Man I'm bad at blogging! Lot's has happened since my last update, but I specifically wanted to share my second music video I shot for my sister Etana!
Make sure to click the HD button in the YouTube video below to watch in High Definition. You can also watch it larger if you go to youtube and hit HD.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
So, I decided to shoot a video...
My first ever video shot with a Canon 5DII.
"This Time" by my 15-year-old sister Etana Caplin
I’ve held out for the past four years because I really felt telling the news, as a video journalist, just wasn’t for me. That was until I found myself with my newest camera upgrade, the Canon 5D Mark II, a still-camera that takes surprisingly high-quality video. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.
I’ve always enjoyed playing around with camcorder-style video cameras, though I never had the fortitude to deal with all the headache of post-processing (photo editing is difficult enough), hence my aversion to pursuing the video route in the first place. It wasn’t until this camera upgrade that I was given the opportunity to take such high-quality video using my existing lenses.
After playing with the video function on a few assignments I found the 5DII incredibly simple to use when taking video footage, though with a few feature limitations that I otherwise depend upon while shooting stills.
When my 15 year old sister Etana called to ask if she could come to the city for a visit, the idea of shooting a music video came to mind. She’s a really talented singer/songwriter, especially for her age. It seemed like a prime opportunity to jump right into the video end of the pool Initially I thought of it as a way to bond with her, but after shooting the first scene and looking back at the footage I quickly realized how cool of a video it could be if we all put in the effort.
Etana immediately went directly to a recording studio and recorded a vocal and acoustic track completed to act as the foundation for the video. Not possessing anywhere near the logistical support needed for a real video, we put the Mp3 on my iPhone and played it back over the speaker in all the different locations as she sang the song for the camera.
The production of the video consisted of four people in total:
• Myself as ‘the cameraman’
• Etana, as ‘the talent’
• My Step-Mom as ‘the help’
• My Girlfriend Laia as ‘the producer’
The only gear used was a Gitzo Tripod, the 5DII, and an assortment of very fast prime lenses, as well as a light reflector to bounce the light in one scene. No artificial light was used in the making of the video.
We began filming in my living room, with the idea to open and close the video with Etana answering and ending a phone call. I found that setting up the scenes were a bit more difficult when using a tripod because of the lack of mobility to slightly alter the perspective. This also has a lot to do with the type of head I used, as I didn’t have a video swivel, rather only a ball head that locks into place. A proper video head is definitely now on my wish –list.
As we recorded a couple different takes in the living room we quickly realized it was snowing outside. My apartment is situated on the ground floor of a Manhattan brownstone. I’m fortunate to have a back yard, which was quickly becoming an excellent set in which to stage additional scenes. We filmed one scene of her walking out of the apartment while I followed her with the camera, and it came out all right. I again realized the need for optional gear such as a steady cam. It would be fun to play with some of the fancy gadgetry available in the film industry. (Are you listening, Santa?)
While in the backyard, I set up another shot of her sitting at the snow-covered table and found getting a proper exposure to be difficult because of the bright snow, a definite limitation of the 5DII. I was able to use the +/- compensation to over-expose the scene to accommodate for the lack of manual controls, but found it difficult to maintain proper exposure control when the light changed dynamically.
We then decided to take the shoot on-location to Central Park along the famous Poet’s Walk, a place Etana has a fondness for (she performed on a park bench for tips when she visited last June). It was a far cry from the warmth of the summer; it was a blustery 15-degree, snowy day. Already freezing, I set the camera up on the tripod, framed the scene, pushed play and we took one take from each camera angle.
It was then I realized the logistics that need to go into planning a production. Granted, I was shooting guerilla-style without permits, but it would have really helped to have a trailer or tent to warm up in. I felt badly for Etana when she had to take off her winter coat for the scenes. After taking about 10 minutes of footage, we had to leave because she was beginning to suffer from the cold.
Access to Times Square was difficult due to the main areas in the center still blocked off from the New Years Eve festivities the night before. We were fortunate to find a spot untouched by tourists. There we were able to pull off one take of the song before the blustery cold again overtook Etana.
Sound was another issue I need to think about when planning my next shoot. The noise in Times Square made the iPhone speaker useless, so we were forced to have her hold the phone to her ear as if she was taking a phone call. Proper wiring with a headset or use of a louder speaker will be necessary when I shoot my next music video.
After we finished shooting all the scenes, Laia spliced and cut a very rough version of the video. The quality that came out of the original iMovie ‘take’ really surprised us, but we did find the program to be very limiting. It’s similar to the difference between iPhoto and Photoshop (or Aperture). So we upgraded to Final Cut Pro.
It was time get a little feedback from trusted friends and the feedback I received was very helpful. It was suggested I pick up the pace of the cuts and not linger too long on each scene. I was told I needed more footage in which the camera was off the tripod and in motion. It was critiqued that the video lacked a narrative and those recommendations were 100% right. At that point I decided it would be worthwhile to fly back home to Ohio and get more footage to tell the story – and without the tripod this time.
Along with booking in two days of portrait sessions, I went to the local mall with Etana and several of her friends (including her boyfriend who played a primary role), and followed them around as if they were stars in a reality show. I wanted to show her relationships and how they related to the song she was singing. I think after re-cutting the video, the extra footage really helped break up the repetitiveness of the original cuts. Also, I think it helped show another side of Etana.
The last thing we did while in Ohio was hit the recording studio and add musical accompaniment to help fill out the song. On top of her voice and guitar track; a bass guitar, drums, tambourine, and shakers were added. I really feel the addition to the audio provided a radical and welcome addition to the presentation. We were all very excited to see what was created.
It was just when I thought I was finished that I visited a filmmaker friend’s studio and was introduced to the world of video color correction and fancy filters. At first I didn’t think I needed any, but when he applied them to a few scenes, it really made a difference to the feel of the video as a whole. The 5DII tends to saturate the scenes a bit too much.
What I thought would be a fun-filled few days experimenting with my new camera to pull together a rough music video starring my kid-sister, quickly turned into a month-long production. I know the video has its flaws, all of which were lessons learned during my first-ever attempt, but I’m really excited to now share it with you all. This little brother-sister bonding project truly opened my eyes to the potential of a new visual passion of mine.
I think it’s a good time to embrace the exciting technological advancements. It took me until now to jump on the bandwagon…and I don’t plan to jump off anytime soon!
Here's the Making-Of "This Time":
Note this is all raw footage with no color correction or post-production.
Thanks for reading. If you're in the mood to keep up with my going-ons on Facebook, please join my Facebook group here. I'll keep it updated with my latest. Thanks!
Oh, and here's my sisters too.
"This Time" by my 15-year-old sister Etana Caplin
I’ve held out for the past four years because I really felt telling the news, as a video journalist, just wasn’t for me. That was until I found myself with my newest camera upgrade, the Canon 5D Mark II, a still-camera that takes surprisingly high-quality video. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.
I’ve always enjoyed playing around with camcorder-style video cameras, though I never had the fortitude to deal with all the headache of post-processing (photo editing is difficult enough), hence my aversion to pursuing the video route in the first place. It wasn’t until this camera upgrade that I was given the opportunity to take such high-quality video using my existing lenses.
After playing with the video function on a few assignments I found the 5DII incredibly simple to use when taking video footage, though with a few feature limitations that I otherwise depend upon while shooting stills.
When my 15 year old sister Etana called to ask if she could come to the city for a visit, the idea of shooting a music video came to mind. She’s a really talented singer/songwriter, especially for her age. It seemed like a prime opportunity to jump right into the video end of the pool Initially I thought of it as a way to bond with her, but after shooting the first scene and looking back at the footage I quickly realized how cool of a video it could be if we all put in the effort.Etana immediately went directly to a recording studio and recorded a vocal and acoustic track completed to act as the foundation for the video. Not possessing anywhere near the logistical support needed for a real video, we put the Mp3 on my iPhone and played it back over the speaker in all the different locations as she sang the song for the camera.
The production of the video consisted of four people in total:
• Myself as ‘the cameraman’
• Etana, as ‘the talent’
• My Step-Mom as ‘the help’
• My Girlfriend Laia as ‘the producer’
The only gear used was a Gitzo Tripod, the 5DII, and an assortment of very fast prime lenses, as well as a light reflector to bounce the light in one scene. No artificial light was used in the making of the video.
We began filming in my living room, with the idea to open and close the video with Etana answering and ending a phone call. I found that setting up the scenes were a bit more difficult when using a tripod because of the lack of mobility to slightly alter the perspective. This also has a lot to do with the type of head I used, as I didn’t have a video swivel, rather only a ball head that locks into place. A proper video head is definitely now on my wish –list.
As we recorded a couple different takes in the living room we quickly realized it was snowing outside. My apartment is situated on the ground floor of a Manhattan brownstone. I’m fortunate to have a back yard, which was quickly becoming an excellent set in which to stage additional scenes. We filmed one scene of her walking out of the apartment while I followed her with the camera, and it came out all right. I again realized the need for optional gear such as a steady cam. It would be fun to play with some of the fancy gadgetry available in the film industry. (Are you listening, Santa?)
While in the backyard, I set up another shot of her sitting at the snow-covered table and found getting a proper exposure to be difficult because of the bright snow, a definite limitation of the 5DII. I was able to use the +/- compensation to over-expose the scene to accommodate for the lack of manual controls, but found it difficult to maintain proper exposure control when the light changed dynamically. We then decided to take the shoot on-location to Central Park along the famous Poet’s Walk, a place Etana has a fondness for (she performed on a park bench for tips when she visited last June). It was a far cry from the warmth of the summer; it was a blustery 15-degree, snowy day. Already freezing, I set the camera up on the tripod, framed the scene, pushed play and we took one take from each camera angle.
It was then I realized the logistics that need to go into planning a production. Granted, I was shooting guerilla-style without permits, but it would have really helped to have a trailer or tent to warm up in. I felt badly for Etana when she had to take off her winter coat for the scenes. After taking about 10 minutes of footage, we had to leave because she was beginning to suffer from the cold.
Access to Times Square was difficult due to the main areas in the center still blocked off from the New Years Eve festivities the night before. We were fortunate to find a spot untouched by tourists. There we were able to pull off one take of the song before the blustery cold again overtook Etana.
Sound was another issue I need to think about when planning my next shoot. The noise in Times Square made the iPhone speaker useless, so we were forced to have her hold the phone to her ear as if she was taking a phone call. Proper wiring with a headset or use of a louder speaker will be necessary when I shoot my next music video.
After we finished shooting all the scenes, Laia spliced and cut a very rough version of the video. The quality that came out of the original iMovie ‘take’ really surprised us, but we did find the program to be very limiting. It’s similar to the difference between iPhoto and Photoshop (or Aperture). So we upgraded to Final Cut Pro. It was time get a little feedback from trusted friends and the feedback I received was very helpful. It was suggested I pick up the pace of the cuts and not linger too long on each scene. I was told I needed more footage in which the camera was off the tripod and in motion. It was critiqued that the video lacked a narrative and those recommendations were 100% right. At that point I decided it would be worthwhile to fly back home to Ohio and get more footage to tell the story – and without the tripod this time.
Along with booking in two days of portrait sessions, I went to the local mall with Etana and several of her friends (including her boyfriend who played a primary role), and followed them around as if they were stars in a reality show. I wanted to show her relationships and how they related to the song she was singing. I think after re-cutting the video, the extra footage really helped break up the repetitiveness of the original cuts. Also, I think it helped show another side of Etana.
The last thing we did while in Ohio was hit the recording studio and add musical accompaniment to help fill out the song. On top of her voice and guitar track; a bass guitar, drums, tambourine, and shakers were added. I really feel the addition to the audio provided a radical and welcome addition to the presentation. We were all very excited to see what was created. It was just when I thought I was finished that I visited a filmmaker friend’s studio and was introduced to the world of video color correction and fancy filters. At first I didn’t think I needed any, but when he applied them to a few scenes, it really made a difference to the feel of the video as a whole. The 5DII tends to saturate the scenes a bit too much.
What I thought would be a fun-filled few days experimenting with my new camera to pull together a rough music video starring my kid-sister, quickly turned into a month-long production. I know the video has its flaws, all of which were lessons learned during my first-ever attempt, but I’m really excited to now share it with you all. This little brother-sister bonding project truly opened my eyes to the potential of a new visual passion of mine.
I think it’s a good time to embrace the exciting technological advancements. It took me until now to jump on the bandwagon…and I don’t plan to jump off anytime soon!
Here's the Making-Of "This Time":
Note this is all raw footage with no color correction or post-production.
Thanks for reading. If you're in the mood to keep up with my going-ons on Facebook, please join my Facebook group here. I'll keep it updated with my latest. Thanks!
Oh, and here's my sisters too.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
"Weekend" Column Comes to a Close
Over the past 2-3 years I've had the good fortune to work regularly with the NY Times Travel Section and writer Seth Kugel for his weekly column "Weekend In New York". Seth decided to give up the column to set up shop in Brazil and try something new.
In today's Sunday NY Times is Seth's final Weekend column and I found working on it bittersweet. The column's purpose was to give readers a themed itinerary of things to do if they visited to NYC for a weekend. Everything ranging from the best bakeries to ethnic themed adventures. The column regularly brought me to very cool hidden NYC bars, restaurants, speciality shops, tourist sites, vast cemeteries, sailing, and so on.
The final Weekend column which is in today's paper, it was an ode to the column's writer Seth Kugel. He reminisced on his 15 years living in the Big Apple and how even he, a reporter paid to explore and experience the city, has not even come close to experiencing all NYC has to offer.
For the first time working on the column, I was given a handful of days to photograph the finale which had Seth checking out and doing those activities he's always wanted to do, but never ended up having the chance. This ended up having us waiting in line outside at David Letterman, at mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, to the Opera, chowing down of expensive steak at the world-renowned Peter Lugar's Steakhouse, taking in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and jogging through Central Park.
As I look back, I realize I got to be Seth's eyes and really get a explore my city....I LOVE NYC!
Some favorites:
To the Trained Eye, Museum Pieces Lurk Everywhere
From the Days When New York Was Actually New
People-Watching: Here’s Looking at You
You May Now Kiss the Clerk
From Bi Bim Bop to a Huge Spa
Where River Views Are From the River
You Can Come and Go. They’re Staying Awhile.
Check out a whole slue of the columns I worked on here.
Seth snagged this shot of me shooting for THIS column
Seth shows up to my apartment unannounced with sweets purchased from bakeries all over the city for THIS assignment. That was a nice surprise!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Announcing My New Print Collection!
I know I've been MIA lately on my blog...and I promise to get rolling again soon....but I wanted to take a moment to announce the pre-launch of my print collection! Please send the link around to friends and family who may be interested in purchasing a gift for the holiday season!
Introducing the Robert Caplin Print Collection!
Introducing the Robert Caplin Print Collection!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Back in Action - Barnstorm XXI
Wow, it's been a long time since my last update....I'd forgotten how it sometimes gets tedious to continually update these things...but hopefully I'll get back on the ball....
I've been trying to figure out what to write about as there's been a lot that's happened in the few weeks of my blogging hiatus... I figure my first post should be about the Eddie Adams Workshop. I was privileged to have the opportunity to attend the 21st Barnstorm workshop at Eddie Adams' barn in Jeffersonville, NY. (For those of you who dont know what this is, check it out HERE)
Anyhow, this year I was truly impressed with the talented students and all the slideshows and multimedia presented at the end of the workshop...some really amazing work by all teams. I'll link to all the presentations once they go live online.
There's something truly special about this workshop Eddie created. I never had the opportunity to meet him as I was a student during Barnstorm XVII, two weeks after he passed away, but I feel his presence when I'm up there. It may sound silly, but in an atmosphere where you're surrounded by 100 of the top photography students in the industry, dozens of volunteers who are photographers/editors, the amazing faculty, and all the sponsors...everyone being there to help eachother out...I feel that is the essence of who Eddie Adams was.
So basically that's what I have to say. I'm so grateful I was able to be there and see old friends and make new ones. Being there inspired me to keep taking pretty pictures and never take for granted what it is I do as a profession.
Thanks to everyone who attended. Thanks Alyssa and August for continuing this monumental workshop and allowing everyone up to your home. And of course, thank you Eddie.
Here are some photos from the workshop...if anyone wants to see more, please check out my PhotoShelter gallery....and if you're in any, and/or would like high resolution, send me an email and I'll give you download capabilities:
Students meet with their groups for the first time on Day 1.
Students arrive...my boy Denny Culbert from OU
Walking to the memorial
August Adams places his dad's hat on the memorial
Balloons over Jeffersonville during ceremony
Ryan with the legend Bill Eppridge
Gerd Ludwig of National Geographic speaks
Frakes watches Brown Team's presentation in the Barn
The boys on the barn's roof for the workshop portrait
Woods in peak color
Stanley Greene speaks to his group at lunch.
I've been trying to figure out what to write about as there's been a lot that's happened in the few weeks of my blogging hiatus... I figure my first post should be about the Eddie Adams Workshop. I was privileged to have the opportunity to attend the 21st Barnstorm workshop at Eddie Adams' barn in Jeffersonville, NY. (For those of you who dont know what this is, check it out HERE)
Anyhow, this year I was truly impressed with the talented students and all the slideshows and multimedia presented at the end of the workshop...some really amazing work by all teams. I'll link to all the presentations once they go live online.
There's something truly special about this workshop Eddie created. I never had the opportunity to meet him as I was a student during Barnstorm XVII, two weeks after he passed away, but I feel his presence when I'm up there. It may sound silly, but in an atmosphere where you're surrounded by 100 of the top photography students in the industry, dozens of volunteers who are photographers/editors, the amazing faculty, and all the sponsors...everyone being there to help eachother out...I feel that is the essence of who Eddie Adams was.
So basically that's what I have to say. I'm so grateful I was able to be there and see old friends and make new ones. Being there inspired me to keep taking pretty pictures and never take for granted what it is I do as a profession.
Thanks to everyone who attended. Thanks Alyssa and August for continuing this monumental workshop and allowing everyone up to your home. And of course, thank you Eddie.
Here are some photos from the workshop...if anyone wants to see more, please check out my PhotoShelter gallery....and if you're in any, and/or would like high resolution, send me an email and I'll give you download capabilities:
Students meet with their groups for the first time on Day 1.
Students arrive...my boy Denny Culbert from OU
Walking to the memorial
August Adams places his dad's hat on the memorial
Balloons over Jeffersonville during ceremony
Ryan with the legend Bill Eppridge
Gerd Ludwig of National Geographic speaks
Frakes watches Brown Team's presentation in the Barn
The boys on the barn's roof for the workshop portrait
Woods in peak color
Stanley Greene speaks to his group at lunch.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The New Canon 5D MKII
My buddy Vincent Laforet got the opportunity to test drive the new Canon 5D MKII, which along with being a great still camera, now will afford every still photographer the ability to shoot beautiful films. I'm definitely looking forward to my upgrade!
Take a look at his blog to see his account, his film, and the behind-the-scenes video!
© http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/
Take a look at his blog to see his account, his film, and the behind-the-scenes video!
© http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/
Sunday, September 21, 2008
And the Emmy goes to....
I have an exciting job that sometimes affords me the opportunity to work with celebrities. This evening I watched three of my recent portrait subjects receive Emmy's for their work.
Congrats to the winners Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Paul Giamatti!
Paul Giamatti.
"John Adams"
Winner: Actor in a Miniseries
Alec Baldwin
"30 Rock"
Winner: Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey
"30 Rock"
Winner: Actress in a Comedy Series
And, of course, congrats to the nominees too!:
Mary Louise Parker
"Weeds"
Nominee: Actress in a Comedy Series
David Morse
"John Adams"
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Miniseries
Rain Wilson
"The Office"
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Congrats to the winners Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, and Paul Giamatti!
Paul Giamatti.
"John Adams"
Winner: Actor in a Miniseries
Alec Baldwin
"30 Rock"
Winner: Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey
"30 Rock"
Winner: Actress in a Comedy Series
And, of course, congrats to the nominees too!:
Mary Louise Parker
"Weeds"
Nominee: Actress in a Comedy Series
David Morse
"John Adams"
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Miniseries
Rain Wilson
"The Office"
Nominee: Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
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