Camera Tripods By David Hague
We are often asked when a tripod should be used, and the generic answer is "whenever you have one with you". Unless you purposely want that jerky, jumpy video look that was a trademark of some TV shows for a period, there is nothing worse than a video that is not rock steady. There is a reason that TV camera operators routinely use them no matter the circumstances. Trust me, you wouldn't lug one of those dirty big TV camera tripods around everywhere with you by choice! But not all tripods are created equal. The one you can buy for $15 in Big W has nothing in common with any of the tripods you'll see in this story other than it has three legs and a screw to mount a camera!...Read More »
Forget Using Smartphone Cams! By David Hague
Lately, users have shied away from using lower priced camcorders in favor of shooting video with their smartphones and this is a bit sad in my opinion. The quality of footage from a phone can never replicate that of even the least expensive of genuine camcorders due to a number of factors, not the least being the lens. The physical design is also a factor; camcorders are built the way they are for a reason, primarily the ergonomics with everything at your fingertips. And of course, the camcorder is always the right way up, shooting proper 16:9 high definition footage (PROPER high def) in landscape mode and not portrait as smartphones do. So which are the best low cost camcorders on the market? With a budget of $500, we wondered just what you could get......Read More »
The JVC GC-PX100 Camcorder By David Hague
Every once in a while, a piece of equipment comes out from a vendor that grabs you by the throat and gives you a shake as it yells, "Look at me!". The new JVC GC-PX100 is such a beast. In terms of camcorders, the GC-PX100 is quite different; the shape is different, access to controls is different and even some functionality is different. ...Read More »
The Panasonic AG-HPX255 Camera and BT-LH1850 Monitor By Jeremiah Hall
The AG-HPX255 is a hand-held 1/3 2.2 megapixel 3-MOS camera. It uses P2 cards. It records full 1920x1080, 10-bit 4:2:2. It is also capable of being used in a studio environment, thanks to a remote terminal compatible with Panasonic's AG-EC4 Paint Box remote control. Not bad for a camera that lists at $6,995.00. The BT-LH1850 is 18.5" monitor. It has a resolution of 1366 x 768. It's big enough for multiple people to look at, while being small enough to carry around to shoots. It has a built-in vectorscope, as well as a waveform monitor for RGB signals. ...Read More »
Replay XD: "A POV Camera Designed for Professionals?" By Douglas Spotted Eagle
In the earliest days of sport POV production, photographers were excited about the advent of the "lipstick camera" for its small form factor and ease of use. The camera(s) could be mounted on a wing, helmet, or other foundation, cabled to a recorder, and used for new angles in production. These bullet wonders helped create the sense of "being there." They were also horribly expensive and fragile. In modern times, we've seen the camera shrink in size, and dramatically improve in image quality. In many cases, this size-shrink inspires kludgy form factors, and this is where the Replay XD camera shines....Read More »
The Panasonic HC-V520M Camcorder By David Hague
If you are into sports video, you know that it almost a given that you need a decent zoom to get the action (and it goes without saying, a tripod as well). In still photography terms, my experiences in motor sport suggest a 200mm is the minimum and probably a 400mm the optimal. Of course you need to allow factors such as low light and depth of field to get the best of them. Panasonic has obviously realized this in terms of the video world and released the HC-V520M, a single CMOS hi-def camcorder that will sit easily in the palm of your hand, but sports a genuine 50x optical zoom and an "intelligent" 80x ...Read More »
The Canon HF G25 Camcorder By David Hague
And still they keep coming. Today we received a new Canon HF G25 for testing, and true to recent form for most of the latest camcorder releases, the features and functions are truly staggering. This camera is designed to be fully automatic or as manual as you like. Things such as Auto Gain can be adjusted as can focus preset and a manual focus assist. Zebra patterning is there as are white balance presets for daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten and by colour temperature....Read More »
The Sony PMW-200 Camcorder By David Hague
The power of a motor vehicle is usually measured in kilowatts (although still more easily identified by most in the "old currency" of brake horse power). Sadly this is not always an accurate measure of grunt as other factors should also be brought into the equation such as power-to-weight ratios and so on. Similarly, most non-professionals (and advertising blurb and salespeople) tend to measure how good a camcorder is by its zoom factor, number of megapixels or even its internal storage capacity. While all of these are a small part in the total power factor they are by no means anywhere near the be-all and end-all....Read More »
Skateboarding over the Great Wall: Telling Danny Way's Story "Waiting for Lightning"
Growing up in Palo Alto, CA, Jacob Rosenberg had a passion for skateboarding. As the years progressed, Jacob also discovered he had a passion for filmmaking. When the opportunity to combine the two presented itself, Jacob jumped at the chance. As Partner, Chief Technology Officer and Director of LA based Bandito Brothers, a full service media company that creates, produces, manages and distributes audio/visual content, Jacob seized the opportunity to spearhead and direct the sophisticated, heartfelt and visceral documentary "Waiting for Lightning" about longtime friend and skateboarding legend Danny Way....Read More »
Beautiful Berlin turned depressing for Korean spy thriller
As the capital of Germany, Berlin is a beautiful city with both modern infrastructures and sites of historic interest, but as the setting for 'The Berlin File', a 2013 South Korean spy thriller written and directed by Korean action auteur Ryu Seung-wan and starring Korea's top actors including Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Ryu Seung-bum and Jun Ji-hyun against each other in the twisty tale of political intrigue and personal redemption, Berlin has to be unpleasant enough. With a strong opening in box office, the action blockbuster attracted 7 million admissions in early 2013 to become the all-time highest-grossing Korean action film and the critics applauded its "secretive and gloomy atmosphere", which contributed to the film's great success. The magic that turned Berlin from a beautiful city to a gloomy cold place was performed by colorist Park Jin-Young with CJ Powercast with her 8 GPU Linux based DaVinci Resolve....Read More »
Content Insider #279 - NAB 2013 Wrap By Miles Weston
Every time I come away from a big show I have to give myself a reality check and recall it was only a few years ago I waxed on and on about 3D TV and netbooks. Saw where that went right? Right. But NAB this year was freakin awesome. Cameras are getting to the point that any indie can afford them. The industry fatcat days are gone and they ain't coming back so the people who will survive are working harder/smarter. Broadcast folks welcomed the telcos in with forced smiles and there were some who weren't happy with competition at all. But with all the 4K-8K content it is still all about storage and that cute thing called "the cloud." We'll tie up all the loose ends...next week. ...Read More »
FlyingS3D sets Le Crazy Horse on Fire with Pablo
FlyingS3D opened its doors early in 2010 as France's first dedicated stereoscopic 3D post production facility. FlyingS3D is the brainchild of managing director Audrey Bourdiol, who had spent her career up until then looking after the technical side of one of France's largest post houses. With already more than 30 major S3D projects under its belt, in 2012 FlyingS3D won the full post production for 'Feu' (Fire) - a 3D film by Le Crazy Horse - one of its most ambitious projects to date. Le Crazy Horse cabaret was founded in 1951 by the avant-garde artist Alain Bernardin and has delivered its own special brand of glamour entertainment to millions of men and women for more than sixty years. 'Feu' is designed to bring Le Crazy experience to cinema audiences worldwide; 3D was "the natural choice" to achieve this aim, says Audrey Bourdiol....Read More »
Preserving Groningen's History through Film
Cultural heritage is a community's legacy. Something we live with today, and what society will eventually pass on to future generations. Acting as custodians of the past, archive centers around the world are tasked with not only storing content, but also making it accessible. Groningen Audio Visueel Archief (GAVA) is one such facility in the Netherlands responsible for looking after more than 24,000 audiovisual items relating to the region of Groningen, which are kept on formats varying from nitrate film base to digibeta. Founded in 1992 as the second regional AV archive in the Netherlands, GAVA specializes in cataloging and preserving sound and video programs about the province of Groningen, as well as productions created by residents from Groningen. In addition to acting as a repository, the center is also tasked with making all of its archived footage available to broadcasters, artists, museum organizations and businesses online....Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin....Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect....Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided? ...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software....Read More »
Seattle Children's Hospital Upgrades its Auditorium From Analog to Digital
Consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country, Seattle Children's is a 254 bed hospital that has been delivering patient care and advancing new treatments through pediatric research for more than 100 years. Located in the Giraffe wing of Children's, the Wright Auditorium is a vital part of the hospital's infrastructure. It holds numerous staff trainings, medical lectures and patient/family education events throughout the year, which means it must always be ready for the next event, be it a simple PowerPoint presentation or a multi site videoconferencing and video recording event. In March of 2012, the hospital's A/V department decided to upgrade the video system in the 266 seat auditorium. The department, which consists of 5 staff members and which supports more than 100 meeting rooms across eight office buildings and multiple regional clinics, knew this might not be an easy task. ...Read More »
EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD..... By Douglas Spotted Eagle
With the new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon, syncrhonized video with two channels/angles in a single stream is quick and easy. This camera is unique in that it features dual lenses, shooting two views to a single stream that may be displayed either side by side or over/under. This allows not only for POV, but reactions to the POV. The large button allows even the most thick mitten or glove to turn on/off the camera. Powering up the camera also starts record mode....Read More »
Ensworth High School Video Board Lights Up the Night with ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher
Ensworth High School's football team is in for a challenging autumn. The Nashville, TN Ensworth Tigers, led by coach Ricky Bowers, are heavily favored to win their third consecutive D-II Private School State Championship. Luckily for the Tigers, they have no shortage of die hard fans in their stadium as well as around the country, and this year the cheers will be intensely magnified thanks to the very generous donation of a video board and the installation of a completely HD broadcast workflow from Blackmagic Design. ...Read More »
Camera Tripods
We are often asked when a tripod should be used, and the generic answer is "whenever you have one with you". Unless you purposely want that jerky, jumpy video look that was a trademark of some TV shows for a period, there is nothing worse than a video that is not rock steady. There is a reason that TV camera operators routinely use them no matter the circumstances. Trust me, you wouldn't lug one of those dirty big TV camera tripods around everywhere with you by choice! But not all tripods are created equal. The one you can buy for $15 in Big W has nothing in common with any of the tripods you'll see in this story other than it has three legs and a screw to mount a camera!
...Read More »
Forget Using Smartphone Cams!
Lately, users have shied away from using lower priced camcorders in favor of shooting video with their smartphones and this is a bit sad in my opinion. The quality of footage from a phone can never replicate that of even the least expensive of genuine camcorders due to a number of factors, not the least being the lens. The physical design is also a factor; camcorders are built the way they are for a reason, primarily the ergonomics with everything at your fingertips. And of course, the camcorder is always the right way up, shooting proper 16:9 high definition footage (PROPER high def) in landscape mode and not portrait as smartphones do. So which are the best low cost camcorders on the market? With a budget of $500, we wondered just what you could get...
...Read More »
The JVC GC-PX100 Camcorder
Every once in a while, a piece of equipment comes out from a vendor that grabs you by the throat and gives you a shake as it yells, "Look at me!". The new JVC GC-PX100 is such a beast. In terms of camcorders, the GC-PX100 is quite different; the shape is different, access to controls is different and even some functionality is different.
...Read More »
The Panasonic AG-HPX255 Camera and BT-LH1850 Monitor
The AG-HPX255 is a hand-held 1/3 2.2 megapixel 3-MOS camera. It uses P2 cards. It records full 1920x1080, 10-bit 4:2:2. It is also capable of being used in a studio environment, thanks to a remote terminal compatible with Panasonic's AG-EC4 Paint Box remote control. Not bad for a camera that lists at $6,995.00. The BT-LH1850 is 18.5" monitor. It has a resolution of 1366 x 768. It's big enough for multiple people to look at, while being small enough to carry around to shoots. It has a built-in vectorscope, as well as a waveform monitor for RGB signals.
...Read More »
Replay XD: "A POV Camera Designed for Professionals?"
In the earliest days of sport POV production, photographers were excited about the advent of the "lipstick camera" for its small form factor and ease of use. The camera(s) could be mounted on a wing, helmet, or other foundation, cabled to a recorder, and used for new angles in production. These bullet wonders helped create the sense of "being there." They were also horribly expensive and fragile. In modern times, we've seen the camera shrink in size, and dramatically improve in image quality. In many cases, this size-shrink inspires kludgy form factors, and this is where the Replay XD camera shines.
...Read More »
The Panasonic HC-V520M Camcorder
If you are into sports video, you know that it almost a given that you need a decent zoom to get the action (and it goes without saying, a tripod as well). In still photography terms, my experiences in motor sport suggest a 200mm is the minimum and probably a 400mm the optimal. Of course you need to allow factors such as low light and depth of field to get the best of them. Panasonic has obviously realized this in terms of the video world and released the HC-V520M, a single CMOS hi-def camcorder that will sit easily in the palm of your hand, but sports a genuine 50x optical zoom and an "intelligent" 80x
...Read More »
The Canon HF G25 Camcorder
And still they keep coming. Today we received a new Canon HF G25 for testing, and true to recent form for most of the latest camcorder releases, the features and functions are truly staggering. This camera is designed to be fully automatic or as manual as you like. Things such as Auto Gain can be adjusted as can focus preset and a manual focus assist. Zebra patterning is there as are white balance presets for daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten and by colour temperature.
...Read More »
The Sony PMW-200 Camcorder
The power of a motor vehicle is usually measured in kilowatts (although still more easily identified by most in the "old currency" of brake horse power). Sadly this is not always an accurate measure of grunt as other factors should also be brought into the equation such as power-to-weight ratios and so on. Similarly, most non-professionals (and advertising blurb and salespeople) tend to measure how good a camcorder is by its zoom factor, number of megapixels or even its internal storage capacity. While all of these are a small part in the total power factor they are by no means anywhere near the be-all and end-all.
...Read More »
Skateboarding over the Great Wall: Telling Danny Way's Story "Waiting for Lightning"
Growing up in Palo Alto, CA, Jacob Rosenberg had a passion for skateboarding. As the years progressed, Jacob also discovered he had a passion for filmmaking. When the opportunity to combine the two presented itself, Jacob jumped at the chance. As Partner, Chief Technology Officer and Director of LA based Bandito Brothers, a full service media company that creates, produces, manages and distributes audio/visual content, Jacob seized the opportunity to spearhead and direct the sophisticated, heartfelt and visceral documentary "Waiting for Lightning" about longtime friend and skateboarding legend Danny Way.
...Read More »
Beautiful Berlin turned depressing for Korean spy thriller
As the capital of Germany, Berlin is a beautiful city with both modern infrastructures and sites of historic interest, but as the setting for 'The Berlin File', a 2013 South Korean spy thriller written and directed by Korean action auteur Ryu Seung-wan and starring Korea's top actors including Ha Jung-woo, Han Suk-kyu, Ryu Seung-bum and Jun Ji-hyun against each other in the twisty tale of political intrigue and personal redemption, Berlin has to be unpleasant enough. With a strong opening in box office, the action blockbuster attracted 7 million admissions in early 2013 to become the all-time highest-grossing Korean action film and the critics applauded its "secretive and gloomy atmosphere", which contributed to the film's great success. The magic that turned Berlin from a beautiful city to a gloomy cold place was performed by colorist Park Jin-Young with CJ Powercast with her 8 GPU Linux based DaVinci Resolve.
...Read More »
Content Insider #279 - NAB 2013 Wrap
Every time I come away from a big show I have to give myself a reality check and recall it was only a few years ago I waxed on and on about 3D TV and netbooks. Saw where that went right? Right. But NAB this year was freakin awesome. Cameras are getting to the point that any indie can afford them. The industry fatcat days are gone and they ain't coming back so the people who will survive are working harder/smarter. Broadcast folks welcomed the telcos in with forced smiles and there were some who weren't happy with competition at all. But with all the 4K-8K content it is still all about storage and that cute thing called "the cloud." We'll tie up all the loose ends...next week.
...Read More »
FlyingS3D sets Le Crazy Horse on Fire with Pablo
FlyingS3D opened its doors early in 2010 as France's first dedicated stereoscopic 3D post production facility. FlyingS3D is the brainchild of managing director Audrey Bourdiol, who had spent her career up until then looking after the technical side of one of France's largest post houses. With already more than 30 major S3D projects under its belt, in 2012 FlyingS3D won the full post production for 'Feu' (Fire) - a 3D film by Le Crazy Horse - one of its most ambitious projects to date. Le Crazy Horse cabaret was founded in 1951 by the avant-garde artist Alain Bernardin and has delivered its own special brand of glamour entertainment to millions of men and women for more than sixty years. 'Feu' is designed to bring Le Crazy experience to cinema audiences worldwide; 3D was "the natural choice" to achieve this aim, says Audrey Bourdiol.
...Read More »
Preserving Groningen's History through Film
Cultural heritage is a community's legacy. Something we live with today, and what society will eventually pass on to future generations. Acting as custodians of the past, archive centers around the world are tasked with not only storing content, but also making it accessible. Groningen Audio Visueel Archief (GAVA) is one such facility in the Netherlands responsible for looking after more than 24,000 audiovisual items relating to the region of Groningen, which are kept on formats varying from nitrate film base to digibeta. Founded in 1992 as the second regional AV archive in the Netherlands, GAVA specializes in cataloging and preserving sound and video programs about the province of Groningen, as well as productions created by residents from Groningen. In addition to acting as a repository, the center is also tasked with making all of its archived footage available to broadcasters, artists, museum organizations and businesses online.
...Read More »
Right on Schedule with The Delivery Men and DaVinci Resolve 9 for Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation (AFR) believes talent is universal but opportunity is not, which is why the nonprofit's goal is to provide all children with a support system that gives them hope for a brighter future. To achieve this goal, ARF has raised more than $10 million since inception to fund programs improving the daily lives of thousands of children. While ARF runs and supports programs that enhance educational and economic opportunities for thousands of children throughout the United States, the nonprofit is headquartered in the city Andy Roddick calls home: Austin, Texas. To help increase awareness and support for its local initiatives, AFR turned to Austin based production company The Delivery Men to create the "This Is" promotional film for its 2012 Andy Roddick Foundation Gala in Austin.
...Read More »
Sweet Sadie Helps Disney Theatrical Productions Commemorate "The Lion King's" 15th Anniversary
A call was heard in New York that echoed around the world" was the emotional theme of a video produced by Sweet Sadie, Inc. for Disney Theatrical Productions commemorating the 15th anniversary of "The Lion King's" debut on Broadway. Disney provided the studio with a massive trove of stills and videos tracing the far-flung 15-year history of the show from which to draw. Employing After Effects, the Sweet Sadie team set about to bring this material to life by animating cast and crew images against new backgrounds, such as show set photography and crowd scenes complete with flash bulbs popping. 2.5D techniques were used to "cut out" foregrounds from backgrounds to stunning effect.
...Read More »
The Art of the Trailer: Two Years in 30 Seconds
The trailer plays a major role in the marketing and ultimate success of a feature motion picture. This on-screen advertisement is so engrained in popular culture that most of the time it is taken for granted by movie goers. But industry marketing veterans know the trailer is the first and last chance to create a lasting impression on an audience. Most trailers range in length between 30 seconds and two minutes. It's within that short time span that the viewer will pick up on hundreds of cues about the movie. In the blink of an eye he will determine the genre, the gist of the story, the aesthetic and level of production. By the end of the trailer the viewer might well determine the fate of the movie. Is it a must-see or to-be-avoided?
...Read More »
DaVinci Resolve 'Elementary' in Color Grading Hit CBS Crime Solving Television Show
While it may take Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson just 60 minutes to crack a case on an episode of the hit CBS television show "Elementary," Tony D'Amore can do it in less. As the Senior Colorist at LA based post house Encore and lead colorist for the wildly popular series, Tony is responsible for color correction and grading the weekly show, and he relies on DaVinci Resolve color correction software.
...Read More »
Seattle Children's Hospital Upgrades its Auditorium From Analog to Digital
Consistently ranked as one of the best children's hospitals in the country, Seattle Children's is a 254 bed hospital that has been delivering patient care and advancing new treatments through pediatric research for more than 100 years. Located in the Giraffe wing of Children's, the Wright Auditorium is a vital part of the hospital's infrastructure. It holds numerous staff trainings, medical lectures and patient/family education events throughout the year, which means it must always be ready for the next event, be it a simple PowerPoint presentation or a multi site videoconferencing and video recording event. In March of 2012, the hospital's A/V department decided to upgrade the video system in the 266 seat auditorium. The department, which consists of 5 staff members and which supports more than 100 meeting rooms across eight office buildings and multiple regional clinics, knew this might not be an easy task.
...Read More »
EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD.....
With the new Oregon Scientific ATC Chameleon, syncrhonized video with two channels/angles in a single stream is quick and easy. This camera is unique in that it features dual lenses, shooting two views to a single stream that may be displayed either side by side or over/under. This allows not only for POV, but reactions to the POV. The large button allows even the most thick mitten or glove to turn on/off the camera. Powering up the camera also starts record mode.
...Read More »
Ensworth High School Video Board Lights Up the Night with ATEM 1 M/E Production Switcher
Ensworth High School's football team is in for a challenging autumn. The Nashville, TN Ensworth Tigers, led by coach Ricky Bowers, are heavily favored to win their third consecutive D-II Private School State Championship. Luckily for the Tigers, they have no shortage of die hard fans in their stadium as well as around the country, and this year the cheers will be intensely magnified thanks to the very generous donation of a video board and the installation of a completely HD broadcast workflow from Blackmagic Design.
...Read More »
