tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58739336127975117822024-02-19T09:06:25.647-05:00dianeparagas.comAll about HDSLR technology, independent cinema and ME!Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-83431656306208156562010-11-24T09:40:00.011-05:002010-11-24T17:35:31.313-05:00Proust.com Part 1 - The PitchInstead of just an announcement, I wanted to take this opportunity to really go in depth about the making of a commercial campaign for the IAC's Proust.com. Over the next few weeks, I will post detailed blogs about every stage of production from the pitch to the writing, casting, shooting, equipment and post production. I think this is a great opportunity to explain how we workDiane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-9053897546091298912010-06-10T00:46:00.007-04:002010-06-10T01:20:03.034-04:00Andrew Cuomo CampaignI recently directed a project for Andrew Cuomo's run for Governor of New York. The video was written by Jonathan Cranin, former Worldwide Creative Director for McCann and produced by Concentric Entertainment (Craig Anderson), DPs myself, Ben Jacks and Chris Bierlein. I worked with a small crew and shot the spot on both the 5d M2 and the Varicam 3700. I will limit my comments on this blog Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-52669382159269857612010-05-12T07:23:00.004-04:002010-05-12T12:34:23.019-04:00Sony enters HDSLR Game - but is it enough?Anyone who has been reading this blog will know that I'm a huge supporter of HDSLR technology and have been shooting on the 5d for over a year now and invested more money than I would like on equipment. In return though, I have made back my investment almost immediately and the camera has allowed me to be involved with some amazing projects I otherwise would not have the opportunity to direct. (Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-14372542139835241022010-05-09T10:26:00.002-04:002010-05-12T07:26:45.300-04:00House Finale shot on 5d Mark IIThe 2010 finale on the hit series "HOUSE" marks a ground-breaking game changer in the tide towards HDSLR. The entire show was shot on a few Canon 5ds. The director and DP wanted to take advantage of the 5d's extreme shallow depth of field that was appropriate for storyline. They shot with 85mm/1.2 the 50mm/1.0 and 1.2 and two zooms the 24-70mm and the 70-200mm.
The Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-30799769779955300502010-04-13T20:17:00.003-04:002010-05-12T07:32:17.617-04:00"Red" Alert: Panasonic Introduces Hybrid Camera AG-AF100Panasonic announced it's newest entry into the HDSLR market the AG-AF100 at NAB 2010. the first professional micro 4/3-inch video camcorder optimized for high-definition video recording. Scheduled to ship by December 2010, the AG-AF100 will set a new benchmark for digital cinematography. It uses the same sensor as in the GH1 with interchangeable lenses. And with an adapter can Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-13902600690252820942010-04-04T22:10:00.005-04:002010-10-03T12:46:19.398-04:00Best Lenses for Documentary HDSLR- UPDATEDAs many of you know, I've been using the 5dMark2 pretty much since the camera came out in late 2008. Specifically, I've been shooting with the camera for a feature documentary and have since built up quite a kit of lenses. With so many lenses and manufacturers out there, it's hard to know which lenses to get and which work specifically for shooting docs.
Shooting with the camera Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-32848517424287587512010-04-03T14:53:00.006-04:002010-04-03T15:07:58.665-04:00Glidetrack SD a great slider for HDSLRFor the last few months I've been using a glidetrack sd which you can purchase from the website www.glidetrack.com. I bought the SD range compact ($300 including shipping) and I think it's the perfect size for HDSLR shooting. Although the company is in the UK, I was able to talk quite easily to the one man company (Alastair Brown) who gave me tips. I was surprised to Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-62668108346430244752010-02-14T08:48:00.001-05:002010-02-14T08:48:48.767-05:00Future of MagazinesHere's an interesting video about what the potential of future magazines might be...
Living Magazine Cover & Spread - Outside Magazine from Alexx Henry on Vimeo.Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-49064129694756814862010-02-04T13:29:00.002-05:002010-04-06T20:41:40.669-04:00Trailer for new documentaryCheck out this new trailer for a documentary I am co-directing with Nelson George. We are currently in production for " A Walk Through Fort Greene," a film about the blacks arts movement that exploded on the streets of this quaint Brooklyn neighborhood. The film features Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Rosie Perez, Vernon Reid, Saul Williams to name a few.
A Walk Through Fort Greene Trailer from Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-47107822869031382502010-01-05T12:48:00.005-05:002010-01-20T16:18:00.607-05:00My Top Ten Movies of 2009In my opinion, it was not a great year for cinema. I think a bit better than last year but still a bad one. The big headline: It's the year of the kids movies.
1. The Hurt Locker – Brilliant pacing, spare dialogue and intelligent filmmaking all the way through. The film puts the audience uncomfortably square in the middle of the conflict both internal and external. Bigelow Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-36123869355716792472009-12-17T08:31:00.000-05:002009-12-17T08:31:51.440-05:00Think Tank Multimedia Wired Up 20The Think Tank Multimedia Wired UP 20 is the perfect bag if you are shooting and recording audio on a 5d or other HDSLR. I had loaded up this bag with my 5d2 with a 24-70mm attached as well as a 70-200mm and a 50mm zeiss prime, zacuto z-finder and even a small reflector. But the best part of the bag is that it allows you to wire it up through an ingenious cable management system to a Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-73045980445309571772009-12-10T08:42:00.003-05:002009-12-11T04:45:33.204-05:00My Top Ten Films of the DecadeAt first, I thought this would be a Herculean task to even remember what films came out this decade, much less to choose which films I would consider the best. But then I realized… all I needed to do was to look at my rather paltry collection of DVD’s that I actually purchased over the past 10 years and why. Although I am a huge cineaste, for some reason I’m not a big DVD buyer. And on that Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-76508655239165404752009-11-14T17:15:00.015-05:002009-11-15T11:23:04.732-05:00Tascam Dr-100 and 5d2A few months ago, I purchased the beachtek 5d unit. While it worked wonders for the first two months, the unit completely conked out while on a commercial shoot in Miami. This is totally unacceptable and after talking to fellow filmmakers, they had similiar experiences. I decided to go for a dual system sound option. After testing both the Tascam DR-100 and the Zoom h4n (the go to model Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-70420600200394311472009-10-29T09:35:00.006-04:002009-10-29T10:09:16.383-04:00Zacuto Z-FINDER KILLER!!! at half the price! I custom made this viewfinder after using the hoodman loupe on my 5d Mark II. I found that it was very uncomfortable and hard to keep in focus. Then I tried the z-finder from zacuto at abelcine. it does have a great feeling and the optics are great. problem is it is out of stock all over town, not to mention price point. what was great about it was the eyecup and the 3x magnification. Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-70893777273539300322009-10-29T09:13:00.011-04:002009-10-29T09:35:03.558-04:00Hot Rod CSH with 5d MK2 I just purchased a new rig from Abelcine called the HOT ROD CSH. It is fantastic. As you can see from the post below, I had previously used the cavision rig,but that was just so awkward. also it's so massive and bulky didn't lend itself well to run and gun.this rig is fantastic and allows you to focus while being handheld. that's almost the most important thing with these cameras. Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-25643756918016766692009-10-18T11:47:00.019-04:002009-10-29T09:32:53.382-04:00New Web series shot on CANON 5dmk2I directed this series of videos for American Airlines new website called www.blackatlas.com. The project is a social networking site developed by Burrell Ad Agency out of Chicago, Juxt Interative and American Airlines targeted at the African American traveller. Nelson George, my frequent collaborator, friend, co-director and co-producer for our upcoming feature documentary (STAY TUNED), is Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-41129347562098374742009-05-22T17:12:00.004-04:002009-10-21T09:56:52.737-04:00OPEN BOOK AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING ON LINELink TV has put the entire episode of Open Book's pilot online. please click here to watch.Here are some nice things people are saying about the show... Hope you get a chance to see it. and if you are wondering, yes, i did write all of these myself ;)"In addition to being gorgeously filmed, this has got to be the hippest TV show on literature out there. Love it and can't wait to see more!""Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-40607472612874567442009-05-11T21:38:00.001-04:002009-05-11T21:47:51.381-04:00New Show Premieres on Link TVThe show I directed called Open Book premieres tonight and Wednesday. Please check your local listings for showtimes.Please take a look at the press release here.Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-16986756360684714402009-03-20T13:11:00.001-04:002009-03-20T13:18:32.653-04:00Kristen Stewart PSa about DATE RAPE on College CampusesThis PSA was a part of a campaign for Security on Campus. It includes a 25 minute documentary entitled "Speak Out and Stand Up: Raising Awareness about Sexual Assault" which will be available later in the year to colleges and high schools across the country. The film features real life interviews with survivors of sexual assault as well as a scripted narrative about a girl who is the victim of Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-2969610153269981502009-02-03T10:43:00.013-05:002009-10-29T09:33:16.245-04:00Canon 5D Mk II and future of HD CinemaLike many indie filmmakers, I've been trying to achieve a film look by using the newest dv and hd cameras without cracking the bank. Combine that with having a production company and a love of cinematography, you can imagine that I was quite excited when I like many of you heard news of the Canon 5D Mark II, one of the first DSLR cameras to be able to record HD video. I had previously owned theDiane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-72701355022918005292009-01-30T20:47:00.002-05:002009-01-30T20:48:47.047-05:00Suheir HammadAgain I directed this segment for our show Open Book. worked with Cinematographer Francisco Aliwalas who did a great job on the show with an EX3 and small dolly. The other camera is the Nikon D90... Suheir was as cool as could be and the Masonic Temple in Brooklyn is an amazing place. They were so generous.Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-87964786835713368262009-01-22T08:49:00.004-05:002009-01-27T14:11:47.863-05:00The 2009 oscar Nominations announcedThe 2009 Oscar nominees were just announced. Wow a lot of surprises. Revolutionary Road got no major nominations. I thought Leo deserved a nod. Instead, The Reader got best director and best picture nominees. Dark knight shut out, again I agree. Also Kate Winslet nominated for Best Actress for Reader, unfortunately have not seen yet. I was disappointed that Jenny Lumet writer of Rachel Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-63337657002200327662009-01-19T19:19:00.005-05:002009-01-19T19:56:50.149-05:002009 Oscar PredictionsTwo days before the big announcement. I am doing my bit of crystal ball gazing. Here are my predictions, not my suggestions, but my predictions who i think the Academy will give nods to. * marks my choice to winBest Picture - Slumdog Millionaire*, Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon, The Dark KnightBest Director - Danny Boyle*, David Fincher, Gus Van Zandt, Christopher Nolan, Ron HowardBest Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-52105630066528189292009-01-16T18:25:00.001-05:002009-01-16T18:27:39.826-05:00Obama spoton the eve of his inauguration i thought i would post this spot. This is the long version of a tv spot we put forward for moveon.org's Obama in 30 seconds competition called playground politics. Together with my producer Lucy Kennedy, we decided while working together at CBS that we should contribute to Obama's campaign. I had heard about the contest and we put this spot together within a week. Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5873933612797511782.post-74761086552615230112009-01-16T17:59:00.000-05:002009-01-16T18:01:25.282-05:00Jeffrey Wright channels Walt WhitmanThis video is a very rough cut of the award winning actor reading from Walt Whitman's Brooklyn Ferry. Shot in the Walt Whitman projects and the Brooklyn navy yard, it is a tribute to the lasting legacy of Whitman and the area where he lived.Jeffrey Wright channels Walt Whitman from Diane Paragas on Vimeo.Diane Paragashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06548141030625085632noreply@blogger.com0