It Snowed Today
Another in my series of short iPhone films, usually created during a few hours of downtime, waiting for client feedback on other projects. A short personal challenge to create a film using my iPhone in a limited amount of time. The B&W vintage film look is realized in camera with the iPhone, using the 8mm [...]
Professor Billy teaches DSLR Filmmaking at fxphd.com
If I didn’t have the opportunity to do what I do, I’d probably be a teacher. I love knowledge sharing. And this summer- in fact, this week- I’m beginning to teach a 10 week course on Digital Filmmaking at fxphd.com. The good people at fxphd and I have been trying to get together for a [...]
My Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group talk on 5D Mark II CineStyle and Neutral Density Filters
It’s always nice to be invited back to the Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group to discuss a topic I hope will be useful and interesting to those attending. Tonight I returned to give a talk about some tips I use to make my Canon 5DMark II motion footage look the best it can be. [...]
What the LUT? – HDSLRs, Picture Styles and Look Up Tables Give Your Footage More Color Grading Options in Post
I’ve spent the last three years shooting motion with my Canon 5D Mark II. It was a fairly easy transition for me because I could use the same lighting concepts and composition techniques I had become accustomed to in the years of shooting film and then digital still images. The closest comparison I can make [...]
Riding the new wave forward
It’s been a challenging few years, but I’m officially optimistic about the future. We’ve all had to tighten our belts, cut out all but what was necessary to survive and become more creative in how we look for work, refining our business models and reinventing who we are. Those of us who have managed to [...]
5 years old… all over again
Remember when you were 5 years old? I do. I was living on the southeast side of Chicago around 99th street. Anything was possible. Big dreams. Big play. Big fun. I was reminded of that time twice today. First when I heard the Chicago air-raid sirens go off this morning at 10am. We called them [...]
Inspiration Days
Work is good. Play is better. Well they’re both good, as long as one doesn’t overshadow the other. Happily, after a long winter of work work work, there have been a few moments in the last couple of weeks where I’ve been able to come up for air and experience the art of others. On [...]
The CHIFCPUG lecture from March 24, 2010
For many of you regular readers, some of this blog entry may not make sense. I was honored to be invited to speak at the March meeting of the Chicago Final Cut Users Group this week, hosted by one of the top Chicago Advertising Agencies, DDB. Years ago, I was one of the co-founders of [...]
Rediscovering fire. The future of merging still photography, motion shooting & film editing
As many of you already know, I’ve had parallel careers the past fifteen plus years of being both a photographer and film editor. In the beginning, I made the decision to keep them separate. While they were both visual artistic expressions, for the most part they seemed to be different entities to me. I enjoy [...]
“Confess” – Making Jillian Ann’s new music video
“Confess” by Jillian Ann from Billy Sheahan on Vimeo. I thought I’d take a little break today from opening my Christmas cards (Yes, I’m that far behind schedule!), and write a little about the music video we released yesterday. A month ago to the day, our cast and crew assembled in Chicago to begin the [...]
Is it safe to come out yet? Is it 2010? And the birth of Uni-Tasking!
Well THAT sucked. That last week I mean, although some of 2009 was a cruel mistress as well. It’s nice to finally be sitting up again after a week of coughing, vivid fever dreams (starring Robert De Niro of all people) and not really being sure what day it was. I’m pretty sure it’s 2010 [...]
A Holiday Music Video Miracle and Christmas at 7-Eleven
December is always a challenging month for me. Not because of the usual shopping stresses, but more because of work related holiday deadlines. It seems like my already bursting plate seems to overflow even more leading up to the holidays. I’ve learned over the years to not stress too much about it. There are things [...]
The Last Month
I’m pretty sure this is the longest I’ve gone in years without writing in my blog here. Exactly a month ago was the last entry. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s just not possible to accomplish everything on one’s to do list and still get enough sleep to remain healthy. There is simply: What do I [...]
Rain, Directing Beauty, Fun, Ben Franklin and Model Scams
As Chicago continues to suffer through the rainiest early summer I can remember (this first photo was taken at noon last Friday), we can all at least be happy in the fact that warmer temperatures have finally arrived. It feels like summer, although maybe summer in a rain forest. And after what seems like an [...]
The Embarrassment of Photography Riches Week
It seems like everything is arriving late in Chicago this year. We’re all still wondering if we’re done with rainy 50 degree days yet and it’s mid June. And I finally got a few days of freedom for the first time in I can’t remember how long. My Memorial Day Holiday had to wait until [...]
