Making Movies in the Not So Distant Future

You’ll never believe where I’ve just been! I recently returned from a possible future reality where I was visiting a movie set. The crew was so awesome and showed me so many phenomenal things. I can’t talk about the movie itself because they don’t want anybody to steal the idea before they get a chance to make it. But I can tell you about their workflow and the technology they were implementing. Okay, lets start with the camera. Man, that thing was amazing! It didn’t really look like a typical camera you’d see today, more like a giant eyeball on a gimbal. They rigged it all sorts of ways and controlled it with a tablet. And when I say controlled it, I mean pretty much every aspect you could think of. You see it’s a light field camera so it captures everything in front of it with depth. Through an app you can control things like focus, focal length, exposure, and frame rate. What was even crazier is that none of that was baked into the actual raw files! It was all settings passed o

What Video Literacy means for Video Professionals

In the 21st century everybody has the means to make a movie. You no longer need a lot of money or connections to Hollywood to get going on your first project. Got an idea and a smart phone? Great, go out and tell your story! Of course that doesn’t mean your movie will automatically be an Academy Award Winning Blockbuster and make over a billion dollars. It’s a little more complicated than just that. But on a fundamental level, whether you are shooting a video of your kid playing in a pool or a scene with Tom Cruise running through the streets of Paris, the basic principles are the same. Light reflects off of objects, gets captured by a camera, and moving images are produced. The power now found in ordinary people’s hands cannot be overstated. We no longer live in an era of trade secrets only shared to the initiated. The curtain has been pulled back and we see the Wizard of Oz for who he really is. Very technical processes have been demystified and simplified to the point that a c

5 Predictions for the Future of Filmmaking

Being obsessed with the movie making process I often speculate as to where the technology is headed.  Here are 5 predictions I think we'll see in implemented or invented in the coming years. 1.  We'll start with Video Literacy.  Educational institutions teach reading and writing as a basic curriculum.  Soon it will be necessary to teach at least some level of to make movies as well.  I'm not sure who coined the term "video literacy" but I do know George Lucas, among others, has often talked about it.  I envision a future where businesses will not rely on video production companies to produce everything and will start doing it themselves.  And I'm not just talking about a dedicated department.  I believe everyone, from the CEO to the new intern, will have to at least have some basic video production skills.  Employers will come to expect it on applicants resumes.  It seems obvious to me that because the tools are so accessible and affordable today it's

What Star Wars means to me

Even though it can upset me, I don't blame anybody for asking, "Hey Brad, what do you think about them making more Star Wars movies?"  I am a huge fan, have been since I was a kid, and Star Wars is a big deal to me. Like countless others, Star Wars inspired me to pursue my movie making career.  Before seeing the behind-the-scenes TV specials and making of documentaries for Star Wars I had no clue that movie making was even a legitimate career choice.  I began making videos by helping my brother and his friends with school projects and continued doing it with my own friends.  By the time I was 12 years old I was determined to become a movie director.  My parents were less thrilled, it didn't seem like a practical or realistic career goal to them.  But Star Wars ignited a passion in me and it has not stopped. There is a whole other type of Star Wars fan, one that still loves the visuals, the stories, and characters as much as I do, but has no interest in kno

Northern California Family Trip 2013


Fedora Pictures Reel - 2013


My Dream Digital Cinema Camera

Just about every 6 months or less a new camera is announced with even more amazing features for even less money.  There have been a few cameras that have peaked my interest over the last year: Blackmagic Cinema Camera , Canon C100 , Sony F5 , and as of this week Blackmagic's Pocket and 4K Production Cameras. But of all the cameras I've looked at not one of them is my perfect dream camera.  Each camera has strengths and weaknesses. Ten years ago the Panasonic AG-DVX100 was the perfect camera for its time.  While the technology world has raced on and thereby making this camera obsolete it will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was the first professional quality camera I got my hands on. The DVX had a lot going on for it.  A fantastic ergonomic design, multiple frame rate options including the coveted 24fps, a fast Leica lens, and a slue of professional video and cinematic features.  It had a good run of over 5 years and was an extremely popular camera.  No c