News From Here & There

CES says people want 3D cameras
In a press release, the CEA says:

Nearly one in four (23 percent) digital imaging enthusiasts are likely to purchase a 3D digital camera within the next year, according to a new Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® study.
[...]
Enthusiasts are also showing interest in 3D camcorders, with one in ten indicating they are likely to purchase one within the next year. Similar to 3D cameras, enthusiasts say they would use 3D camcorders for natural scenery (51 percent) and historic places (43 percent), but enthusiasts also view 3D camcorders as valuable for use in shooting sporting events (45 percent).

But noting that 3D TV sales aren't doing well, Shane McGlaun at SlashGear is skeptical. SlashGear: CEA says that consumers want 3D cameras
CEA: 3D DIGITAL CAMERAS SPARKING ENTHUSIAST INTEREST



Preparing for a Film Shoot
Filmmaker William Speruzzi lists fifteen things to do to prepare for a film shoot:

4. Let someone else supervise the script – You have enough on your mind, you could use someone else to help worry about continuity.

NoFilmSchool: Fifteen Things to Prepare for when Making a Film



Calculating RED Camera Data Rates
The Black And Blue, a blog for camera assistants, continues to post informative pieces, including this latest one:

So now that you understand the basic premise of how data works within the RED camera we can dive into the formula used to calculate it:

(pixel width x pixel height x framerate x 12)/8/1024/1024 = uncompressed data for one second of footage in megabytes)

In the above formula, the 8/1024/1024 is the conversion of bits per second into megabytes per second and the 12 is the bits per channel. These stay constant.

TheBlackAndBlue: How to Calculate RED Camera Data Rates



The Twin Barriers To Film Democratization
Film finance expert Jeff Steele in a piece for the Huffington Post writes about the "democratization of film". Starting with the arguable proposition that technology - the Internet - has taken the distribution of music away from the traditional empires, he then looks at whether this will mean that Hollywood insiders will continue to hold the keys to the "film industry." While technology has made it possible for almost anyone to make a movie, he argues that two things (other than talents, and a good story) stand in the way:

What are the barriers to a complete democratization of the film industry that will allow every man, woman and man-child to be his or her own mini-studio?

Financing and distribution

HuffingtonPost: Power to the People: The Democratization of Film



Sony PMW-F3 ISO Testing
Andy Shipsides at Abel Cine Tech posts a video and information about testing the Sensitivty/ISO of the Sony PMW-F3. The camera's sensitivity can be set to Gain, or ISO, but he notes that Sony's ISO ratings may be a bit conservative, and if you use their stated number you might end up a little over-exposing your images (if you're using a lightmeter to calculate your exposure.)
CineTechnica: AbelCine Tests the Sony F3 ISO Rating



PMW-F3 Video
The short "Musee Des Beaux Arts" was shot on the New York Metro and in and around Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan using the PMW-F3 with a Nikon 35mm AIS lens on a MTF Nikon to F3 adapter.
Vimeo: Musee Des Beaux Arts - a Sony F3 film



Steven Soderbergh to Retire?
Director Steven Soderburgh says he only has two more films in him:

"When you reach the point where you're like if I have to get into a van to do anther scout I'm just going to shoot myself, it's time to let somebody else who's still excited about getting in the van, get in the van,"

HollywoodReporter: Steven Soderbergh Planning to Retire From Filmmaking