The first in our series of process documentaries commissioned by the
is complete. It is slated to play at the museum in South Hero, VT on a selectable loop with about seven others, each depicting a different class of antique hand tool. The videos act as a supplement to Zlotoff's massive collection of antique hand tools.
We have another ultra-short documentary in the works for young Vermont timber-framer
Will is an uncompromising craftsman, and it shows in the quality of his work. It is exciting to be hired to film things that are naturally photogenic.
We recently helped launch another
for our friends over at Good Companion Bakery.
This one seems pretty likely to succeed, and we are all inspired by its potential for the future. If the fundraising is successful, we will shoot a short documentary about Ceres' construction and her maiden voyage.
Fellow Vermont documentary filmmaker
has come out with a new documentary, A Band Called Death. Go and see it on the big screen this October 20th at the Essex Cinemas as part of the Vermont International Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
"And remember," says Rami, Tai Chi and Chi Gung Master, "When you do the Cloud Hands, don't just wave your arms around like a cloud, but BE THE CLOUD."
After the heavy rains last week and the following dry heat, the pernicious deer flies aren't the only ones enjoying themselves. A long exposure and high ISO setting revealed this eerie nighttime landscape last week, facing west across the pasture.
I just received a Holga pinhole lens in the mail. It's very inexpensive, made of plastic, and endowed with (un)limited utility.
As long as the nature holds very still, you're all set. I have recently been in touch with Gary Hall, a Vermont landscape photographer who works entirely with medium or large format film cameras, printing and framing his photographs as big squares. My opinion is that this leads the eye to view the landscape in a particularly sculptural way, rather than as a panorama or a scroll.
The peepers are back for the summer, but they don't want us to know that.
It's still too cold for them to have a lot of confidence.
Our film was awarded first place in the 2012 Margot George Short Film Competition at the
The South Starksboro Meeting House is the oldest continually used Quaker church in Vermont. Quakers have worshipped here each Sunday in silence for 186 years.
Several years ago, Finn traveled to West Africa for three months to investigate reports of ritual spirit possession in the heart of Bamako. The resulting project has been cut into a trailer.
Islam holds as its central monotheistic tenant that "there is no God but God," while Animism is based on an elaborate hierarchy of sacrifices made to idols of demons and spirits. While Islam is the official religion of the country, Animistic practices pervade almost every walk of life and is seen as the best way to achieve practical everyday needs. This intersection of two opposed belief system has led to a unique synergy in the hearts and minds of the people along the Niger river. Because while God waits for us all at the river's end, the only way to get there may be on the back of a crocodile.
Marcia Weese payed a visit to our home studio to shoot some videos for her new online marketing campaign around her luminous
The day was cold and overcast, and the light coming in the two side windows was almost perfect. We added some fill to cut the harsh shadows and ended up with this strange and beautiful Masterpiece Theatre kind of glow.
Earth House Productions has just submitted a rough cut of our current film to ITVS and P.O.V for consideration. These are highly competitive venues, so wish us luck as our (formerly) secret project
is viewed alongside thousands of other documentary films.
Burlington Filmmaker Mark Williams had Finn shoot a short for his Kickstarter Campaign VERMONT VACATION.
Find out what else Mark is up to at Boat Productions
Season two has just begun for Lakes Region Fishing, a new Vermont-based show airing on the Sportsman's channel. Finn has been contracted as one of the new videographers tasked with bringing the production value up a notch or two. Shooting on the boats is a new challenge, and the cameras never stop rolling (except to change tapes). Generally, each of the two videographers returns with 8-11 hours of footage, and one day of shooting makes one show.
Back in 2010, Finn flew Steadicam for Mark Palansky in Bristol, and now, happily, the
So go see it and enjoy. For an insider's bonus, read back to the original post about this shoot and look out for 2:05 in the video. I'm glad that shot made it in, at least, with sympathy to Georgia P.
Shot with Mark Palansky (director) and Georgia Pantazopoulos (DP).
I flew the Steadicam again, this time for a micro-budget short teen thriller down in southern Massachusetts. It's called The Cockle Cove Inn. I came in primarily for an evening of shooting at Eel Pond. I was supposed to be getting a solid master take for a walk-and-talk along a narrow trail next to a swift tidal channel, but I spent most of the night trying (unsuccessfully) not to fall into Eel Pond. I held the rig up over my head, so everything was all right.
I just pulled a wonderful screen shot from this Seven Days article.
A music video for Guster. The paint-balloons were a real obstacle. I was fortunate enough to be running Steadicam, and therefore running away. But pretty much everything else was covered in paint, including one of the cameras.
Shot with Mark Palansky (director) and Georgia Pantazopoulos (DP).