Bright Tangerine Titan Quick Release Adaptor

I love the Bright Tangerine Titan Arm.It is perfect for supporting a heavy monitor recorder. It can be fitted with 15mm rod adaptors that fit into receivers - allowing a quick attachment to my rig.

So I don’t have to rotate the monitor on to the Titan Arm I’m going to fit a rod to one end and a receiver to my monitor. The problem is how difficult it is to remove the existing threaded adaptor from the arm. The instructions tell you to heat up the joint to 250 degrees centigrade so the glue securing the existing adaptor melts and can be it unscrewed using a hex key. The force needed to unscrew it is considerable. Any movement you see is the hex key slipping and stripping! It shouldn’t be this hard given how easy it looks on the instruction video - reheat and repeat - it does not move. This was the same for the other end of the titan arm.

The solution I found was an angle grinder to shorten the length and create two flat sides on the cylinder - something for a wrench to grip on to. Really heat it up again and apply extreme pressure - reheat and repeat - and finally it comes off! Now fit the rod adaptor using Loctite to secure the fit. Attach to receiver to the monitor and we’re done.

Recording the Little Opera Company - BTS

I am shooting a promotional video for the Little Opera Company (see BTS video at the end).

They really are “…one of the most exciting groups to emerge onto the classical music scene in recent years”

I am prepping for the shoot - checking my equipment!

LIGHTING:

Main light - Aputure 300D mkII

Soft-Box - Aputure Light Dome II

Colour correction gel to warm the lighting - half CTO

SOUND:

Ambient sound recorded with a MID-SIDE mic set up - used to control the width of the stereo effect.

The singers will also be wearing radio mics.

Sound Recorder - Sound Devices MixPre2

6 audio channels in total:

Ch 1 - MKH 30 for ambient stereo sides

Ch 2 - MKH 8040 for middle ambient

Ch 3 - Tenor Radio Mic

Ch 4 - Bass Radio Mic

Ch 5 - Soprano Radio Mic

Ch 6 - Alto Radio Mic

CAMERA:

Canon C70 Cinema Camera - Shooting Clog2 at 25fps

Focus and zoom motors rigged to the rods

Checking the long lens - for side angle close up shots

TIMECODE

Timecode Jam Synced to the Tentacle Sync, which then talks to its friend attached to the camera.

Camera easily detaches for handheld operation.

Check the Gimbal and all is ready to go.

The time-coded files quickly sync together. An XML file is created and all the clips are imported into the editing program (FCPX)

Edit - correct the colour - port the audio over to Logic Pro and mix to taste

Add client’s graphics

Export the video file and send to client for appraisal …

Recording a Show - Event Video Set Up

Recording a Show

Get into the venue 1 or 2 hours before curtain up

Close up camera that I’ll be operating - Canon C500 mk1

Fixed wide angle camera - capturing the whole stage - Canon C70

I use a mid/side stereo mic set up to record the performers and audience

Two separate mics are placed closer to the stage

A live feed from the sound desk is also used

Radio mics mean no cables trailing along the floor

All mics are recorded on a Sound Devices MixPre II

A quick frame up before the show

Video and audio is edited together and delivered on USB/DVD/online.

A Blatant Holiday Video

A holiday is no excuse to leave your day job at home. This is clearly a holiday video shot ad hoc on a super camera, which is a work in progress in terms of lugging it around and having the right stuff with you in a small set-up.

Shot on my Canon C70 with a 1/8th mist filter and a circular polariser - I’m still evaluating the effect of using these filters. I think the mist adds a nice glow and diffusion here and there but the polariser (from Tilta) doesn’t seem to have any effect, even when rotated!

Canon C70 Hand-held Test

I have avoided hand-held video shooting until recently, preferring tripods and gimbals. However, having built a rig with a top handle, the hand-held set up is quick to manage and means you don't miss shots. I still need to work on holding the camera steady!

Below is the basic set-up. The mini tripod comes off for hand-held but is very useful to have around!

My Teleprompter Set Up

I bought this teleprompter from amazon, to speed up client interviews and editing.

The hood helps to block out light from behind, making the teleprompter text clearer.

I adapted an Apple TV to run from the camera battery - so it could mirror the iPad’s display - and is fed into a monitor at the back of the camera, allowing me to see exactly what the client is reading and adjust the speed, via an iPhone app from iAutocue, as needed.

The camera is a Canon C500 mk1, which has terrible internal resolution and codecs but outputs ProRes 4K, 10 bit, to an external recorder - in this case an Atomos Shogun Inferno - a terrific recorder and monitor with everything you need to achieve good focus and exposure.

You won’t need to adjust you zoom and focus too much during an interview but the Nucleus N motors from Tilta are excellent tools for setting up your shots.

Ask a client to prepare a script in advance and it will save you hours in filming and especially editing. Let me know what you think …

I adapted it with Smallrig lens supports, which I turned upside-down so I could fit it all on to the camera rods.

I use iAutocue to manage the script - there are many teleprompter apps available. Flip the image to make it readable and it is ready to go!

The audio is from a lapel mic taped to the client’s chest, with a small shotgun mic placed out of shot as a back up. You are hearing just the radio mic. I use devices from Tentecle to stamp timecode onto the footage and audio so it is a simple job to sync in post - drop all files into the Tentecle app and export an XML, which loads directly into the editing software.

Everything is powered from a V-Mount set up on the back of the rig.

Watch the full video below …

My Livestream Set Up

A number of clients have asked for their event to be recorded and, due to very restrictived audience numbers, also livestreamed.

Here is the set up I use. Two cameras feed into a Blackmagic Design Atem Mini Pro, which allows you to switch between them. This works well for live events as one camera is always seeing a wide angle, I can switch to the other camera when I have a good close up, switching back to the wide shot as needed.

This set up requires a jungle of wires, so I built the Atem Mini Pro into a Peli Box so all the cables are in place and a screen is permanently attached. This was quite an intricate project involving 3D printed parts and lots of soldering. Luckily …

… the design, instructions and 3D part templates were all available online via the DSLR Video Shooter YouTube channel. I could not resist this project as it totally solved the problem of wiring and set up time, just open the box and you are ready to plug in your cameras!

I added a few extra inputs and a USB power outlet.

It is useful to have the Atem Mini Pro and laptop on a stand. I mounted a plate on the bottom of the Peli Box and made a small platform for the laptop, both attach to a tripod with various clamps. This makes the whole set up very usable out in the field.

This is a high quality streaming and recording system, which has added to what I can offer clients, and the Atem Peli Box project was such fun to construct. Many thanks to DSLR Video Shooter for the incredibly well thought out instructions and resources. As a side note, whilst thinking about things DSLR related you can check out this article on the difference between SLR and DSLR!

Have Yourself a Cheesy Little Christmas

Just for laughs, here is my cheesy rendition of Greensleeves. Before I entered the world of video and photography I was a music teacher. Enjoy.

Product Photography for Ti-GO Bikes #RideAwesome

The Ti-GO AIR - all the bits!

The bikes, apparel and accessories were delivered to my studio and I got to work. A socially distanced product shoot is an interesting experience, keeping a constant channel of communication open was essential - the devil is in the details!

Chris and Sarah from CYCLEme TOTS got in touch - they were launching a new range of bikes and biking apparel for younger riders. My little boy, Teddy, goes to the CYCLEme TOTS riding classes, which he loves, and Sarah had seen the videos and photos I had been sharing on the Facebook page and asked if I would like to produce photos and video for their upcoming launch of Ti-GO BIKES? Yes please!

Ti-GO AIR assembled - blue style

Tech. Tops on a Ghost Mannequin

Ti-GO gloves in three colour ranges

Colour options for the product range were matched in Photoshop using the original design specifications, this maintains a consistency to the look of the apparel - one shot with three colour ranges.

The Ti-GO ONE

The same colour process was used for the bike and accessory shots. All files were PNGs with the background removed, which means the client can upload to their website and choose various colours for their background.

PNG files (with a transparency) usually default to a white background

Client can choose a different colour for the background

Using a Ghost Mannequin enables the inside of a garment to be seen - very useful! Sections of the neck line and shoulders can be removed after the mannequin has been dressed. I got mine from emeDigital - very helpful people - you can find them HERE

Some of the logos placed using Photoshop, then added to garment during manufacture - communication with the client is key!

The gloves and pads were tested to the full as an epic fall followed the huge jump seen above! The bikes and apparel are great, perfectly suited to little riders.

Ti-GO BIKES primary goal as a business is to get kids riding earlier, safer, and with added fun and excitement! Every product in their range has been rigorously tested with the youngest riders to ensure that it has the Ti-GO seal of approval to make each child #rideawesome. To this end I just had to take Teddy out and about …

You can find Ti-GO BIKES HERE

You can find my other product photography HERE