Steve Weiss Filmmaking Blog

Watch Out Television ~ Zacuto Films Wins an Emmy!

2010-11-19T12:41:00.019-06:00

Jens Bogehegn, Steve Weiss and Scott Lynch at the 2010 Emmy Awards.

Last year I petitioned The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to create a category for web series. They still haven't done that but they did make a change this year in allowing web content to enter in any category, but knowing it has to compete with television. "FilmFellas" and "The Great Camera Shootout" were the only web shows nominated for Emmy's. But that glass ceiling is broken.

Watch the video above of the acceptance speech with Steve Weiss, Scott Lynch & Jens Bogehegn.

On November 6, 2010, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awarded Zacuto Films, creators of webisodic programming, an Emmy for "The Great Camera Shootout 2010" for Outstanding Achievement in a Program Series. Additionally, FilmFellas Cast 7: Masters of Non-Fiction, were among the 7 nominees.

Zacuto Films Web Series Producers Steve Weiss and Jens Bogehegn.

Steve Weiss and Lucy Wojtas.

Any one of us in the international indie film movement, can enter their work in the Emmy's so long as your programming format fits the category and competes with television programming head on. We all know that our community is doing ground breaking incredible work. Let's go kick television's ass and take their awards away! The moment we start doing this, television itself is going to come calling on the indie film movement. We can do this. Thank you for all your support and now it's going to get really exciting. ~ Steve

Come check out our Zacuto Films Original Programming:
Emmy Winning Web Series: The Great Camera Shootout"
Emmy Nominated Web Series: FilmFellas
[ critics ] with Dueling Co-hosts Steve Weiss + Philip Bloom

Coming Soon:
bts: a web series
The Great Camera Shootout 2011

3 Crazy Cool Gadgets Videos from Zacuto!

2010-07-23T16:41:00.012-05:00

Cage Rage ~ Yes, the fabulous pimped out new DSLR Z-Cage is here!

Get the first peek at Zacuto's new DSLR Z-Cage. Steve Weiss, Jens Bogehegn and Photographer Andrew Wehde put together a pimp daddy of a rig with the top performing DSLR Canon 5D MKII. The Big Daddy rig is showcased with our new DSLR baseplate, which comes standard with every Z-cage and is fully expandable. In this video, nothing is left behind and yes, the Z-boys get a little crazy with the addition of the iPhone Grip and possible cup holder. For more information on Zacuto's Z-cage and our DLSR Z-Cage Photo Gallery, visit zacuto.com/dslr-z-cage

"The iPhone Will Never Be the Same"

A must have for iPhone Video Shooters ~ Zacuto's Z-grip iPhone Cinema Kit.

Steve Weiss and Jens Bogehegn introduce the next big thing for iPhone Video Shooters with the new Zacuto Z-grip iPhone Cinema Kit. Perfect for iPhone users shooting video, the new handgrip gives a stable point of contact and the articulating arm adds more adjustability. The Kit includes: Zacuto Z-grip iPhone Pro with Articulating Arm to hold the Z-Finder Pro viewfinder. (Note: Z-Finder Pro NOT included). Check it out here store.zacuto.com/Zgrip-iPhone-Cinema-Kit.html

DSLR Filmmaking Will Never be the Same!

New in Rentals ~ ZEISS Compact Prime CP2 Lenses

They have arrived! The much anticipated Zeiss Compact Prime CP2 Lenses are now available from Zacuto Rentals and can be shipped anywhere nationwide. Specifically targeting the HDSLR hybrid market, these cine-style lenses are designed for shooters who are accustomed to cinema style shooting and need extreme accuracy in focus and greater aperture control. Now available for rental: Zeiss CP2 Lenses in 21mm, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm. Contact Leo or Joe for current availability and pricing options at 312.863.3453 or email joe@zacuto.com. Go to http://www.zacuto.com/dslr-camera-rentals for more information. Step it up a notch ~ ZEISS Style.

Steve's Top Picks for 2009

2009-12-31T13:31:00.023-06:00

"A Thousand Words" by Ted Chung

"Every day: so many opportunities to connect…What if you took just one?"~ Ted Chung. This could be one of the best narrative videos I’ve ever seen on the internet. So many things said in this four minute video, yet nothing was said. The cinematography, screen direction, lighting, sound design...all incredible. I'm completely enamored with all three of his projects, (check out "Mike's" and "On Time.") I think Ted is a real filmmaker who has an open door in Hollywood should he choose. He is also a winner of a Z-kudos award. Amazing work, my hat is off to you Ted Chung.

"Moments" by Will Hoffman

"I love projects that move us. This piece has a very simple plot. Moments. But the way it was scripted, shot and edited makes you think about what is important to you in your life. With all of the stuff we get hung up on everyday these are the moments we will remember when we look back at our life."

Moments is a beautiful, effortless documentary/short film about the simple moments that make life extraordinary. Will shot his film in twelve days at multiple locations. Some of the moments he captured are so poignant and subtle. I admire his patience as a filmmaker; all the time he must have spent waiting for that perfect shot! This is a remarkable piece, and Will is an outstanding filmmaker. Will Hoffman has a body of work that distinguishes him from the pack, which is why I picked him as a Z-Kudos Award Winner for this project.

"Snow" by Kevin Shahinian

Kevin has set the bar so high that all of us are stunned and taken aback by this new genre of wedding filmmaking. This video is by far the most amazing wedding concept video I have ever seen. The actual couple who got married are the actors, reenacting how they meet and feel in love. This video was played at their wedding and I can’t even imagine how the guests reacted. How Kevin gets great performances from a wedding couple is beyond me. My review is one word, WOW! He is also a Z-Kudos Award Winner. Make sure to check one of his other concept films, including his amazing "Bollywood" at www.pacificpictures.net

"A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION" BY Carlos Lascano

Nobody can compare to Carlos Lascano's Stop Motion Animation. He has a body of work that has raised the bar to new levels. Beautiful and Magical, this piece will have you in tears. It 's amazing how Carlos conceived this love story and how creatively executed it truly is. "It is a true work of art."

"GAY=SIN" by Matthew Brown

From the first day I watched some of Matt's work, I was stunned by his innovative style and ability to take on challenging content for such a young filmmaker. I’ve written about this piece many times and I only wish I could find more terrific, thought provoking videos like this being made today. Here, Matthew takes on a subject with symbolism and carefully chosen words, all edited together in his own unique style. I love it.He is also a winner of our Z-kudos Award.

"Prague" by Philip Bloom

Everyone knows that Phil and I are the best of buds, but that has nothing to do with me listing his two films in my best of 2009. I don't think anyone would disagree with me in saying that Phil is one of the top, if not THE top DP showing his work on the internet. His cinematography is stunning and no one can deny that. Being one of the first adopters (thanks to his buddy Steve lending him one) of large sensor convergent cameras (HD DSLR), Phil has perfected the craft of using them. So much so, that he is now teaching Lucasfilm how to use them for their up coming film and television projects.

"Skywalker Ranch" by Philip Bloom

As far as Skywalker Ranch & Prague, I can't decide which one of these films I like more, so I am listing them both. Skywalker has gorgeous shots of the ranch with soft gentle tones and early morning dew, mixed with wonderful starry time lapse. The shots of snow falling in Prague are stunning. One of the moments he captures on time lapse with the snow falling on bricks, instantly reminds me of Dr. Zhivago. Phil showed us what a Director/DP is and set that bar as high as any Hollywood DP. We are all looking forward to what is in store in 2010 for Phil. Congratulation Bro. ~Steve

Philip Bloom + Lucasfilm Ltd + Zacuto

2009-12-15T13:21:00.051-06:00

Philip Bloom, Independent DP and Rick McCallum, Producer of the Star Wars Prequels & TV shows at Lucasfilm.

My Bro Phil just had the most amazing week spent with George Lucas and his producer Rick McCallum, Quentin Tarantino and more. He stayed at the Lucasfilm Skywalker Ranch and showed them the power of HD DSLR. Naturally, we sold the Lucas boys a bunch of Zacuto gear. (shown above: (Phil: Zacuto DSLR Marksmen. Rick: Zacuto DSLR Tactical Shooter)

All of this will be used on the new Star Wars Television series coming in 2011, as well as, a feature in the final stages of production called "Red Tails" about the Tuskegee airmen. What an exciting week. Check out this amazing video that Phil made of his week on the ranch. Don't even think of not watching this video! ~ Steve

Make sure to visit Philip Bloom's website for the full story of "The tale of Lucasfilm Skywalker Ranch, Red Tails, Star Wars and Canon DSLRs on a 40 foot screen!" Watch his magical short film "Skywaker Ranch" below.

"Zacuto at the Skywalker Ranch"

Rick McCallum with Zacuto's Z-finder.
Photo by Philip Bloom.

Rick McCallum with the Zacuto DSLR Marksmen.
Photo by Philip Bloom.

Mike Blanchard, Head of Post Production with the Zacuto DSLR Tactical Shooter
Photo by Philip Bloom.

Ben Burtt, Sound Designer, playing with his Zacuto iPhone Z-Grip Jr.
Photo by Philip Bloom.

Skywalker Ranch from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

How to Use the Z-finder with the Sony EX-1

2009-12-01T15:32:00.011-06:00

We wanted to share this "How To" video by Martijn Schroevers. Here he explains in detail how to attach the Z-finder to the Sony EX-1 Camcorder and using Z-bands for security. Thus, now Sony EX-1 shooters can reap all the benefits the Z-finder has to offer: 3x focusable magnification, Schneider optics, a 40mm diameter lens and an adjustable (left or right) eye-cup preventing extraneous light leakage. Thanks Martijn! To learn more about the features and specs of the Z-finder + Z-bands, go to www.Zacuto.com

Zacuto Saves the Day: A Testimonial

2009-11-06T12:42:00.047-06:00

[ photo by Wayne Granzin ]

After receiving this amazing email from Wayne Granzin, we wanted to share with you his testimonial on using the Zacuto Universal Baseplate and how the adjustability and adaptability of Zacuto gear saved the day during his recent shoot.

From Wayne:
Steve, just wanted to send you a note of thanks for your great products. I was on a shoot today and was using my Brevis 35mm adapter with my hpx170. Once I got my adapter on and tried to secure the mounts, I noticed that the cameras tripod mount is off-center off the lens, which left the whole rig about a half inch offset of the rails center - YIKES!

[ photos by Wayne Granzin ]

Zacuto Saves the Day ~ by Wayne Granzin
The infinite adjustability of my Zacuto Universal Baseplate saved the day! I simply loosened the 4 allen screws at the front and back of the plate and everything easily slid over to compensate for the offset. My trusty Baseplate and rails aint goin' anywhere - EVER! I will be visiting the Zacuto store soon and I'm glad I went with Zacuto over the other guys. Keep up the great work.

And...out of curiosity, did you guys design the lateral adjustabiliy into the baseplate, or is it just a happy accident of the build?

Steve Weiss response to Wayne:
No happy accident Wayne. In terms of product development of the Universal Base Plate, originally it was designed for exactly what you used it for. The XL2 or XLH1 has an offset screw and we needed right left adjustability to center the camera on the baseplate for matte boxes.

About Zacuto's Universal Baseplate: Works with all cameras, including Panasonic HVX200, DVX100a/b, Canon XL-H1, XL1, XL1s, XL2, GL2, XH-A1 Sony XDCAM EX1, SO-HVR-Z1U, VX1000, VX2000, PD-150, PD-170, JVC GY-HD100U,HD200U, HD250U, Silicon Imaging SI2K, RED ONE and any other cameras of this size. Please vistit our website www.Store.Zacuto.Com for additional specs, testimonial videos and the Zacuto line-up of accessories.

Memories of My ReFrame Shootout

2009-10-23T11:32:00.027-05:00

Shot and Edited by Steve Weiss on October 21st at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco while attending the RE:FRAME Collective.

I shot this vintage (Super 8 film look) video using my new Digital Harinezumi Video Camera bought on-line at urban outfitters for $170. Using a prototype Zacuto Zgrip Point + Shoot (stabilizing hand-grip). All of the scenes of me, I shot holding the Z-grip and pointing the camera at myself. No post process was done to this video, just captured and edited.

Also seen in the video are some ReFrame presenters + crazy shooters: Philip Bloom, Joe Simon, Den Lennie, *kristen, Jon Conner + more...

{ music: "Memories" by Elvis Presley }

New Website on DSLR Cinematography

2009-10-20T14:39:00.049-05:00

"Make movies...faster...cheaper...better," says Noah Kadner when talking about the launch of his new website which highlights news, reviews, and tutorials about DSLR/SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras. "These are the latest and greatest cameras capable of shooting high definition video using high-quality still camera lenses at frame rates like 30p and 24p." says Kadner.

With the increased attention and media frenzy for this new breed of hybrid cameras, such as the Canon 5DMKII and 7D, filmmakers and professional photographers are hitting the ground running on how to take advantage of these new technologies ~ "The Game Changers."

So in comes, Noah Kadner with www.dslr-cinematography.com which brings together filmmakers, manufacturers and educators in one place to discuss DSLR Cinematography.

The website brings together news and information from DSLR cinematographers, camera manufactures and camera accessories manufacturers such as Zacuto USA, who have extensive product lines specifally designed for the DSLR market. "Digital SLR cameras are an intriguing hybrid between digital still cameras and high definition video cameras. They allow you to achieve cinematic shallow depth of field and expressive cinematography at relatively low prices. These cameras include the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D, the Nikon D90 and D300S and the Panasonic GH1 and DMC-GF1," says Noah.

"In addition to news and reviews you’ll also read exclusive interviews with professional cinematographers and photographers shooting digital stills and video at the same time with their DSLRs. So grab your camera and let’s get shooting." ~Noah Kadner

To learn more about DSLR Cinematography, please visit Noah and his team of DSLR experts t www.dslr-cinematography.com and make sure to check out his new book "RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera."

Noah Kadner was born in New Jersey and raised in New Mexico. He graduated from the MFA program in production at the usc School of Cinema-Television. Noah lives in Los Angeles and runs High Road Productions, a film, television, production and post-production company. He has directed several short films, commercials and music videos. He also works as a DVD authoring specialist. His clients have included the U.S. Army, United Nations, NBC, PBS, Sony, and Fox. Noah also administers several online filmmaking forums including Withoutabox, 2-pop, Creative Cow and DVXuser.com.

Noah also writes for industry magazines like Videography and American Cinematographer. Noah wrote cover stories for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Noah also completed the book Red and its workflow for Peachpit Press.

Zamerican Arm ~ Latest Review

2009-09-30T14:24:00.017-05:00

Check out the latest video review of the Zacuto Zamerican Arm by Daren Findling "The Finner" on his popular website, "Finner Knows Best: Gear reviews to keep you looking smart." With over 20 years of experience in the film industry, he definitely knows his gadgets + gear! To learn more about Daren and the other talented reviewers and filmmakers at FKB, visit http://finnerknowsbest.com

About the Zamerican Arm: 20% lighter, made with chrome balls for silk movement, aluminum ends for rust reduction and stainless steel to increase strength and reduce bulk. It is built with Z-Release, giving you built-in quick release action using Zacuto's new Z-lock technology. To learn more about the Zamerican Arm, visit www.store.zacuto.com

Z-Finder User Reviews and Comments

2009-09-22T18:44:00.053-05:00

{photo: courtesy of www.philipbloom.co.uk}

Following the release and product launch of our Z-Finder V2: a DSLR viewfinder critical for precision focus on shallow depth-of-field cameras, we've received amazing feedback and reviews across numerous social media forums. From the independent filmmaker to avant-garde wedding videographers to professional photographers, the Z-Finder has become essential for a full range of DSLR cameras such as: Canon 5DMKII, Canon 7D, Panasonic GH1, Nikon D300, Nikon D5000, and Pentex 7D. See below for some of the most recent reviews.

For more information on the Z-Finder V2, additional benefits, and a very detailed step-by-step tutorial product video, visit www.store.zacuto.com

Z-FINDER USER REVIEWS + COMMENTS

"At the moment there is nothing that comes close to this. It is absolutely essential for video on the 5DMkII. I couldn't shoot hand-held without it that’s for sure. It has a 3x magnification making the image huge in your eye. Yes it is magnifying the pixels, but it still improves focusing a hell of a lot. ~ Philip Bloom, Independent DP and Director www.philipbloom.co.uk

“The Z-finder V2, a magnificent upgrade and sharp as a tack across the whole image. The focus gearing was accurate, frictionless and backlash free.” ~ Robert Primes, ASC.

“The Z-Finder, an absolute must have piece of equipment.” ~ Rodney Charters, Director of Photography, on the Television Series “24”

"My focus is 100% more precise with the Z-finder than without it, but it could have been even better if the camera LCD had more pixels. This is great because it means the Z-finder is future proof: it’s performance is going to improve as LCDs get better!" ~ Alain Pilon, Photographer & Videographer.

{Photo: courtesy of www.canon5dtips.com}

"The Z-finder also make it easy to keep both eyes open while shooting. One eye is used to focus while the other look around at the environment to make sure you don’t fall, trip on something and keep the action within the frame. I use this technique a lot while shooting stills and I am happy to be able to do it now while shooting clips." Read Full Review at www.canon5dtips.com

"This Z-finder is awesome. I am using it in Lima, Peru right now and am so glad I purchased it. I had a Hoodman but the quality of this is amazing and the eye cup is truly spectacular!" ~ W. Ashley Maddox, DP/Director, Wam Pictures Ltd www.wampictures.blogspot.com

"What I'm most impressed with is the ability to critically focus my still shots. I use a lot of wide-aperture Canon lenses that are hard to get tack-on focus. So I turn on live view, move the focusing spot right on the subject's eye and with the Z-finder's help, I'm able to confirm that the eyeball is super sharp." ~ Jason Smith, Chicago Based Event Photographer www.jasonsmith.com

“Before, focusing on the LCD at arms length was impossible. The Z-finder actually adds functionality to the camera. Even though $399 is a little high, the added functionality is worth it to me. On top of video, the Z-finder actually has still photo functionality as well. It’s great for reviewing photos. Even with the large screen on the 5D, I had trouble checking focus in the field. The Z-finder solves that problem.” ~ Greg Milneck, Television and Film Producer www.digitalfx.tv/blog

"Man, I hate to sound like a Zacuto whore, but…The Z-Finder, expensive as it is, makes the GH1 do exactly what you want it to do. And they've got a grip configuration that fits the bill as well. Here's a link to footage I shot last week using exactly this combination of gear… http://vimeo.com/6636855" ~ By Stephen Mick at DvxUser

{Photo: courtesy of Mike Vlack of Cinema5D.com}

"The thing is, I like the Z-Finder so much that I find myself using it for shooting stills as well, as I love the zoomed in Live View mode for manual focus. Bottom Line: Currently the best solution on the market." ~ Mike Vlack, Film and Television Graphic Designer and Photographer www.molecule.com.au

"My wife saw some of my post Z-Finder V2 footage from the 5DMK2 yesterday and said, ‘Wow, you've gotten a lot better.’ What she was noticing was improved stability and focus which were hit and miss without it, but I'll settle for better.” ~ Michael Shaw.

"I have problem eyesight....Contact lenses, left eye reading, right eye, distance, + booster half frame reading glasses, when all else fails. I'm really pleased with my Zacuto Finder, the magnification allows for easy tracking focus...Really good value." ~ Ron Coker of DVinfo.net

"This is an amazingly solid, well crafted unit. The optics are clear and bright, the housing is bomb-proof, and the eye cup is very comfortable. This is such a solid unit, I have no doubt it will serve a very long life with the rest of my kit." ~ by Current Motion at www.cinema5d.com

“DSLR video is bloody hard work without my Zacuto Z-Finder. Wouldn't have a hope in hell of finding focus on my 5DmKII. ” ~ Michael Robertson www.velodramatic.com

“I purchased the Z Finder to replace a Hoodman loupe for this project I am currently shooting for and am I happy I went ahead with this purchase! An Essential item for any 5D shooter, great job Zacuto!” ~ Raffaele, Videographer & Photographer

“Lots of 5D MKII video shooting on the set today. Had three cameras rolling with good sound feeding in. Z-finder was big hit.” ~ Mark Harmel, Los Angeles based Photographer www.harmelphoto.com

“I did a shoot at a research lab with my 5D MKII and Z-Finder last week, I used the freebie Zacuto lanyard and found that the lanyard method worked very well for my needs, nice to just snap it on and off as I needed it.”~ Dan Brokett of DVinfo.net

"I got to try the Z-Finder 2 Today hands on a the HD show in NYC. It's amazing compared to the Hoodman ~ worlds apart. In my opinion after trying it out, it's worth every penny especially since there is a great warranty and believe me, I'm not being hired by Zacuto to say this." ~ FotoArt, Pro Member at Cinema5D.com

"I have never used the hoodman, so cant say. All I can add is that the Zacuto really makes a difference if you shoot video...it lets you actually set focus w/o guessing." DigitalFx from RedUser.net

"I've used a hoodman and it is not even close, the Z-finder is best in class." ~ Matt Gottshalk, www.mcgeedigitalmedia.com

"Just got my Z-Finder and it works great. A necessity rather than an accessory..." ~ Richard Maldonado.

"Before the Z-Finder had arrived, I’d been out shooting some video with the Mark II, only to find out that I couldn’t really see what was going on on a very sunny day. I was having a LOT of trouble seeing what I was filming and the Rodenstock loupe was not much help for live viewing! The Z-Finder arrived and was just a thousand times better for viewing what was being captured on the back." ~ Dave Warner. Read full review here www.LensFlare35.com.

New Technology + Isabel's First Day at School

2009-09-18T12:11:00.008-05:00

Isabel on her first day of School

I just got an iMac and I'm thinking about starting to edit my own videos again. This is the first project I've ever edited non-linear. The last time I edited was in 1992 in a tape base analog room. Since non-linear editing came out, I always did assisted edit sessions with an editor. It's amazing how fast non-linear editing is compared with a taple based analog system.

Here’s the kicker, I shot this video with this Canon Camera for $190: a point and shoot camera that shoots 720 30p HD video and 12 mega pixel photos. It’s a little shaky and we have a solution, the Zacuto Zgrip point and shoot handgrip (coming soon) that will allow you to get much steadier shots.

The Canon Powershot

The camera is extremely tiny and light (4oz.) and very hard to keep the horizon steady without a handgrip, but I just wanted to get some home movies of my kid going to school on her first day. Now, no one can complain that gear it too expensive and high quality filmmaking is available to everyone.
Steve

DOF Adapter Killer

2009-09-10T12:14:00.019-05:00

Steve Weiss, Jenny Lynn & Jens Bogehegn, DV.com Black Diamond Award NAB 09

Just after NAB in April I told Jens Bogehegn (my co-designer) a prediction I had that we would see the death of the depth of field adapter by Xmas. And a huge reduction in sales of the mid class HD cameras shortly after. I don’t think that Jens disagreed with the death concept but he believed it would take much much longer. Think about it, DSLR’s have: shallow DOF, ability to shoot both photos and video, cheap compared to video cameras, small size and lightweight, media cards are way cheaper, low light capability is much better than video cameras, it’s a no brainer. Now with several models available like the 5DMK2, 7D, GH1, D300s, D5000 it's becoming a reality.

These days, I’ve believe that major market technology shifts happen every 6 months as opposed to 5 or 6 years ago when you could count on technology to last you 2-4 years. This makes the rental business very hard because you need to know how long to amortize the rental fee over to not only pay for the equipment but also to make a profit from it before it is worthless due to technology shifts. In a recent visit to one of our dealers (who I will leave unnamed) they pumped me for information on where I felt the market was heading. How DSLR cameras as well as small point and shoot cameras that do 720 30p HD are going to affect many of their current product lines?

Also, where DSLR cameras should be in the store, in the photo area, pro video area or broadcast area? What will happen to all of the consumer video cameras now that the trend for small point and shoot cameras is to have 720 30p HD video in a tiny little package that shoots 12MP images too? And where a consumer needed two cameras one for video and one for photos has now merged, (something I’ve been dreaming about for years).

DSLR ~ Canon Booth

We’ll here is what I told them. DSLR cameras are a major shift in technology for these industries: photography, photo journalists, Internet news reporting, event videographers, indie filmmakers, corporate production, schools, military and more. Industries I think will not be affected by DSLR technology: Broadcast, religious programming, webisodic internet and small scale television style programming.

It’s changing the job description of several industries. Never before were photographers calling us looking to get info on shooting video now that they have the tools. Photo Journalists as well are now calling on us asking how to shoot video because their stations are asking them to get some video while they are out covering a story, wedding videographers are being asked to get some photos (where they only shot video in the past) and vice-versa with the wedding photographers. Many people’s job descriptions just got larger, (similar to when NLE systems came out) and producers & directors took on the editing role into a homogenized person we now call a predator (producer, director, editor).

Rapid Fire Shooter Zacuto’s DSLR Gunstock Gorilla kits

What I really told my dealer is that I can only tell you what I think will happen to the market for the next three months. That’s how fast things are changing these days. When I look back to what we thought at NAB just 6 months ago, it’s a completely different game now and the products we are designing and selling are different. Many of the dealers at NAB still thought that DSLR’s were a joke or a passing fad or something they were never going to get into. They saw us marching around NAB with Gunstock Shooters and sort of laughed at us. That song has changed. All of them are now selling DSLR’s as well as accessories for DSLR’s. Prior to two months ago I had never seen a point and shoot consumer photo camera that was capable of shooting beautiful 720 30p HD and most all of Canon cameras can do this now and other brands are starting to follow suit.

Sony EX3 Zacuto DOF Indie kit

So I go back to my prediction with Jens do I still feel that the DSLR is a DOF adapter killer by Xmas, I think so, if not then, soon after. Will the market for mid class camera become smaller, absolutely. And will Zacuto be at the forefront of designing new products and anticipate what accessories photographers, videographers, filmmakers and consumers will need, you betcha!

Spotlight on Stephen Nathans-Kelly from EventDV.net

2009-08-06T15:41:00.036-05:00

FilmFellas Cast Four: "The Artistic Wedding" with Director Steve Weiss and Filmmakers: Joe Simon, Kristen* and John Goolsby. {Not shown: Cast Five: "The Epic Wedding" with Filmmakers Patrick Moreau, Kevin Shahinian and Ron Dawson}. Stills taken by Daniel Skubal.

We wanted to highlight, Stephen Nathans-Kelly from EventDV.net, who after the launch of our FilmFellas Webisodic Series on Wedding Filmmaking, wrote a wonderful story on FilmFellas, our business model and our place in webisodic programming. See below for some experts of his story and his interview with Steve Weiss, Creator and Director of FilmFellas. Make sure to check out this amazing website at: The Event Videographer's Resource at www.EventDV.net.

Written by Stephen Nathans-Kelly from EventDV.net

Steve Weiss has clearly been struggling with these same questions about making web video profitable and sustainable, and how to use the web as a filmmaking medium that will serve the evolving 21st-century audience in ways that cinematic film and broadcast TV no longer entirely satisfy. And with his increasingly popular webisodic show, FilmFellas, he's doing much to unravel the mysteries of compelling and commercially viable web TV in the form, content, and marketing of the show.

Granted, none of these cast members would call what they produce wedding video, and none shoot weddings exclusively, but that's part of the point. "The cast members in 4 & 5 are filmmakers, period," says Weiss. "The entire film business is a business of snobs. In Hollywood they may snub their nose at wedding filmmaking. But every guy on set in Hollywood would rather be doing commercials because the pay is better. Every agency guy in Chicago would rather be working on features for lower pay because the work is cooler."

Behind the Scenes photo of Steve Weiss taken by Daniel Stubal.

"The grass is always greener. What I learned about wedding filmmaking from my cast members," Steve Weiss continues, "is that they love what they are doing and it's what they want to be doing. A wedding is an exciting one-take environment. It's emotional and passionate. It can move people and bring them to tears in seconds. That's a bit tougher to do on feature and commercials. Especially, considering you are just a team member on those types of projects, where in weddings you run the project and make all of the decisions. So as any industry it's not for everyone, but if you love creating a lot of emotion and dig the excitement of a one-take environment, weddings may be for you."

Discussing wedding filmmaking on the show, Weiss says, has allowed him to highlight the diversity of not just his cast, but the industry as a whole, and point out to the larger filmmaking world that it's more textured than they may think. "I think that there are now many segments of the wedding crowd. You have videographers, wedding filmmakers, same-day edit guys, concept movie guys, etc. This makes the market much more interesting because everyone wants to learn from everyone. FilmFellas, tries to uncover trends, styles, how to make money in your industry, presentation of product and more. We did that with Cast 4 and 5 and I really don't see this much different from any other aspect of the film industry as a whole."

"I don't make the distinction between pro and amateur," Weiss says. "I make the distinction between profitable and non-profitable. If you can make a show that is profitable so as it can continue, then you are obviously giving your audience what they want and it's working. If you're not you will eventually falter. I am a businessman and a creative, or a creative businessman."
Frankly, I think the two can go hand in hand, but many filmmakers don't look at the business side as creative or they don't see how a super creative business plan is essential to the success of your film venture. Hollywood does. The video can look like crap but if it's drawing people and making money, somehow, then I would admire that venture. Two behind-the-scenes clips from Casts 4 and 5 appeared last week on www.filmfellas.tv, and Cast 4 debuts on FilmFellas.tv on August 5, with multiple webisodes to follow over the next several weeks, running concurrently, and switching back and forth between the casts. Don't touch that dial.

Andrew Wonder's Underground Filmmaking

2009-07-29T15:23:00.006-05:00

After receiving Andrew Wonder's email {see below}, we just had to check out his independent filmmaking adventures taking place in the New York City underground. Below you can view his 3 Minute Video "Undercity" which features a short montage during his first night of shooting in NYC's subway tunnels with his accomplice Steve from www.Undercity.org.

"I shot this on a Canon 5d mkii with Canon 24 f/1.4 (version 1) and with the Zacuto Rapid Fire. The Zacuto was really great at being there when I needed it but also staying out of the way," ~ Andrew.

The Steve Weiss Review:
What I love about what Andrew is doing is that he creates urgency and suspense with his handheld work. Many people think my Gorilla kits are like Steadicams, they are not. A Steadicam has one feel, handheld has another, and a dolly yet another. You need to use the one that gives you the effect you are trying to achieve and I think handheld is the exact right feel for Andrew's spy mission in his video NYC Underground. Great job Andrew, interesting idea and fun to watch. I especially like your choice of camera, the 5DMK2 is the perfect choice for this video not only because of it's size and weight, but it light sensitivity. ~ Steve Weiss, Director, Zacuto

See Below for additional information on Andrew Wonder and make sure to check out this underground filmmaker.

{Underground Photo "Sewer, NYC, USA " by Steve Duncan on www.urbanautica.com}

Andrew Wonder's Bio:

Andrew began his career as a camera operator and field producer for MTV at the age of 17. Less than three years later he was accepted into the International Cinematographers Guild while attending NYU. Currently, he works in New York as a director and cinematographer. Cinematography credits include Michael Almereyda’s (Hamlet, William Eggleston in the Real World) feature film, New Orleans Mon Amour (SXSW 2008), music videos for the Strokes and Cartel, as well as commercials for IFC, Sony and the USTA.

Director credits include the short films Peace of Mind (IFC 2007) and Sugar Park Tavern (PBS 2009) which was filmed with his custom built WonderVision® eyeglass cameras. Andrew is also the assistant to writer/director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Affliction) and freelances as a producer/director for One Louder Productions and Alloy Media’s Teen.com.

Website: www.andrewwonder.com
Vimeo: vimeo.com/andrewwonder

EMAIL to Steve at Zacuto from Andrew Wonder:

Dear Steve,
Thank you very much for creating the rapid fire for the 5D. What I loved about the 5D was that I could finally hold a camera like a slr and take video. With the rapid fire I feel like I'm back to making movies with my bolex or arri-s like an old Maysles Brother's documentary. I've been shooting a lot in the NYC subway tunnels since purchasing the rapid fire and I can't tell you how many times it's allowed me to get the shot I need and, more importantly, stay out of the way when I need to run or climb. It's the perfect "not too much" acessory on for the camera. Thanks again for creating the tools that allow me to make movies the ways I've always dreamed of. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. ~ Andrew Wonder.

Matthew Brown’s Video GAY=SIN

2009-07-17T11:27:00.019-05:00

Matthew Brown’s video GAY=SIN is an incredibly moving powerful video from this young, up and coming, filmmaker. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to him about video and I’m very impressed to what went into the thinking of this video. It's hard to believe that in 2009 we are even having a discussion about personal freedom. What two consenting people do is their own F###ing business.

Three words: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. Why would we want to deprive anyone of any of these rights. The conversation should be over, unless those three words don't apply to EVERYONE in 2009. As far as I’m concerned, the constitution does not exclude gays; consequently, they should have the same right to marry as straight people do under liberty & the pursuit of happiness. They shouldn’t have to be humiliated with us having to vote to give them rights that the constitution already guarantees them.

Here’s the part that gets me, so many of the folks against giving freedoms to everyone in America feel that gay marriage will somehow hurt straight marriage. Straight marriage doesn’t have such a great record of success, and they really should get their own house in order before they start dictating to others. I would think they would be a little embarrassed about their own record of success.

Well done Matthew, you've broached a subject that should really not be a subject but unfortunately, it is.

Religion could be such a force for nice & good, but unfortunately I don’t see that. Even in its lightest forms it’s extremism to me, with their mission to be ~ to convert. It's a lot of: if you don't believe what I do, I will have to force my opinion on you, or they need to save people. Why can’t they just hang their shingle out there and if people show up, fine and if not, leave the rest of us alone.

The real problem in all of this is tolerance, if we as a people can have tolerance toward something different, we wouldn’t have any problems both political and religious. And that’s a big IF?

Well done Matthew, you are tackling real subjects and I commend you for it.

Now I haven't even mentioned how great the video is. The way Matt uses imagery and sound in this video is truely unique and different. Had he had words match the images all of the power would be lost. By just having peoples audio he has heightened the power of the spoken word and he makes you focus on it. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

P.S. For those of you who think you need fancy gear to make great videos, Matthew uses a $500 Canon HV20 :o)
P.S.S. Matthew is a Z-KUDOS award winner.

Z-KUDOS WINNER #5 - Kevin Shahinian

2009-06-26T13:43:00.006-05:00

Our fifth winner of the Z-KUDOS award is Kevin Shahinian, founder and lead producer of Pacific Pictures. According to Kevin, "Dil Jaanta Hai (The Heart Knows)" was his second Bollywood wedding concept film and his hope was to depart from the original with something different. Kevin’s inspirational and entertaining piece quickly caught our eye and we have awarded him with $500 worth of Zacuto products as the 5th Z-KUDOS winner.

“As a small studio, it can be difficult to get your work seen and this spotlight is a real privilege,” explained Kevin when we first told him about winning the Z-KUDOS award. “Winning the Z-KUDOS award is a huge (& unexpected) honor. A big thank you to Steve and the entire Zacuto family for their continued support of our work and other filmmakers like us.”

He was initially inspired by Anuja & Nirav's true life story, how their father's conspired to set them up and how the pair knew little about their common lives. It quickly became clear that our vehicle would be a modern Bollywood comedy set at a hospital - with the pair playing over-dramatized versions of their true-life selves, an M.D. and pharmaceutical rep.

Kevin also wanted to make sure they challenged themselves on a production level, by incorporating two musical numbers that included authentic choreography and dancers. On paper, a modern-day comedy set in a hospital seemed like something that would be easy to produce. But on the contrary, the locations turned out to be a huge challenge. They ended up with six different locations for each section of the hospital; elevators, hallway, room, lobby, & exteriors.

“I think Kevin has taken this wedding concept movie to a completely new level and he has set the bar for it. This would be challenging to shoot with real actors, how you do this with a bride and a groom is beyond me. Every time I see one of Kevin’s wedding concept movies I feel like I want them to continue just when they are ending. Congratulations Kevin on being the 5th Z-KUDOS winner, I’m so impressed with the work that you do, I can’t wait to see what’s next.” Says, Steve Weiss, Zacuto, Director.

Another challenge they faced was the schedule: five back-to-back shooting days scheduled over Anuja & Nirav's (top secret) vacation to L.A. from Albany, NY. They posted choreography videos online for them to rehearse at home and only had time for one rehearsal the day they arrived.

“It was a grueling shoot for the first time actors, especially being away from family and friends (who had no idea the couple would be starring in a film for their wedding) but in the end their hard work and dedication paid off.”

Make sure to watch "Dil Jaanta Hai (The Heart Knows)" at Zacuto.com and keep an eye out for Kevin’s future works.

Praises from Italy

2009-06-22T10:02:00.005-05:00

Recently I received some great feedback from Leonardo Dalessandri - Italian D.O.P./Editor/Director and wanted to share. Below is the Italian version and then a roughly translated English version. It's great to hear from individuals that use our products from all over the world and this is a great example;

"La qualità delle riprese è senza dubbio uno dei fattori più importanti a concorrere nella buona riuscita di un film.

Il mio amore per la fotografia è nato con il tempo... l'avanzare della tecnologia mi ha aiutato molto a migliorarmi ed a migliorare anche il mio gusto.

Sembra semplice ma la scelta dei prodotti da utilizzare è il primo passo verso il nostro obbiettivo finale. Bisogna provare numerose videocamere per poter alla fine sceglierne una. Io ho optato per la Sony PMW EX1 dopo aver usato anche una Panasonic AG-HVX 200 e altre della fascia inferiore come la Canon XH A1.

Inoltre c'è chi, come me, si è innamorato degli adattatori 35mm che ci danno una profondità di campo più "cinematografica"... anche li la scelta è difficile ma alla fine mi diverto a usarne diversi: dal Letus al Brevis... all' SGpro e Blade ma anche il mini35 e Cinemek ecc..

Nel mio ultimo cortometraggio "I Benpensanti" ho usato un corredo di ottiche nikon (dal grandangolare 14mm 2.8 allo zoom 70-200 2.8 al fisso 50mm 1.2) insieme al Letus Extreme e la EX1.. sono rimasto molto soddisfatto degli accessori della Zacuto.. a partire dal supporto che trovo solido,ergonomico e ben costruito per finire con il follow focus che mi ha consentito di dare vita a passaggi focali molto interessanti e ben calibrati... un vero gioiello e un'efficacia disarmante che, insieme a tutti gli altri accessori della Zacuto non potrà mancare nelle mie produzioni future."

And now for the rough translation.

One of the most important things that make a good movie is the shot quality. My love for photography grew over time and with advancing technology I continued to improve my talent.

It seems easy, but choosing the right product to use is the first step to the final outcome. One must try lots of cameras before making a final choice. I finally decided on the Sony PMW EX1 after using a Panasonic AG-HVX 200 and Canon XH-A1.

Otherwise someone like me falls in love with 35mm adaptors that give a more cinematographic DOF ...In this decision as well the choice is not so easy, but finally I enjoyed using different kinds: from Letus to Brevis...to SGpro to Blade, but also the mini 35 and Cinemek.

In my last movie "i benpensanti" I used a set of Nikon's lenses (14mm 2.8; 70-200 2.8; 50mm 1.2). I also used a Letus Extreme and my EX1. I've been really satisfied with Zacuto's accessories. The support is stable, ergonomic and well built. The Zacuto Follow Focus gave me the opportunity to give life to very interesting focal steps. A great instrument for me, I will surely use it in my next works.

The Gold Standard

2009-06-17T10:51:00.003-05:00

Today we released the newest FilmFellas webisode, "The Gold Standard". The fellas and I hit on some hot topics including traditional distribution versus new online distribution formats. Does the traditional "hollywood" format still hold the torch in this field?

Changing pace, we get into debates about community building online. Some guys think it's a fad and that social media has no staying power, while other have dedicated individuals on their team to handle this aspect.

It's crucial to stay a front runner with the quick changes with online media formats. No mater what your forms of distribution, you can't rely too heavily on just one. Find out what the guys have to say and where you fit into the picture in the 12th webisode of FilmFellas.

Donor of the Month

2009-06-12T16:35:00.002-05:00

Zacuto recently recieved the honor of "Donor of the Month" from the USO. We do a lot of work with them providing equipment and making sure to make our friends and fans aware of what the USO is doing in the video world. You can this article here.

CineGear 09 Post Mortem

2009-06-11T16:33:00.009-05:00

I arrived in LA on Thursday June 4th, Jens, Mandy James and I came from Zacuto HQ in Chicago. Got to say compared to last year’s CineGear with 105 degree weather, this was a pleasure, it being 64 degrees every day. Immediately we took a 1 hour hike at the Runyon Canyon, one of my favorite things to do in Hollywood, it's really steep and challenging. Then it was off to the Avalon Hotel for our Zacuto LA appreciation party. We’d like to thank the Avalon for throwing a great party including DJ, this special event was planned by Avalon's Helen Ryan. It was a lot of fun and we met some of our friends and fans from on the web.

Jens and I spent a lot of time talking with Robert Primes ASC about (hot cameras, lighting, film, it was fun and we learn a lot when we talk to Bob), also saw old friend Georgia Jacobs, Misa & Jehu Garcia from Jag35.com (with their awesome tiny DOF adapter, got to get one of these for shooting video of my daughter), Ryan Campbell (who owns everything Zacuto including a original version one baseplate), Bill Strehl (who we continued a talk about trade shows for NAB 09), and many many more, see pics: CineGear Images

Jens did a great job as usual in setting up our booth, it's a huge operation coordinating everything to arrive and get it setup. I have to admit that Paramount Studios is a much better venue then Universal Studios where it was held last year. Nobody liked Universal, it’s hard to get to the backlot and it’s in the valley (very hot). I did have to park all the way on the other side of Paramount studios, but I got to walk through the entire studios including bungalow’s stages and all to get to backlot. It was fun but I wouldn't want to have to do it again.

Our booth was swamped pretty much the entire time. Many people stopped by our booth firstRobert Primes ASC was around both days while we tricked out his 5DMKII and he came back on Saturday looking at setups for the AFI, other ASC fellas who came by the booth were Jon Fauer ASC, Stephen H. Burum ASC, had a long talk with Rodney Charters ASC about growing up with a Bolex and what’s missed and what’s gained by not having had that experience. I saw Howard Preston playing with a 5DMK2 on a Gorilla kit. There were so many others that visited but I’m not so great with the names so if I didn’t mention you, feel free to send me an email and I’ll correct it.

I designed a mount for Jan Crittenden and her new Panasonic AG-HPG20 portable recorder (so it can mount on a tripod leg, 15mm or 19mm rods or ¼ 20 screw), Dieter Goerke, Evie Silvers of NAPTE, Canon folks: Simon Kerr, Joesph Bogacz and Kelvin Surginer (who designed his own Gorilla kit and had it in Canon’s booth), Edward Done, Kate Walker from Film Independent, Jeffrey Stansfield, Mario Ortiz from Cinema Verde Productions, Dave Walker from Indie Slate Mag., David Butler from STE-MAN, The Booth Brothers, Christopher Saint & Philip Adrian, stopped by the booth (we love these crazy eccentric guys and their work at Spook TV is amazing), Sam Pietsch said hello. When Leaving CineGear I saw Simon Sommerfeld (James Mather’s partner in crime) of the Digital Cinema Society on the sidewalk.

I did an interview with the camera department TV: http://www.cameradepartment.tv/ Jens, did and interview with Matt Jeppsen from Fresh DV, it’s not out yet so keep an eye out for it.

Topics that were hot: DSLR’s, Z-Finder V2 and when it’s coming, Gorilla kits, DOF adapters, content, content & how to monetize content. Keep an eye out for Zacuto films productions, I’m adding a new division and going back into the content game after a 7 year hiatus. The bug is back in me and I must say, I missed it.

Got to thank Rod Bradley who at the last minute lent us his Red camera & EVF for our booth and saved the day.

Had conversations with two magazines about creating shows for them to have on their websites creating dialogues like FilmFellas; Debra Levine as well as the President of (HDvideoPro, Digital PhotoPro, PCPhoto, Outdoor Photographer) Then we had a fun little dialogue with Sanja from American Cinematographer magazine, Jens, Bob Primes and Stephen Burum about a show for American Cinematographer’s website aka ASCFellas. Everyone seemed really excited about the idea; although, Bob was leaning into me & Jens about how the lighting scheme would have to be different and he didn't think the Made Men aka GoodFellas is the right image for the ASC guys. Jens and I thought it's actually perfect. Well keep pushing on this idea and we'll see what happens.

Can't tell you how many guys came up to us just to tell us how much they love our show FilmFellas, our product videos and our marketing. Many mentioned that they have learned a ton and that makes us feel great, because that is truly our intent. It was especially gratifying because we are working hard on these shows and it's nice to now that it is really making a difference to a lot of people. Got to thank all of the guys in our office, especially Scott our Zacuto Producer, Joe our rental manager for coordinating the cameras from our rental department, Matt & Patrick for working cameras and Ed Pickart our FilmFellas editor.

Thanks to Hien Le from Letus, Ross Kanarek from Switronix & Jonathan Houser from Cinemek for acting as dealer reps and exhibiting with us in our booth. It’s so much better to have them talk about their products that we sell, leaving our crew to talk about how Zacuto products mount their products.

We were thrilled to see our Zacuto dealers from Japan Grace Nakamura (Intecs Inc) and Isabel Baselga (Ceproma, S.A) our dealer from Spain as well as Louis Le Feur (Broadcaster) our dealer in France. Thanks for coming the long distance to be at CineGear.

All in all it was a great show. Huge turnout. Fabulous weather, great to see so many old and new friends, especially the friends I’ve made on the web and never met. We had a fun party at our home away from home, The Avalon, and had a fabulous time in LA.

Click here to see all CineGear pics: CineGear Images

CineGear Videos From Camera Department

2009-06-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

On the coattails of CineGear, the Camera Department blog posted a great video featuring our products. The three newest Zacuto products in the line of Gorilla Kits are demonstrated on this video. The Quick Draw, The Tactical Shooter and The Rapid Fire rigs are all shown. Also showcased is the new prototype version 2 Z-finder that will be coming soon to our store. Take a look at the video!

The Wild West

2009-06-01T14:23:00.004-05:00

Today we released the latest installment of FilmFellas; The Wild West. In Webisode 11 we continue to flesh out our collective ideas for monetizing video content on the web. Each fella has a different view of where this content is appropriate and how it should be used.

“You have to get people to finally accept online video as a true medium for people to take is seriously,” argues Mike Michaud.

The idea that the web is still considered “The Wild West”, where anyone can essentially upload any content, forces some of the fellas to believe that major brand websites will seek Hollywood credentials. Most of the fellas agree, however, that creating content that can compete with television is the next big step in web video. Discussion gravitates back to the monetization factor and the debate continues.

Find out your own take on these new concepts! The Wild West!

Advanced Sound for DSLR

2009-05-22T15:34:00.019-05:00

We recently released a new video discussing and demonstrating how to do Advanced Sound for DSLR's.

Since the DSLR cameras all have mini plugs, auto gain control, limiting and compression. Adapters are not really the key to getting good sound.

Guests Dave Schwarz (predator, producer, director, editor), Nick Barbieri (Zoom H4n dealer rep), Jeff Beaumont (sound engineer) and Scott Lynch (producer, editor) discuss how to get the best sound with DSLR's in this video.

At NAB, I became familiar with the Zoom H4n a $349 portable stereo sound recorder. The H4N is a useful device, especially on a tight budget, to enable you to get 96kHz 24-bit sound with two XLR inputs. It also has an adjustable stereo microphone built in for great folly and handheld sound recording.

After a lively conversation on the best practices for sound recording, the guys run the Zoom H4n through a variety of set-ups to emulate the possible scenarios that take place in the field. Scott Lynch presents a full demonstration of how to sync the H4n audio with footage from the 5DMK2 in Final Cut.

If you want use a DSLR and record sync sound watching this video is a must.

See this captivating discussion and demonstration here: Zacuto Video

To find out more information or to purchase the H4n and related Zacuto mounting products visit: H4n

Zacuto Supports Armed Forces Day

2009-05-19T10:04:00.010-05:00

Zacuto is happy to lend 2 XL-H1 Canon camcorders and a steadi Tracker from its rental department to the USO for Armed Forces Day. MadBrad Smith a long time friend of Steve Weiss, partner at Zacuto, shot a USO event at Navy Pier this past Saturday.

On Armed Forces Day, a national day to honor and thank our men & women in military service, the USO of Illinois enthusiastically joined the celebration by offering its 3rd Annual Armed Forces Day at Navy Pier. The USO welcomed over 450 military and their family members to historic Navy Pier for a day of fun and exploration. Upon check-in at the USO registration desk, each family member received a special USO Kid Kit back pack filled with surprises, including free lunch vouchers, IMAX theatre tickets, treats and directions to all the attractions staged at Navy Pier, including free admission to Chicago Children's Museum, military dsiplays and demonstrations. The Spirit of the USO band also performed at the Dock Street Stage while U.S. Marine Week staged drills and concerts throughout the day.

See all the images here http://www.flickr.com/photos/zacuto/

See more information about the equipment they used http://store.zacuto.com/

FilmFellas Webisode 10

2009-05-15T16:22:00.011-05:00

I'm pleased to bring you the latest webisode for FilmFellas. Webisode 10 "Social Experiments" brings you a brand new cast of FilmFellas. Each fella has a different approach to online media, but they do agree on one thing, media is changing and it’s changing fast. I opened with the classic and sometimes risky exercise of “say what you think of first”. Each fella member was hit with a variety of terms from web video to social networking and the responses may shock you. Conversation quickly turns to the idea of how physical media is shifting to online media.

Taking that a step further, the cast discusses how advances in home entertainment have also affected the idea of physical media. Technology, again, needs to find a flawless way however, to connect this online content with the home theater equipment. The immediacy of online content creates a roadblock that other lines of media have yet to overcome. This new cast with Edward, Anish and Mike creates a whole new conversation. This is only the first episode, our next installment will be out June 1.

Check out the latest video here: http://vimeo.com/zacutousa

Z-Kudos Award Winner #4: Josh Gooden

2009-05-11T22:31:00.005-05:00

Our fourth winner of the Z-Kudos Award is an extraordinary high school senior in Harrisonburg, Virginia who has created an excellent video with a complete marketing plan. Josh is the Vice President of Where To Get Engaged, Inc., a social networking site focused on engagements and weddings. He says his site is designed to give vendors and manufacturers not only a place to show their products, but a way (through the power of video) to get customers acquainted with both the products and the atmosphere of the store. The first business Josh has virally marketed on the site is the Blue Ridge franchise of Panera Bread located throughout Virginia. The promotional video Josh wrote, shot and edited for Panera, beautifully illustrates my belief in taking creative filmmaking and tying it to a product. For developing what could be the model for a whole new production business, I’ve awarded Josh $500 worth of Zacuto products. Check out the video at http://vimeo.com/4265284.

Josh’s success story could be the plot of a movie itself. When he was in eighth grade, Josh joined a club at school called the Technology Student Association, where he entered a website designing competition. Though Josh and his fellow group members had never designed a website before, their site won first place at the regional, state and national levels of the contest. Josh eventually designed the site for Christopher William Jewelers, and started a partnership with the owner. Using Christopher’s skills as a business owner in the jewelry industry for over thirty years, and Josh’s skills as an upcoming entrepreneur with social networking, they combined to create WhereToGetEngaged.com. Josh did a lot of photography for the company before shooting commercials with his first camera, a Canon XHA1.

“You see so many national companies that are on television with local commercials that usually are pretty average,” Josh says, “You don’t really get to see what this business offers to the consumer unless you actually go to the store and see it. So what we’re trying to do is make these videos personal, so you feel like you’re in the store and you know the people before you get there. Most local commercials lack the personality of the business they’re advertising, and the characteristics that make it unique. If you were planning a wedding, you could use the space at Panera to really think about and plan the event. That’s what we’re trying to bring out.”

Panera Bread is the first major brand onboard with Josh’s viral marketing plan. I’ve been following his work for a while on Vimeo, and am very pleased to see him take advantage of the marketing possibilities offered by viral videos. Josh says he appreciates the in-depth feedback I’ve given his work, and says it has helped him get where he wants to be. For his Z-Kudos Award, Josh plans to get our Z-Grips in order to upgrade his DOF kit so he can mount it on his shoulder. Though he eventually plans to make his own films, he says that the commercial work has gotten him swamped for now, though he’s guaranteed to have a pretty sweet demo reel by the end of it. His future plans for the company include a webisodic series inspired by Zacuto’s “FilmFellas.”

“FilmFellas is an absolutely brilliant idea,” Josh says, “We were thinking of bringing in probably three or four jewelry business owners and putting them in a roundtable, sort of like what you guys did. These industry leaders would have stores that are competing against each other, and we would take a common subject like engagements and have them talk about it. I think it would make for some great discussions, especially since these guys have probably seen hundreds or thousands of engagements come through their store.” Josh, I am so proud of you, you are doing exactly what we’ve been telling all of these filmmakers to do. Tie it to a product. The FilmFellas type show for Jewelers is going to be a huge success. People are clamoring for information about buying a ring. It has to be the best kept secret since the beginning of time. Look at what you are doing at 17, I can’t even imagine where you will be in a few years but a job at Zacuto is available if you want it, doing exactly this!!!

For more info on Where To Get Engaged, Inc., visit http://www.wheretogetengaged.com/

Zacuto Night at the Midwest Independent Film Festival in Chicago!

2009-05-04T13:56:00.007-05:00

On May 5, the Midwest Independent Film Festival will be holding pre-show festivities showcasing Zacuto's lastest and greatest filmmaking innovations from NAB '09. When doors open at 6pm at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N Clark, moviegoers will have exclusive access to Zacuto's cutting-edge technology, as well as the opportunity to chat with Zacuto's Steve Weiss, Jens Bogehegn, Scott Lynch, Mandy Rogers, Matt Kelly, & Joe DeJulius. The night's guests also include Panasonic's Ned Johnston!

Zacuto will have four different camera rigs on display, including their new 5DMK2 gunstock shooters. At 6:30pm, the theater will hold an invaluable panel discussion on independent filmmaking from Steve, Ned & several indie filmmakers. It's going to be an exciting evening not to be missed!

While tickets for the screening of Baby on Board has sold out, if you would like to attend the independent filmmaking panel and get a look at the newest generation of Zacuto equipment you can email Jessi@zacuto.com.

NAB 2009 Post Mortem

2009-04-27T09:20:00.024-05:00

NAB 2009 was crazy! Words can't describe how many people you meet and how many old friends you see. It's really a great time, and this year was especially fun. To see some of our antics, go to http://www.zacutoimages.com/p343694278

What a week, so many things to talk about, so many people met. Unfortunately, sometimes we were stuck in lengthier conversations and missed some key people. Sorry guys. On a positive note, our little Zwing-Away won a DV.com Black Diamond Award: http://zacuto.blogspot.com/2009/04/zacutos-zwing-away-wins-award.html I really owe a lot to Jens for coordinating this NAB, unbelievable job. He not only had our booth to set up, but we had Zacuto camera packages in 20 other booths like Panasonic, JVC, Canon, Manfrotto, Sachtler, Nebtek, AJA, Telecast Fiber, AbelCineTech, B&H Photo, TV Logic, Genius, Cartoni, Flanders Scientific, Ikan and more.

I got to see my friend Philip Bloom, that was nice. He made daily videos of all the antics that happened at NAB, and they are hysterical: http://philipbloomblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/blooms-daily-video-blog-from-the-usavegas/#comment-92 Phil and I are working on a new webisodic series that will be coming out in the next few months. Stay tuned, it's going to be really cool!

I also got to see my buddy Joe Stunzi. All of our friends from our dealer in the UK, CVP Mitcorp, Dennis, Darren, James, Yevgeny and the gang including Philip Bloom, Tom Guilmette, Jens and I, all had dinner Wednesday night in what was dubbed, "Steak and ?" Let's just say it was a night they won't soon forget. I saw Chris Hurd and John Harms from DVinfo.net, and spent some time with DP Tom Guilmette. I heard about him but never met him before, he's a real nice guy. Jarred and I caught up, and talked about Zacuto making some parts for the RED. Z-RED arms to be specific. Feel free to contact Jared and ask him about it.

I saw David Cox and Bob Carr from Sachtler and met the new CEO of Vitek group. I really hit it off with Kevin Shahinian and Patrick Moreau from Still Motion, two wedding filmmakers and both incredible artists with a camera (I think we have a bromance going). These guys are coming to Chicago to be in the upcoming FilmFellas series dedicated to wedding filmmaking. I saw my cousin Gary Zacuto, from Shoreline Studios in Santa Monica. He loved our hats and took a bunch back to our distant Zacuto relatives in CA. I talked with Tom Breza from Panasonic (I didn't know he was such a deep guy who's really into history). I talked with Jan Crittenden from Panasonic, always great to see her.

I also met Dennis Wood from Cinevate, I only knew him from that great video made by StillMotion of him and his company. He is actually that nice guy you see in the video, we had a great talk and found out we have a lot in common. We both have 5 year olds, we both make camera accessories, our engineers are both Polish and his engineer may be related to my wife, we are checking on it. Anyway's it was a pleasure to meet him. Speaking of DOF adapters, we are a dealer for the Cinemek G35 DOF adpater and we had Jon Hauser showing off his Cinemek G35 DOF adapter in our booth, also a great guy, and it was very helpful having him answering questions. He definitely hit it off with our our German dealer BPM, and I'm sure we will seeing G35's in Hamburg soon.

Certainly, one of the hot items at the show was the Ki Pro Digital IO from AJA. Jens had some conversations with John and Gary at AJA about creating a handheld setup for the hot new IO. Stay tuned, we'll have them shortly. I talked with Akira from our Japanese dealer Nobby Tech. He's going to make FilmFellas in Japanese for their website. I hope he can find and cast a pompous ass in Japan to voice over me. Can't wait to see that!

I met with our dealers from Germany BPM, great guys, told them our running joke (from The Right Stuff): "Our Germans are better than your Germans." They didn't get it. You guys have to see that movie! I met Larry Jordan while doing his show, Production Buzz. I've done interviews with him in the past but it was always over the phone. It was nice to meet him in person. I saw friends James Mather and Simon from Digital Cinema Society, and did a video interview with them too. check it out: http://www.digitalcinemasociety.org/Popup.php?video=Zacuto_NAB09.mov

I talked with someone (can't remember his name, maybe he'll send me an e-mail) who dressed up an HPX500 with Zacuto gear as a prop in the 20th Century Fox film, All About Steve. It comes out in September, and stars Sandra Bullock as a woman who follows around a CNN cameraman who she falls in love with. The film should be laden with Zacuto gear in various shots, can't wait to see that. Robert Primes, ASC, visited our booth and had a long conversation with Jens. Wow. There was some talk of him maybe being on FilmFellas, wouldn't that be a coup! Also, Zacuto gear was talked about for outfitting EX3's for his Master's class.

I saw R.W. Horton and Robert Leach from Screen Magazine. We would like to thank Eric Widding from Birger Engineering for lending us his Birger mount for our display. We also gave him one of our Ztudio mounts, which allow the ET EVF mount the height it needs to not bang into the Birger antenna on the RED camera. Thanks to Chris Gearhart for loaning us his RED camera for NAB. Many people asked if it was our camera, and I told them it was yours. Thanks buddy. I was very impressed with all of these Bogen reps: Ron Bender, Chuck Newell and Dave Erikson. They want to put our Gunstock Shooters in photo stores. Sounds good to me.

I met with and was very impressed with twin brothers Philip Adrain Booth & Christopher Saint Booth and the stellar work they are doing. These guys are really shooters. They do television but with the look of a Francis Ford Coppola picture. It's called "Spooked TV" and it's on the Sci Fi channel, you've got to see it. I unfortunately missed Daniel Berube from Boston Final Cut User Group. I would have really liked to have met him. They are big fans of FilmFellas. I also missed Casey Warren & Steven Dempsey. Bummer. He was too bashful to interrupt me and say hi! I'm definitely doing some articles with http://www.digitaljournalist.org/ PF Bentley and Dirck Halstead, who are going to review some Zacuto RED products. Cool.

I spent a lot of time with our dealer in Ecuador, Veinco, Ricardo Veintimila. We are going to be stepping it up big time in South America this year. I picked up a dealer in Peru, Ronald Bello. I had dinner with the guys from Genus, Anthony, Mark, Steve, Andrew and Katrina. Pro Video Coalition and I talked about creating a show for them. That could be fun, I'm excited about that. Josef from Adorama stopped by, he's going to get us online really soon. Emad Hassan Mahmoud and I agreed he would be our dealer in Egypt. I did an interview with Christoph Harrer, a nice guy making videos for German http://www.film-tv.video.de/. He and I really hit it off.

FilmFellas editor Ed Pickart and cast member Peter Hawley were at our booth. I talked to some HV20 user for a long time about starting a new gear expo Bill Strehl. I saw Ross and Clint from Ikan, and Pete, Steve, Rich, Frank and Toni from Abel. I also met Tony's brother, a DP. I said hello to Kevin Reagan and Juda from B&H, and also Roberto Candiani, Sulekh and Sujit Agrawal. I know I'm leaving a million people out. Sorry, but it was a bit overwhelming.

All in all, a great show! It was wonderful catching up with friends and colleagues. Thanks to our whole Zacuto staff who worked night and day to really make it a great show.
Viva Zacuto @ NAB 2009
Steve

Bloomfest 3 Winner: Neil Dankoff

2009-04-24T09:28:00.009-05:00

On January 27, I posted a blog detailing the third filmmaking competition from my friend Philip Bloom. His guidelines for filmmakers interested in submitting their work to "Bloomfest 3: I Love Movies" were as follows: it had to be a narrative running no longer than three minutes that referenced a popular movie without the use of copyrighted imagery. Toronto filmmaker Neil Dankoff entered two films into the competition, and they ended up winning first and second place in the people's vote contest. His prize from Zacuto was $500 worth of our products, and he chose our original gunstock shooter. Exposure Room hosted the competition, and all the winning films can still be viewed at the website: http://exposureroom.com/contests/display.aspx/1/

Neil's company, Reaction Studio, started out doing photography for summer camps seven years ago. Though he had no formal training, Neil's business has flourished. He eventually took up video as a hobby, and started producing films for the camps that encapsulated their summertime activities. It was soon after he purchased his Sony EX1 that Neil stumbled upon the Bloomfest 3 contest online, and discovered that it would fit perfectly with his latest project.

"I've been doing these Bar Mitzvah tribute videos," Neil said. "where I find out what the kid's interested in, I'll write a script and have his friends and family act it out. I was already going to make films for my nephews, so I decided to make them within the guidelines of the contest."

His nephew Adam starred in Mind Over Matter, an elegant and wordless take-off on Cast Away, which placed second. But it was his outrageous comedy, Sucks To Be a Man, that took top prize. Featuring a subtle reference to Into the Wild, the film stars Neil's nephew Ryan on the eve of his Bar Mitzvah, who (in keeping with family tradition) embarks on a fifteen mile trip through the woods in order to prove his manhood. The screwball plot coils and overlaps upon itself, requiring some scenes to be shot from multiple viewpoints in a style reminiscent of "Arrested Development." Ryan's family members gamely play exaggerated versions of themselves. Neil noted that Ryan especially wanted to poke fun at his "eccentric rabbi and fashion-loving sister." Check out the film at http://www.vimeo.com/groups/bloomfest3/videos/3600017

Neil admitted that he is so new to the business that he's didn't even know what a follow focus was before he went on the Zacuto website. He often searches online for filmmaking ideas and tips, and says that he was greatly helped by Zacuto's "FilmFellas" web series.

"That show was one of the first things I had watched upon entering the contest," Neil said, "and it gave me guidelines of how to go about making it. When they said [in the webisode], 'content is king,' that gave me confidence to not worry about my video skills so much as get my story across. For a guy like me who has no formal training whatsoever, that's the kind of stuff we crave to find on the Internet."

For information on Reaction Studio, visit http://www.reactionstudio.ca/

Zacuto's Zwing-Away Wins Award!

2009-04-23T13:09:00.013-05:00

Hey everyone! I've got some exciting news to share with you from NAB. Yesterday, DV Magazine announced the twenty recipients of its Black Diamond Award, which recognizes the best products making their debut at the NAB show. With 27 new Zacuto products on display, we had plenty of worthy candidates, and the panel of judges chose our Zwing-Away adapter!

I'm not sure who thought up the original concept for the Zwing-Away, though I remember receiving an e-mail after NAB 2008 from someone suggesting the creation of a swing away bracket. My cousin in LA, DP Daniel Herman, mentioned it to us too, and Jens thinks I was talking about it over a year ago. Everyone deserves some credit for it, and I want to thank DV Magazine for this honor! We are very proud of our little Zwing-Away

The Zwing Away Adapter is lightweight (weighing only 6.75 oz), inexpensive and easy to use. It attaches to any 15mm lightweight rods, and can attach any lightweight matte box to the Zwing Away adapter rods, thus allowing the matte box to swing-away.

You can check out our video demonstration of the Zwing Away at http://www.vimeo.com/2441623. We also have two video testimonials for the product from Steadicam operator/blogger Jeff Anderson at http://vimeo.com/3004312, and DP Philip Bloom at http://vimeo.com/2603241.

Our Zwing-Away is available for purchase at our store: http://store.zacuto.com/zwing-away-adapter.html

Z-Kudos Award Winner #3: Matthew Brown

2009-04-23T11:43:00.008-05:00

Our third winner of the Z-Kudos Award is a Seattle filmmaker whose experimental shorts on Vimeo blew me away. Using only an HV30, Matthew turns handheld footage of ordinary locations into extraordinary cinematic montages. The color, texture, screen direction, music, sound effects, editing and grading in these videos are all marvelous. For proving to us all that it's skill, and not equipment, that makes a great filmmaker, I've awarded Matthew $500 worth of Zacuto products. Congratulations, Matthew Brown!

After graduating from the Art Institute of Seattle, where he majored in film production, Matthew has been making montages of various trips and places near his town in order to keep his artistic inspiration ignited. After purchasing the HV30, he hasn't been able to put it down. His avid interest in sound design, as well as his admiration of various filmmakers, comes through strongly in his work.

In his official music video for Efterklang's song "Doppelganger," Matthew combines vivid imagery with abstract sounds in a style reminiscent of David Lynch. Another video intriguingly juxtaposes sun-drenched footage of children on an Easter egg hunt with the sinister tones of J. Ralph's song "Horse Falls" (which was memorably featured in the trailer for Doubt). And for his brother's southern-style wedding, Matthew edited the footage with a kinetic rhythm worthy of Danny Boyle, while boldly using A.R. Rahman's Oscar-winning song "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortuantely, Matthew found that he can't please everyone.

"[My family] hated the video," Matthew laughs, "they said it was insulting. I thought it would be cool to do a crazy contrast with this hick wedding and music from the Far East. I had just seen Slumdog, and told everyone at the wedding that they should see it. But they were the type of conservative people who care about movies like Paul Blart, and were like, 'I'm not going to watch an Indian movie!' But they can dislike my video, that's fine with me."

Matthew has vowed to make a series of short films which he will later compile into a feature. His first one, entitled "Aphids," is set to be completed next month. But regardless of what project he's making, Matthew confesses that he is obsessed with filming any subject that is in motion. He'll contort his body, and even hang out of his friend's car, in order to capture the perfect moving image.

"I'm very much in love with movement in film," Matthew said. "I'm not a fan of filming still images because I might as well take a picture instead. If I'm shooting a landscape, I feel like I have to move my body in order to make [the image] move. I've recently developed a tai chi movement with my body, where I'm able to move my legs and waist so my arms can stay still in order to keep the camera stabilized."

For his Z-Kudos award, Matthew chose our gunstock shooter. I assured him that it would help him greatly with the run n' gun type shooting that he clearly favors. Matthew says he's excited to use it, since he's had trouble manuevering with the camera equipment he's used in the past. After watching our instructional videos for the gunstock shooter, he said it looked like Zacuto "would be a great fit for him."

Check out Matthew's videos at http://vimeo.com/matthewbrown

NEW Zacuto Products at NAB!

2009-04-16T14:03:00.006-05:00

New Zacuto Products at NAB 2009 from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

Here is our video on the 27 new products we're unveiling at this year's NAB show in Las Vegas.

Starting April 20, nine members of our Zacuto team will be present at booth number C6348. And let me tell you, this year our booth has grown along with the variety of our products! Come check out our four new Gunstock Shooters, which come equipped with our optical viewfinder and are set to change the way DSLR's will be used from this point forward. The Z-Grips Beefy are the most adjustable, heavy duty handgrips that money can buy. The ZRED Zwivel is the most inexpensive and rock solid EVF adapter on the market. The Zephyr300 and Zephyr700 are the only support plates available to respectively fit the HPX300 and the JVC700 cameras. These are just a few of the groundbreaking products, old and new, that Zacuto will be bringing to NAB.

We also will be welcoming some special guests to our booth. On April 20, come meet memebers of FilmFellas Cast 1: Peter Hawley (1-3pm) and Philip Bloom (2-4pm). On April 21, meet Cinemek rep Jonathan Houser (11am-1pm) and Zeiss rep Rick Schleuning. We look forward to seeing you all there for what is sure to be our most exciting NAB show yet!

FilmFellas: Webisode 8

2009-04-16T13:50:00.004-05:00

I am proud to announce the premiere of our eighth FilmFellas webisode. It continues my conversation with independent filmmakers Joe Swanberg (Kissing on the Mouth, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Alexander the Last), Susan Buice (Four Eyed Monsters) and Kris Williams ("Young American Bodies").

This time, we discuss the current breakdown of studios systems claiming to distribute "independent films." Susan and I pose the first question of the webisode by discussing what should be the first priority of filmmakers: making great art or creating a business model. Our debate turns toward studios as we ask who's freaking out during the economic crisis: Hollywood or independent filmmakers? Joe succinctly offers his view by explaining that it's the specialty divisions of mainstream studios designed to make independent films that are being destroyed. This FilmFellas cast had such a fascinating discussion that four webisodes weren't enough to fit all the good stuff! Stay tuned for Joe, Kris and Susan to return for one final webisode on May 1, before being replaced by our next cast.

Check out the new show at http://vimeo.com/4076716

NEW DSLR Gunstock Shooters!

2009-04-08T11:06:00.017-05:00

We are so excited to announce to announce the release of our brand new DSLR Gunstock Shooters, which are locked, loaded and ready to fire at this year's NAB Show!

After six months of using DSLR's, we're taking the next evolutionary step by changing the way DSLR cameras will be used from this point forward. These Shooters work like standard video cameras and can rest at the users side (in "ready position") before switching to "shooting position" in seconds! They weigh only seven pounds, and provide up to five points of contact, making them perfect for run n' gun type shooting. They also come equipped with the Z-Finder, Zacuto's Optical Viewfinder, which creates the correct form factor for precision focus. It provides 3x focusable magnification, an eyecup preventing extraneous light leakage, and is custom-fit for 76mm diag. LCD screens.

Zacuto offers four different kinds of DSLR Gunstock Shooters: the Sharp Shooter (our entry-level Shooter), the Marksmen (which adds the Gunstock), the Sniper (which adds the Z-Focus and lens gears), and the Precision Shooter (which gives users the ability to mount and power an on-board monitor). All Shooters use our height adjustable Mini Baseplate and the Manfrotto Quick Release Plate, and can be used with any 15mm lightweight accessories, follow focuses and matte boxes. They can also be used with or without our optional 3.4 Ibs counterbalance, the Z-Lite weight, and come equipped with a shoulder strap for comfortable all-day carrying. Best of all, the DSLR Gunstock Shooters are universal for all cameras!

Check out my new video posted below for a detailed analysis and in-depth visual demonstration of the Shooters. If you'd like to purchase a DSLR Gunstock Shooter at our store, go to http://store.zacuto.com/DSLR-Gunstock-Shooter-Kits/

Introducing the DSLR Gunstock Shooters from Steve Weiss, Zacuto USA on Vimeo.

FilmFellas: Webisode 7

2009-04-01T15:11:00.004-05:00

I am proud to announce the premiere of our seventh FilmFellas webisode, which finds the cast more passionate (and opinionated) than ever. It continues my conversation with independent filmmakers Joe Swanberg (Kissing on the Mouth, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Alexander the Last), Susan Buice (Four Eyed Monsters), and Kris Swanberg (Young American Bodies, It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home).

This time, we grapple with the challenge of making movies that are both artful and profitable. Conflict arises right at the start, as Kris and I argue about whether a film should be like a "military operation" or an open "discussion." Joe and Kris discuss their loose production processes, Susan reveals her problem with corporate sponsors, and I explain my belief that every business in America should have a television program. In response to viewer requests, I've increased the length of each webisode, allowing them to delve even deeper into the heart of each issue.

Check out the show at: http://vimeo.com/zacutousa

Zacuto Zelebrity: Andrew Poland

2009-03-26T11:22:00.010-05:00

Every film production is an education for the people involved. What makes the new feature film Trailerpark so special is the fact that it's being made by students at Ohio University, as part of an advanced narrative production class. Their teacher, Frederick Lewis, obtained the shooting rights for Russell Banks' acclaimed 1981 short story collection of the same name. The film has been in production since the winter quarter of last year, and is due to have a premiere screening for the university on June 7, before playing at the Lake Placid Film Festival in New York.

"It's a very exciting opportunity to be a student working in a professional environment and getting to see how a set is run," said director of photography Andrew Poland.

The project presented various daunting challenges, with intersecting plotlines balancing thirteen lead roles, and requiring key scenes to be shot on a frozen lake and around a burning trailer. The students built their own trailer park ten miles from the university, and got access to nine mobile home trailers. Poland and his peers developed a specific shooting style within each of the characters' trailers, and enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with various film techniques. Yet Poland knew early on that cquiring the necessary gear to shoot the project would be a nightmare.

"I knew that with the gear our school had, it would be incredibly difficult borrowing the needed equipment from friends," Poland said. "I'm a college student, so I have to make difficult decisions everyday paying for lunch and dinner. And when I got in contact with Steve [Weiss], he was gracious enough to lease us a full Zacuto (DOF documentary) package for the duration of our production, and it's been absolutely amazing. The versatility of the equipment has proven to be wonderful in time pinches. If we're moving from trailer to trailer, [we can] change the size of the rig based on the size of the space that we're working in. We can take half of the rig off and it's still just as effective as the full rig."

For more information on Trailerpark, including links to behind the scenes footage, visit http://trailerparkmovie.com/

Zacuto Zelebrity: Steve Naughton

2009-03-24T14:05:00.005-05:00

Filmmaker Steve Naughton has found a piece of adrenaline-pumping Americana that he can’t wait to put on a film screen. His documentary, Crandon: The Small Town with the Big Time Racing, tells the story of a tight-knit community that has become the Daytona of short-course off-road racing. While the population of Crandon, WI. only numbers at 1,900, the races attract around 40,000 people each year. And Naughton claims that all 1,900 citizens have either raced or are related to people who have raced.

“Even the town mayor is a former racer,” Naughton said. “He raced at Crandon for ten years, and the guy that’s running against him in the re-election raced against him.”

Apart from producing and directing duties, Naughton also shot the film guerilla-style with cinematographers Mike Flores and Jimmy Cook, who were fearless in capturing the most exciting footage possible. Naughton also shot interviews with racing legends including Walker Evans, Ricky Johnson and NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. For the project, Naughton purchased a customized Sony XDCAM EX1 DOF Letus Extreme package from Zacuto, which included all the parts except for the EX1. After getting up-close and personal with the speeding vehicles, and cleaning the debris off his camera equipment with a vacuum, Naughton says that his Zacuto gear held up perfectly.

“If Zacuto equipment can make it through a short course off-road race with trucks flying 150 feet through the air while spraying dirt and rocks everywhere, they can hold up to anything,” Naughton said. “I’ve brought this equipment to several different races, and it still works like brand new. Zacuto stands up to the strongest, most extreme elements that you can put it through. If you want good-quality equipment that allows you to take risks, you want Zacuto.”

Check out the film’s trailer at http://www.vimeo.com/3455545

Z-Kudos Award-Winner #2: Mike Prevette

2009-03-23T12:19:00.018-05:00

Z-Kudos Award Winner #1: Jeremy McDermott

2009-03-12T16:17:00.016-05:00

Meet the first winner of our new Z-Kudos Award, which I present to an up-and-coming filmmaker whose work I admire. The award is $750 worth of Zacuto products chosen by the recipient. I discovered Jeremy’s work when I watched his latest short film on Vimeo, the low-budget action extravaganza Pipeline Episode 2. The film is a follow-up to McDermott’s short Pipeline: Retribution, which was a submission in the IFC-sponsored filmmaking contest for the game “Assassin’s Creed.”

Jeremy shot, wrote and edited the film, while his brother (and frequent collaborator) Thomas served as screenwriter and executive producer. The film was a decided departure for both men, who consider themselves “cerebral drama guys.”

“We created an action movie with no real action in it,” Jeremy said. “We only had a couple weeks to make the film, and we literally shot ninety percent of it in my condo.” Yet judges were impressed with their work, and the film placed second in the contest, receiving airplay on IFC and awarding McDermott $2,500. His next move: keep making movies!

“I wanted to keep shooting and make more mistakes before my brother and I moved on to our feature,” Jeremy said. “I thought we should try for something bigger than we’ve ever done, which meant acquiring locations that we hadn’t arranged before, and working with more actors and logistical problems.”

The result was Pipeline: Episode 2, which packs wall-to-wall, gun-toting action into its second half. Jeremy notes that at least half of the film’s impact is due to the intricate sound design by Diego Jimenez. I thought the work from all departments was first rate: excellent camera work, sound, editing, music, efx. Check out the video at http://www.vimeo.com/3180816

“I saw Steve on Vimeo, sent him the film, and wasn’t even expecting a response,” Jeremy said. “It was supercool to get [the award], especially since we had literally just finished the film. It was great to tell the cast and crew that somebody who has been in the business and is working with independent filmmakers, saw our film, said that we did a good job and wants to give us something.”

Jeremy plans to purchase a better shoulder mount with the award money. His film company, McDermott Productions, specializes in both Corporate & Commercial video production and independent film production. For more information, visit http://www.mcdprod.com/.

Meet the NEW FilmFellas!

2009-03-11T15:17:00.007-05:00

We at Zacuto are so excited about our new cast of FilmFellas (and FilmDames)! Joe Swanberg, Susan Buice and Kris Williams are three bold young filmmakers whose debut work at the 2005 South By Southwest festival inspired the press to create the term "Mumblecore." Swanberg's Kissing On The Mouth and Buice's Four Eyed Monsters were both personal portraits of twentysomething life that captured the nuances of a generation with a naturalistic style both honest and audacious. After directing episodes of her husband Swanberg's online series "Young American Bodies," Williams is premiering her feature debut, It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home, at this year's South By Southwest festival. I am thrilled to have them join me for the second installment of "FilmFellas," which released the first of its four webisodes on March1.

Our latest webisode, premiering March 15, is the hottest one to date! Our candid discussion leads the young filmmakers to reveal their desires and passions as artists. While they insist that they only create art for themselves, I eventually get them to reveal their own use of focus groups, comprised of close friends and festival audiences. I also argue that Hollywood has missed the boat by not marketing films that speak to the current generation. Susan's concluding remark deftly summarizes her fellow peers' philosophy: "You want your film to be the strongest it can be for the people who should want to see it."

No filmmaker or film buff can afford to miss this great show! Tune in at http://vimeo.com/zacutousa#3558078

NEW Panasonic HPX300 Camera

2009-02-24T14:33:00.006-06:00

We were lucky enough to get the Panasonic HPX300 brought to Zacuto by Ned Johnston the Midwest Sales Manager for Panasonic. The HPX300 is going to be a hot camera. This is a 1080p 10 bit ENG camera including a Fujinon 17x lens for street price of around $8500. This camera can shoot in every format including Panasonic AVC-intra codec. What’s really unique is the form factor, a professional grade, shoulder mount camera (just like the HPX500) especially at this price point. Wow, this is really going to put Panasonic back in the game against the EX3!

So we talked Ned and John Terendy (Chicago DP) into being in a video with Jens and myself. Watch the discussion about the pros and cons of this new camera, see a same scene direct comparison with the EX3 and determine if it is the camera for you. Ned, Jens, John and I answer these questions; What is AVC-intra codec? Who is this camera for? Can I use it for digital cinematography? Can I get mount all of my accessory gear to it including a DOF adapter? And much more!?

Introducing the Panasonic HPX300

Zacuto Zelebrity : A Zacuto Product Enthusiast

2009-02-17T16:12:00.003-06:00

Ted Kuzemski from Victoria B.C., Canada has worked for more than twenty years as a cinematographer in film, television and as a still photographer for print and digital media. Recently, Jens has worked with Ted to build a customized rig for his needs. Ted was extremely pleased with it and sent Jens some shots of his rig to date, along with an impressive quote about his Zacuto Universal Baseplate and Zonitor Handheld Kit.

As a director of photography, a quick universal system like this is very important to me. I have so far shot for 3 different clients that have utilized high definition video and stills on the same shoot. The 5dMKII and the Zacuto rig have allowed me to use the same camera for capturing both high end video for broadcast and stills large enough for outdoor billboards and busboards. This is opening a lot of doors for me. Thanks for taking the time to help me put together a system that really works!! Cheers, Ted

Ted's Rig

Check out Ted Kuzemski website
Ted Kuzemski Photography
www.kuzemski.com

Cheers to you Ted!!!

Zacuto Zelebrity : A Zacuto Product Enthusiast

2009-02-16T16:20:00.000-06:00

Ricky Montalvo from San Francisco, California is a multimedia producer, photographer and digital filmmaker. He works for Yahoo! Studios and after using a few of Zacuto’s products he had these great things to say:

Steve,

Thanks for the kit. I assembled it today and wow, that was easy. There weren’t any instructions in the box which caused me some concern but I assembled the unit without any. I think it’s testament to what an intuitive and easy to use product this is.

I’m taking it to the field this weekend and on a few shoots we’re doing in Seattle in early Feb. I’ll keep you posted on our results.

Thanks,
Ricky Montalvo
Video Producer, Y! Studios
“Lights, camera, Yahoo!”

Check out Ricky's DSLR film, Boulder, CO on Vimeo. He shot the film using a Nikon D90 with a Zacuto DSLR rig.

Thanks Ricky! Best of luck with your shoots and keep us posted!

The FilmFellas- Webisode 4

2009-02-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

It's time to pay the check on cast one. In webisode 4 “Right Direction”, Phillip Bloom quickly stirs up the round table conversation by stating “If you think people are going to employ you because you got gear, you’re maybe going to get a few jobs, but they will never employ you again.” The Fellas and me also discuss different ways films can be constructed, directing styles, screen direction, camera movement and the benefits of creating your own style. Steven Dadouche brings up the point that a good director should have a general knowledge of every department, especially knowing how the story will be pieced together in post. Peter Hawley follows up with stressing the importance of solid collaboration, between the creative departments, to solve every film’s shooting puzzles. In the end, I leave the dinner tip for the FilmFellas “It is almost impossible to become a director and not know how the story is put together”.

Cast one’s meal is over, but that doesn’t mean the film talk is ending. Get ready for cast two starring Joe Swanberg, Kris Williams, Susan Buice and I. Webisode 5 premieres on March 1st and it's going to be a bumpy ride, there could even be a food fight!

Check Please!

Become a FilmFellas fan on Facebook!
www.filmfellas.tv

Letus35 2/3” B4 Compact Relay lens

2009-02-12T10:50:00.006-06:00

With the introduction of the Letus35 2/3” B4 Compact Relay lens, Zacuto USA is now the premiere dealer giving independent filmmakers all of the components for an affordable depth of field (DOF) shooting system on a 2/3” camera. Up until now, 2/3” cameras have been primarily relegated to news, broadcast, sports and corporate work, but have been too expensive for the indie film spectrum.

I talked to Hien, Letus35 owner, over a year ago about the idea of creating a cost effective way to attach his popular Letus35 DOF adapters to a 2/3” camera. Previously, you really only had one option for shallow Depth of Field and that was the P+S Techniks which is really out of most people’s price range. I prefer working with an ENG camera because of better audio control, monitor outputs, durability, balance, expanded menu options, better control of the color plus a whole lot more. What’s amazing now is that you can get all of the components you need including 4 Zeiss ZF prime lenses for $9-$11,000 complete. That’s less than the cost of one HD lens and really affordable!!!

2/3" B4 Mount DOF Kit Components:
1. Letus35 2/3” B4 relay lens
2. Letus35 DOF adapter (Extreme, Elite & Ultimate)
3. Zacuto 2/3” camera kits (Docu, Cine or Indie)
4. Zeiss ZF optics

The new Zacuto 2/3” B4 Mount DOF Kits: Cine, Docu, and the Indie are universal and quick-releasable. The kits are essentials because of the weight and size of the Letus35 B4 relay lens, Letus35 adapter and lenses. It also serves as a platform for mounting your follow focus, matte box and lens support. When you purchase a Zacuto 2/3” B4 Camera Kit, get 5% off the Letus35 B4 Lens. See our new video “Introducing 2/3” B4 Cinematography” and check out how it all works together: http://store.zacuto.com/Letus-2/3-B4-Compact-Relay-Lens.html

Introducing 2/3" B4 Cinematography

All About Zacuto

2009-02-05T16:20:00.010-06:00

20th Century Fox has a new picture out on March 6th called, “All About Steve” a 40 million dollar romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Thomas Haden Church, Bradley Cooper & yours truly Zacuto. Sandra Bullock plays an eccentric crossword puzzler who is convinced that a CNN redubbed (CCN) cameraman is her true love and trails him as he travels all over the country, hoping to convince him that they belong together.

OK here’s the cool part, about two years ago I was contacted by 20th Century Fox to accessorize Thomas Haden Church’s CNN Panasonic HPX500 camera with Zacuto products. I have to admit I never thought Zacuto products would be in front of the camera, but here is our big on-screen debut. For me it's always all about Steve...Steve Weiss’s Zacuto camera parts. Make sure you check out Zacuto's first character appearance!!!

All About Steve Movie Trailer

The CNN Panasonic HPX500 camera with Zacuto products in action

Click here for more about Steve

Zacuto on Facebook!

2009-02-02T14:14:00.008-06:00

Check out the FilmFellas Fan Page on Facebook for all of the webisodes and behind the scene pictures. Let's even try to stir up some film discussions or add me as a friend and get all the latest news about Zacuto and more!

Facebook Fan Page

The FilmFellas - Webisode 3

2009-02-01T14:00:00.003-06:00

The four course webisodic meal is almost over, but the film chatter is far from complete. The boys and I are back at the table and this time in webisode three, "Content is King" we will finish our conversation about the benefits of the internet for new filmmakers and begin to breakdown the pros and cons of the using the net as a tool to evolve productions, whether to buy or rent equipment and how to differentiate yourself as a newcomer in the film industry.

When it comes down to solving the secret of how to launch your successful career on the internet, I'll tell you one thing, “It’s called being good!”

The first series of FilmFellas cast one will be paying the check on February 15th with the fourth and final webisode. On March 1^st a whole new cast arrives for dinner. I do a complete 180 and I have invited three very influential filmmakers to dinner, Joe Swanberg, Kris Williams and Susan Buice.

These filmmakers have different ideas about filmmaking then I do, but after our conversation I understand a whole lot more about them and their work. Look out Hollywood, these kids are serious filmmakers. Major themes talked about in FilmFellas Cast Two are: Mumblecore, do Kris, Joe and Susan speak for their generation, many kinds of distribution, making a living as a filmmaker, business models for the internet, what is art, marketing, why they do what they do, even Kris’ ice cream making. All I can say is...riveting

www.filmfellas.tv

Zacuto Zelebrity: A Zacuto Product Enthusiast

2009-01-30T11:04:00.006-06:00

I was so pleased to get a note like this so I thought I would share it with you...

Dan Reid Orlando, FL

Photo by Alexandre Boyle

I am finally getting to a point in my life where I decided I needed to start to cut a reel. I was going through Kyle's footage and I noticed I had no edge to edge sharpness. I spent a couple of hours looking at all of my footage and realized I had no edge to edge sharpness. I decided to send Steve Weiss a email about getting the HVX optimization kit at the discount rate. I had orginally sent Letusdirect.com a email (about 8 months ago) and they told me I couldn't get the upgrade at the upgrade price. This was right after I got "Zacuto-ed out" last year and my bank account was almost in the negatives. The upgrade offer was long expired but Zacuto is so awesome I figured I would try, you know the expression, "If you don't try, you'll never know". Anyways I forwarded my responses from letus and asked for help. (Forgot to mention I sent this email at 9:00 PM, Any place other then Wal-Mart stay open past 8? NO)

I kid you not in less then 10 minutes latter (Could have been longer, I watched the ending of Family Guy but it was no more then 20 mins) Steve had gotten in touch with Hein (Designer and president of Letus) and made him sell me the Optimization kit for $150 AND OVERNIGHT IT FOR FREE! They don't even offer the discount rate anymore!

Has any business done that? NO! Will any other business do this? NO!

Zacuto is awsome, Steve is awesome, The staff is awesome, Zacuto makes professional products for professionals and they ARE professional.

I have about 20,000-25,000 invested into this company, this is more then I spent to buy my BMW (Got it from the dealership with warranty)! Do you think I would put that type of money in a company that wasn't worth it? No, I have high standards, ask anyone who has been on a set with me. My peers hate it but students who are professionals love me and Zacuto is one of the few companies that I haven't gotten pissed at for incompetence. If they sold "Z-ocks" (socks) I would buy them for $15 a pair, no joke, that is how impressed I am with this company.

Zacuto for life!

see my video testimonials

-Dan Reid

Bloomfest 3: "I Love Movies"

2009-01-27T14:40:00.009-06:00

I love movies & I love when Zacuto is a sponsor for such a cool event! !!!

Bloomfest 3 " I Love Movies" is my dear friend, Phillip Blooms' third competition and this time around the contest is much bigger.

For all of the aspiring filmmakers out there, this is your chance to create a narrative video and be rewarded for it! The narrative you create can either be fictional or non-fictional and will be judged by peers and a panel of experts. There are two chances to win a prize too. You could be the winner of best film judged by the experts or the people's vote winner. On top of it all, one of the prizes is from Zacuto !!!!

Of course there are rules and prerequisites that must be followed, so checkout www.philipbloom.co.uk or http://exposureroom.com/contests/display.aspx/1/

The contest starts on January 30th 2009, so I'd say you better catch up on your dinner dates with webisodes of the FilmFellas for some helpful tips to get you well on your way!

Zacuto Zelebrity : A Zacuto Product Enthusiast

2009-01-19T11:29:00.012-06:00

-Here at Zacuto, we love to hear when people have something zappy to say about our products and services. I think it is important to headline what are zealants are getting involved with and how our products are being put to good use. -

The first featured Zacuto enthusiast is all the way from 90210 Beverly Hills, California, Jim Krasne.

Jim purchased the Zwing-away adapter and reports:

"It works GREAT and is very well made. I am using it with a Sony XDCAM EX3 camera (with standard lens) and the new Arri MMB-1, MFF-1 and MBP-1 Mattebox-Follow Focus-Lightweight base package designed for this camera"

Here are a few photos of his rig using the Zwing-away

Not only was he zazzled by the Zwing-away, Jim states:

“Two things that stand out about Zacuto… I appreciate the design, quality and precision of Zacuto products. I am also extremely impressed by the responsiveness of Zacuto in support of its customers (me in this case), which leads me to conclude that the Zacuto people strive to define the state of the art in their products.”

Thanks Jim!

__________________________________________________________________________

2nd Serving of the Fellas

2009-01-15T13:29:00.011-06:00

In the last webisode, Web of Opportunities, Steven Dadouche’s idea of taking on other jobs in order to fund a film career was cut short, but with the release of webisode two, the Fellas begin to reminisce on their past experiences, hardships and roles as young filmmakers working in the biz. This time we discuss how important it is to utilize any avenue of learning such as; film schools, courses, mentors and the internet in order to advance your knowledge.

“Every job you do, you learn something and you become a better filmmaker” Steve Weiss, Director

If you were full of excitement from webisode one, come back for seconds as we stress that experience and time behind the camera is what counts and watch, A Reel Experience. Subscribe at http://filmfellas.tv or iTunes and immediately be informed when new shows arrive. The Fellas will return on February 1st with an all new webisode.

A Zacuto Production

Mumblecore and more!

2009-01-11T18:47:00.010-06:00

Cast and crew from left: Chef Joe Dugan, Jens Bogehegn, Scott Lynch, Matt Kelly, Dawn Triplett, Patrick Fee, Kris Williams, Joe Swanberg, Susan Buice, Joe DeJulius & Steve Weiss

This past Friday Jan. 9th, we shot FilmFellas Cast Two webisodes with Joe Swanberg, Kris Williams & Susan Buice. Wow. You couldn’t tell when the cameras were on or off, conversation started when everyone arrived and continued when everyone left. In my case, it went on when I came home and re-described everything to my wife. It couldn’t have gone smoother. The crew was amazing and somehow figured out how to add a 6th camera on a crane to capture some booming movement. Can’t wait to add that in the edit. I commend Jens and his crew because it’s very hard to shoot simultaneously with 6 cameras, one of them circling around the table and not see the cameras in the final edit. Kudos guys/gals!

I must say that of all of the people I’ve interviewed, including Rudy Giuliani, Mayor Daley, heads of corporations, Peter Drucker and even a Sir (knighted individual who will remain nameless), I think I enjoyed this the most. It just flowed and these Mumblecore folks are far from anything mumble at all. That is the wrong name for them because they are a very passionate, articulate group that speaks to a generation. They have different ideas about filmmaking then I do but after our conversation, I understand a whole lot more about them and their work. Look out Hollywood, these kids are serious filmmakers. Major themes talked about in FilmFellas Cast Two are: Mumblecore, do Kris, Joe and Susan speak for their generation, many kinds of distribution, making a living as a filmmaker, business models for the internet, what is art, marketing, why they do what they do, even Kris’ ice cream making. You won't want to miss this.
The first of these Cast Two webisodes premieres, March 1st with previews coming shortly at http://filmfellas.tv/.

Viva FilmFellas,

Steve

P.S.
The Fellas return January 15th with a new part to their webisode series!

FilmFellas is Here!

2008-12-30T15:48:00.018-06:00

“As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a filmmaker”, if this is your mantra, then you’ve got to see FilmFellas! Zacuto is excited to announce their new webisodic series, FilmFellas. A behind the scenes peek featuring influential and emerging new filmmakers who are making, creating and challenging the independent film scene and how we view entertainment. Follow this continuing series, you won’t want to miss a webisode as the cast and topics change. Watch in full screen HD at zacutovideo.com with new webisodes premiering every two weeks. Producers Jens Bogehegn & Scott Lynch and myself sit down and dine with industry movers and shakers where talking film is their family business.

“I have been in search of programming that gets to the heart of my industry, one that I’ve been a part of since I’ve been a kid.”, Steve Weiss, Director

FilmFellas, a Zacuto production presented in conjunction with Vimeo.com:

Cast One: FILM SCHOOL AND BEYOND
A four part series premiering on Jan. 1 & 15, Feb. 1 & 15
Explores what young filmmakers need to know about film school, mentors, experience, financing, avenues of distribution, directing, styles, cameras and more.
Steve Weiss (Director, Zacuto product designer)
Philip Bloom (DoP, The Insider, If I Were Prime Minister)
Peter Hawley (Director, Chair film department, Flashpoint Academy)
Steven Dadouche (DP, Student & RED owner)

Cast Two: MUMBLECORE AND MORE
A four part series premiering on Mar. 1 & 15, Apr. 1 & 15
FilmFellas gets to the center of this independent film movement. These webisodes explore directing styles, budgets, roles, acting, paths to distribution, web business models, credit card debt and more.
Steve Weiss (Director, Zacuto product designer)
Joe Swanberg (Director, Kissing on the Mouth, Hannah Takes the Stairs)
Susan Buice (Director, Four Eyed Monsters)

Cast three:

TBD

Follow the fun, food and repartee with FilmFellas. Subscribe to the show or podcast and immediately be informed when new shows arrive. Download to your PDA or phone via iTunes or watch in full screen HD on our Vimeo Channel, http://zacutovideo.com

A Zacuto Production.

The Only Zwing That Matters

2008-12-23T12:40:00.022-06:00

Zacuto is excited to announce the highly anticipated product for 2009, the Zwing-Away. The Zwing Away adapter is light (only 6.75 oz), inexpensive and simple to use. Attach the Zwing-Away adapter to your already existing 15mm lightweight rods, mount your existing matte box to the Zwing-away adapter rods and now your matte box can swing away. Now you can ditch the idea of throwing away your current matte box because it doesn’t swing away and just purchase the Zwing-Away to achieve the swing-away design. Remember it’s all about the simple Zwings in life and keeping your matte box off the ground!

Check out the video about the Zwing-away adapter and how it all began http://store.zacuto.com/zwing-away-adapter.html

If purchased in January 2009, receive an instant $25 rebate at Zacuto or anyone of our dealers.

To see more images of Zwing-Away: http://www.zacutoimages.com/p210948776

Zacuto Holidays '08: The Meat & The Merry

2008-12-17T15:55:00.013-06:00

Check out some of the pictures from the Zacuto 2008 Holiday Party at The Erie Cafe, THE BEST steakhouse in Chicago. Boz, and the rest of the gang over at the Erie made us one heck of a party. Thanks guys.

As you can tell by these pictures, we had a great time!
P.S. I'm very full.

Zacuto's Great Camera Shootout '08 has 20,000 views!

2008-12-17T13:04:00.006-06:00

Over 20,000 views and hundreds have commented, now that's impressive.!

When we had the idea for the shootout there was no way we could predict the volume of people who would view and respond with so much enthusiasm.

So, if you haven't seen it yet, check it out now!

Here are just a few things people are saying:

"Awesome video guys. Thanks for taking the time to do this." - Jon Carr

"You Zacuto guys did a great job with this. Thanks for this opportunity to view the material. It seems all these cams have their strengths and weaknesses. " - Ian T

"I can't even begin to explain how valuable this movie was to me. I'm an aspiring filmmaker currently shooting on an 8 year old Panasonic miniDV (go figure!). Especially the discussion part (which was most of the movie) was very refreshing and informational to me. A true insight in the way pro film makers think." - Robert John Eckhardt

"You Zacuto guys did a great job with this. Thanks for this opportunity to view the material. It seems all these cams have their strengths and weaknesses. " Ivan-T

Compare all of the new HD cameras on the market to each other in a same scene comparison test. Joe Stunzi came to Chicago in hopes of making a video using the new Canon 5D Mark II and Steve Weiss, Jens Bogehegn & Scott Lynch of Zacuto all decided that another 5D MKII fluff piece is not what was needed. "We needed to see the 5DMKII in relation to other cameras.", says Steve Weiss So the "Great Camera Shootout of '08" was born.

In this video you will hear Joe, Steve, Jens & Scott discuss what they liked and disliked about each of the HD cameras and DOF adapters. This test is really for independent filmmakers and web cinematographers who are creating content with the look and feel of a 35mm motion picture. See a same shot comparison of: 35mm motion picture, RED, EX3, HVX200, HPX170, HPX3000, Sony EX3, Nikon D90, Canon 5D Mark II, Letus35 Ultimate and Elite DOF adapters, Redrock and more. Follow a discussion by four filmmakers ranging in age from 18-46. They discuss what's best. You won’t believe the conclusions.