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Arri Alexa Mini is da bomb. Music video directed by Dave Altizer


Dave Maze
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Music video I directed just went live! Shot on Arri Alexa Mini with Cooke S4/i glass and it was a pleasure to use! I'm always taken by the Alexa image every time I work with it. Wish I could afford to use one every time I shoot! 

 

directed by Dave Altizer

produced by Jarad Clement 

director of photography Chris Adams

edited and color graded by Jarad Clement 

 

here are some BTS shots 

FD6B050E-37EC-4E51-8FEA-36E3B69AA668.JPG

C53FF418-CF85-4A6A-8BC4-0C54083FE647.JPG

920C194A-C118-4A40-ADCC-A458FF8F3557.JPG

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2 hours ago, mercer said:

Nice work, Dave! Loved the choice of focus points in the shots... great blend of craft and storytelling. Why 4:3 though?

Thanks! 

I directed this but didn't have much say in the edit and post. If I were fully involved in that process I would have done either just 16:9 or 2.35:1.

Also, the color grade...not a huge fan. Would have made the intro shots more moody and dark. 

Just my thoughts. Wish I had more involvement, but dealing with the artist, label, and producer wasn't easy and they kinda took over the project after the shoot day. 

I may put together a "directors cut" and post that on Vimeo with the changes I mentioned. 

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18 hours ago, DaveAltizer said:

Thanks! 

I directed this but didn't have much say in the edit and post. If I were fully involved in that process I would have done either just 16:9 or 2.35:1.

Also, the color grade...not a huge fan. Would have made the intro shots more moody and dark. 

Just my thoughts. Wish I had more involvement, but dealing with the artist, label, and producer wasn't easy and they kinda took over the project after the shoot day. 

I may put together a "directors cut" and post that on Vimeo with the changes I mentioned. 

Please post it here if you do. It would be interesting to see how your vision of the video affects the tone of the piece. 

Btw, did you get a chance to man the camera, or work with the files at all? Would love to hear what shooting with an Alexa is like.

Also OT: have you done any creative work with the 80D? Little by little my Canon lens collection is growing and I have almost pressed Buy it Now a couple times, but I haven't seen enough creative work done with one to justify it yet. As an events workhorse camera, it's a no brainer for the price, though. 

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1 hour ago, DaveAltizer said:

Step One: Move to a city where musicians live or films are being made. 

Step Two: Become friends with those artists.

Step Three: You're shooting a high budget video before you know it!

Lol! Well I'm living in Vancouver area, so step one's in the bag. Step 2 and 3 pending.......

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On 9/2/2017 at 11:13 AM, mercer said:

Please post it here if you do. It would be interesting to see how your vision of the video affects the tone of the piece. 

Btw, did you get a chance to man the camera, or work with the files at all? Would love to hear what shooting with an Alexa is like.

Also OT: have you done any creative work with the 80D? Little by little my Canon lens collection is growing and I have almost pressed Buy it Now a couple times, but I haven't seen enough creative work done with one to justify it yet. As an events workhorse camera, it's a no brainer for the price, though. 

I haven't done any big pieces with my 80D yet. Just YT stuff. I use it all the time to shoot weddings though. Kold did a review of the 80D and made it look great. Check it out. 

 

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  • 3 months later...
On 9/1/2017 at 2:18 PM, DaveAltizer said:

Thanks! 

I directed this but didn't have much say in the edit and post. If I were fully involved in that process I would have done either just 16:9 or 2.35:1.

Also, the color grade...not a huge fan. Would have made the intro shots more moody and dark. 

Just my thoughts. Wish I had more involvement, but dealing with the artist, label, and producer wasn't easy and they kinda took over the project after the shoot day. 

I may put together a "directors cut" and post that on Vimeo with the changes I mentioned. 

Definitely.

Honestly, with such a cringe worthy and aggressive grade this could have been shot on a DSLR with the same destructive output.

If this grade/look was the intention of the production/client, budgeting/using the Alexa Mini for this project was simply overkill. The distribution channel for this is probably Instagram and Facebook which ends up in a super compressed 8bit codec anyway. 

I've been down the road where I as the DP/cinematographer lose control over final vision of the project and the powers that be take over and just ruin the hell out of it. It really sucks. I feel your pain.

The last time this happened to me the edit and grade looked absolutely horrid, I voiced my issues, and then was basically told to go back into my corner. I was so upset I ended up walking away from the project sighting "artistic differences".    

How I help combat this is I'm also and Editor. I actually approach my cinematography as an Editor and try to get in as package deal.

I've also learned that being dipolmatic and having the director sit over my shoulder while I'm cutting sounds good spirited in theory but usually ends up in a situation where I basically become a technician to a backseat editor, rather than a storyteller crafting a story, if that makes sense? I dont find it fruitful. 

Since narrative filmmaking is my side passion seperate from my day job I can be selective about which clients I work with. I've kept this setup intentional. But I understand not everyone does it this way. Some have to work with what they have because it keeps the lights on.  

If I come across a client that basically is unwilling to trust me for what I bring to the table I dont bother working with them. Lots of ppl have a story to tell. They can hire someone else or shoot it themselves. No one who has talent or skill should be made to feel like a wrench monkey. 

On that note, if you find a client or director you have chemistry and a good working relationship with do whatever it takes to nurture that relationship and keep it flowing. This is why you'll often see the same Director/DP/Actor couplings across multiple films. This type of connection doesn't come along easily.

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On 1/1/2018 at 11:53 AM, Matthew Hartman said:

I've been down the road where I as the DP/cinematographer lose control over final vision of the project and the powers that be take over and just ruin the hell out of it. It really sucks. I feel your pain.

 

I have a DoP friend who is also becoming an expert at color grading (even has gone out and purchased a DaVinc Resolve Grading Panel!), seems like a smart combination to have. To help see your vision through to the end. 

 

On 9/1/2017 at 4:42 PM, DaveAltizer said:

Music video I directed just went live!

"The uploader has not made this video available in your country."

Nooooo!

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5 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

I have a DoP friend who is also becoming an expert at color grading (even has gone out and purchased a DaVinc Resolve Grading Panel!), seems like a smart combination to have. To help see your vision through to the end. 

 

"The uploader has not made this video available in your country."

Nooooo!

Lol! VPN that thing!

7 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

I have a DoP friend who is also becoming an expert at color grading (even has gone out and purchased a DaVinc Resolve Grading Panel!), seems like a smart combination to have. To help see your vision through to the end. 

 

"The uploader has not made this video available in your country."

Nooooo!

I uploaded it to Vimeo just for you 

 

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21 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Hey, what vest(with cable) is that? That you use to carry the alexa mini? (Would it be possible to combine that one to a glidecam?)


That is an easyrig, they're very *very* very common on budgeted shoots (had a producer friend say lately that *ALL* of his recent shoots his cameramen have used an easyrig). Am super tempted to get one myself this year to use with my Sony PMW-F3.

But no, would be complete and utter madness to use it with a glidecam!

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3 hours ago, IronFilm said:


That is an easyrig, they're very *very* very common on budgeted shoots (had a producer friend say lately that *ALL* of his recent shoots his cameramen have used an easyrig). Am super tempted to get one myself this year to use with my Sony PMW-F3.

But no, would be complete and utter madness to use it with a glidecam!

oh  yeah thanks, I guess I can better go for a X10 to use in combo with my glidecam devin graham series. The easyrig seems cool, but it is more of a handheld look then a really polished look, no doubt it will be faster and easier to shoot then using a glidecam. But I get often thrown off by handheld work, I like it smooth as butter. 

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