By Matthew Allard

Karakuri from Matthew Allard on Vimeo.

I shot this short film for Aljazeera’s Frames four days before the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.

This is one of the first things I shot on my Sony F3. It had arrived for me in Tokyo on the first of February but I was unable to pick it up till the 28th. I managed to get the second production model ever made. I have been waiting for this camera since it was first announced back at NAB 2010 and it was definitely worth the wait.

I was in Osaka to shoot a short on the Karakuri (Japanese automata). Modern day robots can be traced back to these devices, which are 200-300 years old and were created by skilled craftsmen of the Edo period. By the use of weights and pulleys these ancient robots are able to perform amazing tasks without the use of electronics or power.

Hideki Higashino is one of the few who is keeping these incredible creations alive. His father recently had a stroke and is passing on his legacy to Hideki.

I wanted to show the intricate detail, small size and precision of these robots.

This shoot was the perfect place to really push the F3. Its ability to capture such a high dynamic range was especially crucial for a few of the shots. Shooting into the workshop from outside while trying not to over-expose the street and under-expose the workshop would test any camera. The F3 handled this amazingly well. Shooting onto the SxS cards at 4.2.0 35Mb/s showed just how good this camera is out of the box. With the ability to shoot S-log via a paid firmware update just around the corner, this camera will have even more amazing capabilities. Using S-log will increase the camera’s base sensitivity to 1600ISO. Truly spectacular for a camera at this price.

For this shoot I used the three Sony PL primes (35,50 and 85mm) as well as the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 and the Zeiss ZF 100mm Macro Planar f2.0, the latter two via a Nikon MTF to F3 adaptor. Everything was shot using available light except for the tumbling Karakuri and when Hideki was using the sandpaper. I don’t like over lighting things and try to keep things as natural as possible. A lot of the story was shot using the Zeiss macro. I cannot rave about this lens enough. It is super sharp and when mounted on the F3 provides incredible amounts of detail.

As I’ve previously used the Canon 7D, 5DmkII, 1DmkIV and 60D, people are bound to ask me what the main differences are compared to a camera like the F3. For me the biggest difference is ease of use. Having all the controls at your fingertips, built in ND, proper audio and a convenient recording format make all the difference. As far as image quality goes, in my opinion, the F3 has a more organic look than DSLR. Saying that, I still love the image that a 5DmkII or a 7D produces. The DSLR has a unique look but it is let down by massive compression. I notice with the F3 that the level of detail is incredible. On this shoot I could see tiny grains of metal, the lines on people’s fingers and the intricate patterns on the robots’ clothing.

Do I prefer the F3 over say a 5DmkII? Yes I do, but of course that should be the case as it’s a much more expensive camera. I can’t recommend it enough. It is a video camera by design and not a stills camera. The new breed of DSLRs will not just die off; they still do an amazing job and they are very hard to beat in terms of bang for your buck. Even with all the toys and expensive cameras out there, don’t lose sight of the fact that the most important aspect of shooting anything is the story and the characters within that story. You can make anything great if it’s a good story regardless of whether you have an Arri Alexa or a Canon 550D. Equipment can help but ultimately it comes down to you.

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 DSLRs.

I’m back in London this month for a workshop at the Jacobs Pro lounge, helping photographers and videographers improve the way they shoot real world events. There are only eight places available as we want to be sure everyone gets some hands on tuition – so please book quickly if you want to come.

I’ll cover both the technical side and the journalistic one. I’ll go over the basic kit I use day to day including the use of ND filters, audio adapters, support rigs, led lights, sliders, LCD magnifiers and EVFs (I’ll have the new Zacuto EVF with me for people to try). I’ll also discuss my approach to shooting, illustrated by examples of my work, with plenty of tips learned from experience on assignment. There will be sections on slow mo and time-lapse too.
 
Participants should bring their own equipment if possible but there will be a limited amount of demo kit on show too.

 
The workshop will be £150 for the day ( 10am-5.30pm ) and will take place on Wednesday 8th June in the Jacobs Pro lounge, 74 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1EU.
 
To book a place please contact Henrietta or Donal on 0207 436 6996.

 

I’ve been using a Teradek Cube HD camera top transmitter for a while now but one thing that has limited its usefulness has been its sensitivity to WiFi interference. Well, the clever team at Teradek have now solved this in their newest version by supporting dual band WiFi. They have also fixed an issue where a stream from the 5DmkII would be broken by entering (or stopping) record mode – the 5DmkII functionality is also available on older Cube models via a firmware upgrade here. For my setup this means I can now use a Cube equipped 5DmkII B-camera during shoots and wirelessly monitor its output on my Ipad – great for interviews and long lens shots where a cable run is impractical.

They have also massively lowered the price of the basic Cube to $1199 and launched the 250 (HDMI) and 150 (SDI) with dual band 2.4/5.8GHz WiFi. The dual band allows for longer range and better handling of interference, often eliminating the need for a WiFi router. Also added is a USB port, allowing WiFi, 4G and Ethernet from the same box. Another improved feature is a mic level audio input with manual control and compression (while keeping line level audio in). As with other Cubes the new versions are also capable of streaming straight to livestream.com

By Stephen Alvarez

‘Nashville: Up From Prostitution’ came about because I was looking for a story to tell that would be very different from the photo essays I normally shoot for National Geographic. I wanted a human-based, in-depth story; something that I couldn’t tell through photographs alone.

I’d learned about the Magdalene Program for prostitutes in Nashville last year – it has a phenomenal success rate and is becoming a template for other programs. So I asked NPR’s Jacki Lyden if she wanted to cover the story with me for the network. We had worked together on an NPR/NGM coproduction so knew each other well. She said yes immediately and NPR got behind the idea of the film. The network’s belief in long form journalism is wonderful.

In all, I shot for about 14 days on this story, in four trips. Most of the reporting was done on two long trips with Jacki. We worked very closely together, splitting producing and reporting responsibilities. By the end of the assignment we were finishing each other’s sentences.

As in all film work the really hard part fell at the end, in editing. I flew to DC and met with my editor Claire O’Neil and we roughed out an edit. Claire was nearly done with the edit when one of the principal characters in our film returned to the streets and was involved in murdering someone. I took a final trip to Nashville for some follow-up interviews and we reworked the film.

I’ve chosen to work in film with DSLRs for the simple reason that I came to this type of reporting as a still photographer. Moving from stills to video is complicated enough so I didn’t want to learn to see again with a new piece of equipment. I’ve spent nearly 20 years learning what my 24mm f 1.4 and 50mm f 1.2 look like. The DSLRs keep that acquired knowledge relevant. There is something reassuring about having a familiar visual tool when you are stepping off into a new medium.

Another bonus is that the 5D MK II gives me excellent low light capability in a tiny form factor. I really appreciate the flexibility to have one visual machine that I can use on a tripod for interviews, on a shoulder support in the field or just held in hand when space is tight, like in the back of an undercover police car.

The camera’s shortcomings are well known. I record sound from a shotgun mike and a lavaliere onto a Tascam DR-100 then send the sound back into the camera with a downpad cord. Of course I am also working with a radio reporter so she records her own sound and we synch everything up in post. The biggest issue for me is the 12 minute clip length. We recorded hours of interviews and 12 minutes in an interview flies past, particularly when I’m paying attention to what the subject is saying and what the next question should be.

Is the DSLR the right tool? Well, TODAY yes. True, there is a whole new generation of large sensor video cameras that have a similar look and fix the major DSLR issues (sound, form factor and clip length). However, they don’t shoot still photos. My 5D mk II, besides recording beautiful video, is also the best still camera on the market.

You can see more of Stephen’s work here www.alvarezphotography.com and here www.picturestoryblog.com

I get a lot of questions about audio for DSLR and on July 7th I’ll be giving a seminar about the subject in Bristol, showing the various practical approaches I take to get good audio for my real world videos. DSLR video guru Phil Bloom will be there too, talking about how he records his audio using dual system sound. It’s £30 for the day and there are other sessions as well from experts. If you are in the UK I think it will be well worth the trip.

Below are the details from Rycote:

Objective for the day: to demystify the black art of audio, through a seminar programme and hands-on experience with industry experts in a demonstration area.

Through a series of seminars and hands-on experience with industry experts in a demonstration area, we will address a range of issues, including:

- Recording directly to the camera vs. recording separate audio?
- How to record audio in different scenarios?
- How do I eliminate wind noise from my recordings? What about handling noise?
- Portable recorders, Lavalier mics, Wireless microphones – which one should I use?
- Guide tracks? Reference audio?

The Watershed - venue of the Rycote DSLR audio day (photo courtesy of the Watershed)

Come and join us no matter what your level of audio knowledge is!

Confirmed Seminars;

Chris Woolf- Understanding Audio Concepts
John McCombie- HDSLR Audio Solutions from Pinknoise-systems
Dan Chung- audio case study
Philip Bloom- audio case study

Please note seminars will run from 9.30AM to 5PM, and are available by ticket in advance only (£30.00 per ticket)

Hands-on experience/trade show area (open to the public)- 9AM to 7PM
Come and meet the manufacturers
Hands-on experience of various audio products and accessories
Listen to individual mics and appreciate the differences
Products provided by Canon, Pink Noise Systems, Sennheiser, Rycote and Sound Devices
Networking opportunities in cafe/bar area throughout the day

Additional details:
When: Thursday 7th July 2011, 9AM to 7PM
Where: Watershed, Bristol - A short distance from Temple Meads Station! Ample car parking close by.

Trade show area: open to the public
Seminars: £30.00 for the day
Book your tickets now!
Contact sales@rycote.com, or phone us on 01453 759 338.

Confirmed Exhibitors;

Canon
Sennhesier
Pink Noise
Rycote
Shure Distribution- Sound Devices mixers etc
Photo Professional Magazine
Institute of Videography
Korro Consultancy- Apple Master Trainer Final Cut Studio & Adobe certified trainer

Hotel packages available with Radisson Blu, Ibis and Marriott, College Green – please mention The Watershed.

I’ve had some submissions lately from shooters getting into DSLR video which I wanted to share. First up is a piece by freelance videographer Andrew Winchell. He’s been following the blog for a while now and says he is fascinated by cinematic journalism. He recently visited Pleasant Grove, Alabama, one of the areas hardest hit by the F-5 tornado that struck on 27 April, claiming the lives of over 350 people. Even two weeks after the event his video powerfully shows the scale of the devastation.

For equipment Andrew shot on a 5DmkII, Rode VideoMic Pro, Glidetrack Shooter and 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses. It was edited in Final Cut Pro and basic colour correction applied using Magic Bullet Colorista Free.

The second video is a submission by Patr Srisook, a Thai post-graduate student who is currently studying Master of Arts in Visual Communication at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in the UK. He recently created a short documentary film “A Day in March” about a protestor marching against UK Government spending cuts. Patr used a really simple setup to get his results – a Canon 5DmkII, 35mm f2 lens, Rode mic, Redrock Micro grip and LCDVF viewfinder.

I want to applaud Patr and Andrew for their efforts. If you have HDSLR work you want to show here that is of a journalistic nature feel free to get in touch.

By Johnnie Behiri

Bionic reconstruction from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

After two years, the VDSLR has become my main working tool. True, I do have access to many other video cameras, but what convinces me is the fact I have to THINK every time before pressing the REC button. I feel it has made me a better shooter and storyteller. Sure, I was thinking before when using a conventional ENG camera, but I’m talking about the extra care when shooting with VDSLRs.

So what is there to think about?  Light, lenses, aperture, depth of field, movement, audio recording, audio levels, are all equally important to achieve the best possible result when working with a “far then optimal” big sensor photo camera that shoots high definition video.

When Neil Bowdler, the BBC science correspondent, came up with the idea of doing a “bionic reconstruction” story, the obvious working tool for me was a VDSLR. Neil was excited and open-minded about exploring that possibility.

The story is about an Austrian resident who has chosen to have his dysfunctional hand cut off so that it can be replaced with a bionic limb. His Vienna-based surgeon believes elective amputation and what he calls “bionic reconstruction” can give some patients with traumatic injuries the best hope of regaining bodily function.

My goal this time was not to achieve the super shallow depth of field “film look” that some regard as optimal. I felt in this case there was no point of having a completely blurred background when Neil is talking about a situation happening behind him….

We did some nicely lit interviews but unfortunately did not use them in the short version of the story for BBC World news. Those were used later in the longer version done in London for BBC Newsnight which you can see here.

Equipment used:
Camera: Canon 7D
Lenses: Canon 17-55 f2.8, Canon 70-200 f4.0, Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
Audio: Tascam DR-100 recorder, Sennheiser G2 EW100 wireless mic system, Sanken Lav mic, Cos11D
Rig: Vocas
Electronic VF: Cineroid
Tripod: Sachtler DV8 SB
Light: Litepanel 1×1, Viso PH 5502 (Kino style flo light)
Editing: Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Neo4k
Color correction: Cineform “FirstLight”

Johnnie is working in Vienna, Austria.
Johnnie also films documentaries, commercials, music videos, and marketing videos when not working for the BBC.

By Jonah Kessel

Jonah M. Kessel Showreel 2011: China, Tibet, Nepal, India, The Philippines from Jonah Kessel on Vimeo.

Like so many DSLR shooters around the world, I’m a convert.

I come from a still photography background but as my career and technology have advanced I’ve been transported (gladly) into the video journalism world. While initially this was creating two minute feature videos all shot on a stationary tripod that accompanied a print story and photo, today my technological and journalistic world have been spun right-side-up and I’m making independent short films where I feel like I’ve reached a gray area of video journalism that merges into documentary film.

You might ask yourself: What’s the difference between video journalism and documentary film making? A couple years ago you might have talked about production value and venue of dissemination. However today, given the production value you can bring to news video along with the fact that your target audience might likely be web based, the two forms of visual communication have certainly crossed paths.

In the past I always identified myself as a journalist, photojournalist or visual journalist. Recently, I finished a project with journalist Kit Gillet that received some media attention. In newspapers and press releases I was reading things like “… documentary makers Jonah Kessel and Kit Gillet found …” I was like “Wow, now I’m a documentary maker. That’s a bit different.”

We made an interactive package for the Asia Society that included a three-part video series, two still slideshows and a digital tour of our subject. Given that you watch the three films sequentially it does follow more of what we might recognize as documentary film style. While I won’t decide if its a documentary, news clip or something completely different, this gray area is certainly a sign of converging media and the converged journalist. So — now the question is: Why does all this matter? Who cares if you are a documentary film maker, video journalist or a photographer?

In my mind, the answer has three parts.

1. AUDIENCE PERCEPTION OF MEDIA: I think people will perceive things differently if they hit play thinking they are watching a short documentary film vs. a news clip. Perhaps people watch news clip thinking the content is unbiased, or perhaps they watch a documentary knowing that the film makers invested so much time on the subject, they have gained intricate knowledge that a typical journalist on a deadline probably couldn’t get. Regardless of how they receive the information, there is a culture shift in perception, be it a subconscious one.
2. PHOTOGRAPHER’S IDENTITY: This culture shift also effects how we shoot. Does how you identify yourself impact your photography? I believe if you set into a project as a documentarian you might get a different result than if you were a journalist. In the documentary world, its total fine to take an angle (ala Michael Moore) and go with it. You might have a point and then go and (attempt to) prove it where a journalist would go and record what has happened and then let the audience decide what to take away from it. By calling yourself a documentary maker are you taking more control of the audience?
3. SUBJECT, PHOTOGRAPHER COMMUNICATION: You will get different types of interviews and quotes if you approach your subject and tell them you are a journalist rather than a documentary maker. During this project, almost all of our sources were found by walking around talking to strangers over and over. Since we were making the films for the Asia Society, a nonprofit organization — we always made it clear we were working for an educational institute and not a newspaper. However, sometimes we introduced ourselves as journalists (mostly out of habit) and subjects would almost always become more shut off and more apprehensive about their words or talking to us at all. When we introduced ourselves as film makers, they were much more open to talking to us candidly.

If our work ends up in this gray area it also transplants us as photographers into a gray area with clear costs and benefits. As DSLR shooters we can end up here pretty easily and a lot of it has to do with the technology we use. These films were shot with (what I would call) a very, very basic kit:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
• Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM
• Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM
• Rode VideoMic: On Camera Directional Video Condenser Microphone
• HDV-Z96 LED light
• KesslerCrane Pocketdolly v2.0

With this small kit and a laptop you can produce a feature film or a 2-minute news clip using the same technology. And in this case our product was a (combined) 18-minute feature, or 3-part Web video series. This project started ages ago, with a single photograph I took of a friend’s former neighborhood after it had been half-demolished. From a photograph, to a photo series, to some video clips, to a video, to a video series, to an interactive package — the content developed over the course of a year. It was just a project in my back pocket for a long time. When the Asia Society jumped on board I grabbed friend and journalist Kit Gillet and we began forming content into what you are seeing here.

It’s obviously ok to be both a journalist and a documentary film maker. Or for that matter a photographer, videographer and a sword-swallowing-carnie: but given technologie’s impact on what we do, I think it’s worth a thought early in the process — it might change what you create.

– Jonah M. Kessel is a Beijing-based freelance visual journalist and interactive art director specializing in photography, video, news and Web design.

Sam Morgan Moore has just sent me some info on his latest rig which is designed with the DSLR news shooter in mind. Up till now I’ve had some issues with his designs and they haven’t offered me the functionality I wanted. On first look his new design is a significant improvement and I’d like to try it out. This is what Sam has to say about it:

“I would like to thank Dan here at Dslrnewshooter.com for his consistent critiques of the design of my camera support system. He always re-told me what I already knew, forcing me to push the design further and harder. Like Dan I come from a background of shooting stills for the UK newspapers, although in the last few years I’ve mainly shot for corporates. 

I’ve worked both in the UK and done some foreign assignments in remote spots like Kilimanjaro and the Ecuadorian jungle. I feel I understand the small, light, fast ethos and am desperately keen to keep that in shooting video…while still creating cinematic looking footage.
Halfinchrails is a camera system designed to start as a small, compact shoulder rig that can produce good, simple, stable footage from the shoulder. Shoulder shooters can shoot real time events, construct great sequences by changing POV fast and keep up in the heat of the action by moving their feet, not lugging a tripod.
The rig can build out into a ‘production or cine’ style rig (and also, the part I enjoy most, some extra bits and bobs) and it forms a kind of mini grip system.
You can also purchase individual parts to work with other manufacturer’s systems.

The basic attributes of the S2 RnG Rig for the news shooter are:
Small and light (fits in many shooters bags)
Simple rigid construction
Shoulder, floor or table-top shooting
You can put it down easily on the ground (not on its side like some other rigs)
Shooting stills on the rig is possible
15mm or 1/2inch rod options
Good ergonomics
Cheap and easy to mount a Zoom recorder, or arm for an EVF … or both
Drops straight onto a tripod for interviews etc
Many follow focus options
Instant battery swaps with Canon DSLRs – no need to remove the camera from the rig
Optimised for Really Right Stuff or Manfrotto 501/577 tripod plate solutions
Adjustments allow for lenses from 14mm (full frame) up to 70-200 with one rod length
Works with Loupe/Finder or monitor/EVF for both left- and right-eye shooters of all sizes

You can see more details and purchase the rig over at http://www.halfinchrails.com”

By Oliver Wilkins

New Gourna is a village, not far from Luxor, and these days it’s a pretty dilapidated one. Designed and built sixty years ago by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy – who pioneered the use of sustainable, locally sourced materials and designs to produce affordable housing. Its importance as an architectural and historical site has attracted the attention of the Egyptian government, academics and international organizations such as UNESCO. With a wide-ranging debate developing over its future, we were commissioned to make a short film to give a voice to the people whose opinions have perhaps been heard least: its residents.

Our schedule was tight with only seven days to shoot, edit and deliver the piece. Thankfully the social survey team we were working with had already spent a week on location and had built up a good rapport with the residents and identified potential characters.

The initial plan was to put together a film that demonstrated how the residents themselves are intrinsically linked to Hassan Fathy’s vision of New Gourna. We had two days on location and during our morning recce on day one it became quickly apparent that our preconception of an idyllic community living in adobe architecture wasn’t the full story. Many of the houses were in a bad state and residents expressed a wide variety of opinions on Hassan Fathy, not all of them complimentary. They expressed frustration at issues such as rising groundwater, lack of sanitation and the limitations of expanding the single story adobe architecture in an age of population growth and soaring land prices.

There was also a lot of gossip circulating about what was being planned for the village, with many people using the interviews to express their anger at the authorities over rumours that they might be rehoused in a new location. Knowing that the audience for the film would include government representatives -including the newly appointed Minister of Culture – as well as high level Hassan Fathy theorists, we were well aware that this material needed to be presented very carefully.

We understood that that if the content was too contentious the film would not be screened. During post production some of the more controversial statements and accusations were not used as we felt that this would alienate the intended audience and promote a situation of conflict rather than resolution. Our main aim was to create a film that would open the door for dialogue between the community, the authorities and other decision makers rather than polarize the different groups. During the edit there was a lot of discussion over the trimming of certain quotes, sequencing and the translation of specific words. Ultimately we aimed to strike a balance between fairly representing  the opinions of the residents and delivering a film that would deliver maximum impact on the audience.

The finished film was accepted and screened during the first day of the conference. It sparked strong debate on the inclusion of the village community in the decision-making process, which is what we had hoped.  Sadly  I understand that the village’s potential as a tourist site means that the government had already decided to developed it with hotels and tourist facilities. What will happen to the residents remains to be seen…

Tech Notes:

We shot with a Canon 5DmkII and a T2i. Lens wise we used a 50mm f1.4 for most of the interviews along with the Canon 17-55 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. Sound was recorded on a Zoom H4n with a Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mike. For interior lighting we had two Dedolights and a Litepanel LED. For support we used Manfrotto tripods, the invaluable Manfrotto Magic Arm and Glidecam 2000 stabilizer for walking shots. We also had a Small HD monitor, but set up time meant that we didn’t end up using it, opting instead for the Zacuto Z-Finder.

We also took a couple of very useful bits of homemade kit with us. Firstly, a DIY slider made with parts from industrial drawer parts ordered from IGUS; it works reasonably well with a generous amount of WD40 although it’s noisy. It is very lightweight and I managed to cut it down to suitcase length with a hacksaw.

I also brought a roll of Rosco stipple back from the UK after reading about DOP Roger Deakin’s extensive use of it on the Coen brothers films. Mr Mahmud, the tailor, was a total star and managed to turn it into a very useable reflector at very short notice; we rigged it with a collapsable frame made of plastic piping. It worked very well, giving a large, even bounce with a great soft glow thanks to the stipple – so much better than the round pop up chinese reflectors. We used it for all the interviews, bouncing a huge soft fill light quite some distances.

Oliver Wilkins website is at http://www.oliverwilkins.com/
You can see more of Oliver’s work over on Vimeo.