Just in case you missed it, here are the latest “Round II” episodes of FilmFellas that features wedding filmmakers. IN[FOCUS] 2010 presenters Joe Simon, Ron Dawson, and Patrick Moreau deliver the goods!
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Think Tank Airport Antidote from Vladimir Chaloupka on Vimeo.
OK, I’ll admit it, I’m kind of a bag freak-backpacks, shoulder bags, computer bags, messenger bags, belt packs, I love them all! For a while now I’ve been searching for a solid travel pack and I think I’ve found it. Think Tank makes the Airport Antidote backpack, a very compact backpack that holds an amazing amount of gear for it’s size. The shape is a little boxy, but if you think about it that is really the best shape to be able to fit as much equipment as possible. Those curvy packs do look sexy but they never hold as much.
The Airport Antidote is great since it is able to fit into the overhead bins or under the seat of even very small planes, allowing you to keep your equipment with you at all times. My favorite feature of the bag is the expandable front pocket. I use it with the Cable Management 50, but it’s also a handy place to carry your laptop. Most of the time the entire bag will fit into the overhead bin, but if I’m on a really small plane I pull out the Cable Management 50 and slide it under the seat, place the backpack in the bin and I’m good to go!
But just how much can it hold? Well, here is what I might take on a typical shoot (see the short movie above):
Three Canon 5D Mark IIs
70-200mm 2.8 L IS
24-70mm 2.8 L
24mm 1.4 L
135mm 2.0 L
85mm 1.2 L
50mm 1.2 L
Two Litepanel Micro LED lights
Canon HF-100 camcorder
Rode Stereo Video Mic
Sony PCM-D50 audio recorder
Batteries, filters, accessories
Compact tabletop tripod
Zacuto Z-finder
Think Tank is one of my favorite companies. I love their quality and attention to detail and innovation. Their newest products are specifically aimed at hybrid multi-media shooters that use the Nikon D90 or Canon 5D Mark II. Here is a pretty cool video demonstrating the packs in action.
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BushHawk Review from 31Films on Vimeo.
Here is the link for the BushHawk gunstock rig. You can also purchase full kits with quick release plates etc. Happy Shooting!
Joey Mathews
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We had a blast in Dallas last week with Patrick and Mike from the StillMotion crew and Kevin Shahinian of Pacific Pictures sharing what makes an inspired film. From film theory to camera training to marketing, the presenters didn’t hold back and kept the audience in rapt attention from 10-5!
The tour bus stops in Orlando Tuesday, so register now if you haven’t already! And register for IN[FOCUS] 2010 to see many others as well as completely new presentation by StillMotion.
Special thanks to DFWPVA officers Ladonna Aiken, Christine Moore, and Brian Gunn for handling the details of the event, Dennis and Barbara Beaty for providing the food and the drink, and Cindy Gravitt for taking these wonderful photos!
“Yes, you in the back?”
“Being unobtrusive is soooooo 2008.”
Michael Y. Wong and Kevin role play how to film angry punching guests.
Vanessa and Brent like that!
Alex and Rolando inspect the gear provided by Canon
Patrick presents in the shadows
Steven Spielberg gets his photo with our generous photographer.
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Hey folks!
As wedding filmmakers, we have some of the hardest jobs in the film/video industry. I live in the film town of Wilmington, NC (home of the biggest sound stage/studio outside Hollywood and Universal). And everyone here in the film industry CAN’T BELIEVE what we do because of the amount of stress involved in shooting a live event while intentionally being creative at the same time.Â
Just like our silver-screen counterparts, we need to plan ahead for our shoots…gear, shot lists, location maps, etc. One part of our planning involves using a questionnaire with the couple – here’s how we collect info into it:Â
About a month before the wedding day we send an email with our questionnaire attached. If you saw my previous post on ShootQ, you’ll notice how this INCREDIBLE service sends out a questionnaire for you automatically and then you don’t have to bug the bride and groom about any details, directions, names, phone numbers, or song selections during the week of the wedding. SO, it makes us look great when we are organized a month out.Â
What do we accomplish with our questionnaire?
- It provides us with not only the names and numbers of the bride/groom and their families, but also the contact info for every vendor of importance for the wedding. We use this info to immediately network after the wedding. We also call the coordinator and photographer before the wedding to introduce ourselves and let them know we are on their side. Team building!
- It allows the couple to give us their preferences on certain aspects of their wedding video. Our studio has final say in the edit (including songs) but it gives us a better idea of their style of music and personalities so we know a little bit of what they are like before we even meet them. Having songs in mind before the wedding day allows us to visualize “the edit” while we are shooting the wedding.
- It gives us an order of events for the day. We know nothing happens on time, but we need to know the order of how things will play out that evening to be prepared for camera placement, and we need to know the time frames of getting from one place to the next.Â
- It gives us names of family members and wedding party members. Remembering people’s names gains us immediate trust.
- It lets us know of any unique details, sentimental rituals/items or special moments to make the video that much better if we are prepared to capture them.
- It gathers all necessary info from bride and groom on what is most exciting to them about their wedding. If they mention they are most excited about the venue, we make it a point to get more b-roll than usual of the location. However, if they mention they have people coming from all over the country and are super excited to be surrounded by them, we emphasize relationships more in the shooting.
These are just a few of the reasons why having a great questionnaire to send the couple before the wedding is one of the more beneficial tasks your studio can implement. And even if you already are implementing one, hopefully I’ve given you some ideas on how to make yours even better.Â
To better explain how we use our questionnaire, I’ve made our actual document available for download HERE. It’s yours. Take it, copy it, whatever. *Remember, we’ve switched all the questions over to ShootQ so its all online, this is our old Word doc, but the questions are the same. It works for us so hopefully it will work for you. Cheers!
Matt Davis, Lifestage
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I have been using several variants of bushhawks products for years and have been involved in field testing on some new and really exciting things that the military and law enforcement and DHS are looking at and testing as well involving the Bushhawk. Overall, a wonderful product and very well built, outstanding customer service. And best of all, built in the USA by a small but growing business. Very important in the times we are in now to support small American business! Most recently I was involved in homeland security and I had a requirement that I be able to use Weapon mountable optics. Mounting the rail system and a bi pod to the Bushhawk was a dream. everything is modular and fully adjustable and the possibilities are endless!
Dan , San Diego
Thanks a ton! This is a great find! I’ve been looking to stabilize my mk II and add on follow focus… this is it!!!