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Saturday, February 25, 2012

News for the Oscars


Sony High-Definition Cameras Capture The Academy Awards® Ceremony | Sony
| Facebook
Sone expensive cameras will be used to broadcast tomorrow's show:
PARK RIDGE, N.J., Feb. 24, 2012 – The 84th Academy Awards® ceremony will be broadcast worldwide using 50 Sony high-definition cameras. The HD telecast airs live on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012 from the Hollywood & Highland Center®.
[...] The Sony camera models include 15 of the HDC-2500s, and another 35 HDC-1500s [$99,750] for the main broadcast and other red carpet shows.


How to win an Oscar | Lucy Rodgers | BBC
Play a real person with a mental illness in showbiz, suffering from alcoholism, and you're certain to get a nomination!
Almost one in five (19%) of the best-actor Oscars have gone to performers playing a character based on a real person.

Just last year Colin Firth won for his portrayal of George VI battling a stammer in the King's Speech, two years earlier Sean Penn claimed an award for playing American gay rights activist Harvey Milk, and two years prior to that Oscar rewarded Forest Whitaker for his depiction of genocidal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the The Last King of Scotland.


2012 Oscars: Are Docs Technically Getting the Shaft? | Farihah Zaman
| Huffington Post
More on how documentaries just don't get respect:
Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams, a survey of the historic cave paintings of Lascaux, some of the earliest human artworks ever discovered, and Wim Wenders's Pina, a visually stunning look at the work of late choreographer Pina Bausch, both received high critical praise and the latter an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary, but the final list of nominations gives neither of their technical achievements any notice; those awards may as well not exist for documentaries.


Martin Scorsese's Film School: The 85 Films You Need To See To Know Anything About Film | Rick Tetzeli | Fast Company
In a four hour interview with Fast Company, Martin Scorsese mentioned 85 films!:
Cape Fear: As he once explained to Stephen Spielberg over dinner in Tribeca, one of Scorsese’s fears about directing a remake of this film was that, “The original was so good. I mean, you’ve got Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, it’s terrific!” 1962


Oscars Favor Film Acquisition, But Digital Looms Large | Bryant Frazer
| Studio Daily
Film was used for two-thirds of all narrative work this year, but the numbers are changing:
Of course, facts are funny things, and you could always turn that number around. Digital cinema has a very short history — Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones was the first full-on 24p HD release, and it came out less than 10 years ago — and now, more than one-third of the films receiving the industry’s highest honors were shot digitally? That’s either exciting or alarming, depending on how you feel about going digital. (For added irony, consider that a cash-strapped Kodak, having filed for bankruptcy protection, just had its name stripped from the theater hosting the actual Oscars ceremony.)


Notable Directors Who've Never Won An Academy Award For Best Director
| FilmmakerIQ | Twitter
A list of directors who never won, and includes such notables as Robert Altman, Alfred Hitchcock and Sidney Lumet. Also lists the number of nominations they received (if any.)



The Academy Grows A Pair, Sacha Baron Cohen Will Show Up At The Oscars As 'The Dictator' | Kevin Jagernauth | The Playlist
The Academy changes their minds; how long into the show will it be before Billy Crystal makes a reference to it?
the Academy has relented on their ban -- sort of -- and allowed Sacha Baron Cohen to show up as his character from "The Dictator" on the red carpet before changing into his formal attire for the ceremony.



Friday, February 24, 2012

Quick Links

Vincent Laforet and Shane Hurlbut on the Canon C300 | Twitter
Vincent Laforet spoke at last nights Boston Creative Pro User Group meeting, and during the Q&A, Paul Antico asked Vincent if he thought that footage from the Canon C300 could be intercut with the ARRI Alexa. Vincent said that nearly everyone he'd spoken to thought it could, and cited the colorist for his video Mobius who made that comment after spending some time with footage from the camera.

Daniel Bérubé noted that the colorist for the short "The Hustle" also said he thought the footage would go well with the Alexa.

Vincent added that he only knew one person who didn't think the C300 could be intercut with the Alexa, and that was Shane Hurlbut.

Paul then tweeted:
Great prez by @vincentlaforet. Said all DPs but one he's talked to think #c300 can intercut w Alexa footage well. Some can't tell em apart

followed by:
[...] Incidentally @hurlbutvisuals doesn't agree with him he said.
@AnticipateMedia Paul Antico

Almost immediately - as Paul reported it before the end of the meeting - Shane replied:
@AnticipateMedia I think they cut pretty well together on the Keith Urban vid ow.ly/1GXIga
@hurlbutvisuals Shane Hurlbut, ASC


Canon C300 and Sony F3 footage to download | Alister Chapman | XDCAM-User
Alister has written a post comparing the C300 and PMW-F3. His comments on color are interesting; he thinks Sony's color may be more accurate, but he likes the C300 image better:
So, I’m liking the C300 a lot. It’s compact, well built and nice to hold. I find it hard to really distinguish the in camera recordings from the C300 and from the F3, but the C300 has that magic 50Mb/s codec that the BBC and others insist on. So for Grab and go the C300 makes a huge amount of sense. Indications are that the F3 may still have an edge in terms of ultimate latitude


What’s the magic ingredient in the Canon C300 | Philip Johnston | HD Warrior
Philip already posted a review of the C300, but he's added a short additional thought about it's support for Canon lenses:
The Canon C300 ticks all my boxes, a large range of Canon EF glass that focuses clockwise, 50Mb/s, 4:2:2, 720 50p, Super 35mm low noise sensor, three ND filters and uses relatively low cost CF cards.
No other camera on the large sensor market comes close to the Canon C300 for choice of quality dedicated glass that does not need an adapter or a bolt on recorder just to attain 50Mb/s.


Sony F65 day shots | CinePostproduction | Vimeo
Sony F65 night shots
CinePost Production, a German film lab and digital postproduction company, has posted two sets of clips - one during the day, one in the evening - shot with a Sony F65.
Shot by BandPro Staff Rainer Hercher and Seth Emmons on February 13th and 14th in Berlin, Germany.
They used Leica Summilux C Lenses and only available light. We added a minimal colour correction to these shots using Colorfronts OSD.


3 Great Budget Carbon Fiber Tripods | Dan Bailey | Blog
Dan lists three carbon tripod's he likes, ranging in price from $159 to $249:
However, you don’t have to melt your credit card in order to get a decent carbon fiber tripod; here are 3 good, budget models that cost under $250. There are other OK models out there, but in my research, these are the best ones that fall into the “affordable but not cheap” category. If you’re looking for an even more affordable, yet quality tripod, check out my review from the other day, 5 Budget Tripods for Outdoor & Landscape Photography.


The Next 5D on February 27/28, 2012 [CR3] | CanonRumors
They seem pretty confident that the Canon 5D Mark II replacement will be announced in the next week:
Below are the specs for the coming 5D replacement, the full name of the camera is currently unknown.
22mp
Dual CF/SD Card Slots
Price: Around $3500 USD


Act of Valor: Reinventing the Action Genre | Shane Hurlbut | Blog
Shane writes up how Act of Valor was produced:
Remember this film was shot in the spring of 2009. All 30fps, a beta test of manual and not much help from anyone that really understood the Canon 5D and its potential. My team of assistants were fearless as well and took this camera that was not made for image capture and quickly turned it into a movie making machine.


Gear Review: Nexto DI | Vincent Laforet | Blog
The Next DI is a portable hard drive device for transferring footage from memory cards in the field:
The largest downside was the battery life, which we were able to conserve by shutting the drive down between card copies, but still by the end of our two hour long flights was below 50% (the Nexto spec sheets rate the battery life at 120min.). The battery life is probably directly effected by the inclusion of an LCD screen – which is nice, but not necessary.


The Color of Emotion | Alexis Van Hurkman | Blog
Interesting post about the changing color of people as their emotion changes:
Here’s the issue you’ll face. As a scene progresses, the emotions in the room will build, and people’s complexions will shift as faces flush. What you do about it depends on you and your client’s philosophical approach to skin tone. Here are some things to consider:


RGrain: Film grain clips to make Digital Video look like Film | HDCamTeam
A software filter for adding film grain:
According to the developers one of the benefits of Rgrain is that their plates are not full of dirt, streaks, hairs etc… Each film stock grain structure, grain motion behavior and chroma is replicated as closely as possible to the real thing but without the film damage so your footage stays clean but now feels more like film. They do however have 16mm and Super 8mm plates that have moderate film damage.


8K at 120fps – forget 4K! | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
Here come the big chips! I also find it interesting that Sharp is showing an 8K TV, when people are questioning whether anyone will "see" any difference with a 4K TV in the average home!
At 21.5mm x 12.1mm it is the size of Super 35mm when cropped to 16:9, and does 120fps at a resolution of 7680 x 4320.

At the IFA show in Berlin, and at CES, Sharp displayed an 8K TV. The technology is already developed, at a time where 4K is barely on the market.


We're About to Lose 1,000 Small Theaters That Can't Convert to Digital. Does It Matter? | Michael Hurley | Indie wire
With studios announcing that they will cease 35mm film distribution in the next year or so, and a digital cinema retrofit costing about $65,000 at the low end, many small theaters will probably close.
the brain trust in Hollywood seem committed to playing a game of diminishing exhibition returns and appears ready to write off huge swaths of the ticket-buying public. You can bet that the same people who spent $150 million to make "Mars Needs Moms" have crunched the numbers and believe they can live with a lot fewer theaters in this world.



Portable EntertainmentHome EntertainmentComputersCamcorders Digital Cameras & Gear Pro Audio You go to B&H

Thursday, February 23, 2012

AJA at Boston Creative Pro Meeting

Jay Ignaszewski, Northeast Sales Territory Manager for AJA spoke briefly at the Boston Creative Pro Meeting held last week (not to be confused with the one to be held tonight - it's been a busy month!) Jay spoke about updates to AJA's products, what they won't be announcing at NAB - since he doesn't know - and 4K.

He does think we are going to see a lot of Thunderbolt solutions at NAB this year. Sonnet is already talking about their boxes that take PCI cards, which he suggested means the question is becoming; ‘why do we need a tower?’

AJA themselves are quiet about what they will be showing at NAB, not even telling the sales people "because they talk too much!" He did think we'd see "some stuff" happening in partnership with camera manufacturers.

AJA Ki Pro Mini

Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini
With recent software updates, the Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini will now act like a deck when connected through Firewire to your computer. You can transfer files back and forth without having to remove the hard drive or CF card from the unit. Other improvements include the ability to display visible timecode on the monitor, RS-422 support, and you can now build a playback list and play the clips in the order you want, though you can't specify edit points internal to the clips.

He also noted that in addition to being used as capture devices, Ki Pro's are popular digital playback units for video at trade shows and other events.

When asked about the possibility of 4K, Jay said that it wasn't going to happen with the current iteration of the Ki Pro and Ki Pro Mini, but AJA does support dual-link 4K with the Kona cards. He also added that the Io XT box, which just started shipping, is a "Kona card in a box with Thunderbolt and it does dual-link."
AJA Io XT Professional Capture & Playback Device with Thunderbolt

Jay went on to say that "everyone" is aware of the interest in 4K, and there are even people talking about higher resolutions, which is "even scarier."

"I saw Doug Trumbull at the Visual Effects Society last week and I asked him if there was anything we could help him with and he said yeah, have you got anything that will handle 6K 120fps…"

AJA has beta drivers that support Avid's Symphony, News Cutter and Media Composer, and a new version of AJA's Control Room is coming and ultimately there will be one Control Room that controls everything that AJA makes.
AJA.com


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Canon C300 Shoot No 2: The Cost

This part weekend, Paul Antico invited Rick Macomber over to play with his new Canon C300, and I thought I'd tag along to maybe learn more about the operation of the camera.

When I got there, Paul was saying that he thought that rather than just shoot some test shots, they should shoot a short video, and he had an idea. He then proceeded to outline a story about a man who's lost his job, has unpaid bills, and drives around to all these closed businesses. And as he's talking I'm thinking 'that's all very good, but where are we going to find someone to play this person?'

It didn't take me too long to figure out who was going to be drafted into the role! So here's my "acting debut," and probably my last acting job, all in one piece!


So about the shoot. Oddly enough, I don't really have a whole lot to report on the shoot itself. Paul wrote up a short piece on his Vimeo page for the video, which you should read:
Canon Cinema EOS C300 camera obviously was used. We used it handheld with just the built in EVF and grip, and also on a slider and sticks with the full monitor setup. The waveform monitor is a godsend. It was difficult judging white balance in the setting sun however, even with the EVF, because we shot C-Log the whole time. The camera has a View Assist LUT but it isn't foolproof.
As often seems to happen with these things, a lot of time was taken with the first setup, but the shooting rate accelerated rapidly as the day wore on and the sun began to get low in the sky!

The Kessler Pocket Dolly got quite a work out, and as Paul notes, several lenses were used, though Rick loved shooting handheld with the EF-S 17-55 F2.8 IS, and I think the 50mm F1.4 USM was the second most used lens, though I wasn't always paying attention to what was on the camera!

No sound was recorded during the shoot, and Paul did the opening shot and recorded the audio afterwards, and he also did all the grading!

Perhaps the most fun for me was driving down the road with Rick hanging out one window holding the C300, while Paul was hanging out the back window shooting Rick with his phone! You can see Paul's video here: yfrog: Rick trusted with the #c300 hanging out of my car at speed (video) yfrog.com/mbvqlz

I have to add, I came away with a new appreciation for how hard it is to be on the other side of the camera; waiting for the crew to get things together, and then trying to follow direction as someone points the camera at you when 'you're on,' now that's hard work!


The Cost from Paul Antico on Vimeo.

Packing up to go out on the shoot. Only a small amount of gear!

The Canon C300 on the Kessler Pocket Dolly. Paul sets up the 50mm lens.

Rick and Paul getting ready to roll.

The C300 with the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 II lens. 
It's quite a beast of a lens, though it was only used for a couple of shots

Shooting through the drivers side window, Paul changes the lens.

Rick rocking the C300.

The C300 on the Kessler Pocket Dolly.




Canon C300 Shoot No 1: The Hustle

Over the past month I've been involved with - or more accurately, observed - a couple of test shoots with the Canon C300.

For the first one, I attended a shoot organized by Daniel Bérubé of the Boston Creative Pro Users Group in late January. What began as Dan having a C300 for the evening, and inviting some DPs to come down and play with it, quickly turned into something a little more ambitious. As Dan explains, it "started out with friends as a CAMERA TEST with no script, shot list or idea turned into a quick creative confab and a three minute short set to original music and cut to the groove of a hustle in action."

With footage taken that night, and some pick-up shots that Dan, Rick Macomber and Chris Loughran shot a few days later, the piece was graded and finished by Boston production houses, with Rick and Chris even recording a soundtrack.

The final video has now been posted and you can read more about the production of the video on Dan's Vimeo page: Hustle | Daniel Bérubé | Vimeo


Hustle from Daniel Bérubé on Vimeo.

You can also read my original report of the event here: Playing with the Canon C300 and I made a behind-the-scenes video:





Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Quick Links

“CPF-LOG” PICTURE PROFILE for the SONY NEX-FS100 with LUT!
| Richard Allen Crook | Crooked Path Blog
The Sony NEX-FS100 doesn't have S-Log, but that doesn't stop people from creating picture profiles that attempt to emulate it:
The CPF-LOG profile is designed to maintain highlight and shadow detail and also a pleasing color gamut that grades very nicely whether you do alot of grading or a quick fast-color correction. This profile is created as a part of a workflow that is setup for color grading in post. IF YOU DO NOT INTEND ON COLOR GRADING IN POST, THIS PROFILE IS NOT FOR YOU. In the very least, it is recommended that you correct the black and white levels, pull the middle grey down to around 35-40%, and adjust saturation to taste.


Looks, LUTs and Live Grading the ALEXA | Andy Shipsides | CineTechnica
An improved way of working with LUTs and the Arri Alexa:
Until now, the missing piece in the generation of Arri Look files was the ability to preview the look before loading it into the camera. The Arri Look Generator allows you to see the corrected image on your computer screen, but the ability to manipulate the image on a production monitor was missing. However, Pomfort has put together their LiveGrade application to tackle that problem. The software uses the Blackmagic Design HDLinkPro box to take the ALEXA’s output (in Log C) and manipulate it with the same tool found in the Look Generator.


Native Avid® DNxHD® with ARRI ALEXA Digital Camera at BVE 2012 | Avid
| YouTube
And the Alexa with soon be saving to Avid DNxHD as well as ProRes:
ARRI announces a major new recording feature for its ALEXA camera range, offering in-camera support for our open standard and widely adopted Avid DNxHD codec.


GenusTech Guide to 3D Production: Part 1, understanding stereoscopic vision |Alister Chapman | YouTube
Alister Chapman designed the Genus Hurricane 3D Rig, and in this series he sets out to explain how to shoot in 3D:
This is the first in a series of videos on the basics of Stereoscopic 3D video production. In this video Alister Chapman, designer of the Genus Hurricane Rig explains how we see in 3D and how this transfers into 3D production techniques. Other videos in the series cover 3D space, screen size, disparity, convergence, cameras and the Derobe method for very simple yet effective 3D production.


10 reasons to buy a GoPro | Daniel Freytag | Freytag Film
Nothing really world-shattering here, but some fun reasons to get a GoPro Hero or Hero2 (the Hero2 is probably the better choice!)
GoPros are versatile
I think there is absolutely no situation, where you can't use a GoPro. The various mounting options offer a wide range of possibilities! For the exceptional cases there is still gaffer tape!


Intro to Technicolor’s “CineStyle” // Is there more ISO-Noise? | Andrew Schair
| Blog
An in-depth look at CineStyle for Canon cameras, and how it works. Andrew spends a fair bit of time looking at the effect of different ISO settings on noise:
The problem with “lab” tests, is that they’re just that – “lab” tests. In a closed environment, they work well to provide us with data that we can make conclusions from, but in the real-world, things may affect the results differently. Of course there’s a huge chance that this test holds true in the field as it does in the lab, but some people have suggested that since a negative gain is applied to ISO 200, that in so doing, a part of the highlights are clipped to bring the exposure down and as a result, you actually lose dynamic range.


Add, Modify, and Delete Video Transitions in Final Cut Pro X | Larry Jordan
| YouTube
Just starting out in FCPX? This could be useful:
This video - part of the Larry Jordan series of Final Cut Pro X Training - larryjordan.biz/fcpx - shows you how to select an edit point or a clip, how to apply the default video transition, how to apply a transition from the Transition Browser, how to modify a transition, and how to remove a transition.


Santa Monica C300 selects | Mike Collins | Vimeo
Some nice footage shot with the Canon C300, especially the low-light material at the end:
Here are a handful of shots from our first C300 shoot in Santa Monica a few weeks ago. No audio, flat picture profile. All Shot on the Sigma 30mm.



ikan product announcements – ikan Elements and ikan Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit | Planet5D
A couple of products ikan announced at the end of last year; the ikan Elements rig and the Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit; maybe they are shipping now:
Looking for an inexpensive way to integrate your iPad into your everyday video production workflow? ikan has the solution. The Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit is a complete out-of-the box solution that turns your iPad into a field ready teleprompter. Based on our popular Elements camera support system, ikan’s Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit is a portable through the glass teleprompter when you need it and a robust 15mm rod based camera support system when you don’t.


MPAA “The Don’ts and Be Carefuls” (1927) | Filmmaker.com
Amusing/interesting list for filmmakers:
And be it further resolved, That special care be exercised in the manner in which the following subjects are treated, to the end that vulgarity and suggestiveness may be eliminated and that good taste may be emphasized:

1. The use of the flag;
2. International relations (avoiding picturizing in an unfavorable light another country’s religion, history, institutions, prominent people, and citizenry);
3. Arson;

Sony PMW-F3 S-Log deals

Sony has a nice little chart that - sort-of - explains the deals they are offering on the S-Log upgrade for the PMW-F3.

  • Right now they are offering the CBK-RGB01 upgrade [that's the S-Log functionality] for $899 if bought directly from Sony. [Compared to the $3,700 price at vendors like B & H] NOTE: My understanding is that it's not exactly the same as the CBK-RGB01 upgrade; they upgrade the camera; you don't get it on an SxS card, which was the way the upgrade was sold.
  • There's also an $800 discount being offered on the PMW-F3 (or the Kit set),
  • And if you're one of the unlucky ones that purchased the S-Log option for ~$3,700 prior to this special offer, they are offering a couple of $2,500 offers on either the SR-R1 recorder [$12,500] or the SCL-Z18X140 lens [$9,900].
All these offers run through March 31st, just two weeks prior to NAB. Which raises the question; what happens then? Does Sony discontinue the $899 S-Log upgrade for the PMW-F3 and expect purchasers to continue to pay the $2,900 difference? Or do they roll it into the PMW-F3 so that the price still undercuts the Canon C300? Or do they announce a new upgraded model that includes S-Log?

I guess we'll have to wait and see...

Monday, February 20, 2012

Quick Links

Canon C300 User Review SD version | Philip Johnston | HD Warrior
Philip does an in-depth review of the Canon C300. About a quarter of the episode he devotes to lens talk, including his "perfect" lens, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Zoom Lens, which he says the only reason it isn't an L lens is because it doesn't have the weather sealing.

Interestingly, I was on a shoot yesterday with Paul Antico and Rick Macomber and they were using that lens extensively for run and gun work.

Philip also covers the "cracking" EF 85mm f/1.2L II:
So is there anything I don't like about the camera? [...] What it's got is, in here you can hear, it's got a fan [..] to keep the sensor and everything else cool, as far as it can be cooled down, but it is a minuscule more noisy than I was expecting, especially in a noiseless environment. I don't think it will effect anything I do to be honest [...] I'm talking really minuscule.


Canon C300 exposure latitude limit | 107Cine | YouTube
Short piece going from a very dark interior, outside, and then back inside.



Test - Red SCARLET-X - Macro Canon 100mm f2.8 | VisualDesigners | Vimeo
Short video shot with the RED Scarlet, the Canon mount for the Scarlet, and the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens. Macro being the operative word here...



FCPX has exported a corrupt XML | Apple Discussions
A problem exporting to XML in Final Cut Pro X:
I exported an xml form my project, and FCPX cannot reimport it...! I get this error:

The document “Heaven and **** 1 (fcp12).fcpxml” could not be opened. Element gap content does not follow the DTD, expecting (note? , (audio | video | clip | title | audition | spine)* , marker*), got (clip clip keyword)
One possible explanation posted by another reader:
I figure it out my problem... for having empty xml file... it happend to be a clip with (no name)... try to see if in u r timeline you have a blank name... by renaming the blank clip I was able to get the xml work... so I hope this will help you...


Further GF2, GH2 and Magic Lantern hack technical developments | Andrew Reid
| EOSHD
An update on the state of Magic Lantern for both Panasonic and Canon Cameras. In both cases some testing by users is needed. In the case of the Canon 5D, they want to test the DIGIC registers...
Some brave testers are now required to go through all the registers in the firmware and alter them one by one to see what affect they have. This brute force approach is needed because obviously no hacker has access to the code documentation at Canon HQ or the programmers responsible for it, so are working on exploring it mostly blindly by trial and error.


NEX7 / SEL50F18 Videosample | S3NS3 | Vimeo
Short video shot with the new Sony E-mount 50mm f/1.8 Telephoto Lens [$299.99]
Raw footage directly from SDCard.
Setting: 1080P 50FPS, 28Mbit, Standard Profile (Contrast -1, Color -1)


Oscars: Cinematography nominees discuss film versus digital | Mark Olsen
| Los Angeles Times
The reaction of some cinematographers to the transition between film and digital:
The Scandinavian-modern "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was shot with digital cameras; the World War I-set"War Horse" was shot on film."Hugo" was shot in digital 3-D to portray 1931 Paris, while"The Artist" was shot on color film, then transferred to black-and-white to evoke the end of the silent film era in Hollywood."The Tree of Life" used footage shot both on film and digital and integrates nature photography into its storytelling.


10.7.3 Breaks Network Connectivity iMac? | Apple Discussions
One problem encountered by a user upgrading to 10.7.3:
For anyone who is interested, turns out my Firewall was off. I am not sure why is was off, further more I am not sure why my Ethernet / WiFi would not pick up an IP address with the Firewall turned off.

Anyway, turning the Firewall back on seemed to fix things



Portable EntertainmentHome EntertainmentComputersCamcorders
Digital Cameras & Gear Pro Audio You go to B&H

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Quick Links

Canon C300 Tweets
detailed tests find no advantage to external recorders w #C300 - use internal cf cards
Vincent Laforet @vincentlaforet

#C300 over crank slow motion (720/60) is decent, I'd say a bit more than DSLR's 1080P detail when uprezzed. C300's 1080p much sharper tho
Paul Antico @AnticipateMedia


Drones Set Sights on U.S. Skies | Nick Wingfield & Somini Sengupta | NY Times
It'll now be legal to use remote controlled helicopters for shooting video:
A new federal law, signed by the president on Tuesday, compels the Federal Aviation Administration to allow drones to be used for all sorts of commercial endeavors — from selling real estate and dusting crops, to monitoring oil spills and wildlife, even shooting Hollywood films. Local police and emergency services will also be freer to send up their own drones.


Testing the 7toX Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut Pro X conversion | Scott Simmons | ProVideoColation
Scott tries out the 7toX XML tool for Final Cut Pro:
I was curious as to how well it would work converting an entire project. The project I chose to throw at it was a music video that was cut from a live performance, a bit of music video specific performance and a ton of broll. It was a large job considering there was well over 10 hours of media. The performance itself was captured with 7 cameras and that includes rehearsals as well as the live performance.


Zacuto EVF vs SmallHD DP4 – which EVF? | Paul Joy | Blog
A very in-depth comparison of two EVF's, with the Zacuto EVF Pro coming out - slightly - on top.
If I were purchasing again now I’d probably go for the Zacuto EVF just because I find it’s image more accurate for colour and exposure, it has more software features and a longer battery life. If you’re more interested in nailing focus or need something that also makes a decent stand alone monitor with an audio monitoring ability then the DP4 might be a better choice.


VLC 2.0 first look: Video player app features new single-window UI and robust media support | Kelly Hodgkins | TUAW
A look at the latest update to this useful media player:
I have a video library with a wide variety of file formats and VLC was able to playback every file I threw at it. It handled the standard .mpg, .avi and, of course, .mov files. It also played some oddballs that most Mac players don't support including .swf, .asf, and .wmv files.


VLC 2.0 Released: What’s New, And An Interview With VideoLAN Developers | Federico Viticci | macstories
This article also looks at the latest update to VLC, and includes an interview with two of the developers:
- What’s the most important achievement in VLC 2.0 from a functionality standpoint?
Felix Paul Kühne: A vastly simplified interface. Many service discovery modules and the media library displayed in the sidebar on the left used to be around in VLC for years, but these were hard to find for most users. It’s a major improvement to be able to use these with a single click or to be able to browse one’s video, music and pictures folders without using the Finder or browsing Open dialogs.


On L.A. Streets, It's Not Easy Being Green (For Bikes) | Weekend Edition | NPR
A story on this morning's All Things Considered about changes to two streets often used by filmmakers:
Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin speaks with Paul Audley, the president of Film L.A., about the new bright green bike lane on Spring Street in Los Angeles. The shade of green, and the placement of the bike lane have angered film crews, who normally use the street as a stand-in for metropolitan areas around the country, and for several eras.


MacBreak Studio Live - February 16th, 2012 | YouTube
Part of this video show covers the latest update to Final Cut Pro X:
MacBreak Studio hosts Mark Spencer and Steve Martin are joined by old friend Brian Gary to discuss the incredible new features in the spring update to Final Cut Pro X (10.0.3), such as true multi-cam editing, keying, and new control for the Color Board.


Panasonic GH2 hack for V1.11 firmware is out! | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
An update to the GH2 firmware:
Vitaliy Kiselev has just released a new version of the GH2 hack, PTools v3.64d for the new Panasonic V1.11 firmware. The latest version of PTools also supports the GF2, adds more AVCHD related patches and brings improvements to certain existing GH2 patches.

It is good to see Panasonic allowing further hacking and not battering down the hatches on their new firmware update.