Another Cat Tale

This week, we headed back to Hersheypark for a few more days of HD filming of rides and attractions.  We had a lot to accomplish in a short period of time and we were grateful to the park's public relations department for organizing the logistics to move both camera crew and extras to each location.  


Our first opportunity was a small water park.  The early morning sun was still fairly low in the sky and the light was beautiful.  There was plenty of visual access around the perimeter and it was easy to get pretty shots of the kids having fun. 

Our biggest challenge was a wave of water vapor, every time one, of two giant water buckets tipped.   Arion covered the EX3 camera with a protective raincoat from Camarade and with the additional aid of a 4x4 polarizing filter, the camera and lens remained dry.

There was also a series of water slides and a terrific surfing ride called  Wave Runner which, if given the time, we would have happily put down our gear to try out. 

We moved seamlessly from one attraction to another, ending the day with a sunset, vista shot of the park.


The next morning, we started our day by mounting a POV (point of view) camera on a wooden coaster  called Lightning Racer.  Two cars, each with 24 passengers,  race around a classic, old style roller coaster and we wanted to show the point of view of the riders in the front car as they swoop down and around bends and drops racing the opposite car to the finish line.

I used the Sony EX1 for this, as it has a smaller profile as the EX3 with the same beautiful HD quality.   I added a unique, heavy duty base plate to camera from Juice Designs.  http://www.juicedesigns.com   The plate attaches to the camera chassis and strengthens the connection to my tripod while also eliminating any wobble that might be caused  using a camera with a plastic bottom.  It made a big difference in the camera's performance and our confidence in getting our camera back, alive.  Like they say about flying, "Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing, but if you can use the plane again, it's a great landing."

We mounted the camera using the same still camera mount from Manfrotto that we used for previous rides, only this time we used bungee cords rather than clamps.  I also turned off the camera's stabilization as we wanted to catch some of the frenetic motion of the ride, without it just looking like crappy video.  A few trial runs and then a few takes with extras in the opposite car.  Each time we shot, we all gathered around the cameras monitor to make sure that everything worked as it should, which fortunately, it did.

The day moved on and we filmed S'Mores, the Kissing Tower, the Storm Runner coaster and kids eating ice cream.  Once again, the Manfrotto 536 carbon fiber legs, this time supporting a Vinten Vision 8 head was essential for gaining clear visual access to angles obstructed by buildings or safety nets.  It saved us a lot of time.  And speaking of which,  it was almost time to call it a day.  Just one more location to go.


Hershey's Zoo America had just obtained a pair of Ocelots and we were asked to film and photograph the new cats for their debut at the zoo.  There was a small challenge here.  Ocelots are nocturnal animals and tend to sleep during the day.  These cats had recently arrived from a zoo in San Francisco and they were not only timid in their new surrounding, but possibly jet-lagged, as well.  


We arrived at the zoo later that evening only to find two very shy, reclusive cats and very fortunate for us, one of the cats decided to give us a few minutes of face time.

Arion set up two small Lowel Pro Lights, point through the glass, with one on each side of the rooms enclosure.   He slowly adjusted the light level and direction of the lights, so as to not startle the animals.  The Nikon D3 had no trouble giving me a decent image at ISO 3200.   The sensor in the EX3 video camera is a lot less sensitive, yet I was able to get a good image, wide open at plus 6db.  Any gain higher than that would introduce totally unacceptable noise and grain.  


The results were worth the effort.  Our client's reaction?  "The shots are great!  We love it!" 
Our footage appeared on an ABC affiliate in the Harrisburg area, today.  Sweet!  


www.duckyou.com
www.hersheypark.com

More Adventures in Paradise: Kuai

I've often mentioned that one of the perks of my job is that it has taken me to some unique places that, chances are, I might never have gotten to on my own.   And if I did happen to get there, I probably would not have stayed in the same level of accommodations that my clients customarily provide for me.

Having said all that, I just returned from Kuai, the northernmost island in the Hawaiian chain of islands.  The St, Regis hotel was in an absolutely stunning location overlooking Hanalie Bay with a wall of green mountains as a backdrop.  Several times throughout the day, brief rain showers over the mountains would create breath-taking rainbows and glories.  Each one more amazing than the one before.   Just gorgeous!

This was an incentive trip for a corporation and my assignment was to photograph a group of about 80 of the companies top sellers, along with their significant others, happily enjoying themselves surfing, diving, boating, hiking and fishing in a lush tropical paradise.

I know, I know...  "Tough job, but somebody's got to do it".  Right?

The fact is, although the scenery is amazing, it really is quite a rigorous exorcize in photography.

The best lighting for scenic pictures is usually found at sunrise and sunset, especially on an island.  So, it's up at dawn to get that spectacular sunrise on the water shot and then, the rest of the day is spent trying to spread yourself out enough to cover as many events as possible.  An evening event is usually on the agenda and then it's off to your room to to download a few hundred images, do some color corrections and sometimes prepare print orders to be displayed the next day.

I have worked this type of assignment in Rome, Alaska, Ireland, Bermuda and most of the Hawaiian Islands and each location has had its own collection of unique challenges.

Still, you're busting your ass in an exotic location, so there's that.

My good friends Dan and Frank from Altered Image were along on the assignment.  Dan was shooting HD video.  The fast moving clouds and rainbows made for some great footage and Dan's coverage of the island and the events was very impressive.  Frank was helping cover some of daily events with his still camera, while also directing an awards program to be held mid week.

I've been using a Nikon D3 for most of these assignments, carrying along a D200 as a backup or second camera.   I used two basic lenses the entire week, a Nikon 24-70 2.8 and a Nikon 70-300 3.5 VR and due to the grand views of the island, I found myself using the 24-70 most of the time.  It was also the perfect focal length for photographing couples and large groups, the largest of which was just under 200 people.

I brought along the same tripod that I brought with me to Kenya.  The Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 is small enough to fit in my suitcase, strong enough to support a 300mm lens and light enough to carry all day.  I was also able to strap it to the top of a ladder to shoot the group.

If you can only bring one accessory, make sure it is a circular polarizer.  Nothing reduces glare and helps to separate the clouds from a blue sky the same way.  It will also eliminate most reflections allowing you to see right down into the water.  Definitely an essential part of your kit.

I used Adobe's Lightroom to color-correct and manage all the images and I won't leave home without it.

I find the switch to photography both a challenge and an asset to working in video.  Good composition and lens selection are essential in both mediums and training in one will certainly enhance the other.

The project was a success and once I clear my jet-lagged head, I can sort through a few hundred images and make my selects.  Paradise was fun and I appreciate the work, but I'm really happy to be back home.

www.duckyou.com
www.duckem.com

Taking Stock of Our Work

It's been a very busy and exciting spring and we're about to launch into summer with an even stronger team working along side us.  Our ever growing collection of New York City footage will now be represented by Getty Images, one of the most prestigious stock houses in the world.

Although Sarah and I have amassed a sizable quantity of footage creating our  short films, it is just the tip of the iceberg for what we need to gathering in the way of new imagery.  There is a lot of city out there and we intend to film a large part of it.   So, I'm using the start of summer to begin a year long expedition into the sights and sounds of New York City.  Well, at least the sights.

Over the last year I have been keeping a journal of interesting angles that I've noticed around the city, logging the date and the time of day, while also noting the position of the sun.  All extremely important facts and figures when you return with a camera.  I also note if the area is safe to film in and if there appears to be any reason that I might need a special permit.  

Along with creating new footage, we will also need to update many of our existing images, as the skyline is continuously changing and keeping our work current is important.

My first location was not in the city at all.  I started in Bayonne NJ, across the harbor from Manhattan.

On the tech side, I have been fairly successful using our Sony EX3 HD camera filming 1920x1080 24P.  24P is the electronic equivalent of shooting at 24 frames per second (fps) with a film camera and gives a "film look"  to video.  I have also taken to using Nikon prime lenses instead of the lens that came with the camera, for many reasons, the first of which is that that they are sharper with less chromatic distortion.  Thee color is more true and there is less fringing around the edges of object that I am filming.  

Another reason I like prime lenses is that they make me think more about what I am shooting and how I am shooting it.  This means finding a creative angle and using the best lens to capture my vision, rather than just zooming the lens in and out like a trombone.

The next time you watch a feature film, notice how rarely they actually zoom into or out of a subject.
Although the director and cinematographer may use many different lenses and angles to achieve the final scene, it's still pretty uncommon to zoom.  Now, in contrast to that, many reality shows and TV documentaries commonly use the zoom effect, ad nauseam.  Often, I speculate, to give a totally dull scene some sense of movement.

When using long, telephoto lenses on a video camera, every vibration is magnified.  The Bayoone location was very windy and even with a sturdy tripod like the Manfrotto 536, I needed to use my car as a shield.

I had been sitting at the edit desk all day, so a last minute run out to the harbor was a great way to chill out.   I love this stuff and I'm really looking forward to our new adventure.

duckyou.com

The Jackson Tornado

Last week  we helped launch  THE TORNADO, at Six Flags' Hurricane Harbor, a giant, blue and yellow, funnel shaped water slide, 132 feet long and 7 stories tall!

We were asked to create an HD B-Roll package for a press event announcing the opening of the ride.  Originally, we had a four or five days to shoot, edit and deliver the images in a variety of formats, but some rainy weather and minor construction delays forced us to turn around the project in about 12 hours.

Nothing new for this type of project.

Sarah, our assistant, Arion Doerr and I arrived in Jackson early so that we could scope out the best camera angles.  As the ride was not yet open to the public, only park employees were allowed to use the slide.  Angel, Six Flags' Public Relations Manager and her assistant Jenn, lined up a few dozen volunteers.  Unfortunately, they would not available until around  3:00 p.m. that afternoon.

The temperature had already crept into the 90s.  Sun block and water were the first order of the day.

We were happy to run into a friend of ours, Ron Wyatt who is responsible for much of the park's photographic needs.  Talented photographer great disposition.  An invaluable combination.
Check out his work at www.ronwyattphotos.com

Not until we got right up to it did we realize the immensity of this ride.  It was huge!  It was also very wet, so we made sure that most of our gear would remain outside the splash zone.

We had brought along two Sony XDCAM cameras, the EX1 and an EX3.  The EX3 was my primary camera fitted with a Sony .8 wide angle lens.  The lens is remarkably sharp and it allows you to use the entire zoom range of your lens.  The EX1 we placed in a Ewa splash bag to create some POV footage.

My biggest challenge was the position of the sun.  By the afternoon, the sun was positioned high and behind the opening of the funnel, putting the interior of the ride in shade.  There was plenty of light, but the contrast between the walls of the funnel and the hole at the bottom was extreme.  Putting the camera on automatic would compensate for the brightness, but doing that meant that every time I panned passed the opening, everything else in the image would become dark.

The remedy was to keep the lens on manual and slowly rack the exposure as the ride reached the end.  It was a bit clutzy at first, but after a few tries I found the rhythm of the ride and everything balanced beautifully.

The riders pick up speed while in the tube and with a sharp drop, fly out of the shoot into the funnel.  Fortunately, there is a small rush of water before the raft arrives so it was a little easier to track them.

We gathered footage from every angle we could reach on foot and ladders and then Angel handed me a harness and then took me up on a high lift so that I could get an arial view.   Very cool!

I had previously prepared all the elements for the release.  All that was needed when we arrived home was to load the footage into Avid and pull the best takes.  Much more time was spent watching files compress.

There is still much confusion when it comes to which HD formats television stations will accept and some smaller stations, are still not using HD at all.  Sarah prepared disks with a variety of formats so that there would be plenty of options for the editors.

She delivered the project early the following morning, to guarantee it's safe and timely arrival and we were delighted to see our footage show up on ABC's Good Morning America the following day.

Thanks Angel!

www.duckyou.com
Chuck as a featured DP on Sony's VideON

www.sixflags.com

Packin' Heat

Just back from filming at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.   The arena is home to the Miami Heat basketball team and serves a large array of touring musical performers, as well as the Ringling Brothers circus.

Sony just worked with them on upgrading all their systems to HD and also installed an amazing digital signage system that works in nearly every area of the complex, including a giant mesh video screen on the exterior of the building and a massive conglomeration of screens and signs that hangs over the center of the arena floor.  

I flew down there with Dara and Rob from Sony to film a few interviews and collect enough B-roll to create a short doc on the success of the project.

The production team at the area has an amazing setup.  The video team broadcasts "Heat" games live to the web, as well as creating highlight and pre-game videos for TV.  They also produce a ton of  internal programing.  

Integrated with all the video production is the digital signage team and I have to say that their work was stunning.  The system (developed by  Sony) was called Ziris and it took the concept of the "video wall" to a much higher level, using 12 or more 60" LED screens mounted in various shapes and configurations.  The programmer was able to have a single image run across all the screens or have each screen with an individual image.  The combinations were endless and the connections were all web based, so changes could be made at any time, from nearly anywhere.

Dara arranged our lighting and grip from a local Miami company.  I brought the camera and audio gear from home, along a small pile of "just in case" items.  All of which ended up getting used at some point during the day.

I stuffed my EX3 into the same large Kata VB-26 back pack, camera bag that I used in Hershey, gambling that the flight team would not make me gate-check it due to its slightly larger-than-legal stature.  Still, it was not the largest carry-on being carried on.  Now 
that most airlines are charging for any bags you might check, flyers are going to ridiculous extremes to avoid fees.  Seems like I've been talking about packing a lot, but it's often the most complicated part of the production.  Especially when I'm flying.  

Despite the travelin' blues, the shoot was fun as each location added a new set of opportunities.  (That's corporate for problems). 

Each situation involved unique lighting, white balancing and audio and it made the day go by very fast.  I've been including a handy battery operated Lite Panel LED light s part of my regular kit and it is extremely handy as a small fill or kick light.  It was especially helpful while I was using the light from a computer screen as my main light and using the panel as a fill.  I also used a small ND grad filter, sideways on the lens, to knock down the screen's intensity. 


Back home in New Jersey and very happy that our friends at Sony are extremely happy with the two hours of footage that we gathered and we're looking forward to the next gig.     


All in all, a fun trip. 


www.duckyou.com
www.duckem.com 

Why did Hershey call them Kisses?

Hersheypark: Part Two

 With our coaster POV shoot successfully behind us, it was now time to begin creating some additional HD B-Roll for the park's press reel.  

We spent spent the next few hours scouting locations with the public relations crew and Hersheypark's Rides Operation Manager.  Again, safety is paramount at Hersheypark so we had to seek out the best possible angles while maintaining a safe distance from each ride.  

The park is fairly large and some of the rides travel pretty far.  Our job at this point, was to determine where we needed to be to get the most exciting shots, in the least amount of time, keeping the sun at the proper angle.  We also needed to have a talent releases for each and every person on the ride we were filming.  Finally, to enhance the challenge, we had the threat of rain on the horizon.

As the park would have a few thousand guests while we were filming, we needed to travel light.  Time was limited and it was in our best interest to carry all of our gear to each and every location.  Running a quarter mile around a wood roller coaster to chase down an accessory was simply not an option.

After having great success traveling with a Kata backpack on a recent trip to Africa, it was a no-brainer to try out their slightly larger Kata VB-510.   

This backpack/camera bag was able to hold our primary camera, a Sony EX3 HD camera with a full Chroisziel matte box and rails mounted to the camera.  It also held a wide angle lens, four batteries, six SxS cards, two Lite Panels, six Panavision size Formatt grad filters, a Sony ECM-674 shotgun microphone,  an ECM-77B lav mic, headphones, cleaning cloths, sunblock and a small bottle of Tylenol.   

All of this, along with a Manfrotto 536 carbon fiber tripod with 526 fluid head was carried by our virile young assistant Arion Doerr and might I add, without much complaining.  Perhaps it was the Hershey bars we kept dangling in front of him.

The bottom line is that we had a production company in a bag and we were able to shoot for hours without any interruption.

We actually started gathering our B-Roll outside the park at the corner of E. Chocolate Ave and Cocoa Avenue.  On some days the air is so thick with the smell of chocolate that its probably fattening.

We were directly across from the famous Hershey chocolate factory and were informed that they still make Hershey Kisses right there in the plant, the same way they've made them for years.  Milton Hershey, the legendary founder of the company named them Kisses, because the machine produced a smacking sound  every time a Kiss was created.

On more than one occasion, the extreme height of the Manfrotto sticks was a life saver.  Several locations required higher vantage points and there would have been no way to keep a small camera like the EX3 steady, hand-held.  Especially, at extreme telephoto focal lengths, such as filming the cars at the peak of the Fahrenheit and Lightning Racer coasters.  

Although much of our shooting would be on tripods, filming Fahrenheit required that I hand-hold the camera.  The EX3 is a bit of a dog hand-held, without some type of additional shoulder mount hardware.

Sarah had hired a Vari-Zoom Steady Rig from a NYC rental house.  It was one of the klutzy-est devices I have ever attempted to use and in fact, we didn't bother bringing it with us to Hershey.  It might have worked fine if I was walking around trying to be a human tripod, but to follow a speeding car around a coaster, well, there was just know way it would work. I ended up mounting a small, $ 10.00 pistol grip on the end of rails that support my matte box and it worked fine.


You can easily twist into a pretzel or at the least, lose your balance trying to follow Fahrenheit with a camera.  Fortunately, the EX3 with its simple pistol grip worked brilliantly this time around.  It was certainly much easier than using a large shoulder mount camera.

Click here to see the edit combining the exterior B-Roll with the POV shots:

We had a very successful morning of filming, but sadly, as our lunch break approached so did the rain.  Rides look pretty bleak against a while sky, so we'll have to schedule another day.  

When we returned home, I embarrassingly empty my pockets of reams of silver foil. 

Ah yes.  The diet starts again on Monday.   

www.Hersheypark.com

www.duckyou.com

www.duckem.com

  

Filming "The Sweetest Place on Earth"

Last week, Sarah and I, along with our freelance assistant Arion Doerr, traveled out to Hershey Pennsylvania. Hershey, Pa is the home of Hershey chocolate and Hersheypark and we were there to create some HD POV B-Roll at on two of their roller coasters, Fahrenheit and Storm Runner.  

If you haven't already guessed, POV is the acronym for point of view and that means we needed to mount HD cameras on the first car of each ride to show what a park visitor will experience sitting in the front seat.

This in itself creates a challenge.  The cars on which the cameras are to be mounted were designed to carry riders safely around the track, but they were not necessarily designed to have cameras mounted on them.  And while my cameras are capable of creating beautiful HD images under some extreme conditions, I'm fairly confident that they were not designed to be subject to the physical stress these rides can demand.

Fortunately, we've had prior experience mounting our cameras on several high speed coasters, including Six Flags Great Adventure's  Kingda Ka, the tallest and fastest coaster in the world.

Our first concern is safety.  Not just the safety of our cameras, but the safety of everyone working on the crew, everyone around the coaster and of course, the coaster itself.  We did not make a move without the approval and oversight of the park's ride technicians.  This is a multi-million dollar investment that they were letting us work on and they wanted us to leave it, and everyone around it, just the way we found it.

We had brought two cameras with us to Hershey, a Sony EX3 and a Sony MC1.  The EX3 was our primary camera and we brought it along to create B-Roll of the exterior of the rides and surrounding park areas.

The MC1 is a unique HD camera in that its lens and body are separate from each other, connected by a six foot tether.  This makes the camera head extremely small, light-weight and easy to mount almost anywhere.  It also allowed the addition of filters and wide angle lens adaptors.   For better audio, I had Arion tape a small piece of windscreen foam over the built-in microphone to help minimize wind noise.

The recorder part of the system uses readily available AVCHD cards or Sony memory sticks.  It fits easily in your palm and includes a built in HD monitor with a touch screen that controls all camera and recorder functions.

Both the MC1 and EX3 are file based systems, which means no video tape.  This is important when filming rides.  The tape drum in the camera spins like a gyroscope and hard turns are very difficult for the camera's tape and mechanical system.  A spinning gyro doesn't like being forced off its current direction.

The built in screen was very important to us, as it allowed us to check the position of the camera as we were mounting it, as well as giving us a confidence check after each run of the ride.  The torque during launch and many of the ride's turns and corkscrews can easily alter the alignment of the camera.  Being able to rapidly check the previous shot, without having to remove a card and download the shot to a computer saved us considerable time and helped us travel lighter, as well.

I used a Manfrotto 405 geared head bolted to a 2x4 to hold our camera head.  We needed a mounting device that could be delicate enough to give us critical, reposition-able movements while aligning the camera head with enough strength to hold the camera in place.  I've been using the 405 to hold a Sinar 4x5 for years, so I knew it would hold our cameras securely.  The quick-release plate was an essential part of the process and made it possible to remove the camera without undoing everything else.

The 2x4 was clamped and bungeed to the ride with the tripod head positioned between the two front seats.  Once in place, nylon zip ties and sash cord were used as a backup on each and every element, ensuring that even if the mount should fail or come loose in transit, it would remain securely in place.

The wood 2x4 also acted as a bit of a shock absorber.  I wanted the image to be steady, but not to look like it was floating.  On the contrary, although I wanted some vibration to show through, I didn't want it to all be a blur.   So, the wood base was a perfect compromise.  It was also light and easy to install across two seats.

Regardless of our care and concerns for safety, my heart is always in my throat when the camera launches for the first time.  Seeing it come back into the station, in one piece.. still functioning,  always brings a sigh of relief.

Check out the Fahrenheit POV here

The end results were worth the effort and hearing "I love it!" from my client was simply icing on the cake.

Of course, that would be Hershey's chocolate icing.

www.hersheypark.com
www.duckyou.com
Chuck is a featured DP on Sony's Videon Site
www.duckem.com