All posts in "For Film Makers"
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Is A Large Format Sensor Size Always Better?

These days, it seems everyone is jumping on the “bigger is better” bandwagon when it comes to image sensors for motion picture use. But is a large format sensor better for your project? Well, that honestly depends on your project. What Are Your Sensor Size Options? Arri recently announced their Alexa Min LF. This camera […]

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The Truth About Your Video Resolution

Many years ago, in Hollywood, there was a study done to develop a standard for cinema exhibition. At the time, movie theaters were getting ready to make the switch from film projection to digital projection and there was a question as to whether 2k projectors were good enough or if theaters should spend the extra […]

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Lensbaby Composer Pro Review for Film Makers

So I recently picked up a Lensbaby Composer Pro for the Canon EF mount. For those of you that don’t know, the Lensbaby Composer Pro is an effect lens that basically puts the front element of the lens on a ball swivel. This gives you the ability to throw parts of the frame wildly out […]

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Making a Video Flight Path Map – Start to Finish

(Tutorial Video is at the Bottom of the Page) It is a staple in the storytelling language of the action adventure film. When your hero has to travel a long distance, you simply cut to a map, and show the path the hero is taking to get there. This was famously done in the Indiana […]

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Top 10 Reasons You Need To Be Using Video in Your Marketing

This article was originally published at TomFanelli.com The History of Motion Picture Consumption Moving pictures have been around for a while. In the late 1800’s you could put a nickel in a machine and watch a glorified flip book with photos. Then George Eastman started putting emulsion on a thin plastic film, and soon afterward […]

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Blowing Up Footage in a Digital World

We have all seen it in movies or on TV: The cops have some wide angle surveillance video, and the want to zoom in on that guy way back in the corner. Someone types a few things into the computer, and the image blows up to a crystal clear HD image of the suspect. We […]

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4 Apps Every Lighting Guy Should Have

As a professional entertainment lighting person, their are 4 apps that I would recommend every lighting person should have on their smartphone. You may not need them every gig, but when you do need them, they will be a life saver.

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Low Budget Film Making: 5 Tips For Lighting On a Low Budget

Over the past 20 years, I have worked on motion picture projects with budgets that range from huge, to non-existent. Between these, I have learned that lighting on low budget production is usually a lot more challenging that lighting on a big budget. Let’s face it, a big budget offers the entire crew several advantages […]

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The Superiority of Practical Effects: The Thing

The Glory Days of Practical Effects When I first moved to Hollywood and started working in the Special Effects Industry in 1996, there was a general rule that all effects artists judged their work by: If it looks like an effect, you failed. We strived to make things life like, and no dime was spared in […]