Donatello,

the other trailers are two feature films in post production. TRIO and ONE AMONG OTHERS. They will be finished some time in september-october and are shot entirely with the PD1P one chip (1/2") camera. ONE AMONG OTHERS where shot inspired by Rob Nilssons Direct Action Cinema Minifest. Mr Nilsson is a friend of mine and I am working on a documentary about him (in San Francisco). Those of you that read RES Magazine might have read his last page collumns.

TRIO (In Swedish)
http://www.operafilm.com/trio.html

ONE AMONG OTHERS (In Swedish)
http://www.operafilm.com/eba.html

I have much respect for Rob Nilsson and read his column regularly. Very cool that you're working with him. Thanks for sharing that,

Chris,

of course I always enjoy your contributions to RES. Keep up the good work! Too bad we don't have any magazines in the vein of RES in Scandinavia. I wrote articles on DV hardware and software in the one we had a while ago. The magazine died with the dot com death thing. Did some work for MacWorld too. I've been thinking on translating my articles and publish them on the web since I always tried to do them in tutorial style. "How to fake gun fire using Commotion" etc. If I get the time I will do it.

Martin, I would be more than happy to run your articles on dvinfo.net, with links back to your own pages. Just let me know,

PAL is higher resolution, as well as a frame rate close to film's. The higher the resolution, the better the transfer will look. But if you go into this blindly, you're going to have problems. You first have to decide on the film transfer lab. One here in Vancouver specializes in NTSC interlaced transfers. Others prefer PAL non-interlaced. Some also prefer a 16:9 format. Finally, you have to decide if you're going to have the bread. But I think the most important thing is skill---skill in the story writing, and skill in directing and producing.

Swordfish & Veritas
 

I saw Swordfish on HBO and if you are quick, you'll see the FBI, using the XL-1 with a big Canon(500mm/for 35mm lens)

Tonight I watched a movie pilot for the fall tv season. It was based on an archaeology theme type (Indiana Jones type), contemporary drama.

Yup, they (the actors) use an XL-1 to record their findings in the temple.

Look for it this fall.

Bruce

the wedding video guys in "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez have an XL-1 also saw the XL-1 in RollerBall(I got free tickets to see RollerBall, so glad I didn't pay to see it).

When I see an XL-1 in a movie or video, I tell my wife, "Look, they're using the same camera as me!" by now she just says, yeah, yeah, whatever, although she gets tired of me pointing out the XL-1's, I never get tired of seeing them used in films/videos.

I forgot to mention my favorite xl-1 sighting in "The Spy Who Shagged Me" saw it before I bought my XL-1. Yeah, Baby!!!

The XL-1 also features in Vertical Limit - I believe when they are at base camp and there's a load of people around.

Kai.

Wow
 

I'm extremely impressed with it... Had no problem with the guy outside personally. I actually like the fact that there's no dialogue, and your great sound design makes it much more intense in a way.
A great short story executed very well.


Kai.

OK!!!! That's it!!!! The XL1 is no longer the punk camera it used to be...IT"S SOLD OUT!!!!! I'm going back to VHSC

adrian,
in that case, John and I will flip for your camera, better yet, we'll junken for it.

Rik, it's PAL, not much good in downtown Osaka. John Locke arrives here on the 21st of this month so if your going to be in town drop one of us a line for a brew down.

so far it looks like the weekend of June 15th, there is a big Gothic/Industrial event at the Liquid Room and I'll know for sure about a week before that if I can make it. As soon as I know if I'll be going then I'll let you guys know. Unless I have a wedding to video tape on the 16th, I'm there.

Smallville (WB Network)
 

I recall reading somewhere that the WB TV show "Felicity" is edited using Final Cut Pro and I do recall reading that one of the shows producers (or something like that) is a big Mac fan and hence the dorm shots almost always shows a Mac or iMac of some sort- they always seem to have a Canon GL1 on hand if an epsiode shows someone video-recording...knowing that the WB is using prosumer grade equipment (to an extent anyway) would anyone know if the show "Smallville" also follows this trend? There's a Mac in just about every episode (Chloe uses them for her reports) and it sometimes has a certain "look" that I'm noticing on some of the newer WB shows...just wondering if either Final Cut Pro or DV cameras are being used in producing any of these new tv shows......

thanks to anyone in the know who might offer any info....

(..would I love to see the show being taped in Vancouver....maybe someday)

The presence of the Macs is "product placement" -- a commerical deal that companies generally pay for, sometimes they pay quite a bit. Both shows you mention are aimed at a demographic Apple surely wants to market to. I doubt the machines are in the shots just because the director's a fan of Macs.

Other notable Mac product placements: Sienfeld had Macs in his apartment. C.J., the press secretary character on the West Wing, uses a TiPowerBook I think.

I've actually heard of this- was just hoping our DV "tech-hobby" was mainstreaming....

....the quest continues....

(thanks for the reply)

NTSC frame mode to 35mm
 

just picked up a info sheet on a movie called "someBody"
shot on 2 NTSC XL 1 in frame mode (YES it says NTSC) , standard 16x and 3x canon lens, sound recorded to tape w/me66 mic's ( 1 on boom , other mt.on camera) , edited offline on discrete edit system - onlined on FAST Silver system.
transferred to 35mm at swiss effects, answer print by deluxe, release prints Magno lab link NYC

opened april 26 sunshine cinemas NYC
opened may 3 greenway , houston TX , Bethesda row cinema , Bethesda, MD, and angelica film center NY

OPENS MAY 17 sunset 5 ,LA, & Galaxy, SF california

i have NOT seen it ...this will tell us what NTSC frame mode looks like transferred to 35mm

has anybody seen it ?? ..

it did play at sundance but was screened digital ( digibeta master up converted to HDCAM at roland house ..

all info came from a printed sheet that you can pick up at birns & sawyers info wall ( near camera checkout)in LA

i would like to check this out....

if you have anymore info about it please post!

I wonder how he's going to cope with the black lines problem that the xl1s' have. Crop for even less resolution? I would have thought something like that would bother him.

The film transfer house he's contracted to take this to 35mm will deal with it by cropping, no doubt. They have to do that anyway to get a proper aspect ratio for the theaters. Pretty sure it's not much of an issue for him.

Ahh of course Chris. He's using the 16:9 aspect guide bars so the lines along the bottom aren't a problem...Silly me!

They still haven't seem to fixed that image problem on that
site... duh

Chris W. --

belated congrats on your documentary; sorry I didn't know about the screening here in DC (just today looking into Chris H.'s fine bevy of forums here).

cheers,
d.i.

Angel --

I'd like to look at your trailer -- the project sounds interesting. When I go to the web page for the trailer --
http://www.paganiniblues.com/tring.html
I get choice of 3 resolutions, but none of them are working for me. I have Windows Media Player, and there's a viewer present, and it indicates the brief, quick start of a download, but then it says done and nothing has been seen or heard. Is the trailer still available, or available in some other form?

Looking forward to seeing what you're doing, if poss...

d.i.

hi david, i think you must have quick time 5 to see the clips.
hope this help.

angel

Angel,
cool website, and your movie looks great, would love to see it when it comes out. Glad to have found another person into dv from the same area, I'm from El Chuco, but right now out here in japan. Seeing the shot in your trailer at Scenic Drive was nice, brought back memories. Haven't been back to ELP in 4 years, but the next time I go back(later this year or early next year) I'll let you know, would be good to hook up and shoot something. buena suerte con tu video.

hey rik, what do you do tan lejos?
oye dejame aclararte que yo no dirijo el documental, solo hice una parte de la fotografia, todo lo que lleva glidecam, grua y dolly, ademas de otras tomas, pero como mi ingles es muy malo, creo que no lo explique bien en my primer post.
ahora estoy por terminar un documental mio, y espero pronto tener la pagina web para subir el trailer.
saludos desde juarez, y cuando andes por aca avisa.

Angel,
estuve aqui 12 anos pasados para visitar un amigo y me gusto mucho a Japon y ya tengo 11 anos aqui. Nunca escribo en espanol, pardona me pasi no escribo bien. Mi esposa es Japonesa and hablamos en ingles, pero cuando hablo en espanol, es como 60% espanol y 40% japones y aqui casi no hablo en espanol. Todos mis amigos son Americanos, Australianos, Japoneses.

Cuando tienes tu documental terminado, yo y tambien todos las personas en este dv groupo, querremos mirarlo. Este groupo es el mas chingon DV groupo, todos las personas con que ha escribo son buena gente y el jefe, Chris, el ha hecho un cosa muy internacional, ya puedo habla con personas de differentes paises que estan en DV como yo.(Translation: Chris! You the man!)

mucho gusto a conocerte,
saludos desde Osaka

Me and the xl1 are News-hawks!
 

Just sold some footage of a fire (nothing that truly exciting) to local news. Obviously they loved it compared to normal footage by "bystanders."

Can't wait to see how it looks cut with their 2/3" cams!!!!!

Anybody know what a fair price is?

And what if it's "excusive" use? They've got to be a bit different, right?

Of course if it were some real news, or really good footage it could go higher, but any guidelines?

Just seems that after I do my laundry to get the smoke out (let alone my lungs), I'm not getting much!

If you didn't make a lot of money, at least you made a connection with the news people. Who knows, maybe next time you will get some more good footage of something else and at least now you will know someone to call up and offer to sell the footage to.

BTW, I wonder how much money the people made from selling their footage of the WTC, the shot of the plane going into the tower. Maybe they didn't sell it but instead gave over the footage as evidence. Anyone know the story behind those shooters?

Don't know if it's true but while talking about it someone told me it's best to make a copy of the footage in case the police try to claim it as evidence, then you can't sell the footage. I don't know how situations like this are handled, maybe you can ask the news people what the going rates are and about handing over the footage to the police.

The first WTC hit was recorded by the Naudet brothers with a PD150. They were the ones doing the Fire Dept. training video on the street that morning. These are the French guys who went on to do that heavy CBS 9/11 documentary from a couple months ago, which DeNiro introduces. I have it recorded, but have yet to bring myself to watch it. The Naudets recovered expenses only and donated all other proceeds to charity.

The second WTC hit was recorded by various news agencies, all from more or less the same vantage point from another building rooftop, the CNN version being the most well known. There was one angle looking up from street level, to my eye it was the most distressing shot to watch of all. It was recorded by a doctor using a single-chip DV camcorder, possibly a Sony. This video made the rounds on all the agencies, and CNN and Fox showed more of his subsequent recordings in an interview with him during the days shortly after. I do not know if he was compensated or not.

Personally I often wrestle with the moral delimma of catching tragic events on tape. Surely they are news-worthy but accepting money for them is something I have to think about privately. I guess if there were no loss of human life, I could take the money. Anything involving a fatality however I would be most reluctant. Some news stringers out there make their bread and butter shooting this type of video on a daily basis.

XL1 in plain view on Travel Channel
 

Anybody else catch the series "African Tightspots" on the Travel Channel? Quite a bit of XL1 or XL1S material in that show, with the camera itself appearing on screen fairly often.

my documentary will be finished in july, i hope next month the webpage is online to put the trailer.
as you said this is a great forum to exchange ideas with other dv filmmakers in the world, sadly my english is too bad, so i dont participate too much, but i ever read the post.

saludos desde juarez.
angel

I know what you're saying about the morality dilema. I chose not to shoot a clip of the co's truck by the fire. I know it would have been an exclusive shot and probably used. I knew there was construction at the site and assumed they were probably involved (which it sounds like a heat gun was being used). I sort of kick myself for not shooting it, but also feel good for not slamming them. It was newsworthy, but not necessary.

So I can see how our editorializing (sp?) can have impact. Even worse, that I should shoot it all and let the real editors have that final say which I may regret.


PS I admit to being and indoor shooter and after looking at my (outdoor) footage in my NLE, it was about the poorest footage ever. Handheld (thank God for steadyshot), blown highlights (good shadows). What the heck was I thinking at the time!!!!! Still it held up. They had some OK footage from another angle, but mine was way better (image quality) than the sky cam which was used a lot.

They edited like crap. I don't know if it was done digitally, I doubt it. Used aweful zoom footage vs the fixed shots that followed. Weird

Time value of news?
5 PM - 1 minute
6 PM - 30 sec.
10 PM - 10 sec. although the story focus changed for addt'l time (where's my wedding going to take place now that the hall burned?)

Yes I just happened to have seen it, I think. This was a National Geographic production? No wait, I think what I am recalling is something on the National Geographic Channel I saw this last week or so.

There was a sequence of a guy wading into a stream with a xl1s on a monopod to get a shot of a herd of elephants walking into a stream.

It looked to me as if they were cutting between the footage from the xl1s and footage little better camera. The contrast of the footage from the xl1s was not the best -- detail in the shadows was not good. The other camera was much more evenly exposed.

Also I saw an xl1 on the Outdoor Channel a couple of days ago on some fishing show. Don't know if the show was shot on an xl1 however.

If the fellow with the XL1 on a monopod was a heavy-set guy named Mark, then yes, that's the one I saw... I agree the other angle was shot by a better cam... but the color match was pretty good despite the flaws you and I both noticed.

mucho interesante
 

Angel,

Finalamente [am hoping mi poco Italiano stands in por Espanol] I got Quicktime and took a look at the Paganini trailer -- so this is the work that will be finished in July? Que lindo trailer. Makes one want to see the full work.

Look forward to seeing more en futura.

gracias,
david

hi david, yous spanish is as well (or as bad) as my english, so i can understand you.
im not the director of "el blues de paganini", i just make part of the photography, the documentary that will be finished in july is one that im directing, and what i hope soon can be put the trailer online.
el blues de paganini must be finished this year.

gracias.
angel

I think the heavy set guy shoots his XL-1 in the greenbox mode. I noticed the focus going in and out while the lioness was eating, gnawing on a bone. The focus continued to change between the bone and her face.
Bruce

I stand corrected. The program was on the Travel Channel. I happened across the rebroadcast and this time I watched for awhile longer.

Now I think the xl1 held its own quite well against the other camera -- esp. in the cheetah sequence. The elephants in the stream sequence, on second viewing, looked back-lit a bit.

So perhaps it all does come down to what Chris has said it does in other places -- lighting.