Essentially, this is a wireless, handheld, follow focus automation device. One of the big problems with DSLR rigs is they’re still small, even when you add a mattebox, viewfinder, etc. So, when the shot really counts and you’re shooting with sticks, this is a terrific way to better manage the shot.

It’s totally cool that RedRock Micro has delivered an Apple-certified iPhone/iPod touch application specifically for focus automation. And, if you add all of the proper goodies, it’s so James Bond or Jason Bourne, or (pick fave actor or serial adventure star here). It’s also cool that you can use your iPhone without lamenting about how lame AT&T is.

I could go on and on about this neat new tool. I won’t. Instead, check out the totally sales-oriented, but still nicely produced sales pitch video [ watch video clip ]

Watch the 60 second commercial: click here

Watch the 30 second commercial: click here

The Going Green Film Festival saw fit to have its judges award our documentary on the University of Michigan’s solar racing team, best film in its category: transportation. Frankly, I thought we had a shot, while Cameron, nervous and talking a mile a minute thought no chance at all! It is sweet to hear the name of your film called out in a large auditorium as the winner of an award.

The students at Michigan deserve all the credit: their story made the film interesting. For us, this is now past history. We’re very honored, and at the same time, we’re busy moving forward with new projects. If you saw the film and liked it, please let us know. If you would like a copy, send us a note. If you want your own award-winning production, we’re open to proposals!

Canon EOS 7D on location shooting full HD 30p

One of the things our team spent considerable time evaluating was video formats. What I am referring to is the format used for compression when shooting full HD video. While our team has years of experience with HD production, eliminating tape has been the important migration for us. Tape is not dead, but for the types of product we create, we can be far more competitive if we produce our shows without tape.

So, learning about the various options has been extremely important to us. And, as many other producers and creatives read this blog, it makes sense to share our experience. And, the most important initial obstacle has been the variety of claims made by manufacturers regarding the compression formats chosen, and how those formats interact with the other capabilities of the various HD cameras under consideration.

Brand loyalty stepped up right from the start. We’ve had some wonderful experiences with Panasonic cameras in the past – in our standard definition days. That “panny mojo” image is hard to beat in terms of warmth and contrast. But, in spite of that, we’ve been very loyal to Sony. We’ve had Sony cameras and other gear in use in the harshest of conditions, and in every case, the gear has worked, and we’ve been comfortable not only with the results, but the production process (usability) as well.

I was fairly interested in the Sony EX (XD-CAM) format, but had some reservations. CMOS sensors in the EX1 and EX3 meant possible problems when shooting in certain conditions or with strobe lights – and as we work with the Los Angeles Fire Department, that worried us. A test shoot revealed all kinds of shutter issues, even when the shutter was shut off. Oops. I was also concerned about MPEG-2 Long GOP (group of pictures) as a recording format generally, even though the images were lovely when viewed on a large HD monitor. Finally, the SxS memory cards are not cheap – the 32GB cards we’d use were on average $800 (street price). So, for six cards, that would require an outlay of $4,800. That was almost the cost of the EX1 itself (street price). And, for the first time in a long time, the ergonomics of the EX1 did not sit well with our camera operators.

Still… We are Sony fankids.

Directing Lakers star Pau Gasol while shooting with the EX3.

To further test the format, we produced a public safety announcement with the Laker’s Pau Gasol using the Sony EX-3 camera. Nice. But a bit of a pain to ingest the media, and in my mind, some limitations on use. The real difficulty is that we love Sony products. They are so well thought-out, produced and supported. That almost made us opt for the XD-CAM environment, even with the limitations we were aware of.

The market helped us. In addition to video, our still photography needs were increasing. The arrival of the Canon 7D DSLR really impacted us. Still and HD video capture in a single device. That, and the ability to use motion picture-style lenses, camera rigs, etc. was extremely attractive. The Canon 7D uses AVCHD as a compression format. Would it hold up?

Philip Bloom, a British DP, helped us in that regard. His videos using the Canon 7D are the best sales pitch anyone could imagine. It sold us. And in so doing, opened a new door – the option of AVCHD (MPEG4/H.264). Oh, and the 7D, with its 18-megapixel imager and other capabilities helped us execute quality still shoots, too. Thanks, Phil!

I began to evaluate all of the pro cameras that used AVCHD. Many were consumer, but a few were emerging that caught my eye, including from Panasonic. In internal discussions, however, our lament continued: “Why no Sony pro camera with AVCHD. That’s not good!” Our impression was that if Sony didn’t do it, there was an important reason.

Our need for gear had us tilting towards several camera options, none of which we were thrilled with, except for our Canon 7D. And regardless of the picture quality, the shape and format of the gear made it a tough choice when shooting news or POV documentary material.

Cameron uses the NX-5u on location

And then, without warning, Sony reappeared. It locked in everything we were considering. The Sony NX5U camera was introduced and everything just fit into place. The new NXCAM solution from Sony utilized AVCHD. We spent some time with the prosumer version of the camera at CES. That really settled it. Now, we have three cameras, all using AVCHD (variations) and all ideal for import into Final Cut Pro, Premiere, or Avid workstations.

The Canon 7D is our portrait interview camera. It’s a film producer’s wet dream: the images are so lovely and really convey a film-look. But, not so easy to hang from a helicopter with one, even with the cool Zacuto, RedRock, and other camera rig options out there.

The Sony NX5u becomes the primary workhorse. Remarkable lens, combined with typical Sony quality means we’re able to shoot in nearly any environment easily and with top quality results. The NX5u continues to impress me every time I pick it up or review material captured with it. Just having separate rings for iris, zoom, and focus make this a wonder to use.

And finally, the Panasonic HMC-40 is our ideal B-camera. It’s small, so we can shoot in any number of places where we don’t want to be obvious about our use of a pro camera. It isn’t CMOS, but rather 3MOS CCDs, so we can shoot strobe lights all night long. It has long-lasting batteries, and delivers really fantastic images. They have that “panny magic” warmth to them. I hate the viewfinder and find it a huge pain in the ass to use, but for specific types of shoots, it is a great asset. And, frankly, at $2,000, if we get melted in a structure fire, nearly  drowned in a swift water rescue, or dusted up while shooting a documentary in Australia (as we do every few years), it’s not too tough to replace.

But wait, there’s more! All three cameras have HDMI out. So, connecting our Marshall field monitor to any of the three is a plug and play exercise. The Sony and Panasonic use the same HDSC memory cards, and at roughly $80 for a 16GB card and $200 for a 32GB card, the data is affordable. Use a proper card storage device and you’ll not have to worry about damaged cards, either.

Finally, they all easily transcode to ProRes or ProRes 422 for post production work. The net result is a full production suite of camera kit that is ideal for nearly any situation. If there’s an irony, it’s that AVCHD is owned (trademarks, etc.) by BOTH Sony and Panasonic. And, as customers, we’re using both together.

The initial model (unnamed as of this date) in the NXCAM series does a number of really important things: It records AVCHD full HD 1920×1080 material (in all variations of resolutions) and as such, is easily compatible with other cameras, including as one example, the Canon 7D hybrid still/video camera. It utilizes a relatively new type of glass, and although fixed to the camera, this lens, called a G-Lens, delivers excellent optics, no doubt a result of Sony’s purchase of Minolta. And, the camera is ideal for the wide variety of production requirements a documentary requires.

In our situation, we’re interested in the best tool for a variety of situations. That means we’ll shoot portrait interviews, mount a camera on a moving vehicle, hang from a helicopter, and so on. And, if we’re doing all of these things, it also means we’re shooting a lot of material (hours vs. minutes). If you’re making a film, you’ll work from a shot list, and the shooting ratio may be 3:1. In our documentary work, we’re going to capture reality as it occurs, and then weed out the footage that isn’t essential to telling the story. The result is often 30:1 or higher. That’s right, we may shoot 30 hours of video to get a one hour show. In fact, for a documentary we did in Australia that covered two weeks of a cross-country race, we shot more than 100 hours of video. The final product was a broadcast-ready 44 minutes.

The AVCHD format is ideal for this type of work. And, being able to record to a flash drive that mounts into the camera is fantastic. There’s no box attached to a shoe that gets in the way of moving the camera about. It snaps into place. You can record literally hours of material, and then, using USB connectors, transfer the files directly to your PC or Mac.

There’s more to like as well. The imagers in the camera are native 1920 x 1080. The imagers in other cameras in this class are typically 720p and upscale to 1080p. This is really important and becomes even more so when you discover that the camera will output a full HD 4:2:2 signal via the built-in HD-SDI port while shooting. That type of flexibility allows us to integrate this camera with other, far more expensive cameras.

It’s difficult to capture a strong, clear image if you can’t see what you’re doing. The NXCAM shown off by Sony offers a 1.2 million pixel 16×9 display using backlit LED technology. The Panasonic HMC-150, by comparison (same compression system, similar price, etc.) has a display with approximately 210,000 pixels in a 4×3 display that is letter-boxed. What? To use the Panny (which has great images), you really need to add an external monitor, or you’re going to be disappointed with the results. Sony avoids that extra complication. Add-on monitors are terrific if you’re on a tripod and locked off. They don’t work if you’re jumping off a fire engine and following firefighters into a smokey building. Sony resolves that problem with not only the flip-up external monitor, but the built-in viewfinder as well. You can learn more by watching the intro video produced by Sony.

So, as we envision some of the production work we’re scheduled to produce this year, the Sony NXCAM fits in really well. We can shoot portrait interviews using prime glass on our Canon 7D. We can match that (remember, same codec) with footage captured “in the field” with the Sony NXCAM. And, we can edit in both PC and Mac NLE solutions without drama. No tape. No fuss. Oh, by the way – there’s more to like as well. Because we shoot on location, as documentary producers, we are careful to log everything we shoot. Now, with the NXCAM, there is GPS data added to the metadata of each file. Whoo hoo! So, the next time we travel 2,000 miles across the Stewart Highway in Australia, we’ll know where each shot was captured. And, if we decide to shoot in a studio, we can lock multiple NXCAMs together, thanks to the new (if proprietary) timecode in and out connectors.

The only bad news is that the camera isn’t available yet. Hey Sony – want some remarkable footage of firefighters saving lives? How about the California coast and wine country? Or, how about some footage of the latest sports cars being testing on windy country roads at speed? If so, get us an NXCAM ASAP. We aren’t asking for a freebie. We’ll own it. Love it. And we’ll tell the world.

Sony's extraordinary EX3

The DV Expo was really small this year. We ripped through the tiny section of the Pasadena Convention Center set aside for the likes of Panasonic, Sony and JVC, in about three hours, and that included saying hi to nearly every person working every booth. My cranky left knee and I like small shows.

Of course, we’re looking for our next tapeless camera purchase, and it didn’t take long to be neck deep in options. We want something that will shoot a picture that will knock your socks off, we want it to be relatively light weight and tough, we don’t want it to cost too much money and we want the recordable media to be affordable. Also, if it would open the garage door and cook dinner every now and then, we’d like that too.

Sony's EX1 - the travel-sized version of the EX3.

Most expensive on our list are the Sony EX3 and EX1. It’s hard for me to turn my back on a Sony, even when they tell me the media will costs ten billion times what compact flash and SDS cards cost. I’ve fallen asleep with my Sony Z1U cradled in my arms in a tent in the Outback of Australia, on a night train between Hamburg, Germany and Paris, and after a very strange night of drinking some neon green liquor in Lyon, France. It’s been in dozens of fire engines and ambulances with me, not to mention smoke filled houses and burning hillsides. But it’s getting tired. I can’t blame it. And that whole recording to tape nonsense is getting really tired. So soon, I’m going in to have it surgically removed from my right hand.

JVC's HM100U - looks just like a camcorder, only smaller!

Do I want to replace it with another Sony? Yes. Do I want to pay Sony SxS card prices? Um, no. Is the EX1 and the EX3 worth the price? Probably.

But I thought I should look around, and there was something about the GY-HM100U that really drew me over to the JVC booth. I loved the view finder – BIG! I loved the size of the camera – small! I loved that it stored files on the cheapo SDHC memory cards. I loved that the entire XLR shotgun mic assembly (which comes along for no extra charge) popped off with the turn of a nob, making the camera positively minute. I swear that camera could fit into a pocket on my shooters’ vest without the mic. It weighed a little more than the competition across the show floor – the Panasonic AG-HMC40, but it was much smaller, and the view finder was higher resolution and the XLR shotgun mic came with it. I thought this was an awesome, itty, bitty little camera that I could add to our Sony line up, that would be inexpensive enough to abuse and replace as needed.

I expected the price to be right around that of the HMC40 – list $2,295. Then they told me the bad news. The HM100U lists at $3,995. I waited for the guy in the JVC booth to start laughing. Give me an elbow in the ribs and say, just kidding. And I waited a little more. He seemed mesmerized by how my mouth was gaping opened. He seemed disturbed when I finally gathered myself enough to ask “Whaaa?”

Anyway, that happened.

from the Flip website, the Flip Ultra HD, their top-of-the-line camera.

We’ve recently started principal photography on a new documentary called Harmony: The Story of Rock Our World. I could go on and on about how wonderful this program is and how exceptional the teacher is who started it five years ago, but I think it’s probably better if I just let you hear directly from her in this short we produced last spring about the program.

Yeah, she’s amazing, isn’t she?

This production is going to take us around the world interacting with teachers and classrooms that are lucky to have one computer and a dial up connection, let alone high tech digital tools in each students’ hands. However, in order to produce a feature-length documentary about the program, we need each classroom to videotape their Rock Our World efforts. And since we’re making a film in 1080i, it would be really nice if they were videotaping their efforts in HD. Hence, our conundrum. Well, one of our conundrums.

from their website, the Kodak Zi8, which shoots 1080p.

What small camera should we get into the hands of the Rock Our World classes around the world, that’s easy to use, that allows for VERY SIMPLE file upload to iDisks, but that still produces a picture we can use in post production? Oh yeah, and it has to be INCREDIBLY CHEAP.

You’re thinking Flip, aren’t you? We were too. The best Flip out there shoots “Video: 16:9 widescreen, HD 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second (fps) progressive scan; recorded as MP4 files,” according to their website, and that will work just fine with our production. It won’t be great, since we’re shooting 1080i and the Flip shoots 720p, but I’m willing to convert in Final Cut Pro, even though I rage at the conversion time each time I hit the render button.

But this lovely teacher who runs Rock Our World, told me about the new Kodak competition to the Flip. Have you heard about the Kodak Zi8? It shoots in 1080p and is $20/unit cheaper.

I need to get to a local Best Buy and check these two little darlings out. I also plan to steal Carol Anne’s Kodak and my sister’s Flip at an event in Nebraska the weekend of October 16th. I hope have more for you when I return.

Burned Hills in the Station Fire

During the past week, the northern end of Los Angeles County has been burning. The Station Fire, which to-date is the biggest wildfire in the history of LA County, has swept from the hillside communities above Pasadena and Duarte into the Angeles National Forest. Unburned for more than 60 years, the thick, deep brush provided ample fuel for a monster fire.

In addition to spending time at base camp working on several assignments, Cameron Barrett shot quite a bit of HD video, and the images will be remarkable. I took a few photographs of aftermath, and even those (you can see a few here) images are striking.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this was not the drama of billowing smoke and fire, but the stark emptiness of the “morning after,” so to speak. Hillsides and canyons looked like they had been sculpted by a model railroader, then painted black and some flour dusted here and there to represent ash. And the same image goes on and on – we drove up several canyon roads for mile after mile and the only thing we saw besides burned out hills were smoldering tree stumps, and wisps of smoke drifting up from the rubble that wildfire can create.

Cameron Barrett capturing destroyed home footage

And, several miles up Big Tujunga Canyon, we came across several burned out cottages. As the sun set, the only things left standing were chimneys and black tree trunks. Destroyed cars remained parked in driveways, never to wheel along a highway again. At one home, we found nearly a dozen dead cats – and an angry group of people (ourselves and several network photographers) who couldn’t believe these animals were just left behind. Still, Cameron, who is an animal advocate, captured the scene, all in High-Def.

Another interesting aspect of the aftermath is the sound. It’s really quiet. There are no leaves to rustle in the breeze. No squirrels to scamper through the underbrush. Just dead sound. At least until you hear the rumble of a fire engine, or the thump, thump, thump of a helicopter overhead.

Spot fires continue to threaten the containment lines.

And the fires continue to burn as I type this. Although nearly 50% contained, there is ongoing risk and danger. And thankfully, most residents took the advice of law enforcement and fire officials and evacuated when asked. Two LA County firefighters lost their lives in the midst of this arson-generated wildfire. Perhaps the only good news relates to weather: This fire took place in August, with little or no wind. If the same thing had occurred in November, when the Santa Ana winds sweep through the canyons, it’s really unimaginable to think what might have happened.

As this is part of our job, we’ve become familiar with these types of situations in general. Yet this particular incident will remain etched in our memories for quite awhile. We can only hope it will be at least another 60 years before anything like this happens again – and never would be a much better option.

The initiative for not leaving, often referred to as “Stay and Defend,” was gaining ground earlier this year with several departments, as there have been some stories of people who have elected to ignore officials and as a result, participated in saving their structures. It’s important to remember that many homes don’t burn as a result of the fire front in a wildfire. They burn because of spot fires that start as the fire moves through, and without resources to suppress those spot fires, the home burns.

Just as this “Stay and Defend” option began to get people’s attention, Australia suffered through a terrible wildfire incident and many lives were lost. Australia has been known for its serious wildfire devastation, including Hobart in 1967 (1400 homes lost, 62 dead); Victoria in 1983 (2400 homes lost, 71 dead), Canberra in 2003 (500 homes lost, 5 dead), and Victoria in 2009 (3000 homes lost, 173 dead). Many of the victims in the Victoria fires this year elected to stay behind, and then attempted to evacuate, but too late. They were caught on the road and died.

Ready, Set, Go! as an initiative is being supported by a wide array of Southern California emergency services agencies. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s position is clear: If there is a wildfire, prepare your home and family, get set to evacuate if required, and when asked, or even before that, leave the area. Your home can be saved. Once you die, coming back is apparently problematic.

Our program will include a series of components – and it will highlight the use of digital technology and Web 2.0 capabilities. A video/DVD will tell the story of why its important to leave and how to prepare. A brochure will be available to schools, senior centers, council district offices, and LA City Fire Stations. Separately, a digital magazine will be created and it will be available to anyone who is interested in the Ready, Set, Go initiative. And finally, information will be available via the MySafe:LA public education website.

We’re enthused about the project, and once complete, are committed to seeing it reach as many people as possible, so the citizens of Los Angeles can be properly prepared.

Cameron Barrett, James Kwok, and David Barrett on the magic carpet at the All Sports Los Angeles film Festival

When Cameron Barrett learned our documentary film, Continuum, Against All Odds, had been accepted into the All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival, she was so excited. There are a wide array of awards programs these days – so many that they may become all too common and lose their unique value. But, such is not the case with a film festival, and certainly not one that has a niche – in this case, sports.

Typically, we produce films as a team, and in many ways this one was no different. What was different was that Cameron had led her production team to Australia, on her own, and directed this show from start to finish. As such, it had her stamp, her storyline, and her blood and sweat all over it. So, to be accepted into any festival is a good feeling.

Showing up at such events is often overly “Hollywood” for me. I am not easily impressed with the glitter and so on. What made this festival so much fun was that it didn’t have any of that pretentious glitter to it – and it was in Hollywood! The event was held at the Raliegh Studios, next door to Paramount. We invited friends and peers, and it was just what you might expect at such an event – a combination of fun, dialog, and a bit of nervousness.

Our guests were terrific and very supportive. Cameron and I had never seen this particular film on the “big screen,” so it was fun to see it in a theater setting. And when the showing was complete, everyone was very kind, and they left. We took some of our team to dinner.

But we came back…

The evening was filled with other films to see – and Cameron really enjoyed a documentary about women’s six on six basketball, called Iowa Girls. It’s important to know that throughout this entire series of films and activities, Cameron never gave a moment’s thought to actually winning an award. It was enough to be in the competition.

So, when the awards were being handed out, she clapped and cheered for each additional trophy, but never showed any nerves or emotion related to Continuum. Finally, the last two awards were all that remained. Best short doc and best feature doc. Continuum made it into the short category, by perhaps one minute. And, as the award description was being read, Cameron was smiling and saying, “Iowa Girls. Iowa Girls.” I, on the other hand, was thinking of another film. Our film.

And so, when the words, “and the winner is… Continuum, Against All Odds,” were announced, I smiled. And, then, I laughed out loud, as Cameron’s amazed and perplexed expression peered at me with a look that defies description. “Go on! Get up there,” I said, laughing. So, it was fun. And I’m really proud of Cameron. And our Team. And everyone on the solar car team at the University of Michigan. Those guys and girls rock. Big time.