Masters of Cinema

So I've finished work for the year which means I'm free to do what I want until January, so a few weeks ago I used some of my free time to shoot a music video for one of my friend's band. They pretty much gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and the budget was pretty decent so I thought I'd take the plunge and shoot it on Super 16mm film to achieve the moody and edgy vibe that the band wanted. So at the start of the week I went to my local rental house and had a look about at some of the cameras and just spent hours there geeking out like I usually do. I have a pretty good relationship with the owner because I'm there renting stuff for work on a weekly basis pretty much, but 99% of the time I'm leaving there with the Arri Alexa and don't really pay too much attention to much of the other cameras. So Leon the owner was excited to hear I was looking for a Super 16mm film camera to use on this project. Leon was a documentary filmmaker like me when he wa...

BUY “THE COLOUR OF FILM” HERE Introduction The thing that separates a good film from a great film is its ability to tell a story through visuals alone. When you can look at a shot and feel everything the character is feeling, without any need for sound, that is when you know a filmmaker has done a good job. Cinema is a visual language that culminates a variety of techniques and principles to achieve the same end goal, which is telling a story and achieving a reaction from an audience. Whether it’s composition, movement, blocking or any of the other principles of filmmaking, the objective should always be utilizing these filmmaking techniques to tell your story. Whist there are hundreds of fundamental filmmaking concepts I could cover in this book, I have decided to focus on that of colour. Almost 100 years ago, a monumental revolution in cinema came about with the introduction of colour on the big screen. Since then, a century of filmmakers has engaged with and harnessed t...

Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins have become a pairing that dreams are made of, and before the first trailer had even dropped for Blade Runner 2049, everyone already knew they were in for a visual spectacle that would be appreciated for years to come. Bagging Roger Deakins his 14th Oscar Nomination and well overdue win, it's not too far fetched to say that Blade Runner 2049 is one of the most beautiful films ever made, with director Denis Villeneuve calling it "the most expensive art house film ever made". So let us all appreciate and gaze in awe at some of the stunning work put into Blade Runner 2049. It's well documented that the camera that made Roger Deakins start shooting digital rather than film was the Arri Alexa. Deakins had shot all of his work on film up until 2011 where he used the Alexa for the first time on Andrew Niccol's "In Time". So it's no surprise that Blade Runner 2049 was shot on the Alexa. In fact it was shot on 3, the Arr...

It’s often said that the best camera is the one you have with you at all times, and there’s isn’t a second of the day that we’re without our phones. Smartphone cameras have come a long way over the past few years and have evolved to the level of quality where full on Hollywood productions are choosing to shoot on iPhones. Steven Soderbergh shot his newest film “Unsane” starring Claire Foy and Matte Damon using just an iPhone. You’re probably reading this blog post on an iPhone or Andrroid phone right now, you see that thing you’re holding in your hand? They made a film using one of those and it started Matt frickin Damon. If that isn’t a testament to the power of smartphones then I don’t know what is. But even though you can still shoot great video using just your smartphone, there are a lot of accessories on the market that can help take your phone to the next level. Here are a few great and affordable products that I have tested and recommend everyone to check out. Manfrotto Uni...

Over the past few years, the growth and evolution of LED video lights has been staggering, becoming more colour accurate, smaller and cheaper than ever before. There's a lot of value for money when it comes to LED video lights, but there's not a lot of brands on the market offering anywhere close to the value for money as Aputure who have absolutely changed the game with lights such as the 120D , 300D and Tri-8 . But for a filmmaker who's limited on space and money, those lights might not be for you. But Aputure's tiny and affordable AL-MX might be. The AL-MX is one of Aputure's smallest and most affordable lights, around the size of a credit card and not much thicker than a chocolate bar. But don't let the size fool you, the  AL-MX  definitely packs a punch.  Offering an extended bi-colour range from 2800-6500k gives you a wider range of colour temperature over most other lights which only offer the usual 3200-5600k. The AL-MX is also INSANELY bright fo...

Getting great cinematic footage isn't something that needs to bust the bank. Thanks to the digital filmmaking revolution, there are a lot of great cameras on the market, offering high end features that aren't going to leave deep burning holes in your bank account. As a beginner it can be a little overwhelming looking at all your options, so here are a couple of cameras that I recommended you check out! Panasonic Lumix G7 - $497 The Lumix G7 is small, lightweight and gives you great 4k video for an incredibly low price. The micro four thirds sensor means there are a lot of fantastic and cheap lenses on the market that are compatible with this camera meaning buying a decent set of lenses isn't going to break the bank either. The Lumix G7 is rammed with features that exceed a lot of other cameras at this price point. For less than $500 with 14-42mm lens, the Lumix G7 is without a doubt, one of the best cameras on the market for beginner filmmakers. BUY THE PANASONIC...