Digital filmmaking has made great strides in the past few years.  Resolution, low-light sensitivity, and portability keep improving along with decreasing costs to actually obtain or rent the equipment.  Pair that up with recent improvements with motion control systems, and you’ve got a recipe for something completely awesome.

Enter TimeScapes, a project Tom Lowe has been working on for a few years.  The footage is nothing short of astonishing, and at a resolution of 4K, you can’t even begin to fully appreciate what it looks like unless you happen to have  a 4K capable movie theater or a $36,000 4K monitor.

Lowe used Canon, Leica, RED, Duclos and Arri Master Prime lenses in combination with the RED Epic and Canon DSLRs (taking still images in RAW format) to achieve the shots you see above.  To combine the time-lapse segments with camera movements such as dollying, Kessler’s motion control systems were used.

I’m a huge fan of time-lapse footage, especially innovative artistic uses of the technique.  TimeScapes is the kind of project that uses these resources to their potential and pushes the technology further.

Here at Terrabang, we’re limited to putting our DSLRs onto an egg timer and taking basic panoramic time-lapse video.  It’s still fun and the results are still cool, but we’ll gladly leave Lowe and his crew (and their sponsors) to take the reigns and shoot some truly awesome shit.

The past few months have been busy, filled with new equipment, new prospects, rebranding our company, redesigning the entire website, and a lot of beer.  Mostly beer.  The important thing is that we’re back, and more awesome than ever.

So, what’s next for the folks over here at “The ‘Bang?”  We’re currently working on a few major projects, such as The Backlot, a fully equipped social network for filmmakers.  It will help connect directors with producers and writers and composers, and everything in between.  If getting updates on that project isn’t a reason to subscribe to our newsletter, then I don’t know what is.  Trust me, it’s going to be awesome.

Also, we’ve put up some cool stuff for you good folks to grab over on our “Goodies” page.  It’s all free for you to use and download, so go ahead and do that.  We’d love to see what you’ve done with it as well.  We’ll put upload new things periodically, so check back often.  OR, subscribe to our newsletter.  Just another reason to do so!

It’s also our goal next in the coming year to engage a lot more with the online community and find really talented filmmakers out there.  Every Monday (starting next month), we will feature our favorite submissions from the community.  We’ll also be sharing tips and tricks and occasionally interviewing industry professionals to share their super secret wisdom with all of you renegades out there.

So, let’s have a pretty awesome time with the upcoming year.  We’ve already got a lot on our list, and we want more!

Marc gets audio ready during our Thunderboys shoot

Audio is an area that is commonly overlooked by beginning filmmakers and seasoned indie-filmmakers.  Hell, I’ve even heard stories of ridiculous audio blunders committed by some of the most respected film industry studios and professionals that make us amateurs look like we invented the business.

Either way, there’s no arguing that your film’s audio is crucial in creating a strong piece and pulling off a professional finish.  Your sound design can tell just as much of a story as something seen visually onscreen.  Your choice of music, where you place it, and how frequently you use it can make or break your movie.  In our short films with our limited team, sound design takes just as long as it does to achieve picture lock (assuming we’re working in the standard workflow, which is typically not true for us).  All of that said, it’s a part of production that we’re always trying to improve upon.

So what’s the best way to get better at all this stuff?  The same way you become better at anything.  Practice.

Of course, a little help and guidance from professionals can help.  A Bay Area native himself, Michael Coleman produces segments on the different aspects and workflows of sound-design on feature length films.  Check out the latest segment below, all about the recent Sony Pictures film, Salt (2010).

“Salt” Sound For Film Profile from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

In fact, there’s a whole slew of these segments that you can see at http://soundworkscollection.com/.  They’re entertaining and informative, so give them a watch, and you just might learn something cool.  Here’s another one that I found especially interesting.  It’s about the sound design and audio recording from a little movie called Inception (2010).  You might have heard about it somewhere.

“Inception” Sound for Film Profile from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

As for us here at Terrabang, we just bought ourselves a Zoom H4n as part of our audio solution.  If you’ve never checked it out before, you should.  It’ll make your indie productions that much better.

Robot Destroyer Studios, our friends and sister studio, have just gotten their website up and running.  These guys worked on the Manifestations of Ray Galle with us and are also the co-founders of Terrabang Studios.  Right now they’ve got some sick projects in the works, specifically focused on the Bay Area.  So show some love and click on their name and head over to their website and check out their goods.

While you’re at it, check out their short documentary about Medea Sirkas, the legendary Bay Area dance pioneers.

Click for full size

By the way, did you see that dope t-shirt all those people were holding up? Yeah, that one over there to the right.  I know that all of you were thinking, “I really wish I was there so I could get my hands on one of those incredibly awesome shirts.  Whoever designed those is my hero!”

Well, save your praise and assuage your desires because I designed those shirts and they’re for sale!  Head on over to the Medea Sirkas store by clicking here.  Don’t worry, there’s no personal motivation or conflict of interest here.  I swear.  Seriously.

Now let’s get back to Robot Destroyer Studios and how awesome they are.  These guys have also done music videos for local Bay Area artists.  Most recently, they made a video to go along with the song “Inspire Me” by DB ft. Luv Fyah.  Check that out below.

Looks like our friends are off to a good start, and I hear what they’re working on is big.  Only time will tell though, and right now I’m out of time.  So, I’m going to call that good on tonight’s news.  Be sure to come back soon and check in for some equally cool (if not cooler) stuff.