Using Motion Control for Filming Virtual Tours

Quick Disclaimer: This post is primarily meant to be a helpful resource for other video professionals. The gear we recommend here is stuff that has worked well for us and so we want to pass along our recommendations, hoping that you find it helpful. It is not intended to be an advertisement for these products.

It’s no secret that we are big fans of Kessler Crane products. Fantastic tools for professional productions. A few months ago we were able to put their Revolution Head to use in a way that we’d never done before. We usually use it on the head of our 18′ jib, but when our friends at The Longstreet Clinic called and asked if we could film some virtual tours of their facilities, we decided to mount it directly to a pair of heavy duty sticks to try something new! The idea was to use the Revolution Head to give us a perfectly smooth and consistent 360 degree pan around a room. The theory worked and so there were only a few minor obstacles to overcome in order to be able to take the “360 degree rig” around their facilities in a small window of time.

Challenge 1: Portable, But Sturdy, Support. 

Even though our DSLR camera rig isn’t heavy, the Revolution Head is, so mounting to a standard tripod wasn’t really an option. We decided to use the K-Pod tripod from our jib which has the Hercules head on it. The K-Pod is massive and super heavy, so we don’t really use it for much other than the jib, but for this application it was actually perfect. Plus, the K-Pod has optional large casters, so we mounted those in order to just roll the rig around fully assembled. Taking it all apart to move from building to building would not have been fun. Also, we used Kessler’s Kwik Release System to not only mount the camera to the Revolution Head, but to also mound the Revolution Head to the head of the K-Pod. They’re incredibly solid, convenient, and we never worry about them slipping or coming loose. Definitely worth the investment.

Challenge 2: Portable Power

The Revolution Head is powered by the Oracle Controller over Cat5, which is convenient because you only need to plug in one thing, but not if you need to move every 10 minutes. Rusty found a blog post by Vincent Laforet about a portable power option called the Freedom-1 from PortablePower.net. If it’s good enough for Vincent Laforet, then it’s good enough for us! We strapped a Freedom-1 to the KPOD, plugged in the Oracle Controller and never thought about power again! The Freedom-1 comes with 2 replaceable battery bricks, but for the few hours we were shooting we only ended up needing 1. The Freedom-1 is another great tool I don’t know how we lived without before. Since this shoot, we’ve used it several times to power LEDs, MacBook Pros, hard drives, charging camera batteries, and most importantly to charge our iPhones on remote locations.

Here is a sample of one of the virtual tours we shot for The Longstreet Clinic that day. In some of the facilities we were able to take full advantage of the 360 degree capabilities of the Revolution Head, and in some of the tight spaces we were able to put the rig in a corner and still get a great view of the room. Here is a sample:

Primary Gear We Used
Camera: Canon 5DMIII
Lenses: Canon 24mm f1.4
Kessler Revolution Head, Oracle Controller, KPOD
PortablePower.net Freedom-1

Music Video: Carol of the Bells

The story of how this really cool project come to be is discussed in the video interview below, but for those of you who like to read, here’s the quick version. My good friend Thomas approached me a back in October about this idea of pulling some musicians together to create a Christmas-themed music video. He asked if we’d be interested in doing the video for it and naturally I jumped on the opportunity. Both Thomas and I wanted to make it unique, so there were lots of discussions around just how to do that. One of the big things that came out of it all was to actually go for a “darker” feel to the video. We also decided that adding some vocals (but not lyrics) would really enhance the song and give it a unique feel, and I think it accomplished just that! Check out the behind the scenes interview between me and Thomas and then watch the final video below!

Behind the Scenes: Carol of the Bells 

Carol of the Bells Music Video 

 

Primary Gear We Used
Camera: Canon 5DMIII
Lenses: Canon 24mm f1.4, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 II
Kessler Crane (12′ configuration), Revolution Head, Oracle Controller
Kessler Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Flolight 1024 and 512 (x2)
Red Rock Micro UltraCage / Follow Focus / Matte Box

Exovations

We met the fine people at Exovations a few months ago and they told us “we want a commercial that doesn’t look like everyone else in our industry”. Well, they are a home exterior renovation company, so most of their competitor’s ads are a little obnoxious or way too cheesy for our taste. They asked for a hint of humor, without the slapstick approach, so we went to work to try and accomplish just that. We used two professional actors that did a fantastic job and here is the final product of the 60 second commercial:

Watch the 30 Second Version

Primary Gear We Used
Cameras: Canon 5DMIII
Lenses: Canon 16-35mm f2.8, Canon 50mm f1.2, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 II
Kessler Crane (12′ configuration), Revolution Head, Oracle Controller
Kessler Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Flolight 1024
Red Rock Micro UltraCage / Follow Focus
Marshall 7″ Monitor
Digital Juice Butterfly Frame Kit

Production Photos

Drum Cover with Thomas Branch

This was a fun project!

My good friend Thomas Branch asked if we’d be interested in filming a drum cover for him, and to be honest I wasn’t really sure what a drum cover was. I did some YouTube research and found that most drummers who do covers just set up a camera, hit record, and play their kit. I told Thomas we’d do it, but only if we can step up the production value and shine above what everyone else is doing. He agreed and here’s what we came up:

Primary Gear We Used
Cameras: Canon 5DMIII, Canon 7D
Lenses: Canon 24mm f1.4, Canon 85mm f1.2
Kessler Crane 18′ jib, Revolution Head, Oracle Controller
Kessler Signature Series Pocket Dolly, Elektra Drive Motor
Flolight 1024 (x1) and 512 (x2)
Red Rock Micro Shoulder Mount / Follow Focus
Marshall 7″ Monitor

Production Photos

Thank You
A big thank you to Scott’s on the Square for proving the location, Eric Elliott Photography, Erika Parker, and Dean Staples for all your help!

Video Review of Flolight LEDs

We recently purchased a 3 piece Flolight Microbeam LED kit and thought it might be helpful to share our first impressions of the budget-friendly LEDs. This video review isn’t focused on the technical features of the lights, but the things that we couldn’t find online before we bought the kit…. like build quality, the quality of the stands, intensity compared to traditional tungsten lamps, color temperature, modifications we’ve made and more.

Our kit includes the one 1024 panel and two 512′s. Hopefully this review is helpful!

Please note: We used 1 key light and no fill in order for you to clearly see the fall-off with the different diffusion modifications we use.

 

Here is the first project we used this kit on…

Shooting with the Matthews Master Car Camera Mount

Last week, we had the opportunity to film a 30 second commercial for a brand new product. Traditionally, the commercials for this type of product tend to be a little cheesy, so we set out to give the spot an extra dose of class and polish. Behind the Scenes video, photos and a gear list are listed below, but first here is the commercial:

For the car scenes in this spot, Rusty suggested that we try out the Matthews Master Car Mount. I’m extremely glad he did! With the mount on the hood of the car, we used a 5DMIII with a 50mm f1.2 L and a135 f2 L. The mount has a 40+ lb weight capacity, so we were no where need it’s limits! Below is a short Behind the Scenes video, including extended footage we got using it.

Video: Behind the Scenes with the Matthews Master Car Mount

Primary Gear We Used
Camera: Canon 5DMIII
Lenses: 16-35mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, and 85mm 1.2, 135 2
Flolight 1024 (x1) and 512 (x2)
Kessler Crane Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Red Rock Micro Shoulder Mount / Follow Focus
Marshall 7″ Monitor
Sennheiser ME67/K6
Zoom H4N
Matthews Master Car Mount

Behind the Scenes Photos

More Than A House – Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California

What do you think of when you see that small collection box at your local McDonalds next to the register that says ‘Ronald McDonald House Charities’ on it? I can very confidently say that you probably didn’t know that they do this…

Here is the video we just produced with them:

Powerful story isn’t it? My good friend Rusty and I shot this video over 4 days out in Southern California back in May. The script was written by the CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California, and just days before we flew out there we mapped out the shot list. Our shooting schedule was crazy busy, and we didn’t get much sleep that week, but we really enjoyed the experience!

Click here for daily video updates while we were on the trip

Technical Stuff and Gear We Used

The first big thing to report is that we shot this video with 3 Canon DSLRs. A 7D, 60D, and for the first time ever we shot using a full fame camera, the 5DMIII. Rusty and I both fell in love with the Mark III. This shoot didn’t really push the camera to its limits in terms of low light performance, but the full frame sensor and higher bit rate alone are just amazing. We shot with all Canon L series lenses… The 16-35mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, and 85mm 1.2. Our favorites for sure were the 16-35mm and 50mm! The 16-35mm on the 1.6x sensor of the 7D though was kind of disappointing, it just didn’t ever seem wide enough, especially compared to how incredibly wide it was on the 5DMIII.

Of course, we’re big fans of all our Kessler gear, especially the Philip Bloom Pocket Dolly. One new addition to it on this shoot was the Elektra Drive motor. I already had the Oracle Controller from the jib, so adding the motor 100:1 motor was easy. And now, I’m not sure how I ever used the slider without the precision of motion control. In the hospital scenes at the beginning of the video, there are 4 horizontal slides blended together. This was Rusty’s idea to show the passing of time, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the motor/controller. The motor also allowed is to do some pretty cool vertical moves with the slider, giving the illusion of a few jib shots.

Here is a list of the primary gear we used:

Cameras: Canon 5DMIII, 7D, 60D and a GoPro Hero
Lenses: 16-35mm 2.8, 24-70mm 2.8, 50mm 1.2, and 85mm 1.2
LitePanels 1×1
Kessler Crane Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Kessler Crane Elektra Drive Motor and Oracle Controller
Red Rock Micro Shoulder Mount / Follow Focus
Marshall 7″ Monitor
Zacuto EVF
Sennheiser ME67/K6
Zoom H4N

The Charity

We have a pretty cool history working with non-profit organizations, but this was our first time working with the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In the video, the storyteller says “The staff and volunteers were unbelievable.” Based on our experience with them and watching their interactions with the house guests, that statement is 100% true! The volunteers were truly serving out of a desire to help others, not themselves. It was incredible to see their selfless service to those in need, at every house we visited! To the staff and volunteers of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California, we truly want to thank you for letting us capture the story of what you do every single day. Learn more about the charity at MoreThanAHouse.org

Behind the Scenes

Here is a short video of Rusty and I on the road shooting this piece…

Update: The popular blogging site for creative professionals, Fstoppers.com, has featured our project! Check It Out Here

Filming in a Chemistry Lab

A few weeks ago we spent the day filming with SASCO Chemical Group, a fast growing company making big waves in their industry! They’re labs are right here in Georgia, and we had the privilege of filming with them for a day. The goal was to capture the company’s “culture” and put out a 2 minute video that they are going to call a “Corporate Profile” for their website. Below you can see that video…

The only new gear we used on this project was the Elektra Drive Motor from Kessler Crane. We already have the Kessler signature series pocket dolly and their motion control remote, so adding the $200 motor was a no-brainer. The big thing the motorized dolly allowed us to do was vertical moves on the pocket dolly to simulate a jib shot. We love using our 18′ jib, but it’s not the easiest thing to transport or setup when time/space are limited. The vertical moves on the slider add a new type of shot for us that weren’t possible just using the slider manually. In fact, controlling the slider through the controller was so much, every dolly shot in this piece was done using the motor/controller!

Primary Gear We Used:
Canon 7D
Canon 24-70 2.8L
Kessler Crane Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Kessler Crane Elektra Drive Motor and Oracle Controller
Red Rock Micro Shoulder Mount / Follow Focus / Matte Box
Marshall 7″ Monitor
‘DSLR Slate’ app on the iPad

Script written by our good friends at Written Solutions.

Two Days Filming With Core Essentials

Day 1: Baltimore, Maryland. The task was simple, but with a pretty tight production schedule. 10 interviews in 3 locations in 5 hours. We started the day out at the most challenging of the locations, a free-standing Chick-Fil-A. Everything was all set up in the dinning area for the first interview and although there was some noise challenges, nothing that couldn’t be forgiven… this was a functioning restaurant after all. All 3 cameras were rolling and we hit record on the audio recorder and… audio interference. No problem, let’s just change frequencies. Nope… the rented Sennheiser receiver won’t open the settings menu!

Thinking quickly, I suggested the shotgun mic I brought as a backup. What didn’t we bring as a backup though? A boom stand for it… I didn’t have room it in the travel case! All we needed as a 3/8″ threaded stud to mound it to, but we didn’t have anything! So I ended up using the most expensive makeshift mic stand ever… My signature series Kessler Pocket Dolly.

We survived the audio woes at the first location, now onto the second. After shooting some B-roll we went to setup the for the next round of interviews, but we were missing a case… the lighting case! Where was it?? We didn’t use lights at the last location, so it must be back at the hotel! Sure enough after calling the hotel, I had left it sitting in our room. Our gracious and understanding client took off to retrieve it while we continued setting up. When the lights arrived, we crammed 3 interviews in as fast as we could to speed off to the final location.

Rusty, downloading CF cards between locations

At the last location, we only had an hour and a half, but you know what went wrong? Absolutely nothing! The final interviews were probably the best looking footage of the day and we even finished early.

Day 2: Atlanta, Georgia: Although we were exhausted from traveling and shooting the day before, day 2 was a breeze with some really great looking interview footage. We used 2 new lenses we’d never tried before on this shoot, and they after day 1 we really knew how to take advantage of them, so the footage from day 2 turned out even better. The new lenses were the Canon 85mm 1.2L and the Canon 10-22mm. The 10-22 was a little slow for interview lighting conditions, but we made it work!

Here is the final version of the video:

Primary Gear We Used:
Canon 7D (x2)
Canon 60D
Canon 85mm 1.2L II, 24-70mm 2.8L, 10-22mm 3.5-4.5
Kessler Crane Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Sennheiser ME67/K6
Zoom H4N
Lowel DV Creator Light Kit

Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @ajparkermedia

Ronald McDonald House Charities – Day 4

We finished up our whirlwind tour of Southern California on Saturday and decided to have a little fun with this final video update on our way back the airport…