Recent content by amtriska

The Rode Stereo Videomic is a good deal. It's at B&H for $200. Search for it on YouTube and you'll get a bunch of sound tests that'll give you an idea of what it's like.

I'm also an atheist, and I always like to see more documentaries on the subject. In general, my advice is to be respectful and don't always come off like you're looking for a fight or a controversy. This is something that bugs me about some atheist-oriented media. You sound pretty tolerant, so I...

I've got around $2000 to spend on a new camera, and I've narrowed it down to three: the Panasonic AG-HMC70, the Sony HVR-HD1000, and the Sony HDR-FX7. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/459129-REG/Sony_HDRFX7_HDR_FX7_3CMOS_HDV_1080i.html...

I actually just watched that film myself -- amazing. I find that I like to know what I'm doing (i.e. the basic sequence of events and some key scenes) but I don't like rigidity. Sometimes the actors come up with cool stuff on their own and it's nice when we can fit these scenes and dialogue in...

John Williams is indisputably amazing. 1941 has one of the best, liveliest scores I've ever heard, just to name a favorite. Howard Shore's LOTR score is heavy and impressive. I love the way he develops little flourishes and themes based on the characters' personalities and origins, and calls...

A lot of the problem is the camera noise. For tapeless cameras, this might not be a problem (though you're still going to have sound quality and positioning issues) but for a DV camera it's going to matter if the mic's right up against the camera. That buzzing noise is an amateur giveaway.

Panasonic AG-HMC70 What does everyone think of the Panasonic AG-HMC70? It's not going to win any design awards, but I've seen some HD stuff shot on it and I'm impressed by the quality. I love the fact that it's a shoulder-mount. But it doesn't seem to handle low light very well and there's no...

Anyone seen the amazing Hedwig and the Angry Inch? Have it on DVD? If so, I was wondering if anyone knew the answer to this question. In Hedwig's flashbacks when she meets Luther (as Hansel), the film looks cold and bluish, and somehow a little more like an old '70s or '80s movie, I guess. It's...

I started an annual short-film festival a few years ago, and I've often noticed this correlation - great look/sound but bad acting, or crappy look/sound but good acting. I've received films shot by teenagers on great uncle Lloyd's late-eighties-model camcorder and been impressed by the...

I've got a few questions that you documentarists might be able to help me out with. After years of doing short films, I'm filming my first documentary with a grant from a GLBT organization. It's on the subject of GLBT people with intellectual disabilities. I have done enough research to know...