Blackbird Fly
The folks over at 702FJCrew.net have been asking me to put this video together for quite some time now. Jerry Miller was kind enough to do the color correction a year ago, but my skills at video editing did not match the vision in my head. After my time with the Pixel Corps, my editing skills have gotten much stronger. So, I took this opportunity to play with Quicktime and iMovie to tell the story of the Blackbird.
Blackbird Fly is short (2:18), but I think the visuals speak for themselves. There is a lot I could have done in Final Cut Pro to tighten it up, especially fading the audio effects in & out, but this was really an exercise in seeing what I could throw together quickly in iMovie. For those interested, here is the work flow.
- The images were shot on a Canon 30D using a Canon 24-70mm “red line” lens.
- Jerry Miller color corrected all photos in Adobe Photoshop. Because of the relative angle of the sun, the color palette changed as the camera tracked the truck. Jerry did a great job of bringing all of the shots to one common palette.
- Assemble the stills into movies of varying frame rates using QuickTime 7. It is a good thing I have an older G5 Mac in my studio because the newer Intel Macs all updated to Quicktime X. While QTX is a better player, Apple removed some of the useful pro features like building movies from an image sequence.
- Bring the movies into iMovie then build titles and audio using the iMovie library. The music is from Midnight Syndicate, purveyors of excellent ambient music for gaming and theme parties.
- Post to YouTube and wait for it to finish processing.
So, there you have it. I little bit about how this little movie came to life. I hope you enjoy it.
Peace,
Doug
Mobile Streaming Kit (MSK)
A lot of folks have asked for more details about the Mobile Streaming Kit (MSK) that we used at NAB 2010 and on the set of Marty Rosenberg’s film. In the most recent episode of Gear Media Tech, Alex breaks it all down for you in under five minutes. And, you get to see some big bald guy lugging it around after a day on the floor of NAB. ;^D
At some point in the near future, we’ll produce a more in depth video that provides greater detail on the rig itself. We’ll also include some lessons learned from the field and some cool insight on the forthcoming HD version of the LiveU unit.
Peace,
Doug
GMT Motion Graphics
My first work as an intern for the Pixel Corps was as the streaming camera operator at NAB 2010. The segments shot at that show are being used to relaunch Gear Media Tech on PixelCorps.tv. With that in mind, it is fitting that my first real post-production work be on the same show.
The first day in the office, I transferred and reviewed all of the EX-1 footage and began digital capture of all of the HV30 footage. With all of the footage in hand, it was my job to organize the segments into related chunks and create a production plan to get the show out the door. Along the way, we realized we need to rebuild all of the motion graphics (open, close and lower thirds) and related sound design. That task also fell to me. The results can be seen in the footage above and the subsequent episodes of GMT in the pipeline.
Credit for the 3D logo design belongs to McKay Hawkes, a talented 3-D artist on the Pixel Corps staff. Working with his logo, I created all of the remaining assets myself with input from fellow intern, Vlad Korishev. Using Soundtrack Pro, I also built all of the audio tracks found in the open and the close. That was a lot of fun and far less intimidating than it appeared at first.
I’ve built such assets from templates in the past, but this was the first motion graphics project I developed completely from scratch. I learned a lot and am looking forward to working on more complex projects down the road.
Peace,
Doug
Lessons from the Set
One of the biggest advantages of being on set to stream/tape “behind the scenes” footage is that one gets to watch the film making process as it happens and soak up lots of knowledge in the process. “Working with Actors” is the first in a series of posts I have planned about lessons learned while streaming from the set of Marty Rosenberg’s indie supernatural theater. The “talking points” style I’ve been using has been well-recieved so far, so I’ll keep that format for this series as well. My publication plan is as follows.
- Working with Actors: It was amazing to watch Heather, Jake and Mackenzie at work. And, I learned a lot from the way the Marty and crew supported them to get the best possible performances, particularly on a tight shooting schedule.
- The Professional Crew: Watching seasoned filmmakers at work was a real eye-opener. It made film-making both magical and accessible at the same time.
- Recruiting Talented Beginners: When I walked on set, I thought all of the Production Assistants already had film experience. They didn’t. But, they listened, learned and worked their butts off.
- Practical Visual Effects: Not every VFX needs to be rendered CG. A can of compressed air and a spool of monofilament can go a very long way in the hands of Marty Rosenberg or Peter Bailey.
- Lighting for Effect: Marty Rosenberg is a well-respected cinematographer and his ability to plan his lighting and adjust on the fly was a wonder to watch.
- Managing the Production Schedule: The budget and schedule were tight, but the production value remained high for a “$0.59 cent movie”.
- The Dinner Table: Napoleon said “an army marches on it’s stomach” … so does a film. In addition to fueling the cast & crew, the dinner table is an opportunity to build camaraderie on set.
- Transferable Skills: This film was the first for Producer Peter Adams, but it did not show. The way Peter brought his skills from other businesses into play is a lesson for all first-time producers.
- The Fourth Character: If chosen well, the location itself becomes another character in the film. This was certainly true for Preston Castle.
- Make-Up is More than Lipstick: In addition to creating realistic bruises and open wounds, Margaret Caragan made me cry.
This list is more of a guideline than a formal plan. The order of publication may change and I may add, delete or consolidate topics as I write. So, stay tuned over the next month or so as I digest my on set experience and pass it on to you.
Peace,
Doug
Making Movie History
Doug Daulton, Pixel Corps Camera Operator. Photo by Tom Anderson
This past weekend, everyone on the set of Martin Rosenberg’s new supernatural thriller found out that we were making movie history. While many other films have had crews on hand for “behind the scenes” footage, no other production maintained live video streams throughout the course of the shoot.
As the principal camera operator and stream “wrangler” for the Pixel Corps crew, it was my job to keep the signal alive, but I had a lot of help, starting with Carolyn Stampeen, our Producer for the shoot. Carolyn managed every detail of our shooting with great professionalism. Kevin Hansen also ran camera for two nights. Suzanne Llewellyn set up and ran interviews and coordinated press coverage, Tom Anderson was invaluable in many roles, not the least of which was sound and John Riley provided key logistical support back at the office. In addition to shooting video for the stream, we also shot many stills and some of HD footage that may be later used by the film makers and in future Pixel Corps challenges.
While none of us set out to make movie history, this experience just goes to show what can happen when you work hard at things you love. Everyone on the Pixel Corps crew owes a big thank you to Martin Rosenberg, his co-producers Peter Adams, Peter Bailey & Rod Hartzog, our boss & mentor Alex Lindsay, the cast & crew of the film and the staff of Preston Castle. This has been an amazing experience and we are glad to have been a part of it.
Peace,
Doug
Octopus steals diver’s camera
I heard about this last week and then sublet on to it today. Enjoy!
DSLRs and F-15s
Doug Daulton, Richard Harrington & Alex Lindsay @ Nellis AFB. Photo by Neil Henderson
Yesterday, we mixed work and pleasure at Nellis AFB. It is not everyday that one gets to touch and photograph F-15s. Walking on to the flight line, I heard the theme from Top Gun playing in the back of my head. In addition to shooting the F-15 Eagles, we saw the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the A-10 Warthog , the B-1 Lancer, the V-22 Osprey, and the F-22A Raptor. On the flight line, we saw most of these taking off or landing. It was pretty amazing.
In between shoots, we visited the Nellis AFB “petting zoo”, a threat identification museum, which was recently declassified. It is a huge collection of captured assets, including a MIG-23, a MIG-29 and a bunch of tanks, missile systems and other huge, intense hardware. I kept waiting for Optimus Prime to rise from the mix.
We were shooting for a defense contractor with offices on base. We’ll probably be back to get additional footage over the summer. All of the footage and stills are to used in promotional materials for the company. Nothing we shot was classified and we are allowed to release the material. So, look for more images from everyone on the shoot soon. I am sure mine will be the worst of the bunch. I have so much to learn, but that is what an internship is all about!
Thanks to Alex, Richard Harrington and our hosts, Neil Henderson and his father, Earl “Obi-Wan” Henderson. That was an amazing shoot.
Peace,
Doug
UPDATE: We were shooting F-15s, not F-16s. Accordingly, I’ve updated everything in the post but the URL. Thanks to Neil for the correction. All of photos are included below.
NAB in the rearview mirror
The last week has been an exhausting sprint, beginning with the arrival of the LiveU box on my doorstep last Friday and ending with the Pixel Corps Q&A stream this evening. Along the way, both LiveU and uStream have been very supportive partners in the process. The “live” team is off for a little R&R (sort of) early tomorrow morning, then I get some down time with my family before the long drive to San Francisco next Tuesday or Wednesday. Everyone at the Pixel Corps has been most gracious and welcoming to the newest noob on the block! Thanks!
The fun starts next Thursday in earnest. I cannot say much more because not everything has been confirmed just yet, but if everything comes together as planned, you might here a little fanboy squeal from me late next week all the way from San Francisco. Those who know me well know just how hard it is to get such a reaction from me. So, you know it has to be something awesome. And, then on Sunday the 25th, I step on to my first feature film set.
I’ve learned so much is just these last few days, that I know my future projects would be 100% better if the PXC plug was somehow pulled tomorrow. So, I can only imagine how much my mind is going to be blown over the next 2 months.
Now, I am off to bed. First call is 6:45AM tomorrow. There are large engines involved. So, I need my shut eye.
Peace,
Doug
Comfortable shoes and a few other quick lessons
We wrapped Day 2 of NAB shooting and I thought I’d share some lessons already learned from the experience. These are presented in no particular order.
- Redundancy is your friend. Always assume some important part of your kit will fail. Have a back up ready to go. We did not experience any major problems that prompted this lesson. It just seems to be a core principle of the PXC ethos and it lines up with my own POV well.
- Three things your kit must include:
- A small toolkit with a flathead & phillips screwdriver, needlenose pliers and a quarter.
- Extra batteries of all shapes and sizes.
- A knife of some sort.
- Gaffer’s tape is an amazingly useful tool; even better than duct tape.
- When storing gear for a long time between uses, remove all batteries. A corroded battery probably cost me a good set of Bose headphones.
- Speaking of headphones, always keep at least three sets of iPod earbuds on hand. Don’t use the iPhone earbuds with the mic as an audio monitor.
- My Beachtek needs a slightly longer screw to connect to the Canon HF10.
- The Zoom R16 is one sexy little mixer.
- When you have a wide shot of a group, do not pan between the speakers. It causes artifacts when streaming and is visually distracting. Cutting from speaker to speaker is really the job of a 2- camera shoot with a producer calling the camera changes to be managed by a video switcher.
- There is no such thing as having too many SD cards on hand.
- Tapeless workflow is where it at!
- The iPad is going to be a really big deal. I already knew that, but NAB has only confirmed this for me.
- I learned how to properly wrangle cable.
- Always have and use a pre-roll checklist.
- While I have a few minor quibbles, the LiveU unit is a pretty amazing piece of gear.
- Even at a show filled with broadcast and film pros, some people don’t recognize the camera and walk through your shots … no matter how hard you try to stop them.
- 3D is really here … if we do not kill it with ill-concieved conversions.
- Always have a spare tape/SD card in your pocket.
- My wife is a saint.
- The iPhone is an invaluable note-taking tool, especially with the video camera.
- Learning how something works needn’t stifle one’s sense of wonder about the fact that it does.
- There is no such thing as “too old”; so long as your mind remains open to new knowledge.
- I am woefully out of shape, but the aches and pains tell me I am making progress on that front.
- Running a camera is hard work, particularly when moving all around the show floor.
- Thanks goodness for comfortable shoes. Think of good shoes as an investment in your mental and physical health.
So, that is it for now. I’ll have more cogent thoughts when I have more time to write.
Peace,
Doug
Off to the Pixel Corps
I remember the first time I became aware of Alex Lindsay. It was somewhere between 2000-2001 when TechTV was still going strong. Alex was a frequent guest on The Screen Savers (TSS) with Leo LaPorte and Patrick Norton. I found Alex’s segments intriguing because they usually touched on the tech of film-making. Having worked at ILM, he spoke with great authority on the subject.
Back then, I had just returned to the world of technical writing and web design & development after taking time off to write and direct a short documentary. Making that documentary was the single most fun and engaging professional experience I’d ever had and I wanted more. TSS was just the right mix of technical and creative content to scratch that itch. The show was the first thing I recorded on my first TIVO.
A lot can change in 10 years.
For starters, TSS and TechTV are both gone. Kevin Rose, once a regular contributor on TSS, is now the Founder and CEO of DIGG. Leo LaPorte launched TWiT.tv and forged a new path away from broadcast/cable television and onto the interwebs. And, starting yesterday, I began working as an intern for Alex Lindsay and the Pixel Corps (PXC).
The story of how that happened is a fun and interesting one, at least for me. At some point, I’ll share it here. But, first call is 9AM tomorrow, so I need to keep this short.
This week, we are covering NAB for Pixel Corps and TWiT.tv. I am excited about the plan for the week and the new tech we’ll be bending to our will. ;^D After wrapping NAB on Thursday, I’ll take a few days with my family before I move to San Francisco for two months to complete the rest of my internship, the first 10 days of which will be on the set of a feature film.
Yep. I am pretty darn excited.
Over the next 10-12 weeks, I’ll be blogging and, eventually video blogging, about my experiences at PXC. By documenting this experience, I hope to be of help to both PXC and future interns who are considering taking the leap. So, stay tuned.
In closing, I’d like to offer a few words of thanks.
First and foremost, thanks to my wife Kelly, my son Finn and his little brother who is on the way. While the timing of this opportunity could be better for our family, it would only be harder to do down the road. So, thanks for letting me go on this adventure and supporting me along the way. I’ll miss you when I am gone and look forward to our daily Skype sessions. I love you!
Next, thanks to all of my family and friends in Vegas … Dad, Mom, Vince, Olivia, Consuelo, Byron, Bennie & Rose … who will be helping Kelly and Finn in my absence. Thanks also to Team Neoncon (Steve, the Mikes & Will), who will keep the ship moving forward until I return.
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Alex Lindsay for giving me this opportunity. Its unique value is not lost on me. And, to my current and future colleagues and mentors at the Pixel Corps, thanks in advance for the lessons I am sure to learn from each of you. I’ll do my best to learn quickly and not slow you down.
Peace,
Doug
PS: Thanks to Gary Gannon. Were it not for you, I may not have rediscovered Alex by way of the Pixel Corps in the first place.
Mostly Lisa Gets Her Pilot’s License
To close the New Media Expo, I had the opportunity to run Flip for Lisa Bettany. We had a lot of fun shooting this segment. I hope you enjoy it as well!
