David Speranza

Latest Work

Movie Review: Moon

For fans of thoughtful, '70s-style science fiction that's more about humanity than explosions (but still gets creepily under your skin), check out Sam Rockwell in Moon, which played all-too-briefly in theaters this summer but should be out on DVD before the end of the year. On Popshifter.com, my humble tribute to a film that's truly out of time—in all the right ways.

Tricking Out Your Digital SLR

Got one of those fancy new DSLRs that shoots video, but don't know how to make the most of that amazing high-def imagery? Want to make your footage of soccer practice and Christmas morning look like it was shot by Ridley Scott? Sorry, I can't help you. But, I can give you some hints about what you'll need to get as close to a professional film look as possible without mortgaging the kids. Give it a peek, here.

2010 Student Buyer's Guide

Speaking of kids, B&H's new 2010 Student Buyer's Guide is about to hit campuses, and I was fortunate enough to contribute two full-length pieces. First up is my profile of cameraman extraordinaire Sam Griffin, who regularly hefts battery pack to shoulder to bring all manner of entertainment into your living room—from high-impact sporting events like football to the even higher-impact exploits of Jon & Kate Plus 8 (or is it now just...Kate?). 

Also on hand is my overview of the many ways one can stabilize a camera (oh let me count those ways), told in as interesting a manner as humanly possible—or not. You be the judge. (Apologies for the large PDF file, I'll see what I can do to fix that ASAP.)

Older Stuff

Stepping Up with Sony's HVR-Z5U

Hot on the heels of my hands-on preview of Sony's prosumer HDR-FX100 camcorder came this review of that camera's pro counterpart, the HVR-Z5U. It's tough to go wrong with either of these beauties, especially if pro (or near-pro) video is your game.

Video and the Nikon D90

As a filmmaker I thought it would be interesting to focus exclusively on the Nikon D90's revolutionary (as of Fall '08) HD video capabilities. Even if there are more recent VSLR offerings like the Canon 5D and 7D, this little camera can take some pretty impressive footage, as the accompanying 3-minute demo shows. An easier-to-read PDF version of the article can be found here.

About Me

I was born in Philadelphia, and went to Temple University's film school—also in Philadelphia. But pretty much everything between and after happened elsewhere, including lengthy tours in North Carolina, Alaska, Colorado, and even the Czech Republic (only not in that order). But most of the time has been spent in New York City, learning the byways of Brooklyn, Astoria and the Upper West Side, not to mention the art of walking briskly through Times Square without jostling a single tourist. Along the way I've done some writing, some photography, and a fair amount of video. I'm currently doing a little of all three while working as a Web writer for B&H Photo—the world's biggest electronic bakeshop—where I'm daily faced with an assortment of cool new toys that I can never afford, much less eat.

And if you still want to know more, there's always my resume (which needs to be updated, I know).