Sunday, 04 December 2011 16:42
Compression: 4:2:0 v 4:2:2
This is a very readable blog entry on this subject by UK based DP and writer on technology, Alister Chapman. It is well worth a read to clear the air.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 11:27
Vanuatu shoot
Lots of interesting days on my recent trip including a visit to the folks at the village of Epai on the remote island of Tanna.
The villagers have resisted the trappings of Western culture and continued to embrace a subsistence way of life dominated by their belief in “Kastom”. They believe this place holds the spirit of Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh and hope that one day he will "return" in person for a visit (with his wife).
Epai Kastom Village. The villagers have resisted the trappings of Western culture and continued to embrace a subsistence way of life dominated by their belief in “Kastom”.
Yasur Volcano. It's a short 10 min walk to the rim of the crater where you see the power of nature
Sunday, 30 October 2011 11:45
November workshop: the last for the year
My last Two Day Workshop for a small group. This workshop will be for a maximum of six participants so that we can do lots of location practice shoots!
This workshop is now full I'm sorry.
Saturday, 29 October 2011 14:36
Six days training in camera and lighting for scholarship winner
Michael Atkin is the Andrew Olle Scholarship winner for 2011. As part of his schoarship package he spent a week with me at the ACS National HQ, North Sydney. There was numerous location shoots and lighting exercises during this time. Michael received the scholarship after pitching a major project which will be completed for different arms of the ABC in 2011.
Saturday, 29 October 2011 14:33
Student film shoot
Randwick College Advanced Diploma group has completed the shooting stage of their short film "Surprise"
Monday, 15 August 2011 16:37
Last weekend - the small-group workshop wraps
Thanks to this great group of willing participants who joined me last weekend for a few days of shooting around the streets of North Sydney. It's a great location with its little lanes, old terrace houses and parks. We finished up the course with a lighting session at the ACS National HQ, North Sydney. The perfect place for our base camp.
Congratulations to everyone for making it one of the best.

Monday, 15 August 2011 16:47
Shooting on PHASEONE camera promos starts on Hamilton Island
The perfect start to the series of twelve promos for PHASEONE. This Danish company is renowned for making the finest medium format digital "backs" and cameras available. These are 80MP jobs, and I'm in total ore of what I have to play with for the next few weeks. The remainder of the segments will be studio-based here in Sydney. The presenter is very well known international photographer and photography speaker, Peter Eastway (GM.Photog.). I'll be posting further behind the scenes shots as we progress.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011 20:24
Join the August small-group workshop
Sydney dates Saturday and Sunday 13th and 14th August. For rundown sheet, please see here. The workshop will have around seven participants, so
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early to reserve a place. For this small-group workshop, the cost is $375 + gst per person per day. The training workshop will conduct at the ACS National Clubhouse, North Sydney.
Btw, for news of upcoming workshops, and to keep informed of innovations in cinematography and lighting, I invite you to visit www.facebook.com/Pieter.deVries.videotraining If you like it, please " Like" it, and I will keep you up to date.
Friday, 29 July 2011 15:20
A quick trip to the Kimberly
You can never tell at the start of the week what you might be doing at the end of the week. I took an assignment last week and it went something like this.
Qantas to Broome, light aircraft to Mitchell Plateau, helicopter to Naturalist Island, camp overnight on the beach, early morning aerial shoot, helicopter back to Mitchell Plateau, light aircraft to Broome, Qantas back to Sydney.
Saturday, 30 July 2011 13:56
SMPTE 2011 ACS workshops
A number of of the ACS cinematographers recently gave time to running a series of special events at the SMPTE conference and exhibition in Sydney.
For those who came our session, there was an opportunity to attend a forum conducted by myself and international photographer Simon Harsent. This was a ‘must see’ if you own a large sensor video camera or a DSLR and you wish to make the most of these camera’s abilities. Simon and myself know these cameras well, and we each brought our distinctive perspectives to show you exactly how to get the finest images that these cameras can deliver.
Monday, 11 July 2011 07:39
What lights do you need?
I have just added a new article which may help you to choose a few lighting bits and pieces to add to you kit. Download it here
"Lighting is at the heart of all photography regardless of the format. It’s about using your camera to tell a story and the way that you, as the storyteller, use light to enhance that story.
Photographers and videographers alike observe natural light and the way it impacts on things. It could be harsh summer sunlight that casts strong overhead shadows, or a ray of warm late afternoon light that rakes across a room after a rain shower. Light, and the way it falls, sets a mood. One challenge for the videographer is to be able to observe these naturally occurring moods and recreate them with artificial lighting."
Friday, 01 July 2011 00:00
As a guest speaker at the Exposed Down Under conference held this year in Melbourne, I found lots of guys, largely wedding cinematographers keen for lighting tips.
There is intense interest in large-sensor video cameras and the quality of work on show was stunning. Lemac Melbourne supplied the lighting kits for the day and are always ready to chip in, so thanks.
Thanks also to Abraham Joffe and Dave Cowling for inviting me to address the event.
Friday, 01 July 2011 00:00
XYZ Networks producers take on video and lighting trainingI've just completed two days of training with four of XYZ Network's promo producers at the training HQ at North Sydney. The two day course was crafted to give the producers a better understanding of camera and lighting processes.
Day #1: cameras (Sony EX1, Z1 and PMW-F3) were explored and lots of clip screenings
Day #2: spent learning tripod techniques and an exterior location shoot around North Sydney. An intro to lighting in the afternoon
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"Thanks again for such a great day on Thursday, really looking forward to the next one!"
Rhanna Collins, The Weather Channel |
"Many thanks for an informative, entertaining and relaxing 2 days. I have come away motivated to get out and shoot for work and also personal fun"
David Tomley, Senior Promo Producer LifeStyle Channels |
Sunday, 29 May 2011 14:28
Follow-up on the workshops
I've completed a month of workshops, travelling around the country with colleague, photographer Nick Rains. Our thanks go out to everyone who attended, and for the challenging Q&A sessions. Nick and I enjoyed it and we will be back again to run further training in your city. Here are just a few comments about the events:
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"The full day event captured the intended audiences attention for the whole time which isn't an easy task"
Kym Meaney, Adelaide |
"I thought the workshop was great. It gave me the answers I was looking for and much more"
Phil Cooper, Sydney |
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I'd happily recommend this to anyone just starting or wanting to expand their knowledge of using DSLR's and film production"
Rich Wainwright, Perth |
"Great venue, great speakers - fantastic day!"
Paul Kane, Perth
more here |
Thursday, 12 May 2011 16:48
Sydney DSLR video workshop
From co-presenter Nick Rains:
Piet de Vries and I did our first Canon video workshop last Tuesday to a full room in the Sydney Masonic Conference Centre on Goulburn Street. We have already had some excellent feedback so it seems we delivered the goods. It's always tricky to know at which level to pitch these sorts of talks so Piet and I decided to assume everyone came from a stills background and set our level accordingly.
I covered the technical stuff (as is my usual style!) and Piet explained the very different thought processes necessary to shoot compelling video - and showed a video of a wedding shot by a collegue that blew everyone away with it's sophisticated editing and shooting style. It was both intimidating and inspiring at the same time.
We still have places for the other four venues, coming up next week and the week after, if you want to find out more about shooting video with your DSLR.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011 00:00

These one-day seminars will be run in five cities around Australia:
- Sydney - May 10 - SMC, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney (sorry full)
- Melbourne - May 17 - Melbourne Zoo, Elliot Avenue, Parkville
- Perth - May 19 - Perth Zoo, 20 Labouchere Rd, South Perth
- Adelaide - May 23 - Mercure Hotel, 125 North Terrace
- Brisbane - May 26 - Mt Gravatt TAFE, Creative Industries Dept
Over the past two years there has been a revolution in image making - DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, 1D Mk4 and other models have opened up the possibility of making full HD movies with an amazing cinematic quality. Stills photographers have been fascinated by the potential of the new features but have often floundered when they realize that making good short movies is nowhere as easy as it looks.
Highly experienced cinematographer and large-sensor video specialist, Pieter de Vries has teamed up with photography educator and writer Nick Rains to deliver the essentials of creating video content. They will cover the necessary hardware, sound recording, video shooting basics and editing software in an easy to digest format over four 90 minute sessions.
Pieter works with digital video in all flavours and will share with you the methods and techniques that have made him one of Australia's most respected cinematographers. Nick offers the perspective of 28 years as a stills photographer who has recognised and developed the potential of HD video for his business.
It is certain that understanding and delivering mixed media content will be an incredibly useful tool as the publishing industry transitions to delivery on tablet computers, phones and iPads etc. Traditional print clients are beginning to request video clips from their stills photographers so an understanding of how to
produce decent footage will be essential in the future.
Topics covered include:
- DSLR camera controls, including the classic 5D Mark II (Nick)
- lens choices - wide apertures, zooms, telephoto (Piet)
- shooting video - the constraints of the camera design (Nick)
- vital accessories: primes, viewfinders, shoulder rigs (Piet)
- handheld shooting techniques (Piet)
- tripod shooting techniques (Piet)
- sound - an overlooked but critical aspect of video (Nick)
- timelapse (Nick)
- shooting for the edit - video clips are not stills (Piet)
- editing software - iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Premier (Nick)
$330 incl gst - here is where you book
Sunday, 06 March 2011 15:21
The Sony PMW-F3
The newest camera on Sony's block has been in my hands and on my tripod for a few weeks. Here are some comments.
The first thing that I noticed was that the camera was familiar and after turning it on I understood why. The menu layout is similar to the Sony PMW-EX1 and the EX3. You’d swear that you were looking at those menus and this makes things easy as I’m on familiar ground. Already I'm sensing that this is a "Just Get Out and Do It" kind of camera.
There is abundant information online detailing the technical specs of the camera, however I’m more intrigued by its potential in a range of productions and the possibilities it creates to take my corporate and doco work into a new realm.
Sony suggests that the PMW-F3 is suited to television, commercials, music and promotional budget productions however, based on my two weeks of toying around, I see much more in store. Here is an example from Martin Scanlan to set the scene. I will have my film posted here very soon.
The numbers
Let's get the specs out of the way.
- The F3 is based on Sony’s XDCAM EX workflow. The codec is MPEG-2 Long GOP 4:2:0 8 bit, 35 Mbps and uses Sony’s recording format based SxS ExpressCard.
- The Super 35mm CMOS imager delivers appealing shallow depth of field with high sensitivity and low noise levels.
- It offers a wide range of options for creating images, and the ability to edit F3 images seamlessly with material shot on Sony’s F35 by using an HD SDI dual-link output and making external recordings. This is nice given the mature and straight forward nature of the XDCAM workflow.
- The F3 records naively to the on-board SXS cards in 4:2:0 at 35Mb/sec transfer rate.
Before making any consideration of this native spec, look at the images that come from the camera. They have a earthy, organic feel and I would be happy shooting straight to the SxS cards for most of the time, but this camera is up-scalable.
I would consider stepping up to the 4’s and 2’s, recording at 4:2:2 at up to 280Mb/sec using the compact nanoFlash external recorder. The front end of the F3 has the Super 35mm CMOS imager and some excellent lenses all held by a solid PL lens mount and you can’t help but notice this quality in the final production.
The PL-mount of the PMW-F3 can both take PL and zoom lenses and is compatible with a variety of cine lenses such as Cooke, Arri, Fujinon and Zeiss.
Most cinematographers will appreciate that this camera creates a very new and special category, so when would I shoot with it and what is it actually like to use?
Read more...
Saturday, 12 February 2011 05:00
microWAVE microbudget filmmaking event
I will be conducting a session during this event at the UTS on Saturday afternoon, February 19th. My topic will be on the emergence and use of large-sensor video cameras. This is going to a fantastic day.
Friday, 28 January 2011 12:39
Aboriginal traditional smoking ceremony on the harbour
I'm currently shooting video elements for a photographic exhibition at The Rock Museum.The smoking ceremony conducted by "Uncle" Max Eulo is a traditional way to offer a welcome to all. - Australia Day 2011 Darling Harbour Sydney. The exhibit is the work of photographer Murray van der Veer and centres on the Tribal Warriors, a dedicated group of indigenous locals who preserve the stories and the history of the original inhabitants of the Sydney Harbour area.
Thursday, 13 January 2011 06:47
Journalism students get some basic video skills
Getting some basic video camera skills was part of the five day course for a group of students of the APM School of Business & Communication at the Australian Film Television and Radio School this week. I've been working with the schools's Open Program.
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 07:32
Babies now online
This is a short film that I shot with writer/director Tom (T.C.C.) Taylor. More production details here
Shot on location at Leura in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. It's short at 2:19 min, but writer/director/editor/fx Tom has come up with a clever script with some laughs and a few babies thrown in! I shot this film on the Canon 5D Mk11 and I hope you like it.
Sunday, 12 December 2010 19:46
DSLR's: "Shooting Moving Stills" - a new article
This document shows the differences between Canon DSLR's in video mode - 1D MkIV, the EOS 5D MkII and the EOS 7D. A valuable PDF doc for comparing each model.
Written and compiled by South Australian ACS member Pete Hall, it was originally published in the Australian Cinematographer magazine. Download it here.
Monday, 13 December 2010 12:50
Winners list for the 2010 NSW & ACT ACS Awards for Cinematography
Saturday, 04 December 2010 11:20
We are in the final days of our shoot in this remote part of Australia’s Northern Territory. UK Veterinary Surgeon Mark Evans, the main presenter, dissects and literally uncovers the exotic features of animals. He is joined by his regular co-host, New York based Anatomist Joy Reidenberg. Earlier in the trip they dissected a roadkilled Cassowary on the Queensland leg and in more recent days, a camel and two road killed kangaroos have been dissected in the name of science. We have been working on a remote cattle station via the Oodnadatta Track in Australia's Northern Territory.
The ING team joined shooters who are in the process of culling camels in an effort to limit the damaged that they cause to the inland environment. Station owner Allan Fennel was flying seriously low in a red micro-light aircraft and the rest of the film crew in 4WD’s close behind keeping heads down. Once a camel was culled the crew came in, set up the dissection site and filmed for 10 hours in the 40 degree heat as the presenters made their way through the freshly fallen animal. Not for the faint hearted.
Four nights at the remote Marla Roadhouse and we are all now back in Alice Springs for to shoot the final sequences.
A shout out to additional crew Shane Mulcahy and David Nixon (Alice Springs) and to Dan Pycroft and Wayne Marx (Cairns) who contributed valuable additional camera work and importantly, came pre-loaded with a stack of local knowledge. All of these guys were a pleasure to have on our crew.
Wednesday, 17 November 2010 09:20
 I am currently working on three new episodes of this popular UK documentary series produced by Windfall Films London. Filming is taking place at Mission Beach in Far North Queensland and around Alice Springs over the coming few weeks. Format: HDCAM using Sony F900R cameras.
Read more...
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