Last summer, as Keith and I were getting a little burnt out from rewriting our feature script, he had the idea of taking a small flashback and expanding it into a short film. Thus, our project SWEET NOTHING was born. Around that time, there were whisperings of an unexpected advancement in the HD camera world, unexpected because it started as a simple add-on to an “old technology” and evolved into a widely used tool in the industry.
This is a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera), specifically the Canon 5D. Like any other professional Canon or Nikon camera, it shoots beautiful pictures. This model came out in 2005:
In comes the Canon 5D Mark ii, which arrived in late 2008 and changed everything:
Although the two cameras look the same, there is one enormous difference. Canon had received many requests from photojournalists to add a simple video record option to their pro-line of photo cameras so that one could capture the odd video in the field and post it online. Canon’s photo department obliged, and without collaborating with their video department, virtually slapped in an HD video feature. Little did they know they had created a camera under $3,000 capable of shooting more cinematic images than most cameras five to ten times its price. The reason? The camera is based on full 35mm frame photography (like a motion picture camera) instead of small chip television/video camera technology.
I don’t want to get too technical, because there are already loads of information out there from many great bloggers (links at the bottom), but when the 5D Mark ii first came out it was lacking many vital manual controls. While Keith and I were prepping to shoot SWEET NOTHING, some of the key issues had just been resolved via a firmware update and so it seemed like the perfect time to give HDSLRs a go. So, I sold this:
And bought my beloved, tiny 5D Mark ii:
Me and mine
Like most of my friends, I’m a bit of gadget freak. It’s an addiction that both pushes my career forward and in many ways holds me back. I’m sure a lot of you know what I mean. For those of you that don’t, well, what I’m about to say may be the geekiest sentence I ever written, but I’ll write it anyway… The first gadget that changed my life was a PowerMac G4 with Final Cut Pro. It enabled me to be a one-man post-production team, and Apple’s user-interface just made sense. That was 2001. Cut to 2009, eight years later, and you have the Canon 5D Mark ii, the second gadget that changed my life.
Keith and I were very lucky when we went into production on SWEET NOTHING because our good friend and cinematographer, Alan Poon, was living in NYC at the time and agreed to experiment with my new camera. He had his own set of Canon lenses, which we were planning to shoot with, but since we couldn’t find a follow-focus to rent, we were forced to rent a Nikon lens package with its own follow-focus. (A follow-focus is a necessity when shooting a narrative film. It enables someone other than the camera operator to make sure the actors are in focus as they move around.) One of the wonderful things about the Canon DSLRs is that they have a lens mount that allows you to put pretty much any old lens on it with an adapter. The old manual Nikons wound up being a great choice because they have a sharper, lower-contrast look than the Canons.
Looking back, the interesting thing about our first shoot with the 5D Mark ii is that Alan and I were not yet ready to ditch our years of film training/brainwashing, and so we treated the camera like every old mammoth we were used to, thus erasing one of the great aspects of the 5D, its minimal size. We virtually never took it off the tripod or detached it from our two external monitors. Still, the camera performed amazingly well and we were ecstatic when we finally saw the footage on a big screen.
Alan with the 5D Mark ii on the set of SWEET NOTHING
Here is a little teaser I cut to give you an idea of the vibe and look of SWEET NOTHING:
Since that project, I’ve shot almost exclusively with the 5D Mark ii, and already a lot has changed. Canon has released three new HDSLRs, all of which have their positives and negatives and range in price from $800 to $5000. That’s right; you can buy a camera, the Canon Rebel t2i, for $800 capable of shooting video similar to the 5D Mark ii! And the body is even smaller! Professionals are using these cameras to shoot television shows, commercials, music videos, and feature films. When I shoot with mine now, I try to keep it as stripped down as possible – truly guerilla! And I’m not the only one. Many projects are being shot with several HDSLRs at a time since they can be had so cheaply. How you use it is up to you. Some people still attach every gadget imaginable to their HDSLR, some attach nothing, some mix and match.
Here you can see director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Spy Kids, Sin City) on the set of a music video with a souped up 5D Mark ii and then on the same set with a stripped down B-camera.
(images via philipbloom.net)
For my kit, after doing a bunch of research, I decided to invest in some old lenses instead of buying the far more expensive Canon pro-line L series lenses. Much of the old glass produces as good or better images and can be purchased cheaper. I decided to go with Contax Zeiss lenses, and managed to wing the deal of the century. I found someone selling a 28mm, 55mm macro (vivitar), 35-70mm macro, and a 135mm on craigslit for $600! Be jealous; I’ll probably never find a deal like that again… The Zeiss glass is amazing – a little cooler in tone, but tack sharp and with amazing bokeh (aesthetic quality of the blur). I bought an adapter to use these lenses from adorama for $28.
Two features sorely lacking from the 5D are a true viewfinder and professional audio controls/inputs. So I completed my kit with an LCDVF and a Zoom H4N. I recommend both of these devices without hesitation, but there are many other options out there. Putting your kit together is a very personal and, once again, addictive thing. Just keep in mind that if you go overboard, you’ll prevent yourself from enjoying the freedom of having such a small and simple device.
I carry my 5D Mark ii everywhere. It’s my photo camera, my home video camera, and my movie camera of choice. And now, I’m very happy to announce that Keith, Derrick, Alan, and I plan to shoot our first feature film THE SKYLARK with HDSLRs!
Feel free to ask me any questions. I could write a novel about my beloved Canon, but that would take time away from actually using it…
-blake
PS. My top 4 blogs on the subject:
Considering our film is set in NYC and Blake, Derrick, and I live here (Blake actually lives in New Jersey, but I’m trying to remedy that), I decided to make a short list of some of my favorite, current New York based bands/musicians.
In no particular order:
LCD Soundsystem – Great band, great albums. I’ve seen them live twice and they were fantastic both times. I would call it Dance, Punk, Funk-Rock. I think many bands have tried to emulate them in the last few years.
MGMT – This band blew up fast. I prefer their first album, Oracular Spectacular, but their new album, Congratulations, is worth checking out. Electroclash, Psychadelic, Glam-Rock.
The Morning Benders – Just got into this band. I heard someone playing them in a coffee shop in my neighborhood and asked the guy at the counter who they were. Their new album, Big Echo, is fantastic. Sunny, Indie, Pop-Rock
London Souls – I’ve seen this band three times at Brooklyn Bowl and they never disappoint. Straight up throwback 60′s, 70′s inspired Rock. Think Cream, or Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Gogol Bordello – One of the best live shows you’ll ever see. Super high-energy Gypsy Punk-Rock!
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – I discovered this band one year at Coachella. Great live band. Members of their horn section are currently in the house band for the Fela show on Broadway.
Sharon Jones and The Dapkings – Sharon Jones is an incredible soul singer. She performed at Brooklyn Bowl a few months ago and I’ve never seen someone so tiny (She’s about five feet tall) with so much chutzpah!
Beirut – One of the most interesting singer-songwriters of the last ten years. His music is beautiful and unique. I have never seen him live, so if any of you ever have a spare ticket, give me a call! His first album was released when he was only 20 or 21 I believe. Whimsical, Gypsy, Pop-Rock.
Sufjan Stevens – Another incredible singer-songwriter. His songs often blend many instruments to create epic, sometimes heartbreaking pop music. I’m also dying to see him live.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Super fun Indie-Rock band. If you like bands like The Talking Heads, check them out. Their first self-titled album is my favorite.
TV On The Radio – This band is hit or miss for me, but when they hit, boy do they hit. Every album has a few killer songs on it. Check out their latest, Dear Science. Post-Punk, Electronic, Soul-Rock.
Interpol – I’ve been a big fan of this band for years now. They are often compared to Joy Division and although all of their albums are solid, their first one, Turn On Your Bright Lights, is still my favorite. Just great, straight-up Indie-Rock.
The Virgins – Another fun, 70′s New-Wave style rock band. The lead singer sounds like Elvis Costello to me.
The Phenomenal Handclap Band – A collective made up of musicians from various other successful groups (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, TV on the Radio, L’Trimm, Calla, Mooney Suzuki, Oakley Hall, Antibalas, the Dap Kings, Diamond Nights, Persephone’s Bees, Si*Sé, and Apollo Heights), I saw these guys at Brooklyn Bowl and enjoyed them very much. Their self-titled, debut album is a sort of throwback to the rock and soul of the 60′s and 70′s.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – I’ve been to a lot of live shows, and it’s rare that I see a performer and think, “Wow, that’s a rock star.” Karen O, their frontman, is one of those rare performers. If you ever have a chance, check them out live. Karen O is a sort of Joan Jett meets Chrissie Hynde (of the Pretenders) meets Blondie. Their whole band is fantastic and all three of their albums are different, but worth checking out.
Vampire Weekend – This is another band that blew up fast. Great summer music. Joyful, Afro-Pop, Indie-Rock.
Yeasayer – I got into this band recently and I think they are currently one of the most creative and unique bands out there. An eclectic, genre-bending journey into pop, rock, Middle Eastern and African musics, folk, and dub. Both of their albums are worth checking out.
Dayna Kurtz – Not knowing anything about her, Derrick, Blake, and I saw her open up for Patrick Watson at the Bell House recently. Dayna is a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter who breathes honesty into every note she sings. We had the pleasure of meeting her after the show; stay tuned for more about that from Blake.
Listen and Enjoy!
-keith
I have four tattoos. My first came in a series of dots, placed with precision, around my lungs and spleen when I was 18. I had just completed six months of chemotherapy and was about to begin two months of radiation treatment for Hodgkin’s Disease (Cancer of the lymph nodes). These dots would perfectly align my body on the table so that the sick areas were treated while minimizing the sacrifice of healthy cells.
After my treatments were over I was in remission. I had been poked and prodded so many times by nurses and doctors that I decided I wanted to put something on my body that had meaning and beauty, and I wanted it to be something I chose. I’d get a tattoo. I told my mother my plans and she replied, “If you still want it when you’re 21, I’ll pay for it”. 3 years later I was ready.
I have always loved martial arts, specifically Bruce and Brandon Lee. Their young and tragic deaths resonated with me and I specifically loved the film, THE CROW (A story about a man who cheats death and exacts revenge on the people who brutally murdered him and his young wife). I felt I had just cheated death. I knew I wanted a crow but none of the images from the film seemed cool enough. A couple of days before my appointment with the tattoo artist I went to see the sequel to THE CROW. A terrible movie, but the villian was played by IGGY POP. He had a huge tattoo on his chest depicting two demons fighting each other and their outlines formed a crow. I loved it. It became my first tattoo, well, second if you count the radiation dots.
While in the hospital for complications from one of my chemo treatments I met a boy named Kipp who had Leukemia. He was only a year younger than me (17). We were the only patients under 60 on the whole floor and we bonded immediately. There was something angelic about him, and although we only spent a few days together we kept in touch after I was released. A year later he passed away.
While in the hospital, Kipp created a series of drawings featuring a character called Pipeman. Pipeman was a sort of alter ego who traveled to far away lands; a way for Kipp to escape. When I attended a special memorial service for Kipp at his High School, his mom gave me copies of the drawings. My favorite was PIPEMAN ON THE MOON. It became my third tattoo and I would eventually write and produce a full length play by the same name, based on my experiences with Kipp.
In our script, THE SKYLARK, there’s a key scene in which Micah, our main character, follows his muse through Central Park and she leads him to STRAWBERRY FIELDS, John Lennon’s memorial. Blake and I also shot our interview for THE ULTIMATE FILMMAKER COMPETITION in and around there. We’ve worked on this script for about four years now and I feel it’s very much a part of me, hence my fourth tattoo: the Imagine symbol at Strawberry Fields, but instead of the word IMAGINE in the center, I added a skylark. I fucking love this tattoo and it’s healing as I write this. It is an indelible promise to myself to make our film.
-keith
Filed under: Combat Rock, Music, Photos, Screenwriting, Skylark, Sweet Nothing, Video
We have loads of news, but first I’d like to thank you all for sticking with this blog the last two weeks. Keith and I were slacking on the posts, but for good reason; we spent the last month finishing our screenplay and other submission content for the Ultimate Filmmaker Competition. I’m very excited to report that WE ARE DONE! The receipt of the materials was confirmed by the Filmmaker’s Alliance, and now we just have to try to wait patiently.
Keith and I spent many long days rewriting THE SKYLARK line by line, as we reported in previous posts. Overall, we trimmed a lot of fat and worked to heighten conflict where the pace felt slow. Along the way we received vital feedback from our friend Alan Poon and our wonderful ladies Julie and Sarah. We are all extremely excited by the finished product. I think it reads great, and as a director I can now SEE the film, which is when I know it’s working.
After completing the screenplay, we still had to submit three essay questions, plus a 7 minute video interview and a sample of our work. In my opinion, The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition earns it’s name by pushing it’s entrants to think through every aspect of their project and document it. The experience has been invaluable.
We decided to shoot our video interview in Central Park and cut it as a mini-documentary. This meant a lot of editing in a very brief amount of time. Alan shot some beautiful footage and we lucked out with a picturesque rainy day.
I decided to hold off on editing the interview until after we finished our screenplay, which only gave me about three days. I put in more than 40 hours in one weekend, cutting in music, photographs, old home-videos, and other b-roll.
For the work sample, Keith and I decided to submit the trailer for our first collaboration, UNFURL, along with our newest short film in its entirety. Now, here’s the not so great news:
COMBAT ROCK is now SWEET NOTHING
We managed to acquire the rights to music from The Velvet Underground, Depeche Mode, and Nina Simone for our small project, but ran into some resistance from The Clash. Such is life. Therefore, we have changed the name of the movie to SWEET NOTHING after the Velvet Underground song Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ which starts and ends the film.
I’m very excited that you’ll all finally be able to see some of the fruits of our labor in the coming weeks as the Filmmaker’s Alliance posts our work on their site. Get ready to vote and keep on checking back here. We’ll be posting outtakes from our interview and a lot of other content.
And finally, to celebrate the delivery of our work, here’s something beautiful in Central Park:
And another weeping ukulele to brighten your day:
Thanks again for the support!
-blake
The amazing Alan Poon became a New Yorker in a puff of smoke last spring, and today he will hop on his winged moose and head back to Canada. His name is all over this blog, and for good reason. Not only is he an amazing filmmaker, but he is one of my dearest friends.
Alan and I were freshman roommates at York University in 1997. One year later, he transferred to Ryerson, but those nine months we shared in the same dry prison (dormitory) solidified our friendship. He went on to become a Cinematographer and Director who has collaborated with Keith and I on our last three films. Most recently, he was the Director of Photography on our short film COMBAT ROCK, and is now helping us finish our screenplay for THE SKYLARK, which he will also shoot.
Last year, Alan directed a music video for The Bowerbirds, which was honored by Spin Magazine as one of the top 20 videos of the year. I could go on and on about Alan’s work, but I’ll let it speak for itself.
I’m also excited to share that I have the inside scoop on Alan’s newest project. He’s in mid-production on a stop-motion music video for the song “Marching Through Your Head” by Zeus , which he is co-directing with photographer and miniature-set-builder, Adam Makarenko. Here are some never-before-seen photos from this amazing project.
More on this video to come, so stay tuned.
Alan Poon, coming to a city near you… if you live in Ontario. 
-blake
The shoot went great, despite some terrible weather. In fact, although the rain forced us to change locations a few times, ultimately it (and Alan’s crazy skills) made the footage look spectacular. We started out in Strawberry Fields and then moved to a few other locations around the park. Along the way, we saw a couple who had just become engaged, two Russian men sparring in the rain, and a holy cross on John Lennon’s Memorial… And no religion too?
A few pics:
-blake
Tomorrow Keith and I will head into Manhattan to do a video interview for the semifinals of The Ultimate Filmmaker Competition. The interview, along with a sample of our work, will be available online next month. Our friend and collaborator Alan Poon agreed to shoot the interview, and so the three of us met last night in Williamsburg to discuss the style of the piece. We’re going to approach it as a mini-documentary and shoot in and around Central Park (an integral location to our film). This will be the most screen time I will have had since my dad bought his first video camera in the mid-80s, when my brothers and I had mullets, so I’m a little nervous.
-blake
John Lennon Memorial in Central Park
Thank you all for your support yesterday. Keith and I put in around a ten hour day. Our friend Mr. Alan Poon showed up to help for a few hours. We moved slowly but surely through the script and made some exciting changes. Each of us drank a LARGE coffee and about a half bottle of wine. These are the tools of the trade.
Day 2… Gotta run.
-Blake
UPDATE: pics
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- Hard at work
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- “there or their?”
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- Like brother like brother
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- The Skeksis drain my essence
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- Alan does his best Steve Jobs impersonation
Filed under: Combat Rock, Photos, Video | Tags: Alan Poon, Blake Hamilton, Damian Ziemkowski, Keith Hamilton
While Keith and I wait impatiently to release our new short film COMBAT ROCK later this month, we decided to post some other goodies.
UNFURL was my thesis film at York University in 2001. It holds a special place in my heart as it marks my first collaboration with Keith (he starred in the film and helped with rewrites) and my good friend Alan Poon (Cinematographer Extraordinaire and former Cleveland Brown). The film was also produced by David Hayman, who later served as the Music Supervisor on COMBAT ROCK, courtesy of Vapor Music Group in Toronto.
Here is the trailer for UNFURL (music by Arvo Part):
In addition to posting COMBAT ROCK in its entirety, we will soon discuss the process of making the film. But what is COMBAT ROCK about you ask? Without giving too much away, it’s a companion piece to THE SKYLARK. In the short film, we go back in time and tell the story of our main characters buying their first record as children. So it’s basically what The Muppet Babies was to The Muppets Take Manhattan, except with a little more melancholy and a lot more awesome music (The Velvet Underground, The Clash, and more). Here are some frame grabs:
More on COMBAT ROCK to come…
- blake
