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Saturday, November 20, 2010

Sony NEX-VG10 Firmware .02 available in US - possible Mac issues

The firmware update for the Sony NEX-VG10 is now available on Sony's U.S. website. There's versions for Mac and PC:

Firmware Update (version 02) NEX-VG10V2_Update1011a.dmg
Firmware Update (version 02) NEX-VG10V2_Update1011a.exe

Sony's support site goes to different pages for different OS's (i.e. 10.6 Mac is here) but I think there are only two installers.


One Snow Leopard (Mac OS 10.6) user at the dpreview forum encountered a problem when he tried to run the installer:

I followed the instructions for Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and proceeded to update the firmware. During the update (Sony runs a small installer program that has an interface that shows the update being applied) the Mac Mini (new 2010 version) suffered a Kernel Panic and drew a grey screen and froze still!

The Mac was able to restart but the VG10 was dead- nothing I could do would cause the VG10 to operate (removed battery and restarted, removed SD card etc....camera was dead!)

dpreview- Firmware Update Warning! (Max OS X 10.6)

Fortunately he was able to restore the camera using a PC!

RED Epic Camera - Top Ten Questions

Fresh off the Asia Red Epic Tour, Ted Schilowitz "Leader of the Rebellion" of RED Digital Cinema and Tonaci Tran get together in Vietnam to talk about the Red Epic camera.

Here's a quick summary of the questions/answers, though watch the video for the full details.

  1. When will it ship? - When it's ready
  2. How much does it weigh? - Body only about 5lbs. Typical configuration about 9lbs.
  3. How do you take stills and motion at the same time? - Not sure I followed the answer...press a preset button?
  4. What accessories from the Red One will work with Epic? - Short answer is almost everything
  5. Does HDRX work in camera - There's an easy HDRX mode that works in-camera. - HDRX mode extends the usable range from a little over 13 stops to 18 stops. 
  6. Talk about the redesign and cooling he does
  7. Can you have two on-board LCDs at the same time? - Yes
  8. Is there a 5.5K mode coming? - Never say never.
  9. What happens if you put a non-Canon lens in? - It goes to a default mode.
  10. Will there be Red Rocket support for 5K files? - Goal is to have everything in tandem working at release

The video is presented in two parts. Here's the first part:



The second video can be found here: RED EPIC CAMERA - TOP TEN QUESTIONS - PART 2

Friday, November 19, 2010

POV.HD - $600 by Dec 22nd


V.I.O has a new HD POV camera coming that will capture 1080. Priced at $599, it should be shipping just before Christmas.

The recording unit features a 2-inch LCD screen to view footage in the field, edit video and make exposure control adjustments. A simple set of controls allows the user to easily “tag” the best footage in the field, so final editing is finished quickly back in the studio. The 2-oz wearable camera head captures 142 degree FOV, at 1080p 30fps—the widest point-of-view camera angle available on the market. The camera head also features video capture at 720p 60fps, a high-quality 6-element glass lens and a native 1080p CMOS sensor designed specifically to produce optimal-quality, Full HD video.

VIDEO - 1080p HD Video
Resolution/Frame Rates: 1080p/30fps, 720p/60fps, 1080p25fps, 1080p/24fps
Video Codec: H.264
Video Container: MPEG-4
Records to SDHC cards
Exposure control: Automatic Exposure Control and White Balance

There are other POV cameras out there which are cheaper, like the ContourHD [$349.99] and GoPro [$299.99], but they don't have any way to monitor what you are recording. The Drift HD 170 [$284.95] does include a small LCD screen, but it's attached to the body, which makes basic setup easier, but may not be good for monitoring. Having a separate unit with a monitor screen can be very useful (in some circumstances.)

Sony has something similar - the HXR-MC1 - but it costs $1,99.95!

V.I.O. says they will be accepting Limited Holiday Season Preorders, Nov15th – Dec17th, and will guarantee delivery by December 22nd with the purchase of standard ground shipping.

V.I.O HD

News From Here & There

Zoom H4n Firmware Update
Zoom has kicked out a firmware update for the Zoom H4n recorder. System Version 1.7 now let's you set the recording level of INPUT1 and 2 individually. The inability to set individual levels was one of the reasons why several professionals were preferring the Tascam DR-100.
Zoom: H4n Software Download
Amazon: Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder [$299]
Amazon: Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder [$294]



Google TV Gets Criticism
David Pogue and Walt Mossberg take a look at Google TV - as implemented by Sony and Logitech - and they think it's too complicated:
But no matter how many times the industry tries to cram Web+TV down our throats, the masses just don’t swallow. That’s probably because when we sit down at the TV, we want to be passive, with brains turned off, and when we surf the Web, we’re in a different mind-set: more active, more directed
 - Pogue
The quest to bring the full range of Internet video to your TV in a simple way continues, but it isn’t going well. The latest team to try—Google, Logitech and Sony—has made an admirably bold effort, but, like others before, it has missed the mark, at least in its first effort.
- Mossberg
NY Times: Google TV, Usability Not Included
Wall Street Journal: Google TV: No Need to Tune In Just Yet



Engadget  and Visual Impact London Get To Play With The Sony PMW-F3
The image quality of the PMW-F3 seems better than most DSLRs. Rolling shutter isn't bad. Warble and skew are minimized to extreme whip movements. Again, they didn't show off any sort of severe color correction so it's hard to say how well the colorspace holds up. Fancy Sony-only "stuff" like S-Log and Hypergamma will allow for tweaking. Overcranking for in camera slow-motion effects are disappointingly capped at 60fps.
Engadget: Sony sees RED with PMW-F3 camera, we go hands-on with the $16k "indie" (video)
YouTube: Sony PMW F3 New camcorder www.visuals.co.uk



CNN To Go From Tape-Based Systems To JVC GY-HM100U ProHD camcorders
JVC Professional Products Company today announced that CNN has purchased 177 GY-HM100U ProHD camcorders, which JVC understands is the first step in a process to replace hundreds of aging, tape-based DV camcorders now in use throughout CNN’s global operations. Additional cameras are expected to be purchased by CNN in 2011.

A compact, handheld 3-CCD camcorder, the GY-HM100U records high definition video at 35 Mbps in the MPEG-2 format compatible with the XDCAM file-based workflow used throughout CNN. The JVC camcorder records 1080i files in the MP4 format directly onto SDHC memory cards.
JVC Press Release: CNN to replace aging, Tape-BAased DV camcorders with JVC PROHD
B & H: JVC GY-HM100U ProHD Camcorder [$2,795]


Sony PMW-F3L listed at B & H for $16,000

You can't even pre-order it (just ask to be notified when it's in stock) but B & H has a page up for the PMW-F3L: Sony PMW-F3L Super 35mm Full-HD Compact Camcorder

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sony NEX-VG10 firmware Ver.02 available

WARNING: This is on the New Zealand Sony site. It's unknown if this update supports U.S. cameras, and the software is not yet on the Sony U.S. site.

Sony promised an update to the NEX-VG10 that would add support for auto-focus with A-mount lenses, and they seem to now be making the firmware update available. The update does not appear to add any other functionality.

Note that there are different Mac and PC versions, and you must also update the firmware in the LA-EA1 Mount Adaptor (link to that update is on the page.)

Sony NZ - Mac: NEX-VG10 Firmware Upgrade Ver.02 (Apple Macintosh)
Sony NZ - Windows: NEX-VG10 Firmware Upgrade Ver.02 (Microsoft Windows)

No confirmation on sensor in upcoming NXCAM 35mm

Sony Electronics U.S. says that at this time they cannot confirm if the NXCAM 35mm camera they announced a couple of days ago will use the same sensor as the PMW-F3 that was announced last week.




Meanwhile, at Film And Digital Times, Seth Emmons reports on Sony’s recent Super 35mm event at the George Lucas Building at the University of Southern California. While this meeting was ostensibly about the PMW-F3, the NXCAM 35mm camera was also touched on.
Although there were those who questioned the choice of a 35 Mbs codec [in the PMW-F3], Crithary answered with what we thought was the biggest surprise of the night. SR Memory is closer than you think, and more affordable. Although he declined to put a price tag or delivery date on the SR Memory recorder, called SR-R1, he did expect it to be within reach of many cinematographers. The ability to record up to 440 Mbs (and higher) onto solid state, RAID-5 protected cards of up to 1Tb should meet the needs of any of any high-budget, VFX-heavy feature.
Film And Digital Times: Sony F3 and NXCAM 35 in LA

News from Here & There

Sony PMW-F3 Camera Test
Another video shot with the Sony PMW-F3. This camera test was produced by Stargate Studios:


Sony PMW F3 Camera Test from Stargate Studios on Vimeo.




People watching more web video ads?
A report on video ad monetization quoted in Adweek claims that people are watching more ads, and watching more of them:
"Much early reporting on the issue focused on short clips of user-generated content and showed extremely low completion rates for pre-roll ads," the report states. "Clearly behavior is different with professional content, especially long form."
Adweek: More Videos Ads, More User Acceptance



ARRI Alexa A Hit
The ARRI Alexa is proving popular in Hollywood and worldwide with almost 1,000 orders and 400 already delivered, including 200 in North America.
“It’s a no brainer. The workflow to go with the camera is there and in place, and it works,” cinematographer David Stump, co-chair of the ASC Technology Committee’s camera subcommittee, said of the Alexa. He added that ARRI is a highly trusted name in professional cameras.

[...]Stump observed that cinematographers who are moving toward Alexa seem to be “moving upward from Red or sideways from tape-based cameras like Genesis (from Panavision).”
HollywoodReporter: Alexa Becoming Digital Camera of Choice for Hollywood Cinematographers



Nice Moves
A very nicely shot movie of street trials rider Danny MacAskill full of jib shots and dolly moves.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Philip Bloom on the Sony PMW-F3 and NXCAM 35mm

Philip Bloom got to see - and touch - the PMW-F3 at a London event. He also reports that the NXCAM 35mm camera will have "exactly the same sensor" as the PMW-F3, which is a bit of a surprise (it's certainly the same size as the PMW-F3 camera, but it was unclear if it's the same physical sensor.) Launch of Sony F3 and NXCAM in London

[UPDATE 11:01PM] - CreativeVideo says it's not the same sensor as the PMW-F3: Sony HXR-NX35 NXCAM HD camcorder with s35mm sensor and AVCHD...

Martin Scanlan & Steve Lawes get to play with a PMW-F3

....we get to watch.

"The first short film in the world shot on the new Sony PMW-F3" is now on Vimeo. Martin Scalan and Steve Lawes got to play with the camera and have posted this video. Check out the video, and then go to read the blog about it: Hands on review of the new Sony PMW-F3
I think that Sony have something very interesting here, I think the camera will be a success. There are things that I would like to see different on the camera, but I could say that about an Alexa, Red or DSLR. I feel the image quality that you will be able to get out the back of this camera is it’s main attribute. If Sony, or somebody else for that matter such as AJA come up with a compact, possibly solid state off board recorder that can take advantage of this, you have a very interesting prospect.

Convergence - Short Film shot on Sony PMW-F3 from Martin Scanlan on Vimeo.

Amazon offering money for scripts and movies

Amazon has started "Amazon Studios" and is offering money for scripts and movies through a series of "contests." The first contest runs through January 31, and there's a $100,000 award for Best Movie, and two $20,000 awards for Best Script.

The Best Movie part is a little confusing, as they are asking for a movie that's not necessarily finished, and yet...
An Amazon Studios test movie should be an inexpensive, full-length movie that tells the whole story of the script in a compelling way, has very good acting and sound, but that doesn't necessarily have polished production values. So unless your crane shot is essential to telling the story, skip it or do it in storyboard. The purpose of the movies at Amazon Studios is to show how scripts are working up on their feet.
Inexpensive, but with good acting and sound? Production values don't have to be polished, but the sound has to be good? Seems a bit oxymoronish to me!

Note too that by uploading material to their site you give them an exclusive right to buy it for 18 months, AND they can extend that option for another 18 months by paying you $10,000.

AND, any script you upload can be "revised" by other participants (though you still get some percentage if the work is optioned.)

But if you've been unable to get notice anywhere else, this might be an opportunity to get your name out there.

Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios: Frequently Asked Questions

USAToday: Amazon Studios will pay for movie scripts, films




NOTE: I am an Amazon Affiliate but this post is not intended as an endorsement of the Amazon Studio's project.

More on the Sony NXCAM 35mm

There doesn't seem to be a name for this camera yet, so for the moment, I'm going to use the name NXCAM 35mm as it's the hash-tag that Peter Crithary of Sony is using for it.

Alistair Chapman is at InterBEE ns Japan, where a camera prototype is being shown, and on dvinfo.com he reports:
It is of a modular design with removable microphone holder, hand grip and many other parts. I don't think this will use the same sensor as the F3. The F3 is from the Atsugi factory and this is from the Shinagawa factory and they rarely share sensors. I suspect it will use an Alpha/NEX sensor but with an optical low pass filter specifically for video applications as opposed to the VG10's OLPF which has to work for both video and stills. On the rear of the camera body there is a huge opening that looks too big to be just a battery compartment so I suspect that some kind of media or recording section will dock into the rear of the camera. No genlock apparently, but other sync methods being investigated.

You can see some pictures at Alistair's blog: Interbee 2010. Sony F3, Sony 35mm NXCAM and Hurricane Rig


The addition of a low pass filter could reduce moire issues found in the Sony NEX-VG10. The other major complaints about that camera are the lack of 24p support, and the lack of audio controls. Seems like this camera could address those issues.

Though no price has officially been announced, it's been reported that it will be ~6,000 Euros.


Meanwhile, Peter Crithary, Marketing Manager for Production at Sony Electronics has tweeted a few things about the camera:
  • Large format sensor Super 35mm is over 20% larger than micro 4/3" Capable of 1080/60p, 50p
  • Existing and future E-mount lenses attach directly. Alpha A-mount lenses via LA-EA1 adapter
  • Designed from the ground up for "motion picture capability"
  • From the design team that brought you the HXR-NX5u


Blue's Mikey finally shipping

Announced several months ago, Blue's Mikey for iPhone is finally available:


The all-new Mikey is the perfect tool for mobile recording. Featuring two custom-tuned Blue capsules for stereo recording, a line-input, USB pass through and a stylish updated 230-degree rotating design. Mikey's three gain settings allow for a versatile recording experience for everything from a loud concert to a whisper. Record lectures, voice notes, live music, interviews, and more. Mikey also comes with its own soft carrying pouch for convenient storage and protection while on the go. Mikey turns your iPod into the coolest mobile recording device around!
It's $79.99 at Amazon: Blue Microphones Mikey 2.0 iPod Recording Microphone

Another alternative for those looking for small, portable recording is the $99 Zoom H1 Handy Portable Digital Recorder.

There's something about the idea of using one device - your iPhone - to do everything, that is very appealing. On the other hand, if you buy the Mikey, you have an extra device you still have to remember to bring along. And the other things you have to watch out for: getting a phone call while you're recording! [Seriously; I had that happen the other day while using the iPhone to record something, so I'm thinking I might get the Zoom H1.]

Sony NXCAM Professional Large-Sensor Camera On It's Way...


Well that didn't take long... just a week and a bit after announcing the PMW-F3, Sony is now semi-announcing an NXCAM large sensor camcorder (think of it as the professional version of the NEX-VG10 perhaps?!) It's probable that this camera will compete with the Panasonic AG-AF100.

NXCAM is Sony's designation for professional cameras using the AVCHD compression format, and at the moment consists of one other camera, the Sony HXR-NX5u.

This new addition to Sony's professional NXCAM line will be available in the middle of 2011 and will have the same E-mount as the NEX cameras and support A-mount lenses.

The recording format of the camera will be AVCHD, and they plan to implement 1080p (60p / 30p / 24p*2 or 50p / 25p) recording modes. (MPEG4-AVC/H.264 compression will be used for these modes.)
*2: 59.94p / 29.97p / 23.98p respectively.



[UPDATE]


Sony's Press Release: Sony to expand 35mm large format sensor camcorder lineup "NXCAM" HD camcorder under development, featuring E-mount lens system

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Sony reports problems with some HDV DVM63HD tapes

Dear Valued Sony HDV Tape Customer:
We have discovered a quality issue on a very limited quantity of consumer HDV DVM63HD products in North, Central and South America. In some cases, video and audio content may not be recorded during initial use.
  • Users may not recognize this problem during shooting, but may discover it when attempting to playback the content. This condition is not recoverable.
  • If the camcorder/VTR is found to have head clogging after using an affected tape, it can be easily corrected by using a cleaning cassette. 
  • However, if the cassette functioned normally the first time, the head clogging problem will not occur.
In order to ensure customer satisfaction, Sony has decided to replace the affected cassette production lots, which can be identified by the Production Lot Numbers listed below

The affected cassettes are:
Model Numbers: DVM63HDR, DVM63HDR/2, 3DM63HDR
Production Lot Numbers: xxxxxxx5L, xxxxxxx6L, xxxxxxx7L, xxxxxxx8L

The Production Lot Numbers are printed on the cassette, sub box and master box.

If you have any HDV DVM63HD cassettes from the above mentioned lot numbers, we recommend that you return them (freight collect) to the location noted below for replacement.

Sony Warranty Center
11302 East Point Drive Building B, Suite 100,
Laredo, TX 78045
Attn: HDV Replacement

If you or any recipient of this notice have any questions or need assistance regarding this matter, please call Sony’s Technical Support hotline at 877-440-3453.

dvinfo: Sony Admits Bad Batch(es) of HDV Tape [PDF available at this link]

News From Here & There

Mocha Pro Released
Imagineer Systems has announced the availability of its newest 64-bit VFX software, mocha Pro. Imagineer Systems also announced  it has made significant enhancements and added capabilities to mocha for After Effects, the Company's stand alone tracking and roto tool for the After Effects community. Now re-named mocha AE, this award-winning VFX tool now extends its support to both the After Effects and Final Cut Pro communities.
Broadcast Newsroom: Imagineer Systems Releases mocha Pro; Powerful New Planar Tracking, Roto, Compositing, Removal Tool Set
ImagineerSystems



Interview with documentary filmmaker Leslie Iwerks
Leslie made a one hour documentary for Encore about the history of Industrial Light & Magic. In this interview for Animation Magazine she talks about how the project started, how it was made, and what she learned from making the movie. Interestingly, Iwerks is the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks, the animator who helped bring Mickey Mouse to life for Walt Disney.
Animation Magazine: Animated People: Leslie Iwerks



Sony PMW-F3
Some lucky people are already getting to play with the Sony PMW-F3. Some pictures from the set of the movie "The Red Balloon" can be found on Facebook.
Facebook: On the set of "The Red Balloon": shot with the new Sony F3



The CEO of Lego has a very cool business card: WSJ: Lego Boss Has Business Card to Die For



ScriptWrite 2.1
ScriptWrite, the scriptwriting application for the iPhone and iPad has been upgraded to version 2.1. This update includes a number of features including the ability to import and export to your Dropbox account. Filterapps.com: ScriptWrite



Shane Hurlbut talks about filming the movie "Act of Valor" using the Canon 5D with a Redrock Rig.


Shane Hurlbut, ASC uses Redrock Micro from Redrock Micro on Vimeo.

Off Topic

But I like the band...
“I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes,” said Ringo Starr.

Chris Fenwick Buries Final Cut

Video Director/Editor Chris Fenwick took a carving knife and plunged it into the heart of Final Cut yesterday as he spent an hour explaining why he's switched to Premiere Pro in one of Adobe's "Ask A CS Pro" webcasts. Sounding at times defensive "I'm an Apple fanboy, I own Apple shares,"and at other times combative "QuickTime 10 is like QuickTime for my Mom" he did a reasonable job of outlining what features attracted him to Premiere Pro;
  • Getting away from QuickTime Pro color issues
  • Premiere Pro uses all your machines processors
  • The Mercury Playback engine plays content without having to recompress
  • Randy Ubillos is working on iMovie
For the most part he made sense while covering ground that others have already explored. Most Final Cut Pro users are only too aware that Premiere Pro has leapfrogged Final Cut with it's true 64-bit multi-processor and graphics processor support, enabling real-time processing of more complex content.

But at the same time you got the sense Chris has some unresolved issues that may not be related to Final Cut Pro at all. It sounded like he was still getting over having to leave his Media100 system for Final Cut, which he admitted "I was kind of emotionally invested in" and that he "got to the party kind of late." It sort of felt like he jumped to Premiere Pro because he didn't want to get burned again...after all, he was looking for a replacement to Final Cut as early as 2004.

And the argument that because QuickTime was created in 1991 and the Mercury Playback Engine was created in 2010 it had to be better seemed a bit of a straw man. If there's any complaint to be made against QuickTime, it's not a legacy issue but an audience focus issue; Apple's QuickTime team hasn't been focused on professional video.

Here's some of the high-lights of the event:


Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;

As an editor, I think we need to have one eye on our timeline, but we also have to have one eye on the future, and to do that, we have to understand the past

The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,

Randy Ubillos wrote Premiere 1.0. Then went to Macromedia and started on Keygrip, which got bought by Apple [and became Final Cut]. He was intimate with FC through 4.0. 4.0 was the last great revolutionary change[...] Ubillos then went on to Aperture, and iMovie, and then iMovie for the iPhone, which I kind of find disturbing, because if this is the smartest guy in video, I don’t want him working on video editing for my niece, I want him making them for me.

So let it be with Caesar ... The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

Ultimately, an editing system will work better if everything is in the same codec – it just will
[...] The Mercury Playback engine let’s you throw anything at the screen

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it ...

“Driving a car, and driving a bicycle are a bit different” ....... I’m not saying Final Cut is a bicycle.

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)


Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral ...
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man….

Transcoding is a drag. Not only does it generate a bunch of new media and take a lot of time, but you are also giving up visual quality by doing the transcode.

[...] Shane Hurlbut says that image quality in CS5 is better

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

I want them to continue to give me access to the very best processors available, and I want to be able to use them all. […] The problem is that Final Cut really only has the ability to work with one of those processors.

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.

Motion doesn’t work very well…It demo’s well. 

You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

QuickTime 10 is like QuickTime for my Mom.

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I’m not advocating deleting Final Cut Pro from your hard disk; that’s not what I’m about 

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:

Gamma Shifts: if you take video content out of FCP, it never looks exactly the same. 

What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason…. Bear with me;

I was really impressed by the multi-cam support in Premiere Pro. It worked much more intuitively than in Final Cut Pro – this is coming from someone who never uses multi-cam in Final Cut Pro.

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

I think my fear is, that [Final Cut being discontinued] might happen. If you look at the news, Apple just killed their server line. … but what’s important is Steve’s response to that; he said "hardly anybody bought that." Well that’s not making me very comfortable Steve. Because if you look at the revenue from Final Cut Pro compared to iPad sales, that’s a small sliver.

ChrisFenwick.com



Amazon

Monday, November 15, 2010

Upcoming Rule Camera Events

MORE 3D: Menu Options + Capabilities for the AG-3DA1 3D Camera/Recorder

Join Rule's Tom Talbot and Mike Sutton as they dig deeper into menu options and capabilities for Panasonic's AG-3DA1 3D camera/recorder along with their recommendations for creating smart 3D compositions.

November 17, 2010, 10am - 12noon
Rule: Events



NEXT MONDAY, November 22nd 10am to 12 noon

Panasonic's Brand-New AG-AF100
A special event: Product Manager, Jan Crittenden-Livingston and Consultant Bernie Mitchell will be on-hand with the Panasonic AG-AF100 camera (1 of only 2 in the entire country) which is scheduled for release in December.

RSVP to save a seat by sending an email to Rule to: events@rule.com

Ask a CS Pro: Advanced Features & Mercury Playback Engine in Premiere Pro 12PM PST Today

Join Chris Fenwick, as he explains his personal frustrations with Final Cut and why he decided to make the switch to Adobe Premiere Pro CS5. Chris will showcase Adobe Premiere Pro’s more advanced features and how the 64-bit, GPU accelerated Adobe Mercury Playback Engine speeds his entire editing workflow while solving a variety editing challenges

Monday, November 15 · 12:00pm - 1:00pm 

Facebook: Ask a CS Pro: Advanced Features & Mercury Playback Engine in Premiere Pro
Adobe Connect room http://my.adobe.acrobat.com/askcspro

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Amazon $100 off Canon 60D

Amazon has a special promotion that takes $100 off the price of the Canon 60D, bringing it down to $899: Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
Save an Additional $100 Instantly
For a limited time, purchase the Canon EOS 60D digital SLR body from Amazon.com and save an additional $100 instantly. Simply add the 60D body to your Shopping Cart, enter promotional code BF8JNEEK, and we'll automatically apply the discount at checkout. One discount per customer; savings applies only to purchases of products sold by Amazon.com, and does not apply to products sold by third-party merchants and other sellers through the Amazon.com site. Amazon.com reserves the right to terminate or modify this promotion at any time. See terms and conditions.

Stu Maschwitz at ProLost explains why you should buy a 60D if you are primarily interested in video, though he does add:
 ...it is worth noting that the 7D does have one advantage over the 60D: The 7D outputs an HD signal through its HDMI port while recording, while the 60D, like the 5D Mark II and Rebel T2i, does not. If your primary shooting mode will be with an external HD monitor such as the SmallHD DP6, the 7D will give you a better signal for frame and focus.

News from Here & There

Sony PMW-F3
The U.S. Sony Professional Services division has invited people interested in the upcoming PMW-F3 to write to them explaining what they would do with the PMW-F3 if they had it for a week:
What would you shoot with PMW-F3 if you had the camcorder for one week? Let us know, you may get the chance. E-mail production@am.sony.com
And if you're interested in the camera, Jon Fauer at Film & Digital Times gives a good summary of what's known about the camera so far: Sony PMW-F3



The Business
"Dennis" at Filmmakeriq has written an article on why being an indepedent filmmaker is like opening a restaurant:
There are countless books, websites, forums, etc., filled with “advice” on how to break into filmmaking. They talk about who you need to know, what you need to write, how to talk, walk and shit. But while (some) information is always a good thing, they don’t really tell you what’s truly needed. Yes you need some talent, but the true filtering process is all about how much an individual is willing to give up/risk to become a filmmaker.
Just be aware: "one in four restaurants close or change ownership within their first year of business. Over three years, that number rises to three in five."

Meanwhile, if you'd rather be a film producer, there's a good article about just that over at the Tom Cruise website [Really? The Tom Cruise? -Yep!] : How To Become A Film Producer