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Have a great one, and cheers to my EOSHD friends wherever you are

Ok christmas day has just ended here in the UK, so let's move on to preparing for the new year! What would you like to improve/change/develop/etc. in your filmmaking in 2015? Here's my slightly drunken, sleepy, very-full-bellied attempt at a list (subject to change): Make money from filmmaking. The time has come to throw myself in at the deep end ...More aerobic exercise. I started shooting my first major paid gig on xmas eve and was utterly exhausted by the end. I need more stamina!Get over my inhibitions. I'm a pretty shy person so I'm always in danger of choosing to sit in front of the computer editing video of the trees in my garden, or researching technical stuff, rather being out shooting and engaging with people (both of which are pretty much essential to a filmmaker!). This will be my downfall if I don't force myself to do it every day.No more camera purchases (other than perhaps a B-cam such as GM1 or LX100 to match my GH4) and no more camera "research" (i.e. fetishising). It's all craft and content for me for the next year or two!Create a clear division between work and play. It's all too easy for me to piss around with my toys and fool myself it's "work." I need to draw a line under the 'education' phase of my filmmaking journey and learn on the job from now on. My leisure time will be the better for this as well I think...That's enough to be getting on with for now I think!

Happy Christmas Andrew and Happy holidays to all at EOSHD .....I hope Santa brought you all lots of lenses

Hello douglaurent, regardless of whether you are right or not in saying the 1DC is "better" than the A7S, the argument is boring and frankly a waste of time. Both can capture lovely images. Leave it as that. I'm more interested in how the Shogun would benefit my work on a creative level, and if those benefits are enough to influence my next camera purchase. I change bodies every 2 years so it's time to choose. ?

Uh-oh, it's still 2014 and I have another big moment I saw a GH4 going down in price on CL and eventually bought it. Didn't expect to like it, but a lot of people I respect think it a great camera. The owner is putting all his money into an F7 for his documentary work (to simplify/improve audio). Anyway, FINALLY, a freaking video camera that shoots a flatter more pleasing image to me. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE CineD. It isn't RAW, but it's close to what I grade to anyway. Also, the 4K is great for photography. I take a frame grab in VLC and process normally in PS. 99% of all the photos people see of mine are on Flickr and for that, 4K is enough. Here's a photo of my daughter to give you an idea. GH4 / Olympus 17mm, I think was as 5.6, at 200 ISO. Cine-D. I now need to go back and learn more from Andrew's GH4 guide

​Hans thank you for making this video! OK I'm not so scared now. I definitely understand how to do this. Now I can take my Sankor apart hehe.

Spend longer thinking about what I am about to film before pressing go. I am still a noob so make silly mistakes like poor composition, wrong ISO or shutter speed. Even an extra minute would fix 80% of my mistakes. Also no more reading up on cameras. I have a very capable 4k phone for now and will buy a proper camera like the NX1 when I can, so no looking what is out there for months, just spend a few days browsing before the actual purchase.

Last week I realized that I had learned a lot of things this year, but specially that I still have to learn a lot of things! This website and this forum has been a huge help for me, it's a very good community, and lots of people willing to share their knowledge. I would like to focus more on the content of my work than the technical part, I tend to focus to much on what camera and lens I am using rather than what I am shooting. And don't have to forget that they are just tools to support the story and the content. And I hope to get accepted in the film school I am applying to.

​ Not a stupid question, but that step ring would not be the best solution to mount a ND filter IMO (fixed or VND). This is because of the rotating focus design of the front glass - if a ND or CPL filter was attached to the front, the polarising effect would shift the reflection/ highlights whilst focusing. The best results seem to be from mounting filters at the rear of the FM lens and in front of the taking lens.For example, I have a double threaded Cokin 72mm VND attached to the rear of the Cinelux ring adapter - then an empty 72mm CPL filter (with glass removed) - then a 72mm to 49mm step ring to taking lens. This setup allows a lightproof connection to the taking lens, but allows me to rotate the VND to effect exposure. The empty CPL filter allows the section to spin freely, without coming unscrewed from the neighbouring step rings. A more simple solution would be to have the ND/VND or whatever filter you want to simply be mounted at the rear of the FM- and position the taking lens as closely as possible. The only filter I have on the front of the FM lens is a 105mm UV filter - to protect the glass. You access the filter thread on the FM by unscrewing the front metal ring on the FM lens.

This year, I am going to evolve my skills and creativity to secure bigger and better clients. The videos will be smarter, broader and much more technically efficient - taking my sometimes unavoidable OTT style into a more universal, cinematic territory. Other than that, I'm going to focus on personal promotion - as well as pushing the company I've created in other directions.

Start a new TV show i shoot and produce working out of a RV traveling all the time.

thanks man! I believe It is 48 fps, might have been 60 but no I didn't slow it down any in post

Here's a music video I shot recently on the gh4. Zero budget but I feel like it turned out pretty well http://vimeo.com/115369481

Thanks Hans, this is just a quick video I did with the Sankor 16D inside the FM, nothing special. It's just to show that the hack was worth it.

Great job Cosimo!...that is the way to do it. Before anyone attempts to go 'Dexter' on their lenses without knowing for sure what to do, please watch the video below. There should be NO reason to take a drill/ hacksaw or lathe to any lens!...the suggestion alone made me feel a bit unwell, so I made a short and basic video explaining how to remove the focus ring/cowl section to get the outside diameter reduced for the FM lens. (I know many here already know this...so bear with me). This removal process will be quite universal to lenses of this type/size (kowa 8z/sankor/elmoscope etc) - I suspect that some variants will fit within 71mm diameter so if you have one of these there will not be an issue. This video shows a non-destructive disassembly method providing care is taken and the correct tools used. Being able to return the anamorphic to it's original condition is the goal here. Cosimo has a great idea of wrapping the uncovered section with plastic wrap before taping into the infinity position - this ensures the helicoid grease will remain contaminant free and enable the lens to be re-assembled if needs be without any ill effects from the disassembly and re-mounting process. This video is meant as a visual guide only...do not attempt yourself if it looks too risky. Edit: As I previously mentioned on the older FM thread, you can make your own version of the FM mounting tube for smaller anamorphics by getting some stock exhaust/ tailpipe tube in the correct diameter (all you need to do is cut it to length). These are made from stainless steel and have a thinner wall thickness than the FM aluminium version - allowing a bit more room inside for an anamorphic to fit: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321033449391?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

My biggest moment was bringing my A7s to Germany to visit my father in law. He had been stricken by Lassa fever in Sierra Leone eight years ago, rushed to Germany, was in a coma for 6 months, and ended up in a wheel chair for eight years. But then my wife and I got word he started walking in September. So we rushed out from Brooklyn to visit him in Germany. I took my A7s to shoot photos and film this amazing development. But I had to be mindful as he's a proud man (a physician and African Chief). I needed something that would be discrete and unobtrusive. With the silent shutter, ability to shoot from the hip and with no lights or flash, the A7s caught some of the most beautiful moments that I couldn't with another camera. Then when I showed him the technology and what it could do he was completely blown away - and of course got up and walked for the camera.

For me it has to be upgrading my cameras. I got a BMPCC for £366 in the summer sale and a GH4 for £899 on black friday weekend. Together that's the same amount of money I paid for my D5300 and G6 a year ago. But I've moved from two excellent enthusiast hybrid cameras to two professional video cameras. It really has been a big and worthwhile leap for me - not least because I'm done buying and researching cameras for at least a couple of years now. I'm going to focus completely on making actual films for people other than fellow camera boffins. That's the big moment for me. Merry christmas and a happy new year everyone! I hope 2015 brings good filmmaking to you all!

I don't drink coffee. What on earth am I supposed to film now? In all honesty though, that's really a great place to start, just filming a routine. Maybe you get a new lens or a new camera and you want to just get something for the sake of testing. Filming yourself (or someone else) making coffee is a great way to get different shots/angles, different lighting situations etc to check out how something holds up... or just to familiarize with operating. Added bonus is of course that at the same time it gets you to work on your cuts/edits. You can also theme your shoots. I believe lately I've spotted some themes in Andrew's shared review footage. Like putting focus on reflections (puddles, windows, etc)... making it a recurring theme during the video or in a similar way putting focus on people using their hands. You could also use a color or just anything really. It breaks 'the random' of seemingly random footage. A great tip from Dave Dugdale I've come across recently: find someone in your life who's interesting/does something interesting and ask them if they'd be up for an interview, then just sit down with them and see where it goes. You probably have a favourite movie, try to shoot something and end up with the same look. You can even try to make an exact copy of a certain scene. Enter a contest. If you need a little bit of a push, there's like Film Riot's Monday Challenge that reoccurs from time to time. You get an assignment, so you don't have to come up with the whole idea yourself. You do have to digg a bit in that creative mind of yours to come up with something unique of course. Sometimes it's all about participating and perhaps getting the honor of winning and getting your name mentioned, sometimes there's actually an incentive, like some gear you can win, so you've got a bit of pressure to do well, if that's just the thing you need. There's a bunch of stuff one can do.

bravo matt! i love the idea and the words and the imagery now for the bashing 1. put your best shots at the first minute of the clip (04:06 for example) 2. make a shorter version 2 minutes 3. i dont like the people talking, i would omit them (or just keep their voices without their faces, to put what goes on and shorten it) 4. music is good at the beginning but then its too melancholic, (for commercial reasons it needs to get more upbeat) 5. i know you are in the UK, put more sunlight in (some golden hour shots in there) its very blue, and cold tones tend to make us pull away again im talking business! <3 christina p.s. dont hate me! i am just saying these with love