FUGO Studios films original short on both iPhone & RED Epic, at the same time…

With the rapid, ever-changing improvement in digital capture it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the latest technology. Well, thanks to the RED and other digital cinema cameras that rapid pace has slowed a bit, ushering in an “age” that is sure to be the standard for sometime to come.

Even cell phones are capturing HD video now, rivaling the quality of some the consumer camcorders available. Enter the iPhone 4s: the first phone of it’s kind to offer an HD image at 1920×1080.

After FUGO’s Eric Haviv stood in line like the rest of you to get his hands on the new iphone, he came up with an idea: “Let’s shoot a movie on this!” And since we recently stood in a similar line to get our hands on the new RED, he had another idea: “Wait!….Let’s shoot a movie on the iphone and the RED at the SAME TIME!” ….Mind blown.

A unique workflow arose out of this idea. Capturing each shot leapfrog-style proved painstaking (Both films were shot in about 20hrs!). The iPhone was shot with the Owle Bubo & EnCinema SLR Lens adapter to allow the use of manual Nikon lenses, which produces the depth of field for the iPhone. And the post was no cakewalk either because obviously shooting a movie twice also doubles the amount of work involved in post: Double the edit, sound, color correction, and VFX. Nevertheless, it was a success.

Q&A with Director Eric Haviv

We had a few questions on the project for Director Eric Haviv to shed some light on this impressive undertaking.

What is the film about?

The film is about a young girl dealing with the sudden death of her mother.

 

How did the idea come to film with two cameras?

It just so happened that the highest resolution cinema camera and the highest resolution camera phone were released at almost the same time. I thought it would be a fun experiment to see how a camera phone would hold up against one of the best digital cinema cameras ever made.

 

Any challenges during production?

There were tons of challenges we faced with the iPhone 4s. The iPhone honestly looked great when there were mass amounts of light present, but in low light conditions is where it really lacked. We were using the same lighting setups for both the RED Epic an iPhone 4s. The iPhone needed much more light, which we didn’t have and the end result definitely suffered because of that.

 

Were you surprised with the results?

I was a little let down with the iPhones results. Being the first time using the camera, a lot of the problems were unforeseeable. If we had to shoot on the iPhone again the results would definitely be far better. It still is amazing at the quality of video that can be achieved from a phone that costs a few hundred dollars.

 

What’s the biggest difference between the two cameras?

I can call my mom from the iPhone! The Epic is not this advanced yet. Maybe sometime in the near future they will develop this technology.

 

What was your favorite part about the shoot?

Having the opportunity to shoot on some of technology’s most advanced cameras.

 

Written by D. Ross Kellett, Grief tells the story of a girl who loses her mother in a car crash. And finds an interesting way to help her grieving father. With a cinematic tone and cool VFX, the work contains excellent performances by Cathryne Minotto, Ryan Felton, Jade Nicolette, and Whit Davies. The film was also made possible with the help and generosity of H&A Jewelry.

Have a look at the final products and see some of the comparison stills below.

Comparison Photos

Video Stills

Behind the Scenes

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Author Notes…

Our goal here at FUGO Studios is to help the WordPress community get more out of their blog. We understand that the internet can be tricky at times and this particular tutorial may not work for you depending on any number of variables such as hosting limits, server specs, and/or system set-up etc.

If for any reason you found this tutorial incorrect please contact us so that we may provide our readers with an updated version of this article. Thanks for visiting and we hope this post helped provide you with a solution that WORKS!

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Acclaimed Syrian composer and pianist Malek Jandali has commissioned our Atlanta video production company FUGO Studios to produce his latest music video for “Freedom (Qashoush Symphony)”. The track is the first single off of his brand new album Emessa (Homs) released in February of 2012.

The album consists of original piano & orchestra music combining Oriental melodies, Arabic modes, and Syrian rhythms with a western symphony orchestra.

The Virgin Records recording artist has often been in the news currently, given the unrest and bloodshed in his native land of Syria. As the violence continues, Jandali and his music have become a voice of protest in a land crippled by corruption and censorship.

The story behind the music

The music video for “Freedom” tells the story of a composer (Jandali) being hunted by faceless soldiers for spreading his knowledge of music to children in a world where music is banned and illegal. The story loosely mirrors a real life situation in which Malek Jandali’s own parents were dragged from their home in Syria and severely beaten by pro-government assailants. The violent act was meant to send a message to Malek and all who speak out against the Syrian government. However, like the video, it only helped in galvanizing a revolution – a revolution that can be passed on through music.

Production overview

The production was shot in Cave Spring, Georgia, at the historic William S. Simmons Plantation. Built in the late 1840’s, the plantation home served as a great location for the video because of the aged interiors. The original hand-painted interior walls conveyed the video’s look and feel. The location also rests on a large plot of land, allowing for many diverse scenes and giving the crew plenty of creativity and room to film.

Final notes

Perhaps the most complex music video for FUGO Studios to date, the company’s visual effects department handled a plethora of spectacular special effects shots in which Malek Jandali plays a burning piano. These shots were no small feat; involving building an entire 3D model of the antique square piano, complex tracking, and plenty of rendering time. The composited shots add a level of climax, making the music video feel more like a short film.

Everyone is very pleased with how this video turned out and FUGO Studios is proud to give Malek Jandali a quality piece to accompany such an important cause.

What do you get when you mix a doctor helping a couple make a baby and a bag of delicious nacho cheese Doritos? Well… A miracle of course! It’s the latest FUGO Studios project, an entry into the Doritos Crash the Superbowl contest where the best commercial can grab a coveted spot on the Superbowl and even win 1 million dollars.

The script called for some pretty amazing things, like a talking baby, so it was a great opportunity to showcase the chops in the growing Visual Effects department at FUGO.

Think ours has what it takes? Check it out below!

Behind the Scenes

Video Stills

Primarily a performance video, the visual effects department at FUGO Studios cam up with some killer effects to apply to Ivan as he sings and dances his way through the track.

FUGO’s own Brandon Morris sat down to answer a few questions about the style of “Scream” by Ivan Kelley…

What were your influences in coming up with the look for “Scream”?

“Ivan came to us and only had 3 requirements: a performance scene with a large screaming audience, a stylish look, and a futuristic feel. This gave us a lot of freedom to play and try some effects we’ve been wanting to do,” says Brandon Morris, the Art Director and Visual Effects Director for the boutique video production company, “One of those effects was tracking and displacing a particle system to keyed green screen footage. The song itself is about how Ivan feeds off his fans’ enthusiasm and affection, so the idea was that the fans become apart of him, hence Ivan being made of particles.”

 

What did you like best about the final product?

“While in pre-production, we spent most of the time determining the specific look of the particle effects. We were originally wanting to go for a super realistic approach; however, in the process we came across some more graphic looks from the particles, such as the grid of particles overlapping the footage as opposed to Ivan being built of particles. This unexpected look is now my favorite part.”

 

As far as production, where was the music video filmed and how was it filmed?

“The production took place at Studio Space Atlanta where we filmed Ivan, his dancers, and extras all day in front of a green screen. This can sometimes be tricky when your faced with nothing but a green backdrop, because you have to maintain a constant vision of where the story is going and how it’s going to look when you get there. These days it’s all about vision when filming a music video, or any film for that matter. And the proper planning goes a long way when it comes time for execution.”

 

Were there any challenges in working with the effects?

“The only big challenge came later in post production; we had so many quick cuts combined with so many pre-comps and layers of particle effects that tweaking at the end was very tedious as the deadline was approaching, but nothing we couldn’t handle. It was great to see the final product and have it air on BET. And it was really rewarding to see Ivan and his management so ecstatic while watching the video.”

 

FUGO Studios is pleased to announce that we have not one, but TWO films screening at the prestigious Cannes film festival this year. Both films, Pray and The Phantom Draw, were 2010 and 2011 48HR Film Project entries, won numerous awards and went on to contend beyond the Atlanta competition.

Take a look at each film below and we’ll see you in Cannes!

Awards & Honors

Behind the Scenes

The Phantom Draw (2011)

Pray (2010)

Video Stills

The Phantom Draw (2011)

Pray (2010)

READ MORE ABOUT THE PHANTOM DRAW >>

READ MORE ABOUT PRAY >>

Fresh off their win last year at the 48 Hour Film Project, FUGO Studios entered the contest once again with their intense international suspense/thriller; Blinded.

The Blinded short film takes us back to 2003 during the U.S. Invasion of Iraq and deals with the administrations controversial search for “WMD’s”. Most people ask themselves: Why were they never found? This film asks the question: What if they weren’t found because we were looking in the wrong place?

With a superb cast and incredible acting by Clayton Landey and Danny Kamran, Blinded was a hit at the screening and racked up Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards for 2011.

Watch our award-winning short film, Blinded, by FUGO Studios video production…

Video Stills

After the success of FUGO’s 48 Hour Film Project entry, Pray, we decided to take on the 48HR Film Project’s GO GREEN competition. The same rules apply, (each team receives a prop, character, and line of dialogue and must make a movie in 48 hours), but this time each film must carry an environmental theme.

FUGO Studios decided to take an different approach to the theme by telling the story of a man who is so concerned with the “big picture” environment and the nameless people who destroy it, that he forgets to take care of himself and ends up neglecting “his environment”. The film portrays an ironic twist on the notion that if everyone took care of their own environment, we would all benefit.

With the release of the Phantom Draw, FUGO Studios continued their 48 Hour Film Project success with numerous awards including a top 3 finalist finish worldwide. The film also went on to screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. Have a look at the film and enjoy!

Behind the Scenes

Video Stills

Pray is FUGO Studio’s first entry into the 48HR Film project, a growing phenomenon where teams are given a prop, character and line of dialogue with which they must write, shoot and edit into a film in only 48hrs.

Open to the challenge, FUGO came out of the gate with the suspense/thriller Pray. The film is about a Hasidic jeweler and his quest to find the person responsible for violently robbing him.

Pray did quite well at the 48HR Film Project screening in Atlanta, garnering numerous awards including Best Atlanta Film. Take a look for yourself and enjoy!

Behind the Scenes

Video Stills