photomargot ALERT

To Buy or not to Buy a Red Scarlet

2011-11-21T04:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a really interesting post by Philip Bloom about to buy or not to buy the Scarlet. For me it’s will be definitely a new challenge to use this beast and honestly right now I don’t need a Red Scarlet for what I am doing. Spending such big amount of money into gears like adobe premiere and Red, I really invest for the future and my future is motion. Both company are very specialized in their domain (Adobe does only software and Red only camera for digital cinema) and it seems they work close hand by hand. A key factor it’s to work with professional tool who are going to the right direction. Actually technology goes so fast that we need to anticipate with gear software etc.

Now back to the Red

The biggest issue it’s the workflow I order already a new graphic cards to power up Adobe premiere and soon I will get the footage from the Red One to play and see how my mac pro react and to find a way to work as fast and smooth as I can.

The crop factor shooting at 4k the sensor is like the sensor of the canon 7d. Canon launched a zoom 8mm to 14mm I think I gonna to buy it.

Working with low light apparently shooting over 800 iso you start to get some noise but with the 50mm 1.2 it’s should be ok in many different situation.

The main advantage you get a raw footage

Something very important it’s still a very compact system but… heavy.

Ipad food etc

2011-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

Since December last year it the first time I have not a motion project on my time line I can breath again.
Yesterday It was nice to shoot food at the DSR HQ using big flash checking right away the pix on my laptop with Art Director and client it’s not my usual way to work but I like it very much lot of exchange to push up the creativity.
Also I have a sweet surprise with Adobe Premiere I switched to this software mostly because I have to export to MXF with 8 audio channels the sweet surprise is that Premier export 8 channels but just two are ON… can you believe it, I spent 12 hours to figurate how to make it’s work spent some times on different forum and the answer it’s not you cannot. So I had to export the video and the 8 audio channels separately to final cut 7 to finally export in the proper MXF container during that day I just become crazy.
An today I did my little revolution after 15 years using my lovely deluxe big paper agenda I switched fully digital with Ipad.
I start to play and work with the Ipad I think is the tool of the future you can be so efficient and it’s so versatile, now it’s “Never without my Ipad”.

By night with the Red One

2011-11-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

Last evening we shoot with Thierry Pradervand from Image-In.ch a short story with his Red One, it was just a blast; I can’t wait to work and to see the raw footage.

Article on Ski Pass

2011-11-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

I am very happy and proud that SkiPass the biggest ski website in Europe write a really nice article (in French) about my switch from to still and motion.

Je suis très heureux et fier que Ski Pass le plus garnd site internet de ski en Europe consacre un article de mon passage de la photo à la video.

Click here ici

Back to simple

2011-11-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

The Canon 1dmkIV it’s a still camera sot to turn it into a motion camera you have to ad a lot of things so the rig getting bigger and heavier. For the Red Scarlet I will go to opposite way, keep it as simple as possible no follow focus, no matte box just a ND circular filter right in the lens. And I will definitely stop to waste my money into cheap pieces that I need to replace or change because they are not good enough I will buy few gear but the right one. This year I learned so much and next year I will learn even more looks really exiting.
By the way I guess the future of magazine will looks like the digital Red Bulletin for Ipad just amazing.
Last things After my crazy geek night on the 3th November I can say geek for one day geek for ever, I just sign up to google + I do not know what we can do and what to do with this new Uber social network…

The geek night and future Red owner

2011-11-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

I really waited for this night of the 3 November, Canon announced their revolutionary Camera and Red their Scarlet. I new it could be a game changer for me. In my head had a dreamed camera and a budget… and Red did it. The Red Scarlet it’s just the perfect tool so I just placed the order this morning
Back to last night, who was a really geek night at 10:pm I follow minute by minute via twitter and engadget the launch of the new Canon camera share it via facebook and twitter and talked a lot about technic’s with my friend Stef Candé. After from 1am to 2 am it was a long wait until the Red Announcement unfortunately the Red website shutdown so I follow the launch again with twitter until 3am. At 6am get checked the Red website read carefully about the Red Scarlett and boom place the order.

It’s getting serious out there

2011-11-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

One year ago when I seriously dive into the motion world I had to rethink my workflow and computer hardware.
1) the first investment was a Mac pro a quad core 3.2 with 10 gigs ram and 8 tera in-house all the system are on 256gig ssd to speed up all the things.
2) A Wacom pen tablet so much easier I did a personal setting on my tablet to be more efficient.
3) Video = need more space. Out of an old Dell desk top, my friend Blaise build an horse power 18 tera server.
4) Software I start to Final Cut Pro try Final Cut X for finally end up with Adobe Premier and I AM SO HAPPY
5) After a while and be tired of the headphone I decide to buy Audioengine for 200 usd this speaker are just amazing and looks so nice.
6) I had two old screen so one collapse this year in june I replaced it by a middle range screen 27inch and finally some day ago I decided if I want to have a solid studio I just need a pro monitor and I am the happy owner of an Eizo CG243w with an external calibrating system.

But honestly now if I had to choose a desktop for video editing I probably go back to PC world because it looks that Apple hesitate to keep going with their Mac pro line more info here. And also you have more choice with Nivida graphic card who accelerate a lot Adobe Premiere with their mercury engine.

A long time ago

2011-11-02T00:28:00.000-07:00

16 years ago when I was covering a local mountain bike race for a local newspaper I met for the first time Phil Meier who just started race down hill, and we become good friend. When I started working at Seventh Sky magazine I did a story about ski and mtb and of course I called Phil and did my first ski freeride pictures, few month later he called me to shoot an ad for it’s first ski sponsor by K2 so I did my first freestyle pictures with him. In 2002 I had a first ski trip payed by a client and who was involved Phil of course. Our professional life grown at the same time from local to national to international. So naturally when I thought about my first video portrait I think about Phil Meier. Red Bull Switzerland agreed quickly the project and I started shooting in February this year and finally the video is online since one week.

For this project I would like thanks Michael Denny the music composer and the sound designer Cyril Neri from Vision Air, Dom Daher who played his photographer job front of my lens to Seb Anex and Laurent Tâche who assist me during the filming.

Promo Lange 2012

2011-10-26T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here the Video promo for Lange that we did, with Super Regular a great French agency based in Grenoble and with the music composer and sound designer Michael Denny
I had mixed my own footage (in the factory Lange and in the Tunnel at Zermath) with different source from Eurosport and the Freerideworldtour grading with Magic Bullet was not an easy task. Also I started edit with Final Cut Pro to finally export via XML to Adobe Premiere and it worked out great.

Top calendar 2012

2011-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I had the good surprise to get by mail the last calendar of the Deutschen Alpenvereins which is the national mountain association in Swiss is the (Club Alpin Suisse) where I have three photos in it one climber one kayaker and one skier, I rarely see such high quality calendar very well printed and a really sharp edit.

Red Bull Under my wing with Mat Rebeaud

2011-10-24T00:43:00.000-07:00

This week-end I had the chance to shoot for Red Bull under my Wing with FMX super star Mat Rebeaud. It was so great to see all the kids so exited to ride with their idol and share some moment with Mat.

RedBull Under My Wing with Mat Rebeaud - Images by Christophe Margot

Phil Meier Portrait

2011-10-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

I am glad to let you know that The Swiss national TV will broadcast my short portrait of Phil Meier that I realized for Red Bull Saturday morning 29 October.

Front of the Lens

2011-10-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

Next Friday 14 Red Bull Illume at Bern

Heli ride and 1.2 aperture

2011-10-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

This morning it was our last day shooting for a commercial for a company who is building extreme construction in the Alps. I had an amazing heli trip around the construction and after that I played a lot with my 50mm 1.2 open wide at 1.2 for that mount a ND filter 2.4 on my Redrock Micro Matteboxe and I had so much fun and no limits for creativity.

Behind the scene Red Bull Illume Video

2011-10-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Special thanks to Seb Anex for his great pictures of the behind the scene during the videoshoot by Dedicam of the Red Bull Illume Swiss photographers.

The scary train

2011-10-04T01:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday with Seb Anex we spent a great afternoon at Grimselwelt. And for this time we were not behind the camera but in front. Dedicam shoot a video presentation of the swiss photographers who were in the 50 finalist of the Red Bull Illume for the Red Bull Illume exhibition host by Bern next week.
Any way we had a brilliant afternoon with brilliant idea like to start a Horror production video company find below our first “essai”.
Also great idea coming with great meal so we find a lovely “Auberge” in an untouchable remote valley, the meal was uge and the dessert was enormous.
So Here is some pix of the journey of Monsieur Anex et Monsieur Margot

Three days in a raw

2011-10-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

After our Unesco Trip for Red Bull. I was happy to put myself in photography mode the last couple days. I spent two days in the mountain for Ride Magazin and one great day for the Red Bull XRow. I will never get bored of the magie of a still picture.
I was missing also the adrenaline of the event. When during three hours you rush place to place jump off the motorbike running etc etc.

Red Bull XRow 2011 Lucerne - Images by Christophe Margot

An amazing week

2011-09-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

We had just an amazing week and for the first time I shooted motion and stills at the same time on this seven days project.
I accepted this challenge only because I know very well the crew the locations and the client Red Bull, and the gear I am using.
We planned everything and did some scouting I would say I had all my cards in my hand after it was just a matter of hard work and when you are with great people it makes you life easy.
So specials thanks to Katja Rupf, Rene Wildhaber and Ross Schnell. And Mister Dom Daher who help me out and share also his great vision.
All of our gear fit in two big backpack so we could walk (sometimes 4to 5 hours) into remote place and we were very flexible.
Slider, Video tripod, go pro and mounting system, sound system, canon1dmkIV, Canon 5dmkII, Micro RedRock rigg with follow focus, matte boxe, Marshall screen LCD viewfinder, Filter ND, 300mm4.0, extenderx1.4, 200mm2.8. 50mm1.2, 14mm2.8 and zoom 105-24mm 4.0. cleaning kit. San Disk Extremepro 64 and 16giga etc.
Here some pix of our journey.

Behind the shoot Red Bull project - Images by Christophe Margot

First day RedBull trip

2011-09-19T11:22:00.001-07:00

Get really wet this morning but we have great footage. We had the surprise to have the visit of the local TV and the local news papers.

Christophe Margot from the Iphone

Ready to trigger

2011-09-16T01:21:00.000-07:00

After a month spent IN the studio to do post and OUT with family for vacation, It’s the time to play with trigger again, and next week will be very busy, tomorrow I will shoot for Red Bull an event call Red Bull Race Day a big day with Formula one, Nascar, airplane. Sunday I will start with Rene Wildhaber and Ross Schnell a one-week trip for Red Bull across Switzerland where I will shoot stills and motion a BIG challenge.
With the crew, two years ago we shooted the Glacier express story.

Histogram and Ipad app

2011-09-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

Time is moving and habitudes are changing when we shoot with red one MX some days ago I was surprise that you check and control viathe histogram. It’s a really new way to work I guess it will be more hard to trust on this digital curve in state of my light meters.

Since three days I worked fully with adobe premiere I must said I am super happy. Since one year when I started to edit with final cut pro I knew it will be temporary so I wait for the final cut pro X When I tried it I thought that the right tool for me but… not to everyone.
So now I am pretty happy and exited to work with Adobe Premiere on a long them, and actually I used a lot more Premiere then Lightroom, who could imagine that only 12 month ago.

Here is a really good Ipad app by Salomon Ski what it’s could be a digital magazine

I was wrong

2011-09-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Some month ago I said Final Cut Pro X it’s a killer tool yes but I am going to switch to Adobe premiere?
In ten days I will be one week on the road for a big Red Bull shoot motion and stills. And for what Red Bull need Final Cut X doesn’t work. My future is more in motion than stills so I just need a professional tool that allowed me to work in different configurations. Since one year when I started to shoot motion and edit I faced one challenge after another one I had to learn so many new things in a short time, and now it’s another major step.
It’s 1am and time to go to bed and tomorrow it will be the time to switch my entire projects to Adobe Premiere.

Project with the Red One

2011-09-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

Pretty exited to start a new video project who involved a Red One MX, last night we recorded the first footage and it looks really good.

Also I am very happy to share my last Mavic video, I shot this vid in April this year in one day at Mavic HQ (Annecy France). We just release today because they launch the helmet at the Eurobike 2011.

Red Bull Illume stop to Bern

2011-09-04T23:41:00.000-07:00

I am really happy and proud to let you know that the Red Bull Illume Exhibition world tour will make a stop at Bern from 14 to 23 October 2011 at the Waisenhausplatz.
To know more about the Red Bull Illume Quest feel free to click here.

Eurobike

2011-09-02T01:50:00.000-07:00

One every two years I go to the Eurobike in Germany to feel and taste what’s new in the bike industry and it’s always good to meet friends and business partners. I think this year the big hit it’s the e-bike (electric bike). On the boat to Germany I met an old friend who is diving in the ebike business check it out here his crazy bike.
Finally it’s always nice to see his work display at the different booth.
Special mention to Mavic who did a nice design display to watch the video.

The petabeast and me…

2011-08-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend with Blaise we upgraded my server to 18-tera so with the mac pro I have all together 26 tera. We up graded also the ssd for the system of my mac pro and recycled the old ssd to my mac book pro. For my laptop switching from normal HDD (Hard Disk Drive) to SSD (Solide State Drive) it’s a big move and it will be a lot faster.

But this few numbers are ridiculous compare to the new IBM server with his 120 petabytes (120 petabytes it’s 120 millions gigabytes made up of 200 000 hard disk drive) to know more about the petabeast feel free to click here.

Zuri Style

2011-08-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I went to Zurich to Haslundbeinbruch production to do the final export for my video Red Bull Project, a short portrait of Phil Meier.

Alec Wohlgroth Owner and Founder of Haslundbeinbruch it’s an old friend, the first time I met him it was for an interview about long board skate boarding for / sky magazine already 14 years ago time go fast.
Since we met each other every year on event or production, and we share the same passion of Image and mountain bike.

Here is a making of shoot by Seb Anex this February when I filmed Phil Meier.

Ipad as a reference

2011-08-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

As I getting more involve in the video business all my production goes directly to the web. At the studio we worked with four calibrate screens, but if a video has been watched by 15000 thousands different peoples it’s 15000 different screens calibrate differently… So I decided that my reference for all my video production will be my Ipad. I think the Ipad will be a key tool soon and definitely a must have for video presentation.

Red Bull Project almost done

2011-08-22T03:53:00.001-07:00

Since 5 months I was thinking every week about this Red Bull project I did all the footage in February and March. So last week when I sit down in my studio and dive in my rush my mind was clear about what I want and I was very happy that my footage stick with my idea, so I was as exited as I am filming or photography.
My server Build out of and old Dell PC Mister Genius Blaise run 24hours a day for back up and rendering. So actually I just finalized the paper work for Red Bull the video has been approval by Red Bull staff and Wednesday I am going to Zurich to do the final the touch before to send the files to the Red Bull Media House.

Back to the roots

2011-08-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

10 years ago when I started to be fully freelance photographers, I was short on budget so for my personal project I bought in the cheapest supermarket the cheapest negative film. After the shoot done I developed by a cheap lab, I a quickly edited on a light table and finally scanned them and work on Photoshop.
So 10 years after on a big shoot I can take easily 2500 pictures a day, back in my early days shot five roll of 36 exposures was a lot. It looks I become a factory.
With the iphone app hipstamatic I feel a bit in the beginning of my career I rediscover the time to take my time to get some shoot and my favorite subject ever is my family.

Power tools

2011-08-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

The last days I edit a trailer with the new FCPX and honestly I can’t wait to switch to it. It’s such power tool it’s just about creativity you are able to make easy and quick different edit colorimetric is include easy to play with audio no need to dig in different menus, this soft it’s really what I need for my work.

Also early this year I redesign my website using photoshelter and this soft has a really strong back office and it’s so important in that time where magazine have no budget. When I get an email that an editor want some pictures. But for a 60 euro full pages I won’t spend a whole morning make different selection so now I direct them straight to my archive gallery web site they can even use key word in the search section of the web. When editors wish to down load the full res I get an email to unlock the high res.

A Good Balance

2011-08-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

The last seven days were just a perfect mix. Video shooting in the mountain with great friends (David Carlier, Stef Candé and Dom Daher), Editing in my studio and great times with family.

Still love stills

2011-07-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

I still definitely love photography when a magazine like Dirt Mag Uk use my pictures like they did for a six pages about the IXS Dirt Masters 2011 in Winterberg Germany in their august issue.

Zuri Painting Art

2011-07-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

After the space shuttle I enjoyed a more locale bathroom enjoyed the painting art !!! would be very hype to exposed them in Art Basel
We moved to Davos in the Alps weather is cloudy I will use my fake sun broncolor and quantum.

In a space shuttle

2011-07-25T21:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday for the first day of a 6 days commercial shoot for Wheeler and Bixs, I moved around the beautiful City of Zurich with a brand new Electric bicycle from Wheeler this thing is just amazing it could be the future in the city. But definitely the highlight of the day was my visit to the public bathroom, it’s free and you feel in a russian space shuttle.

Business is changing

2011-07-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get some emails ask me if I would be interesting to be part of expositions or to be part of the a catalogue when you go deeper in the contract they are always an entry fee. also in the Photo district news magazine in each issue they do a photo contest with of course an entry fee, it’s seems the photographers has to pay to work

Interesting when I check out the web site of the world wide well know blogger Philip Bloom when he write a post “Help me get funding for an action serie TV pilot” Mister Bloom has 28 900 followers, his website is full of links with brands. I am surprise he is asking this question via his website and not raising the budget with all his contacts may be this is the new way to finance projects in the future.

Gymnaestrada done

2011-07-18T01:44:00.001-07:00

I spent two days in Gymnaestrada but already too much I am more a country dude then a city men but it was really interesting and enjoyed to shoot the evening show by the International gymnastic federation and that the first time I was missing a zoom.

Mavic MTB video

2011-07-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

I am glad to share with you our Mavic MTB video. Special thanks to Serge-Alain Simasotchi who shoot with me in Germany the Julien Absalon segments. We were a great team to shoot the freeride and enduro part at the Portes du Soleil (Les Crosets and at the Ben Walker Trail in Morgins) with Loris von Siebenthal. Cyril Neri from Vision Air wdid the aerial footage, the very last past of the video Cyril flew his flying beast in the forest under the rain. Also special thanks to the Michael Denny who compose the music and did the sound design.
For this video I wish to have some more time. With Julien Absalon we shoot action during his training two hours all together. For the freeride segments (last part of the video) after one hour and half we had to shut down due to a heavy storm. But now we found the perfect combination one operator with a long lens and follow focus on a tripod and the second one with a wide angle on a slider.

First day on FCPX

2011-07-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started to edit a fully new project (here is some great shot by David Carlier – Comme l’eau communication of the first day of the shoot).
As a new comer in the motion world, I used intensively Final Cut pro 7 only since 6 months and after reading all the comment about the new fcpx I thought it would be better to switch straight to Adobe Premiere. But I really believe in Apple in their vision of the future. They were the first to launch a computer without a floppy disk and the first to do a mobile phone without physical touch. So for fcpx I am sure they know what there are doing with of course some collateral damage like the broadcast production but for small production working with hddslrs is might be THE tool. Yesterday I start to edit my new project fcpx as rebuilt software it’s completely different it’s takes a bit of time to get organized but as soon as I started to cut and drop the footage to the timeline I found it quicker and better than fcp7, you are a way more efficient. I will try to discover step by step this new beast and hopefully adopt it for ever.

Not really my taste

2011-07-11T02:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the middle of dozen of thousands of gymnast for Gymnaestrada. I living in the country side up in the mountains to be in the middle of those news friends was it’s not really my taste but it’s keep me social in state of going to wild. It was nice to see some photographers friends like Fabrice for AFP Valentin from Reuters and Dominic from Keystone.

Tour de France the Video

2011-07-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

I think this video of the Tour de France it’s the one I am the proudest, because the difficulty of the subject and the environment of. TDF It’s THE race of the year for all the pro cycling team. Staff manager and athlete are fully focus on the the race. So for two dudes like Loris von Siebenthal and me showing up for the first time was not a easy task. But step by step and making an easy plan as we can and with the big help with Mavic we did it, we were always at the right moment at the right place and get the right gear at the right… moment. So here is our journey. Saturday evening we meet up at the Garmin hotel to do the staff interview and try to figurate what going on the Dday. Sunday morning Loris followed the team Liquigas (team equip with mavic wheels) and I follow the team Garmin at the hotel where I had the time to take some good shoot with heavy gear slider follow focus etc. Everybody move to the village of TDF Loris went straight to the start to catch the control technique by TDF staff and he did a good scouting to check out the access and the point of view, for me I stick at the Garmin bus to shoot the preps of the team with 300mm4.0. 35 minutes befor the race I join Loris at the start I am stick with the 300mm plus the converter 1.4 and camera set on 50fps. Loris using his Sony Z7 to be right in the middle of the action. Atfer the teams start their race I went straight back to the Garmin bus and see what going on, Loris to shooted the race for a spot he scouted. We all end up at Garmin bus to takes the final itw and filme the winning reaction of the Garmin staff.

For this video we working together with Michael Denny English composer and sound designer, his sound track it’s just amazing.

Finally yesterday I start to shoot a fully new motion project somewhere high in the mountain and we will be a good test to use the new final cut pro.

Gentleman cameraman

2011-07-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was really worry about the Tour de France shooting but everything went really well thanks to the great Mavic crew with their precious help it’s make things easier. It was the first time I covered a big event in the motion side and I figurate that the cameraman are more polite and friendly than photographers I don’t know why.
Anyway back to the studio to edit this small piece of tour de france for hopefully tomorrow.

I am happy to share the video I shooted in Majorca two months ago for www.swisscatamaran.com

Preps for Tour de France

2011-07-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Just get back to home after the IXS Photoshoot and already doing this early morning the preps for a crazy 24 hours journey to the start of the Tour de France. It’s more or less an operation commando with a tight planning (covering; training preparation and the race, plus we will have to do some interviews). For this mission I have the pleasure to team up with my friend Loris von Siebenthal. We will see how it’s will turn out because in Tour de France everything is bigger and everybody are under a huge stress because is the race of the year.
Here is a last video I shooted for Mavic we turned this piece more in a documentary with a lot of interviews with Mavic engineers.
Music by Solex from MXD

Nearly done

2011-06-28T16:08:00.001-07:00

This afternoon everything was good, sunshine, cool beer in the garden while a project were rendering on the mac pro, perfect just need to double check the project and have plenty of time to prepare my gear for a three days photo-shoot. It starting wrong when I double check the video the result was unexpected on the wrong way of course? After trying to fix by myself I called my Final Cut Pro hotline means Mister Sylvain Georges (Mister Sly is one of the editor and cameraman of the freeride world tour) after a few calls I got the answers but the operation will take a bit longer that I thought and I just have 15 of this things to do, but easy going I will still make it and have a nice dinner with my family. Unfortunately I ve got another call for Mavic to finalize a video and fix some minor problems for of course the day after I mostly get crazy when I figurate that I had two versions of an ONE Excel files I’ve got by ONE email, means redoing the subtitle. So it’s 1h15 am I am still rendering in my studio and tomorrow I will try to be as fresh as possible to do a photo-shoot somewhere in the Swiss German part for three days.

FCPX live on tweeter

2011-06-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I follow on live via twitter the comment about Final Cut Pro X by editor cinematographer geek etc etc. This social media it’s just amazing to follow on real time what’s going on.
And like mostly everybody I download and did a quick tour and… rapidly get lost. This soft it’s completely different I don’t want imagine editor working for years and years it must be a nightmare for them. During a few seconds I thought forget it and I should switch right now with Adobe premiere.
I spent a bit more time and found out the colorimetric module, and my mind change really positive this tool looks really amazing and I can’t wait to try more deeplythis new final cut. I think for the use I need this soft is perfect more simple and more efficient.
I think the motion pictures world is actually hit by the same digital revolution that happened for the stills photography some years ago.

Here is a really interesting comment about FCPX

Final Cut Pro X is out

2011-06-21T08:34:00.000-07:00

Final cut pro X is out I've allready downloaded but before to start the new beast I prefer to see what's going on via twitter with the crazy geeks to see what's going on.

Hollywood and me

2011-06-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

I’ve never ever think that one time I will cross the way of somebody who works in a Hollywood blockbuster. In this two minutes trailers it’s not one but three persons I had the pleasure to meet or work with.
JT Holmes one of the base jumper is doing the Freeride World Tour since a couple of year (black and White portrait), Julian from south Africa the dude with the 3d helmet cam I get some pictures of him during the outdoor games in 2009 (yellow wing suite) and finally Rob Bruce the Director of the Photography for the skydiver unit Rob is a good friend of Dominique Perret and all together we had a nice Dinner in Girdwood, AK (USA).

Shooting at home and flying beast

2011-06-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

It’s Always a good feeling to shoot at home. Yesterday at les Crosets and Morgins we were a great crew (Cyril Nery from Vision Air and Loris Siebenthal) to shoot a Mavic video with two great riders Anne-Caroline Chausson (Bmx Olympic gold medalist in Beijing) and Jay Clementz pro rider for Cannondale. We know that the weather would be an issue in the afternoon so we get an early wake up at 5am and 12 hours later we had shut down under an heavy rain storm.

Cyril Nery pilot his drone like he snowboarded (Cyril trhee times winner of the Verbier Xtreme) He did some amazing move with his alien in the middle of the forest under the rain…. We have a few collateral damage with this flying machine, Loris almost lost a finger and Fred Pactat from Mavic get very hot with a naughty battery. But Cyril as a high-end professional and knowing his flying beast, he always carry a medical kit and could fix the bloody finger of Loris in a few minute.

Brainstorming all the day long

2011-06-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

We had blast at Lange factory in Italy shooting motion. We were a great team Anne-Laure International Brand Manager for Lange, Look and Dynastar Eric and Vincent from the crative agency super regular and top of the line photographer Stef Candé. That why I am loving so much motion it’s working with a team. We shared idea talking about the way to tell a story, brainstorming all the daylong. My sound system (juiced link and sennheisr) was definitely a really good invest I used a lot those devices in a creative way to record special sounds.

Special thanks to Stef Candé for the great portrait

Short stop at Home

2011-06-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Just back at my studio this afternoon coming from Germany Where I shooted for IXS the IXS Dirt Masters in Winterberg (Germany). I covered this event since this year and it’s one of my best one Well organized friendly people nice atmosphere and great IXS Crew. This time IXS invited their pro riders Logan Binggeli (USA) Richie Schley (CAN)Ryan Berrecloth (CAN), (his brother Darren bork is back a couple weeks ago) and Hans Rey (SUI). So I had to set up photoshoot with the athlete and as time is changing I recorded some interviews (pix of making of). You will find a portfolio here.
No time to rest because tomorrow I will in Italy for a motion project with storyboard art director etc. I am ready super exited and my car is load with full of gear.

Kids are all

2011-06-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

This is my fourth IXS Dirt Masters and every time I am amazed by all the young kids who rides their bikes. Kids are one of my favorite subject. It’s So nice to be back in stills photo I feel more free without the slider and the tripod I can concentrate only on the images no sound record no camera movement. Two days ago I hear a nice sentence from Vincent Laforêt (zoom with your feet not with your lens).

Late edit and early wake up

2011-06-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it’s better to not count how many hour you work a day it makes you even more tired. It’s 23pm I am still editing a video project and tomorrow morning at 5am I will leave my home sweet home and my family to catch a plane to Germany where I will shoot for IXS sport division a huge freeride event The IXS dirt Masters. Some special photo session are planned with two legendary riders Mister Hans Rey and Mister Darren Berrecloth.

Noise from the ground

2011-05-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

we did a short trip to Germany to shoot double Olympic gold medalist in mtb X country Julien Absalon. It was two days before a world cup race so Julien give us 30 minutes of his times to do what we want plus we could should during his training on the world cup track. No many opportunities and again the key was to be efficient and fast, for this jobe I team up with Serge-Alain Simasotchi (great DOP) and owner of SAS Prod. We worked the same way as we did for a Sergio production Tour de Romandie Trailer. One with a long focal 100mm2.8 macro or 200mm2.8 and one with the slider and a wider angle. Also I recorded some sounds from the ground…

On our way to germany

2011-05-25T23:21:00.001-07:00

Bags are packed we are heading to germany to shoot for Mavic Julien Absalon world champs and olympics gold medalist in X country

Christophe Margot from the iphone

Back from the Sea

2011-05-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

Get back from the Mediterranean sea with a lot of a good footage. Shoot after shoot I try to improve my working technic in this motion world. Finally I found a good combination to be fast and efficient, I have the Canon 1dmkIV on the tripod with the follow focus, matte box, and the zoom 24-105mm (it’s a 4.0 but it’s stabilize and it’s macro) plus a shoulder pad, so I can cover a lot of situation, in the other hand I put a 5dmkII on the slider with a wide angle, with this two set up I can be very reactive plus cover every angle in a creative way.
Here is a short reportage from the swiss national television about my friend Cyril Nery whith his drone

Pimp my camera II

2011-05-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

As I am more involving in the motion industry my gear evolve job after job. I figurate I need a “run and gun” (new trendy words by American people) system. So I ad a shoulder mount, an extra Marshall screen with hdmi connection, also to get more compact I did a home made hand grip system. To be faster on set I will mount a zoom 24mm-105mm EF 2.8. Funny I never ever used zooms for still work but for motion I will certainly buy this glass
This coming week it will be a good test for this configuration because I will shoot a commercial movie for swiss catamaran during 5 days in Majorca.

San Diego Video

2011-05-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

In January this year I traveled 50 hours to spent 4 hours in the wind tunnel of San Diego.
Musique by MXD

Behind the rig

2011-05-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

Here some pictures behind my rig special thanks to Denis Balibouse/Reuters for the action shoot with the motorbike and Loris von Siebenthal inside the wind tunnel

Video the big move

2011-05-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the video I shooted in one day at Acico Yachts in Holland. For this jobe it would be so much better to have more time to do some time lapse and install some go pro at strategic point.
Time is changing check the picture.

Double hit

2011-05-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

First time for me to have two full pages on a same double (page 2 and page 3) with one commercial work for Dakine with René Wildhaber left page and an editorial jobe with Florian golay at Verbier.
It’s in the last Ride magazine.

One more video and busy busy

2011-04-29T01:52:00.000-07:00

I am happy to share another video for Mavic The Paris Roubaix Challenge. Actually I am busy like hell this morning post prod for Yacht this afternoon on the road for DSR tomorrow filming for the Tour de Romandie for a project for the national swiss television Monday filming again for mavic with Ivan Basson the winner of the last Giro d’italia Tuesday meeting at Geneva for a sweet video project in Ibiza.

The big move

2011-04-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Plan of the day for Acico Yacht for the Wednesday 27 April.Removed one third of the hangar pull out from the hangar a maxi yacht of 50 meters lifted up the superstructure (second piece of the maxi Yacht) by a crane everything in a middle of a industrial zone connect the two huge pieces put back the maxi yacht to the hangar and rebuild the hall.

And me running to try to cover every angle I also figurate for this type of jobe I will need a different type of configuration for my rig with a shoulder mount and an extra monitor.

Nice to be light

2011-04-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I felt naked because I was back to photography. I shooted exterior and interior architectural and some portraits for the DSR. It wa so nice to have a small bag with a small tripod. For weeks I carried video stick, slider, huge backpack with mattebox follow focus, sound devices etc etc. It will be a short break Wednesday I will be back on motion mode with one day shooting in Holland for Acico Yachting.
Thanks to Fred Pactat from Mavic for the behind the scene pictures taken during Paris Roubaix

Final Cut pro X etc

2011-04-19T06:31:00.001-07:00

Lightroom was a revolution for me and improve a lot of my workflow I worked better faster and more efficient. As a new comer in the video world I started with Final Cut Pro because it’s the standard but it’s a really complex tool a bit like photoshop if you use it 10 pour cent of the capacity it’s a lot. It looks the new final cut pro X will be perfect for me. Easier to use a lot of feature will be automatic colorimetric seems to be gorgeous and audio easy to play with it.
I hope it will be the same revolution when I switched to Lightroom as a photographer.

Like a video game

2011-04-15T01:37:00.000-07:00

Here the video of the world famous road cycling race Paris Roubaix that I directed last week-end. We had such great time. special tanks to Denis Greffet the pilot and Christian Cervoni the technician with the onboard camera we mount an extra gopro on the side of the bike but it’s didn’t stay to long on his initial position. Thanks to Laurent Le Rouzic who shoot from inside the Mavic car. I edited late in nigh,t in the car, from the Mavic office, to finally wait one day and half the last footage from the organization.

For opening shoot I used my 100mm2.8 lens plus a nd filter 1.2 mount on the Redrock Micro Matte box.

Working space

2011-04-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

My working space at Mavic HQ I almost finished the video should be ready soon by the way check out the mavic web site.

Epic days at Paris Roubaix

2011-04-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

We had three epic days for the Paris Roubaix lot of work great times with Fred from Mavic the Digital Marketing Manager and help me as a deluxe assistant watch the picture. The great news that the winner Johan Van Summeren cross the finish line with the Mavic wheels prototype to know more about it check out our Mavic video. All is good or almost last night I spent a lot of time to try to recovering some files from one of my CF card I do not know if it’s the card or the files (files coming from a Sony Z7) anyway I had really to fight and restart my laptop resave the pix and use an other Cf card in two word BIG MESS to save what I could save. Also I download the soft RescuePro Deluxe from SanDisk and this morning I get an email from a technician he wanted to know if I could save the footage pretty impress by their customers service here the link where download the soft.

Final Preps to Paris Roubaix

2011-04-06T07:24:00.001-07:00

3 go pro, 5dmkII, 1dmkIV, lenses, cables, audio, radio, computer, clamp, gaffer, hard drive, paper, etc etc etc, go into boxes. Tomorrow early morning direction Paris for the world famous road cycling race Paris Roubaix.

New website

2011-04-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

It was the time, the time to rethink my website. I launched www.photomargot.com in 2004 since the business and the technology changed a lot. I didn’t have time and didn’t want to spend a lot of money to make a new one so the best was to build it with photoshelter and thanks to Loris von Siebenthal who show me and explain to me the advantage of this platform. Enjoy here

Preps and meeting Day

2011-04-05T00:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at the Mavic HQ to shoot the preps and did an Interview for a monument of Road Cycling Paris Roubaix who will take place the next weekend. It’s a big race so a big organization, we will have a cameraman in a Mavic car and place some gopro at strategic place on the lead Mavic motorbike. We need deliver the video as soon as we can so we plan carefully the poste prod.
On my way back home I stop over to Lausanne to have a meeting for an exiting project for the Swiss national TV. April looks really exiting

Cook and ride

2011-03-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

I just had two more gallery on my website a cook contest and the last pictures of the freeride world tour.

Thor Hushovd for Mavic

2011-03-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a video I shoot and edit for Mavic. Most of the footage during the two days in north of France was taken without tripod because I didn’t have time to set up. So I use a lot my canon 300mm4.0 EF with stabilizer as a key tool I shooted even from the car with this long lens, it was the only way to record some action.

Mavic R and D

2011-03-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent two great days at the HQ of Mavic shooting and doing interview for their R and D Departments. The most versatile lens for this work was definitely my macro 100mm 2.8 associate with a follow focus it’s a great creation tool.

Back to the air

2011-03-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did a last shoot for my motion project with Phil Meier for Red Bull. I team up again with Cyril Neri (here is his web site and here his blog). For the first time I operated the camera with a remote control, it’s not super easy but it’s a great feeling and give us amazing opportunity to get great camera movement in the air. We putted in the box some nice stuff.

Winter is over

2011-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

This year this one of my shortest winter only two months on my skis from mid January to mid march. Three years ago I start to ski in October until May so eight months on the white gold time is changing. I am back to my studio and feel in an emergency or panic room dealing whit invoice, paper work, edit still, doing post production with motion, cleaning my gear, taking care of my family and feed up our wild cat.

Special thanks to Olivier Maire who shoot those great portraits and our mountain guide François Bruchez.

Freeridewoldtour 2011 over

2011-03-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

It was the last stage of the freeride world tour and again it was a great honor to work as a staff photographer here is some black and white pictures of the day.

More info of the freerideworldtour here

From the big toys

2011-03-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

Quickly some pix from the big toys Hasselblad Hd3 and Broncolor Scoro just amazing tool special thanks to Yannick Flühmann style Lights and Bytes. The Verbier Xtreme will be on Sunday so tomorrow I will spend the day in a kitchen for a cook contest it will big a big contrast with today.

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

Some more toys etc.

2011-03-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

After the switch from my Dell PC to a Mac pro the pc stay off 99% of the time so it was the time to recycled it, to do it only one man my friend Blaise Mettan and he did a great jobe turning this old things into a brand new server loaded for the moment with nine terabytes (we will had nine terabytes later when the prices will go done.) pix below by Blaise
More toys for tomorrow where we will shoot with Dom Daher some portrait and fashion for the Freeride World Tour in association with Seventh Sky magazine and Lights and Bytes (thanks to Yannick Flühmann) . We are going to use some heavy stuff like two Hasselblad H3 and H4 with lenses (28mm 50mm 80mm and 120mm), two broncolor scoro 1600w one ring flash etc etc. The shooting will take place tomorrow around noon at the Col Des Gentianes.

Fieberbrunn contest day

2011-03-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here some pix of the Fieberbrunn stage for the Freeride World Tour and right now I dream of only ONE think GO TO BED I am just dead.
More info of the freerideworldtour here

Fieberbrunn day1

2011-03-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

First day in Fieberbrunn business as usual again and getting super tired tomorrow it's the contest. Tomorow wake up call at 5h30am for another long day

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

Sochi Airport 2am

2011-03-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

Some pix shooted with my Iphone
Here is an interview and a porfolio (start at page 6) on the webzine www.powdermagazin.de on page

Russian’s postcard and Mavic’s video

2011-03-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Last day in Russia after the heavy party it was time to slowdown and edit some vid for Mavic by the way here is the Julien Absalon’s video shooted with Loris von Siebenthal, also I am happy to share some local pix.
At 4am we will catch our flight to Austria for the next stage of the Freeride Worldtour.

Sochi 2011 is over

2011-03-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

After a third very early wake up the competition started at 8am with perfect condition sunshine and fresh powder. Now it’s time to rest.

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

Somewhere in the mountain

2011-03-05T05:52:00.000-08:00

Get up at 5.30am, on the mountain at 7am and face check after that a long waiting period for me somewhere in the mountain, finally they had to postpone the event due to the bad visibility.

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

Sochi Day one Action

2011-03-04T11:13:00.001-08:00

Fresh snow nice mountains all is good, the small difference is before to take the lift we go to a security process as heavy as an airport metal detector x-ray machine etc.

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

MacGyver in Russia

2011-03-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

This morning when I grabbed my camera to start to work I realized I had no strap on the body and with no strap on the mountain you cannot really work. So I switched my brain to Macgyver mode and when we get in our room I start to build my strap.
Step 1 find curtain
Step 2 cut some piece of the curtain
Step 3 Use an extra string from a harness
Step 4 Fix the curtain piece to the camera with you extra stringe
Step5 (option) with carabineer you can attach to your brand camera strap a cap a towel a stick and bathroom kit and you re ready for a day of shooting

More info of the Freerideworldtour here

Check in

2011-03-02T19:32:00.001-08:00

Still waiting to check in at 6h30 this morning

Christophe Margot from the Iphone

Vienna Airport

2011-03-02T11:51:00.001-08:00

All is good at the vienna airport we are waiting for the flight to Sochi Russia

Christophe Margot from the Iphone

A raw Belgium video journal

2011-03-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a raw Belgium video journal shoot from Verbier (Phil Meier’s home) Italy to shoot ski freeride and Belgium with Road Cycling world champs Thos Hushovd. To shoot video it’s a way more complicate so thanks so much for your help Phil Meier Dom Daher photographer(just check some great pix of this day here) my neighbor Laurent Tache assistant and shooter of the freeride part. For the Belgium part the mavic crew Thomas Guitax and Fred.

Somewhere ine France

2011-02-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

I am actualy in a hotel somewhere in France on our way back to Annecy and my laptop heat my room because compressor and final cut are dealing with my files.

Brain is burning

2011-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

It’s a really busy time I just shooted three days in a raw for my RedBull project with Phil Meier and tomorrow I am going north of France to shoot motion with road cycling world champion 2010 Thor Hushovd, I also do some postproduction for Mavic and organizing a Russian visa for the Freeride World Tour.
I notice the big difference between shooting still and motion that still when you ‘ve done a jobe and send the picture it’s behind you but in video until the jobe is behind you it’s taking so much more time with the post an the correction. With stills you jump to one jobe to another one but with video you manage several videos at the same time.

Just for fun

2011-02-21T04:20:00.000-08:00

Get bored behind your screen… here is a link to how to pimp a PC and watch the hilarious video by the BBC for their show Top gear.

My name is Bond

2011-02-19T01:33:00.001-08:00

Yesterday for Mavic I shooted motion in a wind tunnel in Geneva and by far it was the best one, I feel a bit like James Bond (without the girls) but with mad men wearing black clothes staring by the Mavic staff. This wind tunnel running by the CMEFE is is located inside a huge bridge. Sometimes I don’t need to go far away from home to find crazy place.

Portfolio Russian Mag

2011-02-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

Very happy to be part of the 94 issue of BM Russian magazine with a 10 pages portfolio also featuring in this issue big name of photography such as Dom Daher Tero Repo Christian Pondella and top Russian photographers.

Footage from the drone

2011-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a short sequence shoot by Cyril Neri with his drone for my documentary with Blaise Mettan

Drone inside and outside

2011-02-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

First shoot with two drones for my documentary with Blaise Mettan, I worked with vision-air (blog here) new company created by my friend and former pro snowboarder Cyril Neri. We used for outside an eight rotors machines and inside a four rotors drone with a go pro. We are still waiting to get the stuff to fix the 5d under the big baby. We did some crazy camera move and these gears offer us a new world of creativity. We also work on a self-promo to share what we can do.

1dmkIV vs 5dmkII 5-0

2011-02-09T00:53:00.000-08:00

Since one year I am shooting motion with my camera I was always think it would have been better to shoot with 5dmkII in state of the 1dmkIV it’s lighter, bigger captor etc etc etc,. So last week the day before the shoot with Phil Meier and as a happy new owner of the Canon 5dmkII I decided to do the big step switch to the 5dmkII.First I needed to adapt my redrockmicro rig it smaller and lighter but less versatile and it’s harder to access to some screw and the matte box fit better on the 1dmkIv rig so 1dmkIV 1 5dmkII 0. A really good things on the 1dmkIV that you can trigger with a remote a control the fast focus option it was impossible to do with the 5dmkII and when you shoot on tripod it’s so convenient to do a pre focus with the remote control (cordless) right hand and you can still move the camera and with the left hand start the camera. 1dmkIV 2 5dmkII 0. I am definitely not a sound engineer but it took me a whole afternoon to try to have the same result with my audio system (juiced link and Sennheiser )with the 5dmkII but I never reach the quality of the 1dmkIV. 1dmkIV 3 5 5dmkII 0. Than I think with a better iso sensibility 1dmkIV 4 5 5dmkII 0 and better battery 1dmkIV 5 5dmkII 0 It was absolutely no reason to switch to the 5d as my main camera.

By the way here is a picture shoot in the Maldivian island publish in the catalog of the well know swiss watch maker Jean-Richard.

Day 01 motion for RedBull

2011-02-07T00:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a short raw making of about our first day shooting motion for a RedBull project with Phil Meier. We had a really great time on the mountain, to reach the location we have to skinning up one hour and half with all our gears, special thanks to Seb Anex who works as an assistant, Sherpa for tripod slider etc and shoot with my pocket lumix this raw making of.

Raw Making of day 01 with Phil Meier for Red Bull from Christophe Margot on Vimeo.

Drone and HDDSLRS

2011-02-02T02:39:00.000-08:00

Monday on my way back from Saint-Moritz I stop at Cyril Neri place to watch his new flying aliens. For the little story Cyril won three times the Verbier Xtreme and since 20 years his hobby is flying RC Plane. Last year Cyril quit snowboard competition to start a new business for aerial filming and photography, a couple of weeks ago he’s got his new big baby and Monday we did the really first test. This machine will offer to us a unique tool and will allowed camera movement that only big company could afford. For this first fly we just use a small HD camera but for the next shooting we will use a canon 5d plus a video assistance where I will be able to move the camera in any direction.
Next week we will probably start to shoot some sequence for my project Blaise a Normal journey and then we will shoot for my Red Bull short movie.

Here is the blog of Cyril and here his web site (only in French)

Raw First Fly from Christophe Margot on Vimeo.

FWT11 Engadin the pix

2011-02-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

I am happy to share with you some more pix about the second stage of the Freeride World Tour in Engadin at Saint-Moritz please feel free to click here

More info of the Freeride World Tour here