Jem Schofield is the founder of theC47, a full-service production company that focuses on video production, filmmaking, consulting & education.
For over 20 years he has produced projects for an ever-expanding client base. Current and past clients include AbelCine, Apple, Inc., ARRI, Canon, Creative Solution, Corus Entertainment, MAC Group, Motley Fool, NBCUniversal, The New York Times, NPR, Scottish Enterprise, Sony, TED, Tiffen, The Vitec Group, Walmart Films, Westcott, YouTube & Zeiss.
Jem is an educational content creator & an equipment design consultant to many manufacturers in the film and television industry. Most recently he designed theC47 DP Kit & theC47 Book Light Kit (geared towards corporate, in-house and small crew productions), which is based on the Scrim Jim Cine system by Westcott.
His in-depth lighting course series, “Cinematic Video Lighting” and “Advanced Cinematic Video Lighting” with Lynda.com / LinkedIn Learning are currently available along with his latest course “Corporate Event Video: Producing Company Meetings and Presentations.”
What is your job/what is your title? What do you do for a living?
I guess the accurate answer to that question is, like many of us, my job/title changes depending on the project that I’m working on. I think this is true for so many of us today in this field. I’m often in a producer/director role but I also DP on a lot of projects. My company, theC47, produces a variety of content but I’m probably best known for creating educational content in and around gear that we all use in the video production and filmmaking industries.
What piece of gear in 2019 has been the most impressive to you so far?
That’s a tough one. We just used two FOCUS Bolt 500 TX units with a pair of the FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RXs on a project I was directing. Two cameras, two monitors. Larger, brighter and, of course, wireless. The RØDE Wireless GO is in use all of the time with my Fujifilm X-T3 and I’m testing the new DJI Ronin-SC which is an impressive piece of kit.
Overall impressions of the Fuji XT series?
I love it! I have been a Fujifilm stills shooter for a long time. I was going to upgrade to the X-E3 as I love rangefinder style cameras but with the video features they put into the X-T3 I went that route instead. I never thought they would expand the video features as much as they have and I have been pleasantly surprised by what I can accomplish and get out of that camera system. It is so tactile and the color science is great.
What shortcoming could the FOCUS monitor help solve?
Well for the X-T3 it would be two things. One is having access to a completely customizable monitoring solution which SmallHD’s Swipe OS and the Pages functionality gives me. The other is powering my camera. The FOCUS to FUJI NP-W126S Adapter changed everything. I can now use NPF batteries to not only power my FOCUS LCD but also my camera system. In fact, I don’t even need to have the monitor on to power the X-T3 which is great when I’m doing live streams.
Fujifilm X-T3 + FOCUS 5 LCD
In what scenarios does powering your camera via the FOCUS monitor make sense?
For video-based applications. I use standard camera batteries when shooting stills but as I’m already using the FOCUS LCD for monitoring when shooting video (with the X-T3), I get the added benefit of long run times on the camera. It saves a lot of time in production.
Fujifilm X-T3 + FOCUS 5 LCD
FOCUS monitor toolsets you frequently use in conjunction with Fuji?
For me, it’s a variety of tools. I monitor audio, I set exposure using the waveform monitor but as zebras go below 50 I can also use that tool when exposing an 18% gray card (which I do all the time). The focus tools are great as well Pixel Zoom which is a go-to all of the time.
What is your “source of power” when it comes to staying creative? (i.e. what do you do to maintain/inspire creativity?)
Still photography, going to museums, watching movies, traveling and just lots and lots of reading, studying and trying new things. I am obsessed with lighting but feel I am still just starting to learn my craft (even though I have been at it for a long time). I also love to teach. If I can learn this craft, anyone can. If I can help others understand the tools we use and to get better at their craft I take tremendous pride in that. I love that we are in an industry where no two days are the same and we are constantly challenged. We are creative problem-solvers as much as we are storytellers and that makes what we do always interesting.
What other SmallHD products do you currently use and how do you incorporate them into your workflow?
Besides the FOCUS monitors its the 1303 and 1703 P3X. The 1303 is an on-location monitor for our productions (generally battery-powered), and the 1703 P3X is generally being used for studio-based applications. I love that they have the same overall OS as the other monitors I use from SmallHD and being able to see two cameras up side by side is huge. We also use the Image Capture and Image Overlay features when doing educational content so we can place tabletop objects accurately when moving things around so we can maintain continuity on a shoot.
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