who are attempting to take pictures of their food, only to have it ruined at the last moment.
In this interview, I speak with Russ Turner, a photographer who is relatively new to shooting fantasy portraiture, but has already received awards and praise for the quality of his work. Russ talks about working with costumed models, how he incorporates Photoshop, and shares some of the places where an aspiring shooter can get started doing photography in this genre.
As leaders in the video post-production plugin world, it's really cool to see Red Giant creating short films to promote its products, and they are always a blast to watch. You might recall "Plot Device" or "Form 17" as some of their previous work. This new short isn't directly related to BulletProof, their new plugin, but it's a very entertaining piece with an equally informative making of video as well.
In this fun behind the scenes video, we get to see San Diego-based production company SaintWest staging video shots for the "Find Your Moment" campaign with Torrey Pines golf course. Get an inside look on how the crew captures the golf experience in a cinematic way, but also improvises to make a simulated golf hole for a unique POV shot. Inside are the final videos.
How many times have you seen an amazing timelapse project, and wondered where exactly the photographer was when they recorded their exposures? Or maybe you wondered what they had to do to get to such an amazing vantage point? Sean Goebel created his timelapse film "Epochs" and documented the location and equipment details for most scenes. Sean told me some about his background, and links to his work and shot setups are also inside.
In this short behind the scenes video, photographer Philip Lee Harvey takes to the sky, as well as the earth, for shooting images of Angel Falls in Venezuela. This expedition hits home with Philip, as he looks to follow the same path that an aviator named Jimmie Angel took when he became the first american to discover the area in 1933. With this backstory towing the line, Philip's shoot becomes that much more interesting of an adventure.
Devin Graham is no stranger to danger, as seen in his previous projects like Epic Rope Swing or Camera Warfare. He is back with a new project, which follows a professional freerunner around the city, dressed up as Altair, the main character in the video game Assassin's Creed. This video shows you how Devin used a Glidecam to get his footage, and a green screen for a tricky fx shot. Check out the final video inside the post!
In this behind the scenes video, Jay P. Morgan of The Slanted Lens shows us his concept and execution for a :30 commercial shot in a single take! Jay takes you through the rigging and setup up a burn bar, and has some fun along the way. This informative video gives us a look at the lighting set up too, and how he planned this shoot to get both stills and video. More info on the gear used after the jump!
