I'm an advertising photographer based in Los Angeles, California. My mission is to create striking advertising photography, corporate photography and editorial photography of people for major advertising agencies, fortune 500 corporations and major magazines. I shoot photography and video assignments throughout California including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego as well as the rest of the world. As a photo educator I am happy to share my unique vision and methods. I'm currently teaching classes at Santa Monica College in video production for professional photographers and photography students.
Thursday August 12, Brooks Institute of Photography hosted my Secrets of Video Production on what turned out to be one of the first truly sunny summer days this season. Both students and a large number of faculty attended my presentation held in one of the school’s spacious studios. The theme was tabletop so I was able to spotlight the Indisliderpro with the Manfrotto 501 fluid head supported on Manfrotto 536 MPRO legs. Everyone was impressed with how sturdy and versatile the IndisliderPro was both when mounted on the Manfrotto legs and when placed right on the tabletop. Everyone appreciated the value of the False Color and Peaking filters of the Marshall’s monitor and enjoyed being able to see what was going on as some of the students tried out the techniques I presented. RedRockMicro’s support system and microFollowFocus was instrumental in demonstrating techniques like rack focus. The cucaloris effect of the Chimera Window Patterns added life to both the background of some setups and dappled light directly on one setup illustrating a push-in technique with the Indisliderpro. The LEDs from Litepanels were used as both main sources and kickers along with both the Lastolite Triflip and Skylite light modifiers.
Indislider Pro
Everything was shot to a RAW 16GB CF card and down loaded through the high speed RAW Firewire card reader on to LaCie harddrives supporting editing in Final Cut Pro on MacBook Pro. Along with demonstrating a number of tabletop shooting situations, I had enough time to show a very basic NLE workflow. Student received a Sonicfire Pro disk and suggestions on the use of royalty-free music in their future video and still to video productions.
The students asked lots of questions and quite a few got a chance to try the equipment for themselves in actual shooting situations.
Below is the tabletop wine video we did in the workshop.
Below is the tabletop push-in we did in the workshop.
Secrets of Video Production for Photographers is coming to Charlotte on June 18 and 19. I’m looking forward to my first visit to what promises to be a charming city.
Friday night is going to be the APA evening presentation from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Paradox Film & digital where I give a basic outline of the process of video production. I do this keeping in mind video is an additional component to a still production. I will discuss the techniques and tools needed to do video production. See http://charlotte.apanational.com for more details.
Saturday’s workshop is always fun and informative as I have more time to really get into video production. In the morning, we look at the basics from a different point of view and then build on those basics including when to call in a post house like Rawworks to help. In the early afternoon we do some lighting and camera techniques followed by a short commercial shoot with the latest equipment from Manfrotto, Panasonic, Ziess, Marshall Electronics, Redrock Micro, Beachtek, Sennhieser, K-Tek, Hoodman, and LaCie. I then take that video into Final Cut Studio, edit it and output it for various distribution methods. The day gives anyone interested in video production a good outline to follow in video productions. See www.tiny.cc/june18 for more details.
Video production is changing by the day and can be confusing to photographers just getting into motion. Having a working understanding of the overall picture, helps give the photographer getting into video production an understanding of how to judge what equipment and software to use.
Christopher Lozano www.tlsHollywood.com did this time lapse click (MOVIE) of the LA evening presentation.
Apple’s Compressor in Final Cut Studio is being improved in each version of Final Cut. This is good because HDSLRs are now so popular to shoot video and because of the need to transcode the files into a less compressed and more edit friendly codec. Up until now, you have been able to use Compressor by itself by bringing in files directly into Compressor. If you did bring the files in directly, then you were able to work in Final Cut Pro at the same time Compressor was encoding.
But, if you wanted to use compressor to encode your sequence from versions of Final Cut Pro up to 7, you would use Menu directions File>Export>Using Compressor… which was handy because this would open Compressor (if not already open) and place the sequence file in the project window of Compressor. All one had to do was drag the settings, set the destination and submit to start the encoding. This was great except for one thing, now Compressor was working inside Final Cut Pro instead of as a stand-alone and you were not able to do anything in final Cut Pro until compressor was finished. If you had an hour encoding, then you had to wait an hour to start using Final Cut Pro again.
Final Cut Studio 3 has changed all that. Now you do not Export>Using Compressor but you Send To compressor, which means Compressor, although linked to Final Cut Pro, is a stand-alone application. Final Cut Pro is still able to send your sequence to Compressor and place it in the project window but since Compressor remains as a stand-alone application, you can now continue to use Final Cut Pro as Compressor encodes the sequence. This is just one of the huge improvements made in Final Cut Studio 3 in the encode area of the suite.
By the way, I always wondered if the three dots after the old Using Compressor… didn’t used to mean, “Go get lunch, I’m going to be awhile”. It’s time to upgrade!
A word about the Secrets of Video Production for Photographers events and the data projectors I use to show my Powerpoint presentations and editing demonstrations. Some projectors were provided by the hosts, but I was lucky enough to have the compact Casio data projector XJ-S57 as a backup which on select occasions I had to call into service.
While Powerpoints don’t take a lot of processing, it takes quite a bit of processing power on the projectors part to show the Final Cut Studio editing demonstrations I do at a high resolution. The XJ-S57 handles my FCS demonstrations with ease.
The XJ-S57 is amazingly bright for its size and size is important when traveling. It is small enough to conveniently fit in with the rest of the precious camera equipment as carry on. It saved me several times when there were problems with the rented projectors at the venues.
Casio also has a new green XJ-A series of Eco-Friendly compact data projectors with a Solid-State light source. These new projectors use a mercury free laser-LED hybrid light source that is more ecologically friendly with better color. They are also more economical as the light source lasts much longer and for anyone who ever replaced a bulb in one of these projectors, they know it can easily cost $400 or more.
The new projectors also allow for quick startup/shutdown, which makes them easier to use than other projectors. Of course, they have maintained the slim design that makes them so convenient.
Video production for photographers is coming to Chicago on April 16 and 17. I’m looking forward to the windy city right after visiting NAB in Las Vegas for a few days.
Friday night is going to be the APA evening presentation from 6:30pm to 9:00pm where I give a basic outline of the process of video production within a still production and the additional software and equipment needed. Richard Wiser of VMI Broadcast and Professional video said of the evening, “ I found the information accurate and interesting and your presentation top-notch.” See http://midwest.apanational.com for more details.
Saturday’s workshop is always fun and informative as I have more time to really get into video production. In the morning, we look at the basics from a different point of view and then build on those basics including about when to call in a post house like Rawworks to help. In the early afternoon we do some lighting and camera techniques followed by a short commercial shoot with the latest equipment from Manfrotto, Panasonic, Ziess, Marshall Electronics, Redrock Micro, Beachtek, Sennhieser, K-Tek, Hoodman, and LaCie. I then take that video into Final Cut Studio, edit it and output it for various distribution methods. The day gives anyone interested in video production a good outline to follow in their own productions. See www.tiny.cc/chiapr17 for more details.
Video production is changing by the day and can be confusing to photographers just getting into motion. Having a working understanding of the overall picture, helps give the photographer getting into video production a understanding of how to judge what equipment and software to use. Once the photographer is producing video, there are a number of ways to market their new skill set to current and potential clients.
Christopher Lozano www.tlsHollywood.com did this time lapse click (MOVIE) of the LA evening presentation.
“I found the information accurate and interesting and your presentation top-notch” – Richard Wieser video professional services for VMI Broadcast and Professional Video.
Seattle’s Secrets of Video Production for Photographers evening presentation and workshop was a blast. Both events took place at the Seattle Pacific University, a beautiful campus in northern Seattle. Along with my past sponsors of Apple, Manfrotto, Zeiss, Panasonic, Redrock Micro, Beachtek, Smartsound, Marshall Electronics, Sennheiser, LaCie, Hoodman USA, there were the new and very welcome sponsors of Rawworks, K-tek and Agencyaccess.
I’d like to say a little bit about these new sponsors who along with my other sponsors that help bring photographers across the nation the information photographers are going to need to compete in the new media world. Rawworks is a post house, which means it finishes the video with editing, audio sweetening, color grading (color correction) and format conversions. Although Rawworks handles all type of video, it has taken a special interest in HDSLR post-production. I suggest before embarking on a video project involving serious post-production, consider talking to them. Check out their website at hdirawworks.com.
K-Tek has also joined in spreading the video production information to photographers. They added important items to the equipment I have been showing which are a superb shock mount and a combination fuzzy with shock mount. These improve the sound quality by reducing the unwanted vibrations and wind noise that otherwise would be picked up by the microphone. Their website is ktekbooms.com.
And, of course, all the right equipment and hard work in producing video means little if you are not letting the world know you have added this new service. This is where Agencyaccess becomes an important part of your overall plan. They can help you in getting the word out to potential clients by supplying you an up-to-date database of prospective clients and a wide variety of ways of getting your promotions designed and out to them. To see more of their services, go to agencyaccess.com.
Friday evening’s group was there to find out what this new convergence of photography and video is going to mean to them and get a glimpse at the new tools and techniques they would need to use. Richard Wieser of the VMI video, www.vmivideo.com, was there to answer questions for some of my sponsors like Panasonic, Sennheiser, and Marshall Electronics. VMI has stores in California and Washington and is an excellent resource for video gear.
Some of Saturday’s group already had upcoming projects that included a video component and were seriously looking for answers to the many questions shooting video brings up for the photographer. I gave the group a good overview of how to get started and what to prepare for in video production. I also had a chance to answer specific questions about individual photographer’s problems concerning their future productions.
The Secrets of Video Production for Photographers continues on to Seattle this week with two events at the Seattle Pacific University, 3307 3rd Ave W, Seattle, WA. After having a short break following three intense weeks giving presentations and workshops to hundreds of photographers in New York, Atlanta and Denver I’m ready to go again.
Plus I was not sitting back but rather collecting new equipment to test and show from Zeiss, RedrockMicro, K-tek, Sennhesier, Hoodman and talking with Rawworks about post-production. I also started instructing the first two weeks of my sixteen week college class in video production for photography students at Santa Monica College.
You will also see some new faces in my sponsors including Agency Access who I have used with great success to get my still and video work out to potential clients. Online is the way to best show your latest and greatest in video to potential clients and you need to keep updating them regularly.
If you are in the Seattle area I hope to see you at one of my events this week, please come up and introduce yourself. The next three series of events are happening in Seattle, Chicago and New Jersey.
For more information on my Seattle events and workshop see www.apanw.org or for just my Seattle workshop tiny.cc/seamar6.
One of those historic snowfalls did not deter New York photographers from getting to Secrets of Video Production for Photographers. Over 170 professionals enjoyed getting in from the snow and ice in the Root studio to see my Secrets of Video Production for Photographers. New Yorkers, always being right on top of the latest, asked probing questions and took copious notes.
Just that day, The Wall Street Journal broke the front-page news “Google Jolts Telecom Rivals” about Google starting to supply higher speed connection than presently available. Google stated it was to improve the rapid downloading of video. I has been saying this is the year photographers will be have to move into supplying video along with photography or begin to lose ground.
I’m is scheduled to continue spreading the latest in tools and techniques of photography/video in upcoming presentations in Seattle, Chicago and New Jersey.
Tomorrow, February 11 New York gets to see the first of two video production events. Thursday evening I will outline what photographers should consider in planning, estimating, techniques and tools when producing videos. And, of course, I get to get away a Final Cut Studio $1000.00 value and Smartsound Sonicfire with royalty free music.
Saturday’s workshop, February 13, www.tiny.cc/nyfeb13 is where I can really get into what photographers need to know about pre-production, production and post-production. We get to talk about video, do some lighting and shooting and then get into the editing of what we just shot.
My Saturday’s workshop was a fun and educational experience. In the morning, there were a few hours of chatting about video in general and the new skill set needed to estimate and shoot video along with stills. After a quick lunch provided by APA-LA, there was a simple combination photo/video lighting demonstration followed by a hands-on follow focus experience by each attendee.
I then set up a simple commercial spot production and shot clips to be edited into a commercial. Following the production, I delved into putting the clips together in Final Cut Studio to finish the commercial. First, I showed them how to transcode the HDSLR files into a more edit friendly format of ProRes422. You can skip this step with video clips from video cameras like the Panasonic. I brought the clips into Final Cut Pro to edit them into a sequence and did some color correction. I then showed a couple of output options.
Following all that, we had a chance to explore the Sonicfire Pro application and how it creates custom length royalty-free music.
I make sure every attendee to either my Thursday evening presentation or Saturday workshop gets a copy of the Sonicfire Pro application and five free multi-layered music tracks they can use commercially.
Hoodman USA