Murder of man in Camden

A man was stabbed to death in Camden on Sunday (29 May).

iPhone 6S kit for documentary and news filming

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iPhone 6S documentary filmmaking kit

You can use the iPhone for serious documentary, news and factual filmmaking. I’ve put together a compact, portable kit to get great sound and images with an iPhone 6S.

The phone: iPhone 6S

I use an iPhone 6S because it’s the best standard-sized iPhone for filmmaking. But the 6S Plus would be even better: as well as a bigger screen, it has optical image stabilisation.

Phone rig

It’s hard to hole a bare phone camera steady. I need to be able to grasp it firmly for better handholding.

With iPads, I use iOgrapher cases: they have two handles, cold shoes for accessories, a mount for screw-in adapter lenses, and a metal tripod socket. But for the phone, I wanted an extending clamp rather than a case. The Ztylus iPhone Rig looks to be the only one with a built-in cold shoe. It’s substantial and well-designed, with deep rubber jaws which go wide enough to hold bigger phones like the 6S Plus. It’s more secure than clamps that rely on spring tension: you push down against the spring and use a knurled screw to lock the jaws firmly in place. The tripod socket is a metal insert.

I bought it as part of their Pistol Grip Kit. The grip is very ergonomic and makes a big difference to handholding. Its wide platform lets you use it with bigger cameras and SLRs as well.

Sound

The quickest way to improve your films is to record better audio. Viewers hate bad sound more than bad pictures. The iPhone’s built-in microphones are OK for getting ambient sound, or people talking in closeup, but that’s about it.

You can get good iPhone microphones like the Rode Smartlav+. I also have their VideoMic Go directional mic. But I wanted to use my usual microphones, the on-camera VideoMic Pro (mine is the old model, the current one has a better shockmount) and the excellent wireless Rodelink Filmmaker Kit.

(If you need more sound options – or you can’t run to a wireless kit – you could connect a Smartlav+ to another phone in your presenter/interviewee’s pocket, then sync it up later.)

Connecting microphones to the iPhone

Both my microphones have minijacks rather than pro XLR plugs, but you still can’t plug them straight into your phone. They have TRS plugs and iPhone inputs are TRRS.

You could just use a TRS-TRRS converter like Rode’s SC-4. But recording sound without monitoring it is like filming with your eyes shut. So you really need an adapter that takes a microphone and headphones. (You also need FiLMiC Pro as you can’t monitor audio with the standard Camera app.)

Make sure you get the right adapter: these powered microphones need different adapters than unpowered microphones. In the USA, KVConnection make both kinds. In the UK, I bought the less expensive Conversor adapter.

If you’re using the Rodelink and you want to be more discreet, a male to female minijack extension lead will let you connect the wireless receiver while keeping it in your pocket.

I use Sony 7506 studio headphones which have excellent sound quality.

If you need to connect a pro XLR microphone, you could use the iRig PRE.

Lenses and case

You’ll always get the sharpest images with the standard iPhone lens. But add-on lenses let you go wider and closer. So I’m using the Ztylus 0.63x wide angle and 2x telephoto lenses, which I’ve reviewed here. You lose some edge sharpness, but you gain the ability to go really wide and shoot closeups from a comfortable distance. The Ztylus lenses come with a tough plastic case.

Other stuff

I always carry an Anker external battery pack in case the phone runs out of power.

My iPhone is the 64Gb model, which is big enough for the short videos I make. If you need more memory, you could get a Sandisk Ixpand[/easyazon_link] flash drive, which connects to the Lightning socket.

The complete iPhone 6S documentary kit

iPhone 6S or 6S Plus

Ztylus Pistol Grip Kit

Ztylus Z-Prime Lens Kit (full review)

(use this code to get 25% off your first order from Ztylus)

Rode VideoMic Pro and/or

Rodelink Filmmaker Kit (full review)

Microphone adapter from Conversor (UK) or KVConnection (USA)

Anker external battery pack

Keeping it simple

I’ve also put together a simpler, pocketable iPhone filmmaking kit.

Related

iPad and iPhone filmmaking training for schools, businesses, nonprofits and other organisations in the UK and Europe.

iPhone filmmaking tips

 

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Testimonials

“Jam packed, hands on and informative. Full of exercises and resources that we can use time and time again.”
Sarah Jones, Artistic Director, Messupthemess Theatre Company

“Tom Barrance is one of the most experienced film and media educators in the UK. He marries a sensitivity to the aesthetics of film to considerable technical skill and knowledge, and he combines these in active learning experiences that make a real difference to the ways in which people understand film.”
Mark Reid, Head of Education Team, British Film Institute

“Tom’s iPhone filming course is simply excellent. Fun, interesting, useful and rewarding.”
Derek C Stewart OBE, Associate Director for Patient, Public Involvement & Engagement, NIHR CRN

“Tom Barrance is an excellent film / media educator with an understanding of how to take the mystique out of film making and make it accessible to all. His work with young people and teachers alike makes a difference; he inspires and his training provides a launch pad for a deeper understanding of film.”
Chris Whitney, Literacy and Film Education consultant

“Tom is a really good teacher and is able to convey a lot of technical detail without baffling his audience. Highly recommended.”
Gillian Southgate, Assistant Director, NHS R&D Northwest

“I’m gutted that the week has come to an end. Thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt loads”
Brodie, Teen Take film project

 

 

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Man jailed for murder of Ravinder Jutla in Ealing

A man has been jailed for the murder of his partner Ravinder Jutla in Ealing.

Man jailed for murder of Vaidas Sakalauskas in Canning Twon

A man has been jailed for at least 18 years for the murder of Vaidas Sakalauskas.

Ztylus Z-Prime lenses – review with sample images

I’ve been looking for a good add-on lens for my iPhone 6S for some time. The standard iPhone lens is very sharp, and for stills it’s a useful 29mm equivalent wide angle. But it’s limiting for filmmaking: its built-in video stabilisation crops the image, making it the equivalent of around a 40mm focal length.

Z-Prime lenses

The Ztylus Z-Prime lenses come in 0.63x wide and 2x telephoto versions, which works out at around 24mm and 80mm for video. That’s a really useful combination.

The wide angle fits more in than the standard lens, gives dramatic perspective, and is easier to handhold.

The medium telephoto is ideal for details, and for undistorted closeups of people.

The kit I bought includes the two lenses, a part-metal case, a belt clip carrier with a carabiner for attaching it to a pack, and a bag and cleaning cloth. (If you buy single lenses, you get an all-plastic phone case.)

The lenses are only available for the iPhone 6/6S and 6/6S Plus.

The lenses

With the 0.63x wide-angle lens, the first thing I noticed is the lack of barrel distortion (lines bending outwards) compared with cheaper add-on lenses. Sharpness is very good at the centre, though it does fall off towards the edges. I couldn’t see any chromatic aberration (coloured fringes near the edges), which is a serious problem with some other lenses I’ve tried.

I was really impressed with the 2x telephoto lens. It’s great for picking out details, and gives a nice shallow focus effect.

It’s very sharp at the centre, with hardly any distortion. It’s tricky to hold the phone steady enough, though: I’d only use it on a tripod, or with the neat pistol grip kit that Ztylus also sell.

Going wider and longer

If you use Filmic Pro, rather than the native Camera app, you can switch off stabilisation to get the full 18mm effect of the wide lens. But Filmic Pro is trickier to focus. Unless you set your focus point near the centre of the image,  you can end up with  sharp corners and everything else soft.

With the tele lens, centre sharpness is good enough that you could shoot in 4K, then put the clips in a 1080p HD film and zoom in to double the size. That doubles the effective focal length to 160mm, but you’d need a solid tripod.

Sample shots

The top four shots, taken from the same distance, show how much of the scene each lens captures.

iPhone standard lens

Ztylus telephoto lens

Ztylus wide lens

Ztylus wide lens without stabilisation

The test images below were shot in 4K. Right-click (option-click on Mac) on the images to download full sized versions.

iPhone standard lens

Wide lens, with stabilisation

Wide lens, without stabilisation

Telephoto lens

‘4K crop’ telephoto shot in 1080p timeline

 

The Ztylus case and system

The lenses are part of a modular accessory system which includes a multi-lens turret, a ring light and a belt clip. The modular system means that when you upgrade your phone, you just buy a new case and you can carry on using the lenses and other accessories.

You fit the phone in its case by taking off the base (which is held on with a single knurled screw), sliding the phone in then reattaching the base.

The case is lined with thin foam to protect the phone and make for a firm fit. It’s a lot chunkier than a silicon sleeve. It includes a flip stand to prop the phone up for viewing.

The cutaway for the mute switch is well recessed, so it’ll be tricky for nail-chewers. The Lightning connecter and standard minijacks fit OK, but when I connected Rode’s bulkier SC-9 microphone/headphone adapter I had to leave the base off.

Attaching the lenses

The bayonet mount is quick and simple to use, with a simple twist-on/off action. The lenses lock securely into place, and you pull back on the red plastic tab to unlock them. They have neat spring-loaded lens caps which flip open at the press of a tab. The lens cap assembly is held on with a magnet, so you can take off the whole thing if you prefer.

Build quality

Build quality seems very good. Both lenses are multicoated, with five glass elements, and the bayonet fitting is metal.

On my case the lens mount didn’t sit perfectly level, so the lens tilted inwards slightly. I checked with Ztylus and it’s within normal manufacturing tolerances. It doesn’t seem to affect sharpness as long as you’ve set focus correctly at the centre of the frame.

Verdict

I think these lenses are really good. I’m using them together with the pistol grip kit as part of my high-end iPhone filmmaking kit.

Buying the lenses

You can buy the Z-Prime lenses from the Ztylus online store. Use this link to get 25% off your first order. They offer free worldwide shipping on orders over $50.

Non-USA orders are shipped from China; mine arrived within a week. (Customs charges and VAT will add quite a lot to the website price.)

Disclaimer

I haven’t been paid to write this review but Ztylus gave me a discount on the lenses. I get a percentage of the purchase price if you buy the lenses through my link.

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My process of illustrating: new blog cover

This illustration was created for the stunning model and blogger Yaourou. She contacted me to help her create a new blog cover where she would pose in a beautiful designer dress. She wanted the portrait to communicate both power and tenderness and I couldn’t resist the challenge of drawing this.

Here is the first  draft I made. I always start with a very rough pencil sketch and most of the times I even feel that I need to explain the client that the final product will look noting like this. I just need to get a confirmation that the pose and clothing choice are in line with their idea.

My lovely client had just one small correction. The approval to go forward was given and I started inking the artwork. Everything of course was done in my favorite program “Clip Studio Paint”(a.k.a. Manga Studio 5)

I knew that I wanted the dress to be partially transparent so I had to color the skin and the dress separately to achieve the effect. My muse has a wonderful skin complexion with cold undertones so I decided to keep the whole illustration on the cold side – more blue and purple & less orange and red.

The skin was completed with a gentle rim light around the edges. I find this to bring my illustrations to the next level giving them a modern and luxury feel.  I darkened the background and added some effects that I wasn’t very sure I will keep.

Next I focused on the jewelry and the hair. The latter took at least 1 hour to complete. Many people like drawing black hair because you can get away without working on the highlights and the shadows as much. Yet my client signed up for a detailed illustration with attention to every little thing and I intended to give her exactly that.

The last step was to get this goddess dressed. I worked on each and every little fold and wrinkle with the same love and attention as I worked on the face. A teacher of mine used to say “The difference between mediocre and great is the attention to detail”.  Even though I have not always listened to this advice it helps me tremendously when I want to create something I’ll be proud of later.
Oh…the text! No matter how experienced you are you can always learn a new trick. The glass effect of the lettering was actually a coincidence, a mistake. Yet I loved it so much that I decided to add some sparkles to emphasize it. My last step was to make the ground reflective – another way to make any illustration look more expensive and polished.

 

Blog covers are something very special – it can make the visitor love or hate the place from the first sight. They are the welcome sign to a blog and the more inviting they are the better. I feel like the visitors of Vanity Afro blog now have one more reason to love this place.
If you’d like to commission me to create an unique fashion illustration for your blog you don’t have to look like a model. Just come with a good idea and a smile :)

Love,
Teya

The post My process of illustrating: new blog cover appeared first on I Draw Fashion.

7 Lies Film Distributors Like to Tell Filmmakers

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Murder of woman in Hampstead

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Making A Short Film: 5 Tips For New Filmmakers

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Murder in Leyton

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Murder in Croydon

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Teenager jailed for manslaughter of Stefan Appleton

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How To Create a Film Website (So You Can Sell Your Movie)

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Boy, 14, guilty of Haile Langa manslaughter

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Three Ways How To Become A Filmmaker

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Four convicted of Marcel Addai murder in Hoxton

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Man jailed for murder of Lucy Ayris in Hillingdon

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Teen cleared of Jerome Scott murder

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Stop Asking Permission And Make Your First Feature

Stop asking permission to make your first feature… Or for that matter, any movie! In Hollywood, power is measured by your ability to get a movie made. Most people don’t have the power to make movies. In fact, most people only have the power to say “NO!” And if you’re a filmmaker working to make […]

Sut i gynnal gweithgareddau gwneud ffilmiau: uned achrededig

Cliciwch ar y ddelwedd i islwytho’r llyfryn (PDF, 1.6MB)

 

Mae Learnaboutfilm wedi datblygu cwrs newydd achrededig ar wneud ffilmiau gyda phlant, pobl ifanc ac oedolion.

Uned Agored Cymru yw Gwneud Ffilmiau, gyda dau gredyd ar Lefel 2. Mae’r cwrs yn addas ar gyfer gweithwyr a gwirfoddolwyr iuenctid, cymunedol a chelf. Bwriad y cwrs yw datblygu’r sgiliau sydd eu hangen i arwain projectau gwneud-ffilmiau sylfaenol ac a ddarparu’r uned Lefel 1 Creu cynhyrchiad fideo.

Bydd y myfyrwyr yn:

• creu ffilm fer (ysgrifennu amlinelliad, creu storifwrdd, ffilmio, golygu a rhannu)
• cynllunio gweithgaredd ffilm ar gyfer dysgwyr penodol (yn ystyried anghenion y dysgwyr a iechyd a diogelwch, a chreu amlinelliad ac amserlen)
• cloriannu ffilm fer ac awgrymu sut i’w gwella.

Rydym wedi creu llyfryn PDF 20-tudalen ar gyfer canolfannau Agored Cymru sydd am ddarparu’r cwrs hwn. Mae’n cynnwys cyngor ar gynllunio a threfnu projectau gwneud ffilm, canllawiau ar wneud ffilmiau, a thasgau awgrymedig i’r llyfr gwaith.

Cyllidwyd datblygiad yr uned a’r llyfryn gan Ffilm Cymru Wales.

Gall mudiadau addysg ffilm yng Nghymru ddefnyddio cynnwys y llyfryn i ddarparu gweithgareddau ffilm eraill.

Gall canolfannau partner Coleg Cymunedol YMCA Cymru islwytho llyfr gwaith cyfan mewn fformat Word (yn Saesneg).

The post Sut i gynnal gweithgareddau gwneud ffilmiau: uned achrededig appeared first on Learn about film.

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How To Pitch Your Film Project To Prospective Investors

Assuming you have met with a lawyer and figured out a way to protect yourself legally - If you aren't afraid to hear the word "NO," then what is stopping you from setting up a meeting and presenting your ideas to prospective investors? It doesn't always mean you'll get the money (if it were easy, everybody would be doing it.) - but it does mean that every NO is one no closer to YES!

New course on how to run filmmaking activities

Click on image to download the booklet (PDF, 3Mb)

 

Learnaboutfilm has developed a new accredited course on how to run filmmaking activities with children, young people and adults.

Film Making is an Agored Cymru unit with two credits at Level 2. It’s designed to provide participants with the skills they need to deliver the Level 1 course Creating a video production.

We’ve created a 20-page PDF booklet for Agored Cymru centres who want to deliver this course. It includes advice on planning and organising film projects, guidance on filmmaking, and suggested workbook tasks. The course is designed to provide participants with the skills they need to offer the Level 1 course Creating a video production.

Course and booklet development was funded by Ffilm Cymru Wales.

The booklet content can also be used by film education organisations in Wales for delivering other film education activities.

YMCA Community College Wales centres can also download a complete course workbook in Word format.

Learnaboutfilm can provide this course in English or Welsh for groups of up to 12 participants. Please get in touch if you’re interested.

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