Tech Thursdays: Review – Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 50mm f/2 ZF.2

The Zeiss 50mm Makro Planar

This week we rented a Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 50mm f/2 ZF.2 to use on our Panasonic AF100 to film the walking gallery.  We knew that the painted jackets by Regina Holliday would be the star of the video, so we wanted the capability to get some really great closeups.  This lens is not a true macro lens because it only provides a 1:2 magnification, but it still gave us the ability to get extreme closeups.  In the case of the painted jackets, we did not want to get too close, as then the images would no longer make sense.

The Zeiss is truly a joy to use for macro work.  The focus ring is very well dampened, and has a near 360 degree throw.  The majority of the throw is in the 9″ – 1′ range, so once you focus past 1′ it quickly goes to infinity.  But getting sharp focus for the macros of the jackets was incredibly easy.  The lens allows for very precise focus adjustments.  I could easily focus on individual threads of the jackets.  We used the lens for the interviews and some other shots, and it worked quite flawlessly there as well.  The only real challenge was focusing on anything farther than about 5 feet away.  I never felt like I couldn’t get focus, but it was much more challenging due to the very small turn between 5′ – infinity.  The lens was tack sharp wide open, and I found that f2 was plenty fast for us.  Faster lenses in this price range are rarely as good wide open, so I end up stopping down to at least f2 most of the time.  The lens is built like a tank and weighs over a pound, so it is best suited used on a tripod.  I would not want to run around handheld with this lens shooting video.  The only real downside of using it this week is that now I want to buy one!

Micro Doc on Regina Holliday’s “The Walking Gallery”

Last night we documented Regina Holliday‘s Walking Gallery of health care stories and advocacy at Kaiser Permanente’s new Center for Total Health.  Above is the “micro doc” we put together about the event.  We’ve been filming Regina since she lost her beloved husband Fred to kidney cancer in 2009. Since then, she has been using her paintbrushes to advocate for better access, more transparency and safety in our health care system. Her art advocacy first began with a rice paper mural placed at 4 in the morning on the wall of a DC deli. Next was a gas station, where over months of tireless work she painted a massive mural titled 73 Cents.  She’s painted canvases in plain air and even the backs of business jackets worn by activists.  It’s this last surface that has inspired her latest project: The Walking Gallery.  That’s right, a gallery of moving art!  Best of all, it can go wherever the wearer goes.  You know how much we love art that says something. Well, Regina’s art sings it aloud, shouts it from the rooftops, and stops you in your tracks.  She reminds us that our work as artists can indeed make a difference and so it’s been our absolute pleasure to share her story.

Tech Thursdays: Micro 4/3rds Lenses for the AF100

Along with Art Tuesdays we are also going to be posting “Tech Thursdays.”  Each week I will post about a piece of technology, camera gear, computer software or the like and how we have used it at Eidolon in our work.  For the first post, let’s take a look at using Micro 4/3rds lenses on the AF100.

Why m4/3?

Why use a m4/3 lens on the AF100 out of the nearly endless possibilities of lenses available (thanks to the m4/3 format being incredibly adaptable)?  For me there are two main reasons: size and camera integration.  There are a few other advantages as well, but I’ll focus on these two big ones.

Size

AF100 with Lumix 20mm Lens.

Micro 4/3rds is a relatively new format sensor designed for photography and video.  It is about half as large as “full frame” sensors like the Canon 5D mkII, yet only slightly smaller than Academy 35mm motion picture film.  This makes it a great size for video, especially for those with a film background.  The “crop factor” with lenses is minimal when compared to 35mm motion picture film.  M4/3 also lacks a mirror when implemented in a DSLR body, allowing the cameras to be much smaller than a true DSLR.  All of this means that lenses for m4/3 can be built smaller than lenses of the past made for full frame and APS-C DSLRs (that’s some alphabet soup.)  Take the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake lens.  They don’t call it pancake for nothing!  It is tiny.  When put on a m4/3 DSLR it doesn’t look too silly, but stick it on the AF100 and the combination looks like it was run over by a steamroller.  Looks aside, the lens is incredibly sharp wide open, pretty fast and a joy to use.  Focusing can be a little tricky in manual mode on the AF100 because the focus ring is electronic and is so close to the body that those with larger hands may have trouble.  But the total weight of the lens & camera is so low that hand holding is easy and can be done with little fatigue.  The 20mm gives an equivalent field of view of 40mm on a full frame sensor, great for walking around taking photos or close proximity filming.

Taken with the Lumix 20mm in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It is the lens that probably spends the most time on our AF100.  Another great m4/3 lens is the Panasonic 7-14mm f4.0.  This equates to a 14-28mm field of view on full frame, so this is a super wide angle lens.  Yet it remains rectilinear, meaning lines stay straight and not distorted like on a fisheye lens.  Again, this lens is also tiny.  Not as small as the pancake, but when compared to its full frame equivalent from Nikon it is nearly a third of the weight and half the size (and half the price.)  Yes it’s made of plastic, but most of the size difference comes from the smaller sensor and shorter flange distance (because of no mirror) of the format.  This lens is extremely fun to use and sharp wide open.  The last lens with a great size to feature ratio is the Lumix 14-140mm.  This is a 10x zoom, and while it only opens up to f4.0 and quickly falls to f5.6, it is also tack sharp, light, and comes with OIS, something that is a huge benefit for video.  We use this lens often when running around during the day because it is so versatile when there is enough light.  It practically turns the AF100 into an upgraded HVX200.

Camera Connectivity

All of the Panasonic Lumix lenses interact with the AF100 body, meaning iris and focus information are passed through and electronically controlled, and the lenses correct for chromatic aberration and distortion.  For video, the camera connectivity is essential.  These are not cinema lenses, so they don’t have focus marks on their electronic focus rings, making it nearly impossible to rack focus or hit focus repeatedly and reliably.  But having a focus readout in feet helps alleviate the issue.  In our shooting so far, I’ve found the focus readout to be very accurate.  It can tend to jump quickly from .7 feet to say 5, 6 or event 30ft, but turning the ring slowly will allow for smoother focusing.  This is not unlike shooting with other camcorders like the Canon XHA1 which also had an electronic focusing ring and distance readout.  The iris control is also essential for video.  Non m4/3 lenses need adapters for iris control if they aren’t fully manual, and this tends to be a hit or miss proposition.  We have some non m4/3 lenses with adapters, and the iris control is just a ring that opens and closes the iris, but doesn’t provide any information as to what f-stop you might be at.  3rd party solutions to adapt lenses and retain electronic control of the iris are coming to market, but they are expensive and not for all lens manufacturers.  Lastly, the CA and distortion correction in the Lumix lenses, while not essential, is a nice extra feature.  It’s not something you would necessary notice if no one told you about it, but it makes the images better overall.

Video Still with the Lumix 7-14 at Georgetown University.

M4/3 lenses are a great option for shooting with on the AF100.  They are light, sharp and tend to be cheaper than their full frame counterparts.  They aren’t a total solution however.  Prime lenses from Nikon, Canon, Zeiss and other manufacturers can offer much higher build quality, manual focusing and image quality.  And then there is the cinema glass for those that need it and can afford it.  But having at least a couple m4/3 lenses in your bag is a must when shooting with the AF100.

Hello Large Sensor, Nice to Meet You.

By Ben Crosbie

With the Panasonic AF100 having just been released, and Sony having announced two new S35 video cameras, how does an indie film-maker decide on what camera to use for their next project?  DSLR, AF100, NXCAM, F3 (if you can afford it) – such a wide array of choices that many of us would have never imagined could exist 5 years ago.  Now instead of struggling with clunky 35mm adapters for your 1/3″ camcorder, you can simply pick up a DSLR or the forth coming Panasonic/Sony camera, attach a SLR lens and hit record.  You’ll be rewarded with a filmic depth of field, expanded dynamic range, and incredible low light capabilities (previously you only gained 35mm DOF with the adapters.)  So which camera do you choose?

Our Choice

We just got the new Panasonic AF100, and had picked up a Panasonic GH1 a month ago as a B-camera and to use in the gap prior to the AF100’s release.  In a previous blog I had said that we were not going to use a DSLR for film-making, but obviously we have reneged on that decision.  We were all set to shoot our new projects on the AF100, but a few had to begin a couple months prior to its release.  As a result, we decided we would try out the GH1.

While the Canon 5D MkII was one of the first DSLRs used to shoot video, and remains king of hyper shallow DOF (thanks to its massive full frame sensor), we decided against using it for a few reasons.  We opted for the GH1 because it’s cheaper ($1000 for body and video optimized lens vs. $2400 for the 5D body alone), and because we would easily be able to share lenses between the GH1 and the AF100, and the two would cut together much more easily.  Additionally, older models of the GH1 can be hacked to improve the bit-rate (and perhaps one day the newer models as well), and even without the hack, the GH1 works much better for shooting video.  It has no limit on recording times, includes typical video frame-rates and a good articulating LCD screen and high quality view finder that can be used while recording video (unlike the other DSLRs that have mirrors preventing the use of the viewfinder during recording.)  The 5D (and 7D, 60D etc.) all offer some advantages over the GH1 for certain users and purposes, but for us, the net advantage went to the GH1.

Shooting with the GH1

Our GH1 is unhacked due to it’s build date, so we are only seriously considering using it for sit down interviews and staged B-Roll/artistic scenes.  I have no real desire or plan to use the GH1 for any run & gun action, fast-moving subjects, wide shots or the like.  That is what the AF100 will be for.  So how did the GH1 work out on our recent shoot?  As a video camera, the GH1 is not perfect.  Like any DSLR, it is not meant to shoot video, so it lacks some essential features found on “real” camcorders.  Exposure tools like zebras, waveforms, XLR audio, and timecode are all absent from the GH1.  It also lacks a video out port that you can connect to a pro monitor.  So judging exposure with the GH1 can be scary to say the least.  You have to really trust your eyes and have enough experience with it to know what you will end up with.  All that said, the images it produces can be spectacular.  We shot 12 sit down interviews with the GH1, and all of them looked gorgeous.  We were able to get some shots that we were physically incapable of filming just one year ago with an XHA1 in the exact same shooting locations.  We shot a 2nd camera with an HVX200, and the side by side difference is actually quite stunning:

The lower quality AVCHD of the GH1 didn’t really present any problems with these types of shots.  In underexposed areas there were some artifacts, but the GH1 still outshines the HVX200 in pure aesthetic quality.

The AF100

We pre-ordered the AF100 a couple days after it went on pre-order.  “How can you buy a camera sight unseen?” you may ask.  Well, the last camera we bought (Canon XH-A1) we purchased without ever having used it, and I would venture to say most people never get to touch, let alone test extensively, any camera they are buying.  You have to make the decision based on reviews and specs.  The AF100 doesn’t have any reviews really, aside from pre-production model tests which have sent some into a tizzy about highlight clipping, lack of dynamic range and a “video-look.”  The footage I’ve seen from the test shots look amazing, and the earlier testers are all in love with the camera, so I stand firm in my decision to pre-order.

The AF100 offers everything the DSLR users have come to love, but leaves behind all of their short comings.  I consider this a game changer, but many do not.  Many are expecting this camera to deliver some amazing new “never-before-seen” imagery, but that is just unrealistic.  I’m not sure what that would even look like.  The AF100 will give us the same filmic image we have come to expect from DSLRs, but without moire, aliasing, skew, and with the addition of proper video features such as long recording times, proper audio, proper monitoring, outputs and lots of buttons to control all the functions.  This is exactly what we need.  We need a camera that works like a real video camera, that can be trusted in a variety of situations, and doesn’t need a multitude of accessories to function properly.  The AF100 promises to fit that bill.

First Test Shoot

Today I was able to take out the AF100 for a test shoot.  This was my first time using the camera, so I still have many things to learn about it.  But my first impressions are very high.  The camera is a dream to use.  Functionally, it works just as any prosumer camcorder should.  It has all the right tools, knobs, and functions for creating good looking video, and allows you to do it easily.  That is the key thing I noticed from the test shoot.  I never found myself once wishing that I had some extra feature.  I had all the tools I needed at my disposal.  This is how using a video camera should be.  The LCD is quite large and sharp, and I rarely had focusing issues due to the handy focus-in-red feature.  The built in waveform also helped enormously in judging tricky exposures.

The footage the AF100 produces is also very, very nice.  It resembles the GH1, but has the much better broadcast version of AVCHD.  This means it has a higher bitrate and many more compression key frames which allow the codec to withstand more challenging situations in which the GH1’s codec would fall apart.  The AF100 also has variable frame rates up to 60fps at full 1080p.  This is huge feature for a camera in this price range, and let me tell you, the 60fps stuff looks awesome.  I have many more tests and shoots to do with the AF100 before I can really comment on the quality of the footage, but so far I am impressed, and you can judge for yourself:

http://vimeo.com/18326382

Hindsight is 20/20 When Using Marketing Goggles

Keeping the Kibbutz is now beginning to screen at festivals, community centers, synagogues, universities and museums across the US and abroad.  It’s a wonderful feeling to see our work screened before audiences and to hear their feedback.   Yet what is most interesting about this stage in the life of the film is that it is providing us incredible insight into what worked and what didn’t in the making of this film. The editing process resulted in many Homer Simpson ‘doh’ moments as we noticed a mic muff in the frame, a dirty lens, a missed opportunity. But it’s in the marketing, outreach and engagement stage that we’ve really begun to realize what connects a film with engaged audiences – the ultimate goal of producing a documentary. Here are some of the lessons we learned for the next time around. Hopefully these reflections will be helpful to other filmmakers.

1. Identify core audiences immediately and solicit their support right away.

We were so focused on the creation of the film that we neglected to seriously think about audience. While we had a rough idea of who our core audience was, we never surveyed these communities to get a sense of their desires and needs with respect to the topic of the kibbutz experience.  I think their questions could have provided us a more refined direction while making the film. We also would have been well served by developing early on the personal relationships necessary to connect the film to the public.

2. Funding matters and not just for money

We made a few small efforts to obtain formal funding for Keeping the Kibbutz but once turned-down we failed to search for less competitive funding opportunities or evaluate our application and submit again (which is common for many filmmakers). We had the stubborn and naiive attitude that we would finish the film with or without funding and hopefully make some return on our investment. In retrospect, while helpful, it isn’t the money that we most missed out on. Rather, it’s the outreach support and connection to key communities that a large funder could have provided us. While we have a wonderful film on our hands, we are no match to the organizations with clout to connect their films to audiences. The lesson is that funding matters, and not just for money.

3. Hire an executive producer

Never create in a vacuum. We knew this as a fundamental truth in filmmaking but I’m not sure we understood the extent of outside support we needed.  We utilized works-in-progress screenings and employed the feedback these screenings produced. But perhaps that support wasn’t quite enough. We needed a skilled, experienced and well-connected executive producer to come in with fresh eyes and help us sculpt the film into something that would be well-marketed.

4. Make more than one version of the film – one 70 minute and one 50 minute.

Our film ended up being 54 minutes, the length we felt best told the story. The length is perfect for television and community and university screenings as it allows plenty of time for discussion and Q&A without being exhaustive or extending beyond a classroom period. However, it’s a nearly impossible length for film festivals. In fact some festivals won’t even accept a film of that length. It can only be realistically programmed with two other shorts, and many festivals favor screening short films in a group, rather than at the front or tail end of an ‘essay length’ film.  Most advisable is to film enough strong content to warrant a 70-90 minute film for festival and theatrical screening, then cut down to a 56 minute film that can be used in TV and educational screenings as well as marketing for television.

5. Take excellent photographs!

Taking excellent photos of the characters and setting of your film seems like an extraneous measure but it’s just as important as your cinematography. These photographs will ultimately be used to market and sell your film on your website, posters and postcards, and DVD cover. Think about flipping through a film festival catalogue or through the independent section of the video rental store. It is the jacket cover images that make you want read the synopsis.  While the video equipment of late makes for excellent stills, it’s rare that in the run and gun of verite, you’ll capture that iconic image that will say everything you want to say about the film.  After filming or even throughout the production process, leave time for taking phenomenal photos of your characters, the setting, and even symbolic items – such as a flag, a typewriter, or paintbrush – whatever will help to portray your film. And don’t forget to have someone taking pictures of you at work, especially behind the camera. You can use these pics for the “about the director” section of your website and press kit.  We did a very poor job of taking photographs and so we ultimately had to utilize stills from the film that did not necessarily have the clearest resolution.

6. Keep a production journal

This is one of the actions we did do right. We kept a thorough production journal, which at the time helped us sort through our thoughts and experiences while filming. Later on, we were able to re-post these blog entries on our Keeping the Kibbutz website blog. We’ve also used some of the anecdotal stories, which may have been otherwise forgotten over time, to provide audiences with some insight into the “making of” during post-screening discussions.

7. Film Extras!

While it’s very important to have a distinct focus when filming a documentary film, your deep exploration of a topic may lead you to many interesting stories you never imagined. And while these stories may not exactly fit into the narrative trajectory of your film, they can be integrated into featurettes that can be included in your DVD ‘extras’.  They lend additional insight into the topic and are viewable at the discretion of the home viewer. For example, one of our characters’ Francois and his wife Esther cared for wounded birds, turning their backyard into an eclectic bird hospital and sanctuary replete with a massive turquoise cage and a 20 ft. tall bird home for “Craw” the friendly crow. This footage was ultimately made into a 5 minute featurette entitled “The Birds.” We also filmed elements of Ben’s grandmother’s life: entertaining friends, exercising, going to the salon, eating lunch in the dining room, riding around on her little golf cart. This footage ultimately became a featurette entitled “Savta”.

8. Gather email addresses early

This wasn’t something we would have necessarily thought of gathering in the production stage, but it could have been easily done by adding one more prominent line on our appearance releases: add your email address if you want to be updated on the progress of the film. We had over 60 appearance releases, so that could have been 60 additional people on our newsletter, on facebook and ultimately spreading the word. An additional email sign-up could be in your hand if you are in a crowd that is not being filmed but is still interested in the film.

The Difficulty of Not Being on the Bleeding Edge

By Ben Crosbie

As most people who work in the media/video field (and many serious hobbyists and enthusiasts) know, the last year or so has brought about a revolution in film-making.  With the release of the Canon 5d MkII, stunning 35mm film-like images with mouthwatering DOF and colors at an affordable price point has become a reality.  Since then, Canon and nearly every other camera manufacturer have released a wide variety of DSLRs that can shoot HD video.  Now this new breed of HDSLR film-making has spawned a whole new way of shooting.  What was once only attainable by Hollywood cinematographers can now be achieved by anyone with a relatively inexpensive DSLR and some nice lenses (and a ridiculous assortment of attachments and accessories).   Even though I have never used a DSLR for film-making, I have seen enough videos online to make me lust deeply after one.

So why don’t we just go out and get a 5d already?  Well, the main reason is we have plenty of gear we have been using the last 3 years that still works perfectly, and in my opinion still produces wonderful images.  Our latest project was shot with a Canon XHA1 and Panasonic HVX200, a set of Cool Lights LEDs and natural light (see below).  While neither camera can come close to getting the depth of field achievable with a 5d, I still think with the proper lighting and creativity they can produce very pleasing visuals.   Would this video look even better if it were shot on a 5d?  Certainly.  But that doesn’t mean we are ready to get one.

Because Eidolon is not currently on the bleeding edge of digital film-making, I question nearly every day whether to bite the bullet and buy a 5d, 7d or even a T2i, Canon’s latest DSLR that shoots video.  It’s tough not being on the bleeding edge!  But all that anxiety aside, I remind myself that this field is rapidly changing and evolving, and if we can just wait it out a bit longer, we will be rewarded.  Of course if you always wait until the “next thing” to purchase any gear, then you will never buy anything.  But if you have the tools to do your job and do it well, then there is no absolute need to upgrade.

The other reason we have not switched over to DSLRs is that they aren’t particularly well suited to documentary shooting.  Sure they would work great for planned sit down interviews in which we can control the lighting, environment and to a certain degree the subject.  But for run and gun shooting, a DSLR needs many accessories to function like a traditional video camera.  Stabilization, a viewfinder, and double system sound are just a few of the add-ons needed to make a camera like the 5d work like the XHA1 in a verite documentary situation.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many film-makers currently using a 5d or 7d to produce documentary film.  But these cameras were simply not built for serious documentary shooting, and it shows.

I eagerly await the day that I can hold in my hands the latest DSLR, or Canon/Sony/Panasonic’s new video camera with a large sensor (one can dream) or even the Red Scarlet.  I’d love to use a 5d on our next project, a short documentary about Karen refugees living in New Jersey.   But I just don’t feel confident any of the DSLRs would mesh with our style of unpredictable shooting out in the field on an already complex documentary.  So, we have to just wait a little longer, and continue to hone our craft and focus on story telling.  Because if I have learned one lesson from this revolution in film-making, it is that no amount of shallow depth of field can turn poor story telling into great film.

Barberin’ DVD For Sale

Barberin’ is now available for sale on DVD.  The film was released in 2007, and was an official selection at the 2007 DC Shorts Film Festival and the 2008 Our City Film Festival.  The film was mentioned in both the Washington Post and Washingtonian write-ups on DC Shorts.  If you weren’t able to see the film at either fest, now is your chance!

Barberin’, 7 min

“Step inside the doors of Edges Barbershop on 14th and U streets in northwest Washington, DC. Donnie, Vincent and George each offer insight into their profession. Meet customers young and old as they participate in lively and diverse conversations about everything from women to politics.”

Keeping the Kibbutz Work-In-Progress Screening July 10

Our first feature length film, Keeping the Kibbutz, will be screening at the George Washington University on July 10, from 7-10 pm.  The screening is part of Docs In Progress, a DC based non-profit that screens works-in-progress to the public.

Please come out and see the film and give us feedback/criticism so that we can improve the film and finish it!

Details:

WHEN?

Friday, July 10, 2009

7:00-10:00 pm

WHERE?

George Washington University Media and Public Affairs Building
805 21st Street, NW (corner of 21st and H Streets)
Auditorium B-07 (one floor down from street level)

Washington DC 20052

HOW MUCH?
$5 suggested donation.
Tickets can be purchased online in advance by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.
Tickets at the door will be sold cash-only.

Copies, Copies Everywhere.

By Ben Crosbie

Ok, so you’ve finished your masterpiece – color corrected until your eyes watered and sound edited until your dog could no longer hear that slight hiss in the audio – but finally your life’s greatest work is complete. All that remains is producing a bunch of copies of the DVD to send off to film festival — err, wait a minute, what is the difference between DVD replication and duplication? What are all these websites touting the best/fastest/prettiest/will also ship with a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie oven-DVD replication/duplication services? Can I just order 50 DVDs – or do I have to order 1000 of these things, and use the remaining 950 to build that sick DVD fort I’ve always wanted? All these questions are natural when you’re sitting bleary eyed at 3 AM, trying to completely wrap up your latest film. So, go get some rest and come back in the morning and we’ll give you the answers you so desperately seek.

Making Mothers DVD Case Wrap

Enough to feed myself, or an army (AKA: DVD Duplication vs. Replication)

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and so the independent filmmaker has two options when it comes to mass producing DVDs – replication and duplication. But just as with skinning cats, it all depends on your budget and the final number of copies you want.

DVD replication is generally only used for runs of 1000 copies or more. Replication lends itself to higher runs because of the longer and more complicated manufacturing process involved. Replicated DVDs look exactly like the DVD you would rent from Blockbuster (if anyone actually went to Blockbuster anymore for any other reason than to look at those weird people who still don’t use Netflix). This type of DVD is called a DVD-5 or DVD-9 (single layer/dual layer). They are made from a glass master, which is then used to stamp the data on to blank media (the whole process is more detailed, but you get the idea). This is very different to what happens inside your home computer when burning a DVD, which uses a laser to “burn” the data on the blank DVD-R. If you don’t believe me, grab a burned DVD and compare it to a rented DVD. You can easily see the difference on the data side. One is blue and has a darker area where your data was burned, and the other is a solid shiny silver. That is the magic of the glass master stamping process.

Making Mothers DVD Label

DVD Duplication is generally used for runs under 1,000, and works like your home DVD burner, just on a much larger scale. Because no glass master needs to be made, the duplicating process is quicker and cheaper. Most vendors won’t even require a minimum order, with some allowing just 1 copy to be made. Of course, most vendors do offer price breaks for higher quantities, but duplication is cheaper than replication for anything under 500 discs. Once you cross 500, duplication might get more expensive than replication, and then you have to ask yourself if you want those extra 500 discs. The turnaround time for duplication is also shorter than replication, sometimes only taking a day to produce and ship.

Both replication and duplication provide the same result in the end – an exact copy of your master. Nearly all vendors that replicate/duplicate DVDs will say on their websites that the two are equal in terms of quality. I’ll have take them at their word for it.

Disc Makers, Pacific Disc, Kunaki?

One quick Google search of “DVD duplication” will yield a host of websites offering their services. Most appear to provide the same general service in the same price range – full color disc and packaging nicely wrapped up in cellophane, ranging from $2-3 per disc (without shipping) for duplicated DVDs, and $1-1.25 per disc (1000 minimum order) for replicated DVDs. I haven’t had the chance to use all of these services, so I can’t speak to their quality. Disc Makers and Pacific Disc are both very good options (no affiliation with either, just thought their pricing and services looked the nicest), but we used Kunaki for our duplication needs.

Kunaki is quite the opposite of Disc Makers and Pacific Disc. They barely have a website to speak of, and offer only one product – a single full color DVD in an amaray style case, with a full color case wrap and the option for a one page insert – all for $1.75 per disc. Kunaki offers one of the cheapest duplication services around, yet their product is superb. Before you run out and start throwing 7 quarters at Kunaki, realize that Kunaki is not for everyone. If you want anything outside of what they offer, you’ll have to shop elsewhere. Additionally, if you want lots of help getting through the designing and production process, or need customer service, you might also want to look at using a different vendor.

Kunaki has a unique interface that allows you to build the DVD packaging, preview it, and upload your data directly to their facility (another limitation: the interface is Windows only). Your DVD label and cover have to be designed prior to uploading, because Kunaki doesn’t offer robust free designing software like Disc Makers does. Once you have mastered and uploaded your final disc, you can order as many as you would like, as many times as you want. Kunaki keeps your project on their servers indefinitely as long as you place an order from it every 180 days.

Kunaki perfectly met the needs for the DVD duplication of our film Making Mothers. If Kunaki can meet your needs, it’s by far the cheapest, easiest and quickest way to duplicate small runs of DVDs. Otherwise go with another vendor like Disc Makers or Pacific Disc. But in the end, you can’t really go wrong with any of them, just make sure to pick one and go with it, or your pièce de résistance may never be seen by the masses!

Reminder: Documentary Filmmaking is a Business

By Tessa Moran

The work of a documentary filmmaker does not end when the final cut is set. Rather, his work has just begun.  Now the film needs to be packaged, marketed and disseminated.  After all, one’s film would have been produced in vain if it is never shown to the public.  And the now weary filmmaker will not be compensated for his efforts if the film never reaches a paying distributor.  

Convincing the right people to watch or distribute your film is a challenge, expecially for documentary filmmakers, who by nature tend to be averse to self-marketing.  Though your film certainly speaks for itself, it may struggle to gain a platform without appealing packaging and aggressive outreach. 

This isn’t to say that the filmmaker should now master graphic design and transform into a marketing guru.  That isn’t possible, nor is it ideal.  Documentary filmmaking is a craft, and it requires a tremendous amount of attention, especially for those low-budget guerilla filmmakers who already wear multiple hats.  However, one must be attuned to the business of making documentary films, including marketing.  After all, we want to support ourselves so we are able to make our next film.  

I recently went to a seminar hosted by Kelley Baker, also known as the “Angry Filmmaker“.  Baker has plenty of unkind words for the “independent film industry,” which admittedly has drifted towards Hollywood and away from truly low-budget films.  He argues for self-distribution, even suggesting that filmmakers travel from state to state showing their films at small town theatres.  

Not everyone has the wherewithal to roam via bus with DVD in hand.  And Baker’s unorthodox approach borders on that of a used car salesman.  Throughout the seminar, he brought our attention to a table, where his “angry filmmaker” t-shirts, pamphlets, books and DVDs were on display for sale.

Nevertheless, certain aspects of Baker’s mission are worthy of consideration.  Most important is the concept that there is no sense in making a film unless people see it. Second, there is more than one way to distribute a film.  Ofcourse we all dream that our films hit the festival circuit, first premiering at Sundance followed by the usual big-leaguers: SXSW, Toronto, Telluride, Full Frame, Hot Docs, BritDoc, True/False. Then ThinkFilm and the like all scramble to pick up your film for theatrical distribution.  But few films garner that privilege, and there are plenty of films that receive their own level of success through a non-traditional route.

The following are a few notes I’ve jotted down on other distribution paths to take:

1) Sell DVDs yourself: This is actually easier than it sounds, especially these days with new self-distribution platforms like CreateSpace, which allows you to sell your DVD on Amazon.  You simply upload your film, including packaging, and it will be available for sale.  There’s no need to estimate inventory, as the DVDs will be produced as customers order them.  Your product may also be eligible for email and/or online promotion through the CreateSpace on-demand program.  The platform will take a decent cut of the sale, but it is still an easy way to get your film seen and make some money too.

Many DVD replication companies can also work with you to sell DVDs on demand, either through your own website or places like Amazon.  Kunaki, the DVD duplication company we used for our recent production, will duplicate, print and package your DVD on demand for the low cost of $1.75 (excluding shipping and handling).  Customers can order the DVD through Kunaki for the price you determine, Kunaki will pocket the production fees and shipping and handling costs, while you will pocket the rest. Good deal, no?

2) Educational: Documentaries tell stories, but they also teach, often in transformative ways.  Many of Ken Burns’ films were shown to me in my classes as an American Studies major at Georgetown to complement our traditional study.  And in my own time, I’ve continued to learn through documentary.  I knew little about the folly of the Vietnam War before being introduced to its number one player, Robert MacNamara  in Errol Morris’ The Fog of War. 

Think about putting together additional educational materials: discussion questions, background information, additional DVD footage. These materials could be sold together with the film.  Usually, “educational” versions can be sold for much more than a single consumer DVD, due to the fact that the film is being screened in front of larger audiences, usually multiple times.  

Contact Universities to inquire if their student activities organization would be interested in hosting a screening of your film.  They have budgets for these sort of events, and may even fly you out to attend a Q&A. 

3) Outreach: Non-profits are always searching for innovative ways to disseminate their message, and they are increasingly looking to documentary film as one way to do this.  Find a non-profit whose message resonates with that of your film, and contact the directors there about possibly tailoring the film to their outreach efforts.  Attend non-profit fairs, or connect with non-profits on  meet-up sites like Idealist.org.   

4) Television: Television stations such as PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and HBO (to name the big ones) acquire a portion of their programming from third party production companies, rather than produce entirely in-house.  The competition is steep for these channels, and the requirements are strict. Watch each channel’s programming carefully to see how to tailor your film accordingly.  Make sure you have everything in check: broadcast specs, location and model releases, legal soundness.

Other stations that show documentary films include the Independent Film Channel, the Sundance Channel, Cinemax, The Documentary Channel, NOVA, Frontline.  These are just within the United States, but there are plenty of international channels that feature US-produced documentaries.  Channel 4 is one of the UK’s public television stations.  Here is their site for producers.

5) Online Distribution:  No, not youtube – the quality there is poor and you won’t make any money.  There are, however, online sites or channels that will showcase your film, with intermittent advertisements.  One example is Snagfilms, which also allows viewers to “snag” your feature film and disseminate it elsewhere, say, on a site that supports a specific cause aligned with the film.