Crooked Path Blog

It’s been awhile since I made a reel, so I figured what better time than at the start of the new year?

I’ve seen what feels like thousands of demo reels.  There’s a lot of differing opinions on what should be in a reel or how inclusive of different titles/jobs it should entail.  I guess I could make a separate DP reel, editing reel, directing reel, and corporate reel, and any other reel that would fit particular titles.  But in my experience, most of my clients…whether they be companies, agencies, directors, or Mr. Joe-Blow-Make-Me-A-Film… just want to see how my abilities to create compelling visuals stacks up to others.

And that leads me to our underlying ideology at Crooked Path Films:  We strive for cinematic storytelling whether shooting internal corporate films, tv spots, motion pictures, or anything else for that matter.  The videos I selected are ones we created that I believe have strongest emotional visuals to convey that ideology.  Whether I’m looking to take on another corporate client, get hired as a director by an agency, or a DP by another production company…this reel is what I believe they need to see.

 

 

Selected works include:

“The Key,” Director: Jim Blumetti, DP/Editor: Richard Allen Crook

“Transforming Mobile Devices,” Director: Richard Allen Crook, DP James Burgess, Client: Texas Instruments

“Dealy,” Director/DP/Editor: Richard Allen Crook

“Harley Davidson TV Spot,” Director: B. Haymer Coleman, DP/Editor: Richard Allen Crook

“Courage,” Director: William Booth, DP/Editor: Richard Allen Crook

Music is “Another Day On The Terrace” by Sunlounger.

 

I had the chance to try out the Atomos Ninja with the Sony NEX FS-100.  It seems the jury is out as to whether adding the near $1000 device to the camera kit is worth the purchase or not.  There are three areas I wanted to test with the FS100:

 

 

 

1. Is recording to the less-compressed Prores 4:2:2 look better or worse than the AVCHD in terms of overall picture quality, judging:
   • Compression artifacting
   • Noise Level
   • Aliasing
2. Is recording to the less-compressed Prores 4:2:2  improve results when post color grading,
3. Is recording to the less-compressed Prores 4:2:2 improve the ability to chroma-key in post.

 

OBSTACLES OF THE NINJA/FS100 PAIRING:

I wanted to run down some of the obstacles when using the Ninja with the FS100.  The Ninja only records 1080i 50fps or 60fps.  The interlaced and high framerate does not remove any information when shooting in 23.98 or 29.97, but rather sort-of duplicates the information to fill up the other frames.  This requires you to remove pulldown in post.  Also the LANC control doesn’t work with the FS100 nor can it read the camera’s timecode.

RESULTS:

1. OVERALL PICTURE QUALITY.  It seems there is no difference in compression artifacting, INCLUDING when there is high movement or quick pans…which is where you usually see this phenomena.  Obviously you can’t see the result of movement in the photos below but believe me, I whipped the camera around all over and it’s amazing how well the AVCHD held up.  I couldn’t see any difference at all whatsoever.  Now there is a noticeable difference in the noise level, but surprisingly not in Prores’ favor.  The noise amount appears to be the same, but the noise structure in the Prores version seem larger and more like video noise than the AVCHD which is smaller and more grain-like.  At first I interpreted the footage incorrectly in Premiere and it appeared that the Ninja Prores had severe aliasing…but it turns out that was my own mistake and I see that there is no difference in the “stair-stepping” between the two codecs.
2. I dropped equal “fast color corrector” settings on each clip, mainly pushing the contrast way past acceptable levels to really see what happens to each image.  This SHOULD bring out the worst in any 8bit codec an this should be no different.  As seen below in the images, there is no banding in the gradients on the walls nor sky (sorry my sensor was very dirty…I cleaned it right after this test!).  If this was DLSR footage there would be horrible banding occuring so this is a great testament to the AVCHD coded and Prores alike…but unfortunately there is no additional benefit to Prores in this test as they both equally handle contrast equally.
3. I did a simple chroma key on a greenscreen using something I think would pose issues…a poinsetta with red and green leaves.  Even the foil wrap is green.  I pulled it into Premiere and applied the EXACT same settings using ultrakey and both keyed perfectly fine with no difference at all.  Even as I blow it up 500% and look at the edges and detail, I can see where the foil got keyed out in the shiny parts in the Prores file but it’s very very minuscule and could be easily adjusted using the settings in the ultrakeyer but I wanted to keep the setting exactly the same to show how close the two clips are as far as how easy it is to key.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I really really really REALLY wanted the Ninja, and more importantly the Prores less-uncompressed codec, to hold up better in terms of the criteria I outlined above.  But in every way, the AVCHD held up much better if not the same.  I will say, however, that the Prores seems to play nicer with Premiere, but that’s another topic for another time!  All in all, I will probably be returning The Ninja.  It may very well be great for other cameras or applications, but I don’t feel in my opinion that it improves footage from the FS100…in fact I believe it does the opposite.

CLICK HERE for the screengrab .tif files so you can see a non-compressed image.  Warning: these files are very big.  Each files is marked as “Shot A, B, C” and the codec is marked “AVCHD or PRORES.”  There are also the two chromakeyed screengrabs comparing the two codecs.

 

Oh my. Canon announced that it will be announcing something historic on November 3rd. What could it be? The announcement is in Hollywood, so no doubt it’ll be a new camera. Perhaps the 5dMkIII? Wide open camera is betting it will be a 4k 35mm CMOS camera around $15k. Any thoughts as to what it is? Regardless…we are in exciting times!

We filmmakers sometimes get caught up in what cameras were used to shoot various things.  What it was edited on.  What was used to color it.  There are several high-exposure people/companies with well-done camera comparisons on the internet…some of the asking us to guess which camera was used to shoot the material.  I make comparisons and try to decipher which camera is used all the time!

Besides it’s fun to compare…it’s in our nature to do so!  5D vs RED.  ARRI vs. GENESIS.  MAC vs. PC.  FREDDY vs. JASON.

But sometimes I need to get back to the foundation of what I do and what inspires me.

Here are three short films every filmmaker should watch.  You can do so while having your morning cup of joe, or right before tackling a project for some inspiration.  Three short films that puts it into perspective, at least for me.

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage… all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ….into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films…..

So what camera were these shot on?  A 5d?  A RED?  35?  iPhone?  Its capturing the enjoyment of life.  It’s all about what plucks the right nerve, and evokes emotion in the audience.  The recipe of so many things to make one perfect dish.

So what camera were these shot on?

Who cares?

 

6 months ago I was turned onto Leica lenses and decided to give them a try.  Bump forward 1 month, and I had sold all my Canon and Zeiss glass for a full set of Leicas.  I use them on Canon DSLRs and our new Sony NEX-FS100, and they can also be used on other CMOS cameras like the Sony F3, Panasonic AF100, and even the RED camera.

So what was so great about Leica R series lenses that made me make such a drastic move?  I’m glad you asked!

IMAGE

CONTRAST: Leica R series lenses tend to be less contrasty than, say, Zeiss lenses…but they hold sharpness just as good.  One could argue that the contrast in Zeiss glass is what makes them appear so sharp.  By having an image that is less contrasty is great for someone who grades their footage in post like me, because there is more information to work with, and when contrast is added in post, that sharpness is enhanced beautifully.

WARM AND CREAMY:  There’s a reason why Shane Hurlbut, ASC loves Leicas and sys they hold up on the big screen better than most other lenses.  The sharp, low contrast is a big help but these lenses have a creamy look to them that just look filmic.  They tend to push about 200 degrees to the warm side too.  Besides, Panavision lenses are essentially Leica lenses wrapped in a cinema body.

BARREL DISTORTION:  Anyone who’s shot down a hallway or through a door frame with some popular lenses have more than likely experienced barrel distortion.  This happens when the optics in the lens tends to round the edges of the frame.  The wider the lens, the more round the edges get.  Leica’s just don’t have that issue.

BOKEH:  Bokeh is the characteristics of the image that is out of focus.  The Leica lenses all have stop-sign shaped bokeh due to the 6-blade iris.

BUILD:  These lenses are typically older and made of metal, and built like tanks.  They do not have modern coating in them so they tend to flare very easily…which I like since it’s a nice option for effect and I can always flag the lens to reduce this.  They all come with a metal telescoping hood that helps too.

FUNCTION

BREATHING: Many lenses “breathe” when you focus them, which is a term used to describe the slight zoom in/out that occurs.  Leica lenses don’t do that as much…but it varies.

FOCUS THROW:  On my Canon lenses, the focus throw is about 180 degrees around the lens, and the focus ring keeps spinning, not stopping when the focus hits infinity or macro.  The focus throw on Leica lenses go about 340 degrees around the lens, have hard stops on them, and have a tight, fluid motion ideal for a follow focus.

TURNING LEICAS INTO CINEMA LENSES

FOCUS GEARS:  Because of the long focus throw, I use “zip tie” focus gears that wrap tightly around the focus ring and are secured by two little zip-ties.  You can purchase yours here.  I don’t recommend using the plastic lens rings again because of the long throw.

DECLICK THE IRIS:  This is something die-hard people do for their lenses, but it’s only useful of you plan to change iris settings WHILE shooting.  Check out Duclose where you can send your Leicas and them converted.  I don’t recommend trying this yourself!

ADAPTERS:  There are many adapters out there.  I have one of Leitax adapters on each of my Leica-r lenses and they’ve been great.

LEICA RESOURCES

CANON DSLR COMPATIBILITY:  The back element of Leica R lenses sit closer to the sensor than Canon glass, therefore you need to refer to this chart before purchasing to ensure the mirror will clear.

SHANE HURLBUT’S LEICA LIST:  Read all the comments below this article…some great insight into the performance of Leica lenses from the POV of a Hollywood ASC!

_______________________________________________

Here’s a trailer for a western short film I shot with Leica-r lenses on a Canon 5dMkII:

Red Giant just released the newest version of their awesome color grading software, Magic Bullet Looks II.  Naturally I nabbed it up right away, and have been color grading the short western “Courage” with it.  So far me likey… but with newer redesigns comes some bugs.  But first, let’s go over what’s new:

What’s New

1. A redesigned interface that’s very similar to the last version, just a bit more slick looking and easier to use.
2. More scope options.
3. 64 new and updated presets.  (I don’t use presets, but many do)
4. Added video out preview for an interactive single frame preview.  (Or at least this feature was attempted, see the “bugs” below)
5. 6 new tools, including some of the stuff you find in Colorista II and something called “Cosmo”…which smooths skintones for beauty shots.  (Works very well!)

Newer redesigns of software can certainly comes with problems, but don’t worry, Red Giant didn’t pull a Final Cut Pro disaster with this release.  Despite some of the bugs below the software is a leap from the previous version, and with the workarounds I outline below, you’ll be able to navigate around the issues.  Some of these issues are open tickets in Red Giant’s support queue, and naturally I will update the list below with any fixes or explanations as they come in from Red Giant.

NOTE: I use Magic Bullet Looks as a plugin for Adobe Premiere CS5.5 almost exclusively.  These issues may not be a problem with other NLEs or computers.

Some Bugs

1. Video Out:  This does not work for me on the plugin nor the stand alone program.  In “preferences” there is a drop-down area where you should be able to select what monitor you want to throw your interactive preview frame…but sadly there are no options in the drop-down.  Neither the online help materials nor tech support themselves have yet to explain this, and I’m not sure if it’s only compatible with certain cards like AJA and such since nobody seems to know as of right now.
2. Single Frame Creation:  When you apply the MBL effect to a clip in the timeline, you must click on “EDIT” to open the interface and begin working on the grade.  When you do so, MBL “grabs” a still of the frame you are paused on in the timeline and displays it for previewing your work as you apply the tools.  But here’s the glitch: about 50% of the time when I click “edit,” MBL grabs some other frame, and usually not even a frame in the clip I am working on.  I have to keep deleting the effect and re-applying it to the clip until it works.
3. Premiere Auto-Save Freeze:  If you’re like me, you have Premiere set to autosave your project every few minutes.  That has saved me from unfortunate loss of work several times.  But if you have the MBL interface open when Premiere initiates an autosave, Premiere will freeze with the “save” dialogue open and you’ll have no choice but to force close the application.  Best to turn off autosave while coloring and remember to hit ctrl-s every now and then.
4. Upgrading From Previous MBL:  I found out the hard way that you should uninstall the previous version of MBL before installing 2.0.  Not only uninstall via add/remove programs, but go into your plugin folders and delete the MBL plugins.  Here’s the path to find them: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins Once these are deleted, you can install 2.0.  If you don’t do this, a duplicate plugin will still exist in Premiere and it seems the software will get confused as to which version of MBL your effects are referring to.  So, if you add MBL 2.0 to a clip and then close the program and reopen, Premiere seems to “point” the effect to the OLD version and not apply the effect correctly.

I’m sure Red Giant will fix these problems, and until then, I am still glad to use the software now that know the workarounds to the bugs.

 

 

A Little Background…

As a DSLR user and author of the Idiot’s Guide to 5dMkII Cinematography, I’ve been waiting for video camera companies to adopt the large sensor and interchangeable lens into a fully functional cinema camera based on the overwhelming popularity of  DSLRs.  I went to NAB and spent hours researching the large sensor cameras. The things I was looking for are in a camera: 1) The detail, resolution, and “look” as good or better than a 5dMkII, 2) Can it match or outperform the 5d’s low light capability? 3) Can I shoot in a flatter profile to maximize grading? 4) Does it record to a decent codec and/or offer uncompressed output? 4) is it under my kit camera limit of $10k? (Anything more and I will rent, not buy)

That leaves the Panasonic AF100 and the brand new Sony FS100 as my options. I walked up to the Panasonic booth first and checked out the AF100. It has some nice features…but failed on 1 and 2 immediately. I was astonished how noisy this camera is AND how easily the highlights clipped. Looks a little soft and reminded me of the uprezzed look that my HVX200 had. I moved onto the Sony booth.

The Wow Factor…

After attending the Sony F3/FS100 seminar by Doug Jensen of Vortex Media and talking with him in depth at the FS100 display…I came to realize that this camera was something special, and I was at “confidence high” in terms of finding my next camera. It passed all my tests, and also gave me a few WOW moments. Here’s what’s awesome about the FS100:

1. Low Light Capability. At NAB they have brightly lit “sets” with all their camera offerings pointed at it. Doug turned the camera around and pointed it at areas of the Sony booth that I would say represented near candlelight exposure. This camera not only resolved these areas set to +32db gain (16,000 ISO equivalent), but with remarkably low noise. If that wasn’t wow enough…I noted how great the little noise looked. It looked grainy and organic…not patterned and videoey.
2. The Sensor. Canon DSLRs are famous for having a very cinematic look. I don’t want to get a camera that looks like video…I want to retain this filmic look. The FS100′s sensor is the exact same sensor as in the $14k Sony Cinealta F3. It is an advanced sensor made for cinematic uses. The FS100 not only had better resolution than the 5d, it seemed to retain the colors and contrast falloff that I want in a camera.
3. Overcranking. It’s surprising to me that this camera has features that the F3 does not. One of them that made my eyes widen was the ability to overcrank to 60 frames per second at FULL 1080P. Most cameras drop to 720p (like the F3) or revert to interlaced frames to be able to do this.
4. Uncompressed 4:4:4 HDMI Output. That’s right. This camera does what no other camera on the market does, full uncompressed 4:4:4 colorspace via the HDMI output. As of the date of this post…there is not currently an HDMI recorder that can record 4:4:4 (only 4:2:2). But I’m sure that will change within a couple months. This camera does NOT have HDSDI outputs.
5. Small Form Factor. The camera does not look like a video camera. That’s a good thing. It is setup as a prosumer cinema camera. It comes with top and side mounted handles and has the ablity to take on rod systems with follow focus and mattebox. BUT…all that stuff can be stripped off (including the supplied handles) turning it into the size of two 7d’s stuck together.

Setting Up the Camera…

So I pre-bought the camera to ensure I got it immediately after release. Couldn’t be happier. Here are some tips to make it easier to setup your FS100.

Picture Styles

I did many tests on various settings in the picture profiles. I used scopes to determine latitude and adjusted the knee and black levels to optimize for post color grading. I also based these off this PDF file that explains all the settings and what exactly they do to the gamma curve. (Granted it’s for another NEX camera…but it’s a great guide nonetheless as I’m sure Sony hasn’t made any alterations to these settings for the FS100) This video from Abel Cine is also very useful:

From all this information and testing I came up with a great picture profile that is optimized for grading.  If you are wanting to match this camera to a Canon DSLR “B” camera, this profile closely matches the Technicolor “Cine Style” picture style for Canon cameras.

Black Level: +8
Gamma: Standard
Black Gamma: Middle, +7
Knee: Manual, 85%, 0 slope
Color Mode: Cinematone 1
Color Level: 0
Color Phase: 0
Color Depth: All 0

NOTE: This profile is not intended for a “look” right out of the camera, but rather the best latitude for post grading optimization.

Lens Adapters

The FS100 uses Sony’s E Mount which has an extremely short flange distance (18mm from sensor to back element of the lens), the E Mount is well suited for adaption to just about ANY other lens.  There are many “dumb” adapters available that do not allow for lens iris control via the camera.  Many Canon DSLR users want to be able to control their EF lenses, however only “dumb” adapters exist for this combination until Birger releases their EOS adapter.  Lenses like the Canon FD series will make a comeback because they can be used with the appropriate adapter, there are many available on sites like Ebay, and they are reasonably priced because of their near obsolescence.  PL lenses can be used with this adapter from Hot Rod.

NOTE:  With a dumb adapter you need to be sure the corresponding lens has full manual capability.  For example, the iris on my 17-35mm Canon is NOT manual, therefore if I use it on the FS100, the iris is locked open with no way to close it.  My Leica R-series lenses are perfect, as they have full manual control.

SD Cards

The manual recommends a Class 10 card or better. I ordered 4 eight gig cards here and so far they’ve been great. I don’t recommend using the proprietary Sony Memory Sticks. I also got one of these cases to keep them safe and sound. Warning: There are reports that SANDISK brand sd cards will create a small beep on recorded audio in one-second intervals.

Batteries

The camera comes with one Sony NP-770.  These batteries are great because compared to a DSLR, they last more than a few hours.  If you don’t want to spend a ton of dough, you can get this generic brand that work just fine.  You can also get larger capacity versions that last alot longer.  BEWARE the knock-offs from Ebay, alot of the L series Sony generic brands from here have had a history of being faulty.

Design

Sony changed up the typical handycam shape and made this into a box.  Literally.  There is a detachable handgrip that comes with the camera that you fix onto the right side, but I always hated velcro straps on cameras and never use them anyway…so mine is detached and in a box somewhere.  Sony instead designed this as a modular camera…made for the typical rod-system support.  This is the way to go with this camera.  Rods, follow focus, mattebox, and handles at the very least.  The modular film-camera ideology Sony seems to be pushing this camera toward is also evident in the numerous 1/4″ female screws all over the place.  This is awesome for additional monitors and other accessories.  They also left out a popular video-camera feature, internal ND filters, which is also what is lacking in a higher end cinema camera like a RED or Alexa.  They are pushing this as a digital cinema camera, not a video camera.

There isn’t a traditional viewfinder, instead a loupe attached to the LCD screen located at the top.  A separate monitor is still recommended as it’s impossible to use this if the camera is higher than the operator.  But otherwise the monitor is awesome…and it’s touchscreen too.

Accessories

Oh my oh my there are a TON of accessories you can get for this camera, made available in plethora thanks to the the DSLR revolution.  Rod systems, follow focuses, matteboxes, monitors, etc. etc.  They certainly aren’t hard to find.  I recommend at the very least, the rod support, follow focus, handlegrips, and mattebox.  Because of the 500 minumim ISO that the camera shoots in, you’ll need Neutral Density filters otherwise you WILL NOT be able to take advantage of shallow depth of field in bright sunshine.  I got 1.8 and 0.9 filters…which is a great start.  (The rule is, divide this number by 0.3 and you’ll get the number of stops it will drop the exposure)

I recommend Zacuto brand stuff for the most part.  Seems to be the best quality and they have a lifetime guarantee on their stuff.  Redrock makes good stuff too…and their mattebox is the best around without spending a small fortune.  Cheaper places like Cine City (India) make this stuff too but it’s pretty flimsy.  I’ve purchased stuff from them before and some stuff is pretty solid while others is a waste of money.  Your mileage may vary.  There’s a bunch more places, just do your research and you’ll find what works best for your budget.

Media Files / Codec

AVCHD was created by Sony and Panasonic based of the popular H.264 codec.  The codec is a more efficient way of encoding than, say, a Canon DSLR…and is therefore better for video use.  The files are much smaller than a Canon file and the encoding writes more information.  The codec definitely holds up better in post production.  We are limited in the amount we can push contrast in post with an 8-bit codec such as this, but it can handle grading fantastically.  Smooth gradients, low noise (also thanks to the sensor), less artifacting, and maintains sharpness.  I’ve used XDcam and DVCpro for several years and I’m actually impressed with AVCHD.

One thing to note, however, is that post work with this codec is very graphics intensive.  Your system is going to work HARD to edit and especially color these files.  If you don’t have a fast system and end up having some trouble with these files, you may be better off converting to Cineform (for PC users) or Quicktime (MAC).  Of course if you use Final Cut Pro 7 and below, you transcode to a different codec right from the start, so you’re all set.  Premiere CS5 users: The AVCHD codec may have some stuttering occur if your resolution is set to anything LESS than full.  Seems contrary to what you might think, but full resolution playback solves the problem.  If you upgrade to CS5.5, however, they made improvements in the way the software handles AVCHD so you’ll be in the clear.

ISO / Color Temp

If you want to set the white balance like any other video camera, you can certainly do this.  But the camera also has a color temperature adjustment if you prefer to do it this way.  The camera does not have an ISO setting, but rather a GAIN setting.  If you are like me and prefer to go off ISO, here’s a simple conversion list:

Gain db Level	ISO Rating
0 db	500 ISO
+3 db	800 ISO
+6 db	1000 ISO
+9 db	1600 ISO
+12 db	2000 ISO
+15 db	3200 ISO
+18 db	4000 ISO
+21 db	6400 ISO
+24 db	8000 ISO
+27 db	12800 ISO
+30 db	16000 ISO

I am ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSED with this camera’s ability to shoot at the crazy level of 16000 ISO (+30db).  Though anything above 4000 ISO seems to be a little too noisy, the fact that I can even go that high is unbelievable.  Another thing about the noise from someone who’s used to the Canon DSLR’s weird grid-patterned noise, is that the FS100′s noise looks decent, almost like grain.  If I had to see a little bit of noise it’s wouldn’t really bug me all that much like the Canons did.

Audio

As a DSLR user, I’m glad to have this back.  I’m used to using dual sound and then using Dual Eyes to sync in post, but it’s nice to have this option back.  The FS100 does NOT have an internal mic, you need to plug in the XLR mic that came with the camera or one of your own.  When you DO use a dual system with the FS100, I recommend you still take advantage of having XLR inputs and send an audio feed from your sound engineer/boom op to the input on the camera.  No need to level it and all that as Dual Eyes just uses it as a reference to sync with the REAL sound recorded by your pro on set.  Dual Eyes is a MUST if you’re using a sync sound system.

External Recorders

The FS100 sends out a 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 8-bit video signal out the HDMI.  This allows for uncompressed capture of the video.  There is alot of debate going around whether it’s really much of a difference recording uncompressed versus to the compressed AVCHD codec.  I personally think that if you don’t plan on grading or keying very much then recording  to AVCHD is perfectly fine.  As soon as you start grading and keying the material, uncompressed will likely not result in the unwanted enhancement of compression artifacts that may pop up.  In my tests the AVCHD codec actually holds up nicely in post grading…surprisingly so.  Your mileage may vary.  Currently there aren’t any HDMI recorders capable of recording 4:4:4, but here’s some recorders that you may be interested in that record 4:2:2.

1. 1. Atomos Ninja:  Accepts HDMI and records to Apple ProRes. A 4.3″ touch screen, simple user interface, and is powered by the same Sony “L” batteries as the FS100.  $1000
   2. Ki Pro Mini: Accepts HD-SDI and HDMI inputs and records in Apple ProRes.  $2000
   3. Convergent Design nanoFlash: Accepts HD-SDI, SDI and HDMI inputs and records in MPEG2.  $3000 (bundle)

Resources

Sony’s NEX-FS100 Manual

The Complete SONY Seminar from NAB (A MUST watch if you are buying this camera!  I attending this seminar and it helped push me closer to owning the FS100)

Cinema5d FS100/Large Sensor Camera Forum

DVXuser FS100 Forum

Crooked Path Films Facebook Group

As always, questions/comments are welcome!  If you have any useful information that you would like to contribute to this guide, please comment.  This guide will continue to grow as more accessories, online literature, improvements, and testing becomes available.  Thanks for reading!

Shot (of course) in an authentic western town in the heart of Texas.  This story chronicles the ironic twist of heart that some go through to rove the courage within…even if against all odds.  Starring Bob Fanucchi and Zach Rose, this film also features Texas country music stars like Stephanie Urbina Jones, Guy Forsyth, and John Inmon.  Look for the premiere of the film around late summertime.

 

DREAM RIVER FILMS presents    a WILLIAM BOOTH film

BOB FANUCCHI    ZACK YOUNG    STEPHANIE URBINA JONES    GUY FORSYTH

“COURAGE”

JOHN Inmon    Florin Sanchez    Doug McKellar    DENNIS O’NEILL    Jodie Moore

Lance Eakright    Earl Browning III    Bridgette McGuire    Barry Nichols

executive producer BOB FANUCCHI    produced by WILLIAM BOOTH     and LIBBY MITCHELL

sound engineer ROBERT EMBRY    boom operator SCOTT ROSS        gaffer BENJAMIN TUBB

edited by RICHARD ALLEN CROOK    asst camera DAVID JETER    production assistant ADRIAN MITCHELL

makeup CHELSEA LEE    assistant director DAVID READ    written by DAVID READ and WILLIAM BOOTH

cinematography by RICHARD ALLEN CROOK

directed by WILLIAM BOOTH

Many people have been after us about screenings to see “The Key,” and if you’re not in L.A. for the screening at Sunset Gowers Studios this Friday, then you’ll be able to catch it for free on the new ItzOn.tv next week.

Here’s the schedule so far (Central Times):

Wednesday (6/1) 6:57pm, Thursday (6/2) 12:33am, Friday (6/3) 4:41am, Saturday (6/4) 12:45pm, Sunday (6/5) 8:41am, Monday (6/6) 8:01pm

This will be a great chance to see the film.  Keep in mind that itzon.tv acts like a TV channel, where you have to watch the film at it’s scheduled time.  For more info about the film, please visit the official website.  And a big pre-thanks for watching!!

 

It is a great honor for us at Crooked Path Films to join the ranks of many other talented filmmakers to win our first Telly Award.  Our film, ”Transforming Mobile Devices,” was chosen to be among the other prestigious award winners in the 32nd Annual Telly Awards to receive the award.

The film was created for Texas Instruments to announce their new OMAP 5 platform which allows for stunning advances in what we know as mobile technology.   Texas Instruments asked Crooked Path Films to create a “look into the not-so-distant future” to show people what mobile devices will be doing with this revolutionary new processor.

The film was to be cinematic in nature and be able to be projected on Texas Instruments’ proprietary 4k “video wall” at worldwide technology conventions and expos.  TI wanted a little bit of “The Minority Report” mixed in with characters that we could all relate to…with a dash of energy to drive the piece forward.  I had a fantastic time directing and editing this, but a huge thanks goes out to our cast and crew; an awesome group of people that I would love nothing more than to work with again.

Here’s the video:

About the Telly Awards:

Founded in 1978, the Telly Awards is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and web commercials, videos and films. The Telly Awards annually showcases the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world. The Telly Awards is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition and receives over 11,000 entries annually from all 50 states and many foreign countries.