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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Quick Links

Drones seem to be "it" at the moment, with lots of different models appearing. This one seems barely larger than the GoPro it carries:
AERIAL VIDEOGRAPHY IN YOUR POCKET | Videomaker
The Pocket Drone is a multicopter that makes aerial videography possible through the use of an action camera such as the GoPro Hero 3. It's capable of carrying a payload of up to half a pound.


Cheap $50 Lens for DSLR Video | DSLR Video Shooter
The lens in question is the Olympus 50mm F1.8 fully metal manual lens. I found this lens in EX condition at KEH camera and LOVE IT. The sharpness of this little sucker blew my mind. And the manual focus ring and aperture are perfect for us DSLR video shooters. It also works great with full frame and APS-C sensors.


The Kessler Parallax is intended to solve the problem of keeping the camera pointing on a still subject as the camera is moved along a slider.
Redrock produced one solution for this; the One Man Crew, but the Kessler product has the advantage of being an add-on to their regular slider.
Minute Review – Kessler Parallax | NinoFilm
The good thing about the Parallax is that there is not so much to say about it – it just does what it says it does, and it simply works very well. There are only two minor downsides: For one, the Parallax itself can’t stay on the CineSlider if you use one of their bags or cases, it’s too big – so you need to take it off.
Meanwhile, Kessler has a site that offers a variety of information:
Kessler relaunched Kessler University learning site; Adding Movement to Photography with Patrick Moreau of Stillmotion | News Shooter
While the site features a lot Kessler gear there is also tons of inspiration, whatever brand you use. It’s well worth grabbing a drink, sitting down and immersing yourself for thirty minutes. I particularly like this video by Patrick Moreau of Stillmotion who explains his method of using stills in a video, in a way he feels maintains the narrative flow.




Video cameras all seem to include Wi-Fi support of some sort, but mostly for monitoring or trasnferring content; only a few are really intended for live streaming to people watching...but this camera seems to be intended for just that, with support for recording to two codecs simultaneously, and it can stream over 3G/4G mobile and WiFi. It's $5,995.
RedShark reviews the dual codec, streaming camcorder: JVC's GY-HM650 | Red Shark
The BBC has put in for a large order of 650s and so clearly feels that it offers something above the competition. The compatibility with Sony’s XDCAM EX series is an advantage, as is the fact that it can also record AVCHD, making it a versatile camera to use if you need to cater for a few different NLE requirements.


This reminds me of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail bit: "Bring Out Your Dead," it seems film is not...quite...dead....yet:
Paramount Pictures to make some exceptions to all-digital policy | Los Angeles Times
Paramount Pictures reiterated to exhibitors this week its plans to embrace the digital format, but added that it would make exceptions for some movies.


So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: Part 5 | Go Into The Story
So it occurred to me, why not just deal with it once and for all! Get every single supposed screenwriting rule out on the table, then go through them, one by one, to see if we can take all the heat that typically gets generated when one of these online snits breaks out and collectively create some actual light.


I used to think that interactive video would be really great for entertainment. And it is, if you count video games as interactive video. But video streams that you jump around in? For education, I can see the point, but for entertainment I don't think it works. Or let's put it this way, I get bored of clicking for silly reasons.
But here's a contest to make an interactive video:
Tribeca Film Fest Launches Interactive Music Film Challenge, with $10K for Winning Filmmakers | IndieWire
The Tribeca Film Festival has unveiled a new competition, the Tribeca Interactive & Interlude: A Music Film Challenge. The fest invites storytellers and content creators to work with Interlude’s video platform to create an interactive music film for major music artists Damon Albarn, Aloe Blacc, and Ellie Goulding. The winning project for each will screen at the fest in April.
You can see some examples of authored interactive movies on the Genero site here.


The robots are coming to take over our jobs:
Show-Focus: The Future of Pulling Focus | Filmmaker Magazine
Designed to facilitate the duties of the on-set focus-puller, Show-Focus renders a physical representation of the invisible plane of focus so that the precise focal point can be deduced, and captured, at any time.


If you've ever used a 'serious' zoom lens, you' will of heard about back-focus. For the rest of us, you might of heard of it, but it's not something you can really do much about as many lenses don't have a back-focus adjustment that the user can perform.
But here's an explanation from Fujinon about how it's done:
How To Back Focus A Camera Lens | YouTube
If you're a professional videographer or cinematographer, you've likely been in a situation where your focus is sharp, but softens when you zoom in or zoom out. When this happens, your back focus needs adjusting.



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