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Saturday, December 24, 2011

Quick Links

Low light comparison between the RED Scarlet & Canon C300 | Nino Leitner
| Cinema 5D
Nino does a low light test with the Scarlet and C300, and finds the Scarlet noisier:
4K sounds vastly superior - it’s 4 times the resolution of 1080p. But apart from the computing-heavy post production, there is one other downside to it: light sensitivity. If the pixels sit densely on a chip, they absorb more light, less resolution leaves more light for the individual pixel. The other part of the reason is the fact that the Mysterium-X sensor inside the Scarlet is now around 3-year-old technology. It’s not the most recent tech anymore and light sensitivity is an area where sensor technology seems to improve exponentially in recent years. RED will be bringing a new sensor to market which is supposed to be much better in low light.


DP David Kruta and the Red Epic | Michael Murie | Filmmaker Magazine
After seeing Dave talk about the Epic at a recent Rule Boston Camera event, I interviewed him for Filmmaker Magazine. There's a second part coming where he talks about using the camera on a recent feature film shoot:
Q: There’s been some question about reliability? What’s your take on that?
A. I haven’t had an issue with it. To be honest, I’ve actually had more problems with the Alexa than I have with the Epic, although I’ve used the Alexa about twice as much as the Epic this year.

On the new build that I just installed the other day, it’s a beta build, it’s frozen on me a couple of times. Not during a take, just playing around with the touch screen or going into playback, but otherwise it’s been completely rock solid.


Portland Lens Test 2011 | Ryan E. Walters | Getting Elemental
An extensive test of different lenses that includes observations from other cinematographers:
As a final note I would like to discuss the importance of mechanics when determining your lens selection. As a director of photography we are responsible for both aesthetics and making our days. If we use a set of lenses only for their optics without considering their mechanical properties then we are only doing part of our job when considering which lens to use for that project. For example, If a lens swap requires one additional minute over a mechanically superior lens then over the course of a feature film that may add up to hours of wasted time.


Lens Test | Shane Hurlbut | HurlbutVisuals
Another lens test done with multiple lenses from three manufacturers: Canon, Leica and Zeiss
Overall the Canon glass produced great skin tones and colors. The reds seemed to be slightly more saturated then the other lenses with slight bleed between red and magenta on our color charts. Very sharp images as well from the primes and the zooms were a bit softer. The images were almost too sharp in some cases which caused small amounts of moire in hair especially. Also the Canon lenses tended to breath more than the others.


Editor’s Take on FCPX: Mario Feil | Final Cut Whiz
Part of a series of opinions on Apple’s Final Cut Pro X from different editors. This post is particularly interesting as Mario offers an extensive list of notes from working with the program:
Anyhow, I will continue to work with FCPX because it saved me hours and hours of time and that’s what it’s all about – the best editing software is the one that doesn’t keep you away from working creatively.

Final Cut Pro 7 was very slow at the end, countless hours of rendering to see final results is a pain in the ass. I never liked the huge “unrendered” screen and the red bar above the timeline. It’s great to finally watch footage in the timeline which didn’t need to be rendered to be reviewed.


Letus Follow Focus Overview | Letus Direct | Vimeo
A short video demoing the Letus35 Follow Focus [$758.95]
1:07 Installation
1:59 Positioning the follow focus
2:42 Setup Tips
3:44 Moving the drive gear


Wim Wenders on the Bittersweet Making of His 3-D Pina Bausch Documentary
| Miranda Siegel | NYMag
Interview with Wim Wenders on the film about his friend Pina Bausch, a German choreographer. He explains why - and how - it was shot in 3D:
...it was the answer to twenty years of worrying and questioning and torturing my mind about how to do this film with Pina. That was the solution, I realized. We had finally a new tool, space — and that new tool would allow me to be in the realm of dance, no longer just staring at it. Space, after all, is the dancer's key element: They create space with every step and gesture. In filmmaking, space had always been so fake. You make cameras fall out of windows and put them in cars and helicopters and airplanes, but in the end it was always on a two-dimensional screen. For the first time, I had a tool that wasn’t fake.


The Top 5 Reasons Citizen Kane is Crap | Ron Dawson | Dare Dreamer
A fun little post:
1. Depth of Field. You could sink the Titanic in how deep Wells’ Depth of Field (DoF) is. You would think an auteur like Welles, who’s supposed to know about filmmaking, would know about the importance of a really shallow DoF. Did the word “bokeh” not exist in 1941?





Friday, December 23, 2011

Quick Links

Kessle takes a new stealth approach to Sliders | Dan Chung | DSLR News Shooter
If you need to be mobile in the field, smaller and lighter is better:
Enter the new Stealth hybrid slider which takes the Pocketdolly’s portability and combines it with drag control and a super smooth rolling precision stainless steel ball bearing wheel system on the carriage. It does not have the crank handle from the Pocketdolly and the overall design is more sleek than previous dollies. It can be used with DSLR as well as larger cameras like the Sony F3 or even some broadcast models.


The Latest OS X Lion Hackintosh Recommendations for Video Editors
| No Film School
Save money, build yourself a Hackintosh:
I recently upgraded my machine to OS X Lion (it’s working great), and so I also updated the guide to reflect an easy way to do it, courtesy Unibeast from Tonymac:
The guide has been updated to reflect the latest hardware recommendations and OS X Lion instructions. My machine’s currently running OS X 10.7.2 flawlessly.


FCP X: Saving Audio Presets | Larry Jordan | Blog
Instructions on how to save custom audio filter settings in both Final Cut Pro X and Soundtrack Pro:
The process is somewhat simpler for Soundtrack Pro because virtually every filter allows saving custom presets. Unlike Final Cut, which applies filters to clips, Soundtrack filters are applied to a track. This means that every clip in the track is modified by that filter.


Conforming and Compositing 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' | Tyler Nelson
| Digital Content Producer
Interesting that it was cut on Final Cut Pro:
Managing data was one of our biggest challenges, especially because we were working with half a dozen different VFX vendors. Kirk [Baxter] and Angus cut the film using Apple Final Cut Pro again, but when it came time to conform the film and create the digital master, we used Adobe After Effects CS5.5 and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 software. We also brought data extracted from [Andersson Technologies] SynthEyes, a third-party 3D tracking program, into After Effects to create a cost-effective, desktop-based stabilization and tracking system.


The Ultimate Sony NEX-FS100 Rig! | jean-philippe archibald | blog
Jean-Philippe wanted a shoulder rig that was perfectly balanced for the NEX-FS100:
So after this tryout, what became obvious to me is there seems to be no off the shelve perfect solution for my utilization. So I started to look at every single component available in the market from every company trying to put together the best rig, for me. I also had to build and modify some parts to suits my needs better. It is definitely not going to work for everyone, but I’m sure my finding might help other building there own rig for there specifications.


How to Make An Animated Title Sequence in Cinema 4D and After Effects
| The Gorilla | GreyScaleGorilla
How to create 3D text titles:
Vimeo asked me to do a tutorial for their excellent Vimeo School series and I said “heck yes!” It’s all about how to make a fun animated title using Cinema 4D and After Effects. In Lesson 1, we build the logo from a vector file and prepare it for render. In part 2, we composite it in After Effects using the built in Tracking Software, lens blur and color correction. Follow along over at Vimeo School or watch it below.


EOSHD GH2 Patch Vault | EOSHD
There may have been problems with the first patches for the GH2 that EOSHD posted. They've now been updated.



cineLook Tutorial | Denver Riddle | Color Grading Central
A tutorial/ad for using Cinelook, a plug-in for Final Cut Pro X:
In this tutorial I cover the features and functionality of cineLook™ for HDSLR’s including a workflow for working with Technicolor’s CineStyle using the “S Curve” that comes with cineLook™.


the rc #104 The year in review | podcast | FXGuide
The final podcast for 2011 covers the year in review, plus anti-aliasing reviews, gear and scandals.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Quick Links

EOSHD tests the new Magic Lantern Unified on 5D Mark II | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
Testing a beta of the next version of the Magic Lantern firmware hack adds high frame rates and HDR:
HDR video alternatives between low ISO / high ISO frames and then you blend them in post. Brilliant feature. On fast motion you can get a bit of ghosting, I recommend a faster shutter speed to avoid that. More on this feature on EOSHD soon.


Eve Hazelton lighting tutorial two: Using lights around the house to add that extra sparkle | Philip Bloom Blog
Eve offers some interesting, low cost, ideas for lighting:
#2 – Fairy lights! It’s Christmas. Don’t try stealing them off the tree just yet, but do go bag yourself some in the sale to keep in your lighting kit. We all know Phil loves a bit of Bokeh! and when you are shooting at a shallow DOF with these lights in the background its easy to see why! The beautiful out of focus discs of light can add colour, interest and of course movement (gentle twinkling of the lights – I’m not talking disco! – eeek!)


I don’t want to be an AE anymore! | Kyra Coffie
| The Avid Assistant Editor's Handbook
While there's no one sure way to make the transition from assistant editor to editor, this post looks at some common aspects of the journey. Most of this applies to any creative work:
Becoming a crunch time editor sorta falls into the luck category because some company is looking for someone at that moment and they can’t find anyone and take a chance on you and you know you can do it, but they don’t know that yet. You impress them with your editing chops and all of a sudden you are an editor. That has happened a few times to people that I know and you just have to be in the right place at the right time.


Five Things Professional Creatives Need in Their Contracts | Ron Dawson
| Dare Dreamer
Contracts? Who needs contracts?! Some interesting advice here; I wish someone had told me about defining revisions years ago; would have saved me a lot of frustration on more than a few projects:
Revisions. How many revisions of the project are included in the original fee? What is the cost for editing time for any changes afterwards? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read on forums or Facebook groups about videographers dealing with clients who want so many changes it will be ten hours worth of work. If you have a paragraph like this already in place, you can refer to it when they start listing all the changes.


GoPro Timelapse Commute to Federal Court | Rick Macomber | Vimeo
Short video shot with a GoPro HERO2 camera:
So I wanted to do a fun test with my GoPro Hero as I was hurdling toward Federal Court on a breaking story of a jury verdict coming down on a man charged with terrorism. It usually takes me about 45 minutes to get to Boston from Salem but with one photo taken at 4 second intervals it only took about 34 seconds! And just like the good ol' days, Federal Court still allows media to pull right up on the sidewalk!


Sony: 4k from Lens to Living Room | John Sciacca | Blog
Sony has the studio, the cameras, the projectors and the TVs; but they really expect us to buy a new Bluray player?!
But, your current Blu-ray player isn’t going to play any of these new 4K discs. When I posed this question to Sony execs at CEDIA, they responded that moving to 4K is beyond a simple firmware kick-in-the-pants upgrade but rather will require getting a new player; just as when someone wanted to add 3D enjoyment capability


After Effects Tuorials
A couple of After Effects Tutorials:
Photoshop and AE: Refine Edge Command and 3-D Motion Control
| Richard Harrington | Blog
In this installment of PS and AE, Richard Harrington shows to use Adobe Photoshop and After Effects together to get great 3D extrusion. He'll take some photos and split them out into 3D space, as well as use the Refine Edge command and the content-aware fill option to quickly build your layers to pop out and move around in the 3D camera.
Isolating a Subject with Roto Brush | Video2Brain
A 12 minute video (it's free, from part of "Adobe After Effects CS5: Learn by Video", which is not free):
Rather than using conventional, tedious rotoscoping, you can apply Roto Brush strokes to a layer to make a background transparent and isolate a foreground subject. You'll also see how to use the Refine Matte properties to improve the result, place the isolated foreground subject over a copy of the original layer, and apply an effect to only the foreground layer to obscure a face with the Mosaic effect.


“Swede Fest” Celebrates Low Budget Film Remakes in Video | Richard Ober
| Videomaker
Be Kind Rewind was a fun movie, though the idea was maybe funnier than some of the actual execution. I'm not sure I'd want to sit through an entire Swede Fest...
Swede Fest was launched in Fresno, California in 2008 and is held there and in Tampa, Florida, every six months. While it is a film festival, it’s like no other film festival you’ve ever seen, or entered. As described on the Swede Fest website: “Swede Fest is the only film festival dedicated to sweded films. A sweded film is a summarized, low-budget recreation of a popular movie, starring you!” The organizers go on to say about sweding that “it’s a great way to promote filmmaking in your community. Anyone can make a swede, it’s easy and a lot of fun!”



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Quick Links

Sony FS100 Prime lens vs Zoom lens | Shawn Lam | Blog
Shawn continues his lens testing with a comparison of the Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.4 prime lens and the Sony SAL1650 DT 16-50mm f/2.8 wide angle zoom lens:
I saw a very slight advantage for the prime lens at f/2.8 in both sharpness and contrast but not much of a difference afterwards. The prime was also a bit more consistent when it came to light transmission across the different exposures. I was also interested to see the depth of field differences at the various f-stops.


14 Cameras in one year Part TWO | Philip Johnston | HD Warrior
The second part of a look back at 14 interesting cameras released this year:
Panasonic HDC Z10000
I first saw this 3D camcorder at IBC 2011 and it had an impressive number of features for the money. 3D is not for everyone but if you are looking at a semi pro 3D camcorder this must be one of your choices.


Get Your Free Copy of “Becoming the Reel Deal” | Evan Luzi | The Black And Blue
If you're interested in working as a camera operator, then Evan's The Black And Blue blog is indespensible, and now he has an electronic book he's giving away for free:
Becoming the Reel Deal covers topics such as duties within the camera department, film school, resumes, and how to leverage opportunities to your advantage.
While I can’t promise you’ll instantly get a job when you finish reading it, if you follow my advice, I can guarantee you will put yourself in a better position for long-term success.
This isn’t about getting one gig — it’s about launching a career.


Breaking In | Alex Walker | Wide Open Camera
A short post on thoughts on how to get into any creative business:
I’ll tell you how I managed. Just share your work. It doesn’t matter how you feel about it, just do your absolute best no matter what and share your experiences online. It doesn’t work to just upload to vimeo or youtube; you need to advertise. Make connections with camera blogs and equipment manufacturers, collaborate with fellow filmmakers, write articles, etc.


Editing Tip: Working With Bad Footage | Jackson Wong | Videomaker
This short article has some basic tips on dealing with bad video and audio, and points to more detailed articles:
As for the sound of your given footage, this may be the most important part to fix. Clean audio can save the day, and that’s exactly what you’ll want to do, clean up the audio. Most editing programs have low-cut or high-pass filters, and these can be used to automatically adjust the tones in the video. To adjust specific sounds, look for digital noise reduction.


Post-processing in the digital age: Photojournalists and 10b Photography
| Olivier Laurent | British Journal of Photography
They don't do retouching, but they do, do image manipulation. For documentary/new reporting, is that okay? A good reminder of how changing the contrast/coloring of an image can increase an image's impact.
10b is quick to point out that it is not a retouching firm. The term is often associated with Photoshop experts, who are hired to alter the look and shape of fashion icons, for example. So when it comes to defining Palmisano's role, it can get tricky. Is he a "digital photo editor", a "Photoshop editor" or a "post-producer"? "Post-producer semantically belongs to the world of video-making and sounds a little too vague," says Valentina Tordoni of 10b.


10,000fps!? - The Slow Mo Guys | TheSlowMoGuys | YouTube
A cup breaking at 500 fps through 10,000 fps, shot with the Phantom Flex. Notice the use of sound effects in this video...



Lighting With Home Depot Lights: Part 2 | Shane Hurlbut | Blog
Lighting with a budget light package:
The Cinematography interns and I grabbed our Hardware Store Action Packer and set out on our minimal lighting mission. “What do you want to key him with?” I asked. Derek held up a cool white florescent trouble light. “I like it.” We will make General Taylor a little green. We taped that to a C-stand and armed it out overhead to mimic a desk lamp. I said, “we will need some fill.” We just happened to have another one of these which we rigged back slightly camera right. What are we missing?


Canon 600D and latest Magic Lantern hack to bring adjustable frame rates & HDR video | Andrew Reid | EOSHD
Magic Lantern is a firmware hack for Canon DSLRs, and a new version adds new features:
I am really impressed with the way the Canon DSLR hack – Magic Lantern – has recently been progressing. Enabling video on cameras that didn’t have a video mode is a miracle in itself! (50D). Putting all the settings into a menu system on the camera rather than in a Windows app like PTools with the GH2 hack – also pretty good. As well as higher bitrate recording, ML has evolved to give us ISO 12,800 recording, peaking, crop marks, false colour, zebras and now even variable frame rates.


A Letter to Stanley Kubrick about the Newly Invented Steadicam | FilmmakerIQ
Very cool, the letter sent to Stanley Kubrick alerting him to the Steadicam:
The operator can run and the camera moves through the air as if held on a string from above. I saw a roll of film this morning shot by Haskel where the operator sits on a crane – the crane comes down the the ground, the operator gets of the seat and walks away, no cut. Not only will this thing safe[sic] a lot of money and time by avoiding tracks, but you could do shots and think of shots which would not enter your mind otherwise.


Cinemek Storyboard Composer HD | Cinemek | iTunes
This storyboard application for the iPad 2 is currently 50% off; it's $14.99, down from $29.99.







Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Quick Links

An Affordable Remote Controlled Time-lapse Camera | Richard Harrington
| 3 Exposure
Using the ContourGPS camera for timelapses? That's not something I would have thought of doing!
  • The unit is very small (95x58x34mm) and can easily be attached to a variety of mounting points. It’s also super light, weighing just over five ounces.
  • It has good battery life at 2.5 hours, plus you can swap batteries in it for a longer day.
  • For its size, it offers a capable 5 Megapixel Sensor.


Book Review: Rotoscoping: Techniques and Tools for the Aspiring Artist
| Nick C Sorbin | Renderosity
I always been intrigued by rotoscoping; and Rotoscoping: Techniques and Tools for the Aspiring Artist looks interesting:
Modern rotoscoping, which is still the same basic concept, is used to create mattes, by which parts of a live action scene can be isolated in order to insert effects, color correct, hide rigs or wires, etc. As rotoscoping is a crucial part of any video production today, so is the importance of the job of a roto artist, both in skill and efficiency. There are a number of outstanding tools available today to handle roto work, but the roto artist still needs to refine his or her own skills to use these to the fullest. This is where a book like the wonderful Rotoscoping: Techniques and Tools for the Aspiring Artist, by Benjamin Bratt, comes in very handy.


Shootout in the snow – Sony A65 vs Panasonic GH2 vs Canon 600D | Andrew Reid
| EOSHD
Comparison of three different cameras:
Sony’s new sensor in the NEX 7, A77 and A65 is considered down Tokyo way as their best yet until the new full frame ones come along in 2012. I loved the ‘middle range’ one in the NEX 5N because it hadn’t taken an overdose at the Hacienda of megapixels. But I certainly feel colour and gradation are more life-like and smoother on the A65 compared to the NEX 5N and Canon 600D. In some areas the A65 outperforms the hacked GH2, mainly in the shadows and highlights.


Quick FS100 Picture Profile Test | Paul Antico | Vimeo
Paul posts a short test with the NEX-FS100 equivalent of S-Log (sort-of):
Using Frank Glencairn's profiles. G-Log A (graded) is quite nice though I haven't tried it outside much yet. I swear it bought more range though I could just be losing my mind. It certainly brought more latitude in grading. For example, I was able to raise the shadows and still have detail in the mids in highs. The more standard profiles don't allow for as much change; they start to fall apart earlier. The highlight on my head doesn't blow up as badly on G-LOG as with the other profiles either.


GH2 vs EX3 stills... | bwhitz | Personal View Talks
Low light comparison stills taken with the GH2 and the much more expensive, but older and small-sensor based Sony EX3:
In my personal interpretation, I say the GH2 resolves a bit more detail. But they are very close. Both are true 1080p cams. Whoever was saying the GH2 could only resolve 600 lines was out of his mind. 600 lines is even below a 7D.


Epic X un-boxing and 300fps test | MarkyMark662 | YouTube
An amusing "unboxing" video:
Finally 300 frames works on my Epic! We documented the un-boxing and first booting the camera.


Saul Bass's storyboards for the Psycho shower scene | CUA
A series of storyboards by Saul Bass. There's also a new book on Bass' title desings Saul Bass: A Life in Film
Saul Bass prepared storyboards for the shower scene, and was on the set during at least part of the filming. After Hitchcock's death, Bass asserted that he had directed the scene at Hitchcock's invitation--a claim definitively contradicted by both Janet Leigh and Assistant Director Hilton Green. Bass's partisans have subsequently held that Hitchcock merely mechanically filmed shots already laid out by Bass.


What The Business Of Video Will Look Like In 2012 | Steven Rosenbaum
| Fast Company
What's in store for the video business next year?
My prediction is that YouTube won't go out of the UGC business; in fact, it will be the exact opposite. I think you'll see more creative ways to monetize YouTube, including new partnerships with portal players, third-party ad units, and the emergence of important sponsorship and co-branded pages. It's unclear if YouTube will build these offerings, buy them, or partner with others to provide them.


The perfect SCARLET-X rig - buyers guide | Sebastian | Cinema5D
A selection of gear for kitting out a Scarlet-X:
I've decided to go public with this, after all inside the community we can achieve much more than alone. We're getting a Scarlet-X and someone said we'll be one of the first. I'm looking for the perfect configuration to present on the website. Perfect in terms of usability, compability for filmmakers coming from DSLR, versatility, lightweight and "affordable" (all this stuff is so f....ing expensive, DSLR is so much cheaper).
Second priority is suitability for rental targeted at low budget productions.




Monday, December 19, 2011

Quick Links

Four Minutes With ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ | Gavin Edwards
| New York Times
Editors Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter with director David Fincher discuss a scene from the movie:
To illuminate that job, and the trio’s ongoing collaboration, we asked Fincher, Baxter and Wall to break down a four-minute sequence that occurs early in “Dragon Tattoo.” The narrative set-up: The journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is visiting the aging industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), who is asking him to investigate a decades-old mystery involving his niece Harriet. Blomkvist agrees to listen, reluctantly, though he is determined to catch his 4:30 train. And ... action.


Nela | Sebastian Wiegärtner | Vimeo
Oh my! This is probably the first baby video shot with the Canon C300!
Short film about my baby girl Nela, which I shot on her first day on planet earth (18th December 2011). Love my girls Eva, Annabelle and Nela. x
Camera:
Canon C300 Pre Production Model
C-Log 720/50 frames per second


Sony FS100 - Fiddling with Picture Profile | Sam Morgan Moore | Vimeo
Experimenting with different picture profiles and the NEX-FS100:
My rough conclusion goes like this..

You are going to have to let your specular highlights blow
Exposing the majority of your image correctly yields best results
Battle contrast using lights, reflectors, and defocus your highlights with a wide TStop
I think the best profiles are gained when being reasonable


Red: The Camera That Changed Hollywood | Lee Gomes | Technology Review
A look at the history of Red:
Digital movie cameras were already on the market when the Red team began their work. But the image quality of early digital cameras was nowhere near what was required for a feature movie. Quality was improving—but Jannard wanted his first model to leapfrog past all current digital cameras and exceed the strictest performance specs, even for film.


Time Re-mapping Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro | Richard Harrington
| Creative COW
A video tutorial on changing clip speed in Premiere Pro:
In this tutorial for the Premiere Pro Video Adrenaline series, Richard Harrington talks about how to control time inside Premiere Pro. There are many options to change the speed of clips, including the rate stretch tool, time remapping to achieve a variable speed value, and using After Effects own remapping abilities to fine tune your results.


Freelance. To Incorporate Or Not | Jared Abrams | Wide Open Camera
Interesting tax advice on incorporating (as an individual you can write stuff off your taxes too...though as a corp you will avoid having to have withholding out of what someone pays you...)
The first hurdle in incorporating is getting your accountant’s blessing. Many accountants will tell you “it’s not worth it” or “You don’t make enough to justify incorporating” That is just fooey! They either don’t have the program to deal with corporations or they don’t want to get it. Luckily mine was totally on board and suggested establishing an S-Corp. S-Corps are fairly easy to maintain with only one yearly filing and an update of the list of officers. I decided to go with Nevada because of the killer tax laws there. It will be up to you to decide where to incorporate.


Paramount Pictures Celebrates 100 Years With A New Logo | imjustcreative
The new logo isn't that interesting, but hey - Paramount is 100! I always thought the Raiders of the Lost Ark was the best use of the logo...





Sunday, December 18, 2011

Quick Links

DIY Indie Air Cannons | Realm Pictures | Vimeo
Very cool little tutorial video showing how to create a practical effect explosion with an inexpensive air canon. They are also offering some other tutorials:
For a tutorial on how to create your own DIY compressed air cannon like the one shown in the video, along with 9 other action tutorials, skip along to our KickStarter page and pick up the Indie Action Pack!


The Ultimate Guide to a Camera Assistant’s Toolkit | Evan Luzi | The Black And Blue
Another interesting article at The Black And Blue about putting together a toolkit:
For me, I started out working heavily with the RED One on feature films. As such, my initial toolbag purchase was catered towards that kind of work. Nowadays I have been working a lot on commercials that use DSLR’s. Many of the tools I had acquired to work with the RED don’t have functions while shooting with a DSLR. On the flipside, many of the basic tools I have work in both types of gigs.


Build A Jib From 5 Pieces of Scrap | DIY Photography
I started building a jib like this about a year ago and never finished. Maybe it's time to get to work again:
Jibs can bring huge production value to your videos. See this tutorial by J. P. Morgan for example. Alas they don't come cheap. A small starters jib will set you back about $270 and a production monster like this one will be about a left kidney.

I just wish someone will have plans for a small and affordable crane. Lucky me you. Videographer Dan Colvin from Unitips has a tutorial just like this.


Seagate and Western Digital cutting hard drive warranties in 2012 | Adi Robertson | The Verge
Hard drive warranties are coming down...it appears:
This isn't the first time hard drive companies have announced across-the-board warranty cuts — an article from 2002 shows almost the same changes, with the same explanation that Seagate and WD are bringing their warranties in line with those of similar computer components. It even included the extended warranty fees that Western Digital promised in its latest announcement.


Introduction to SpeedGrade | Colin Smith | Adobe.TV
Adobe recently acquired the grading software SpeedGrade. In this video tutorial, Colin Smith demos the software:
Colin is very excited to show you the newly acquired film finishing and color grading application SpeedGrade from IRIDAS. SpeedGrade contains powerful finishing tools to import EDLs from any editing environment and from there, conform, color grade and render out to multiple formats.


EOSHD releases hacked GH2 patches and film modes | EOSHD
Different patches for the GH2?
Are you mystified by the sheer amount of patches and settings out there for the hacked GH2? I certainly am. Well there is a saying that has served me well in the past – if you want something doing properly, do it yourself! I have been working on my own patches. I’ve optimised these as well as the film modes and I shoot with them on my own work. I believe them to be the most optimal patches and film modes for the best image quality currently possible on the GH2 – at least to my eye.


Brendan Galvin Creates An "Immortal" Look | Panavision
Interview with Cinematographer Brian Galvin, primarily about working with Panavision lenses:
Q: Do you have a different approach in how you shoot anamorphic vs. spherical?
BG: I know anamorphic lenses are faster than they used to be, but I like a little more depth in anamorphic, unless it’s for a specific storytelling point. I am very practical when it comes to work, so there are certain considerations: like how available are the lenses where you are shooting? I want good equipment that works. One thing about anamorphic is people like the flares you get which you don’t get in spherical, and if that’s required, I prefer to do it in camera. I’ve never shot anamorphic digitally.