Following up our post earlier this week about movie making with the iPad 2, we wanted to showcase a video that demonstrates a lot of the device’s filmmaking functionality. The Latter is a short created by Micah Moss (Writer/Director/Producer/Animator) and Aaron Sjogren (Cinematographer/Editor/Soundtrack) (and featured on Hand Held Hollywood). Micah shot this entire short on his iPad 2. He also used a wide range of iOS apps including SteadyLens, Movie Looks HD, Garage Band, and iMotion HD - Check it out.
Archive | September, 2011
Harness the filmmaking power of the iPad 2
27 Sep
The Makayama movie mount is an awesome new tool that helps filmmakers tap into the vast potential of the iPad 2 camera. Michael Nease at Hand Held Hollywood writes:
Any filmmaker who owns an iPad 2 has, like myself, probably wanted to use that built in 720p camera more than they have. But the biggest problem with the thing is that it’s incredibly awkward to use. Unlike shooting video with the iPhone 4, the iPad 2 requires use of both hands, doesn’t respond well in low light, and has sub-par audio recording at best. Well, things are about to change.
The mount adds 10 new features to your iPad:
- Attach a tripod for stable shots, pan & tilt camera movements. Standard screwfitting.
- Use 37 mm conversion lenses, such as wide angle and zoom*. Such as: US / EU
- Slide on-the-fly between the built-in lens and the conversion lens.
- Use shotgun microphones for better sound (requires splitter cable). Such as: US / EU
- Use an optical viewfinder to shoot in bright sunlight. Such as: US / EU
- Use a video light for better performance in low light. Such as: US / EU
- Easier iMovie editing, with a 9 degrees working angle.
- The mount allows your iPad to stand upright and be used as monitor.
- The free Movie Mount iPad app allows you to manually control video recording
- Fully compatible with Smart Cover.
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It is available for Pre-Order at $69.95 US / 49.95 EUR from their site. Check it out and watch the video!
Vimeo helping filmmakers discover and license music
21 Sep
Vimeo, the high-quality Youtube alternative preferred by many semi-pro and professional filmmakers, just announced that they will be adding the “Vimeo Music Store” to their site – “a custom-designed music licensing solution that will allow Vimeo’s video buffs to search for, discover, and license songs for both non-commercial and limited commercial use.” (Techcrunch)
The type of small-time and semi-pro filmmakers that comprise much Vimeo’s user base often find themselves struggling to navigate the world of music licensing. These filmmakers will now be able to find and license music easily through the site itself. Vimeo will be using Audiosocket’s library and platform to facilitate this service.
The move is smart for for both Vimeo and Audiosocket. On the music side of things, Audiosocket’s music artists will have opened for them an attractive new distribution channel. Artists’ will get exposure to Vimeo’s large user base and also get royalties from their music that is used by filmmakers – something that is often overlooked at this scale of filmmaking. This opportunity for both pay and exposure may make Vimeo a far more attractive destination for up-and-coming/indie musicians than Youtube. We can’t wait to see whether or not this innovation effectively disrupts the current process for filmmakers, but it seems like it could be extremely beneficial to both musicians and filmmakers.
PGA and Variety announce ‘Digital 25′ honorees
20 Sep
The Producers Guild of America and Variety have named the honorees for their ‘Digital 25′ conference. Through the program, the two companies work “to acknowledge producers or creators that have enabled the production and/or distribution of digital entertainment in the areas of Internet (Broadband), Interactive Television, Visual & Digital Effects, Console & PC (Multi-User Online) Gaming, Home Entertainment, Mobile and Digital Animation.” Past recipients have included the innovators behind Google TV, Netflix, AVATAR, Twitter and Youtube, among others. This year’s list features a wide range of inventive people and companies – check out the list after the jump. The PGA’s dedication to technological innovation is encouraging, we’ve met with them a few times and are always impressed by how forward thinking they are. Continue reading
TV/film dads by Nathan Stapley
16 SepAwesome collection (and illustration) of the coolest TV/Film dads. Gotta love Walter White sitting at the near-right table.
by Nathan Stapley
A startup helping indie films get exposure
16 Sep
Getting buzz is one of the greatest difficulties faced by independent film producers. Unlike studio films with marketing budgets in the millions, indie films can’t carry out large-scale tv and print advertising campaigns. Prescreen, a startup that just launched two days ago, is trying to offer a solution to the problem.
“Prescreen offers users the ability to subscribe to a daily email alert, which will inform them of one Indie film per day. The user can then visit Prescreen to view trailers for free and if interested, can rent movies to stream on demand for up to 60 days. Isers can also earn rewards and discounts for sharing movie information on their social networks. Furthermore, Prescreen gives filmmakers and distributors demographics and other data for the audience that has viewed their films.” (TechCrunch)
While Hulu and Netflix do have indie films in their libraries, the mechanism for discovery is not very effective. Prescreen offers a really cool way for indie films to get exposure, count us in.
A second life for props
14 Sep
We recently discovered Film Biz Recycling (FBR), a really cool Brooklyn-based non-profit focused on “creating socially responsible and sustainable solutions from media industry waste.” FBR has a range of initiatives aimed at reducing waste in film and TV production. First, they operate the “Prop Shop,” a 10,000 square-foot warehouse in Gowanus, Brooklyn, where recycled props are re-sold for use in new productions, homes, offices, etc. FBR also donates some of the furniture to local small businesses.
In addition to recycling material from set through the Prop Shop, the organization has an educational component aimed spreading knowledge about the paths to greener production processes. FBR hosts seminars in the warehouse focusing on reuse in media production, and offers “sustainable production manager classes.”
We are certainly going to make a trip out to the prop shop, and will make sure to attend a seminar in the future. What better way to outfit a home that by using awesome recycled film props? Check out their site for directions to the shop or to learn about their inventory.
Larry David’s unwritten rules of society
13 Sep
It’s been a great season of Curb and Larry’s opinions have never been more outrageous (while strangely rational). Inspired by this season’s rants, we wanted to post New York Magazine’s Vulture Blog video compilation of Larry’s rules for living. Here’s a few of our favorites from the gospel according to Larry:
- If you’re going to have a dog, you have to have a bag. Because the dog without the bag…it’s incomplete.
- If you’re in a doctors office: don’t chit-chat.
- Bad news has to be delivered in a casual ways – like it’s not bad news.
- I don’t like to bury before coffee.
- It’s a pointless and useless social convention to introduce every single person you know.
Now you know…
General Assembly poised to expand
7 SepEarlier today, Fortune broke the news that General Assembly – the co-working tech and design startup campus we call home -has just concluded a successful round of financing. GA will be getting $4.5 million from investors such as Howard Schultz’s Maveron fund, Yuri Milner’s DST Global, and Jeff Bezos’ (Amazon.com) Bezos Expeditions. The founders of General Assembly have a number of plans for expansion that this investment should help them accomplish.
GA is planning to expand globally, eyeing possibilities such as opening a second New York space and even new campuses abroad – London is being discussed as an early option. We would love to have different offices to call home when traveling, and hopefully we will see a General Assembly in Los Angeles in the near future.
Another realm of expansion that the founders are focusing on is online education. According to Brad Hargreaves, one of the founders, “When we launched our first certification program—Front-end Web Development—a few weeks ago, we received over 100 applications for only fifteen available spots. Demand for this kind of education has clearly outstripped supply. And we want to answer the call….So will we open a bunch more campuses? Put all our classes online? Start training executives? We don’t know. Right now we’re singularly focused on continuing to create a great, meaningful experience at our New York campus. That said, we see the bigger picture: there is immense demand for social, application-driven education in technology, design, and entrepreneurship, and we’re committed to addressing this real need.”
More on-set uses for iPods and iPhones
5 Sep
Naturally, we love filmmakers who are excited about the countless new ways to use handheld technology on set. Taz Goldstein, the director who runs Hand Held Hollywood, just posted an article about the role iPhones and iPads played on his most recent film for Walt Disney Pictures. He outlines the range of role-specific tools he used on set: Continue reading
