Visual Fizzle - Photography & Cinematography

Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:00:47 +0000

I used to own a Glidecam 4000 Pro, but ended up selling it because it took ages to set up, I could never get it perfectly balanced, and it was just too cumbersome to use without the Smooth Shooter or the X-10 stabilization vest, neither of which I owned, because they were and still are pretty darn expensive. I’ve heard the successor to the 4000 Pro, the 4000 HD, is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor, so is probably worth checking out if you’re in the market for a less expensive alternative to a Steadicam, and / or didn’t like the 4000 Pro. Anyway, the main reason for this post, wasn’t to compare Glidecams, but to mention a cool little device that I hadn’t heard about before, called the “Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket“…

What this device does, is affixes to any stand with a 5/8″ post, and allows you to mount your “HD-Series” Glidecam to it, so that you can balance it properly, and as perfect as possible. Before the HD-Series Glidecams came out, you pretty much had to hold your Glidecam Pro with one hand, and with the other hand, fiddle around with the various screws and bolts in an attempt to level it. After a few very frustrating hours, it still wasn’t right, and your mind started to wonder what would happen if you used your Glidecam as a tire iron instead.

I don’t know if the Glidecam HD-Series Docking Bracket will work with the “Pro” series, but it should make things a lot easier to configure with their HD line, which already has a much improved, updated and practical design (based upon user feedback) anyway. Check it out…

http://www.glidecam.com/product-hd-series-docking-bracket.php

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

ARRI L-Series LED Fresnels…

Fergle Gibson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:01:49 +0000

Awesome new cameras do it for most people, but for me, it’s lighting… Although, I do like awesome new cameras, too! Priced to rent, and not to own (unless you have bottomless pockets), Arri debuted their “L-Series” line of LED Fresnel fixtures at NAB this year, and damn, do I wish I had money to burn!

Just check out some of the specs on these bad boys…

http://www.arri.com/l-series/index.html

One of the main things that caught my eye, was the ability to change the COLOUR of the light on the fly, just by turning a knob. Goodbye gels, hello future! Now… Who do I have to weigh down with lead boots in a deep river to review one of these?

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:50:28 +0000

The world has lost one of the most inspiring, visionary geniuses of modern day. A man who pioneered much of the way we, as the human race, lead our lives today. A true entrepreneur and warrior, who stopped at nothing and for no-one to realise his dreams and ambitions, no matter the cost, right until the very end. Being perfect wasn’t good enough – It had to be better.

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs – You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.

Sent from my iPhone.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Small HD’s “DP4 In Review” video…

Fergle Gibson — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:55:53 +0000

Old news to most, I’m sure, but something I wanted to post, anyway. SmallHD‘s “DP4 In Review” video, where CTO Dale Backus, and CEO Wes Philips talk about their awesome new DP4 preview monitor / EVF, and round things off with their own kind of “Drop Test”, or as I like to call it, “Total Obliteration” test, which involves them throwing the DP4 at various hard surfaces, and driving RC cars into it. Kinda makes the drop test conducted by Steve Weiss for Zacuto’s “Z-Finder” EVF look a little… unimpressive now. Steve, next time, instead of climbing that ladder and dropping the Z-EVF from the top, I want to see you pick up the ladder, and use it to try and beat the living electrodes out of the Z-EVF, whilst screaming… Preferably with some hardcore Thrash Metal playing in the background.

Digressing quickly…

With all those edits in SmallHD’s video, who’s to say the working DP4 they show you is the same one they’ve been flying RC helicopters in to? Oooh… Controversial! Just kidding, guys! Regardless, the DP4 looks to be a fantastic piece of hardware (as does its bigger brother, the DP6), which is highly praised by everybody who owns one, and just so happens to be backed by a group of really down-to-earth guys. As tempting as it may be, I’m not sure whether I’ll be getting one of these yet, as I need the bigger screen size and higher resolution of the DP6. Plus, I already have a Zacuto Z-Finder. But there again, you never know – I change my mind more often than a hooker’s underwear.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.

Ryan Koo successfully funds debut feature film, Man-Child!…

Fergle Gibson — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:51:09 +0000

Reaching $125,100 out of a required $115,000, Ryan Koo (of NoFilmSchool.com) has successfully funded his debut feature film, Man-Child, of which I am one of the 2,336 backers. I feel proud and oddly annoyed. Proud because it is every filmmaker’s dream come true, and he rightfully deserves every cent, but annoyed because I couldn’t even raise a relatively measly £2,000 for my film, Payne & Redemption, which has been around for 5 years now, and has an EIGHTY-FOUR-MILLION STRONG fan-base! It just goes to show you, that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been on the scene, or even how many followers or “fans” you have, but proving to your audience that your project is worth their hard earned cash and time – Something that Koo managed with ease.

I backed Man-Child because Koo seems like a cool guy with a genuine passion for narrative film-making. I believe in him. By “narrative film-making”, I don’t mean all these “moving montages” of pretty, la-di-da images that are in abundance on Vimeo, Exposure Room, and pretty much anywhere you look. I mean story-driven pieces of art that give you something truly meaningful in return, whether that’s a lesson learned or emotions felt – It doesn’t matter which. I’m not even into basketball. Sure, I used to play it at college, but I don’t watch it. I will watch Man-Child, though. Not because I backed it, but because I have this feeling that Koo is going to do a damn good job.

Congratulations, dude! Now knock ‘em dead, brother.

Fergle Gibson,
Writer, Director & Cinematographer.