Odd News for the Day

"More and more, I want to do less and less with the camera. Sometimes, well, we do too much." -Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC (American Cinematographer Oct. '13)


Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments | Popular Science
It would appear that comments are making us dumber - of course, anyone who's used YouTube could tell you that:
In the civil group, those who initially did or did not support the technology — whom we identified with preliminary survey questions — continued to feel the same way after reading the comments. Those exposed to rude comments, however, ended up with a much more polarized understanding of the risks connected with the technology.
Simply including an ad hominem attack in a reader comment was enough to make study participants think the downside of the reported technology was greater than they'd previously thought.


The Illusion of Choice | MovieScope
Why more isn't necessarily better:
This all sounds like great news for the consumer and, to the outsider, it might seem that subsidised and protected film production in Europe is in rude health. Yet there’s a persistent paradox that will not go away; let’s call it the illusion of choice. While all of the experimentation in new platforms and release windows has unquestionably increased the volume of films available, volume and choice are not the same things.


How do film-makers manipulate our emotions with music? | BBC
A 2010 study by the University of California found that human sensitivity to non-linear alarm sounds, such as ones made by groundhogs to warn about predators, is being employed by film composers to unsettle and unnerve.
In films like Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho, straining strings and overblowing brass are mimicking the noise of panic in nature.


How'd they do that?
The deal's over, but SonyAlphaRumors reported a dealer in Europe was offering the Sony NEX-VG900 for $1,545, which is half what it's being sold for by most dealers in the US. I'd have bought one for that price!



The workflow of editing a short 3D film in Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve | FCP.Co
On its own, FCPX cannot edit and output a 3D master. However, coupled with Resolve in the middle to do the 3D heavy lifting, it performs rather well. Here's how Matt Brading did exactly that on his latest short film.



Z-Drive and Tornado | Zacuto
The Z-Drive is a unique direct drive universal follow focus that can be used in an infinite number of positions. It can be used on the operator side in a frontal downward position for shoulder mounted use. It can be used in a angled backward position for use with a whip if you are standing behind the tripod or dolly. It can be used at any angle up, down or in between on the operator or assistant side. 
We recommend using the Z-Drive with our Tornado grip when working handheld. The Tornado grip connects to the Z-Drive follow focus via a standard whip port. The unique 60 degree curved shape of the Z-Drive and the comfortable horn shape of the Tornado grip make a mechanical follow focus handgrip perfect for single operator shoulder mounted work.


EasyGimbal: An advanced GoPro 3 camera stabilizer | Kickstarter
A $600 gimbal for the Hero 3:
We designed the EasyGimbal for the GoPro Hero 3 because this camera offers a lot of performance in a very small form. For maximum stability, we decided to go with a 3-axis design over a simpler 2-axis design. Unlike 2-axis designs, having all 3 axes stabilized allows for optimal results even when walking around with the gimbal.


Upcoming Events


Pub Night @ Rule Boston Camera - Tonight!
Shooting Abroad with Zach Zamboni
Join us for this month's Pub Night on Wednesday, 9/25/13 from 6-8pm with Pizza and Beer! This event is free. See parking details at bottom.Shooting Abroad with Award-Winning Cinematographer, Zach ZamboniZach Zamboni returns to Pub Night to share his vast experiences filming in literally every corner of the world. Zach will talk about his most recent travels with feedback on what it's like shooting with the new Sony F5 and S-Log on the fly, in documentary situations. He'll cover his adventures from both a technical and non-technical perspective, and he is looking forward to questions on all aspects of travel and cinematography!


Boston Creative Pro Users Group Meeting | September 26
@ Bright Family 2K Screening Room
First Assistant Editor Julian Smirke visits us from Los Angeles to discuss working on STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. Julian will screen footage and share the importance of his role in the editorial and storytelling process.

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