Color in Digital Video, How Things Have Changed.

There has been a major change in the digital video workflow; Adobe has created a direct link from Premier to their new color grading program, SpeedGrade. This has created new techniques and enabled faster workflows; now, you don’t have to export and render every time you want to start color grading your video work. This has inspired me to look back and examine how color grading used to be done and how these new changes in the color workflow, and especially new cinema looks, are changing every day in this digital age.

What is interesting about the new digital workflow is that people are shooting their footage according to logarithmic curves, or to put that simply, we’re shooting the image as flat as possible in order to do the best color work in post. It can be debated whether it’s the best way to shoot for color, but that isn’t the focus of this blog. The point is that most of our “high-definition” cameras natively shoot according to logarithmic curves, so that choice is being made for us. The new black magic pocket camera, for example, shoots its raw footage in an almost black and white looking picture so that it can later be color graded with DaVinci. This style of shooting is causing issues though, mostly with DP’s whose job it is to make the set and lights give the look that is called for. Is this the best way to shoot now, though?

This new style goes completely against 100 years of celluloid shooting where the only color work you could do in post is to add red, green or blue to the entire frame of film. I find that I like having the choice to either properly light and color a set or to make a plan to shoot flat and color later. Though if 4K and higher cameras keep being made the way they are, and RAW footage keeps acting the way it does, that choice is being made for us. So, regardless, video producers have to start thinking about algorithmic workflows. I found a great video on Vimeo that covers most of the basics for those who want to know more about digital color grading. http://vimeo.com/73746421

The downside to this new age of coloring is that programs like SpeedGrade are making it almost too easy to shoot a flat picture, apply a Lumetri look and call that good filmmaking. I myself get caught in this trap of what appears to be an easy way to professionally color film, but there’s no soul behind the color scheme now. Don’t be surprised to find that more and more independent films start looking the same because of the lazy way that coloring can be done. I’m sure that lots of DP’s will agree with me that future generations must not get used to lazily coloring their films, but that they use color to advance and enhance the story they are trying to tell.

Our fearless leader at EFillF, Eyal Filkovsky, is quickly becoming a noted colorist and color grader in the local Colorado community. Having just finished work on the short film, “Black Friday”, he got a firsthand look at the new color workflow and has a natural talent for bringing the best picture he can. He provided several insights into this blog and is available for all your coloring needs! Check out the coloring reel below.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield

Associate Producer/Blogger

Edited By: Laura Ettinger

Public Relations

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net

HD Vs. 4K, 8K - What's really going on?

Ever since RED cameras hit the market and digital video started to take over film, there has been a lot of hype over whether to upgrade to this exciting new technology or if us smaller filmmakers have to make the switch to stay current. EFillF prides itself on being on the cutting edge of new technology, (see Adobe Cloud Blog), and we have seriously looked into 4K cameras. But is this new “depth” of color all it's hyped up to be? Here are three reasons why upgrading to 4 or 8K may not be the magical video genie we've been waiting for all these years.

1. Most people jumping on the 4K wagon don't know what they're doing.

I've run into more people than I should who have gone out and bought a GoPro or even a RED camera and then turned around and complained that they couldn't edit it properly or that the picture wasn't what they were expecting. DO YOUR RESEARCH! You can't keep that same computer that you were using to edit DSLR or even high def camcorders and expect that the 4K is going to act the same. IT’S NOT!

The amount of information in a picture when you double the pixels doesn't double the RAM power needed; it's an exponential value, so you need at least four times the computing power and that's just to get the picture to play properly. For true RED RAW editing you're going to need 32gigs of RAM; that's just a fact. Also, RAW footage is shot for post-production. The picture you get from the camera looks almost black and white, or extremely desaturated, and needs to be put through a professional editing program such as DaVinci or SpeedGrade. There has been a lot of hype around the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema, but once people looked at the RAW footage it shot they were surprised at the lack of color and depth. The information is there, but it needs some help in post.

2. There is no delivery system, except for Web

I'm going to preface this section by saying this is strictly a temporary stop. Once we get to the next disc or delivery system above Blu-Ray that can hold 4K information, this isn't going to be an issue. As of right now, though, there is no cheap way to get your 4K video to your client. You could keep giving them your 250 gig flash cards, but you're going to see a serious dent in your budget if every change made to a video had to be delivered that way. Right now it's the model to deliver completed works by DVD or Blu-Ray, because the producers can afford to give up those discs to the clients.

If there's one thing that's true about the video industry is that it's hard to change the current business model. People in this industry like they way things are done and are very slow to adopt new, possibly faulty, technology. If you are delivering by Web, then there's no problem when it comes to cost, but the sheer size of the files means you're going to spend more time uploading than working on projects in order to make deadlines.

3. We have no way to watch it!

Since you're going to be reading this on your computer, you can easily see the pixels that your laptop or desktop screen have. Go ahead and check, I'll bet you it's 1080p. That means the full size of your screen is 1920x1080 or about 2K. Now go check your television in your living room. If you're lucky enough to have one, and yes it's a privilege, not a right, then it will also be 1080p at best; 720p is what most people have and that's even less. What happens if you watch a larger pixel frame on a smaller screen?

It's in the beginning of every movie ever: “This movie has been formatted to fit your screen.” Formatting means compressing, and compressing means that you're not getting 4K. So unless you're one of the lucky, and rich, people who can afford a 4K TV or computer monitor, then you're watching in 2K or less. So make sure when you're editing 4K footage that it's scaled down so you can see the true look or you're just editing it in 2K and lying to yourself.

All of this nay saying aside, the question still stands: is 4K and higher the future of making movies? The answer is a definitive yes. In the near future it will be commonplace to shoot, edit and watch in 4K and even in the further future to get to 8K, but for the moment our cameras are outracing our delivery system and watchable media. Just have patience and focus on what has always and will always be much more important than what we shoot on, and that's the content that we are shooting.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield

Associate Producer/Blogger

Edited By: Laura Ettinger

Public Relations

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net

Gravity: Technical Specs and Movie Review

Gravity: Technical Specs and Movie Review

This past week I had the pleasure of viewing Alfonso Cuarón's new space thriller “Gravity”. The first point I'll make is that if you're going to see this movie, it is worth the few extra bucks to see it in IMAX 3D. In that way, you will really be able to grasp the true scope and feel of the long and harrowing shots that Cuarón is known for in the film industry. Alfonso Cuarón is best known for directing “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”, but also directed the Clive Owen drama “Children of Men”, and the breakout foreign hit “Y Tu Mama Tambien”. With such dramatic work under his belt, it's easy to understand where the conflict and drama of “Gravity” originates.

The main challenge in the creation of “Gravity” is the location of the story. Obviously a team of filmmakers can't go to space on the shuttle Explorer and shoot in the International Space Station, or destroy it for that matter.

“For the Cuaróns, space offered a rich field of metaphor. In weightlessness, the inertia of one's personality — gravitas — can become an almost physical force. There are cocoons of survival (spacesuits, ships and stations) challenging the stark deadliness of the universe for an unprotected human.”[1] Dave Brody, Space, Science and Culture Writer.

      The idea seemed simple in concept: shoot the movie in a green screen studio and have the actor flip about in harnesses. Once they got into the studio however, it seemed this wasn't going to be as easy as they once thought. Early in the pre-production process, Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki foresaw a problem. In space, light comes from only one source, the Sun. Once the light hits an object, it bounces all over the place and creates serious problems for the camera; especially during some of the more intense sequences where Sandra Bullock's character is free-spinning through space. The crew couldn't just rotate and spotlight around the actor and get the same effects as if she were tumbling through space. To overcome this obstacle, Lubezki completely recreated the way we shoot movies. He created a “light box” with 196 panels, each containing 4,096 LEDs.[2]

Looks like light #2,058 is out!!!

     Needless to say, if our EFillF team could get our hands on anything like this we'd never need sets again. Actors and set pieces could be put inside the box and the panels would move to accommodate the necessary views. The rig for “Gravity” was over 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide. I imagine when George and Sandra Bullock were in the “light box” it really did feel as though they were in space.

The second challenge in “Gravity” is gravity itself. Making a person appear to be in a weightless environment when they're still stuck on earth is a difficult task.

“Our brain thinks from the standpoint of gravity, of horizon and weight…It was a whole learning curve because it’s completely counterintuitive, and we started choreographing with pre-vis, meaning animations. The problem is that animators, they learn how to draw based upon horizon and weight. It was a big, big learning curve, with experts coming to explain the physics and what would happen. You would tell who the new animator was in the room because it was a guy who was completely stressed out and wanted to quit.”[3] Alfonso Cuarón

I'm sure there were actors on set who may have been intimidated by the scope of the production equipment, but Sandra Bullock found a way to get comfortable with the new approach.

“There were various contraptions that existed on the soundstage which that, when you first saw them, you just made them your friend as quickly and as physically as you could because if you didn't, they were so confusing and complex.” Sandra Bullock

So I'm in space now? Oh that's the coffee maker

“Gravity” was shot exclusively on the Arri Alexa using Zeiss master prime lenses. This is another example of a heavy technical shoot done with a digital-only workflow, and the IMAX effect is not lessened because of this fact. The effects and long shots that Cuarón is known for could not be accomplished with super 35mm film because the canisters don't shoot for that long. It also helped with the post-production to shoot digitally because they could make all the visual effects first, and I mean ALL [4] (The Pre-vis stage of the movies took two years before any cameras rolled.) and overlay them on the line monitor, so the actors and crew could see the exact outcome of the take. Filmmakers can learn from this new way of shooting, and it's certainly another reason EFillF will remain a digital. We've also picked up a few tricks for our upcoming “Defect” series that uses a few of these same principles.

While some of the physics were completely off from what astrophysicists would call accurate, (see Neil Degrasse Tyson’s take here.)[5] “Gravity” does manage to keep the audience involved throughout the entire movie. There were moments when I literally was on the edge of my seat. Even those not particularly interested in space or sci-fi movies will find the human emotion and drama very compelling---as compelling as any drama that takes place on Earth. Overall, “Gravity” was a great ride through the terrors of the vacuum of space, and a cinematic achievement that should withstand the test of time.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Associate Producer/Blogger
Edited By: Laura Ettinger
Public Relations
EFillF Productions, LLC
www.efillfproductions.net

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[1]    http://www.space.com/23073-gravity-movie-weightlessness-alfonso-cuaron.html

[2]    Picture from: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/re-creating-weightlessness-major-challenge-crew-gravity-article-1.1467699

[3]    http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Gravity-Creators-Explain-Learning-Curve-Weightlessness-39715.html

[4]    http://www.space.com/23073-gravity-movie-weightlessness-alfonso-cuaron.html

[5]    http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/neil-degrasse-tyson-trolled-gravity-on-twitter

5 Best Investments When Starting a Career in Video

     When I graduated from film school with stars in my eyes and ideas in my head, I put every penny I had toward a brand new camera, thinking that once I had this important tool the rest of the world would come to me. I found out I was wrong in this assumption, and while I love having my camera, I am now wise enough to know that I should have spent my money on more lasting and practical investments, such as:

1. Lights: Nothing can compare to a good light kit on any set. Even a small, cheap soft box will immensely help your production quality. And being able to expertly light an interview or certain wedding moments will lend credibility to any freelance video maker, especially one just starting out. Additionally, and best of all, lights won't become outdated in six months. Sure, more expensive lights are better in all situations, but if budget is a consideration, a good light kit can pay for itself many times over.

2. Lenses: In this day and age, camera types and bodies are changing on a yearly basis; six months in some cases. This makes investing in the expensive camera bodies financially impractical, but investing in versatile lenses always comes in handy. No matter what kind of camera is being used, there is a lens adapter that makes all lenses functional on any shoot. A wide variety of lenses can be useful when on a shoot that requires a specific type of shot or situation.

3. Sliders/Jibs/Steadycams/Tripods: I've lumped all of these in one category because they're all effective for the same reason--they're stabilizers that can be used for every single shooting situation. Tripods are the safest bet when working in the video industry; you will always need a steady stable shot. This is also true for the other three, they help to make dynamic and interesting camera movements while stabilizing the picture. This equipment is universal in usage and adaptation; you can attach any sort of capture medium to a stabilizer (even an iPhone).

4. Storage Media: This is a fundamental tool that every filmmaker needs to own. No matter what is being provided or shot, the footage will need to be stored on something. The new filmmaker should own that storage device; don't chance losing footage because you have to return a CF or P2 card to a rental house.

5. General Tool Set: Lastly, go get yourself a set of basic tools--hammer, measuring tape, gaffers tape, screwdriver, ratchet, etc. One thing I have learned is that a shoot can be unpredictable. You can make yourself stand out on set by having that tool that everyone needs but for which no one came prepared. Especially gaffers tape. More than one shoot has been saved because someone came through with gaffers tape.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield

Associate Producer/Blogger
Edited By: Laura Ettinger

Public Relations
EFillF Productions, LLC
www.efillfproductions.net

Adobe Hacked!

     Two weeks ago, the Adobe servers were maliciously hacked and the information of almost 3 million users was stolen including credit card information, usernames, e-mail addresses, and passwords. You may or may not have known this, but more importantly, this comes at a very inopportune time for Adobe. Adobe has been trying to reassure their users that switching to their new Creative Cloud, a monthly subscription based service, is a good idea. With the recent security issues, this has a lot of users wary. At EFillF Productions, we have been looking into switching to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, but are also leery of security concerns as well as  a list of other valid concerns.

     What does this really mean for the future of Adobe? In order to glean that information, we looked at a similar security breech that occurred two years ago on the Sony PlayStation® Network. Sony never revealed how far reaching the hack was but stated it potentially reached all of their 70+ million users. This security breech caused Sony’s network to be down for almost six months (which hasn’t happened with Adobe), and everyone was forced to change their personal login information (Adobe has only done this with those affected). While this was a major inconvenience for Sony PlayStation® Network users, the company didn't see a decrease in users to the system. Two years later, PlayStation® is still one of the biggest online applications.

     "Cyber attacks are one of the unfortunate realities of doing business today," Brad Arkin, Adobe's chief security officer, wrote in a blog post Thursday. "Given the profile and widespread use of many of our products, Adobe has attracted increasing attention from cyber attackers." Perhaps, the inclusion of the Adobe Creative Cloud model only made it that much more tempting for the hackers. More than likely this experience will have Adobere-examining their Creative Cloud model for those who do not wish to put their personal information, such as credit cards, on the internet and will also force Adobe to upgrade their security protocols for future customers. It remains to be seen how this has affected their user base, but everyone we have spoken to are still using Adobe Creative Cloud. One thing that is almost certain though is that users or those considering using Adobe Creative Cloud should be on the lookout for Adobe “Apology freebies” like PlayStation® did when they were hacked.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Edited By: Emily Ledergerber

Filmmaker/Tech

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net

New Tech: Magic Lantern and the Winds of Change

     A major shift is about to happen in the video world and I'm here to let you in on the secret. Anyone who shoots on a Canon DSLR should already be using the free hack Magic Lantern. It turns what a still photo camera into a powerhouse of a video camera. With that, Magic Lantern has made the most significant leap forward for indie filmmakers since the invention of the CCD chip. Through coding and hacking, I don't really understand, they have modified most Canons, starting with the 5D mark iii, to shoot 2K RAW video. While this hasn't been released in an alpha version yet a lot of independent movie makers are already making use of it and it's easy to see why. Here's a side by side comparison of the H264 compressed 5D video and then the 2K RAW.

Here’s a link if you want to check out the video: http://petapixel.com/2013/05/31/canon-raw-footage-using-magic-lantern-hack-trumps-h-264-at-high-isos/

As you can see, the dynamic range is incredible! This has essentially taken cheap DSLR's the indie moviemakers can afford and made them just as good as the RED and F700. You can argue with me in the comments section on that last statement if you want but you can't argue with the price. The best part - you don't even need a 5D mark iii. They just hacked the 60D and made it be able to shoot RAW - before it couldn't even shoot video. That's a professional video camera at a cost of only $750!

P.S. They've just announced early frame shots for the Nikon D7000 as well so Nikon users will get in on the action too.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Edited By: Adam Willemssen

Filmmaker/Tech

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net

New Tech: The 4 Best Things About Adobe Creative Cloud (Includes new features!)

     Last month, Adobe finally released the full version of Adobe Creative Cloud, also known as Adobe CC.  With the release; many people are asking questions and showing genuine concern about their new model.  Adobe Creative Cloud  is very different from the familiar feel of the older Adobe Creative Suite package. Well I am here to put to rest all doubt and tell everyone that CC is absolutely amazing!  Having used two versions; both a business version with multiple licenses and a personal version - I can't stop gushing about it. So enough of the buildup, here's four reasons you should get  Adobe CC if you're a video maker.

1. It's inexpensive!

            The latest Creative Suite, CS6, was priced at $2,500 on Amazon.com. That included everything from Premier and After Effects, to the lesser used but just as powerful Lightroom.  For a normal professional user the cost of CC is $49.99 per month for access to all the same programs (though they ask for a 12 month commitment, you still only have to pay $50 a month).  Do some simple math and you’ll find out how long, at $50 a month, it would take you to get to $2,500.  I'll wait. You back? Well? Did you find that it's a whopping 50 months until you meet the price of CS6?  And those familiar with Adobe know they release some big new products every 2 years or so.  In those fifty months that you're paying for, you now actually get 3 full packs for the same price as CS6.  I know that you get discounts for the newest packs but you're still putting more money down.  The best part, if you're a student or a teacher, you get full access to CC for only $19.99 per month!  I certainly wish I had access to that when I was in school.

2. Don't fear the Cloud

            When someone puts the word “cloud” attached to something I become instantly wary. To me the word “cloud” brings to mind open and fast internet connections with questionable security - It was never something I was comfortable with.  Adobe uses the word “cloud” very differently in this case.  It means that you can download the apps using the Creative Cloud app but they live on your desktop - just like they would in a Creative Suite.  Initially, you’ll need a connection to download all the programs; but, after that, you can do your work in the middle of field for all CC cares.  CC comes with a partnership with Behance; with this you can share you work in a public forum with other CC members.  It's kind of a “more exclusive” Vimeo for CC members.  With a basic membership you also get 2GB of cloud storage that can be accessed from any computer.

3. It works just like the Creative Suites, only better!

            Once you get all the programs on your computer you'll find very little difference between CS6 and CC. You open the programs all the same. CC saves the project files directly to your computer - you don't need internet access to open your projects.   Your files will even work with CS6, in much the same way CS6 files could work with CS5 – you’ll just miss out on the newest additions. The best part about being in the cloud is access to instant and constant updates.  If you have the CC app running in the background on your computer you can tell it to automatically update every program with a new update - you can even work in the program while it is updating.  Also, like I mentioned earlier, you'll get every new addition like Premier or After Effects as they come out rather than having to wait for the next Creative Suite bundle.

4. The New Additions are  Stunning!

            Now for some nitty-gritty tech-stuff - you know the fun stuff!  Adobe has added so many cool new features that I could do separate blogs on Premier, After Effects and Lightroom.  So, I'll just give a quick overview here as to why upgrading from CS6 is completely worth it.

Moving Workstations - for those of us doing freelance or who move from company to company, this is a really big deal.  Now with the Creative Cloud,  you can save your workstation, layout and settings and sync them with any other computer running Creative Cloud. You can even do it on a friends' computer without signing them out of the “cloud”, you just put in your information and it simply imports your workstation and settings.  It will reset as soon as you close the application.

Refine Edge tool (AE) - this is the holy grail for compositing and background replacement. We used to have to work with hard mask edges or green screens that just couldn't catch hair properly without some light spill. With the new refine edge tool the program automatically sees those fine details. It can be found in the Roto-brush option and has made some of the cleanest grabs I have ever seen. With pans and moving shots you still have to go through frame by frame but it's completely worth it once you see the alpha channel.

RAW photo filter (Photoshop) - we've been able to color correct video in Photoshop for a while now but it's always been a hassle and the color/dynamic range have always been limited. Now with the new RAW filter you can color correct your entire video in a RAW range that makes almost any footage savable. Once you color correct one frame you can add it to all the others and it'll generate a clean image sequence which you can then just export or render back into a video.

Linked missing files (Premier, AE) - Until now, if media was missing in a project in AE or Premier you got a little window that said “missing files cannot be found” and was a real pain to try and go re-link those files if you were working with someone else's project or on a new computer.  Now when the programs see the files that are missing it gives a detailed list of the name of the file, where it should be found and where it fits into the project (in case you decide it's unimportant) making finding and linking these files infinitely easier.

Cinema 4D lite (AE) - I saved the best for last.  Adobe and Maxon, the creators of Cinema 4D, have joined forces to make 3D compositing and animation easier than it has ever been.  AE includes a version of Cinema 4D lite, but if you're already running Cinema 4D it will now work with the full program as well. The best part is no longer having to render from Cinema and animate in After Effects.   In the past any changes that had to be made to the 3D object had to be re-rendered before it could go back into After Effects.  Now the programs work simultaneously so the only time rendering is accomplished when the project is complete and ready for the final render - any changes made in 4D automatically update in AE.

Written By: Jeremy Hatfield
Edited By: Adam Willemssen

Filmmaker/Tech

EFillF Productions, LLC

www.efillfproductions.net