I shot the human element of the spot in a few hours at a home in Rhode Island. All lighting was from a single Kino-Flo Diva 400 fixture with four 55 watt 3000k florescent lamps. I used my custom dolly to make the simple shots more engaging and dynamic. I used mostly my Nikon 55mm f1.2 super fast prime lens with the very sharp Letus Ultimate. I also used a Nikon 24mm f2.8 and a 85mm f2.

At the end of the shoot, I dumped the SxS cards to my laptop, backed the 7.5GB of 1080p footage to a USB 8GB “Geek Stick” and met up with TJ in a parking lot. I gave him the USB flash drive and I was done. TJ built the graphics, edited the piece and delivered it via FTP. The client recorded the digital file to analog Betacam SP video tape and that is how it got on the air. This company is still using Betacam SP and airing stuff in SD. One of the few clients I have left down converting my stuff!

All this footage was shot with the Sony PMW-EX1 in 1080p and the Letus Ultimate 35mm lens adapter. Graphics, color grading and editing done on Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects by TJ Powers. The commercial is currently airing in standard definition 4:3.

All of this footage is used with permission. This video is not intended to be downloaded and property of Cox Communications.

I was hired by the same company that shot and composited the standard definition show open and background elements for the PBS show Frontline. The name of the graphics/production company is One80 Visual and they were asked by Frontline to re-create the classic show components in high definition. The idea was to simply shoot the old open and backgrounds using slightly updated television lens and film lens props.

The picture above is a still from the standard definition background “bump-to-break” component in the classic Frontline tv show shot over fifteen years ago on Betacam SP. I have included the video from the old recording.

I set up the Sony EX1 with the Letus Ultimate inside the one80 office. Scott, a graphics artist at the studio, set up a 2×4 box in which I would have some control of the lighting. It was vital that I recreated the reflections and textures on the newer television and film lens props to best match the classic Frontline elements.

I used a single 1000 watt Lowel DP light to create the white box light effect around the props. I then used a 500 watt Lowel DP light to hit the props with key light. This lighting setup is very simple. The hardest part was to copy the exact reflections and highlights on the prop lenses.

We had a Mac Book Pro set up with all the original video pieces so that I could constantly check to make sure we were copying the original lighting design.

I had the Vinten tripod on my home made dolly track, but I did not use the dolly for anything since it would not have matched the original style. We tried a few new things, but the producers of the show wanted to keep the original and classic style for Frontline.

We shot a newer television camera lens for the updated HD version of the background element. The hardest part for me was to get the perfect white reflection in the square internal focus lens hood. This was surprisingly difficult to recreate and in the end, we used a white bounce card to catch the glass just right.

The film lens prop was not new. It was a PL Zeiss 50mm f1.4 we rented from Boston Camera. Again, we followed the original lighting design and camera move exactly for the newly updated HD Frontline show.

I set up an external 720p HD LCD monitor for the client to view and to help me check for sharp focus.

I had the Sony EX1 recording at 1080p 30 frames per second. This XDCAM EX workflow was easy for One80 Visual to deal with because all they use is Mac Pro workstations with Final Cut Pro. I just captured all the footage with my Mac Book Pro using the Express34 slot, placed the MOV files on an external hard drive and handed the drive to Amy. She then dumped the footage onto the in house hard drive array.

Take a look at the HD show elements for the nationally televised show, Frontline. All this footage was shot with the Sony PMW-EX1 and the Letus Ultimate 35mm lens adapter.

All of this footage is used with permission. This video is not intended to be downloaded and property of PBS.

VIDEO BLOG: Comcast Sports Tonight 100% Letus Promo: Broadcast Television and Letus Products

I will be posting a few new blogs talking about how I am using Letus products in a broadcast environment. I have found a niche in my television market using shallow depth of field to bridge the gap between the look of television and the look of film.

In the next few weeks I will be posting my thoughts on getting the film look on broadcast television.

This is a 30 second promo for a sports talk show, called “Sports Tonight” that is currently running in HD on the Boston television station, Comcast Sports Net New England. The show is hosted by Gary Tanguay and Michael Felger. You can see it weeknights at 6:30 and 10pm on Comcast cable channel 52 or 852HD. Check your local listings for channel information for your own area.

This entire promo was shot with the Sony PMW-EX1 using the Letus Extreme. I used my home made PVC pipe skateboard wheel dolly for all the sliding camera moves. I used a Nikon 16mm fisheye, a Nikon 50mm f1.4 prime and a Nikon 135mm f2.8 for close ups. All lighting was studio fixtures set high in the hanging ceiling grid. I shot it in 1080 30p and used the default PP settings in the camera. I locked the white balance to 3800k.

This video was cut and graded by TJ Powers. TJ works at Comcast and he is very talented. He used Adobe After Effects, Photoshop and Apple Final Cut Pro to edit this promo together.

I will be posting more blogs about the elusive film look finding its way into broadcast television very soon. I am currently editing a short video blog about the Letus B4 relay and the Letus Ultimate mounted on a Sony HDW-730S HDCAM.

This week, I hope to get away from Philip Bloom for a few hours and edit! For now, check out the CSN promo that is currently running on television: Broadcast Television and Letus Products

Special thanks to Comcast Sports Net and TJ Powers for the help to get this video on this website.

For those of you who live in New England, a documentary that Torey Champagne and I worked on this spring is now airing on Comcast Sports Net (CSN) in standard definition on Comcast channel 52 and in high definition on Comcast channel 852. I was the director of photography and the sole shooter on the project.

Here are the current air dates:

Saturday, May 16th at 4:30pm
Sunday, May 17th at 2:30pm
Tuesday, May 19th at 7:30pm
…plus many more times I am sure.

Set those DVRs. The title of the show is “Living The Dream”

This documentary was shot entirely with the Sony PMW-EX1 and the Letus Extreme including all the b-roll. This is the story of a baseball camp put on by the Boston Red Sox were fans are “living the dream” of playing major league baseball. We followed around a bunch of fantasy players in Fort Myers, Florida for two days.

This was a very challenging shoot for two reasons. The first was the fact that I was using a 35mm lens adapter with very shallow depth of field to cover baseball action. I think I was out of focus half of the time! The second problem was that JetBlue destroyed my Vinten tripod. I had to fight broken parts and try to keep the shot as steady as possible. That is all I have for excuses, I hope you like it. The Red Sox really did!

As of right now, I cannot post this to my website. I will try to get permission to do so. If you live in the north east, you should be able to see it on television.

The documentary I shot with Eric Sharmer is going to be airing on Discovery Health on Sunday, December 14th at 8pm. For those of you in the Boston area, it is Comcast channel 226 (D-HC). This is the world premiere, so set those DVRs!

This is the press release:
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(Silver Spring, Md.)—Just before her wedding day in 1987, Lynn Parks’ dream of walking down the aisle was shattered when a devastating car accident left her comatose and clinging to life. Miraculously, she awoke seven months later to find that her fiancé, Jamie, had never left her side. However, her struggle was not nearly over, as she had suffered a brain stem injury rendering her unable to ever stand or walk on her own again.

Fast-forward to 2008—this amazing husband-and-wife team has now run more than 12,000 miles and completed several marathons—and are the proud parents of an 8-year-old daughter. On Sunday, December 14, at 8 PM (ET/PT), Discovery Health premieres MARATHON LOVE, an engrossing hour-long special that weaves together professional footage with Jamie’s personal home videos to tell a tale of true love, perseverance and the power of the human spirit.

Even during the darkest days after the accident, Jamie’s faith never wavered—and after seven years of grueling physical and speech therapy, he and Lynn finally walked down the aisle on their wedding day. An avid runner, Jamie began to push Lynn in her wheelchair as he ran the one-mile loop through their Chicago neighborhood. Soon after, the couple began entering races, eventually qualifying for the ultracompetitive 2008 Boston Marathon.

While the Boston Marathon was a lifelong dream for Jamie and Lynn, they will tell you that it doesn’t compare with another miracle that occurred eight years ago. Doctors had told Lynn that because of her injuries, she would not be able to have children—but in 2000, Lynn gave birth to a healthy and happy girl, Annalyn. As a baby, Annalyn sat on her mother’s lap as Jamie pushed them in more than 50 races. Now 8 years old, Annalyn shares her parents’ passion and often accompanies them on their daily runs.

MARATHON LOVE is an inspiring account of a family coming together that serves as a moving reminder of the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.

MARATHON LOVE is a co-production between Discovery Health and LMNO. For Discovery Health, Wendy Douglas is executive producer, and for LMNO, Ruth Rivin and Eric Schotz are executive producers.
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My original blog from the marathon shoot with behind the scenes photos can be viewed here.

This is the documentary trailer from health.discovery.com: