Notes On Video

Canon Suspends Downloading of New C300 Firmware | CanonRumors We have suspended download services for Firmware Version 1.1.0.1.00 that was posted Tuesday November 12, 2013 at 8PM EST, because it has been determined that discrepancies in color balance can occur with footage captured by the EOS C300 and EOS C300PL running Firmware Version 1.1.0.1.00. UPDATE : Paul Antico writes: Just FYI, I did upgrade my cameras before the FW was pulled. I can't find anything wrong with the color; I shot for two full days afterwards with no issue and the footage looks fine in the edit. However, I used C-Log. Some are reporting the issue is with a green tint on Wide DR gamma in the C300, which I generally avoid. Upcoming New England Events SMPTE New England 4K is Here to Stay: Are You Ready? with Grass Valley & Blackmagic Design Wednesday, November 20, 2013 Doors open at 6:30pm Presentation at 7:00pm Rule Broadcast Rule Broadcast Systems, 1284 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 0213...

4K Cameras: What’s the State of the Art in 2013? | StudioDaily But 4K's early adopters remained on the cutting edge all year, without many new camera products to challenge them. At NAB, Blackmagic announced a 4K camera for June delivery but has struggled to get it out the door in 2013. JVC devised a more expensive alternative to its inexpensive GY-HMQ10 camera, but only put it on the market in Japan. Freelance. To Incorporate Or Not | WideOpenCamera I used My Corporation to set everything up. They are fairly inexpensive and will do everything for you. There are a few ways to save a few pennies by sending in some of the forms yourself but the entire process only cost me around five hundred smackers. INTERBEE 2013 LIVE SHOW REPLAY: “5D MKII WAS A KINDA ACCIDENT FOR CANON” – CANON CINEMA EOS GLOBAL PRODUCT MANAGER YOSHINARI ONDA TALKS | News Shooter Canon Cinema EOS global product manager Yoshinari Onda came onto our live show from the show floor. Mr Onda has been in c...

More Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera RAW footage I decided to compare ProRes with the recently released RAW firmware from Blackmagic. I was very surprised by how much of a difference there was between the two. The 12-bit RAW looks alot better than some RED footage I've worked with, besides the ugly Moire which shows it's ugly head in this shot. Detail seems nearly identical. The most apparent difference is how the raw responds to the LUT. In the second shot, you can see the raw retains the highlights better. The blacks are also more crushed in the prores clips. Overall the colors respond more willingly. Being able to dial in WB/EXP/Sharpness in post feels pretty nice too. No sharpness applied to these though. CANON UPDATES FIRMWARE FOR CINEMA EOS CAMERAS – C300 GAINS AF AND OTHER FUNCTIONS | News Shooter Today they delivered on their promise with firmware version 1.1.0.1.00 and added a raft of extra functions as well. The AF is similar to the original C100, but ...

Thursday, November 14, 2013 Time 6:00pm until 9:00pm in EST Directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Lucy Walker, this HBO documentary tells the story of an escalating rivalry between snowboarders Kevin Pearce and his nemesis Shaun White in the run-up to the 2010 Olympics that leaves Shaun on top of the Olympic podium and Kevin in a coma following a training accident in Park City, Utah. Kevin's tight-knit Vermont family flies to his side and helps him rebuild his life as a brain injury survivor. But when he insists he wants to return to the sport he still loves, his family intervenes with his eloquent brother David speaking for all of them when he says, “I just don’t want you to die.” Kevin’s doctors caution him that even a small blow to the head could be enough to kill him. Will Kevin defy them and insist on pursuing his passion? With his now impaired skills, what other options does he have? How much risk is too much? Lucy Walker, Kevin Pearce, and Dan Daneshvar, a postdo...

I've always wanted a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, but.... Now I find that Sony has an E-mount 70-200 f/4 lens coming that includes Optical Image stabilization. And even though I have a Canon DSLR, I'm using lenses on the NEX-EA50 more than on the Canon camera. [ Note , the NEX-EA50 currently has a $600 mail-in rebate, costing $2,725 .] The new lens is expected to ship in April 2014 and cost between $1,300-$1,600. Sony :  FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS SEL70200G This compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lens is ideal for full-frame E-mount bodies, delivering superb G Lens image quality throughout the zoom range. AA (advanced aspherical) elements, Super ED and ED glass elements, the Sony Nano AR Coating, and a 9-blade circular aperture add up to refined rendering with smooth bokeh where desired. Maximum aperture is a constant F4, and the physical length of the lens does not change when zooming or focusing. Dual linear motors ensure fast, precise focusing. Focus hold, range limiter an...

I recently interviewed Gez Medinger, the co-director of AfterDeath , a thriller/horror movie currently in post-production. You can read the interview, in three parts, at Filmmaker Magazine. If you've dreamed about making a film, or you're in the process of trying to get your first film off the ground, you really have to read this story. Gez spent ten years intending to make a movie: When we wrote our business plan back in early 2002, I remember writing, “We expect to be in production of our first feature film by 2004-2005,” and as it happened it was 2013 before we actually got there. But after several false starts, and many years, he finally realized that he had to make it happen himself: I realized that the only thing that stops me from making a film now is me. As soon as I had the realization that I had to take the power and control out of other people’s hands and put it into my own, I knew the only thing that would ever stop me from making a film was my own drive a...

Listen Up, First Time Filmmakers! Why Low Budget Directors Shouldn't Be Their Own Producers | IndieWire A good producer will handle problems on set while allowing you to do what you’re supposed to be there for – directing the film. And not only will they keep people from bugging you while you’re trying to direct, but they will also keep the day moving. It’s literally impossible to keep track of all of the moving elements on a film production yourself, and when you have a great producer on board, they will ensure that the train keeps moving and gets to where it needs to be on time. The 5 Habits of Highly Successful Filmmakers | Raindance Film Festival 2. Use it or lose it. One of the first film persons I met was Dov Simens of 2 Day Film School fame. Although he is neither a screenwriter or director, he writes every single day. He doesn’t write twelve page articles that are finely polished, or a script a day – all he does is flex his mind muscles – a bit like going to the h...

5D Mark III raw video (Magic Lantern) versus KineRAW MINI for image quality | EOSHD Overall I prefer the 5D Mark III because of the full frame look to lenses and Canon colour science. That said, colour isn’t baked in with raw. It’s very much in the hands of the colourist – it’s just that the KineRAW MINI’s output often needs that bit more effort in post than with Canon raw. After Effects Creative Cloud Updates | ProVideoCoalition The Rigid Mask Tracker, which can take an initial mask shape you’ve drawn, and adjusts it from frame to frame as the enclosed object moves around the screen. There are some limitations - such as the object must be “rigid” (think windows instead of moving lips) - but it works surprisingly well. Canon Introduces the DP-V3010 4K Monitor | CanonRumors The Canon DP-V3010 4K Reference Display measures 30 inches wide diagonally by 7.4 inches deep to help minimize space requirements and provides a 2000:1 DCI-compliant contrast ratio, uniform brightness,...

Don't Mourn Blockbuster. Weep for the Video-Store Era | IndieWire Blockbuster Video is dead, or at least it will be by January, when the company will close the 300 stores it operates and end its DVD-by-mail service. The Los Angeles Times says franchised and licensed stores will stay open -- no number is given -- but chances are they're not long for this world either. Interview with Visual Effects Artist David Luong | Grey Scale Gorilla David Luong is currently a Senior Cinematic Artist II at Blizzard Entertainment, He’s been working in the visual effects industry for nearly 8 years. He currently does lighting, compositing, and matte painting for Blizzard’s cinematics on games such as Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, and World of Warcraft. Independent Videographer and Cinematographer Adam Lyons Converts to Sony Pro Camcorders | Sony He uses different camera combinations for different projects. Lyons prefers to use the Sony FS100 for music videos and other small productions,...

Yesterday Canon announced a Dual Pixel AF upgrade for the Canon C100. It promises faster focusing, but you have to send the camera in to Canon to get the upgrade - which costs $500 - and the upgrade will be available starting February 2014. I was wondering what the upgrade involved (was the sensor replaced?), and whether it would be a permanent upgrade to future models, so I sent an inquiry to Canon. They responded: 1. There is no need to change the image sensor in the EOS C100 digital video camera in order to perform this feature upgrade. 2. This is an optional upgrade, and as such it will not be installed at the factory for future shipments of the C100. If you're interested in the upgrade, you might want to check out Jonah Kessel's article about it at News Shooter.com . He's not really sure he needs the feature, but the article also includes a description of how it works:  CANON C100 UPGRADE: DUAL PIXEL CMOS AUTOFOCUS BREAKS INTO C SERIES CAMERAS | News Shoot...

The State of 4K | Filmmaker Magazine I tried to sum up what's going on in 4K at the moment... Technology tipping points – when something goes from the unusual to the commonplace – can happen with unexpected rapidity. Has 4K reached a tipping point, and if so what aspect of 4K? Acquisition, production, distribution, or all three? If you’re shooting a film today, should you be shooting in 4K? But of course, things keep changing. Here's an article that ARRI was promoting yesterday because it makes the case for dynamic range over resolution: Why 4K Might Not Be the Best Way to Attract Consumers | The Hollywood Reporter But what if they could choose only one? By a show of hands, the majority of the hundreds of engineers in attendance voted for better pixels, with a fair amount choosing faster pixels (higher frame rates), leaving 4K a distant third with just a few supporters in the room. From Chicago to the Moon: The power of 4K resolution and how to make it work for you ...

Canon to Offer Dual Pixel CMOS AF Upgrade for the EOS C100 Digital Video Camera New EOS C100 Camera Feature Upgrade Offers Outstanding Continuous AF Performance for Documentary, Electronic News Gathering, and Small-Crew Productions MELVILLE, N.Y., November 5, 2013 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, announced today that the Company will offer an optional feature upgrade for the EOS C100 Digital Video camera which will support innovative Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus technology, enabling continuous autofocusing with Canon’s entire EF lens lineup [1] . This optional upgrade is expected to be available in February 2014 for a cost of $500.00 and will require the EOS C100 camera body to be shipped to a Canon service center. The Canon feature upgrade will provide the EOS C100 camera (first introduced in November 2012) with greatly improved autofocus (AF) functionality made possible through Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. First employed in the EOS 70D digita...

D3ing the F3 | Sam Morgan Moore Working with the Sony F3: So I've been fiddling around with Sony Slog footage from my new camera. The trouble is that it is so flat ‘where to go’?Then I realised, make it look like a camera you like, and the Nikon D3 stills camera is a camera I like. Exclusive images show skydivers' terrifying collision and chaotic plunge | NBC News This is about the most amazing footage I've ever seen: The cameras strapped to the skydivers' helmets were supposed to memorialize their perfectly timed jumps and exhilarating descent from two small planes to the earth 12,000 feet below. EBB AND FLOW: JONAH KESSEL ON COMMERCIAL VIDEO FUELING EDITORIAL POSSIBILITIES | News Shooter What I didn’t realize then was that the financial necessity fueling my venture into the commercial video world, would not only change how I view the online video landscape, but also elevate my ability as a video journalist dramatically. Found: Long-Lost Movies No...

D16 Camera from Digital Bolex Could Be Released in Just a Few Weeks | NoFilmSchool In a blog post over on the Digital Bolex site, Joe and Elle mentioned when we can expect the first cameras to be released, and also posted some photos of the completed paint job and metal work on the camera: Mark Schimmel, Director/Producer Finds the Sony FS100 the “Right Tool” for any Job | Sony “The camera helps to create a subtle and stunning ‘bokeh’ effect combined with depth of field, which is very important to the look and feel I am always trying to achieve.  The sensor also delivers outstanding exposure latitude for HD shooting. During the Wrangler project when I was shooting in the roping arena, there was no artificial light, only ambient light filtering through a translucent roof covering. The camera’s exposure latitude allowed me to shoot at 60 FPS in low light conditions. The end results were outstanding.” Shooting “The Whistler” on ALEXA | Colton Davie Because of our tiny c...

New Creative Cloud pro video features now available | Adobe The updates to Adobe's Creative Cloud are coming out. The Prelude Live Logger iPad app sounds interesting: The 150+ new features in Adobe Premiere® Pro CC, After Effects® CC, SpeedGrade® CC, Prelude™ CC, Adobe Media Encoder CC, and Adobe Story CC Plus that were announced at IBC last month are available effective immediately via Adobe Creative Cloud. Today we are also delivering a new iPad app, Prelude Live Logger, which adds another tool to your arsenal for faster, more efficient production workflows. announcing the After Effects CC (12.1) update, one of several October 2013 updates for Adobe professional video applications | Adobe Among many other changes and fixes, this updates enables After Effects CC to run on Mac OS X v10.9 (Mavericks). This full update makes it unnecessary to install the previous After Effects CC (12.0.1) patch. Unlike the After Effects CC (12.0.1) patch, the After Effects CC (12.1) update ...

It was ironic that on my way to last night’s SMPTE meeting at Channel 5 Boston, I dropped off my cable TV box at a Verizon store. I am now officially cordless - no more cable TV for me! The only way I can see Channel 5's programming is on their website! The meeting was a presentation from Sony talking about 4K; specifically 4K TVs and projection. The message was; 4K is here, and NHK in Japan is working on 8K . They had a 65” 4K TV ($5K for 4K), the $650 “hockey-puck” 4K home video server (which only works with Sony content and a Sony 4K TV) and a 4K Projector (and it was not one of the big “Cinema” projectors, but one of their “home or business” units.) Up close the picture on both was very impressive. I’m still not convinced that you need 4K in the home unless you have a really large display, and/or sit very close to the display. It would make no sense to replace my 42” HD screen with a 42” 4K one. And, of course, given the lack of 4K material, buying a 4K display is mor...

Tomorrow night, Halloween, they are going to do a  recreation of the War of the World's broadcast at the Regent Theater in Arlington MA. Christopher Lydon, Joyce Kulhawik, William Martin, ChaChi Loprette, Laura Raposa, Allison Cahill and the rest of the cast are gearing up for a great night of entertainment as the live recreation of Orson Welles' WAR OF THE WORLDS lands at the Regent Theatre in Arlington at 7:30 this Thursday. Find out more at: The Orson Welles Complex Film Scoring & Music Seminar : Saturday, November 2nd High Output Studios Coffee & Bagels at 9:30 AM. Seminars from 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Creating the music and scoring for films is an art – but defining the sometimes-mystical quality that will help a music score succeed is difficult to quantify.  Join us for an open discussion with 4 top composers as they give you insight into how to approach scoring for films – from conceptualization to composition to orchestration – and the challen...

Blackmagic Design Cinema Cameras: Production Workflow Roundup | Premium Beat For a truly cinematic look it helps to shoot in a cinematic aspect ratio using anamorphic lenses. Redshark News offers some insights into working with the BMDCC cameras and anamorphic lens adaptors in this short post. In the video above DP Ryan Glover shot in Log Pro Res on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera with a Kowa/B&H 2x anamorphic adapter. EOS 7D Mark II Spec List Surfaces [CR1] | CanonRumors According to the rumor, the sensor is not yet confirmed, though it does mention it won’t be the same as the EOS 70D. Also a mention of innovative video features, something we’ve talked about previously. There’s not much new here as far as specs go, but at least the camera is being talked about. Consumer DSLRs “dead in 5 years” | EOSHD Until now the ‘smartphone problem’ had been pretty much isolated to the low end compact camera market. In my opinion this market is defunct and will vanish entirely withi...