Lighting is one part of filmmaking where I have no knowledge of. I usually shoot with natural light and make it work. If someone in the crew has lighting experience, I usually rely on them to guide me. So finding these online lighting lessons could have come at a better time. Sadly though, these lessons mostly cover still photography which is fine but film tends to be tougher to manage.
I have never heard of MRAM before this but it addresses the only issues I have with Flash memory (used as RAM most frequently and now more often as hard drives). Flash memory has a limit in how many times it can be written over. Most people using it for taking pictures or whatever will never see effects of this but Flash memory in a hard drive would be apparent, spread over a couple of years, of course. So MRAM addresses that. It also addresses the issue of RAM's inability to keep data while powered down. MRAM is also faster than RAM. However, it will take a while before it is cheap enough for someone like me to use it. Still, quite exciting.
Pretty interesting product at least in its description: "Trinity is the world's first truly portable, professional recording studio or (DAW) digital audio workstation" that provides a multi-track recording environment that allows a user to record, edit, equalize, audition and mix audio, songs or sound files (wav, mp3, ogg vorbis) at sample rates of 16 bit 44.1khz, 48khz or 24 bit at 96khz. Comes with 20GB hard drive and built-in WiFi, two XLR inputs. Also provides 8 volt phantom power for high quality condensor microphones. Uses Linux as its operating system and Audacity as its sound editor. Very very nice. Sells for $999.
Being on vacation, the biggest obstacle I had from having a perfect shooting set-up was the constant need to recharge the battery. I had enough media, I had enough options in capturing something but by the end of the day I faced the blinking out-of-battery signal. Aaarg!!! So it is nice to see Tekkon's myPower ALL address some of these issues. It is a portable battery device that can charge portable devices including cameras and laptops (16V/4A or less). Many camcorders are included but I didn't see any prosumer cameras. Anyways check out the list and see if the devices you use are on the list. The units go for $120 (14v) and $160 (19v), with most adapters going for $3 to $5.
Here's yet another inventive DIY-style tool, this time underwater housing for miniDV camcorders. This homemade unit makes creative use of some PVC piping and mostly Home Depot-grade parts. The instructions are quite extensive, and the total cost will run you about $70. Like most professional gear, underwater housing units are very expensive, running from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Get down with your DIY self and give this a try if you're looking to explore underwater shooting possibilities.
Now, here is something decidedly useful (and expensive). The FlashMic is an omnidirectional interview-style microphone that records straight to onboard flash memory. A recent review in Audio Media has been summarized on the Camcorderinfo Blog. Acting as a self-contained unit, the FlashMic is built around a Sennheiser omni-directional capsule and has 1GB of onboard flash memory. A USB port makes for simple data transfer, and the mic also includes a headphone jack that doubles as an analog audio output. The only downside is the $1300 price tag. Check out the summary for more details.
On June 27th, Apple posted a 1MB firmware update to the 17 inch MacBook Pro. The update "adjusts fan behavior" according to the release description. Many people have been complaining about the heat generated from the bottom of this beast and Stephen Schleicher did some tests with his 17" MacBook Pro. Prior to installing the patch Stephen noted the temperature of his CPU was 181 degrees Fahrenheit. After installing the patch he claims he heard the MacBook Pro's fans for the first time and the CPU temperature was a much cooler 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Case in point, go get the patch now!
Avid announced the worldwide availability of version 5.5 of its Avid Xpress Pro software. They have also started to ship the newest member of its Digital Nonlinear Accelerator products -- Avid Mojo SDI. Avid Xpress Pro version 5.5 includes HD capabilities for both Mac and Windows-based systems. Avid Mojo SDI works seamlessly with Avid Xpress Pro and Media Composer software, providing high-quality, advanced analog and digital SDI (Serial Digital Interface) I/O connections for professional video and audio projects.
Me and You and Everyone We Know is a film by Miranda July was a film shot on Sony's Cine Alta F900. This film won plenty of awards including prizes at Cannes and Sundance. There are many films that have been shot on Digital video but this is easily one of the best I have ever seen. And for once, and I am saying this as a film lover, it looked better than film. Clean with a nice looking depth of field and colors that had a nice roundness (?! - don't ask me to explain). My only complaint would be the usuage of the blue palette which seem forced. I tried to find some articles on it to see what tools they used but there were not too many. Apple had featured them in their Pro stories and O'Reilly had some stuff. But if you are shooting on video, you got to check this film out. And if you guys find other technical links on this film, please send.
DigitalCinemaSociety.org has some really useful information on many things related to HD and DV. Info like HD Camera Configuration, HD On Set Flow Chart, DVX-100 Gamma Settings, The Use of Monitors in Digital Cinema Production, Tips for Working in HDV, HD Fact Sheet 101. Most of the links are in .PDF format but it is the kind of info, you should print out.
Panasonic is set to role out two new flash memory based camcorders the SDR-S200 and SDR-S150. The cameras will feature a similar compact design found in their predecessor the SDR-S100. Notable upgrades include support for the new Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) card format as well as enhanced optics. The cameras will ship with 2GB SD cards which will hold just over one and a half hours of MPEG-2 footage. Look for the SDR-S200 to hit store shelves in Japan by July 8th, though no word on availability or pricing for both cameras here in the US.
[Via Camcorderinfo.com]
Video tutorial on multi-aspect ratio editing. In short, change the scale. Relevant to Final Cut Pro beginners. (via HD for Indies)
Josh Oakhurst pinged me with a really good article that many ultra-indie films can take a lot from. Very much like Mike Curtis at HD for Indies, Josh reports on some consulting gigs that he has had recently. Like many independent productions, the workflow depends on how much it costs and how it will work towards the final output. It is a tricky question and Josh does a wonderful job tackling it.
Cornet is shipping the Maximus Platinum drive which has a whopping terabyte hard drive space. It supports USB, Firewire 400 & 800. Priced at $1,230. Has the brushed metal look of the G5. 
Sam Longoria has a very good article about creating the best sound for your videos. Like he states earlier on, many times the audience will not respond properly to a movie because it didn't sound right. This might conscious or unconscious on their part. Sound ends up being the least discussed aspect of filmmaking but has all the relevance of having a good image, good edit, good actors, good writing and good directing. The article explains the differences betweed video sound and film sound, digital vs analog and talks about some ways to improve the sound of your dialogue. Very good read.< Previous Page | Next Page >
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