Jonathan Fowler
Multimedia Producer
Oscar-Nominated Documentaries Cut On Final Cut Pro
Mar 6th
A recent Macworld article points out that 9 out of the 10 documentaries nominated for the 2010 Academy Awards were edited using Final Cut Pro… pretty impressive, considering that the first version of FCP was released only twelve years ago. (The exception, Burma VJ, was cut on an Avid). From the article:
Apple’s PR rep put it this way: “This year’s Academy Award nominations demonstrate that the best documentary filmmakers in the world are using Apple.” According to the “2010 SCRI Report for Non-Linear Video Editors”—a scintillating sounding report if ever there were one—Final Cut Pro captures half of the professional video editing software market.
This is good news for me, as I’ve been using Final Cut from day one. It seems like the natural progression would be for a single professional editing application to ultimately dominate the industry. Anyone that’s collaborated on a project using more than one NLE (e.g. FCP and Premiere) truly knows what it means to have a headache. My guess is that, surprise releases aside, Final Cut Pro will be used on 90% or more professional productions within a few years.
‘The Virtual Revolution’: BBC’s Collaborative Web Documentary
Feb 15th
From the BBC, regarding The Virtual Revolution, their collaborative documentary about the web:
It was a radical change for BBC documentary making – an open and collaborative production, which asked the web audience to debate programme themes, suggest and send questions for interviewees, watch and comment on interview and graphics clips, and download clips for personal use and re-editing, all months before broadcast.
The subsequent distribution is just as innovative. At the project’s web site, you can explore the documentary in 3D. As you visually browse through clips, you are presented with the option to follow links associated with the current topic. The project is a great example of innovative use of digital media and maximum interactivity. Click the pic above to launch the 3D Documentary Explorer.
“Cascading Effects” – A documentary on climate change in the Pacific Northwest (Part 2)
Jan 31st
Following up on my previous post… here is Part 2 (of 2) of Cascading Effects.
“Cascading Effects” – A documentary on climate change in the Pacific Northwest
Jan 18th
I co-shot this piece – a project produced by fellow friend, filmmaker, shooter, and producer, Jim Tharp. A synopsis from Jim:
[Cascading Effects examines] the sublime landscapes of North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic National Parks, researchers shed light on emerging indications that climate change is real and predict how warming temperatures will affect the natural resources and timeless beauty of the region.
We began shooting in the North Cascades in June of ‘08 – and, ironically, it was snowing relentlessly… not necessarily ideal for outdoor summer interviews intended to illuminate global warming. However, that ultimately addressed the notion that the climate is indeed changing despite the occasional cold snap (or cold year or decade)… and that things aren’t as simple as “it’s going to be a few degrees hotter in the future.”
The project was funded in part by the US National Parks Service and edited by fellow producer, filmmaker and editor, Scott Wiessinger.
Watch Part 1 of the documentary above. Part 2 will be my next entry, but if you would like to see it immediately you can watch it on Jim’s YouTube channel. There are also a range of viewing options on TERRA, a video podcast project from Montana State University’s Master of Fine Arts program in Science and Natural History Filmmaking (where Jim, Scott, and I learned to be responsible film-makers). Enjoy!
“FilmFellas” Webisodes: Round-Table Discussions With Filmmakers
Dec 28th
The folks at Zacuto have been producing FilmFellas, a “webisodic series” featuring round-table discussions with filmmakers of all variety, from novice to seasoned professional. The clip above is the first segment of the “DP Series” Cast (Philip Bloom, Trent Opaloch, Jens Bogehegn, and Robert Primes, ASC).
For anyone in the film industry, I highly recommend having a look. The round-tables are very informal and conversational, so a huge range of topics arise… often with opposing, thought-provoking, informed opinions. Very interesting and the entire project is a great example of innovative new digital media.
My Latest as Director of Photography – “Fanihi: A Cultural Digest”
Dec 9th
Fanihi (The Mariana Fruit Bat, a type of Flying Fox) have long been considered a delicacy by the inhabitants of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Unsustainable hunting has brought the population of Fanihi to critical levels on the archipelago’s small island of Rota - despite recent laws prohibiting the killing of the endangered species. Fanihi: A Cultural Digest explores the slippery slope of cultural preservation versus environmental conservation… and whether the two efforts are necessarily mutually exclusive.
I acted as Director of Photography for the film, spending two weeks shooting on the island. The film is a project by my good friend and fellow producer, filmmaker and shooter, Jim Tharp.
Watch the standard-definition version above. Watch in HD at Vimeo.
“By the People” – Highly Recommended HBO Documentary
Nov 28th
By the People: The Election of Barack Obama. Add it to the list of amazing content picked up by HBO Documentary Films. It premiered a few weeks ago, but is still airing - so catch it if you can. The filmmakers, Amy Rice and Alicia Sams, seem to have mojo reminiscent of D.A. Pennebaker (Primary and The War Room – also highly recommended).
As is often the case, the story behind the production is equally compelling. Rice and Sams started filming well before anyone would have guessed Obama would be the next president. Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman interviewed Rice and Sams on the day of the HBO premiere. Watch that interview here. Videography.com also ran a great article on the production, here.
“Grønlapse” – A short film by Richard Sidey, Shot on a Canon 5D Mark II
Nov 18th
I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Samsara, the sequel to Ron Fricke’s Baraka (an amazing, highly recommended, non-verbal documentary – shot on 70mm). The latest update that I could find, regarding the release date, is here. So, it’s hard to tell how long we’ll have to wait, but it seems to still be in the works.
While searching around for this info, I came across another great non-verbal piece. Richard Sidey shot this in September on a Canon 5D Mark II. He remarked,
I filmed this over a couple of weeks while working on an expedition cruise ship. Shooting in these environments is very opportunistic, basically grabbing what you can without being able to wait around for the right light or explore for various angles. The shots of the Aurora were especially tricky, due to necessary long exposures (up to 8 seconds at ISO 4000) and a lot of ship movement, wind, severe cold and on some occasions a full moon, which overexposed the sky. But when it worked, I was blown away with the results.
I think the footage is spectacular and definitely makes me wonder if DSLRs and HD video cameras are now on the verge of merging completely.
Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary (Werner Herzog Clip)
Nov 8th
Werner Herzog discusses climbing an active volcano in order to get the shot. Although, as he puts it, he was merely playing “the blind lottery” and didn’t do it to “show bravado.” Filmmakers and cinemaphiles tend to have strong opinions about Herzog; from positive to negative to genuinely amused to gravely concerned… and just about everything else in-between. Often the topic of controversy is just as much about Herzog himself as it is his films and subjects.
For some deeper insight into the psyche of Herzog, Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams can’t be recommended enough. One of the earlier feature length, making of-, behind-the-scenes documentaries, it chronicles Herzog’s production of Fitcarraldo, shot on-location in the Amazon. No matter what you think of Herzog, you’ll almost certainly be entertained with Blank’s treatment (though you may finish it with more questions than answers regarding what makes Herzog tick).
This clip is part of a much bigger project by the National Film Board of Canada, directed by Pepita Ferrari. Capturing Reality: The Art of the Documentary is a series of interviews of some of the greatest documentary filmmakers alive. From the NFB: “[filmmakers] offer insight into their craft while reflecting on the nature of representation and the perennially contested status of the truth.”
The NFB is really pushing the envelope of innovative new media on the project’s website. There, the entire experience is interactive… clips are parsed into topic and filmmaker, all available on-demand. Furthermore, Robert Lepage’s original score plays quasi-randomly in the background – somehow making everything more cinematic than typical internet video browsing. [For a similarly engaging project, check out the website for Standard Operating Procedure, the latest documentary by Errol Morris]. The entire uninterrupted film (including footage of the landmark films being discussed) can be viewed here, at sling.com.
National Geographic Pronghorn Short
Oct 26th
I co-shot this piece last fall for National Geographic (with fellow filmmaker, Stephani Gordon, and NGTV producer and friend, Laura Boyd). The featured Explorer, Joe Riis, does amazing work and his stills (used throughout the cut) are incredible.
Pronghorn are extremely timid and they have extraordinary vision – they can detect the flick of a finger from hundreds of yards away. So I spent quite a bit of time waist-deep in snow, pushing my telephoto to the maximum, and minimizing my movement as I operated the camera. It was a tough task… but persistence eventually paid off.
The original post from National Geographic is here.
