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Film vs. Video - Let the Games Begins

Yesterday I was reading the summer 2007 issue of Your Wedding Day magazine and I came across a comment that truly shocked me. What's worse, it was made by a fellow visual artist. Paul Korver is the founder of Fifty Foot Films. He is one of the most celebrated and perhaps the highest paid wedding cinematographer in the country. He shoots exclusively on super 8 and 16mm film, and has even begun offering weddings on 35mm. His work has been featured on television and he has a long list of celebrity clients. He recently started a subsidiary called Paper Tape Films that is designed to bring super 8 wedding cinematography to the masses. In the YWD Spotlight article, Mr. Korver talks about all the subcontractors nationwide he's hired to shoot for Paper Tape Films as being film school graduates. He comments:

"This is key because shooting a film camera is far different than a video camera. It requires knowledge of over 50 different film stocks, f-stops, film speeds, shutter angles, gel filtration, and much, much more. You can't just push 'play,' point the camera, and get a good shot like you can with video. There's an entirely different skillset involved because it's a manual art form."

I couldn't believe I read what I just read. Here was a respected visual artist serving the wedding industry, a fellow filmmaker, basically saying that you don't need any talent to shoot a video camera, but it takes a real artist to use a film camera. At least, that's the implication I get. Yes, I agree shooting film is different than shooting video. But to suggest that all you have to do to get a good shot in video is push "play" (actually, it's "record", but I digress) is insulting to an industry of visual artists who work very hard at what they do to preserve the most precious memories in a couple's life. There are an equal number of visual parameters a video shooter must master and monitor, many of which are the same as film (e.g. aperture, shutter speed, tape stock, 720p, 1080i, 60i, color space, etc.) And on top of all that, the video shooter also has to monitor audio!—UHF vs. VHF, true diversity wireless connectivity, audio channels, squelch levels, XLR, shielded vs. non-shielded cables, direct boxes, channel interference...you get the idea. I wrote Mr. Korver personally to share with him how I felt and that I was going to write this article. I assured him that my blog article would not malign his name. He's probably a nice guy and he's obviously a smart business man. And I can appreciate a business setting themselves apart from the rest. But, to malign a whole industry the way he did, I feel is not only insulting and denigrating to those artists, but is a disservice to the industry and the brides in search for someone to capture those memories.

A Case of the Emperor's New Clothes

Since the start of Fifty Foot Films in 2001, super 8mm wedding cinematography has skyrocketed in popularity. Heck, even my company, Cinematic Studios, offers super 8mm and 16mm film productions. I love the look of film and no one can deny, that when in the hands of an experienced artist, the results are incredible. And used sparingly throughout a well crafted wedding video, it adds a very nice, artistic touch. However, in my humble opinion, most of the wedding clips I've seen shot on super 8mm pale in comparison to the most artfully crafted weddings shot on video. In fact, many of them look like my grand daddy's home movies shot on his super 8. Not all, but many of the clips I've seen are underexposed, shaky, out of focus, and if the same footage was shot with video, it would be hailed as garbage. Yet, somehow, because it's on filmstock, it's art.

I've read time and time again in articles and on blogs how wedding videos are long and boring. So, to make up for that, some companies are offering Super 8. Hello! It's not the medium that makes a wedding video long and boring. It's how it's edited. You can have a long and boring and cheesy wedding movie shot in film just as much as one shot on video.

It's sort of like the Hans Christian Anderson story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." The emperor was bamboozled into thinking he was wearing the most luxurious garments known to man. When in fact, the man was butt naked. Likewise, brides are being sold the line that true cinematography can only be done on real film. When, the truth is, the most "cinematic," impressive, artistic, and creative wedding productions are all shot on video! Those of you out there who have done your homework know exactly what I'm talking about. But, many are given "Emperor's Clothes" as a wedding movie and told it's cinematic art. Again, lest I be accused of doing to film shooters what I'm accusing Paul of doing to video shooters, not ALL weddings shot on film are that bad (but a heck of a lot are. IMHO :-)

It's the Talent, not the Tools

Mr. Korver mentions on his website that video is the medium used by soap operas, and that film is used by the people who make "real" movies. I feel that is gross misinformation at best, a lie at worst. It's another way to prolong the stereotype that video is "cheesy." The truth is, more and more Hollywood movies are being shot on VIDEO. Granted, it's HD video, but it's still video. In fact, many of today's most talented filmmakers are even shooting movies on standard definition video—yep, the same mini DV tapes you buy at Wal-Mart for $5.99 a pack. Even such respected filmmakers a Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriquez, and Spike Lee have all shot feature films on video (in some cases standard video).

My friends, what it comes down to is the talent, not the tools. What sets true artistry from "Uncle Charlie" garbage, is NOT the medium that is used, but the person handling the medium. I don't care if you shoot on super 8, 16mm, standard definition, HD, or even 35mm, what makes a wedding movie truly "cinematic" is not the medium. It's how it's composed, lit, edited, etc. Put a super 8mm or 35mm film camera in the hands of an inexperienced person, you're going to get a crappy wedding movie. However, give a really talented and experienced artist even the cheapest consumer camcorder, and you WILL see true cinema!

YOU Be the Judge

So, let's let YOU be the judge. Film vs. Video? Who represents the truest version of "cinema?" (i.e. you feel like you're watching a movie.) I've compiled a list of just seven videographers whose work has inspired or astounded me. They are some of the best video artists in wedding cinematography today. (I think we're pretty good too, but for this list, I'm only mentioning my fellow colleagues). This is a very small list to be sure. There are many, many more that I just don't have time nor space to mention. Some are multiple award-winners, some are less known. But all, you will see, are exceptional at their craft. I challenge you to view their work then compare it to the work of some super 8mm wedding cinematographers (the second list). For the record, I'm not making any judgments on the super 8mm cinematographers I list. Even though the medium is growing in popularity, there are still only a relatively small number of companies offering it exclusively, so there are only so many companies to name. I just listed the ones I already knew about or could find on Google. I have not seen all of their work, nor are these necessarily the ones I alluded to earlier in this article. I'm just listing them to make it easy for you to compare.

In this corner, the Video Shooters

• Angel de Armas
• blue core media
• Blue Skies Cinema
• Cinematic Bride
• The CVP Experience
• Iris Cinema
• Memory Tracks Films

In the other corner, the Super 8mm shooters

• Creel Photo
• Fifty Foot Films
• Paper Tape Films
• Reel Sixty
• Stellar Films
• Super 8 Girl

Whichever you like best, tell us why. Hopefully, if we're lucky, we're get a rebuttal to my post from Mr. Korver himself. Let's see.

technorati tags: YWD_Magaszine,Fifty_Foot_Films, , Paper_Tape_Films, Cinematic_Studios, Super_8mm, 16mm, wedding_cinematography, wedding_videography, Angel_de_Armas, Cinematic_Bride, CVP_Experience, DVideography, blue_core_media, Iris_Cinema, Memory_Tracks_Films, CreelPhoto, Reel_Sixty, Super8_Girl, Stellar_Films

My First Film School Project

The "Real Deja Vu"

What do a mysterious woman in black, a love-struck waiter, and a single red-rose have in common with the latest Hollywood blockbuster starring Denzel Washington? Nothing. Well, almost nothing. Read on.

Unless you're completely detached from pop culture news, you're aware that the #3 movie last weekend was "Deja Vu", the latest cinematic opus by producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott. It stars Denzel "My Man" Washington as an ATF investigator who uses a unique form of time travel to solve a murder case linked to an act of terrorism. Although it was met with mixed reviews, I really enjoyed it. However, this post isn't about that movie.

However, this post isn't about that movie. This post is about the real "Deja Vu."

This post is about the real "Deja Vu". (Okay, I think you get the repeating sentence joke. I'll stop now.). My first student project in film school was named, you guessed it, "Deja Vu." Let me take you back in time. The year is 1992. Summer. I'm a terribly bored real estate appraiser who enrolls in De Anza College's Film and TV program to express my creativity and learn how to make a movie (which I never ended up making). In my first video production class, I chose as my class project a narrative music video set to the popular Chris Isaak tune, "Wicked Game."

The video tells the story of a handsome, yet lonely college waiter who, in a dream, abandons his post to follow a beautiful, yet mysterious woman in black in hopes of giving her a rose and asking her out. Or is it just a dream? Hmmm? Filmed on location in Berkeley, CA, the project was quite ambitious for a first timer. (To this day I'm still engaging in ambitious video projects. I guess some things never change.) It involved an all day shoot, at over half a dozen specific locations throughout Berkeley, including Raleigh's Pub and Grill, a clothing store, the Cal campus, and a BART station. We also filmed a scene at my house in San Jose.

Since Hollywood came out with their version of "Deja Vu," I thought it would be fun to experience "Deja Vu" all over again with my own version. What I'm calling the "real Deja Vu." Here are a few fun facts to keep in mind as you watch:

• I tried to create a literal sense of deja vu in the audience by recreating shots in real life that we see in photos at the beginning of the video. Can you catch them all?
• I shot this video on one of those big, ugly consumer camcorders that was popular back in the early 90s. No digital video was available back then.
• It was edited on a LINEAR, tape to tape editing system. Yep, you heard me correctly. Tape to tape. Although not as difficult and time consuming as splicing and taping film reels that traditional film school students were doing, it's still a world away from what we use now. There was no Final Cut Pro or iMovie back then. (Note: I should admit that the end credits were re-created in iMovie years later when I transfered the video to DVD).
• Forgive the poor tracking and quality. It's like that even on the DVD. The clip was created from the original VHS tape which, besides being VHS, was partially damaged due to the process necessary to remove color back in those days. I wanted the video to be in black and white like Chris Isaak's now famous  music video. There was no simple "Black and White" filter. The  VHS tape had to be physically altered in order to make video colorless. The process was damaging.
• Look for my Hitchcock-esque cameo appearance. (Alfred Hitchcock used to make short cameo appearances in his films.) Please ignore the hair. Remember, we're talking early 90s, so cut me some slack.
• The mystery woman was a friend from college. The love-struck waiter was some dude I knew from the dance club scene. I chose him because I thought he had a cool look. Turns out he was the worst actor ever! At the end he has to do a flirtatious wink to the camera. It took over 30 takes to get it right! A wink!
• My instructor said it was the best project in the class. At least, that's how I remember it. :-)
• I got an A. The rest, as they say, is history.

Click the image below to play. Enjoy!

technorati tags: Deja_Vu, Wicked_Game, De_Anza_College,  film_school, music_video, Chris_Isaak, Ron_Dawon, Jerry_Bruckheimer, Tony_Scott, Denszel_Washington, Val_Kilmer, Adam_Goldberg, Cal, Berkeley, Go_Bears

How to make a family documentary

Digital video production has significantly entered the mainstream. Thousands of budding filmmakers, parents, high school kids, and just about anyone who can get their hands on a video camcorder are shooting and editing their own mini-movies. One service that we offer that is growing in popularity is the biography video. These family documentaries are entertaining and informative and make a great family heirloom. The videos we produce naturally have high production values and are on par with what you'd see on A&E. But, what if you just want to do a short, entertaining family documentary to for a relative's birthday. Or something quick and fun to play this Thanksgiving. Well, then perhaps this primer can get you started on the right foot.

A PRIMER ON VIDEO INTERVIEWS
The information below is taken from the instructions we give clients whenever they need to conduct a video interview themselves for a biography video they've hired us to produce.

• Use a TRIPOD—always, always, always used a tripod.

• Rule of Thirds—you never want to frame a subject directly in the center of the viewfinder. Position the subject so that the center of his/her face is towards the left or right at a slight angle to the camera. Using two imaginary vertical lines to split the frame in three equal columns, and two imaginary horizontal lines to split the frame into three equal rows, the eyes should be centered over one of the two top points where the lines cross at the top. (See sample figure for example).
• Head Room—do not leave too much empty space between the top of the subject’s head and the top of the frame. Using the “rule of thirds” should help with that.
• Eye line—DO NOT have the subject look directly into the camera when answering questions. Have an “interviewer” sit or stand next to the camera, about a foot away, with his/her head at the level of the camera’s lens. Then have the interviewee talk to the interviewer. In the frame, it will look like the interviewee is talking to someone off camera. (Think about Barbara Walters interviews. The celebrities never look directly into the camera). The only time it is okay to have the interviewee look into the camera is if they are addressing the intended audience directly. So if a bride or groom, friend or family member, is giving a message to the person who will be watching the video, then he/she can look directly into the camera to give that message.
• When to use close-ups—for the most part, if the subject is sitting, frame him/her from the torso up. If the subject is standing, frame him/her from the waist or torso up. Save close up shots for when the subject talks about topics that are more emotional or sentimental in nature. For your close up shot, frame the subject from the shoulder up. Always be mindful of headroom and the “rule of the thirds” as you zoom in. Don’t zoom or move the camera while the person is talking. If you need to adjust camera angle, have the subject stop first.
• Mistakes and Retakes—it is okay if the subject makes a mistake, garbles his/her words, or for some other reason, wants to repeat something said. Let the camera roll a few seconds before repeating, then have the subject repeat what was said.
• Cutaways—after conducting the interview, if there is time, get a few shots of the surrounding environment (e.g. furniture, pets, clocks ticking on the wall, family photos, etc). These make for great “cutaways” during the interview to keep it visually interesting.
• Focus—keep an eye on focus. Most consumer camcorders are set to auto focus, so if that’s the case, be mindful of people or objects getting in between the camera and the subject. This may cause the camera to focus on the object instead of the subject.  If you have and know how to use the manual focus, zoom all the way in on the subject’s face, focus, then slowly zoom out to where you want to frame the subject for the interview.
• The 180 Degree Rule—if you want to film two people talking to one another so that when edited it will look like they are having a conversation, keep the 180 degree rule in mind. Draw an imaginary line that passes straight through both subjects. As you film each subject separately, keep the camera on the same side of that line. Don’t cross it! That way, one person will appear to be speaking from left to right, and the other will appear to be speaking from right to left. If you cross that line, both subjects will appear to be speaking in the same direction, and that will be disorienting to the audience.

LIGHTING

• Indoors—when filming indoors, if you are not using a professional lighting set-up, try to pick a location that is bright, but does not have a harsh, overhead light. That will cause pockets of shadows in the subject’s eyes, under the chin, nose, etc. Avoid fluorescent lights whenever possible. Also, beware of backlighting. DO NOT videotape indoors with a strong light source behind the subject (e.g. window). This is known as backlighting, and it will cause the subject to be too dark as the camera tries to adjust to the harsh light coming from behind.
• Outdoors—DO NOT have the subject in direct sunlight. Again, this can cause shadows  or “hot” spots on the face. Look for an area where the light is more even. If it’s not too dark, even a nice shaded area can work.
• White Balance—most consumer camcorders have auto white balance. This affects how the camera looks at the color white. If the camera is not properly white balanced, everything may look blue or orange (depending if you are shooting inside or outside). Your camera may also have pre-set white balance settings for indoors and outdoors. Read the camera instructions to learn how to properly set white balance. But if you look on the view screen and everything appears blue or orange, you know that your white balance is off.

AUDIO

If at all possible, use a microphone connected to the camera to get clear, crisp sound. But if you cannot, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Indoors—be mindful of room noises. Make sure the heater and air conditioner are off. If you are in or near the kitchen, make sure the refrigerator is temporarily turned off so as not to pick up humming. The same goes for computers or any other household or office appliance that hums.
• Room Tone—once you have conducted the interview, record the room for about sixty seconds with no one talking. This is called room tone, and can be used during editing to help even out sound when cutting to different shots.  Before recording room tone, have someone say “room tone” in front of the camera to mark the spot.
• Outdoors—try to stay as far away from traffic as possible, especially if you won’t be using a microphone.  Most consumer video camcorders do not have wind guards, so if it’s a windy day, try to avoid interviewing outside if at all possible. If you must, try to find an area where the wind will be blocked.

TIME CODE

• Avoid the temptation to stop the tape, rewind it, and watch what you’ve shot. When attempting to fast forward the tape back to where you left off, you will most likely go beyond the exact point where you actually stopped. This will cause the camera to reset the time code to zero, giving that tape TWO zero markers. A computer editing system uses the time code on the camera, so it must be unbroken. Broken time code significantly increases the difficulty of capturing the footage to computer and forces it to be done manually (which is longer and less precise).

DATE AND TIME STAMPS
Please make sure that you are NOT recording date and time stamps. Read your camera’s instruction on how to ensure those elements are not recorded. Nothing looks more amateurish than a video that has the date and time in the bottom right-hand corner.

EDITING YOUR DOCUMENTARY
Now that you have your interview "in the can," it's time to do the editing.  I won't go into any details regarding editing systems. There are too many. Unless you're a pro, you'll most like use Movie Maker on a PC or iMovie on a Mac. In any case, the concepts are the same.

• Capture all of your footage to the computer.
• If you have the ability to categorize and separate your footage, do so by creating general topics (e.g. childhood, college life, career, family, etc.)
• As you watch and listen to the interview footage, set aside the takes that are the most "meaty." These are the part of the interviews that say the most in the least time, are the most emotionally powerful, most funny, etc.
• Whittle the interviews done to the best takes and reveal the essence of the story you want to tell.
• Order all the takes based on how you want to tell your story. For instance, do you want to start with childhood then go through marriage. Or is the video just about the subject's family life, so you'll start with their wedding and go through the birth of their latest child.
• As much as possible, add photos to spice up the video. A talking head can be boring. Zoom in and out of the photos to give them movement. This is often called the "Ken Burns Effect," named after the technique used in the famous historical documentarian's many films.
• Add music and sound effects to round out the video. Try to time the music crescendos and beats to fit with the interviews so they complement each other.
• Make your DVD, pop it in the player, then sit back and enjoy.

This is obviously a very simplistic overview.  You could take a class for a whole semester on making these kind of films. Below is the intro to a biography we produced and edited about a hilarious 86 year old woman who is going on 40! It was shot by acclaimed documentarian Pam Walton. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

To see more samples of our biography videos, visit the Cinematic Studios Theater.

This post was inspired by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net who is running another group writing project. Check his blog for the details...and submit by this Thursday.

technorati tags: biography_videos, biographies, Ken_Burns