Letus Color Temp & ND Fader Test

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN] The video above contains sample footage along with my thoughts on the Letus Color Temp & ND Fader. Don't have time to watch the video? Below is a quick summary of what I found.

RedCine-X to 50" Plasma WITHOUT a Redrocket

I recently stumbled upon away to get the video out from RedCine-X to my 50" Plasma without having to buy a Redrocket card & the breakout box - a savings of almost $6,000! My original intent was to get my second display (Asus ProArt) out to the Plasma so that I can watch Hulu on my big screen when I'm not working. (Lofty goal I know. ;) ). Anyway, this turned out to be more difficult then I had originally thought as not all of the equipment I bought played nicely with each other the first time around ...

Portland Lens Test 2011

On December 10, 2011 Indent Studios organized a lens test that was very eye opening and educational for all that attended. I feel fortunate that I could partake in making it a successful event. :) With the release of "affordable" cameras like the Epic-X, Scarlet, C300, and F3 (among many others) everyone is wondering what "affordable" lens package they should invest in, or rent for their camera. Indent Studios organized this event to use 3 Epic-X's to shoot with 7 sets of lenses and find out the answer. After handling the lenses, and reviewing the footage we all came across some surprising results.

Check out the footage for yourself and download the R3Ds after the jump...

Asking The Right Questions

Over the last month or so I have been asked at least once a week the following question: "If money wasn't an issue, what camera would you shoot with?". While I get that the people asking this question are trying to determine what I think the best camera is on the market currently, I think that this question is fundamentally the wrong question to be asking. What is the "right" question after the jump ...

Modern Family Show Reel

Produced by Ryan E. Walters, this is a small collection of clips from the Modern Family collection of stock footage. The complete collection can be viewed here: Modern Family.

Ryan E. Walters brings a cinematic taste and aesthetic to his stock footage collection. You can check out his entire offering of footage here: Ryan's Stock Footage.

List of gear after the jump.

IR ND Filtration + EPIC

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING IN FULL SCREEN]

As cameras get more and more sensitive to light, infrared (IR) pollution becomes a bigger issue as stronger neutral density filters are used to maintain exposure. IR pollution ends up changing the color rendition of the entire image and can result in some VERY funky color shifts. (I have seen dark green leaves change to magenta for example.)  These color shifts can be next to impossible to get rid of once they are recorded into the digital image. There are creative ways to get rid of this in post, but many of these solutions - like rotoscoping and painting out the problem - are cost prohibitive. Besides, a "problem" like this should have been corrected in the camera at the time of filming, not left to post. Always remember this mantra, and practices it daily: "Fix it in camera, NOT in post."

Lighting 101: Using The Meter

[HIGHLY RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS FULL SCREEN]

Welcome to the language of light! In the Lighting 100 series of videos you will be taken through the basic concepts you need to understand and master in order to creatively use light to tell visual stories. In episode 101 Ryan reveals the need for, and the use of the light meter, an often overlooked and misunderstood tool. But through the proper use and understanding, it can allow you to shape light in a whole new way.

At the end of this video I show a couple of helpful tips for working with the Sekonic L-758Cine, and make mention of additional tips on my blog. After the jump you will find the tips I demonstrated in the video as well as three additional tips you might find useful: