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Those of you who have visited Vincent Laforet’s website know that he is doing a great job these days, despite his busy shooting schedules, of sharing his knowledge and experience on different types of HD DSLR cameras and support equipment and accessories.

Vincent is regarded as one of the first photographers to set in motion a new camera revolution with his short film ‘Reverie’ shot entirely on the HD capable Canon 5D Markll. That was back at the end of 2008. Today, this revolution has spread throughout the entire film industry and HD DSLR’s and the equipment that has evolved with them are appearing on many shoots. Ironically, the humble HD DSLR is starting to look like a conventional film camera with many accessories attached to it, needed for high-end shooting, such as follow focus, matt box, filters, monitors etc.

Watch this video of Vincent showing the camera gear he took to Italy to shoot a TV pilot and you will see what I mean. Then visit Vincent’s website for his take on all the gear he uses on his shoots.

http://www.vimeo.com/14250282

The problem of recording good quality sound always pops up when you are shooting with consumer HD cameras, including top end HD DSLR’s. However, because these cameras have been around a while many solutions to this problem are available, see my earlier blog on Shooting HD video on your HD DSLR.

But what if you are shooting a movie or an interview on your newly minted iPhone and you need pro quality sound? The iPhone’s internal mic just won’t cut it, so how do you record great sound on this little wonder? The answer to this is simple; you could use the same solution that is available for HD cameras or simply hook up your own external XLR microphone to your iPhone using the right adaptor cable for the job.

Need the right adaptor? Look no further than kvconnection.com. There are other adaptors on the market, but I have been told this one works!

Unless you have been on Mars for the past few years it is unlikely that you will have missed the build-up to what may be the next big camera revolution.

Just when 2D cameras, such as the full frame HD DSLR’s, are getting exciting to shoot with given the film-like images they produce, along comes 2D’s bigger brother 3D. What should one do? Stay with 2D or go 3D. It may be fashionable to talk 3D and dream of shooting 3D, but at the end of the day, will it make the story you are trying to tell any better? Big blockbuster films that are short on storytelling and big on thrills and spills will, no doubt, benefit, but what of the story you are trying to tell? I doubt it will make any difference; in fact, it will most likely be a distraction. Whatever one thinks, one thing is certain, 3D is here to stay.

The sudden flurry into 3D films may have started with James Cameron’s ground braking movie ‘Avatar,’ but the truth is 3D has been around for a long time and is only now getting the attention it has longed for with the technology coming of age. Hollywood, of course, sees 3D as the next big money spinner and a way of getting people back to the big screen, as DVD’s and the Internet have been eroding it’s decades long rule.

However, digital cinemas have been slow in arriving partly due to the huge cost of changing from conventional film projection to digital. In the American market for example, only 12.5% of screens are digital out of a total of around 40,000 screens. As the demand for these films increases this percentage will increase year on year, as it will in other parts of the world. Despite more 3D films being given the green light for production not all filmmakers are happy with the direction 3D films are taking them and a number of Hollywood directors are voicing their concern. This article from the New York Times article takes up the story.

Hollywood’s excitement over 3D has now inevitably spilled over into the consumer market that is looking for the next big thing in camera technology. Many of the big camera makers, such as Sony, have already launched 3D video cameras for the pro and prosumer markets but none have come up with a 3D camera aimed solely at the consumer until now. Panasonic has done just that and has launched what they say is the world’s first consumer-targeted 3D camcorder, which will be available in October for around US$1,400. I won’t go into any details here, instead you can go to an article in videography.com where you will get all the information. Exciting times, yes. But don’t sell your 2D camera gear yet!

Despite the dodgy sound quality, here is a Cinema 5D interview worth listening to with Vincent Laforet about the gear he uses on his commercial shoots and some sound advice he has for still photographers who want to move into shooting video.

This year has seen some amazing camera gear coming onto the market. At the top end we have had the Epic from RED with their 5K wonder that will fit into the hand and capture still frames on the run, and recently from ARRI, the ALEXA digital film camera. The entry-level price point for these cameras is US$45,000 for the ARRI and US$30,000 for the Epic without lenses.

Unless you are shooting a feature film destined for a theatrical release you won’t need the incredible image quality that these cameras will give you.

Most people in the film community have been saying that HD DSLR cameras are a game changer and by all accounts that seems to be the case with many cinematographers including them in their arsenal of camera gear.

At the other end of the camera spectrum is small consumer point-and-shoot HD cameras. All these cameras have one thing in common; you need to connect to a computer to edit the footage.

Well, that is about to change. Say hello to the Apple iPhone 4 with HD video at full 720p. Weighing in at a mere 4.8 ounces with a starting price of around US$199, this little gem may just change the movie landscape once again, not the big screen perhaps, but the small screen. Okay, I know it doesn’t have interchangeable lenses or a shallow depth of field, but what it does have is the ability to shoot and edit with the iMovie app, on the go, without a computer and in your hand, and… it’s always in your pocket!

If you are shooting a short film on a very, very low budget and you intend to distribute it on the Internet, then it maybe the answer for you, with amazing quality for a 5mpx camera phone (think larger pixel pitch verses the number of pixels). Check out this comparison with the Canon 7D and make up your own mind.

http://www.vimeo.com/12925855

To be fare, this is not a proper camera test and should not be taken as such, nonetheless, it is an interesting comparison.

As every filmmaker knows one is always up against the clock. There never seems to be enough time to get the shots you want in one day. Changing from one set-up to another takes time, especially if you have a large crew, lighting and a lot of camera equipment to move around such as a dolly and tracks. This is where HD DSLR cameras come into their very own. Their form factor and ease of use, as well as low light capabilities, brings greater flexibility and speed into everyday filming situations, especially when you are shooting on difficult locations and places where you may have little control of the space around you. Also, their comparative low cost enables the filmmaker to shoot multiple cameras at one time, very useful if one is shooting, for example, a complex action scene, which could be difficult to repeat.

One cinematographer who has embraced HD DSLR cameras with both arms is Shane Hurlbut, ASC. He has shot many feature films such as Terminator Salvation starring Christian Bale and Swing Vote starring Kevin Costner, and he is using these cameras, which he says is a “game changer”, in many of the TV Commercials, Music Videos and Short Films that he shoots.

Here is an example of shooting in real time – shooting it as it happens with no re-takes! Read this dv article about Shane Hurlbut and what he has to say about shooting this training commercial for the elite US Navy Seals.

If you’re a camera gear freak then you will know all about Cine Gear Expo 2010 in Los Angles. This is where a lot of behind the camera Hollywood professionals hang out. For anyone living in LA or who were able to jet in, this was the chance to meet some of the working professionals who shoot for the big screen, network and get hands on experience with some of the coolest gear around for HD DSLR’s. But don’t rush to get there now…the wrap party was on the 6th. June.

Worry not if you missed it because Cinema 5D was there and they did a great job of covering the event and showing what the movie industry is doing with HD DSLR’s and all the support gear.

For those about to join the HD DSLR revolution and are wondering what is coming next in the way of cameras, I have singled out this interview with Tim Smith from Canon cameras who talks about a new codec they are developing for up-and-coming cameras and how HD DSLR’s are now on the camera equipment list of most major movies.

Tim Smith from Canon USA speaks to Cinema 5D

When you shoot with Canon HD DSLR’S you will no doubt spend a lot of time in post editing your masterpiece and trying to get that cinematic look. Fortunately, there are plug-ins on the market, such as Magic Bullet Colorista, that will give you that ‘film look.’ However, there is another way to get your movie looking like a Hollywood blockbuster and that is by using picture profiles. Not the ready-made ones out of the camera, but custom picture profiles. I came across this amusing tutorial, with good video examples, on how to add custom picture profiles which give you much more flexibility than you would normally have by increasing the dynamic range of the Canon 5D Mkll/7D.

I prefer to shoot clean in order to avoid too much processing in post, but when it comes to shooting video on HD DSLR cameras, you are going to do a lot of tweaking in post to get the look you want, as the footage that comes out of these cameras is highly compressed.

If you want that ‘film look,’ you must shoot flat. Custom picture styles show you how to do this and produce very flat, high dynamic range footage, which will allow you to get more detail in the shadows without blowing-out the highlights and produce the colour you want.

How many times have you heard this? Good storytelling is what makes your film stand out, not the equipment you use. Here is a great example of good storytelling and superb use of music. Remember the visuals are only 50%, the other 50% is sound.

http://www.vimeo.com/6320464

With only a snippet of information about Megan and Narbeh’s true love story, director Kevin Shahinian, crafted this love story thriller for the couple to act in and live again the unforgettable moments that brought them together.

If you missed Vincent Laforet’s live online HD DSLR camera courses or want more insights on using these cameras, then it is worth hearing HD DSLR guru Philip Bloom’s interview with Chris Jones, authour of the Guerilla Film Makers pocketbook. They discuss the use of HD DSLR cameras for shooting narrative pieces that require a shallow depth of field and that certain ‘film look’ that these cameras offer.

The interview has a lot of useful information worth listening to, but only if you’ve got one hour to spare.

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