Documentary Film on Buddhism in America shot with Hacked GH2, AF100, HMC150

Mercatus

Mercatus

Active member
Hey everyone,

just wanted share my project with this forum since it's been one of my main resources on how to make a film.

www.seekingheartwood.com

i've been on the road by myself for 21 months shooting this doc with a Hacked GH2, AF100, HMC150, and Gopro

i hope you find it interesting
 
Thank you.

I am Buddhist. I have been meditating for 30 years, as of April this year. I'd just like to share me very quick perceptions ....

When I followed the link, I was very interested. I thought I would find your film. Although I didn't have time to really watch a documentary now, I wanted to see who you were, book mark it, maybe save it for "Later" in Vimeo, and ....learn a little.

(You might want a Vimeo account too, rather than just YouTube. Better quality, no commercials, more preofessional, more filmmaker friendly. More community & individual interaction and personality.)

When I saw your clip, and the Kickstarter information, I was a little puzzled. I didn't know if that was your film? Clicked on it ...

I was very surprised to see that "Buddhism is the 3rd largest religion in America ..."

I would have loved to see ..... who you met, what Zen centers you stayed at, some reflection about whether being so busy and chasing experience all over the country really reflected the spirit of Buddhism ...

Some quotes, ideas, feelings from the Dharma teachers taht you met - my favorite is always "All Beings, One Body ..."

Instead, all I saw was your Kickstarter, talking head video. the interview footage looks pleasant, nice open grade. Some rather generic "establishing" shots about travel - the waves, etc. You look like a decent, younger person, earnnset, straight up, likeable ...

But I saw NO CONTENT! Nothing unique, quirky, honest, real, detailed, funny, sad, heart felt ....... Just teh structure ... of someone else who needs money .... for something ...... talking.


Honestly, I don't mean to criticize at all! I imagine that is a good pitch on the Kickstarter site, or here once you have "hooked" teh viewer. But I am a very eager, sympathetic, "already sold" potential viewer, and I just don't - feel - anything. Except taht one quote that I mentioned above, about teh size of Buddhism in the US.


Now, I think you have to be very careful not to scare off more "casual" or "beginning" or "just curious", or even "hostile (because this is not MY religion ..) viewers. That happens so often with complex the jargon, dogma, foreign concepts/signs/symbols of hard-core Buddhists, that have no meaning for the viewer, etc.

But I didn't feel - at all - OK, here he (and I) am waking up on a cold morning and having that moment of peace - or insight - or fear. No "Oh, this is where he went, who he saw, what they said ..."

Cheers! I hope taht is helpful! I want you to be absolutely successful! And I want at least a glimpse of what you saw - Spirit Rock - Dharma Bums - etc. - that I got in a few minutes looking in your blog.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?? WHY DO I CARE?

Good Luck!

Michael
 
I do have to say that I have always been hyper-sensitive to any perceived "criticism" of my work, like my previous post.

"Of course, I know all of that - it is just - I didn't have time, and I'm travelling, I intend to do X, and X, and X, and I am going to do this, but I needed to do Y first - I have it all planend out - so, anyway, I know more than you - but thanks!" :)

That is a reflection of my internal perfectionism and insecurity, along with too much ego identification with "my work = me."

It is a huge impediment to learning, that immediate emotional defense mechanism/panic.

Guess that is why I need to sit meditation .....

Cheers!
Michael
 
Thanks Michael. I actually really, really appreciate you thoughts and honesty. The more criticism I receive, the more perspectives I get, and the better I can make the end product.

I was just intending to share the fact that I was doing this project with the DVXuser crowd because they've been so instrumental in helping me make this. I didnt mean to convey that the film was on my website.

The film won't be complete until the end of 2013, I could have stated that in my post.

You are correct in ascertaining that there was very little content. I showed briefly some of the interviews I done, but didn't include any dialogue. As a practicing Buddhist, you're well aware of change. This project, and I, have changed a great deal over the past two years, and I suspect it will continue to do so. I'd rather wait until I'm closer to the end to reveal what footage is actually going to represent the final project (and I'm going to be extremely careful with how the dhamma is expressed). All in all, yes, it was only a kickstarter promo video, and not a trailer for the film. Kickstarter videos are more about selling yourself, and getting people interested enough in what you might produce that they would throw ten bucks your way. I hope other filmmakers here will utilize Kickstarter to fund their projects. And i hope they use my video as an example of what to do, and then do it even better.

I gave people another avenue to learn more about details about the project. I'll post the link here in case your interested:
http://secularbuddhism.org/2012/08/27/episode-132-adam-eurich-seeking-heartwood/
 
robyne said:
Hi there, just saw your post on your doc. Kudo's to you. I have just kicked mine off... and WOW... I am with you... so much to do. I camp outdoors, with two dogs, and loads of computer equipment, camera equipment etc and load up in the morning, take down at night, and then when it rains.... OMG!!! The bugs in the face, extreme temps, sand, grit.... LOL

Care to share any do's and dont's you might have learned along the way. Any kind of suggestions sure would make my life a little easier. I don't think others understand what takes place with such a journey. Also what about your equipment? Did you wish you had something else, did the equipment do as you had hoped? How would you have made it better the 2nd time around?

Hope you don't mind me asking all these questions?

Robyne
Click to expand...

So I just got a PM from Robyne with the above questions. We figured it might be useful to others if I posted my answers in this thread.

Iagree, most people don't knew what takes place with this kind ofjourney. Being a one-person documentary crew with no budget forhotels forces you to come up with all kinds of creative solutions.


I'lltry to break this down and talk about the different aspects of how Ido it and what I've learned. Maybe it'll be useful for others


Firstoff - FILMMAKING GEAR


Cameras:
AF100,GH2 (hacked for improved video quality), HMC150, and GoPro.


TheAF100 is my main camera. The ND filters, low light quality even withhigh ISO's, waveform monitor, audio inputs, and lens flexibility makethis my go to camera for one main reason – I know exactly what I'mgetting. Especially with the waveform monitor, I know exactly whatexposure I'm getting in each part of the frame, and this isespecially useful when I have control over the lighting. I can keepas much detail as possible in the shot. You can only push yourfootage so far in post with AVCHD codecs. Not a problem if you lightthe scene properly and only need minor adjustments to bring outdetail in highs or lows. This is way more valuable than the high bitrate image quality of the GH2. Additionally, once I get lets say, aninterview shot, set with the AF100, I can be more confident that I'vegot the person lit well for the GH2 and HMC150 as well.


Whatthe GH2 lacks in image control and audio, it makes up for in detailresolutions, especially when hacked. I use two different patches: EOSHD's Vanilla patch for long recording times, or the Flow Motion100mps fast action patch with a lot of movement. The GH2 excels forwide shots with a lot of fine detail to resolve (like tree leaves). I often use this for establishing shots of landscape &architecture. It's smaller form factor allows me more flexibilitywith shooting in tight spaces or keeping a low profile – a stillscamera is far less imposing than a large video camera.


Bothof these above cameras allow me to buy older, high quality glass atan huge discount used on Ebay. I've picked up a Zeiss Contax 50mm1.7, Canon nFD28mm 2.8, Rokinon 85mm 1.4, Vivitar Series 1 macro 90mm2.5, along with the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 pancake and 14-140mm kit lens. And all of these lenses work for both video and stills! Amazingconsidering I could never afford this kind of versatility if I hadgot with a Canon or Nikon ecosystem.


TheHMC150 is my run & gun shooter. The image quality is poorer thanthe m43 sensor cameras, but it's got a great form factor, solid imagestabilization, waveform monitor, audio inputs, and ND filters. Thecamera need a lot of light to look great, but I really don't need anysort of rigging or shoulder support to get a stable shot.


Lastly,the GoPro is my go anywhere, tiny form factor, super wide shotcamera. Not a serious tool really, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's a fun camera that creates fun extra footage that looks verydifferent from the other cameras.


So,if you can tell, my goal was to have my bases covered. There is noperfect camera, each one has strengths and weaknesses, so I've builtup my collection to have cameras that make up for each othersweaknesses, especially since I'm trying to shoot such a wide varietyof circumstances.


I'llgive you an example of how I shoot interviews. Since it's just me, Ineed to focus on the interview and not worry about operating acamera. So I set up all three since I don't want a boring staticinterview and then I have a lot of flexibility to cut in post.
Iuse the AF100 for a MCU (shoulders and head) because this is whatI'll probably use the most and I want to know exactly what I'mgetting.
I'llthen set up the GH2 up for a Mid Shot (waist or so and up). It'sstronger at keeping more fine detail so I want to use it for thewider shot.
Lastly,I have the HMC150 set for a CU/ECU (tight to the face). This way theHMC shot is lit well enough and isn't having to resolve to much finedetail.


Lastly,I use the inexpensive Transcend Class 10 cards. People say to investmore, but I've had 4 32gb cards for nearly two years and I've neverhad a problem. That's with 3.5 terabytes of video footage and 20,000photos.


Tripods:
Ijust use 3 cheap tripods, a used photography one someone gave to me,a cheap Best Buy photography tripod, and an inexpensive Manfrottovideo tripod. I've never needed them to do anything they can't andin total only spent about $450.


Audio:
Understandinghow important quality audio is, splurged on a really great shotgunmic the Rode NTG-3 and got the industry workhorse lav mic TR50. Ihaven't needed anything else yet.


Lights: So since I travel and had no money for expensive lighting, I wentout on a limb and bought two sets of Cowboy Studio lights. I was nearDallas so stopped into their shop and picked up these:
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/2000wboomkit.htm
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/vl-9004skit.htm
http://www.cowboystudio.com/product_p/5-in-1%20circular.htm


There'snothing I can't do with these, the bulbs they come with matchdaylight, I can buy cheap 2700k bulbs from Home Depot if I need adifferent color temperature, they are extremely inexpensive, and comewith compact carrying cases that even protect the bulbs. What morecould I want?


Seea trend here? A lot of professionals would say this gear is crap. Ilike the sentiment that the best gear is the gear you have with you. With a shoestring budget, I just wanted to make sure I had theessentials rather than not have anything at all. I'm extremelyplease with what I'm able to create within the limitations of thisgear, which I understand completely. And it all fits in the trunk ofmy car!


Computerand footage storage:
SoI splurged here also, but because it made more sense in the long run. I bought an Alienware M17xR3 laptop. Expensive, but it allows me toedit the footage natively (not possible on a Mac). This is moreimportant than you think because it effects how much storage I need –and storage costs add up quick. ProRes file sizes are 10 times thatof their AVCHD counterparts. Right now I have 3.5 TB of AVCHDfootage. I back that up in triplicate and send one of the back upsto my parents place. So 3.5 turns into 11.5 TB. Multiply that by10, and then add up the costs of the hard drives needed to store thatmuch footage. All of a sudden an high-end gaming PC makes sensefinancially. And you spend let time backing up logging,transferring, and backing up huge file sizes. Additionally, thelaptop comes with a great GPU which really speeds up my renders. It's also got USB3.0 ports. This means I can speed up theperformance of Premier Pro because I can break up different duties ondifferent on different hard drives. Lastly, it's got an HDMI inport! So it acts as an external 17” monitor for any of my cameras. Not great for color, but amazingly helpful for framing andcomposition. This is one of my best investments.


Travelingwith camera gear:
Keepit clean, keep it organized. Love your gear and it will love youback. Simple, but tempting to neglect: brush off your cameras andyour tripods, wrap them in plastic bags w/ rubber bands if shootingin sanding or wet environments, get a good system for cleaning yourlenses, keep your cables neat. The better you keep your stufforganized and clean, the easier and more pleasing it will be to pickup and shoot when you need to. This takes time, learn to enjoy it.


Backup back up back up back up. Like I said above, I keep 2 back upswith me at all times, and keep a 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] off site. I justsend a hard drive home to my parent's place.


Lastly,if you have time - review everything you shoot as soon as possible. Go to a coffee shop, sit down, and bring it into a temp time line andplay with it. The more you edit, the better you'll shoot.


Ithink that's good for now, but I have more to write up and I'll do itin a couple stages.
 
Mercatus said:
I gave people another avenue to learn more about details about the project. I'll post the link here in case your interested:
http://secularbuddhism.org/2012/08/27/episode-132-adam-eurich-seeking-heartwood/
Click to expand...
Thanks! I am very interested.

you might take a look at a bunch of teh user films here.

Most people who are doing a film will cut a trailer to get word of mouth going, sometimes even before they begin filming. Almost always before they really get into editing. (I'm sure you know that, but ..)

If there are a couple of key scenes or people that you know will be critical to your final project, you might have a go at a 1 minute or 2 minute trailer, in addition to the Kickstarter "talking head" type stuff.

Something really concretee, specific, the words of someone who impressed you, etc. Even some views inside of a monastary, candles burning at night for meditation, incense rolling up through the flames, chanting. Or you struggling to roll out of "bed" at 5 am on a cold morning.

Personally, I am very eager to see some of what you have seen! I know there are a lot of incredible people in temples across the country. (I am in Ann Arbor. We have the Ann Arbor Zen Temple here. Also in Chicago and Toronto. And of course Gelek Rinpoche, along with Phillip Glass, et al.)


What do your future plans and future schedule look like, for travel and teh film?

Cheers! More later - busy for a couple of days.

Best wishes,
Michael
I have to run now! Let me know if I can be of any assistance editing, etc. while you are traving. I am not shooting right now due to physical disability, mostly editing and computer work!

Best,
Michael
 
Great, great stuff. Take a bit to take it all in. The one question I keep finding myself ask isl can all gh1 and gh2 cams be hacked? And, are there only a certain number of hacks that can be used with other hacks.

I am so grateful and proud for all your hard work and tenacity to go through such a project as you have taken on. I have donated to your project as well.

Will be back with a few comments from my own experience as well. Oh yea, is there a reason why one would choose kickstarter over indiego? Im preparing the trailer now so any insight or do's and dont's you may think of is appreciated.

Robyne
 
yeah, that post was kind of stream of consciousness and i wrote more than i meant.

all gh1 and gh2 cams can be hacked. and, you can pretty easily switch out between different hacks.

thanks for your kind words, enthusiasm, and donation robyne.

what about your project, have a website up yet? what's your subject? if you need any assistance just let me know.

Kickstarter is definitely the more risky than indiegogo because if you don't meet your funding goal you don't get any of the money. i chose kickstarter for a couple of reasons. it's more popular than indiegogo, so there was a greater chance of getting support form people outside of my reach. not a large chance, but to give you stats so far, just over 10% of my funds raised so far came from people just discovering it on Kickstarter. also, i see the idea of not getting any of the money if you don't meet your goal as beneficial, it forces me and other projects to really work for the money (i'm doing 6-8 hours a day of marketing, everyday), and there's a good chance of getting funds you wouldn't other wise get in that last minute rush to meet your goal. plus for me, in the event that i talk with distributors one day, i want additional evidence that there's a market for my film, and i think crowdfunding is some proof of that.

But, as you probably already know, with Indiegogo you're going to get whatever is donated and you don't have to meet your goal. i did a lot of number crunching and compared my project to other campaigns before finally deciding that kickstarter was worth the risk.

~Adam
 
I love your line up of equipment. I looked at the Go Pro camera before and it looked like a fun, fun camera especially for driving down the road... I have to admit strange camera.

And your welcome. anyone who dares to trust self and the inner expression is truly worthy of praise and support. For many reasons. One question I have is what about lenses. I love lenses that have low f stops. So would prefer to spend a little bit more for glass. Makes finding a good overall (landscape and interviews) hard to find. Any recommendations on the glass.

Keep up the great work. One of my thoughts about shooting a doc is everyone says to keep a low profile... and I am most certain this is true. I have found though so many people want to share their ideas, and story's and often times people I could only be fortunate to interview are right out among us. Then again though I am shooting in the U.S. as I believe you are too so I don't know what to say about 3rd world countries. But I have a sneaky suspicion that many of my best interviews will be from spontaneity among those on the street making for great fill ins.

I think talking about hardships along the way, related to the theme of the doc, is truly beneficial because it really hones in on the purpose of why one would go to extremes to pursue such an event such as a documentary. Given the topic more weight in the end. The hard part is having the courage to share those vulnerable times. It would also seem to make it hard to intertwine with the doc but could be used as a PIP when a leader is strongly referring to a topic (for instance faith). Creativity is key and looking outside the box is what will make any documentary stand out from others.
 
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