I was in Chicago co-hosting a new internet film review show with Steve Weiss from Zacuto. It’s epic. 8 Cameras, including 2 behind the scenes manned by Daniel Skubal and Matthew Byori Mann. Two guys I met on twitter when I put out a message looking for two shooters to help out. If you don’t follow me already do! I am @philipbloom. I always am looking for people all over the world! There was a jib, a circular spider dolly, a straight dolly and 3 straight cameras! EPIC! Can’t wait to see what it looks like.
It’s a show focused around vimeo content which we review. No name as yet but here are some more behind the scenes photos at the bottom of this page…I hope I was fair in my critiques of films…I never want to discourage, just give constructive advice! 
Whilst there I took the opportunity to do a short film using the Canon 5dmkII and loads of different lenses. Also using the new “Gorilla” support system for DSLRs called the “Tactical Shooter”. It certainly helped make my footage a lot steadier. I actually used it both in the tactical configuration and the rapid fire configuration depending on how I was shooting and what lens I was using. With “Sofia’s People” I used just one lens, the 50mm Zeiss Nikon ZF f1.4. This time I used the Zeiss again, Canon f1.4 24 and 35mm, 24mm f3.5 shift tilt, canon f2.8 70-200 IS. A lot harder than shooting with one lens, but thankfully I had Matt Mann along to make a behind the scenes and he generously carried the lens bag for me! 
The edit is ungraded but converted to 25p simply by conforming rushes using cinemas tools creating a very slight overctrank. . I converted all the footage to XDCAM EX 25p 1080p for editing after I conformed the H264 rushes for 25p and converted to quicktime 720p H264 8000kbps for the internet.
You can watch the film “The Art Fair by clicking here or on the image below”
Want to learn how to create the film look? Click below.
28 comments
Looks good Philip
On which occasions was it best to use the Tactical Shooter and likewise just the Sharp Shooter?
Do you need anymore than the Sharp Shooter?
when using Canon lenses the sharp shooter is far more useful…you need both hands on the camera to operate it. The Tactical shooter gives you more stability though.
Phil, you were using the Rapid Fire (Gunstock only, allowing both hands on the camera) not the Sharp Shooter, the Sharp Shooter is a shoulder mount.
sorry all these gun terms confuse me, being a liberal and all! i was using it as a “tactical shooter” half the time and “rapid fire” the rest.
Steve, you should include a holster to really round out the gun theme 🙂
The irony is Steve HATES guns!
Great article and great film. If I wasn’t so busy I would have driven to Chicago to help out. I’m excited to see what you and Steve have come up with. I’d better get some quality work onto vimeo if I ever hope to be critiqued. 🙂
yeah do…if it is a success I will go back and do some more
Sweet, understated, intimate. I’d love to see how you might have approached grading the footage, but I like that you kept it all so fresh & subtle. Thanks for taking the time to make it.
Now WHEN are they going to get the Z Finder in stock?
Hey Philip,
really nice shots..but still..something’s missing.May be it’s because of the plain lighting..it’s not like Sofia’s people;)The music really fits great though
May I ask: Why did you use both Canon f1.4 and Zeiss f1.4?Aren’t they almost similar…and probably the Zeiss is better, why use the Canon lens too?10x
Hi Vladislav. Appreciate the comments. F1.4 is the max aperture size not the focal length. The Zeiss is 50mm f1.4, The Canons were 24mm and 35mm f1.4 Different focal lengths….
oh yes..I thought I saw “Canon 50mm f1.4”, but now I went through the text again and ..yes, my bad;)And since we’re on the subject: Both lenses are pretty much the same price.I hear the Zeiss has better DOF and bokeh, also better for video shooting because of it’s manual aperture ring, but there’s no auto-focus like the Canon Lens…which isn’t the most important thing, but still it’s nice to have it..Are there some other disadvantages of the Canon lens in your opinion? 10x again
Hey Philip! Great piece as always! I wonder how do you frame to cinemascope during shooting? Do you just leave space above and below filming subject while shooting or use some gaffer tape on the LCD? Thanks!
I guess!
Come on! 🙂
I am serious! I know the ratio in my head and make necessary adjustments to my framing!!
That is not how I would do it, by guesswork. I would measure the LCD, and then overlay two 0.5mm or 1.0mm black plastic adhesive tape strips top and bottom, as a DIY scope marker. You could even cut this out from electrical tape yourself. What other methods are there to mark scope and other AR on an LCD, anyboody knows?
Not a great solution Frank. You won’t be able to see metering on the LCD screen…
Looks great. Looks like you had a good time in Chicago. Looking forward to the show. Gave an apple martini a try this weekend. Not bad, my friend.
i had a bad one in Chicago….not easy to make those Appletinis…
What’s the deal with the watch!??
So… you know… hmmm… how do you say it…
it’s a device used to tell what time of the day it is. Very useful
LOL
Probably your most important piece of gear if I am not mistaken. Every filmmaker should have one.
But really where did you get your watch it is very nice.
Just a shop in a shopping centre in London!
hey Fantron. What you must do is use the safe marker on the camera config, you can use a 80% safe area or maybe less, then you will have lines in your LCD that tell you where you are out of range. And if you mistake and pass the range you can still correct that in post.
Hi anyone can be more clear with the Cinemascope look?. Maybe helped with the marker on the screen and know the ratio on mind (like Phillip say) and later work it in FCP?.
thank u.
What adapter do you use to attach the Zeiss lense to your 5DmkII?