December 28, 2010

Arri Kit for $700? Yes Please.

Recently while reading a couple film blogs on the web I stubmled across a pretty nifty little secret hidden in the webs of ebay. A 3x650w light kit that looks a heck of a lot like Arri but won't break the bank like Arri. The problem was that these blogs made reference to the find, but had no information on how well they worked, how sturdy they felt, how long they've lasted, etc. I had to find out so I made the plunge and received mine on Christmas day.

I'll post some footage shortly to give you a better idea of how well they work and what they actually look like. I must say, I'm pretty impressed. It seems that the only real difference is that "ARRI" isn't branded into the side (possibly underground sales from the Chinese manufacturer?) Even the parts are interchangable (screws, clamps, bolts, bulbs, etc.).


As a bonus, It comes in a nice, lightweight case. I know, it's not quite an aluminum case but I like it. 
See the price comparison below:
$700 "Arri" Kit

December 15, 2010

Kubiszak Wedding

When shooting a wedding solo with a single camera the key is to run around as much as possible. I've learned that I need to mentally mark my "Camera 1" and "Camera 2" positions and move quickly to hit those points. In post, you can then give the illusion of a multicamera shoot. This was shot on a Canon T2i (550D). 

December 1, 2010

Stephen and Kelly


Stephen and Kelly were married in September of 2010. It took me awhile to get this one done. I had to work through some issues I had with lighting, etc. All in all I'm loving how it turned out and so did they. I've come to realize how important these highlights are. You can relive your wedding day in 5 minutes. How cool is that.

November 27, 2010

After Effects

After Effects has been a blast to get to know over the past year and a half. This clip was one of my first successful attempts. I couldn't have done it without the help of Andrew Kramer over @ videocopilot.net. 

October 2, 2010

Back to the Basics

Found this steal of a deal aluminum tripod with a bowl base fluid head over on Amazon. It came highly recommended over on cheesycam.com and really has been a nice addition to my equipment lineup. For the price, you really can't beat this. One of the first off-branded tripods that I've used that actually gives Manfrotto a run for their money. The quick release works well but isn't as simple as Manfrotto but the extendable arm and pricetag make up for it. Out of the box it'll need a little bit of breaking in but all-in-all the WF-717AH is an A+ in my book.

September 30, 2010

Wedding Video: Chris & Christy


Chris and Christy (now my brother and sister-in-law) were married back in September of 2009. At the time my equipment inventory consisted of a Canon GL2 and a borrowed FX1. For audio, I used the FX1 onboard mic. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding in Grand Rapids and a great learning experience. 

Demo Reel 2009




The key to an effective & memorable demo reel is length. Your shots should be carefully/selectively chosen to build on your strengths and disguise your weaknesses.

Also, remember to keep your reel up to date - working on it now...