The News

The Blackmagic Production Camera 4K Guide (Part One): Ergonomics and Specifications | wolfcrow

In short, Blackmagic Design has created a product so revolutionary, that they themselves don’t really know which market it will ultimately end up serving the most. To be fair though, judging by initial videos from the Blackmagic 4K Camera, it looks like a winner, and somebody will buy it!

A fun comparison between the late Blackmagic Production Camera 4K and the rumored Panasonic GH4 4K Camera | wolfcrow

The ISO range of the GH4 should be at least usable till 6400 ISO, and this would give it a leg up over the Production Camera. On the other hand, due to the larger pixel pitch, in theory, the Production Camera should have lower noise levels.

Thom Powers Curates Distribution Advice for Filmmakers | Filmmaker Magazine

In a detailed intro, Powers discusses various distribution options, ranging from traditional to hybrid to DIY strategies. Then, he gathers specific advice from filmmakers, journalists, producers, publicists and sales agent. 

A Beginner's Guide to Basic Steadicam Positions | The Black and Blue

There are two basic “modes” of Steadicam operating:
High mode: The camera sits on top of the sled, typically at a height between the operator’s torso and face. This is the most common way Steadicam’s are used.
Low mode: The camera sits below the sled at a height between the operator’s knees and the ground. Often used for close-to-the-ground shots (e.g. tracking someone’s shoes as they walk).

First Look Video. Letus Anamorphx Adapter For The GoPro Hero 3+ | WideOpenCamera

This version was a prototype and had a slight edge blur on the camera right side. All good for the current versions soon to hit the street.

Drew Christie returns to Sundance | Adobe

Combining illustration with animation, the short film riffs on the theme of originality and plagiarism with long passages lifted verbatim from Wikipedia. The piece maintains a natural hand-drawn feel along with the uneven, slightly jumpy cinema of the old silent movies.

Canon Shows Off the Inner Workings of Its Lenses in Cool CES Demos | Peta Pixel

In the you get to see how three of the mechanisms found in Canon’s lenses actually work: the quiet STM or stepping motor, the electromagnetic technology they use to control the aperture diaphragm, and the optical stabilization technology built into their lenses.

John Knoll Talks ILM, Disney, ‘Star Wars’ and Tough Times in the VFX Industry | AWN

Unfortunately, there are a lot of companies that engage in really foolish and short sighted business practices.  You can't just blame the studios for wanting to pay less and less for the work.  What's happening is that when a low target number goes out, somebody says, “Yes.” A lot of times companies are saying “Yes” to a number that they know is going to be below their cost.

Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2014, Big Cities: #6. Boston | MovieMaker

Thanks largely to the influence of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and a few other talented filmmakers, the presence of Boston on the big screen has never been more noticeable.

This is a series of four tests I shot to check the quality of the new "2K center scan" crop mode of Sony's PMW-F55 camcorder. In this mode, the camera only records the center portion of the sensor.One purpose of the center crop mode is to allow 16mm lenses to be used, but as you can see in this test, it can also be used to essentially double the focal length of any lens mounted to the camera -- with no loss of light.