Just in Time Films

Panasonic Z10000 Review

2012-02-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Panasonic HDC-Z10000 Review

Until now, there really hasn’t been a decent prosumer 3Dcamera. The options were limited to either consumer-grade products like Sony’sHDR-TD10, or professional products like Panasonic’s AG-3DP1. But now Panasonichas released the HDC-Z10000 for the MSRP of $3500. It adds advanced featureslike separate manual rings for focus, zoom, and iris, a convergence wheel, anddual XLR inputs. But is it worth stepping up from the consumer models?

First, a word of disclosure: I bought this camera with myown hard-earned money. I paid $3299 just before New Year’s Eve, although it cannow be had for a couple hundred less.

PICTURE

The Z10000 utilized two 1/4.1” imaging sensors, each with6.21 effective megapixels ((2.07 x 3) x 2). There are two ways to look at thesensors. On one hand, these are the same sensors used in considerably lessexpensive cameras (such as the newly announced Panasonic HC-X series). On theother hand, these are the same sensors used in 2010’s AG-3DA1, a camera thatstill retails for $16,000.

OK, great, but how does it look? In bright light, the imagesare stunning. In low light, not so much. I’ve done a half dozen test shoots inclubs and bars and simply cannot get the footage to look good. The pictures arestill dark even with the iris fully open, and they get a lot of digital noiseonce gain is added.

But in sunlight or brightly lit rooms? WOW. The colors areamazing. It is easy to avoid overexposure, and the results are highlysatisfying. But the crummy low light performance means you’ll need to carefullyplan your project around the camera.

SOUND

The built-in microphone can record in 5.1 Dolby Surround,but the sound quality is not excellent. Luckily, the two XLR inputs mean youprobably won’t be using the build-in mic very often. I paired this camera withan Audio-Technica AT897 and have been very pleased with the results. Attachingan external mic restricts you to Dolby Digital stereo or LCPM stereo recording.Stick with LCPM for the highest bitrate (1.5Mbps).

FEATURES

If you’ve used any of Panasonic’s mid-range cameras, you’llbe familiar with the layout here. There are independent focus, zoom, and irisrings up front and a convergence wheel on the side near where the iris wheelwas on older models. Shutter speed is adjusted through the touch-screen.

It is an OK setup, but I would like more customization. Forexample, I almost never change iris once it is set for the environment, but Iwant the ability to control convergence as the camera is moved. The convergencewheel does not lend itself to on-the-fly adjustment. I’d like to swap thefunctionality of the iris ring and convergence wheel. Can’t. Bummer.

A feature from DSLR’s that I used a lot was Focus Assist,where you could temporarily zoom in 5-10x to adjust focus. Not only does thiscamera not have it, but it is actually not possible to zoom in to adjust focuswhile in 3D mode. The reason for this is that the convergence is automaticallyreset whenever you zoom in. There is a Focus Assist feature, but I haven’tfigured it out yet. It highlights whatever is in focus in red, but I don’ttrust it as much as actually seeing my subject in focus.

Like many Panasonic cameras, there are user-definablebuttons that be assigned to a host of features. There are three hardware Userbuttons and another four accessible through the touch-screen display. Among the18 features that can be assigned are: Histogram, Convergence Reset, 3D MacroMode (for recording subjects 1.5 feet away), and 3D Display Mode.

That last one deserves some discussion because it is amongthe best features of the camera. The LCD display can be viewed in 2D mode, 3Dmode, or Mix Mode. Mix Mode allows you to see both the left and right viewssimultaneously. The subject is converged when the two frames overlap perfectly.Anything closer than the converged subject will appear to be in front of thescreen and anything further away will appear to be behind the screen.

The Z10000 supports Scene Files, customized settings thatfine-tune picture settings for specific environments. Sadly, it does not appearto support the same Scene Files as earlier Panasonic camcorders. OlderPanasonic camcorders could access 24 Scene Files while the Z10000 is limited to6. But 24 settings can be adjusted for each Scene File, including Gamma, Knee,Color Temperature, and Chroma Level. Used properly, these can dramaticallyimprove picture quality in challenging situations.

The Zebra function is essential and helps prevent image overexposure. There are two Zebra settings by default (80% and 100%), but you can adjust them to whatever sensitivity you'd like.

The camera can record to two SD cards simultaneously, but oddly they cannot be used to record separate left and right streams. Rather, they can record in backup mode (where the same content is written to both cards), or extended mode (where one card will fail over to the other once full).

CONCLUSION

The Z10000 is a mixed bag that, for me, is an essential toolanyway. When I started down this 3D path two years ago, I had to cobbletogether my own camera from a pair of Canon Rebel T2is and a parallel rig.There were no integrated 3D cameras on the market. In May 2011, I bought Sony’sHDR-TD10, a Handicam that had a single manual dial to control every manualfunction available (and there weren’t that many – shutter speed and framerate werefixed in 3D mode). Now there’s a reasonably priced integrated 3D cameras with ahost of manual controls and customizable features. And it takes excellentpictures in bright light. But low-light performance is poor and some of themost important features are frustratingly implemented. Why are some functions,such as shutter speed, accessible only through the touch-screen? Why is thereno Waveform Monitor? Why has support for Scene Files been reduced from 24 to 6?Why can’t I record left and right video streams to the separate SD cards?

But while those would be nice enhancements, they are not essential. The primary selling point of this camera is the promise of a better affordable 3D camera, and it delivers. It is the best 3D camera you can buy for under $15,000. No competitors were announced at CES 2012, so it is the tool of choice for budding stererographers for the near future. But I'm still waiting for the perfect camera, and one will come along sooner or later. - Chadwick Thomas, Just in Time Films

2012-02-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

The next two videos shot with Panasonic's Z10000 3D camera were recorded on a very beautiful day.

NOTE: Click through to the YouTube page to adjust 3D playback.

Mondo a GoGo

2012-02-01T23:52:00.003-05:00

Here are the first two videos shot with the Panasonic Z10000 3D camera. These were recorded during Mondo a GoGo at the Magnolia Bar & Grill.

NOTE: Click through to the YouTube page to adjust 3D playback.

3D Flamenco Dance Part 2 - 2011 Louisville WorldFest (feat. Vicente Griego)

2012-01-13T18:24:00.001-05:00

Second 3D Flamenco dance perfomance from Louisville's 2011 WorldFest. Click through to YouTube's page to toggle between 2D and 3D modes.

Pfarlee vs The Box 3D

2012-01-12T20:15:00.001-05:00

J:TF teamed up with The Filbis Region for this entry in B&H's Unboxing Video Contest. First time working with the Fabricans. Hopefully there will be more to come soon!

Sony Vegas Pro 11

2011-10-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sony has just released the latest version of their flagship video editing program. The most comprehensive rundown of the new features I've seen can be found here.

Hope to tinker around with the new 3D features and post some thought early next week.

Panasonic Z10000

2011-10-01T09:47:00.001-04:00

Pretty excited about this one. Ships mid-November for $3499. Currently raising money like a maniac to pick it up at launch. You can find full details by clicking on the image above, but here's a brief rundown of the features that are most important to me:

1080p24 3D recording
Dual SDXC slots
Glasses-free 3D LCD w/ 2nd viewfinder
Zebra and Waveform Monitors
Scene files (hope I can still find the ones from my old HMC150)
Seperate zoom / focus / convergence / iris rings
Dual XLR inputs

Not sure I'm thrilled with the dual 3MOS sensors, but everything above should make up for it.

Just in Time Films vs Just in Time Films

2011-10-01T09:34:00.001-04:00

While checking the Just in Time Films IMDB page, I found a new movie currently sitting at the top of the list of produced works:

As tempting as it was to let the listing stand (having a feature film starring Bruce Dern in the archive can't be bad, can it?), I had IMDB remove the listing from the J:TF page. I already lost one company name to another film company and don't care to lose another. Plus, the poster is TERRIBLE.

Flamenco 3D

2011-09-06T09:42:00.003-04:00

This clip was shot at WorldFest 2011 in Louisville, KY, 9/3/11. It was over 100 degrees without a cloud in the sky, but somehow the group performed for a full 30 minutes. This is the second song.

Louisville's two premier Flamenco troupes, FlamencoTalk and Camino Flamenco, teamed up with vocalist Vicente Griego for the performance.

Shot handheld with a Sony HDR-TD10 at 1080i60, corrected in Vegas 10.0e and rendered at 1080p30.

Two Dates

2011-08-16T11:53:00.001-04:00

This award-winning entry in the 2011 48 Hour Film Project was directed by Will Cravens (animata's Cinematographer) and Craig Mullins. It won Best Acting for the stellar performances by Kat Carney, Maple Needler, Sean Seivers, Audra Todd, and Patrick Yen. This is the original Director's Cut and is a few minutes longer than the version that screened in the theatre.

Shot on a Panasonic AF100, edited in Final Cut Pro.

Sony's 3D HDR-TD10 Camera

2011-08-15T14:37:00.002-04:00

Sony's HDR-TD10 is currently the camera of choice here at J:TF HQ. I've been using it for a few months now, mainly for test footage in an attempt to discover interesting uses of 3D for upcoming projects. The camera is currently for sale at Amazon and the product page includes my early review of the camera:

"I shot my first 3D movie in March 2010 using two Canon T2i cameras on a parallel 3D rig. Editing and rendering the footage was incredibly difficult; I used Sony Vegas to edit each view independently and Stereo Moviemaker to adjust the 3D effect. Finally, I was able to master a 3D Blu-ray using a beta version of NetBlender's DoStudio, a $10,000 program that included support for the 3D MVC codec.

Fast forward just over a year. The newly released 10.0d version of Sony Vegas natively supports the MVC codec, allowing 3D footage to be edited as easily as 2D footage. It also allows 3D Blu-rays to be burned directly from the timeline.

As for the camera itself: I was pleasantly surprised to find it exceeded my expectations. Color reproduction is exceptional, image stabailization is very good, and the glasses-free 3D display is extremely nice. Only the sound quality disappoints, but I almost never rely on built-in mics (opting instead for a Zoom H4N paired with an Audio Technica AT875R).

As an entry into the world of 3D, this camera is phenomenal. There are "prosumer" 3D cameras on the way, but for those who edit in Vegas, there's really no better or cheaper way to jump into the world of 3D shooting and editing today that with this camera.

For those without Vegas, editing a bit more difficult. Clips can be edited in-camera using some fairly simple software (you can even download music onto the camera to use as a soundtrack behind your clips). But you won't get nearly the performance you would get using dedicated editing software. And please note: Vegas is the ONLY software under $4000 currently offering the ability to manipulate MVC files. Premiere doesn't have it, nor does Final Cut Pro.

But for Vegas owners, or just those who love new tech, this camera come very highly recommended!

(I have shown this to a few colleagues unfamiliar with 3D and watched their faces light up with glee; one described it as "like traveling into the future." That's awesome.)"

2010 Subscription Series now available!

2009-12-30T11:49:00.001-05:00

Farewell to the HMC150

2009-12-08T22:39:00.003-05:00

I sold my Panasonic HMC150 earlier today to a hopefully good home in Italy. The HMC150 was the first high-end video camera I've ever owned. I really enjoyed learning with it. Every film in what I consider Just in Time Films' 2nd season was shot with it - everything from Tex Engler's Candy Brandy to The Third Sister: A Universal to animata to HellHouse Vx.

As they say, Onward and Upward...

New and Upcoming Releases

2009-11-25T16:40:00.004-05:00

This past month has been insanely busy around the J:TF offices. It all began the Monday before Halloween, when our captioning evaluation package arrived from the Department of Education (Captioning Test #1, J:TF16). We shot HellHouse V, a DJ show, on Halloween night (Stewart Walker LiVE, J:TF15, and Woody McBride LiVE, J:TF17). The following weekend, we filmed Habib's sister's wedding. The next weekend, we started filming As You Like It, presented by the University of Louisville (J:TF19). That one was recorded over three nights, utilizing five camera and three mic setups. Somewhere in there we filmed an hour long behind-the-scenes documentary for the Getting the Best of Rocko DVD (J:TF18). And finally, our present project: A bike safety video for the city of Louisville (J:TF20).

I also re-watched DARKSIDERS recently (J:TF4). Funny how the H1N1 virus has made that short far more relevant now than when we made it.

I'll be putting up 2010 subscriptions on the J:TF website this weekend. If you missed out on joining in 2009, you missed out on a bevy of releases. We released the numbered edition DVD of The Third Sister: A Universal, the VHS gift set of Backwards Compatible, a limited-edition animata poster, an otherwise-unreleased Broken Spurs DVD, the aforementioned Getting the Best of Rocko DVD collection, and several DVDs full of unreleased content (Degree of Separation, Pekin Express, As You Like It, HellHouse V, etc).

2009 was amazing. 2010 will be even better.

Bike Safety #1

2009-11-11T15:53:00.002-05:00

J:TF18 begins shooting this weekend. It's a bike safety video starring Kirby Adams being produced for Louisville's StreetSense campaign. Hope the weather stays lovely!

Backwards Compatible 25th Anniversary Gift Set

2009-09-16T11:43:00.002-04:00

Party like its 1984! An extremely limited edition gift set of Backwards Compatible, consisting of a VHS copy of the movie, a cassette soundtrack, and an iron-on transfer will be available Just in Time for the holiday season. Order yours today!

Backwards Compatible World Premiere

2009-09-11T17:08:00.012-04:00

Backwards Compatible, our latest short film and puppet opus, will have its World Premiere Tuesday night, 9/15, atop 21C as part of the 2nd Annual Kentucky Short Film & Video Showcase. More info may be found here:

http://www.louisvillefilm.org/index.html

A 60-second preview was shown on 8/31 during the Just in Time Films screenings at Divinity Rose's Gypsie Courtyard, but this is the first time the film will be screened in its entirity.

Djet - Horus Cobra LiVE

2009-09-08T18:18:00.002-04:00

Djet's interactive generative music performance "Horus Cobra," performed live at Dimond's Bar & Grill in Louisville KY as part of Divinity Rose's Gypsie Courtyard in the wee hours of September 8th, 2009. Equipment included Akai APC40 with Abletone Live 8.1 and M-Audio Radeon 49, Nintendo DS running Electroplankton, Apple iPhone running Bloom, and the Eleh releases "Tribute to the Square Wave" and "Tribute to the Sine Wave." Conducted by Chadwick Thomas. Shot in 1080/24p with two Panasonic HMC150s, dual XLR soundboard audio recording. Video available at all the familiar places (Vimeo, YouTube, Facebook, etc).

Backwards Compatible complete!

2009-09-08T18:16:00.001-04:00

Our several-months-in-the-making puppet opus is complete! We hope to announce the world premiere soon. Watch this space!

Just in Time Films at Divinity Rose's Gypsie Courtyard

2009-08-26T09:47:00.004-04:00

Next Monday night: Just in Time Films at Divinty Rose's Gypsie Courtyard, Diamond's in St. Matthews (3814 Frankfort Ave). Divinity Rose hosts Louisville's best talent showcase and has already introduced me to great bands, magicians, and... filmmakers I was previously unaware of. If you're not already here, you really should be. Come out and join us! Doors at 8, entertainment at 9, films at 11.

Films include:

DARKSIDERS
The Third Sister: a Universal (presented in HD)
aimata: The Final Cut (presented in HD)

In addition, a handful of copies of the handmade, individually numbered DVDs of The Third Sister: a Universal will be available.

WINNER Best Choreography

2009-08-23T03:28:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Pekin Express for winning Best Choreography in the 2009 Paducah 48 Hour Film Project!

Pekin Express

2009-08-17T16:02:00.002-04:00

The new film will screen September 1st and 2nd at Maiden Alley Cinema. Tickets are $5, General Admission.

48 Hour Film Project Awards

2009-08-09T22:41:00.002-04:00

The awards ceremony for Louisville's 2009 48 Hour Film Project will be held Thursday, August 13th 2009, at 6:30PM in the Speed Art Museum on UofL's campus. Will animata win an audience award? Will it become the first film in Louisville 48HFP history to win Best Picture without headlining its screening group? What will be the ultimate outcome of our third (and final?) entry in the 48 Hour Film Project? Join us this Thursday and find out!

Dress sharp.

A Brief History of (Just in) Time

2009-08-07T22:57:00.008-04:00

Fashionably Dead (July 2007) - Our first entry in the 48 Hour Film Project. Kate Holland says she wishes we had called it "Fashionably Late." We learned the hard way what is and is not okay to attempt in a 48 Hour Film. We pulled "Detective or Cop" as our genre and proceeded to make a black-and-white noir whodunnit, complete with the usual suspects and red herrings. The story was so complex it was undigestable in six minutes. Still, it had a shot I still love (the reveal of the body - across the train tracks and over the railing). Tech specs: 480p, stereo.

Hootenanny (July 2008) - Our second entry in the 48 Hour Film Project went much better and would have gone better still had backstage drama not derailed the thing. Rocko and Ty each gave several hundred percent, but my favorite part remains the poster. WINNER Best Use of Genre, 2009 Louisville 48 Hour Film Project. Tech specs: 480p, stereo.

DARKSIDERS (October 2008) - Hootenanny had nearly 20 people working on it, so I went crazy streamlined with the next project. The entire cast & crew numbered, what, seven? Talakai and I wrote the thing over drinks at Flannigans. We location scouted on Saturday and shot it Sunday afternoon. All the office and break room scenes were shot in the same room. The story is really funny and tight as a drum; I don't think remaking it with better costumes and sets would improve anything. Tech specs: 480p, stereo.

DARKSIDERS episode 2 (November 2008) - A weak attempt to turn DARKSIDERS into a 4-part series. The camera work is crap, the editing not very good, and the story poorly executed. And the cast kept eating all the props. DARKSIDERS is better as a stand-alone; that completed DARKSIDERS episode 3 script will probably go unmade. Tech specs: 480p, stereo.

Tex Engler's Candy Brandy (February 2009) - A mini-documentary about Grant Engler's first high-end custom auto build, a ram air 57 Chevy layered with more coats of paint than you can imagine. Tech specs: 1080/24p, stereo.

The Broken Spurs LiVE at Headliners (February 2009) - Dual-XLR soundboard recording. Most of the show tripod-shot and the sound levels weren't great. But by the next to last song, the levels were corrected and I un-mounted the camera and shot handheld. The encore came off great and is worth watching. The rest? Not so much. Tech specs: 1080/24p, stereo.

The Third Sister: A Universal (April 2009) - This was a collaboration with the University of Louisville via Axton fellowship recipient Derek Mong. He held a poetry contest among his students and paired the winners up with local filmmakers to create visual adaptations of their work. This film is an adaptation of John D. Baumgarten's original poem. I spent a couple months on this one, experimenting with mixed-media and trying my hand with visual effects. My fondest memory of it is using an uncoiled stage rope, a vat of Vaseline, and a spray bottle of stage blood to create the umbilical cord that the First and Second Sisters fought over in "The Schism (in a Little More Detail for What You Might Have Missed)." OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2009 Axton Festival of Film and Verse. Tech specs: 1080/24p, stereo.

Spurs on the Water: The Broken Spurs LiVE on the Waterfront (May 2009) - The Broken Spurs opened for The Meat Puppets on an unfortunately overcast day. Adam (the lead singer) wanted me to try shooting this hand-held. I didn't set OIS so its way too shaky. The sound is very nice, though, and this represented my first serious attempt at a 5.1 mix. Tech specs: 1080/24p, 2x stereo.

Sure Thing (June 2009, work in progress) - An adaptation of an old 10-minute play shot entirely green-screen from three angles. I have no idea what, if anything, will eventually come of this. But turning my garage into a green studio was surreal and fun. This was also the first film I worked on that I did not write or direct. I only ran camera. Tech specs: 720/60p, stereo.

animata (July 2009) This was an absolute joy to make. The team clicked perfectly and everything just fired on all cylanders. I wanted to focus on performances, set design, and costumes. All three vastly improved. My goal with each film is to outdo the one that preceeded it. I think this one sets the bar for the next pretty high. Tech specs: 1080/30p, stereo. (The film was screened at Village 8 in 480/30p. I shot 30fps to ensure the framerate was consistent with the lower resolution).

Pekin Express (August 2009) My first collaboration with Mae Waits director Donald Mahoney. The story's a bit slight and the outdoor shot is too bright, but the indoor scene looks fantastic and the actors delivered in spades. Tech specs: 1080/24p, stereo.

Backwards Compatible (August 2009) - Film version of a puppet play, directed by Kathryn Spivey of the Squallis Puppeteers. This one features my most complex audio mix to date, incorporating over 50 seperate tracks. Tech specs: 1080/24p, stereo.

Djet "Horus Cobra" LiVE at the Gypsie Courtyard (September 2009) - Djet's interactive generative music performance "Horus Cobra," performed live at Dimond's Bar & Grill in Louisville KY as part of Divinity Rose's Gypsie Courtyard in the wee hours of September 8th, 2009. Equipment included Akai APC40 with Abletone Live 8.1 and M-Audio Radeon 49, Nintendo DS running Electroplankton, Apple iPhone running Bloom, and the Eleh releases "Tribute to the Square Wave" and "Tribute to the Sine Wave." Tech specs: 1080/24p, dual XLR soundboard audio recording.

The Third Sister: A Universal (Numbered Limited Edition DVD)

2009-08-02T14:42:00.008-04:00

After a slight delay, the numbered limited edition DVD of The Third Sister: A Universal is now available.

Gorgeous full color sleeve printed on high-gloss Ultra-bright UV paper, hand cut and hand numbered in silver ink. Disk includes hand-drawn lettering and/or imagery (each disk is different). Strictly limited to 25 copies. $12 PP.

Special Features (access via PC/Mac):

high definition 1080p version of the film (Windows Media Video and Apple Quicktime formats)

mobile versions suitable for iPod / iPhone / cellphones

the original poem

the screenplay

production photos

other assorted digital ephemera

2009-07-21T14:01:00.001-04:00

animata

2009-07-20T17:24:00.002-04:00

Our third (and final?) entry in the 48 Hour Film Project is complete.

It is called "animata" and it is awesome. Easily the best thing we've done to date.

It'll screen Wednesday night at 9PM and Thursday night at 7:15PM at Village 8 Theatres. Tickets are still available. We're in Group C.

I also highly recommend seeing Donald Mahoney's "48 1/2." He'll be headlining Group D (Wed 9:15PM, Thur 7PM). He screens opposite me, unfortunately.

48 Hour Film Project Tickets Now Available

2009-07-07T18:59:00.004-04:00

We're screening at 9PM on Wednesday 7/22 and at 7:15 on Thursday 7/23. Buy your tickets today!

Screening Analysis

2009-07-05T22:53:00.006-04:00

So far, 46 teams have been scheduled. That leaves 2 slots open should more teams choose to enter.

The following are the returning award winners by group:

Group A
None, although this will be Mystery Tramp's 4th entry

Group B
For the Birds Films (2 awards, 3rd year)
Indicators (last year's runner-up. 3 awards, 3rd year)
OfficeRocker (1 award, 4th year)
Feathered Italian Films (1 award, 3rd year)

Group C
Just in Time Films (1 award, 3rd year)
Sick Duck Productions (2 awards, 3rd year)

Group D
Abser Four Films (defending champions. 8 awards, 4th year)
DRET Films (2 awards, 2nd year)

Group B looks to be the best all-around group, Group A looks the most wide-open.

Congratulations to Abser Four Films, OfficeRocker, and Mystery Tramp Films for being the only teams to be in all four years.

48HFP screening groups announced

2009-07-05T00:00:00.003-04:00

Group A - Wednesday, July 22 at 7PM and Thursday, July 23 9:15
11Eleven Productions
Baker S. Dozen Films
Duck Weed Films
Fools and Film Productions
Frozen Mercury Productions
Iridescent Pictures
Mystery Tramp Films
Spark Studios
Weekend Chocolate Warriors
Zaius

Group B - Wednesday , July 22 at 7:15 and Thursday July 23 at 9:00
25 Square Feet Productions
Battlegrounds
Extended Forecast Films
For the Birds Films
Hammertime!
Made for TV productions
OfficeRocker Productions
The Indicators
XIV
Zornie Productions

Group C - Wendesday July 22nd at 9:00 and Thursday July 23 at 7:15
Above_the_cut
Channel Six Television
FesteBurg Productioning
Fredicus Productions
High street productions
Just in Time Films
L.U.F.
Sick Duck Productions
Three Guys Garbage
YeahIDidSeeThat

Group D - Wednesday July 22 at 9:15 and Thursday July 23 at 7:00

Abser Four Films
DRET FILMS
Film Addict Productions
Fresh Pot Productions
Hilton's Crew
PotHole Productions
Punch Productions
Swell Productions
Turnip Truck Productions
Yellow Umbilical Cord

Mae Waits Screening 7/3/2009

2009-06-29T15:54:00.007-04:00

FRIDAY JULY 3RD 7:30 PM EST

Click the poster to watch the trailer.

After Effects is Backwards Compatible!

2009-06-22T12:05:00.001-04:00

Shooting Today: "Backward Compatible"

2009-06-20T09:19:00.001-04:00

Sure Thing

2009-06-19T08:16:00.003-04:00

Principal photography completed on "Sure Thing" Tuesday. We shot a ridiculous two hours of footage for what will likely be an 8 minute short, but we shot so much because we had use of a greenscreen for the week. We captured the script from a variety of angles and lighting set-ups.

We constructed the greenscreen in my garage, which has two floors, a hydraulic lift, and an L-beam that swings over the floor. We shot part of Fashionably Dead there and used the L-beam as a boom, dropping the mic directly over the actors' heads. The beam was blocked this time by some stuff that a local motorcycle crew stores there so we used a standard mic stand instead.

I haven't delved deeply into editing yet, but even preliminary keys (key = removal of green from a greenscreen shot) show promise.

Pre-production on the next short, "Backward Compatible," begins in three hours. It may be a couple weeks before I can return to "Sure Thing." But for now, take a look at some photos and screen caps:

2009-06-08T11:00:00.006-04:00

Huge ups to Elite Creative Services for use of their greenscreen & lighting rig this past weekend! Now go browse their site!

"Spurs on the Water" Special Edition DVD

2009-06-01T23:31:00.005-04:00

Pimp this, playa! The special edition DVD of "Spurs on the Water: Broken Spurs LiVE on the Waterfront" is now available! Right now, the disk is available only to 2009 Just in Time Films subscribers.

Just check out everything you get with this set:

Includes the the concert in standard DVD format, 720p HD format, mobile format suitable for iPod/iPhone/Zune, uncompressed WAV audio, tagged MP3 audio, AND the encore from their February show at Headliners!

PLUS: Subscribers also receive the Special Edition DVD of "The Third Sister: A Universal," including the short film in multiple resolutions (1080/24p, 480/30p, and mobile) and an exhaustive collection of making-of materials, all housed in an individually signed and numbered case. Subscribers will also receive the Special Edition DVD of our upcoming third entry in the 48 Hour Film Project, as well as anything else we create this year. If we keep cranking out material at this pace, the $100 rate may not last long!

Broken Spurs: Everybody's Rocking Tonight

2009-05-30T13:06:00.000-04:00

Spurs on the Water: Everybodys Rocking Tonight from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Spurs on the Water: The Broken Spurs LiVE at Waterfront Wednesday

2009-05-28T23:22:00.001-04:00

Spurs on the Water: The Broken Spurs LiVE at Waterfront Wednesday from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Upcoming Productions

2009-05-24T21:33:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, Habib & I will be shooting The Broken Spurs LiVE on the Waterfront. The Spurs are opening for the Meat Puppets. Hopefully we'll get good weather!

Next Saturday, several members of JiT will invade the Elite Creative Services headquarters to get some hands-on experience with a green screen.

And, a major website change is finally coming soon!

DARKSIDERS World Premiere

2009-05-16T08:15:00.001-04:00

DARKSIDERS will make its festival premiere June 26th at the Vernon Roaster (1575 Story Avenue) as part of the Derby City Independent Film Series!

More Just in Time Films to be announced soon - watch this space!

The Third Sister: A Universal

2009-05-03T20:19:00.001-04:00

The Third Sister: A Universal from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

2009 Subscription Series now available

2009-04-20T21:58:00.002-04:00

If donations aren't for you, consider becoming a charter member of the Just in Time Films' 2009 Subscription Series. Included in your purchase price:

A signed & numbered DVD of "The Third Sister: A Universal," containing both standard definition and True 1080P High Definition versions of the movie,

An exhaustive special-edition DVD of our upcoming entry in the 2009 48 Hour Film Project, also signed & numbered,

The inaugural 7" single from our affiliated record label, They Shoot Records. The 7" is Just Die!'s "Garages and Basements." Also signed & numbered,

Any other DVDs or ephemera produced by Just in Time Films during calendar 2009.

Your membership will help Just in Time Films in its quest to become Louisville's premier movie production house!

Donations

2009-04-20T21:54:00.002-04:00

Should you wish to donate to future productions, you may now do so using the following button:

Any amount is greatly appreciated!

Custom auto interview

2009-03-21T18:02:00.002-04:00

Interview conducted with Grant "Tex" Engler during the 2008 Carl Casper Auto Show.

Tex Engler's Rod & Kustom Werks: 57 Chevy from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Just in Time Films channel now on Vimeo

2009-03-21T17:45:00.001-04:00

http://vimeo.com/channels/justintimefilms

The Soul That Grows in Darkness

2009-03-09T22:42:00.001-04:00

The Axton Endowment

in conjunction with

The English Department

U of L’s Student Activities Board

The Louisville Film Society

The Derby City Film Festival

and The Commonwealth Center for the Humanities

PRESENT

THE SOUL THAT GROWS in DARKNESS:

The Axton Festival of Film and Verse

April 9-11 & 21^st, 2009

— ALL EVENTS ARE FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC —

APRIL 9

Putting the Auteur Back in Author:
A Poetry Reading from Wayne Miller and Larry Goldstein
7:30 PM - BINGHAM POETRY ROOM, Ekstrom Library, U of L’s Belknap Campus

Wayne Miller is the author of two poetry collections: The Book of Props
(Milkweed, 2009) and Only the Senses Sleep (New Issues, 2006). He is also coeditor of the anthology New European Poets (Graywolf, 2008) and translator of Moikom Zeqo's I Don't Believe in Ghosts. The recipient of five Poetry Society of America awards, the Bess Hokin Prize and a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, he teaches at the University of Central Missouri and edits Pleiades. His long poem “What Night Says to the Empty Boat: Notes Toward a Film in Verse” is included in his most recent volume.

Laurence Goldstein is the author of three books of literary criticism, most recently The American Poet at the Movies: A Critical History, four books of poetry, most recently A Room in California, and the editor or coeditor of eight other books, most recently Writing Ann Arbor. He is Professor of English at the University of Michigan, and editor of Michigan Quarterly Review.

APRIL 10

“Dangerous Glamour: Poetry, Movies, and the Public Imagination”
A Talk by Laurence Goldstein
3:30 PM - BINGHAM HUMANITIES, ROOM 300, U of L’s Belknap Campus

From his time growing up in Culver City, California to his recent blog for The Best
American Poetry online, Laurence Goldstein has explored, with both scholarly insight and a filmgoer’s appreciation, the developing confluence of American poetry and film. This culminated in the 1995 publication of The American Poet at the Movies: A Critical Study, which Philip French called “a discerning book, combining criticism and social history. It satisfies scholarly standards while appealing to general readers.” Goldstein begins with Vachel Lindsay’s infatuating gaze (directed toward thr starlet Mae Marsh) then maps American poetry in the cinema century— up through Jorie Graham’s treatment of Lolita in “Fission.” The co-editor (with Ira Konigsberg) of The Movies: Texts, Receptions, Exposures (1997) he continues to write and publish about film.

APRIL 10

The Big Show: The Premiere of Three Collaborative Poetry Films
and Jean Cocteau’s First Film, The Blood of a Poet
7:30 PM - FLOYD THEATRE, Student Activities Center, U of L’s Belknap Campus

Working directly with Louisville filmmakers, two University of Louisville students
will premiere films based on their original work. Jake Snider’s poems “Bookbinding: Pt. Deux” and “Last Winter” have been adapted for the screen by Steven Matthews. John David Baumgarten’s poem “The Third Sister: A Universal” has been adapted by Chad Thomas. The filmmakers and poets will be available for questions following the screening.
Le Sang d'un poète (The Blood of a Poet) 1930, 55 min. 16mm film
A landmark of surrealist cinema, Cocteau's first film attempts to reveal the inside of a
poet's mind, using a panoply of trick effects and extraordinary juxtapositions
to do so. Lee Miller portrays a statue that comes to life, opening the way to a world
beyond. Enrique Rivero plays the poet.

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) was a poet, filmmaker, artist, journalist, dramatist, and designer, as well as a celebrity and provocateur. He was a creative force at the center of the Parisian avant-garde from before World War I, through the surrealist 1920s and 30s, and beyond. His films exemplify the surrealist movement in France. They are dizzy with fantasy, mythology, melodrama, and unhinged experimentation. Nowhere is this more true than in his so-called Orphic Trilogy - three films inspired by the figure of Orpheus, the poet and musician of ancient mythology. For today's viewer, the trilogy opens doors to Cocteau's incomparable poetic consciousness.

Chadwick Jefferson Edward Thomas III is a University of Louisville alum with a B.A. in Communication. He is the former editor and publisher of the Calligraffiti Literary Journal. He has published over two hundred interviews and articles in LEO Weekly, Velocity, The Courier Journal, The Louisville Cardinal, Burt the Cat Fanclub Newsletter, and others. He is one half of the rock band Naked Monster Tyson and the only Lebowski Idol. Chadwick is also the manager of Just in Time Films LLC. He has written and directed four short films, including 2008's award-winning “Hootenanny” (Best Use of Genre, 48 Hour Film Project, Louisville competition).

Steven Mathews, a Georgia transplant, has been working with film production for several years. He has developed a reputation for pouring his heart, passion, and often his wallet into his projects. Since his recent arrival in Louisville, Steve has been busy freelancing. He’s worked on 40 short films in the last year.

APRIL 11

Cocteau’s Orpheus and Testament of Orpheus

Screenings at FLOYD THEATRE, Student Activities Center, U of L’s Belknap Campus

5:30 PM

Orphee (Orpheus) 1949, 95 min. 35mm film

Considered by many to be Cocteau's best film, Orphée is based on the ancient myth in which Orpheus (Jean Marais) descends into the underworld to rescue his wife, Eurydice (Marie Déa), from death. Cocteau's vision of the afterlife is rooted in modern realities: a bombed-out urban landscape, for example, and messages from the other side communicated through a car radio.

7:30 PM

Le Testament d'Orphée (The Testament of Orpheus) 1959, 80 min. 35mm film

In the film that completes the cycle, Cocteau plays an 18th-century poet who travels in time. This is a wry, self-deprecating work, with the 70-year-old poet portraying his dreams, his friends and lovers, and fictional characters. The cast includes Pablo Picasso, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jean Marais, and Yul Brynner. Cocteau's final film is an open coda to a unique career.
Both films will be followed by a Q and A hosted by The Louisville Film Society

APRIL 21

Film on Poets, Poets on Film: The San Francisco Renaissance

7PM/9PM - 21C Museum Hotel, 700 W. Main St. Louisville, KY 40202 / (502) 217-6300

Brought to you by The Louisville Film Society, this collection of nine shorts films feature some of the biggest names in the San Francisco poetry scene and the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E School of Poetry. The program includes interviews and/or images of: Kenneth Koch, John Ashbery, George Barker, James Broughton, Bruce Andrews, Charles Bernstein, Jack Hirschman, Etheridge Knight, and Ezra Pound. LFS will screen the films at both 7 PM and 9 PM.

For more information, please visit www.louisvillefilm.org

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING the EVENTS, PLEASE CONTACT DEREK MONG in the ENGLISH DEPARTMENT:

dcmong01@louisville.edu / 502-852-4742

Broken Spurs LIVE at Headliners

2009-02-28T14:52:00.004-05:00

Broken Spurs LIVE at Headliners 2-25-09 1080/24p 96KHz from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Encore song from the Broken Spurs LIVE at Headliners, recorded 2/25/2009. Video = Panasonic AG-HMC150, 1080/24p. Audio = dual XLR soundboard recording 96KHz. (c) 2009 Just in Time Films LLC

Carl Casper Auto Show: Hardtail Special

2009-02-21T23:13:00.007-05:00

I've just spent a grueling day shooting footage at the Carl Casper Auto Show for an independent documentary. Click the picture below to see a clip from in HD.

You can also download the 108MB file to see the clip in full 1080p. The link is at the bottom right hand section of the video's page on Vimeo.

DARKSIDERS episode 3

2009-02-01T20:47:00.003-05:00

DARKSIDERS 3 begins shooting March 7th, 2009. Yes, I know I'm doing this whole episodic thing wrong and that I should have shot all 4 episodes in a single weekend. I'll do that next time.

DARKSIDERS episode 3 will be the first installment filmed in glistening High Definition. And it should sound good too!

More info to follow.

DARKSIDERS episode 2 version 0.98

2009-01-21T23:06:00.001-05:00

The password is licking.

Here it is: A mostly complete version of the second episode of DARKSIDERS! Now with 100% more William Perry.

DARKSIDERS episode 2 v.098 from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Just in Time Films on the Internet

2008-12-27T10:03:00.001-05:00

Come visit the new online video repositories of Just in Time Films on:

YouTube
MySpace
Veoh
Vimeo
Blip.TV
Revver
FILMCOMMUNITY

So far, Just in Time Films' shorts have been viewed 189 times. Not setting the world ablaze, but not bad either.

Just in Time Films on Filmcommunity

2008-12-27T09:57:00.001-05:00

Everyone interested in Louisville filmmaking should join FILMCOMMUNITY. The Derby City Film Fest folks are there, as well as Kino Louisville and a few other local production folks. It is a new site but looks to be growing quickly.

DARKSIDERS APOCALYPSE: June 26 2009

2008-12-17T23:26:00.005-05:00

All four episodes of DARKSIDERS will screen June 26th, 2009 as part of the Derby City Film Series at The Vernon Club.

Derby City Film Festival made its debut in Louisville in October 2008. Their second film festival will take place in February 2010. In between, they are holding a series of screenings at The Vernon Roaster on the last Friday of each month. They are also launching the Derby City Film Collective, a sounding board for local productions, and Derby City Film Chat, a weekly filmmaking talk show hosted by blogtalkradio. Derby City Film Chat launches January 6th.

The Vernon Roaster is part of Vernon Lanes, Louisville's greatest bowling alley. They hold concerts in the basement and roast their own coffee on site upstairs opposite a scant few lanes that date back to 1886.

It is extraordinarily nice to see a real push to create a film scene in Louisville. But the longtime problem - the lack of a repository of equipment and spaces available to local film teams - remains the greatest obstacle to that goal.

But that's a a rant for another time. For the moment, prepare yourselves for the DARKSIDERS APOCALYPSE!

DARKSIDERS 2: Behind the Scenes

2008-12-17T07:12:00.002-05:00

Stephanie Clark snapped a few pics during the making of the second episode of DARKSIDERS and posted them to her Flickr account. Click on the image above or right here to take a look!

DARKSIDERS Episode 2 v0.9

2008-12-14T23:22:00.002-05:00

The password is licking.

Here it is: A mostly complete version of the second episode of DARKSIDERS! The voiceover at the beginning is temporary until I get a cleaner recording.

DARKSIDERS Episode 2 from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

DARKSIDERS

2008-12-14T09:47:00.003-05:00

The password is cakenuts

DARKSIDERS from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Crazy Monkey presents a Prehensile Tale: Hootenanny

2008-12-14T08:32:00.001-05:00

Crazy Monkey presents a Prehensile Tale: Hootenanny from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

Crazy Monkey presents a Prehensile Tale: Fashionably Dead

2008-12-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

Crazy Monkey presents a Prehensile Tale: Fashionably Dead from Just in Time Films on Vimeo.

DARKSIDERS

2008-12-13T23:07:00.002-05:00

The new short IS coming, I promise. Norr & I spent Thursday night cutting the thing together and there is a rough edit completed. It still needs opening titles, closing credits, music, audio normalization, visual effects, and music. I'll post it as soon as it is ready.

It is called DARKSIDERS again. Not DARKSIDERS 2, not DARKSIDERS 2: Special Delivery, not DARKSIDERS 2: The Stain Remains the Same. Just DARKSIDERS, same as before. Talakai's a mailman. It is funny.

Just in Time Films, LLC

2008-11-24T23:12:00.004-05:00

Just in Time Films is now a Limited Liability Corporation, recognized by all relevant governmental bodies. We're in the process of establishing the Darksiders production company, as well as production companies for our 2009 projects.

On that note: The new short is in the can! Watch this space for the third new short in four short months from Just in Time Films, LLC! Expected release date: 12/10/2008.

Starring: Rocko Jerome, Talakai NaDane, Tyshaun Miles, and Stephanie Clark.

Be sure to visit the new Just in Time Films MySpace page and make friends with our talented cast and crew. http://www.myspace.com/justintimefilms.

Things are moving fast. Hang on tight!

Crazy Monkey is now Just in Time Films

2008-09-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

Crazy Monkey was incorporated in Louisville, KY as a Limited Liability Corporation on 8/2/2000 by myself and Douglas Clark. After an extended period of intense preparation, Crazy Monkey made its debut at the 2007 Louisville 48 Hour Film Festival.

Crazy Monkey presents: Fasionably Dead made its debut on 7/26/2007 at the Village 8 Theatres. It was kinda cool; the promise of Crazy Monkey, fulfilled after so many years. The film itself was too ambitious and completely misunderstood its audience. Instead of the normal, weird-o fest film, Fashionably Dead aspired to be a film noir murder mystery, complete with All the Usual Suspects.

Problem was, ask someone who had just seen it what happened in it? Chances are they couldn't tell you. I needed something simpler, more immediate. Something that grabbed the attention quick and held it, something that would be respected by the fest crowd because it had a sense of humor and a DIY mentality.

Hootenanny debuted on 7/23/2008. It was good despite not being finished at the time of submission. We spent the next two weeks recutting it until we had what, on 8/4/2008, I was willing to call The Final Cut.

Hootenanny went on to win Best Use of Genre at the 48 Hour Film Project's Louisville awards ceremony at Volksfest 2008.

Problem is, I discovered another film company operates using the name Crazy Monkey. I fully believe I was first and could force them to change their name, but they already have a feature film available on double DVD and are in the process of completing their second. I have no desire to enter into a protracted legal battle and, since I could never find a decent mascot anyway, have decided to ditch the name and take up the mantle Just in Time Films.

Our third film will go into production 10/16 as part of the revitalized Kino Louisville project. More info forthcoming.

Hootenanny Poster

2008-09-06T13:48:00.003-04:00

This beautiful poster was created by Keli Allen. It is a full-size one sheet, printed at 14500x22000 pixels. You can reach her at nicograph@bluegrass.net for all your graphic design needs.

Hootenanny: Best Use of Genre

2008-09-06T13:47:00.000-04:00