* I'm planning on rewriting this FAQ soon because I am now primarily shooting with a Canon XHA1 and also using a 35mm Letus Extreme adapter. My equipment list has changed also. 
How long have you been doing this?
I began shooting seriously in the fall of 2001. The first "film" I made was with a handheld Panasonic camcorder borrowed from a friend. It was called Something Fishy.
Do you work alone?
Yes. Although my wife Linda and I sometimes take trips together. She's a photographer and we shoot together so I try to represent her work in some of my films. Brackendale is a good example of this (included on the DVD). In general, though, it's all me and, yes, I lug all of my own equipment and do my own editing.
Do you work with composers?
I have recently kindled a relationship with composer Glenn Scott Lacey that has been highly rewarding. He is a true artist and someone who is completely tuned into what I need/want. He has the ability to significantly enhance what I have already done. I am used to working from a set piece of library music so there are usually no suprises. Having a score created for my films is a huge thrill and takes them to a new level. I have also been approached by my local orchestra and I may work with them in the future.
What settings do you use on the DVX?
They vary from time to time so I cannot give a definitive answer on this one. The settings that have been consistent throughout, however, are Chroma level is set to +5 and Pedestal is set to -5.
I have found that video noise is very prevalent in this camera using the presets for f5 or f6 and I can attribute it to the Cine matrix. I changed that to NORM and made sure gamma was set to Cine-Like (not D or V) and the noise level during low light shooting is drastically reduced.
Other than that, I am constantly experimenting.
Do you use filters?
Rarely. When I do, the only one I use is a ND.6 (Neutral Density) by Tiffen to control depth of field or if I am shooting into the sun (not generally recommended), it provides extra protection for the lens.
Do you use a teleconverter with your DVX100?
Yes, I use a 1.6x teleconverter from Century Optics. On occasion, I also stack two teleconverters (the DVX 1.6x and a Century Optics 2x with a 58mm thread. I attach the 58mm lens to the DVX via a 72mm-58mm step down ring and then sandwich the DVX teleconverter in between this lens and my mattebox) to achieve a focal length of 144mm. Because there is so much glass and they are not really made for this kind of configuration, there is some image quality loss but sometimes it's worth it if it means I can get significantly closer to my subject.
Do you use a wide angle adapter?
Not currently.
Do you use a 35mm adapter?
Yes, I use a Letus Extreme adapter. In fact, I love this thing so much, I find it hard to shoot without it.
Do you employ other techniques to create a film look and feel?
One of the most important things for me, aside from good equipment, lighting and framing, is camera movement. Moving the camera is an art in itself and can be deceptively simple. When I go out shooting, I am a filmmaker, not a videographer. My camera becomes larger and heavier than it actually is and I move it accordingly.
When things move slowly, they can appear bigger. For instance, if you see a drop of water slowly descend to the ground, you imagine it to be bigger than it is. If you see that same drop reach its destination in a microsecond, your brain tells you it's small. A lot of Hollywood studios use this technique. When they build a set and detonate it, they convey it as being much larger by shooting at high speed and then playing it back at normal speed, giving very natural looking slow motion. Because things are traveling more slowly, it looks like they have a longer distance to travel.
I use this same thought process when I am out with my camera. I move it slowly, like it is a fully-loaded movie camera and the final footage conveys that sense. I rarely feel like I am looking at footage from a video camera when I look back at my shots.
Patience and practice will help you to emulate these moves. Using dollies where you can, etc. also helps. Watch lots of movies and really study the camera moves. There's a book that I love to browse called "Setting Up Your Shots" and it describes, in storyboard form, a variety of typical film camera movements. It's very inspirational.
I believe in the words of Robert Rodriguez when he says, "Think like a filmmaker and you will be a filmmaker." Don't let anyone tell you different.
How are your DVX100 wide shots so sharp?
SD video is notorious for looking great in closeup but looking terrible when it comes to wide shots, particularly landscapes where there is a lot of detail. People have commented that my shots look unusually sharp for the format but there is no real secret except I avoid one common mistake.
When I go wide, I do not rely on autofocus, you may think what you are seeing in the viewfinder is sharp but, unless you are doing critical focusing or you know how your lens works, it most likely will not be sharp. This can make potentially great footage look like it was shot on a regular consumer camera.
Find out what your cameras universal focus setting is.it's not always going to be at the end of the focusing scale. For instance, on the DVX100A it is actually 97 but you will be hard pressed to tell your auto focus that. It loves to hunt around between 92 and 99 and it will always look terrible.
Zoom into the furthest detail, manually focus and then lock your focus. Zoom back out, now you are done with the auto setting for this shot. Closing down the iris as much as possible will help tremendously too because the depth of focus will be much larger and you can control this with ND filters.
What other equipment do you use?
Here's a list of my equipment (This needs a serious update...this iist is from early 2006):
- Cobra Crane II from Promax.
- Dolly tracking and tripod dolly base from Promax
- Bogen Tripod base (3246) and Bogen fluid head (516)
- Cavision 4x4 bellows mattebox
- Matteblox mb100m mattebox system with oversized french flag
- Glidecam Pro 4000
Sony MDR-7506 Studio monitor headphones
- Sony lavalier microphone ECM44B
- Lots of batteries (I currently have 4)
- 500W Soft box
- 3-Pro light Lowel lighting kit with barn doors, etc. (total wattage 750)
- 5000w of Sears work lights
Which is better, the Canon XL2 or the DVX100a?
I have been asked this many times and I have to say the DVX is a clear winner for me. While the XL2 has a higher resolution (native 16x9 chips), it is a lot sharper and has a look that is still very much like video. What attracted me about the DVX was the very close emulation of film motion and also the richness of the color palette. The DVX has an organic look about it also, which is very appealing. To my eyes, it has a much more analog feel to it than the XL2's digital look. It all comes down to personal preference, of course but, for me, the DVX is everything I could want in a DV camera.
Are there any books specific to the DVX100?
Yes, Barry Green, a camera guru over at DVXUser.com has created a book and DVD set documenting just about everything you could ever ask about the DVX. The DVD also compares footage from a film camera and the DVX.
What editing software do you use for DVX100 footage?
Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 for Windows in conjunction with Photozoom Pro for final 16x9 mastering.
Do you use any special technique when you color correct?
Not really. I have tweaked the camera so much that the raw material does not need much work. The first thing I always do is a levels adjustment to make sure the blacks are as black as they can be without losing information and visa versa for the whites. I then get rid of any color cast that may be in the footage due to incorrect white balancing. That's pretty much it.
Do you use effects plug-ins?
I occasionally use Magic Bullet Editors but I like to keep the effects to a minimum. I personally don't see the point in altering the original footage so much that you can't even recognize it anymore. There's also a temptation to go overboard with these effects so I avoid them for the most part.
What other software do you use specific to filmmaking?
I sometimes use Adobe After Effects for titling or special needs. I use the full suite of Adobe products and use Macromedia Dreamweaver for this Web site. For the most part, because I don't go in for special effects, my need for other software is limited. My style dictates simple editing so I tend to stay inside Adobe Premiere Pro for most of my work. For sound I use Sony Soundforge and Adobe Audition. Finally, for DVD authoring, I use Adobe Encore DVD.
How do your films look so good on the Web? What do you use to compress them?
I use Sorenson Pro 4.0. I export my finished film from Premiere Pro to an AVI format and then import to Sorenson. The key is to set the bit rate at 768k. The rest is just experimentation.
Do you give workshops?
No, but I do consult over the phone. You can read about this new service in my blog. I may do live workshops in the future.
Are you planning on writing any tutorials?
Yes, I will be developing some tutorials on camera techniques, etc. in the near future.
Can I post your films on my Web site?
Not without permission from me directly.
Can I link to your site without permission?
Yes, absolutely. I'd appreciate an email if you do but it's not necessary. The one caveat to this is that if you are going to put a link to my Web site in an extremely high traffic area, like a blog, please let me know ahead of time and give me a chance to respond. I have limited bandwidth on my site and when I get deluged with hits after a link has been published, it can drive my ISP crazy. The entire site has been shut down on more than one occasion.
I work for a TV station, can I show some of your films?
I am always interested in showing my work but I would need to know all of the details and synch rights for the music usage would need to be paid for also. Contact me for info.
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