GEAR // Cinevate's Atlas 10... AND STEAK

I was recently on a shoot for Bon Appetit Magazine and I finally got the chance to play around with Cinevate's Atlas 10 slider, which I have to say, has actually become my new favorite slider for lightweight HDSLR work.

I used to be Kessler all the way. I had tried both their Pocket Dolly and CineSliders on various past doc shoots, and while not perfect, their roller bearing system was miles better than the friction based sliders I had used before, like Glidetrack's. 

But an Adorama rental guy told me that they recently dropped all their Kessler sliders, opting for Cinevate's instead. "The Kessler ones are a pain the ass, they keep breaking for some reason!" he said as he used a stack of c-stands to bank-shot a lens bag into a returns bin. 

But I'm a fan! It's miles lighter than the old CineSlider and performs a whole lot better. It doesn't have a drag adjustment like the CineSlider, but it doesn't need it. The amount of drag is really quite perfect. You can feather in moves with a single finger quite nicely (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID).

It's thin, but surprisingly rock solid (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID). The rails are guarded so they won't get damaged during travel, and in the center there is a rubber dot so you don't clink against the ends of the track (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID?).

It's a shame Adorama only carries the 36" version. There are longer and shorter versions that Cinevate makes, but at 30 bucks a day, you really can't complain. OH, ADORAMA, you shall forever be the Wal-Mart of rental shops... 

Oh yeah, and this was crafty on set today. Gosh these shoots are tough... UNLIKE THIS STEAK.

STEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK.

BTS // Moonrise Kingdom

Moonrise Kingdom just premiered at Cannes, which the Guardian described as, "eccentric but heartfelt."

NO. WAY. 

Here's a look at the some bts footage from the film, which is really just a good 23 minutes of Wes Anderson yelling, "NOT SYMMETRICAL ENOUGH."

FOOD // Madison Square Eats 2012!

Remember that one time it was delightfully sunny one day, but then sad and rainy the next day, but then delightfully sunny again the next day but strangely cold and windy for being so delightfully sunny? SOUNDS LIKE THE PERFECT TIME FOR AN OUTDOOR FOOD FESTIVAL. 

Madison Square Eats is back! But only until June 1st. It's a great collection of food festivalable things from all over Manhattan and Brooklyn that aren't fried oreos. Check it out in that little triangle plaza next to Eataly on 25th and Broadway. 

PHOTO DUMP TIME. 

Kafta & Eggplant Wrap (Lamb & Beef, Harissa, Eggplant and Lettuce) and Phoenician Fries topped with Sumac, Salt and Garlic from Ilili. -- EAT IT

Pulled Pork Empanada from La Sonrisa -- EAT IT

Ground Beef Empanada from La Sonrisa -- EAT IT

Pulled Pork and Salsa Verde Sandwich with White BBQ sauce from Mayhem and Stout -- EH

Pork Meatballs with African Onion, Tempting Tomato, and Not Your Momma's Brown Sauces from Mighty Balls - EH

The Norma Arancini (Eggplant, Tomato, Basil, and Ricotta) from the Arancini Bros. - EAT IT

Pork Belly and Beijing Duck Buns from Hong Kong Street Cart - EAT IT

Shaved Milk Snow topped with Fresh Mangoes, Frozen Champagne Grapes and Red Bean from Hong Kong Street Cart - EAT IT

I ATE IT.

Oh yeah, and they have ALCOHOL!

GEAR // Philip Bloom's D4 vs D800 vs 5DmkIII Shootout

Oh Philip Bloom... I've never actually seen anything you've shot, but you have a slider named after you and a British accent, so I'll listen to you anyway. Below is his long-awaited (?) comparison of the Canon 5DmkII and Nikon's new HDSLRs, the D4 and the D800: 

In case you don't have 30 minutes to kill to watch the full review because it's a Monday afternoon and you have like, a real job (PFFT), here are the results in a nutshell~  

Nikon D4 - $5995.95
- completely useless in video mode unless you're shooting at 2.7x crop - FAIL

Nikon D800 - $2999.95
- produces the sharpest image of the three
- aliasing is worse than the 5DmkIII but better than the 5DmkII
- has clean HDMI out, allowing you to feed to an external recorder like the Sound Devices Pix240
- usable image up to 3200iso

Canon 5DMkIII - $3499.00
- images needs to be sharpened in post to compare to the D800
- performs the best when it comes to aliasing 
- ALL-I compression bests the Nikon's at 90mb/sec
- usable image up to 6400iso


So you've got a mixed bag of pros and cons where no one camera stands out as THE MOST ULTIMATE CAMERA EVER CREATED. But then again, that's electronics for ya. While you get a sharper image straight out of the camera with the D800, it's at much lower bitrate than the Canon, which may screw you if you're looking to do a lot in post. But then again, you could just go HDMI out of the Nikon into a recorder and get 220mb/sec Pro-res files, which would be miles better than the Canon. But then you suffer in low-light and aliasing performance. OH DECISIONS. 


There is something to be said though about where the industry stands when it comes to that question of "what camera should I buy?" My first HDSLR was that cute little Panasonic GH1, and I loved it. Especially with the bitrate hack, it was an awesome camera. But I ended up selling in lieu of the Canon 60D because, as much as I thought the GH1 was a better camera, Canons were what more people were using, and, more importantly, Canons were what clients were hiring.


If you're looking to get a camera for your own personal use and make really really good looking sex tapes, then knock yourself out, get whatever camera you want. (I suggest Go-pros, they're easy to hide) But if you're working freelance, 9 times out of 10 clients are looking for Canon cameras. Whether it's to work with B-cams or match something that's already been shot. As a freelancer, the worst thing you can do is be a pain in the ass. And if you're that guy who they and their editors have to make all these exceptions for because you're shooting at a different codec or on different media or they have to rent rigs specifically for your camera body because the heights are different, chances are you're not gonna get the job. 


BUT THE BIT-RATE IS HIGHER ON MY GH-13!!! Yeah, well, the number on my paycheck is higher, BOOM. Now bring me more cake.

Of course, things may change. I'm not saying don't get anything other than Canon cameras. In a couple years, Brett Ratner may be shooting the Tower Heist/Rush Hour cross-over on that goddamn Black Magic Cinema Camera. WHO KNOWS? It's just important to gauge where the industry is, especially if you're looking to invest in a camera body with the intention of making it back in rentals~ 

GEAR // Shoulder Rig Mk XXVIXIIVXIII

I have this theory that the "perfect shoulder rig" is just another one of those unattainable things in life that we as a species are just going to have to accept, like Captain Ahab and Moby Dick, humanity and world peace, or me and a 3 am taco that doesn't make me curse all of humanity the morning after.


I am glad to say though, that I've reached a point in the countless iterations of my shoulder rig with which I'm at the very least... pleased. I recently did a shoot with my good friend and fellow cinematographer Alex Chinnici, shooting an ad sales piece for CollegeHumor and IKEA. This is where my Mk XXVIXIIVXIII shoulder rig made its maiden voyage. 


On a completely unrelated note, I finally had IKEA's $4.99 ribs, AND THEY ARE DELICIOUS. I really have no idea how IKEA's cafeterias make any money whatsoever, especially when they recently slashed the priced of their breakfast FROM 99 CENTS TO FREE. But I digress... Here's the Mk XXVIXIIVXIII perched atop the Malm 6-drawer dresser.

From front to back, the handles are, of course, the Shape 15mm handgrips. The monitor is the SmallHD DP6 HDSDI, connected to the camera's hot shoe via a noga arm. The follow focus is the Red Rock V1 follow focus (um, it's like, totally vintage, okay?). The baseplate is a Chrosziel baseplate with a generic quick release plate. The shoulder pad is a Zacuto shoulder pad with quick release, and off the back is a generic V-mount brick on a Trusmt battery plate, which actually powers the monitor (and can power the camera body as well if need be).


What I like about this setup is that is that it's pretty fantastically balanced. The weight of the camera in this setup sits close to your body, meaning the counterweight, in this case the V-mount battery, doesn't need to extend five feet backwards backwards to properly act as a counter-balance. COMPARE:

The above Zacuto rig Alex was stuck with was probably a solid foot longer than mine. Of course, Zacuto doesn't advertise the counterweight being so far back in any of their product photos, but this is actually how far back Alex needed to have the weight to make the rig remotely comfortable. 

If there's anything I hate more than dead weight, it's dead weight that has as a stupid ironic name, which is why I swear against products like the Zacuto Z-Lite. The way I figure it, if you're going to put extra weight on your rig, it sure as hell better serve more purpose than just to be stupid and heavy. Although, to be fair, spinning around in place with this rig is the perfect way to say, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY, I'M MAKING MOVIES."


Perhaps I'll add some retractable version of this feature in the Mk XXVIXIIVXIV.


In the meantime though, I'm racking my brain trying to come up with a single word that describes these rigs I put together while paying proper homage to my Asian heritage... OH WAIT.

BTS // The Avengers

The Avengers made $200.3 million this weekend, defying all odds and officially besting the weekend numbers for Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. For all you film and tv professionals out there, here's a look at some behind the scenes footage from the Avengers.


The website Trailer Addict does a great job compiling all the on set footage used for EPKs, saving me from having to actually watch Billy Bush on Access Hollywood interview Chris Evans about the moment he realized all his wardrobe came from the Gap.

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Shot on:
- Arri Alexa w/ Panavision Primo and PCZ Lenses
- Arri 435 w/ Panavision Primo Lenses
- Canon 5D MkII (AS CRASH CAMS, PEOPLE, CRASH CAMS)

Also, what was Robin Sherbatsky doing in the Avengers? You stop that Robin, and just marry Ted already. 

DIY // Not-Quite-Ring Lights

I recently assisted on a music video for artist Cindy Shaoul directed by Illium Pictures director (and fellow Tim Horton's addict) Natasha Kermani. In pre-production talks while we were in Canada, she had mentioned the idea of a custom shaped ring light over lunch.

"FOR TOO LONG HAS MANKIND BEEN RESTRICTED TO CIRCULAR SHAPES OF LIGHTS," she yelled in my face while I was trying to eat my steak salad. "VERY TRUE, WHAT AN ASTUTE OBSERVATION." I yelled back. "HOW IS YOUR SALAD?" she asked. "IT'S NOT BAD." I whispered, "I MEAN, IT'S A STEAK. ON TOP OF SALAD. YOU CAN'T REALLY MESS THAT UP. OOH, A SPECIAL ON MARGARITAS!!" 

Eighteen $5 strawberry and kiwi margaritas later, I found myself with the task of building a ring-light. 

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One of my favorite contraptions in the world are the flexible LED strips that you can get at any of those Chinese lighting stores all over Manhattan (don't even try to deny that they're not all Chinese. SHOW ME A SINGLE ONE THAT ISN'T.) They're decently inexpensive at $11/foot and come in all sorts of colors. Best part is you can run 'em off a 9volt battery.

The back of the strip already has adhesive, so all you have to do is peel and stick. Here I've attached it to a strip of Velcro, and use it as a light for the inside of my Arri bag~

The end of the strip has a positive and negative wire that you can wire to what have you. LIKE A POTATO. But in this case, it's wired to a basic rocker switch, and then to a 9v battery clip, all available at yer friendly neighborhood RadioShack. 

The strip has open positive and negative contacts every three LEDs, so you can cut the strip at any of these points and just wire the contacts back together. So for this project, when asked if I could make a triangle, I had myself a hearty laugh and replied, "MAYBE!" (because I hadn't actually done this before)

But HEY. Turns out it worked:

Each 9 LED strip is simply connected together by soldering a wire to each contact to bridge the circuit, with the last strip leading out the bottom to the same rocker switch and 9V battery clip set up I have in my Arri bag. And why yes, that is just a frisbee with a hole cut in it. IT'S A PROTOTYPE OKAY? THE PRODUCTION MODEL WILL BE MILDLY PRETTIER.  

To attach to rods, I screwed on a 15mm riser that I had lying around, which allowed me to adjust the height to match different lenses. 

Here it is fired up. The three lights on the corners are individual battery powered LEDs. They helped accentuate the corners in the reflection. Here you can see the wires that connect each LED strip.

Here's the main shot we used it for, a macro shot of Cindy's eye. This is on a Canon FD 50mm w/ 2x Extender on a Sony FS100. I'll post a still from the final result when they get into post, but you can get an idea of the effect in the monitor above. That's Travis Tips, the DP, grabbing focus because I was taking the above photo for this blog, which was obviously far more important. 


On the bottom left corner, you can also see a gobo arm that Cindy is leaning against. For shots like these where the focus is super shallow, this helps the actor keep their position. This technique is also useful for shots where an actor's hand or other body part needs to land in a particular spot, like an XCU of giving someone the finger.


And speaking of tricks o' the trade, Sachtler tripods make good monitor stands as well when you don't have a free hand but you really really want a cookie. 

 I had a lot of cookies that day.