TESTING BLACMAGIC POCKET CINEMA CAMERA

The most exciting news of course is that we miraculously grabbed the BMPCC from Adorama. Many people are still on the wait list and the camera (along with batteries and even SD cards) is nowhere to be found. We just walked in and were lucky to sneak out with it.
There are definitely many ways this camera may be improved, and the battery’s life is indeed very short, but the overall impression so far is absolutely positive. Below I’m attaching a few screenshots from the 1st shoot. One very inspiring addition is that the RAW update to BMCC is said to be released by Blackmagic very soon. Another interesting acquisition for us is the new Sony FS700 super35mm video camera. We’ve been shooting with it for the last two weeks, and I can’t describe how happy I am with the results. Actually at this point I think we reached the perfect production condition gear wise: GH3/GH2/BMPCC (which share the same line of M4/3 lenses) and Nikon D800/FS700 (which also share the same Nikon lenses via the Metabones adaptor). On the final note I need to mention that we are in the 2nd month of work on the new documentary project for TV RUSSIA. It’s topic is too sensitive to be exposed until we’re in the editing stage.

NEW DOC 90% READY

It might be a little premature to announce that but my new film called “PLANET OF BABEL” is in the final stage of production. I’ve just showed the final cut to our channel’s executives and hopefully after some minor revisions it will be aired by RUSSIA-1. We keep our fingers crossed. The film (as it was mentioned in earlier posts) is telling the story of the Great Recession through the eyes of ordinary people all across the globe. It is raising questions of moral and ethical degradation caused by our today’s obsession with material wealth and institutionalized individualism.

We’ve been shooting this doc in collaboration with talented people from Europe, US and Asia. Everywhere we were met with open arms and people’s willingness to contribute. It would’ve been impossible to accomplish such a task traveling as a fully equipped tv-crew (given all the associated expenses), so this was the time when our DSLR techniques paid off well. I switched to Nikon D800 completely while my assistant Oleg Segeev was mostly operating the beautiful tiny (hacked) GH2. In my further posts I hope to share some experience as of how to produce a film comprising over 10 countries (from Greece and US to China and Syria) with only a lightweight bagpack and a tripod. 

 

OUR FILM FINALLY AVAILABLE ON PBS’ POV WEB SITE

Watch Sound of Vision on PBS. See more from POV.

MY FIRST FULL LENGTH DOCUMENTARY

Just finished working on it. Was first screened at NYUNEWSDOC2011 in February 2012.
Enjoy.

A REVIEW OF THE NEW 12 MM F1.6 LENS (COURTESY SLR MAGIC)

I’d like to thank SLR Magic for giving me a chance to shoot with this extraordinary lens.
Many thanks to Vitaly Kiselev (www.personal-view.com) for his involvement and assistance. And for hacking the magic GH2 of course!
Here’s my experience

WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF RUN AND GUN STANDALONE FILMMAKING

Hi!
My name is Konstantin Syomin. I’m a videographer with some 11 years of experience in television. Due to arrival of new technologies and ways of communication, mass media is undergoing tremendous changes these days. So I decided to depart from my previous comfortable position at one of the world’s major broadcasting networks, and dive into the stream of independent filmmaking. Currently I’m focused on producing, script-writing, shooting, and editing documentaries about anything that deserves public attention (i.e. isn’t boring or relevant only for the few). The turbulent times we are living in, the deteriorating economic environment, growing political risks and the unseen before availability of video equipment, are already shaping the world of television thus clearing the path for multi-skilled professionals.

I’m up to cover the whole scope of video production:
– filming (using professional HDSLR rig assembled to accommodate the amazing micro4/3 Lumix GH2 camera with its bitrate boosted to over 66mb/s. Tascam DR-100 for audio)
– editing (Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Avid)
– video graphics (Motion, Adobe After Effects)
– music composing (Logic Pro 9, Reason 5, Soundtrack Pro)
Not to mention traditional reporting which I still occasionally do.

On this site you will find examples of my recent work. I’m open to any ideas or suggestions. If you have an interesting project that might benefit from my participation and creativity, feel free to contact me anytime.

Below are the two trailers for my upcoming documentary.