Notes On Video

12 Things to Think About Before Committing to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera for Your Film | Micah Van Hove | No Film School I’ve shot with 4 different Blackmagic cameras so far, and each LCD screen seems to have its different quirks, dead pixels being the constant, so potentially expect to see some. However, the real problem with the BMC screen is that it’s completely unusable in daylight or in any situation where light is hitting the screen, and the included sun shade is not a solution by any means. BLACK MAGIC CINEMA CAMERA USERS GUIDE | The Delivery Men Filming with this camera is pretty simple, make sure highlights are below 100%, focus and press record. That was refreshing. Although the footage doesn’t look very good while you are filming, once you get it on the computer it’s beautiful. The color reproduction, dynamic range and motion rendition are awesome.  Freelance Taxes #3: 50 Deductions You’ll Want to Take to Save Money | Evan Luzi | The Black And Blue 5. Ca...

How the Hackintosh Suddenly Caught FireAnarchy amid the abdication of Mac Pro | Mark Christiansen | Pro Video Coalition This is the story of one man’s experience assembling and running a Hackintosh. For anyone unaware of this illicit, but not yet forbidden alternative to the Mac Pro and altnerative systems from Apple, it is a custom-built computer - one which would straightforwardly run Windows or Linux - with an installation of a slightly modified (hacked) Mac OS that will boot on non-Apple hardware, in clear violation of the terms of the Mac OS. Sony F5 & F55 Scene Files from AbelCine | Andy Shipsides | AbelCine The Sony F5 & F55 cameras are shipping in quantity now, and we’ve gotten a lot of requests for some custom scene files. I’ve put together five files in our usual flavors. They are designed both to change the cameras’ look and make matching the two cameras easier. The cameras handle colors very differently due to their different Color Filter Arrays (to learn m...

Testing Rode’s new Reporter Microphone | Daniel Freytag | Blog Thanks to the combination of a redesigned head and a low positioned membrane the sound is very resistant to wind. Rode itself says in a video that 'you can be in a hurricane and still don't get any wind noise'. I didn't have a hurricane at hand that but you get the idea how resistant it is. Review of the Blackmagic Micro Four Thirds Cinema Camera | Philip Bloom | Blog So…I recommend the MFT over the EF BUT is this a blanket recommendation? No. Everyone’s needs and circumstances are different. When I say I recommend it, I mean it is my choice of the two…if you own no MFT glass at all and lots of Canon glass it’s hard to justify going that route. EOS-1D C Firmware After NAB | CanonRumors I received a screenshot of the firmware being tested a few days and just got around to it today. The screenshot shows all the various frame rates available to you for the EOS-1D C. The biggest addition is the ab...

When I was young - before the internet - you could go through April Fools Day without encountering one joke, trick or jape. Now it seems you're deluged with things...it's just not the same (and by the way, yesterday's piece on the Sony Action Cam was not a joke...maybe I shouldn't have posted it that day.) Lesson: tech companies should not roll out new products on April 1st. Hopefully the following are mostly true, though I'm not 100% certain. NAB 2013 Schedule and “something very special” coming to this blog Part II | Vincent Laforet | Blog Vincent posted this on Sunday, so I think I'm safe. He claims he's been working with a "game changer": I feel the same way about the device that I shot with a few weeks ago – and haven’t felt that way about ANYTHING I’ve seen or shot with since the Canon 5D MKII (The RED Epic is close – the only reason it didn’t make the list was due to the fact that it’s simply not affordable to the amateur market.)...

I just bought the Sony HDR-AS15  [$269] Action Camera. I nearly bought the GoPro HERO3 : Black Edition  [$399], but ultimately decided on the Sony for a couple of reasons. Here’s why: Firstly, I couldn’t get my hands on both units, so I had to make the decision based on reading reviews and watching example videos on YouTube, and then taking a guess about which one was the better one to get (for me.) Secondly, I have spent a little time with the GoPro Hero 3 , primarily helping a friend trying to update the firmware and turn on the Wi-Fi mode. We did take it out and use it to shoot some video during that process, but I didn’t get to review that video afterwards. What’s to like about the GoPro Hero 3? Believe me, it wasn’t an easy decision to not buy the new GoPro Hero 3 . It’s really defined the action camera scene, and the new release has improved low-light performance, and has increased resolution; offering 2.5K , and even 4K (both with the $399 Black model). It’s p...

Last year's seminar series was very good. Each one consisted of a panel of filmmakers or subject matter experts talking about their experiences: Event Info & Registration:  Working Methods Seminars We are delighted to announce the dates for a new Working Methods Seminar Series.  Join us for a great collection of Seminars for 2013 with topics developed from  feedback in our first series. Each seminar will be an opportunity to learn from a panel of accomplished professionals in a relaxed and intimate environment. The seminars include time for audience Q&A and networking.    SCREENWRITING: Saturday, April 13th  High Output Studios   Coffee & Bagels 9:30 AM / Seminars 10:00 - 12:00 Noon 2013 Seminar Schedule April 13  *  Screenwriting  May 18  *  Legal Seminar  June 15  *  Branded Entertainment September 7  *  The Independent Filmmaker  October 5...

Apple aims to win over video editors | Chris O'Brien | Los Angeles Times That campaign, timed to coincide with the National Assn. of Broadcasters convention that starts April 6 in Las Vegas, will feature users like Julian Liurette, who followed the firestorm from his video editing desk in Toronto at the Globe and Mail newspaper. What's new in Final Cut Pro X [X 10.0.8]   | Apple Sony XAVC Shoot with Sony’s latest professional digital video cameras — the F5 and F55 — then import XAVC files directly into Final Cut Pro X and start editing immediately. With support for resolutions up to 4K, you can work natively or convert to Apple ProRes in the background for even better performance. ProRes Log C Multichannel Audio Editing Unified Import Streamlined Share Dual Viewers XAVC APPLE FCPX plugin [ Edited ] | Sony Here is the XAVC plugin for Apple Final Cut Pro X that enables native XAVC editing Note This plug-in requires: Final Cut Pro X 10.0.8 or higher for XAVC fo...

Color Grading A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Part 2: Chris Martin on the Art of the Post-Grade | Michael Murie | Filmmaker Magazine In this second part on the color grading of the movie A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Chris Martin of SPY describes his work to complete the final grade, the workflow, and the color look of the picture. Buying stock footage with the Pond5 plugin for Premiere Pro CS6 | Scott Simmons | Pro Video Coalition I used it several times when working on some stock footage based edits but hadn't had the opportunity to actually carry out the whole purchase and conform process from within PPro until a recent project. Keeping in mind this product is still in beta, here's a few cautions and gotchas that I ran across while working. The History (and Future) of Rotoscoping in After Effects | Adobe After Effects has evolved throughout the past 20 years to make rotoscoping a less eye-bleeding task. Check out how After Effec...

Cinematographer Tobias Linden explains the advantages of a RED EPIC | Freytag Film No other camera manufacturer has ever polarized the filmmaking community like RED does. Since its launch, the company has led the way in terms of 4K+ acquisition, while at the same time ignoring standard business practices (e.g. upgrade paths; actual delivery dates). Today, a RED EPIC can be found on sets of big Hollywood feature productions, television, advertising and even low-budget independent films. But why is the EPIC so widely spread? RED Solves EPIC and SCARLET Fan Noise Issues, Also Introducing New Fans at NAB | Joe Marine | No Film School Jarred Land recently posted that the RED engineers have developed a new smart algorithm for controlling fan speed (and therefore fan noise): The new algorithm constantly monitors temperature and fan speed and starts quieter than the existing quiet setting for the first few minutes and then slowly steps up fan speed up as temperature increases the lon...

Sidewalk Traffic: Interview with D.P. Dave Kruta | Michael Murie  | Filmmaker Magazine The most challenging thing was having to shoot that many pages with a minimal crew. There were a few nine-page days which were out of control. Many days I had only one G&E person. Many people on board were doing their first feature so there was definitely a learning curve, but I think we were successful. #SXSW2013 | Elle Schneider | Digital Bolex SXSW was the first time we’ve been able to accurately show people the weight, size, and ergonomics of the camera, and people really responded to it, taking tons of photos and videos. Hundreds of people stopped by the booth to chat with us and check out what we were doing, including backers and many who had stopped by last year to discover the project in its infancy. Digital goes back to the 70′s – 1st impressions of Dog Schnit Optiks Flare Factory 58 lens and sample photos | Andrew Reid | EOSHD On my test shoot (stills only – I have y...

Tackling Concerns of Independent Workers | Steven Greehouse | New York Times The Freelancers Union, which is based in Brooklyn, doesn’t bargain with employers, but it does address what is by far these workers’ No. 1 concern, by providing them with affordable health insurance. Its health insurance company covers 23,000 workers in New York State and has $105 million in annual revenue. Adobe Encouraging Flights to US For Cheaper Prices |  ZACH SUTTON | F|Stoppers Adobe pushes Australian's into the Cloud. Will everyone else be next?: While this price is comparable to the US price of the product, the box prices for their products are as much as $1000 more in Australia than in the US, for essentially the same products. “If Australian customers don’t see the value of Adobe’s software, they can buy another company’s software” Robson said. “Alternatively, they can take a trip overseas or import the American version.” Self Distributing Your Film – Lessons from a Real W...

Review: Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera | ADAM GARSTONE | Definition Magazine Then, as now, I believed that it would sell very well, though I’m not sure to whom. It’s cheaper than a high-end DSLR, but a very different beast. It isn’t easy to use for fast paced documentary shooting, or events, or anything else you would expect in that £2000 bracket. It’s a cinema camera. Like the Canon 5D MkII, and the RED One, I suspect it will be a game changer. First Cut Pro is a handy, dandy online review and approval system | Scott Simmons | Pro Video Coalition The idea is simple: upload your edit to Vimeo, Brightcove or YouTube (those services are supported now but likely more to come), invite your viewers into the custom First Cut Pro viewing room and they can watch and comment on the video. Those comments are listed in the viewing room interface and the editor can then download those comments into an NLE friendly file that can be brought back into the timeline. PAPERLESS DIRECTIN...

Don't Forget , THIS SATURDAY, the Massachusetts Media Expo : This day-long event will feature over 50 exhibitors, a distinguished panel of guest speakers including: Doug Trumbull, Dorothy Aufiero, Todd Arnow and Mark Kamine. Directing and Casting Workshops will be held in the afternoon, and in the evening the premiere of Whitey Bulger: The Making of a Monster followed by a Q&A session with the directors and special guests. ‘New’ Canon SL1 / 100D and T5i / 700D fail to excite | Andrew Reid | EOSHD Though cute  the new entry level 100D (above) offers a 25% reduction in size at the expense of handling and no articulated screen. There’s seemingly no new functionality on this camera either in video mode, not even for stills! Owners of the 4 year old 550D from 2009 could be forgiven for not rushing to upgrade. Andrew hasn't liked anything Canon has done for years, but it seems others aren't that impressed: CANON LAUNCHES BUDGET HDSLRS: EOS 700D, AND EOS 100D | Ma...

Wacom Cintiq 13HD 13.3" Interactive Pen Display | B & H Wacom has unveiled a new pen display which has a 1920 x 1080 resolution and costs just under $1,000. You can't order it yet: 11.75 x 6.75" Active Area 13.3" Widescreen Display with HDMI Port Full HD 1920 x 1080 Native Resolution 250 cd/m² Brightness 2048 Levels of Pressure Sensitivity Another innovation in Camera Stabilizers? | Planet5D A camera stabilizer with an electronic mechanism: Another kickstarter project for the day  – this is an interesting take on the handheld steadicam – the The Supraflux Video Camera Stabilizer – which is unique because it has an electronic ‘brake’ to help control the motion without you needing to touch the device while filming (which of course can cause unwanted movement without tons of practice). UPDATED: GoPro Issued DMCA Notice to DigitalRev | F|Stoppers GoPro issues a DMCA, but it turns out it's at a site reselling their cameras: The letter th...

RED Epic - HDRx Tests (in 4K) | Neumannfilms | YouTube Shot in 5K on the RED Epic Lenses used: Tokina 11-16 and Nikkor Ai-s 50mm f 1.2. Graded using Neumann Films Presets (The Blockbuster Presets) and 4K Film Grain. Exported at 4096x2304 in After Effects. Greenwich Market - Sony PMW F5  | Don McVey | Vimeo Nice little short documentary shot on the PMW-F5 , though personally, I don't like the way everyone is creating things that look flat: Short documentary highlighting some of the people and products of Greenwich Market. Shot on Sony F5. Magic Lantern Users Complain of Overheating on Canon DSLRs | James DeRuvo | Doddle Well, all good things are about to have a crack in their armor from time to time, and it looks like the latest version of Magic Lantern is no different. Users of the popular third-party firmware for Canon cameras  have taken to the Magic Lantern forums and on Facebook have begun to complain about their batteries overheating on the Canon T3i/6...

Production Design on a Budget | Michael Murie | Filmmaker Magazine On small budget productions, coming up with locations can be a challenge – especially if you need something a bit unusual. An upcoming music video for the band Run 8 Rider required that a single location represent three different time periods to tell its story. Using a borrowed house as the location, director Sean Meehan turned to production designer Riley Fearon to supervise the transformation of the location. Why I Am Grateful for Kickstarter (It’s Not Just for the Money) | Lanre Olabisi | Filmmaker Magazine So, why am I so grateful to Kickstarter? The Masterpiece Theater answer would probably sound something like this: Kickstarter is a great community that allows people to support great projects in coming to life. While this is true – that’s not what does it for me. How to Make Your First Film Halfway Across the World with No Money and Get Picked Up by Oscilloscope | Oakley Anderson-Moore It’s the...

Ep. 38 - "Filmmaking is Awesome" (with Jonathan Yi) | NeedCreative Podcast In this special 38th episode of the NeedCreative Podcast, your co-hosts Paul Antico and guest Michael Murie are joined again by Director/DP Jonathan Yi.  Jon's background, how he got to working for HBO, making commercials, and being a professor at NYU Advice about making a Demo Reel and how producers may choose you Working on the Canon team as a consultant to provide feedback on the launch of the C300, the history behind "Cinema EOS" How Colorists Will Thrive in 2013 – Google Hangout Interview with Patrick Inhofer | Tom Parish Patrick is a seasoned senior colorist and editor with more than 20 years’ experience in broadcast, cable, and (more recently) indie post-production.  He publishes an amazing newsletter every Sunday morning for fellow colorists. It’s the first thing I read on Sunday with my first cup of  coffee. Did Veronica Mars Ruin Kickstarter? | Sam Adams | Sl...