One of our clients sent us this link to a video where they used certain shots from a Jag35 adapter. I thought it was cool they used them. Can you spot which shots where shot with an adapter? it's pretty obvious, ha!
Here's the original video where they took the clips from.
Showing posts with label Testimonial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Testimonial. Show all posts
I found a great post on HV20.com forum posted by Matt Bornstein. I guess he was previously using a static adapter, but because of the grain produced by the static focusing screen, he had abandoned the idea of shooting video with adapters, to the point that he wasn't getting much use of his video camera anymore. After deciding to get a Jag35Pro which includes a Vibrating GG Focusing Screen, he went out and these are his first test shots with it.
This is straight footage with no grading. He shot this using a Canon HG20 and a Jag35Pro w/ 40mm Achromat and a Nikon 50mm f1.8
Just recently one of our clients Matt Stapleton sent over some of his video clips he created using one of our Jag35Pro adapters. It's always to see what our clients are doing with their Jag35 adapters.
I wanted to point out Matt's footage, simply because it stood out to us. Nice colors and very crisp focus. You can tell he took the time to fine tune his setup, by making sure he was focused to the GG Screen, it's the only way to get images like these.
He shot his footage using a Sony HDR-SR11 with a Jag35Pro w/ a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 Lens.
One of our clients Luke Dejoras shared his video test with us. We don't get too many people showing us their footage shot with Jag35 adapters and much less with Jag35E models, I thought this was some very nice very contrasty images he captured.
He shot this with his Canon HG10 with a Jag35E and a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 Lens.
So selling 1000 adapters is a big deal for us here at JAG35. Thats why we decided to give some prizes away to whoever was the lucky buyer. The sale came in Sep 7, 2009 09:32:56 for a jag35pro bundle.
The buyer: David Saldaña from Hormigueros, Puerto Rico
An amazing coincidence is that I have a good friend here in california that goes by the same name David Saldaña, and at first i thought I was being played a joke on by him!! But no the winner is real, and we would like to say, Congratulations .
And a big thanks to every one of our clients that has made this possible.
David will receive the following:
Jag35 support rods
D|Focus w marking plate
Lens gear
Jag35 T-shirt
Free seat at F-stop Academy coming to a city near you
While working at the Jag35 Headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, I've had the opportunity to talk to a lot of independent filmmakers and a lot of times help out in their production by providing advice on shooting techniques, or helping them acquire the so much sough after film look by using a 35mm adapter. One of these filmmakers that really stood out by putting together a full production of a short film Manifest Destiny using one of our... Jag35Pro adapters, Darrell & Doug Waters gracefully accepted to have us stop by their movie set/garage and gave us an in depth interview about their experiences while working on their short film. It was a very inspiring night for both me and my brother, as we have in the past attempted to shoot our own film, and became very discouraged after we realized how much work it is, and how it's so hard to count on your friends to memorize lines and actually show up to your scheduled shooting days. Learning what Darrell and Doug had to go thru and the obstacles they had to overcome was very interesting to hear and learn from, and I believe other independent filmmakers out there starting out can really benefit from the key ideas where they succeeded. We probably spend about 3 - 4 hours with them, just talking and even then, it seems as if our time was cut short.
For those of you interested. They used a Canon HV30 (about $600) with a Jag35Pro ($300) a very inexpensive tripod on a DIY home built dolly made out of 2X4s and tracks from home depot, they also created an application which via bluetooth controlled the movements of the dolly, which is how they got the steady slow and consistent pan shots. All props where bought online thru ebay, like medical utensils, masks and even alien with guts spilling out. Story and concept was written by Doug and several attempts were made before they reached the final concept. Editing was done by Darrell on an 20" iMac intel 1.8 w/ 2GB of Ram, and soundtrack is all original written and composed by Darrell on Garage Band.
Like I said, we talked a lot and didn't wanna leave, so we couldn't possibly post the full interview, so we narrowed it down to a short clip so we can show you the highlights. Hope you enjoy it.
By Darrell and Doug Waters
From the beginning, it was all about budget. 7 months ago we knew very little about filmmaking, hi-def video cameras, and especially shallow depth of field. First, we researched video cameras and chose the Canon HV30 after watching videos on Vimeo. With our initial experimentation with the HV30 alone, we were unable to produce the film-like results we were after. Some online research indicated that a DOF adapter would help. The JAG35 line of adapters had, in our opinion, the best "bang for the buck". After discussing our specific needs with the JAG35 staff...we chose the JAG35 Pro. Like most customers, we spent a considerable amount of time shooting common DOF shots to test the adapters capabilities and to familiarize ourselves with the concept of shallow depth of field.
Let us add that a DOF adapter is just one of many tools needed to produce a film-look with video. We achieved the look on Manifest Destiny with the following tools and settings:
Canon HV30: 24P, Halogen WB, TV Mode 1/48, Locked Exposure
JAG35 Pro: Canon FD 50mm 1.8
JES Deinterlacer: Horizontal & Vertical Flip, Inverse Telecine, 23.976 fps
Final Cut Express 4.0: Color Correction, Increased Blacks, Desaturation
Red Giant QuickLooks: Blockbuster setting 60%
Lighting: Halogen Spot and Flood Lights 3200K
After initial setup, we found the JAG35 Pro was very simple to use. Once it was installed on the HV30, all we had to do was focus and we were done. We've received several comments from people who have seen our set that can't believe we shot Manifest Destiny in a garage. This would not have been possible without the JAG35 Pro. It provided an illusion of space within a limited area. Basically, it made all our shots look cool. Jehu and Misa have both been extremely helpful in the production of our first film and we thank them for their continued support. We look forward to using the JAG35 Pro on our future projects. If anyone has any specific questions regarding Manifest Destiny or how we used the JAG35 Pro, feel free to contact us through Vimeo.
Click here to Visit our Vimeo Page
By Jag35 User: Brice Beasley
I would like to start off by thanking Jehu, Misa, and everyone else that comprises the JAG35 team. I feel it is important to emphasize the level of support they offered me—as a potential customer, with an abundance of questions—during my decision making phase. Prior to this experience, I knew absolutely nothing about DOF adapters, let alone how to use them. Jehu, and his team, went above and beyond to help me decide exactly which setup would work best for me. Even now, post purchase, any question, or concern that comes up is quickly addressed. They made the whole process very easy. Thanks guys.
The adapter I finally decided upon was the 35 ST. It was the ST that made the most sense to me, as this is my first time using a DOF adapter, I wasn't too sure what to expect, so I figured I would start off with the entry-level adapter. I was really impressed with the ST demo footage I had seen on Jag35.com, particularly the images from the "Behind the Scenes on Phillips new GH1 Short." That, combined with ST's low price, the decision pretty much made itself. I purchased the adapter, along with a Canon FD 50mm F1.4 lens, straight off of Jag35.com, and eleven days later, I was attaching the ST to the front of my Canon HV40, and capturing footage. The first couple hours were spent fumbling around with every possible combination of on-camera settings, lens aperture settings, and lighting scenarios. After a few hours of being unsuccessful at capturing a desirable image, I realized that I was clearly doing something wrong. I say this, because I have read many online posts where people are getting frustrated with the results that they are getting from their DOF adapters, focusing and vignetting issues being at the forefront. I have to admit, at this point, I felt a bit of that frustration toward what I was seeing on my LCD, but I also knew what the adapter was capable of, so I sent Jehu an email. I described to him what I was doing, and what I was seeing through my camera. He replied right back with a few remedies, and shortly thereafter, I was achieving the exact results I was after. I did a lot of experimenting with the ST over the next few days. Shooting in a variety of settings, and conditions. I captured the mandatory "go outside and film the trees and bushes footage," as well as the "make people uncomfortable by getting in their face with your camera footage," all with very impressive results. The ST may be considered, by some, as the "entry level" adapter in the Jag35 line-up, but in terms of overall image quality, to me it is anything but. With the proper settings, and a little time spent experimenting, I have been able to capture some beautiful images.
Here are few things that I have found helpful while shooting with the ST:
- Lighting is key, the more light you can cast on your subject, the better.
- Make sure your lens is wide open, and compensate with the on-camera exposure settings if needed. After you get your exposure to a comfortable spot, lock the exposure.
- Zooming in past the vignetting can take a bit of finessing. Make sure you have auto-focus on. Zoom in on the grain very slowly, the moment it goes out of focus, pull it back slightly until the auto-focus corrects itself. Once you have your focus sharp, switch to manual focus and you're done. (Be careful that you don't mistakingly roll the manual focus wheel while handling your camera though, otherwise you'll have a bit of correcting to do.)
- Shooting in "spotlight" mode will help if you are getting a lot of in-camera gain in your shots, but it is certainly not the only mode to experiment with.
- ALWAYS make sure your glass is clean. As you'll see in this footage, I made the mistake of not checking before I started shooting. The smallest speck of dust can ruin your shots.
- Canon HV40
- Jag35ST
- Canon FD 50mm F1.4 lens,
- Tripod
- 30p
- TV Mode: Shutter speed 60
- Image Effect: Custom (color depth = +, brightness = 0, contrast = +, sharpness = +)
- Post: iMovie contrast/brightness boost
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