Notes On Video

Rigs for DSLR shooters range in size, functionality and cost, with high-end manufacturers like Zacuto and budget places like Jag35 (you can also find even cheaper stuff on eBay!) Occupying the middle ground is Redrock, who sell a variety of units that seem to be well regarded for durability. They have now come out with a stripped down budget rig, the RunningMan . This looks interesting because it starts at $400, with a "full kit" costing $600. Though it's been pre-announced, they haven't done a proper announcement yet; it's not on their website. It's also unclear what's included, though I don't THINK it includes a loupe; even though one is shown in the photograph above. The text says it includes the microFinder loupe accessory, which is actually just an attachment for keeping a loupe connected to your camera. Cost wise, it certainly looks interesting, though with most rigs, I think you need to try them out to see if they feel comfortable and fit ...

The August BOSFCPUG mixer is scheduled to happen next week on Thursday, August 19th. This is being billed as the first BOSFCPUG Canon Filmmaker Meetup , featuring special guest Barbara Ellison of Canon,and is aimed at digital filmmakers who want to learn more about HD workflow using Canon's latest video and DSLR cameras. This meeting will also highlight the Canon XF305 Professional Camcorder. They'll have the XF305 to play with, as well as Canon's latest DSLR cameras with some of the most popular lenses for DSLR filmmaking. Actual location and time will be announced shortly... [ I wonder if the 60D will have been announced by then... ] BOSFCPUG : Web page

A while back I wrote about the .THM files that some cameras create along with their video files, which prompted this question: I try to import .avi from my laptop on my canon .. i don't have .thm that comes with it .. Can I create an .thm ?? .. or how can i read any .avi if it does not from the canon itself... First, a clarification: as far as I am aware, you do NOT need the .THM files to be able to open and play the .AVI files. The .THM files are there to help with searching and cataloging; for example Canon supplies a media browser application that uses these files. But the .AVI files should play fine without them. If you have an .AVI or other video file that won't play on your computer, it's often because the video file uses a video compressor that you don't have installed in your system. You can often get these compressors as part of editing applications (like Premiere and Final Cut Pro ), but they aren't the only ways to get them - and they may not support...

In response to yesterdays article about the NEX-VG10 vs. DSLRs , reader Paul noted that one solution for low-light situations is to use an Alpha lens: The buzz I'm hearing most is that you'd do best getting the 50mm Alpha lens that goes to f1.4, achieving a 75mm view at a 35mm sensor equivalent but sacrificing auto-focus and image stabilization. It's true that if you buy the $200 LA-EA1 you will be able to connect Alpha A-mount lenses to the E-mount NEX-VG10, so it's definitely a possibility. BUT, as Paul notes, you lose auto-focus and image stabilization. The LA-EA1 lets the camera body talk to the aperture ring of the lens, but you don't get image stabilization because, as an article at Alphatracks explains about the NEX-5/3 cameras: Sony Alpha dSLRs are famous for having image stabilization built into the body. In order to make the NEX bodies as small as possible, however, Sony engineered the small cameras to use in-lens stabilization. As a result, A-mount len...

The Sony NEX-VG10 may be Sony's answer to the success of the HD DLSR; a camera that uses a large sensor to produce a shallow Depth of Field. Certainly there's a lot of interest in the NEX-VG10 on the video forums, even if it doesn't shoot 24fps. Coincidentally, I just spent most of Saturday shooting an event using a Canon DSLR and four lenses. I've always had reservations about SLR's as video cameras - lack of auto-focus, difficult manual focus, form factor, etc., - and this experience did nothing to change my mind. Yes, I could get some really interesting and unusual shots, but the problems listed above - as well as the hassle of constantly changing lenses - had me wishing I'd used a regular video camera. So I'm awaiting the arrival of the NEX-VG10, even though it seems to have limitations too. Alistar Chapman at XDCAM-User.com got to play with a prototype Sony NEX-VG10 for a brief period of time last week. He found it small and light, though a bit...

Redrock posted this promotional video on YouTube about their upcoming microRemote . It still looks like it could be really cool, though I think it's going to be more expensive than we all thought; originally it was thought it was going to be around $500, then it went to $1,000...I suspect it'll be more like $1,500 to actually set it up in wireless mode (wired might be cheaper.) Still no info on availability:

The ' get ' plugin for Final Cut that does phonetic searching of video clips is now available. AV3 Software : 'get' page NotesOnVideo : 'get' for Final Cut

This weekend there's a special deal on Core Melts Lock & Load X. Lock & Load is a stabilization filter which is supposed to be faster than Final Cuts SmoothCam. But what's really interesting about Lock & Load X is that it claims to remove rolling shutter from clips. Unfortunately I haven't tried it, and haven't found any reviews. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm trying as hard as I can to get my future sports show looking as professional as possible right off the bat. […] I heard of something called a BeachTek audio adapter that can be attached to a videocamera. I wanted to know how crisp the audio is when this technology is used. -CB A lot of consumer cameras have only a mini-plug input for connecting external mics (if they have anything at all.) They also often have no manual gain control. The BeachTek adapter plugs into the mini-plug mic input of a videocamera and gives you XLR jacks for attaching professional mics. They can also allow you to adjust the volume of the separate audio channels, and the one for DSLR's even disables the Auto Gain Circuitry many of these cameras have. There's three or four different models, with different features. I have an earlier model that I used to use with a video camera. It has a screw on the top that can be attached to the tripod mount at the bottom of the camera, and has it's own ...

Hand-on with the Panasonic consumer 3D camera Camcorderinfo got their hands on Panasonic's upcoming consumer 3D video camera, and put it through it's paces. While the 3D lens is detachable, it will only work with this camcorder, and you have to go through some calibration when you attach it: Calibrating the conversion lens is a tricky 3-step process, but the camcorder's menu gives a good amount of detail each step of the way. Even if you have a lot of experience with video, however, calibrating the 3D conversion lens is going to be a unique experience. You'll definitely need to do it a few times before you can really get the hang of it and figure out the best calibration for capturing 3D content. Also, in 3D mode, you have to shoot in full automatic mode - you have no control over zoom or focus - and you need a lot of light (the minimum illumination is listed at 28 lux, and that might be optimistic.) Finally, anything further away than 4m won't have any 3D effe...

WHO : A Canon rep WHERE : Rodney Charters talk at the Boston SuperMeet WHAT : In answer to a question about why firmware wasn't updated more frequently There’s only so many guys in Japan that actually write our firmware. So it’s not like there’s a team of 200 people and we just send them a request and they say “Oh, no problem, we’ll have that to you tomorrow.” When we send a request they say “Okay, well do you want the 1D Mark IV or do you want the firmware update for this?” and we said “mmm wow. Really? That’s what it’s gonna be like that?” So there are times like that where they have to prioritize what they are doing, and sometimes the product cycle interferes with firmware updates. The other part is, the more feedback you give us, the more they say “well we need to do this,” so you just keep screaming about it. See also : NotesOnVideo : Rodney Charters at the SuperMeet [ UPDATE : It seems that Canon isn't the only company with this problem: AppleInsider : Appl...

Sony GV-D200 I've been using a Sony GV-D200 deck to transfer old Video8 and Hi8 tapes. Some of these tapes are over twenty years old, and no longer having a Hi8 camcorder that worked I was concerned that if I didn't do something about transferring them to a more modern format soon, I might never be able to. While Sony no longer make camcorders that use these tapes - that I know of - Sony does still sell the GV-D200 deck (or Video Walkman, as it's sometimes labelled.) They also offer the GV-D800, which is almost identical but adds a small LCD screen for about $120 more. I didn't think I'd need a screen since I was using this to capture to the computer, but you will need an external monitor when you first set it up. Physically, the device is small. At 5 7/8" wide, 5 3/8" deep and 2" high, it's the smallest video deck I've encountered. I used to have a Video8 deck that I thought was small; and it was twice as deep and twice as high. The t...

This week the Copyright Office announced new rules for the application of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act . Previously, the DMCA made it illegal for anyone to break the encryption software on DVDs, but a proposed exemption would allow documentarians to obtain short portions of material from encrypted DVDs for non-infringing use. Note that this is not some new grant of permission to actually use material; rather it just means that a documentarian would not be breaking the DMCA if they extract material from a DVD for a lawful use. Determining a legal use isn't always as simple as it sounds, and it's important that you meet all of these criteria: 1. You must have lawfully acquired a lawfully made DVD 2. You may only copy short portions of material for a "non-infringing use," either material in the public domain or material to be used under "fair use." 3. You must be making the copy to use in a documentary 4. You must only copy what you need, ...

I get some interesting things in my mail, in amongst all the spam. The latest was an email from RODE mics announcing a promotion this August; buy one of their qualifying mics (from a qualifying distributor) and get a Vicoustic Flexi Screen Lite for $1 (AUD) [ that's $.90 USD ]. Qualifying mics are: NT1000 - Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone $329 NT2-A - Multi-Pattern Studio Condenser Microphone $399 NT2000 - Variable Pattern Studio Condenser Microphone $599 NTK - Large-Diaphragm Condenser Studio Microphone $529 K2 - Variable Pattern Studio Tube Condenser Microphone $699 Classic II $2099 Cool. But what's a Vicoustic Flexi Screen Lite ? It appears to be an isolation panel for vocal recording, which might be useful for those who occasionally do voice-over work at home; better than hanging up a comforter . But finding information about them proved rather difficult; B & H doesn't carry them, and neither does any other US vendor that I can see. I have fo...

Motype is a new text animation plug-in for Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express and After Effects based on FxFactory. Motype lets you create complex animations in minutes, thanks to a powerful motion mixer that does away with keyframing. An intuitive set of parameters lets you configure motion blur, per-character particle emitters, randomized characters, 3D camera and environment. Yanobox: Motype Demo video

Oregon Scientific ATC9K If you're looking for an HD helmet/anywhere camera, Oregon Scientific has just announced the ATC9K . Joining the ranks of the VholdR ContourHD 1080p , GoPro HD Helmet HERO and the Drift HD170 HD , the ATC9K offers: HD 1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080) 30 Frames per Second at 1080p mode 60 Frames per Second at 720p mode Includes Double-Sided Remote for easy access and Recording 32GB Micro expandable memory - 32MB Internal Memory G-Sensor HDMI 1.5" LCD Color Screen Laser Pointer 135 Degree Field of View (FOV) Waterproof up to 20m Shock Resistant up to 1.2m The G-Sensor looks interesting; I gather it doesn't do anything other than measure the shock the camera receives. I'm not sure though, whether we want to be encouraging people to see how violent a shock they can experience! The ATC9K All-Terrain Video Camera is currently available for the suggested retail price of $299.99 at www2.oregonscientific.com and includes a remote control, ...

If you're in LA you might want to check out the upcoming photocineexpo . It's described as " an event not to be missed for HDSLR filmmakers ." Speakers include Shane Hurlbut and The Bui Brothers, with Vincent Laforet and Rodney Charters listed as " Tentative ". REGISTER NOW AND SAVE: Note that if you register by Sunday, you pay $95 and save 36% off the normal price. photocineexpo : Schedule

Expected September 1st | Amazon: $11.43 (save 33%) Inception: The Shooting Script This is a cute mash-up of the movie Up and the Inception Trailer.... except that the ease with which images can be thrown on top of a trailer's sound track and still provide something that *seems* coherent, makes me think that trailers no longer tell you what a movie is about, they just give you a sense of the feeling of the movie...

Ride & Shoot: Bicycle Filmmaking Wed Aug 11, 10am - 12noon Join local filmmaker Bob Nesson for a lesson on how to rig your bike and/or bike trailer to haul gear for your next shoot. Digital Asset Management Wed Aug 18, 10am - 12noon Ryan Servant, NE Sales manager for JB&A Distribution provides a detailed demo of CatDV - a media cataloging tool. Nuts & Bolts of The AC Position Wed Aug 25, 10am - 12noon David Elkins, SOC, author of " The Camera Assistant's Manual ," provides a nuts-and-bolts guide to the Assistant Camera position. Rule : Events@Rule  [ Not updated at time of posting ]

The 19th annual Woods Hole Film Festival , the oldest film festival on Cape Cod, runs from July 31–August 7 this year. This years festival will have two-time Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple as Filmmaker-in-Residence. She will speak after her film Shut Up And Sing on opening night (7/31, 9 PM) and will also be available for Q&A following the screenings of her two Oscar-winning films: Harlan County USA (Sunday, 8/1, 7 PM), and American Dream (Monday, 8/2, 9 PM). Other highlights include a panel discussion with distinguished authors whose works have been made into films on Thursday, 8/5, 4:00 PM) and Kids Day (Sunday, 8/1, 2-4 PM) in Redfield Auditorium featuring an afternoon of award-winning animated films and complimentary ice cream. Casting agent Carolyn Pickman of CP Casting offers master classes on acting for films on Thursday, 8/5, one for teens at 11:00 AM and another for adults at 2:00 PM. Pre-register by emailing info@woodsholefilmfestival.or...