The Most Photogenic Angles for Birds

Since the beginning of the internet, ugly people have been asking how they can make themselves look more attractive in pictures:

Because of this, there has been lots of research done on what a person can do to make themselves look most attractive in front of the camera.

Many factors can change how attractive you will look in a picture. The main factor is how ugly you actually are, but there are also many other factors such as the focal length of the camera:

Generally, the longer the focal length, the more attractive you will look because the distance required to use that focal length will flatten your face. This is why you look attractive in the mirror but gross in iPhone selfies - your eye's focal length is longer than the iPhone camera's focal length.

Another factor that contributes to a person's attractiveness on camera is the angle at which you position your face in relation to the camera:

Experts suggest that tilting your head slightly downwards and sticking your head forward will make you look slightly better. This is why you see people holding their iPhones up above their head to take selfies - that's their best angle.

Although lots of research has been done on the photogenics of people, none has been done on birds. So what is the best angle for birds?

The answer is: it depends.

Birds look best when their defining feature is highlighted. For example, a flamingos best angle is one in which its neck looks really long:

Attractive flamingo

A bald eagle's best angle is one in which it looks most American, by looking to one side with its body facing forward. It also helps to have an American flag behind it:

Attractive bald eagle

A peacocks best angle is the one in which its long, beautiful, colorful feathers are dragging on the ground the most:

Attractive peacock

As you can see, there is no golden rule when it comes to photogeniticity of birds. If you are going to follow one rule for photographing a bird it should be this: find your birds most defining trait and exploit it using your camera and directing skills.

The DJI OSMO

Needless to say one of the most up and coming camera companies is DJI. With their state of the art drones, portable 3-axis gimbals, and the new line of cameras they are releasing, they are changing the world of cinema as we know it. These kind of technologies create a more immersive experience and allow filmmakers to create new and unique shots. The newest item to their arsenal is the DJI OSMO, take a look at the video below to experience the magic.

As you can see it is quite the gadget. I see large resemblances of GoPro type features, including stills, variable frame rates, high resolution of 4k, and they even added a panorama feature which will be interesting to see results of. However, it doesn't seem that the OSMO is waterproof, this is the edge that GoPro still has going for them.

The gimbal is truly amazing as well. DJI is very good at combing all of their products together, and the OSMO is a fine example of this. Taking the gimbal features that were originally used with their drones and Ronin, and adding a true handheld design is amazing. The shots of the boxer in the video above took camera moves to a whole new level. The new Zenmuse cameras for DJI's drone series can also be interchanged on to the pistol grip OSMO to have the ability to change lenses and take advantage of the micro 4/3rds sensor. The additional viewfinder via iPhone is also genius. With cameras like the GoPro, the bluetooth signal to your phone is never strong enough and the LCD viewfinder is just too small. You can also change settings of the camera like shutter speed and ISO through the app on your phone.

This new device packs a powerful punch and I am interested in seeing how it is put to use within the next few weeks. The film industry is in a constant stage of progression and this is a clear example of what we are capable of and what is in the near future. Storytelling has never had so many resources available, now just to get out there and capture the moment.

Is Technology a Curse?

As each year goes by, several new products in technology are developed. Technology is what now drives our society. Everyone is always looking for the next big thing they can get their hands on and how fast they can get it. For example, the iPhone. Just this month, the iPhone 6 was released. And only about two years ago, the iPhone 5 came out. Think about that, within only two years a whole new phone was developed with so many more advanced features. And from an even bigger perspective, we've only been using smart phones for about six years or so?

Being that our technology is continuing to advance so quickly, what's going to happen to say classic American pastimes? For example, moving going. Going to the cinema has been something that Americans have bonded over a little less than 100 years. The literal action of getting in your car, driving to the theater, and then sitting in a huge room full of strangers, can be seen as a great experience. It is what helps connects us to movies and people throughout our life. But now that we have DVD players and blu ray, we can simply just wait for the movie to come out and watch it on our TV. And by doing that, we completely miss the experience of going

out to the movie. If anything it is also isolating us because if we go see a movie, we are more likely to ask a friend to accompany us, where as in the comfort of my own home I don't need someone to watch TV, or a movie with me. You can also go online and stream episodes that you missed on TV or want to re-watch. You can also subscribe to different websites such as Netflix, or Hulu Plus, and stream movies or shows. Netflix is one of the biggest streamers that people subscribe to. I know coming to college, mostly everyone has Netflix. And if you don't, then you need to find a friend with it ASAP and use their account. It has now become such an essential

part in our society. So much so that in some of my classes I have been told to watch movies on Netflix for homework. They literally have said, "it is on Netflix, so watch it there for homework", assuming we all had Netflix. This just proving that it is so common that professors are automatically assuming that everyone has it.

Even before you could stream it from your computer, Netflix was personally delivering to your home the specific movie you had chosen. Thus, just making it easier to not leave the house once they streamed online. And now, not only does Netflix stream movies, or past season of TV shows, they now have TV shows that premiere on Netflix. So now not only are we eliminating going to the movies, or leaving our home to go to the DVD store, we are also getting rid of the need to have a TV in our homes altogether. And if we do have a TV it is merely to say we have a TV. 

Netflix, or shows like it come up in our everyday conversations. It is something we actually bond over which is weird if you think about it because by watching netflix we are isolating ourselves from social interaction. People are constantly blogging about it, like myself, or using it as an ice breaker in social settings, and they are even using it as an excuse to get out of social gatherings.

Netflix is everywhere we go! And it is ultimately eliminating the need to go anywhere. And what does that mean for our cinema fanatics? And does this mean it is eventually going to get rid of cinema altogether? Or having TV shows on a cabel channel, and waiting a week for each new episode to premiere? It is a scary thought because it is getting rid of things that we have had for so long. Cinema has been around for as long as I can remember, my parents can remember, or even my grandparents! I remember growing up I always wanted to go to the theater and watch every new movie that had come out. It was something I looked foward to because watching it at home just wasn't the same. Being put in a theater setting automatically makes you feel as if you're in the movie, watching from a distance. And don't get me wrong, I love Netflix. It's convenient and easy to use, but what does that say about us? Are we justing using it because we are too lazy to get up and go somewhere? Are we too busy with everything else that we can't and don't want to make time to go to the movies? I mean if that's the case, then America, along with other countries are going to never leave their homes. Especially because of how fast technology products are being introduced.

Needless to say I hope in my lifetime and several other people's lifetimes, that going to the theater to watch a movie is still going strong.

iPhone 5 Filmmaking

Introduced with the iPhone 4S, Apple's iPhone has had 1080p. This resolution makes the iPhone a viable option for low budget, experimental, and high-risk filming. Now with the introduction of the iPhone 5 on Wednesday, just how accessible is Apple making a high quality camera available to their customers?

I've been a fan of the iPhone's camera since the iPhone 4. People doubted its 5 megapixel resolution, but what it lacked in megapixels, the iPhone 4 made up in features. Features like optional HDR, a flash, and a retina display really stood out on the phone.

I've used the iPhone to record some great things. If I'm just out and about, I can practice my composition and find interesting things in nature and designs. I've seen people use the iPhone as a lightweight camera alternative for weather balloon tracking and recording, thanks to its built in GPS tracking software: iCloud.


I would argue that the use of iPhones allows for great flexibility of environments. Waterproof cases allow for submergible scenes. Inexpensive pricing (see iPods Touches) allows for filmmakers and bystanders alike to enjoy creating personal stories only made possible through the ease and simplicity of good design.


Entire feature length films have been shot on the iPhone.

Now, has Apple improved with it's new model? Lets see how the iPhone 5 has changed. How will it impact the consumer grade filmmaking market?

• Panoramas – Androids had it. iPhone users have wanted it. Apple did it. We can now take up to 28 megapixel panoramic with ease of access. This could ease the job of a location scout in the future, much like how Google's nifty street view does.
• Increase in resolution –  The iPhone 5 takes pictures in 3264-by-2448 pixels. It still shoots in the industry leading resolution for smartphones in 1080p. Additionally, the new larger retina display allows for a great sharing experience for photos captured.
• Improved video stabilization – Even for the shaky handed among us, the iPhone will produce great results using this built-in feature. Stabilization is always the number one reason films and photos come out poorly on mobile devices.
• Shooting pictures while recording – Recording something? It's amazing? You also want to Instagram it? Or Tumble it to your production company's blog? Just snap it while you record now.
• Face detection – and GPS tagging both also help filmmakers if not during production, in post-production. Shots can easily be searched for based on thumbnails, faces, and physical location.

Shooting on a DSLR

          Some videos like "Reverie" by Vincent Laforet, "Tick Tock" by Ien Chi, and most recently Act of Valor really captured my attention. There are a bunch of other short films I have seen on YouTube that are of really good quality and seem really professional. These video as I learn have been shot on DSLR's. What makes them stand out against other affordable cameras is the low light abilities. Other features that I liked is the amount of manual control on them and the ability to put different lenses on the body. 

          So over spring break I visited the person I interned for in senior year. He runs the TV station in my hometown. So I asked on advice for what type of camera to get, because I wanted my own and an upgrade from my Nikon D3000. The advice he gave me was buy the best body I can afford and then a cheap lens like the Canon 50mm F/1.8. And then for important projects just rent cinema lenses for the high quality. So that is what I did to a degree.

          I am starting to learn filming on DSLR's since I got one towards the end of the summer. I've only had two chances to film with it so far. So far I am very pleased with how they turned out and how everything performed. I got a neutral density filter so I can maintain low depth of field and it worked well outside. I was able to do a pretty good job considering I had no tripod or audio equipment, aside from an iPhone. The only thing I really slipped up on was not setting the white balance, but since it wasn't for a project or job I'm ok with that. Also I filmed two quick projects in the same day over a six hour span with unpaid-non-professional talent, so if I took extra time on it, they would have gotten really annoyed.

          I am looking forward to what I can produce from this camera, I have high expectations for myself and it. The last thing I want to share is a bit of DSLR humor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEwUnENlc9M&feature=player_embedded

James Majeau

Voxer

A little while ago my friend Maxwell told me about a little app called Voxer! Ever since I downloaded it I have been hooked. As much as its cool for friends It is also extremely useful for filming!
The App is used to voice text people you can connect it to facebook to see you is also on Voxer with your friends! You can group some of your friends. Film wise this is very convenient since you can make your crew into a group and during filming you can press the button down and tell everyone in the area that may not be able to hear you say "action" and "quiet all around". The entire crew will get the message (assuming they're all on iphone's, or ipods with wifi.) The App is also available for Android phone users but that version is much more buggy than the Ipod/Iphone app. You can also do a one-to-one chat with just one of your friends! And when you're not on set and you just happen to be a props master, you can ask "Hey does anyone happen to have this prop that I need for the next shoot?" I love it mostly because it is so much more exciting to voice text people and a lot faster than just texting them. NOW, say if you're in a class room and someone Voxers you. Hopefully you have your volume down! You can listen to the message later or if it's an immediate situation, you can text them right there on Voxer in the same window and just ask them to text what they just said to you. If you're in a crowded room full of loud people you can switch it to the ear piece built into your iPhone and listen like your listening to a voicemail. The only thing I didn't like about it at first was that you have to train yourself to wait a second and listen for the beep before you talk otherwise it will cut you off. It's also created a sort of new polite behavior, you also have to train yourself to text the person first and ask them if they're in class or if you can voice them, just a polite thing to do for your friends. Other than those tiny issues, it's really a very useful app! I love it and encourage others to try it too!

Mobile Movie Making

Technology is amazing. That goes without saying. However, sometimes it takes a second to step back and realize just how far we have advanced. Case and point: mobile filmmaking. Now, before I'm totally discredited by the filmmaking blogosphere, let me qualify that statement. True professionals will always opt for professional tools. However, technology is advanced enough that the only limiting factors to making a great film lie in the artist, not the equipment they use. Filmmaking, long the realm of big budgets and big people, has now been democratized.

And the results are quite impressive. So impressive, in fact, that it's good enough for even some of today's blockbuster films. That's right! Upcoming comic book hero conglomeration, "The Avengers" had some sequences filmed on an iPhone 4. Some shots were even included in the trailer! I challenge you to spot the difference:

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey said, "I understand that sometimes there is no choice and you have to go for the cheapest option, but if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film." And if it's good enough for filmmakers with a 200 million dollar budget, it's certainly good enough for many others. Filmmaker Park Chan-wook and his video artist brother Chan-kyong won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival for a 30-minute film that was also shot on a iPhone.

And for the mobile phone auteurs with more of a budget, there are even more options. Companies make hundreds of different tripods with iPhone attachments, and even some high quality lense packages are available to attach on to your mobile shooter. The possibilities are truly endless.

Once the film is shot, however, you of course need to edit and distribute it. Well, your phone can help you out here too. Though somewhat limited in scope, Apple's own iMovie mobile application is more than capable for simple edits and trims. And when your done, you can even upload directly to YouTube, Vimeo, CNN's iReport, or any site you can think of.

The world of mobile phones presents an exciting future for the world of filmmaking. With a camera in everyone's pocket, anyone can try out their moviemaking skills, and put together a high-quality final product without ever booting up a workstation. The only limit now is our imaginations.

And just to prove this point, this entire post was written on a smartphone.

I Needed This In Boston

Using either an EDGE or 3G signal, this new app for iPhones can allow users to start their car remotely, and operate other functions. This means that it will work with both an iPhone and/or an iPod Touch. I needed this when I lived in Boston, because in the depths of the long winter, it would have been very convenient to have the car warming up before getting into it on the morning commute! The company, Directed Electronics, charges $499 for installation of their Viper SmartStart System, or $299 if installed in a vehicle which already has the Viper alarm system. The technology can also be used for triggering many other functions in tech projects, and it would be interesting to develop a game or musical instrument with remote capibilities.