Worth Clicking: “Inside Tracks” In the News

Last week we launched Inside Tracks with renowned photographer and friend to MediaStorm, Rick Smolan. This week, the story of Robyn Davidson’s 1,700 mile walk across the Australian outback and Rick’s photographs of her journey made waves around the web. Check out our favorite links and don’t forget to support Rick’s Kickstarter campaign to self-publish a stunning Smartphone enabled coffee table book based on Robyn’s legendary camel trek.


[TouchCast]

Rick Smolan’s daughter, Phoebe, interviews Robyn Davidson about her journey and the film: “Davidson told Phoebe she didn’t always get along with Phoebe’s dad. “It was essential that I do it on my own,” Davidson said. “So I gave your dad a very hard time the first few months. But then we became really good friends.” Watch more of the interview in the video above.” [TIME for Kids]

I suddenly realized that every time I left Robyn on the trip, I got the sense she was going to die. There were wild camels and snakes. She could have run out of water. Or if she ran into some nutcase out there, I mean this is the outback, there are no cops. And I was really smitten with her at the time. So while watching the movie that first time, all these emotions came flooding over me. I couldn’t enjoy the movie. Plus, I thought my character was awful. [Esquire]

“[The movie makes Robyn’s] coldness and nastiness, and my goofiness, very extreme, but I think they did a good job capturing the friendship. When you go through something like that with someone— something that is so emotionally intense—a friendship lasts a really long time,” Smolan says. “She asked me whether I wondered what would’ve happened if we’d stayed together—and I said we’d probably be divorced and hate each other now.” [National Geographic – PROOF blog]

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10 Thoughts on Filmmaking

IN PRACTICE 1. Think of music as a current. It should flow in the same emotional direction as the film itself. Imposing a mood leads to sentimentality. 2. It's natural to become enamored with specific scenes or edits. But sometimes things that work well on their own don't belong within the wider context of the film. Start with a scalpel, end with a hatchet. 3. Static, or lockoff shots, allow the viewer to observe. Shots that move allow the viewer to be part of the action. Consider the value of each. 4. Emotion is what movies do best. That’s why using text to fill story gaps always feel clunky. 5. Transcripts are vital. But they are the map, not the world. IN THEORY 6. The only way to achieve excellence is to care deeply about every part of production, including finishing. 7. Sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to…

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MediaStorm Guide to Fixing GoPro Lens Distortion in Premiere Pro 2014

This article is part of a series of posts with tips and tricks from our producers’ experience working with Adobe Premiere Pro CC after years of working in Final Cut Pro. To read more about why we made the switch, check out this post.


Premiere Pro 2014 offers a great new feature for correcting the lens distortion of GoPro cameras.

Last winter, I strapped a GoPro onto my dog, Emmy, and went for a walk. You can clearly see the fisheye distortion in the screenshot below. In particular, notice the curvature of the building on the left.

In Premiere Pro’s Effects pane, twirl down Presets > Lens Distortion Removal > GoPro and find your camera model as well as the setting used when your footage was shot.

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Now Playing: Inside Tracks by Rick Smolan

We are pleased to present Inside Tracks with renowned photographer Rick Smolan. In 1977, Robyn Davidson walked 1,700 miles across the Australian outback alone with only four camels to carry her gear and her beloved dog, Diggity, as her companion. National Geographic sent Rick Smolan to photograph her perilous journey. It took Davidson nine months to complete the trip, traveling through the barren desert landscape—the journey tested and transformed them both, forming a friendship and an immutable bond that continues to this day. The journey was adapted into a major motion picture inspired by Robyn’s journey and Rick’s photography. Want more Tracks? Support Rick's Kickstarter campaign to publish a book based on Robyn Davidson’s legendary camel trek. Make your pledge on Kickstarter.

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MediaStorm Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Hungry Horse by Pieter ten Hoopen

It's been nearly a decade since Pieter ten Hoopen's photography of American people and landscapes grabbed our attention. For over a year, MediaStorm has been collaborating with Pieter on a documentary film called Hungry Horse. Today we launch a Kickstarter campaign to complete the film and bring the everyday legends of Hungry Horse, Montana to the world. The Project In Hungry Horse, Pieter ten Hoopen touches on the struggles of poverty, drug use and loss. But he more accurately captures the spirit of renewal, peace and serenity in the lives of the people he documents through stunning landscapes and intimate oral histories. Hungry Horse follows the mythical structure of its subjects'  lives—Charlie Krasselt, Brad Lee Bruursema and Katie Kosnoff—and it is through their stories, and ten Hoopen’s powerful imagery that we learn about the timeless cycle of adventure, loss and renewal. Your Part By contributing this campaign, you will help us with the editing…

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