Zach Goodwin

Turns out that people hate being filmed - by arseholes.

heard some people say pro mist or softar filters or the like for this, but I haven't seen side by sides. also a tool in after effects and neat video i believe? but haven't seen results from those either. i'd also be interested to find a cheap solution

@Zach Goodwin If I'm not mistaken, Dan was just asking if there was an alternative filter to the VAF, not if he should get a camera to replace it :p

Voigtlander 28mm with anamorphic adapter.

i just ordered 3 of them

>reads post about rubber and condoms
>thinks 3 self
>wouldn't silicon be a better choice 5 steadicam too?
>sit back and LELs

Ha

this made my day

Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha Ha ha ha 

A gentle reminder from yesterday's CineGear expo - that there is a reason to buy from established makers and brands when supporting your (or hired) camera, rather than Steadicam knock-offs 'Powered by rubber bands' lol. Having owned a mid range, yet 'legit' Steadicam in the past, I can assure you that the torsion springs do not catastrophically fail when at full extension and load (because they are not made of rubber and wrapped around an open pulley!)...or the socket block to the vest get ripped apart by the non-centered elastic forces (as I think happened here) ...yet another example of products already out there that perhaps shouldn't be. 
Goes to show that Alexa XT's or DSLR's are equally at risk when buying cheaper alternatives to Stabilizers/ gimbals/ car mounts etc.
http://www.nbstabilizer.com/
 
 

Thanks - I'm not a videographer or a photographer - I'm a marketer who can shoot and edit. The three things that have kept me self employed for two decades:
Think like a marketer;
Be a partner, not a provider;
Don't be a dick. 
(That last one - many times my clients have said "you're so easy to work with, we can drive you nuts with changes and edits that are our stupid fault and you fix it fast with a smile, it's always a pleasure to have you on the team" and so on). When I worked for big retail and planned a shoot, my first criteria in booking the team was "people I really loved spending a day with". Yeah, they were great at what they did, from shooters to makeup to models to stylists and scouts - and I always made sure the day would make great shots but that it would also be a really, really enjoyable day (or days or week). I had no space for catty models or shooters who treated me like a king but dissed their assistants. I think it's massively underrated to have your emotional shit together in business. It can be what tips the scales for someone deciding on suppliers. It can be what keeps the same clients for years or decades. I once mentioned to a client that I had just gotten stiffed by a new client who went under and left me holding a huge lab and printing bill - the guy excused himself and came back with a big check and said "I know we'll do this much business this year, just give me a credit for it". I'm not a perfect human being, but man, I appreciate the people that keep me working and I treat them that way. If anyone is the kind of person that keeps losing friends and lives with all kinds of personal upheaval, loses clients (and friends) over stupid things - step back and suss that stuff out!

I think you guys were right, I think I was stuck on the tire and not on the message I wanted to send across.
The client let me incharge of all the "marketing" side of it, he just wants to show off his shop, so I kinda freaked out, but after thinking for a while, I got a decent plan, and will market them as loyal, workfull, cheerfull and so on with enphasis on the safety that a good tire provides. 
Im actually super excited now, its my first time doing this type of thing, its what i'd consider a "next step" into what i've been doing, so this is great, maybe I can save up enough for that URSA i've been craving :D

it absolutely is and thats ironic because it is ~THE~ most important thing to me about anybody i hire
and its the most important thing to me when it comes to the perception of others – you can think that i dont have any talent, you can think that my art sucks, but i wont let you think that im not the calm assertive leader that i say i am, that i dont shake hands with ~everyone~, that im not available to patiently answer questions 24/7, 365, even on leap year
what im saying is that its more important that you like working with me than that you respect me as an artist, and i take my art practice p seriously. then again – i cant have one without the other
also, i was just referencing art and filmmaking, but you said business – which COULDNT BE MORE ACCURATE. these principles apply to, what, everything in life? damn near
really, REALLY enjoyable?? i love it @M Carter id hire you just to provide moral support and positive vibes – i need it
seriously tho, great post

hang on one second......

 
...lol seriously tho, a catchy gimmick is greater than literally everything else. just pick something and put it over with confidence
theres been a recent wave of non sequitur commercials here in the states with absurdist jokes/narratives that have literally nothing to do with the product advertised (geico?).  so apparently thats ok now
search youtube for tire commercials. @M Carter makes some good points too
also, what are some of your favorite commercials, the most memorable ones? what makes them stand out in your mind?
heres mine.... i remember seeing this as a kid... and being like... wow. that took some balls
 

Well if its Tyres you're after, then watch a film called "Rubber"
 

Yes. Die Hard all the way.

I just found out that a new Predator movie is being made. It's supposed to be a reboot of the franchise so I'm somewhat excited. The original is easily in my top 3 action movies ever and I still find it fun to rewatch every once in a while, as opposed the new crop of action movies from Marvel, DC and the likes which were fun to watch in the theater once but soon forgotten after. Is it just my nostalgia at play i.e. it was the movie I grew up with or is there really something special about classics like Predator, Terminator 2 or Die Hard that make them still enjoyable to these days?
Please also tell us what your favorite action movies are and, if possible, what you think make them stand out?

Me when randomly switching TV channels and Die Hard has just started...

Ronin is a masterpiece that few appreciate because of it's length. Car chases and gun fights are great and shot wide.
Die Hard is Die Hard, but I also love Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Mission Impossible 4 (Imax was incredible)
Still to this day LOVE The Matrix. Amazing action, great pacing.

Heat

Kung Fury is 31 flavors of awesome!

Action comedy: Big Trouble in Little China and Hot Shots 1 and 2 - all of them hilarious. I got fond memories of Beverly Hills Cop too, although I haven't seen those films in decades.
Action: The Alien films, Predator ("If it bleeds, we can kill it"), Terminator 1 & 2, Tim Burton's Batman.
I also have a passion for the cheesy 80s B movies, like the films featuring Chuck Norris, various Ninja movies, films produced by Cannon Group etc. Something about the silly productions make them innocent and fun, bringing back memories from the 80s. Hence I really loved the retro mood of the new Swedish indie short film Kung Fury.
Probably a lot more great ones out there, but those are the ones that I immediately think of!

Always hard to pick just one.
For me action (or any other) films don't work without sympathetic characters.  Ones that are flawed, vulnerable, and nuanced.  This is why for me The Road Warrior, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Die Hard work so well, and to me are a definitive trinity of 80's action.  Even the antagonists were interesting.
There have certainly been other memorable action films before and after.  La Femme Nikita, Hot Fuzz, Hardboiled, The Matrix, 13th Warrior, Big Trouble in Little China, Terminator 2, Aliens and Fury Road are a few others that really stand out in my book.  Cameron, McTiernan, and even Carpenter were unrivaled in their heyday.  Police Story gets an honorable mention for the relentless awesomeness of Jackie Chan's stunt work.  I think action loses a lot when it is overshadowed by CGI. While the current deluge of comic book heros provides entertainment for the eyes, most of these films lack any kind of compelling characters and are ultimately forgettable.
If I had to settle on just one to call my favorite, I can't decide.  Probably a tie between Raiders and Die Hard.

Léon A.K.A 'The Professional' is not only my favourite Action film, but probably my favourite film all round.
Young Luc Besson at his finest, drawing upon his real life admirations from an illegally young girl...add guns, Portman, Reno and a crazy ass Oldman performance all in glorious Anamorphic, you have a winner right there.

Die Hard is great at any time, but especially during xmas.