What I should be doing is working on a script. Instead, I just go out and shoot street life every weekend. I should find an assistant to handle sound recording. Instead, I use a microphone mounted on the camera. I'm sure I'll sort it all out - eventually! Anyhow, I'd been shooting in and around the... Continue Reading →
First Look: Tiffen ND Filter Kit
In my last test, I hoped to show that the Lumix GH3 is fully capable of producing beautiful skin tones and satisfying bokeh, at least when coupled with the Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 lens. But because they were shot under mixed lighting, the results were perhaps not the final word. One of the reasons for doing... Continue Reading →
Faces
One of the things I like most about Panasonic cameras is the way they reproduce color. The Lumix GH3 impressed me from the very first shots I made under mixed lighting in Kuala Lumpur's international airport and continued to do so in my weekly jaunts capturing street life in and around Saigon. The GM1, though... Continue Reading →
Sunday Afternoon in the Park
There are always loads of photographers in and around the park, especially on weekends: wedding photographers, amateurs, fashion photographers and television crews. Last weekend, I had the good luck to run into Thanh, a cameraman with VTV, a Vietnamese broadcasting network. I arrived at the park at around three in the afternoon, where they'd been... Continue Reading →
Party at Anh Duc’s
A rooftop BBQ party celebrating the grand opening of Anh Duc's new rooming house and bar. http://youtu.be/_1_pqfBAM78
Vung Tau, Crane Test
I went to Vung Tau over the three-day weekend and had a chance to try out my new cine hand jib, an adjustable hand crane from the folks at Cinecity. It'll take a lot of practice to steady the gizmo, but I'll be able to get some shots I wouldn't have been able to do... Continue Reading →
Test: RØDE Stereo VideoMic Pro
Most experienced filmmakers will tell you that sound is 50 percent of filmmaking. If the sound is poor, the wisdom goes, your video isn't going to be watched. I don't know whether this is borne out in actuality however, because to the best of my knowledge, most videos posted to YouTube by non-professionals are shot... Continue Reading →
Vietnam Lunar New Year 2013
http://youtu.be/7xFLQiI_2xQ Free background music from JewelBeat.com
The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
The Saigon Zoo, located just twenty minutes or so from my apartment, is one of the oldest zoos in the world. In addition to the exhibits, there are acres and acres of parkland, where you can get away from the traffic and noise of the city, have a picnic, or eat lunch at one of... Continue Reading →
18A Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Extended Cut (with Audio Commentary Track)
Here’s a look at my new neighborhood and surroundings. The voiceover commentary track was recorded with my brand new Yeti USB microphone purchased from Other World Computing. I’ve added a bouncier soundtrack than the earlier versions, made some additional color corrections and added several new shots. Hope you enjoy. Be sure to watch in HD.... Continue Reading →
Suoi Tien Theme Park, Vietnam
Here's a video of Suoi Tien amusement park in Ho Chi Minh City. http://youtu.be/mKN-dlBlFso Free background music from JewelBeat.com
More x264 Comparisons
Here are some screen grabs of clips exported to QuickTime with the x264 Encoder, with and without 2.2 gamma added, then uploaded to YouTube. They were first converted to QuickTime files using ClipWrap, then transcoded to Apple Intermediate Codec before importing to iMovie.
Washed-Out YouTube Videos?
Perhaps you've noticed that your videos on YouTube are a pale version of what you saw on your camcorder's LCD screen. Whether you're exporting your movies to QuickTime first or uploading directly from iMovie, the colors appear less saturated, blacks a dark gray. Below is a comparison between the original .MTS file and the same... Continue Reading →