I purchased my first prime lens – the Canon 50mm 1.4f in December to experiment with more portrait photography. Love it. However, I find myself currently fascinated by the new infinite possibilities of videography with the 7D and more wide angled lens. I embarrassingly spend every spare moment I have watching beautifully captured short films on Vimeo and YouTube.

It seems I’m not the only one getting slowly sucked into the world of story telling though DSLR video, both Lisa Bettany and Cameron Moll are both bulking up on Canon kit and producing some great content. Not forgetting to mention this beautiful (albeit somewhat techy) video I found on YouTube about Patrick Murphy-Racey, a seasoned photographer experimenting with DLSR video with masterful results:

See the original video discussed in the clip above here.

Geek kit I’m after

Tokina ATX 116 PRO DX AF11-16mm F/2.8 Canon

An ultra-wide angle lens with a fast 2.8 aperture for better photography in low-light situations.

Rode Microphones VideoMic

The on-board Mic of the Canon 7d is very basic, with a directional shock-mounted mic you get far better audio without the body noise and low frequency rumble.

Litepanels Micro

Good lighting is a must for more professional looking videos, bringing a character to life without the unwanted shadows.

Steadicam Merlin

Offering light, agile, seamless shooting for today’s videographers. I’d love one of these one day, but it’ll have to wait for now as a seemingly basic piece of equipment like this costs a lot of money.

See some footage taken with the Tokina lens and a Steadicam Merlin here.

Zacuto Z-Finder

The Z-Finder is an Optical Viewfinder that allows DSLR cameras to have the correct form factor for video. The larger viewfinder allows you to ensure perfect manual focusing at all times.

Inspiration

• I’ve always been inspired by the multi-talented Hillman Curtis, an early flash designer, turned digital designer, turned film maker. Do yourself a video and watch some of his short films.
• More recently I discovered Philip Bloom – an evangelist of DSLR film-making who’s short films and DLSR video tutorials/reviews have influenced many. Even George Lucas is interested in Philip Bloom’s DLSR video skills and recently flew him over to discuss techniques for a new movie.
• VBS.TV – a great source of short films covering all sort of subjects. I’m sure some are shot on DSLRs.

Feedback

I’ve done a fair amount of research and hope to make some of these purchases soon, but would really appreciate some feedback from more seasoned Canon DSLR photographers. Also if there are any 7D short films you’ve seen and enjoyed please provide some link love below in the comments to feed my addiction :)

I found some very cautious swans crossing the frozen lake, and put together this video montage trying to capture the moment. The music in the clip is by Jon Hopkins. (Recommend watching in HD on Vimeo)

Click here to view the embedded video.

They’ve grown in band members AND groupies since then, but their latest feature on national television here in the UK should hopefully take them one step closer to global domination.

You’ve got to watch this hilarious video of them performing their “Anna Paquin” tribute song directly to their idol LIVE on the hugely popular Graham Norton show.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you in the UK watch the full show tomorrow night, 12 October 2009 – 22:35 on BBC One.

Kudos to Simon, Dylan, the Tims and Richard! You guys rock.

Let me break that down for you.

Jon Hopkins according to Wikipedia:

Jon Hopkins is a British musician who writes and performs his own music, melody-led electronica. He was born and brought up in London and started playing the piano when he was five. By the age of twelve he was studying piano at London’s Royal College of Music. He has worked with Coldplay, Imogen Heap, King Creosote, David Holmes, Massive Attack, Chris Coco and Brian Eno, amongst many others.

And what’s so significant about Kings Place, Hall One, again let me leave this up to Wikipedia:

Hall One, the main concert hall is a building within a building – a box that sits on rubber springs to give it complete acoustic separation from the rest of the building.

It is built to the regular shoebox geometry – a double cube – that is considered most successful for small concert halls. Structural columns around the hall are set away from the walls to allow curtains to be drawn between the columns and the walls to modify the acoustic for speech or amplified music.

Combine those two elements and you have a jaw dropping live performance, but combine that electronica with beautiful piano compositions, Davide Rossi, a hugely talented violinist and Leo Abrahams an equally impressive guitarist and you have arrived at audio utopia.

The sort of thing you can expect from Jon Hopkins (recorded at the ICA in London earlier this year). Every beat he produces is mixed live in front of you:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If Jon Hopkins is ever touring your town or city make sure you book tickets! He’ll take you on an emotional rollercoaster through aggressive heavy beats to the most tranquil of melodies.

Want to hear something a little more soothing perhaps, turn it up real loud, sit back and enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sound familiar?