The Final Cut Pro User Group Network is gathering in San Francisco on Friday, February 5th for the largest gathering of FCP, Avid and Adobe editors, HDSLR filmmakers and digital content creators and Gurus on the planet. The all day event will offer free workshops, a Digital Showcase for filmmakers and the SuperMeet itself. This sounds like a great meeting of the minds and I suspect HDSLR content creation and it's technical aspects will be a center focus of the event. To learn more or attend, visit their website.

As an independent moviemaker, it's always good to know what movies audiences are willing to pay their hard earned money to see in the theaters. Peter Knegt of Indie Wire reports the following:

1. The Passion of the Christ, 2004 (Newmarket) $370,274,604
2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding, 2003 (IFC Films) $241,438,208
3. Juno, 2007 (Fox Searchlight) $143,395,265
4. Slumdog Millionaire, 2008 (Fox Searchlight) $141,319,928
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000 (Sony Pictures Classics) $128,078,872
6. Traffic, 2000 (USA) $124,115,725
7. Fahrenheit 9/11, 2004 (Lionsgate) $119,194,771
8. Paranormal Activity, 2009 (Paramount) $107,753,000
9. Brokeback Mountain, 2005 (Focus Features) $83,043,761
10. March of the Penguins, 2005 (Warner Independent) $77,437,223
11. Coraline, 2009 (Focus Features) $75,286,229
12. Sideways, 2004 (Fox Searchlight) $71,503,593
13. Burn After Reading, 2008 (Focus Features) $60,355,347
14. Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 (Fox Searchlight) $59,891,098
15. Hero, 2004 (Miramax) $53,710,019
16. Atonement, 2007 (Focus Features) $50,927,067
17. 28 Days Later, 2003 (Fox Searchlight) $45,064,915
18. Lost In Translation, 2003 (Focus Features) $44,585,453
19. Napoleon Dynamite, 2004 (Fox Searchlight) $44,540,956
20. Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, 2009 (Lionsgate) $42,004,270

Vincet Laforet announced a new contest with Canon and Vimeo, "The Story Behind The Still." Essentially the idea is to compile user generated HDSLR media in to a movie. The only creative guideline is that the movie will be told in seven chapters with each chapter beginning with the last still image from the previous story and ending with a new still image for the next chapter. The content of each chapter is open for interpretation by the filmmaker/photographer. Industry notables have signed on as judges, but the details of how to submit, submission timeline and ownership of media are yet to be divulged. For more information go to Vincet's blog and watch the video announcement.

Updates. Updates. Always good to keep up with the ever changing HDSLR format. Click a picture to link to the Canon firmware update page.

Canon Inc. and RAWworks have created an HDSLR festival and competition offering prizes of HDSLR cameras, lenses, camera support rigs, software, video hosting, color correction and sound mixes. Submissions are limited to four minutes and must be shot on one of the Canon HDSLR cameras: EOS 1D Mk IV, EOS 5D Mk II, EOS 7D, EOS Rebel T1i. There are many categories to win in: Creative Inspiration, Popular Choice, Narrative, Documentary, Music Video, Movie Trailer, Spec Commercial, Sports Event, Wedding Event, TV Show Teaser, VFX & Animation and Military Services. What's smart is that Canon and RAWworks know this is a fledgling format and these categories cover what most people have used the camera for to date. The submission deadline is March 2oth with winners being announced in April. Get more info here.

News shooter Dan Chung shoots some slow motion footage at the Singapore Turf Club with the Canon 1D Mark IV. Another example of what the next incarnation of HDSLR camera's can do.

Underwater HDSLR video isn't the norm, so I thought I'd post this. It's from Backscatter, a company providing professional housing units for underwater video and still photography. They have a unit for the Canon 5D for (GULP!) $2,899. For my underwater shot in Rejouer, I used an underwater camera bag. It proved to be very buoyant and my DP struggled to keep it submerged, but it was only for one shot. Here's a tip my DP gave me, before shooting place a roll of toilet paper in the underwater housing unit then submerge it. If the toilet paper is wet you've got a leak in the housing unit.

I've used sliders before on some car commercials and corporate videos so I know how handy they can be when moving a camera in small spaces. I haven't used this particular product, but to me it seems that 20 inches is not long enough of a run. I'm also unsure how much weight it could support with a fully loaded HDSLR camera rig. Cameratown offers this in depth review of the product. Look at the video I think you'll see some good example of how effective it can be for a short move, but some of the moves in my opinion would have benefited from a longer run. Check it out here.

Variety announced Paramount Studios is launching an effort to spend $1 million annually to develop and produce microbudget films due to the success of "Paranormal Activity." The goal is to have between 10 to 20 projects budgeted at no more than $100,000 each targeting unknown and established filmmakers. Paramount Film Group's Adam Goodman is the proponent for the initiative. Union affiliations and theatrical release issues were not mentioned.

Here's a nice example of low light work using the Canon 7D HDSLR camera by Enki Studios. More proof that you can make a big image with a little camera. Check it out here.

A short spec commercial we (enkistudios.com) shot for fun this week for Chris's Subari STI.

Directed by Chris Bolarinho
DP/Steadicam Operator - Jeff Melanson
Equipment: Canon 7d, Canon 28-70mm f2.8 L, Marshall 7" Monitor, Zacuto rods/letus rods, Bartech wireless focus/ m-one motor, Steadicam Flyer LE , FCP, Magic Bullet Mojo
Music : Royksopp - Triumphant

Only a few more days until Scott Bourne announces the winner of a Canon 7D on December 15th. I suggest you go to his blog and follow the directions to enter. It seems he is looking to build his twitter following. Click here for details. Thanks Scott for the chance.

Stu Maschwitz at Prolost.com has a great article about video aliasing on the Canon HDSLR cameras. Very much worth the read. The 7D resolution chart picture is courtesy of Paul Lundahl of Emotion Studios.

I use a 4 GB SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition Compact Flash Card in my Canon 5D. It has a data transfer read & write speed of 45 MBytes per second.

Able Cinetech posted this handy list of Compact Flash card specs for anyone using a Canon HDSLR camera.