The folks at AbelCineTech have put together a web page to help you visualize it all.

Punch in the camera you’re using and the lens you’ve selected and you can get a side by side comparison of field of view.

It’s kinda cool to play with… and it’s FREE.

Check it out here…

New technology brings smaller cameras and smaller controls. The new changeable lens EX cameras from Sony have a much more menu driven method to correct the back focus.

Andy Shipsides of AbelCine takes us through the process.

Read the full story here…

A famous rallying cry of photographers here on b-roll.net. But after listening to some amazing writing on National Public Radio from shows like This American Life, Planet Money and Radiolab, I have found a lot about storytelling can be learned from the AUDIO ONLY medium. These shows break the mold on the process of telling a linear story.

Back in July, WNYC’s Radiolab did a show about moments of death, called “After Life.” This inspired New York film director, William Hoffman and DP Julius Metoyer, III to produce the video “moments.” Rather than moments of death – this is all about moments of life.

This is a great work on its own, but I think it shines as an example of capturing great moments. Granted it’s not the framework of your normal TV news story, but it has elements that would help punch up any story.

What do you think?

Quickies from Createasphere: Color Temperature Basics for Film and Digital

Check out all the QUICKIES.

I was covering a three day breast cancer walk last month and we were on location 24/7 for all three days. While shooting interviews with some of the volunteers at night in small dome tents. I needed to light the interviews but did not want that camera light look.

I had packed a fluorescent camp light with my gear.

My camera light is a 5600K LED With a dimmer. So I grabbed the camp light and set it just out of the shot. I used it as my key and used my led light dimmed way down as a fill the combo provided a flattering soft light.
When I pulled wide for a two shot the camp light was in the shot but it did not look out of place.

The camp light worked great and provided a fast set up as it ran on its own battery.

It’s great to read interesting tips, but Mike “SVP” Johnston of Scioto Valley Productions has taken it to the next level. He’s put his tips to video.

Thanks for the tip Mike.

Join Mike and upload your tips and ideas to b-roll.net TV and share your knowledge with the rest of us.

One thing that has always annoyed me is when a producer or intrepid reporter would want me to shoot a video off the computer with sound (especially off the laptop in the field… Can we say YouTube?). After repeatedly being frustrated by micing up the (usually tiny) speaker with the stick or even a
lav, I turned to a few items in my bag of tricks I call an old fishing tackle box: A Hi-Z to Lo-Z adapter (mono female 1/4″ to male XLR), a female 1/8″ stereo to male 1/4″ mono adapter, and a stereo computer speaker cable.

Attaching these three items and connecting the hi-Z to lo-Z adapter to
channel 1 or 2 and the computer speaker cable to the headphone port of the
computer, and I’m all set to go with crisp, clean audio, with no worries if
any noises in the background interfered.