It is so sad saying goodbye to Montreal. I love this amazing city. The crew was the [...]
Projects / Films
Apr
8
9 5D’s Capture The Power of a Shot on Goal for Yahoo Sports (WORLD CUP) 2010
In May of last year I was hired to shoot a web interactive game for Yahoo sports in the LA Coliseum. The Director Jason Zada…
Mar
26
KIN’s Camera Breakdown: Artistry Meets Organization
Prepping a movie is one of the most important tasks you have as a cinematographer. You can design the whole movie-organize, create, and schedule it in a way that is best for light.
Mar
18
AAA Behind the Scenes: Episode One “The Drag Strip”
In January of 2011, I was asked by “The Gentlemen,” Brett Snider and Billy Federighi, a very creative and humorous, directing at Bandito Brothers, to shoot a series [...]
Mar
10
Designing the Visual Landscape of "KIN"
When Stefan Ruzowitzky and I sat down to talk about the look and feel of this film he immediately showed me these Todd Hido shots. They blew my [...]
Feb
26
Zeiss: A Cinematic Journey on "Act of Valor"
When I started to prep “Act of Valor” in April of 2009, we were using Canon glass on the first 2 days of shooting. The hot girls on deck and the interrogation scene [...]
Feb
15
Lighting Series Number 4: "Into the Blue" Sunset for Hours
When John Stockwell asked me to do a film set in the Bahamas about sunken treasure, greed, fun, and really hot chicks I was in. I had never done a movie on the water.
Feb
9
Prepping "KIN"
One week ago I was slated to do two amazing car commercials for the Bandito Brothers, one for Yokohama and the other for Hot Wheels. The spots both had a very unique style and approach. One would be shot with our hybrid 35mm motion picture film and [...]
Jan
17
Marines: Where’s the 5D Contest II, “For Us All”
This 60: commercial was filmed over 5 weeks on 3 continents. My Elite Team members and I brought to life a public service announcement for the Marine Corp that humanizes the warrior. Three and four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan have weighed on the American public. The concept is a story called FOR US ALL[...]
Jan
4
Lighting Series Number 4: Extending Dawn on the Practice Field in “DrumLine”
My phone rang on an evening in the late summer of 2000 while I was directing a Children’s Hospital commercial in Kansas City. It was Tim Bourne, a Hollywood Line Producer. He asked me if I had read the script he sent me a week ago.
Dec
11
Lighting Series Number 3: The Natural Look of Crazy/Beautiful
My next picture was with a director named John Stockwell. After signing onto this project I came to realize that John’s style and sensibility would change me forever as a cinematographer. We both felt this needed a fresh look: something that was…
Nov
23
Lighting Series Number 2: Going Inside the Hallowed Walls of a Secret Society on "The Skulls"
When Rob Cohen asked me to shoot his next feature after we finished “The Rat Pack,” I was ecstatic. I could not wait to get the script. He told me that it was a thriller about the Skull and Bones Secret Society at Yale.
Nov
12
Helmet Cams: Visceral, Intimate, and Emotional Connection with Your 5D
The first job that I ever shot with the Canon 5D was as Director and DP on a webisode series that Director of “Terminator Salvation” McG asked me to do. We produced these webisodes as part of the “Terminator Salvation” marketing campaign to be used…
Nov
5
Lighting: An inside look into "The Rat Pack"
21 months ago I never could have predicted the direction of my life. With the invention of the 5D camera, I started to understand that creating the look of “digital film” took an of the box thought process and my collective experience as a cinematographer. I did not anticipate how much I would enjoy sharing and giving back through teaching because…
Sep
17
When a Small Move Makes All the Difference: Kessler Crane’s CineSlider
When I started the 5 week Marine’s commercial two months ago, I knew we would be in wide open spaces as well as tight quarters on the Amphibious Assault Destroyer. The project required gear that was versatile, so I turned to Kessler Crane’s CineSlider. NAB was where I…
Sep
3
A Call-out to all Filmmaker Co-collaborators in Mexico
Wow, what a ride this last 18 months has been! I find myself at the fore front of a technology that I know in my heart will change the way we EVENTUALLY make movies in Hollywood, but what is so exciting is that this is not a Hollywood story.
Aug
11
Canon 5D MK II & The Video Village Challenge
At first glance with the Canon 5D you notice one thing, the minute you plug a mini HDMI cable or a 1/8” mini plug into the outputs on the camera, your LCD screen disappears. It is like a sick magic trick that for some reason, not one person can figure out.
Aug
4
The Canon 5D in Big Sky Country with the MARINES
I am on the road again directing for Bandito Brothers www.banditobrothers.com/ and loving it. As a filmmaker, I am taking advantage of this inspiring, creative tool (a 5D camera) while stretching the budget. Our goal is to show the influence of the Marines around the globe while…
Jul
16
Color Grading the 5D MKII for Case Combines
There have been so many great comments on the BTS of the Case Tractor commercial that I wanted to share the 30 second spot with you. I am always comparing the 5D to Reversal Film Stock because you have to get it close in camera.
Jun
14
A Hybrid Shoot In America’s Heartland for Case Tractor
Three weeks ago I was selected as the director for a national commercial campaign for Case Tractors. It would be my first solo directing gig after signing with the Bandito Brothers one month ago. In the commercial world, an advertising agency is hired by the client, which…
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