Hey Indie Filmmakers

Nick and Griffin each solve a couple technical issues plaguing their filmmaking processes this week.

Griffin uses a light-painting wand called the Pixelstick to create the intro sequence for his new Indy Mogul show—“Cheap Thing vs. Expensive Thing.”

Indy Mogul is back! This is first episode of The Indy Mogul Podcast, hosted by Ted Sim: Today we catch up with fellow co-host Griffin Hammond about his work covering the 2016 Presidential election with Bloomberg News and the process of creating his festival darling documentary “Sriracha.” We also discuss the fundamentals of documentary filmmaking and how to film a documentary in one day.

Swiss tourist Paolo Prosetti was arrested after crashing his drone near Times Square in New York City. When Griffin attempted to film his court case, the judge denied his request.

Polish news program Fakty TVN featured one my most popular YouTube videos, Andy the cat climbing our Christmas tree. It’s a lesson in investing even in silly videos—you never know which work you create will resonate and lead to interesting opportunities.

When B&H invited Griffin to an after-hours gift exchange, he wasn’t expecting to go home with a $3,400 camera kit.

A client wants a feature-length documentary, and offers to pay for travel, equipment and your freelance rate. So how much do you ask for? How much do you pay YOURSELF to shoot and edit a film?

Apple has finally refreshed the MacBook Air and Mac Mini. What does that mean for video editors?

A full-frame camera from Panasonic sounds really exciting—but what will it mean for Griffin’s streamlined travel style? Plus, your questions about shooting telephoto on the iPhone, losing signal on the Mavic Air drone, and why you should avoid cheap step-up rings.

In this excerpt from his recent filmmaking workshop in Salt Lake City, Griffin explains why gear should never be the thing that that keeps you from making a film.

Lumix S1R and S1 are Panasonic's first full-frame mirrorless cameras, announced today at Photokina in Köln, Germany. Both cameras—coming in early 2019—feature a full Super 35-sized sensor, which is nearly four times larger than the micro4/3 sensor in my Panasonic GH5. The Lumix S1R is a 47-megapixel camera designed for photographers, and the S1 is 24MP for hybrid photo video shooters. Each camera shoots 4K60p, with in-body image stabilization, a 3-axis tilt LCD, and two different card slots—one for an SD card, and one for an XQD card. Panasonic is developing three new L-mount lenses: a 50mm prime f/1.4, a 24-105 and a 70-200mm. Like the cameras, these lenses will come out in early 2019.

John Luna is an Adobe Premiere editor, but he edits this podcast in Final Cut Pro X. Plus, your questions about finding an audience, avoiding flickering lights, and making corporate videos look cool.Subscribe to John Luna on YouTube and follow his Instagram. Watch his video Grand Central Station.Two resources Griffin recommends for amateur filmmakers is the website NoFilmSchool, and Robert McKee’s book Story.You don’t need to buy anything for my baby, but because some have asked, Amy and I have a registry.If you’re interested in Panasonic’s next camera announcement, follow @LumixUSA on Instagram, where they’ll livestream their September 25 press conference at 6:30am EDT. (It’s early because it’s from Photokina in Germany.)

Griffin has to give up his video production office—for a very happy reason. Plus, your questions about Final Cut Pro X keyboard shortcuts, creating a nighttime lighting effect, and are you allowed to use stock footage in your film?Did you know? There are over 56 hours of the Hey Indie Filmmakers podcast!Saif asked about lightweight travel tripods. I use the MeFoto RoadTrip carbon fiber. You’ll find the rest of my gear at griffinhammond.com/gearNikolas needs to take an existing captions file, and burn it into his video as titles. I found a free Final Cut Pro X plug-in called X-Title Caption Convert, and also Caption Burner ($129).My latest video is about my very fast friend Alex, and his attempt to run his fastest mile!

My good friend Justin Johnson is prolific video producer and talented, world-traveling documentary filmmaker. We met up in New York to discuss his innovative techniques and creative philosophy. Plus, your questions about finding good stories, distribution strategy, and matching multiple cameras.

After going undercover as stormtroopers in Star Wars virtual reality combat, Nick and Griffin are joined by their childhood friend and video professional Adam Kruminas. Plus, your questions about cropping 4K video, the easiest way to add storage space to your editing machine, and advice for your first documentary.

Nick and Griffin plan which microphones and cameras they’ll need for next week’s three-person shoot. Plus, your questions about sound on a budget documentary, upgrading your editing machine, and when you need a location release to sell stock footage.The Faustian Man wondered why I don’t more actively promote my film Sriracha on the podcast. He says, “I watched it last night still amazing! I love that doc.” It’s free on Amazon Prime.Kasey asked about music libraries. Episode 47 discusses the topic in-depth. For my music, I use and recommend Art List. I’m also an affiliate, so I receive a commission if you sign up.Listen to Alex Ferrari’s interview with Griffin on Episode 258 of Indie Film Hustle—“Making Money with Documentaries & Sriracha with Griffin Hammond”

When Griffin’s filmmaking equipment fails to arrive, he’s forced to improvise and build his own DIY solution. Plus, your questions about making money with cheap equipment, putting Canon glass on mirrorless cameras, and proper exposure for your productions.

Griffin is now a licensed drone pilot, after passing the FAA knowledge test—granting him flight privileges hobbyists don’t get. Plus, your questions about shooting infrared, collaborating with another editor, and recording audio with a boom pole.

I believe too much editing gave me carpal tunnel syndrome. Nick says I should see a doctor. Instead, I bought a weird “handshake” mouse.My primary strategy for recovery has been giving my hands a chance to rest, and changing some of my repetitive motions. I’ve switched from my trackpad to a titled, handshake-shaped wireless mouse. I also picked up a cheap capacitive stylus to use with my iPhone, a gel-filled wrist pad for my keyboard and these wrist/thumb support braces.

For less than the cost of one movie ticket, MoviePass lets you see up to three movies per month in theaters. AMC Theatres is now competing with their own monthly movie plan. Plus, your questions about calculating SD card recording time, lav mics for four people, and how to backup footage while climbing a mountain.Emily asked about backing up footage in the wilderness, without laptops or internet. Episode 63 of this podcast discusses some hardware options, and the LaCie 2TB DJI Copilot BOSS may be the ideal choice.Obi asked for lens recommendations for event videography. Nick and I like the combination of the 12-35mm and 35-100mm, both f/2.8 constant. Both lenses appear in my equipment list.Blake asked about this SanDisk 64GB SD card. Its label says 95MB/s, but 95 megabytes per second is the read speed, not the write speed. It’s a V30 card, meaning it can guarantee a sustained 30MB/s write speed for video recording. 30 megabytes is 240 megabits, so it can handle recording quality up to 240mbps.To figure out recording time, you need to know that:There are 8 bits in a byte, therefore 8 megabits (mb) in one megabyte (MB).And there are 1024 megabytes (MB) in a gigabyte (GB).So GB * 1024 * 8 / bitrate / 60 seconds = the number of recording minutes.If I’m shooting 150mbps on my GH5 with a 64BG card, I can record 58 minutes of video.64 * 1024 * 8 / 150 / 60 = 58.25

Are Apple’s new MacBook Pros worth the upgrade? I have no idea, so Nick explains the new specs. Plus, your questions about recovering lost audio, organizing camera gear, and if your computer can handle 10-bit video files.Regarding hard-to-play video files, for playback I recommend VLC for Mac or PC, and for transcoding files—EditReady for Mac.This simple “underwear organizer” helps store my lenses, camera bodies, cords and accessories inside dresser drawers.For more information about camera bags Nick and I use, check out episode 69, How to Vacation with a Camera.

Filmmaker Alex Ferrari is known for his website and podcast Indie Film Hustle. Alex’s latest feature film On the Corner of Ego and Desire was shot in four days at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Plus, your questions about filming concerts, creating pretty text, and which microphone I prefer.

As Nick prepares to travel with his family, what camera gear is essential for summer vacation? Plus, your questions about CTO and CTB gels, shooting in low light, and whether it’s legal to use a news broadcast in your film.

Using a DIY-mounted macro bellows, Griffin shoots some weird close-up photos with his infrared camera. Plus, your questions about being a perfectionist, how to lock the stabilization of a handheld shot, and if a zoom lens messes up gimbal balance.

Griffin tests out SpeedScriber, an app that automatically generates subtitles for his latest video. Plus, your questions about editing out background music, when to use what kinds of stabilization, and issues with 24 vs. 30-frame videos.SpeedScriber (for Mac OS) includes 15 free minutes of automatic transcription. After that, it’s $0.50/minute.Joseph Linaschke, known as PhotoJoseph, has also experienced the DJI Spark/FCPX framerate issue we discussed last week. He sent me this thread in the DJI forums.Nick helped me understand how 60hz televisions can avoid 24fps judder.

Griffin attempts to solve a weird frame-skipping problem showing up in Nick’s latest drone footage. Plus, your questions about handling audio tracks in Final Cut Pro X, producing a compelling story, and how to create a video podcast like ours.

The new Ronin-S ships on June 11, 2018. Is DJI’s new handheld gimbal worth the $699 price tag? Plus, your questions about producing political ads, how to sound professional over email, and post-production tips for audio.

From his recent filmmaking workshop at Illinois State University, Griffin explains the four elements of news and documentary—SOT, b-roll, voiceover and natural sound.

From Singapore, Griffin describes two recent problems he’s encountered with SD cards. Plus, your questions about the visual grammar of storytelling, pulling focus with electronic lenses, and the lenses I used on my latest film from Japan.

Griffin and Amy are in Japan, filming a client project with the Zhiyun-Tech Crane v2 handheld gimbal. Plus, your questions about aspect ratios, offloading footage during international trips, and how audio syncing helps edit a podcast.

Griffin buys an $816 Kessler Stealth slider, compares it to a $250 carbon fiber slider by Benro. Plus, your questions about SD card speeds, how to record two mono audio tracks, and whether to shoot your documentary in 4K or 1080.

A document from Australian theaters shows what tech specs they expect for your digital cinema files. Plus, your questions about SD cards and X-ray machines, the difference between European and American camera models, and how to film a weeks-long time lapse.

Fire destroyed Griffin’s mom’s apartment in Bloomington, Illinois. She is safe, and the recovery process is going well. Plus, your questions about crop focal lengths, tracking freelance hours, and the best headphones for under $100.

Film tech announcements from the NAB Show, including the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. Plus, your questions about shooting for cinema screens, what framerate to choose for editing, and if you should spend $1,000 on a microphone.

Final Cut Pro X’s latest update (v10.4.1) to video editing adds ProRes RAW and closed captioning right in the timeline. Plus, your questions about when you’re allowed to record audio without permission, the etiquette of film festival laurels, and how to sync timecode between cameras.

BenQ sent Nick their latest 31.5” HDR LCD monitor to test out. Plus, your questions about editing video on a Surface Pro, finding video work through the internet, and whether to place a lavalier mic on the bride.

Jonathan Tilley is a personal brand strategist, and author of the book "Embrace The F Word: Failure." On his interview series, he asked me about my greatest failure.

After shooting a music video, Taylor worries his SD card is corrupted. Nick recommends software to recover missing video files. Plus, we won “Best Podcast” from Johny Bosworth!

In the United States, the FAA is rolling out a system called LAANC to make it easier and much quicker for commercial drone pilots to receive authorization to fly near airports. Plus, your questions about filming loud concerts, entering film festivals, and storing video assets.

No Film School asked 43 filmmakers at this year’s SXSW film festival what cameras they shot with. (It’s mostly ARRI Alexas.) Plus, your technical questions about the Panasonic GH5, lenses, hard drives, and what audio mixer to hook up to your computer.

Griffin is on campus at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois—where his friends have joined as this podcast’s first live studio audience. Plus, your questions about the DJI Spark, unconventional interview framing, and why Griffin uses an ND filter but Nick doesn’t.

Be in the audience for the next recording of “Hey Indie Filmmakers” at Illinois State University. Griffin will answer questions from the audience about DIY filmmaking, cameras and building a career. Sunday, March 4 in Normal, Illinois Doors open at 11:00am. Event begins at 11:15. Illinois State University Fell Hall 280 (Communication Innovation Center)

Nick is moving, and Griffin is clearing out closet space. They’re selling filmmaking gear they no longer use, in a YouTube Garage Sale. You can buy any of the 11 items at http://griffinhammond.com/sale

To build a convenient, retractable podcasting system, Griffin mounted an LED panel and a retractable camera mount in his office closet. Plus, your questions about step-up rings, when to use shotgun vs hyper-cardioid mics, and if you can show the iPhone operating system in your film.

Wedding video is how Nick and Griffin started their freelance careers in high school. They share their production techniques—from dealing with low light in dark receptions to copyrighted music. Plus your questions about DSLR recording limits, asking good interview questions, and what format to shoot commercials in. (Episode originally aired February 14, 2017.)

After an Valentine’s Day audio mishap, Griffin calls Nick for answers. Amy saves the day.

One “flick” equals 1/705,600,000th of a second, according to a new open-source unit of time for measuring framerates. Plus, your questions about foggy lenses, appropriate audio levels, and if you can use Garageband music in your commercial video projects.

In Dubai, filming sharks with an underwater camera housing—during Griffin’s filmmaking workshop tour through the United Arab Emirates. Plus, your questions about jitter and motion blur, settings for time lapse, and which camera is right for you.

With an Ikelite 200DL underwater housing, Nick and Griffin take the Panasonic GH5 underwater, off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Plus, your questions about YouTube AdSense, editing log footage—and a gift to celebrate our 50th episode!

Panasonic debuted their low-light GH5S camera at CES last week. Griffin and Nick share the 10 big changes that separate it from its predecessor, the Lumix GH5. Plus, your questions about daylight-balanced bulbs, how to transfer large video files online, and whether you should give your client the raw footage.