So this blog will be boring for most of you out there but for those into this....I got something you might like. It's the DSLR kit from Red Rock. As most of you know cameras like the Canon 5D mkII can now shoot high quality HD video that gives you a cinema like feel. That's mostly due to the fact that you get a great depth of field because you can change lenses which normal video camera can't do. The only draw back with these DSLRs is they suck ergonomically for shooting video. I get a sore wrist very quickly because I'm supporting the entire weight of the camera with the right hand side grip as my left must stay loose to chase the focus.


But the Red Rock Micro DSLR kit has just solved all my problems.There are many different packages you can get but I got the Field Cinema bundle which includes the shoulder mount kit and the mini focus follow. The key is the focus follow because it turns the Canon 5D mkII I have into something that feels like a real film camera only smaller, lighter and a helluva lot cheaper. Now instead of trying to pull focus with the focus ring on the lens and shaking the whole camera while I do it, I just turn the smoothly geared focus nob and get smooth images with very silky smooth shifts in focus. The kit does make the whole system quite a bit heavier but with it sitting on your shoulder a lot of that is alleviated plus the added weight keeps the camera from getting bouncy and thus producing more stable, less shaky images. The professional hand grips also make it easy to point and shoot however and wherever you like.


This system is not exactly cheap so the regular consumer is not really going to find this worthwhile but if you are a professional or prosumer shooting a lot of video, you may definitely want to consider this item. There are many different kits available depending on your particular needs. All I can say is I'm very happy with my new toy. To learn more about Red Rock or to order a kit of your own check out their site here.

|Yes, long time no blog. That's because I'm working on a new movie here in China and really don't have time to think about anything else. I do however want to share these photos from a short film I did just before coming here with Clara Law. Clara and I worked together on Like a Dream which is finally coming out at the Hong Kong International Film Festival this March.

Red Earth is a short film that Clara and I did for the HKIFF so you will be able to see it there too. It's hard to explain but the best way is that it is a futuristic love story with an emphasis on the environment. We shot it all with the Canon 5D and used a combination of stills and HD video. The great thing about the 5D is that you can do both with it and the images are beautiful. See for yourself. The short film also stars fellow AnDer Grace Huang.

Enjoy!

http://you.video.sina.com.cn/b/1489235-1260983387.html

Thanks to Medussa722 who dragged this up from Sina.com so everyone can see it. This was the craziest stunt ever but Min volunteered to do this. We did this for the show "Chiseen" I produced for Asia MTV's Whatever things about 5 years ago. This clip spread around on the internet and eventually Min got a call from a US tv show and was invited to perform the same stunt again. But because of safety laws there they did it with movie pyrotechnics and he a had a fireproof suit on, so not anywhere near as crazy as this.

http: //video.stumbleupon.com/#p=x68t3yxm06

I love pranks and this is a really good one. Hmmm....who am I going to try this on?

The Stage: Short Doc from Daniel Wu on Vimeo.

So here's a little short documentary, Kim Chan, put together for me about the creation of "The Stage", the design project that Edward Huang and I put together for the HK/Shenzhen Biennale. If you don't know what I'm talking about please refer to my previous blogs. As you can probably tell I'm pretty proud of this project. It's interesting to me personally because what was once meant to be my career has now come back to me as a hobby. One of the main reasons why I didn't want to do architecture as a career was because I had worked in many offices but still could not find the creative freedom and energy that I had in school and I found that quite depressing. I wanted to affect the world with my creative energy, not sit in front of a computer all day drafting up other people's half-assed designs or dealing with office politics. Luckily the Hong Kong film business found me and I was able to find a whole new environment that allowed me total freedom to be creative. The two fields may seem totally different but they are more alike than you can imagine. They are both arts and art is about the ability to speak to an audience using your own creative skills via a medium. One is through buildings and one is through film. Both require the public and an audience in order to be successful and when people are touched by your work, that sense of satisfaction is beyond words.

If you haven't been over there yet and you live in Hong Kong, you have until Feb 26th and then it all comes down and will nothing more than an awesome memory in my mind. Thanks again Kim for all your hard work on this video!