A Few Talking Points

Hey everyone! Just want to post a quick link to an interview I did a few days ago with wideopencamera.com. I’ve been told 6 minutes with these guys is an impressive feat, so thanks to Jared and Chris for having me!

(And thanks for this self-esteem boosting still frame! Caption contest, anyone?)

There were a couple of things covered in the interview that didn’t make it into the final cut that I haven’t talked about a lot yet, so I’m sharing here!

1) Pushing the camera to its max

I shot most of my first short films using the DVX, and I spent some time discussing the difference, for me, between the DVX and the 7D, which I shoot with today. With the DVX I felt I could really learn the limits of the camera, what it could or couldn’t do, and so really create the best image that the camera could provide. There’s a lot of safety in intimately knowing your tools, and I felt safe when I was using my DVX. While I love the look of the 7D, I often feel frustrated when I get home and dump the footage, because it doesn’t look like I thought it would. The supremely basic look of the D16 meant I had to spend a lot less time on set worrying about veracity of the image when shooting with our prototype–I knew exactly what could be done and how it would look.

2) My background

I’ve actually talked to quite a number of people about how I got involved with the D16 project, but understandably when final edits are due people are much more interested in the camera. I mention here briefly that I attended USC film, and Jared and I went into a little bit about my most recent directorial work, which has been fashion-oriented, and my documentary DP work with END Films.

However, I do have a dark, basement-dwelling side. I’ve been designing games & websites since I was 12, and at USC I did a minor in the IMD program, alongside some pretty impressive peers. My first job was working for USC, writing training documents for the division of the school that helped integrate new technology into the classroom. This gave me a great look into a lot of innovative educational tools that were being developed by teachers for teachers. While still in school I was hired as a UI, UX and game designer for a virtual world, where I ran focus testing, QA, and prototyping on my projects, some of which had budgets in the 6 figures. I continued game work into 2010, when I started working freelance (and stopped eating regularly) as a director and DP. But my background in usability is essentially how I ended up transitioning from director to collaborator on the D16.

3) Warranties and technical support

Jared asked me about the warranty on the camera, and I wasn’t prepped on the exact details at the time of the interview, but Joe has confirmed that the D16 will have a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty, like most other cameras. Specifically in regards to the first 100 cameras, however, Joe and I and our Canadian partners will be working directly with the camera owners to deal with any issues that arise as people put these machines to the test. The phrase I’ve been using for our Kickstarter backers is “our ambassadors to the camera community”, and we want to stand by that. We’ll also (just like any other company) have a help line for any technical support.

4) Forums!

John Hammond had his T.Rex, and we have a forum! These two things go together because joining our forum is the coolest, most dinolicious way to give Joe your suggestions for camera features. We want to hear from you!

5) John Woo filter

Shouldn’t there be a FCP filter that adds a gun to every free hand on screen? I’d use the hell out if it.

I will stop typing now and go update the FAQ to reflect this info. If you’re still reading, thanks! Here is a storyboard from One Small Step! You can see the final shot in the trailer.