Sony, AFI Premiere Short Films at NAB 2014
Sony and the American Film Institute co-hosted an exclusive event at the 2014 National Association of Broadcasters Show last week and premiered three short films shot with Sony’s F65 and F55 4K cameras.
Cameras
Miller Camera Support to Host Filmmaker Seminars at NAB 2014
Three top filmmakers will hold seminars next week at the Miller Camera Support booth (C9520) at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas. Accredited time-lapse photographer Ryan Killackey, renowned Italian filmmaker Ketch Rossi and esteemed British filmmaker Philip Bloom will each share their insights into the complex, inner workings of the film and television industries and why they choose to rely on Miller Camera Support equipment when out in the field.
Documenting Global Warming Cinema Vérité Style
Climate change is a complex global phenomenon. Documenting its many aspects for a new multi-part cable series required an HD production format that could not only provide a cinematic, audience-friendly look but also the flexibility to capture everything from expert interviews to location footage shot in a wide range of temperature extremes. Challenged with these requirements, the producers of Showtime’s Years of Living Dangerously chose Canon EOS C300 digital cinema cameras and a wide variety of Canon optics, including Canon CN-E Cinema prime lenses, for the superb image quality, extreme mobility, and creative capabilities needed to make this multi-camera documentary-style series.
Codex, Vision Research Working on Phantom Flex4K Workflow
Codex has announced that it is working with Vision Research to provide a robust workflow for the Phantom Flex4K camera. Already widely used around the world with many different cameras, Codex Vault is a mobile workflow device that supports the rapid transfer of the digital camera originals from the Phantom for review, post-production and archiving.
Codex Unveils the Action Cam
Codex has announced Codex Action Cam, an ultra-compact, all-in-one, digital cinema camera and recording package for 2D and stereoscopic 3D production. The camera is designed for use as a supplement to larger camera systems on commercials, TV and movie productions as a companion camera when regular camera packages are too large for the situation or location in which the production is trying to shoot. The new camera will be on display at the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas April 7.
Panasonic Unveils 4K VariCam 35 Camera
Panasonic has unveiled a 4K camera/recorder, VariCam 35 that incorporates a newly developed super 35mm MOS image sensor and the company’s AVC-ULTRA family of video codecs. The new camera handles multiple formats including 4K, UHD, 2K and HD and is designed for high-end filmmaking, and commercials and episodic production as well as live 4K events.
Fighting Deadlines Tighter than a Pair of New Jeans
The deadline and budget were tight. The client – a leading maker of iconic, affordable jeans – wanted stills and a beautifully photographed film-style location-shoot commercial turned around in one day.
Sim Technology Showcase to be Held January 30 in Toronto
Some of the world’s leading manufacturers of camera systems, lenses, lighting equipment, workflow technology and other film and television production gear will be on hand when Sim Digital, PS Production Services and Bling Digital, hosts the Sim Technology Showcase on January 30 at Sim’s Toronto headquarters.
Test Pilots
The industry doesn’t do as many pilots as in years past, which is a shame, because they can be a valuable format for testing not just story ideas and actors but new technology. In my role covering new cinema technology for the Digital Cinema Society I am often offered gear to test and evaluate, everything from new lighting units and cameras to various digital cinema recorders. Since I need to keep busy earning my living as a director of photography, I honestly don’t have time to run scientific tests, so I prefer instead to use the gear in real world productions I’m hired to work on. You could call me a technology test pilot. I get a better sense of how these tools perform where the rubber hits the road, and it’s a good way to help out the productions I’m working on, pulling in items they might not otherwise be able to afford. The perfect opportunity to put many of these items through their paces came up recently when I was asked to shoot a feature length pilot for a new action/adventure show aimed at young adults entitled, Tribe of the Wild.
Understanding the Changing Nature of Filmed Stories
Filmmaker Matt Ogens latest effort is a feature length documentary called Meet the Hitlers. When he selects the right for any of his projects his first thought, though, is how best to tell the story is wants to convey. “It all comes down to telling great stories,” said Ogens. “There are different types of stories, and the nature of the story itself may change how I capture it on film. To decide on that, I collaborate with a director of photography and ask what type of camera he or she thinks is best for each project from a creative perspective, but sometimes the reality of a budget may also dictate what cameras are available to me. We will discuss the look I want for the story and then the DP and I will choose the camera.”
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