The Simplest, Fastest Interview Lighting Setup—Ever.

For a long time my primary source of employment was shooting corporate marketing communications videos. As these consist primarily of “talking head” interviews, I tried every lighting setup I could think of to make people look their best quickly, as many of these shoots have tight schedules and not much turnaround time between interviews. This setup is the result of years of experimentation.

The GoPro HD Hero2: A Real-World Wide-Angle View

Anticipation…

Last weekend I had a great time taking the new GoPro HD Hero2 for a spin and running it through its paces. This compact sports camera may be small in features but it is certainly HUGE on fun and opens your mind to a multitude of creative ways it can be used. Note that I’ve not used the original HD Hero and I have nothing to compare this experience to, other than what I’ve read and heard from colleagues about their joys and frustrations in the past. But what I can share with you is my experience with the new HD Hero2 - from the excitement of opening up the box to the enjoyment of washing off the mud.

(If you’re looking for the technical specs and my overview of pros/cons, then please see the last page of this review)

PsF’s missing workflow, Part 6: Tépper asks the camera manufacturers…

In parts 1-3 of the PsF’s missing workflow series, we introduced the terms benign PsF & malignant PsF, and revealed the PsF status of several professional AVCHD cameras from 3 manufacturers (Canon, Panasonic, and Sony). In part 4, we did the same with several file-based HD video recorders from 6 different manufacturers. In part 5, we revealed how one recorder manufacturer is offering its own “Band-Aid” software to counteract the inappropriate signals offered over HDMI by many camera manufacturers. Starting with part 7, I’ll begin offering workarounds within several software editing programs, and with at least one external application. However, here in part 6, I am asking questions and making suggestions to the 3 professional AVCHD camera manufacturers who are responsible for creating this entire mess in the first place.

PsF’s missing workflow, Part 5: Átomos hires a stripper!

In part 1 of PsF’s missing workflow, we introduced the new terms benign PsF and malignant PsF (Progressive Segmented Frame), reviewed their vital importance and fragility in post-production, and clarified the PsF status of two Panasonic professional AVCHD/AVCCAM cameras. In part 2, we revealed the PsF status of the Canon XA10 professional AVCHD camera. In part 3, we clarified the PsF status of Sony’s professional AVCHD/NXCAM cameras. In part 4, we covered some portable HD recorders and their PsF status. Now, in part 5, we’ll learn why Átomos (manufacturer of the portable HD recorders creatively called Ninja and Samurai) has hired a stripper to help correct the malignant PsF signal that many cameras output via HDMI.

PsF’s missing workflow, Part 4: file-based HD video recorders

In part 1 of PsF’s missing workflow, we introduced the new terms benign PsF and malignant PsF (Progressive Segmented Frame), reviewed their vital importance and fragility in post-production, and clarified the PsF status of two Panasonic professional AVCHD/AVCCAM cameras. In part 2, we covered the PsF status of the Canon XA10 professional AVCHD camera. In part 3, we clarified the PsF status of Sony’s professional AVCHD/NXCAM cameras. Now, in part 4, we’ll cover some file-based recorders (from manufacturers like AJA, Átomos, Blackmagic, Convergent Design, Datavideo, and Sound Devices), their PsF status, and their purpose in your system and workflow.

Canon Cinema EOS C300:  A Dissenting View

I know, there have been a million opinions shot over the Internet over the last three days regarding canon’s new Cinema EOS C300 camera.  About half point out it’s great feature set, and about half seem to point out every flaw it has in comparison to RED Epic.  Whatever, all that’s fine.  Me, I’m dissapointed for an entirely different reason:

Where’s the killer Canon camera for the tens - to hundreds-of-thousands of us that actually work in television? When I reviewed the Canon XF305 a year ago, I was very impressed with the package, with a few caveats - chief among them the 1/3” chipset.  If Canon can jam a 35mm CMOS into the D5 mkII, why not the same hardware in a form-factor that a real TV production crew could easily use?  And in a package that can sit on your shoulder?

When I got my invitation to the Canon press event, I was really excited.  I even planned to fly from the Midwest to LA just to see the announcement.  Luckily, I was offered some freelance work before I bought the plane ticket, but I watched for news on my smartphone in every bit of downtime.  And when the news came out…what a letdown.  The EOS C300 does nothing for me… and in fact, doesn’t seem to do much of anything for anybody until you outfit it with tens of thousands of dollars in accessories, including audio and timecode adapters, lenses, rails, grips, you name it.

Maybe I’m missing something here, but I have to figure that there are many more video pros actually making a daily living than there are folks that will ever make money off their films.  If I’m wrong, say so, but that’s the way I see it.  I’ve used - and generally loved - Canon video cameras since the XL1 came out 13 years ago.  Please, Canon, I beg you - put a 35mm chip, a good audio section, swappable lenses, the 50Mb codec, 10-bit HD-SDI out and SMPTE timecode in and out into a $10K shoulder-mount package.  You’ll have a line flowing out the door for miles. 

But in the meantime, I’m dismayed at the EOS C300.  I guess I should be old enough by now not to get my hopes up so easily.

Film Is Dead!

In this episode Philip & I cover a series of topics starting with large sensor cameras in production, the November 3 announcements from Canon Professional video, RED and Avid. Then on to the death of film, the cinema experience, and the problems of 3D.

We’ve been predicting the demise of the Mac Pro in the current form fact for some time, and during this early October recording, we discuss what has this week become rumor: the demise of the heavy iron workstation. (And the value of SSD.)

I report from the Monitor shootout day sponsored by the Hollywood Post Alliance, and HPA sponsored workflows.

We also get onto the future of Apple after the loss of Steve Jobs (just like everyone else!), leading to a discussion of who invented what?

The implications of Siri for postproduction: specialist tools vs generalists tools.

To join us just click on the player link below.

The CRT Replacement Is Here…Finally!

With the death of CRTs, those of us who needed to critically evaluate video images in a standardized display universe were left with no adequate replacement. Most of us have been nursing along our aging CRT monitors and hoping something of equal or better quality would arrive before our trusted displays give up the ghost. Well, that product has finally arrived, and I predict that Sony is going to own the pro monitor market for delivering it.

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