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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Quick Links

Color Correcting Video in Photoshop | Photofocus
You’ll learn how to color correct and grade your sequence.  You’ll learn how to refine the color and exposure of video footage. You’ll also learn how to use Lookup Tables in order to quickly apply a style to several clips.  The Photoshop editing interface is easy to learn and master.


Credit Suisse: Only Canon, Nikon and Sony will survive in the digital camera market | Sony Alpha Rumors
“Only those who have a strong brand and are competitive on price will last – and only Canon, Nikon and Sony fulfil that criteria,” said Credit Suisse analyst Yoshida.


The new Hobbit movie saw Weta Digital make Smaug larger than a 747 in one scene yet use GoPros in another | Pocket Lint
That said, the scene where Smaug chases Bilbo about the mountain of treasure is jaw-dropping and obviously took a lot of work. Yet the barrel escape scene seems more straight forward. That intricate blend of 4K footage and GoPro shots is thanks to Weta.


The Run for 4K is also the Run for your Future Audience! | Daniel Freytag
There's a certain audience that will notice the higher quality and there's also an audience that thinks their analog TV looks 'pretty good'. Over the time the former group will most likely become larger. The generation that the old one's call 'digital natives' does see a difference between a basic camcorder and an HD image with a shallow DoF. That's probably why the DSLR hype was so popular amongst most YouTubers.


VIDEO REVIEW: AIRBOX LIGHTS INFLATABLE SOFTBOX FOR 1×1 LED PANEL LIGHTS | News Shooter
The problem with most LED lights (and not just the 1×1 style) is that they tend to give quite a harsh light. Instead of the light coming from one single source LED lights rely on lots of small bulbs to create a larger source.


The Ray-traced 3D renderer in After Effects | ProVideoCoalition
A big addition to After Effects CS6 was the introduction of a Ray-traced 3D composition renderer that handles reflections, transparency, index of refraction, environment maps, in addition to the existing material options. Today in Creative Cloud CC, the chief limitation is still render time, but there's set-up advice for those willing to endure the obstacles for the lovely renders.


The Myth of Fair Use — Students & Emerging Pros Beware | Photofocus
I’ve had several photographer friends try to justify to me that they can use copyrighted music in their slideshows.  That it’s acceptable.  Other times, the shoe is on the other foot… as those same photographers explain how their rights are being violated by websites.


How to Guide Your Audience: A Masterclass in Storytelling Through Editing | No Film School
Jordan and Hollyn begin their talk by demonstrating this, as well as explaining a few basics tenets of aesthetic theory. To quickly explain, elements inside the frame catch the viewer’s attention using several different kinds of aesthetic energy:  light, color, space, motion, brightness, focus, etc.


30 Great Movie In-Jokes You Probably Didn’t Notice | Taste of Cinema
The In-Joke: Ray Stantz comes bursting out of the haunted house, looking distinctly shaken. “Who you gonna call?” he muses. “Someone else!”
Why It’s Great: It’s actually Dan Aykroyd, decked out in full Ghostbusters regalia, right down to the “Stantz” label on his chest. How’s that for a cameo?




I had tried to run my MKE600, Tascam DR-100 and a lav mic straight to the BMPCC with no luck. But this works, costs only 70 Bucks and gives you audio meters!

Monday, December 30, 2013

The News

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Review – Final Part | EOSHD
Audio is the only major weakness of the camera. The internal pre-amps are poor, the circuits are noisy, monitoring it is tricky and there’s hardly any audio features.
But considering how much hassle, manpower, time and expense is saved with other areas using the Pocket in a pure directing sense like a viewfinder with a record button, it isn’t much to ask to have a sound guy on location with you.


An Examination of the RED DRAGON Initial Impressions | Timur Civan
Thats when I realised the difference.   I thought my MX was broken….  It just looked …. old.  Its a funny thing with technology, you don’t notice an improvement  as being that huge until you take a step backwards in generation.  I love the current MX, but I just met its successful, smarter, hotter, younger sister.


Cine-EI Mode when recording S-Log2/3 and raw on the F5 and F55 | XDCAM-User
Prior to version 3 of the F5 and F55 firmware, Cine-EI was only available in raw mode with the R5 recorder attached. Now from version 3 onwards Cine-EI operation can be selected in both raw and non raw modes. You no longer need to have the R5 attached to use Cine-EI. EI stands for “Exposure Index”.


For Shooting “The Big Bang Theory” And “Mom”, DP Steven Silver, ASC Switches to “Panavised” Sony F55s | HD Video Pro
For Mom, the desire for a filmic look was one reason for choosing the F55 and its larger, 35mm sensor. The F55’s other attributes include a native ISO of 1250, which can result in less image noise with similar lighting scenarios. The S-log2 format is also a key component, recording a richer image with higher dynamic range and greater latitude.


Micro Four Thirds Format for Filmmakers | B & H
The Micro Four Thirds system, with a sensor size equivalent to a 4/3-inch video tube, allows filmmakers to achieve a shallow depth of field that is cinematic and less like video, yet is also versatile and easy to focus. Shooting on 35mm or the digital equivalent sensor means as shallow and selective focus as possible, but it also means that keeping the image in focus can be a real challenge.


First Impressions of Final Cut Pro X 10.1 | No Film School
Audio mixing still does not compare to what all one can do in Premiere. For concerts, we have a professional mix all of our audio out of program and deliver a finished and mixed .WAV file. The integration with Logic Pro X in the previous release of FCP X is nice, but still leaves much to be desired.


10 Dos and 10 Don’ts for Beginner Directors | It's A 1st AD Thing
DON’T get frantic. This is a big no-no. If your assistant director is not worried about time, then you shouldn’t be either. It’s not your job to worry about those things. It’s your job to get the movie done.


COVERING THE DEATH OF NELSON MANDELA FOR THE BBC | News Shooter
I made the film below using my Canon S110 with no accessories and using the built-in mic. As always with a camera like this, exposure, sound and focus always cause problems. I filmed interviews so close to the interviewee that the sound would pick up. I also had to be careful what backdrop I used because the camera’s auto exposure isn’t great and will hunt a lot before it is happy.


As Hollywood Filming Spreads Out Globally, California Loses | Huffington Post
In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand.


Unlocking Your Inner Movie Director (and Editor) | The New York Times
The difference between good video and poor video often comes down to stability and lighting. While hand-held video on your smartphone is fine for many situations, often it is too shaky, which can lead to distracting, unusable footage.




Animography - Animated fonts.
I posted a link to this a while back, but I still find them intriguing.



Philip Bloom is playing with the Digital Bolex and he posted a sample file, which was graded by RA VisualWorks here:





Deal of the Day | Amazon
Up to 60% Off Select SanDisk Memory
Today only, enjoy special savings on select microSD cards, SD cards, USB flash drives and solid-state drives from SanDisk. Amazon Gold Box

Sunday, December 29, 2013

North by Northwest architecture

I saw a link to "Minimalist Posters Depict The Architecture of 13 Classic Films" and immediately scanned through them to see if the house from North by Northwest was amongst the chosen ones. And of course, there it was:


But wait! There's something wrong!

Firstly, it's pictured from the opposite side of the house to that seen in the movie. That feels a bit wrong because you never see that side of the house in the move; I guess that does give the artist some extra room to play given that the house doesn't exist.

Still, there's definitely some problems compared to the "actual house;" for example, in the poster the front section of the house is at the same level as the back section, but in the movie it appears to be lower than the back section, though that could be an optical illusion.



More troubling is the placement of the stone structure next to the end of the front section of the house (the red line in the image above). If you compare it to the poster, the artist seems to have placed a stone column on the opposite side of the house at the same location - relative to the "front" of the house - as the column on the visible side of the house.

The problem with that is that if you look at shots of the interior of the house, you'll see that there is actually a fireplace on the opposite side of the house that extends further towards the front of the house.

This can be seen in the following images; first the left-hand side of the room, with the stone wall, windows, and first wooden column.


Note the location of the rug, which is just forward of the end of the stone column on the left-hand side of the room. Looking at the right-hand side of the room (below) there is a fireplace that extends further along that wall, well past the end of the rug.


The width of the fireplace can be seen very clearly from this angle:


So I think the poster is wrong!

But perhaps most troubling of all, is that I actually noticed this, and bothered pointing it out.

Soon I'll be writing about how Han shot first!


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Quick Links

Is the Mac Pro processor user replaceable?
Reviews of the new Mac Pro's are starting to appear, and already it's a bit confusing whether the CPU can be replaced. MacWorld's review suggests that the GPU's are user replaceable, but doesn't mention the CPU (making you think that's it's not.) The article is well worth reading as it explains why the current iMac can actually be faster than a Mac Pro for some tasks:

Mac Pro (Late 2013) review: Apple's new Mac Pro really is for pros | MacWorld
When it comes to apps and tasks that can take advantage of multiple processor cores, GHz matters, but multi-core matters just as much—or more. For apps and tasks that don’t benefit from multiple cores, the processor’s clock speed becomes more important. 
Meanwhile Mac Rumors has an article that says that the CPU is removeable, though whether the user can actually switch it for another processor is unknown:

New Mac Pro Confirmed to Have Removable CPU | Mac Rumors
Using a removable socketed processor rather than the soldered processors found in most of Apple's Macs means that users may be able to upgrade their machines in the future as their needs change and/or chip prices decline. 


VIDEO: SONY RELEASES VERSION 3.0 FIRMWARE FOR THE F5/55 WITH CENTRE CROP MODE | New Shooter
The most exciting one for me is the 2K centre crop mode. This is a feature that has been seen in other video cameras before but is new to the F5 and F55.  What it allows you to do is just record the central part of the camera’s sensor when shooting 2K in XAVC HD and HD in MPEG HD or SR codecs.


Tutorial: Problems with Adobe Premiere CC 7.2.1 Update on Mac? | ToolFarm
I’ve personally run into a problem updating to the current Premiere Pro v7.2.1 on Mac because of an error. Here’s how to get around it.
The Creative Cloud updated to 62% before the error popped up, telling me that I had to close the following application: dynamiclinkmanager.





Compressor: DVD Compression Settings | Larry Jordan
One of the most common compression questions I get is how to compress files for a DVD. I’ve covered this a lot in my video training, but haven’t written about this for several years. This article explains what you need to know using both Compressor 4.1 and Compressor 4.0.


Why Editing Nominations Predict the Best Picture Oscar | Variety
Since editing became an Oscar category in 1934, only nine films have won best picture without at least a nomination for editing; the last was 1980’s “Ordinary People.” Of the 61 films that have won best picture Oscars since 1952, 32 have won the editing statuette as well.


Video store rises from obsolescence | The Star Phoenix
"There is no actual community interaction with movies nowadays, you just plop down on the couch and turn on Netflix," said Tyler Baptist, the co-founder of Videonomicon, Saskatoon's newest video-rental store that exclusively rents out hard-to-find movies on VHS.


The Lies We All Tell | Little Frog in High Def
TOP TEN LIES PRODUCERS TELL THEIR EDITORS:
10. It’s pretty simple. It should only take an hour…
9. Budget? Don’t worry about it…
8. Feel free to be creative with this…



Thursday, December 26, 2013

Some News

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN 4K PRODUCTION CAMERA DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE FROM MARCO SOLORIO | News Shooter
One thing I did notice is there didn’t seem to be as much dynamic range as some other cameras or even the original BMCC.  If you have a look at the sky at 01.08 and the shot in the garage at 01.37 of Solorio’s video you can see examples of what i’m talking about. There is also some noise visible in shadow areas too.


Digital Bolex D16 Review Part 2: First Footage & D16 vs. Blackmagic Pocket vs. SI-2K Mini Test | No Film School
To me the image looks a bit less digital than some other cameras, and I think part of that is due to the CCD sensor. The texture is different from CMOS sensors, and certainly at lower ISOs this can be a great look if the project you’re working on benefits from it. I have always been partial to CCDs and the way they produce an image, so I’m probably a little biased.


Kicking the Tires on Final Cut Pro X 10.1 | Pro Video Coalition
While the whole change in Project / timeline management is my favorite change it’s the addition of Libraries that is probably most significant. This follows what has happened in Aperture and iMovie. All media Events, timelines and keyword collections now live in a Library.


ZACUTO Z-FINDER FOR BLACKMAGIC POCKET CINEMA CAMERA NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER | News Shooter
The original Z-finder is a poor fit on the Pocket Cinema Camera because of its larger 3.5 inch screen. The new Z-finder covers it perfectly and yet remains lightweight enough to be attached with an adhesive frame. Also new is an add-on diopter system with 4 diopters, 0, +1, +2, and +3. This allows users to correct for their vision without adding weight and bulk.


Working with Less Part 5: Build a Motorised Slider | Philip Bloom
In this video, I give an in-depth tutorial on how to build the custom motorized slider that I use. If you want to see it in action, check out my video A Portrait of Macerata, below. All of the sliding shots and well as the two crane shots were taken using this slider.


Is the Canon C100 the right camera for you? | Mike Stanforth
This is from September, but I'm pretty sure I missed it at that time:
Now this codec is not as good as the C300′s, but here is where it gets interesting, you can add the Atomos Ninja 2 into the mix, which records true 25p at ProRes 4:2:2 10bit, and get the same, if not better, image than the C300′s internal recordings. That does not mean the C100 is a better camera than the C300, it just means you have an option if you need to record something with more colour space than what is offered internally on the C100.


How To Record Surround Sound | Filmmaking Stuff
If you are looking on how to record surround sound – Specifically, the actors voices for a film, movie, or show of some sort, I have good news.Surround sound, specifically 5.1 audio is NOT actually recorded in the field.“Believe it or not, the human voice does not speak in 5.1, nor stereo either.”

Video from the Sony RX10:



And from the just announced Sony HXR-NX3:

Monday, December 23, 2013

The News

The most ridiculous thing I have ever done…the “DigitalRev Cheap Camera Challenge” with…BARBIE CAM!! | Philip Bloom
Philip was challenged to produce something using a cheap camera....a very cheap camera!
I put the .AVI file (yes .avi) onto a 720p 25p timeline and upscaled it by 300%..my god it looked AWFUL!! Premiere CC just sort of accepted the odd framerate no problem and with this Super 8mm like frame rate I had to see if my go to plugin FILMCONVERT with a Super 8mm film stock could reduce the awfulness…and guess what? It did as you can see below!


Sony RX10 Review: A First-Rate Camera With a Do-It-All Lens | Gizmodo
A positive review of the Sony RX10:
The RX10, on the other hand, samples the entire sensor's raw data, then downscales to HD resolution using the powerful Bionz X processor. It works great. We found the RX10's video detail to be almost at the level of the Canon 5D Mark III, the camera most pro DSLR shooters spring for. You won't get the creamy ultra-shallow depth-of-field, or quite the same low-light performance as the 5D Mark III, but the difference isn't major.


FCPX-mas (With Mark Spencer and Steve Martin) GCS020 | Go Creative
Today we celebrate FCPX-mas, thats right, our Holiday episode landed on the big Final Cut Pro 10.1 and Mac Pro release and we celebrate with Mark Spencer and Steve Martin from RippleTraining.com . We discuss everything you need to know about the update, plus how to correctly migrate to the new version.


Editing 4K Red in Final Cut Pro 10.1 on a MacBook Pro and uploading to YouTube in 4k | FCP.Co
Initial editing was butter smooth. I experienced no delay editing raw r3d files, where as before working on the laptop I would experience dropped frames fairly often. It was only when I started stabilizing clips and adding colour correction when I noticed delays in performance. But that’s fairly understandable.


Product Review: iOgrapher for iPad/iPad Mini | ProVideoCoalition
The iOgrapher case is $65 for the iPad Mini, or $75 for the regular iPad:
Even the casual user that simply wants to make their iPad easier to handle and operate on a day-to-day basic around the home or office will find this quite useful. It's brilliant in design and serves it's function as promised. And at around $60, it's a no-brainer to give your iPad/iPad Mini a little control and flexibility.


Review: Samyang/Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 ED AS IF UMC | Northlight Images
This is a review of the regular model ($359), but there's also a Cine model that's $414.95:
Despite being a plastic bodied lens, it's robust and solidly built, but to my mind, could be improved in a few areas. The red dot for aligning the lens with my camera mount is on the metal part of the lens hidden by the lens mount - I could do with it at the side of the lens.


XQD Cards for Sony F5 & F55 | Dennis Hingsberg
In Mbps equivalence the XQD cards are up and around near 1440Mbps and 1340Mbps for the 180MB/s and 168Mb/s cards respectively and the cameras don’t come anywhere close to the max rates of the cards. Where you will find the benefit of the speed is later in transfer rate speeds when off loading your footage to your computer or storage network.


Technicolor Shutters Glendale Lab as Film’s Fadeout Continues | Variety
The lab, which employed 39 people, was devoted to processing 65mm negatives and striking 70mm prints for Imax and other large-format theaters. ”It’s clear the market has dropped, as you can imagine,” said Claude Gagnon, president of Technicolor Creative Services.


Copyright Office Calls for Congress to Reconsider Royalties for Artists | New York Times
Artists don't get anything when their works are resold; the Copyright Office is rethinking that:
In a report issued Friday, it recommended that painters, illustrators, sculptors, photographers and the like deserve a royalty when their work is resold at a profit. 




Honestly i kind of went into this thinking i probably wouldn't like this camera as much as the other two, but right now i like it more! The images are really nice, really really nice. This time the BMDFilm coming from the camera has a lot more contrast and saturation than the previous two, so you don't have to do anywhere near as much to grade it (but yes i already have a LUT i've made/been using with it to speed things up even more).




A video guide to workflow using the Sony FS700 and the Convergent Design Odyssey 7Q shooting 2K Raw and 2K Raw HFR material. I show you how to deal with Cinema DNG files recorded on the Odyssey in Davinci Resolve as well as how to use the Convergent Design Clip merger to bring Raided files together when shooting HFR.




These are Grant Perry's 4K ProRes files graded in FCPX. This video is in 1080p (not too impressive). To view a 4K h.265 file, go here: youtube.com/watch?v=I055-er18h8

Friday, December 20, 2013

The News

Why I Sold My RED and Downgraded to a C100 | F Stoppers
Interesting article about choosing the Canon C100 over a RED. Has prompted a lot of comments!
After using the c100, I realize how wrong I was. In my opinion, the Canon C100 is the best of both worlds: A sharp and dynamic image in a compact body with professional audio inputs and amazing battery life/record time.


The new Final Cut Pro release is out:
Final Cut Pro X 10.1 | Philip Hodgetts
As well as beefed up 4K support, making the best use possible of the dual GPUs in the new Mac Pro, additional language support, improved XML and a long list of other features, 10.1 gains some seriously useful media management and project organizational tools, plus improved editorial functions. 10.1 is for OS X 10.9 Mavericks only.

What's News | Apple

Final Cut Pro 10.1 - A First Look by Steve Martin & Mark Spencer | FCP.Co
Final Cut Pro 10.1 is the next major step forward for Apple’s professional editing software Final Cut Pro X. Not since its initial release over 2 years ago has there been a more significant version with regard to performance and workflow. The most visible improvement in FCP X is the new Library model, but there are dozens of editing and UI enhancements throughout that will have a major impact on your editing speed and efficiency.


NLE Review: Adobe Premiere Pro CC | Pro Video Coalition
Can it move into the rarefied air of Hollywood feature film and television that Avid Media Composer and Final Cut Pro 7 has dominated for so many years? Maybe. Will it be eclipsed as being too “traditional” in a new media world as Final Cut Pro X continues to improve into a very unique and very good NLE? Possibly.
Adobe has already released a bug fix:
Premiere Pro CC Update (7.2.1) | Adobe
Today we have released an update to the December 2013 Premiere Pro CC release, with several important bug fixes. This update is recommended for all users.


OFFHOLLYWOOD DRAGON R3Ds & MORE | RedUser
Yesterday there was footage from the Blackmagic 4K, now here's some RED Dragon content:
I'm going to try to share as much knowledge, observations, opinions, images and R3Ds as I possibly can in this thread as we head into the Holiday Season and a new year. Just gimme a couple more days and I'll unleash :)


Test grading the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K….shot by the boss of BMD himself! | Philip Bloom
Philip Bloom looks at the Blackmagic footage:
I have of course shot on other 4k cameras, namely the RED cameras and no, this doesn’t match these cameras in terms of detail or image quality…but it’s $4k and for that it’s not bad at all. Not amazing…but we really MUST wait until Production models of the er…Production Camera are released.


Renowned British filmmaker Shane Meadows shoots Jake Bugg music video on Blackmagic Pocket Cinema camera and BMCC | EOSHD
Blackmagic’s cameras were unbelievably manoeuvrable, which meant we could react more quickly to changes in the environment, while also being a little more spontaneous. During set piece scenarios we were able to use all of the two Pocket Cinema Cameras and one Blackmagic Cinema Camera in very small spaces because they were so small making coverage and locations easier to handle. 


VIDEO REVIEW: VARAVON SLIDECAM LITE SLIDER | News Shooter
It’s small, light-weight, thin and yet well constructed. Unlike some other budget sliders the Varavon uses metal roller bearings that run along rails concealed in a groove running down the middle of the slider. It is available in various differing lengths from 19 inches to 47 inches.


Netflix ‘House of Cards’ Season 2 Will Stream in Ultra HD to 4K TVs | Variety
The move is largely a marketing gimmick for Netflix to claim bragging rights. Hardly any of its subs will be equipped to watch “HoC” in 4K: TV makers will sell just 57,000 Ultra HD televisions in 2013, according to the CEA.


Thursday, December 19, 2013

The News


Introducing Amazon Storybuilder | Amazon
A free, screenwriting tool that helps you build stories for Movies or TV.
What is Amazon Storybuilder?
Amazon Storybuilder is a cloud-based writing tool from Amazon Studios that can be used to create stories for Movies or TV. Amazon Storybuilder uses “notecards” to represent a single beat or event in a story, just as screenwriters have for years used actual physical notecards to represent story beats on corkboards around the world. Storybuilder notecards can include both text and images. You can string individual cards together into a sequence on a virtual “corkboard” to convey a narrative and tell your story. Unlike physical notecards, it is easy to share Storybuilder projects and it is easy to take them wherever you go with your laptop, phone, tablet or Kindle.


Blackmagic 4K Production Camera – First Sample Videos from Grant Petty | EOSHD
The first 4K images are rolling off the 4K production camera, shot by Grant Petty himself no less. I’m hugely impressed with the image. It breaks new ground for resolution for an accessibly priced movie camera.


HOW TO NET A CINEMA LENS (VIDEO TUTORIAL) | The Black And Blue
Netting a lens is a great and simple way to add style to a scene using cloth material mounted on the rear element of a lens. While netting lenses won't happen on every job, it's a technique camera assistants are expected to be familiar with – and can learn how to do in this video


Three Secret Lighting Tips For Next Your Action Film | Ryan E Walters
Shooting an action film is a daunting task under the best of circumstances, let alone when you have a small lighting crew of three, and a tight schedule. In this post, I'm going to share with you how we pulled off a two day shoot in one day, and give you the three lighting secrets you need to know to make your next action film look amazing.


12 Film Editors who became Film Directors | Vashi Visuals
It is often said that film editors most fluidly make the transition into being successful film directors. Maybe it’s because the editor gets to live for so long with all the footage…and this gives us an omniscient view into the entire production.


Sony Alpha A7 and A7R review | The Verge
A gushing review, though it really only looks at the still capabilities:
Every once in a while, a product comes along that changes the dynamic of an entire industry. The iPhone did it in 2007, the Mustang did it in 1964, and Converse did it with the All Star sneaker way back in 1917. Now, Sony is poised to upend the camera industry with the new Alpha A7 and A7R mirrorless cameras.


Take the mystery out of BlackMagic | Boston Avid Users Group
Wednesday, January 8, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM (EST)
Kick off 2014 with the BAVUG! Join us as we welcome Sid Levin to demo the in's and out's of the new BlackMagic Design Cinema and Pocket Cinema Cameras, as well as give us a taste of how to roundtrip a project from Avid Media Composer to BlackMagic's DaVinci Resolve.  


MōVI Christmas video! … for Screenagers | Nino Film
My friends from Screenagers, an über-creative Vienna-based digital agency (with the nicest people, I might add), hired me to shoot a very special “Jingle Bells” video with them after they heard that I had a MōVI M10.


Adobe Media Encoder CC (7.2): what’s new and changed in this December 2013 update | Adobe
Adobe Media Encoder CC (7.2) is focused on improving performance and stability to ensure that your projects are done efficiently and with the highest quality.



The Carbon Fiber Travel Jib is tailored for video shooters who need a lightweight, compact solution for jib shots. So whether you want to take it on a plane for a shoot overseas, or you need to carry it on a backpack for a shoot in the mountains, this jib can make the journey without weighing you down.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Quick Links

Digital Bolex D16 Review Part 1: First Impressions (And How You Can Order One Right Now) | No Film School
The camera does a very good job combining color temperatures in the same frame. This doesn’t always look right with certain camera systems, but it was a particular strength of film — and it certainly looks like a strength of the D16.


10 VIDEO EDITING HABITS TO GIVE UP | Videomaker
It's no lie, video editing can be messy. It's also a bad habit. That doesn't mean a video editor has to like it or live there. A video editor who keeps their workspace, virtual space, and their projects well organized will be more proficient.


I Am No Longer Going To Produce Films For My Living | Ted Hope
I have decided I am no longer going to produce films for my living.  To do so requires me to deliver quantity over quality. Or to not contribute as fully as I like since I won’t be fairly compensated.  Or to make something that is virtually guaranteed to not have the cultural impact it warrants.  Those are three things that I am refusing to be part of.


MXL Mics Teams Up with FiLMiC Pro App | Sound & Picture
MXL Microphones announces a strategic alliance with Cinegenix, the maker of popular videomaking IOS app FiLMiC Pro. The announcement coincides with the release of MXL’s Mobile Media microphones, a series of mics designed for mobile audio for video applications.


Vintage prints of the storyboard with camera instructions used in the production of one of the greatest movies of all time, 1941’s ‘Citizen Kane.’ | Cinephilearchive.tumblr



Glass Encounters of the SLR Kind: Out-of-This-World Lenses for 2013 | B & H PhotoVideo
Among the standout advances in this year’s roundup of noteworthy SLR camera lenses are a budget-friendly wide-angle zoom intended for full-frame shooters, telephoto zooms with near-silent stepping-motor-driven autofocus, and a much-anticipated premium optical/mechanical beast of a prime lens from Zeiss.


COVERING DISASTER: AL JAZEERA’S MATT ALLARD ON ASSIGNMENT IN THE AFTERMATH OF TYPHOON HAIYAN | News Shooter
There is always a moral dilemma when trying to get into a disaster zone. Do you take up space on an aid plane to get there? Or do you find another way? Sometimes an aid plane may be the only way in. While you are taking up valuable space and cargo that could have been replaced with aid the media does need to be there.


Now available! The epic 250 page EOSHD Panasonic GH3 Shooter’s Guide | EOSHD
  • EOSHD’s recommended camera settings for filmmaking
  • EOSHD’s 15 recommended lenses for the GH3 (with new tri-shot test gallery)
  • Official foreword by Panasonic and exclusive interview


Tips for Creating a Solid Production Resume | Production Hub
Don’t have a one-size-fits-all résumé, and don’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades either. The rest of that saying is "master of none". UPM’s on real movies with real budgets, are looking for individuals to do specific jobs.


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

The News

Revising Your Script: The Evolution of Even The Dogs Know | Filmmaker Magazine
Intrigued by how the script had evolved, and because Capodiferro had worked on the script through several screenwriting classes and workshops, I asked him if he would explain the evolutionary process of the script in more detail


88 CINEMATOGRAPHERS SHARE THE BEST PROFESSIONAL ADVICE THEY’VE EVER RECEIVED | The Black And Blue
At the suggestion of reader Martin Warrilow, I went through AC magazine’s online archives and pulled the answers to this question from 88 different cinematographers. Some are well-known while others are still under the radar. Yet all have crucial insight, wisdom, and knowledge to share that could help you in your filmmaking career.


DIY Monday: Telling the Truth Without Paying for it | MovieMaker
Most documentaries show some slant in the way they present a story to further their theses. Likewise, fictionalization of true events in a narrative film can result in the altering of facts. Both mediums can therefore subject their creators to claims of defamation, right of publicity, and right of privacy claims—exactly what a moviemaker doesn’t need after the arduous process of finally getting to the finish line.


Before You Update to Final Cut Pro X 10.1 | FCP.TV
Final Cut Pro X 10.1 is on its way to the App store. You probably will need Mavericks installed. Now is the time to prepare for a smooth transition to 10.1, There are probably going to be some changes in the way FCPX 10.1 handles Events and Projects. If FCPX follows iMovie 2013, it will have a single Final Cut Pro Library for each Project and associated media instead of the two folder system it now uses.



How to Get Your Work Seen by Clients in the Video and Photography Industry | Philip Bloom
Guest post by Andy Baker, SVP/Group Creative Director, National Geographic Channels
Have you ever wondered “What the hell is my client thinking!?”  If so, well, you’re probably not alone.  Recently, I was fortunate to speak at the Masters in Motion filmmakers workshop in Austin, TX, where I went “Inside the Mind of a Client” – shedding a little light on the Client’s perspective, revealing a bit about what they are thinking, and taking a macro look at the ever-evolving role of the Client in the creative process.


The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do to Build a Successful Career in the Film Industry | No Film School
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
I can’t stress this tip enough. I’ve worked with some fantastically talented people over the past few years who I would never choose to work with again, despite their talent or their knowledge, because they had a crappy attitude on set.


VES camera reports – one set of notes to rule them all | FX Guide
Sam Richards at Sony Pictures Imageworks has been working away hard on coding and producing something so simple it is hard to believe we need it as an industry, and yet as most artists know, it is a vital part of production that is often lost: accurate on-set camera notes.


Software Update: Color Suite 11.0.4 – Premiere Pro Compatibility | Red Giant
Not too long ago, we released an update to deal with an issue some of you were having with Magic Bullet Looks and Colorista II pulling black frames with Premiere Pro 7.1. Internally, we classified the fix as a bit of a bandaid solution. It worked in most situations, but still needed some work to get to full resolution. With some help from Adobe, we were able to pinpoint exactly what needed to happen and we now have a full fix available!


The Complete Guide to Lens Filters (Part Two) | WolfCrow
Diffusion is a highly subjective matter. It is in your best interests to test multiple diffusion filters thoroughly before use. Not only must you look at the image on set, but also study its qualities on a large broadcast monitor in post production to see how it will match with shots that are cut before and after it.


New 0.7x Baveyes adapter announced (next Speed Booster “clone”) | Sony Alpha Rumors
Kipon and Ibe announced the new Baveyes 0.7x adpater for Sony E-mount cameras. It’s basically the next Speed Booster alike adapter that sells for $300. STarting from January 10 there will be Nikon F, Canon EF and Leica R mount lens adapters.



Monday, December 16, 2013

4K is hard, Death of the Canon 7D, MacPro's and things

Exploring a 4K workflow in FCPX | HD Warrior
Philip Johnston got to play with the Sony 4K Camcorder, the FDR-AX1 ($4,498). But then he had problems with editing the footage in Final Cut Pro X (readers suggested trying something else) and decided that the 4:2:0 8bit color isn't good enough, so he's going to try for the professional version of the camera, the PXW-Z100 ($5,499).

More troubling (and rumored when it was released) the sensitivity of the camera is lower than similar HD cameras. A reader comment in the post notes:
It is about 1 or 2 stops slower than the NX5U depending on the available light. 
So maybe you should stick with HD for the moment...



Death of the Canon 7D?
Canon Rumors has run a couple of posts about the future of the Canon 7D. The first reports a rumor that there will be no Canon 7D Mark II, while the second consists of thought's about whether it can really be true that Canon is abandoning this segment:
This got me thinking today whether or not it was possible that Canon would abandon this segment of the APS-C camera lineup. I came to the conclusion that they will not.
I wonder whether the reality is that the space for this segment is evaporating?

The Canon 7D is currently selling for $1,399 (when it was released it was selling for $1,699.) The 70D is currently $1,099.  The full frame 6D is $1,799, but as Canon Rumors reported (right after their articles about the 7D), it's been down to $1,499, which raises the question; are full frame sensor cameras approaching the price of the high-end APS-C sensor cameras, and killing that market?



New 12-Core Mac Pro Once Again Shows Up in Benchmarks | Mac Rumors
The new Mac's are coming, and here are the confusing benchmarks:
As predicted, the single-core score for the high-end Mac Pro is actually lower than seen with the other new Mac Pro models due to the lower maximum clock speed of the 12-core chip, but multi-core testing obviously shows a significant boost in performance compared to the Mac Pro model carrying the 8-core processor.


iFilmFest app | iTunes
I haven't tried it, but I gather this app keeps you up to date on "The World's Best Film Festivals"



Premiere in the down time | GarberShop
I finally got a chance to get my edit on this weekend with the Premiere CC December update. This will be the shortest review of Premiere on the blogosphere:
He also posts a link to this more in-depth list of feature desires:

PREMIERE CC: I know I'm using caps but I'm saying PLEASE? | Mike Nichols | The Edit Doctor
My ongoing list of wishes and wants along my journey from the APPLE FCP world to ADOBE… Some are previous off the old list and some all news ones as well… Although I do dig the company ADOBE and their handling of the Pro Community…  I regretfully still do not yet feel I totally dig editing with Premiere CC…



December 2013 updates: After Effects CC (12.2) and After Effects CS6 (11.04) | Adobe
It is with great pleasure I get to announce a new feature-bearing update to After Effects CC (12.2) that we released today. Todd Kopriva has put together a detailed list of what’s new and changed in After Effects CC (12.2). Along with the update to After Effects CC, we have also updated After Effects CS6 with a couple of bug fixes. Todd also has a list of what’s changed in After Effects CS6 (11.0.4) here.


GO CREATIVE SHOW: NEWSSHOOTER’S MATT ALLARD TALKS ABOUT COVERING TYPHOON HAIYAN | News Shooter
This week’s Go Creative Show features our very own technical editor Matt Allard. In his day job he is a TV news cameraman for the Al Jazeera English network. Based in Asia he has shot numerous disasters and major news events. Recently he covered Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and in this episode he discusses his approach and methodology with show host Ben Consoli. 

Friday, December 13, 2013

The News

SpeedGrade CC (7.2) Update | Adobe
This update focuses on performance enhancements and bug fixes for the Direct Link workflow. 


Adobe Premiere Pro CC December 2013 Release | Adobe
This release brings multiple performance enhancements to Premiere Pro, and several new features.


Planar tracking and camera solver with Mocha, After Effects & Plexus | AEScripts
In this tutorial, Mary Poplin of Imagineer Systems uses mocha Pro and After Effects to design a dynamic animated, tracked graphic.


Digital-Transition Doc Side by Side Gets Archived … on Film | Studio Daily
Kodak is publicizing the decision as a testament to film's continued viability as a stable preservation medium, especially when there is no time-tested equivalent in the world of digital archives.


Developing a Concept for a Video | Photofocus
Don’t try to reinvent what already exists. You need to closely examine what’s already in the web video universe or competitive marketplace.


Videos


A Guide to Handheld Camera Operating with Sean Bobbitt, BSC,



Rags refer to materials used to diffuse, bounce or block light.



"This is the Sony NEX-FS700 VS Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera video test. Again, I only compared the sharpness, dynamic range and video quality."



I believe this was shot with the Movi. Looks nice:




Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sony HXR-NX3


Sony has announced the HXR-NX3 ($3,495, expected in January). This isn't a large sensor, inter-changeable camera, and it doesn't have 4K, so it won't get a lot of coverage, but it's a good general purpose professional level camcorder.

I'm not sure if it replaces the HXR-NX5 ($3,795).


Here's a couple of videos:
Shot in Istanbul by DP Den Lennie, this video demonstrates the beautiful results that can be achieved on our new HXR-NX3 handheld HD camcorder. Boasting leading lens, sensor and LSI technology, in addition to built-in WiFi technology which allows it to be connected with devices such as smartphones and tablets, the HXR-NX3 is ideal for the professional videographer.



We go behind the scenes with DP Den Lennie in Istanbul as he explores our new HXR-NX3 handheld HD camcorder, to beautiful effect. Boasting leading lens, sensor and LSI technology, in addition to built-in WiFi technology which allows it to be connected with devices such as smartphones and tablets, the HXR-NX3 is ideal for the professional videographer.





SonyUK Press Release: Sony launches new NXCAM™ HXR-NX3 professional handheld HD camcorder with Exmor™ 3CMOS image sensors


Sony: Sony’s New HXR-NX3 Professional Handheld Camcorder Adds Wi-Fi Connectivity, Remote Control and Easy Video Sharing Capabilities
The HXR-NX3 is capable of light MP4 file simultaneous recording. The MP4 format (720p, 3Mbps) produces a network-friendly file that users can transfer wirelessly from the camcorder to a smartphone or tablet computer using the PlayMemories™ Mobile smartphone application (*3). Once transferred, the MP4 file can be uploaded to a cloud server, social media sites, video sharing sites and other platforms (*4). Users can download the PlayMemories Mobile app from the Google Play Store or App Store.


Sony Product Page (UK)HXR-NX3/VG1
Three 1/2.8-inch Exmor CMOS sensors Full HD AVCHD camcorder with 35mm full-frame format equivalent Sony G lens and 40x zoom with Clear Image ZoomHigh quality ECM-VG1 shot-gun microphone bundled


Red Shark News: Sony announces NXCAM HXR-NX3 Pro Handheld HD camcorder with 3 x CMOS sensors
The camera records to AVCHD 2.0 at up to 1080/50p (in Europe) and uncompressed 8 bit 4:2:2 is available through the HDMI output for connection to an external recorder. (It's interesting that manufacturers are now including this information - a recognition, surely, that some users like the option to record the uncompressed output externally).


HD Warrior: The NEW Sony HXR-NX3
The HXR-NX3 combines leading lens, sensor and LSI technology to achieve impressive image quality.  Sony’s  Exmor™ 3CMOS Sensor system with three 1/2.8” sensors provides 1920×1080 Full HD effective pixel count. As a result red, blue and green light are independently and accurately captured by separate image sensors, contributing to high resolution, high sensitivity and wide dynamic range that creates extraordinary natural colour reproduction.


DVInfo | Ron Evans
"What I was expecting ( and been waiting for ) to replace the NX5U with AVCHD 2.0 using the sensors from the PMW150/160. They have just been a little slow since the introduction of the PMW 150/160 likely too many NX5U's in the channels !!! The combination of my NX5U and now FDR-AX1 will do me unless a large sensor 4K comes out with better low light than the FDR-AX1."


The News

2013 – 10 things which have impressed me – and some that haven’t! | EOSHD
1. Magic Lantern Magic Lantern’s achievements have always been pretty incredible and they’ve been doing this for a few years now. However 2013 saw thee first major image quality improvements which you absolutely had to shoot with. Raw video especially was a revelation.


(SR5) Sony sensor revolution: First “non-Bayer” sensors coming in 2015. | Sony Alpha Rumors
Sony is heavily investing in a brand new sensor tech that will likely find his way in production cameras as early as 2015. I already told you a couple of weeks ago that Sony developed a 54 Megapixel sensor with on sensor PDAF. Well today I have been told by a very trusted sources that this sensor is also the first that has not been designed with a classic RGB (Bayer) pixel structure.


ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG WITH YOUR SCREENPLAY IN ONE HANDY INFOGRAPHIC | FastToCreate
01 The story begins too late in the script
02 The scenes are void of meaningful conflict
03 The script has a by-the-numbers execution


Content Marketing 2.0: How To Cut Through The Clutter When Everyone's A Media Producer | Forbes
Go niche. You want to position yourself as the leading expert in a given field, says Pulizzi. “News” or “sports” or even “content marketing” is probably too broad these days, as more and more people have jumped into the fray.


FS Review: Could DSLR Video Shooters Easily Move to the Blackmagic Cinema Camera? | F Stoppers
The build quality is, as expected, solid and reliable. A steel frame surrounds the camera, making it feel solid and dependable. Would it break if I dropped it? Probably, however it would likely reliably continue to record video even if the buttons were damaged and the screen was broken. It just strikes me as the kind of body that would maintain functionality of the guts even when the outsides were dinged, battered or dented.


Grading Anthony Bourdain’s Culinary Travels to Parts Unknown | Studio Daily
Beganyi now works exclusively in Blackmagic Design's DaVinci Resolve, running off a Mac Pro, coloring this past season in version 9. To grade a show that Zamboni has called "constantly shape-shifting," Beganyi says Resolve's multiple nodes and versions in real time give him a distinct advantage.


Takeaways From Dogfish Accelerator’s Demo Day | Filmmaker Magazine
Back in October, Filmmaker spoke with a few of the driving forces behind Dogfish Pictures’ Accelerator Program, which seeks to bring the start-up financing model to independent film production. I’m pleased to report that James Belfer and Company’s months of hard work culminated in a successful Demo Day at the Microsoft Technology Center in midtown Manhattan last Friday.


NLE Review: Adobe Premiere Pro CC | Pro Video Coalition
The great PPro trimming overhaul of version 6 gets some subtle improvements in CC to make it even better. It’s going to take some divine intervention for an NLE to achieve Avid’s level of trimming bliss but PPro is getting closer. I love that you can select multiple edit points and choose ripple or roll trims very quickly. The speed with which you can dig in and achieve a trim via the mouse is quite nice but you can dynamic trim via the keyboard as well.


Premiere Pro CC: Trim Edit Points | Larry Jordan
One of the areas where Adobe has worked hard to improve Premiere Pro is trimming. Trimming adjusts the point where two clips touch; this is also often called the “edit point.” With the Creative Cloud release of Premiere Pro, Adobe has added more options and simplified the entire trimming process.


PROXiMITY – A New Short from Ryan Connolly | Red Giant
Ryan tells us that 99% of the shots were colored with Magic Bullet Looks and Colorista II – two plug-ins from our Red Giant Color Suite – and color definitely helps in telling the gritty story. Color Matcher (from Key Correct – a part of Red Giant Keying Suite) was also used in the color correction process.





Tuesday, December 10, 2013

You get paid to do this?


Chase Jarvis posted a video of his latest adventures - with a DJI Phantom. Interestingly, he sent it up with a Sony RX100 II, because he wanted better footage than you get with the various action cameras (that's something I've been thinking about too!) He was also excited to use the WiFi feature of the camera to remotely monitor what it was shooting. So they attached it to the Phantom and took it flying...in Iceland....over water.

Now, he says "we've been flying it around in Seattle with the GoPro, it's been fun, but we're also thinking that we could upgrade the camera a little bit." So you're probably wondering; why didn't he take it flying with the RX100 II in Seattle, before going to Iceland?

I was wondering that too.

I was also wondering whether the camera (which is $748) could be carried by the Phantom. Strangely enough, earlier in the day I had done a Google search to find the maximum payload weight for the Phantom. The post I had found that morning said 200g, which would make the camera too heavy. I've subsequently found a post that suggests the Phantom can carry 400g...this actually makes sense because it can carry the GoPro Hero camera (136g) with a DJI Zenmuse H3-2D Gimbal (230g). So the RX100 II at 281g is within limits; but I still can't figure out why they waited until Iceland to test it?! Wouldn't it have been easier to test the stability of the camera and copter in a warmer, more controlled environment?

More puzzling, they seemed surprised that the WiFi app dropped-out after 15 feet. I've used the same app with a Sony Action Cam, and it drops off once you get further than 15 feet away...using it indoors. So they'd clearly not tested that before either.

Oh, and the battery life of the Phantom, which is only about 8 minutes in warm weather, can drop down quite a bit when it's cold, as it probably is in Iceland. It's unclear if they were aware of that, or whether they were keeping track of battery usage; but given the rest of their preparations, I'm assuming not.

Which made the whole adventure seem rather casual, and the final result almost a foregone conclusion. It felt like they wanted to see if they could lose the thing. Sure, it only cost $1,250 in lost equipment, but you'd think you'd do a bit more planning and testing than they had. Particularly if you were going to Iceland to use it.

Fortunately, the DJI Phantom is now just $479.


The News


The D16 Ships This Week! | Digital Bolex
We’re pleased to announce that the Digital Bolex D16 will begin shipping to backers starting this week. If you are a backer, we will contact you shortly to verify your shipping addresses and contact details, so please make sure that emails from digitalbolex.com will clear your spam filter.


Anamorphic sample footage shot with the SLR Magic Anamorphot – and which lenses go best with it? | EOSHD
The new SLR Magic Anamorphot 50 jointly developed with the help of EOSHD is here in it’s final non-prototype form and I’ve shot the above video with it (Sony FS100). This should give you an idea of how the flare moves around during a shot and the general anamorphic aesthetic you are able to get with the adapter.


Slating like a Butler | John Brawley
"Doesn’t anyone know how to slate? Don’t they know how they can influence the beginning of a scene? That they can set the tone for the actors? Why are they taking so long to announce the slate and get out of there? What ever happened to the discipline of the film days where you’d get the slate and only the slate in shot and get the hell out of there ???”


Marrakech Q&A: Martin Scorsese The Desire To Make Films, Suggests He Only Has A Few Left & Hopes ‘Silence’ Is Next | IndieWire
In answer to the diverse questions that came in from the largely student audience, Scorsese may have made frequent reference to his advancing years, but especially considering the 71-year-old was at the end of a long ten days viewing and adjudicating the competition films, he was, as ever, gracious and chatty about his life in film, past, present and future. Here are the highlights of that talk.


Stabilization with mocha AE and mocha Pro | Imagineer | Go To Meeting
Thursday, December 19, 2013 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EST
In this free, live webinar, Imagineer Systems product specialist, Mary Poplin will cover planar tracking stabilization techniques using mocha AE, mocha Pro, and mocha import+ for After Effects and Nuke. More than just a tracker! Use mocha's planar tracking tools to artistically stabilize or refocus your shots, extend your sets, and more.


With Paul Mazursky, It's All Crap! | Creative COW
The idea was to create to a show that would feature these and other friends of Paul's in intimate conversation with him, one-on-one. Paul's big concern was that it not feel like a TV show and we began to brainstorm about how to do that. He asked me produce it and left it to me to execute the look that would best support the feel he wanted the show to have. Once we'd discussed his desires and he knew I understood what he wanted, he gave me free rein to figure out how to pull it off.


The Revolution Won’t Be Televised – 4 Reasons the Future of Filmmaking is Online | RainDance
Web series creators are dealing with a unique situation where audiences expect quality writing and acting worthy of ‘real TV’ but can also get away with lower production value because the audience can understand the lack of studio backing for independent channels and lack or resources especially when there are no big names attached. If the writing is good, and a real passion is there, it will find an audience.


Working with Less Part 4: Postproduction | Philip Bloom
David Kong guest piece at Philip Bloom's blog:
This article/video is all about Postproduction. I’ll be talking about editing and color correction workflow, Premiere and After Effects, touching up shots with “Visual FX,” and my techniques for handling files. I’ll also be taking a look at a bunch of shots from my Portrait of Macerata video and explaining what finishing work I did on them.


So you want to fly drones? Here’s what the law says | Gigaom
While the FAA suggested in 1981 that model aircraft operators fly below 400 feet, the document was just an advisory, and two aviation lawyers contacted by Gigaom said the agency has no authority below 700 feet — for now.“The FAA is already looking at it .. but it’s not going to happen for two years,” said John Todd of Todd & Levi in New York, who noted that the number of amateur drones in the sky is growing quickly.


Freezing time w/ ONLY ONE camera, 360 degrees, 7200 fps | YouTube
Interesting, though maybe rather complex technique that probably only has limited application....

Monday, December 09, 2013

the News

After Effects | Creating an Animated Crumpled Paper Effect With TrapCode MIR | Lester Banks
Inspired by the opening animation for Community, Trevor Penner set out to create something similar in After Effects and walks through how to create a crumpled paper animation with the use of TrapCode MIR.
TrapCode MIR lends its self well to this effect, allowing you to get a 3D look right within After Effects using a custom paper image as a base. Trevor also rounds out the look of the animation using RedGiant’s Mojo.


'How To Qualify Your #Documentary For An #AcademyAward' by @HunterWeeks for @OldFolksRock | Film Courage




Attention, Documentary Filmmakers: Here Are 9 Tips for Finding and Securing the Archival Material You Need | IndieWire
1. Beware the internet."Everything is being pulled from the web and then, under deadline pressure, [filmmakers] are trying to find out who owns it. Usually, those filmmakers end up having to hire a very experienced research clearance person to try to sort out things. There's a way to work with things from the internet, but it's the wrong approach to take everything as placeholders and then at the very end, under a time crunch, try to figure out how it's all going to be licensed." -- Scott Norman


Creating analog with digital: the beautiful black-and-white cinematography of ‘Nebraska’ | The Verge
Although initially reluctant, Paramount did agree to Payne’s idea of releasing the movie in black and white — with one caveat. Some markets and outlets would be given a color version, which meant that shooting on black-and-white negative was out.


Intelligent Assistance: Producer’s Best Friend (Video) | Larry Jordan
The Producer’s Best Friend is a new utility from the folks at Intelligent Assistance. Many times, at the end of a project, producers need to generate massively detailed reports listing all music cues, stock footage, titles, effects, even transitions. Compiling these reports can take days.


Super 8 bounces back with a new professional level super8 camera! Analogue filmmaking is back! | Red Shark News
The camera has been created by a Danish father and son team Tommy and Lasse. 63 year old Tommy is an expert on the Lathe and precision mechanics whereas his 30 year old son is similarly skilled in micro-controller software. Together they have put together a Super 8 camera that can rival high end 16mm cameras in functionality.


When you should NOT shoot 4K video | Red Shark News
On the other hand shooting weddings and events, a low-budget web series, or thirteen half-hour episodes for a modest reality show in a mere 24 days with next to no support – not even a camera assistant! - 4K image capture might not be the wisest choice. God made small-format cameras for a reason; they are ideal for documentaries and non-fiction type programming like sports, nature films, and reality shows.


Stolen...adventures with cameras | Sam Morgan Moore
I had decided to open with a long shot that could hold some titles and then do a ‘big move’ the shot starts inside a scrap van, booms up to meet Simon and then booms down to his feet, I did this on my ‘Steadi Boom’ which is a combination of a GoPro on a twin axis brushless stabilised head and a boom that I have made that works with my Steadicam arm, vest, monitor, batteries and vehicle hard mount.


VIDEO: Do-it-Yourself – Lighting Studio | Mastering Photo
You can easily create your own photographic lighting studio with a backdrop, lights, and some of the homemade diffusers, reflectors and gels that you can learn to make in this series of videos. This video tutorial shows basic set-up and techniques for lighting objects or images with artificial lights.


The Economics of a Hit TV Show | Price Onomics
AMC extended the runtime of the last two episodes from 44 to 54 minutes – 75 minutes apiece with commercials – and raised its advertising rates to as much as $400,000 per 30-second spot. The 21 minutes of commercial airtime in “Felina,” the show’s final episode, may have earned the network $7-8 million in advertising revenue.

Sony Promotional video for NEX-EA50UH
I like this camera, perhaps because I have one(!) It's currently $2,625 after a $600 rebate.