B-Roll for Brewers

One of the main reasons I’ve always been into making videos is to show my friends something cool. I can’t draw. I can’t paint. But I think I can put together some funny stories. While still working on my first short film, I have plenty of fun stuff to play with from my friends. Mike and Tim were a couple of the best.

The guys asked me to shoot an interview of them talking about brewing beer. They are both new brewers with already amazing chops. While on vacation in New Hampshire this summer we got together. What could haven taken 20 minutes turned into two hours. Laughing, eating, fighting, and of course drinking. Their interview turned out pretty good, and this outtake reel is even better.

I sent this to Mike to congratulate him on his new job as, what else, a brewer. He really likes it, and I’m glad that my skills are being used to make someone laugh.

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Flights of Fancy

After over a month, I finally dug out the photos from Fleet Week. My first time trying to shoot these bad boys, and with a lens that didn’t quite get me close enough. I still like them. When viewing the photos in original size you can still see a lot of detail. My first plane spotting excursion went decently well I think! Next year I’ll be renting a larger lens. Hopefully I won’t need to wait that long though. I’d love to find a nice spotting area near SFO. Any suggestions?

See the rest of the album on Flickr.

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Update to the EOS Movie E1 Plugin

If you use Final Cut Pro and work with HDSLR footage, you are very aware of the need to transcode your footage for editing. There are a few third party options, and just recently we all gained a major leg up from Canon. The EOS Movie E1 plugin allows you to transcode your files directly into Final Cut using Log & Transfer, including timecode. Select your files, and bring them on in. It’s decently fast, and very simple. The plugin is not supported for T2i users, so there is a quick and easy hack to get you going.

I still use MPEG Streamclip most of the time, but only because I am bad at sitting down and working on an edit as soon as I shoot. I generally need to dump my files onto my hard drive to work with later. Why is this a problem? I’ve never actually been able to mount my files correctly so that the plugin recognizes them. I am only able to use it straight off my memory cards. If anyone has any hints for that, I’d LOVE to hear them. When I am able to use Log and Transfer, I really like it. It takes a bit longer than MPEG Streamclip, but I like being able to scrub through my stuff and make sure I’m bringing in what I really need.

The plugin has been around for a few months, and Canon has just updated it. This newer build takes advantage of your system’s dual cores to process footage more quickly. It also adds compatibility with the new 60D, but no mention of the T2i. This could be because of the known hack, or maybe they’re just ignoring the users all together. Not a nice move, but probably not the end of the world since we’re a crafty bunch.

Canon Europe has the new E1 plugin available for download.

Thanks to Wide Open Camera for the heads up!

Note: Some users have experienced a pretty random loss of footage using this method. Their files are transcoded and appear normal, but they are finding that their clips are missing info. Be sure to double check your clips to avoid losing important shots. This might be fixed with the upgrade, so we’ll have to wait and see.

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Zoom Zoom Zoom!

Realizing the need for an audio solution, I ordered a Samson Zoom H1 unit to try.

It’s small, light, and super easy to take anywhere I need. Being small, it’ll be pretty easy to hide amongst things if I need to get close but don’t want it visible. The only issue with it being so light is that I am afraid to drop it. The body is plastic, the XY microphones are plastic. I feel like I need to make a little safety vest for the thing to make sure it doesn’t get banged around too much.

The backlight is nice, and I’m sure it’ll get me out of some issues shooting in low or no light. The controls take some getting used to at first, and there’s no way to lock down the buttons. There is a lock setting, but it just stops you from accidentally stopping the recording.

Weird fact about me, I’m a sucker for electronic devices that talk to you. Like when the microwave says “Done!” or the television says “Hello!” It’s totally Skynet sneaking up on us slowly, but I think it’s cute. Extra points for use of the wrong cases in the wrong places.

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LCDVF 3:2

I quickly realized I was going to need a loupe of some sort to help me stay in focus when shooting. In bright light the LCD on the T2i is nearly useless, and not much better in the dark. I would have loved to get the Zacuto Z-Finder but my budget didn’t allow for it. I did some searching, read some reviews, and decided on the LCDVF.

This version of the LCDVF fits camera with the 3:2 screens, like the T2i. It’s very easy to install, and is ready to be used in about 20 minutes. The kit comes with the loupe itself, a carrying case, a lanyard, two magnetic plates, and a little cleaner for the lens.

I noticed a change immediately. Not only does the LCDVF make it easier to focus, but it acts a bit like a stabilizer. You’re pretty much using your face to stabilize the camera. My handheld shooting became much smoother, and using a monopod or tripod makes it even better.

The magnification on the LCDVF is not as strong as the Zacuto models, but it gets the job done for the most part. The only time I’ve had trouble is when shooting fast moving objects, and sometimes in very bright sunlight. I think that might be my own learning curve, so I’ll have to wait and see.

If you’re looking for a budget friendly viewfinder, this version is a good start. For an even lower budget, there are exact clones of these available on eBay. Thanks to CheesyCam for the find.

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