fxphd July09 Term, AKA Show You My O-Week
Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 10:43PM Registration is now open for the new July09 Term of fxphd, the most in-depth visual effects training you can find. This term I’m joining Mike Seymour in teaching a course on DSLR cinematography, for which Mike, John Montgomery, and I traveled to Japan to train our lenses on some of the most tantalizing and notoriously film-unfriendly settings on the planet.
The double-chin is due to either the awkward pose or all the amazing food we ate—possibly both.
Here you see me hand-holding my Canon 5D Mark II with Mike’s Canon 70–200 f/2.8L IS in Tokyo’s teen fashion capital, Harajuku. This ill-advised activity is made somewhat more tolerable by the funky support rig I’ve created by bending my Gorillapod GP8 (the badass metal one — coolest thing I’ve added to my kit in months) into an outrigger that lets me support some of the lens’s weight with my focus-pulling arm.
Mike has a couple of updates (first, second) on his Dean’s Blog, and there’s a terrific “o-week” video (right-click to download) that provides a sneak peek at some of what we shot and how we shot it, as well as teasers for the amazing array of other classes in the term.
If you can’t tell, I’m a (somewhat biased) fan of fxphd. Mike, John, and their worldwide team of professors give you the good stuff, the likes of which I’ve not seen anywhere else. If you want to learn visual effects from real artists working in the field, fxphd is the place to do it.
Complete course listing for the July09 term here.
Reader Comments (19)
Awesome.. haha I just posted about the gorillapod over at DVXuser after I saw the O week video. Such a great idea.. going to go pick one up tomorrow for my GH1. thanks
Hehe, Stu I see you also wouldn't mind to try a vari-angle LCD monitor on your next video DSLR :)
couldn't agree more about fxphd... just finished the april term and its been awesome
It's cool to see you teach there. fxphd has been on my radar for a while, I am really contemplating to sign up there maybe in about half a year or so and do one term. What they do seems really interesting to me.
I. Love. This. Blog.
i really wish i had the money to sign up for this
Doesn't Stu kind of look like a cat in this pic? Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm just having a hard time not imagining him drinking a saucer full of milk. Much respect Stu, please don't kill me...
Hi Stu. Does the course focus mainly on the 5D Mk2 or do you touch on other cameras like the GH1 and D90?
Your posts are always informative! Thanks for posting. Ive gotten alot of tips from them. Like when you suggested Squarespace!! After that i went out and bought myself a website!
FXPHD looks pretty awesome. Theres a few courses id like to take and you'res is one of them. Cinematography has always interested me even though i come from a 2d animation/ painting background.
Shane, the course tries to be as camera-agnostic as possible, although we do get specific where warranted. We mostly used the 5D Mark II, the Nikon D90, and a little bit of GH1.
two things....
this course looks great but i'm an HV30 owner....would it still be helpful to me or is it concerned more with the technical abilities and limitations of these specific DSLRS ?
also, that link to the o-week video seems to be broken....i'd really like to see it....
great blog man...thanks for the perpetual education....keep posting
Stu,
If you had the choice of getting the 5D II and or the GH1 for producing B Roll, what would be your choice and why? Thank you!
thoma, thanks for the heads up about the broken link—fixed now. The course is called DSLR cinematography, so it's fair to say that it's targeted at DSLRs. But much of what we talk about is of general interest to all shooters who choose small cameras.
James, I'm not sure how to answer that question, because I don't know what kind of "B Roll" you're thinking of, nor which camera is being used for the A Roll!
I signed up after hearing about the DSLR Course over at Reduser (or Scarletuser?).
Didn't think about signing up before, but DSLR Cinematography plus Stu plus a so well known Website is a no-brainer.
Now I'm waiting for the Preview Classes to choose my other two Courses.
Hey Stu,
The B roll will be to compete with an EX1 which is the A Roll.
Looking for the quality to output 1080i for TV broadcasts. The GH1 has less rolling shutter and can have any lens in front. The swivel screen and 720p 60 are also great pros. Now I know the 5D II has a better codec and IQ in the end but its still not a giant leap from the Gh1. Plus the Aliasing and Moire on the 5D is of concern.
Crazy motion like the one you shoot to get mud on the GH1 is no concern because it will be used in a stabilized and dolly setup.
So basically what camera you thought was more usable as a video acquisition tool and if you had to pick one or the other which one would win?
James, all I can say is that you really should shoot tests before you commit to a GH1. The samples I have seen are so heinously compressed that they eliminate any advantage. I know a few people who bought them and returned them after seeing the footage.
That helps a lot Stu, Seems there is no do it all cam option just yet. The 60D might be the first to come close if it offers true 24p and a swivel screen while keeping the 5D H.264 data rate!
Congrats on the dSLR video course, the Red Center interview was great!
So bad the term is too expensive for me. Are you planning to distribute it via DVD after the term is finished ? Really looking forward seeing it !
Hi Stu : ) Thanks for fxguide. Tell me please, what stabilizer is it in Your hands? in the beginning at 00:50 sec of fxguidetv #061 video – before shots with Joby Gorillapod and Red Rock Micro