The Way We Watch

Oh My! Amazing iPhone 4s Video Quality

Found this video today on my facebook wall posted by Talmadge Boyd (@talmadge). It's a video shot by Benjamin Dowie on the new iPhone 4s.  And it makes phone calls.

 

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The Best Camera To Use...

...is the one that gets you to shoot more and edit more.

I get lots of queries from friends and colleagues on the best video camera to buy.  I always ask, what are you using it for?  If you're a professional, the world has moved away from having just one camera.  Camera prices have become more and more affordable. 

Indeed, when I started in the biz, you shot with one camera. A broadcast quality, Beta SP camera that retailed for around $60,000.  Nowadays, pros have a complement of cameras and use them like a golfer uses all the clubs in his/her bag.  It depends on what the job requires.

WHAT I USE

For clients, I've been working with DPs who own the following SONY EX-1 with Letus Adapter, SONY EX-3, Canon 5D and 7D, Panasonic HPX 300, Panasonic AG AF 100, and the trusty Panasonic HVX-2000.  I just tested the SONY PMW F3 and that looks to be a real beaut.

For my own personal stuff, I have a Flip, iPhone, a Canon HV30 (tape based!) and a Panasonic GH1.  These cameras are simple to shoot with and easy to load into a computer and start editing.   Of all three, I'm shooting more with my iPhone because that's the one in my pocket.  But the Flip which is nearly the same size to my eye has better low light capapbility and more punch - I just can't check my email with it. 

JUST GET OUT THERE

The point is...  The best camera is the one that gets you using it.

Who knows what you'll encounter... I was driving to the grocery store right after a huge NYC snow storm.  Right in front of me was the answer to the question, "Where do they put the snow?"  I whipped out my iPhone 4.

 

I shot it from the car and the joggers ran into frame just as I was starting my "tracking shot."  It all felt very Woody Allen so I went looking for some '40s band music.

If nothing else, I can look at this video come the summer time when temperatures reach 100 degrees. And weep.

A COOL RESOURCE

The music is Del Casino and His Orchestra from the The Prelinger Archives at the Internet Archive.  Most of it is public domain, and the web site encourages you to take the content, mash it up and use how you see fit... 

You are warmly encouraged to download, use and reproduce these films in whole or in part, in any medium or market throughout the world. You are also warmly encouraged to share, exchange, redistribute, transfer and copy these films, and especially encouraged to do so for free. 
                                        --  The Prelinger Archives

Worth a look.

Cell Phone "Portrait" Aspect Coming To A Video Near You

Since we watch videos on computers and mobile devices and slates - the notion that a video must be presented in a landscape aspect is going away quicker than your cable TV bill. 

TVs are landscape.

But we are so close up to our computer devices that Portrait mode is coming down the pike as a new way to view moving images.

Have you been taking cell phone video on your iPhone?  It just feels natural to hold it in one hand in portrait mode.

Take adavantage of Portrait mode in your next video...

I found this little film by Rick Hamilton on vimeo that takes advantage of being vertical. It feels like 4x6 home photos come to life. 

Another Cool Thing About YouSendIt: Streaming m4v Video Files On Your iPhone

YouSendIt has become my favorite way to send big files across the internet.  Here are the obvious reasons to use their service:

• Send as many files - up to 2 Gigs - as you want for the same low monthly price ($9.95)
• Has a desktop client feature that increases upload time.
• Add on services like certified delivery with tracking and the ability to host files over a long period of time are handy.
• Control of expiration of links
• iPhone app shows me my outbox and if my files were downloaded when I'm on the go.

I've found the service to be pretty fool proof after heavy use for the last six months.

But for video makers and iPhone users, YouSendIt has one really neat feature. 

Send a video file compressed as a m4v file (a compression option in Apple QuickTime) to someone who has an iPhone.  If the receiver presses the link in their email, YouSendIt streams the video right to your iPhone.  You don't need a separate server to do this.

This has saved me a few times when I had to be two places at once.  My editor can send me a rough cut via the phone with no heavy lifting required.  The quality of an m4v file is really superb as well.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons Steve Keys

17 iPhone Apps to Make 2010 More Productive and Fun

If you have an iPhone consider these apps.  I've been using them consistently for fun, family and business.

• Air Sharing.  Who needs USB drives anymore?  Air Sharing acts like an extra hard drive that shows up on mac and PC desktops- then take it along. 
• AniGif  Very neat app that takes photos from your photo library and makes them into an animated gif.  I made one of my son eating pizza.  Great for a quick storyboard! HT to @quoz for showing me this one.
• Drawing Board Finger paint and then store in your photo library. Then make a Gif with AniGif.
• GorillaCam  Some very cool features with this camera app.  Easily shoot time lapse and three shot bursts.  Use it with Anigif as well.
  
• Best Camera In terms of an ease vs results ratio, this is the best photo finisher app around. 
  
  
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• Amazon Kindle I'm still amazed by whispersync.  I don't mind subway rides.  I might even start taking the bus because of this app.
• MLB (not in season, yet).  If you like baseball you need this. Period.  Listen to any game.  See any game (for a small fee).
• Pandora Been around for a while ol' Pandora.  Still great.  They even have a Damon and Naomi channel.
• Drop Box I've been giving this app a workout lately.  I have it on three computers and my iphone.  I'm connected, baby.  Put anything on it... word docs, ppt, video, you can see them all on your phone.  Great for my workflow.
• Public Radio It's so cool to be in North Carolina on a shoot, and be able to listen to WNYC at 4:00 pm.
  
  
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• Seth Godin As you know, Seth posts every day.  As I know, this app gets tapped every day.
• Tweetie  I have to admit I had Twitterific at first, then, gave it up for this. 
  
• RSS Runner  The best of the free RSS readers.  
• SpeakEasy Voice.  I think the quality of the sound recordings are a little better with this than the recorder that comes with the iPhone.
• Instapaper.  Use with your laptop.  Mark any web page with a click on your toolbar.  The page is easily accessible on your Instapaper app.  Feels like magic.
• Vook 90 second Fitness.  Hard but short 90 second exercises that you should do every  most days.
  
  
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• Way We Watch Essential!
  

What apps do you use every day?

Image credit: redstamp/ CC BY-SA 2.0

Will Everyone Want An App? Q&A With Scott Suhy - CEO of Pointabout, Inc.

First you needed a website, then you needed a blog, then a Facebook page and of course a twitter ID.

Now, Scott Suhy the CEO of Pointabout, Inc., the company behind the hot AppMakr.com program wants you to have  an iPhone app of your very own (and if you want a sizable discount - read on).

Appmakr allows you to make a fully functioning RSS content based iPhone app in about 10 minutes. 

The Obligatory "I Have An iPhone App" Post

Just finished reading the ever so smart and on-target Mitch Joel in his book Six Pixels of Separation.  If you're on twitter and you're getting something out of it, or if you're a blogger, or if you are an avid reader of blogs, the book was not written for you - except for one chapter on mobility. 

According to Joel, we're all going mobile.  And if you're not starting to think mobile in regards to your content and your audience - you should. Now.

The Most Fun iPhone App Around...

I'm not a professional photographer - nor do I ever aim to be one - but I sure feel like one since I've been using Chase Jarvis' Best Camera App for the iPhone.  He's created an easy three button app that simulates his editorial photo work.  The full story on Chase and the app is here

I wanted to quickly show you some before and after shots using the app so I made this simple iMovie.  Take a look.  You'll be surprised to know the composer of the music is the marketing blogger Adam Singer who makes his electronic music available to everyone at his site: adamsinger.org. 

Also via the app, Jarvis has created a very easy way to share your pictures with Facebook, Twitter, the best camera app community and your own iphone photo library.  My pictures can be seen at http://bestc.am/photographers/7921. What is neat is seeing how other people are using the particular filters.  If you click on http://www.thebestcamera.com/ and double click any photo you can see what filters and what order they were used.

I've always wanted to be Duane Michaels and now I can be (in my own mind)!