Just want to share with you the great experience I had this weekend as the Cameraman for Clint Eastwood's documentary on the Monterey Jazz Festival. He is a really nice man and actually showed me a lighting trick that looks beautiful. Bill Stafannaci was my audio guy, we had two mixers, three wireless mics, a Boom pole with two nice directional mics. I shot with the Panasonic SDX900. Format was DVCPRO50, frame rate 24P, and 16X9. For Lighting I used my usual Lighting items, plus a JOKER, which is a portable HMI. An HMI is a light that puts out the color temp of roughly 4000-5600K. It acts like a piece of the sun, you use it outdoors as a fill or key light. You do not have to put Blue Gels on an HMI, they are already naturally that color temperature. It looked great.

I really want to encourage all my past students to attend this Wednesday night's Documentary story structure workshop. Sept 21 7-10pm $35 Information about Taggart Seigels's new Theatrical Release and Natiaonal PBS Film, THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN .. can be found here.

This is a way for everybody to think critically about their projects, and engage in a theoretical, yet practical discussion of filmmaking with these great filmmakers and teachers. Call if you need more info (415) 810-5934...or just show up this Wednesday night at 7pm at :

• DVworkshops
• 442 Shotwell Street
• San Francisco, CA 94110
• Plenty of parking on Folsom street, just around the corner.

Taggart Seigel and Christopher Upham will conduct a fast paced three hour session ( students may bring wine and beer). here's what they will cover

• 1 Hour and 15 minute lecture on Story structure and the Documentary.
• Group discussion of how to apply this to their own films.
• Taggart Siegel will demonstrate some of his story telling techniques used in The Real Dirt on Farmer John
• Examples of documentary story telling techniques will be screened.

Our hands-on Class is this weekend. Please click here for more details and registration. Aron Ranen will be teaching this class..here is a breakdown:

1. Morning Lecture on Exposure, camera menus, Zebras, Blue Gel;s, ND9, Audio for Video, understanding Color Temp, Basic Documentary story telling.
2. Afternoon of Shooting in San Francisco's North beach, Hands-on Practice of elements from the morning lecture.</ li>
3. Critique and review of student footage both on- location and the next morning.
4. Sunday Morning footage review,
5. All day hands-on Lighting set-ups and practical exercises.
6. 3-point lighting, use of strong backlight, shooting the perfect interview set-up. How to create out-of-focus background, Monitor calibration.
7. Use of C-stands, Gels, Dimmers, Arri lights, Chimera and more.
8. Cost is $295 and includes hand-out