the number one magazine for independent …€¦ · shawshank redemption is voted best movie house...

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Viewfinder.co.nz

shoot / edit / play / share

Shooting stars Make great music videos

Moving times How to fake that

travelling car scene

Show business There’s no show

without the business

Dark secrets Shoot day for night

On location Get clean audio

anywhere

Switching careers Sports champion Polly Green talks about her new passion

THE NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT VIDEOMAKERS

ViewfinderNew Zealand

Shoot / Edit / Play / SharE iSSuE 4 JunE-July 2010 ViEwfindEr.co.nz

exclusive blender cGi tutorial // industry news // build a website

$8.90 inc GST

June/July 2010Issue 4

Mosaic Media LtdM

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www.Viewfinder.co.nz

Editor // Steve HartEmail: [email protected]

Designer // William Benn

Contributors // Gary Foster, Ande Schurr, Mike Atherton, Mitch Santell, James Wheeler, Jodie Driver

Advertising // call 09 426 2050email: [email protected]

Printing // PMP MaximDistribution // Gordon & GotchPh: 09 979 3100Email: [email protected]

Publisher // Mosaic Media LtdPO Box 300-505, Albany, North Shore, Auckland, 0752Email: [email protected]

Mosaic Media LtdM

Copyright noticeThe contents of Viewfinder Magazine and its associated website are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from Mosaic Media Ltd or the owner of the work.Copyright of material in Viewfinder may be owned by Mosaic Media Ltd or by the creator.Views expressed by writers may not necessarily be shared by the publisher.

Copyright © 2010 Mosaic Media Ltd

ISSN: 1179-3651

INTRODUCTION

With so many skilled and highly creative moviemakers around it is easy to become disillusioned with our own efforts, grab a bundle of videos from the store and simply enjoy them –

leaving our cameras and computers to collect dust.

Some might say to themselves ‘I can’t match what the other guy is doing, so why bother?’. To which I’d say, our job in life is not to match or emulate what other people are doing. It’s about being as creative as we can, thinking for ourselves and doing our best to make our moviemaking dreams come true.

But there is something else we can do that is far more powerful and a lot easier than pushing ourselves to the limit of our physical and mental capabilities. Collaboration.

It appears that in this age of easy communication, we can quickly become an island surrounded by a sea of technology. We want for nothing as we sit at our computers. But isolation has a price and asking for help appears to be something many people refuse to do. Even when it is to take part in a fun and creative project.

When it comes to making movies they’ll write the script, set up mics, the lights, shoot, edit, master the audio, burn the DVD and design the sleeve. Meanwhile, there may be people on their doorstep who can perform some of these tasks better than the guy with the big idea.

Being a jack of all trades is fine for a while, but to take your video projects to the next level, ask for help. Perhaps from like-minded people you know, or join your local video club. If there isn’t one near you, start one with an advert in your local paper.

When it comes to making videos, as in life, decide on what you enjoy doing most and round up people to bring the skills you don’t have. It’s time to network, get out and build your base of contacts. I’m sure that in the coming months having a wide network of new friends will bring great benefits.

Enjoy and have fun.

Steve [email protected]


DiD you miss issues 1, 2 or 3?Limited stock available. order at Viewfinder.co.nz

under Back issues.

see page 40 for edition contents list

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Put us on your favourites list!

WINNERSCarl Watson of Whakatane and Tracey Hunter of Auckland each win a copy of the Poisoning Paradise DVD after entering the draw advertised in issue 3.

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CONTENTSGallery

Still moving Create CGI effects

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Recording people inside a car or plane can easily fall into the ‘too hard’ basket. Gary Foster has the answers...

Mike Atherton offers a step-by-step guide to Blender, the free program for creating stunning computer generated graphics

Direct from Hollywood, we welcome Mitch Santell to Viewfinder as he starts the first of a regular column on cutting the mustard in the movies

Learn how you can build a cool website to promote your videos and freelance services

In Box Show businessFind out what our readers have to say and feel free to join the debate

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Get up to speed with industry news

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Promote yourself

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Next time

Trade Directory

Shooting stars

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Support our advertisers and make contact with video clubs

My MovieYoung moviemakers Marc McCarthy and Cody Packer talk about their movie The Centre Line, which is based on a family tragedy

It’s the easiest gig in town and the hardest gig in town. Video producer and director Logan McMillan explains the secrets of making music videos

Ande Schurr speaks with veteran sound recordist Mike Westgate to get his top tips for location recording

Recording footage at night can cause all sorts of issues for the uninitiated. James Wheeler throws some light on the options

Kayaking champion Polly Green tells Steve Hart how she mixes her passion for wild water and making award-winning documentaries.

Location, location Shot in the dark

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Macro videography

Which microphone is best for your shoot

Editing basics

Issue 5 out July 26 !

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Main feature

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GalleryNews & products

Documentary Edge 2011

Six Dollar Fifty Man wins again

Flash in the panTalk of the demise of the flash (.flv) online video format may be premature. But with the incoming introduction of the HTML5 web page code, which will likely include an open (royalty free) video format called OGG Theora, videomakers and web designers will be able to get a video online using a single code such as: <video src=”movie.ogv”> instead of complex Javascript.Using the <video> tag will also overcome the issue of Apple’s iPads and iPhones not playing flash videos.Designers of HTML5 say the OGG Theora code will reduce reliance on software companies that make Flash encoders and players.

Music videos needed?MediaWorks launched an alternative digital music channel C42 on May 1 to play exclusively on Channel 9 of the Freeview platform.C42 will offer New Zealand music considerable representation with a commitment of up to 30 per cent local content. It will feature back to back alternative music videos, without hosts.An arrangement between MediaWorks and PPNZ will ensure videos and artists represented by IMNZ (the New Zealand trade body for independent record labels and distributors) represent a larger portion of the playlist.

Vimeo gets a plusOnline video sharing site Vimeo.com has launched Plus Stats, a member-only service to offer users advanced statistics such as video analytics that reveal advanced details on the playback of their videos.Information such as location, duration watched and embed locations are among the information now offered.The company’s VP of product & development, Andrew Pile, says better analytics was one of the most requested features from its membership.

Free plug-insFXFactory is a free plug-in management system that lets you install and try out plug-ins for programs such as Final Cut Pro, Motion, After Effects and Final Cut Express.There is also a range of free plug-ins as well as trial mode versions.See: www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory.

The 6th edition of Documentary Edge Festival will be held February-March 2011 and the door is now open to movie makers who want to submit their video.

Submissions can only be made via the Withoutabox.com website which offers free membership.

The submission fees (short/feature) and deadlines are: Early bird, USD$15/$20

(15 June 2010); Regular, USD$30/$35 (31 August) 2010; Late, USD$35/$40 (15 September) 2010 and Extended, USD$50/$55 (1 October 2010)

For details on rules and regulations (prior to your submission) see www.documentaryedge.org.nz and to upload your movie, login at www.withoutabox.com/login/4140

The Six Dollar Fifty Man has won Best Drama at Aspen Shortsfest.

The win marks the short film’s fourth Oscar-qualifying film festival award to date – further qualifying it for consideration for an Academy Award nomination next year.

The movie’s success has gone from strength to strength following its world premiere and gaining Special Distinction at Cannes last year.

This year it has already won the Jury Prize in International Short Film making at Sundance, Best Narrative Short at Cinequest Film Festival, USA and the Cooper Award for Best Short Film at Australasia’s only Academy-qualifying film festival, Flickerfest

The short also won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles Prize for Excellence, as part of its selection at Aspen.

Written and directed by Wellingtonians Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland and produced by Wendy Cuthbert, The Six Dollar Fifty Man tells the story of a boy (Oscar Vandy-Connor – pictured) who lives in a make believe world to help him deal with school bullying.

In announcing the winners, the judges, including actor Meg Ryan, said the film was “funny, fresh, fully realised all cinematic elements from music to camera angles and superb cast including the mind boggling, awesome performance of the very young lead”.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man was made with finance from the Short Film Fund. Another New Zealand short film at Aspen Shortsfest, Careful with that Powertool (made by Jason Stutter) received Special Jury Recognition.

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CS5 faster for H.264 video

Shawshank Redemption is voted best movie

House finalé shot with dSLRs

More than 10,000 Kiwis have voted in a poll to draw up a list of the best and worst movies of all time.

The best movie was voted to be perennial favourite The Shawshank Redemption (pictured above), an uplifting 1994 prison drama based on a story by Stephen King.

James Cameron’s Avatar came in at second place and Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is New Zealand's third favourite film of all time.

The worst movie, on the other hand, was deemed to be Battlefield Earth. The sci-fi disaster starring John Travolta and based on the fictional story written by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard.

In second place is George Clooney's incarnation as the

caped crusader in 1997’s Batman & Robin.

Also in the list of worst films were kiwi comedy-horror Black Sheep and Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Surprisingly, 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory appeared in the Top 100 list of best films, while Tim Burton’s 2005 version, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was one of the worst.

Once Were Warriors was chosen as the best New Zealand film. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was in second place, followed by Whale Rider and Geoff Murphy’s classic Goodbye Pork Pie.

The poll was run by Video Ezy NZ and Flicks.co.nz.

Early adopters of Adobe’s CS5 Premier Pro editing application say rendering native H.264 footage – such as that created by some dSLRs and AVCHD camcorders – is faster thanks to the software’s Mercury Playback Engine, graphics processing unit acceleration and a better performing H.264 codec from MainConcept.

The Mercury Engine is assigned to a collection of two software improvements: 64-bit native code and superior multiple-core CPU use.

The second component, GPU acceleration, only works if you have a supported Nvidia graphics card in your computer. GPU acceleration has been described as part of the Mercury engine but has also been called CUDA technology, since that's Nvidia's brand for the underlying technology.

The downside is that this latest incarnation of the NLE will only run on native 64-bit computers and users say between 16GB and 24GB or RAM is best for good performance.

The season finale of TV hospital drama House was recorded with dSLR cameras.

Director Greg Yaitanes said using dSLRs for the final episode of season six gave him the chance to explore new angles and shoot in tight spots that would be off limits if using traditional TV cameras.

Speaking on his Twitter account, Greg says they converted the cameras’ H264 video files to Avid DS, recorded them to HDCamSR tape and brought those tapes into a telecine bay to do syncing, colour correction and create dailies.

“It would have been great to try and alter the workflow more, but [we] felt we had our hands full with changing the format at the end of the season,” says Greg. “In theory we could have taken the footage from camera

right to the editing room.”DSLR video guru Philip

Bloom says the workflow for these cameras is going to change a lot “especially with release of new Avid Media Composer 5 that will support all forms of Quicktime natively”.

Actor Hugh Laurie in a scene from the TV show House.

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GalleryNews & products

Life just got easier for still camera shooters

150 ways to take better pictures

Doco resource centreThe Documentary NZ Trust is looking to create a Documentary Edge Campus. This will be run all year round and includes establishing a permanent home for a resource centre / library that will house documentary films and written materials, provide a centre for holding meetings, running workshops and a drop in centre.The centre will be available for the wider community to watch films and use the centre’s resources.The trust is now inviting people and companies who want to support the idea – and be a part of creating the only documentary Resource Centre in New Zealand – to contact them at [email protected]

Upcoming festivals Boston Jewish Film Festival, Boston, USA. Deadline: 31 May 2010.www.bjff.orgRaindance Film Festival, London, UK. Deadline: 4 June 2010.www.raindance.co.ukToronto International Film Festival, Toronto, Canada. Deadline: 4 June 2010.http://tiff09.caTaiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF), Taichung, Taiwan. Deadline: 15 June 2010.www1.tidf.org.twPusan International Film Festival, Pusan, South Korea. Deadline: 29 June 2010.www.piff.org

Volunteers neededThe Women In Film & Television NZ (WIFT) Research Hub is looking at the TVNZ Amendment Bill with a view to drafting a WIFT NZ submission, and beginning a research project on the position of women in the New Zealand screen industry. Bill submission work is being led by Dr Ruth Zanker in Christchurch and the research project by Massey University’s Nina Seja.If you want to volunteer to assist with either of these projects please contact the WIFT NZ office at [email protected]

Pirate my filmThis is a new website that appears to still by under construction at www.piratemyfilm.com.But it looks like independent movie makers might have a chance to list their projects and attract funding from various sources.

Redrockmicro profiled a dSLR remote for its follow focus system that can be controlled wirelessly or by a hard wire.

Slot in an iPod Touch / iPhone and the functionality of the remote comes to life when used in conjunction with Redrockmicro’s microTape, a sonar-based rangefinder (for pin point focus). You can even turn over control to the sonar rangefinder and allow it to automatically drive the follow focus based on the distance to subject – effectively allowing you to turn on autofocus for dSLR video capture.

Using an iPod / iPhone will also allow you to record focus and replay

the focus operation directly to the follow focus motor attachment. Additionally, the application includes a lens calibration database.

The basic, wired option of the Micro Remote will include the base station and motor for around $1400, while the full blown wireless system is expected to be around US$3500 to US$4500 – don’t expect it in the stores for a few months yet though.

However, with a $4000 dSLR in one hand and an $4500 remote in the other, some might argue that a dedicate semi-pro camcorder is the best option.See: www.redrockmicro.com

According to one study, we are exposed to 40,000 photographic images every day, and yet, how many photographs are remembered? Photography is about telling stories through images, and to do that well you need to learn the language of photography.

A new book – 150 Projects for Student Photographers – will help you build up a complete set of skills required to get onto a photography degree course.

By following a series of challenging workouts, tutorials and projects, you will develop the visual language needed to create a strong portfolio, discover your personal style, and get top marks for your course assignments.

150 Workouts for Student Photographers by John Easterby is priced $29.99

Above: The Micro Remote transmitter unit allows you to control your dSLR’s iris, focus, zoom and record start-stop. The display unit is an iPod Touch or iPhone that the user slots inside the hand-held unit.Right: The receiving unit connects to your dSLR and a special rig that is attached to your lens.Below: The focus range finder with a digital distance display sits on top of the camera.

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Sony closes the gap

Flip up eyecup and flip out 3.5-inch LCD 921,000 pixel lens

Optional Sony 2/3 bayonet lens

HMDI slot, time code in/out and video sockets

Finger touch rocker zoom control and auto/manual iris switch

Rear sockets for XLR inputs, remote controller etc

Sony has released details of its new PMW-320 camera, a model that fits nicely between its EX3 and

the 320’s bigger brother the PMW-350. In fact, this new model is basically a

half-inch chip version of the PMW-350 (which has a two-third-inch sensor) and is – in essence – a shoulder mounted EX3. It’s a camera that offers the best of both worlds.

The PMW-320’s sensor is the same as found in Sony’s EX3 and the camera will ship in two configurations; body with no lens or packaged with a half-inch Fujinon lens. This packaged lens is very similar to the EX3 lens but with a standard half-inch mount.

Behind the lens are three Exmor full HD 1920 x 1080 image sensors.

The smaller chip offers excellent low-light sensitivity to F10 and a signal to noise ratio of 54db, not only that, the sensor allows operators to capture images with a much shallower depth of field to deliver a cinematic look to their productions.

Like the PMW-350, the PMW-320 offers slow and quick motion recording, allowing users to capture footage at 1fps to 60fps (frames per second). Frames are captured natively with no padded frames and at full resolution.

It can also fire off one frame at set intervals – ideal for special effects such as clouds rushing by.

ATW is the camera’s auto white tracing function. This system adjusts the camera’s white balance as it moves from one scene to another and compensates for changes in light temperature.

For covering one-time only events, the camera’s picture cache buffering option is like having gold. Switch this on and 15 seconds of video and audio will be continually saved to the camera’s internal memory. So whenever you press record, you will automatically capture

the previous 15 seconds to your card.Following the action is easy with its

3.5-inch LCD colour viewfinder with a resolution of 1920 x 480 pixels. You can watch the screen via the eyecup or flip it up to watch the screen from a short distance.

On your shoulder, this model – just like the PMW-350 – rests comfortably in your hands.

Price: PMW-320K with lens, $21,900 plus GST PMW-320L without lens, $18,900 plus GST

Above, the PMW-320, left the higher spec’d PMW-350

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Camera AnglesGary Foster

Camera AnglesGary Foster

freelance market fmw h e r e f r e e l a n c e r s p r o m o t e t h e i r s e r v i c e s

w h e t h e r y o u a r e a f u l l t i m e p r o f e s s i o n a l f r e e l a n c e r , o r u s e y o u r h o b b y t o e a r n a l i t t l e e x t r a c a s h , f r e e l a n c e m a r k e t i s t h e p l a c e t o b e s e e n – i t ’ s w h e r e p e o p l e g o t o f i n d t h e f r e e l a n c e r s t h e y n e e d

w h e t h e r y o u w r i t e , d e s i g n n e w s l e t t e r s o r w e b s i t e s , s h o o t v i d e o o r t a k e p h o t o s , j o i n u p t o d a y a n d e n j o y t h e b e n e f i t s o f p r o m o t i n g y o u r s e r v i c e s t o t h e w o r l d

A n y o n e c a n l i s t t h e m s e l v e s o n t h e f r e e l a n c e m a r k e t w e b s i t e a n d s i g n - u p t o r e c e i v e o u r f r e e e m a i l n e w s l e t t e r

f r e e l a n c e m a r k e t i s a g r o w i n g c o m m u n i t y o f p e o p l e p r o v i d i n g a v a r i e t y o f c r e a t i v e s k i l l s – j o i n u p a n d j o i n i n

F r e e l a n c eMar k e t . c o . n z

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InBoxR e a d e r s w r i t e

Email your letters to [email protected]. We promise to read them all and look forward to your comments, story suggestions and requests.

Up the revolutionSoft camera mount is in the bagIt’s a pity James Wheeler didn't

research a bit deeper before writing his 3D video article (Viewfinder issue 3).

There is a flourishing stereoscopic society in NZ, there is excellent free software for 3D video on the web [Stereo Movie Maker], with great back-up (and blogs from users) which will provide easy and automatic anaglyph (what you call red/green), as well as normal side-by side or transposed pairs.

Roll on the 3D revolution.By the way, stereoscopy is as old

as photography itself, for example, the famous portrait photographer T R Williams was taking stereoscopic images 160 years ago (read the fascinating book by Brian May).

See this website: www.teawamutu.net/stereoscopic/members.htmlCarl WatsonWhakatane

Ed says.Hi Carl and thanks for writing.The aim of the 3D feature was to give readers general advice on making a fun 3D movie.We try not to make tutorials such as these software specific as there are so many video applications around. Stereo Movie Maker is available via the Free Stuff section of the Viewfinder.co.nz website.

I was interested in the Gary Foster article in regards to camera mounts (Viewfinder Issue 3).

For me, one of the most effective soft mounts for a camera is the Cinekinetic Mini Saddle. Basically this is a canvas bag filled with foam “beans” that make a firm, but soft, bed to cushion a camera.

Where this mount excels is in shooting from the bonnet of a car – forward to give a POV shot of the road ahead, reversed to capture the driver or to capture overhead foliage reflected in the windscreen. I’ve also attached it to the tow bar of a trailer to film the rear of the towing car.

The results are particularly good – a smooth, gliding perspective. Mounting is shown in the photo (right) with a camera in position.

The camera and bag are attached by way of plastic coated hooks and straps, although I use a ratchet tie-down with foam padding to protect the car.

The Mini Saddle is effective in all kinds of applications where you may not be able to take or use a tripod. It can also provide a firm basis for holding the camera against a tree trunk, shop window, on top of rocks or a picket fence. It is great for those low angle perspectives from ground level (think of shooting a street parade).

I have even used it to mount a camera on a lawn mower and then pushed it along to get an excellent tracking shot as I passed

by a line of shrubs.I also attached it to an old wheelbarrow

frame, weighed down with a couple of concrete blocks. With the camera mounted in the Mini Saddle, and the wheelbarrow tyre slightly deflated, I can follow an actor and get a fairly smooth tracking shot of the actor’s feet or legs as he walks ahead.James BowmanHawkes Bay Video Enthusiast’s Club

Ed says.James, thanks for the excellent tip off for this product and for sending in the photo. I am now eyeing up my daughter’s bean bag...

You go to extremes to get just the right shot, and with the SanDisk Extreme® line of memory

cards, you’ll get that shot, every time. Engineered to be lightning fast with blistering read/write

speeds of up to 90MB/sec*, these cards are also rigorously stress-tested for extreme shock,

vibration, temperature and humidity so you can take it to the extreme—no matter what.

When pros demand extreme speed and reliability, they demand

SanDisk Extreme® memory cards.

Lacklands Ltd/09 [email protected]/www.lacklands.co.nz

go extreme. there’s no turning back.

12

Show businessMitch Santell

Do you have a dream in your heart of a film you want to make? Well, guess what? There

has never been a better time to make your own film than right now.

The film business as we know it is dead. Now, are you shocked or do you already sense that things have shifted on the movie-making landscape?

Each and every day I receive an email, or an inquiry on my blog or a phone call on Skype, regarding a film that someone wants to make and I am always keen to hear their ideas.

It has been my experience that people can bring one of three things to the table: talent, resources or capital.

Five years ago the independent film business was strong and moving down the tracks like a speeding locomotive. Today, the industry is re-building itself from the ground up with distribution channels in array.

So what went wrong? Let’s have a look at what put Hollywood into the basement bargain bin of the movie world.

1The industry was too dependent on focus groups. It seems that each studio could not make up their mind on what they wanted to be and invested too much time with accountants.

2Hollywood, both main stream and within the independent film community, became obsessed with something I call sequel-itis. This happens when a

company decides that a formula works well and then flogs it to death. Anyone in your family seen Cinderella 3, Jaws 4, Rocky 7...?

3Because of their reliance on sticking with a tried and tested formula, the industry overall stopped developing new filmmakers. The only exception would be at Pixar which has a reputation on betting the company with each new project. Each film’s director was a lead animator on a previous film. (Want to be inspired? Go rent or buy The Pixar Story).

4Banks started to fold, causing film production to stop or be diverted to other venues.

As businesses went without finance they had to change tack. Some recent examples include Miramax (Sex Lies and Videotape, Pulp Fiction, The Piano), went bankrupt, was closed and put up for sale by the Walt Disney Company in January.Stephen Spielberg, who failed in getting US$1.2 billion dollars in financing, moved his team to India.

5The traditional Hollywood system post 1950 has now collapsed and guess what? The power is now in your hands.

The playing field has been levelled in your favour and it does not matter what your budget is. At the end of the day, it all comes down to content – content, as they say, is king. Do not let your lack

Mitch SantellMitch Santell enjoys nothing more than to take an idea and turn it into a finished product. He has a real passion for helping people live their dreams.He started in the entertainment business as a music producer and radio host (which he still enjoys). He has developed an extensive background as a team and capital formation expert and expanded his career into media syndication and online branding.As an independent syndicator he has worked with the ABC Radio Network, Clear Channel, Salem Communication and Citadel.Mitch launched independent documentary film company Transparent Pictures in New Zealand, and while he enjoys working in film, his true love is motion picture soundtracks.He has been in the music business since he was 17, originally singing in a gospel group with Billy Preston.Mitch’s family began in the motion picture business in the 1920s and is remembered as industry leaders at 20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount, MGM and RKO.

Contactwww.transparentpicturesnz.com

How to get your movie madeFormer Los Angeles based media and team formation expert Mitch Santell begins a regular column on how to put together capital creation strategies to get your film project off the ground

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of resources stop you from developing a good idea.

I for one am both watching and participating in the new film business. Am I doing this from Los Angeles or New York? No, I am doing it right here in New Zealand because this country is the future of Hollywood.

The major players blew it. California blew it with the lack of innovative tax breaks for traditional and independent film makers.

Now you get to take the future of filmmaking into your own hands. Over the coming months I’ll be sharing and showing you step by step how to:

Build your team•Raise capital•Get your distribution sorted•

Build your content•Want a look at where the business is

going? Well, this is just a peek at what is ahead, check out a new film service called Open Film.

Dmitry Kozko had a vision of creating a world class place for independent filmmakers like you to take their finished projects to a global audience via www.openfilm.com

Make sure to check back next issue for my next instalment of this new regular column. Why? I’ll be explaining how to keep your film idea from being ripped off when sharing it with prospective work colleagues and investors.

You have the power now, it’s in your hands and in the hands of your team.

Copyright Mitch Santell

How to get your movie made

“It has been my experience that people can bring one of three

things to the table: talent, resources or

capital.”

14

Music videosSteve Hart

A long, long, time ago in a far off land, a musician called Robert Palmer made a song called

Addicted to Love. Everyone who heard it agreed it would be a huge hit. It wasn’t.

Despite getting exposure on the radio in 1985 the public didn’t rush out to buy it. Undeterred the record company decided to make a music video for the song using five attractive girls. Each was made to look the same and they were given an instrument to ‘play’ during the recording of the video.

The video was released, it got lots of TV airplay – MTV was huge having started broadcasting in Britain a year earlier - and the song became a huge hit. All thanks to the video.

I am showing my age with this story, and I’m sure something similar has happened many times since. But it proves, if proof were needed, that a good music video can give singers and bands a real boost when it comes to publicity and marketing. Even more so today with so many online video sites.

But what goes into making a good video? Should a director simply record the band miming their song or do something more adventurous that may not feature the band at all?

Logan McMillan has been making professional music videos for more than five years and says every video is different. Budget is always an issue for new bands, but he has been known to shoot and edit a video for little more

than a few hundred dollars.“There’s not too much money in

making music videos because every penny is put into making the best video possible,” he says. “But it allows me as a director to get very creative at times and it is good fun because often there is no script to follow.

“If you do it for profit then the video is not going to look as good and that doesn’t help you and it doesn’t help the artist. So you put all the money on the screen.”

Logan got into making videos by accident while studying science at Canterbury University. The university ran a short film competition and he decided to give it a go, editing with iMovie. He was hooked and left to enrol at a Christchurch film school to do a one-year digital video postproduction course.

So far, the 29-year-old has worked on more than 50 music videos and says every band that approaches him is different to any that went before them.

“Some artists will arrive at the pre-production meeting with a clear idea of what they want their music video to feature,” he says. “If they come with a good idea then you can often tweak it to put your own spin on it.

“But then there will be more established bands that will send their track to a lot of directors at the same time and then you pitch for the work – detailing the colours, what the story will be and the overall treatment for their

ShootingStars

Getting your mates together to shoot a music video can be great fun, especially as you can be so free and easy with the camera work and as creative as you want to be with the editing. Logan McMillan of Gorilla Pictures tells Steve Hart how to do it

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song. Sometimes you get the work and sometimes you don’t.

“In fact I’ve done quite a lot of pitches where I haven’t got the video, but then now and again the artist likes your idea and you get picked.”

Logan says NZ On Air pay $5000 for a music video, but the work is thin on the ground in Christchurch where he runs his firm Gorilla Pictures. He typically helps local bands with much smaller budgets.

To get ideas for his music videos Logan will listen to a song dozens of times and let his imagination flow.

“Images come to my mind when I listen to a track,” he says. “But sometimes it takes forever to get a good idea for a video. I can spend a few days just solidly listening to the song trying to think up an idea that would work with it.

“If you decide on a storyline then that needs planning so that it builds and everything happens at the right point in the song.

“That can be quite tricky, but you can also show a story that doesn’t logically match the song at all – you just do what works.”

Using a story to illustrate a song is all very well, but how do you get musicians and singers to become actors and perform naturally in front of the camera?

“If a singer or band members don’t want to act in front of the camera they’ll tell you upfront so you know where you stand,” says Logan. “But people such as lead singers are not usually that shy and are used to being in front of a crowd.

“It can be a little bit outside their comfort zone but you can usually coax people into doing things and for people who can’t perform well as actors >>

“It is a good idea to look at lots of music videos before cutting your first one as it is surprising what works and what

doesn’t when it comes to editing style.”

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Music videosSteve Hart

then you just shoot around it by putting the focus onto the people who are the best actors within a band.”

Logan agrees that shooting a music video is a lot different to producing a movie or a doco and says because they are not recording audio on set, camera operators can be a lot more fluid in what they grab.

“When you shoot a movie there are certain scenes you have to capture and when you cut it together it needs to work in a linear way,” says Logan. “But with a music video you can have holes in your story and it can jump around a lot. You can be a lot rougher when you shoot.

“If the lighting isn’t great for a particular scene then you can change its colour to hide or mask any technical issues and no one will give it a second thought – it’s a music video.

“You can do stuff in post to make it look crazy, use one shot in colour, put another in black and white. It is not like a movie where everything has to be consistent.”

And when it comes to editing is it best to edit on the beat of the music or not? Logan says “not”.

“It is a good idea to look at lots of music videos before cutting your first

one as it is surprising what works and what doesn’t when it comes to editing style,” he says.

“As an editor you naturally want to cut on the beat of a drum or a bass hit and it is an easy thing to do because you can hear where it is.

“But good editors try and put cuts in other places so it looks seamless – and it works. When I cut I don’t consciously do it based on the beat of the music. I look at the clip and run it as long I think I can before cutting to something else.

“I may hold the shots longer in the verse and cut when it feels about right. I might speed up the cuts during the chorus. It’s more of a feel thing based on the footage you have. And once you’ve finished you’ll play the whole thing back and make changes.”

Logan says he can pump out a music video in three days. Day one is used for shooting footage, day two to edit and day three to take feedback and refine the video.

However, he recommends editors take a day or two away from the footage if they were on set for the shoot – just to get a bit of distance and come to the footage with fresh eyes.

“As a director and editor I will make decisions on what I will use in the edit

bay as I am shooting the footage, which is not always the best way to go,” he says.

“The risk is that perfectly good shots are discarded before you’ve even started.

“But if you have a straight out editor then they’ll come in and use shots you may think are useless to great affect. There are advantages to having a separate editor, but editing what you have shot saves time and money – because you know what you have to play with before you sit down at the computer.”

Because he doesn’t need to record audio during a music video shoot Logan records with dSLR cameras.

“We used to use Red cameras, but the dSLRs are so good with their HD recording and interchangeable lenses that we use them now and they are great,” he says.

“The good thing about dSLRs is there are so many around at the moment and they are so cheap that it’s easy to do a multicam shoot if required.”

W

Contact Logan McMillan via his website at www.gorillapictures.co.nz

Singer Dave Wallace on set for the making of the music video for the song Broken. Camera operator Dan Watson is using a dSLR fitted to a shoulder mount rig and viewing the footage with a monitor fitted to a stand. Photo: Bryce Holtshousen

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Record great sound on locationSound recordist Ande Schurr speaks with veteran audio engineer Mike Westgate to find out his top tips for recording in any situation

As a sound recordist for films and documentaries I am eager to listen back to my work. Forgive

me shooters, but I’m not as interested in the images because I didn’t have a say in those. However, I am responsible for the quality of the sound.

The problem with trying to shoot a movie on the cheap is that you may compromise on the wrong things. You may choose to spend your last dollars on an extra fancy monitor and then rely on the camera mic to capture all the audio – when paying someone to hold a boom with a microphone connected to the camera – would be many times better for the clarity and quality of the dialogue.

No one is telling you what you should do, but think about it from your listeners’ point of view.

When the audio is not distinct enough from the background ambience, even

if it is inside a quiet room such as a church (for those wedding cameramen out there), you want to ‘close mic’ the people who will be doing the talking.

When you capture sound in this precise and close manner, you get the full range of nuances and subtleties in the way that person spoke those words.

In a way, the message that is spoken is placed before you on a golden platter and you can reach out, touch, savour and enjoy the words – letting them be absorbed into your mind – allowing you to concentrate more on the images.

Face the contrary scenario, where the sound is barely heard over the room atmosphere because the mic was too far away from the source, and you will find your listeners 'stretching' to hear the sound; their attention taken away from the images. Few things distract viewers from watching the picture than >>

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AudioAnde Schurr

poor quality sound.The phenomenon of the ever-

decreasing size of video cameras has squeezed out the hope of getting quality audio to match the marvellous pictures.

So a range of products have been invented to bridge the divide. You may have heard of the Beachtek range. This little unit fits under any dSLR camera and provides two line/mic level XLR inputs as well as offering a headphone jack, headphone volume controls and disables the automatic volume gain control.

The territory of whether to use this device or not is still dictated by the preferences of the camera operator. Usually for weight reasons it is better and more flexible to keep the sound separate on a hard drive recorder with a digital time code slate.

What is funny is that the camera operator usually stacks so many additions onto the camera that I think this modest contraption would be undetected if placed on the bottom.

Mike Westgate needs no introduction to the film community, but for those of you who don’t know him, Mike is a heavy weight in the field of sound recording for movies and documentaries.

At 68-years-old, and showing no sign of losing enthusiasm for his craft, Mike has been a mentor and friend to me in my career.

Here, he shares some key tips on how to build a solid basis for capturing good sound when dealing with unexpected issues as they arise on location.

MonitoringListen to your results while recording and try to monitor levels manually.After the shoot, look and listen to your results in quiet surroundings so you can evaluate the quality, background noise and any recording defects.It may give you a chance to re-record some segments if necessary while the people required are still around.

Noisy locationsControl the unwanted noise or move away from it. Ask the subject to speak up – loud and clear (but not shout).Use a personal microphone.Use a directional microphone faced away from the noise.Use a hand-held mic very close to subject.Record a minute or two of background noise for use in editing.

Windy situationsMove to somewhere sheltered or use a vehicle or reflector to protect the subject. Use a Windjammer or Softie on the microphone and use the microphone below – not above – the subject.Another option is to put a small mic under light clothing or just inside heavy clothing.Centrally mounted mics will minimise changes due to the subject turning their head as they speak.

Shadow problemUsing a mic on a boom pole is a good idea, until it casts a shadow over the person’s face.When possible hold the boom mic underneath the subject, use a personal microphone or keep the boom (and shadow) still so it becomes a part of the picture.

Limiters and compressorsThese are useful tools provided they are inaudible in operation. Switch them off if you are aware they are causing unpleasant pumping or breathing noises between quiet and loud moments.

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Recording voice-oversEnsure material is free from background noises or acoustic quality.Record in a studio or soft furnished lounge, car interior or even quiet garden.Use a close mic technique to minimise unwanted sounds being recorded.When recording interview material, consider that your voice recordings may be used for voice-over and that the above considerations apply.

OverlapsTo avoid editing problems advise your director when overlaps occur. An overlap is caused by two or more people speaking at the same time or a noise recorded off camera. Listen out for it and ask for another take to fix the problem. If this is ignored, or if overlaps are inevitable, make sure to record both sides of the overlapping dialogue to give the sound editor a chance.

Complex or busy situationsUse just enough equipment and remember that a complex rig of mixers, mics and cables, may just be too much to operate and cause you to make mistakes. Define key dialogue elements and cover each with a dedicated microphone.If possible, when recording live performances, prearrange a line feed from the house mixer and use a DI box – or even a radio microphone link – to make this feed practical.

Ande SchurrAnde is a sound mixer based in Auckland and offers a full cart-based kit for feature films and TV commercials. He has a specialist ‘soundie’ kit for fast-paced TV reality shows and documentaries. He was inspired to learn the craft of sound recording by ex-BBC sound recordist Mike Westgate (The World’s Fastest Indian).Between shooting assignments, Ande guest lectures at film schools and enjoys the surprise on students’ faces when they realise that sound recording is an exhilarating profession with plenty of opportunities.

Contactwww.schurrsound.comwww.fieldsounds.co.nz

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Don’t be afraidof the dark

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Shooting video at night can add a dramatic touch to a movie – be it a rendezvous under a street lamp,

capturing that late night prowler or someone fixing their car along a creepy lane. But it can present all sorts of problems for the novice moviemaker.

There are two options when it comes to presenting a night scene on the screen. You either record it at night, with everything that entails, or shoot during an overcast day and make it look like night in postproduction.

In this feature, we’ll look at each choice to help you make the best decision for your next production.

But before we get the camera out, let’s look at why shooting in low light can be so hard for video camera owners. While filmmakers can switch to a faster – more light sensitive film stock with a high ISO – videomakers cannot. Changing our recording media won’t help us at all.

But most cameras do offer an electronic alternative to let in more light and boost the brightness of the image to help compensate for shooting in low light.

The phrase ‘painting with light’ is never more apt than when recording in low

light. Because, perhaps for the first time, you have to look at where the ambient light is coming from so you can use it – be it street lights, shop windows or flood lights outside the town hall, library or other prominent building.

Light could come from your talent holding a candle, a torch or from fire – such as that found in a camping ground scene.

Make no mistake, you will need some form of light to shoot at night and you may need to increase what is available with your own lights to get the shots you need.

In the movie American Graffiti director George Lucas wanted to film people and cars at night. In fact, the vast majority of this rock and roll classic was filmed during the night – initially in exceedingly low light.

After the first night’s shooting Lucas knew he was in trouble as the camera operators were telling him it was too dark for the cameras to focus on anything. To help get better results, the director of photography got shopkeepers to keep their lights on all night and placed 1000-watt lights atop each lamppost along the street they were

shooting in. That was his way of lighting the scene – it was bright enough for his 16mm film stock while retaining the appearance of it being night. He also used lots of close ups of the film’s characters.

However, some scenes are so bright that it looks like daylight. And that is what moviemakers need to watch out for – especially those of you with HD cameras as they normally require more light than standard definition cameras.

Sure, you are recording at night. But at what point do you find yourself using so much artificial light to get a good picture – and avoid the dreaded speckle affect of under-exposure – that you may as well be shooting during the day? The trick is to use lights for buildings and trees etc and subtle lights on your talent.

Using available (artificial) light can also present issues with colour temperature. The neon lights in the shop window may give off a green tint, while streetlights may scatter a red or orange cast over the scene.

Trying to white balance your camera in this situation will be a waste of time and countering the affects of these lights with extra lights may be too >>

Shooting video at night takes lots of thought and preparation to get good results, but there are alternatives... James Wheeler steps out of the shadows to throw some light on recording when the sun goes down (or not)

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LightingJames Wheeler

hard to fix on the night. So get the best quality shots possible and colour correct your footage later to make the whites white and the blacks black.

As a camera operator, shooting at night means getting as much light into your lens and onto the surface of the sensor as possible. To do this, some people will opt to use either a wide-angle lens or attach a wide-angle lens to the front of their camera’s fixed lens.

If you can’t change or modify your lens, then zoom out as far as possible and keep your shot wide. Zooming in will reduce the amount of light that enters your camera – and this may result in an image that is too dark or one that features too much noise or image grain to be of use. The bottom line is that cameras need light to see what’s going on – just like we do.

When shooting in low light it is best to switch to manual control because in auto mode (in low light) your camera will boost the gain and open the iris big and wide making the top of the nearest street lamp a white blob in a sea of darkness. You don’t want that to happen.

So go manual, set the scene and alter your camera’s settings until you get the

best quality picture possible. Don’t rely on the camera to focus on the correct things when in auto mode. Switch the focus to manual or risk the lens hunting as it tries to focus on something it can’t ‘see’ properly.

Recording at night may mean you will have less camera movement than you’d like. Get the light right, get the camera set up, shoot the scene and set up for the next shot. Tracking shots may be too hard to pull off.

However, one independent movie maker I know wanted to record two people walking along a dark street having a conversation. He did it by using 300 metres of electrical cable to power a softbox light mounted on his flatbed truck.

He operated the camera from the passenger side while his mate drove along at a steady 5kmh. On the back another friend kept the light steady, a section of yellow tape on the power cable was his warning that he had 10 metres to go before the truck had to stop.

The director got the shot he wanted, but had to have the actors recreate their dialogue later as the original audio was spoiled by the sound of the vehicle’s

engine… So keeping your talent in one place is easier.

Day for nightEven easier is to scrap the whole shooting at night idea and record your footage during the day. It’s safer, because you can see everything that’s going on, there’s no tripping over cables or the box full of beer – and people won’t be complaining it’s 10 o’clock and wondering where their cocoa and slippers are.

Shooting day for night is quite common and has been used in old films such as those made by Hammer Horror as well as in dozens of budget TV series such Randall & Hopkirk and The Saint. All feature night scenes that were clearly shot during the day (some with a bright blue sky...).

Unfortunately for the producers of these – and other programmes – they didn’t have computers or video editing software on their side. Everything was done in camera.

To get a day for night scene in the bag you need to keep the sky out of the shot, wait for a day when there are plenty of clouds and avoid showing any harsh shadows.

A scene from The Sum of All Fears (featuring Ben Affleck and Liev Schreiber). Notice how a prop – the light hanging between the actors – is helping to light the scene. See how their faces are lit so we know to concentrate on the them while other areas of the scene are allowed to fall into complete darkness. Photo: copyright Paramount Pictures

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It also helps to shoot in places where the sky is not seen that much, so consider a forest or an area with lots of tall buildings (but watch out for office block windows reflecting the sun and sky). Talking of reflections, watch out for any actors wearing glasses (and have them take off their sun glasses).

You’ll also need a camera that will allow you to switch it to manual control. Just like shooting at night, day for night is not something that can really be done in automatic mode.

Natural light has a blue tint, so switch your camera’s white balance control to tungsten. Then, accessing your iris

(exposure) control, turn it down to darken the recorded image until you get the look and feel you are after. And the good thing is, if you later find the footage is not dark enough you can work on it in postproduction.

There are a number of ways to give your daytime footage the look >>

Above: A good example of using the light from a prop to capture the scene of a woman reading in the dark.

Right: Don’t be afraid to show only what you want the audience to see, in this case the face of a child lit by a torch.

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Dark secretsSources of lightShop windowsStreet lampsVehicle headlightsTorchCandleFire

Shooting at nightIris – open it upLens – use a wide-angle lens or adjust your lens to its widest setting to let more light inGain – use this to brighten an image in low light. But use it with care as your solid blacks may turn a dull grey and your image could fill with visual noise or grain.

Day for nightAvoid showing a bright blue skyShoot on a cloudy day to avoid harsh shadowsSwitch your camera’s white balance to tungstenUse gain or iris controls to lower your exposure (and make the picture darker)On your video editing time line, apply a day for night filter or use colour correction to get the desired look and feel.Have actors carry a torch to help sell the effect.

Films to watchIt’s always a good idea to do a little film study before rushing out to try something new. To give you some pointers on night shooting and lighting generally I recommend these movies:

Blade RunnerThe Sum of all FearsGood night and Good LuckDouble Indemnity

of night in post. One way is to place a solid navy blue graphic on the video timeline above the length of your footage and then alter the transparency of your blue graphic so your footage shows through. Then reduce the saturation of your footage to knock down the colour.

If your camera was in a fixed position you can add a vignette to darken an area around your subject.

And you can have hours of fun with your video application’s colour correction tools. Your black, mids and white sliders could be turned down by about half to two thirds.

Then boost the blue to deliver the desired effect. Once you have the look you like, save the settings and apply them to other clips in your night scenes (keep them consistent).

What night looks like on screen is down to you. If the story is telling people it is

night time, because the meeting is at midnight in a remote place and everyone is carrying a torch, then so long as there isn’t a bright blue sky and a beaming sun in your scenes – and you have made the effort to tone down the colours – then your audience will buy into it.

One thing you could do before altering footage is to go out and take some still photos of places at night (without using a flash). Print them off, study what they look like, notice you can’t see everything clearly and try to use a photo you like the look of as a guide. Perhaps even flick through a stock shot picture library to get ideas to emulate.

Finally, remember you are presenting a movie with a night scene for a reason. The frame can have areas of pitch black – the audience doesn’t need to see everything. So don’t be afraid of the dark.

LightingJames Wheeler

This scene has been given the day for night treatment. We desaturated the colour of the original shot to about 20 per cent – it’s almost black & white. Then we layered a solid navy blue graphic on top, reduced its transparency to 50 per cent and used Pin Light as the blend mode. Experiment and see what works for you.

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Touchdown for abig dream

Gary Foster writes about the difficulties of producing his latest documentary and why he’ll have to bend the truth to get a key scene in the can

I’m facing a tricky situation on my current documentary. Do I tackle an important sequence by using staged

camera methods, or take the high road and produce a “live” segment where truth and realism might rule the day?

One is cheap and contrived; the other expensive and honest. Problem is, I have so much respect for the documentary style that I feel dirty even thinking about using Hollywood tricks to get through this one critical scene.

Before we start looking forward, let’s take a look back. The earliest movies were by definition documentaries and were called “actuality” films. Single shot moments of trains rolling into town or ships docking. Pure unembellished truth

– pictures were dominated by a single event not lasting more than a minute due to small film loads.

As equipment advanced so too did the length and style of the finished products. Cameras became lighter, quieter, and more reliable with portable sync sound for travelogues, war coverage, newsreels and the like.

Did you ever think you’d see something like a dSLR shooting network quality footage, as in the TV show House for example? Cameras have become so abundant and affordable that in 2004 filmmakers Martin Kunert and Eric Manes gave 150 DV camcorders to ordinary citizens to tell their personal stories in the movie Voices of Iraq.

However, despite the exalted reputation of documentaries there actually is a turbulent and controversial history regarding their integrity. In the 1930s and 40s US government-sponsored producers hid behind the truthful intent of documentaries to create fiercely patriotic propaganda.

Frank Capra’s Why We Fight, and Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will were shining examples. Very few of the newsreel segments of the day were shot live but rather re-enacted after the fact.

Fast forward to the present and there’s a further blurring of styles such as infomercials and infocomedy (Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Bill Marr), VNR’s video news releases, >>

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Documentary

Gary Foster

heavily biased infotainment (Bill O’Reilly, Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck and Geraldo Rivera, etc). Not to mention the soaring popularity of reality TV that has almost become its own genre. Modern television has certainly benefited from the perceived strength and honesty of our doco heritage.

So we acknowledge they come in all flavours: straight documentary, semi-documentary, re-enactments and docu-drama, etc. But one of my favourites began in France during the 1950s and was called Cinema Vérité.

It involved following a person in crisis with a hand held camera to capture the raw human emotions of how they cope (wow, sounds like Wife Swap). Some directors let the action unfold naturally, while others were happy to provoke nasty confrontations (sounds like Jerry Springer).

The style didn’t last long because the shooting ratios were 80:1 (80 hours of footage for a one hour show) and there were few talented editors to make sense out of all the jump cuts.

All this leads me to believe the world of documentaries is continually evolving and

is basically, then and now, without any clear boundaries.

Racing aheadYears back I produced a feature documentary called Man in the Steel Cage. At the film’s conclusion our hero made a triumphant sweep into La Paz city to win the Baja 1000 Desert Off Road race after some 30 gruelling hours in a car.

We had already shot the necessary racing footage (complete with aerial shots, ground angles etc) and had great coverage at the finish line.

What we desperately needed was a crucial voice over (VO) sequence from inside the speeding race car during the last few kilometres – where our main character swells with emotion and reveals the secrets of life. It was what the preceding 89 minutes had been building toward. Resolution…

Therefore, our challenge was to get a medium (MS) to close up (CU) camera shot as our hero blasted down a lonely Mexican dirt road in the wee hours of the morning. There were many positives. No lip sync, all voice over. Night, not day.

Full access to car and driver, neither one wrecked or away on tour. Weather’s mild, no rain. Short shot (45 seconds screen time), no epic storytelling. Life is Good.

What are the options? We can place onboard cameras (POV) all over the race car; transport the vehicle and crew for three hours to a desert location outside town; shoot well into the night and then probably get three or four hotel rooms and breakfast before heading home. Wow, that sounds complicated. But faithful to reality. Is there an easier, quicker, cheaper way?

How about park the race car in a dark secluded area and fake bouncing down a desert road without ever starting the engine? Think about it. We’d have total control over the lighting, sound, camera, and talent. By shooting just after dusk we could get the crew home early. No hotel rooms, breakfast, overtime or petrol… Hold on, what about that integrity, realism, truth thing…? Please, let me fudge just this one time! Please. I swear I’ll never do it again.

Long story short, we ended up at the race driver’s home in an open driveway at 8pm next to a well equipped garage.

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We placed small lights on the floor of the car to make the driver’s face appear lit by the dashboard (after running extension cables to inside power outlets). We used a medium telephoto lens and put our worst hand held camera guy on it to simulate a bouncy road (there’s something to be said for shaky camera work). We only needed enough footage to cover a limited amount of dialogue.

A few who watched the completed project knew it was fabricated but my good friend Steve Hart keeps reminding me that the message is far more important than technical perfection.

It’s a good thing that sometimes these trick shots allow the audience to concentrate more on what’s being said than how it’s done. I’ve often thought if you review the top 10 most influential film/video clips of all time (such as the Twin Towers attack, the JFK assassination etc). The majority were probably taken by non-professionals using amateur cameras (so much for film school).

Anyway, I have to keep reminding myself that the messages (ideas) we share with our cameras are far more important than the technical (HD 1920/1080i)

brilliance we’re all striving toward.As moviegoers we suspend reality and

have no problem listening to intimate conversations from 100 metres away as two lovers walk down a lonely stretch of beach. It seems perfectly normal.

But real life just doesn’t happen that way. I can barely hear my wife yelling at

me on the same sofa as I watch TV. So why do we buy into these scenes at the movies? I don’t know. Blind faith. I hope they buy into my clever deceptions.

Stimulating simulationSo what kind of gadgets, tools, and equipment do you need to perform

simulated shots, such as a moving car? The first and foremost consideration is whether you need a static action shot (like my racing car), or a moving action shot (where we actually move).

Let me explain. We know we can make the car look like it’s travelling by just sitting still, but if you really need movement in a controlled atmosphere the pro’s have various time tested ideas.

The most expensive solution is a camera truck. These are special rigs with exotic suspensions and gyro stabilized mechanical jib arms that swing out for amazing angles and moves. These vehicles track (front, side, back) with the action in spectacular fashion and are a hoot to watch. You see these shots all the time in car commercials and movies such as Gone in 60 Seconds, any Bond movie and hundreds of others. However, these are totally unrealistic options on our budgets.

There are also green screen (blue screen for film) methods where you can key in action behind your characters just like they do with your local TV weather presenter. Or there’s the long outdated back screen projection where you >>

Left: a camera rig and car on a trailer. Actors can deliver their lines and not have to worry about driving the car as it is towed along the street.However, simulating a moving car at night is an easier proposition for budget moviemakers. You just need some swivelling lights to give the illusion of movement and a few mates to jostle the car up and down.Photo: Shannon McCarville.Taken during the making of The Egg Timer.www.theeggtimermovie.com

Right: Gary Foster opts to record a cockpit scene on the ground, instead of at a few thousand feet in the air. It’s easier, cheaper and you can hear what people are saying.

“As moviegoers we suspend reality and have no problem listening to intimate conversations

from 100 metres away as two lovers walk down a lonely stretch of beach.”

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Gary FosterGary Foster is an award-winning freelance television director and camera operator with a Masters of fine arts/theatre degree from UCLA.He has more than 25 years’ experience in the movie industry having worked as a senior camera operator/editor for Univision, the world’s second-largest international television network.Gary was part of an Emmy award-winning team providing field and studio camera, lighting and editing for feature interviews, in-house commercials and more than 37 syndicated television shows in the US.A specialist in action/sports directing and camera operation, Gary has covered national and international car and motorcycle races for ESPN, ABC and CBS.

Gary hosts video production workshops when not working on his doco New Zealand Wings.For details of courses available, and his freelance availability, call 021 0290 1970 or email [email protected]

Gary works in a friendly and relaxed style and tailors his courses to suit his students’ needs, skills and abilities.

literally use a movie projector to throw images behind your action. These are all lame or too expensive.

What the pro’s love to use (and we can copy with great success) are car trailers drawn behind flatbed trucks. Framing just the windscreen of the host car cuts everything out but the background and it appears as though the car (parked on the trailer) and your actors are driving along.

Cameras, lighting, sound, and directing are all done from the back of the truck. You don’t have to be going very fast to create believable background movement. They also use this technique for motorcycles, bicycles, aeroplanes, space rockets, whatever.

Sun placement is critical since certain angles create ugly flair and distortion off the windscreen. Carefully consider the sun height and angle for best results as all these factors may alter the direction you chose to drive down the road.

Be mindful of the background. Keep it simple and generic. Mix up the background scenery for your own good. Better to pick a simple country road instead of a busy motorway which may require a filming permit and police escort.

I have worked on projects where Sunset Boulevard (Hollywood) was shut down for three hours during rush hour. Closed! All for an agonizing 30 seconds of film. We don’t have that kind of money or political clout. Keep your project simple and private.

SafetyI attended UCLA film school in Los Angeles. There were so many student projects being shot in the vicinity of the campus that police were advised to stop and question any young person with a camcorder (and long hair).

Be advised, city streets are not your private movie sets. You may be dealt with severely by the authorities if seen mucking around unannounced with a camera, crew and actors. Simple street interviews seem to be the only exception. But, please don’t think you can do chase scenes, simulated bank robberies, gunfights etc in public places. It has all been tried before with dismal results.

Years back we had legal permission to shoot a small daylight battle scene in a friend’s paddock outside town. Police showed up before we even unloaded the truck. They were alerted by a neighbour reporting a hippie wedding in a field by their house. That doesn’t speak for how well we were dressed.

To this day I don’t understand why our actions prompted such a nasty response. The lesson is that people rarely

understand what we film/video makers are up to and – when confused, agitated, or scared – will rarely act in our good interest.

Workable solutionsLet’s review some realistic ideas for the low budget producer. The items I prefer for my fictionalized car scenes include:

A small lighting kit or reflectors •depending on the time of day (having the option of AC or DC lights would be nice but not critical)A small generator may be needed if AC •lights are involved, but you can also use it to charge camera batteriesSeveral portable battery operated •camera lights may save the day (we used Sun Guns with battery belts).An optional large fan (to create that •wind blown look)Radio microphones, suction cup camera •mounts and a reliable camcorder with tripodIt would be nice to have several “C” •stands with flags for shade. Lastly, an open-bed pickup truck with an attached car trailer which you can hire or borrow from a racing buddy… May they serve you well

Decision timeRegarding my current project. Remember, the one I was having ethical issues with earlier. After much struggle I’ve decided to stage everything on the ground, even though the action calls for a complicated daytime flight in a two-seater aircraft.

We already have the aerial B roll along with all the required cutaways. The only thing lacking is the dialogue between my two presenters to pull everything together. I plan to park the plane in an open area at the airport; create upward angles with only sky and clouds in the background; use electrical power from a hangar and enjoy huge control over lighting, sound, camera and direction. I’ll even jostle my Sony EX-3 for a bit of realism.

What I appreciate the most is being able to listen to the two actor’s conversation and make sure we get all the necessary information needed. This process should yield great results at a fraction of what it would cost me to send the aeroplane into the sky.

It’s not pure documentary, but sometimes it’s more important to sacrifice some authenticity for proven Hollywood story telling to help your project succeed.

Make good pictures, tell great stories.

Copyright Gary Foster

Documentary

Gary Foster

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This tutorial – using the free Blender program – explains the process of creating a spinning coffee mug.

It might seem an unusual first project, but it will demonstrate the fundamental processes needed to create just about anything with this program.

So let’s take a look at the user interface (fig 1). Blender has several layouts; compositing, animation, game logic, scripting, UV editing, video editing and its default layout for 3D modelling.

The 3D window is where we’ll be constructing our mug. It’s possible to split the 3D window into multiple views so different angles can be seen at once. I would suggest sticking with one view for this project though.

We will be using keyboard shortcuts to perform most transformations However, most of these functions are located on the Tool Shelf.

There is a version of Blender for every computer platform and I am using a Windows PC. However, if you have a Mac then Ctrl becomes the Apple/Command key. For ease of use, I’d suggest using a three button mouse.

The 3D manipulator allows you to drag objects and vertices while locking them to one axis. Every object has infinitely changeable options; we can alter these in the properties window.

Blender has several modes, but we will be using Edit Mode and Object Mode. Object mode is used to control all objects in the scene, Edit mode is used to modify a selected object. If you make a mistake at any stage then Ctrl-Z will undo your last action.

Blender opens in perspective view with its default layout; a cube, a lamp and a camera. To create our mug we first need to change to orthographic view, then to side view, then finally delete the default cube.

The 3D view is controlled by the keypad. Tap keypad 5 to change to orthographic then Keypad 3 to change

Adding computer generated images to a movie used to require expensive software and someone to operate it. But with the help of a free program, Mike Atherton says anyone can do it

Create your own CGI

to side view. The view indicator in the top left of the screen should now read Right Ortho.

Right click on the cube to select it (it may already be selected, it should turn orange) then hit X and click delete on the pop up menu.

Our base shape will be a circle (fig 2). Left click at the centre of the screen; this will place a cursor at that point. This cursor is called the 3D cursor and controls the placement of new objects added to your model. Click Shift + A to bring up the Add Object menu, choose circle from the mesh list.

At the bottom of the tool shelf change the number of vertices to 20. Because you’re seeing the circle from its side, you should now have what looks like a straight line. Press Keypad 7 to switch to top view, you will now see the circle. Press the Tab key to switch to edit mode

Fig 1

Fig 2

and you should see small spots appear on all the vertices (corners so to speak) of the circle.

At this stage things become a little harder. Orange vertices are selected, black vertices are not. To select a single vertex Right Click on it, to deselect right click again while holding down the Shift key.

To box select hit letter B then drag a box over the needed vertices. To select multiple vertices hold down Shift while you click.

Press Keypad 3 to switch back to side view, zoom in a little (mouse wheel up), move the entire 3D window down (hold shift and the centre mouse button down then drag down) to ensure they are all selected. Deselect (A for all) then reselect (A) all the vertices, hit (E) to extrude, move the mouse up, press (Z) to lock to the Z axis, drag up until it looks

Fig 3

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about the correct height for a mug then Left mouse click.

Hit Control + R and move your mouse over the cup. A horizontal pink line will appear, when you see it, role the mouse wheel up until you have four pink lines, then Left mouse click (fig 3).

Hit A to deselect everything, box select only the bottom vertices B then drag the mouse over just the bottom vertices (fig 4). Hit E to extrude but don’t move the mouse, hit the ESC key to extrude a new section but leave it in place.

To ensure the next step works, tip the 3D view slightly up by pressing the centre mouse button and moving up. Press Alt + M then choose At Center from the popup menu, this will cap the bottom.

To make the lip change back to side view hit Keypad 3 (fig 5), Deselect all (A) then box select (B) just the top vertices. Hit (E) to extrude and (Z) to lock to the Z axis, drag up a small amount then Left click. Scale it up a little by hitting (S) and dragging the mouse down Left click. Then extrude again along the Z axis about the same amount, (E) then (Z) move mouse up Left click.

Extrude (E) again then without moving the mouse hit the ESC key. Tip the 3D window down to see the top of the mug (hold the centre mouse button and move mouse down). Scale the lip in toward the centre of the cup hit S then the full stop (.) then 9 (not the keypad 9 but the

Fig 4 Fig 5 Fig 6

one across the top of your keyboard) then press Enter.

To form the inside of our cup, return to side view (keypad 3), Extrude (E) and lock to the Z axis (Z) pull the mouse down and stop just before the bottom of the mug. Extrude (E) again then without moving the mouse hit ESC and then press Alt + M. Choose “at center” from the popup menu.

We now need to add our handle (fig 6), change to side view (keypad 3) and deselect all (A). To make this step easier we need to press (icon 1) to limit selection to visible and (icon 2) for face select. These buttons are just above the timeline at the bottom of the 3D window. Select the two faces shown in the image hold down Shift then Right click on each item in turn.

Switch to front view (keypad 1). Extrude the first handle section (E) then (.) then (3) (Enter), extrude again (E) this time not quite as much, hit (.) then (2) followed by Enter.

You should now have two split blocks sticking out from the side of your mug (fig 7). Deselect all (A), tip the view up a little (hold centre mouse and button move up) select the bottom of the top blocks end section and extrude (E) locked to the Z axis (Z) down about half way towards the bottom blocks (left click). Hit X and select “faces” from the popup menu.

Select the face from on the top of the

Icons 1 2 3 4

5 6 7

bottom blocks end section and hit X to delete that also. This will make the join more seamless. Change back to Front View (keypad 1).

Press (icon 3) for vertex selection and (icon 1) to turn off the selection limit (fig 8). Box select B the bottom vertices on the extruded part of the block. Drag the vertices down on the Z axis until they are sitting right on top of the remaining vertices from the top of the bottom blocks end section.

Box select B the 8 vertices now inhabiting this space, this will select them all and allow us to join the two parts. On the tool shelf click Remove Doubles and at the bottom of the tool shelf, change the merge threshold up to around 0.070.

Let’s make it look like a mug, deselect all (A) then hit A again to select all. Click on Recalculate under the Normals option on the tool shelf. Change to object mode (TAB), select the mug (left click on it) hit Smooth under shading on the tool shelf.

It still doesn’t look right, so we need to add a modifier (fig 9) click on (icon 4) in the properties window then click Add modifier and choose Subdivision surface in the modifiers options change view to 2. It Should look better now.

To make the seams and the inside of the cup smoother and more defined we need to add a few loop cuts. Tab back into edit mode press (icon 1) to limit

Fig 7 Fig 8 Fig 9

Blender tutorialMike Atherton

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selection to visible again. To make the lip more defined, press Ctrl + R move the mouse to the top section just under the lip (fig 10), Left click when you see the pink line in this section then drag the added loop all the way up into the lip (Left click).

As for the bottom of the mug, add another loop in the bottom section of the mug and drag this down almost to the bottom (left click). Inside the mug, tip the view forward (middle mouse button then drag down) to look inside the mug add another loop inside (fig 11) with Ctrl + R, then push it down to the bottom of the mug (left click).

The modelling part of our mug is finished so you might like to change a few things, perhaps thin out the handle or round off its corners. But Save (Ctrl + S) your work first, then have a play. Hit F12 to view your work, now isn’t that cool (fig 12).

To add colour hit (icon 5) on the properties window, click on + New and look for the little white block under Diffuse and click on it. Then choose a nice colour.

Under Specular increase Hardness to around 500. Press F12 to view your results. You might like to add a few extra lamps from the Shift A menu to enhance your image. To increase the size of your render click (icon 6) then increase the resolution from 25 per cent to around 50 per cent. To save your rendered image hit F3.

As a finishing touch let’s animate the mug and rotate it like it’s sitting on a turntable. Save your work again (Ctrl + S) and ensure you are in Object mode, Below the time line are three sliders; start, end and current frame (fig 13).

By default, end is set to 250 (frames), increase this to 500 either by sliding the mouse across the button or double clicking on it and entering 500.

Now we need to insert our base keyframe. Ensure the mug is selected, hit (i) and choose Rotation from the popup menu, in this case we are simply rotating the cup so there is no need to save the position or scale.

Move to frame 25 by clicking the mouse on the time line at frame 25 or using the slider. Press (R) to rotate, (z) to lock to the Z axis, type 90 then Enter. The cup will rotate 90 degrees. Press (i) and select Rotation again. Repeat these four steps for frames 50, 75 and 100.

Change back to the first frame and press play, your mug will now rotate 360 degrees and stop. However, we’d like it to continue rotating. To achieve this we need to access the animation layout. At

the top of the screen press (icon 7) and choose animation from the list.

Your workspace will now look quite different (fig 14). Look for the F-curve Editor. Where it says Mesh, press the arrow and look for Z Euler Rotation. Click on it to select it (if the lock symbol shows locked, hit Tab to unlock it).

Move the mouse into the graph window, press Ctrl + Shift + M and select Cycles from the pop up menu. You should see the purple line become a zigzag (fig 15). Now press Shift + T and choose linear from the menu, this will smooth the rotation. Press play to check your animation is working.

To render your animation to a movie file, change back to the Default view (icon 7) and click icon 6 on the properties window (fig 16). Scroll to the bottom of this window and

Fig 10 Fig 11 Fig 12

Fig 13

Fig 14

Fig 15

Fig 16

Fig 17

look for Output. Change the file type to QuickTime and enter a path and filename into the text box, “c:\mug.mov” for example.

Scroll to the top of the window and click Animation. Your animation will render frame by frame (fig 17). This will take a while so go make a coffee in a real mug. When it’s finished open the file and play your first animated movie.

Copyright Mike Atherton

•MikeAthertonisacommitteememberof the Christchurch Video Camera Club.

See: www.chchvideo.org.nz for a Blender video tutorial

See Viewfinder.co.nz’s Free Stuff section to download Blender.

W

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Having your own website, where you can post examples of your videos, blog and promote your

services is a cost-effective marketing tool.

Ever since I got my first email address – a random set of 10 numbers followed by ‘@compuserve.com’ – I have been hooked on the net.

Most of my friends couldn’t see the benefit of email and wondered who would use it. They had a point, at the time I only knew one other person with an email address in 1993 and he lived around the corner. Still, it seemed quite cool to have an email address on my business card.

But of equal importance to the email address is a website – a promotional tool that works 24/7 and has limited ongoing costs. But they can be expensive to have built.

Despite dabbling in web design for years, the coding behind many websites (HTML) is still a foreign language to me.

While creating a basic site has become easier, I dread to think of the thousands of dollars I have handed to web designers over the years to tweak my sites at $130+ an hour.

But there are now ways to have an easy-to-use website, that looks great,

has its own content management system, and the ability for novice users to painlessly upload pictures, video and text in a trice.

You too can be up and running your new website within an hour of reading this feature as I take you through the process of installing a website based on WordPress software – and it’s all free (so long as you have a domain name to upload the content to).

To give you an example, the Viewfinder.co.nz site is a WordPress site and includes text, pictures and video.

WordPress – based at www.Wordpress.org – provides a small program that you can download and use for free.

But before the fun begins, we have to get a little bit technical. You see, WordPress requires that your website host – the people you pay to make your website available to the world – need to have PHP and MySQL software installed (and available to you).

So, before you install WordPress, check your site (via its control panel) to see if these are a part of your hosting plan. If not, you may have to upgrade, but it will be well worth it.

Now, accessing your web domain’s control panel (such as C-Panel) create a MySQL database, give it a name and

a password and write this down very carefully in a safe place.

Once you have WordPress on your computer, unpack it from its compressed file by double clicking on it.

Here’s the tricky bit. Inside your expanded WordPress folder is a file called wp-config-sample.php. Change the name of this file to: wp-config.php

Then, using a basic text editing program such as Notepad (don’t use Microsoft Word) you need to alter some of the text in this file. See the installation notes (right) and add in the details of your newly-created MySQL database.

Everyone who downloads WordPress gets the same set of files – so you need to make yours unique to help prevent any unwanted visitors getting access to your site down the track.

Copy the WordPress folder to your domain name using an FTP (file transfer protocol) program. Type in your domain name in your browser and follow the instructions from WordPress to create an admin password.

It is this password that will grant you access to your dedicated content management system – the place where you can create new pages, posts and insert text, pictures and video to your site.

Who can see you?We all know the importance of having an internet site to promote our services, but for many small operators the cost can be a prohibitive. Steve Hart looks at one option that puts websites into everybody’s hands for free

Build a websiteSteve Hart

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Once up and running, your website will be a basic blogging site, which although useful may not be quite what you want. Now the real magic begins.

There are thousands of free themes and plugins that can give you a highly professional-looking website with advanced functionality. You can find most of the themes on the WordPress site under Extend and then search the Themes directory.

Simply select a theme you like the look of, download it and then upload it to your WordPress’s Themes folder (plugins go in the plugins folder).

Experiment with different themes until you find one you like the look of and are comfortable with. Upload, try out, delete, try again.

You might want a two column theme, three column, a magazine style or a blogging style.

While you are bound to find something that suits you, there are firms that sell themes. And if you are looking for something very special then you may need to go down this track. But most people get away with one of the thousands of free options.

Now you are just a hop, skip and jump from adding content to your website and promoting your videography services.

To run WordPress your web host needs a couple of things installed:PHP version 4.3 or greaterMySQL version 4.1.2 or greaterCheck with your website’s host to see if you have access to these programs as part of your hosting account.

Instal WordPressDownload and unzip the WordPress package.

Create a database for WordPress on your web server, as well as a MySQL user who has all privileges for accessing and modifying it.

Rename the wp-config-sample.php file to wp-config.php.

Open wp-config.php in your favourite text editor and fill in your database details as explained in Editing wp-config.php to generate and use your secret key/password.

Place the WordPress files in the desired location on your web server.

If you want to integrate WordPress into the root of your domain (e.g. http://example.com/), move or upload all contents of the unzipped WordPress directory (but excluding the directory itself) into the root directory of your web server. If you want to have your WordPress

installation in its own subdirectory on your web site (e.g. http://example.com/blog/), rename the directory (folder) wordpress to the name you’d like the subdirectory to have and move or upload it to your web server.

For example if you want the WordPress installation in a subdirectory called “blog”, you should rename the directory called “wordpress” to “blog” and upload it to the root directory of your web server.

Create a databaseTo create a database for your WordPress site using C-Panel (common among many web hosting companies) see this video: http://www.cpanel.net/media/tutorials/addmysql.htm

AlternativesMost people agree that WordPress is the leading free CMS system. But there are plenty of others around. Notably:http://drupal.org/http://textpattern.com/http://www.joomla.org/http://b2evolution.net/http://www.s9y.org/

Once you have your WordPress site installed and your theme selected you can add any number of free plugins.

Plugins add functionality to your site such as a contact form (to save your email address being open to spammers), photo slideshows, video, audio (such as cool looking MP3 players), Google analytics, Search Engine Optimisation, e-commerce...the list is almost endless.

But do your research first. While it is as easy as pie to install a plugin, try each one out and delete it if it doesn’t work as expected. It is best to research each plugin first. This is where it will take some of your time as you trawl the WordPress forums.

Having said that, forums are always full of people’s problems and issues – that’s what forums are for – so don’t be too put off from trying things out for yourself even if other people

appear to have issues with a particular plugin. I had a problem with one plugin, but the fault was down to my webhost’s SQL software. Once they fixed their end, the plugin worked.

My advice is to look at essential plugins first, such as a contact form, install it, get it working perfectly, and then add the next one on your list. When you get the right set of plugins working on your site then you’re set up for good.

UpdatesMost plugin creators will release upgrades to their software as they keep on track with updates to the WordPress program.

I’ve taken the view that if everything is working on my site, then there has to be a compelling reason to upgrade. So don’t upgrade for the sake of it as it could upset the apple cart.

Plug in and power up your site

What you need

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Filmmakertakes herfinal shotProfessional sports woman turned moviemaker Polly Green tells Steve Hart how she got into making films and why it’s now or never to become a world champion

Polly Green shoots paraglider Morgan Koons in eastern Uganda, Africa.Photo: Will Clark

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A chance meeting with a National Geographic documentary maker caused Polly Green to swap her kayak for a camera. After a lifetime of winning

medals in the water she is now being recognised for her inspirational movies.

Polly spent most of her life as a professional sports woman travelling the world to take part in kayaking competitions. Just as the lustre of travelling from country to country was wearing a bit thin, she found herself working alongside Emmy award-winning filmmaker Peter Getzels and, with his encouragement, embarked on a new career.

“My first introduction to moviemaking came when I joined a sea kayaking expedition to Vietnam in 2000 working with National Geographic,” says Polly. “My job was to help Peter and the film crew get the shots they needed in the water for the movie Descending the Dragon.

“I spent a lot of time with Peter and suggested a film about women kayakers would be an interesting documentary.”

Peter agreed and thought Polly would be the best person to make it. He took her under his wing and gave her a chance to record some footage on the Vietnam shoot.

“That’s the point my career started to change,” she says. “From competitive kayaker to documentary maker. Peter showed me the basics, such as keeping the camera steady and about getting good sound.

“He watched what I shot with his camera and said I had a good eye. He saw some potential in me.”

In 2002 Polly bought her first serious video camera – a Sony TRV950 – and took it to kayaking events. Some of that footage went on to become part of an award-winning documentary called Nomads – Wandering Women of the Whitewater Tribe.

Helping out“What I came across in Africa were three American women, Dr Jessie Stone, Emily Jackson and Whitney Lonsdale,” says Polly. “They were in Uganda to kayak but could see the local villagers could do with some help. Jessie then started teaching malaria education and prevention to people in one of the villages.

“She started fundraising and ended up building a rural clinic – and that grabbed my attention right away. This was the story I had been looking for – professional women kayakers giving something back.” >>

Polly Green shooting Dr Jessie Stone during a malaria education session in Uganda, Africa.Photo: Morgan Koons

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Main FeaturePolly Green

Nomads was a self-funded movie and took Polly four years to complete.

“I taught kayaking to raise money and when I had enough cash I’d return to Uganda to shoot some more video,” she says. “Shooting Nomads was a tough business though.

“I’d place the camera in the kayak, paddle off ahead of the kayakers and record them as they paddled past in fast moving water. Then, back in the kayak, I’d get ahead of them and get set up to record them again. No one wants to see the back of people’s heads.

“It was hectic and taught me how to be fast and organised. I couldn’t carry a tripod with me in a kayak so getting a steady shot was difficult because I’d be breathing hard and my hands would be wet and shaking...So I’d have to arrive at my spot, calm down and get the best shot possible.

“When I started shooting this doco I didn’t know what I was doing and so a lot of the footage wasn’t usable. But that is the best way to learn. Most of my skills as a videomaker came from the school of hard knocks.

“I also learned about interviewing people. It is essential to find the best people to speak with on camera because it’s no good if they are not comfortable.

“What I’d notice is that people would get kind of stiff in front of the camera and they just weren’t

convincing or natural. But the three people that feature strongly in my first movie were all really good on camera.”

In between teaching, travelling and shooting, Polly learned how to edit with Final Cut Pro.

“I didn’t have a clue how to cut a movie, so I paid an editor to get me started and teach me how to do it,” she says.

By 2005 Polly had 100 hours of footage to choose from for Nomads but says she could discard most of her early work as her skill as a camera operator had noticeably improved.

“I had been loading footage as I went along and so when the editor and I sat down to complete the project we were able to finish editing in a couple of months – it was released in 2006.”

AwardsNomads went on to win a handful of awards on the festival circuit, including Best of the Fest in Social Action/Adventure, Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival; best documentary Action/Cut Short Film competition, California; and it was a best film finalist at the Wanaka Mountain Film Festival.

If Polly thought these wins meant she could start taking it easy – she was wrong. While a paid job to travel the world recording a charity run seemed like fun – it was no holiday. It took just as much physical effort to record it as it did to make Nomads.

Polly Green sets up a shot on the Kaituna River, Okere Falls, New Zealand for her latest film A Fire Within.Photo: Jo Tito

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Polly found herself racing ahead of 21 marathon runners as they jogged around the world in 90 days as part of the Blue Planet Run.

Thanks to the event, and Polly’s film (Running for Water) more than 100,000 people in developing countries now have access to clean water.

“Being paid to work on a movie was awesome,” says Polly. “But I was being thrown right into the thick of it because it was big time.”

To celebrate her first paid commission Polly retired her bruised and battered TRV950 and stumped up for a Panasonic HVX200 and shot with P2 cards.

“I had to learn new skills to use that camera and then spent three months chasing people across 16 countries,” says Polly.

“It was a job for about eight people, but there were only two of us – me with the video camera and Chris Emerick shooting stills.

“But it was really good because it pushed me to my limit and by the end of it I had a lot more confidence and was ready to be professional.

“So, although that was a hard job it was a Godsend.

“However, the run never stopped and although we

were in a van being driven along I decided to get a bike so I could stop where and when I wanted.

“I was coming across places I wanted to stop, hop out and shoot, but the driver couldn’t always park where I wanted.

“Instead of paddling ahead of people like last time, I cycled ahead, got my gear out, shot the runners and then packed up to get ahead of them.”

The relay took place 24 hours a day and so Polly found herself working night and day, and in between loading footage to hard drives, spent time creating a five minute weekly video podcast of the event. After it finished, Polly moved to Gisborne where she completed the editing of the 20-minute movie in 2007.

“I had been visiting New Zealand on and off for years as I’d come here most summers to do kayak training,” says Polly. “It’s a great place to live and is now the base for my company Flair Films. I can go surfing and it’s just great.”

Just as Polly was settling into her new career, leaving the idea of competitive kayaking behind, a friend suggested she give it one last shot.

“It was last Christmas and my friend and trainer Arnd Schaeftlein said that right now was >>

“Instead of paddling ahead of people like last time, I cycled ahead, got

my gear out, shot the runners and then packed up to get ahead of them.”

Polly Green editing on the fly in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, for The Blue Planet Run.Photo: Chris Emerick

Dr Jessie Stone gets aerial on The White Nile River, Uganda.Photo: Morgan Koons

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Main FeaturePolly Green

my last chance to become one of the world’s top 10 kayakers,” says Polly. “I thought ‘that’s the last thing on my mind’ but the idea just stuck.

“I went on an intense meditation course that lasted for 10 days and thought ‘what do I really want to do’. I ended up deciding to get back in the kayak and start training for the 2011 world championships that will be held in Germany.

“This is my last chance to compete at this level and if I don’t do it now then I may end up regretting it for the rest of my life.”

TrainingNot one for taking the easy road, Polly is now committed to a year of hard-out training to get her fitness and stamina levels back up, as well as making a film about her last shot at the championship – A Fire Within. But recording herself training and exercising is becoming a bit of a challenge.

“I do have a person to help record me as I prepare for the event, but they are not always available,” says Polly. “So sometimes I’ll set the camera up on a tripod, start it recording and run around the race track in front of it.

“You get some very strange looks, especially when I am talking to camera and there is no operator there. It’s very entertaining for onlookers.”

Luckily, Polly’s trainer is a dab hand at using a camera and there is a small group of people who pitch in to help when they can.

“I said to Arnd if he wants me to compete he’ll have to coach me and be my cameraman.”

Inside outMaking a movie about herself means Polly has to look at what she is doing from the outside in.

“As a filmmaker you have a story and you know in your head that you need this, that and the other to get the job done – so I am trying to look at the film as though I am a character in it – I am trying to distance myself from myself.

“It’s really hard because I wish there were two of me. I have one chance to train and compete and no second chances to record it. Sometimes something funny will happen to me and there’s no one to capture it. It can get frustrating. I am starting to realise that I do need someone to follow me around who lives in Gisborne and knows about kayaking.

“Having the right person by your side is essential though, they have to know more than just how to operate a camera. Trust is needed and you need to get along with them, so they share your vision and ideas.”

On one training session, Polly set up the camera and asked a willing helper to press the record

Polly Green shoots runner Brynn Harrington in Siberia for the Blue Planet Run.Photo: Chris Emerick

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WSee Viewfinder.co.nz’s My Movies section to watch some of Polly’s work.

Advice for moviemakersPolly says people looking for a career in filmmaking should be willing to work for free at a production company. But not just any company.“It needs to be a firm that shares your values and filmmaking ideas,” she says. “So if you are into making wildlife videos, don’t sign up to work for a firm that makes videos about industry.“Choose an internship carefully – they may interview you for a position, but you have to also interview them, so you get the work experience you need to develop your career.”

button when she was at a distant spot on a running track. She got back to find nothing had been recorded.

To help promote A Fire Within she produced a promo for it. But test screenings among non-kayakers revealed that what they understood about the sport was different to what Polly assumed they’d know.

“I did a bunch of different cuts and got feedback from people and discovered I needed to rethink some elements of the movie for people who don’t know anything about the sport,” says Polly.

One reason for making a promo is to generate

publicity to attract funding, something Polly may have now secured from a Hollywood production company as a direct result of the promo.

“I met them at a film festival when Running for Water was shown and we got on really well,” says Polly. “I sent them my promo and they loved it. It could be a dream come true because they just like the idea that my movie is inspirational and uplifting. All of a sudden it’s got quite massive.”

And having a Hollywood deal would solve another issue Polly says many independent moviemakers face – distribution.

“I just wanted to finish my first film and I didn’t give much thought to distribution,” says Polly. “But the more movies you make the more you realise how important having a distribution deal is a part of the business.

“With A Fire Within I am really thinking ahead – which is why I made the promo – because I think investors and others need to see what you are talking about when you go to pitch your idea. I am completely selling this film on the promo trailer.”

While Polly waits to seal the Hollywood deal, she is preparing an application for funding from Creative NZ as well as working with private clients on corporate videos in her spare time.

See Polly’s website at www.flairfilms.com

David Christof running in Red Square, Moscow, Russia, where Polly nearly got her Panasonic HVX-200 camera confiscated by the authorities.Photo: Chris Emerick

40

My MovieMarc & Cody

Marc McCarthy & Cody Packer

Made a movie?The My Movie section is open to anyone who has made a short movie and is able to supply a few high quality pictures to illustrate their story.Simply write between 500 and 700 words telling us about you, your video and your tips & tricks for fellow moviemakers.Send your story and JPG photos to [email protected] putting My Movie in the subject line.

Movie based on family tragedyCody Packer and Marc McCarthy talk to Steve Hart about making a movie based on a woman coming to terms with the loss of her children

Cody and Marc at the motel setting up a shot for the arrival of the lead character. Opposite: Video grabs from the dark and tense movie The Centre Line.

A TV interview with a person suffering from post traumatic stress disorder gave film student

Cody Packer the idea for a movie about a woman coming to terms with the loss of her children.

Cody, 18, made The Centre Line with 16-year-old movie-making buddy Marc McCarthy last year using a consumer HD camera, a budget microphone and $200 cash.

The movie, which is haunting, mysterious and tense, takes place inside a car and a motel room with the lead character believing her dead children are with her.

“The woman in the TV interview told how she created events after her children had gone in order to have some kind of closure,” says Cody. “She said there were times when she thought her children were still alive.

“I was planning to write a script

anyway, but seeing the interview and hearing the woman’s story gave me lots of ideas.”

Having decided on a basic theme, Cody did research to see how people with traumatic stress disorder coped in the real world.

“More than 80 per cent of people turn to taking pills,” he says. “So my character did the same in the film. I wanted to keep it realistic.”

The script was written over six weeks while Cody was still at school. But creating an ending that was logical and offered viewers a realistic twist took longer than he expected.

“I showed the script to my English teacher, my drama teacher and my mum, and they all gave me advice on making the ending better,” says Cody.

Most of the film was shot using natural light says Marc. Although a couple of halogen lights were used to help get the

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Viewfinder.co.nz


“The biggest issue was road noise as some

dialogue was unusable. With hindsight, we

should have chosen a quieter road.”

night scenes in the camera.“Shooting in natural light – inside a

motel room – gave the movie the dark moody look we wanted,” he says. “The lighting makes the film really.”

Marc says finding a location meant ringing around different motels until an owner in Raumati Beach agreed to having cast and crew on site for three nights.

“We shot in the motel’s foyer and a chalet, and even though it was a large room, it looked pretty claustrophobic in the movie.”

One of the issues Marc and Cody faced was recording inside a moving car. They shot some scenes with the camera in the footwell of the passenger side offering an interesting angle. But getting clear audio – as the lead character spoke to her children in the back seat – proved to be an issue due to noise from both the car and road.

Cody, a student at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, says: “On the video side we noticed during editing that the car was going at different speeds,

and in some shots the lighting was quite poor. That led to noticeable changes in colour. We re-shot some scenes because of this.

“The biggest issue was road noise as some dialogue was unusable. With hindsight, we should have chosen a quieter road. It got really tricky in post production, but with the help of music we obscured a lot of the unwanted noise. Doing ADR to replace the dialogue was not really an option.”

The most expensive item bought for the film was an $80 temporary tattoo for the lead character. The rest of the budget was mainly spent feeding the cast and crew.

Editing was a joint effort with both movie makers pitching in and sharing ideas.

“We had to work on it after school but we had it completed in a few weeks,” says Marc.

The pair worked with one of them cutting a sequence together and the other refining it. They’d share ideas and edit each section together until they were both happy.

Cody already has other script ideas up his sleeve and says the best ideas come from looking at what goes on around you.

He is entering The Centre Line to festivals such as Show Me Shorts, the Hawaiian International film festival and the International Student Film Festival Hollywood.

“We’ll let you know how we get on,” says Cody.

W See Viewfinder.co.nz’s My Movies section to watch The Centre Line.

42

Issue 1Want to make a movie? Read our beginner’s guide to success.Dick Reade writes about how to record the best audio by placing the microphone in the best places.Wedding videos – part 1. Find out how to enter the lucrative industry of wedding videography.Gary Foster – basic lighting techniques for studio interviews.Award-winning documentary-maker Leanne Pooley talks about the film industry, the secret of making great docos and how budding film makers can enter the industryGear guide: Panasonic HMC41, Canon 7D dSLR, Sony HDR-CX500VE, JVC HM100E, Apple’s Final Cut Studio 3.My Movie features Stan Stacofsky and Craig Anderson.

Affordable Macintosh Rentals

Daily • Weekly • Monthly RatesCustom Configurations a Specialty

For further information contact Dennis

P. 0800 rentamac (736 826) E. [email protected]. www.rentamac.co.nz

training / services / Products / wants

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Call 09 426 2050 to book your space

Email: [email protected]

Video camera clubs

Viewfinder magazine story index - order copies at viewfinder.co.nz under the Back Issues tab

Auckland 8 Movie ClubContact Brian (09) 444 5043 or John (09) 828 7850.

Auckland Movie MakersContact Laure (09) 443 1991 or Martin (09) 535 5337.The club meets at 990 Great North Road, Western Springs, Auckland on the forth Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. Call ahead as members may be out shooting on a club night.

Christchurch Video Camera ClubContact Robert (03) 960 4433 or Howard (03) 325 2315.The club meets on the third Monday of the month, except January and December, at St James Church Lounge, corner of Barrington and Bewdley Streets, Spreydon.

Gisborne Video Camera ClubContact Ted Andrew on 06 867 3400. Meetings held in the Red Cross Rooms,

336 Palmerston Road, 7.30pm on the forth Monday of every month except January and December.

Hawkes Bay Video Enthusiast’s ClubContact Mark (06) 877 6481. Meetings held at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month (except December and January) at the EIT campus, Taradale.

Kapiti Video Camera ClubContact David Goggin 04 905 8505 or Rob Graham 04 904 8096. The club meets on the third Wednesday of the month at the Presbyterian Lounge, Ngaio Road, Waikanae at 7.15pm.

Marlborough Video Camera ClubContact (03) 578 4267.

Nelson Amateur Movie and Video ClubContact Les (03) 544 8200.The club meets on the first Tuesday of each month, February through to

December. Club meetings are held in the Community Rooms on the corner of Waimea Road and Quarantine Road at 7.30 pm.

Otago Cine and Video ClubContact Andrew (03) 453 4059.Club meets at the Mornington Community Centre, 16 Maryhill Terrace, Dunedin on the forth Monday of the month (February to November). Meetings will be held on the third Monday of the month when a public holiday occurs.

Rotorua Video Camera ClubContact (07) 348 2963.

Southern Movie MakersContact (03) 235 2883.

The Video Camera Club TaurangaContact Ivan (07) 544 9485 or Eddie (07) 576 3240.Meets at St Enoch’s Church Hall, Cameron & 16th Avenue, Tauranga, on

the first Monday and third Tuesday of each month at 7.15pm.

Te Awamutu Camera ClubContact (07) 871 6147 or (07) 871 4137.Meetings held on the third Tuesday of the month (except January) at the Federated Farmers Lounge, Carlton Street, Te Awamutu, starting at 8pm.

Wellington Video Camera ClubContact (04) 577 0599 or (04) 461 7265. Meets at the Johnsonville Community Centre (on the corner of Moorfield Road and Frankmore Avenue, Johnsonville), at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month (except January).

Trade DirectoryVideo camera clubs

Add your club to this free listing. Email your details/changes to: [email protected]

VIDEO WORKSHOPSfor beginners

Learn how to: Frame perfect shots, Record excellent audio, Interview friends and family on camera, Light interior and exterior scenes, Use your camera to get professional results.

book early as places are strictly limitedPhone: 021 0290 1970 email: [email protected]

Issue 2How to interview people on camera.Part 2 of our wedding video feature.Foley sound affects. Dick Reade explain why they are so important and how to record them.Remove unwanted audio noise with our step-by-step guide using free software.Make-up expert Frances Wilkie on making your talent look their best for the camera.Gary Foster talks about why shooting scenes from different angles can add interest to your movie.Gear guide features the Panasonic HPX172, Samsung HMX U10, JVC GZ-HM400, Sony PMW-EX1R, Panasonic DMC-GF1Simon Baker on how he moved from still photography to video using dSLR cameras.Golden hour - Robert van de Voort on capturing sunrise and sunset.Interview with Bro’Town animator Matthew Wilson on his first live action film.My Movie features videomakers William Watson and James Brown.

Issue 3How to shoot a 3D movie and process it with your editing program.Frances Wilkie on how to create a wound using make-up.Gary Foster explains how to put small cameras in unusual places to get powerful pictures you wouldn’t normally see.Step-by-step guide to converting your old VHS tapes to DVD.Interview with doco-maker Clyde Graf on his Poisoning Paradise DVD.Adam Clancey talks about how he got into making his popular fishing show with little previous TV experience.Gear guide features the Sony HXR-NX5P, Panasonic HS700, Fujifilm W1 3D, JVC GZ-HM330, Lumix DMC-ZR3How to survive the V48 Hours movie contest with an interview with Jeremy Skelton on his two attempts at the competition.My Movie features Philip Cleverly talking about directing his first horror movie.

43

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