BIg Rock - Ambit Energy

Two guys discuss the benefits of independent energy whilst rock climbing.

I had so much fun shooting with Thomas and Sean on "Nice Shorts", I thought it would be great to reunite them for an epic rock climbing adventure. We did get hassled by a park ranger about something called a "permit". What is this mythical piece of paper that you speak of?

Starring: Thomas Meaney and Sean Goodman
Written, Directed and Edited by: Michael Eggert
Original Score by: Marty Vites
Voice Over by: Kevin Thomas

Shot on location at Stoney Point.

Shot on a hacked Panasonic GH1 at ISO 100, 23.976 fps, with a Canon FL 55mm f1.2, Canon FD 20mm f2.8, Rainbow Imaging FL/FD Adapter and Fader ND.

Carry Speed V Shoulder Support.

Sansdisk Extreme Class 10 SDHC Card.

Rode Video Mic Pro.

Edited in Final Cut Pro.

Color Graded in After Effects.

2012 VW Beetle Fender Speaker System

Okay, I did not see this one coming. The newly redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will feature a 9 speaker, 400 watt system, designed by Fender Guitars.

If they offered it in tweed with and oxblood grill like a '59 Bassman, then you would have something:)

Nice Shorts Before & After

Here is a before and after comparison of the quick color grade I did for "Nice Shorts". I was going for a 70's style, cop show kinda look. A little bit like how the "Rockford Files" or "Charlie's Angels" appears in the back of my mind. They probably look nothing like this, but this is how I like to think of them.

I always try and shoot as flat as I can, by turning down the contrast and sharpen settings inside the camera. This helps increase the dynamic range, and provides a little more latitude while grading.

Nice Shorts - Dell Computers

An IT pro talks about how Dell's Mobile Solutions have helped make his job more enjoyable.

Starring: Thomas Meaney and Sean Goodman

Special Guests: OP as the brown shorts, Screamer as the white van.

Concept by: Michael Eggert

Written by: Thomas Meaney and Sean Goodman

Camera: Michael Eggert and Sean Goodman

Sound: Sean Goodman and Thomas Meaney

Directed and Edited by: Michael Eggert

Special Thanks: Laurie Shishino

Shot on location in Malibu and Santa Monica.

Shot on a hacked Panasonic GH1 at ISO 100, 23.976 fps, with a Canon FL 55 f1.2, Kiron 28mm f2.0, Rainbow Imaging FL/FD Adapter and Fader ND.

Manfrotto 561B Monopod.

Sansdisk Extreme Class 10 SDHC Card.

Audio recorded on a Tascam DR-07.

Rode Video Mic and Video Mic Pro.

Edited in Final Cut Pro.

Soundtrack from Garage Band.

Color Graded in After Effects.

Weekend Safari - Animal Crackers

A commercial for Stauffers Animal Crackers.

A man and his dog enjoy a little weekend safari at home.

I have always thought that my dog Aslan looks like a lion, hence the name, Aslan. So when I got the chance to make a little Animal Crackers commercial in my backyard, I couldn't resist.

Featuring the great Thomas Meaney as the lion tamer, and Aslan as himself. Aslan was a shelter dog who was red listed and was scheduled to be put down. Now he thinks he's a lion.

Starring: Thomas Meaney, Aslan

Concept by: Michael Eggert
Directed and Edited by: Michael Eggert
Music by: Michael Eggert - "Afrika"

Groomer: Laurie Shishino

Dog Wrangler: Marty Vites

Shot on a hacked Panasonic GH1 at ISO 100, 23.976 fps, with a Canon FL 55 f1.2, Kiron 28mm f2.0, Canon FL 85mm f1.8, Vivitar 2X Tele Converter, Rainbow Imaging FL/FD Adapter and Fader ND.

Benro C-298M8 Carbon HVC Flexpod.

Carry Speed V Finder

Sansdisk Extreme Class 10 SDHC Card.

Edited in Final Cut Pro.

Composited in After Effects.

Theme music composed in Garage Band.

Find out more about shelter animals and services at Shelter Animal Advocacy Fund Los Angeles.

Knights Templar Before & After

Recently I spent six hours filming during one of the rainiest days in Los Angeles's history. The cast and crew were awesome and did an amazing job. Here is a little secret, if you want to film without a permit, do it during a torrential downpour. The police will most likely leave you alone since the don't want to get out of their car:)

Here is a look at the original blue screen plate, and a quick and dirty comp of what the final shot might look like.

iWatch - LunaTik

What happens when you combine a 6th generation iPod nano, with a LunaTik watch band? An iWatch of course. Until Steve Jobs and Apple finally wise up and decide to make their own watches, we will have to create our own.

Scott Wilson and his TikTok and LunaTik watch kits were the most succesfully funded projects in KickStarter history.

You can buy your own at lunatik.

Carry Speed V-Shoulder Support

Tim over at Carry Speed sent me some pictures of their upcoming V-Shoulder Support rigs. Looks like they are going to be priced just right for the ever expanding DSLR universe. Tim assures me that these rigs will be very light and strong, being that they are primarily composed of carbon fiber. These rigs should be available for purchase later this month.

Carry Speed LVF-32 V Finder Review

One of the most difficult things about shooting with a DSLR is trying to achieve critical focus in bright daylight. The LCD screens on the back of the camera are notorious for washing out and becoming useless under the glare of the sun.

To combat this problem, pro shooters and amateurs alike, have turned to accessory LCD viewfinders. One of the first, and arguably still the best, is the Zacuto Z Finder. The Z Finder brought critical focus to thousands of shooters. The only downside to the Z Finder, is it's high sticker price, which is typical of Zacuto's professional level products. If you can afford a Z Finder, I highly recommend it.

For those of us with smaller wallets, there is the LCDVF, which is a cheaper alternative to the higher end Z Finder. The LCDVF design has become extremely popular and has been knocked off by countless companies.

Carry Speed is one of those companies, but with a big difference. Their version, known as the V Finder, features a couple of improvements. It has a larger eyepiece the cups the eye and keeps out any external light. More importantly, their LCD frame is thicker and heavier than the competitors, and features notched grooves that provide a much stronger connection.

Carry Speed V Finder Specs:

4:3 or 3:2 Aspect Ratio

2.5 X Magnification

2 Metal Frames

Neck Strap

Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

Pros: Notched Frame, Large Eyepiece, Less Expensive.

Cons: No Diopter, No Anti-Fog.

List Price: $59.99

Sonomax V4

Canada's Sonomax has an ingenious new line of custom fit in ear monitors. The neat trick is that the end user is the one who sets up the custom fitting. This is done by injecting silicone into a balloon placed inside their ears. After just four minutes, they are left with a uniquely formed set of ear monitors that are to be worn by just one person.

Sonomax custom IEMs should be available across North American retailers this spring, for $199 (dynamic driver) and $299 (dual armature).

So if you like to stick things in your ears, then you should love these.

Misa Kitara

If Tron could have played guitar, this is what it he would have played. The Kitara multi-touch guitar from Misa Digital would look great next to your Light Cycle.

Specs

8-inch multi-touch display
MIDI out
Audio out (1.25”)
Headphone out (3.5mm)
Onboard multi-voice audio synthesizer with assignable effects blocks
100+ digital sounds
6 pre-loaded effects
24 frets; 144 notes
Linux operating system

I think I will hold on to my Stratocaster a little longer just to be safe:)