How do you cover the aftermath of an event as terrible as the Arizona shootings? In my time I’ve covered a lot of disasters and tragedies, but it really doesn’t make it any easier when the next one comes along.
I had been covering the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the Guardian’s tech site when the shootings happened, but as their scale became clear my editors decided to divert me. With no flights available it was an eight hour drive to Tucson. Running through my mind all the way there was the question: how could I add anything to the wall-to-wall, saturation news coverage that I knew the networks were providing?
I determined to make a video report that was not simply repeating TV news. Instead of using the regular TV format of a reporter questioning local people and then giving their ‘view from the spot’ I opted to try to create something more intimate. I wanted to give the people of Tucson more space to say what they wanted about the events.
The following morning I joined the gathered Tucsonians and assembled media for the moment of silence, led by President Obama in Washington. Outside the hospital, where a makeshift memorial to the victims had formed, people were standing, reflecting.
Immediately after the silence there was a rush of reporters and camera crews trying to speak to people about it. I decided to bide my time and wait for it to quieten down so that people could expand more on what was going through their heads as they tried to make sense of events. I then approached people and asked if they could hold my Zoom H1 audio recorder while they talked to each other and myself. Because the Zoom H1 is so small and light no-one seemed to mind holding it, or got distracted by it in the way that fitting a wireless lav on them would have – they just seemed to carry on being themselves and not acting for the camera. This technique also gave me good sound and allowed me to be discreet, filming using a 24-105mm IS lens. The camera was a 5DmkII fitted with a Zacuto Z-finder and a Redrockmicro Running man rig. I love this setup because it is lightweight and mobile but still allows me to keep the camera very stable. Audio from the recorder and the camera was later synced using the marvelous Pluraleyes software.
I also wanted to give a more cinematic feel to my shots so I turned to the Kessler Cineslider and Oracle controller, which I had just received from Eric Kessler to use at the CES show. I had been planning a short video of all the gadgets and the flashing lights to show off the Kessler slider’s amazing movements – instead I put it to an altogether more sombre use. I combined it with slow motion to form my intro sequence of the gathered crowd and the tributes. Shooting on my Tokina 11-16mm lens and a Panasonic GH2 I tried to convey the sadness. I’m still testing the GH2 but the one thing that has struck me so far is just how good slow motion looks when you use the cameras 720p/50 mode slowed to 24 or 25p (mine is a PAL model). It appears to be much sharper than the image I am used to getting with my Canon DSLRs – the downside is that the smaller Micro 4/3rds sensor really doesn’t have the beautiful shallow depth of field look of my 5DmkII footage.
Setting up the Kessler Cineslider and Oracle controller in Tucson
I hope the resulting piece manages to capture the people I filmed in an honest way and at the same time combine it with a cinematic style. I will let you be the judge.
When it comes to DSLR video and gear Vincent Laforet is a man you should take seriously. So when we were together at PhotoCine Expo last year and he recommended I take a look at the Really Right Stuff (RRS) quick release system – I took note. After some research I went and ordered a complete set of RRS clamps and quick release plates for all my cameras, tripods and Kessler Pocket Dolly.
The new Redrockmicro RRS1 release plate adapter
Redrock Micro have just released what looks like a super solid adaptor designed to make the RRS clamp system work with HDSLR rigs. It takes the Really Right Stuff B2 LR II quick release clamp and puts the DSLR at the correct height for other rails-mounted accessories like Follow Focus and Mattebox. Brian Valente from Redrock Micro previously showed me a prototype of this system and I’m keen to get one for my shoulder rig.
I have to say Vincent was right when he recently blogged that “Really Right Stuff plates are the single best plates for my money – whether you’re shooting stills or video. We mount everything with them – cameras to handheld rigs, tripods, shoulder mounts, technocranes – you name it. Fast, easy, and dead solid.”
Originally designed for stills, this system is very secure and I can quickly change from one set-up to another with ease. Because I often run multiple cameras at the same time it’s a key component of the way I shoot.
I had been using the popular Manfrotto 394 quick release system for a year or so. It worked OK but I wasn’t 100% happy with it. The problem I found with these plates was that they are quite large and can sometimes move a little when on the camera, especially with a large lens or shoulder rig.
The Really Right Stuff solution is based on the Arca Swiss system and comes in two parts: A range of quick release clamps which fit on your tripod or rig, then a snug fitting custom dovetail plate for each camera. These plates have a lip on each side which prevent it from moving at all when mounted to the camera.
Regular RRS plate with 'lip' to stop camera movement
A Really Right Stuff L-bracket on the 5DmkII
In addition they also make a second version for many cameras that is L-shaped. These were originally designed to let you put the camera upright, but for video have the added advantage of protecting any HDMI, shutter release or audio cables attached to the camera – a huge bonus for run and gun shooting. I have these mounted on my 5DmkII cameras and really like them.
The RRS L-bracket protecting audio and HDMI cables
The recent trend in TV news has been that of quick turnaround of materials, often at the expense of image quality. But if your pictures are poor, you might as well just listen to radio news. While there will always be a demand for speed, it is good to see that some people are still concerned about quality images. This year, Al Jazeera has taken a major step forward in the promotion and use of high quality images. A new show called “Frames” has debuted and will run 2-minute character-driven short pieces at the end of long format documentaries. They are shown not just online but to a global audience on TV and are mostly shot on DSLR cameras.
Al Jazeera has been among the pioneers using DSLR cameras to shoot news stories and programmes. The first news story solely shot with this technology aired on the station back in September 2009. Since then there have been many more and the flagship programme “Fault Lines” – a 30-minute show covering the United States and South America, which airs twice a month – is now shot almost entirely on DSLR.
Slowly, other international news networks are catching up and beginning to introduce the technology. Mark Phillips from CNN saw some of my works and went out and bought a Canon 7D after examining mine. When he shot an episode of CNN’s “Heroes,” the impressed Atlanta head office responded fast and got more people shooting this show on DSLR. Sky News and the BBC have also started shooting on these cameras in small amounts.
Hopefully, more and more organisations will take note of the creativity made possible by DSLR and try to encourage quality images. With so many changes in technology and the rapid improvements of small cameras capable of capturing amazing visions, there’s reason to be optimistic this trend will continue.
In the meantime, here’s more about Frames in Al Jazeera’s own words: “Al Jazeera is constantly evaluating the way that our audience digests our news and programmes. As such, the internet has become a powerful broadcasting medium for us. But not just for us. Thousands of talented filmmakers, armed with now-affordable filmmaking equipment, have been given a platform to host quality, short-form content and show it to the world. The idea of Al Jazeera Frames was to tap into this pool; to give outstanding storytellers a greater platform; to grant them a higher level of exposure than they would otherwise get from rival broadcasters and video-sharing sites alone. We’re breaking down the traditional model of acquiring and commissioning films, and showing-off new, gifted filmmakers at every opportunity. The key is the short-form. Frames pushes short-form content to the forefront of documentary broadcasting. In an online video age, where shorter-form stories are now the most watched and most engaged-with forms of content anywhere, people have less time for traditional longer-form documentaries. Al Jazeera’s Frames capitalises on this phenomenon, bringing quality, socially-minded DSLR shorts and animations to our audience. Frames was the brainchild of Omar Khalifa, a DSLR filmmaker in Al Jazeera’s documentaries department.”
About Matthew Allard, Aljazeera Senior Field Cameraman, Kuala Lumpur: Matt has been a Camera/Editor in TV news for 20 years, previously working for both Channel 9 and Channel 10 in Australia. Twice Network Ten Australia’s cameraman of the year as well as being a Walkley Finalist for outstanding camerawork in 2006 (for coverage of the Cronulla Race Riots) and a Logie Finalist for outstanding news coverage 2006 (Bali 9). He has covered news events in more than 30 countries, from major sporting events to terrorist bombings. Based out of the Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre in Malaysia he is an avid user and follower of new technology, shooting stories on HD broadcast cameras as well as new Canon DSLR’s.
Danfung in Afghanistan with 5DmkII and Glidecam custom rig (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty)
Huge congratulations to photojournalist turned filmmaker Danfung Dennis for winning the top prize in the Documentary Filmmaking category of the Sundance festival awards. He also scooped the World Cinema Cinematography Award for Documentary Filmmaking. His film “Hell and Back Again” was shot on the 5DmkII and follows the story of a Marine fighting in the Afghan war and his subsequent rehabilitation.
The film is also a big win for DSLR video for journalism, proving that you can bring a cinematic aesthetic to real world events. All the clips I saw in an early edit looked absolutely amazing. I’m sure it looked even better on the big screen.
According to the Sundance festival blog, Danfung dedicated the award to the fallen, with the words: “This is for those that didn’t come back”.
Regular followers of this blog will remember Danfung told us about how he filmed it using a 5DmkII and a customised Glidecam attached to his bullet-proof vest. You can read the original post here.
Below is a short video where Danfung Dennis talks to Eric Hynes about his work.
For more on the documentary check out the film’s website here.
There’s also a review from Variety here.
I’m pretty sure this film will get a wider release now so more of us can get a chance to see just how good it is.
I’ve just been sent this video by Sky News. Currently in Egypt, the satellite station used a 5DmkII to film some remarkable footage of the unfolding violence.
Once again, the camera is being used to film in some very dangerous circumstances. I’ve been told it is a very basic kit being used: only a 5DmkII and 24-105mm IS lens, with no rig and no Z-finder.
Audio was done using a Tascam DR-100 recorder and a Sennheiser mic.
They told me they were in “eye of the storm at the moment, expecting big numbers. There are large numbers of police on the streets, heavy crackdown imminent.”
We hope the team stays safe and continues to send amazing reports from the troubled country.
***Edit – you can see more of the Sky News coverage and how team’s footage was used on airhere***
It was not a story that immediately inspired great visuals. Correspondent Harry Fawcett and I had to do a story on Japan’s rapidly declining population. Our producer Aya Asakura suggested we head to Takane Village, high up in the mountains in Gifu prefecture, central Japan.
With a declining birth rate and younger people moving away to large cities, small rural areas like this have seen schools close and businesses shut down. Traditionally, young people would look after the old in Japan. But with far fewer of them around, the elderly population is left alone and has to fend for itself during the harsh winter. In Takane, a large proportion of older people live together in former teachers’ accommodation during the winter months. These visuals would be used to illustrate our story.
I chose to shoot this on a Canon 60D. The correspondent had just bought it and I hadn’t used one before. To be honest I could have shot this on my broadcast camera, a 5DmkII, 7D or a 1DmkIV, but I’m always up for trying new things.
The first thing that struck me about the 60D was how much easier it was to use with the flip-out LCD screen (no more lying on the ground to get a low shot!) It took a while to get used to the controls as most of the Canon cameras are configured differently. The other thing that greatly helped was the fact that I could put a radio mic receiver directly into the 60D and manually control the audio. This worked well for some things but not for others. The 60D audio set up is supposed to be the same as the 5DmkII with the new firmware, but I found the 60D reordered sound was quite noisy compared to the 5D. I’m not sure why this is the case as I know Dan Chung has not found the same problem.
I recorded in both 1080/25p and 720/50p depending on the shot I needed. I also found myself having to shoot in 24p as Japan is 60hz and I was getting flicker under fluorescent lights. It was snowing quite heavily and I wanted to show the beauty of the snow falling in slow motion. The other thing I did notice – not having shot in the snow with a DSLR before – was that exposing for the snow was quite tricky. It is hard to tell correct exposure just using the camera’s onboard screen when the majority of the scene you are shooting is bright white. I compensated for this by shooting the same shot with different exposures.
Cold?
Over all I was quite impressed by the 60D. For a sub $1000 camera I found it by far the easiest to use out of all the DSLRs. I was also very impressed that despite being in -15C temperatures and getting covered in snow, then going straight indoors to a warmer place, the camera never once stopped working.
This short film is just a collection of some of the shots I took for the story while I was there. I hope it tells a story without needing words. I wanted it to look beautiful yet isolated, cold and remote. I’m not usually one to do much colour grading but I did so with this one to try to get a slightly surreal look. It was all shot on a Canon 60D using a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, Canon 50mm f1.2L and a Canon 135mm f2L. Edited in Final Cut Pro and graded in Magic Bullet Looks and Apple Color.
About Matthew Allard, Aljazeera Senior Field Cameraman, Kuala Lumpur: Matt has been a Camera/Editor in TV news for 20 years, previously working for both Channel 9 and Channel 10 in Australia. Twice Network Ten Australia’s cameraman of the year as well as being a Walkley Finalist for outstanding camerawork in 2006 (for coverage of the Cronulla Race Riots) and a Logie Finalist for outstanding news coverage 2006 (Bali 9). He has covered news events in more than 30 countries, from major sporting events to terrorist bombings. Based out of the Kuala Lumpur broadcast centre in Malaysia he is an avid user and follower of new technology, shooting stories on HD broadcast cameras as well as new Canon DSLR’s.
Johan Maertens is a sound recordist who has come up with an innovative solution to the issues of recording audio when using a Canon 5DmkII in a pro production (especially multi-camera) environment. It is small box that allows SMPTE timecode from a suitable source to be recorded to one of the camera’s audio tracks. Timecode has long been used in film to accurately sync separate audio and video tracks. If you are not familiar with how it works there is a great primer here.
Johan decided to build the Lockit Buddy when confronted with a multi-camera documentary shoot where he had to keep footage from three DSLRs running in sync and discovered that the only systems available had a hefty price tag. He started looking into building a system that could just slot in between a DSLR and a pro Lockit box that can be rented anywhere (or should be part of a sound recordist’s kit already if he uses a timecode based HardDisk audio recorder).
Johan built the Lockit Buddy and completed the documentary with three early prototypes. He says that the production was raving because they had budgeted three days to get everything synced up and it only took them minutes to get the job done. People then asked him how he had done it, so he decided to commercialise the device and made it more practical in its use.
For most of my day to day solo work I find that using the popular Pluraleyes software is the simplest way for me to sync my DSLR video and audio from a recorder. However if you want a more industry standard approach for bigger projects and multiple cameras I would certainly look at this solution.
Here is more info that Johan sent me: The Lockit Buddy is a small device that is aimed at the professional sound recordist, currently being confronted with increasing amounts of footage shot on Canon 5DmkII/7D/T2i/550D/60D… Digital SLR cameras, and to the owners of such cameras who want to work with a professional sound recordist using double system sound linked by Timecode.
Lockit Buddy takes care of the level and impedance conversions needed to record an accurate and dependable Timecode signal and confidence audio track to the Digital SLR camera at a fraction of the cost of other available systems.
There are no brand new RF systems to be purchased, no expensive special lockit boxes that only work on your Digital SLR mini-jack connector… all you’ll need is any standard Timecode source (Lockit box, broadcast camera TC out, hard disk recorder TC out etc …) and a sound source with a professional line level or standard headphone level output (IFB receiver, mixer output etc…)
All connections to and from the Lockit Buddy are made with gold plated contacts to ensure a trouble free long life with minimal signal loss.
It will accept standard SMPTE LTC via the in built BNC connector, and left and right unbalanced line level audio signal via 3-pin Mini XLR connector.
(these audio signals will be mixed down at an equal ratio by the Lockit Buddy to a single mono reference audio track on the Digital SLR).
The Lockit Buddy introduces no noise whatsoever to your signal chain and keeps crosstalk between the input channels on your Digital SLR to an absolute minimum, while making sure that no excessive levels are being sent to the camera.
Why put your reputation on the line by forcing pro line level signal (+4dB) into powered microphone level inputs? (+/- 50dB more sensitive) It may work if you turn the camera’s input level all the way down in manual mode and you are willing to live with horrible crosstalk between your channels and no signal headroom, but it could cause damage to the camera inputs over time and compromise reliability of your signal.
So how does the Lockit Buddy solve this?
The Lockit Buddy provides a separate pre-set attenuation and impedance compensation circuit for both of it’s inputs (timecode and audio), so that any equipment attached is ‘seeing’ the right kind of conditions to deliver it’s signal into without straining it’s outputs. It also cancels out the ‘plug in power’ being fed back from the camera microphone input to the attached equipment. The Digital SLR is getting reliably signal into it’s inputs at the level it’s expecting, without the crosstalk associated with sending hot signals down unbalanced connections.
There is a difference in setup between the 5DmkII / 60D model camera’s which have the option to use manual gain and the rest of the range 7D/T2i etc … which only have the auto gain option (unless you’re using Magic Lantern firmware). Hence there are Lockit Buddies available for each system. Both versions are physically identical, but have been factory set up to attenuate signal in a different way.
(if it becomes necessary this can be user modified by adjusting two internal trim controls)
In case of the auto gain cameras the Lockit Buddy uses the constant signal of the Timecode input to defeat the auto gain feature and produces an audio input free from the usual ‘noise floor’ artefacts. This will open up the entire dynamic range of the audio channel so a good quality reference audio track can be recorded on the camera.
In case of the 5DMKII / 60D we recommend downloading the latest firmware update for your camera and using the manual audio settings. This way a reference tone and Timecode signal can be put into allignment with one another and can be referenced to the meter display on the camera.
(This feature can be accessed via the 2nd setup menu / Live View – Movie Func. Set. / Sound Recording)
Lockit Buddy sends your reference audio track to channel 1 (L) and the Timecode to channel 2 (R).
This is conform to channel arrangements needed to ingest material with LTC recorded as audio with Avid* editing systems. For editing in Final Cut Pro* we recommend processing the video files using FCPauxTC by VideoToolshed* to extract your Timecode and turn it into an Auxiliary TC track.
In terms of mounting options, the Lockit Buddy comes standard with an aircraft grade aluminium mount that slides into the camera’s flash bracket **. This mount also comes with industry standard 1/4 inch thread to allow more options mounting on rigs, spigots, etc … or it can be taken off completely by removing two screws from the units bottom lid to allow you to use it with Velcro or an alternative way of affixing it.
Because of the multitude of possible wiring and plug arrangements connecting the Lockit Buddy to various third party devices, and due to the diversity in available rig setups, we are currently not providing any cables with the unit. Therefore we have included a
wiring reference with some standard industry connections that you can take to your trusted audio electronics supplier to either have your cables made to order or choose from their already available range of cables to suit your specific needs. You should always make use of quality cables, keep cable lengths to a practical minimum to reduce interference and always carry spares when you’re out on a shoot !
The Lockit Buddy has been intensively field tested with great reviews from users and post production companies and is now available to you with a 1 year limited warranty ***
Lockit Buddy (Inclusive of 20% VAT + FREE postage) GBP 94.99
Orders will be shipped out fully insured, and on a first ordered basis.
Please note that the anticipated delivery time is presently 2-3 weeks.
If you are interested in ordering the Lockit Buddy Johan can be contacted at info@lockitbuddy.com.
Dual system audio has become very common in DSLR video these days. You record high quality sound separately on an external audio recorder like the popular Zoom H1 or H4n, then sync it later with your DSLR video, replacing the camera’s ‘bad’ inbuilt audio track. Traditionally you then combine the two manually using a ‘sync clap’ as a reference to compare audio waveforms and line them up afterwards in your editing software. This is do-able but dull and time-consuming. Or a pain in the arse, in plain English.
Thankfully there is a more hi-tech automated solution for combining the two – Singular Software’s PluralEyes for Final Cut Pro, which I’ve been using since its launch and thoroughly recommend. Many projects I shoot have audio done this way.
Whilst this is fine if you are a Final Cut Pro user I’ve been asked many times if it would be possible to get PluralEyes working with more basic editing packages like Final Cut Express and IMovie.
Here’s the solution from Singular: DualEyes harnesses the same technology as PluralEyes but in a stand alone application. It allows you to automatically sync audio and video clips, without the need for timecode, clappers or any special preparation.
Bruce Sharpe, creator of PluralEyes, said DualEyes for the Mac had been one of their most requested products.
I spent the better part of 2010 reading blogs trying to decide if I wanted to take the DSLR plunge. After seeing how Dan Chung and Matthew Allard applied DSLR shooting to news stories I decided to give it a try. My first major decision was which camera to choose? It came down to the Canon 7D or the 5DmkII. I went with the 5DmkII because I like the larger sensor and the lack of a crop factor.
The next decision was how to handle the audio – in a news environment synching audio from an external recorder did not appeal to me. It’s one more step I’d rather not take during editing, especially if I’m under deadline. With that in mind, I went with the JuicedLink DT454 audio preamp and an Audio Technica AT875r camera mounted shotgun mic.
For my first story I decided on a visually rich setting. CNN.com has a periodic series on their Belief Blog called “Sacred Spaces” where difference houses of worship are profiled. I chose the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Not only is the architecture unique and beautiful, it happens to be one of the ten largest churches in the world. Many of the interior scenes were shot at ISO 1250 in the dimly lit areas and ISO 640 in brighter areas. With the exception of the interview with Sister Miriam , only available light was used. The few exterior shots were stopped down with a Light Craft Workshop variable ND filter. For my dolly shots, I used a IndiSlider Mini, which I was not fully thrilled with but was good enough to execute a few smooth moves.
The 5DmkII with Juicedlink audio adapter
The editing was done with Final Cut Pro and I transcoded files using MPEG Streamclip. There was no color grading and I used the standard picture style in the 5DmkII menu.
I was happy with the story and the performance of the 5DmkII, especially in low light conditions but it clearly has limitations in a fast paced news world. I’m looking forward to another outing to see what I can improve upon but I will certainly choose my stories wisely.
Gear Used: Canon 5DmkII
Canon 14mm f2.8, Canon 24-70mm f2.8, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS, Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS (with adaptor for Canon mount) Juicedlink DT454 audio adapter
Audio Technica AT875r Shotgun Mic
Sony ECM 77B Lav Mic
Light Craft Workshop variable ND filter
IndiSLIDER Mini
Fancier FT565T Carbon Fiber Tripod w/717AH head
Tony Umrani is a Washington, DC based photojournalist with CNN. He has shot news and documentaries for over 25 years and traveled to more than 50 countries. Currently, his main assignment is covering President Obama and the White House.
The Teradek Cube camera-top HD video encoder has gained a lot of interest in the cinema community for it’s on set monitoring options. The small box which attaches to a camera via HDMI or SDI (depending on the version) encodes the video signal in near real time so it can be streamed over a wireless network and viewed remotely on a computer.
There is however another use for the Cube which may be of more interest to readers of this blog – the capability to stream live news or sports events wirelessly from a camera direct to the web or your editor.
Orange County based F-Stop Aerial Media working with Teradek have gone even further by developing a radio controlled helicopter based HD streaming video solution for live event broadcasting. The video below is from a successful test showing system at work. It also demostrates that the Cube’s WiFi radio does not interfere with the helicopter’s control system.
According to Rod Clark of Teradek “We began working with Chris and Rob of F-Stop Aerial Media in 2010. They’ve developed this highly modified RC helicopter camera platform. It’s a frankencopter that started life as a T-Rex 700e with a PhotoShip One HD-SLR camera platform, but has evolved into a highly capable and extremely stable aerial camera platform. Rob pilots the craft, while Chris is the camera operator. They’re looking for a solution to stream sporting events live over the internet. They contacted Teradek to create an integrated streaming solution for an upcoming professional surfing event. With Cube’s latest LiveStream integration, we were able to provide them with a turnkey solution.”
Teradek were also recently working with myself and Jared Abrams (of Cinema5D.com fame) to bring wireless webcasts live from the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Jared was able to walk the floor and wirelessly transmit video pictures directly onto the Guardian’s website using a Cube equipped DSLR. The video below explains a bit more.
A Canon DSLR rig set up to work with the Cube at CES
Whilst wireless live transmission of video isn’t new it has never been possible at the price of the Teradek solution. I think you can expect to see more news organizations using similar systems to get the news out in the future.
