Episodit
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Nerd Alert!
This week I express why you 100% need to start shooting RAW today! I also through in some talk about video codecs like .mov, .h264, and RED RAW (which are R3D files) for some good old fashioned fun. This stuff actually matters. If you're getting into editing log footage without knowing this, I guarantee you're doing it wrong. Yes it's nerdy, yes it complicated. But it's complicated till it's not. And if you at all make money creating or editing images with a camera, then this is for you.
Obsession:
Check out the real-time animation software Tvori!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
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Dirty = Better!
Today's lenses and sensors are getting better everyday. The image is getting so sharp and clean that I feel like I'm looking at a commercial for surgical tools. In this episode I talk about my favorite ways to "dirty" the image and bring life back into your shots.
I break down my experience using this filter, lens, and free technique to add style to my images. It's not something you should necessarily use all the time, but definitely great tools to keep in your creative pocket. Remember, you should be making choices on how to better tell your STORY!
FOLLOW UP:
From my previous Weekly Obsessions, someone shot an Amazing Video using Richard Gale Optics newest Clavius Lenses.
THREE WAYS TO DIRTY YOUR IMAGE
Black Pro Mist - BUY HERE
Check out the Tiffen Diffusion Test to see it in action
Helios 44-2 - BUY HERE
Unedited RAW photos straight from camera. Notice the background swirls. Not very heavily in these examples but a quick google search of the lens will show some extreme examples, dependent on what F stop you're shooting at.
Lens Whacking - FREE
This was shot with a canon t2i and the "nifty fifty" lens that was one of my Weekly Obsessions
The ENTIRE video is shot with with lens OFF the camera, and focus racks are a combination of my hand tilting and pulling the lens while my finger would rotate the focus ring. Took loots of practice.
Links:
New video Directed by Damien Vignaux for Maison Vignaux - shot with the new Clavius Lenses!
https://vimeo.com/275032028
Obsession:
Check out the Moment Lens gear!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected]
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Puuttuva jakso?
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You know it's hard out here for a pro! In this episode I talk about what you should be doing to get paid and move up from semi-pro to pro. One of the things that's always on our mind as creatives is making money. How do we get paid? Photographers are charging models, models are charging photographers... but who's right? Trick question. Both are wrong and right at the same time. But mostly wrong.
Check out this weeks episode to find out why!
Obsession:
Check out the fun KiwiCO Boxes!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
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This episode I sit down with Kyle and talk about the current state of photos/video in Texas and the south. We rattle on about working with other creatives and how to approach it the right way, a new creatives event he went to in Houston and soon to be Austin, and somehow we reference Toys R Us in the mix.
I think we can all agree on one thing at least. Don't be like Toys R Us.
Obsession:
Chris - Cinematographer Bjorn Amundsen's Instagram
Kyle - Focusing on SELF. Perfect your craft.
Links:
Check out Kyle's Work!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected]
Kyle Instagram @kdotvision
Kyle Twitter @kdotvision -
This is the BONUS episode I talked about in 009 - Booking and Firing Clients.
Give this a listen, there are secrets hidden inside! Like an audio Kinder Egg (which are illegal in the US for some reason).
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS BONUS CONTENT -
Everyone wants to book more clients as well as bigger clients. And most people would probably gasp and clutch their metaphorical pearls at the thought of firing clients. Well in this episode I talk about both and give a few real world examples as well. Also check out the BONUS episode which includes some content that's usually only reserved for my Patreon page. The password is given in the audio of the BONUS Episode.
Photos below from one of my FIRST GIGS EVER. Shot with a Sony alpha 200 and kit lens.
Obsession:
Check out Patrick Adair Designs for some awesome rings.
Links:
Bonus episode!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
Switching gears back into my technomancy school of nerdiness, I dive into my two favorite photo editing software and and the difference between three heavy hitting professional video editing software. In the order of least to greatest I talk about why I switch from Final Cut 7 to Adobe Premiere CC, tried Final Cut 10 (also known as Final Cut X) and settled on Davinci Resolve currenlty. Its a great NLE (non linear editor) and even better color correction software. If you want to color correct, this is what you use. In my Will Smith "Bad Boys" voice, "from now on, that's how you suppose to color!".
Obsession:
Highland 2
Links:
One of my favorite scripts I've every read, The Hateful Eight
Find hundreds of scripts online with Simply Scripts.
Check out John August's apps.
More specifically check out his new app Highland 2 for writing screenplays and more.
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
In this episode, I deep dive into the importance and practicality of networking. I give some real world examples from my career on how networking properly can lead to success, and also explain how I lost the chance to shoot the Denver Broncos due to burning a relationship.
Obsession:
Check out the different Roundtables from The Hollywood Reporter
Links:
THR Full Drama Actor Roundtable: Jeffrey Wright, John Lithgow, Ewan McGregor, Riz Ahmed & More!
Full Producers Roundtable: Amy Pascal, Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, Ridley Scott
Full Writers Roundtable: Jordan Peele, Darren Aronofsky, Emily V. Gordon
Full Actors Roundtable: Tom Hanks, Gary Oldman, John Boyega, James Franco
Full Director's Roundtable: Angelina Jolie, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig
Full LIVE Roundtable: Margot Robbie, Robert Pattinson, Bryan Cranston
Full Actresses Roundtable: Saoirse Ronan, Jennifer Lawrence, Mary J Blige
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
In this episode I dive my comic book origin story. This is how I made the leap into the film business. Now for me what that means is not just owning a camera or taking pictures and getting paid, but actually working on a set with dozens of crew members, bright lights, the whole nine.
A bit of follow up:
I mentioned previously that the micro 4/3 lens mount was easily adaptable. It's one of the most versatile mounts out there, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention Sony E-mount.
Here are the most popular lens mount systems in order from smallest flange distance to largest.
Sony E - 18mm
MFT - 19.25mm
Canon EF - 44mm
Nikon F - 46.5mm
PL - 52mm
What this means is the sony BODY can adapt the most lenses to it. PL cameras can only have PL lenses. While the PL lens can adapt the most bodies. Basically this means that sony e mount lenses will only ever work for sony e mount cameras. PL lenses can be adapted to anything.
Adapting a lens "up" on a camera means the image circle will be larger than the sensor, so you have light spilling outside the sensor. Image the sensor is cropping the image, causing the output to seem more zoomed in.
This is where Metabones speed boosters come into play.
Obsession:
Utomic Edge Phone Case
Links:
Metabones lens adapters and speed boosters
Check out my favorite iPhone Cases at www.utomic.com
Slow-mo video of phone being dropped with Utomic case.
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
I cannot express my love for prime lenses enough. In this episode I talk about the difference between prime vs zoom lenses and also wide vs telephoto lenses. And I say definitely a LOT!
Every wonder how to fix that terrible fish-eye effect and compensate for the distortion you get from wide lenses? Or what lens should I be using for portraits? How do I choose the right lens?
There are many variables that make it impossible to give a 'one size fits all' answer. But I do break down the different reasons why and how to get better images. After all, it is science!
Obsession(s)
Every Frame a Painting on YouTube for their amazing video essays.
BONUS - Canon "Nifty Fifty" 50mm f1.8 Lens at Amazon or B&H Photo.
Links:
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
In Justin's excitement he messed up the intro, and on the way out I DESTROYED the outro. We can't all be perfect.
This week I talk and catch up with my friend Justin Chambers. He is a filmmaker living in Los Angeles hustling, grinding, and working his butt off. And he has a ton of work to show for it!
We talked about current projects, work ethic and mentality when working in this business and a shared a handful of laughs. I explain how to fake it till you make it the RIGHT Way, and we share some knowledge and experience and the way we approach continuing to grow in the business. If you don't use it you lose it. Facts.
Obsession(s):
Chris - God of War on PS4, 2018
Justin - Trap by Shakira ft. Maluma
Links:
www.justchambers.com
The animated film The Good Night
Maquina
The trailer for Justin's upcoming music video Sounds from Outer Space
It Ends Now
Stream Broken Roads on Amazon Prime Now
The Girl that Went Missing
IMDB link for American Bred
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected]
Justin Instagram @JustChambers
Justin Twitter @JustChambers
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In this episode I talk about my experience shooting with the Panasonic GH5s. If you're wondering how the GH5s vs Sony a7-whatever stacks up, just know this... This is an amazing camera! Currently my favorite sub $3k camera.
I had the camera for a week and shot as much as I could, shooting some smoke bombs in my shed at 2am, shooting in a dark bar in the middle of the day, and just all around footage putting the camera through the paces. I shot with a Voigtlander f.95 25mm (50mm equivalent) with a variable ND filter since I knew I would be shooting close to wide open quite a bit to get the background separation without blowing out the image too much.
Don't be afraid of this camera lacking in IBIS. Remember when cameras didn't have any stabilization built in and we had to just be good? Yeah I remember. Practice x3 and you'll be killin' it in no time. If you don't like what you're able to get with this guy, then you're simply doing it wrong. Also, learn to light no matter which camera. It matters.
3 GIFs below: HEAVILY compressed for web but gives a frame of reference.
Obsession:
Facebook groups for cameras and lenses are the truth! Facebook groups are the new forums. Even reps from the different camera companies will jump in there to answer questions and they are listening to help make better products for the future.
Links:
GH5s from Amazon or B&H Photo
Voiglander from Amazon or B&H Photo
Quasar LED Tubes
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
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Here, I dive into what factors you should consider when thinking about which camera to buy. Why should I upgrade my camera? Which camera is the best for the money? Is the new *insert camera name here* out worth it?
There are a LOT of cameras out there to choose from and it can be daunting when trying to decide. In this podcast episode, I talk about some brief differences between Sony, Panasonic, Canon, and Nikon.
YouTube videos and blogs can be incomplete or deliver inconsistent information, video to video. Instead of bashing you over the head with technical jargon and copious amounts of info, to answer your questions, I'd prefer to suggest the right question you should start with. "What am I trying to achieve?" is a great starting place.
If you're looking for a more detailed dive into each camera brand, look out for more podcasts where I'll be breaking down the characteristics of each.
Obsession:
"Nifty Fifty" Canon Lens f1.8
Links:
Watch the short film, Moonlight. Lit entirely by, you guessed it, moonlight.
Soundstripe is where I get a lot of licensed music from.
Pick up the "nifty fifty" lens from Amazon or B & H Photo.
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected] -
This is the very first episode of the podcast!
I talk about why I wanted to start this podcast. I touch on how I figured out that I wanted to be in the film business. I also discuss how to hustle, approach people, and what to ask for when securing shooting locations for small and larger productions.
Resource of the Week: check out www.fstoppers.com for camera reviews, tips, and fun articles.
Obsession:
Dog Schidt Optiks by Richard Gale
Links:
Check out the Dog Schidt Optiks for some awesome lens goodness!
Instagram @ChristopherLaVan
Twitter @Lavanboy
Email me at [email protected]
