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I vote for #1. Like the more detailed hands / paws.

I'm a sucker for any monster movies. Really haven't seen a decent one since Pumpkinhead. So sick of CGI creatures (like the ones in the "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", which nearly put me to sleep). Give me a dude in a rubber suit over that anytime.

This past weekend, we served BBQ for lunch and pizza for dinner, with crackers, chips, and plenty of water and soft drinks on set. Honestly, we plan to stay away from pizza from now on, at least from Papa Johns. It caused, well, a few delays during the shoot. heh The most popular thing we've...

Actually, you are correct. I purposely avoided using an eyelight (or catchlight, as I call it) for this shot, as in the story, this girl is actually dead (she just doesn't want to accept it yet). So, I was trying to convey her feeling of hopelessness and loss. The problem is that I wasn't...

That was awesome. Loved the track shot over the strings at the bridge. Very nicely done. And no, don't clean the gear! My excuse is "dust = texture". heh

Thanks. My wider shots have very blown-out backgrounds, but it wasn't as noticeable in this tight shot. I'll definitely try the fabric or maybe some ND film on a frame in the future. Great tip. Now, excuse me while I say "Duh!" to myself :) My temp color grade crushed the black levels, but...

Here are a few framegrabs from my shoot yesterday. I'd like to think I have the knowledge and skill to shoot simple shots like these, but then I see the dailes and realize I have got a LOT to learn. These were shot on video with just quick rough CC. So here, learn from my mistakes: This is...

It's the same in the photo world. I was once shooting with a cheap Canon XSi and a 5D-MKII owner laughed at my plastic body and cheap glass. But when we both posted our pics in a photo forum, everyone else thought my shoots looked better. That's what happens when you are an expert on the specs...

I think I've lost count how many times I've read people giving this same advice over and over again. For the love of everything holy, just go shoot something. Anything! Every PC/Mac in recent years has video editing software built into it (Windows Movie Maker or iMovie). Seriously, if you don't...

Johnny Dangerously is one of my favorite comedies. Still holds up today. A classic indeed. The dialog of the priest in the prison is hilarious. And Mary-Margret Catherine Dineen is the best. "Hey doll, how'd you like to make some money?" "One at a time or both of you together?"

This is fun to do with a laser pointer and a 20-30-second exposure. Here was my first attempt. Pretty weak, but it was 10-degrees that night and I was cold :)

This was a scripted shoot, so I had arranged the actors (actually my older sister and her husband) to play these roles. He was the manager of the golf course, so I was able to arrange to shoot this early one morning before they opened. Even with simple shoots like this, you learn valuable...

In the film classes I took in college, they had us shoot very simple shorts to get us used to telling a story visually. They had no sound, dialog, or music. The only instructions we were given is that one person has a problem and then solves it in 2 minutes max. We also were not allowed to move...

I just bought my wife a Canon T3i since she was wanting a newer DSLR. I did some video tests with it to see how it compared to my Sony pro cam (Z5U). I shot at 1080/24p. It didn't look too bad, though I doubt I could easily intercut it with the Z5U. The Sony footage was much cleaner and crisp...

Looks great! Nice photography.

About the only time I really wish I had a matte box is when I'm doing tracking shots. Just have to prepare the lighting extra-carefully or flag it to avoid any issues. The one time I really needed it, I just had to improvise with black wrap, poster board, and some gaff tape. Looked bad, but I...

Of course you should try to avoid making mistakes. But if you box yourself into a corner because of fear of making mistakes, you'll never get anything done. You only fail when you don't try. My philosophy is this: n00bs shouldn't be perfectionists. I consider myself a n00b too. My short films...

You really need to learn to think fast and on your own if you expect to helm a production. Best way to do that is to just shoot a LOT. It's impossible to plan for every single thing in advance. Our boom operator had to leave during the middle of a shoot. Fortunately, I treated my cast and crew...

I absolutely love the feeling of satisfaction I get from seeing an idea in my head come to life on the screen. I mean, it feels so good seeing all the time and effort produce something out of nothing. It's a feeling of accomplishment that I rarely get from my day job. I also love seeing the...

I'm about to shoot something with a similar look. I'm planning to use coconut oil too. You can buy it at Wal-mart. It's actually sold in a jar as a soft solid, but it melts very quickly. Also is great to cook popcorn in too!