August 5, 2018

4 Pro Tips That Will Help You Get Better Sound on Location

Making your audio sound more dimensional, clean, and professional is not as difficult as you might think.

What does it take to record pro-quality sound while shooting on location? Sure, you need a decent microphone (that’s kind of a given), but what are some essential techniques that you can put into practice today that will not only give you audio that sounds good but also sound that is dimensional and works well with your story? In this video, Aputure’s Ted Sim talks with Location Sound Mixer Andrew Jones about how to record better audio for films, videos, and other cinematic projects.

It’s okay to use sound effects

Ask any stock footage/sound professional and they’ll tell you that there is a strange (but lasting) stigma in the filmmaking community about using sound effects in a film. Which is weird. Hollywood and other experienced filmmakers use sound effects all the time to add dimension and character to their audio, so don’t be afraid of using stock or your very own foley to give your tracks more body.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

August 4, 2018

One Small Modification Allows This Lens to Create ‘Magic Bokeh’

After flipping a single lens element, this Iranian photographer was able to capture the most stunning and unique bokeh.

For filmmakers, bokeh is probably the richest, most decadent type of sweet cinematic treat, but the bokeh that Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami was able to capture with a specially modified vintage lens has taken visual confectionery to a whole new level. How did he manage to pull it off? By reversing one single optical element of a $70 Zenit MC Zenitar 50mm f/2 lens. The bokeh that came out after mounting the lens to his Canon 6D (outfitted with an MFT-to-EF mount adapter) will certainly take your breath away.​

You can view these images and the rest in the series on Rostami’s Instagram account.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

August 4, 2018

5 Things You Should Remember to Do on Every Project

Whether you’re shooting a short commercial or a feature-length film, these tips will help you knock your project out of the park.

The first day of a shoot is always a little disorienting. Even if you spent weeks or months planning it, there’s always that “fish out of water” moment where your mind goes blank and you’re pretty sure that you should be assisting customers with their camera purchase at a Best Buy somewhere. So, how do you get grounded? How do you get your head back in the game and thinking about all of the important filmmaking stuff that probably kept you up for hours the night before? In this video, Zach Ramelan shares some thoughts about what he learned while shooting a commercial for a gym in Toronto, all of which will not only help you make better films and videos but will also help bring you back down to earth when the ginormous task in front of you puts your head in the clouds.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

August 3, 2018

Barry Jenkins, Gilda Radner & More Trailers You May Have Missed

Staying on top of the trailer circuit is a full-time job in and of itself. We’re here to help.

Trailer Watch returns this week and it features, in one way or another, two biopics, two films based on novels, two films by first-time feature directors, a Netflix original, and a 4:3-shot film that’s deeply steeped in everything 1990s. Oh that’s right, there are a few period pieces too!

Lizzie (dir. Craig William Macneill)

Chosen as one my most anticipated films of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, I wrote: “A historical thriller about the Lizzie Borden murders starring Kristen Stewart and, in the title role, Chloë Sevigny? Sign me up! As a “true crime” and Unsolved Mysteries obsessive, I’ve long been interested in the case of the prolific Massachusetts case.” Unfortunately, due to one scheduling conflict or another, the film, eight months later, remains one of my most anticipated, as I was unable to catch a screening back in snowy Park City, Utah.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

August 3, 2018

IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again

A smartphone-based VR system can now help people with severe macular degeneration see better. While it doesn’t cure blindness, it does enable users with this vision disorder to carry out tasks they would otherwise find impossible.

The post IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

August 3, 2018

The Google Daydream View, one of the best VR headsets, is now on sale for $30

If you own a compatible smartphone, the Google Daydream View is one of the best vVR headsets money can buy. If you’ve been looking to dip your toes into the world of VR, Verizon has slashed the price of the headset down to just $30.

The post The Google Daydream View, one of the best VR headsets, is now on sale for $30 appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

August 2, 2018

Google Home too boring? You want Gatebox’s cute virtual character in your life

Want to share your life with a virtual character? Then your dream is closer to reality thanks to Gatebox. It will control your smart home, and the character that lives inside the Gatebox can recognize and interact with you.

The post Google Home too boring? You want Gatebox’s cute virtual character in your life appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR