THE WEBSITE IS LIVE!!
Head on over to Lucent Productions to check out the new site! I will be using the site to showcase some of my favorite work but keep checking back here for somewhat regular updates!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Highland Mountain Bike Park - Year in review!
As we ring in the new year, let's take a look back at one of the most amazing seasons to date at Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield, NH.
It's pretty tough to wrap up an entire season into one video, but have a look and relive some of the highlights from 2011!
It's pretty tough to wrap up an entire season into one video, but have a look and relive some of the highlights from 2011!
Highland Mountain Bike Park - 2011 Season Recap from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Love is in the air.
I like to think, or at least hope, that people know that Lucent isn't so one sided with just shooting commercial and sports content year round. But for those not in the know, we also shoot weddings!! A big part of my summer this year has been either attending or filming weddings. I think the total so far has topped 15 between the two!
So if you have happened to stumble upon our blog from a friend's recommendation, a link from a blog, or I ran out of Lucent business cards and gave you a wedding one....check out our separate wedding business: Lucent Weddings
And while you're here, check out a few videos!
So if you have happened to stumble upon our blog from a friend's recommendation, a link from a blog, or I ran out of Lucent business cards and gave you a wedding one....check out our separate wedding business: Lucent Weddings
And while you're here, check out a few videos!
Monday, August 29, 2011
2011 Windham World Cup - Better Late Than Never
As most people know, summer is typically the busiest time of year for anyone. Summer bbq's, parties, plenty of biking, and various activities that keep everyone pinned for 3 months of the year. By the time September rolls around you feel like you'd blinked in Spring and woke up Fall. My summer was no different, except I didn't get much biking in at all. Shooting for Highland Mountain Bike Park, filming weddings, and projects for other clients has kept me busy. Not to mention I have a full time 40hr/week job to squeeze in as well!
I hadn't been to a World Cup in over a year and a half, but when I checked my calendar and realized that the Windham World Cup fell on one of my free weekends, I knew I had to be there. I had no teams to shoot for, no clients on my list that needed rider footage, so I knew that it would be somewhat of a relaxed weekend. I packed the gear and hopped in my buddies car Friday after work. After a quick stop to pick up some supplies from e.13 to deliver to the guy's running support at the event, we were on our way!
This was my first time shooting a DH race with my Canon 7D. I'll be the first to tell anyone that filming races falls low on my list of favorites, mainly because the ENTIRE time you are shooting, it's run-and-gun and 'hope for the best'. Not much time to set up shots because you rarely know who is coming (unless you're lucky to have a second shooter up the course giving you radio calls).
*sidenote* I have a curse of setting up a shot, waiting for a few minutes but no one will ride down. I'll pick up my tripod and start walking down the hill and then the likes of Minaar, Gee, or Gwin would ride by. This was the case that weekend as well*
95% of the shots in the video were done handheld, with a few steadicam shots thrown in as well. The toughest part I found was trying to keep the rider in frame but also look where I was running. At one point I was jumping from rock to rock down the hill and almost ate sh!t pretty badly, thankfully the camera was not harmed in the filming of this video!
Slomo - I know most people will critique and say "OMG TOO MUCH SLOMO!" I felt that in order to really appreciate the amazing and uncanny bike handling of a World Cup downhiller, it would require it to be slowed down. I still wanted to toss in some high speed stuff for good measure as well though! I only shot for two days and prob have another 3-4 minutes of banger footage.
Enjoy!
I hadn't been to a World Cup in over a year and a half, but when I checked my calendar and realized that the Windham World Cup fell on one of my free weekends, I knew I had to be there. I had no teams to shoot for, no clients on my list that needed rider footage, so I knew that it would be somewhat of a relaxed weekend. I packed the gear and hopped in my buddies car Friday after work. After a quick stop to pick up some supplies from e.13 to deliver to the guy's running support at the event, we were on our way!
This was my first time shooting a DH race with my Canon 7D. I'll be the first to tell anyone that filming races falls low on my list of favorites, mainly because the ENTIRE time you are shooting, it's run-and-gun and 'hope for the best'. Not much time to set up shots because you rarely know who is coming (unless you're lucky to have a second shooter up the course giving you radio calls).
*sidenote* I have a curse of setting up a shot, waiting for a few minutes but no one will ride down. I'll pick up my tripod and start walking down the hill and then the likes of Minaar, Gee, or Gwin would ride by. This was the case that weekend as well*
95% of the shots in the video were done handheld, with a few steadicam shots thrown in as well. The toughest part I found was trying to keep the rider in frame but also look where I was running. At one point I was jumping from rock to rock down the hill and almost ate sh!t pretty badly, thankfully the camera was not harmed in the filming of this video!
Slomo - I know most people will critique and say "OMG TOO MUCH SLOMO!" I felt that in order to really appreciate the amazing and uncanny bike handling of a World Cup downhiller, it would require it to be slowed down. I still wanted to toss in some high speed stuff for good measure as well though! I only shot for two days and prob have another 3-4 minutes of banger footage.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Summer Daze
My summers are typically pretty busy, but never THIS busy!! Catching up on some updates with since the last blog post:
CLAYMORE!! Claymore was a big blast for me this year. Spent the whole week up at Claymore hanging out with the riders and trying to make the best of rain storms that mother nature decided to drop on the east coast.
When you can't ride outside, just ride inside! Highland's HTC was a huge savior for most of the riders earlier in the week as they dialed in their tricks and kept things fresh:
Once the skies cleared the riders were able to throw down on Saturday with Brandon Semenuk taking home the coveted Claymore sword!
On Sunday, Highland held the first (of hopefully many) Battle of Hellion races. 6 riders at a time racing down Highland's infamous Hellion jump trail made for some epic racing and an exciting time for all riders involved
A few weeks later I was back up Highland for the first Ayr Academy session of the year. Here is some of the action that went down during the week!
CLAYMORE!! Claymore was a big blast for me this year. Spent the whole week up at Claymore hanging out with the riders and trying to make the best of rain storms that mother nature decided to drop on the east coast.
When you can't ride outside, just ride inside! Highland's HTC was a huge savior for most of the riders earlier in the week as they dialed in their tricks and kept things fresh:
Once the skies cleared the riders were able to throw down on Saturday with Brandon Semenuk taking home the coveted Claymore sword!
On Sunday, Highland held the first (of hopefully many) Battle of Hellion races. 6 riders at a time racing down Highland's infamous Hellion jump trail made for some epic racing and an exciting time for all riders involved
A few weeks later I was back up Highland for the first Ayr Academy session of the year. Here is some of the action that went down during the week!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Everything but the kitchen sink
I hate packing. Hate it. Mostly because I am paranoid EVERY time that I pack that I am forgetting something crucial to my trip, regardless if it's vacation, an overnight stay, or leaving for a shoot.
This week I'll be spending 7 days at Highland Mountain Bike Park for the Claymore Challenge working on my farmer's tan, enjoying countless breakfast burritos and smoothies, and not to mention seeing some friends from all over the globe. I brought my full face helmet so if I'm lucky I'll actually get some riding in too!
I recently picked up two Fstop bags in the past month, the first up is my Tilopa BC bag which is now my regular camera bag (and it ROCKS), and the newly release Guru which I'm really pumped on purchasing. I love that I now have a bag where I can just toss in my camera and a few lenses and still have room for some clothes/other gear. This isn't a review on either of these (that will come later), just want to show how much gear I would typically bring to a shoot like Claymore, and how much of it I can fit in two bags!
So first up, here's all my camera/computer related gear I'm bringing (click for larger image):
A big list of items (From top to bottom):
8' Camera crane
40" Slider Dolly
Manfrotto Tripod
Timbuk2 hip bag (it's NOT a fanny pack folks!)
Flycam Nano
18-135mm lens
50mm lens
11-16mm lens (not pictured)
Canon 7D (not pictured)
Batteries & Charger
15" Macbook Pro
4 Hard drives/cords/chargers
Bag of AA and 9V batteries
Eyecup Viewfinder
64Gb of Compact flash cards
CF card reader
Bug Net/Suntan Lotion
2 Shotgun mics & cords
Wireless Microphones
Air Blower
Gorilla Pod
Mini USB Mouse
And here's what it looks like all loaded up into two bags! I have the Medium ICU in the Tilopa BC and the Small ICU in the Guru. Fstop makes a large ICU as well which fits inside the Tilopa BC (not Guru though).
Breakdown of gear in each: The only items in the Guru are my hard drives, Macbook, and macbook related accessories. I still have the top half of the bag to fill with food/snacks/etc. EVERYTHING else (minus the camera crane)fits in the Tilopa BC. Lenses, camera, batteries, chargers....EVERYTHING. I can technically strap the tripod, slider, and steadicam to the Tilopa BC if I was using them all in the field.
This week I'll be spending 7 days at Highland Mountain Bike Park for the Claymore Challenge working on my farmer's tan, enjoying countless breakfast burritos and smoothies, and not to mention seeing some friends from all over the globe. I brought my full face helmet so if I'm lucky I'll actually get some riding in too!
I recently picked up two Fstop bags in the past month, the first up is my Tilopa BC bag which is now my regular camera bag (and it ROCKS), and the newly release Guru which I'm really pumped on purchasing. I love that I now have a bag where I can just toss in my camera and a few lenses and still have room for some clothes/other gear. This isn't a review on either of these (that will come later), just want to show how much gear I would typically bring to a shoot like Claymore, and how much of it I can fit in two bags!
So first up, here's all my camera/computer related gear I'm bringing (click for larger image):
A big list of items (From top to bottom):
8' Camera crane
40" Slider Dolly
Manfrotto Tripod
Timbuk2 hip bag (it's NOT a fanny pack folks!)
Flycam Nano
18-135mm lens
50mm lens
11-16mm lens (not pictured)
Canon 7D (not pictured)
Batteries & Charger
15" Macbook Pro
4 Hard drives/cords/chargers
Bag of AA and 9V batteries
Eyecup Viewfinder
64Gb of Compact flash cards
CF card reader
Bug Net/Suntan Lotion
2 Shotgun mics & cords
Wireless Microphones
Air Blower
Gorilla Pod
Mini USB Mouse
And here's what it looks like all loaded up into two bags! I have the Medium ICU in the Tilopa BC and the Small ICU in the Guru. Fstop makes a large ICU as well which fits inside the Tilopa BC (not Guru though).
Breakdown of gear in each: The only items in the Guru are my hard drives, Macbook, and macbook related accessories. I still have the top half of the bag to fill with food/snacks/etc. EVERYTHING else (minus the camera crane)fits in the Tilopa BC. Lenses, camera, batteries, chargers....EVERYTHING. I can technically strap the tripod, slider, and steadicam to the Tilopa BC if I was using them all in the field.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Steadicam!
In the world of video production, there are countless numbers of crazy/expensive tools and equipment that can give the viewer a different perspective to view the subject. In the sports industry, there has been a huge increase in the past 5 or 6 years with the number of videographers taking advantage of Dollies, cranes, and more recently with the advent of the DSLR, portable camera sliders. These are all great tools that really increase the production value of a video if used properly. I have used (and still use) ALL of the aforementioned tools, but have recently been itching to have something different to give my videos that added variety and unique perspective.
I have been researching Steadicams, stabilizers, flycams...whatever you want to call them. With many of the larger HD cameras, you would need a steadicam with a large bottom arm, hefty weights, and some arms the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger...unless you had a vest which is big $$
Now that I shoot mostly on a Canon 7D, I could now fall into the range of the smaller steadicams that could be properly balanced and operated hand-held without a vest. I usually have to do a lot of hiking to shoot, so the less weight I have to carry around, the better! I stumbled upon the Flycam Nano via the website www.cheesycam.com <---- if you are a DSLR shooter, BOOKMARK THAT SITE!
I purchased the steadicam off eBay and within a few weeks the badboy showed up! The only seller is in India as far as I know, but they will ship international. I think I paid $150 total after shipping to the US....way cheaper than a Merlin Steadicam that sells for over $600.
Here are the pros and cons of the Flycam Nano:
Pros:
- Small in size and can be taken apart for travel.
- Cheap
- Build seems to be of pretty good quality. Mostly anodized parts, and they include extra weights and random screws (always key cause I lose stuff ALL the time)
Cons:
- Weight limitation - With the 7D w/no micrphone and no batter grip, the steadicam is pretty maxed out with an 18-135mm lens. I borrowed a 14mm Canon lens and it was much better. Keep this in mind when purchasing a small steadicam. Cameras like the T2i & 60D would fly much easier since they have less weight to balance.
- Calibration/Adjustment - There are knobs to slide the top carriage back and forth and side-to-side, but the balance really has to be perfect to get it fly smoothly. In my video I didnt have time to perfectly balance the rig and it tells. The first hr and a half you buy one, you will spend balancing it, unless you buy a more expensive steadicam that has micro adjustments on it.
Overall, for the price and size, I think the Flycam Nano is a great tool to add some different shots to your videos. Just be prepared to pull your hair out balancing it (and re-balancing it OFTEN)
Check out the video from my first attempt at using the Flycam Nano at Highland Mountain Bike Park!
I have been researching Steadicams, stabilizers, flycams...whatever you want to call them. With many of the larger HD cameras, you would need a steadicam with a large bottom arm, hefty weights, and some arms the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger...unless you had a vest which is big $$
Now that I shoot mostly on a Canon 7D, I could now fall into the range of the smaller steadicams that could be properly balanced and operated hand-held without a vest. I usually have to do a lot of hiking to shoot, so the less weight I have to carry around, the better! I stumbled upon the Flycam Nano via the website www.cheesycam.com <---- if you are a DSLR shooter, BOOKMARK THAT SITE!
I purchased the steadicam off eBay and within a few weeks the badboy showed up! The only seller is in India as far as I know, but they will ship international. I think I paid $150 total after shipping to the US....way cheaper than a Merlin Steadicam that sells for over $600.
Here are the pros and cons of the Flycam Nano:
Pros:
- Small in size and can be taken apart for travel.
- Cheap
- Build seems to be of pretty good quality. Mostly anodized parts, and they include extra weights and random screws (always key cause I lose stuff ALL the time)
Cons:
- Weight limitation - With the 7D w/no micrphone and no batter grip, the steadicam is pretty maxed out with an 18-135mm lens. I borrowed a 14mm Canon lens and it was much better. Keep this in mind when purchasing a small steadicam. Cameras like the T2i & 60D would fly much easier since they have less weight to balance.
- Calibration/Adjustment - There are knobs to slide the top carriage back and forth and side-to-side, but the balance really has to be perfect to get it fly smoothly. In my video I didnt have time to perfectly balance the rig and it tells. The first hr and a half you buy one, you will spend balancing it, unless you buy a more expensive steadicam that has micro adjustments on it.
Overall, for the price and size, I think the Flycam Nano is a great tool to add some different shots to your videos. Just be prepared to pull your hair out balancing it (and re-balancing it OFTEN)
Check out the video from my first attempt at using the Flycam Nano at Highland Mountain Bike Park!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Highland Mountain Bike Park mega update
I am SUPER stoked to be back working at Highland Mountain Bike Park in 2011 as their in-house videographer. You won't find another mountain in the country that has their level of dedication to the sport, and I can't be more proud to be a part of their team. Our biggest goal this year is to pump out more video content than we did last year (and still deliver a quality product), and we are already on track to blow that goal out of the water!
If you've been under a rock the past few months, here's what you've been missing at Highland!
April is the big ramp up of people and action at the mountain, with current trails being buffed out from a harsh winter, to new trails being cut and developed for the season. I made the trip up twice in April to get the low down on what Mark and the rest of the team were up to in preparation for the 2011 season.
Highland opened it's doors two weekends ago to the public and had a great turnout of riders and sponsors to celebrate the start of what should be a epic season
And last weekend, Highland hosted the second stop on the ProGRT series. Smutok was gracious enough to give us a little preview of what the course had to offer!
If you've been under a rock the past few months, here's what you've been missing at Highland!
April is the big ramp up of people and action at the mountain, with current trails being buffed out from a harsh winter, to new trails being cut and developed for the season. I made the trip up twice in April to get the low down on what Mark and the rest of the team were up to in preparation for the 2011 season.
Highland opened it's doors two weekends ago to the public and had a great turnout of riders and sponsors to celebrate the start of what should be a epic season
And last weekend, Highland hosted the second stop on the ProGRT series. Smutok was gracious enough to give us a little preview of what the course had to offer!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Lincoln Tool and Machine Corp
The owner at Lincoln Tool and Machine Corp. contacted me a few weeks back about producing some promotional material for the c. They were referred to me by a friend in the bike industry (referrals really ARE your best friend) since Lincoln Tool used to machine a lot of the amazing backplates for the e.13 chainguide systems.
I met with the owner not really knowing what to expect as far as their machinery and what I could possibly be filming, but I was in for a huge surprise.
Owner Scott Ferrecchia gave me a tour of their entire facility, leading me last into the room that houses their INSANE automated system. I would try to explain it but video REALLY is worth a thousand words. Bob and Dave, the guys that run the system, were great in helping out with whatever I needed like removing panels, programing machining tool paths, to helping me get some AWESOME GoPro shots.
Here's a few BTS pics of how we mounted the GoPro using a suction mount for some of the POV shots!
And now the video!
Thanks again to the entire team at Lincoln Tool and Machine. You guys made this feel like play and not one bit work!
I met with the owner not really knowing what to expect as far as their machinery and what I could possibly be filming, but I was in for a huge surprise.
Owner Scott Ferrecchia gave me a tour of their entire facility, leading me last into the room that houses their INSANE automated system. I would try to explain it but video REALLY is worth a thousand words. Bob and Dave, the guys that run the system, were great in helping out with whatever I needed like removing panels, programing machining tool paths, to helping me get some AWESOME GoPro shots.
Here's a few BTS pics of how we mounted the GoPro using a suction mount for some of the POV shots!
And now the video!
Thanks again to the entire team at Lincoln Tool and Machine. You guys made this feel like play and not one bit work!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Snow my god!
I love winter. I love snow. I love walking down a street right after a snowfall before the plow trucks or cars have disrupted a fresh blanket of new snow.
To say we've had a white winter in the Northeast is an understatement of epic proportions!
The winter time is usually my 'off season' for filming, but I've luckily had a few things to keep me busy during these frigid months.
First up was a shoot with the guys over at Green Wax at Crotched Mountain. It's awesome seeing more and more mountains come on board with Green Wax for all their tuning and rental waxing needs!
I've shot many outdoor events in the past, but never any in the cold of winter. I made the trip up to Bretton Woods with the Bean Snowboards crew to shoot the first stop in the Main Event series. It was definitely a learning experience as far as battery life goes! I think I went through about 5 hand warmers just to keep batteries somewhat above freezing.
Now that I've had the 7D for a solid 6 months, I finally decided to test out the slow motion 60fps shooting mode. So on a day I had 'early release' due to Old Man Winter, I decided to have some backyard fun and shoot a self-filmed video. Overly dramatic slomo FTW!
Last up is a fun little test video. My grubby fingers got themselves a GoPro in the mail so I tested out the Time lapse photo function while my fiance and I shoveled for the ten millionth time this winter!
To say we've had a white winter in the Northeast is an understatement of epic proportions!
The winter time is usually my 'off season' for filming, but I've luckily had a few things to keep me busy during these frigid months.
First up was a shoot with the guys over at Green Wax at Crotched Mountain. It's awesome seeing more and more mountains come on board with Green Wax for all their tuning and rental waxing needs!
I've shot many outdoor events in the past, but never any in the cold of winter. I made the trip up to Bretton Woods with the Bean Snowboards crew to shoot the first stop in the Main Event series. It was definitely a learning experience as far as battery life goes! I think I went through about 5 hand warmers just to keep batteries somewhat above freezing.
Now that I've had the 7D for a solid 6 months, I finally decided to test out the slow motion 60fps shooting mode. So on a day I had 'early release' due to Old Man Winter, I decided to have some backyard fun and shoot a self-filmed video. Overly dramatic slomo FTW!
Last up is a fun little test video. My grubby fingers got themselves a GoPro in the mail so I tested out the Time lapse photo function while my fiance and I shoveled for the ten millionth time this winter!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010 Year in Review
As 2010 comes to a close, I'd just like to thank all my friends, family, and everyone I've had a chance to work with for such an awesome year! Especially my fiance for putting up with me spending literally HUNDREDS of hours planted in front of a computer screen. "Want me to get your headphones?" is a phrase I heard quite often in response to me scrubbing a timeline with the speakers blaring (if you're an editor you know what I'm talkin about!)
2010 brought me to some familiar places, but more importantly I was also able to add a few new pins to my 'where i've been in my life' map! The following are some of my highlights and favorites from 2010.
1. Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race
First up is probably one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime...so far. Not only because my fiance and I have never been to South America, but more importantly because of the emotions (good and bad) that went along with the trip. I met some amazing and genuinely nice people, saw probably the craziest race of my life, and survived one of the largest recorded earthquakes in history. I might not make it back to Valparaiso this year, but you can bet I'll do my best to visit my Chilean friends at some point again!
2. Dave Smutok Bike Check
I didn't choose this video based solely on its riding/editing value, but more because it involved Dave Smutok. Over the past few years, Dave and I have worked closely due to my involvement at Highland Mountain Bike park and we've developed an awesome friendship and filming relationship. What I love about shooting with people like Dave is that he never complains when I ask him to hike back up and ride a section a second and third time, and he appreciates the artsy fartsy video shots (I'm pretty sure Dave is a video nerd at heart). I definitely look forward to working with Dave and the rest of the crew at Highland in 2011!
3. 2010 US Open
What I love about the US Open is that it's one of the few times during the race season that I can be guaranteed to see some of the global riders I'm met over the years. Hanging out with good friends always cancels numerous hikes down a mountain with my 60 yr old knees!
I also had the pleasure of shooting for the boys at Evil again, which I am always pumped on due to the fact that Steve Smith and I are pretty much long lost best buddies. We share an affinity for The Wedding Singer and various other movie quotes so we instantly hit it off back in 2009. Luke is just as laid back and easy going as Stevie so we fell right into our groove quite effortlessly. I wish these guys the best in 2011!!
4. Hold On Loosely Tour
At the US Open, Aaron Chase approached me about shooting the Hold On Loosely Tour. I was a little apprehensive since I would be getting my motorcycle license a week before the trip started, but those fears quickly diminished the second we got on the road. I could write a whole blog post about this trip, but I'll just let the video do all the talking! Hands down my favorite road trip to date!
5. HMBP Ayer Academy
If you ask people that know me well, they'll tell you that I'm still a kid at heart despite almost being 30. That's probably why I had such a blast shooting with the Ayer Academy campers this past summer. It's really awesome seeing kids progress and increase their riding confidence in such a short time! Highland is stepping it up for the 2011 Camps and I'm REALLY excited for what we have planned video wise!!
6. Highland Training Center
If you can't tell already, I spent quite a bit of time in NH this year shooting at Highland. The drive never gets easier, but the second I pull into the parking lot I always get that same feeling of excitement and urgency. Over the course of the summer, Mark and I logged footage to document the construction of the Highland Training Center. This facility will continue to play a HUGE part in the mountain's success for years to come!
7. Bean Snowboards Build Video
This one barely squeaked in for 2010! My good friends at Bean Snowboards are hustlin' harder than ever to get boards out for this season. They recently teamed up with some local artists to lay down some amazing limited edition boards. I was on hand for a day during the build process and was able to document some of the action. It was my first real go with my DIY pocket slider, pretty pumped on how it turned out! We plan to work together on a few more things over the winter, so stay tuned!!
Thanks again to everyone's support in 2010. I am eagerly looking forward to what 2011 holds in store for Lucent! Happy Holidays and we'll see be seeing you in the new year!
2010 brought me to some familiar places, but more importantly I was also able to add a few new pins to my 'where i've been in my life' map! The following are some of my highlights and favorites from 2010.
1. Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race
First up is probably one of the most memorable trips of my lifetime...so far. Not only because my fiance and I have never been to South America, but more importantly because of the emotions (good and bad) that went along with the trip. I met some amazing and genuinely nice people, saw probably the craziest race of my life, and survived one of the largest recorded earthquakes in history. I might not make it back to Valparaiso this year, but you can bet I'll do my best to visit my Chilean friends at some point again!
Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race - More Mountain Bike Videos
2. Dave Smutok Bike Check
I didn't choose this video based solely on its riding/editing value, but more because it involved Dave Smutok. Over the past few years, Dave and I have worked closely due to my involvement at Highland Mountain Bike park and we've developed an awesome friendship and filming relationship. What I love about shooting with people like Dave is that he never complains when I ask him to hike back up and ride a section a second and third time, and he appreciates the artsy fartsy video shots (I'm pretty sure Dave is a video nerd at heart). I definitely look forward to working with Dave and the rest of the crew at Highland in 2011!
Dave Smutok Bike Check - More Mountain Bike Videos
3. 2010 US Open
What I love about the US Open is that it's one of the few times during the race season that I can be guaranteed to see some of the global riders I'm met over the years. Hanging out with good friends always cancels numerous hikes down a mountain with my 60 yr old knees!
2010 US Open of Mountain Biking - More Mountain Bike Videos
I also had the pleasure of shooting for the boys at Evil again, which I am always pumped on due to the fact that Steve Smith and I are pretty much long lost best buddies. We share an affinity for The Wedding Singer and various other movie quotes so we instantly hit it off back in 2009. Luke is just as laid back and easy going as Stevie so we fell right into our groove quite effortlessly. I wish these guys the best in 2011!!
Evil Bikes - 2010 US Open - More Mountain Bike Videos
4. Hold On Loosely Tour
At the US Open, Aaron Chase approached me about shooting the Hold On Loosely Tour. I was a little apprehensive since I would be getting my motorcycle license a week before the trip started, but those fears quickly diminished the second we got on the road. I could write a whole blog post about this trip, but I'll just let the video do all the talking! Hands down my favorite road trip to date!
Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 1 - More Mountain Bike Videos
Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 2 - More Mountain Bike Videos
5. HMBP Ayer Academy
If you ask people that know me well, they'll tell you that I'm still a kid at heart despite almost being 30. That's probably why I had such a blast shooting with the Ayer Academy campers this past summer. It's really awesome seeing kids progress and increase their riding confidence in such a short time! Highland is stepping it up for the 2011 Camps and I'm REALLY excited for what we have planned video wise!!
HMBP Ayr Academy: August Camp Video - More Mountain Bike Videos
6. Highland Training Center
If you can't tell already, I spent quite a bit of time in NH this year shooting at Highland. The drive never gets easier, but the second I pull into the parking lot I always get that same feeling of excitement and urgency. Over the course of the summer, Mark and I logged footage to document the construction of the Highland Training Center. This facility will continue to play a HUGE part in the mountain's success for years to come!
Highland Mountain Bike Park's HTC - More Mountain Bike Videos
7. Bean Snowboards Build Video
This one barely squeaked in for 2010! My good friends at Bean Snowboards are hustlin' harder than ever to get boards out for this season. They recently teamed up with some local artists to lay down some amazing limited edition boards. I was on hand for a day during the build process and was able to document some of the action. It was my first real go with my DIY pocket slider, pretty pumped on how it turned out! We plan to work together on a few more things over the winter, so stay tuned!!
Bean Snow presents... "Part-A" build sesh from Bean Snowboards on Vimeo.
Thanks again to everyone's support in 2010. I am eagerly looking forward to what 2011 holds in store for Lucent! Happy Holidays and we'll see be seeing you in the new year!
Friday, November 19, 2010
A big generalization
I was cleaning up in my basement office today and remembered that I still have the first MiniDV tape I ever shot mountain bike footage on, circa 2001 if my memory serves me. As you can see, I was either really lazy when it came to labeling my tapes with useful information, or I didn't think I'd be filming much 'bike stuff' so one tape was enough to hold it all.
To this day, I'm still pretty bad about labeling tapes. Compound that with the tapeless workflow of the 7D, I'll pretty much be spending all winter organizing my archive of tapes and hard drive files.
To this day, I'm still pretty bad about labeling tapes. Compound that with the tapeless workflow of the 7D, I'll pretty much be spending all winter organizing my archive of tapes and hard drive files.
Friday, October 8, 2010
D.I.Y. - Budget Pocket Slider!
I'll be the first to admit that I hate spending money on some things. I refuse to pay more than $25 for a pair of jeans, or blow a couple hundred dollars on dinner at a restaurant. But when it comes to camera gear, I usually don't bash an eyelid at dropping $300 randomly for some new toy for my cameras.
There are many low-budget sliders out there for your average prosumer/freelance videographer like myself. But when I say low-budget, I'm talking in the range of $300 for the slider rail and a carriage to hold the camera. After realizing that a handful of the companies selling budget sliders get their parts all from IGUS, I was hellbent on saving money and doing this myself!
First up, I had to source out the rail and carriage parts. IGUS has recently realized that many camera junkies want this system, and actually have a section of their site dedicated to 'camera slider' packages. It actually proved cheaper to buy it from Amazon.com instead of directly from IGUS themselves. Here's a link to the camera slider system I purchased.
Next was to find a low budget fluid video head for the slider. Thanks to my new favorite website Cheesycam I was able to pick up a decent fluid head for cheap.
The slider system and the video head showed up within a few days of each other, so then it was on to complete the build!
Here's the list of EVERYTHING that is needed to complete my version of the slider:
- Power drill
- 3/8" drill bit (another small bit as a pilot hole will be helpful too)
- Tripod QR plate
- 3 Brass Pan head Slot Screws 1/4-20 X 3/4"
- 2 1/4-20 Washers
- 1 1/4-20 Jam Nut
- 2 Rubber 1/4-20 "Well Nuts"
- 3/8" slotted pan head bolt (not 100% sure on the pitch)
First step was drilling the carriage. Here's a better look at the pan head bolt used for mounting the video head. (This bolt came with the video head I bought)
Next I mounted the Tripod quick release plate using one of the Brass Pan head slot screws, two 1/4-20 washers, and one Jam Nut.
Underside w/QR plate.
Top view of the rail. I used a Jam Nut because of its lower profile which will give clearance from the carriage.
Next was to mount the video head to the carriage system with the supplied bolt, and then slide the carriage onto the rail. Then attached the whole system to the tripod via the QR plate. Almost done!
Now since the carriage moves SUPER easily along the rail, any slight tilt of the rail will send your precious camera right off the end! To solve this, I used a "Well Nut" (found in the specialty bin at Lowes) at each end, attached by one of the brass panhead screws. It is a rubber cylinder basically, with the metal threads on the inside for the screw to thread into. I wanted something soft to cushion the carriage and I think this works PERFECT (and cheap)
And now you're done! Here's how it currently looks!
The rail system is 1000mm long, which i think works fine for dolly moves with the 7D (time will tell). Any longer of a rail and the system no longer becomes 'portable', which was my main goal. For the studio setting, a long rail and two tripods would be really nice.
Price breakdown for parts:
- IGUS Camera Slider system: $92.99 after shipping
- Video head: $80 via eBay.
- Pan Head Screws (2 packages of 2): $2.60
- Washers (package of 16): $1.18
- Well Nuts (2): $2.78
- Manfrotto QR plate: $14.99
Grand total: $194.54
Not bad considering some sites sell just the rail + carriage for upwards of $250. I bought most of the nuts/bolts in packages of 10+ so you could prob squeeze a few more dollars in savings if you bought just a few individual. But its always good to have backups!
Lucent Productions is not held liable for any injury to your person or camera from following these steps. If you poke your eye out our drop your camera off your slider, I am not responsible!
Special thanks to Brandon Turman and Spomer at VitalMTB for information provided for this project!
There are many low-budget sliders out there for your average prosumer/freelance videographer like myself. But when I say low-budget, I'm talking in the range of $300 for the slider rail and a carriage to hold the camera. After realizing that a handful of the companies selling budget sliders get their parts all from IGUS, I was hellbent on saving money and doing this myself!
First up, I had to source out the rail and carriage parts. IGUS has recently realized that many camera junkies want this system, and actually have a section of their site dedicated to 'camera slider' packages. It actually proved cheaper to buy it from Amazon.com instead of directly from IGUS themselves. Here's a link to the camera slider system I purchased.
Next was to find a low budget fluid video head for the slider. Thanks to my new favorite website Cheesycam I was able to pick up a decent fluid head for cheap.
The slider system and the video head showed up within a few days of each other, so then it was on to complete the build!
Here's the list of EVERYTHING that is needed to complete my version of the slider:
- Power drill
- 3/8" drill bit (another small bit as a pilot hole will be helpful too)
- Tripod QR plate
- 3 Brass Pan head Slot Screws 1/4-20 X 3/4"
- 2 1/4-20 Washers
- 1 1/4-20 Jam Nut
- 2 Rubber 1/4-20 "Well Nuts"
- 3/8" slotted pan head bolt (not 100% sure on the pitch)
First step was drilling the carriage. Here's a better look at the pan head bolt used for mounting the video head. (This bolt came with the video head I bought)
Next I mounted the Tripod quick release plate using one of the Brass Pan head slot screws, two 1/4-20 washers, and one Jam Nut.
Underside w/QR plate.
Top view of the rail. I used a Jam Nut because of its lower profile which will give clearance from the carriage.
Next was to mount the video head to the carriage system with the supplied bolt, and then slide the carriage onto the rail. Then attached the whole system to the tripod via the QR plate. Almost done!
Now since the carriage moves SUPER easily along the rail, any slight tilt of the rail will send your precious camera right off the end! To solve this, I used a "Well Nut" (found in the specialty bin at Lowes) at each end, attached by one of the brass panhead screws. It is a rubber cylinder basically, with the metal threads on the inside for the screw to thread into. I wanted something soft to cushion the carriage and I think this works PERFECT (and cheap)
And now you're done! Here's how it currently looks!
The rail system is 1000mm long, which i think works fine for dolly moves with the 7D (time will tell). Any longer of a rail and the system no longer becomes 'portable', which was my main goal. For the studio setting, a long rail and two tripods would be really nice.
Price breakdown for parts:
- IGUS Camera Slider system: $92.99 after shipping
- Video head: $80 via eBay.
- Pan Head Screws (2 packages of 2): $2.60
- Washers (package of 16): $1.18
- Well Nuts (2): $2.78
- Manfrotto QR plate: $14.99
Grand total: $194.54
Not bad considering some sites sell just the rail + carriage for upwards of $250. I bought most of the nuts/bolts in packages of 10+ so you could prob squeeze a few more dollars in savings if you bought just a few individual. But its always good to have backups!
Lucent Productions is not held liable for any injury to your person or camera from following these steps. If you poke your eye out our drop your camera off your slider, I am not responsible!
Special thanks to Brandon Turman and Spomer at VitalMTB for information provided for this project!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Hold On Loosely...but don't let go.
Earlier this summer I got a call from Aaron Chase asking me if I had a motorcycle. At this point I had JUST bought my first motorcycle and had signed up for the weekend long beginner motorcycle course. I asked why, and then he filled me in on what would be my most epic mtn bike road trip I've been so far in my life. I say 'so far' because I'm hoping next year is even more crazy ridiculous.
Chase and Highland Mountain Bike Park dirt-master Dave Smutok rounded up Cameron Zink, Adam Hauck, and the cape boys Clint McMahon and Mike Kent for a 9 day road trip through New England. The only catch is that we were all going to ride motorcycles the ENTIRE trip, with a rented box truck as our 'support vehicle' carrying all the bikes and gear.
Our first leg of the trip started up with a 150+ mile rip through VT backroads to Kyle Ebbett's house, where everyone shredded his amazing backyard setup and private dirt jump line in the woods down the street. After a night of partying and letting loose at Ebbett's house, we woke up early the next day and headed straight over to Knight Ide's house, home of the IdeRide camps! We spent the first night filming/riding his personal indoor skate park, and then woke up early for an epic day in his backyard wonderland. After a LONG day of throwing down, we were back on the bikes Friday afternoon for the straight shot back to Highland.
Saturday was our first 'relaxation' day so we ripped up to Laconia to check out the infamous Bike Week festival. Thousands of bikers, beers, and beer babes. That's all I have to say about that.
The rest of our trip consisted of ripping anything and everything Highland Mountain Bike Park has to offer. I have filmed a lot of the trails and spots there but I don't think I can ever get sick of it!
Now for the videos. Chase has the vision of doing a 'Casino' style video with narration by Cam Zink himself. The premise behind the story is that Chase, Smutok, a & Zink were a group that randomly met up with the 'city boys' Hauck, Clint, and Mike. At first Chase and co. were open to them, but soon realized they were nothing but show boaters trying to steal the limelight. After a failed attempt to take em out, the city boys fool Chase into thinking it's all the beef has been squashed....or so they think.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Chase and Highland Mountain Bike Park dirt-master Dave Smutok rounded up Cameron Zink, Adam Hauck, and the cape boys Clint McMahon and Mike Kent for a 9 day road trip through New England. The only catch is that we were all going to ride motorcycles the ENTIRE trip, with a rented box truck as our 'support vehicle' carrying all the bikes and gear.
Our first leg of the trip started up with a 150+ mile rip through VT backroads to Kyle Ebbett's house, where everyone shredded his amazing backyard setup and private dirt jump line in the woods down the street. After a night of partying and letting loose at Ebbett's house, we woke up early the next day and headed straight over to Knight Ide's house, home of the IdeRide camps! We spent the first night filming/riding his personal indoor skate park, and then woke up early for an epic day in his backyard wonderland. After a LONG day of throwing down, we were back on the bikes Friday afternoon for the straight shot back to Highland.
Saturday was our first 'relaxation' day so we ripped up to Laconia to check out the infamous Bike Week festival. Thousands of bikers, beers, and beer babes. That's all I have to say about that.
The rest of our trip consisted of ripping anything and everything Highland Mountain Bike Park has to offer. I have filmed a lot of the trails and spots there but I don't think I can ever get sick of it!
Now for the videos. Chase has the vision of doing a 'Casino' style video with narration by Cam Zink himself. The premise behind the story is that Chase, Smutok, a & Zink were a group that randomly met up with the 'city boys' Hauck, Clint, and Mike. At first Chase and co. were open to them, but soon realized they were nothing but show boaters trying to steal the limelight. After a failed attempt to take em out, the city boys fool Chase into thinking it's all the beef has been squashed....or so they think.
Part 1:
Hold On Loosely Tour: Episode 1 - More Mountain Bike Videos
Part 2:
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Time Lapse
Hey folks, sorry for the HUGE lapse since the last post. With a full time job, part-time job of Lucent, and owning a house I feel like I rarely have a free second to update this blog (AND not to mention work on the website).
Anyways, lets start off with oldest to newest updates!
This past February I flew down with my gfriend to Chile for a half-vacation, half-filming gig to shoot the Valparaiso Urban downhill race, as well as a local downhill race up in the Andes in La Parva. As you all know, Chile was hit with one of the largest earthquakes in history...and I was still there for it! I had an amazing/crazy time while we were in Chile (earthquake aside), we met some amazing people while we were there and I can't wait to see them again this winter!
I had planned to shoot two videos, one of the urban event, and one for the downhill, but the dh race was cancelled due to the earthquake, so I made a second video from the extra footage from the trip.
Check em out!
While in Chile I shot a bike check with Kona Clump Team Member Graham Agassiz. If you look closely, you'll see the fingerstache tattoo he acquired one drunken night in Chile!
Next up on the list was the Rye Airfield Big Wheels Redux comp. A local rider tried his best to revive the ol' skool Big Wheels comp, unfortunately there was a small pro turnout (is mtb park dead?). Regardless, the boys from the cape threw down for everyone at the park and it was still a good time!
If you live in the Northeast (or on the east coast for that matter) and you haven't been to Highland Mountain Bike Park yet, GET ON IT!! I am shooting all of Highland's Promo material this year and I can't be more pumped! Mark and Smutok (and the rest of the crew) are on point to deliver yet another amazing season with many new improvements to keep every pumped and coming back again and again.
Last on the list of video updates is the good ol' US Open!! Headed down to the dirty jerz once again to cover all the action for VitalMTB.com. Even though it felt like attendance was down this year, a large pool of international riders were drawn to the event, all hungry for the tasty prize money!!
I also shot once again for Evil Bikes to provide coverage of team riders Stevie Smith and Luke Strobel. Stevie is always a blast to hang out with, crackin jokes and always laid back which my job that much easier. This was my first time working with Luke Strobel but I hope it's not my last!
So what's on deck you ask?
- I returned last week from a 9 day roadtrip with a handful of pro rippers. The contents and filming of this trip are a little under wraps at this point until video is released. Keep an eye out for a release after the Claymore Challenge!!
- I'll be up at Highland Mountain all summer shooting promos and updates, and hopefully make it to a few more events this summer.
- Lucent Weddings is booking more weekends and I can't be more pumped! We have 2 weddings this fall, and currently 2 weddings for next spring. Book now or forever hold your peace!
- New threads. World Cup racer/artist/friend/goofball Micayla Gatto has been commissioned to design some new tees for Lucent. Hopefully have them in time for summer, with some hoodies for those chilly fall nights around the fire!
Thats its for now, this is probably the longest blog post I'll ever do, and hopefully keep everyone updated more frequently. I say that every time, one of these days i'll keep that promise.
Over and out!
- Justin
Anyways, lets start off with oldest to newest updates!
This past February I flew down with my gfriend to Chile for a half-vacation, half-filming gig to shoot the Valparaiso Urban downhill race, as well as a local downhill race up in the Andes in La Parva. As you all know, Chile was hit with one of the largest earthquakes in history...and I was still there for it! I had an amazing/crazy time while we were in Chile (earthquake aside), we met some amazing people while we were there and I can't wait to see them again this winter!
I had planned to shoot two videos, one of the urban event, and one for the downhill, but the dh race was cancelled due to the earthquake, so I made a second video from the extra footage from the trip.
Check em out!
Valparaiso Cerro Abajo Urban Downhill Race - More Mountain Bike Videos
Chile Numero Dos: Terremoto! - More Mountain Bike Videos
While in Chile I shot a bike check with Kona Clump Team Member Graham Agassiz. If you look closely, you'll see the fingerstache tattoo he acquired one drunken night in Chile!
Graham Agassiz Bike Check - More Mountain Bike Videos
Next up on the list was the Rye Airfield Big Wheels Redux comp. A local rider tried his best to revive the ol' skool Big Wheels comp, unfortunately there was a small pro turnout (is mtb park dead?). Regardless, the boys from the cape threw down for everyone at the park and it was still a good time!
Rye Airfield Video Action - More Mountain Bike Videos
If you live in the Northeast (or on the east coast for that matter) and you haven't been to Highland Mountain Bike Park yet, GET ON IT!! I am shooting all of Highland's Promo material this year and I can't be more pumped! Mark and Smutok (and the rest of the crew) are on point to deliver yet another amazing season with many new improvements to keep every pumped and coming back again and again.
Last on the list of video updates is the good ol' US Open!! Headed down to the dirty jerz once again to cover all the action for VitalMTB.com. Even though it felt like attendance was down this year, a large pool of international riders were drawn to the event, all hungry for the tasty prize money!!
2010 US Open of Mountain Biking - More Mountain Bike Videos
I also shot once again for Evil Bikes to provide coverage of team riders Stevie Smith and Luke Strobel. Stevie is always a blast to hang out with, crackin jokes and always laid back which my job that much easier. This was my first time working with Luke Strobel but I hope it's not my last!
Evil Bikes - 2010 US Open - More Mountain Bike Videos
So what's on deck you ask?
- I returned last week from a 9 day roadtrip with a handful of pro rippers. The contents and filming of this trip are a little under wraps at this point until video is released. Keep an eye out for a release after the Claymore Challenge!!
- I'll be up at Highland Mountain all summer shooting promos and updates, and hopefully make it to a few more events this summer.
- Lucent Weddings is booking more weekends and I can't be more pumped! We have 2 weddings this fall, and currently 2 weddings for next spring. Book now or forever hold your peace!
- New threads. World Cup racer/artist/friend/goofball Micayla Gatto has been commissioned to design some new tees for Lucent. Hopefully have them in time for summer, with some hoodies for those chilly fall nights around the fire!
Thats its for now, this is probably the longest blog post I'll ever do, and hopefully keep everyone updated more frequently. I say that every time, one of these days i'll keep that promise.
Over and out!
- Justin
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