David Corley's DSC Labs has been a leading source for test and calibration charts for over 30 years. Their products have both the technology and the precision to match the needs of today's complex digital cameras and have been used exclusively on every HiDefinition and digital production I've worked on. They are also the only test chart that is used by this site to test the final resolved image of the various cameras and lenses. CHECK OUT MY CHARTS!

The promise of widescreen and the reality have been two different things to DV shooters. Century Precision Optics hs created a 16:9 anamorphic adapter that quite literally increases the inherent value of anything you shoot.

Many European shooters have been using these lens adapters for a while, due to the widespread acceptance of widescreen digital channels. Unlike the various schemes that the various DV camera manufacturers use to achieve the 'widescreen look', Century's little adapter is an amazingly sharp lens that captures the full 16:9 image onto the 4:3 native DV chip set at full resolution.

While this tool is not for everyone, it is imperative for miniDV filmmakers who intend to print to film. The image will appear horizontally compressed in your viewfinder and when viewed on a 4:3 monitor but will expand to 16:9 when played on a widescreen monitor or printed to film.

At least 20% of the e-mail I get is asking where to get some of the basics like a good slate or a cart to haul all your production gear around with. The answer to those and hundred similar questions is FILM TOOLS. I shop there and just about everyone I know shops there.

The new FILM TOOLS website is clean and well organized and they now use the Yahoo sales system. They carry everything from expendables to tools supplies and equipment. They are also a great source for that hard to find DVCAM tape stock.

Accurate test patterns are essential for properly calibrating your equipment and letting others know the levels you have used in your video production. Test Pattern Maker makes it easy to generate just the tests you need in the format you need them.

Generates eight video test patterns: EIA Color Bars EBU Color Bars SMPTE-style Color Bars 5-Step Luma Test 10-Step Lume Test Luma Ramp Convergence Overscan Supports square- and rectangular-pixel video formats Supports RGB (0-255) and Rec. 601 (16-235) video formats, ensuring compatibility with a wide variety of non-linear editing systems, including Final Cut Pro, Avid, Media100, Premiere, and EditDV. Generates accurate sine-wave audio test tones. Oh yes ... its a free download at: SYNTHETIC APERTURE. - Currently Mac only -

Aside from a good camera, a good light meter is the single best investment you can make. This L-508 Sekonic meters both incident and spot reflected light (switchable at the touch of a button) and features an amazing range of unique and versatile functions.

It is easy to use, water-resistant and ideal for use in the studio or on location. I have several meters, but this one is my personal favorite and has proven itself durable and dependable time and time again.

Ya got'a love those Germans, always coming up with tweaky stuff. Well, I'd seen the P+S Technik adapter a couple times, always wrote it off as a gimmick and just recently had an opportunity to use it on a music video. I'm not laughing anymore. We threw quite a few lens combos on it and it really gave the miniDV the best look I've ever seen. Although they claim that it gives you a more cinematic DOF, you still have to ND down to pull the talent out of the scenery, but it is noticeably better than the "off the shelf" flavor of lenses. I particularly liked the ability to actually pull real focus.

It currently works with the Canon XL1, Sony PD-150, Sony VX1000 and the Sony VX2000.

While shooting the international Sony PlayStation2 Commercial,

several of the environments that we worked in were far to small to use a StediCam. My key Grip Sean Crowell (spcgrip@aol.com) made this articulated mounting plate for the Sony DSR-PD-150 that we were using. The increase in mass and leverage provided a needed factor to the lightweight camcorder and gave us far more cinematic movement.

How do you calabrate your camera when you're out in the field without a crew?

For feature projects where there are multiple HD cameras in play, it is customary to use the 'Video Village' configuration which takes the SDI or RGB out of the cameras and then feeds the images into an HD waveform monitor. The monitor is then used to switch the 'A' and 'B' signals into the 'God' monitor.

For smaller shoots, pick-ups, remote locations and inserts, I shoot a DSC Labs CamAlign Chart and then use an AJA HD-10MS Converter to get the HD SDI signal into my Apple Powerbook where I use the waveform and vectorscope functions in Apple's FinalCut Pro to adjust the camera's parameters to match the rest of the footage.

Viola! Field video that will cut in seamlessly with your studio footage.

I had originally intended to put a page here with links to various sites that contained relevant information about software, and technique as well as information with regard to festivals and distribution. After compiling about a hundred links to relevant sites I came across CyberFilmSchool. While their focus is primarily conventional film production, I believe that they are a good resource for many of the ancillary aspects of digital moviemaking.

Another great resource for people who actually make movies is Indiefilmmaker.org. This site was developed and is run by a group of industry professionals who are actively involved in covering the festival circuit and providing a valuable resource for the indie moviemaker. I personally recommend their online Forums for people looking for one-on-one support and information.

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GENERAL FILMMAKING

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PRODUCING /DIRECTING

CINEMATOGRAPHY

EDITING

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