Posts Tagged ‘gear’

We’ve all heard the hype. DSLR cameras are the new darlings of Indie and DIY filmmakers. The gods of technology have allowed us to take a still camera and use its high-end lens and gorgeous shallow depth of field to make videos that rival the look of big budget films.

The biggest advantage of using a DSLR over a camcorder is the shallow depth of field. When filmmakers talk about depth of field, they are referring to the amount of the image in frame that is in focus at any one time. When the depth of field is deep, everything in frame is in focus, and it is very difficult for the filmmaker to highlight the parts of the shot that are important to the story. The shallower (or narrower) the depth of field, the more ability you have to pinpoint the crucial parts of a scene, and draw viewers attention in. Most camcorders, including the highest end, have deep depths of field. Now, with the new DSLR cameras, videographers can achieve a cinematic look without needing to break the bank or lug around a huge piece of equipment. Read the rest of this entry »

Now that we’re over being thankful (in the States at least), and have shifted into consumer overdrive for Christma-channu-kwaan’stice, I thought I’d list some good gifts ideas for videodance fanatics (like me!). It’s hard to find gifts related to dance for the camera, so before you fruitlessly Google search, here’s a list to get you started:

Video compilations and DVD’s:

Dance for Camera Vol. 1 & 2:

First Run Features has taken the lead in producing high quality video compilations of recent dance for camera shorts. I loved Volume 1, and refer to it constantly. Some favorites from this collection are Pascal Magnin’s Contrecoup and Annick Vroom’s RIP. Vol. 2 looks promising too with Motion Control by the Brit team Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie, and Mitchell Rose’s hilarious Case Studies from the Groat Center for Sleep Disorders.

Mystic Fire Videos puts out great collections of past dance film innovators. This is the place to brush up on your history. I recommend:

Maya Deren Experimental Films The complete collection of all of Maya Deren’s shorts. A must-have for dance film aficiondos.

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