I've posted a tutorial video and OpenColorIO configurations for Sony Vegas Pro: http://www.jbalazer.com/aces-in-sony-vegas

Intro and Tutorial video:

I've created new IDTs for the Panasonic GH2 and GoPro Protune. IDTs for Canon Log and Panasonic V-Log can also be added, but I need test footage to make sure that the levels are mapped correctly.

This Panasonic GH2 test video demonstrates the effects of exposure compensation in ACES, and shows the useful range of exposure settings for this camera. It also demonstrates that you don't need a log camera to take advantage of ACES. Even a regular Rec.709 camera can be used well with ACES, provided that you have an IDT that accurately transform the video into the linear color space. A log camera has more exposure latitude, of course.

Anyone else interested in this, it came up on my FB feed, Werner Herzog claims this:

“You can learn the essentials of filmmaking on your own within two weeks” - Werner Herzog

I'm not much interested in debating if thats true but I'm interested in watching the Masterclass. BUT I'll be completely straight with you and crucify me if you want but I'm not too sure about paying $90 for an online video. I wonder if it will be torrent able soon enough?

On my own experience, I would say not so sure as I am very pleased with the result I am getting out of my GH1, GH2 and now GH3. And my GH3’s video is not making a huge difference compare to what I got with the GH1 or GH2. I am still using the hacked GH1 every summer, as a copy is stored in my home country (France) and I love its color rendition compare to GH2/3. FYI, I am living and working in China since 9 years.

Every year I am shooting a short movie or an experiment with the hacked GH1. Some complained about the AVCHD format, but I never got problem in post with it as I am using Premiere CS6 on a powerful enough PC (Dell M6400). I also tested heavy color grading without problem on my GH1 footage, as you can see here on the following videos. Sorry one of the short film doesn’t get English sub yet, but I am posting a link to those video for their visual quality first, so enjoy that part. La Deuche from Hell HD (US sub Version) (there is a longer French version too)

Revolverte HD (F)

In China, I am also using my GH camera beside a Panasonic AF100, which is well known to NOT be the most exciting camera on the market (4:2:0 8 bits, AVCHD at 28MB/s, what a shame!). I had to buy an AF100 as no serious client in my field would accept to pay my usual fee (I was working with a HVX200 + Letus Ultimate prior to the AF+GH) if I were shooting with a GH2 only. After 2 jobs my AF100 got paid back and I can enjoy the use of it with my GH2 and GH3 on project now. ,

AVCHD, 4:2:0, bits… Nevertheless, I shot this Making Of video on huge project with my newly arrived AF100 and GH2 (not hacked yet). Production house, agency and client were delighted by the result. I did everything: shooting, lighting (for interview), sound recording and editing… I am a one man crew shooter (kind of MacGyver sometime) and I prefer to keep things, cheap, simple and light. CrossPolo TVC Making OF HD (US)

To keep the story short, since 2012, I had completed bunch of projects with my M43 equipment without any complain from clients (VW, Audi, French Consulate, TV Channel…) and I might invest in the GH4 if it solves the 3 main problems of the GH3: Viewfinder definition (GH3 is a nightmare compare to GH2 for manual focusing) + real video assistance (Peaking + zebra + waveform) + full time display of histogram and sound recording level while shooting.

4K or higher bit rate are not important to me as my video will NEVER be projected on a big screen and the file of the GH3 are already big enough in term of storage. Quality wise, I really like some of my GH1, GH2 or GH3 shots, and I don’t see much of a difference in term of emotion, and I think this is a more important feature for an independent filmmaker than pixel count or comparing numbers on data sheets…

You can see more of my work here: http://vimeo.com/channels/659428/videos

Maria Montez sur le tournage de COBRA WOMAN de Robert SIODMAK ( 1944 )

How do you set manual white balance in shots? Do you use a tool? which one? Or do you just put something white and black in the shot briefly at the start and do everything in post using that as a reference?

Any tips would be helpful!!

How many times do we watch a scene and think - they're lazy - I can do that, it's just package/tool/software/technique.

I find myself thinking the same thing, then I try to get the same results (of course with a lot less resources). Then I find this stuff is hard!

It's not the same as photography, where getting professional results is so much easier. With video it's a case of the weakest link is the one that stands out most. For example you get a great chroma key and you're really proud of the blend on the hair line - then you notice that yellow logo has become a brown logo.

I thought I'd use this post to document some the processes that I'm going through in order to build skills, sometimes a video on PV just unlocks an idea - other times it's a five hundred hour journey. This is where Yak shaving comes in, you set out to do a specific thing, but along the way you end up going down so many sub-tasks that one of them is bound to be shaving a yak.

I'll start with Camera Tracking. So far I've put about 20 hours in, including grabbing various clips to experiment on. Of course it's not just the tracking but the integration of the new objects afterwards.

Anyway, here's the very first attempt:

It's 12 seconds and it's rubbish, but it's enough for me to learn about:

• setting up the tracking points
• what a point cloud is and why some points are pointless
• setting the camera parameters to give the tracker a lock onto the physical measurements
• setting up and moving the ground plane
• making the ground plane invisible (and later making just the shadow of the object visible)
• adding an object in the 3D space
• solving, re-solving (*N) and exporting the rigs

But perhaps mostly, so far it has taught me that long clips are a double extra triple piggy to track.

There are added benefits, besides eliminating the need for an ND, which will inevitably degrade image quality. For one, is an apparent reduction in rolling shutter - which stands to reason, as the sensor read-out is much faster with a faster shutter speed. Another added benefit is that footage recorded at faster shutter speeds plays much more nicely with Twixtor. I don't use Twixtor often, but it's nice to know that if I catch something on my camera that I want to see in ultra slow-motion, I haven't crippled myself with excessive motion blur. On the other hand If I ever feel that my image is lacking motion blur, I just add it in post.

I know that the 180 degree shutter rule is one of the most sanctified laws of filmmaking, along with the 24fps frame rate. I know that people go to great lengths to keep their shutter speed at 2x their frame rate. I just don't really understand why, given that it's not a physical requirement of modern digital cameras.

I will buy one of these to try out seems a lot easier then the wet method and the streaks are really a pain in the ass to clean. If you don't have a sensor loop you will not see the streaks, also they did not show up in the test images that I have shot. However I know that the streaks are there so I always try to get all the streaks out which is a time consuming process. My sensors end up clean as a whistle but the effort and time that it takes is too long. So moving forward this product along with the arctic butterfly will be my method for cleaning sensors.

The other great thing about this method is that usually you have to buy a kit that is specifically made for each camera sensor size. So for example if you have a FX, DX and M/43 cameras you need to have 3 different kits to clean your sensors. So this is another benefit to using this system as opposed to the traditional wet cleaning method.

There are a couple features I wanted to highlight as I think they're pretty great, especially on something you run in a web browser

• Rich text editing
• Mirroring (horizontal and vertical)
• Dual-screen capable - this gives you the ability to have an operator and a talent screen
• Configurable shortcuts (keyboard / control surface / presentation remote)
• Save unlimited scripts in the cloud
• Access on any device - web, tablet or smartphone
• Fully offline capable - once you load it, you can run it in the field without an internet connection

These are just some and more features will come as more people tell me what they need. I want this to be the best web-based teleprompter solution out there and you can help make that happen!

You can sign up for the beta right now which will give you at least 90 days access to the full EasyPrompter Pro in exchange for your feedback.

You can sign up at https://www.easyprompter.com/beta

Thank you!

Looking to step up your photography game? Alison’s new ‘Introduction to Digital Photography’ course will help you gain the critical knowledge and skills to capture perfect pictures. This free online course is an updated and more detailed replacement of the old Harvard University Digital Photography course from the Alison platform and is easily accessible to anyone keen to learn photography that will help to master the art and craft of digital photography.

The new introductory course contains 11 modules that gives you an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge and understanding of digital photography, including the basic features of digital cameras, working with a digital camera, processing and formatting and the different photography styles - be it landscape, street or wildlife photography. The course also offers a detailed view of the history of photography and its origin. With the help of this course you will get better acquainted with handling a digital camera and helping you go beyond just the automatic settings on a camera. Post completion of this course you will be able to develop your own unique style of photography by mastering the techniques of digital photography.

Commenting on the successful publication of this course, Alison CEO Mike Feerick said, “In today’s digital world, creating good images is about upholding quality and nurturing creativity. The new Introduction to Digital Photography course offers you the opportunity to master the technicalities involved in photography to help you take professional pictures. This course will be great learning to have, whether you are starting your first photography lesson or are looking to brush up your already well-practiced photography skills.”

Following the Introductory course, Alison has further, more advanced digital photography courses in production as follow-up courses based on the different levels of the learner’s journey. There will be 3 courses for each level - Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced which will be released in the coming months.

https://alison.com/course/introduction-to-digital-photography

The plan is to go through some of the following steps involved:

• Preparations
• Questions
• Light and sound
• Shooting
• Editing
• Delivery

Let's start with the Questions: During an interview, what kind of questions would you ask to get the person to talk about his or her business?

I was planning to ask some of these questions to get the ball rolling:

• Who are you?
• What kind of work do you do?
• What can you provide your customers with?
• Why did you start doing this?
• How do you know you're on the right track with your business?
• What inspires you?

This is a clip that got me inspired on the psychology of interviews, I especiallt like the tip on sending the questions ahead of the interview and then start off by saying: "You know all those questions I sent you in advance? Let's forget about them and just have a conversation!":

Feel free to critizise and add your thoughts on the process!

Happy shooting!

http://www.personal-view.com/faqs/camera-usage/recommended-books-faq

Already added few books.

And want to ask you to post your favourite books here, so I could add best ones.

Interesting in terms of lighting, composition, and general cinematographic approach - how does it relate to the story, characters, atmosphere

Let me start with some random examples,

Man on Wire (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/

Interview with the main guy in the film is done in very minimalistic way. He emerges from the darkness, just like his story unravels from his memory, presented in very suspenseful manner.

http://imgur.com/lglkTFe

X-ray Audio

This is very good documentary about production and distribution of 'prohibited' records cut onto x-ray sheets in USSR times. Really interesting topic and characters. The film features interviews with people who were involved in that seemingly crazy actions back in the days. Interviews show their passion and determination despite the danger they put themselves into. But they are also very funny and original characters:

This man surrounded with bunch of items that directly correlate to his story:

http://imgur.com/rf3nLGo

Or this guy filmed on location that bring us to the atmosphere of back alleys where 'trades' usually took place. I particularly like the light setup of this one:

http://imgur.com/UOwt0TI

Just few examples for now, but hopefully this can grow.

*How do I put images in text, i tried with some code from markdown wiki but links appeared broken?

https://sites.google.com/site/marclevoylectures/home

Many images we as photographers take are just to create a very nice image. We're not thinking at the time we're using the camera about how that image will be treated in post-processing, then sized, framed/matted and placed in a particular space in a particular home with the planned intent to affect the emotions of the people living in that space. But if you stop to think about the aesthetics and emotional "content" of our living spaces, it can be very worthwhile to think ahead and create something ... satisfying. Worth viewing and worth living "around".

We have sought training and experience to do things differently: we work with our clients to plan out an image that will go in a specific place, and will have a specific emotional feel and bring that feel to that space. This is a process where size matters; composition matters; distance of viewers near/far matters; color schema matters; family inter-personal dynamics matters; space available matters. It's a much more complicated way to approach photographing your subjects. It's very much like trying to get all the emotional information from a movie scene into one still image placed in one space.

And when done really well, clients often shed tears when the image/s first go up into place. It can have that much effect on the feel of the room.