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Open Discussion: Why Go Retro?

By on May 31, 2011

Nikon D3s PolaroidHey all, Erik here with a quick guest post about a subject that’s raised a lively debate in our studio. Everyone on our crew has long been shooting with Polaroids, rangefinders, micro 4/3 cameras adapted to accept vintage lenses…even processing digital images to look like they came out of an old dusty camera. Surveying the landscape, it’s clear this tide has been rising for a while now and we’re not the only ones attached to this stuff. So the question I present to you is this:

Why is retro or faux-retro photography so popular these days?

Why, when we have such capable and inexpensive cameras at our disposal, are we reverting to old technology and old aesthetics? Is it pure nostalgia? Is it a palette cleanser from the ease and accuracy of said capable and inexpensive cameras?  Is it a passing trend? We have opinions–especially Chase does as you might expect–but we’d like to hear from you.

The Passage of Time [60 Second Landscape Results]

By on May 20, 2011

Hey friends, Erik here with the results from the 60 Second Landscape challenge I issued a two weeks ago today. We were blown away by the volume and quality of your entries, and we’re excited to show you our 4 favorites. Chase’s personal fav is above, 3 other freshies after the jump. Hit ‘continue reading’ Continue Reading →

60 Second Landscape Challenge

By on May 6, 2011

Erik here with a quick little weekend video challenge for y’all.  In the spirit of Chase’s 60 Second Portraits, we’ve been toying with AND wanna see some of YOUR… 60 Second Landscapes. 

So here’s a challenge from us to you: Grab your video-capable capturing device and hit the streets/mountains/beaches/what-have-you’s and roll a quick one minute on the best landscape you can find. Perhaps shoot a bunch and then select your favorite. Then, post your results to YouTube with a “Chase Jarvis Weekend Challenge” tag and post a link in the comments section of this post so we can see ‘em and share ‘em.  If you feel like following some rules, we’ve got a few guidelines to follow:

  • Keep your landscapes to 60 seconds (obviously).
  • No cuts.  Keep it to one shot.
  • No timelapses, just a straight up realtime view of the world in front of you.
  • Include music if you want, but we dig hearing the ambient sounds of the view.

That’s it.  Short and simple, but sorta beautiful.  Our take is that this is easy and fresh – but we want to see your take. I’ll see if I can shake Chase down for some gifts if some cool videos are posted. Here’s my entry:

Now you go and make some stuff. Have a great weekend.

Essential HDSLR Gear: The Rode Stereo Video Mic

By on March 30, 2011

Rhode SVM

[Alrighty gear heads. Erik here with a continuation of the series of posts where I elaborate on the gear that I consider essential for my video job here at CJinc.  I previously discussed how the Zaucto Z-Finder helps me guarantee the visual quality of my video, and in this post I'll explain how the Rode Stereo Video Mic ensures that my BTS footage will have respectable sound too.  Perhaps more importantly though, how it allows me to take my mind off of capturing audio and instead focus it on staying creative while shooting.]

If you’ve seen our D7000 video, you’ve heard this microphone.  Every bit of audio in that video, minus Chase’s opening narration and the music, was captured with the Rode.  In fact, we put it to use on nearly every behind the scenes video we make.  From the mountains in Telluride to the South China Sea, this mic has withstood it all.  Much like the Zacuto Z-Finder that I wrote about in my first post, what I love about the Rode SVM is its simplicity.  Before I get into the details, I feel like I should back up a little and explain why it’s needed in the first place… Continue Reading →

10 Minute Film School with Robert Rodriguez

By on March 4, 2011

Robert Rodriguez[Erik here with a quick guest post about some videos I wanted to share.  I find them incredibly informative and inspiring, and I hope you do to.]

Robert Rodriguez is a special breed of filmmaker, a breed that we’ll continue to see more and more of as filmmaking technology becomes increasingly accessible and affordable.  The do-it-yourselfers who are so technically savvy that they can oversee and drive every aspect of their production.  Since his first DIY breakout film “El Mariachi”, Robert has been able to maintain total creative control of his films mostly due to one thing:  the dude knows how to stretch a dollar.

In any client relationship, be it filmmaking or photography or dog grooming, if you can deliver a product that looks and feels like you spent double what your client paid you to make it, you WILL get hired again.  Luckily for us, Robert has been sharing his process via speaking engagements, DVD bonus features, and books since he first burst onto the scene (hmmm…kinda sounds like someone I know….).   A few of his “10 Minute Film School” videos have made their way onto YouTube and I think they’re worth sharing:

First up, his first feature film: “El Mariachi”

For two more videos, some tips, takeaways and a great quote, hit ‘continue reading’ below. Continue Reading →

Erik’s HDSLR Video Essentials: the Zacuto Z-Finder

By on February 24, 2011

Z-Finder on D7000

Our digital cinema guru, Erik, wanted to take a minute to chat gear with you. This is his second guest post, so please give him another warm welcome… This post is another installment of a series that our staff is doing about the gear that we consider essential for our work…the stuff we don’t leave home without.

When shooting behind the scenes videos and even some of our commercial work, we shoot with HDSLRs whenever it’s the right tool for the job.  They’re lightweight and quick and produce amazing visuals, but they’re first and foremost still cameras, so they require a few extra accessories to make them function more like a cinema camera.  It’s those accessories that I’ll be blogging about, beginning today with the simple but crucial challenge of keeping your footage in focus. For that I use the Zacuto Z-Finder.

On larger film/video sets there’s a small team of camera assistants dedicated to maintaining and combatting the shallow depth of field you get when shooting on large formats (35mm, RED cameras, etc).  Now we have that same depth of field in easily affordable and accessible HDSLR’s, except most of us don’t have the means of bringing along a camera assistant to measure and mark focus points on our lens.  There are a lot of options out there to keep your video sharp, from monitors, to follow focus systems, to my personal favorite; loupes.  I’ve been using Continue Reading →

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