January Theme: DSLR Filmmaking

Join MoPictive as we move into a new decade in a new venue: the Helen Mills Screening room - featuring 140 stadium-style seats, with a projection booth, 5.1 surround system, free food and soda, and an opportunity to meet and network with a wide range of New York City's best and brightest filmmakers. 

January's theme is DSLR Filmmaking. We are also introducing MoPictive Shorts; a monthly event showcasing some of NYC's best storytellers in a 15 minute or less short film format, including a Q & A after the screening.

The Lineup (this is our latest itinerary, which is guaranteed to change - frequently):

• Grand Prize Raffle: AJA KiPro ($3995 value)
  • AJA has joined MoPictive for the second year in a row as a Platinum Sponsor! We thank AJA for their continued support of our group. To help celebrate our new venue, AJA has donated a $3995 AJA KiPro for a raffle at this meeting. 
  • Details on the KiPro can be found on AJA's website. A recent review of the KiPro and its capabilities can be found at Studio Monthly.
  • The first 50 people to select and buy the Early Bird ticket will get a free KiPro raffle ticket. 
  • An additional 20 tickets will be available for purchase at the door for $35 each (1 per person). 
  • Here are the official rules:
    • You must be present to get your KiPro raffle ticket. 
    • You must be present at the time of the raffle to be awarded the KiPro prize or the KiPro will be immediately re-raffled.
    • Early Bird ticket holders will only be given (1) ticket per person, regardless of the number of additional Early Bird tickets they purchase. This rule is non-negotiable and since those seats can't be re-sold, no refunds will be given.
    • Early Bird no-shows will forfeit KiPro raffle ticket, which will be awarded to the next earliest online General Registration attendee present at the time of the raffle, as time-stamped by Eventbrite or Google Checkout (at the discretion of MoPictive, based on ease of retrieving that information).
    • (25) additional KiPro raffle tickets will be held in reserve for purchase at the door, only (1) raffle ticket per person will be sold. After 8pm, an announcement will made and any unsold KiPro raffle tickets will be available for bulk purchase.
    • Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable.
    • In the event of any disputes, you agree that the decision of MoPictive Board Members who are present at the event will be final and binding.
    • This raffle is not open to MoPictive Board members or their immediate family.

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• DSLR Filmmaking: 
  • Compare and Contrast: Josh Apter (Manhattan Edit Workshop) and Jem Schofield (C47) will present an overview of Video DSLR cameras and their real-world application. They will discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of HD DSLRs and where these game changers could and should be used. Topics will include camera features, double-system sound, lenses and post workflows. The presentation will also include sample footage shot by both Josh and Jem and will discuss the possibilities of shooting with these large sensor, small format cameras.
    • Josh Apter: Manhattan Edit Workshop Owner & MoPictive Director of Education, attended NYU’s Graduate Film Program, where his thesis, 53rd Calypso, was honored with the Martin Scorsese Award for achievement in directing and stars Edward Norton. It received numerous awards for directing, editing, and cinematography at film festivals across the country.

      Josh has served as editor on over eight feature films including The Holy Land (winner Slamdance 2002/Cavu Pictures Distributor), Kaaterskill Falls and Barbecue is a Noun (Audience Award for best Documentary at the Rome International Film Festival and the River Run Film Festival). He recently completed principal photography on Out of Many, a documentary that follows five people as they travel across the country to the inauguration of Barack Obama.

    • Jem Schofield: theC47.com founder and host of gearbox, is a producer, creative director and author who consults on and teaches production and post-production solutions throughout the United States. His company, Buttons Productions, produces video, print, web and motion graphics projects for an ever expanding client base.

      Jem is an Apple Master Trainer and author of the Apple Pro Training Series book entitled Motion 4 Quick-Reference Guide. He is also the co-author of the Apple Pro Training Series book entitled Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Studio 2 and a contributing author of the Apple Pro Training Series book: DVD Studio Pro 4, 2nd Edition. He also writes tutorials and product reviews for Studio/monthly. Clients include Apple, Inc., Verizon, The New York Times, Vision Research, Manhattan Records, AbelCineTech, BlogTalkRadio and The Cooper Union
  • TheFoundry's RollingShutter plug-in: Mike Bailey from TheFoundry will demonstrate their RollingShutter After Effects plug-in. This amazing plug-in analyzes distortions caused by the 'rolling shutter' effect of CMOS DSLR / video cameras and corrects these distortions.

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• MoPictive Shorts: With our great new screening room at Helen Mills, MoPictive is bringing back one of its early signature segments, Show & Tell. This time around, we're calling it MoPictive Shorts - showcasing the tri-state's best storytellers in the 15 minute and under short film art form.
  • L’Accordatore - The Tuner is written, directed, and self-produced by Tomax Aponte. Completed just last month, it's a richly lensed short film that is both intimate and loving, though sometimes in a perverse sense. After the screening we will have a Q&A with the director and a few members of his team.

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• Audio For Editors, Part 2: In her second in our multipart series on Audio for Editors, Jamie Hitchings will focus on EQ and equalization techniques in SoundtrackPro. What is EQ? Why is it so important? How do you use the tools inside SoundtrackPro to achieve your goals?

  • Jamie’s visual interests stem from photography and fine art. She is an apple certified instructor of the Final Cut Studio suite of applications, as well as an Avid certified Instructor. She also teaches Photoshop and After Effects.

    Jamie regularly works as an instructor for Apple at large trade-show presentations such as NAB and DV Expo. She holds a Masters Degree in Interactive Art and Emerging Technology from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with an emphasis on video and sound.

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  Writing the Short Film: Nick Sidorovich returns in January after his immensely popular November presentation on Screenwriting 101. This month Nick will discuss the key aspects of writing a short film and its essential differences from long-form narratives.
  • Nick Sidorovich is a screenwriter and health communications writer based in Chatham, New Jersey. His screenplay, “The Miracle of Santa Rosa”, is in development with Virtus Entertainment and will be directed by Frank Rainone (“Me and the Mob”, “Brooklyn State of Mind”). Nick teaches undergraduate screenwriting at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey.

• Monthly Raffle: Monthly Raffle: MoPictive Board Member Jim Moore has a full lineup of donated products to be raffled away and help keep MoPictive running! Everyone who attends will get at least 1 raffle ticket with their entry. Additional tickets can be purchased at the door. This month's raffle donors include:
  • Automatic Duck: Swag
  • Boris FX: Training
  • GenArts: Training
  • IFP Membership: One Year Membership
  • Imagineer Systems: Mocha
  • Intelligent Assistance: Book
  • Movie Maker Magazine: One Year Subscription
  • O'Reilly: Books
  • Peachpit: Books
  • Pond 5: Stock Footge
  • Ripple Training: Training
  • Telestream: Training
  • theFoundry: RollingShutter After Effects Plug-in