Blog
Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 9 of 9 posts
Overcranking vs. Undercranking: A Cinematographer's Guide to Speed Manipulation Beyond Slow Motion
A complete technical and creative guide to overcranking and undercranking -- covering the frame rate math, shutter angle implications, storage consequences, and the specific narrative and aesthetic uses of each technique beyond the obvious slow-motion athletics shot.
Time Lapse on a Budget: Calculating Intervals, Battery Life, and Card Space Before You Leave the House
A complete pre-production calculation guide for time lapse photography -- covering interval calculation for any desired playback duration, battery life estimation, card capacity planning, and the gear decisions that prevent arriving at a location without enough resources to complete the shot.
How Many SSDs Do You Need for a Feature Film? A Pre-Production Calculation Guide
A step-by-step pre-production calculation guide for determining exactly how many SSDs or hard drives a feature film production needs, covering acquisition volume, backup redundancy, proxy storage, and the timing of drive purchases versus rentals.
RAW vs. ProRes vs. H.265: The Storage Cost of Each Codec in Real Numbers
A line-item storage cost comparison for RAW, ProRes, and H.265 acquisition across a full feature film production, with real bitrate figures, drive counts, hardware costs, and the workflow implications that make cheaper codecs not always cheaper in total.
Anamorphic Squeeze Factor Explained: How to Calculate What You Are Actually Shooting
A clear explanation of anamorphic squeeze factor with the math behind 1.33x and 2x squeeze, how it affects field of view and actual captured aspect ratio, how to monitor correctly, and which calculations to run before ordering an anamorphic package.
Shooting for Multiple Aspect Ratios: How to Frame for 2.39:1, 1.85:1, and 16:9 Simultaneously
A practical framing guide for productions that need to deliver in multiple aspect ratios -- covering safe area calculations, on-set monitoring solutions, in-camera frame guide setup, and the specific compositional decisions that affect all three deliverables.
Sensor Crop and Focal Length: The Complete Reference Table for Every Major Camera
A definitive reference table of sensor sizes, crop factors, and focal length equivalents for every major cinema and hybrid camera in use in 2026, with practical guidance on how crop factor changes your lens choices and field of view across platforms.
ProRes vs. BRAW vs. ARRIRAW: Which Acquisition Format Is Right for Your Production?
A technical and practical comparison of ProRes, Blackmagic RAW, and ARRIRAW acquisition formats covering data rates, storage requirements, color grading latitude, NLE compatibility, and the real workflow implications for different production scales.
ARRI vs. RED vs. Sony: What the Spec Sheets Don't Tell You
A practical comparison of the ARRI ALEXA 35, RED V-RAPTOR, and Sony VENICE 2 that goes beyond resolution and dynamic range to cover color science, codec pipeline compatibility, rental economics, and real post-production cost implications.