'Shuffle' wins Best Short Film for the State of New Hampshire 2011!!

Friends,

I am writing these lines to express my sincere and immense happiness because the short film I was part of as an Actor last June of 2011 won on August 4th of 2011 at Concord, NH; the BEST SHORT FILM Award for the State of New Hampshire 2011 at 'The 48 Hour Film Project'http://www.48hourfilm.com

I am very proud not necessarily of myself, but of the team I had the chance to be part of. Those who truly know me, know that I very much dislike brown nosing. Keeping that in mind, I am going to express how I truly feel from the bottom of my heart.

It was an honor and pleasure to work with this amazing pool of talented people. I need to name everybody for be fair because they all very well deserve it. But I have to mention the leadership of Scott Orlosk. He really commanded us with passion and clear vision. It is amazing, but as soon as I walked into IndieFair; Scott was saying to everybody that we were doing this to win. And we DID!! Can you believe that?!?! That IS a vision of success. Someone might think it is a coincidence, but due of the talent of everybody involved, I have to disagree with that hypothetical view. Almost 2 months from the beginning to the awards night, and you have to admire a guy with such drive. He was right from the get go... just unreal, but real and amazing at the same time. No wonder why he won the BEST DIRECTOR Award as well, and yes; VERY well deserves it.

The film have won a total of 5 Awards:

BEST FILM

Best Directing

Best Cinematography

Best Editing

Best use of Character

Also the importance of a cool, open minded, extra mile producer is VERY important as well. They are KEY for a successful production. And we were lucky to have a great producer holding the fort. Yes, Art Murphyis THAT guy. Always with a smile and without being fake. Truly interested on the wellbeing of the crew. He made me feel welcomed, well cared and free to ad my bit of creativity. The kind of guy you meet and instantly makes you feel 'Gee, the is a guy I would like to be friends with; or this is a guy I was going to be friends with in High School'. That kinda guy.

I have to make a few more mentions just because I worked with these people a bit closer than the rest of the crew. Although, all equally important but these people worked with me much closer just because of the circumstance and the one scene I was involved with:

Walter J. Estrada (Production Manager): He was the EVERYWHERE guy. Walter was literally everywhere. You looked behind you, Walter was there smiling at you; you grabbed a an empty cup of coffee, Walter was there pressing the 'brew' button; you inhaled air to say 'I need...' and Walter flying by saying 'Sure no problem'. I really loved working with him. Another 'wanna be friends with' kinda guy.

Alex Knuuttunen (Director of Photography): A guy who absolutely love what he does. That's the vibe I've got from him all the time. 200% passionate about the quality of the image. He was so excited everytime the camera captured something in tune with his heart. It was contagious to everyone around him. No wonder why we won best cinematography. If I've ever hear somebody looking for the best cinematographer, I will say 'Hire that guy!... Now!'. Big Kudos to Danna Rogers to have everything (lenses, memory cards, etc) ready for Alex when he needed it.

Dan Hourihan (Gaffer): Yes, he is another 'Hire that guy'. You gotta light the scene properly for the camera to see. Dan was on top of the gels and Kinos and in total control of the situation. Very professional and really focused on what he wanted. Again, watch the movie to see what an amazing job he did. With the help of the multi talented Erin Sandler of course.

Matt Cooney & Joel Yeaton (Editors): Another award right there. Editors are the Actors' guardian angels. They are. They pick your very best shots. And Matt and Joel spent several hours with film bits and made us all look fantastic. I briefly met them both, but they spent hours with our faces on digital form. And their award is another proof of what a great job they did. Thank you guys!!

Gustavo M. Esquivel (Production Coordinator) and Javier made the music for the movie. As a silent film, the music becomes a leading role by itself. Our movie speaks for itself if you watch it a second time and just pay close attention to the music. It drives the mood of the movie (in conjunction with the Acting). Excellent job Gustavo and Javier!!

And speaking of Acting... to my fellow Actors. I was in real contact with only 6 of them. Wonderful job everybody. Nik Smith was great to work with when we played poker. He was so into it and my reactions came because of his generosity to play over and over his same reaction even when the camera was not on him. How important is to listen on Acting, like De Niro frequently remarks. It is even more important than being listened to most times. Jason Hubbard has this amazing look on the screen. Very handsome and so much in the politician role. Best use of Character also goes to his very believable performance for sure. Heidi Sturrock was very charming on and off the screen. Very cool to talk about our Italian ancestry. Owen Emberley was not only an Actor, but one of the writers and the Script Supervisor. On top of that, he is such a nice good. Another guys I wish I can be friends with. I hope to work with Owen again someday. What can I say about my two beautiful girls played by Krista Rose and Ariel Schloner... that they are not only beautiful but very talented as well. Very professional and super nice off the screen.

And last but not least... the writers (Peter Beck, Warren Mann, Judy Mann, Scott Orlosk, Owen Emberley and Andrea Murphy). Well, they wrote the story of the Best Short Film of 2011 for the State of NH. What else can I say?

Everybody, excellent job! I am very proud of the movie we all did. It was an enormous pleasure to have worked with all of you. I wish you all plenty of personal and professional success. Your success is my success because if you guys succeed, I can say that I worked with you!!

God bless you all!!

Kind Regards friends,

Ben Tolosa

Shuffle Credits

IndieFair

Shuffle at Union Leader

Photographer Adam Elmakias

Hey readers (yes, hundred of thousands!!) ^_^

I haven't been writing for several months, since I have been very busy with many projects. Anyway, I just read a very cool article about this young photographer and wanted to share it with you all.

http://www.canonrumors.com/photographer-profiles/adam-elmakias/

BTW, yesterday I've got my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens. I am very excited, but didn't have the chance to try it yet. Bought it originally for my first film entitled 'Patients' which I will be shooting at the end of July (if God provides).

I've been learning (and hopefully improving) a lot with photography. Check my progress at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bentolosa/

That is all for now. Lots more to tell, but quite tired at this exact moment. I just came from my Acting class with master guru Acting teacher Richard Waterhouse and I am truly exhausted.

Peace and Love to you all!!

Canon G12 or Canon SX30 IS?

Good evening folks!!

As I began to learn the art of filmmaking, soon I realized you need to learn and/or understand photography concepts as well since a film/video is technically hundreds of pictures displayed at a fast pace one after the other creating motion and the movement of the moving objects captured by the camera. Obtaining a Canon 7D for filmmaking purposes opened the still photography world back to me. It is a remarkable camera, specially for the video quality as you might know and takes incredible pictures as well. However, the size and weight is a bit of a drag to carry around every single day for every single situation. As a photographer, I love to take pictures at any given time and at any given place. Having a wonderful but bulky DSLR is inconvenient for those kind of situations. What most pros do? They also own a point-and-shoot camera.

I have a Sony DSC-H3 with 8.1 megapixels, so I currently do not need one. However, I wanted to know which one is the best point-and-shoot at this present moment in time (January of 2011). I did my online research, and since I prefer Canon; I came down to the Canon G12 and the Canon SX30 IS.

I am not going to go over all the technical specs of both, but I will tell you what and specially who helped me to decide.

I met a very talented photographer last year as he was shooting the pictures of the play I was performing on at Randolph, VT last summer. His name is Ben DeFlorio, head of Ben DeFlorio Photography. He is very knowledgeable (way more than myself) and when it comes to photography, Ben was always ready to give me a great answer. So, I decided to ask him.

My questions was? Which one?

Ben answered, and because he can say it better than I can; I asked Ben for his permission to copy our electronic correspondence on the matter. Ben kindly agreed.

Extract from my email conversation with Ben DeFlorio:

On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 10:52 PM, Ben Tolosa wrote:

Evening Ben,

I am thinking at perhaps changing the every day camera I have sometime this year. I did some research and I am kind of down to these two: G12 or SX30 IS

I like them both, but I just don't quite get why the G12 'should' be better than the SX30 IS, since the SX30 IS has 14 megapixels (compared to 10 of the G12), cost 100 dollars less, has a longer optical zoom and does come with IS (probably not necessary on the G12 with that zoom range).

The only advantage I see over the SX30 IS is that the G12 shots RAW files, while the SX30 IS only does JPEGs.

What do you think?

I hope all is well with you and that you had a great new year. I saw the new lens you've got and the picture you took over the piano. I really liked them both very much.

Kind Regards, Ben Tolosa

On Tue, 1/11/11, Ben DeFlorio wrote:

From: Ben DeFlorio

Subject: Re: Canon G12 or SX30 IS?

To: "Ben Tolosa"

Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 10:14 AM

Greetings: For me this would be an easy decision - The G12. The SX30 IS is probably a good camera and the reviews I saw most people were quite happy with it, but I think the G12 has a lot of things in its favor: G12 v. SX30IS

Sensor: G12 has a bigger sensor (1/1.7 G12 vs. 1/2.3 SX30IS). That is actually a pretty big difference in size, generally bigger is better with sensors. Winner: G12

Megapixels: G12 has 10mp and SX30IS has 14mp. With the tiny size of these sensors a smaller amount of megapixels is better, the small sensors can't fully resolve those high mp counts. You'll especially see the difference in lower light - although these are point-n-shoot cameras so don't expect amazing low light results regardless. Winner: G12 Image

Stabilization: The G12 and SX30IS both have image stabilization. The G12 actually has a newer Hybrid Image Stabilization system (not sure if it is better or not). Winner: Draw

Focal Range: The G12 has a nice equivalent 28-140mm range (great walk around range) and the SX30IS has an amazing equivalent 24-840mm range (covers just about everything). Winner: SX30IS

Optical Quality: While the SX30IS covers a great range of focal lengths that inevitably comes with a lot more optical compromises than the shorter range the G12 has. Plus the large sensor and lower mp count. Winner: G12

Flash: The SX30IS has a pop up flash with a range of 19ft. The G12 has built-in flash with a range of 23ft and more importantly it has a hot shoe for mounting a much more powerful flash. Winner: G12

Build Quality: The G12 is very solidly built (I have a G9 and have used a G10 and G11 all of which have a very similar build). I suspect the SX30IS has a plastic shell. Winner: G12

Size: The G12 is not small at 12.4 oz, but it will fit in a coat pocket and can be reasonably discrete. The SX30IS almost the size of a small DSLR and is 21.2 oz - it won't fit in your pocket. Additionally the G12 lens is retractable and the SX30IS is not. Winner: G12

LCD Screen: Both articulate - the G12 screen resolution is twice that of the SX30IS (460k vs. 230k) and the G12 screen is just a little bit bigger. Winner: G12

Controls: Both appear to have good control placement, but you might find the G12 knobs and dials to be a bit more useful for quick changes. Winner: G12 HD Video: Both have 720p. Winner: Draw

RAW format: Only the G12 offers RAW files. Winner: G12

Cost: The SX30IS can be found for less, but with a lower spec. Winner: Draw

In my opinion the G12 is a much better compliment to your 7D than the SX30IS. The SX30IS is big enough that you might as well bring the 7D instead. The G12 really is the pro's point-n-shoot camera. That said I'm sure the SX30IS performs well and many people would be very happy with it so you'll have to evaluate exactly how you are going to use this every day camera. The G9 that I have is a solid performer and just small enough to make it a true compact and if I were in the market for a compact I would get the G12. If you really wanted a camera that you can pocket the S95 is the way to go (shares most of the same specs of the G12, but in a smaller form with a faster lens). I'm sure there are some reviews out there that directly compare these camera that would have more knowledge on this subject, but hopefully this info helps you make your choice. Take care, Ben

As you can see, he is very knowledgeable and did help me to understand why the G12 is a better option. At leas for him and now for me as well.

I hope this information also helps you if you are debating between the Canon G12 or SX30 IS.

Please visit Ben DeFlorio Photography's website to check out his amazing work. A truly talented photographer:

Ben DeFlorio Photography

‪http://defloriophotography.com/

Have a warm winter folks!!

Kind Regards,

Ben Tolosa

PS I came across another amazing camera called 'Sony NEX-5', but I did not included it on this debate because the NEX-5 is a mid point between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR. However, check it out yourself if you wish because it seems to be a very remarkable camera. Interchangeable lenses (I read it might be a third party adapter to use other lenses?), RAW files, 1080i 30p HD video, 14.2 megapixel CMOS, etc.

Photo Salvage with Lightroom 3

Happy 2011 everyone!

Still blown away with the power of Lightroom 3. Because, just learning a few things; you can rescue an 'unusable' picture, and make it a decent shot. Photoshop is a very powerful tool and you can do even more with it, but you have to know how to use it. The same thing happens with LR3, but at least to me; it is not as complicated as PS is. The multi layer deal alone, makes LR3 more user friendly (IMHO).

What I mean about 'unusable' is, that if you want to print that picture it will print with plenty of noise and overexposed. The one 'after' will not print perfect (due of the setting the photo was taken with), but considerably much better.

This JPEG (no RAW file made) picture was over exposed and taken with a Sony DSC-H3 (8.1 megapixels), an ISO of 3200 at 6.3mm with f/8.0 and 1/2000 sec. The very high ISO with daylight is what caused such noise (and the improper settings I gave the poor thing). You can see on picture 1 how my face is distorted. What I did to make it 'better' was: first I created a virtual copy (there is no need to do so, but I like to see the thumbnails of 'Before' on my strip when I am glancing over my library), I clicked un Auto Tone because that is the first thing I always do (if I don't like it, I reset it back) and 95% of the time I keep the result I get. I zoomed in on my face and on the black t-shirt to see the results of noise reduction. I used the Luminance noise reduction slide to +50 which was until the noise was mainly gone without loosing too much detail/sharpness. I bumped up the Clarity just 20 units. I always like to add some saturation, usually between 15 and 75 units depending on the picture or the effect I want to achieve. Something I like to do most times is to enhance the greens. Because any trees, mountains or grass look to me more comfortable and warm to watch if they pop on the screen either as foreground and/or background. Green Hue +25 and Green Saturation +50. Then I added some skin softener to my skin to make it look nicer but more importantly to fix any remaining of noise left over (very little though). I added some Iris enhancement to my eyes (just a hair) and +38 on sharpening (enough not to cause noise again). The final touch (which I did before the sharpening) was to add the PC Vignette 2 preset to shift more attention to the center of the picture.

And that was it! Here I am, no expert and with some corrections learned from youtube tutorials; I made this cool but almost unusable picture, a properly exposed and decent shot that will print much nicer in most commercial print sizes.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Before

After

Hope you enjoyed this brief tutorial and once again: HAPPY 2011!