Dimmer Boxes

When I was looking through the new edition of The Filmmaker's Handbook, I noticed a lot of little changes and additions. An example: In a list of equipment to bring to the set, in the lighting category I noticed one addition: "dimmer boxes." I can't argue with that -- dimmer boxes help one light with finesse, and they're fairly easy to come by. I went to the trouble of making a couple dimmers (aka "hand squeezers") myself about a year and a half ago. I made a couple of 600 watt boxes, as well as a 1000 watt box. The supplies I got from the local home improvement store, though I remember that the 1000w dimmer was not widely available. If I remember correctly, I built all three dimmer for about $100 in supplies. They would have been cheaper, but the 1000w dimmer was considerably more expensive than the 600w.

In retrospect, instead of making those boxes, I would have been better off simply purchasing one of the many dimmer boxes or router speed controls (which can be used as a dimmer box) that are commercially available. They're cheaper, they're probably more reliable than anything I could build, and the heavy duty router speed controls can handle more power than the ones I built. Plus, the router speed controls have a safety fuse, which my self-built dimmers lack.

Shopping for some last week, I ran across lots of varieties. Here are some:

Dimmer Boxes:

Ikea Dimma - 300 Watts and under - $7.95 Note: Not useful for most motion picture lights, but if you just need something for practicals, these are nice and cheap.

Smith Victor - DC-1 Dimmer Control - 600 Watts and under - $23.95

Router Speed Controls:

Harbor Freight Tools - 15 Amps and lower - $19.99

MLCS Router Speed Control - 15 Amps and lower - $20.95 and $28.95, respectively, for the "home" and "industrial/commercial" use boxes

Grizzly G3555 Router Speed Control - 20 Amps and lower - $31.50

Rockler Router Speed Control - 20 Amps and lower - $39.99

If, however, you wish to build your own, you can find instructions in Blain Brown's Motion Picture and Video Lighting, 2nd Edition (p. 241) and, of course, there are plans aplenty on the 'net.

Review: Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher

Note: Though it's clumsy phrasing throughout this review I refer to the Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher by its full name because Primera makes a similarly named unit, the Bravo SE AutoPrinter. The AutoPrinter model prints, but does not burn, DVDs. It's a critical distinction, and one that you want to make sure you're aware of if you decide to purchase either unit!

**

Though the days of online distribution are upon us, DVDs still remain a (if not the) most effective way of sharing work seriously with an audience.

Obviously, one way of producing DVDs of one's work is to burn discs individually on your computer. After burning, you can label them by hand or, if you have a printer that accepts DVDs, use a printer. This method works fine if you've just got a handful to burn. Sometimes these printers can be fussy, though. Don't get me started on my experiences with my Epson R200 printer.

Another way of producing DVDs is to have them produced by a professional duplication house (e.g., DiscMakers). This is the way to go if you need hundreds for festival submissions, online or in-person sales.

But what about if you need somewhere between a dozen and a thousand? What if you find yourself needing to burn and print a moderate number discs, particularly projects that need to be updated intermittently (like, say, a demo reel)?

The Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher aims for this market. A combination laser jet printer, DVD burner, and robotic arm, it automates the burning and printing up to 20 DVDs at a time. I have been testing one for the past couple of months, and here are my findings:

Pros:

Once set up, it does the job without hassle. Setting up the Primera Bravo SE Disc Publisher with a Windows-based computer was fairly hassle free. And once it was set up the unit performed like a charm. Readers of this site may be doing a double-take -- Did Paul just say Windows machine? Yup. I first tried setting up the Bravo SE Disc Publisher using an older "sunflower" iMac. That unit simply didn't have enough RAM and processor speed to do the job. Worse, though, was the fact that, regardless of the Mac computer I used, the included software was buggy and the features were limited. On a Windows-based machine the Bravo SE Disc Publisher has worked flawlessly and the included burning and label design software is easy to use.

Automation is a beautiful thing. The Bravo SE Disc Publisher will do runs of 20 discs. In my tests, the unit only stopped mid-run because of an error once, and that error was an operator error. (The "finished disc" tray should be extended when printing one disc, but pushed in when printing two or morel I left it out once when I should have pushed it in.) After a number of runs I grew confident that the unit didn't need "nursing." I felt confident leaving it alone and concentrating on other work.

It's pretty speedy. The time it takes to burn and print a run of 20 is dependent on a lot of factors -- the length of the program, the design of the label, your computer's processor speed and RAM. With my set-up the Bravo SE Disc Publisher was able to burn 20 DVDs of a short program (30 minutes or so) with a basic text label in about an hour. I was satisfied with those results.

Results have been reliable. The DVDs I've burned work, and they look consistently good. 'Nuff said.

Cons:

Not so hot on Macintosh. Though, admittedly, I tried using an iMac that didn't have enough oomph to get the job done, the design/burning software included for Mac was not as feature rich.

Ultimately, whether this unit is for you depends on your DVD burning needs. The results are more immediate than sending the DVDs off for replication, and the thing is far speedier than burning and printing with your computer and a printer that requires you loading discs one-by-one. However, for the cost of a Bravo SE Disc Publisher (about $1500 online) you could do two 300 disc runs (including cases and full-color sleeves) at DiscMakers. And remember, you'll need to purchase blank DVDs, blank cases, print inserts, etc. if using a Primera.

You'll have to do your own cost-benefit analysis to determine what's most cost effective for the work you do, but for what it sets out to do, the Bravo SE Disc Publisher is a success.

Use Caution, Leopard Ahead

Apple's new operating system, Leopard, was released about 5 minutes ago. If you edit video -- and I assume you do if you're reading this -- read the post at Little Frog before you rush to upgrade. (Little Frog... Leopard... What is it with the animals today?). Shane Ross has some tips for upgrading, which I wholeheartedly endorse. The golden rule? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Read on...

UPDATE: Less than 24 hours after going on sale, Leopard is... going on a rampage. While there are, doubtless, some happy early adopters out there, several folks are making some noise about all of the problems they're having post-install. Topics in the Apple Support Forums with such inspiring titles as "Installation appears stuck on a plain blue screen" are not reassuring.

So, for now, beware. As one MacFixit article states:

Apple, having allowed this shipment to slip six months already, has had to get Leopard out the door before the end of October by hook or by crook. You may reasonably conclude that this cake is probably not entirely baked. As with Tiger, an early software update (10.5.1) will likely be needed to correct a multitude of issues. Until then, consider yourself a beta tester.

If you absolutely must install Leopard, read this MacFixIt article about the best way to install Leopard.

Pulling Focus

Focus is such a downright elemental part of the filmmaking process that it's often taken for granted. Like sound, most moviegoers only notice it when it's bad. Aside from the occasional rack-focus, the work of a good 1st AC (or whoever's pulling the focus) probably shouldn't call attention to itself. And yet it's work that takes nimble hands, good eyes, and a near-balletic sense of timing and movement.

I enjoyed FresHDV's latest 3-part tutorial with Bob Sanchez on The Art of Focus Pulling, in which the FresHDV guys document Sanchez revealing how he approaches his work and some tricks of the trade.

Here are the links:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Aside from learning some things, after watching the series I went away appreciating even more how, when it's done right, the craft/art of it is simultaneously invisible and right before your eyes. How's that for a paradox?

Update from Matt Jeppsen of FresHDV:

When we posted the last clip in our three-part "Art of Pulling Focus" series, I had quite a few people e-mail me and specifically ask for a quicktime and/or HD version. Well at long last, here it is. We're sharing the 15-min Part 3 hands-on demonstration video as a 720p H.264 clip, available here.

Two Hands are Better Than One: LevelCam and "RebelCam"

Earlier this month, Matt over at FresHDV posted some photos of a new, fairly inexpensive ($50) gizmo called the LevelCam, which helps stabilize camcorder footage. This is no Steadicam -- there's no counterweight, no spring-loaded arm, no gimble. It's just a small horizontal mounting surface that allows a camera operator to hold a camera level with two hands instead of just one. The LevelCam looks throw-it-in-your-backpack small, which is an added bonus. Of course, if you're too cheap to spring for something like the LevelCam -- of if you just want to see how such a thing works -- you could build a similar contraption. Stu Maschwitz's DV Rebel's Guide has instructions for building what he calls a "ghetto cam." (Note to Stu: Not to get too PC on you, but I think "StuCam" or "RebelCam" would be a better name for it.) What is it? Basically a 2x4 and a couple of 1" dowels.

I just built a "RebelCam" to see just how much it helps stabilize the image, and I have to say that it works better than I expected. The materials cost less than $10; building it took about an hour. The two downsides are that a) it's kinda bulky and b) getting the camera mounted with a thumbscrew is a pain. For $40 more (and no effort) you can get a smaller, possibly more convenient version.

Of course, you can just try to hold the camera steady with one hand. People have done it for years. Or at least tried.

21 Mac Shareware Applications for Filmmakers

Back in July, I linked to a post that recommended 15 "must have" Freeware programs for filmmakers. Though it favored Windows users, it was still an interesting list of applications. At the end of that post in July I mentioned that I'd try to add to that list, so here it is. Listed below are 21 freeware and shareware applications that I use regularly or which have, at the very least, really saved my butt a couple of times. There are only two duplicates betwen the FreekGeekery list and the one below.

Granted, some of these applications are, at best, only tangentially related to filmmaking. While it may not be as sexy as editing your latest masterpiece simple stuff like email, writing treatments, doing budgets, taking notes, and - yes - simply maintaining your computer probably constitute at least some of your time as a filmmaker. At least, I know it does mine. And you know what? That's okay. It's all part of the same process.

So on with the list. If you see a favorite application of yours missing from this list, by all means say so in the comments.

21 Mac Shareware Applications for Filmmakers

AppleJack AppleJack is a system maintenance utility more than an application, and it's certainly not filmmaking related. So why list it? Because I find it indispensable when my Mac is acting up. When I was having problems with my Multibridge and OS 10.4.10, it was AppleJack to the rescue. Install it now and be thankful on that rainy day when your computer starts acting up. Cost: Free

Audacity Sound recorder and editor. Compare with Audio Hijack Pro (below). Cost: Free

Audio Hijack Pro Multifeatured sound recording application that lets you record internet radio, audio from Skype and iChat. Can be used to import analog (e.g., vinyl and cassettes) into iTunes. Etc. While there's some crossover between this and Audacity, the latter stands out as a sound editor, while Audio Hijack Pro lets you "hijack" streaming audio from various online sources. Both have their place in my Applications folder. Cost: $32

Capture Me Utility that allows you to capture screenshots even while playing a DVD on your computer. (OS X's built-in screencapture prohibits this.) Great for grabbing inspiring images to save for yourself or to share with collaborators. Cost: Donationware

Celtx A screenwriting and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pre-production organizer. Celtx has been, for me, the buggiest application on this list. Then again, when you consider the sorry state of screenwriting applications on the Mac it starts to look okay. If you don't already have a screenwriting app that works for you, this is probably your best bet for now, mainly because it's free. Someday I hope to be able to give a forehanded compliment to a screenwriting app -- for now "It's free!" is the best I can muster. (If you think this sounds cranky, ask me what I think of some of the screenwriting software in the $200 range.) Cost: Free

Cyberduck Open source FTP and SHTP browser. For a long time I used RBrowser to connect to the SRF server. Now this does the job. Cost: Donationware

DVD Spanner AKA Span DVD Automates burning of folders of large files over several DVDs. I used this to backup onto DVD several P2 cards worth of footage shot this summer and it worked like a charm. Cost: Free

DVDxDV Converts DVD files to QuickTime, which allows you to edit them in Final Cut Pro. I use this in tandem with MacTheRipper (below) to make subject-based dvds of clips for class lectures. The "Pro" version has added features, including batch capture and better performance with widescreen anamorphic footage. Cost: $25 (Standard version) or $80 (Pro version)

Journler This is a virtual notebook for all those idea scraps -- text, web clippings, audio/video files -- that are floating around on your hard drive, on your desk, or in your head. Previously I had used SOHO Notes, and this compares favorably. Cost: Donationware (personal use) or $25 (non-personal use)

MacTheRipper Rips DVDs to your hard drive while removing the region coding and copy protection in the process. Controversial? Yup. Useful? You bet. The website notes that "MacTheRipper is intended to backup DVDs you have legally purchased for personal use. Any copyright-infringing activity you choose to perpetrate using this application is illegal, immoral, and beyond our control.â" Cost: Free

NeoOffice An open-source replacement for Microsoft's Office suite. Word processor, spreadsheet, etc. Not quite as elegant as MS Office, but you can't beat the price, and there's something to be said for supporting open-source programmers over global monopolies. Cost: Free

Pacifist Allows you to extract individual files and folders out of Mac OS X .pkg package files, .dmg disk images, and .tar, .tgz, and .tar.gz file archives. Definitely not something I use every day, but it helped me out in a big way once, so it gets a mention. Shareware: $20

PDF Lab If you're trying to generate a PDF by using OS X's "Print to PDF" you run into problems when using lame applications (that means you, Final Draft 6), which require you to print your title page separately from your main document. PDF Lab is my workaround. Cost: Donationware

QuickTime Movie NoteTaker Allows the taking of notes while watching dailies, transcribing video interviews, etc. Cost: Free

SpamSieve Precision spam killer. Worth every penny. Cost: $30

SuperDuper! Backs up and clones hard drives. If that sounds boring, well, it is. But I'll take "boring" over "drama" (read: drive failure without a backup) when it comes to hard drives. Cost: Free

Taco HTML Edit Full featured HTML and PHP editor. I use this to modify aspects of the SRF site. Cost: Free

Transcriva Great application for doing transcriptions of interviews. If you need video functionality, compare this with QuickTime Movie NoteTaker (above). Cost: $19.99

Timecode Calculator As its name suggests, this does one thing and it does it well. Cost: Free or $7 (depends on which version you want)

Video Disk Space Calculator Helps you compute hard drive space for different codecs. I use this thing more and more now that I'm not strictly working with DV-based footage. Cost: Free

VLC Player Multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, etc.) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network. Cost: Free

Finally, though I cannot vouch for them, Blender, Jahshaka, and CinePaint are all worth a look if you do animation or effects-heavy work.

 

If I've left something off this list, post a comment!

The Bible, Revised

In some fields, there's that one book which, without it, your collection would be hopelessly incomplete. In my opinion, every kitchen needs a copy of The Joy of Cooking, a library's not a library if it doesn't have the Oxford English Dictionary, and filmmakers... well, I would argue that all of us need a copy of The Filmmaker's Handbook by Steven Ascher and Edward Pincus. At least that was true a few years ago. First released in 1984, The Filmmaker's Handbook was one of the first, and best, books to cover almost all technical aspects of the filmmaking process. Its presentation of technical concepts was accessible to beginners; its depth of detail meant experienced filmmakers could return to it again and again, always sure to learn new things.

For years, the Handbook didn't need an update. Film technology had gone largely unchanged for decades. An f-stop's an f-stop, right? Then, in 1999, the Handbook was updated to include developments in digital video. A necessary nod to the present, no doubt, but also an invitation to obsolescence.

The 2nd edition was first published in March 1999 -- one month before the unveiling of Final Cut Pro 1.0. Things have changed. Radically. Needless to say, the Handbook's been long overdue for another update.

So when I say that the new edition of The Filmmaker's Handbook was released yesterday, well, if you're sentimental about books like I am, maybe you'll agree that this is a cause for celebration.

In many ways, though, it's a bittersweet celebration. At this point, I don't expect The Filmmaker's Handbook to present any especially new information, exactly. The internet keeps me up-to-date on this stuff far better than any book can now. And, like so much of the technology it will no doubt discuss, I suspect that much of the information found in this 3rd Edition will be out of date within a year or two. If not sooner.

Yet, even when discussing evolving technologies, books have their place. Books demand (or at least request) more attention than digitally-presented information does. That's a good thing, especially when you're trying to learn something. You can also carry a book to a remote location where you might never have the internet access that would allow you to google for a solution that might crop up on set. But most importantly, a book lets you dog ear its corners, mark up key passages, and write in the margins. At least, that's what I plan to do with my new edition as soon as it arrives on my doorstep.

And besides, a lot of what this new 3rd edition of The Filmmaker's Handbook will have to say has never gone out of style and won't for a long, long time. After all, an f-stop's still an f-stop.

Time Code

If you don't understand at least the basics of timecode, you really can't fully understand and appreciate video, at least as we know it today. While reading B&H Photo/Video/Audio's latest email newsletter (i.e., advertising) there was a nice little introduction to timecode. Sure, the article is littered with links to products -- B&H is in business, after all -- but this is a good introduction for beginners.

And, while I'm on the subject, here are a few freeware timecode calcluators for Mac and Windows.

ADDITION:

From The Edit Blog: The iPod as a Time Code Slate

First Red Cameras Slated to Be Delivered Today

More news on the Red Camera's release as updates and footage become available. Until then, assuming you haven't been following this camera's (fairly open) development, you can get caught up by reading the official propaganda from Red and Apple. Then check out the various forums:

RedUser

Red forum on DVInfo.net

UPDATES (last update 9/6/07):

FX Guide - "Red One Starts Shipping" Words and photos about the release.

FX Guide - Shooting With Red

FX Guide - RED Podcast Discussion

"First Pictures" thread posted at RedUser.net Links to first known still grabs and short clips from Red users. Registration is required to view the photos.

OffHollywood Studios' Red Diary: Day.... 1, 2, 3

Updating Mac Software: Use Extreme Caution

To cut to the chase about what the headline of this post means, just click on the "Read the rest of this entry" link below. If you want backstory, continue on, dear reader. In my last post, I mentioned that I had a few problems setting up my new editing system. For the most part, it was fairly straightforward. Still, there was at least one big headache. Right about the time that I had everything set up (MacPro, LCD and CRT monitors, RAID, and HD capture card) I started having problems.

What kind of problems? For one, Final Cut Pro kept freezing on startup, and -- if I was lucky enough to get it loaded -- FCP would freeze upon my first attempt to monitor footage off of my Multibridge. Oh, and I had a dreaded kernel panic or two. If you've never seen a kernel panic, consider yourself among the lucky. (For the uninitiated, here's a photo of Mac's equivalent of the "blue screen of death.") To say that my excitement about this uncompressed workstation was dampened would be an understatement.

I suspected that the root of these problems was either a conflict between hardware components or just a plain ol' dead piece of equipment. After all, this new editing system has many more elements to it, and the longer the chain, the more likely it is that one of the links is weak.

I wasn't the only one to believe this. After spending an hour on the phone with a knowledgeable representative at Blackmagic Design (the folks that make the Multibridge) the rep said, "Yep, it's dead. Send it back."

That was last 5pm on a Friday, of course, which meant I could do nothing about it over the weekend. I couldn't even ship the Multibridge out. All I could do was reflect on what else could be causing the problems. And, being the obsessive-compulsive person that I am, that's what I did. Surprisingly, this was time well spent.

I decided to spend the weekend troubleshooting every thing possible. I tested cables, I tested drives, I tested RAM, I trashed preferences, I repaired permissions, I ran UNIX maintenance, and I swapped cards into different PCI slots... you name it.

Finally, after several hours of troubleshooting, including a complete rebuilding of my editing system (including uninstalling and reinstalling of LOTS of software) I discovered that the problem was not the hardware, but a software problem.

I have no way of knowing for certain, but it appeared to be a software conflict between Multibridge and Apple's QuickTime and 10.4.10 OS updates.

As best I can tell, the problem might have stemmed from the way that I had used Apple's "Software Update" to update my OS (i.e., using Software Update) and because I had applications running (like Final Cut Pro) while doping so.

After several fixes and reinstalls, everything seems okay now (knock on wood), but here are, for me at least, the morals of the story:

1) Use Extreme Caution when using Apple's Software Update tool. The appropriately titled Shock and Awe: How Installing Apple's Updates can Render Your Mac Unbootable and How You Can Prevent it article explains the hows and whys of this. The problem?

When you see the "Optimizing System Performance" phase of a software update, Mac OS X is really updating prebinding. Updating prebinding has a very, very nasty bug in it....If multiple processes are updating prebinding at the same time, then it is possible for a system file to be completely zero'd out. Basically, all data in the file is deleted and it is replaced with nothing.

The solution?

When 'Optimize System Performance' appears during the update process do not touch your computer and definitely do not launch any applications. Just back away from your computer box as if it were a swarm of bees.

But don't take my word for it. Read the article.

2) Avoid using Software Update. Instead, download the updaters from Apple's Support Downloads site and install manually. You can disable Software Update in Apple's System Preferences.

3) Resist the urge to update your software. There are, of course, reasons to update software -- new features, security fixes, etc. But before you begin that next download ask yourself, Do I really need (or can I even use) these new features? This is especially important to ask when in the middle of editing a project.

In sum, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

How to Set Up an Uncompressed HD Workstation

Last February, Mike Curtis of HDforIndies, authored an article in DV Magazine about how to Build Your Own Uncompressed HD Workstation. Most people that visit this site probably also visit Mike's site and/or DV Magazine, so I didn't bother noting it at the time. I figured it'd just be redundant. But now Mike's written a follow up article that concerns the audio side of the equation, and it's equally essential reading for any filmmakers looking to upgrade their editing system. So now it seems appropriate to mention them together. There are two versions of the audio article available online -- the Mac version and the Windows version.

Last Fall, when I started putting the wheels in motion to upgrade my editing system I consulted Mike about what would be best for my needs. A lot of the suggestions generated by our conversation (and, no doubt, several others by filmmakers like me) are now in these articles. I was particularly intrigued to see that the specific system I "built" has elements from all three of Mike's quality tiers, from desperate cheap-o indie stuff to true pro stuff. That's the beauty of DIY -- you tailor it to your needs.

Mike's recently teamed up with Silverado Systems, who will now sell you one of Mike's pre-configured systems. For a lot of people that might be just the kind of convenience they need. For myself, I can say that, though I've had a few headaches in the process, it's been great fun -- and a great learning experience -- to do it myself.

Again, here are the articles:

Build Your Own Uncompressed HD Workstation

Upgrade Your Images with Audio - Mac edition

Upgrade Your Images with Audio - Windows edition

Freeware for Filmmakers

FreeGeekery sent me word that they had recently drafted a post entitled "15 Must-Have Freeware Programs for Filmmakers." A quick glance at the list tells me that only 10 of these will work on a Mac, but all the better for me to link to this. So much of what I write about is Mac-centric; it's nice to write about something for folks using Windows. (Plus, Mac users already have iMovie, iDVD, and Garageband. There's really not much of a reason for us to be crabby.)

I cleaned out my Applications folder a few days ago, which had me thinking I should write a post about the Mac shareware I enjoy. FreeGeekery's post has me thinking that might be useful. Stay tuned...

DIY Underwater Camcorder Housing

Last summer I linked to a DIY underwater camcorder housing that could be built for $70. Since Summer is now officially upon us it's only appropriate that I share another design for an underwater camcorder housing. If you have a Dremel, this one's even cheaper to build than the one from last year. The downside? You'll only be able to use smaller handheld camcorders. Still, I'm sure some enterprising souls will be able to come up with something that will fit larger prosumer video cameras.

Dialect Resources for Actors and Directors

The lead actress of the new film I'm working on is doing some dialect research. She shared this link with me, and I just have to share it here. It's the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA). From their website, an explanation of the purpose:

The International Dialects of English Archive, IDEA, was created in 1997 as a repository of primary source recordings for actors and other artists in the performing arts. Its home is the Department of Theatre and Film at the University Of Kansas, in Lawrence, KS, USA; while associate editors form a global network. All recordings are in English, are of native speakers, and you will find both English language dialects and English spoken in the accents of other languages. The recordings are downloadable and playable for both PC and Macintosh computers.

It's an amazing audio archive of dialects from around the United States. Maybe this is old news to actors, but it's new to me, and quite exciting.

And, just in case you were wondering, we've been listening to Tennessee Eight.

Ten Commandments from HDforIndies

Mike Curtis posted an amusing and, more importantly, instructive rant over at HDforIndies. The post, entitled "OK Indies, listen up - 10 THINGS NOT TO DO", is a litany of Bad Things that Mike probably encounters once a day in his work as a post-production guru. Eight of the DON'Ts are technology related. Five, in fact, deal in some way with the Panasonic DVX-100. That camera has earned its spot in the Pantheon of Great Indy Film Tools, no doubt, but its framerate settings (60i, 30p, 24p, 24pAdvanced) can cause a lot of problems if you don't fully understand them. The fact that most of these problems happen in post-production only adds to the misery -- if you've shot in multiple formats without understanding their differences and potential incompatibilities, you may have really hurt your project.

If you don't understand this stuff, check out the CallBox DVD or read carefully in the DVXUser forums.

The two non-technology issues have Mike addressing the fact that so many poor independent filmmakers want him to do their tech consulting for free. Though his blog (like many others, including this one) provides information freely, Mike's really in business to sell his expertise and information. Since the "product" Mike sells has no physical properties (i.e., it's not a car or a widget) people seem to think that it should be given freely since it can be asked for freely.

I can relate. Since I teach, it's my obligation -- and it's my pleasure -- to give my information freely to my students. I also try to serve the community (both the film community and my local community) in different ways. But you have to draw the line somewhere in order to do your own work and to pay the bills.

Mike's answer to people needing answers to specific post-production questions is that you can "pray to Google" or hire him. I'm someone who's done both. Here's a post from the past of my own experience in hiring Mike as a consultant.

Costuming Forms and Resources

Wardrobing on my previous films has often amounted to browsing through each actor's closet and, if they're lucky, making a quick stop by the Goodwill. For my new project, though, there are about 20 characters, not to mention 150 extras, all of whom we have to dress for a mid-19th century masquerade ball.

Just kidding.

In all seriousness, we're going to have to do a little costuming for the new project I'm working on. It's nothing elaborate -- just a uniform for a baseball player -- but a even single costume means taking measurements. I found the following forms online, and they've been useful for me. Maybe they'll be useful for you.

How To Take Measurements

Measurement Form

The first form listed above comes from The Costumer, a costume rental house.

The second form comes from MIT's OpenCourseWare website, specifically their Fall 2004 course entitled Costume Design for the Theater. I browsed the site for a few minutes. It looks like it could be a great, and free, resource for budding costumers.

Also, while I'm on the subject, MovieMaker Magazine had a pretty good article about low budget costuming last summer.

Finally, if you're serious about looking at the art of the costume designer, it's tough to go wrong with Screencraft: Costume Design. It is a good book and, as an added bonus, there's a large photo of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman on the cover. Meow!

Review: 24P Digital Post Production with Final Cut Pro and the DVX100

Call Box's 24P Digital Post Production with Final Cut Pro and the DVX100 is a new instructional DVD that features Noah Kadner, one of the early adopters of the DVX100, talking about different workflows and best practices when using those two eponymous (and ubiquitous) tools of independent filmmaking. The DVD runs 90 minutes, and it's divided into several small episodes in which Kadner discusses lots of basics (e.g., what's a slate and how to use it, recommended tape stock) and some intermediate techniques (e.g., why and how to use CinemaTools, exporting projects for Color Correction at a post house, etc.). While some of the topics that Kadner covers seem pretty basic for anyone familiar with the DVXUser.com discussion boards, my suspicion is that this DVD grew out issues that Kadner has seen over and over in his consulting gigs. Sometimes the biggest problems that consultants solve stem from very simple things that were overlooked at the beginning of a project.

The video is well-shot on a bare-bones set, which puts the focus on Kadner, who is an engaging teacher. The DVD presentation is professional; it can be watched in one sitting, or chapter-by-chapter, which is useful if there's one topic you particularly want to revisit. I do wish that it was a DVD-Rom, perhaps to include some quicktime files to practice with, but I suppose Kadner assumes we wouldn't be watching if we didn't already have these tools ourselves.

Do note that this DVD focuses almost entirely on circumventing workflow problems using the DVX100 and FCP. This is NOT a "how-to-edit" in Final Cut Pro DVD, nor is it a manual on how to get the most of the DVX100's sophisticated imaging settings. (For an instructional guide on how to use FCP, I recommend Larry Jordan's Final Cur Pro 5 Essential Editing, Beyond the Basics, and Essential Effects DVDs. For a guide on making the most of the DVX100's image options, check out Barry Green's The DVX Book, which sometimes ships with new DVX100s.)

If you've shot and completed a few projects without any hitches using 24pAdvanced footage, 24P Digital Post Production with Final Cut Pro and the DVX100 probably isn't for you. But beginning to intermediate users venturing into 24p production would do well to spend 90 minutes with this disc before racing into production. Some might hesitate at the $75 pricetag but, as Kadner points out on the DVD, he gets paid $75 an hour to solve other filmmakers' problems. I guess you could think of this as preventive medicine (at 2/3 of the cost).

More information can be found at Call Box.