Welcome to the ChappyShowcase BlogSpot

Please enjoy an eclectic diversity of content and subjects created by Matt Chapman. This blog page gives more in depth detail and cool anecdotes pertaining to each video, film, or perhaps something else completely. On top of that, you will find info about the online video making paradigm, production, post-production and more. ChappyShowcase has content channels all over the web. All links for each channel are located for your convenience at a click of the button. Be sure to check the blog regularly to be updated on what is happening with Growing Up Guide Pup, ChappyShowcase, and GurillaTV. Or, better yet, subscribe to one of the RSS feeds so every new post is automatically emailed to you. Enjoy...and remember, keep that camera rollin!

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas Everybody

I experimented with flipping the camera 90 degrees and doing this weird jump cut thing while I played the trumpet. Merry Christmas.

Monday, December 7, 2009

JibJab provides the best seasons greetings

For those of you out there who don't like sending cards, or if you would like to save money, postage, and help save the earth at the same time. Try JibJab! For only $1 a month, or $12 a year you can get a membership. The stuff they provide is awesome, and can make you look like the coolest cat in town when you send an e-card.

Here is a e-card i send to my parents using JibJab's "It's A Wonderful Life" spoof.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Video Copilot Action Essentials Rock!

I just finished this video for the Snickers commercial contest on Poptent. I used some of the effects from the new Action Essentials collection by VIDEO COPILOT. Check it out!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Learn how to make a Guerilla Dolly

I've been contemplating this idea for awhile now. Finally my buddy Darren and i just said screw it and thought we would see what would happen. I must say I was pretty pleased with the results.

I went down to the hardware store, and searched the aisles looking for something that might work as a low budget dolly. When i got to the rain gutter section, a lightbulb went off in my head. The results are pretty amazing when you consider that i spent $12.57 and used ordinary items in my garage to help put it together.

Parts list:
1) Plastic Rain gutter (came in 10 foot section)
2) Rain gutter screen that needs to be cut to around 12".
3) bungee cords
4) lubricant of some kind that doesn't eat plastic
5) soft cushion like a bean bag or folded up towel
6) some heavy sandbags or pillow cases full of rocks

Last you will need a flat service that is fairly level.

Enjoy and if you like this blog and my videos please subscribe, follow, rate, comment, etc,etc.

Make a Guerilla Dolly from Matt Chapman on Vimeo.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Make a quick change battery brick

All you need is two things.

1) Two camcorder batteries
2) Gaff tape

I can't think of a better tip for every person who shoots video or does photography. Simple and incredibly effective. This tip could really save the day in an event where your battery dies and you need to continue the shot as quickly as possible. Even fumbling around in your pockets to get a new battery could waste valuable time.

Here is the video I made as a demonstration.

Guerilla Battery Brick How-To from Matt Chapman on Vimeo.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Film Distribution: Guerilla Filmmaking Case Study

1. Start simple. Arin Crumley and Susan Buice shot their film from a one-page outline, a crude storyboard, and with small cameras and a small crew.

2. Tell the story behind your story. When they couldn't find a distributor for their film, they decided to do daily video blogs to reinforce their creative talents and build an audience. A result was that people started to feel like they knew the filmmakers firsthand; that, in turn, fueled curiosity about them and their work, and eventually put people in theaters.

3. Involve your audience, part A. The filmmakers actively sought out feedback from their fans via platforms like YouTube and MySpace, and took the advice seriously. It impacted new episodes of the podcasts and the film itself, which they were still editing. In other words, the audience actually shaped the final product.

4. Involve your audience, part B. When determining where to distribute their film, the couple went to regions where they knew they already had fans, thanks to emails and zip codes they had collected from their podcast and other marketing activities. They also created a "heart map" so that people could see the requests for the film to play in their town grow and who was going -- a social network of sorts.

5. Network in the real world, too. Film festivals used to be about getting a film acquired by a distributor or a short into the hands of a talent agent. But Crumley and Buice went to hundreds of festivals around the world and thought strategically about whom they encountered. When they met the guys at Spout, they realized that Spout needed publicity and users. 4EM had those two things, but needed money. It turned out to be a fruitful (and fateful) match.

In this video, the filmmakers behind "Four Eyed Monsters" reveal how they used YouTube, community and the web to erase their credit card debt and get their labor of love into theaters. If you don't have time to watch the whole video (it's 29 minutes long), here are some of the key takeaways:

Monday, October 5, 2009

Raising Guide Dogs For the Blind

Amie and I have been raising Guide Dogs For the Blind for seven years now. We are on our 9th dog. Three have graduated to become guides (Macklin, Rennie, and Prudy), five have not (Clarice, Eli, Piedmont, Dakota, and Lewis), and one is currently in the process of growing up with us (Marianna).

Eli is our third dog, and we were more than happy to keep him when we found out that fateful day that he was not cut out to be a Guide Dog. We think he was too smart, and if he could talk would say that he would have a lot more fun as a pet. Not too mention he has become a pretty good movie dog. His childlike personality also seems to continue to get him into trouble even to this day despite being five years old. John Grogan has so eloquently displayed that all dogs have their pros and cons including our own "Marley".

People ask "how can you give them up? It must be very difficult." I will admit that giving our first dog Macklin back rendered tears out of these dry eyes. That is a small miracle, but it all seems worth it when you see how much your dog can help someone in need. I had the opportunity to film for Guide Dogs For the Blind a few weeks ago. We were able to get Macklin and his partner Jeannie to meet up with us at the campus so I could film them. What a surreal shoot that was. I was so proud of our oldest fur ball as I sat behind the lens of the camera and watched Macklin guide Jeannie around the streets of San Rafeal. It almost seemed like he was showing off; as I could read a big happy smile on his face that was saying "look dad, I'm a guide dog now, and very good at it too!" It was at this moment that any doubts for our charity were kicked to the curb. I will always think back to that moment when I have feelings of doubt for this cause.

Amie and I threw a new video together this week where I let her have some fun in front of the camera. We went out with our Guide Dog group and filmed away.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Laser Triggered High-Speed Still Imagery

My buddy SaskView from Canada made a really cool video involving laser triggered high speed photography. You can check out this url for more detail.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Laser-Triggered-High-Speed-Photography/

He put together a little synopsis of what he did below.
"I've been playing with something called Canon Hack development Kit (CHDK) that replaces the firmware on numerous Canon cameras. It allows you to override the normal functions and to even run programs on the camera. Stuff that you normally can't do on an inexpensive, point-and-shoot camera. Using CHDK and a simple circuit that senses when a laser beam has been interrupted, I can take high-speed photo's like those milk drops made famous by Harold Edgerton."

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Happy Old Bitch

Amie dog walks a myriad of canine characters. Missy is one of my favorites. She is a 13 year old lab that can hang with the best of them. She acts like she is four even though is hella old.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Footage Shot In Outer space for a whopping $150

Meet the $150 (almost to) Space Camera.

Bespoke is old hat. Off-the-shelf is in. Even Google runs the world’s biggest and scariest server farms on computers home-made from commodity parts. DIY is cheaper and often better, as Justin Lee and Oliver Yeh found out when they decided to send a camera into space.

The two students (from MIT, of course) put together a low-budget rig to fly a camera high enough to photograph the curvature of the Earth. Instead of rockets, boosters and expensive control systems, they filled a weather balloon with helium and hung a styrofoam beer cooler underneath to carry a cheap Canon A470 compact camera. Instant hand warmers kept things from freezing up and made sure the batteries stayed warm enough to work.

Of course, all this would be pointless if the guys couldn’t find the rig when it landed, so they dropped a prepaid GPS-equipped cellphone inside the box for tracking. Total cost, including duct tape? $148.

Launch

Two weeks ago, on Sept. 2, at the leisurely post-breakfast hour of 11:45 a.m., the balloon was launched from Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Lee and Yeh took a road trip in order to compensate for the prevailing winds, which could have otherwise taken the balloon out onto the Atlantic, and checked in on the University of Wyoming’s balloon trajectory website to estimate the landing site.

Because of spotty cellphone coverage in central Massachusetts, it was important to keep the rig in the center of the state so it could be found upon landing. Light winds meant the guys got lucky and, although the cellphone’s external antenna was buried upon landing, the fix they got as the balloon was coming down was close enough.

The Photographs

The balloon and camera made it up high enough to see the black sky curling around our blue planet. The Canon was hacked with the CHDK (Canon Hacker’s Development Kit) open-source firmware, which adds many features to Canon’s cameras. The intervalometer (interval timer) was set to shoot a picture every five seconds, and the 8-GB memory card was enough to hold pictures for the five-hour duration of the flight.

The video captures the unit going around 93,000 feet, just shy of 18 miles high. It’s short of the widely-accepted Kármán line, which is at 100km (62 miles) up, but it’s in the stratosphere, and it’s still impressive. To give you an idea of how high that is, when the balloon burst, the beer-cooler took 40 minutes to come back to Earth.

What is most astonishing about this launch, named Project Icarus, is that anyone could do it. The budget is so small as to be almost nonexistent (the guys slept in their car the night before the launch to save money), so that even if everything went wrong, a second, third or fourth attempt would be easy. All it took was a grand idea and an afternoon poking around the hardware store.

Check out this amazing still imagery. Wow!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Are video sharing sights responsible for their members copyrighted materials?

Are video sharing sites responsible if their members post copyrighted materials? This has been a burning question with much debate over the last few years. Not if they're taken reasonable precautions to stop the infringement, a California court found yesterday.

The Second Federal Court awarded video site Veoh a major victory in a lawsuit filed by Universal Music Group (UMG). The music label alleged in a 2007 suit that Veoh was supporting and inducing copyright infringement.

"The underlying issue was that they were alleging that there were infringing Universal videos on the site posted by our users," says Joshua Metzger, Veoh's senior vice president, corporate development and general counsel.

At issue was the intent of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and how much responsibility video sharing sites need to bear for the infringing posts of its members. UMG supported the interpretation that video sharing sites should proactively police themselves and remove potentially infringing material. Veoh's stance is that copyright holders need to request the removal of infringing content, and that the site will them remove the videos promptly.

Veoh didn't know which videos UMG was alleging were infringing until the discovery phase of the trial, says Metzger. When presented with the list, the site removed all the infringing material, he says.

YouTube's Day in Court
While many in the industry have had their eyes on a $1 billion copyright suit brought by Viacom against YouTube and parent company Google in New York court, the Veoh/UMG judgment is likely to carry more weight since other courts will look to it when deciding similar claims.

"Veoh's policies are very similar to YouTube's," said Fred von Lohmann, senior attorney for the Electronic Freedom Foundation, in an interview with CNET News. "The judge gave Veoh a clean bill of health. I think the court in New York is going to take this ruling very seriously. The facts are very, very close."

In his decision, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Martz dismissed UMG's suit, finding that Veoh was covered by the DMCA's Safe Harbor provision.

"The issue is whether Veoh takes appropriate steps to deal with copyright infringement that takes place," wrote Martz in his decision. "The record presented demonstrates that, far from encouraging copyright infringement, Veoh has a strong DMCA policy, takes active steps to limit incidents of infringement on its Web site, and works diligently to keep unauthorized works off its Web site. In sum, Veoh has met its burden in establishing its entitlement to safe harbor for the alleged infringements here."

While the ruling was strongly in favor of Veoh, the judge noted that once video sharing sites are made aware of copyright-violating material, they need to act on it and remove the infringement.

This may not be the end of the matter, as UMG has stated that it will file an appeal.

"The ruling today is wrong because it runs counter to established precedent and legislative intent, and to the express language of the DMCA," said a written statement from UMG. "Because of this and our commitment to protecting the rights of our artists and songwriters who deserve to be compensated for the use of their music, we will appeal this ruling immediately. The balance between copyright holders and technology that Congress sought in enacting the DMCA has been upended by this decision."

Setting a Precedent
The Veoh/UMG decision should have far-reaching effects in the still new area of online video, and help establish a precedent for how to deal with copyrighted material.

"I think what it does is it gives signposts to companies that are looking to either develop or already have an online video presence," says Metzger. "You can say, 'If I operate my company like Veoh I can operate as a solid corporate citizen and operate without being sued."

The decision will go along way in allowing Web 2.0 video companies to flourish, by avoiding an overly restrictive and cost-prohibitive interpretation of the DMCA's intent.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Use Your Tripod To Make Cool Jib Shots

My producer buddy Brusspup made this video and it really blew me away. Ever consider using your tripod in other ways that were not intended? This is a great trick that is absolutely free and can add to your filmmaking arsenal.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

HVX200 vs Canon 5D Mark II

Two drastically different devices are compared by kossomedia. The Panasonic HVX200A and the Canon 5D Mark II. I found it interesting because this really is a reflection of our time. One where we can compare high end prosumer camcorders to professional still cameras. Moreover, a time where uncertainty exists in the minds of still photographers and videographers can be understood when you watch this video because the quality is pretty close in many ways. Ahhh...the convergence between all mediums continues to pick up steam.


Friday, August 28, 2009

Is YouTube going to sell out to Hollywood?

We have already experienced Metacafe selling out to Hollywood and I just stumbled upon this video made by "therealweeklynews". If YouTube is succesful in monetization partnerships with companies like Disney, video producers and filmmakers are being pushed aside. Watch this video. It's done very well at explaining things.

Waterdog Filming

We have always known that our current guide dog puppy was special. She has all the inherant qualities that will make her a good candidate for guide work. What we didn't anticipate is what an incredible athlete she has become. Her very first trip to my parents swimming pool revealed that her natural labrador retriever instincts have not fallen far from the tree. She loves the water and is fearless when it comes to diving in with no reservations. She and our career changed lab Eli are inseperable and both love swimming. Please check out Chapman Digitals latest video

Friday, August 21, 2009

Make A Doggy Cam

I really enjoy my dog Eli. So much so that I thought it would be fun to figure out a way to mount a camera on him and call it a doggy cam. My buddy Darren Schmidt (cinematographer for GurillaTV) generously donated his POV.1 made by VIO. It is a nice cigar camera that is supposed to be waterproof, dustproof, and shock resistant. All good things when putting a camera on a 90 pound beast like my four-legged goof ball.

Here is a fun video tutorial that shows the doggy cam below.



Here is my film entitled NAUGHTY PRIEST that contains a shot (it only lasts like 2 seconds) from the doggy cam footage above.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Fix your aspect ratio for videos on YouTube

You're able to alter the appearance and format of your video by adding specific tags to your video. You can add these tags before you upload your video file to the site, or you can also add the tags to edit an existing video that you've uploaded to your account in the past. The video's altered appearance will display when the video plays on YouTube, and in embedded players.

Here's how!

If you'd like to add formatting tags to a video file you're about to upload:

Sign into your YouTube account, and click the yellow upload button.
On the next page, click the "upload video" button. Then, select the file you'd like to upload from your computer.
As the video file's uploading, you'll see categories below the upload progress bar, including the category "Tags".
Depending on how you'd like to format your video, type on of the following tags into the "Tags" section:

Tag: yt:crop=16:9
(zooms in on the 16:9 area, removes windowboxing)

Tag: yt:stretch=16:9
(fixes anamorphic content by scaling to 16:9)

Tag: yt:stretch=4:3
(fixes 720x480 content that is the wrong aspect ratio by scaling to 4:3)

Tag: yt:quality=high
(default to a high quality stream, depending on availability)

Once your video uploads to the site, it should be formatted according to the formatting-tag you added while the video was uploading.

If you'd like to add formatting tags to a video you've already uploaded to your account:
Sign into your YouTube account, and click account (in the upper right hand corner of the page).
Click Uploaded Videos, and select the video that you'd like to edit.
Click the "edit" button below the video.
Depending on how you'd like to format your video, type on of the following tags into the "Tags" section:

Tag: yt:crop=16:9
(zooms in on the 16:9 area, removes windowboxing)

Tag: yt:stretch=16:9
(fixes anamorphic content by scaling to 16:9)

Tag: yt:stretch=4:3
(fixes 720x480 content that is the wrong aspect ratio by scaling to 4:3)

Tag: yt:quality=high
(default to a high quality stream, depending on availability)

Here is a video from dctcool with a great explanation:

Time-lapse filmmaking talk

Godfrey Reggio's first film KOYAANISQATSI changed my perspective on time-lapse photography. This film should be watched by every filmmaker because it gave birth to the explosion of what we know as time-lapse today. Everything from CBS's Survivor to the recent Beijing Olympics uses this style of photography. If you are not familiar with the film you can watch the trailer below.


I have been experimenting with time-lapse videography for a long time. It is a really cool way of viewing the world from a altered perspective. The ability to watch something 1000x faster then it is normally viewed can create a visceral experience and help you see something in a whole new light.

I have found that time-lapse is a great way to show an event to a mass audience. An event that would normally bore people can be very engaging when it only lasts a minute or two. My video ONE MINUTE ENGINE REBUILD -DIRECTORS CUT is my favorite of all of them. I shot the repair over a period of three days. I set up a 1k lowel tungsten balanced light, and put my Panasonic DVX-100A on a tripod with lots of sandbags. I set up the camcorder on a 100 shutter, 3.2 Kelvin white balance, 2.8 exposure, and a fixed focal of 72 for the event. I set the time-lapse to recording 15frames every 1 minute. In post I took the footage and multiplied it by 1000%, cut out the dead spots where the work was not progressing, applied frame blend, and added music from my Smartsound collection. The rest is history.




Here is another fun video of car repair. Since i'm mechanically inclined and don't have the money to pay a mechanic, I might as well combine both of my skills right? This video incorporated all the same camera settings I used before. The difference is I wanted to see what it would be like to view a time-lapse that jumps all over the place. I move the camera at least a dozen times throughout the process to give a different perspective. Check it out!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Simple Camera Trick

I made this video because I wanted to show this simple camera trick I coined the "dutch angle tilt". I don't know if anyone out there has thought up the same thing, but I'm pretty certain no one has ever made a tutorial video showing the technique. It's really easy, and only requires one to rotate the camera 90 degrees. Seriously..check it out!



Here is the film entitled "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY" that I referenced in the simple camera trick video. Check out how I used the camera trick to convey that "Joe" was spiraling out of control.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

The High Quality, yet affordable AG-HMC40

I am really excited about the new Panasonic AG-HMC40. My buddy Josh Staley of Moss Productions put out a message about it yesterday, and I was floored when i read about it. This camera retails for less than $2,300, shoots various frame rates and formats, and shoots to SD card. It has a smaller housing size like my favorite camera the DVX100A. I am definately going to get one of these things. I would recommend contacting Media-Solutions.us about the product instead of using B&H or Panasonic to buy it. Media-solutions has great prices and they are willing to go the extra mile to make it's customers happy. They are also on the west coast for those who hate waiting for their stuff to come from New York. Contact Richard Raines who works for MediaSolutions at 707-803-1664 for more info.

Here is the Panasonic AG_HMC40 press release info:

AVCCAM - the Industry's Next Generation Affordable HD

Panasonic's latest introduction to its popular AVCCAM line, the AG-HMC40 handheld, combines full HD AVCHD video recording with high-resolution 10.6-megapixel still photo capture, giving you the benefits of two professional cameras in one affordable package.

Compact and lightweight at 2.16-pounds, the HMC40 is a versatile HD camcorder offering high-quality AVCHD recordings, high-resolution still photo capture, an easy-to-use SD card workflow, and professional audio capabilities for a wide range of applications and markets including schools, government agencies, event videographers, web designers and more.

Full HD Video & 10.6-Megapixel Stills -- All in One Compact Camera

With a full resolution 3-megapixel, 1/4-inch 3MOS imager, the HMC40 produces stunning 1920x1080 video in AVCHD (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264), delivering images far superior to HDV. When used for digital still photography, the camera captures photos with 10.6-megapixel resolution directly onto the SD card as a JPEG image. The camera can also be connected directly to a PictBridge photo printer (no PC required). And unlike HDV tapes, video and photos can be accessed randomly and immediately from the SD cards and played back on a number of consumer devices.

The camcorder's advanced Leica Dicomar lens system offers 12X optical zoom, wide-angle setting (40.8mm) and an optical image stabilizer (O.I.S.) feature for precise shooting. The compact camera is also packed with professional video and audio features (HDMI out, date/time stamp, remote zoom, XLR option, etc.)

High Definition Performance, Standard Definition Price

Using high-capacity SD memory cards, the HMC40 provides hours of beautiful high definition recordings at professional level bit rates. It records in a range of 1080 and 720 formats with all four professional AVCCAM recording modes: PH mode (average 21 Mbps/Max 24Mbps), the HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), the HG mode (approx.13 Mbps), HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). AVCCAM offers the benefit of a fast, file-based workflow using widely available and reasonably priced SD memory cards.

Stats:
• HD formats: 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 1080/24p (Native); 720/60p, 720/30p, 720/24p (Native)

• Three newly designed 1/4.1" Progressive 3MOS Imagers for full HD resolution

• 12x Leica Dicomar lens (13 elements in 10 groups), 43mm filter Ø, zoom range of 40.8 - 490mm* (*35mm equivalent.)

• Extremely slow, smooth zoom for the precise control needed for dramatic sequences

• Time Date Stamp enables shooting Legal Depositions or Surveillance

• Long record time: 3 hours with included battery (7 hours continuous with 5,800mAh Battery)

• Remaining battery time readout in minutes so shooter is warned (Info Data Secure Battery)

• 3-second pre-record function captures the shot from the beginning

• Shooting assist functions: focus expand, focus bar and Face Detection feature in Auto Mode

• Waveform monitor helps with luminance for green screen where lighting has to be evenly distributed

• Professional interface with HDMI out, Component Out (mini D terminal), Composite Video Out and RCA Audio Out

• Additional features include: three user set buttons, Time code (DF, NDF, REC RUN, FREE RUN) and USER BIT, two scene files, auto functions (Auto Focus, Auto White Balance and Auto Neutral Density)

• Connects directly to PictBridge photo printers

• 2.7-inch 16:9 Touchscreen LCD display (Just touch the thumbnail for playback)

• Manual and remote control connection for Zoom, Focus, Iris, Start/Stop functions (similar to HMC150). Focus ring can also be used for Iris and Zoom

• Min. Illumination: 1 lux, (F1.8, Gain: +34dB, Slow Shutter: 1/2 sec.)

• Syncro Scan Shutter, 60i- 1/60-1/250, 30p- 1/30-1/250, 24p- 1/24-1/250

• Selectable Gammas & DRS Dynamic Range Stretch

• Lightweight, yet durable, design with removable handle

• Optional AG-MYA30G Professional XLR adapter available (features audio inputs with +48V Phantom Power, Mic/Line, Attentuation, Ch 1&2 or Ch2, Level Controls and Mic Holder (8 pin push on precision connector)

• Edius Neo 2 edit software included in carton (Through March 2010)

• 3-Year limited warranty (1 year + 2 extra years upon registration)

Monday, July 27, 2009

Make a $30 Steadicam

I have always wanted to make a video on how to make a cheap steadicam. I finally got around to it this week. It's really easy to make this thing and it improves the shot by about 50% over just shooting handheld.

Word of advice about making this steadicam. It is very important to know the weight of your camera so you can counterweight it accordingly. Using 3 3/4 pounds like I did might work, but if your camera only weighs one pound, then it would be out of balance for example. The other thing is it's very important to use 1/4" 20 hardware. I can see it already, if one was to use 1/4" fine thread hardware, the camera won't be able to screw on.

Enjoy! And remember, keep that camera rollin!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Sunday, May 31, 2009

My Hard Life as a Online Filmmaker

Life as a filmmaker is tough. I'm not talking about conventional filmmaking, but as a video creator that makes content specifically for the internet. I mean, the amount of hits you need to make even a minimum wage type of scale requires a video creator to get tons of hits. For example...across 20 different user-generated websites i acquired 150,000 hits last month. Of those, only one of the sites will generate some tangible revenue that could pay a bill or two; that being YouTube. Metacafe is no longer paying out the producer reward program, Redgage gets so little hits that my accrued money is less than $7 dollars, Revver also gets so little hits that I have accrued $14 in one year. Videojug is no longer paying out and break.com only pays if you make the front page which is no easy task. The other sites don't even have a pay share model. Sites like yahoo, myspace, vimeo, etc.

I made $150 and some change in April and I got to ask myself, why do I keep doing this? I guess because i love it. Luckily i don't have all my eggs in this online basket or I would be out on Tennyson boulevard holding a cardboard box with a sign that says "will shoot for food".

I still can't help but think things will get better. As the internet continues to evolve better technologies, bandwidth gets cheaper to push, advertisers jump on the band wagon, and the ubiquity of my videos spreads across the globe I hope to find some real revenue.

Ok..so this posting was more like a bitch fest, but I feel better now. Thanks for reading, and remember, keep that camera rollin!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Naughty Priest

I have been working on NAUGHTY PRIEST for the last 8 months. It has been the project I go to whenever I have free time.  Although the subject matter is somewhat controversial in nature, it is all in fun, and i think it walks an appropriate line.  Society is constantly hearing about the latest scandel with some religious official; so I wanted to poke fun for that reason.  

 So why did I make this movie?  I wanted to do something profound and memorable with our dog.  Eli is five years old now and in his prime.  After reading MARLEY AND ME by John Grogan, I couldn't help but think of the inevitable future and the short amount of time Eli will be around.  We will always have this film to look back at our four-legged goofball.

Naughty Priest from Matt Chapman on Vimeo.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Metacafe PR Program is DEAD!

Since April of 2008, things got worse and worse if you were a video producer partnered with Metacafe. That fateful month sprung the mark of a new list of rules that needed to be met before a a video was accepted. Things like cool bar and coin tricks were no longer eligible, and then any video that showed too much skin, or was rated 13+ was rejected. And just when producers thought it couldn't get any worse, Metacafe announced their new pay schedule which kicked in around November of 2008. This new pay shedule no longer was the old $100 for 20,000 views pay model. Now it had become $40 for 20,000 views. And producers were told that only domestic views would be counted and international views were out. On top of that, they said that they would only pay producers when their unpaid balance reached $100. Then at the beginning of this year, Metacafe went too far. They had a new rule which stated a video could be ruled having no entertainment value. Of course all of us producers argued, "if it had no entertainment value, how could it have acquired 20,000 views?". And it was this no entertainment value that gave the white collar folks at Metacafe basically a get out of jail free card anytime they decided they needed to reject a video for no reason at all except they didn't want to pay.

Below is a video I made with my brother who plays Young Conan on GurillaTV.   TEEN PREGNANCY SOLUTION was given a no entertainment value rejection even though the video is just shy of 30,000 in two weeks on Metacafe as of May 9, 2009.



So this short history lesson of the Metacafe roller coaster ride takes me to where we are now. Metacafe announced early this week that the PR program will officially be stopped next month. That's right, the business model that helped put them on the map, along with all the producers whom they partnered with are no longer going to be part of the equation. Now they have moved on to larger collaborations with bigger companies and sponsors. So instead of paying out, they have been focused on generating revenue in. Metacafe's once viral video ubiquity has now been replaced by corporate sponsorships and hollywood contributions. The statement Metacafe is dead is a popular one amongst former and current Metacafe producers, and it certainly is true from a certain point of view.

Last week, a fellow producer pointed out that my last video WIFE NAILS HUSBAND was approved for Metacafe PR program. It was only one of three videos approved for the entire month of April to show how stingy they have become. He also stated that it is probably the last video to be accepted into the program. If it's true, I will not hold this honor too highly. Here it is below.



What does Metacafe's new development mean for video producers? In my opinion it means that unless you have figured out a way to generate money and views outside of Metacafe, you are no longer a value to them. It is the time to start your own websites and generate your own audiences. We are at the dawn of a new journey as video creators. The days of easy money on Metacafe with it's stellar $5 CPM for doing nothing but putting a video up is long gone. I don't think another video site will ever make that move again unless the cost of pushing bandwidth drops dramatically over the next few years. That is a different story all together.

Late,
Chappy

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Saturday, March 28, 2009

GETTING THAT STORY OUT INTO THE PUBLIC EYE

Matt Chapman here; aka ChappyShowcase.  

I recently discovered the power of social network sites, user-generated sites, and blogging.  My dad is a retired jockey and was involved in one of the most amazing events in horse racing history.  I knew that this story was news worthy, and had never been given proper press coverage. Although there had been segments on cheasy shows on cable that poke fun at it, never had it been showcased with proper respect.

About seven months ago i decided to take matters into my own hands to raise awareness.  I edited the video from an old vcr recording my dad had acquired that fateful day in 1989. I then posted it with a cross promotional launch using sites like Youtube, Break, and Metacafe.  And also using social network sites like Digg, Stumbleupon, Facebook, and this very blog you are reading right now. It wasn't long before the story started to explode into the public eye.

The next thing i knew; Dateline NBC, and Animal Planets Untamed and Uncut were emailing me, and leaving me messages on my phone.  They both wanted to know how they could get their hands on the raw footage and wanted to set up interviews with Nate and my dad.

Here is the original video post that I put up online.  It has recieved over 300,000 views across the internet.


Here is the Dateline NBC piece that originally aired last month.



Moral of the story is this. Don't underestimate the power of the internet and the amazing tools that are now available to everyone. If you have an amazing story to tell. Write a blog about it, or post a video. It just might make the headlines!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

GurillaTV for Guerilla Filmmakers

  For the last five months I have been planning the release of a website that will provide acting,  distribution, marketing, production, and post-production info, and tools for filmmakers.  On top of that, the website will feature some of the most talented video online producers on the web today.  The name of this website is GurillaTV LLC.

Loose Gorilla Caught on Tape - The most popular videos are a click away

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

ONLINE AUDIENCES LIKE BONEHEAD VIDEOS

I have come to the conclusion that online audiences like bonehead videos. Sure, videos with high production value, and compelling storylines are great. But that doesn't mean an audience online will want to watch it. My award winning short IN CASE OF EMERGENCY had a very succesful run at festivals across the United States, and yet when I premiered it online...it might as well been a documentary on kitten bowel movements. Simply stated, people online have short attention spans and want instant gratification. I think this is a reflection of some audiences might be watching on their smart phones, while others might be sitting at starbucks sucking down a carmel frappachino while perousing on their laptop. Perhaps the rule of thumb is this; if an audience wanted a higher quality experience, why would they be watching content via the internet anyways? With media players still averaging 640x480 resolution on a tiny box on your computer screen, and the average bitrate around 800 kbps, the viewing experience is mediocre at best. So the old mantra if you can't beat em, join em is my answer. In conclusion, I hope the internet will progress and start looking for more compelling content, but in the meantime I present my latest bonehead video entited ONE MINUTE BRAKE JOB.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

MUNCHIES-Silent Film Spoof

This film marks the reunion of two chaps. My brother and I spawned a passion of making videos together a long time ago. At a time where streaming video to a mass audience seemed like a pipe dream, we found ourselves using the hobby as a way to spend time together. As time passed by, we went our own directions and chased our own dreams. Now after five years we have a rebirth of our creative collaboration. This film marks a new chapter in our creative endeavors by releasing a film created in almost it's entirety by the two of us.

We wanted to make a film as low budget as possible, but high concept at the same time. We juxtaposed an old film genre with a contemporary comedic perspective with high production value. I present to you a story that looks like film, but was shot on video. A silent film that pays homage to the old style of storytelling with a few contemporary anecdotes. A film that emphasisis non-verbal acting from the outside in. And most importantly, a film that had a total budget of $115 believe it or not.

Please enjoy "MUNCHIES" starring THE CHAPPY BROTHERS



Starring:
Luke and Matt Chapman

Produced By:
Matt Chapman

Story By:
Luke Chapman

Directed By:
Luke & Matt Chapman

Cinematography By:
Matt Chapman

Lighting Design By:
Matt Chapman

Edited By:
Matt Chapman; Luke Chapman

Title Cards By:
Tom Chapman

Equipement & Services Provided By:
Chapman Digital Motion Pictures

Distributed By:
Chapman Digital Motion Pictures

This is a ChappyShowcase Attraction

(c) 2009 All Right Reserved

Monday, January 19, 2009

Oil Speed Paintings by Tom Chapman

My dad is a oil painter and I'm a filmmaker. We thought it would be fun to combine our talents and bang out a series of videos showing the work being performed. Only thing; I know how boring it can be watching paint dry (figure of speech). So I decided to put my own spin on things by showing the paintings come to fruition in blistering speed. This gives an altered perspective that is pretty cool.








Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Guerilla Samoan Music Videos

I have worked with rediculously low budgets more times than I can count. Given the economic downturn, this has proven to be an effective way for my business to stay afloat. Rather than put a whole crew together, many times I have to do everything myself to guarantee I will actually make a profit. This production mentality has been a crucial requirement for my freind Tuakatea Tukuaoga and I. He also has a very limited amount of money which requires him to write, perform, and produce all of his music out of his home studio by himself. In a way we are a match made in heaven banging out complete music videos for less than $500 each time. Between him and I, we can cover all bases and make cool, simple Samoan music videos that his culture loves and endeers.

This is my favorite video with Tau. We shot the family scenes in my living room and all of the outdoor scenes near San Gregario off of Highway 1.


This video shoot was fun because Tau decided to write a rap song which is very different. It combines rap and christian song into a interesting hybrid mesh. I thought it would be cool to shoot in areas where there was alot of grafitti. We shot the video in different parts of San Francisco.


This was the first video Tau and I ever did together. I brought my 4500 watt generator with us to shoot the cool sequences by the Golden Gate Bridge at dawn. I also experimented with underexposure alot in this video. This one is one of my favorites.


This is Tau's only song that is completely in English thus far. We shot the entire thing in his home studio.