News From Here & There

Final Cut Pro X
Practically no news today, so it doesn't even warrant it's own post. Best Buy has been offering 15% off iTunes gift cards this week, but now it appears that Target will be offering 20% off iTunes gift cards this weekend. Stock up and save for when Final Cut Pro X when it's finally released!



Pitching Your Movie
An interesting article from Alexis van Hurkman about planning, preparation, putting your best foot forward, and always being ready to adapt. It also gives you an idea of how exhausting trying to get a movie made can be.
So, there I am in London, at an afterparty for the event that brought me out there, having gotten an actual appointment for my pitch meeting. I’m at a pub with another producer as well as my initial contacts at the production company, drinking and chatting about pitches, and they start talking about how great it is to pitch with an animatic. And there I sit, feeling like an idiot, since I had a whole year to put something together and I didn’t.
vanhurkman: Once Upon a Time in London



Saving Money With Light Sensitive Camera
The new cameras with their high light sensitivity, and ability to almost see in the dark have reduced the amount of lighting needed in production. I've seen several people talk about how much time this can save, but Mark Toia notes that it can save a lot of money too (in people and gear) though that's not good news for everyone:
One thing that dawned on us the other day was how our lighting (gaffa) quotations have plummeted over the last 12 months. We still hire Gaffas but really.. hardly any gear comes out any more. Well only a small percentage of what we did use.
The latitude and range of the chips these days are so bloody good in hi contrast situations and low light situations that large lamp fill is almost non existent anymore.
RedUser: Lighting bill plumets using EPIC



Sony HXR-NX70 User Report
Philip Johnston at HDWarrior has taken delivery of a Sony HXR-NX70, the new rain & dust proof video camera that can record at 60p. He's posted an overview as well as a first usage report:
The Sony NX70 coped admirably with all situations thrown at it and the 1080 50p pictures on my 50″ Panasonic plasma were truly breathtaking, solid and sharp as a tac, in fact this wee camera produces better pictures than camcorders 4x it’s price, I kid you not.
His only complaint so far is with the lens, which "although its very sharp you loose 1.5 stops of light from wide to tight and that can be really annoying."
HDWarrior: Sony NX70 “filming a corporate shoot”
HDWarrior: Sony’s NX70 has arrived



Threat to Crowdfunding?
FilmmakerIQ notes that the SEC intervened when a couple of guys started a campaign to raise money to buy Pabst Brewing Company. While it might have been a joke - and it was shut down without a penny being exchanged - the SEC found them in violation of Section 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933.
As FilmakerIQ notes, this could have implications for many Crowdfunding ventures:
You may be asking why haven’t they done anything about it. It could be as simple as no one has filed a complaint yet. Someday one of those projects is going to do very well or very bad and an “investor” will get upset and lawyer-up. When that happens who knows what the fallout could be.
FilmakerIQ: SEC Stops Social Media Fundraising Site




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