How to Shoot a Raw Time-lapse – Workshops with Preston Kanak Across Canada

About the Workshop

With the kick off of ‘The RAW Timelapse Tutorial”, I wanted to offer hands-on time-lapse opportunities. I know for many that hands-on education is by far the most helpful. As a result, I will be offering training in two forms; group sessions and one-on-one sessions. These sessions will leave you with the knowledge you require to shoot a time-lapse, including all considerations you will need to take into account to improve your chances of nailing a beautiful shot.

ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS

The first option is the one-on-one training, with workshops available throughout the year. Unlike many other workshops, these will take place at the location you desire WITHIN CANADA. These workshops come in two forms;

• Wilderness shooting.
• Urban shooting.

Once you have chosen your style of shoot, you then can choose between two package options:

• THE BASICS EXCURSION: 4 days (Two day workshop; Two days shooting).
• THE EXTENSIVE EXCURSION: 8 days (Four day workshop; Four days shooting).

**Please note that travel costs are not included in the cost of the course.

LOCATION

One of my hopes from the workshops is for you to leave with a portfolio worthy piece. As a result, I recommend choosing a picturesque location (WILDERNESS SHOOTING PACKAGE) or city centre (URBAN SHOOTING PACKAGE). However, I will travel to your location if desired. Once the location is chosen, I will do the leg work for accommodations & scouting.

Wilderness Shooting Package

As the name suggests, the Wilderness Shooting Package takes place in the wilderness. We will have the opportunity to shoot beautiful locations throughout Canada. Although I am open to exploring any park within Canada, I have included a list of recommended parks. By choosing a location in Western Canada, you will have access to more equipment than you would in Eastern Canada and the travel costs will be lower. During the months between May-October, you also have the opportunity to choose the OUTDOOR ACCOMMODATION PACKAGE. During the remaining months, the accommodations will shift to indoors while the shooting will remain outdoors.

Recommended Parks

Jasper National Park
Banff National Park
Yoho National Park
Kootenay national Park
Waterton Lakes National Park
Pacific Rim National Park
Glacier National Park
Mt. Revelstoke National Park
Prince Albert National Park
Kluane National Park

Urban Shooting Package

The urban shooting package will take place in the city you desire across Canada. At each centre, you can request to have a guide on hand to help navigate if requested.

***Please note that costs are higher with the Urban shooting Package as accommodations are extra and must be paid upfront.

There are two different packages to choose between:

The BASICS

• Two day workshop; Two days shooting.
• You will leave with a firm understanding of how to shoot a RAW time-lapse. We will be going over pre-production, production & post-production tips. Cameras will be provided if necessary but if you have a camera, we will go over how to use your equipment.
• A pre-screening interview will take place once you have enrolled to ensure the time is used most efficiently and the right gear is available if looking for more specialized training.
• Once you have enrolled in the course, you will have unlimited online support extending beyond the workshop.
• COST: $1699 + Travel Costs.

*NOTE: Please note that training content is flexible and catered as per request. Location is also flexible however, travel costs are not included.

Two Days in Banff

About the film

The film above was produced during a two day workshop with Michael Curtis. During these two days we went over the basics of shooting a time-lapse. We also went over about ten Kessler products — used in both the time-lapse and live-action.

THE EXTENSIVE

• Four day workshop; Four days shooting (Catered to Request).
• You will leave with a firm understanding of how to shoot a RAW time-lapse. We will be going over pre-production, production & post-production tips. Cameras will be provided if necessary but if you have a camera, we will go over how to use your equipment.
• Ability to go more in-depth on specialized time-lapse setups.
• A pre-screening interview will take place once you have enrolled to ensure the time is used most efficiently and the right gear is available if looking for more specialized training.
• Once you have enrolled in the course, you will have unlimited online support extending beyond the workshop.
• At the end of the course, you will have a finished film to add to your portfolio. We will also go over distribution options if you are looking to make money on your footage as well.
• Content catered as per request.
• COST: $2699 + Travel Costs.

*NOTE: Please note that training content is flexible and catered as per request. Location is also flexible however, travel costs are not included.

The Canadian Rockies

About the Film

The film above was produced with Nils Sorensen and Leanne Schinkel in four days. We integrated a few different time-lapse and live-action techniques into this film.

GROUP SESSIONS

The second option is the group sessions that will consist of a max of FOUR people. I want to keep the groups small to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to get hands on experience. This workshop will take place over four days — with the team having produced a film by the end of the four days. The group workshops will be held EARLY 2013 in VANCOUVER, BC, TORONTO, ON & MONTREAL, QC. Stay tuned as I will be posting more details including the dates over the coming month.

Curriculum

Most of the workshops will be catered to the specific needs of the shooter. However, I have outlined some of the content we would be covering.

A Closer Look at the ‘Tool Kit’

In this section, we will look closer at my ‘go to’ equipment and also break down a few different kit configurations depending on shot requirements as well as shooting conditions. This will give you a good idea of what gear you will need to nail your shot. I will also outline the basic gear needed and show you how to slowly build up your kit as you add more shooting techniques.

PRE-PRODUCTION — (Story, Scouting & Scheduling)

Pre-production is by far the most important part of the process for not only time-lapse photography but filmmaking as a whole. By being prepared from the beginning and by having a well laid out plan, production & post-production will ALWAYS go way smoother. There are a few specific areas that I will be investigating as part of the pre-production phase.

• Searching for Locations.
• Prepping Gear.
• Shot Lists.

PRODUCTION

This section will be the most extensive and will encompass a wide array of possible time-lapse setups. For a list of the current tutorials to be covered in the series, please see below:

• Camera Settings/Modes: Understanding the Basic Functions of a DSLR
• Static Time-lapses
• Motion Controlled Time-lapses
• Day to Night Time-lapses
• Astro Time-lapses
• HDR Time-lapses
• Walking Time-lapses
• Bulb Ramping

POST PRODUCTION

For this section, I will be covering a few different methods for processing the time-lapses as well as cover some of the ways in which to remove flicker from your time-lapses. I will also be focusing on a few composting techniques.

Some of the programs/codecs I will be covering include:

LR Timelapse, Lightroom, After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere, FCP 7, Quicktime 7, GB Deflicker, CHV Time Collection, ProRes vs CineForm, Photomatrix & more.

Distribution: An Expanding Market Opportunity

The demand for online content is increasing. Grants for web series are becoming available. Discounts that used to exist for online content, such as discounted actor rates, are quickly disappearing as many are seeing the added value in online content. Crowd funding is also becoming a viable option for funding. With this shift, it is key to create an online presence — and get your work seen.

HOW TO PROCEED

The first thing you will want to do is fill out the form located at prestonkanak.com with the package you are interested in. Once you have decided the path you want to take from the options above, we will discuss a little further what you are hoping to get out of the course. A catered package will then be developed and sent your way for approval.

To find out more about the course, please VISIT Preston Kanak Online.