DIY-How to Make a Dolly

It seems like we're on a roll with the do-it-yourself material these days. The clip above gives a really good example of how to make a dolly using PVC pipe. We've actually used this method before with pretty good results. The video is a little on the cheesy side, but the tip is worth it. Enjoy!

Ipod Nano = Awesome Youtube Videos!

My trusty 2nd gen Ipod is nearing the twilight of its life. The lighted screen has mysterious dark smears running through it, the clicker only works clockwise, and the sound only plays through one ear. Thankfully A was awesome enough to buy me a sweet new Ipod Nano. Now, not only do I get to hear Grizzly Bear's "Southern Point" in melodious stereo sound, but I also can make videos! That's right, the nano shoots video. At first I was skeptical because c'mon-how great can a device smaller than a pack of gum record video? Turns out pretty well. Above is a video test of the Nano I found on youtube. As you can see it records a decent picture and sound.

This has so many possiblities!!! With the convenience of a tiny, portable video camera I'll be able to catch innumerable candid moments in the teeming city streets, such as adorable squirrels acting like humans or grumpy seniors throwing fisticuffs with hipsters. The opportunities are endless.

Whoo-hoo!

We bought a new camera today! Yeay! We were looking for a small compact HD camera. Something that didn't lack quality but wouldn't break the budget either. Since Canon is coming out with upgraded versions of all their compact HD cams, B&H is having a HUGE sale on the old versions. So we took advantage and were able to get the HF-S10 at a good price. Although small and compact it's a pretty good model with high HD quality. Crank 2 was actually filmed using one of the smaller Canon models that was even lower quality than the one we've just bought, so I'm pretty confident the SF10 won't disappoint in image quality. Plus, if we ever need to film a scene in a public place like a library or grocery store, there's less chance we'll get caught with this tiny camera instead of our giant XHA1. Haha, sneaky, I know ;) Above is a youtube video showing the image quality of this camera. Why do all youtube videos showing test footage always have to be boring static shots of flowers, trees and parks? We watch a lot of youtube camera test videos for research and they're all the same. I think for the SF10 we'll make a fun test video that shows actual human beings doing things, which is what we all normally film with our camcorders, right? Anyways, that's my schpiel for the day. G'night :)

KeepVid

Have you ever seen a hilarious video online of a giraffe riding a bicycle, and thought "hey, I really wish I could download this clip into a stand alone video file so I could forward it to my friends instead of sending a link"? Well, wish no more! We discovered this really cool website called KeepVid that allows you to take any online video and convert it into a viewable file on your desktop, such as an MP4. Its a really cool way to access videos you want to save offline. The site has served us well in the past, allowing us to download files for research so that were not constantly having to go online. It's pretty neat.

Monday is approaching....

So its Sunday night and I am surfing the web again....when I noticed on that some users are posting feature films on youtube. I am not sure how they are able to keep these films posted without them getting taken down. Anyway, as I found out, you pretty much find any film out on video on youtube.
Camera shake:Enemy#1!..Read about it here
and how to avoid it....of course you can always try to clean it up in Final Cut Pro but why waste the time.