\"If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn\'t need to lug around a camera.\"
-- Lewis W. Hine (1874-1940)
Two short films, shot with a sub-$800 DSLR Camera
Would you believe you could shoot a short film with a camera that costs less than $800.00? I’ve seen plenty of Vimeo flicks lately shot with the Sony EX-1 and EX-3, which are full HD video cameras, and the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D, which are Digital SLR still cameras.
But I didn’t realize the Canon EOS 500D (Rebel T1i) also shoots HD video, until I discovered work by photographer Anders Backman, who has made two top-notch short films with it. The Rebel does not have many of the pro features of some of the higher-end Canon models, but as you will see, in the right hands, with the right vision, it’s a really excellent storytelling tool.
The first short features some very nice color grading, but according to the videographer, it was shot completely handheld, with natural light, with one lens, in 24 hours, for a film competition. Amazing!
That’s just a really touching film. It introduces its characters, reveals their essential relationships and inner nature simply, without much sentimentality, and makes you care about them without feeling sorry for anybody. All three characters have endearing qualities. There’s a tinge of inner conflict, which is resolved with the graciousness of the new boyfriend in the story. Very nice work, with a very satisfying ending. I’d like to see more of these characters.
This next video by the same film maker is a little darker in theme, but just visually stunning.
I was struck by the powerful photography in this one, and the simple way it paints a sympathetic portrait of a guy who’s lost someone he cares about. We only know they were together, and now he’s alone, living with his memories. In both short films I was left with a clear idea of who the characters are, and how they will all get along in the short term. Very minimalistic, but very effective storytelling, and it doesn’t depend on dialogue but rather on visuals and music and universal themes.
What you’ll notice about both of these pieces technically, besides the very shallow depth of field…
The World’s Last Kodachrome Film Lab
I still remember my grandparents coming back from their New England trip and showing their 35mm Kodachrome slides of places I had only read about in history books. This was back in the 1970s, and I was probably about 8 years old. Hearing their tales of walking the fields of Lexington and Concord, where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired, sparked in me a wide-eyed interest in history, even if at the time I got a little bored of the slide show.
Dear Papa and Nanny, I miss you. Love, John Marc
This past summer of 2009, I visited my Great Aunt Imogene and Great Uncle Cloyce Purdom at their home in Florida, where I found out they’ve been digitizing all their old slides, many of which feature my grandparents, since all four of them had gone on those trips together. The Purdoms are in their late 80’s; Papa passed in 1982, and Nanny joined him in 1994, but for the first time since my childhood, I was seeing them in their 1970s best traveling clothes, with the same wide-eyed wonder in their eyes discovering all those places for themselves:
Aunt Imogene, Papa and Nanny in Concord, MA
So when I found the following story by NBC’s Bob Dotson, one of my models for short-form storytelling, I was sort of sad to learn that Kodak has stopped making its famous Kodachrome slide film, and that there’s only one place left that even develops the stuff. And they’re shutting down that part of their business at the end of 2010. For photographers as well as people interested in good storytelling, here’s a poignant look at a brand that was once so famous, pop star Paul Simon even wrote a song about it. Just click HERE to read the story, “Sad Development: The Last Kodachrome Film Lab” or click on the picture below to go straight to the video, and be prepared — NBC has started slapping an ugly computer graphic at the bottom of their videos, but you can still see the majority of the screen:
Click here to watch "Sad Development: The Last Kodachrome Film Lab" by NBC's Bob Dotson
New Eye-popping Veterans Memorial Music Video
Remember “We Are The World” — the big multi-star charity number to benefit victims of famine years ago? Well, this month a similar collaboration to benefit veterans in Britain resulted in this powerful, visual and audio showstopper: Click the photo to go to the video on ExposureRoom.com…
The single of “We Will Remember Them” was just released on November 29th. It was recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios as the “big charity number” for the Royal British Legion (counterpart to the American Legion) and Help for Heroes. The whole thing was shot with two Canon still photography cameras that now shoot HD video: the 5D and 7D, as well as some footage shot on the Sony EX3 HD camcorder, which I’m guessing are the clips of military in-country.
Master Storyteller Meets a Track Star Overcoming Autism
A high school track star overcoming autism is the hero of this recent news feature by a master storyteller. Boyd Huppert is like a modern day Charles Kuralt, and is an award winning reporter at KARE 11 in Twin Cities, Minnesota. I once attended a 1-day writing workshot with Huppert and his regular photojournalist, Jonathan Malat. Together, they once won the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award for journalism with a story about a duck in a truck. This time, he meets a young man whose track achievements were an answer to his parents’ prayers. Click here to read the print version of the story, or you can click on this photo of Andrew Gerdts to go directly to the video:
Andrew Gerdts, high school track star overcoming autism
If you are a photographer, a writer, a news photojournalist or just someone who appreciates a well told story, reporter Boyd Huppert is definitely someone whose work you will want to watch and study…
Visual Poetry: “Solitude” (short film)
Turkey Day is over. Everyone’s gone back home. The house is quiet, and you’re eating a turkey and cranberry sandwich on warm toast, with a glass of cold milk. In your imagination, the house echoes with the voices of the ones who didn’t get to come this year. It’s not necessarily a sad feeling; it’s just quiet and thoughtful, with the keen awareness of being alone.
This short film by Robin Risser, “Solitude,” is a really stunning work of art that captures a feeling like that, in a way I’ve never seen before:
“A Thousand Words” (short film)
How much of a story can you tell with no dialogue? Ted Chung proves you can say plenty with just images. The characters in this compelling short film do most of the talking with their eyes. Click on the image for a brief film you will remember more for what you see than for what you hear:
Every day: so many opportunities to connect… What if you took just one?
Found a GOLD Mine of Photo How-To Tips
Ken Rockwell tells you how to time your shots to get spectacular results
While I was window-shopping for lenses and camera gear, I stumbled across Ken Rockwell’s amazing photography website, where he reviews all sorts of cameras and lenses, and gives away TONS of free information about how to take great photographs with ANY camera. He knows what he’s talking about, as you can see from the above photo. There’s a whole lot more where that came from, too.
He’s got an entire book’s worth of articles that show you exactly how to look and see great shots before you ever push the button to take a picture. He says anybody can take great shots with ANY camera, by building on the basics and by cutting out distracting elements.
If you want to take better photographs today, spend just a few minutes reading some of these articles:
John Marc Green Portfolio 