Apr 12

First Hands on with MIMIC — It’s a Game Changer [ Plus Score a Free MIMIC + MOVI Package ]

Today I’m excited to be the first to share with you a piece of game-changing technology that will help new AND established cinema / video camera operators capture world class moving pictures in the most intuitive, simple way that I’ve ever imagined. And if you read to the bottom of this post, you’ll see I’m giving you a chance to win this gear valued at ~$5000. Over my career in the photo & film industries... read more ›
Nov 12

5 Things GoPro Nailed with the Hero3 and Why You Need To Care (NOW)

GoPro Dive Housing Comparison
Hey friends - want to take a second to re-introduce Erik, my on-staff video guru. He's been with us for a few years now and, as a film school grad and long time commercial shooter, his opinions are a great asset to my own. One thing we've both agreed to lately? That GoPro is an amazing company and--it's becoming increasingly clear--they really understand what their consumers want. So I'm kicking this one to E-rock (affectionate... read more ›
Jan 24

Buying Mics & Hacking Audio for Your DSLR Video Setup

Zoom H4n on D7000
HDSLR video is a great way to get high quality footage on a micro budget; and a great way to keep that budget micro is to be picky about what accessories are right for your setup.  I recently received an email question focused on this and--in particular--if I had to choose between the Rode Stereo Videomic or the Zoom H4n, which would I use?  So here's a little background on my thinking... 1. Cost. They... read more ›
Dec 21

chasejarvis RAW: Flying High In Telluride [BTS Video on REI Commercial]

Last week when I posted the broadcast commercial for REI that I recently directed, I promised a behind-the-scenes vid. So here 'tis -- the focus here on the epic aerial shots we nailed using a remote-operated RC helicopter flying an onboard camera, curtesy of our friends at FreeFly Cinema. Hope you dig it. Also--since a lot of y'all have been asking via social channels--I figured I'd give a second-by-second, shot-by-shot breakdown of the... read more ›
Dec 15

New Work: REI Ski & Snowboard 30-Second Spot

VERY stoked to finally share some of my latest commercial director work that's playing all over your TV's here in the USA. It's the new 30 second broadcast TV spot for that great outdoor brand, REI. Remember all these posts back in March, chronicling the day by day shooting of a video-and-print campaign-all-in-one shoot?...working through some curveball weather challenges? Well, this spot here is one of the fruits of that labor. As you... read more ›
Sep 01

Conversation with Vincent Laforet on Gear, Career, Vision and More

The following is a transcription excerpt from a conversation a while back on #cjLIVE between yours truly and my dear friend, Pulitzer Prize winning photographer and filmmaker Vincent Laforet where we discuss gear, professional career, creative vision and more. We've got it on video (link at end of this post), but I think the transcript is nice because you can skim the conversation in just a couple minutes. And there are some nuggets in there... read more ›
Jun 03

Enjoy Your [Demolished] Breakfast at 1000fps

I'm never one to drop a heavy post on you headed into the weekend. So this one is light. So light in fact that it floats in the air like your morning toast and coffee and orange juice you're about to eat. You may have caught this a couple weeks ago, but I was too buried to share it. So here 'tis. Consider this while you're grabbing brunch over the next two days. The above... read more ›
Mar 30

Essential HDSLR Gear: The Rode Stereo Video Mic

_ZZZ1271
[Alrighty gear heads. Erik here with a continuation of the series of posts where I elaborate on the gear that I consider essential for my video job here at CJinc.  I previously discussed how the Zaucto Z-Finder helps me guarantee the visual quality of my video, and in this post I'll explain how the Rode Stereo Video Mic ensures that my BTS footage will have respectable sound too.  Perhaps more importantly though, how it allows... read more ›
Mar 04

10 Minute Film School with Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez
[Erik here with a quick guest post about some videos I wanted to share.  I find them incredibly informative and inspiring, and I hope you do to.] Robert Rodriguez is a special breed of filmmaker, a breed that we'll continue to see more and more of as filmmaking technology becomes increasingly accessible and affordable.  The do-it-yourselfers who are so technically savvy that they can oversee and drive every aspect of their production.  Since his first... read more ›