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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Quick Links

Atomos Samurai ‘Blade’ and ‘Connect’ | James Miller | Philip Bloom
One thing to bare in mind is that if recording interviews using external sound into the Blade, for reference or as a master (Audio is not supported over HDMI on Canon 1DC), the sync will be off by a few frames. Luckily if you do clapper tests before your shoot, you have the option to shift sync + or -. This is very handy and will save headaches later in shifting audio layers.


One of the problems with CMOS sensor cameras is Rolling Shutter. A global shutter solves that problem, so it would be good seeing that appear on more cameras (though I think the Global Shutter tends to lower the sensitivity of the sensor by a stop or so.)
Canon to Offer Global Shutter for 2.5k Video on an Upcoming DSLR? [CR1] | CanonRumors
We heard rumour that some folk in the video world are selling off gear in anticipation of a global shutter capable of 2.5k video being made available on an, as of yet, unnamed DSLR.


Bad news for Sony, their credit rating goes to junk status. Ouch! Sony is suffering in the TV (set) and PC business. Impossible to know how their professional video camera business is doing; but even if it's doing okay, it's probably a drop in the ocean compared to the size of their TV business.
Moody’s cuts Sony’s credit rating to junk (BBC) | SonyAlphaRumors
The ratings agency said that while Sony had taken steps to cut costs and improve profitability, the benefits of those steps were emerging “slowly” and its key segments “seem unlikely to soon regain the robust profit levels seen historically”.


But, Sony Europe is running a film making competition for filmmakers and filmmaking students. I - briefly - read through the rules, and couldn't see any restrictions on entry based on where you live...and you could win a Sony NEX-FS700...
Sony PROduction Awards 2014 | Sony Europe
You could win the latest Sony technology, including Sony's NEX-FS700RH 4K Super 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor NXCAM camcorder and UWP-D wireless microphone kit, as well as profile-raising publicity and access to Sony's cloud-based video production and library platform Ci℠. 


Richard Gelfond, CEO Of IMAX, Makes Big Prediction About The Future Of Movies | HuffingtonPost
"I think there's going to be much less kind of Western power in the movies," Gelfond said. "I don't think the Russia's going to be the bad guy, and the U.S. is going to be the good guy, because that's not gonna play well [in Russia]."


Sundance is over, and here's a couple of breakdowns of the cameras used by the filmmakers. As NoFilmSchool points out, it's a much wider list than the Oscars..
How'd They Shoot That? Here's the Cameras Used By the 2014 Sundance Filmmakers | IndieWire
As you can see, the vast majority of filmmakers shot digitally, but a few used film cameras and at least one DP even used both.

Which Cameras Were Used by the 2014 Sundance Filmmakers? | No Film School
The Oscars might’ve been completely dominated by the ARRI ALEXA and ARRIFLEX, without even a mention of a RED camera, but Sundance had quite an array of cinema cameras and DSLRs, film and digital cams, ARRI, Canon, Panasonic, and yes, even RED.


Profiles in Criticism: Anne Thompson | IndieWire
"I will say this to anyone with great conviction: do not take film as an undergraduate because you need to know as much as you can about history, politics, the world, Shakespeare," she emphasizes. Especially Shakespeare -- for Thompson, missing a survey on the Bard of Avon's opus was the signal mistake of her undergraduate education.


USING A FIELD MIXER TO GET BETTER AUDIO | VideoMaker
Whether you’re shooting with a DSLR with sub par audio controls, or you need more inputs than your camcorder has, a field mixer can help expand your audio possibilities, and get you better quality audio.


I interviewed these guys for Filmmaker Magazine, and here's a short video interview with them at Adobe.TV. I've only seen the trailer, but it looks like an amazing piece of work.
The Cardboard Puppetry of Me + Her | AdobeTV
Writer/director Joseph Oxford and cinematographer Bradley Stonesifer discuss "Me + Her" a short performed entirely with puppets made of corrugated card board. The two describe the workflow and tools used to make the film.


Another career bites the dust:
UK Newspaper Chain Follows in Sun Times Footsteps, Shutters All Photographer Jobs | PetaPixel
It’s unclear exactly how many photographers will hit the pavement as a result of the decision by Johnston Press, but the National Union of Journalists counts 24 at newspapers scattered across Scotland and the Midlands.

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