"Red Sky at Morning"

"Ya gotta be in it to win it", is the old slogan for the NYC lottery and something that I mutter to myself on cold winter mornings while attempting to coax myself out of a warm bed.

It's 5:30 in the morning and an hour before first light.  Outside it's 15 degrees with a 5 mile per hour breeze, but I am determined to film the sun rising over Manhattan.  The sun will not actually be visible for another hour, but it's the first light of dawn that often offers the most reward.

In the dead of winter, the sun rises a bit south of my location and it will appear to travel to the far north of the city as the summer months approach.  For a few days in December and January, the sun will actually line up with the city grid and appear to rise directly across the river, burning up 42nd Street.











Often, the most interesting skies, briefly appear before the sun has even pierced the horizon.  For a few minutes, shafts of red or golden light set fire to the pre-dawn clouds that have formed over the skyline and that's why I am standing here in the dark, fumbling with my camera, trying to resuscitate my numbing fingers to operate the camera.

Step 1. Be prepared!  I bring along a small LED flashlight and use use a tripod that has an illuminated level.  You also want a tripod with and legs that won't freeze up in the cold (like mine).

Step 2. Arrive early!  I plan my location and get there early enough to park my car, find my position and set up the my gear.

Step 3. Dress warm!  The wind chill from that 5 mph breeze coming off the river will be on my case in no time and there is nothing out here to block it.











With all of that done, this morning is offering a beautiful display of ruby red clouds, announcing the advancing storm that will arrive by noon.  The camera is rolling and the spectacle last for less than three minutes.  I realize that I have been humming Donovan's "Try for the Sun" for the last half hour and I look around to see if I am the only camera in sight. With the exception of two joggers and a street cleaner, I totally own the moment.

I admit to never tiring of the Manhattan skyline or the thrill of the sun reflecting off the glass towers across the river and finally breaking over a buildings.  I will also admit that it is much easier thing to do in the summer, but then again, the skyline is never as clear or crisp as on a cold winter's morning.  In either case, I feel privileged to be there.

Chuck Fishbein

www.duckyou.com

The New Ship in Town

A short while ago, those of us who live along the Hudson River were treated to the breath-taking sight of NASA's space shuttle "Enterprise" performing a fly-by of the Manhattan skyline, mounted atop a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.  It was absolutely stunning!

The atmosphere was truly that of a carnival, as a small band of photographers, school kids and their teachers, locals and tourists, gathered in this small park, high up on the palisades of Weehawken, waiting to witness a piece of history.    

As a group we scanned the skies for about an hour until finally, a unique silhouette appeared against the hazy white sky to our south.  Sarah spotted it first. 

"Here is comes!" and the cameras started clicking in ernest.  It was all very exciting.

I was filming in HD using my PMW-F3 camera with a vintage Angenieux 25-250 zoom lens from the 70's.  A wonderful combination that let me hone in on my subject and slowly zoom in as it approached.  You see stuff like this on TV but when it shows up in your own viewfinder it takes on a whole new meaning.  I'm thrilled to say that the lens performed exceptionally well, yielding razor sharp detail and a wide depth of field, leaving me only with the task of smoothly tracking the craft as they soared by.  Very cool, indeed!

The combo flew north for a few miles, turned back to the south and made another pass, but this time it was too high overhead and difficult to track.  It circled the area once more and slowly headed off to a landing at JFK airport, were it would later be transferred to a special barge, for it's final voyage to its new home on the Intrepid aircraft carrier.

Several weeks later, Sarah suggested I check out a new 9/11 monument that had been built along the Hudson for inclusion in our Getty stock footage collection.  Usually a quiet location near the NY Waterways ferry terminal, a small crowd of photographers had again gathered, only this time, they were about to lift the shuttle from it's barge on to the carrier.   OMG!  I had totally forgotten the date and it was only luck and Sarah's suggestion that put me in the right place at the right time.

Well, it's Murphy's Law that the day you bring out your wide angle lens is the day you need the telephoto, but fortunately, Sarah and Ellie were able to bring over our new Nikon 400mm lens to capture a unique angle, over a mile away, across the Hudson.

www.duckyou.com

The Wills Eye Institute

I've often mention that one of the greatest appreciations I have had for my career in both photography and film has been the access allowed to behind-the-scenes.  Few professions touch so many people, places and events in this way.

A few weeks back, Evan, one of our clients at Sony asked us to travel down to Philadelphia to do some filming at the Wills Eyes Institute, a non-profit clinic, hospital and research center dedicated exclusively to the care of eyes.  Since 1990, Wills Eye Institute has consistently been ranked as one of the best ophthalmology hospitals in the United States.


Our assignment was to film and photograph a small, HD camera that is integrated into the microscope system used during eye surgery and we were asked to capture some of our images while a surgery was in progress.


After a few painless interviews in the executive boardroom, my assistant, Arion Doerr and I suited up in sterile garb and with the guidance of one of the hospital's directors, quietly walked into the operating room. 

The room was anything but silent.  Aside from the normal beeping and whirring of heart monitors and machinery, there was music playing loudly in the background and between the request for surgical instruments, informal chit chat about the weather or the price of gas.  We could have been in Starbucks.

The lead surgeon and her assistant were both viewing the operation thru a large, dual microscope, hovering over the patients head.  The camera we needed to film was mounted on top of it. 


Although the immediate vicinity of the operation was extremely bright, the room itself was fairly dim.  No problem for my Nikon D3, but less friendly to Sony's EX3.  Fortunately, the camera was white and there was just enough light to pull off the shots.  When surgery ended and everyone left the room, it was easy to move in for some closeups.

In recent years, surgeons at the Wills Eye Institute have successfully planted artificial retinas in patients that have been totally blind since birth, allowing them to experience shades of light and to distinguish basic shapes, such as a door or a table.  Pretty incredible.  
www.duckyou.com

Something Old Something New

There is a certain joy and empowerment attached to a piece of gear with karma and such has been the case with a lens I received from my dear friend and fellow DP, Roberta Findlay.

I use a Sony PMW-F3 for much of my work.  The F3 is a large sensor, state-of-the-art digital camera and I am currently mating it with a lens that is over 40 years old.  The lens, an Angenieux 25-250 3.2 zoom lens, was also state-of-the-art, somewhere around 1970, right around the time it was used to create a string of low budget horror flicks including the cult classic "Snuff".

When I first received the lens, it was a bit stiff and I immediately brought it over Du-All camera in Manhattan for service. A place you just have to visit if you've ever, seriously used a super-8 camera,  Although my lens was certainly, no longer state-of-the-art, the crew at Du-All treated it with the utmost respect and within a couple of days, they had cleaned, lubricated and collimated the lens to properly work with my camera.  It was like new.

I took it out to my favorite spot overlooking Manhattan for a test drive and the results where no less than amazing.

Like classic guitars and microphones, lenses, each have a personality all of there own.

In the days when I used to shoot with 4x5 and 8x10 cameras, it was not uncommon to own three of the same focal length lens, each from a different manufacturer and use each for a different, desired result.  For example, Nikon lenses were cold and clinical, while Schneider lenses had a bit more warmth  and roundness.  Warmer still were lenses from Goertz or Kodak.

If I was photographing a new bottle for Clinique, I would use the Schneider, but if it was a beauty shot of a model's face, I would definitely use the Goertz.  No need proving how sharp a lens could be there.

And although a lens might not be critically sharp, that doesn't mean the image is soft, either.  When you are speaking in terms like "roundness" or "creaminess", it's not just about technical accuracy.  Many shooters are finding the quality of older lenses from Cooke, Zeiss, Nikon, Pentax and others are giving them the look they desire.

Now, I know that there are issues with using older technology.  At T4.0, this lens is very slow, especially considering I have to stop down to at least 5.6 to get a decent image.  (Fortunately, the F3's low light sensitivity works in my favor there).  The lens "breathes", which means the focal length might appear to slightly change when focusing, but for most of my NYC filming, this is not an issue.  And finally, it is heavy, which necessitates rails and lens support provided by a rig from Genus.

Still, all of this becomes secondary after seeing the stunning images the lens delivers.

If you ask The Edge or any other well known guitarist why they travel with 20 different guitars, they will tell you that each has a unique sound and personality and so it goes with lenses.  There will also be an added boost if one of those guitars was owned by some legendary character making it special to the artist and so it is with Roberta's lens.

Visit the Crazy Duck website

Taking Time To Make TIme

The last few months have been the busiest ever for Crazy Duck Productions and for this both Sarah and I are extremely grateful.   The work we have produced for our existing clientele, as well as the exciting projects from our newest clients, VIP Community Services, Acatel-Lucent and Clear Channel have all been very well received and we're excited that much more is on the way.

In the last six months we've been able to completely upgraded our camera and lighting packages, greatly expanded our editing capabilities and we're in the process of launching a brand new duckyou.com web site.

Most importantly, we have taken time to spend time with each other and our family and to say thanks.  Without this time, what would be the point of being so busy?

Unfortunately, many personal side projects, including my NYC filming and this blog have had to take a back seat while we finish up our current productions.   I miss them both and I've begun winding the gears of my filming mindset as well as writing new blog stories to correspond with the release of our new site.

There's so much ahead of us, just down the pike and I hope you'll stay with us as we explore it all.

All the best
Chuck

Journey to the New (3rd) Dimension

About a year ago I was honored with an invitation to join Sony's elite ICE team.  ICE, an acronym for Independent Certified Expert, is a small group of working professionals from across the United States.  Most are specialists in some form of broadcast or cable television, while others are involved in producing corporate or event video.

After providing training, Sony often calls on members of the ICE team to test out preproduction cameras and other gear for the purpose of receiving realistic feedback from those actually using the stuff in the field.
In some cases, our input is incorporated into the final production design of a camera or influences the design of future models.

At dinner, after my first night of training, one of Sony's product managers asked me what I thought about 3D video?

I must admit my response was not very positive.  I thought of 3D as another marketing push to sell more DVDs and players.  Another fad or gimmick.  After all, what possible use could it have in everyday production?

About a month later, my opinion would turn about 180 degrees.  As I have previously written, Sony sent me to St. Louis to document the use of 3D laparoscopic surgery.  There in a darkened operating room, stood a surgeon and an assistant, performing an operation using images appearing in 3D using a microscopic camera inserted into the patient, with the results appearing on a 48" monitor.

The incision was minimal, yet the accuracy achieved was far greater than any 2D image could provide.

Up until this time, my only experience with 3D had been some cheesy horror flicks and Michael Jackson's 3D Captain EO at Disney.   I wanted to know more.

At the NAB trade show in Vegas this year, Robin Berg, a producer/director of several adventure reality shows (and a fellow ICE member) was demonstrating several new Sony 3D cameras and the images were spectacular.

After the show closed to the public, Robin walked me through the camera systems, educating me with knowledge he acquired taking an intense, 3 day, 3D course, at the Sony Studios in Culver City, CA.

I was zapped and immediately starting thinking of ways I could use this technology with my clients.

Now, hold on there Tex. 3D technology is finally coming of age, but, creating bad 3D is very easy.

So now, I'm heading off to Culver City, to learn professional 3D from scratch, from the same folks that have taught feature film and major sports crews the magic.   My goal:   Learn how to make good 3D


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Crazy Duck Web Site
Chuck Featured on Sony's VideON channel

The Manhattanhenge

I had filmed it twice before, but, until now, I hadn't realized that there was actually a name for it.

The Manhattanhenge occurs semi-annually around the summer and winter solstice and it is the only time that the setting sun is in alignment with the streets of NYC.   Meaning, that on a few specific days, when the sun sets over the Jersey palisades, there is an unusual opportunity to film and photograph sunsets in Manhattan.

This is a very blessed occasion, because even with a half dozen IPhone apps, and all the cosmic info available on the net, tracking exactly where the sun will rise and set can be tricky business.  Yeah, you can calculate where it will occur, but finding the right place to put down your tripod, so that the shot looks decent is another thing.

Last year I filmed the sun down 13th Street, near the Gansevort Hotel, just as it was setting over the High Line.  Stunning!   I was using a 300mm lens on my EX3 which with an MTF adaptor, which magnifies the image by a factor of 5.4.  So, in essence, it became a 1,600mm lens.

This year I put the same lens on my Sony F3 and recorded into a Nanoflash external recorder.  Although the lens was not as extreme,  the results were still excellent and the low-light capability of the F3's large sensor allowed me to catch the last bits of golden light, long after the sun had dropped.

One important suggestion when using any type of telephoto lens is to have a solid tripod.  The tiniest amount of vibration will show up when using a long lens and having a decent foundation is crucial.
As of late, I have been using the new 509 fluid head and the 536 carbon fiber legs from Manfrotto.  This gives me the firm foundation I'm looking for while still remaining an amazingly lightweight package.

Aside from being very easy to balance, it has a light-up bubble which is essential for low-light shooting.
An important feature when you are huffing around Manhattan with a camera over your shoulder.

July 12th is the next time Manhattanhenge will occur so, be ready!

The Crazy Duck Web site
Chuck Featured on Sony's VideOn site

The Green Lantern

Last we Sarah and I helped launch another new coaster at Six Flags: The Green Lantern!

This ride has two minutes of the usual spine-chilling climbs, loops and corkscrews, all performed at a lightning speed.  The difference here, is that the rider is standing.

Our job was to work with Kristin, the park's PR manager to film the ride, create and duplicate a video press kit in a time frame of less than 48 hours.  

Weather was not on our side, either.  It had been pouring for the last few days and we had a limited window of opportunity to pull this off, the press launch could not be moved and was now or never.
     
A local weather report indicated some clearing was heading our way, but, for now, it was still raining.

We arrived a 9:00 am.  Our first task was to mount a POV (point of view) camera on the front of the ride.  After which, we would need to reverse the camera and film a crew of brave riders.

We've mounted cameras on dozens of coasters over the years and still our deepest concern is safety.  Rigging used to take hours and often required mounting large cameras and portable tape decks.   Everything had to be taped and bungeed into place.  A loose part becomes a missile at 60-80 mph, endangering riders and anyone on the ground.  We also take into consideration that this is a multi-million dollar ride that they are letting us play with and we want to leave it just as we found it.

Although mounting a POV camera has become a much easier affair with the introduction of miniature, light-weight cameras like the Go Pro, everything must be secured and safety checked by the ride park's engineers before we proceed.

Carefully covering the ride with gaffer tape to prevent scratching the paint, Sarah and I used a Manfrotto maffer clamp and Magic Arm to secure the camera to the front panel of the ride.  Amazingly, we were able to immediately view the test results, get our client's OK on both angles and move on to our ground shots.

I was fortunate to have the loan of a Genus shoulder mount for this shoot.  In the past, I found it difficult filming rides using my Sony EX1 and EX3 cameras.  The EX1's LCD viewer sucks in daylight and the EX3's shoulder mount is both clutzy and difficult to hand-hold, especially when you are trying to follow a high speed coaster car around a steel pretzel.

The Genus consists of a hot-plate,  rails, a shoulder pad and counter-weight was quick and easy to balance and it fit very comfortably on my shoulder.  That's pretty much all you want to say about a shoulder rig, except this one was designed to be used on my tripod as well, so with a simple click, it was in place and no time was lost changing mounts.  Simple, perfect, sweet.

The rain cleared long enough for us to shoot, but, care had to be taken to properly show off the ride against the bright white skies.  The best camera's can be pretty dumb at times and seeing all that brightness, the camera's internal metering system would change that white sky to 18% grey for very unpleasant results.

After a late night edit and a few online approvals the job was delivered with 18 hours to spare and the Green Lantern press event (this time with sunny skies) was very successful.  Go Kristin!  

Check out the ride:  The Green Lantern Ride film
Other links:
duckyou.com

Chuck featured on Sony's VideOn site

The Genus Rig

Getting Back to Business

I've received dozens of inquiries as to why I had not been keeping my blog up to date.  In fact, I heard from people all over the globe that I had no idea were following my ramblings and often, reading all the way back to my first entries.  I was chuffed.

Well here's the deal...

I put away my writer's cap for a few months, because I began to feel that I was talking more and doing less.

It's not true, really.  I'm just kind of tough on myself, which is the result of being self-employed for 30 years.  None the less, I felt I had to stop writing for a while and get out into the field and do more doing.

Fortunately, in the last five months the studio has been jammed with new projects, acquired several new clients and purchased a state-of-the-art camera.  Sarah and I are moving forward and making significant progress in a very sluggish economy and I am truly thankful for the blessings bestowed upon us.

Best of all, we have found a great deal of joy and artistic direction in filming New York City.   Getty Images has proven to be a decent stock footage partner.  We now have hundreds of video clips online and our images have been seen on everything from CSI to CNN to SNL.

Even more important than finding the time to do all this new work, Sarah and I have gone out of our way to find the time to enjoy each other and our beautiful daughter, Ellie, who just last week, celebrated her 2nd birthday.  What an amazing thing that is!

                      (Sorry Eric... I couldn't help myself.)

At a time when most workers and business owners are looking toward retirement, I am more stoked than ever about the type of work we do, the people we work with and some of the brilliant and talented professionals that I have had the great honor of swapping industry stories with.

I look forward to more!

Chuck's Bio on Sony's VideOn Network

duckyou.com

All that Jazz and More

One of the great perks of our video production business is access to things we might never see on a day to day basis.   Last week was no exception.

I was brought in to film Latin Jazz pianist extraordinaire Michel Camilo, an amazing performer that I am proud to say that I have had the honor and pleasure to work with previously.   We have twice filmed him recording in the studio and on stage at the Blue Note in New York City.

Michel is a brilliant, extremely energetic composer/performer.  He's won a Grammy, a Latin Grammy and an Emmy for is work and he plays every show as if it was his last chance opportunity to perform.

Jeff Davis, a long time friend and associate of Michel and his wife Sandra, arranged the recording session for Universal Records and also arranged to have us come in and film.   The location was Avatar studios in NYC where only a few weeks before, we had been filming Alicia Keys.  The studio staff is great to work with and very accommodating.

It was a Saturday and Sarah was not able to make the shoot.  I was fortunate to be able to get my associate and good friend Danny Hoffman to come in and assist me.  Dan is an experienced video professional in his own right, yet he can easily put the ego aside to assist me.  Truly an asset when I have a limited amount of time to make things happen and need to move very quickly.  We were also aided by John Sampson, a high school freshman that has just begun interning with us.

Every time we film in a recording studio it's a brand new adventure.

When possible, I like to get into the studio early to enhance the lighting, while the artists are still setting up and long before they actually begin recording.  This way the performers are familiar with the cameras and the slightly higher level of illumination, right from the start.

Having said that, it's not always possible.  Sometimes, due to the nature of the recording process, my actual access time with an artist might be limited and more time will be spent hanging out in the studio hallway or lunchroom, with equipment ready, doing what production crews know how to do best.
"Hurry up and wait".

It is rare that all the performers are in the same room.  Often the percussionist, bass or other musicians are isolated in sound-proof rooms with glass panels so that the artists can see each other, while not over powering each other's sound.  So, when possible, I try to incorporate more than one camera.

Even if it's just a small handy-cam type camera, the added production value of being able to cut between two artists relating to each, in sync, makes all the difference in the final film.

Lighting in recording studios generally sucks and is rarely designed with video in mind.

I try to keep my lighting as simple and as cool as possible.  Small rooms heat up very quickly and respect to the artists and their environment is key.  I try to work at an illumination level that will allow me to incorporate the existing lighting while still maintaining a complimentary light on the artist's faces.  So soft, indirect lighting is usually the way I like to go.

Michel's percussionist for this CD was the incredible Giovanni Hildago, whom I've had the pleasure of working with previously while directing a PBS special with ex-Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart and his Planet Drum project.  Giovanni's performed brilliantly.  His energy seems endless and he appears to have grown younger with time.

Giovanni Hildago

I used a Sony EX3 as my primary camera with an EX1 as my alternate angle camera and backup.  As they are nearly identical, the resulting images match in both color and texture.  With the correct profile setting, the EX cameras will work well in controlled, low light.  Usually working at a lens setting between F=2.8-4.0, at 30P.  On the primary camera I also used a Nanoflash recorder which automatically gives me a backup copy of my footage at a higher bit rate.

Charles Flores on bass

The EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is like a mini-documentary, composed of interviews, performance and perhaps some B-Roll (background footage) to help knit it all together.  The Avatar tech supplied both cameras with an audio feed direct from the recording console, insuring the best possible sound and less audio complications when it come time to post the video.

There'll be no searching for the right take, it's there, locked right in the correct place.

Michel Camilo

Jeff Davis is a professional writer and great as an interviewer.  He listens to his subjects as they speak, doesn't over-complicate the questions and he skips over questions that have already been answered.  And to this end, all three performers gave terrific, enthusiastic interviews.  There would be no doubt that these gentleman truly love what they do.  They just seemed to say all the right stuff and you could see the edit points fall into place as they spoke.  The EPK will almost edit itself.

I am looking forward to filming some New York footage just to compliment some of Michel's compositions.

Michel Performing at the Blue Note

Michel's Website

Crazy Duck's Website

Chuck Featured on Sony's VideOn Website


Jeff Davis' Website

A Walk In the Park

It was Christmas day and I was still with my family in North Carolina when they announced that a major snow was heading for New York City.

Most folks would want to avoid a storm like this, but I packed up the car and immediately headed right for it, straight up I-95.  The snow was already beginning to fall when I hit Virginia and I was fortunate to get home before the sky opened wide.

The actual snow didn't begin until first light, the next day and I was determined to be out filming in it.

I used a custom raincoat to protect the camera, carefully taping the connections around the matte box and eyepiece.  The basic matte box on Sony's EX3 camera has a built in door that can be closed to protect the lens and the lens itself was protected by a clear UV filter.   My tripod was made of carbon fiber and would therefore be safe out in snow.

Ok, the camera will remain warm and dry.  What about me?

Knowing that we would be filming through the winter, both Sarah and I had invested in serious winter ski gloves and coats made by Killy.  I layered myself in thermal socks, shirt and underwear, a scarf, knit hat and gloves.  I felt like the Michelin Man, but it was all necessary, as 30 mph gusts were creating a wind chill in the lower teens.

Over four inches had fallen in the first few hours of the storm.  By the time I reached Manhattan the streets were already covered in white and taxis were skidding and sliding, everywhere.

Although the entire city seemed magical covered in white, my first destination was Central Park.  At this point, I was not sure how long it would remain snowing or for that matter, how long I could remain out in the snow without freezing my face off.

I was thankful that due to the holiday, there were plenty of empty spaces near the park, so, I set up the tripod, mounted the camera and headed past the Dakota into the park at 72nd Street and Central Park West.

To conserve on energy and remain able to move around comfortably, I only brought one additional battery with me, which fortunately, I didn't need until the very end of my shoot.   I wanted to avoid opening the camera's protective coat, as the windblown snow would quickly melt on the camera's warm surface.

The EX3 uses SxS media cards which, if you are using 32gb or 64gb cards, allows for hours of HD shooting without having to expose the camera to the elements.  A reel plus in this type of weather.

It was amazing.  Even with the heavy snow and blowing wind, the park was still fairly populated.  Along with your die-hard runners, there were cross country skiers, dog walkers and a good share of tourists.

All of that aside, Central Park was absolutely stunning.  Every angle was simply breath-taking and I immediately began filming.

The snow was falling very fast and quickly accumulating on my camera and in front of the lens.
I brought along a very small can of compressed air to blow the snow off the lens.  I avoided using a cleaning cloth for the lens as it would simply smear up the filter.  Fortunately, the cold wind kept the snow dry and it was easy to blow away.  At one point I discovered a small drift that had accumulated in my matte box.

I filmed around the lake for just over two hours.  It was exhausting.  I don't know how the explorers climb mountains and carry a ton of camera gear,  Just moving a few hundred yards was challenging in the wind and heavy snow and removing my gloves to make a simple adjustment, became painful.

Much more snow had fallen and conditions were growing worse by the moment.  I wanted to be able drive out of the city without getting stuck.  I decided to head back to the car.

By the time I reached our Volvo it was covered with at least 10 inches of snow and I was thankful that the car had little issue with the icy streets.

Was it worth it?  Absolutely!

Sarah and I filmed in the two following storms and they're predicting a heavy snow next week.  I'm pretty sure that I'm one of the few people (over the age of 16) looking forward to it.

Why are we filming in the snow this much?  Because it's never around when you want it.

If a client is looking imagery under unique conditions, such as a heavy snow storm in Manhattan, it's a good bet that it's not going to happen on cue.  Conditions must be right, if the conditions will occur at all and chances are that they will turn to a stock agency to try to find the shots they're looking for.   So, the broader we can make our collection, the more opportunity we'll have to sell our work.

Aside from all that, it's fun.

www.duckyou.com
Chuck featured on Sony's VideON site

A Production Date with Alicia Keys

On Friday, Sarah and I filmed performing artist extraordinaire Alicia Keys for an upcoming exhibit at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab in NYC.  What a fun gig!

As her performance will be integrated with computer graphics and we needed to film her against a green screen so that the final images can be composited.

Alicia was great to work with, but our production day started 7 hours before she sang a single note. The black lacquer Yamaha piano might as well have been a mirror.  It reflected nearly every corner of the studio and we had to make sure that none of the green could be seen in any of those reflections.  In the end it looks like a simple shot.  Hah!  And that's just what it should look like.

Stepping back a moment, there were so many things that needed to be arranged for this shoot to go off as planned that it took weeks of preparation to make it all look so simple.  Sarah, in the role of senior producer was at the helm of this ship and organized everything and everyone, flawlessly.  From day one, we had the right people, asking the right questions so that everything would be in place on the day of the shoot.

Of course, it was more than just the act of filming her singing.  One of our first consideration was audio quality and to this end, Sarah decided to set the shoot up at a recording studio.  Why try to reinvent the wheel when a decent recording studio will have most everything in place for us?  For this, she set us up with Avatar Studio on 53rd Street.  A classic studio that has been host to major recording stars for years.

Her next step was contacting the Jedi Master, Grammy winning producer / audio designer Jeff Jones.

If the position of the microphone in piano is off by a couple of degrees, well, honestly I'd be talking out of my butt if tried to explain any of that stuff and with the Jedi on board, I was free to concentrate purely on the visual aspect of the production.

Sarah also contacted Kevin Hunt of Top Gear Lighting.  Kevin has worked with us on several major projects for Victoria's Secret and several other clients.  Like the Jedi, when Kevin is on the set, everything arrives on time and remains cool and calm.  He knows how to light, but much more importantly, he knows how to listen.   He's great to work with and one of the best reasons to not try to do it all by ourselves.

On a recommendation from Kevin, Sarah brought in John Chiaparti to operate the XDCAM F-800 that had been arranged for the shoot.  John is an experienced DP/camera operator and as my sole function was to be the director on this project, she wanted someone she and I could trust looking through the viewfinder.

Anders Sulisalo from IMS was in charge of the hospitality and rider and made sure that everyone was comfortable, well fed and that everything was presented beautifully.

Sarah had gathered a well crafted pool of talented, low maintenance professionals who managed to deliver excellent results without the least bit of friction.  That, is a talent in itself.

Piano tuner, special microphones, hair, makeup, clothing stylist, security, audio technicians, studio management, tele-prompter, production assistants... All of these elements needed to come together to make this a smooth production and I'm so proud of Sarah for pulling it all off without a hitch.

Tech Talk:

The F-800 is a stunning HD camera and part of the CineAlta line of Sony Digital Cinema cameras.  It recorded directly to optical disk at 1920x1080 4:2:2 50 mb and we were able to simultaneous record out of the HD/SDI port onto a Nanoflash digital recorder at 100 mb.  This gave us great quality and a backup recording at the same time.

The audio was being recorded separately with a feed returning back to the camera.  Jedi will work his magic on the mix of vocals and piano and later we'll match picture and sound with the help of a time code slate that marked the location of the audio as it was being recorded.

The last of the technical speak is about the monitors.  Sony provided us with a PVM-740 OLED monitor which has the truest reproduction I have seen in a long time.   Skin tones were accurate and it helped us create beautiful, clean lighting with an accuracy that has followed all the way through to the post production.  The monitor has a built in waveform monitor that helped us balance the lighting on the green screen and our talent.  The photo above shows us that the screen is brighter on the right and needs to be balanced properly.  What a great tool!

For our clients we rented a few Sony LMD-2450 studio monitors so that we could monitor the action from the control room.  This also aided in crowd control on the set.

All in all, Alicia was beautiful and terrific to work with.   And OMG that voice!
She recorded parts of "If I Ain't Got You", "For No One" and "Empire State of Mind" and we all got chills watching and listening to her perform.

It's one of those times that an extra take is a gift.

 www.duckyou.com
Chuck on Sony's VideOn Channel

Finding The Zone

Where did my mojo go?

Some days it's tough to get that creative flame ignited.  Winter is approaching and temperature is dropping down into the 30s again, making it that much tougher to get out of a warm bed and stand in the darkness waiting for the sun to rise.  Wind off the Hudson River is constant and biting.

It's 6:30 am and the city is enshroud in a blue-grey haze and I'm fairly certain that the sun - not interested in my desire to record its brilliance cutting through the mist - has decided to stay in bed a few minutes longer.

There is also the fact that I have not been out filming as much as I'd like.  Family and our daily production work comes first and recently, I have spent more time at the editing and photographing than filming.  Unlike falling off a bicycle, I do lose my focus if fall out of my usual routine and it takes a while before I can get back in the groove.   When I do return to it, I instantly want to jump in at the speed I was previously moving and that doesn't always happen.

Adding to the morning chill is the after taste of the camera issues I've been facing in recent weeks.  Several stunning sunrises had to be scuttled because the images appeared soft.  Not soft like Elvis singing "Love me Tender", more like "Killing Me Softly" or plain out of focus, which in HD is the death card.

Perhaps my EX3 was annoyed that I was using other the PMW-500 Sony let me borrow last month.  Certainly, it had been the top banana up until that day.

And of course, there's my day job.  After spending all day looking through the viewfinder and staring at monitors, do I really want to get away from it all and spend my personal time doing the same kinda thing?

So, what do I do when the urge to create isn't exactly feeling... urgent?   Well,  I do find that not unlike jogging, biking or any other activity, once I get out there, I'm usually pretty glad I pushed myself to do so and even though I might not have the slightest spark of inspiration, simply setting up the camera and looking through the viewfinder will give me some sort of direction.

Once, I resorted to flipping a coin to decide my shooting location.  Heads, I'm heading for the east side.

I've often read the same about writing.  You may stare at your blank page with absolutely nothing coming to mind, yet, you still have to discipline yourself to sit down and write something every day, even if the only thing you write is that you are sitting here with nothing to write.

Sometimes a new lens or tripod will inspire me to get out there to test it, but it's not a sustainable practice.  It's not only the expense of always needing the next great piece of kit,  I actually find it often gets in the way of creating decent imagery.  It's only after I get totally familiar with a piece of gear that it becomes transparent enough to enhance the picture rather than become it.  The recent over-concern for depth of field or over-use of camera sliders and follow-focus devices is pretty obvious evidence of this.

A few times, what seemed like a plain vanilla morning turned into a blazing sunrise and on one occasion the Queen Elizatbeth II glided past in the mist of the early dawn.  I was so excited that I almost forgot to press the record button.   It was certainly a day that I was glad that I didn't sleep in.

www.duckyou.com

Jones-ing for Great Sound

A Sound Investment

Over the years, I've invested thousands of dollars in newer, better cameras and lenses, each time in an effort to create the best visual product possible and it's fair to say that much of my effort has paid off.  Still, with all that effort, the best of my images will receive a poor rating if accompanied by crappy audio.

I have seen (and heard) some amazing video recordings of performing artists go right down the flusher as soon as the volume is raised to a level louder than an opening announcements.  The artist says "Ok, Now we're going to play our hit song" and as soon as the drummer's stick hits the skin... Wham!  A very cool video instantly becomes junk.

Sometimes,  it appears as of some camera manufactures intentionally designed their cameras to make as much bad audio as possible.  Cameras with built in microphones will not only pick up all the ambience and echo a room has to offer, often, it will also catch the subtle noises created by your camera's electronics or the motor focusing the lens.  The farther you are from your subject, the more noise you'll catch and if your camera has automatic gain, which means it adjusts the volume automatically, you might get large swells of white noise if nothing else is heard.  White noise is that swushing sound your TV makes when nothing but static is on the screen.

Some of these problems can be easily eliminated.  Moving closer to your subject will not only help you achieve better audio, it will probably give you less shaky video if you are hand holding your camera.  Some cameras allow the use of external microphone that can be closer to your subject and/or allow louder sound to be recorded without distortion.  If you know in advance that you are going to record in a rock club on the lower east side, call and ask the sound man what you need to bring in the way of a wire to get a feed from the audio board.  (A $20 tip will usually enhance his response).  Also, check the internal menu in your camcorder to see if there are any audio adjustments for very loud sound.

If you often shoot your footage outdoors, there are foam and furry microphone covers that will eliminate the harsh noise of wind hitting the mic.

But what about the audio situations that you don't have control over?

Has this ever happened to you?

Your client has asked you to record the CEO of a very large corporation.  A receptionist ushers you into a beautiful conference room and after you carefully set up your camera and lights, you realize that there is no way to turn off the air conditioning that is swushing through the vents on the ceiling.  No one is around so you ask your assistant to carefully step on the cherrywood meeting table and close the vent which then begins to whistle violently.  Oh dear!

This and a host of other common noise problems such as, steam radiators, aircraft, sirens, traffic, the folks in the next office and the ever so famous,"backing up UPS truck"  can absolutely kill the best take your talent has to offer.

This is where a decent audio sound designer can save your butt.  Sometimes your audio issue can be corrected with a simple adjustment to your EQ settings, available in most non linear editing systems,  but for anything more serious a good technician with the right assortment of hardware and software can take the pressure off your shoulders, by removing the noise from those air conditioning ducts.  Armed with the knowledge that you can "fix it in post" for real, will give you the confidence you need to get through some awkward situations.

Last week, Sarah and I were in just such a situation.  As part of a promotion, Sony asked us interview Francis Kenny, a DP with over 40 features to his credit.  When we visited the potential site as the setting for an interview, it seemed like the perfect location.  The room was absolutely beautiful with glass panels and copper-clad walls.  When we emptied the room for the production, the glass and metal walls created a strong ambience.  Regardless of type of microphone I tried, every sentence had a slight bit of echo, as if we were in a cavern.  But, it was too late.  Everything was in place and we had to proceed.  The sound we recorded was Ok.  We could get by with it, but that isn't be the way we work

I remained calm, but I knew that I would be calling the fixer.

"Extraordinary art takes extraordinary effort...."

Jeff Jones is an extraordinary recording engineer, sound designer, musician and producer, who, more than once, has bailed me out of an arresting audio problem.   Jeff Jones is well known in the music industry as "Jedi" and his tweaking is taken very seriously by many of today's most popular performers and recording artists.  Jones recently received a grammy for his live recording of Dr. John, "The City That Care Forgot".  He also engineered an album with Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson.  His engineering skills are intuitive and I am honored that on more than one occasion, he has help me out.

Although he likes explaining these things to me, the Jedi's techniques are not of this world and usually way over my head and I sort of like it that way.  He has successfully removed most of the common audio problems I previously listed, as well as noises that I didn't yet realize were present.  His ears are critically sensitive and his technique superb.  The coolest thing is that Jedi really loves what he does and Sarah and I love him even more for that.

I believe he will eventually recognized as an engineer on par with the likes of Rudy Van Gelder, who ears and technical sensibility is responsible some of the most important jazz recordings of our time.

Well, bottom line I sent Jedi a sample of the audio I felt needed some attention and he sent back the same audio clip free of any unwanted noise or ambience.  Once again he began to explain the ways of the force, but I knew it was way over my head.

I truly appreciate Jedi's magic and skill.  But most of all I appreciate his friendship.

The Crazy Duck Website