Canon 5D Mark II and the Future of DSLR Video

The traditional design of high definition video cameras is quickly becoming outdated, to be replaced by new digital SLR still & video cameras, with a modular design.    This not an entirely new idea. The Red Digital Cinema Company has been aiming with a similar goal in mind for the last few years and with the release of their Red One they were able to offer a camera capable of shooting at 4k resolution and using 35mm lenses for about $50,000 (inexpensive compared to similar high-end camera packages).

In late 2008, the Red Company announced that a new, truly modular DSMC (digital still and motion camera) is on the horizon that would blow the socks of the competitors, and pull back our wigs as filmmakers for a fraction of the price.  Sometime in late 2009* (*This was a optimistic guess), the Epic and Scarlet cameras will hit the market and fully solidify these new types of digital video cameras as the standard for digital content creation.

In the meantime, while we are crossing out the days on the calendar for the Epic/Scarlet release, what are the competitors doing?  Two other DSLR cameras that are capable of shooting high definition are currently available, and are quickly becoming recognized for their stunning visuals and “digital majesty.”  They are the Canon 5D Mark II and the Nikon D90 (we have not used the latter…if you have tried this camera, let us know what you think).

The Canon 5D Mark II is a hot product right now and very hard to find.  To accquire one, I recommend calling up B & H Photo as soon as they open (they get a daily shipment and are EST, so call early).  This is exactly how we ordered ours, since it was back-ordered everywhere else, including their website. After getting the 5DMII, we decided to go all out and buy a full rig for the camera that included the Zacuto Filmmakers DSLR Kit, a Red Rock Micro Matte Box, four Canon lenses and tons of filters, flash cards, a car-pod, Ikan HDMI monitor, and a clown-car full of other tools and accessories (I probably put the owner of B&H’s kid through a year a schooling). Since our camera package is also based on a modular design we can switch in practically any camera, including the Red One, Epic and Scarlet.

The Good Fight: Feature Film Editing & Design

The Good Fight Trailer from RareForm on Vimeo.

Martin Litton has been fighting to save the natural world his entire life. First against the un-environmental practices implemented by the US Government, then against the swinging axe of the Forest Service, Martin Litton has been fighting The Good Fight.

• RareForm helped edit and design the feature documentary for the 2008 Telluride Big Mountain Film Festival, and is now distributed by PBS.
• We brought exposure to the film and created a web page to showcase the material www.thegoodfightcontinues.com

Vincent Laforet: Reverie and Sizzle Reel

Vincent Laforet was a major influence on whether we were going to purchase a Red One or the Canon 5d Mark II.

Here are two amazing videos by Vincent Laforet:

Reverie:

Sizzle Reel:

Check Vincent out at his site: http://vincentlaforet.com.

Speeding Through the Night: Timelapse Video Test

Here is my test video of a night timelapse test taken in Santa Monica, CA.  I experimented with three different exposure combinations.  Needless to say I’ll be heading out again to see if I can make the video more effective.