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My pal Chris Weisbart is a huge inspiration. Creative mind, handy in any workshop, great cook, awesome at craps, loves surfing at 630am, and able to get a room full of people laughing anywhere he goes. The type of guy I love to hang out with.

Chris recently (finally!) posted a few of his past projects online. Some of these are pieces that he’s put together in his day job as an event tech at a local museum in Los Angeles. Others are personal projects he’s done for art shows or just for fun. All of them have that aura of “cool” that Chris cultivates so nicely.

One of his newest creations, and one of my favorites, is his vapor screen display. Based on the concept behind commercial units, but using everyday items (drinking straws, scrap PVC pipe, a kid’s humidifier from the thrift store, some scrap computer fans), he rigged up a device that creates a thin, even sheet of vapor mist. Almost translucent, but able to catch the light projected onto it from a rear-facing projector — which gives an eerie, floating hologram effect with something that almost looks 3D. Remember that scene in the first Star Wars when R2D2 surprises Luke and Ben Kenobi with the projected “Help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope” message from Leia? It’s like that. In fact, he found that actual footage and put it through this thing, popping it off the screen and right into your face (footage is from Rob Meyer, who, btw, built is own Aliens-style “Loader”). All he needs now is an R2-D2 casing for the projector and I’ll be pooping Star Wars action figures.

I still need to get him to upload the video of him playing Burger Time on this thing.

Chris has a few other cool projects in his portfolio — I like the full-motion video domed hologram display (looks cool on video, looks GREAT in person) and his hovercraft hologram laser robots (there’s a theme starting here…). Check out all his uploads here.

And set some time aside to watch all four parts of his short film, Muetes Ul Gallaxiante!

a movie i shot waaay back in 2002 with a bunch of friends, a crappy digital 8 camera and about 800 bucks of taqueria money. It’s long, silent and in another language, so prepare yourself. I wrote the script (based on a children’s book i read), shot/edited it, and drew/animated all the backgrounds.

There’s also a great piece about Chris from earlier this Fall in the LA Weekly, discussing projects he was demonstrating at the “Melrose Trading Post.” More info on the fun stuff he does there.

Good work, Chris!

Helicopter-mounted cameras open up some interesting shot possibilities to DP’s and directors. With a remote control flying camera, you can do bigger moves than with a jib or crane, as well as aerial follow shots that might otherwise require a full-size helicopter — if a helicopter even fits into the space you’re filming.

The big trend with aerial filming is mounting a camera on a quadcopter-type platform (or tricopter, hexcopter, octocopter). The stability this setup gives is much improved over that of the traditional RC helicopter design that mimics a full-size chopper. And as the designs of these platforms improve, we’re seeing many new configurations including this one from Omstudios in Berlin, which connects a Red Epic to an eight-armed copter setup. The results: gorgeous.

The camera itself is mounted to a cradle that can pan, swivel and tilt via a controller on the ground. Although it’s not specifically mentioned in the video post, some of these systems are also designed to automatically stabilize the camera from any helicopter movement, keeping the shot steady. And the operator has a wireless video link to the camera, able to monitor the shot as it flies around overhead.

Due to the lighter weight of these RC rigs, they’re more easily affected by wind and movement, and can have a slightly shakier look than something connected to a full size helicopter — I suspect the slowed-down aerial footage shown here may be done to minimize the evidence of this. But even at that, this is great stuff, an amazing camera on a fantastic aerial platform. Long story short, I want it.

Not the same rig as above, but here’s a great example of some RC heli-mounted vide footage, from Poland I believe, of some recent riots and the organized police response. I’m trying to find information on the camera they used. Scary but incredible–that’s not an angle I’ve ever seen before.

Hands-down the most amazing time-lapse video ever produced.

From the vimeo description:

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Note: Still couldn’t find any appropriate, reliable source describing the technical setting for this footage. The same applies to any specific information about the responsible person in charge of the photographs. Please let me know, if you have any information, links or the like.
 
Time lapse sequences of photographs taken with a special low-light 4K-camera by the crew of expedition 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011. All credit goes to them.
 
HD, refurbished, smoothed, retimed, denoised, deflickered, cut, etc.
 
Music: Jan Jelinek | Do Dekor, faitiche back2001
w+p by Jan Jelinek, published by Betke Edition
janjelinek.com | faitiche.de
 
Editing: Michael König | koenigm.com
 
Image Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,NASA Johnson Space Center, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth eol.jsc.nasa.gov
 
Shooting locations in order of appearance:
 
1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night

DIY Steadicam by StudioAmarelo. Tutorial on construction below.

Steadicams are like handheld tripods that hold a videocamera on a swiveling base, so that almost any movement you make is isolated from the camera. The resulting shots are flowing, dreamy, and somewhat ethereal (sorta like this).The big wheel scene in The Shining is one of the classic examples, although they used a modified system (also: the notes about the way Stanley Kubrick and director of photography Garret Brown set up the shots for that film is a fascinating read)

Large, Hollywood-quality steadicam rigs cost $60,000. Smaller professional units are available, with compact consumer level units like the Merlin retailing for a bit under $1000.

For many hobbyists, even the consumer price is beyond their budget. So people began to tinker and many DIY alternatives were developed. Johnny Chung Lee made himself famous with his $14 Steadicam website, detailing a simple design that uses a counterweighted pole to shift the center of gravity and help smooth the jitters, although it excludes the concept that makes a “true” steadicam, the gimbal.

The gimbal is a key part to the movement that defines steadicams–it’s basically the pivot point that allows the handle of the system to move separately from the camera it’s connected to. Able to tilt forward/backward, side to side, and rotate in circles, the gimbal isolates most jerking movements, except up/down. A counterweight system helps control that by increasing the mass of the whole package, so any up/down movement has a deadened effect.

The most simple gimbal construction is a cup that balances on a pin, with the camera platform attached to the top of the cup structure. More commonly, it’s made from three bearings that can rotate independent of each other. Many DIY gimbal units started off using three short segments of PVC pipe stacked into each other (from small to large diameter) and connected together other through their middles with a rod. Inside the the smallest of the pipes, a skateboard bearing is affixed that allows for the rotational movement. A photo illustrates this much more easily:

The PVC gimbal from YB2Normal.com's DIY steadicam. Click to check their build.

The problem with the PVC gimbal is getting precise holes drilled in the center of the pipe, and then using PVC as the rotational surface. A new technique was devised using the universal joint from an RC car drive shaft (the Traxxis 5151 seems to be the most sought after unit). Still using a skate bearing for rotation, it reduced size while increasing accuracy. A few build details on this design can be found here and here.

Use this RC car driveshaft to stabilize your camera tilt problems

The beauty of these efforts is that now there are many writeups and tutorials on how to build your own mock-Merlin steadicam, at a fraction of the cost. One of my favorites is by Vimeo user StudioAmarelo, and uses parts sourced almost entirely at Home Depot, costing approximately $30. The video below steps you through the process.

MAIN BODY COMPONENTS:
2 x Electrical Ground Clamps
1 x Approx. 7″ Curved PVC Conduit Elbow
1 x Male (Threaded) PVC Adapter
 
MAIN BODY HARDWARE:
1 x Extra Large Ladder Hook (Approx. 15″ High x 10″ Deep)
2 x Universal Brackets, 1.5″ Wide, 2″ High
2 x 1.5″-1/4″ Flathead Screws
1 x 1″-1/4″ Flathead Screw
2 x 6″-1/4″ Bolts (Smooth Shaft)
2 x 1.5″ U Clamp
1 x 4″-Wide Double Eye Tension Rod
2 x 3.5″-1/4″ Screws (Fully Threaded)
8 x 1/4″ Locking Nuts (Nylon Locks)
4 x 1/4″ Regular Nuts
3 x 1/4″ Wing Nut Locks
1 x Zap Strap
2 x 1/2″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
2 x 1″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
36 x 1.5″ Washers with 1/4″ hole
 
GIMBAL COMPONENTS:
Adapted from “WSCLATER” YouTube Design
2 x Traxxas T-Maxx 2.5R – 3.3 F/R Center Driveshafts (#5151) – get on eBay
2 x 1″ (Diameter) Skateboard Bearings
1 x 1″ (Diameter) Male (Threaded) PVC Adapter (for top of gimbal)
1 x 1″ (Diameter), 1.5″ long PVC Straight Connector (No Threads, for bottom of gimbal)
2 x PVC “Shims”
1 x 1″ (Diameter) Screw-on Hose Cap
2 x Small Screw + Washer (To Mount Driveshafts to Bearings)
 
OPTIONAL:
1 x Manfrotto 323 RC2 Quick Release Plate (w/ 200PL-14 Plate)
1 x 1/4″-to-3/8″ Step Up Screw Adapter
1 x Rubber Bike Grip
 
“LADDER HOOK/STORAGE HANGER” ONLINE
**similar but with 90 degree bend on end, except for 2nd Aubuchon link that looks to be the same one I found, but sold in bulk

Vimeo user and new iPhone 4s owner Benjamin Dowie (check him on Facebook here) posted a fantastic demonstration of the much-improved video capabilities of the iPhone 4s. As someone who is still blown away with the quality of the camera on the iPhone 4, I have to say this footage looks stunning. Smooth, crisp, fantastic depth-of-field. It’s going to be hard to determine what camera our shows and movies are shot on pretty soon. Still doesn’t appear to be as high quality as the compact Canon Powershot S95 (which adds in additional parameters like 24p frame rate), but that has a bigger lens and possibly larger sensor, and will cost you an additional $340.

You’ll have to click through to Vimeo to experience this in its full-HD glory (unless someone would like to buy Benjamin the gift of Vimeo Plus…).

From Benjamin:

Holy cow. Time to throw my 7D in the bin.
 
Got an iPhone 4S yesterday and got up this morning to go for a surf. No surf, so thought I’d shoot some stuff to see what the new camera is like on the 4S. Got home, looked at the footage, and couldn’t believe it came out of a phone. Was so excited so thought I’d quickly cut a vid to share the goodness.
 
It’s actually amazing. The automatic stabilisation seems to work wonders, and gets rid of most the jello. Depth of field is flipping awesome. Colours are really good straight out the camera, but I did give this footage a slight grade.
 
Yesssssss //////////
 
Cut with Final Cut 7.
 
Music: ‘Blach’ by ‘Elks of Envy’
 
©2011

And make sure to check out some of his other pieces–I like “Morning Surf.”

Here are some screenshots from Benjamin’s iPhone 4s demonstration video–click any to see enlarged.

A couple months ago I posted about how to improve your video projects by using an iPhone to record improved audio. I described a system that mimics a lavalier (clip-on) mic, by putting the phone in your shirt pocket, or even on the desk next to you.

Jeremiah Warren (the guy who strapped a camera to some fireworks) took the same concept and expanded it a step further — using the iPhone as a handheld microphone in his latest video (about cooking food on the hot dashboard of your car). The interesting thing about this approach is that it creates the concept of a handheld microphone with a built-in-audio recorder, rather than the system where the mic wirelessly connects to a separate recorder. This creates the option of having as many channels of audio as you have microphones (I’m envisioning a full concert with all the instruments and individual drums recorded on a multitude of iPhones). Of course, the iPhone doesn’t have the ergonomics a handheld mic does, nor does it have the same microphone patterns that the variety of mics used for various instruments, sound levels, and recording environments require, but still something I might have to play with…

And get a kick out of the windscreen!

Making an independent film embodies the tenets of DIY to the max. With that in mind, I got excited when I heard about my friend Sarah Pierpont’s new project — she’s producing a film called Forgotten Detroit, (“About learning when to let go–something Detroit has never conceded to do, thankfully”). Sarah works with a small group called Hott Garbage, a crew of creative individuals that collaborates on video and film projects — check out their last piece, I Hate Chicago, In the Gutter with Nick Vandermolen, a short documentary with some really funny interactions between the sarcastic Nick and local kids that might not fully get him.

For their new film, Sarah and Hott Garbage have put together a Kickstarter to help get things made — you can help produce the film with your contribution/pre-order, including the opportunity to get executive producer credits on the film itself.

Being a film buff and a gadget geek, I asked for more details about how they film will be shot. Sarah’s notes:

- We’re shooting it digitally, either with a Red/EPIC or a souped up 5D (to be determined). I’m such a sucker for sweet camera technology…the RED is a beautiful machine. Since we’re keeping the budget cheap, we’re taking advantages of these more realistically-priced options, and compensating with amazing glass – if we shoot 5D we’ll be using Zeiss Compact Primes like this one.

- We’re shooting in the Russell Industrial Center – an amazing rehabbed/gutted old airplane parts factory. It’s huge, gorgeous and has tons of studio space for artists, builders, musicians – you name it. It’s like an artistic commune for $3 a square foot. It also has massive empty spaces that make for great music video locations (see this video we previously did – check out “safe for the time being“)

- This is my favorite part: not only is “Forgotten Detroit” a film, it’s an eBook! Hott Garbage Film’s sister company is Nan Bu Nan Books – a publisher, run by the same folks as HG, that focuses primarily on eBooks. Self-build from the ground up. We do TONS of crossover stuff with Hott Garbage and Nan Bu Nan — for example, a short film called “I Hate Chicago” that you can check out at www.hottgarbage.com.

- I’ll be cutting the film myself – in Final Cut (7, NOT FCPX. haha). One of the COOLEST thing about “Forgotten Detroit” is that it’s totally a family affair – the music, shooting, editing, color correction are all being done in house by a group of folks who love and trust one another and have each other’s backs artistically. It’s pretty amazing!

Happy Fourth of July! Here’s a fun way to get a first-person view of a rocket’s trajectory and mid-air detonation.

The setup was put together by Jeremiah Warren (friend him on facebook). The camera is the 808 Car Keys Micro Camera #11. 720p HD capabilities in a keychain housing that weighs 15g, with a price around just $15 – sweet! The rocket itself is a professional-grade pyrotechnic firework, the type you need a license for (although I’ve seen some pretty burly fireworks for sale in certain states).

If you decide to try this yourself, PLEASE do it safely and responsibly. There have been some big wildfires this year, so let’s not cause any new ones with carelessness. Not to mention handling explosives.

This Friday I’m doing a workshop for Craftsman in Chicago, for their first annual blogger summit. The different presenters each introduced themselves by building a birdhouse project that represents them.

I started the project by drawing a set of blueprints, knowing that I wanted something with multiple compartments and a remote-access rear hatch. I adjusted things on paper a few times, and then built a small model of the birdhouse to make sure the pieces would work together, and the hinge apparatus would function correctly. Glad I did this first because there were a couple key modifications from it.

Once the model was built, the actual birdhouse came together fairly easily, with just a few small changes. I really like the way the tiny bird apartment conceals the high-tech inner workings.

I painted the exterior green and stained the roof red. I’ve been wanting to use the dead, dried tree from my yard for a project (or as fuel in my pizza oven) so did some resawing, cutting it into rough 1/2″ planks. The addition added a fantastic rustic charm that would make this birdhouse look great in any garden.

On the inside, I used an RC servo to control the rear door, with a second servo that pans the webcam side-to-side. A high-gain wifi antenna allows the setup to be placed a distance away from the house but still have access to internet signals, in case you want to stream the video feed, or just check up on facebook while gardening.

There are a number of tweaks I’d still like to do, including transitioning the entire thing to Arduino, but for now, I’m very happy with how the birdhouse came out.

Check it and the others out on Craftsman’s Facebook page.

Click to continue »

Check out this wacky “above the crowd” camera rig spotted at the royal wedding. What IS this thing?

My friend Travis is an awesome guy and a talented photographer. He’s the type of guy that I admire for finding life curious and fascinating. Case in point: an email he sent this weekend about the photos from the royal wedding, not of the newlyweds, but of the crowd that gathered to watch the event.

flickr had a post this morning with the official royal wedding photos. while i don’t care about the wedding, i was interested in seeing the photos and what they were like. looked few a through. flickr pointed out one large, overhead crowd shot. it was like a “where’s waldo” illustration. flickr also recommended to view the photo at the original size. it was pretty cool to drill into the photo and see people’s details. i noticed one guy with a crazy camera contraption so he could shoot over the crowd. i thought it was pretty genius. hence this email. thanks for playing.

Here’s a link to the full size image.

An impressive gathering, no doubt – but the “above the crowd” camera extension Travis spotted really piqued my curiosity. What exactly is that thing? And how can I make my own on the cheap?

Looking closely, it appears to be a long extension pole/monopod with an adjustable head (this one fits the bill, only costs $22). A leash/nylon strapping connects to the top of the pole; the bottom of the leash straps around this inventive photographer’s neck (it appears the neck segment has padding of some sort).  Buckles adjust the length of the strap to control the angle/height of the pole.

I’d love to see the base of the extension pole. A flag-pole holster would work well to help keep things stable.

Maybe most importantly, triggering the camera. A wired remote for the shutter release? Or, perhaps easier, an IR remote (I recently got this $10 remote for my Nikon – and I love it), although I imagine there might be interference issues with a crowd that size.

A shame that this photographer is anonymous – I’d like to chat about his setup, and see the resulting photos he took. Regardless, I might try to build one of these things for kicks too.