It’s not an uncommon occurrence on set to find yourself, another camera assistant, and even the director of photography all keeping busy on an iPhone during downtime. Take this as a warning of good or bad things to come, but regardless the iPhone can still be an incredibly versatile and useful tool to have in a kit.
Toolkit
Useful filmmaking gear, DIY Projects, and ideas for building out your kit
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Toolkit DIY: Homemade Hoodman Part 2 (The DSLR Edition)
Shooting exteriors in bright sunlight, or in a brightly lit set, can make it difficult to see viewing systems on any camera. This is especially true on the DSLR form factor where the LCD screen is comparably tiny to dedicated film or video cameras. That’s where the hoodman comes in.
Cheap DIY Follow Focus Solutions
Unfortunately, you may be in a situation on a low/no-budget film where production won’t rent a follow focus or you’re a one-man-band filmmaker who can’t afford one. Luckily there are some easy techniques to rig up a follow focus on the cheap, most for under $10.00.
Arri Alexa Camera Simulator
If there was one thing other digital camera manufacturers should note about the Alexa, it’s the streamlined menu system and user-interface. It certainly swayed my opinion on the Alexa. For those without $50k in the pocket, it’s now possible to mess around with this menu system without the camera in hand.
Arri Alexa Tree Structure Menu and UI Maps (UPDATED: 2.0 Maps + Manual)
With the advent of digital cinema filmmaking there is also the advent of sometimes daunting and endless menu structures in the cameras designed for the revolution. Although RED supplies it’s own map to navigate these mazes of user interface, the Alexa (probably because it’s new) does not provide it’s own. Luckily, somebody over at thefilmbook.com has put together one.
Help Design a New Portabrace AC Pouch
Now you have a chance to speak up for the design of your own pouch! On Cinematography.com, Matt Garland of Product Development at Portabrace has opened a forum to discuss improvements and suggestions for a new AC pouch they’re currently designing.
Toolkit DIY: Filter Tags and Other Labels
Toolkit DIY: Homemade Hoodman
A hoodman, a cover that provides shade over a screen, is necessary on the brightest of days to see a monitor. While many production monitors come with them, they’re harder to find for small camera monitors such as the RED LCD. Luckily, with a bit of gaff tape and cardboard a hoodman can be whipped up quick enough and be portable enough to save for other occasions.
Useful Cinematography iPhone Apps to Have on Set (Part 2)
A couple of months ago, I did a post that featured three useful cinematography/camera assisting iPhone apps to have on set. In my introduction, I stated that “the Apple iPhone is undoubtedly one of the most powerful phones out on the market today” and that “there are plenty of apps to help you become more efficient on set and make the iPhone one of your essential tools.”
Toolkit: USB Lens Light (Perfect for RED one)
Luckily, if you’re shooting on RED or any camera with a USB port (though I don’t know of many), you can purchase a much cheaper USB powered lens light. Designed for laptops, most of these lights are flexible LED’s powered through the USB standard.