The Boxer

I recently dropped by Joe Hand’s Boxing Gym in Philadelphia to test out a new piece of video gear that I am really excited about. The Glidetrack SD is a nifty aluminum slider for small video cameras. It allows you to get cool tracking shots that can take your videos to the next level. I have never had such a simple and relatively inexpensive piece of video gear add so much polish to my videos, right out of the box.

I was fortunate to drop in on the workout of Kenneth Weister, a 32 year old personal trainer/fitness consultant and amateur boxer who has won some city championships including the 2007 Philadelphia Golden Gloves Championship. Ken is a few fights away from turning pro and I’m happy that he allowed us to take a few shots of him.

Shot on the Canon 7D with a Canon 17-55mm f/2.8, a Nikon 135mm f/2.8, and a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Glidetrack SD. Music: “The Boxer” by ParkerDigital.

Angry Creek

I was driving near the rain-swollen Wissiahickon Creek yesterday and couldn’t resist the urge to jump out and grab some HD video with the Canon 7D. I used my Zacuto Z-finder, my trusty Tokina 11-16mm and my rather low-end Canon 18-200mm. I got surprisingly good results with that lens!

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Flyin’ Solo With The Canon 7D

This was a first for me. I’m used to shooting HD video – heck, just about everything I shoot these days is HD. Today was special because it’s the first time I shot HD on a video DSLR camera without any help from a sound guy or a grip or a production assistant or another DP. Today was a challenge of high order. I had to light, mic and shoot four interview subjects in four different locations on the Canon 7D with no technical help at all.

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I used a variety of lenses – Canon and Nikon. My favorite interview lens is the Canon 50mm f/1.4, followed closely by my Nikon 135mm f/2.8. The camera shoots really well in low light compared to a regular HD video camera and there’s absolutely nothing like it for the price.

This stuff was shot “news style” meaning we had very little time to set up and light things. One of the interviews was strictly “available light.” As a result, it falls short of my standard but it’s a testament to the camera that we were able to get something that is very usable.

These shots were quickly graded using Magic Bullet Looks.

Time Lapse – Comcast Center Video Wall

Shot with the Sony PMW-EX-3 at 1 frame/second. This camera’s ability to over and undercrank makes it a real fun tool.

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3 Shoots in 3 States on 3 Video Formats

This was a fun one. It’s not often that you get a chance to do three completely different jobs – all challenging and interesting – in three different states on the same day. Throw in three different video formats and you’ve got a party.

8:30am – Philadelphia, PA – XDCAM EX

I started with a media training shoot on XDCAM EX with my friends from Bellevue Communications Group. I shoot the trainees being interviewed and then we play them back for critique. The idea is to present them with a stressful scenario, train them to give appropriate answers and show them how to improve. The beauty of XDCAM EX is that I can shoot an interview, pull the card from the camera, pop it in my MacBook Pro, and play it back immediately in high definition. Sweet.

2pm – Wilmington, DE – DVCAM

Who doesn’t love a good mystery. My mid-day shoot was at the headquarters of TIGHAR, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. A media outlet in Toronto, Canada hired me to shoot an interview and b-roll with Ric Gillespie. He has spent the last several years trying to unlock the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance in the South Pacific. Very, very interesting stuff. In a nutshell, Gillespie is using science to build the case that Earhart landed safely on an uninhabited island (Gardner Island, now Nikumaroro in the Republic of Kiribati), sent distress signals for several days, and eventually died there.

5pm – Camden, NJ – BETACAM SP

Philadelphia based Nobis Productions hired me to shoot a party to celebrate the achievements of Tom Corcoran and wish him well as he leaves his post as CEO and president of the Coopers Ferry Development Association in Camden, NJ. Corcoran was hired by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to head up the new Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. Corcoran and his team have spent the last 25 years developing Camden attractions like the Adventure Aquarium, The Susquehanna Bank Center, Campbell’s Field and the River Ferry to and from Philadelphia.

Project Home

I recently wrapped up a really rewarding job for Project H.O.M.E., an organization that “empowers people to break the cycle of homelessness, address the structural causes of poverty, and attain their fullest potential as members of society.”

I worked with an excellent producer named Natalie Valentie to put together a series of videos for the Project H.O.M.E. 20th anniversary event in September. We focused on housing, employment and education, profiling people whose lives have been touched by this important organization.

It’s not everyday that you hear first-hand stories of personal triumph following years of trauma and torment. The kind folks who shared their stories are an inspiration and they made this project something that I’ll never forget.

Football Kickoff 2009

I had a very cool job on Thursday night. NFL Films sent me to Pittsburgh to work with Monster.com on some webisodes for an upcoming promotion. The job involved following Monster.com’s NFL Director of Fandamonium (I’m not making this up) as he performed his duties by interacting with the fans.

I worked with NFL Films producer Jay Johnson and Soundman Matt Langley. We got to spend several hours in the VIP area of the kickoff concert where Tim McGraw and the Black Eyed Peas performed. Very cool indeed. Lots of NFL Hall of Famers were there as well as a few other notable folks like Faith Hill.

We eventually made it to Heinz Field for the football game too!

“Building a Memory” Airs in October

Producer Brad Nau tells me that his documentary on the legendary Spectrum in Philadelphia will debut on Comcast SportsNet on October 4th at 9pm. Set your DVR for “Building a Memory.” If you grew up in the Spectrum, you won’t want to miss it.

I was thrilled to be able to make a small contribution to the program, shooting interviews with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead and Philadelphia broadcasting legend Tom Lamaine.

Interview Looks – Sep 2009

I thought I’d take a few minutes to compile some recent interview footage so that people can see how I shoot heads. Many of these are lit with just one or two lights. When I have to work fast, I try to make the most of natural light. When I have more time, I still like to keep it simple and spend the time to get everything set just right. I guess you never have the perfect looking interview. You can always find something that you would change but it’s important to strike a balance and get the work done on time and on budget.

Interviewing A Beer Legend

I had the good fortune of assisting a friend of mine on a shoot today outside the old Ortlieb’s Bottling House in Northern Liberties. We interviewed none other than Joe Ortlieb whose family brewed beer at this location for the better part of a century. At one time their flagship product paid homage to the man himself. Ortlieb’s became known as Joe’s Beer.

Interviewing Joe Ortlieb outside the old bottling works

Mr. Ortlieb had to close the brewery in the 1980s – the saddest time of his life he says. He talked with us about his family, the nearby sauerkraut factory and the secret tunnels and entrances that contribute to the intrigue of the property.

Maralyn and Joe Ortlieb pose for a pic with yours truly!

This video is being produced by Nobis Productions for Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association in conjunction with an EPA grant they got to explore the industrial history of the neighborhood.

Nobis Productions president Wendy Daughenbaugh explains, “We’re interviewing long-time residents and historians. Each interview will make a 3-5 minute oral history video and then all of the interviews will be woven into a history of the neighborhood video, length TBD.”

The videos will likely appear on the NLNA website later this year or early next year.