Back In The Dark

 Well I finally made it back in the darkroom tonight, it has been a long time, too long. I t was nice to smell fixer again :)). Tonight I am working on the first of 3 pictures I plan to combine in a triptych. All 3 images will be close ups of dads face. There is motion and blur in these exposures which was intentional, it adds to the feel, helps I think to express the emotions dad was going through.

The print has a big burn on the right side and and dodges on the left and right eyes, filtration is 3. The photo paper is 11x14 Ilford warmtone fiber.

Update* The printing of this image went fine. Ended up making 5 versions including 2 at filter 3 1/2. Am now working on print 2 of the triptych a shot made a few exposures later with dads eyes closed. I am thinking these will be the end shots of the triptych, the middle shot will be a full head, wider , blurry photo of dad looking directly at the viewer. It will be as if he is fading away, receding inside the 2 closer compositions end pictures.

I remember dad looking me straight in the eyes those last few days of his life. He would just look straight at me, through me with piercing wide eyes.  I wanted to duplicate a bit of that feeling in this triptych. It is hard to print these photos, but it needs to be done. Dad left us almost 2 years ago now, February 22, 2015.

The 2md attempt at tonight's dad photograph in the fixer

1st and 2nd attempt side by side in the wash, photo made in 2014

Dream: About Dad

Dad was at his homes kitchen table, sitting with mom. I asked "Why are you here dad? You died!", my father said "I don't know" I replied "You died in February 2015, now it's January 2017." He looked straight ahead confused and did not answer."

Email: On The Making Of Art

An email exert discussing the making of art with a friend.... me being a tad pompous but I think the thought is right.
-------------------------
My friend wrote:
I have created art purely on my own (most people have).  It is a cool
thing, no doubt.
 
I wrote:
like with everything there are levels...meaningless art, good art....profound/important art...until you throw your heart into it full time and devote many years of life to it, your probably not going to rise above the meaningless type...until it is truly important to you, you will not make the commitment, thought, effort it takes, just like with all things..most people create some kind of art, just as most people can run...but...How many folks are world class runners? How many run world record times? Art is harder to classify, is more subjective as compared to running times but the point is still valid I think.
I have created tons of meaningless art, some good art, as for profound/important? not sure on that, hopefully with lots of hard work and continued devotion for the rest of my life, there will be some of that as well!!
Some of the better stuff was judged (by a jury before being accepted) , curated and will be hanging in a relatively important gallery in August at the AGSA. Come down with Mela and tell me if it is meaningless, good, important or profound :)) All opinions are welcome, to some the work will be meaningless to others profound. To me it does not matter what others think so much (a care a bit but not a lot). I want the work shown, when it gets shown I have paid my debt to my subjects, their voices were heard. That is all that really matters to me in the end.

Email: Screw Them! :)

This is a section from an email with a friend. He was telling me that I should be careful what I say because others might think bad of me.
-----------------------
My friend wrote:
I am telling you that, as a friend I wouldn't want people to get
 the wrong impression.

I wrote:

I do not really care too much what others think, have not most of my life, as I get older I care less and less. Too many people worry about what their friends and family think. I only have 3 people (plus myself) in my life (4 before when dad was around) that I worry about in regards to what they think of me...the rest? who gives a fuck...life is too short to try to suck up to everyone...Right now I am getting peer pressure to conform and fit in by not taking my leave, making my movie...etc...screw them, screw those with such a limited peer pressure driven vision.. going to do what I want to do. The film and my photographs, and the lives I could and will help are more important to me than conforming to societies norms.

Got My 14mm Lumix Lens

Just got my Panasonic/Lumix 14mm lens from the mail lady. Gosh is this thing small and tiny. The lens was shipped to me from Japan (cost was $148 USD with free shipping), in 5 layers of bubble wrap. I kept cutting away the layers and the package got smaller and smaller and smaller yet again. Finally I got down to the end and there was this tiny, itty bitty lens in the last section.

The 14mm Lumix converts to about a 43mm (35mm camera equivalent) on the BMPCC (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera) without any converters and has auto-focus/exposure features. I want to use it mounted to my Blackmagic pocket as a quick point and shoot grab video tool. I will keep it in my pocket, for my entire 6 month trip. All the other lens I use with the BMPCC are way to big to slip into a pocket. Have to do some searching to see if I have a 46mm Hoya UV filter somewhere to protect the lens, if not have to get one off EBay. I expect this thing to get heavy use, I need to protect the glass.

Email: Documentary Help?

Got this email today, maybe some possible assistance on the documentary.  Very nice of this fellow to offer to help, Thai people are quite often very giving and kind.
-----------------------------

hello Mr. GERRY YAUM
my name is s-------  nickname J--
i follow your blog  i live in   Bangkok Thailad  my  hometown Maesot 
and i shoot film photograph and videomakker
i can help you make documentary

Quote: Nelson Mandela

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Email: An Emaiil To A Local Film Group

Just found out about a local film group, sent them a message, hoping to learn and make new friends. Gosh I have lots of time to write long long emails! Got to love security nightshift for that. The pay is not great but boy do I have more freedom than most folks.

 -------------------------

To the --- Film Group

Hi, found out about you folks tonight while doing a search here in Edmonton during my nightshift. I was very happy to see your page. Will research it more tonight but wanted to send you this note first.

Your involved with film making in Edmonton? Hold meetings? Classes? General exchange of ideas between members?  I have to check for when and where you meet, would love to come down and see you all.

A bit about me. I am brand new to film, video, film making etc. Being brand new and of semi sound mind I have decided to jump in head first and make my first documentary in South East Asia later this year (hope this does not conflict with your groups only Edmonton angle). I am taking a 6 month

leave from work to go to Thailand and make my film.

I was wondering if I could come down and talk to people in your group, to gain knowledge and experience before I go. I would love to become a member and learn from you all. I have about 7 months before I leave and need to become as proficient as I can in regards to film making, shooting video cameras, recording audio.

I picked up a package off EBay that included 2 BMPCCs and  various other gear. Also got a field recorder to do audio separately, then sync in post (Adobe Premiere CS6). My thinking is to shoot everything in the BMPCC RAW mode to get as much range as I can (I have read the BMPCC gives 13 stops of dynamic range).

My project is Burmese refugee families living and working in a garbage dump in Thailand. I am going to try and tell their story.

Now I am not a complete newby when it comes to documentary work. I have been to Thai over 20 times, speak some of the language. I have been doing still work (film,darkroom) for over 30 years (am 52 now). I have been photographing the families in the dump since 2013. Now I want to do a documentary film on that same subject, those same lives (many are friends now).

What do you think? Could I come on down and meet you all? Learn from your vast experience? Anything at this point that I learn is a huge positive and will make later shooting that much easier.

Thanks for taking the time for reading my long email, working nights (security) gives me time to be rather verbose!

Gerry

(included some links of the dump and previous still efforts).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJEVN8yh9Q
https://www.youtube.com/user/gerryyaum/videos
https://vimeo.com/user19672993/videos

www.gerryyaum.blogspot.com (10 years of blog photo and other writings)

www.gerryyaumfilms.blogspot.com (brand new film blog about only this years doc film project)

Quote: Lupe Velez (Actress)

"The first time you buy a house you think how pretty it is and sign the check. The second time you look to see if the basement has termites. It's the same with men."

Video Days? Film Days?

Tonight at work my thoughts go forward to the 6 months I will have in Thai and how best to use them?  I will make or at least attempt to make my movie but I also want to find time for my true love still photography. I will take both types of gear with me (big loaded down bags) and try to work out a schedule where I do a bit of both, each day. Some days will be stills dominant others would be video. I am trying to do lots here, but it is the way I am, got to make an effort to do the most I can, while I can. There will be missed opportunities on both sides, when shooting film will miss video moments, when doing stills will miss important video moments. Such is life thou, we can only do what we can do.

My days might go something like this:

Day 1 - Saying high to everyone at the dump, shoot a bit of hand held BMPCC video and some 35mm film.
Day 2 - Bring all video gear and do a full fledged day of shooting with tripod-monopod, mics, sound recorders. Also take take a 35mm film camera, for some general still shooting. Perhaps use the Leica R lens for both my 35mm and BMPCC gear (I have an BMPCC Metanone Speedbooster for R Leica lens).
Day 3 - Shoot 8x10 portraits in the dump with some grab hand held BMPCC video.
Day 4 - Bring all video gear and do a full fledged day of shooting with tripod-monopod, mics, sound recorders. Also take take a 35mm film camera, for some general still shooting. Perhaps use the Leica R lens for both my 35mm and BMPCC gear (I have an BMPCC Metabones Speedbooster for R Leica lens).
Day 5 - Shoot 35mm film, some audio recording on a boom mic set up (garbage trucks, people singing, general conversation, dogs fighting and barking etc)

It would go on like that a mix of both and everything for 10-14 days or until I got worn out. I might then take a break or go to Bangkok for a short time before returning and doing more video/still work. I would also be doing nightly post work, editing, copying files to hard drives etc.

Anyway just thinking out loud here, trying to figure the bes way to do this thing, the best way to be the most productive and do the best work.

Email: To A Friend About My New Video Cameras

Here is my very long winded reply to a friend about my cameras. I tend to blab on and on about this type of thing in our emails. He is a good sport to put up with me.

--------------------------------------------------
He Wrote:
"You Must have one of the best collections of cameras in Edmonton."  

 

I replied:

I guess...for film cameras I might...but they are all mostly for shooting. I despise the idea of collecting cameras. Putting them on a self and looking at them with awe and wonder is simply wrong. A cameras destiny is TO MAKE PICTURES, not sit as a display piece.

This may sound strange but I feel it is a responsibility to shoot a camera and to use film properly. I think of film and cameras as almost living beings, I want them to fulfill their destinies and make great art. It is like I owe it to them.  I owe them chance to make something important and beautiful. Strange but true.

The latest buys of gear are modern video cameras which are totally different than anything I own. They are not designed for stills but instead for shooting RAW HD 13 stop dynamic range video. Never owned anything like these babies before. Still only tools, got to find the heart of my subjects to make the video sing! I see tons of beautiful video on YouTube and Vimeo made with my cameras the BMPCC but very little of it has any heart to it, they’re just trite superficial pretty time video footage. I used to see that all the time in my photo clubs, pretty pictures with no inner resonance or emotion. Done over and over again, week in and week out. All style no substance stuff. (Note to self-don't tell photo club members your true feelings about their work or they will lose their minds! Your honesty is not what they are interested in).

I want to use these new filming tools to not only capture video with wonderful clarity and tonality but also to find the underlying humanity in my subjects. Video that captures the hearts of my people, and tells their stories with compassion and power. Only then will the work be a success and have any lasting importance. That is the goal anyway, not sure it can happen.

Anyway, nuff philosophizing...:)....still a long time before I can make the movie, lots to learn.

Thanks for your thoughts and email.
Gerry

Quotes: Joseph Conrad (Writer)

"We live, as we dream - alone."

"A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."

Link: Cool Glidecam 2000 With BMPCC, Video

This cool glidecam/BMPCC footage was done by SixteenNine Films. I will try using some kinds of steadycam devices with my version of the camera, it creates such a beauty look-feel, especially with the right music.
Cotopaxi Equador - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera & Glidecam 2000

Link: Wide Angle Lens Use And The BMPCC

I plan to use wide angle lens with my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras (BMPCC). Wide angle lens create a unique look and feel in a image, and have a wonderful depth of field. I will be able to use my modern EF Canon 24mm F1.4 with the cameras and might be able to use some of my wider old style Canon FD lens (not sure they will work with the EF adapter, probably will need a separate adapter). With a little bit of luck I should have many wide angle lens options. If I hook the lens up to my Metabones EF Speedbooster I will also have the bonus of faster lens. A f 1.4 might be might be like a f 0.75 lens or faster a f 2.8 a f 2.

Check out this wonderful short video made by Lander Denys, great quality-tonality and a beauty wide angle BMPCC view to the video.
BMPCC Sigma 19mm f2.8-Walk In The Woods

Note* The linked video is graded in Premiere Pro, which is what I will be doing. There is no reason I cannot get a similar quality look in the dump. I wonder how the camera will handle the harsh light and reflections of white off plastic bags in the garbage. It's 13 stop dynamic range should give plenty of information to work with, allowing for a good picture. 

RAW Video Footage Sample

Here is a sample video of RAW footage made with a Blackmagic Pocket camera. The camera captures a beautiful detailed look, that I find very attractive. I wonder what it would look like contrasty b/w. With this camera I can do a b/w high contrast film and also a nicely color graded version, then compare them side by side in a theatre setting to see what works best.

Here is the link to the video, it was shot by Marco Schott.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera RAW Performance

Blackmagic Pocket Camera, My Main And B Cameras?

I keep watching videos touting the amazing picture quality of uncompressed RAW footage that you get with Blackmagic cameras (BMPPC). I keep hearing how the RAW image is so much more adaptable in post and far better than anything coming out of a compressed DSLR.

What to do? Should I go with my two new(used) Blackmagic cameras as my main and B cameras for the coming film?  It seems to make sense to me, compact size, lighter, RAW files, and lots of adaptability in post editing. I am bound to make a ton of mistakes shooting this film, maybe some of those mistakes can be corrected and fixed up in post if I shoot RAW 13 stop range video.

Since I have these 2 pocket cameras, and since I have multiple lens, both Leica R and Canon glass to use with the them (also a compact Lumix 14mmm and a few tiny C lens), why not go this way? I can adapt my current rig set up to use with the Blackmagic bodies. I can also carry one of these little gems in my pant or shirt pocket for instant shooting, anytime, anywhere, for the entire 6 month trip.

I will of course still take my Canon 5D Mark 3 with me. I can use it to shoot stills, and also as a video camera backup. It might also be effective doing the talking head stuff  with the Canon, as it allows for longer shooting times. Compact battery power and card storage on the Blackmagic run down-fill up very fast, 20 minutes or so. Having the Canon 5D for doing longer interviews makes sense.

It's A GO!!!

I heard from the last of the 4 in my leave request. The Security company I work for is OK with the idea. The 6 month leave to Thailand to make my documentary film is a GO!!!

Now I need to decide on my departure time. I am thinking as of today of mid August or early September. If I leave Canada then, I can take care of a number of responsibilities before hand. I have to deal with my exhibition opening night on August 3rd at the AGSA. I need to get two dental crowns (4-6 dentist appointments). I need to settle and prepare everything in my home and moms. I want to take mom on a trip to Radium Hot Springs again, possibly in April or May. I also need to prepare myself. I am not a film maker I need to learn as many technical things as I can before I leave Canada. I also need to prepare the film in my mind, make up a story line I will follow including story board visuals I need to capture. I can start with some voice over work (not sure I will use voice overs yet). There is much to do, I expect that a mid August or early September departure is best.

I was hoping to shoot the rainy season in the dump, flooding and the like. I think thou if I go in August I will miss that, not quite sure but I believe most of the heaviest rainfall occurs in June/July (possibly May).

Anyway, the trip is a go, the LEAVE has been approved. The film is going to happen!

Email: Webpage For The Film, Film Work

Here is an email about the reasons behind my new website (blog) for my coming documentary film.
Update* I think this site will help focus on the film. I can send the site link with the film festival submissions or to reviewers or to film people or what-who-ever. They can see the blogs-info-stories-trailers-video files-photos made for the documentary film and only the film. It will be a less confusing, focused site about the film and only the film.
------------------
I am going to do up a FREE web page documenting-promoting the coming film in Asia. One of the books I am reading on documentary film making recommends a film website. The idea is to promote the film, to start a buzz etc. I will be post info, back stories, film trailers and short film sequences here.
Lorne if your interested you can follow the creative process, good and bad, difficult and easy that I will be going through. You can enter the lives of the families of the dump. You can see that world almost first hand. Maybe the viewer will see and learn and understand that world and the film I am making about it a bit better.
Hopefully this site will also help generate some donations for the families. Many folks talk of helping but do not, maybe seeing the film made, maybe seeing the eyes of the children head on, will get them off their non-donating, non-helping asses!!:))
It will probably take me a couple of years to complete everything. Please pass it on to those you think might find it interesting (family/friends/others). I just have the address so far, will be creating a more decent looking page in the coming days. I hope I can make a movie of enough quality that it can be submitted and accepted at some lower end film festivals.
Here is the films website.
www.gerryyaumfilms.blogspot.com
I will also of course keep my regular blog going which I have been writing on for 10 years now
www.gerryyaum.blogspot.com

A Movie Website?

One of the recommendations in a wonderful how to documentary film book I am reading is to create a website for your film. The idea is to post updates, trailers, general info etc. which will hopefully start a positive buzz about your movie. This seems like a good idea to me. I have received positive buzz about my photographs, several sales and a show as a result of this blog. So why can't a site totally devoted to my film do the same?

My current thinking is to do up another free (can't beat free!) blogspot page then fill it with info, shooting stories, trailers and clips about the film I am making. I could double post the blogs both here on my Yaum Photo Diary page and on the film website blog. If people want to learn about the film they can go to the focused film blog instead of having to wade through all the other things I place on the diary blog (poems, quotes, photo stuff etc).

Seems like a good idea, I will follow through with this idea, possibly starting up the website tonight. I need to think of a film title to name the blog (thou that can be changed up later).

Update: Here is the address to the page, got to do some work on it yet.
www.gerryyaumfilms.blogspot.com 

Quote: Carrie Fisher

'Take your broken heart and turn it into art."

Got My Chinese Made Monopod Today

I got my large Chinese made monopod today. It looks like a quality piece of gear. I will compare it in size, weight, ability and need to the Manfrotto mono-pod I have coming in the big Black Magic camera EBay buy.  Which ever monopod works better I will take with me to Asia, one is enough. I will not have room to bring two with me. I think the Manfrotto version might work better because it is a bit smaller and lighter. Will have to see! After I receive both pods and complete my testing it should become more obvious.

I did not mean to buy 2 mono-pods, that was an accident. I had just bought the Chinese version and then found out about the large Black Magic auction with the Manfrotto mono-pod included. So it was sort of a oops got too many those things now, thingy. Still it might work out as these 2 units are quite different. I can choose and test the best one for my film making purposes. I will use the extra mono-pod I am sure at a later date. I have so much gear, something gotta work on it :)) Will try to make the best of my mistake.

Training A Guard And Editing

Spent last night training a new guard at work for 12 hours, tonight also another 12. We have started the process at work of finding a replacement for me if (seems it will happen) I go to Asia for 6 months to make the documentary film. Training is difficult but necessary, it has to be done.

Did manage to sneak in a bit of editing last night. I was able for the first time to combine 3 elements into a little film moment. I got 2 camera feeds (wide shot and close up shot) and a separate audio recording all connected, synced and working together (synced the enlarged audio wave files). I converted the video footage into a nice contrasty b/w image.The flat CINESTYLE picture profile converted nicely to the type of look I wanted. Overall it looks good and I am quite happy at how it looks on my 17 inch monitor. I need to burn a disk and put it on my 60 inch big screen TV to see what the quality really looks like.

The hardest part of this process is to find all the clips that fit together. I have a folder full of camera 1 video, a folder full of camera 2 video and then many audio files (recorded off 2 mics). Finding all the right files you need seems like the hardest part of the process to me. I have to develop a better way of organizing it in the field. When I am shooting in the dump under physically very difficult conditions then later copying all that audio/video footage to 3 or 4 hard drives could lead to mass confusion. I will have all the footage stored but finding what you want and editing it many months later could be a real MESS! How to find the right files, quickly and efficiently when you need them?

Anyway, when I did find the right footage I was able to put it together in a reasonable way for the first time. Yesterdays editing efforts were a success!

From The Book "Documentary Storytelling For Video And Filmmakers"

Filmmaking is about choices, the choices you choose and do not choose. You need to decide, you need to ask yourself " What are the most essential elements I must have on film to tell this story?"

Things I Need To Do PRE-LEAVE

With the 6 month Work LEAVE seemingly going to have I need to prepare for it. Here is a list of things I need to do before I depart Canada, probably in mid August.

1) Get in better physical condition. I need to cut down my weight and improve my overall strength and wind.
     - watch what I eat.
     - raise my night shift workouts to a higher level. I need to do more push ups, sit ups, chin ups,
     stretching and stairs.
    - I need to start swimming first slowly eventually at a higher level.
    - I need to bike again when weather permits.

2) Learn to be a film maker.
     - Continue to study and improve on the editing software, Premiere Pro and Audition.
     - Learn my audio recorders, and video cameras, lights and other tech stuff.
     - Read every book on film making I can get a hold of.
     - Watch a ton of documentary films, take notes and learn!

3) Finish printing-spotting-matting-framing my AGSA exhibition photographs.
4) Take care of some preventative dental stuff.
5) Save money, I will need $10000-$20000 CAD. I need to save at least $10000 before I leave.
6) Prepare everything at home for my 6 month time away (lots of things to coordinate).

LEAVE From Work Looking VERY Positive

My LEAVE from work is looking very positive right. I have approval from 3 of the 4 folks I need to say yes (site rep, site gm, site security supervisor), I just need to get clearance now from my security company. It looks to be the longer 6 month LEAVE.

I am elated at this point, filled with optimism and hope at the creative possibilities in front of me. Imagine, 6 months to make my documentary film, 6 months to make photographs. 'Ain't Life Grand!" "Ain't Film Making Grand!!" "Ain't Photography Grand!!!".

I think I need to figure out a way to take my 8x10 view camera with me this trip, so that I can do available light portraits in the dump and elsewhere. My check in bags will be weighed down with all the video and other film gear as well as a big laptop but I got to figure out a way to do this. 6 months in Asia will allow me so many wonderful opportunities, finally after all these years, shooting 8x10 Tri-x film in available light, what a joy that would be!!! :)))))))))))))))

Art Gallery Of Saint Albert (AGSA) 2017 Exhibition Catalog

Got a bunch of nice AGSA exhibition catalogs sent to me yesterday. These catalogs are for me to hand out, dads group show is scheduled for August 3-September 2, 2017 and is titled "Healing Process". The opening for the show is August 3 from 1800-2100 hrs. There also might be some press interviews connected to this opening.

Moving up in gallery weight class does have its benefits. A nice little catalog, a CARFAC exhibition fee and possible press interviews. Plus you get to show at an upscale space and have a more important addition for your CV.

I will have to work my LEAVE to make my documentary film around that August 3 date. I might have to leave after the  photo shows opening night.

Everyone is invited to the opening night and and to the exhibition. Please come on down!!! I would love to talk to you all, this looks to be one of the best shows I have been lucky enough to be a part of. I am so happy to have the opportunity to bring dad back again for all to see. I get to spend time with in the darkroom as I print the work and then get to show it and talk about his life to everyone. What a joy photography is. "Ain't Photography Grand!!"

With all this recent documentary film making talk-study-work, I cannot lose sight of my first love "Still Photographs"!

Note* The other members of the exhibition "Healing Process"are, Sima Elizabeth Shefrin from BC and Darian Goldin Stahl from the USA. Looking forward to meeting them. HMM..wonder if I need to invent a middle name to go along with the invented Gerry Yaum name, Gerry "Vonderkonglongdilolibaumlaum" Yaumhas a nice ring to it!

Here is the catalogues write up for "Healing Process".

The creative process is a healer. Healing Process brings together three artists who each use their artistic practice to explore the illlnesses of their loved ones, to shed light on treatment, pain and tragedy, and reconcile their own emotions and understanding of their experiences.

Social documentary photography Gerry Yaum, seeks to tell the stories of forgotten and marginalized people. His deeply personal series My Fathers Last Days documents the final 13 months of his father's battle with pancreatic cancer. Through a series of poignant black and white portraits, Yaum attempts to understand and capture his father's struggle and create a memorial for him.

British Columbia-based artist Sima Elizabeth Shefrin's innovative series the Embroided Cancer Comic Chronicles her journey with her husband following his prostate cancer diagnosis. The embroidered-fabric pieces focus on the couple's day-to-day and life changing events as acquiesce and experience the unexpected impacts of cancer treatment.

Darian Goldin Stahl's intriguing installation, MRI IN USE includes a series of life-sized suspended hospital gown prints. These transparent forms seemingly hover between the gallery space and the viewer. The print-based installation emerged from an ongoing collaboration between the artist and her sister---a clinical bioethicist diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Stahl's work offers a glimpse into the experience of navigating a medical diagnosis and living chronic illness.

AGSA Exhibition Catalogue for 2017, with my dad in it :))

Link: How To Sync An External Audio Source Using Adobe Premiere

I found this short and simple video on syncing audio using Adobe Premiere. I was playing around with it all yesterday and I finally think I got it working for me. You got to love the internet, all your problems and all the solutions to your problems are out there with a simple google search.  Hope I can use this solution to sync all my future external audio to my captured video.

Here is the link that helped me.
Sync Audo/Premiere

Email: From National Film Board Of Canada

Yesterday I wrote the National Film Board Of Canada and they kindly responded to me today. It is a rather bureaucratic reply, but it was still nice of them to try and help a naive newby film maker like myself.

They sent me several links which I will check out more thoroughly tonight during my security night shift. I thought I would share the email here on the blog, hopefully others can benefit from the links provided.

----
Dear Gerry Yaum,

Thank you for visiting our website.

The National Film Board appreciates your inquiry and welcomes the opportunity to serve your needs.

In response to your inquiry, we do have the Filmmaker’s Assistance Program which includes equipment loans and technical and professional services directly related to the production of a film.  Please click the following for additional information: 
http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/produce-with-the-nfb/filmmaker-support-programs/

You can also submit a film project to the NFB Documentary Program in your region at the following: 
http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/studios/ .

I would also like to suggest that you visit the Telefilm Canada Website regarding funding and grants at:
https://telefilm.ca/en/festivals-markets

I trust you will find this information to your satisfaction.

It is our pleasure to serve you.

Regards,
--

--- -------
Client Services
National Film Board of Canada
3155, Côte-de-Liesse Road, Montreal, Qc H4N 2N4
info@nfb.ca
Government of Canada
http://www.nfb.ca

Bought Me A 14mm Lumix Lens

I bought a 14mm Panasonic Lumix f2.5 lens for the Blackmagic pocket camera. I guess this lens is designed for these camera's and very small/thin/compact. So auto focus and iris (f-stop) adjustment can be done electronically when using it. The 14mm converts to a field of view about equivalent to a 40mm on a 35mm camera. The cost of the this almost mint lens was $148.50 USD with Free Shipping from Japan. I asked for a $10 discount down from the asking price of $158.80 and got it from the seller.

I hope to use this lens to so quick point and shoot videos, very run and gun stuff. If I carry this camera in my pocket it will be with the lens mounted on the body. I think I  now have everything I require of this camera. The only thing I might still buy is extra storage cards. The recommended 64GB SDXC cards will store only 37 minutes of the very large RAW video files. I got 4 cards in my earlier purchase, 6 or 8 cards might be a better number, heck maybe 10 cards would be best.

I need to make sure I have enough battery power and enough card storage whenever I take the Blackmagic pocket out to shoot. I should have plenty of battery power as each camera I recently bought has an adapted large battery attached to its rig. I think those larger batteries allow about 6 hours shooting per charge. I also have 2 small chargers and 13 small batteries available as backups. That should be more than enough power to cover all of my daily shooting needs.

Update* I bought 2-95MB-S-64GB-SanDisk-Extreme-Pro-SDXC-Class10-U3-SD-Cards. These cards were listed as REFURBISHED and sold for only $20 a piece, NEW cards sell for $37-42. Will see how these REFURB cards work in the Blackmagic cameras, I can always use them in my other devices if they do not meet the BMPPC needs. If they work well I will probably pick up another 2 in this price range. You can never have enough storage cards and batteries.

Update** Also picked up a storage card purse for my SD and CF cards. The various cards I need are expensive and  easy to lose,  having somewhere safe and durable to store them is a must. I cannot afford to lose them in the garbage dump, I would never find them again. One nice feature of the card purse I bought is that it has a belt/clip to attach everything safely to my camera bag.

Panasonic Lumix 14mm f2.5 AF Lens

Interview 3 With Mom

Did interview 3 of the week with mom today. I changed up the lighting and some of the mic stuff. Overall I think these things have been a great learning experience. I got to test out all my gear both video and sound and got a chance to use it. I will get to play with editing this footage all my work week in Premiere. I also got to learn things about my family I did not know.

Some of the stories that stood out:

1) My grandma cutting wood at 4am on the farm in the winter time darkness. How a neighbor would hear that and know she was up working already. I guess this happened most mornings during the winter months.

2) My father crying after my mom said yes to his marriage proposal. He was worried that his marriage would end in pain and divorce like his parents (my grandparents) marriage had. My father suffered life long embarrassment and pain because of his parents bad marriage. It would be something he talked about in sadness till his dying day.

3) How dad was terrified of needles and made lots of noise and was very worried when he had his tonsils out at 25 years old.  Later on when he was older he overcame his fear of needles.

4) How dad took moms highschool ring at the dance where they first met. How he dropped it on the floor then put it on his finger and left with it. Mom never saw again for quite a while, until they met again by accident o the streets of Edmonton. At that accidental meeting dad was still wearing the ring.

5) How my mom decorated her first Xmas tree. She was around 11 years old. She begged her dad to get her a tree as they had never had one before. So her dad (my granddad) went out in the bush and cut one down for her. They put  the tree upstairs in her room but she had no ornaments to decorate it with. Mom cut shapes of bells and trees out of cardboard then glued silver paper (taken from cigarette packages) onto the cardboard so they looked more nice. She then hung everything on the tree. Here father came to her room to see the tree.  He was heart broken to see how poor it looked and how much effort his daughter had made to make it look nice. So he made a special trip to town to buy 3 new large shiny blue glass ball Christmas tree decorations for her (they were not rich folks so store type buys like this were rather a big expense for the family).  He brought them home gave them to her and then they placed the tree downstairs in the family living area with the brand new bright blue decorations on it.

All these years later (around 70 years later) my mom still smiled and teared up when she told me what her dad had done. From that Christmas year on mom became the families official tree decorator and every year the decorations grew and the tree became more beautiful. Mom says she still thinks she has one of those blue Xmas balls in the basement in storage. I will look for it the next time I search through those old basement boxes.

Sometimes the smallest things can have the longest positive impacts on our lives.

6) How mom almost lost her engagement ring after a fire in her apartment. And how dad thought the loss might have been a bad omen, that losing the ring was a sign that their marriage would not work (this got mom angry). Later on dad while crawling on the floor found the ring wedged under a piece of the linoleum floor in the kitchen. I guess him finding it was a positive omen because they stayed married for 57 1/2 years till dads passing.

Those are some of the simple, sweet, fun moments I did not know about before but I do now because of this weeks interviews. Glad I did these things, I wish I could still do interviews with dad, he would have so much to share. Dad had a great memory, even when he was sick at the end he would remember most everything, he could remember names, dates, places better than mom ever did.

Portable Cheap 1080p Recorders

Over the last while I have been buying several portable used 1080p recorders. Been able to get these cool little units on the cheap, $25-$35 USD. Not sure how I can use them, possibly as personal cams on my subjects getting their point of view. Dump worker cams? Children wandering the dump cams? I might even be able to use them as little portable spy cams of some kind if I shoot in some of the Asian bar areas (on a different doc film project). I also got some wide angle cheapo lens that might work for them for under $10 USD. The Zi10 you can hook an extermnal mic to, which is a bonus. I bought one of those used. All in all, not much of an investment of dollars but potentially a great source of important visuals.

Kodak Touch and Zi8 recorders with wide angle lens adapters

Lots Of Fun!!

Spent the morning playing on Premiere Pro CS6. This program can be frustrating at times when your brand new to it as I am but gosh is it fun to use once you start to get acquainted with it. I have been learning to do basic color correction (grading?) using a preset designed for Blackmagic Pocket Cameras.
Video Tutorial From "Drew Network" That I Used Today

I set up a BMPPC 1  preset on my Premiere and then altered the settings to fit the footage I get from my Canon 5D Mark 3 with CINESTYLE. I then saved this second preset as Canon 5D Mark -1.  Hopefully this preset will work with my mother footage made with same camera.

Boy is it fun to play with this thing. You can do some amazing things with video editing in today's world. This is all the more remarkable for me because I am jumping into the deep end with little knowledge of what could be done in the modern video editing world. I am still from the beta and VHS tape work flows where editing was so difficult and oh so limited. It is a real eye opener to realize how far things have progressed in the last 15-20 years.

I have been spending too much time worrying about f-cking up my film, of being a failure at this new direction I have chosen. I need to put that sort of negativity behind me and just find joy in what I am doing and will do. Making this movie is going to be great, it is going to be the best time of my life. I am really looking forward to it. Bring it on baby, bring it on!

Bought Me Some Filters

Picked up some necessary filters for the Canon lens. Got me 2-77mm UV filters and a Polaroid variable ND (Neutral Density) filter along with a cheapo ($6 USD) 77mm variable ND out of China as an emergency back up.

The UV filters offer protection from lens glass scratches. I have been using Hoya filters on all of my lens for years with very nice results. I got the variable contrast ND (had to learn about the variable part) to allow me to shoot at wider apertures in bright sunlight. With the ND filter I can shoot wider and get a shallower dept of field in places like the very bright dump.

All these filters were pretty cheap, the Polaroid variable ND was the most expensive at $45 USD plus shipping.
VIdeo Detailing How Variable ND Filters Work

Quote: Errol Morris (Great Documentary Film Maker)

“It’s all hard. It’s hard making art. It never gets easier, I think I’m the kind of guy who figures it out as he goes along.”

Bought Me A Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Set

Gosh I spent more money yet again. Hope I did the right thing but I found this deal online today, could not resist it. The fellow selling it seemed like a nice person and his gear package seemed like a very good deal. I paid $2100 USD plus the shipping costs (unknown?) to Canada for 2-3 boxes. The buy now price was originally $2500 but the seller was decent to me and came down a bit.

This system looks pretty awesome and pro level. I am not even sure what everything is in the package but will figure things out as I go along. I ended up getting 2 Blackmagic Pocket Cameras and 2 Metabones Speedboosters for Canon EF lens. I can now use my 3 Canon lens with these 2 Blackmagic pocket cameras along with my RA Leica lens (with my RA Metabones Speedbooster).

Everything in the pictures is included for the $2100. Some of the items included are not listed in the sellers EBay advert (placed at the bottom of this blog). Glad I will probably not leave till August, I need time to earn money and pay for all of this video gear! This better turn into a damn good film!!!

Update* Now that I have all this new gear plus the gear I bought earlier I am GEARED OUT. I have everything I need and more. I will probably be leaving some of the earlier bought movie stuff behind as I will only be taking the best tools with me.The trick now is to make art with all those tools, make an important movie(s) that tell important stories in strong effective and creative ways.

I do not need to buy any more gear outside of upgrading my editing computer to its max capacity before I leave.  Time to pay everything off (luckily I have holiday and STAT pay coming soon) and to start saving dollars for my trip. If it is an extended trip of 6 months I will need from $10000 to $20000 to pay for travel and day to day living expenses, plus some extra money for dump donations. Six months is a long time in Asia, I want to make sure I have enough money to get by. I will be living very cheaply, eating Thai foods, renting a room (no hotels), no drinking, no smoking or any of those vices but I will need to save some dollars before I leave Canada.

Update* I had some issues with paying for the purchase. It took a bunch of work on both the sellers end and my end to get the payment through. As a result the seller kindly ncluded a lens for my troubles. A 16mm-160mm F2.2. Do not know anything else about the lens but FREE is FREE, it can't be a bad thing. 

------------

I am selling this package to fund the purchase of some new equipment. This gear has been well cared for and has not been used in any adverse conditions. Everything is functioning perfectly and has very little show of wear. The camera has been in a protective cage since it came out of the box from the manufacturer and The camera and lenses have always been stored in protective cases in temperature controlled environments.

Cameras

2x Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

2x Metabones Active BMPCC to EF Adapter

2x Manfrotto 501HDV

1x Manfrotto Bogen 055XB

1x Manfrotto MVM250A

1x Viewfactor BMPCC Cage

1x Camtree Hut BMPCC Cage

1x Proaim 15mm Rod Suport

1x Aluminium 15mm Rail System

1x Zacuto Optical Viewfinder

1x Camera Handle

2x 9800mAh 12V Lithium Ion Battery

2x EN-EL20 Charger

12x EN-EL20

1x Indi Systems Follow Focus

4x Sandisk 64GB SD Card

1x Transend USB3.0 Card Reader

1x 1.5' HDMI Cable

1x 3' HDMI Cable Total Used Value: $4740.00 Total Asking Price: $2500.00

Me, Myself And I

To do this film all ME, MYSELF and I. I will need to become a mini expert at countless tasks. I counted the people involved in the 'Storm Makers" documentary, ended counting 29 folks involved with the making of the film in the end credits. So a straight forward movie like that has 29 contributing human beings. Not sure they were all technical, creative folks but many were.  How can ME, MYSELF and I do a film of comparable quality and effectiveness? It is going to be tough, very tough. I need to take on and defeat one problem at a time.

I also worry how this will effect my photography, I am probably taking on too much. How can you make a documentary film and yet continue to make important and good still imagery? Maybe I need to take my 8x10 camera and Tri-x with me this next, possible 6 month trip. Grounding myself and just making photos now and again might be a very good thing, it will also be more fun.

Syncing, What A Pain!

I found out one thing I hate about editing, syncing audio to the video. My audio and video files are recorded separately (for quality reasons) so you need to sync them in post or the lips don't match the words. Boy is it tedious to do this especially when your using multiple video sources for an interview subject as I am trying to do.

The pro way is to use a slate card to sync to (the whap sound gives a peak in the recorded files) or to use time code. Time code is the best but I am not sure how to do that, will try to teach myself this technique next week. I know the way I am doing it now, by trial and error takes forever and is very difficult. It gots to be easier than this folks! I am missing out on something here. More study  required.

Email To A Friend About The Documentary "Shoah"

Had another good email exchange with my friend Lorne, here it is. We discussed the important doc film "Shoah" and some other stuff. He bought the movie a while back and will watch it.
Here is a link to"Shoah" on IMDB, it gets a 8.4 rating

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Lorne

Shoah is a great movie to buy sight unseen...I borrowed a Library copy will try to watch it all at work in the coming weeks...will take notes and try to learn from one of the best documentary film makers. From what I watched so far the interviewer/director had a very different interviewing technique...sort of vague and around the periphery type questions...but you got a greater understanding of the subjects true feelings as a result...

yesterday when I was interviewing mom she told me something I had never heard before...and it is the moment that stuck with me...she spoke of how my grandmother chopped wood  in the dark cold at 4am during the winter (easier to chop frozen wood)..how she did that on her farm every morning and how neighbors (Mr. M----------) knew that Mrs K------ (my grandma) was up by the sound he heard off in the far distance.

strange little tales like that stick in your mind...they speak to the difficult life those folks faced and their absolute determination to live and preserver...A little story like that in an interview can be the telling point.

I need to learn to draw those simple important little moments out of my interview subject. In my documentary photo work you have to have a deep connection to your subject a deep interest in who they are. I think that aspect of my personality and experience is a positive in doing these talking head video/audio interviews. The subject feels your interest and it helps them to give, to open up to you.

Will see how this film making thing goes, so far do good.

Gerry

A Nice Note

With all the rejections I get for the families dump photographs it is nice to get a positive note now and again. Today I received such a note, written to me by a person I worked with at a gallery exhibition a few years back. I removed her name to protect her privacy. When I get down about my failed photograph efforts, emails like this help me through the down times.
------------------------------

Hi Gerry,

Your blog is wonderful. The images of the children who live in the dump are hauntingly beautiful and soul-touching.

Wonderful work, wonderful humanity...I too believe that that the artist's' willingness to "be human" invites art and life to move freely around and through all barriers.

The best of 2017 to you and your family.

S-----

S---- ------ -----
Program and Development Coordinator------ ----- ------

First Talking Head Interview

Worked learning film making last night. Did maybe 1 hour or so of talking head interviews with mom. Had her hooked up to 2 mics (Shotgun and cheap Lav-Zoom 1) and myself to one (Lav). Had her lit with 3 lights (bought of Amazon) in the living room of her house. This was my second attempt at doing sound-lighting for an interview.

A few days back my first audio only attempt 1/2 failed, my Lav mic did not work (forgot to turn phantom power). Last night moms 2nd recording source a cheap Lav set up did not work, not sure why. Still it is coming together, I am getting used to doing audio, used to setting the gain, and the sound. For last nights session I did get was pretty good job on audio, video and lighting. Maybe a 6 out of 10, which is not bad for a beginner like myself.

Am really happy I bought the Zoom F4 sound recorder that allows me to record 2 tracks of each microphone. I can set the tracks at different gain rates which helps avoid peaking (see I can talk tech speak now!). Last night for example my first track was set too high but my second track was just right. With more experience I should be able to get both tracks more on the mark.

The video I shot yesterday also hit and miss. The flat CINESTYLE picture profile gave a nice usable picture, but I am unhappy how I composed my second camera (mark 2) at the beginning of the interview. I composed things a bit to tight and should have included moms entire chin and less of her forehead. I made that correction later in in the interview session. The white balance was OK, set both cameras at the CLOUD symbol setting (maybe a bit blue). I need to learn how to do custom light balance correctly with a portable grey card (on order from China) for the different lighting situations I will face.

My interview spoken style was also a bit off but that's OK because this is all new to me. I think I interrupted and interjected a bit too much. It is a fine line when you do these things (my 2nd or 3rd lifetime attempt yesterday). You want to be engaged with your subject and keep their answers on point but you also do not want to be cutting them off and interfering with what they are saying. Your also trying to create a relaxed-trusting atmosphere for them so they can let loose and tell good story. Lots to learn in this area.

I will be posting a bit of this interview on the blog later on, a low res file version. I need to do some editing on it, started that process but am learning that software as well so it will take time. I shot in 1080p. In the future I hope to shoot 4K video (maybe in a few years time if I can afford it).

Yesterday was a good working experience, will try a second interview session before I go back to work next week.

Cinestyle Has FINALLY Arrived!

Perseverance has finally paid off. I now have the picture profile Technicolor CINESTYLE added to both my Canon 5D Mark 2 and Mark 3. Adding it to my Mark 2 was easy but the Mark 3 turned out to be a very difficult pain in the ass.

To install the free download you need to use the EOS Utility. The problem is the EOS Utility software you get with Mark 2 does not work with the Mark 3. When I installed the Mark 3 EOS Utility software on my MacBook Pro my operating system was too old, so it did not work When I updated my operating system to Sierra it did not recognize the EOS software (version Mark 3), there is some kind of glitz in Sierra. Gosh what a nightmare! I spent most of afternoon and ended up back where I started with no CINESTYLE on the camera.

So today with my new used HP EliteBook PC for video editing I decided to give it another go. I downloaded the CINESTYLE again on my mac as I am having trouble getting the PC online, then transferred it to my PC desktop. I then loaded in the Mark 3 EOS Utility software into the computer. I open it all up but some of the buttons I need were greyed out and inactive. What to do? I ended up using 2 different YouTube vids, linked below to FINALLY get CINESTYLE installed in my Canon 5D Mark 3. The nightmare is over, I hope this picture format is worth it!

Now I can shoot both cameras in CINESTYLE, which gives you a flat picture profile, you then add color grading in post. I will try the cameras and this picture style out first with some talking head interview footage of my mother.

Here are the vids that helped me finally get this all up and working.
How To: Install Technicolor Cinestyle On Every Canon EOS
Register User Defined Style' folder Is Greyed Out (Solution)

Bought Me A Monopod

I do not really own a good monopod (have one ancient cheap one) so I bought a nice one today. I got a "Sirui P-424S monopod from China. Made of carbon fibre, multi functional with a 12kg max weight capacity this unit is both a monopod and a mini tripod. I will ditch my light tripod for the coming movie trip and take the Sirui P424S instead. I can find multiple uses for this thing so feel it was a good buy. I will use it for film and video work (with the Manfrotto pan video head). The cost was $188.21 USD with free shipping to Canada.

Update: The more I think about it the more I feel this could be my main support unit for video in the field. In an interview situation I would use the full tripod, but running and gunning this lightweight monopod tripod hybrid might be a real life saver. If I do use it in the field (dump) and it does not work for me I can always go to the larger and heavier big film Gizto tripod. Hate to spend more money yet again but this might turn into one of the most important buys.

Here is a review video for the Blackmagic pocket camera, the camera is being used on the street of New York in combo with a Sirui tripod (probably the P-424S).
Review

Sirui P-424S Monopod

8x10 Camera In The Dump?

Had my wild and wacky photo thought of the day just a few minutes ago. If I do an extended 6 month trip to Asia what about taking my 8x10 Masterview/Deardorff with me? I could shoot 8x10 in the field in available light for the first time ever in Thailand. I could make portraits in the dump with it, moving from 4x5 in 2013, to 5x7 in 2016, to 8x10 in 2017!!!

Gosh the weight of it!! Can I do something so wild at 53 years old? If I can make my first documentary film at 53 why not my first foray into 8x10 photography (non studio) overseas! I have something like $2000-4000 (?) of 8x10 Tri-x in my freezers getting old, why not use it! If I get a 6 month trip it might be my last great opportunity to do this. I would lean towards using dads gift camera, the 8x10 Deardorff. Making photos with dads present seems more right. Later a show of beautiful photographs at a beautiful large gallery, courtesy of dad!

Good Documentary "The Storm Makers"

Watching a good documentary on people trafficking in Cambodia. The film is an eye opener, it is less gimmick and more humanity. I want to try to make film like this. A filmi with heart, with understanding and feelings for its subjects. The feeling was made by filmaker Guillaume Suon.

Highly recommended, here its IMDB page:
"The Storm Makers" on IMDB
Here is Mr. Suon's IMDB page:
Guillaume Suon

The Storm Makers, Poster (2014)

Maxing Out The HP EliteBook 8760w Computer

I have been thinking of my computer and its capabilities lately. With a possible 6 month trip on the horizon and with such an important project as the dump documentary film is. I feel I need to max out my computers capabilities.

I will therefore put in all 3 possible hard drives and all the RAM the computer can handle. That will bring the system up to its max level of 32GB RAM and 5TB of hard drive space (1TB, 2TB, 2TB drives). I will have to remove the current DVD player to fit in the third hard drive. I might take along a external Blu-ray/DVD player I already own (bought it to make dads funeral tribute video). Sometimes I like to watch movies in my off time and a DVD player comes in handy. I could also use it to rewatch some important documentary films to feed the inspiration tree!

I think this is the right move, hope so. I will do all the buys off of eBay and do the installs myself using YouTube video instruction. I still need to buy a bit more RAM a second 2TB hard drive and a second hard drive caddy (optical bay).

Worker Cam? Child Cam?

Last night I learned of a cheap used 1080p camera on eBay called the Kodak Zi8. It seems like a very simple tool to operate and costs only around $30-60 USD (used). I might try buying 1 or 2 of these units and then using them in the movie. Possibly as a person cam!! I could attach the recording camera to a person working the garbage or a child walking around and film from their perspective. Not sure how wide a field of view these things have, but it might be worth getting. They are physically the size of a iPhone. I will buy 1 to see if works for me and if does get a backup later.

Update*  I ended up buying the Zi8 pictured below for $24.99 USD plus shipping. It comes with a 8GB SD card. I will try posting some video made with this simple 1080p video camera after I recieve it (maybe some darkroom work video). If I like the unit I will buy a second one as a back up. I find my tools always break down in Asia, especially electronic cameras! Best to have a back up plan. :)

Also got a cheapo $3.99 USD (free shipping) case for it with a belt clip. I hope it fits the camera, it is designed for a simliar sized iPhone. I want to adapt this case (cut a hole in it) to allow me to mount it on the neck area of my subjects t-shirt to try and do the person cam idea mentioned above. Not sure this will work but going to give it a try. This whole outfit cost $29 USD, so if it fails no biggy, it was worth the try.

Kodak Zi8

My First C Lens

I bought a adapter ring allowing C mount lens to be used with the micro four thirds Black Magic Pocket Camera mount. Today I bought the first of my C lens to use with the adapter and camera. I want to buy a number of these under $100 to play with and see what I get. The camera with this rather wide-fast lens would be light and easy to shoot in most situations (inside dark dump shack homes?).

Here is the lens I bought, from Poland:

Senco TV Lens 16mm, f1.4 2/3" C-Mount, $38 USD

Note* I still need to get the Black Magic Pocket Camera. I own multiple accessories for this system but still no camera!
Note** I might have some old forgotten lens stored in my home that might work on the Black Magic. I will look into that in the coming weeks.