KitPlus | Articles

Dealing with clients

by Den Lennie Issue 104 - August 2015 For many clients, the prospect of commissioning a video production leaves one key consideration in their minds and that is: how much is it all going to cost? Particularly for marketing departments or smaller businesses which may only spend a nominal amount of money on advertising. Video production by its very n...

Submitted by Den Lennie

Published 01 September 2015

The Lobster - achieving a textural grain

Issue 104 - August 2015 Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos is about to debut his first English language feature with The Lobster, which will be in UK cinemas on the 15th of October. We speak to DaVinci Resolve colorist and long time collaborator Tony Ford about the meticulous approach to color grading this dystopian love story. Featuring an impressiv...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 September 2015

Keep memories safe at RWF

by Martin Bennet Issue 103 - July 2015 RWF World founders Gwynne Roberts and Sadie Wykeham have embarked on a 30-plus year mission with a single purpose: to tell the world about human rights violations through the eyes of its survivors. Through the course of their journey, these truth-seekers have informed the world of late 20th-century injustices...

Submitted by Martin Bennett

Published 01 August 2015

4k storm chasing

by Alister Chapman Issue 103 - July 2015 15 years ago I got my first big Broadcast Commission. It was to produce a 1 hour special on Tornado Chasing vacations. Yes, people pay to go on storm chasing holidays. In 1999 this was a new thing, today its a booming business. Ive always been fascinated by natural extremes and filming tornadoes seemed like...

Submitted by Alister Champman

Published 01 August 2015

Is working for free, training or a pathway to paid work?

by Graham Reed Issue 102 - June 2015 I suspect like a lot of KitPlus readers I often have a look at a websites that advertise jobs, but mainly un-paid. I have frequently thought that these job offers are really just trying to get free or cheap labour for the benefit of the director/producer. One recently advertised for .... a cameraman thats enthus...

Submitted by graham reed

Published 01 July 2015

DIY Camera dollies, flatbed vs T frame and is it worth it...

by Alasdair Brenninkmeijer Issue 102 - June 2015 As filmmakers we are creatives and sometimes we see a simple product as a waste of money, saying "I could make that.\" Sure enough with enough time, maybe we could, but is it really worth it? Lets take a camera dolly for example. The challenge is to create something to smoothly move the camera from o...

Submitted by Alasdair Brenninkmeijer

Published 01 July 2015

Hungerford and the 10 rules of making a Microbuster

by Miles Bullough Issue 101 - May 2015 On April 27th 2015 Wildseed Studios\' debut feature film, \'Hungerford\', launched on iTunes and begins what we hope will be a digital voyage around the world to success. We coined the term \'Microbuster\' to describe movies made on micro budgets but with blockbuster ambitions - and it perfectly captures what...

Submitted by Miles Bullough

Published 01 June 2015

Marketing is everything and everything is marketing

by Den Lennie Issue 101 - May 2015 Marketing for filmmakers can be very intimidating. I think it must have something to do with being creative; we seem to be more concerned with creating content than creating new business. In simple terms, marketing is simply about putting your message in front of the right customers at the right time, so that when...

Submitted by Den Lennie

Published 01 June 2015

Ten years is a long time...

by Peter Savage Issue 100 - April 2015 Ten years is a long time and 100 editions is a major milestone. I happily look back to the spring of 2005 as this was the start of my second life, much as it was for the team at tv-bay - a coincidence of dates which is probably why we have had such a long writing partnership. Matt and Simon were starting out o...

Submitted by Dylan Ellcome

Published 01 May 2015

Extreme equipment for the Film and TV industry

Issue 100 - April 2015 Big films require big shots and to get the action in camera, you need grip equipment and the latest camera support technology to make that vision a real possibility on set. Whether filming underwater or capturing high speed vehicle to vehicle action, Chapman Leonard UK have always looked to supply productions in the UK and Eu...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 May 2015

DOPs discuss minicams, lenses, 4k and all

by Mel Noonan Issue 100 - April 2015 If anyone knows about the practical reality of using minicams and lenses it has to be the DOPs who are out there using them. We are now seeing minicams used in all areas of production, some with 1080p and 4K capability at prices you would not have believed possible a few years back. I spoke to some of the DOPs I...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 May 2015

Fuelling productivity at BP

by Angus Mackay Issue 99 - March 2015 As one of the world\'s leading oil and gas companies, BP has a long history of producing a variety of film, video, and multimedia, and currently has an archive of over fifteen thousand films dating back over a century. The productions cover topics ranging from scientific discovery, energy exploration, community...

Submitted by Angus Mackay

Published 01 April 2015

The changing face of film and TV

by George Olver Issue 99 - March 2015 With the convergence of technologies and blurring of lines between broadcast and other forms of media, the industry has undergone a seismic shift over recent years. In 2015 half of all UK ad spend will be spent on digital, in what has been described as a "seminal moment in the history of the ad industry". Clien...

Submitted by George Olver

Published 01 April 2015

How to charge premium prices

by Den Lennie Issue 98 - February 2015 How much should I charge? Is probably the most commonly asked question I receive here at F-Stop Academy. And the answer? As much as you can and your client is willing to pay. In business it is your duty to maximise your profit. If you are offering a premier boutique video production service then charge accordi...

Submitted by Den Lennie

Published 01 March 2015

Education meets industry...

by Bernard Newnham Issue 98 - February 2015 Heatherden Hall - the most famous country house you\'ve never heard of. Famous because it has appeared in large numbers of British films from Goldfinger to Carry on Camping. Why? Because it\'s the original building at the UK\'s premier film studio - Pinewood. A fitting place, then, to hold a conference on...

Submitted by Bernard Newnham

Published 01 March 2015