Cool Gear: Aputure wireless HDMI video transmitter with zero latency

Aputure has just released – on Amazon – a pretty cool gadget – a wireless transmitter that can transmit and receive fully uncompressed video, with zero latency. Also, it works in 60 GHz, as opposed to 2.4 GHz that most transmitters use – the lower frequency sometimes causes interference and slight delays.
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From wedding videos to films – the outstanding work of cinematographer Colin Pregent

Today, I saw the short film “The Answers”, which is currently featured on Vimeo Staff Picks. The film has done a long and successful festival tour (winning eight awards) and is now piling up views online. Short films are great for showcasing talents of indie filmmakers. This well-crafted and entertaining film accomplishes exactly that. It has led me to discover the talents of Colin Pregent, among others. Continue reading From wedding videos to films – the outstanding work of cinematographer Colin Pregent

The Cinematography of “Sicario”

Despite all the controversy surrounding this year’s Oscar nominations, 2016 saw outstanding work from many filmmakers, including those recognized by the Academy. One of the most deserving Oscar nominations went to the cinematographer of “Sicario”, Roger Deakins (the film also received two other nominations: Original Score for Jóhann Jóhannsson; and Sound Editing for Alan Robert Murray). Roger Deakins is an accomplished Hollywood cinematographer – some call him the best DP to have never won an Oscar (despite his twelve nominations, before this year’s). He is also someone who shares his knowledge freely. Therefore, he is the perfect person to learn from. Continue reading The Cinematography of “Sicario”

The growth mindset – the key to developing skills in filmmaking and anything else

Recently, I came across research papers in psychology and education that I found fascinating. The work comes from, among others, Carol Dweck, who is a psychology professor at the Stanford University. She has been studying people’s mental attitudes and how they inhibit or propel achievement and personal development. Her findings are very powerful, I think, and widely applicable. Continue reading The growth mindset – the key to developing skills in filmmaking and anything else

Should We Be Upset With The Oscars?

Since the announcement of the 2016 Oscar nominations, a lot of criticism has fallen onto The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the body behind for the Oscars awards). Some have suggested boycotting the awards show and the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” has become popular on Twitter. Even the president of the Academy admitted being deeply disappointed by the nominations. The criticism is the result of the perceived bias of the Academy against racial – and other – minorities. Whether you think that the accusations of racism are warranted or not, it is difficult to argue that the award nominations do not lack racial diversity (they really are “lily white”, as Spike Lee has put it). Continue reading Should We Be Upset With The Oscars?

I am on a tour!

I am excited to announce that I will be touring with a filmmaking workshop – the 2 Day Cine School. We have worked really hard to prepare this workshop for you and I really believe that those of you who attend will get a lot out of it. To give you a sense of what to expect, here is the tour trailer. Continue reading I am on a tour!

Opportunities to make indie films for the global audience

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, The Verge conducted an interview with Ted Sarandos, the Chief Content Officer at Netflix. With the recent expansion to 130 countries, Sarandos talked about the need for Netflix to look for global content – films and shows that can play well across cultures. He mentioned the series “Narcos” and “Marseille” as models of what the Netflix content acquisition team looks for. Continue reading Opportunities to make indie films for the global audience

Short Film Spotlight: “I Love Sarah Jane”

Recently, I saw on Indieflix a very good short film, “I Love Sarah Jane”. I know I am late to the party – the film premiered in 2008 (at the Sundance Film Festival) and made waves that year and the following. However, with so much film and video content coming at us, it is easy to miss out on something great. “I Love Sarah Jane” is certainly a film worth going back to. Plus, with the passage of time, we can see how careers of the filmmakers involved in this project have progressed – especially since a number of them are making waves in the film industry right now. Continue reading Short Film Spotlight: “I Love Sarah Jane”

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