Here is a great interview with Alex Buono, Director of Photography for Saturday Night Live Produced

by Urban Daddy to promote Canon cameras.

Creative/Writer/Producer: Josh Shurtleff (joshshurtleff.com)
Director/Cinematographer: Saam Gabbay (humunculus)

Editor: Bradley J. Ross Editorial

November 2010

Here is commentary from Philip’s vimeo page.

My first attempt at HDR tone mapping timelapse.

We start off with normal timelapse and then go into the 3 and 7 bracket tone mapped HDR timelapses.

I wanted to create a sense of colour and insanity that Las Vegas gives you. All from one view point. My balcony. With that restriction can you do it? Well I did it before in my two previous timelapses…

This was harder in a way as there was no single focal point like in the Sydney Harbour piece or the Space Needle piece.

I made a virtue of the HDR tone mapping with the change of pace in the music and also my use of bookends which I love.

There is a very detailed commentary on my website which goes into each shot in detail. It’s worth a listen.

TITLE: HDSLR CINEMA 101
Presented by Alex Buono
DESCRIPTION: In the world of film and television, there is no deadline more
unmovable than when you hear those magical words, “Live from New York, It’s
Saturday Night! “. As a 10-year veteran of the Saturday Night Live Film Unit, Alex
Buono must deliver high-end commercial parodies and short films in as few as 24
hours, and he will share with you how shooting with the Canon 5DmII & 7D has
revolutionized the way he works. Alex will use his experience over the decade at
SNL to demonstrate everything you need to know when it comes to shooting
videos with your DSLR. Topics covered will include an extensive setup primer:
discussing shutter speeds, frame rates, aspect ratios, camera settings, and vital
production gear. Alex will also cover his work flow – both on-set and in post
production, including topics such as, “Advantages of Canon DSLR versus other
Formats”; “Transcoding files into edit-friendly codecs”; and “How to create time
lapse sequences”. Whether you are a still photographer looking to transition into
video production or a veteran cinematographer looking to embrace new
technology, this lecture will provide a comprehensive introduction to HDSLR
cinema.

Alexander Buono Bio (2011)
Producer / Director of Photography
Born in Portland, Oregon, Alex moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to attend the
University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in film
production and still photography. His early post-collegiate years were spent on the
camera crews of studio films including Twister, Conspiracy Theory, and
Armageddon, learning from top ASC cinematographers and personal mentors
including Conrad Hall, Don Burgess, Dean Cundey, and John Schwartzman. Soon
after, Alex became a full-time cinematographer of indie films, music videos, and as
the Director of Photography for the Saturday Night Live Film Unit. In 2003, Alex
received an Oscar Nomination for the short film Johnny Flynton, which he
photographed and also produced. Alex repeated the dual role of cinematographer
and co-producer on Green Street Hooligans, about London’s football-gang
subculture starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam, which won both the Grand
Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2005 South By Southwest Film Festival. He
was also the cinematographer of Shanghai Kiss, which he shot in Shanghai with an
all-Chinese crew. Following, Alex wrote, produced and shot the documentary
feature Bigger Stronger Faster*, which premiered in competition at the 2008
Sundance Film Festival and was distributed theatrically by Magnolia Pictures. In
2009, Alex’s 10th season with Saturday Night Live marked his first experimentation
with the new HDSLR format, shooting the show’s title sequence and most of the
season’s commercial parodies with Canon’s 5Dm2 and 7D cameras, earning him
sponsorship with both CanonUSA and Lexar Media. Most recently, Alex continued
his experimentation with Canon DSLRs as the 2nd Unit director/DP for the new
ABC drama series Detroit 187. Alex is a member of the International
Cinematographer’s Guild, the International Documentary Association and the
Writer’s Guild of America. Alex lives in Venice, California where he continues to
write, produce, and shoot for his production company, Third Person, and is
represented by Hyphen Management.

Click above for highlights from last year’s NJVA/WEVA event!

REGISTER and PAY HERE

Save the date! On Wednesday, May 18th, the New Jersey Videographers Association
(NJVA) and WEVA International present the 3rd Annual NJVA-WEVA Institute
Northeast Conference for all wedding & event filmmakers.

The one-day event returns to the Hilton Garden Inn/Raritan Center in
Edison, NJ from Noon to 10pm (with a break for dinner) and will feature the
hottest speakers from around the country. Plus, there will be an industry trade
show, and great networking opportunities. All current members of WEVA, NJVA, and
all other local videographers associations will receive discount registration.
First Speaker Announced!!

HDSLR Cinema 101 will be presented by  Saturday Night Live’s Alex Buono, a 10-year veteran of SNL’s film unit.

“This will be our industry’s largest regional educational and networking event
of the year,” said NJVA President Julie Conroy

“NJVA and WEVA have arranged a discount hotel room rate of just $139/night at
the Hilton for all attendees. This unique educational event will cover a wide
range of topics that will enhance and grow your business.”

WEVA Chairman Roy Chapman adds, “This year’s Conference will offer an
exceptional way to discover new trends, techniques and technologies shaping our
industry, with peer networking throughout the entire Conference. The event will
feature the latest in DSLR cameras, shooting & editing techniques, and new
business strategies.”

Register now seating is limited.

REGISTER and PAY HERE

The Wednesday, November 10th meeting is sponsored by Unique Photo of Fairfield, NJ, and will be dedicated entirely to shooting video with Canon DSLRs.  We have some of the best in the business in attendance to answer every question you may have regarding the topic. We would like to welcome Jon Connor and Cristina Valdivieso from Canonfilmmakers.com and professionals from the NYC DSLR Meetup group to our meeting.  John Hyland, John Miller Videography, Roman France,  Zack Mctee, Tarik Sykes and our very own Dave Hall, Dan Bitcon and Anthony Quintano. We will go over everything regarding DSLR shooting from the basics of what type of lenses to start with, to discussing how to edit the DSLR footage in post.

Bring your quesitons to ask, your toys to share and your business cards to network! We look forward to meeting any new attendees that live in the tri-state area.

The meeting is $25 for new attendees ($35 for returning guests). That fee includes a full dinner Buffet, desert and coffee so come hungry. Please RSVP that your attending via our facebook event page or in our comment section below. Networking begins after 6:00pm at Bella Casa Caterers, 2 Acme Street, Belleville, NJ 07109. The phone number for Bella Casa is 973-450-0602.

If you have any questions that you would like us to focus on regarding DSLR’s please share them here as well.

Because Unique Photo is sponsoring the meeting, bring your cash or credit cards as they will have tons of merchandise for sale that night!!

David Perry, of David Perry Films in Utah, will be presenting an evening workshop entitled “Creating Connections That Book Weddings”.  This evening is sponsored by IN[FOCUS].  More info to come.

Joe Taravella, of Studio Vieux Carre in New Orleans, LA, will delve deep into DSLR workflow.  He’ll show us how to simplify shooting with DSLRs, how to choose which camera/lens combinations are right for you, how to use lens filters, how to convert and edit DSLR footage, and ways to incorporate still photos from your DSLR into your workflow.

Please RSVP on the facebook event page.

IN[FOCUS] on Twitter and Facebook

David Perry Twitter and Facebook

Joe Taravella Twitter and Facebook

NJVA Twitter and Facebook

If you are tweeting about this event please include the official hashtag #INFOCUSNJVA

Watch the really cool preview of the IN[FOCUS] event coming in January

Show and Tell

Now’s your chance to show off that latest video related thing you just got over the summer. Dan Strickler will show us his new Sony AVCHD camcorder, the NX5U.

He reports, “I’ve taken it out on 4 jobs so far and I’m very pleased with the results. I think it’s a real winner and has the potential of being very popular with event videographers. It’s a good, solid camera at a modest price.” He’ll give us a tour of the camera and demo some footage on an HD projector. Then Dave Hall will show his Kessler CineSlider, Sachtler FSB 4 carbon fiber tripod and Rode Stereo Videomic (which includes the dead kitten.)

and Anthony Quintano will be showing off the Jag35 Shoulder rig.

Eric Model, Tony Cucci, Julie Conroy and John Karczmit will also be sharing. But we still have time in the schedule for a few more cool, video-related gadgets. So if you recently purchased something that has changed your life as a videographer – okay, maybe it’s not a life-changer, but something you think we ought to know about,don’t keep it a secret, share! Please e-mail Dan Strickler and he’ll fit you in the schedule. If you are intending on coming to the meeting please RSVP either by commenting on this post or RSVP to the event page on facebook

Video Contest!

Anything But a Wedding Video

The September 15th contest will feature any video that is not wedding related; a corporate job, a PR piece, a dance concert, anything that does not include a bride and groom!

Please email Dan Strickler to let us know you plan to enter so we can better schedule the evening.

Because the category is so broad, you will not be comparing the videos to each other but rather judging each on a scale of 1 to 10 on the basis of their artistic and technical merits.

Awards: Gold, Silver, and Bronze will be presented to the top three entries. Winners will be announced at the completion of the NJVA meeting. Awards will be presented at the NJVA holiday party in December.

Important things to know:

* Entrant must be a member in good standing of NJVA for at least one month prior to the competition in order to enter.
* Entries can be up to 5 minutes in length or any 5 minute excerpt of a longer piece.
* It must be taken from a paying job.
* It must be on a DVD.
* One entry per member per competition.
* All entries must be received by 7:30pm on the night of the competition.
* All entries must be given to the competition chairperson at the NJVA front desk.

“A Day with Ray”
LIVA July 13, 2010 The Long Island Marriott, Uniondale, NY
NJVA July 14, 2010 Bella Casa Caterers, Belleville, NJ

One of the Industry’s Elite Filmmakers, International Award Winning and Event DV Top 25 Recipient Ray Roman will be sharing the knowledge and techniques that have led to his success in a Special Day Long Workshop being put on twice in the New York Area. First on July 13th with the Long Island Videographers Association and then on July 14th with the New Jersey Videographers Association.

This workshop will kick off in the morning with an on location, Live Shooting Demonstration. We’ll be shooting in a beautiful park near the meeting location and have a Bride and Groom on hand! Ray will go over his filming techniques along with showcasing his command presence. Ray’s style comes from the fact that he refuses to be a fly on the wall, he’ll show you how he makes the shots happen! Attendees are encouraged to bring their cameras!

After the Shoot we’ll head to the Meeting location, the Long Island Marriott for LIVA and Bella Casa Caterers for NJVA, where Ray will give a Live Editing Demonstration, showcasing the footage captured earlier. This will be your chance to really get into the mind of one of the most talented Event Filmmakers on the Planet.

This event is limited to 30 Attendees per day! So act fast if you don’t want to be shut out of this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the most Influential Event Filmmakers!

July 13th
$99 for LIVA Members
$149 for Non-Members
July 14th
$99 for NJVA Members
$149 for Non-Members

Non-Members who attend will also gain access to Ray’s Evening Program “The Art of Short-Form Weddings”

SOLD OUT!!!

At the first meeting of 2010, we were honored to have special guest Matt Davis from http://www.lifestagefilms.com. Matt founded Life Stage Films just over 3 years ago. His studio is based in Wilmington, NC. In that time he has become a multi-year WEVA CEA winner, increased his company to 8 staff people, and commands some of the highest rates for wedding video services in North Carolina, all during a recession. He has also launched a video business coaching program for event videographers to help get them on the fest track to owning their business, instead of just working in it. Although he gets much joy from having happy clients, nothing is more rewarding to him that giving back to the video industry and doing his part to make it a  better place to make a living.