Site Archive

20th Annual Pro Video Show
Written by David Tames on February 7, 2010
Filed Under Camera, Events & Screenings, Filmmaking, Front Page
2 Comments  

If you live in or around the Boston area, it’s time to make plans to attend the 20th Annual Pro Video Show, brought to you by The Camera Company, which will take place March 12-13, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Dedham, Massachusetts. Admission to the show is free. Vendors...  Continue Reading...

Transcriva 2
Written by David Tames on January 13, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, Filmmaking, Reviews, Tools
1 Comment  

Back in August of 2005 I wrote a post, Transcriva makes transcribing (almost) fun, in which I reviewed the first version of Transcriva from Bartas Technologies, a delightful Macintosh application I’ve been using since then for transcribing audio and video interviews. Last year Bartas...  Continue Reading...

A one-case lighting kit ready for travel
Written by David Tames on January 8, 2010
Filed Under Documentary, Filmmaking, Front Page, General, Lighting, Tools
6 Comments  

I’m often asked by students, “what’s a good light kit for starting out” and I find it a very hard question to answer, because it really depends on what you want to do. There really is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all lighting kit. I find that most of the commercially...  Continue Reading...

Seven habits of highly successful documentary filmmakers
Written by David Tames on August 31, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Filmmaking
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A while back I read this post by Guy Kawasaki and was inspired to write down seven habits of highly successful documentary filmmakers based, in part, on his post: 1. Tell an engaging story. It all begins with story. And whether your goal is to entertain or persuade, you need first and foremost...  Continue Reading...

Flying takes documentary form to new heights
Written by David Tames on August 27, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Featured, Filmmakers, Filmmaking, Films
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Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman is an amazing six-hour, six-part, documentary of epic proportions by Jennifer Fox in which we follow the filmmaker as she travels around the world asking her women friends how they construct and imagine their lives as she struggles to figure out her own....  Continue Reading...

Using both channels (an audio channel is a terrible thing to waste)
Written by David Tames on August 13, 2009
Filed Under Camera, Documentary, Featured, Filmmaking, Sound, Video
2 Comments  

Practically every camcorder records two channels of audio, which allows you to record in stereo (Left/Right) or two discrete channels (1/2). Lately I’ve been using the Sennheiser Evolution G2 wireless a lot and it started to bother me that I was only recording one channel from the wireless...  Continue Reading...

Comparison of four professional LED lighting instruments under $1K
Written by David Tames on July 19, 2009
Filed Under Camera, Documentary, Filmmaking, Front Page, Gadgets and Devices, Lighting, Reviews
9 Comments  

Over the past couple of years I’ve had a chance to use or take a close look at various LED lighting instruments available in the marketplace. Today you will find lots of inexpensive lights suitable for on-camera use available for anywhere from $50 to $500 from a variety of vendors....  Continue Reading...

Making Media Now 2009: the premiere New England independent film conference
Written by David Tames on April 21, 2009
Filed Under Business, Events & Screenings, Filmmaking, New Media
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Making Media Now 2009 is a full-day conference that will take place on Friday, June 5, 2009 at Bentley University. The event will bring together filmmakers from all over New England with national industry experts for lectures, workshops, and panels confronting the most daunting challenges facing...  Continue Reading...

Two documentary classes at MassArt this summer
Written by David Tames on April 12, 2009
Filed Under Documentary, Filmmaking, Video Production
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I’m teaching two courses this summer through MassArt Professional and Continuing Education. Interested in documentary video? Documentary Video Boot Camp will give you the foundation you need to get started. Is there a documentary you’d like to make this summer and you’ve already...  Continue Reading...

Fans, friends, and followers
Written by David Tames on April 2, 2009
Filed Under Books, Distribution, Filmmaking, Reviews, The Media
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This week I had a chance to read Scott Kirsner’s new book, Fans, Friends & Followers, which provides a fresh guide to building an audience in the new media landscape. The book starts out by painting with broad brush strokes the challenges artists have faced finding an audience for...  Continue Reading...

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