The Blog
The archive of my blog (since 2010).
Canon C200 Review — From a C100 II & RED Owner's Perspective
Having owned a Canon C100 Mark II for three years and having just bought a RED Scarlett-W, the Canon C200 is an interesting cinema camera that fits in right between the two.
Shooting beautiful 4K/UHD footage, having the best touch screen autofocus features on the market, and the ability to shoot RAW video all make the C200 an amazing upgrade for anyone used to filming on a DSLR like a 5D or has been using a C100 for years. Where it gets tricky is all the competition you have to compare it to at a price of $7,500 and the enticing options just beyond that budget range.
In this video review I breakdown the pro's and con's of Canon's latest cinema camera, share who it is best for, and what I might recommend instead.
$150 Lens vs. $4,000 Lens — The Differences Between Still & Cinema Lenses
You've seen them. Huge lenses that put the puny lens on your DSLR to shame.
Using a larger, more expensive cinema style lens on your camera when you're filming will do more than just get you a ton of likes on your behind the scenes Instagram photos though.
There are a lot of reasons you’d rent or buy a cinema lens instead of filming videos with a still photography lens.
In today's video and article we discuss the differences.
Why Vlogging is the Worst Way to Start a YouTube Channel
About a month ago my team and I were filming at ConvertKit's Craft + Commerce event and I was asked along with Levi Allen to give a workshop on why video is the biggest opportunity on the web right now and how to take advantage of it.
What follows is an hour long conversation about how to get more comfortable filming, why vlogging may not be the best format for you, which platform you should be focusing on, and what gear we recommend for video creation these days.
In this video we share why vlogging might be the worst way to start or grow a YouTube channel and much, much more.
DJI Mavic Pro — 3 Must-Have Accessories
I got my first drone a few months ago, the DJI Mavic Pro, but I found myself not using it very much. Traveling with all the batteries and cables was a pain, daytime shots were too bright, and if I couldn’t fly it most places I went.
Thankfully I’ve found a few third party add-ons to help with all of these problems and I’ve been using it way more lately.
Here are some of my favorite accessories for the DJI Mavic Pro drone.
SlingStudio Review — Livestream 4 Cameras to YouTube or Facebook Live Wirelessly via iPad
I’ve done a few multi-camera live streaming productions over the last couple years and they are always a ton of work (and hassle) to get setup properly.
Beyond needing the proper HDMI or SDI cables run to all the cameras I needed a person switching camera angles, another person running an audio mixer board, an expensive piece of livestreaming software, everything set to the same frame rate, and more.
Now there is a better solution for running a multi-cam livestream, by yourself, without any wires, using only an iPad. It is pretty incredible and it is called SlingStudio.
5 More New Filmmaking Gear Updates from NAB 2017
As I shared in yesterday’s video, NAB is one of the big video conferences I go to each year because I get a ton of value from it.
Between meeting other filmmakers in person I’ve only known online before and getting hands-on time with some of the video gear I am wanting to test out before buying, it is definitely worth any time and money I spend to be there.
In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 2 of NAB Show 2017.
Top 5 Favorite Things from Day 1 at NAB 2017
For the last few years I’ve been going to NAB in Las Vegas. The “National Association of Broadcasters” Show is where all the television, film, and video companies come to show off the latest in camera gear, software, accessories, and live broadcasting equipment.
Now, that probably sounds like a pretty stuffy crowd (and parts of it are), but it one of the most popular events for independent filmmakers and video creatives each year.
This is my third time going and I go to not only check out the new gear announcements and plan any future investments, but to meet YouTubers, filmmakers, and companies helping us to do our video jobs better.
In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 1 of NAB Show 2017.
Top 8 USB-C & Thunderbolt Accessories for the Late 2016 MacBook Pro
After getting a late 2016 Macbook Pro with Touchbar I need to plug in so many different devices that there weren't ports for, only 4 USB-C ports. Here are the 8 devices I've been testing out to make this new laptop work for my set-up.
Fiilex K412 LED Light Kit Review
In my hunt for the perfect set of video lights to fly with and film my client’s videos, the next lights I tried are a set of LEDs from Fiilex.
The K412 set comes in a rolling travel case with 4 lights (two 360EX’s and two 180E’s), barn doors for each, three light stands, a softbox, and a cold shoe mount.
I’ve used these lights on different shoots over the past six months since filming this review and they’ve really helped me stay light and nimble when flying with all my video gear. (Normally I fly with a 67-pound case with two Kino-Flo Diva 401’s, which leads to paying more baggage fees too.)
Westcott Flex LED Light Review
For the past two years I have done the majority of my lightning with Kino-Flo Divas.
The only problem is that I’m constantly flying to film for clients and need to set up and tear down quickly. I also have to light talent in a run and gun situation where the light needs to be held and moved while recording.
And while the light the Divas put off is big, so is the 67 lb case I have to lug them around in. I needed something different.
Enter the Westcott Flex LED Light.
I Filmed a Secret Marriage Proposal
This is the story of how we filmed and photographed our friend's secret wedding proposal, which was over a year in the making.
Over the next few days we will be flying to New Zealand to document the wedding (which is happening just 4 days after the proposal) and then staying for another month to travel and explore.
1 Minute Unboxing — 15" Macbook Pro 2016 (With Touch Bar)
Most unboxings I watch are too long, so when I got the second new MBP in for my editor to use I decided to do something a little different and try to capture the experience, feel, and sounds of unboxing a product quickly. Might do more of these in the future...
If you're curious which model I went with, here are the specs of mine.
- 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core
- 16GB of 2133 MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD
- AMD Radeon Pro 460 GPU (4GB GDDR5)
Like with all my major purchases, I bought this through B&H Photo Video. Here is my exact model.
8 Reasons Why I (Almost) Switched to Sony from Canon for Videography & Photography
In this video I explain my thought process behind choosing Canon or Sony and I lay out the eight main reasons that I felt contributed to my final decision.
Sony RX10 Mark III Review — After Owning for 3 Months
A full review of the camera body, lens, its buttons and features, share how I’ve used the PlayMemories app with it, go into the cons on the camera, and share who I think this camera is perfect for.
Canon 5D Mark IV vs. 5D Mark III (Video Features)
Canon just announced it, so I’m going to compare the Canon 5D Mark IV to the 4-year old 5D Mark III.
I’ll touch on what’s new, what’s the same, what I wish they would have put in this camera, and what I recommend to someone who currently films video on Canon cameras and lenses.
Canon 5D Mark IV vs 5D Mark III (Photo Features)
Canon just announced it, so I’m going to compare the Canon 5D Mark IV to the 4-year old 5D Mark III. I’ll touch on what’s new, what’s the same, what I wish they would have put in this camera, and what I recommend to someone who currently films video on Canon cameras and lenses.
Cheers, to you! 10,000 (YouTube) Subscribers.
I just got back from a trip from Portland, Oregon. While I was there I tried to concentrate on being with friends and staying less “plugged in”. When I got back I realized the YouTube channel had surpassed 10,000 Subscribers!
I wanted to put a video together detailing my motivations for running a YouTube channel.
Make an Overhead Camera Rig for $100 Without Building Anything
If you're looking for an overhead rig and don't want to build one, here is my solution using a microphone boom arm and a single adapter.