The Canon 7D Digital Workflow for Comedy Web Series “The Eggie Files”
Check out my first entry as a guest blogger for Converge - a UK based education blog about film making.
Snehal Patel
www.fearlessproductions.tv
Check out my first entry as a guest blogger for Converge - a UK based education blog about film making.
Snehal Patel
www.fearlessproductions.tv
Inspired by the emergence of short films made on iphones, I decided to put the video capabilities of my Samsung Captivate Galaxy S phone to the test. I'm wrote a little sci-fi story that will be filmed on the phone and edited on my laptop using Final Cut Pro.
The Samsung Galaxy S phones can shoot pretty good looking HD quality at 720p, but it need a bunch of lighting to expose it well. This means that the camera has to be continuously "on" while the set is lit, allowing us to see what the image will look like. Too bad the battery life of these babies is notoriously short. While researching ways to keep the phone going longer without keeping it plugged into an AC outlet (which could really screw it up if there is a power spike), my production assistant came across batteries by Mugen Power.
When I contacted Mugen and told them about our project, they decided to support our work and sent over a couple of their 3200mAh batteries made specifically for the Captivate. These batteries have over twice the juice of the 1500mAh batteries that come standard in the phone, but the capacity comes at a price. The new battery is twice as thick as the original, so Mugen supplies a new battery door to replace the stock one.
As you can see, my phone grew quite a bit fatter. Yet the new heft is definitely worth it. After a couple of full battery charge cycles, I can see an enourmous difference in battery life. I can be on the web, taking photos and playing games all day and I'll still have a charge at night. That was absolutely never the case with the stock battery. I put the phone's video camera through the paces. I was able to shoot video without worrying about the battery counter flashing warnings at me.
The way I convert the footage to use for editing, is by downloading it to my computer through USB and then using Apple Compressor to make Quicktime files in ProRes Format. I leave the frame rate and size in native form when transcoding. It can always be resized later in Final Cut.
Stay tuned for more news about the Android Phone Short Film project from www.FearlessProductions.tv
Snehal Patel
Director/DP
While working on a design for a Porche collector, Thomas (SoItIs4u.com) and I were discussing how the process of manipulation changes the way an image speaks to the audience. We color and light and image to portray a certain emotion or idea.
I took this original photograph on a Canon at 400 ISO with a 320 shutter speed using an 85mm closed down to an f-stop of 8. We were traveling 50 miles per hour around the bend so it's good that I got the shot in focus.
In the second level of correction, the image is contrasted and vignetted so that the eye goes straight to the car.
The final effect is exactly what we are looking for. On to the next one!
This is a presentation of my Video Blog Proposal to BMW/Mini for the Mini E experiment. Created in Feb 2009.
I learned a lot about proposing and organizing my thoughts and I have used these lessons on every subsequent pitch I have done. I always fret over the quality of everything I hand in because my job is to create an image, so anything visual I output must be top notch.
Snehal Patel
www.FearlessProductions.tv
Coming soon to a computer, laptop, mobile device, tablet, Google TV, gaming console and kitchen-based web touch pad near you.
Snehal PatelI'll be in New York for a DSLR workshop on December 11 & 12 from Noon to 6pm. This StudentFilmmakers.com workshop will be about using Canon DSLR cameras for professional produtions. I'll be teaching how to best exploit the technolgy to achieve amazing results.
https://www.studentfilmmakers.com/store/product.php?productid=17837&cat=2...
Here's a promo made by Manny, a fan of Indian Gangster. I think I need to make it into a feature length movie now.
Snehal
Snehal Patel Shoots a Music Video With Available Light
Posted by Michael Britt on October 12, 2010 · http://photocinenews.com/2010/10/12/snehal-patel-shoots-a-music-video-with-av..." title="Tweet this article." rel="nofollow">Twitter · Facebook · Reddit
Snehal Patel sent me a link to this music video he shot with almost all existing light.
The story is that I called Samrat up while he was visiting LA and asked him if he wanted to make a music video in his spare time. This video was filmed by myself and international cinematographer Peter Holland. We used a Canon 5D on loan from Canon and nothing else. The only lighting we used was an Arri 300w in the apartment scene. Everything else was filmed with available light. I wanted to see how much the camera could be pushed. I wasn’t bothered by grain or noise in the image as long as the story was clear. There was no crew and no other equipment. Just the camera and an interesting idea.
So Far, Where Do I Go From Here MUSIC VIDEO from Snehal Patel on Vimeo.
In addition to HDSLRs being small and inexpensive, the ability to shoot in low light has really helped fuel the HDSLR filmmaking movement. Several of the speakers at the recent PhotoCine Expo talked about how shooting in low light has helped them achieve shots that they would never have been able to get using traditional filmmaking efforts. Shane Hurlbut ASC has talked about this extensively starting with the webisodes he shot for Terminator Salvation where he used practicals and a small Litepanels hotshoe mounted LED light. He also lit a street scene in Vietnam using a long string of cafe lights and by bouncing a small hmi off of a church in the background. Vincent Laforet shot Nocturne using pretty much only street lights at night and Alex Buono shot the SNL cast opening credit scenes around NY at night without any lighting except a small LED catch light.
As the sensors in these cameras become more and more light sensitive, you will soon see a day where truckloads of lighting gear sit collecting dust in Hollywood. For now, use the common wisdom of these talented filmmakers who break the cameras down based on maximum usable sensitivity.
- Canon 7D – Optimal up to 1250 ISO
- Canon 5D MkII – Optimal up to 1600 ISO
- Canon 1DsMkIV – Optimal up to and over 3200 ISO
This isn’t saying that you can’t stretch the sensitivity a bit when needed but for the best results use the above list as a guide.
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Snehal Patel – Thinking Big
Posted by John on October 6, 2010Aloha… Halloween is near and our October clinic arrives none too late… Snehal Patel blew our collective minds here at Horse-Drawn Productions with his seminar discussing tips, techniques and best procedures for musicians to make their own music videos. He had an impressive collection of video works which have been showcasing at film festivals all over the world. Although it felt as if Snehal were a king throwing gold coins at beggars and swine, I tried to absorb as much of his vast wealth of knowledge as my feeble mind possibly could in two plus hours… but thankfully, Snehal was always very forthcoming and clear about the pertinent details for every topic… I will attempt to lay them out as I understand them… So here they are…
#1- Storyline!!! – THE GOLDEN RULE! Tell A Story!
Without a story, your art is trash… or just art for art’s sake which is alright but a good story goes a long way and may be around forever. And one can never discount the fact that a Great Story can change your world… change your mind… change your life… hell… take a look at the “King James” Bible or the Qu’ran … Now there are some music videos just waiting to happen…
#2 – GET HELP! Don’t Be afraid to work with those that are better than you
Find the people who are shooting music videos in your area… some of them very well may be your friends or family… GET THEM INVOLVED!… Find people in the field you know and love and say, hey, “I want to work with you, no matter what it takes!” and get it done! People want to help out, people want to make cool stuff so do your best to bring them together! Go to art schools, music schools, film schools and find students. THEY WILL WORK FOR FREE… They are hungry for projects, probably have access to some decent or even high-quality gear and just want to learn and do great things. Just make sure you check your “help’s” work as you don’t want to be stuck on set with a cinematographer who doesn’t know a lens from a lozenge and then you have to figure out how to work the camera yourself and you both look like runny eggs and burnt toast. You can always find professionals on www.mandy.com or www.entertainmentcareers.com.
#3 Plan Ahead
-MAKE A BUDGET – Food, rentals, labor, etc… Remember that when it comes to rentals, most places count the weekend as one day so you can really squeeze a lot out of a weekend with your rented gear.
If you can shoot for free, guerrilla style, DO IT but we aren’t recommending or condoning any unlawful or degenerate activity. I wouldn’t hesitate to throw a scumbag out of my store for trying to film illegitimately so please… ask permission… or don’t get caught!
Better Planning Yields a Better Product – The more you do in pre-production, the more time and headaches you will save yourself while shooting and editing… so plan your shots and storyboards far ahead of time. Know exactly what your vision is, well in advance, so that when you get to the shot the light is right, the make up is good and the talent is fresh and feeling inspired. At which point, all you have to say is, “Action!” and nail the shot.
Make sure your days get done. Make a plan and do your best to stick to it but don’t rush and definitely don’t sweat the small things. Have plenty of help with you so that you don’t get yourself bogged down with details. Don’t be detracted! Use others to the best of their abilities. Help them to help you to help them. AYUDAME!!!
Make your first shot Quick and Easy. That way, it jump starts your shoot. Your people feel as if they’ve gotten something done and it sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you try to tackle a tough shot first thing in the morning and it turns out to be a real hack and slash job, imagine how damaged and post-traumatic your crew and talent will be by midnight… Throw yourself and everybody else a bone and make the first shot of the day a “ringer.”
#4 Think Big, Start Small!
One Minute of Music = One Day of Shooting – Keep it simple. Be realistic and give yourself time to get it right. Enjoy the journey and all of the lessons that come with it. On your first few videos don’t overdo it. Make framing and focus the goals and let the story tell itself. Don’t try to rely on fancy effects, use cuts to create a smooth storyline.
Sound – All you need is a boom box for playback but there are many options you can use for recording. A hand held Zoom recorder can be very handy but the camera mic can do the trick in a pinch since you will be using the studio quality recording for audio anyways.
Editing – Editing is, by far, the longest process for making any kind of video. Getting through edit, approval, coloring, FX, flow, titles and music can take weeks so give your editor time to get things done. Never rush because good art takes time. Also be available and present to help out. Stay on top of the project but don’t smother your assistance… Be there to help not hinder.
#5 The Final Cut
When you finally finish your video it is important to get it out there to develop a fan base or community of people to watch it. There are 2 primary websites which you can post to so that the World Wide Web can view your art. The first is Vimeo.com, and they are more selective about the videos they post and the second is Youtube.com. Make sure you give credit to EVERYBODY involved and embed the text into your video. The more text you include, the more gratuitous your Search Engine Optimization will be. That means that the more names you drop in the credits, the more easily your video will be found on Google or other search engines. Upload consistently. Keep those fresh works of art coming and people will keep coming back to your work and want to see more. Also, submit your works to music video festivals. That way you can be sure that the people who are watching music videos see your work and know about you.
#6 NEVER STOP CREATING!!!
Always be thinking of new and innovative projects and try to stay a few steps ahead of everybody else. Never lose sight of the most important step either, #1… The storyline.
I would like to personally thank Snehal for sharing some of his oceanic hoard of enlightening and helpful information. He truly is a King among beggars and swine. You can follow up with him and learn more about what he does at www.fearlessproductions.tv.
Next month’s clinic will be a GENERAL MUSIC clinic featuring Robert Coates and Eric Yoder. Afterward we will be hosting an open jam so bring your instruments, bring your friends and byob.
That’s it for me… Time to start working on my own colossal backlog of videos… Among all of the motivating lessons that Snehal left me with, having a DEADLINE is one of the most important ones for me… That and
THINK BIG, START SMALL
Cheerio
J. Bomh
I had a great time hanging out with my buddy Eric and his crew while I was in Chicago recently. He had asked me to speak at one of his music studio's clinics about how to go about making a video. Jackson put together this great blog about the workshop.
Snehal
Director/DP
Snehal Patel
Director/DP
www.FearlessProductions.tv
That's Melissa Roy hangin' with me. Fletch from TheAssociation.tv hands me the rig while manning our booth at PhotoCine Expo.
Snehal Patel
DP/Director
www.FearlessProductions.tv
You might hear opinions that the Canon 5D’s 4.2.0 color space can’t deliver good keys for green screen. Well, here’s the word from the trenches. Something you can count on. The Canon 5D MarkII’s green screen shots keyed beautifully. (for more data on 4.2.0 color space got to bottom of this article*)
We did green screen tests prior to the shoot and they looked great. So, the client gave us the “green light”.
Tom Myrdahl, D.P. at The Association, sets up green screen shot.
GREEN SCREEN LOOKING GOOD…
We shot the green screen on location. The sun was our light source. So we could shoot at ISO 100. White cards below and to the sides of the talent gave a nice edge.
As Snehal tells our students in our Canon Bootcamps, always triple save your shots. So, while we were backing up the shots onto two other hard drives, we checked to make sure the key was good (see below).
Snehal Patel makes sure the Canon 5D's green screen shot keys well.
EVERY WEEK A NEW SHOOT…
We are shooting with the Canon 5D or 7D every week. Green screen, under water, on jibs, process trailers, motorcycles…and we’ve been nothing but pleased with the results.
THE “LOOK” of 35mm film for half the price…
Our clients love how the Canon maximizes their budget and gives them shots as pretty as 35mm film.
IT’S DIGITAL FILM…
We totally agree with Gale Tattersall (D.P. on “House, M.D.”) and Shane Hurlbutt (D.P. on “Terminator: Salvation” and his famous “The Last Three Minutes”) – the Canon DSLR delivers images that bring the excitement back to fine filmmaking. The Canon delivers rich blacks with no noise in low light conditions. It doesn’t do “video freak out” when a bright light source enters the frame. It has a delicious, short depth of field. Plus, editing is a snap. This camera’s a game changer.
YOUR CHOICE: Take our Canon Bootcamp OR Hire one of our trained Canon DSLR crews…
You’ve got two options: 1) Learn the Canon DSLR at our Canon Boot Camp (http://www.canonbootcamp.com).
2) Or if you prefer, hire a fully trained crew to shoot your next production with the Canon DSLR. Our crews are shooting with it every week.
Either way, give us a call 818 841-9660.
It’s the future. It’s cool. And it’s here. Tested. Proven. Fantastic.
*….about 4.2.0 color space. The issue is dealt in depth in the blog <http://www.cinema5d.com/viewtopic.php?f=64&p=76648> , but the simple answer is “the workflow that works the best for us (for RedOne and 5D mark II footage) is to transcode the footage to ProRes 4.2.2. Of course we could do 4.4.4 but we decided that it was a bit overkill, considering the fact that at the end, it will be at best some mpeg4 from the local broadcasters (digital tv).”
“The reason why we convert the 5D files to ProRes is the ability the ProRes has to not deteriorate with generations (renders, movies, etc). Also, when everything is native to the sequence setting, rendering is kept to a minimum. Everything that has to be rendered also (subtitles, texts, pictures, etc) all look better when working in a prores sequence compared when we tried in a sequence with the native clips from the 5D (h264).”
The proof is in the pudding. Green screen can be filmed with a 5D.
My latest music video with singer/actor/artist Samrat Chakrabarti is going to be shown at the 'Filmi' film festival of Toronto this weekend!
Credits:
Artist - Samrat Chakrabarti
Director/Cinematographer - Snehal Patel
Cinematographer - Peter Holland
Actress - Shikha Jain
Editor - Dan Perrett
Color - Brandon Lindquist
3D FX - Solomon
Filmi - www.filmi.org
This festival is celebrating it's 11th year.
Snehal Patel
Director/DP
www.fearlessproductions.tv
Yet another Smooth-E hit. This is our second video for the board game "Loaded Questions." Eric Schwartz created yet another catchy track for this interesting board game. We love working with these guys.
5D on Faithful setting
Edited in Final Cut
Look created in Magic Bullet Looks
Loaded Questions has a contest - if you name all 45 games Smooth-E raps about in the video, you can win a free game!
Behind the Scenes pics -
http://picasaweb.google.com/snehalmp/LoadQuestionIGotGame?authkey=Gv1sRgCNXsu...
As told by The Association:
Kevin Shahinian of Pacific Pictures and creator of a new genre of wedding films, starting with his Indian wedding extravaganza, "The City of Lakes" is at it again, this time with a new twist - gangsters and wild motorcycle chases for his newest short, "Flawless".
Kevin hired Snehal Patel to produce this film, and together they chose the Canon 5D Mk II camera to shoot their action adventure.
With most of the filming taking place at night, the 5D is coming through magnificently, both in image quality and reduction in set-up time since less lighting equipment is needed to get the shots in the "can". Gaffer Tom Myrdahl said he "is amazed at the images the 5D can produce in the low-light, nighttime scenarios".
The next Canon DSLR Boot Camp for the Canon 5D & 7D is Saturday, August 21st from 1-6pm in Santa Monica.
Snehal Patel can be reached at snehal@theassociation.tv
A new video by SmoothE.tv and Fearless Productions. It will appear on E! Network's "Daily 10" show tonight 6:30/7:30 Central
Shot at The Association (www.theassociation.tv) with a Canon 5D MKII. Who say's you can't do greenscreen with a still camera? I filmed with good exposure and make sure the subject was in sharp focus by raising the ISO a bit so that I could stop down the aperature to 5.6/6.3. We didn't have much trouble at all knocking out the green in Final Cut using Primatte Keyer Pro. I created all animation in After Effects and composited the layers in Final Cut. Natress filters were used for the film look.
