Notes On Video

Lighting Basics: Going With What is Available | Shane Hurlbut | Blog A great post from Shane about lighting, and how to light with minimal equipment: The exciting thing about the Arri Alexa, F-3 and the new wave of DSLR’s is their high ISO range to minimum noise ratio. This has opened up a whole new way to light as a cinematographer. Whether it be daylight interior or exterior, dawn, dusk, night exterior or interiors the option now exist to use available light in new ways, as well as working with less. Next Step: Calling All Screenwriters and Storytellers | Vincent Laforet | Blog Vincent has issued a call for scripts and video/film ideas in three categories: 1. 30-60 second spots. Companies are regularly coming to me to do promotional videos for them – including ad agencies. These are all too often last minute – and rarely allow for the development of a good script. Having a few at the ready is a good thing. 2. Short films – no longer than 20 minutes in length. 3. Long...

Well, that's a big surprise! Out of the blue, the Sony NEX-VG20 arrived today. Given all the excitement about the Canon C300 and Scarlet-X , it's an interesting day for it to choose to arrive! Though obviously, this camera isn't any competition for those cameras. B&H has the body only model in stock, and the body & lens model is listed available for pre-order, though this one actually came from them.

No matter what it is, it’s always exciting when new cameras are announced that offer new features and new technologies - even if the cameras are so expensive that they are beyond my reach. That's because those features and technologies eventually find their way down into more affordable cameras. I think that’s my first reaction to the Canon and RED announcements, because I know I’m not going to be buying either of them. The owners of NEX-FS100 ’s and AG-AF100 ’s are breathing a sigh of relief today! Clearly this is going after RED, Arri and Sony’s high-end offerings, not those cameras. How do these new cameras compare to the Sony PMW-F3 ? It’s in between the C300 and Scarlet-X price wise. Someone suggested that Sony should give away the S-LOG upgrade for the PMW-F3 (rather than charge $3.5K) to help it compete. I’d been saying that Canon has a habit of releasing video cameras a little later, a little more feature packed, and a little more expensive than Sony. I just d...

On November 16th, please join BOSFCPUG and renowned author BOBBIE O'STEEN (" Cut to the Chase ," " The Invisible Cut ") for an in-depth discussion of the editing on Mike Nichols’ THE GRADUATE . Bobbie - who was married to and worked with the movie’s legendary film editor SAM O'STEEN - takes the audience through each stage of the film, from novel to preview. DATE : November 16, 2011 TIMES : 7PM-9:30PM (doors open at 6:30PM) VENUE : Bright Family Screening Room The Paramount Center 559 Washington St Boston, MA 02111 You want to register (it's free) BOSFCPUG : Inside the Cutting Room

3 Years later… “Mobius” and the Canon C300 / C300PL | Vincent Laforet | Blog Vincent looks back on the last three years (and other divisions of three) and links to the video he shot with the Canon C300 , as well as a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot. He also offers some thoughts on the camera: Ergo this is in effect a 4K sensor creating a 1080p image. This results in what I would say is easily one of the best digital cinema sensors on the market - at least that I have worked with (I have worked with all of the digital cinema cameras released within the past 2-3 years.*) The camera’s only competition right now are the Arri Alexa and Red Epic – although each of the 3 sensors and cameras have distinct advantages over one another - there is no perfect camera. The Canon C300 produces an INCREDIBLY sharp image at 1080p on a 60 foot screen. There is ZERO aliasing or moire – goodbye forever!!! Canon unveils Cinema EOS C300 interchangeable-lens video camera | DPReview Avai...

Canon wasn't the only one to announce an important camera, RED also made a big splash with the Scarlet-X . RED's SCARLET-X Camera Shoots 5K Stills and 4K Motion, Ships December 1st for $10K | No Film Schoo l The SCARLET X is not the low-cost “3K for $3K” SCARLET announced years ago, but is instead the interchangeable lens camera formerly known as the EPIC-S, and it looks like an amazing deal. It is very, very close to being the same Camera as the $28,000 EPIC-X — it’s the same size and weight, has the same large sensor, takes the same accessories, and maxes out at the same 5K resolution — except the SCARLET-X starts at under $10K RED Scarlet X 4K camera will sell for about $10k | Wrik Sen | Born Rich At a time when technology companies compete with one another to give their target consumers the best value for money products, with as many flexibilities possible, RED Scarlet X 4K makes quite a statement with robust design. Known as the ‘epic’s little sister’, this camera ...

[Canon Press Release] HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011—Canon Inc. today announced that the company is developing a new-concept EOS-series digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. Incorporating an enhanced version of the video-capture capability offered in the current EOS-series lineup, the new camera will be ideally suited for cinematographic and other digital high-resolution production applications. The model will be equipped with a 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and, enabling the recording of 4K video* (at a frame rate of 24P, with Motion-JPEG compression), will make possible the type of exceptional image quality and sublime imaging expression to be expected from the next generation of “EOS Movies.” The announcement coincides with the launch of the Cinema EOS System, marking Canon’s full-fledged entry into the digital high-resolution production industry. The new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital cinema camera and digi...

[Canon Press Release] HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011—Canon Inc. and Canon U.S.A., Inc. today raised the curtain on an all-new interchangeable-lens digital cinema camera that combines exceptional imaging performance with outstanding mobility and expandability to meet the demanding production needs of today’s motion picture industry. The camera, which features a newly developed Super 35 mm-equivalent approximately 8.29-megapixel CMOS sensor, will be available in two models: the EOS C300 Digital Cinema Camera*, equipped with an EF lens mount for compatibility with Canon’s current diverse lineup of interchangeable EF lenses for EOS single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras and new EF Cinema Lens lineup; and the EOS C300 PL Digital Cinema Camera*, with a PL lens mount for use with industry-standard PL lenses. The introduction of the EOS C300/C300 PL coincides with the launch of the Cinema EOS System, marking Canon’s full-fledged entry into the digital high-resol...

[Canon Press Release] New Lens Series Debuts with Seven Models and more in the wings HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011— Canon Inc. and Canon U.S.A., Inc. today announced the introduction of seven new 4K EF Cinema Lenses, an all-new series of video cinematography lenses that, in addition to the company’s current lineup of interchangeable EF lenses for EOS single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, form the core of Canon’s new Cinema EOS System. The launch of the Cinema EOS System marks Canon’s full-fledged entry into the digital high-resolution production industry. The new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital cinema camera and digital SLR camera product categories. Canon’s new EF Cinema Lens lineup includes four top-end zoom lenses covering a zoom range from 14.5 mm to 300 mm—two models each for EF and PL lens mounts—and three single-focal-length lenses for EF mounts. All seven new lenses are capable of delivering exceptional 4K...

[Canon Press Release] Company’s All-New Cinema Lens Lineup, Cinema Cameras and Digital SLR Cameras to Leave No Story Untold HOLLYWOOD, California, November 3, 2011/TOKYO, November 4, 2011—Canon Inc. today announced Canon’s full-fledged entry into the motion picture production industry with the launch of the Cinema EOS System. Canon’s new professional digital cinematography system spans the lens, digital cinema camera and digital SLR camera product categories. The Cinema EOS System targets a new area of imaging expression for Canon, building on the company’s 74-year history of innovation and expertise in the field of optical and imaging technology. The company has already earned accolades in the entertainment industry for the EOS 5D Mark II digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, launched in November 2008, which has been used in the production of blockbuster Hollywood motion pictures and hit television programs. Canon’s new Cinema EOS System, which offers compatibility with Can...

Avid has announced updates to their three flagship products: Media Composer version 6, NewsCutter version 10 and Symphony version 6: Media Composer version 6, Symphony version 6 and NewsCutter version 10 are rebuilt from the core on an entirely new open, 64-bit architecture that raises the bar for performance, flexibility and productivity. With this version, Avid is also introducing a sleek, new User Interface—designed to speed workflows while simultaneously preserving the same functionality that so many professionals have built their careers on. In addition, these systems include support for third-party hardware, AVCHD and Red Epic support with Avid Media Access (AMA), an Avid DNxHD 444 codec, and support for Avid Artist Color. Media Composer 6 will be available November 15th. Avid Press Release: Avid Introduces Media Composer 6—The Industry’s Leading Editing System Raises the Bar with Openness and 64-bit Performance Avid will be hosting a webcast with a live Q&A to disc...

Walter Murch at the Boston SuperMeet | FCPUGSuperMeet | YouTube The whole of Walter Murch's speech at last weeks Boston SuperMeet has now been posted at YouTube. New Lenses Imminent? [CR1] | Canon Rumors Others have hinted that Canon would release some special prime lenses with the new video camera(s) they are announcing today; could the rumor Canon Rumors has heard of new "prosumer" primes 35, 85, 50 be the ones? Canon Live Blog 1 | Planet 5D Mitch from Planet 5D will be live-blogging tonights event. Canon Live Blog 2 | Engadget Engadget will be live blogging from 6PM ET! Canon Line Blog 3 (& RED Live Blog) | FXGuide FXGuide will be live blogging both events: 3:00PM PST/10:00PM GST : Canon Event 6:00PM PST/1:00AM GST : RED Event November 3 Will Not Affect Me In the Least | Ron Dawson | Dare Dreamer Ron says that whatever Canon announces, he doesn't care: I don’t care what the heck-fire Canon releases today. I guarantee you i...

B&H send out an announcement a couple of days ago that there were major price drops on SanDisk Products. Unfortunately, I have no idea how much those drops are, as they only list the current prices!: 16GB Extreme SDHC Memory Card (Class 10) [$26.49] Extreme SDHC Class 10 (30MB/s) 32GB [$52.99] Others ...

The Canon announcement isn't until 6pm (EDT) so unless someone leaks accidentally, there won't be any news until then. Canon Rumors says it's the EOS 300C .... Canon EOS 300C? [CR1] [UPDATE] Corrected time to 6pm. The RED announcement seems to be happening at 9PM.

Singular Software, has announced the public beta of Singular Software Presto for OS X (v2.0) with support for Adobe Premiere Pro . Presto uses computer tracking and automation technology to synchronize footage of a presenter, presentation slides, and a video taken of the screen – creating a polished video of the presentation in just minutes. It's already available for Sony Vegas and Apple Final Cut Pro . The public beta of Presto for OS X (v2.0) offers new features: support for importing projects from Premiere Pro , the ability to render video directly, and full control over audio mixing. The beta can be downloaded from the Singular site: http://www.singularsoftware.com/presto.html .

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 (5.5.2) update: Maximus functionality and bug fixes | Adobe | Blog I just ordered the Adobe Creative Suite and should get it Friday. And coincidentally, Adobe has just released a bug fix for Premiere Pro , which includes fixes for: Eyedroppers did not work on Mac OSX v10.7 (Lion). The Timecode effect overlay was not rendered. Closed captions were rendered in the wrong place, sometimes entirely offscreen. Enabling the display of closed captions would cause error messages to appear. Premiere Pro would crash or exhibit other instability when trimming with third-party I/O hardware (such as Matrox and AJA hardware) installed. Pearl Jam 'Twenty' | Blair Jackson | Mix An interview with the Eric R. Fischer , the primary mixer for the documentary Pearl Jam 'Twenty' . Though he owns a considerable amount of traditional outboard gear, for this project, which was mixed entirely in the box, he used only plug-ins. For example, “I’ve started usin...

I just bought the Adobe Production Premium Creative Suite  (taking advantage of the 50% offer that ended yesterday!) and they gave me the option to download it, or get it delivered for $5.99 more. I chose the $5.99 physical disc option for a number of reasons: I could wait the week they predicted it would take to deliver. I still find the idea of having something physical somehow comforting. I wasn't sure how much space I needed to be able to install it, and didn't want to be juggling things while in the middle of a download. It predicted that the download would take 9 hours. That last one was a killer, but it wasn't the only factor. I've already bought software through Apple's Mac App store (and iOS apps through iTunes ) so it's not like I'm entirely new to buying software online. However, the idea of downloading the whole suite just seemed like a potential for a nightmare. Couple that with the fact that it was unclear how the download worked; did ...

A Response to the Walter Murch SuperMeet Post | Chris Portal | Blog Chris wrote up a lengthy report on the Boston SuperMeet the other day, which attracted quite a bit of attention - as did Walter's comments about Final Cut Pro X . Chris adds a bit more interpretation to those comments: Walter Murch ponders where the “pro” is in FCPX? True, but this statement requires context. The comments he expressed with respect to feeling traumatized and confused, were all in the context of describing his reaction to the FCPX release in June. It was not made in the context of the September FCPX update. In fact, although he is still recovering from the shock everyone went through earlier in the year, he found the September release encouraging, despite FCPX still having a ways to go. While Walter did say he was encouraged, it was clear that he still didn't think he could use FCPX as it stands. Chris notes that Walter was asked what he'd use if he was going to edit a movie now, and Wal...

Just a couple of days ago there were reports that a Mac Pro update was being held up because of delays in Intel's Sandy Bridge E processors. Now comes reports that Apple is considering discontinuing the Mac Pro line. This, of course, just adds to the consternation surrounding the Final Cut Pro X debacle. I guess we shouldn't really be surprised, given the success of the iPhone and iPad , and even of the MacBook Pro 's and Air . Mac Pro 's are probably a tiny fraction of Apple's business. And full disclosure, I've been happily editing on a MacBook Pro for the past year and a half, and probably wouldn't buy a Mac Pro even if they brought out a new one, still...I can't help wondering what this would mean long term for the Mac in the creative community. [ And I just ordered the Mac version of the Adobe Production Premium Creative Suite too.] Despite new CPU options, Apple reportedly questioning future of Mac Pro | Kasper Jade | AppleInsider ...

Rule Boston Camera is hosting three Learning Labs and one evening Pub Night in November. RSVP to events@rule.com Wednesday Nov 9 10am - 12noon SMOOTH MOVES Bob Jones of Camera Dynamics presents an overview of Sachtler, Vintent, and O'Connor fluid heads and tripods plus a look at the latest in LED lights from Litepanels and the newest camera bags and backpacks from Petrol Bags. Wednesday Nov 16 10am - 12noon COMPLETE HIGH-PERFORMANCE STUDIO SOLUTION Sony introdcues the HXC-D70 2/3" CMOS studio camera system and the MCS-8M compact audio video switcher - perfect for the small entry-level studio set-up in terms of both design and budget. Thursday Nov 17 Pub Night 6pm - 8pm DOCUMENTARY EDITING WITH STEVE AUDETTE Join award-winning documentary editor, Steve Audette as he shares his personal thoughts and inspiration throughout the creative process of editing documentaries for broadcast. Wednesday Nov 30 10am - 12noon HOLIDAY STOCKING STUFFERS Rule's Tom Talbot...

*UPDATE* The “Historic” November 3, 2011 Announcement [CR1] | CanonRumors The date of Canon's announcement is approaching, and the rumors seem to remain that there will be two cameras, EF and PL mount, prices around $10,000. It's now thought it will have 4K capture, but 2K output. A few other details are listed... Drake Doremus' 8 Rules for Making Indie Film | Steve Pons | The Wrap Indie filmmaker Drake Doremus (" Spooner ," " Douchebag " and now " Like Crazy ,") likes to work fast, and offers his tips on being a success: 3. IT'S ABOUT WHAT THE CHARACTERS WANT, NOT WHAT THEY SAY Doremus's working process starts not with a traditional script, but with what is essentially a piece of prose – in the case of "Like Crazy," one about 80 pages long. Sony NEX-FS100 Q&A - Does the touchscreen work with an external monitor attached? | Aaron Nanto | Vimeo In this short video, Aaron proves that the touchscreen on the NEX...

Free E-Seminar: Mastering the Adobe Premiere Pro Timeline Panel | Richard Harrington | Adobe Richard Harrington is giving a free seminar on Adobe Premiere Pro this Thursday, November 3rd, 10:00 am PT/1pm ET: The timeline panel in Adobe Premiere Pro is where the story comes together. Sure there's standard operations like Insert and Overwrite as well as the ability to Ripple and Roll. But once you dig in, you'll find much more. In this session you'll learn both essential operations and advanced features like replace edit, creating custom transitions, and using Adobe Dynamic Link to exchange files with Adobe After Effects and Audition. The class is taught by Richard Harrington of RHED Pixel. Avid Announces Results for Third Quarter 2011 | Avid Avid announced results, and suffered another loss: "The GAAP net loss for the third quarter was $8.0 million, or $0.21 per share, compared to a GAAP net loss of $10.0 million, or $0.26 per share, in the third quarter of...

If you haen't already taken advantage of this offer, you only have until Halloween to get it! Adobe's  50% off Adobe Creative Suite CS5.5 Production Premium [$849.50 instead of $1,699] or Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 [$399.50 instead of $799] offer for  Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer Users ends October 31st. Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium - License [ Add the Full version to the cart, then in the cart, click on the "Click here to enter a promo code." text just below the details and enter "SWITCH" and the discount is applied ]