Everyone has an idea for their great passion project, but it takes a certain level of commitment to turn that idea into reality. For director and DP Alexander Hankoff, his short film Yellow was something he knew he wanted to make and it was his (along with his team's) creativity that made it possible.

As the year officially draws to a close, it's time for our annual round-up of the most popular CineTechnica blog posts over the last 12 months.

Derek Frankowski is a director and cinematographer who has specialized in shooting sports and wildlife for commercial clients and documentaries for close to 20 years. For his latest project, Derek shot a commercial with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. With the fast-paced nature of the NHL and action sports, Derek had to be prepared for any challenges that came his way. Derek was kind enough to discuss how he tackled some of these challenges and how he has been getting it done for all of these years.

As any imagemaker knows, when you're in a high-pressure situation, with only one chance to "get the shot," you must rely on your gear and your recording media. No situation is quite as high-pressure as the Olympics, both for the athletes and the photographers capturing them. For photographer Jeff Cable, his Lexar cards are a crucial component of his photography workflow.

Jonathan Barenboim is a director and cinematographer; sometimes, depending on the project, he's both simultaneously. On his latest project, for a series called The Table launching later this summer, he was tasked with bringing to life short documentaries highlighting the human side of the unemployment crisis in the US. Because of the documentary nature of these pieces, he had to be ready to travel quickly and shoot in varied locations, all with the same basic camera setup. Jonathan was kind enough to answer a few questions about how he pulled it all off.

Red Bull Media House is no stranger to epic footage. In one of their recent videos, Chain Reaction (which you can watch above), Director Nicholas Schrunk and his team had to find a way to capture multiple, specifically-timed stunts on a tight shooting schedule and in a remote location.

For Steve Holleran, a camera has always been a means to capture the beauty of the world. From commercials to documentaries to shorts and music videos, he has always focused on images that tell compelling stories. For his latest project, indie feature The Land, he teamed up with Steven Caple Jr., a friend of his from his USC MFA Production Program days.

ITV Studios America, one of the largest and fastest-growing production companies in the US, produces a range of shows for broadcast and cable networks. Their programs include The First 48 for A&E, and Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters for Animal Planet.

Award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns and his longtime cinematographer Buddy Squires recently premiered their new documentary, American Masters - American Ballet Theatre: A History, in honor of the ABT's 75th anniversary. Indiewire recently sat down with the the two Abel clients for an in-depth talk about the production, including their use of slow motion photography.