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Friday, April 19, 2013

Quick Links

Blackmagic Cinema Camera: A Minimal Kit Guide | IAIN ANDERSON | MacProVideo
Grab a 240 GB drive from Blackmagic’s approved SSD list. I use the Kingston SSD V+200, which can record for about 2.5 hours. To guard against hardware failure, a second SSD isn’t a bad idea, though some brave souls have shot direct to 2.5” spinning disks. One other option on set would be to use a Thunderbolt cable to record direct to a Mac laptop from the camera with the included Media Express app.


TOP 10 EDITING MISTAKES TO AVOID | VideoMaker
1 – Poor Audio Mix
One of the most obvious editing errors is the need to fix your audio mix. Almost every edit has two primary audio components: voice and music. Both play important roles in your productions. The voices communicate content. They impart information and tell the story.


SIGMA PRODUCES FIRST F/1.8 CONSTANT APERTURE STANDARD ZOOM LENS
| Mat Gallagher | News Shooter
It seems Sigma is pushing the boundaries of lens design once again with the introduction of this rather impressive optic. The 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM is designed to cover APS-C sensors and is perhaps rather a short range, compared to a standard 18-55mm kit lens. However, it does still cover 27-52.5mm, giving you the 28mm, 35mm, and 50mm focal lengths. 


12 top tips for making a movie on your mobile | Joel Willans | Nokia
3. Focus on close ups. Learn about the 5-shot sequence, which is made up of mostly close up shots and clearly demonstrates action in your scenario.


Filmic Blend Technique – Making Video Look Like Film in Premiere Pro
| Andrew Devis | Premiumbeat
Want to make your digital video footage look more like film? In this post we share a quick tip for getting a film look in Adobe Premiere Pro!


3 Tips for Terrific Title Sequences | Danny Groner | Filmmaking
The title sequence should echo the overall tone of the movie that follows. Of course, in some cases, they could runs the risk of overshadowing what comes later. Most of the time, though, directors know that there's a big opportunity to rope in the viewer with some dramatics, courtesy of some compelling storytelling and mood-setting.


ARRI introduces ALEXA XT and XR modules | TVB Europe
The ALEXA XT, ALEXA XT M, ALEXA XT Plus and ALEXA XT Studio cameras will replace all previous models except for the original ALEXA. All ALEXA XT cameras come with the new XR Module, a side panel co-developed with Codex to replace the previous SxS Module. The XR Module allows in-camera ARRIRAW recording up to 120 fps onto exceptionally fast and rugged 512 GB XR Capture Drives. 


INNOVATIVE NEW ALTERNATIVE CONTENT EXCHANGE PLATFORMFROM SONY DIGITAL CINEMA BEGINS PILOT PROGRAM | Scribd
Sony’s Digital Cinema Solutions Group is beginning customer trials to test its new web-based, content exchange platform, named “xMassif.” This online marketplace creates a new model for increasing access to alternative, independent and repertory content among content owners, exhibitors and promoters, in an easy-to-use and secure environment.


Okay, this is interesting; stitching together two 4K cameras, then panning and zooming to create 1080 output:
Sony's 4K Camera Stitching Technology Preview from Sony Professional USA on Vimeo.


Stillmotion teams with Vimeo to talk about the story making process. Theres' going to be a challenge at the end of the series...Read the article here: Storytelling the Stillmotion Way: Part 1
Storytelling The Stillmotion Way: Part 1 from stillmotion on Vimeo.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Quick Links

Blackmagic Camera Post Workflow | Derek Johnson | Hurlblog
In our second post on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, we are going to look at some workflow options for getting both the CinemaDNG and ProRes files out of the camera and into the NLE of your choice. Keep in mind there are many factors that dictate how you will approach post workflow – storage space requirements, speed, hardware, software, quality and final delivery – just to name a few.


4K recording for Sony NEX-FS700 (two options) | F-Stop Academy
With an optional advanced firmware upgrade, the NEX-FS700E will output 4K bitstream data over 3G HD-SDI. The HXR-IFR5 interface unit has a 3G HD-SDI input and will transfer the RAW 4K data to record on to the Access Memory Card in the AXS-R5 recorder


NAB2013 - BLACKMAGIC CINEMA 4K & POCKET CINEMA CAMERA | Andrew Wonder
Blackmagic took NAB by storm Sunday night when it slipped to attendees (and then the internet) that they would be showing a new generation of cinema cameras. As one booth goer I met said "they made cameras I didn't even know I wanted." Like many successful companies have done before, Blackmagic is pushing limits in terms of technologies, features and price, not giving us the products we want but the ones we didn't know we needed.


Adobe Premiere Pro: Link & Locate | Adobe TV
How to relink media in Premiere Pro:
Modern productions are built on hundreds (if not thousands) of clips. It's easy to lose track of files, proxies, and backups saved on multiple drives. Link & Locate helps you track down your clips quickly, making media management more efficient


Hot Tips for Filming a Cooking Show that Travels | Heather Giugni | Zacuto
Our show presents creative logistic challenges because our home base is in Hawaii, the most isolated archipelago on earth. Since each episode of Family Ingredients is filmed in a different location, we’re often gearing up for long flights and multi-day shoots in foreign countries. Whether you’re shooting in multiple states or different countries, here are some helpful tips for filming a cooking show that travels.


Dashwood Editor Essentials for Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, Motion and AE
| noiseindustriesllc | YouTube
Dashwood Editor Essentials is a set of utility plugins that can repair footage or do tasks that would normally require a lot of time and effort, can make all the difference in delivering your edit on time.


NAB 2013: Redrock Micro Cobalt GoPro Cage & One Man Crew parabolic slider
| NextWave DV
Brian from Redrock shows us their new Cobalt GoPro Hero cages for heavy-duty rigging of you GoPro Hero3 or Hero2. We also check out the One Man Crew parabolic slider for shooting great interviews with a small crew.


Mamoworld Interview - Treachery (Starring Michael Biehn) Eric Kirk | YouTube
And interview with Mamoworld.com describing the use of the Mocha Import+ tool. This was done on the movie "Treachery", a Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc Biehn film.


Why Filmmaking is Like Software Design | A.D. Calvo | Filmmaker Magazine
You’re probably wondering where the heck I’m going with this, right? Well, here’s the thing: I’ve found these same design principals apply to filmmaking. Think about it. A film has a visual design side (all of the aesthetic decisions for everything from locations and shot lists to one-sheet design), and it also has an abstract side (screenplay, narrative structure, editorial choices). 


What’s the solution? | Effects Corner | SCOTT SQUIRES
A discussion of possible solutions to the problems in the VFX industry:
I continue to see posts, tweets, etc that there must be other solutions. Solutions that are perfect and that solve everything. People have stated they are working on solutions and will be releasing these new solutions any day now.…


10 Tips For Kids Who Want to Be Filmmakers! : FRIDAY 101 | Indy Mogul
| YouTube
On this week's episode, Russell addresses the many, MANY young viewers who write in to our email, or ask us during the live show, "I want to be a filmmaker; What do I do?"


The Designer's Assistant
An informational site for film and television set designers, though there's only a few posts there at the moment:
Using Models For Discussions
This short clip is a great example of how important models can be in pre-shoot meetings. In this short video a Production Designer meets with the Cinematographer to discuss a problematic lighting situation for a large scale built set.



Glidetrack Carbon Crane
Glidetrack posted this tantalizing image to their Facebook page, but there's no other information about it on their website or anywhere else that I can find!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Quick Links

HOW WE DID IT: SNL “HISTORY OF PUNK” | Alex Buono
Right away we knew we wanted a grungy 16mm handheld look, with hard contrasty lighting and strong primary colors that screamed that late 70s period. We certainly weren’t going to shoot with an actual 16mm camera – no time for processing on this schedule and I don’t think there’s even a lab in New York that still processes 16mm. My first thought was to use a 4/3” sensor camera like the Black Magic, with some beat-up old 16mm lenses.
Note that Alex is also going to be doing a "Art of Visual Storytelling" workshop series around the country this summer: Visual Storytelling Tour



Females Beware: It’s a Feeding Frenzy for You in the Ocean of the Film Industry
| Evan Luzzi | The Black and Blue
Amber’s story doesn’t have a dramatic ending. No, this ending is more like an ellipsis — incomplete, but suggestive — that implies females will have to learn how to toe the line between a professional relationship and a personal one on a much higher level than men are expected to.


CinemaCon: The End of Film Distribution in North America Is Almost Here
| Hollywood Reporter
As a result, when a studio now releases a title wide in North America -- sending it out to 2,000-2,500 theaters -- they typically make just a small number of prints, maybe 300, according to Claude Gagnon, president of Technicolor Creative Services.


4K From the Sensor to the Grade with the F5 and F55 | Sony Professional USA
| Vimeo
From this year's NAB show, listen to DP Alistair Chapman tell of his experience discovering the F5's and F55's features. Also, hear about shooting tips and 4K workflow.


Technicolor demonstrate Color Assist running on Final Cut Pro X at NAB 2013
| FCPdotCO | YouTube
We were so impressed by the demo we had on the Monday with Technicolor's Color Assist plugin for FCPX, we had to go back and film it! Some very clever colour correction going on.After Monday's demo, we had numerous conversations with other editors and colourists about Color Assist and all of them showed great interest in the newly updated plugin. 


fxguidetv #170: Dedo on Dedolight | FX Guide
This week we talk about LED lights with Dedo Weigert, the founder of film, television and still lighting system maker Dedolight. Our thanks to Lemac and the Australian Cinematographers Society for making this interview possible. In this episode we also highlight the new April 2013 term of visual effects courses over at fxphd.


Atomos Samurai Blade is a great looking monitor | DSLR Film Noob
At first I thought the price of the Samurai Blade ($1295) was a bit much, but when I started comparing it to the latest SmallHD monitors, the price starts to look a little more reasonable. Above is the Smallhd AC7 ($600) on the left and the Smallhd AC7 OLED ($1100) on the right.


Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC continues his collaboration with director Terrence Malick on the abstract, poetic love story To the Wonder | ASC
He said, ‘If you want to read the script you can, but you don’t have to — in fact, it might be better if you don’t, so you can act like a documentary filmmaker and come onto the locations and capture these ideas we’ve been talking about. I don’t want to prep a movie the way they prep a movie in Hollywood.’ I’m stubborn and I’m used to doing things a certain way, so I still read the script.


8 Gadgets For Low-Budget Filmmaking at the National Association of Broadcasters | IndieWire
The new Fill-Lite (shown by BandPro at the show) lends extreme portability and low profile to indie productions. The LED soft light panel is about an inch thick and uses about 1/10th of the power a soft light box uses to deliver the same amount of light. Buh-bye generator. Also, because they’re low-power LED-based, multiple Fill-Lites can be powered by a standard photographer’s battery pack and the brightness can be regulated manually with a dimmer knob or with a remote control via an iPad/iPhone. 



VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mount Condenser Microphone | Shure
It's not out yet, but might be interesting
The Shure VP83F LensHopper™ is a compact, condenser shotgun microphone with detailed, high-definition audio and integrated flash recording/playback capabilities for use with DSLR cameras and camcorders. Integrated flash recording/playback (MicroSDHC) enables WAV file capture at 24-bit/48kHz sampling rate, while the intuitive menu and one-button recording make it fast and easy to use in almost any environment.



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Quick Links

H6 Handy Recorder | Zoom
Interesting new recorder announced by Zoom:
  • The world's first handy recorder with interchangeable mic system
  • XY mics capture remarkable stereo depth and clarity
  • Mid-side mics provide continuously variable stereo width
  • Four XLR/TRS inputs for external mic/line connections
  • Up to six channels of simultaneous recording
  • High-definition audio of up to 24-bit/96kHz


And if you're looking for a portable recorder to use with your DSLR, or other video camera, the new Tascam DR-60D ($349) looks really interesting too.

  • Records Up to 4 Channels Simultaneously
  • Screw-On DSLR Camera and Mount to Tripod
  • Operates on 4 AA Batteries
  • Up to 24-bit, 96 kHz PCM Recording
  • Two XLR/TRS Combo Mic/Line Jacks

B & H has posted a look at the recorder here: Hands-On Review: the Tascam DR-60D



The full Panasonic GH3 review | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking the GH3 isn’t a huge step up from the GH2 in terms of image quality. Even on the lowest sharpness setting the GH2 pumped out an insane level of detail in 1080p well on par with the $15,000 Canon C300. The GH3 allows you to dial sharpness down far lower, which results in an image you have more control over in post.


Blackmagic Cinema Camera - Resolution and Color Charts | Jason Greene
| YouTube
This is a short test I tried with my Blackmagic Cinema Camera. I wanted to compare raw (.dng) vs. DNxHD files and DNxHD Film vs. Video gamma in terms of resolution and color. Nothing too fancy here, just my own shots. The test helps me to better understand the functioning of the camera and its performance under controlled conditions. In this case, it also helps me learn the workflow.


Redrock Micro Launches New Cobalt Cage for GoPro, Featuring First Cage for GoPro Hero3 | Digital Production Buzz
You can buy the Redrock Micro Cobalt Cage for GoPro Action Cameras now for $99
Redrock Micro, the recognized leader in affordable professional-grade cinema accessories, has announced its new line of Cobalt Cages and accessories for the GoPro cameras, including support for the new GoPro HERO3. The Cobalt Cage delivers a beautifully designed aluminum housing that encases the camera for ultimate protection, exceptional mounting and rigging support, and extensive accessory attachments.


Pocket Cinema Camera c-mount compatibility list | Julian | EOSHD
Eagerly awaiting your Pocket Cinema Camera? You already have a micro for thirds camera and some C-mount lenses? Want to know if they will cover the sensor of the Pocket? Lets find out! I hope you will add your results, so we can make this list growing.
I will only add lenses to the lists when you have proof, in other words: images.


At NAB 2013 Roger Bolton demos SliceX from Coremelt on Final Cut Pro X | fcp.co
At NAB 2013, Roger was demoing the latest version of SliceX which features the planar tracker Mocha built in. It's a very well respected industry tool and works within the FCPX plugin with one click. The demo from Roger shows how this plugin will really save time, complex masking that would have taken hours can be performed in seconds.


Mocha [before/after] from Borzacch on Vimeo.


2013 Imagineer Systems Customer Reel - mocha AE & mocha Pro from Imagineer Systems on Vimeo.


Skyfall (2012) | Art of the Title
While the content and construction of the Skyfall titles are novel, darkening the tone significantly from past sequences and employing a Z-oriented digital camera without brakes, it is nevertheless an apt continuation of the Bond title tradition, apparent both in the patience of its delivery and use of familiar visual tropes and typography.

Events

APRIL 25TH VISUAL STORYTELLERS FEATURING BEN CONSOLI, PIXELFLOW AND MORE | BOSCPUG
"Real-World FCP X Workflow": From ingest to delivery, how I use FCP X for real projects everyday - Ben ConsoliBen Consoli is a director, DP, editor and Final Cut Pro X power user. Within one year of its release, Ben upgraded his entire production company, BC Media Productions, to FCP X. Ben's unique presentation will demonstrate the real-world FCP X workflow that he uses on every project he produces.

Pub Night on Wednesday April 17th: The Challenges of Shooting News Around the World | Matthew Allard | Rule Boston
Wednesday, April 17 from 6-8pm
Join award-winning shooter and editor, Matthew Allard, who shares his 23+ years of experience covering breaking news stories around the world — from major sporting events to terrorist bombings — while shooting almost exclusively with large sensor cameras.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Quick Links

Ep. 42 - "NAB 2013 Super Wrap Up" (with Matt Allard, Rick Macomber & Rob Ruscher) | NeedCreative Podcast
IN THIS EPISODE:In this 42nd episode of the NeedCreative Podcast, your host Paul Antico is joined by a fantastic panel of shooter/DPs including Matt Allard of Al-Jazeera English, Rick Macomber of CBS Boston, and Ron Ruscher of 522 Productions, who all report on their experiences at NABShow 2013. Matt and Rick in particular helped shoot over 60 video reports from the show floor (all available on www.newsshooter.com), and Rob combed the floor as well for the latest in indie film production gear. This is all about gear this week, and it's a blockbuster.


Coloristos #11: "NAB 2013 Highlights" | Podomatic
In this Episode of the ColorCast, the Coloristos discuss highlights for colorists at NAB 2013, including DaVinci Resolve 10, SpeedGrade CS7, Smoke 2013, the Scratch 8 preview, Mistika 7.2, and the new Baselight One Deskside and Slate Control Panel.


More tech from NAB show | Chris Patmore | movieScope
Without doubt, the most intriguing is Freefly Systems’ MÅŒVI, which cinematographer Vincent Laforet is calling “a gamechanger”. Taking a completely different approach to the industry-standard Steadicam, it is a handheld digital 3-axis gyro-stabilised gimbal that can be operated solo, or with a second remote operator.


QUICK LOOK AT THE BLACKMAGIC POCKET CINEMA CAMERA | Rick Young
| Movie Machine
This has been compared to Super 16mm in terms of sensor size, features Cinema DNG recording with 13 stops of dynamic range – and can also record ProRes (HQ). Lens can be attached via an active Micro Four Thirds lens mount and, via adapters, many other lenses will also be able to be fitted. The camera is small and powerful and is expected to available in July, 2013 for $995.


Prime Lens for DSLR Demo with the Sigma 30mm 1.4 | Ray Ortega | YouTube
Prime lenses make for a great first lens or an additional to your kit of lenes. They give you the filmic look often desired by DSLR shooters because they can create really shallow depth of field (blurry backgrounds) through their large apertures.


NAB 2013: MILLER SOLO TRIPODS WITH RAPID LOCK LEGS | News Shooter
Rick Macomber talks to Miller Tripods about their new Rapid Lock legs, which require only a quarter-turn to lock and unlock. Plus we get to see the inside of a fluid head. Complicated buggers, aren’t they? And if you’re in the heavy iron category, they’ve got a new Skyline 70 fluid head with a 150mm ball that will hold 82 pounds of camera.


Wi Audiolink wireless Rode Videomic pro test | DSLR Film Noob
More Wi Audiolink examples for those of you who wanted some more audio tests. In these case the transmitter was only about 6 feet away from the camera. It seems the best audio path when using the Wi Audiolink is to feed the microphone into the preamp then feed the camera output of the juicedlink unit into the transmitter. This provides the best audio to the wireless transmitter before it digitizes the signal and sends it to the receiver.


The New Digital Storytelling Series: Brett Gaylor | Filmmaker Magazine
In the sixth part of Filmmaker‘s interview project with prominent figures from the world of transmedia, conducted through the MIT Open Documentary Lab,  Brett Gaylor, Senior Director of Mozilla’s Webmaker initiative (including Mozilla PopcornMaker and Popcorn.js)  answers our questions.


2013 NAB SHOW BUZZ: ROSS SHAIN, IMAGINEER SYSTEMS | Mina | NAB Show Buzz
Core Melt is working together with Imagineer Systems academy award winning program, Mocha, to provide FCP X users with rotoscoping and masking plugins.


NAB 2013: FRONTLINE Senior Editor Steve Audette | Avid | YouTube
Steve Audette has been making documentaries for nearly 20 years. With over 40 production credits, Audette's work has contributed to many Emmy Award-winning documentaries, as well as Peabody and DuPont Columbia Award-winning programs.


You can now buy a 50" 4K TV for $1299! | Freya Black | Red Shark News
The first wave of cheap consumer level 4k UHD displays is here. Tiger Direct in the USA are selling a Seiki branded 50“ UHDTV for only $1299! Now maybe 50“ is a little on the small side to take full advantage of the 4K UHD images but I’m sure these are still going to sell like hotcakes and it’s worth keeping in mind that we are only at the start of this wave of 4K technology.


Seven Rules for Managing Creative-But-Difficult People
| Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | Harvard Business Review
1. Spoil them and let them fail: Like parents who celebrate their children's mess: show your creatives unconditional support and encourage them to do the absurd and fail. Innovation comes from uncertainty, risk, and experimentation — if you know it will work, it isn't creative. 



RED REEL 2013 NAB from Brian Rovanpera on Vimeo.