News From Here & There

Technicolor updates Cinestyle LUT
Though there's no mention of it on the product page, Technicolor has tweeted that:
S-curve LUT is now compatible with the LUT Buddy plug-in and Apple's Color.
Several people were having problems when using Red Giant's free tool LUT Buddy, so perhaps this had been fixed.
Technicolor: CineStyle



Canon Delays?
There's been lots of reports/speculation about the effect of the Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami on the availability of upcoming video gear. Now Canonrumors thinks that this means delays to the Canon 5D Mark III, that could extend to 2012.
CanonRumors.com: Delays Abound?



When is AVCHD not AVCHD?
One of the interesting things about AVCHD is that AVCHD only defines the decoder; camera companies are free to write their own encoder however they want to, provided it produces files that will play through the decoder.

When Sony brought out the HXR-NX5U, they touted the fact that it used smaller block patterns for motion estimation than competitors, and now The Sony Tech Guy at the ProVideoCoalition writes about the functionality of their compressors:
For the NEX-FS100U and HXR-NX5U NXCAM camcorders, Sony engineers reasoned that if there were some way to “tell” the encoder whether the image was noisy or generally noise-free, the encoder could optimize the picture for each condition.  So the camera’s control bus communicates the gain setting to the encoding chip, which adjusts the compression accordingly.  
ProVideoCoalition: AVCHD with a twist
See also: NotesOnVideo: HXR-NX5 Q & A



Capturing Time-lapses on the Mac
Christopher Breen at Macworld.com provides a low-cost (free) way to capture time-lapses using the Automator OS X utility while your camera is tethered to your Mac. Note: this only works with some cameras.
MacWorld: Use Automator to shoot a time-lapse movie



Why a 12mm lens is always a 12mm lens...
...and why the field of view changes as the sensor changes. An updated article at Film and Digital Times looks at lenses and focal lengths and what it all means.
Angle of view related to different formats is where it gets tricky and we need simple math. The angle of view of the 16mm format lens is about half the angle of view of 35mm format lens. If you want to shoot the same angle, 62 degrees, you’d select a 12mm lens for the 16mm camera and a 24mm lens for your 35mm camera.
FDTimes: Focal Lengths, Format Sizes



Citizen Kane at 70
D.B. Grady looks at The Atlantic covers the creation of the movie and it's place in history. Also includes an interesting note about one film technique used in the movie:
Citizen Kane is perhaps most studied for its use of deep-focus photography, wherein the entire frame remains in focus at all time. This technique challenges audiences to search the screen for crucial pieces of the puzzle, and allows for cinematic sleight of hand. An otherwise ordinary fireplace, for example, is a background piece in Kane's mansion. It's not until Kane steps next to it that its massive size is revealed, and Kane's captivity to his outsized riches fully expressed.
TheAtlantic: 'Citizen Kane' at 70: The Legacy of the Film and Its Director



Quick Links
  • Choosing a Microphone: In this video from EOS Television James Monohan covers audio for video recording, covering: Windscreens, camera inputs, Audio channels, VHF, UHF wireless, and wired systems are all covered. YouTube: Microphone Types Sound for Video and Film
  • DirecTV Launches ShortsHD, a Full Time Short Film Channel. ShortsHD is already on Dish Network and AT&T U-Verse but DirecTV is there biggest addition yet. It’s put together by Shorts International, described as “the world’s leading short movie entertainment company with the world’s largest movie catalogue dedicated to short movies.”
  • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences is developing an architecture and supporting tools for digital motion picture mastering applications. In development for 5 years by the motion picture industry’s leading technologists and practitioners, the Image Interchange Framework (IIF) is now ready for evaluation by the larger community of those concerned with digital motion picture workflow and color management.
  • FilmTools Camera Mount Rig. Wide Open Camera has a clip made with the Filmtools Gripper Camera Mount, which sells for about $380. Filmtools Car Mount & Technicolor Cinestyle BTS On Set
  • Compact Flash Reader for iPad. While it's billed as a review, Terry White really just confirms that this Hong Kong made gadget does work with the iPad. Review: M.I.C Compact Flash Reader for iPad



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