Jonathan Ziegler
Forum Replies Created
-
It depends, depends, depends. If you are a pro photographer wanting to try this crazy DSLR video thing, you should consider the 5D. If you just want video and some nice photos to boot, then the T2i is your best bet. Neither camera was designed for video per se – they are both primarily photo cameras with video features crudely thrown in. That doesn’t mean they don’t shoot great video, but if you’re new to video, get a video camera – the video implementation is seriously lacking when coMpared to even basic, consumer level features. Having a film background from a long time ago, my T2i reminds me of a 16mm Bolex camera with a few gosh neat features like instant playback and cheap processing (yes there is more to it than that). Oh and don’t be fooled by the cost of the body – you’ll spend far more on lenses and extras in the long run – even me and I’m really cheap. 😉 consider renting from somewhere like borrowlenses.com or a similar place that has DSLR packages you can rent for the weekend for about $200-300. I own 1 camera and rent the rest so I don’t have to keep up with the jones every week.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Credit is one of the easiest carrot-stick combos. It’s an easy, free way to lure talent. I have done tons of free film jobs (I’m serious, check my IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3538619/). With all due respect to the people who created, labored over, and financed these projects, I knew damn well there was little possibility of any long-term financial gain. Why? Most of these projects, while POTENTIALLY commercially viable, failed in the final execution – marketing and distribution. Which is more important than any of it, really. Even Robert Rodriguez had planned to distribute El Mariache to the Mexico TV market – he had a specific plan to make the film and release it to Mexico. It wound up in hollywood instead which was a surprise to him even.
Most projects have NO CLUE how they are going to regain any of their expenses. It’s easy, just ask what will happen to the film. The director, producer, and writer may have some vague idea: “a few festivals” or “I know a guy…” This is not a marketing plan and yes, I think a marketing plan is vital. Most films sell at film markets not festivals (think international video distribution not US theater distribution). You can put an artsy, exploratory, or bad film in a festival and still win some awards, but if nobody wants to buy your film, a film market will prove to be an expensive learning experience.
Now, I make sure any projects I work on have a plan of some form. I ask to see it in written form or a PDF. Here’s why: if I am signing a contract to receive monies from a production, that makes us partners. As such, I don’t go into business with someone unless I know they are going to be viable. What have they done? What’s the plan? How will you make money? I need to see the budget, where is the money coming from? Any legit producer will already have this information and may show it to you, but any legit producer would be paying for talent on an as-needed basis to keep profits up (the more you subdivide profits, the less you actually make).
Basically, if you are being promised money at some time in the future, demand a clause that states you will be paid a fixed amount if the production fails to pay you back by a specific date so you can recoup your expenses (labor, equipment – I’ll guess you’re using your own equipment, gas, food, insurance, etc.) and demand they get production insurance which covers equipment with your company specifically named and keep a copy of that policy info on file. Make sure the contract is with your company (not you, personally) so you can deduct expenses. Track all of your expenses including gas mileage and incidentals (oops I forgot a polarizer and I need to go get one at best buy or something). Ask to see a schedule and make sure they know you won’t be at unscheduled shoots – puts the onus on them to have a solid schedule – they’ll have tons of pickups, though, I guarantee it. Lastly, run the numbers to see what you will actually get based on similar distribution numbers – remember, hollywood rounds up quite a bit and the actual numbers are likely much smaller.
Learn from the experiences on this board rather than make the same mistakes.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Having a graphic design background, I strongly suggest lookin into the advertising specialty products field. What you need to do is make your business work in conjunction with other ad specialty businesses with specific pricing and the like. Organizations like ASI can connect you with thousand of ad specialty dealers who will in turn cOnnect you with thousands of businesses. Hunt around – there are other groups besides ASI, too I just can’t think of it.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
I was almost tempted not to respond to this because I’m sure there will be a host of posts. I’ll speak to my experience: I use FCP studio 2 and 3 (not X) as well as After Effects, Photoshop and Motion. I’ve had problems tweaking colors from each camera (Canon 5D, 7D, and T2i and a Nikon D90) and issues getting footage to match from camera to camera, but I still got it to work. And yes, there are differences in color and codec from camera to camera as well as manufacturer to manufacturer.
That said, I think its easier to match Canon to Canon and Nikon to Nikon – so stick with one camera type and run with it. I find the Canon footage easier to work with and, in my OPINION, I think the Canon footage is better than the Nikon footage – I’m also heavily invested in Canon so my opinion is skewed that way.
Finally, due to the relatively recent tech that is HDSLRs, none of them are ideal. In fact, I think they are feature poor and loaded with quirks. We are using technology that wasn’t really designed for what we are using it for. Consequently, it will all be flawed until the technology catches up to its uses, but if you apply standard cinematography and videography techniques, you can improve quality and production value.
Don’t feel committed to buy a camera just yet. Instead, rent a Nikon and a Canon with comparable lenses (try a 50mm and a 35mm at the least and a couple zooms) for the weekend and run them side-by-side in the situations you plan on using them. Drop the footage in your NLE and see if you can run the footage side-by-side. I’m sure you can find a church that will allow you to shoot for a small donation for a couple hours. It will cost you something like $200-300 for the weekend versus $1000 just to find out you got the wrong camera for your situation. I only own 1 camera – I rent everything else so I don’t have to constantly buy the next big thing in cameras and I charge my clients for equipment rather than hiding the cost in overhead. Check out borrowlenses.com and, of course, check locally for other photo/video pros for more info. I don’t do weddings, but I think a $300-500 line-item for basic equipment is a reasonable charge.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
I think you said it at the beginning – with one job gone, you can focus on your work. If you are working for someone else, you will always have a split focus – between an employer and your own business. You need to decide what you want and go for it.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Egads, if you are still operating as a sole proprietor, seriously consider setting up an LLC or S-corp instead. As a sole proprietor, you expose all of your personal assets to liability – a limited liability company or corporation literally limits your asset exposure to only business assets (like your camera, computer, etc) and not personal assets (like your house, car, 401k, paper assets, etc).
If you are going to pursue this, talk to an accountant, an attorney, and the state for what you need to do to set it all up. It can cost upwards of $1500 to set it all up, but once done, you will have serious protection. Once its done, set up your federal tax ID (it takes 30 seconds online). Until then, I think you would use your SSN, but that’s not a good idea. Talk to an attorney to be certain.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
I’m pretty sure the issue you seeing is due o a few things – 1) you have an older, slower machine (AVCHD is heavily compressed so you need a lot of processor to view in real time), 2) AVCHD codec may be causing artifacts.
I suggest checking the final cut, premiere or Vegas (or whatever editor you are using) forums for more advice on converting your footage for editing. I convert AVCHD the same as dslr footage – to apple prores for editing. Use compressor if you are using final cut (I still haven’t converted to X so I can’t speak to it).
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Truthfully, figure out how much you can spend first, then get an exact list of all the spots that need done and see if anyone can do the work for that price. I find there are lots and lots of ways to do VFX and budget will drive how you do it (for example, you want an explosion, but you don’t have the massive amount of cash to set it up with a pyrotechnics company so you opt for a $10k miniature explosion or stock footage).
Since you said it was a low budget feature, it will be better to figure out the cost for each sequence – manpower, equipment, locations, food, etc. Even better – put together a detailed storyboard and talk with a VFX cinematographer or producer. Also find out the most your producer is prepared to spend on VFX (there really are no standard numbers here unless you have a mega-budget film and can easily draw on what it cost last time), then find out who can do it for that amount. Be upfront and honest – they can’t give you an accurate quote unless you tell them everything.
Yes, they will attempt to use the entire amount you tell them so don’t give a number you aren’t prepared to spend. Remember, they’re not trying to screw you, they want to give you the absolute best they can give you and make some money in the process and look good so they get more business. Be clear that the amount you have to spend on VFX is the most you can spend – make it their responsibility to stay under budget just like any other contractor in any other business. Rather than “how much does it cost…?” you should be saying, “I have $xyz and I need abc, what can you do for me within that budget?” Then shop around and look to other productions (check IMDB for details – may need a pro account, but its worth it).
Check here if you’re in Hollywood: https://www.hcdonline.com/blubook/ (free download).
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
David,
Someone asked if they could put FCPX on a PC. Hackintosh is the way. Its more likely you will get FCPX working on a Hackintosh than Apple ports FCPX to Windows.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Actually, technically, it has been ported to the PC, but it still needs to run the MacOS. Check out the Hackintosh: https://nofilmschool.com/build-a-hackintosh/ . Really not for the faint of heart or the not-so-technically inclined, but I got 10.5 to install on an older machine and I will build one occasionally. The latest build on the site above is ideally suited for Premiere because you can use a different video card that will better utilize Adobe’s graphics engine – according to them. Mind you, a Hackintosh isn’t an actual Mac so you can’t get support and the machine is a little wonky in places, but you can put OSX on a PC to run Final Cut.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293