Digital Video November 2012

Lenses, Latitude, Lush VisuaLsThe CinemaTiC SoluTionS for CBS’ elemenTary

X In RevIew: Sony NEX-FS700, Panasonic BT-LH1850, Litepanels Croma, Vinten Vision blue5

• Shoot• Edit• PoSt• StorE• ProducE• diStributE

dv.com

videodigital

toolS and tEchniquES for thE crEativE PlanEt

November 2012

November 27–29, 2012

Join Us for Government video expo

Today’s lightest, 2/3" pro shoulder camcorder is also tomorrow’s best investment. With 10-bit, 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording; a light 6.2-lb. body; Dynamic Range Stretch (DRS); and options such as wireless metadata, proxy recording and variable frame rates, the AG-HPX600 P2 HD camcorder has innovative features you can count on today. And the HPX600 only gets better because of its upgradability to AVC-ULTRA* recording, micro P2 card capability, Ethernet connectivity and more. Creating the lightest, future-proof shoulder-mount camcorder is how we’re engineering a better world.

panasonic.com/hpx600 1.877.803.8492

* Does not support all AVC-ULTRA formatsSOLUTIONS FOR PRO VIDEO

AG-HPX600

© 2012 Panasonic Corporation of North America. All rights reserved.

dv.com | 11.2012 3

editor’s view

Half tHe Sky: Transmedia ThaT means someThing

I ’d like you visit www.halftheskymovement.org for some education—and inspiration—but also for a sense of how you can work across

multiple platforms. I’m certain you’ve heard a lot of talk over the past year about “transmedia”—it’s a word that also appears in a document I keep titled “Things I Don’t Totally Get But Should,” along with “multiplatform,” “third screen” and “augmented reality.” (This was the same document that used to include “the cloud” and “Ultra-HD.”) If you’re like me, you hear “transmedia” and commence an eye roll, and then try to decode what that means for video production in the real world.

The, yes, transmedia project Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwideturned me around. Part of the Women and Girls Lead initiative and produced by the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in partnership with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS, it fuses documentary production with a range of educational and interactive tools.

While the two-part, four-hour documentary Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide highlights inspiring individuals working to bring about change—and the women and girls who confront extreme gender inequality in their daily lives—the project doesn’t end there. In addition to the documentary there are Facebook-hosted social action games and mobile games created by Games for Change, two web sites, 20 educational video modules with companion text, a social media campaign supporting more than 30 partner NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and an impact assessment plan.

The result is involving and absorbing, using the documentary to spur education, discussion and action. So now I get it—this is what transmedia can do.

To learn more, visit www.pbs.org/independentlens/half-the-sky or www.halftheskymovement.org.

Editorial Director

Digital Video magazine, dv.com

p: 310-429-8484

e: [email protected]

Twitter: @dvmagazine

ediTorialeditorial director Cristina Clapp [email protected]

managing editor Katie Makal [email protected]

tecHnical editor Jay [email protected]

Web editor Sarv Taghavian,[email protected]

contributing editors Jay Ankeney, Chuck Gloman, David Heuring, Buck McNeely, John Merli, Carl Mrozek, Oliver Peters, Geoff Poister, Dick Reizner, Stefan Sargent, Jon Silberg, Ned Soltz, Jennifer Wolfe, Joy Zaccaria

adverTising east coast sales manager Susan Shores [email protected] 212. 378.0400 Ext. 528

West/central sales manager Jeff Victor [email protected] 847. 367. 4073

europe sales director Graham Kirk [email protected] +44 1223 911224

digital video expo salesContact your Digital Video representative

classified ad sales Susan Shores [email protected] 212. 378. 0400 Ext. 528

arT & producTionsenior art director Nicole Cobban

art director Annmarie LaScala

grapHic designer Walter Makarucha, Jr.

production manager Davis White 703. 852. 4615 [email protected]

advertising coordinator Caroline Freeland [email protected]

circulaTiongroup director, audience development Meg Estevez

circulation manager Kwentin Keenan

circulation customer service Michele Fonville

subscripTions:DV, P.O. Box 221, Lowell, MA 01853Telephone: 888-266-5828 (USA only, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)978-667-0352 (Outside the US)Fax: 978-671-0460 E-mail: [email protected]

newbay media video/broadcasT groupexecutive vice president | group publisHer Carmel King

vp sales | group publisHer Eric Trabb

editorial director - video Cristina Clapp

editorial director - broadcast Paul J. McLane

Web director Ragan Whiteside-Johnson

online production manager Robert Granger

newbay media corporaTepresident & ceo Steve Palm

cHief financial officer Paul Mastronardi

controller Jack Leidke

vice president of digital media Joe Ferrick

vice president of audience development Denise Robbins

vice president of Human resources Ray Vollmer

vice president of production & manufacturingBill Amstutz

vice president of content & marketing Anthony Savona

it director Anthony Verbanac

reprinTs and permissions:Please contact our Reprint Coordinator at Wright’s Media: 877. 652. 5295

published byNEWBAy MEDIA LLC28 E 28th Street, 12th Floor New york, Ny 10016 Tel: 212. 378. 0400 Fax: 212. 378. 0470Web: www.nbmedia.com

videodigital

vol. 20 | no. 11 11.2012

Top: On location with Half the Sky: Olivia Wilde and Rebecca Lolosoli in the Umoja women’s village in Kenya Bottom: A celebration in Somaliland

photoby

davidsm

oler

feature18 The Central

Park FiveKen Burns Returns to the Scene of the Crime

departments3 Editor’s View

6 Update

80 Company Index

81 Classifieds

81 Advertiser Index

dv.com | 11.20124

11.2012 | vol. 20 | no. 11

Digital Video (ISSN 1541-0943) is published monthly by NewBay Media L.L.C. at 28 E 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10016. Telephone: 212-378-0400. Periodicals post-age paid at New York, New York, and at additional mailing offices. U.S. subscription rate is $29.97 for one year; Mexico and Canada are $39.97 (including GST); foreign airmail is $79.97; back issues $7. Prepayment is required on all foreign subscriptions in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All rates are one year only. Digital Video, Videography, Digital Content Producer, Millimeter, Digital Cinematography, Cinematographer, 2-pop, Reel Exchange and Creative Planet Network are trademarks of NewBay Media L.L.C. All material published in Digital Video is copyrighted © 2012 by NewBay Media L.L.C. All rights reserved. postmaster: Send address changes to Digital Video, Subscription Services, P.O. Box 221, Lowell, MA 01853. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 255542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Digital Video makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information published in the magazine; however, it assumes no responsibility for damages due to errors or omissions. Printed in the USA.

look22 The Mindy Project Making A Modern-Day Rom-Com

26 “Hell Broke luce” Bringing Tom Waits’ Apocalyptic War Dream to Life

30 lenses, latitude, lush Visuals Ron Fortunato’s Shooting Style for CBS’ Elementary

32 Animation and Re-Animation Company 3 Brings Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie to Life

34 Skyfall Double Agents, Data Recording, Roger Deakins

lUst38 super 35 sensor, sensible Price Shooting with Sony’s NEX-FS700 Camera

42 sorenson squeeze 8.5 and 8.5 Pro Faster Encoding, Extra Formats Enhance the Editing Tool

44 Reference Material Examining Panasonic’s HD/SD BT-LH1850 LCD Monitor

46 Better Balance Evaluating Vinten’s Vision blue5 Pan-Tilt Head

50 Color Correction Considering Litepanels’ Croma Fixture

54 toolkit Showcasing New Gear

lEARn56 the science of High-speed Video Go Slow-Mo with Vision Research’s Phantom Miro M320S

60 Media Management Cross-Country Integrated Production at HuffPost Live

63 the next Dimension MTV Experiments with Live 2D-to-3D Conversion

66 tips to Clip67 Instant Expert: Blackmagic Cinema Camera Plus Rigs and Accessories to Bring Out Its Best

70 Adventures in lighting: You, tube Working with Fluorescent Fixtures

73 DV101: Detailed Definition Evolution of the Term “Resolution”

82 Production Diary: Vote for Me I’m Tired of Working for My Dad

34

22

38

63

dv.com | 11.20126

D irector Lucy Walker and director of photography Aaron Phillips

used Canon’s EOS 7D DSLR to shoot their documentary The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, which focuses on the 2011 Japanese earthquake and subsequent rebuilding. The film is currently airing on HBO. Touring devastated areas by car and on foot, Walker and Philips shot interviews with survivors in the areas hard-est hit by the disaster, juxtaposing that footage—and news video of the

tsunami—with scenes showing the beginning of cherry blossom season, a cherished annual tradition in Japan.

Walker says, “The compact size of the Canon 7D and its familiar stills-camera appearance helped avoid any intimidation factor. [Interviewees] felt comfortable, and you always want the scene to be about the people you’re filming—candid, honest and emotional—and not about the crew and the equipment.”

Crafting beautiful images is

as appropriate for a documentary as it is for any other kind of film, Walker believes; there’s no reason why a documentary has to have a traditional “documentary” look. “People often think of documentaries as being poorly shot and low quality, but I like to think of documentaries as being potentially very beautiful,” Walker explains. “Just because it’s depicting real life doesn’t mean that it’s ugly. I believe you should be able to deliver results that stand up to a

big-screen cinematic blow-up and look absolutely stunning.”

update

Capturing tragedy and triumph with Canon eoS 7d

onlineRead more about The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom at www.dv.com/Nov2012

One man explains how the cherry blossom reflects the Japanese character, saying, “Each flower is tiny, and you can’t see one individually. But it’s beautiful when you see lots of flowers together. Japanese people see themselves that way, too.”

Now you can get the incredible quality broadcast deck that records and plays using low cost solid state disks. HyperDeck Studio works like a regular broadcast deck, and supports dual disk slots so the moment one disk is full, recording can continue to the next disk! That’s unlimited recording! HyperDeck Studio supports 10 bit uncompressed as well as compressed DNxHD™ and ProRes™ recording so you can simply mount the disks and edit media directly without any fi le copying! HyperDeck Studio is perfect for live production, instant replays and disk server use!

Absolute Perfect Quality

HyperDeck Studio works with both compressed and perfect quality uncompressed video. You can select between 10 bit ProRes, DNxHD MXF, DNxHD QuickTime™ and 10 bit uncompressed QuickTime recording and playback. With uncompressed you get

a mathematically perfect “clone” recording between capture and playback so you can always trust your recording because there is absolutely no higher quality possible!

Familiar Broadcast Deck Design!

HyperDeck Studio has a familiar broadcast deck style design with transport buttons, jog/shuttle knob, deck control port and built in LCD! You get unlimited duration recordings because

HyperDeck Studio includes dual SSD slots, so when recording, if your disk fi lls, it will automatically continue recording to the other disk.

Solid State Disk (SSD) Recording

Simply plug in a fast 2.5” solid state disk into HyperDeck Studio and start recording! SSD’s are used in desktop and laptop computers so prices are constantly falling while sizes are getting bigger! Plug the SSD into your computer and the disk will mount

right on your computer’s desktop! Files are stored in standard QuickTime or MXF fi le formats so you can use the media in Mac™, Windows™ and Linux software!

Use Cameras, Switchers and Monitors

With SDI and HDMI inputs and outputs, HyperDeck Studio works with virtually every camera, switcher or monitor! Plug into televisions or video projectors for instant on set preview or get exciting live action replay with ATEM production

switchers. Even use it for digital signage. Just press play twice for loop playback!

Imagine using pristine broadcast quality 10 bit recording on your next live event!

Learn more today at www.blackmagicdesign.com/hyperdeckstudio

HyperDeck Studio$995

Introducing HyperDeck Studio, the broadcast deck that uses solid state disks!

NOW WITH

AND

dv.com | 11.20128

Key and Peele Gets support from oConnor

On the Comedy Central series Key and Peele, no two sketches look

alike, and all are shot on location or on standing sets. Show cinematographer Charles Papert uses Sony PMW-F3s, Alura zooms and a set of Zeiss Super Speeds, as well as camera support from OConnor.

“The 2575 is the industry standard and represents zero compromise on set,” Papert says of the OConnor fluid head. “On our show we have a number of situations that require a manual jib, and sometimes it puts my operators into the unenviable position of having to maneuver around the arm for fairly complex moves, including back panning and tilting. With that kind of challenge, it’s absolutely critical to be able to dial in exactly the amount of drag that will allow for smooth camera moves while not restricting the swing of the arm.”

SOC Captures Endeavour Landing at LAX

The Society of Camera Operators (SOC) docu-mented the recent journey of the space shut-

tle Endeavour to its final home at the California Science Center as part of a project being man-aged by Terbine Entertainment. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler, ASC/SOC, served as one of the camera operators, employing AJA Ki Pro Mini portable digital video recorders to capture video of Endeavour’s landing at Los Angeles International Airport on September 21. The footage will be incorporated into Endeavour’s Final Journey, a documentary project spearheaded by producer David Knight that will accompany the Endeavourexhibit at the California Science Center.

Apple ProRes 422 footage of the landing was recorded to AJA Ki Pro Minis and sent to Deluxe, which is donating its postproduction services to compile, edit and archive all of the material captured for use in the documentary.

onlineExtended versions of these articles are available at www.dv.com/Nov2012

Update

Supervising sound editor Michael D. Wilhoit and his crew from Soundelux re-

created the sonic world of a Los Angeles beat cop for director David Ayer’s police thriller End of Watch. The movie follows two young police officers, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, whose narrative is related through “found footage”—the officers use a handheld HD camera to covertly record their shifts in

South Los Angeles.The low-tech realism of the imagery is

carried over into the soundtrack. “We recorded a lot of sounds on a foley stage with low-quality video cameras because that made it sound more real,” Wilhoit says. He and his crew also made extensive field recordings, including spending a day in an LAPD car lot recording police car engines and sirens.

soundelux Hits tHe street for end of Watch

neWs

Jordan Peele as President Obama and Keegan-Michael Key as his anger translator, Luther, in a sketch from Key and Peele

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña in End of Watch

phot

oby

scot

tga

rfie

ld

Endeavour and NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft fly over Southern California on September 21, 2012

(L-R) Leonard Walsh, SOC, Haskell Wexler, ASC/SOC, and Satya Vanii, SOC associate member

image

courtesyof

soc

With JVC’s 23X Zoom, your shots will take center stage.

©2012 JVC. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective proprietors. Camera shown with optional shotgun microphone.

Innovation Without Compromise

14X vs. 23X

Our new GY-HM600 is your ticket to amazing performances. With the new GY-HM600, JVC introduces the next generation of handheldProHD cameras. Light and easy to use, it’s equipped with a newly developed Fujinon 23X Wide Angle (29mm–667mm) Zoom lens, and delivers remarkable imagery. The GY-HM600 offers intuitive features that make it ideal for shooting news, sports, and independent production. You can also counton superb low-light performance with excellent sensitivity (F11@ 2000 lux). Here’s some other great features:

• Three 1/3-inch 12-bit CMOS sensors (1920 x 1080 x 3)• Produces ready-to-edit HD or SD files in multiple file formats: .MOV (Final Cut Pro™), .MP4 (XDCAM EX™), AVCHD • SDXC/SDHC memory card recording (2 slots for simultaneous or relay recording)

For more information on the GY-HM600 Series, talk to the Pros at JVC. Visit pro.jvc.com

dv.com | 11.201210

4��@michaelragen When is this feature “Camera Test Lens Adapter” going to come out? There are like a thousand trailers for it.

4��@zachzamboni This shot didn’t last long. — pic.twitter.com/mQWXajgf

4��@markromanek Historic Studio 5 at Cinecittà — img.ly/nNxu

4��@CybelDP Tony Kaye is a pretty smart director when it comes to his angles & movement choices. I assume everything done w/intent #Detachment

4��@chrisportal Tim Burton, At Home in His Own Head — nyti.ms/OG0nNL

4��@banditojacob #WaitingforLightning will be in theaters and available for download on 12-7-2012! See it on the big screen, then buy it for your collection!

4��@Zacuto “BTS” is a documentary about making a documentary! Check it out as we follow the @RFAthemovie crew on their journey! — ow.ly/bQn5P

4��@ryangallagher “Do documentaries need to be fair to both sides of an issue?” — avc.lu/VNu4ON

4��@ThatRebecca Great piece by @AmyKinLA + @benfritz on how VOD is transforming the indie film business — lat.ms/QDSPZ7

4��@DigitalDuckInc 10 TED Talks for Filmmakers — flpbd.it/TQZ6Z

Twitter Feed

onlineDigital Video’s Twitter feed is at twitter.com/#!/DigitalVideomag

Update

F inal postproduction work for Hotel Transylvania, the animated comedy from

Sony Pictures Animation, was completed at Colorworks, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s digi-tal intermediate facility. The project involved close collaboration between Sony Pictures Imageworks, which created the film’s animation, and Colorworks, which performed final color grading and stereoscopic 3D finishing. Image files were exchanged between the two facilities

via direct fiber link.Colorist John Persichetti explains that

his primary responsibility was to ensure that the film’s unique animation style translated properly to the theatrical masters. “The film has a wonderful look,” he observes. “The interiors of the castle have a lovely warm feel due to the torches that illuminate them. The exteriors are a deep, rich blue, and the majority are nighttime scenes ... because, after all, they’re vampires.”

D irector of photography Daryn Okada, ASC,

used up to six Sony F65 CineAlta cameras to shoot the CBS legal drama Made in Jersey. “The camera has such a wide color gamut, I can mix lighting easily—tungsten with daylight coming in and it all feels right,” he says. “For one scene, we were in a SoHo loft with a lot of direct sunlight. The lighting was just done with Kino Flos and existing light bouncing off the floor. I shot at f/5.6 and it read like f/32—and there was still information in the blue sky. The only thing I’m doing with the Kino Flos is just getting a little bit of face here and there, but most of [the light] is just coming off the floor.”

NEWs

ColorWorks ChECks iNto Hotel transylvania

Made in Jersey Is Made with Sony’s F65

Director of photography Daryn Okada, ASC

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s .

Edit with AJAwww.aja.com

Professional I/O for your workflow.

Find out about our latest Edit products at www.aja.com

• Seamless integration with Apple FCP X, Adobe CS6, Avid Media Composer and Symphony 6, Autodesk Smoke for Mac and more.

• Futureproof workflow with a single card that can work in any resolution from SD to HD, 2K and 4K with 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 color space support to provide the highest quality images.

• Broadcast quality HD/SD up/down/cross converter brings any video to a unified resolution, simplifying workflows.

• 3D workflow support over SDI and HDMI for maximum flexibility.• 16-channel embedded and AES audio with sample-rate conversion for

solid synchronization.

KONA 3G is a cross-platform desktop I/O card designed to handle today’s SD and HD workflows and into the future with breakthrough 4K and 3D capabilities.

Now with 4K I/O.Unparalleled Power for Capture and PlayoutKONA 3G

Harness the power of Thunderbolt™.Desktop Power Made Portable

KONA LHi

KONA LHi bridges the gap between analog devices and the latest 3G-SDI and HDMI-enabled products for editing, monitoring and mastering professional quality video in an affordable and

powerful cross-platform PCIe card that is compatible with

applications from Apple, Avid, Adobe and more.

Io XT harnesses the power of Thunderbolt™ to enable the functionality of a traditional desktop editing system in a portable form factor. With the flexibility to daisy-chain multiple Thunderbolt™ devices, and combined with AJA’s industry-best OS X driver and application plug-ins, Io XT turns any Thunderbolt™- enabled Mac into a portable, professional editing system.

Io XTBridging the gap.Multi-format Analog & Digital I/O

dv.com | 11.201212

On the Creative Planet Network

4��Cameras are for the BirdsFor the Discovery

Channel/BBC

co-production

Winged Planet,

airing this month,

filmmaker

John Downer

developed a range

of techniques to

capture eagles,

cranes, pelicans,

snow geese and

other birds in

flight. For the

series’ “bird’s-

eye” view, the crew followed flocks

with microlite aircraft, model gliders,

silent drones, full-sized helicopters with

stabilized mounts, and also cameras

mounted on the backs of trained birds.

4��rory Kennedy offers firsthand LooK at her famiLy

Documentarian

Rory Kennedy

celebrates the

life of her mother

in HBO’s Ethel,

airing this month.

She explains, “My

mother has lived

a remarkable life

… a life that is

intertwined with

our collective

national history. She has been on the front

lines of many major events in American

history. So her story is in many ways an

American story.”

onlineGo online to read more and view additional images and video: www.dv.com/Nov2012

Update

Tom Day makes The Push wiTh sachTler

Tom Day recently finished production on The Push,

a documentary that follows, he explains, “two adaptive athletes pushing the limits and them-selves in Antarctica.” Day, who served as the film’s director of photography and on-location director, used Sony HXR-NX5 and Canon EOS 7D cameras mounted on Sachtler’s FSB 8 support system.

“The specs on the FSB 8 went to -40° F, exactly what I needed for this journey,” Day explains. “I knew when it came to panning shots, no matter what the temperature, it would give me what I wanted and more.”

D esign and visual effects company Phosphene created the effects for the third season of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, whose VFX team is helmed by VFX supervisor Lesley-Robson Foster and VFX

producer Parker Chehak. Phosphene partner and VFX supervisor John Bair notes, “Because Lesley and Parker understand the process so well, shots are always thought out and planned with precision, which means we can dedicate all of our time to making them as beautiful as possible.” The Phosphene creative team uses The Foundry Nuke, Autodesk 3ds Max with V-ray, Adobe Creative Suite and PCs running Microsoft Windows 7.

News

Phosphene Visits HBO’s Boardwalk Empire

Camera onboard shot of fish eagle flying over Lake Bogoria, Kenya

robert f. Kennedy and his wife, ethel, in 1961

imag

eby

con

dèn

ast

arch

ive/

corb

is

Phosphene created this Curtiss Jn-4 airplane.

dv.com | 11.201214

To open the PBS documentary Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, design firm Chermayeff & Geismar joined forces with design and digital produc-

tion company Thornberg & Forester. The sequence introduces the subject matter by first drawing viewers into still images showing some of the harshest realities women face, and then unveiling motion scenes showing positive progress.

“The sequence is split into two halves,” explains T&F director Scott Matz. “The first includes a continuous push-in to different scenes representing the oppression of women, and the second is a continuous pull-out that evokes a sense of hope and inspiration. For us, the main tasks were building ultra-high-resolution ‘still’ composites for the camera to fly through, and creating fluid transitions into and out of the live-action scenes that anchor the narrative.”

Nucoda Film Master Delivers Sci-Fi DystopiaB erlin postproduction facility The Post

Republic graded the 3D sci-fi thriller Dredd 3D, which was shot by director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle, ASC/BSC/DFF, on three pairs of RED Mysterium-X cameras and Silicon Imaging SI-2Ks on a Steadicam rig. The shots were matched via a custom color matrix as part of Post Republic and Prime Focus’ on-set digital lab process. Prime Focus provided the film’s effects.

The feature was graded on Nucoda Film Master by Post Republic colorist Adam Inglis, assisted by Dirk Meier. “The main challenge was the sheer variety of material we were weaving together,” says Inglis. “The whole film pretty much takes place over a day or so, and in very few locations, so it was about keeping a consistent and coherent look and feel while also finding a suitable rhythm of variation.”

3Stanley KubricK retroSpective in l.a.Opening November 7, LACMA’s Stanley Kubrick multimedia retrospective provides museum-goers access

to the director’s vision and working methods. Kubrick’s films are represented through archival material,

annotated scripts, photography, costumes, cameras and equipment, set models, original promotional

materials and props. The exhibition includes sections dedicated to projects that were never completed, as

well as to the technical advances developed by Kubrick and his team.

The exhibit is presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

(LACMA) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

in-theater commentary tracK for LooperWriter/director Rian Johnson has created a free, downloadable director’s commentary track for Looper that he

recommends listening to on a mobile device during a second theatrical viewing of the film. He notes, “Needless

to say, this is not to be listened to on a first viewing, or before you’ve seen the film. Also, please work it so that a

glowing screen is never out of your pocket during the movie.”

Trending Online (Links at www.dv.com/Nov2012)

Update NEWs

Stanley Kubrick on the 2001: A Space odyssey set

C&G, T&F DEvElop shoW opEN For Half tHe Sky

Any Size, Any Source, Any Place

TVLogic USA 910 W. Alameda Ave. Burbank, CA 91506 [email protected] www.tvlogicusa.com

Premium Monitoring Solutions For The Most Demanding Applications.

NewLVM-074W

TVLogic o�ers the most complete line of professional video monitors in the industry with over 30 broadcast, production and rack mount models from quad 4.3” to 56” 4K resolution monitors and every size in between.

With an unbeatable combination of precision engineered image processing and preferred features like built-in Waveform/Vector Scope, Auto Color Calibration, Closed Captioning (CE 608/708), 3D LUT Import/Export, HDMI to SDI Converted Output, 3G & Dual-Link Support and more, TVLogic has the right solution for all your monitoring needs.

AWARD 2012

dv.com | 11.201216

Q&A

MTI Film Solves Post for Major Crimes

MTI Film is providing final color grad-ing and other post services to the

TNT primetime drama Major Crimes. Cinematographers Kenneth Zunder, ASC, and David A. Harp use ARRI Alexa cameras to capture principal imagery as ProRes 4:4:4 data (Log C). MTI Film processes the dailies and prepares editorial, review and backup media at its facility in Hollywood. Following edito-rial, the show returns to MTI Film for final grading and conforming prior to air.

Paley Center for Media Goes Tapeless

To capture its many in-house events, the Paley Center for Media has networked

Cinedeck RX solid-state recorders via Gigabit Ethernet to its NAS central storage system. The RX captures from Grass Valley LDK 300 cam-eras and encodes to ProRes 422 for editorial.

Doug Warner, director of engineering at the Paley Center, says, “Cinedeck RX is the only recording device I found with the ability to write camera data simultaneously to our NAS central storage and its own internal hard drives. The eSATA connection is really useful, as clients can leave with footage on a hard drive in the editorial format of their choice.”

C inematographer Zach Zamboni brings art-istry and adventure to his nonfiction and

documentary work. A two-time Emmy Award recipient, Zamboni recently wrapped the final season of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.What have been the highlights of the show for you?Zach Zamboni: There are lots of moments for me on the road: trying to stay on the back of a Ferrari winding through Emilia-Romagna at sunset, shooting from the top of a blossoming apple tree in Burgundy, drinking caipirinhas with the guys at a little corner bar in Rio, watching Tony walk away in the last shot of No Reservations.What were some issues and challenges you encountered in the production process?As we embrace new technologies, new camera systems and various formats, we really had to work hard to get it all tested and field-ready. That can mean last-minute additions from the equipment department; parts that don’t exist might need to get invented; post has to figure out new workflows. It’s a challenge, but everyone is

a pro in these departments. We’re all striving to make the best show we can and we’ve all been working together for years. What equipment are you using?Within the last season we shot on the Sony PMW-F3 with Angenieux zooms and Carl Zeiss Super Speeds, Sony PMW-EX3/EX1 and Canon EOS 5D Mk IIIs, EOS 5D Mk IIs and EOS 7Ds. We also always carried GoPros and Panasonic POV cameras.

Spotlight:

Zach ZamboniCinematographerAnthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Update nEWs

JOy ZACCARIA

The two-hour documentary was written, directed and produced by Ken Burns, daughter Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, Sarah’s husband. Chief cinematographer was Buddy Squires, whose cinematography has been featured in nearly all of Ken Burns’ films. After its premiere as an Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival last spring and subsequent good reviews at the

Ken Burns Returns to the Scene of the Crime By John MeRli

The CenTRal Pa

The Central Park Five, the latest documentary from the Ken Burns family, re-examines the tragic account of five black and latino teenagers from harlem who were convicted of raping

a white woman in Central Park nearly a quarter of a century ago. All these years later, it’s still hard to figure how everyone—from the police to the courts to the media—got it so wrong.

Cinematographer Buddy Squires films in Central Park.

dv.com | 11.201218

dv.com | 11.2012 19

Telluride and Toronto film festivals this fall, it will be shown at the IFC Center in NYC’s Greenwich Village on Nov. 23. It will air nationally on PBS next April, and a limited theater run (rare for a Burns project) is also possible.

In the early morning of April 20, 1989, a severely beaten woman was found in a remote section of Central Park several hours after being attacked. Her wounds were so grave that she was expected to soon die, or at best remain in a coma. She defied doctors and recovered, for the most part. (Her vision and balance were never fully restored.) Fourteen years after the incident, Trisha Meili revealed herself as the victim when she wrote a book in 2003. She still has no memory of the brutal attack.

If she had remembered anything, Meili could have warned a heavily pressured police department, a competitive press seemingly out for blood, and the court system that the confessions of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam following grueling interrogations were bogus. Compelling evidence was also lacking.

The documentary, inspired by the 2011 Sarah Burns book The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of A City Wilding, presents the systemic injustice served on the five “assailants” from their point of view. After serving their respective prison sentences (ranging from five to 13 years), the convictions of the five boys—tried as adults—were vacated in 2002 after DNA evidence and a confession from Matias Reyes cleared their names.

For the filmmakers, the harrowing subject matter provided storytelling challenges. Most of their films are punctuated by the use of archival beauty shots of landscapes or, for example, “some time-lapse sunrise or sunset footage of the Grand Tetons when we were doing the National Parks films,” says McMahon. “But with this story, there is no timeless beauty to a dark corner of Central Park in the middle of the night,

ral Park Five

August 18, 1990: Accused rapist Yusef Salaam is escorted by police.

October 10, 1990: Kharey Wise as he looked in court when he was arraigned in the Central Park jogger rape case.

photoby

clarence

davis/ny

dailyn

ews

archivevia

gettyim

agesphoto

byjohn

pedin/ny

dailyn

ews

archivevia

gettyim

ages

dv.com | 11.201220

or of a police precinct.”Veteran cinematographer Buddy Squires used

an HD tape-based Panasonic VariCam AJ-HDC27H to capture the 20 interviews shot for the film. New park footage was captured on Super 16 film as well as some Super 8. Squires used an Aaton A-Minima Super 16mm film camera with Canon zoom lenses (8-64mm and 11-165mm), Zeiss Super Speed primes and a Canon 300mm lens. For an elaborate opening sequence he used the Steadicam he’s owned for many years with the Aaton.

“What we shot was a hybrid of digital video and Super 16 film,” Squires says. “We did a lot of nighttime shooting and some day-for-night. We shot other material, such as landscapes, cityscapes and psychologically suggestive scenes, with the Aaton. Sometimes we worked at slower frame rates to get more exposure. We did some off-speed stuff, some time lapse and some slow motion up to maybe 60 frames. We used pretty much every trick

in the book,” Squires says.Ken and Sarah Burns and McMahon researched

virtually all available archival material. “We found footage taken of the crime scene and of

interrogations that had been taped in the precinct, and then used it to gauge how it might ‘inform’ some of the scenes that we shot—such as re-creations

without actors of what an interrogation might have looked like back in 1989,” McMahon says. “The archival material was all over the map as far as quality and source. We had archival stills, newspapers, 16mm film, some VHS [tape] and even some 35mm film.”

McMahon says they were surprised to find an abundance of footage shot only hours after the assault. “They had police combing the crime scene the morning after the incident ... helicopters buzzing overhead ... the press being held at bay ... a couple of police interviews and other activity. We could really paint a picture of that moment using the archival footage, but we still had to spend many hours shooting new footage while trying to capture a kind of haunted sense of the state of things where this crime took place,” says McMahon. “We had the five boys—now men, of course—describe the various things they were doing in the park that we had to reconstruct step by step.” dv

“We found footage taken of the crime scene and of interrogations that had been taped in the precinct, and then used it to gauge how it might ‘inform’ some of the other scenes.”

—David McMahon, co-producer, The Central Park Five

NY Daily News front page, April 21, 1989

phot

oby

ny

dail

yn

ews

arch

ive

via

gett

yim

ages

In a courtroom rendering from the first Central Park Jogger trial, prosecutor Elizabeth Lederer questions victim Tricia Meili as defendants Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Antron McCray listen.

Yusef Salaam and the directors of The Central Park Five: (from left) David McMahon, Sarah Burns, Yusef Salaam and Ken Burns

image

courtesychristin

ecorn

ell

dv.com | 11.201222

T he Mindy Project, a biting single-camera comedy from writer/producer Mindy Kaling

(The Office), follows Dr. Mindy Lahiri, a woman who manages a successful career as an OB/GYN while she undermines her personal life with unrealistic expecta-tions fueled by romantic comedies.

The scrappy new series, which stars Kaling alongside cast members Chris Messina, Ed Weeks, Anna Camp, Zoe Jarman, Amanda Setton, Stephen Tobolowsky and Ike Barinholtz, premiered on FOX in September. Created, written and executive produced by Kaling, the show is produced by 3 Arts Entertainment and Universal Television, and executive produced by Howard Klein (The Office, Parks and Recreation), Matt Warburton (The Simpsons) and series director Michael Spiller (Modern Family, Scrubs).

Director of photography Marco Fargnoli (Childrens Hospital, NTSF:SD:SUV) arrived at The Mindy Project following the completion of the series pilot, which was shot by cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC. “It was an incredible thrill to come into something he had started,” Fargnoli says.

Shot with ARRI Alexa digital cameras employing a combination of Panavision’s new lightweight 19-90mm and 7-200mm zoom lenses with an older Panavision 11:1 lens for close-ups, The Mindy Project has the heightened look of classic romantic comedy grounded by the day-lit scenes inside the clinic where Mindy works.

“The Alexa is the strongest choice

out there. It was the first camera for me that delivered on the promise of what a digital camera could be, and it’s just the best all-around choice for the type of show that we’re doing. Under the constraints of shooting a TV show these days, there’s no other digital format that really touches it,” Fargnoli comments, citing the camera’s dynamic range and color reproduction.

“The Alexa does a great job rendering skin tones, which is really the Achilles’ heel of video,” he continues. “It still can’t hold a candle to film, but for the first time you don’t have that fear of putting a leading lady into a big HD close-up—you don’t have to worry that it won’t come out looking great.”

From the beginning there was a mandate from Spiller, who has a background as a DP on NY shows such as Sex and the City, to embrace newer technologies. “Michael insisted that we needed to bring newer technology into the mix to be more environmentally friendly, or faster and more efficient,” Fargnoli emphasizes. “It was like, if we’re starting a new show from scratch in this day and age, we should look to be doing anything that we can differently.”

Almost immediately the production team began looking at alternative lighting solutions. “We knew we would be shooting in the heat of summer on stages with big translites, and we had a definite desire to keep the actors cool and comfortable. The last thing we wanted was to plow through a lot of translite lighting with giant sky cams with big tungsten heads,” says Fargnoli.

“The first decision we made was to

The Mindy ProjecTMaking A Modern-Day Rom-Com

JENNIFER WOLFE

Look THE MINDY PROJECT

Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is a skilled OB/GYN navigating the tricky waters of both her personal and professional life in The Mindy Project.

dv.com | 11.2012 23

photosby

bethdubber/fox

Jeremy (Ed Weeks, center) and Danny discuss dating with Mindy.

Danny (Chris Messina) and Mindy watch a romantic comedy together.

dv.com | 11.201224

go daylight-balanced on our main clinic set. To help achieve that, we employed a lot of fluorescent and LED solutions for translite lighting, which was a completely new experience for me,” Fargnoli details. “We found a great friend in Lumapanels. Our skylight, for instance, is a combination of LED Lumapanels and Mac Tech LED translite lighting.”

One of the biggest challenges Fargnoli and his crew face is maintaining the slightly heightened romantic comedy look of the show while allowing for the improvisational style of comedy that is the

strength of many of the actors. “Trying to keep everyone looking great—making the lighting really nice and really pretty but with enough flexibility that you can cross-cover two actors who are improvising through a lot of the dialogue without them having to hit specific marks—was probably the most challenging and the most fun,” he says.

Fargnoli credits his experience shooting series for Adult Swim with providing many of the techniques he and his crew deploy on The Mindy Project. “I was able to bring my whole crew with me, and it’s been really great to keep familiar faces around and have that shorthand,” he says. “Childrens Hospital was a show pretending to be Grey’s Anatomy—which is about 70 percent of this show—and NTSF is primarily a location show, which is the other 30 percent. The most useful thing from Childrens has been the hospital and clinic lighting, while what has carried over from NTSF is the ability to very rapidly create locations from scratch.”

With the show set in New York, the production team strives for a NYC vibe. “We keep trying to discover these little pockets of New York here in Los Angeles,” Fargnoli says. “It would be really great if no one ever figured out we were shooting in L.A.” dv

“The Alexa does a great job rendering skin tones, which is really the Achilles’ heel of video.”

—Marco Fargnoli, director of photography, The Mindy Project

Mindy and Danny interview nurse candidates.

Mindy recalls meeting her ex-boyfriend Tom (Bill Hader).

Mindy gives a toast at her ex-boyfriend's wedding.

photosby

bethdubber/fox

Copyright ©2012. Sony Creative Software Inc. All rights reserved. “SONY” and “make.believe” are trademarks of Sony.

Rethink editingOne platform for complete video and audio production. An unmatched set of features, functions, and processes, all at your � ngertips. A unique and progressive environment with hundreds of work� ow innovations. If you’re using anything else for media production, it’s time to rethink how you edit.

With powerful tools supporting a wide variety of formats for multi-screen distribution, Vegas Pro set the standard other NLEs follow. Now, Vegas Pro 12 delivers new professional enhancements that further make it the cutting-edge leader for everything from independent � lmmaking to broadcast production. Vegas Pro 12 includes a new expanded edit mode to � ne-tune the perfect cut; a comprehensive S-log work� ow; project interchange with other post-production platforms; smart proxy editing, for full frame rate performance on a wider variety of hardware; new shape and effects masking tools; and a new professional L*a*b* color space plug-in, for quickly matching the color characteristics of your content. And we’re just getting started. Vegas Pro 12 is the only NLE you’ll need.

Fast, ef� cient, and affordable. Vegas Pro 12 delivers the features you’re looking for. Isn’t it time to rethink the way you edit?

Learn more about the entire set of new features and enhancements, or download the free trial at:www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegas12

Scan to see a full list of Vegas Pro features.

dv.com | 11.201226

“Hell Broke luce”look

I llustrator, photographer and director Matt Mahurin has created some of the most iconic images of contemporary American popular

culture, using technology to amplify emotional content and sparking the ongoing debate sur-rounding digital manipulation. His illustrations have appeared in TIME, Newsweek, Mother Jonesand Rolling Stone, among many other publica-tions, and several of his photographs—on subjects as diverse as AIDS, the Texas prison system and Nicaragua—have been included in the perma-nent collection of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mahurin, a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement

Award from the Music Video Producers Guild, is a veteran director of music videos, having

worked with such performers as U2, R.E.M. and Metallica on more than 100 videos over the

course of his career. And while he has worked on productions of epic proportions in the past, his recent collaboration with Tom Waits on the video for “Hell Broke Luce,” from the 2011 Bad As Me album, has a handcrafted feel and level of authenticity that can be achieved only by a solo practitioner.

“My work has always had an organic look,” Mahurin states. “The handmade quality is an extension of process. I don’t believe in perfectionism. It is impossible and counterproductive. I prefer a few rough edges ... keeps me relaxed and moving forward.”

Written about Jeff Lucey, a Marine who suffered

“Hell Broke luce”Bringing Tom Waits’ Apocalyptic War Dream to Life

JENNIfER WoLfE

“I had a good home but I left /I had a good home but I left, right, left”

Artist and illustrator Matt Mahurin created the music video for Tom Waits’ “Hell Broke Luce” from the album Bad As Me.

dv.com | 11.2012 27

from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and committed suicide following his service during the Iraq War, the song is a rousing protest anthem set to a military cadence. The video, described by Waits as “an apocalyptic war dream,” arrived in August amid a flurry of speculation about a possible tour.

“Kathleen and I envisioned it as an enlightened drill sergeant yelling the hard truths of war to a brand new batch of recruits,” Waits commented in a press release, speaking of Kathleen Brennan, his wife and artistic collaborator. “The video grew from the gnawing image of a soldier pulling his home, through a battlefield, at the end of a rope.”

Mahurin used no postproduction facilities or effects house to create the video, instead shooting, editing and compositing all the shots himself. He employed Panasonic AG-HVX200 and Leica D-Lux 4 cameras to capture video and still images, and Adobe Photoshop and Apple Final Cut Pro and Motion.

“This one-man-band approach is rooted in my life as a painter,” says Mahurin. “When I think of making a feature film, what drives me as much as

the desire to tell a story is the sense of community that comes with being in a filmmaking family. You breathe, sweat and bleed on one another as you try to make the day. The only experience that rivals that bond of belonging is the complete opposite … to pretty much go it alone.”

Asked how his work as a photographer and

illustrator informs his work as a filmmaker, Mahurin says that although strong style, tone and atmosphere are important to the final piece, what’s essential is the point of view. “As an illustrator and photographer, the idea behind the image was always most important,” he relates. “It’s the content that gives the visuals lasting

“How is it that the only ones responsible for making this mess /Got their sorry asses stapled to a god---n desk”

“I lost my buddy and I wept, wept”

dv.com | 11.201228

power. I enjoy the satisfaction that comes with the finished work, but what is most fulfilling and challenging is process ... the making of the thing.”

Whether creating illustrations for a TIMEmagazine story on domestic violence or a photo essay on Texas maximum security prisons, Mahurin’s background as an artist has been the creation of images with social and political subjects. “The most important challenge was to create images that lived up to the power and message of Tom’s song,” he says about “Hell Broke Luce.” “I will always be grateful to Tom and his wife, Kathleen, for the opportunity to express my feelings concerning the tragic consequences of the countless young souls who are sent to war.”

Discussing what he learned from the project, Mahurin comments, “I learned what I already know but must prove to myself with every

project—especially filmmaking, because it is so physically demanding in time and energy: that I have one chance to give it all I have, and that helps me do my best.”

In addition to ongoing music video and film projects, Mahurin is in the process of finishing The Imagemakers Handbook, a 500-page meditation on life as a creative professional.

“No matter what you do as a creative being, what is most important is to have something to say. To lay on the line your emotions, ideas and opinions in the work you do,” Mahurin advises. “Finally, to believe that what you have to say is worthy, and that you are the only one with the power to say it. And no matter if it is a groundbreaking creative achievement or a solid piece of pure entertainment, if you are true to yourself, the lives of others will be better off for having made a connection to your art.” dv

“My work has always had an organic look. The handmade quality is an extension of process. I don’t believe in perfectionism. It is impossible and counterproductive. I prefer a few rough edges.”

—Matt Mahurin, director, “Hell Broke Luce”

“Big f---ing ditches in the middle of the road /You pay a hundred dollars just for fillin’ in the hole”

“Boom went his head away /And boom went Valerie /What the hell was it that the president said? /Give him a beautiful parade instead /Left, right, left”

“Hell broke luce”

dv.com | 11.201230

ElEmEntarylook

A rthur Conan Doyle’s crime-solving dyna-mo Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson have taken many cinematic

forms, but in CBS’ incarnation, Elementary, the Edwardian duo is re-imagined in contemporary Manhattan with Jonny Lee Miller as a more excit-able young Holmes and Lucy Liu in likely the sexiest interpretation the Watson role to appear on screen. The photographic tone for the series—uti-lizing unusually wide-angle lenses (often pushed in tight on the actors)—was set by cinematogra-pher Nelson Cragg in the pilot. Cinematographer

Ron Fortunato, ASC, who’s shot all the subsequent episodes, was very happy with the work he saw on the show’s initial installment.

“It’s a fantastic pilot,” he says. “They didn’t go for the traditional coverage you see on a lot of TV shows. I really liked the way it makes use of wide-angle lenses and handheld camerawork.”

Each episode is shot in eight days, usually four days at Silvercup East soundstages in New York’s Long Island City and four out and about in the city. Fortunato shoots with ARRI Alexa cameras—one with and one without the new optical reflex finder

feature. Material is recorded in Log C mode to the camera’s internal SxS cards.

The wide-lens close-up approach to shooting certain scenes can be more challenging than the medium and tight shots common to television productions, Fortunato explains. The camera must be considerably closer to the actor, and such shots include more peripheral detail, both because of the angle of view and the relatively greater depth of field. The sets and locations have to hold up to scrutiny. Meanwhile, both the choreography of a scene and its lighting have to ensure that a second

lEnsEs, latitudE, lush VisualsRon Fortunato’s Shooting Style for CBS’ Elementary

JoN SILBERg

photoby

nin

om

uñoz/cbs

Elementary stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson in a modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most difficult cases.

dv.com | 11.2012 31

camera or light won’t end up in a shot.“It forces us to be more creative with the second

camera,” the cinematographer says. “Instead of covering the action with an 85mm and a 50mm lens from the same axis, you have to try different things. We try not to get into making too many rules and we do shoot with longer lenses sometimes—when I do that, I like to shoot at a [deep] stop like T-11 to hold onto some depth of field.

“But we’re constantly trying to keep it interesting,” he stresses. “We did a scene in an interrogation room where the two cameras were so close that the operators were almost touching, but they were shooting at about a 60-degree angle to each other. The trick is to make sure it works with the story and doesn’t seem self-conscious.”

Fortunato continues, “There’s a shot with Jonny that we shoot between a 28 and 35mm, depending on the scene. It’s not something you would do for a close-up of your star, but he eats it up. He looks fantastic in these shots. I’ll tell you honestly, I don’t usually get excited about the aesthetics of photographing men, but he has an amazing face. I’ve gotten really close with a 21mm lens and it works nicely.”

When you cover scenes with wide lenses, it’s imperative that the environment the characters

inhabit looks real because it’s not going to drop off into a blur. Fortunato stresses the importance of production designer Andrew Bernard’s contribution. “He really does great work,” the DP notes. “The main set consists of three big rooms in a railroad style apartment. It’s a very interesting set. And his scenic painters are incredible. It’s the best job of scenic painting I’ve ever seen.”

When Fortunato shot his first Alexa show, Pan Am, last year, his budget allowed him only a few days with a DIT; the arrangement for Elementarywas essentially the same in that regard. “On Pan Am, when the DIT left, I was petrified,” he admits. “But I quickly adapted. The Alexa is different from the HD cameras I’ve worked with before. I have my calibrated monitor and I can light from that, but I also use my light meter, which I hadn’t used for years, and I occasionally work just like I did on film.”

Fortunato explains that shooting Log C helps preserve the sensor’s latitude and gives him plenty to work with in post. The cinematographer generally rates the Alexa at its native EI 800 to get the most latitude, though he will occasionally bump the EI up to 1250 or 1600 at night or to add some texture to a shot. He may also adjust the shutter angle to get a stop he desires. “I’ll go to a 220 or 270 shutter and it looks nice,” he says. “It doesn’t jump out at you.”

Files for the show go to Deluxe in New York. Fortunato works with Los Angeles-based senior colorist Tony D’Amore, who grades episodes from his theater at sister company Encore in Hollywood using Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. Fortunato can work with D’Amore remotely from Deluxe in New York. “It’s a great system,” Fortunato says. “It really helps me on set knowing that I can work with Tony later using Power Windows to help take down the exposure a bit on a wall or part of a ceiling and add some more richness to the overall look.”

Fortunato credits the pilot as a significant inspiration, but he explains he definitely doesn’t just ‘copy’ it. “You can’t just imitate someone else’s work,” he says. “If you want to do your best work, you have to go by your own instincts.” dv

To read an interview with cinematographer Nelson Cragg about shooting the Elementary pilot, go to www.dv.com/Nov2012.

(L-R) Camera operator Tim Norman, dolly grip James Heerdegen, cinematographer Ron Fortunato, ASC, and first AC Jeremy Weishaar

The show’s Captain Gregson (Aidan Quinn, left) and Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller)

phot

oby

davi

dm

. rus

sell

/cbs

phot

oby

john

paul

filo

/cbs

photoby

davidm. russell/cbs

dv.com | 11.201232

Frankenweenie look

C ompany 3’s London office used Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve to color grade Disney’s 3D animated stop-motion feature Frankenweenie from director Tim

Burton. After unexpectedly losing his dog, Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life, albeit with a few minor adjustments.

Working with cinematographer Peter Zorg, it was the job of Company 3 London colorist Rob Pizzey to create a look and feel for the film that would tell this story in Tim Burton’s distinctive style.

Although this was Pizzey’s first stop-motion film, it was not the first time he’d worked with either CG or Tim Burton. “Tim and Peter approached us in the summer of 2010 with a few early shots of Frankenweenie for a grade test. Our brief was to keep a strong contrast, good blacks and to make the characters stand out. From the outset Tim was very sure how the film should look. Once we captured that, it was our job to ensure that style was replicated in the 3D world, where the inherent light loss can ruin the look of a film.”

Grading in black and white presents unique challenges for color correction. Frankenweenie required some real sculpting to pull out specific areas of the frame and accen-tuate certain elements to tell the story. The auto tracking functions of DaVinci Resolve were essen-tial in achieving this grade. In particular, Pizzey used DaVinci Resolve’s auto key-framing function for very difficult hand-animated shapes.

“We had to be very careful with the contrast range, not push it too far. If you push too far, you can introduce strobing effects, which isn’t good. We had to hand-animate an

awful lot of shapes on characters to make them stand out more. As the film is black and white, the characters’ costumes didn’t stand out as much as they would in a color film, and so we worked on creating different shades of grey to create better separation.

“We also spent a lot of time creating the LUT for film out,” Pizzey says. “The final delivery was color negative to color print for a black and white job. As you can imagine, just a slight sway in the print and the film could look completely wrong. However, the LUT created by our technical department worked beautifully.

“We graded the 2D version of the film first. Once that was approved by Tim, the 3D data was delivered to Company 3. On some 3D films, one eye of the 3D is common to the 2D version, but that wasn’t the case on Frankenweenie, and so there were effectively three films to conform and grade: 2D, left eye and right eye. It was a big job and we had to make certain that nothing slipped through the net on any version.

“Frankenweenie is a fantastic film—Tim Burton at his very best. It is really amazing just how much emotion the characters convey using stop-frame animation. DaVinci Resolve truly brought the grade to life.” dv

animation and re-animationCompany 3 Brings Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie to Life

Victor Frankenweenie director Tim Burton

photoby

leahgallo

dv.com | 11.2012

Victor and Sparky

Surrounded by equipment in his attic lab, Young Victor (voiced by Charlie Tahan) attempts to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life with lessons he learned about electricity from his science teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (voiced by Martin Landau).

photoby

simon

jacobs

dv.com | 11.201234

SKYFALLlook

C inematographer and nine-time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, became a high-profile convert to digital

capture methods on 2011’s In Time, a stylish, dys-topian sci-fi action flick directed by Andrew Niccol. Deakins is best known for his work with the Coen Brothers on O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Barton Fink, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski and True Grit. His astonishing list of cred-its also includes Mountains of the Moon, Sid and

Nancy, The Shawshank Redemption, Dead Man Walking, A Beautiful Mind and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Now Deakins has reunited with director Sam Mendes for Skyfall, the (roughly) 25th installment in the James Bond franchise, depending on how one counts. Deakins and Mendes had previously worked together on Jarhead (2005) and Revolutionary Road (2008), which were both shot on 35mm film. For Skyfall, Deakins used

prototypes of the latest iteration of the ARRI Alexa camera, the Studio model.

“Sam and I talked about the script and the look, and what the story would involve,” says Deakins about the choice of format. “It seemed like there would be a lot of low-light photography and situations where I’d want to work with practical lighting. I suggested he look at the tests I had done and some of what I had shot on In Time. He was quite impressed and we decided that that would

SkyfallDouble Agents, Data Recording, Roger Deakins

DAvID HeuRINg

Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall

skyfallphotos

byfran

coisduham

el

be the way to go.”Even more than in a standard Bond adventure,

Skyfall presented a wide variety of situations, from very hot, bright day exteriors to very dark,

underground, cavernous settings. The production traveled to Istanbul and Shanghai, as well as filming numerous scenes at the Albert R. Broccoli 007 stage at Pinewood Studios in the UK, named

for the legendary producer of the Bond series of films. Daniel Craig makes his third appearance as 007 in Skyfall and Javier Bardem plays the villain. The estimable Judi Dench plays M, Bond’s commanding officer. The plot involves questions about M’s management of the Secret Service and about 007’s loyalty to her.

Deakins says that the image quality that the ARRI Alexa delivers is more than adequate, noting that his preference for the camera’s images is a matter of sensibility, as opposed to some empirical measure of quality. “I’m very impressed by the image quality the Alexa gives,” he says. “You do have to get it right. You can’t be cavalier and overexpose willy-nilly. You can’t just point and shoot and not care about where your exposure is and what you’re shooting. That’s just as if you had been shooting film. And with greater and greater resolution, there comes a point where everything starts looking, frankly, anemic and kind of synthetic and has no life to it.”

A widescreen 2.40:1 aspect ratio frames the images, which were shot “flat” and extracted from the Alexa’s 16:9 sensor. The lenses were ARRI Master Primes, usually focal lengths in the mid-

Judi Dench and director Sam Mendes (far right) on the set

dv.com | 11.201236

range like 27, 32, 35 and 40mm. Codex recorders were used with all the cameras. Codex Datapacks were backed up on set and then sent for dailies processing.

The ARRI Alexa Studio model incorporates an optical viewfinder, a crucial upgrade for a cinematographer like Deakins who prefers to operate the camera himself. “I think that over time you get quite a lot of eyestrain off the electronic viewfinder,” he says. “But apart from that, I like to be able to look through the camera without anything interfering. I’ve always lit through the viewfinder, and nothing’s changed that. I do look at the monitor from time to time, but I still basically work the same was as if I were shooting film.”

Deakins has said that the on-set monitor can enhance creativity, since he and the director can discuss the image more specifically, allowing him to take the image further than he otherwise might. Skyfall was no exception. “Sometimes Sam would be watching another monitor and he would make a comment,” Deakins says. “I’d take him over to the DIT’s station and say, ‘That is what the camera is seeing, and I can change it here or in post.’ I think that was very advantageous, and also I think it was nice for Sam—he enjoyed the ability to see exactly what the camera was seeing. Sam is very much an actor’s director, and he likes the ability to run that camera longer than the length of a [film] magazine. It’s a real advantage, as is not having to wait for the dailies and the lab. The whole process of going

After the ShootThe “post” and “production” facets of Skyfall were over-seen from a facility standpoint by Deluxe’s new EC3 divi-sion, which combines the talent and technology of sister companies EFILM and Company 3.

First, DIT Josh Gollish, who worked with Deakins on In Time, utilized an EFILM Colorstream system to set looks with the cinematographer that could be seen on set. This color information traveled with the ARRIRAW files in the form of metadata to EC3 temporary “digital labs” the company had set up near the UK and Turkey locations, where dailies colorist Marc Lulkin used Colorfront’s OSD grading system to refine the on-set looks for dailies based on Deakins’ direction. This color information was then archived with the corresponding raw files for the final DI process.

EC3 also provided an array of services to the production, editorial and VFX departments to ensure that everyone working with the images prior to the final grade was seeing them on perfectly calibrated monitors and in the correct color space (or were viewing material through compensating LUTs). “Skyfall was among the most elaborate productions we’ve overseen this way,” says Joachim Zell, EFILM’s vice president of imaging science/technical director. “Filmmakers are really discovering how valuable it can be when we get involved early in production and then hand off the work to either of our sister companies.”

In the case of Skyfall, this process involved colorists Adam Glasman (from Company 3 in the UK) and Mitch Paulson (of EFILM in Hollywood).

The IMAX version, which hits theaters a day prior to the main theatrical release on November 9, was generated without IMAX’s proprietary DMR processing. Deakins recently shocked audiences at IBC by saying that the ARRI Alexa’s 2.8K ARRIRAW images look great simply up-resed to 4K and pro-jected on IMAX screens.

Mitch Paulson (pictured) of EFILM, the lead colorist on the film, collaborated during the DI process with Adam Glasman of Company 3 in London.

through to the edit suite was much smoother, really.“Frankly, I like the quality of the widescreen

done flat,” he adds. “I don’t know that I want much higher quality than that. The only hesitation I had was when I found out they needed to release the film in IMAX. I quickly did some tests to see if the resolution and everything would hold up. I

was a little nervous, but I’ve seen enough now to realize that the quality in IMAX is quite stunning. I saw the DMR [IMAX’s proprietary Digital Media Remastering process] and I didn’t like it, and I stopped them doing it, actually. We did our own transfer, and frankly I think it looks much better. Maybe if you shot film you’d need to enhance it,

but you don’t need to enhance with images from the Alexa.”

Regarding his conversion to digital, Deakins says he has no regrets. “I don’t think Skyfall would have been any better on film,” he says. “I’m not quite sure what ‘better’ is, anyway. I like the image better than if I’d shot it on film, put it that way.” dv

Cinematographer Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem in Skyfall

dv.com | 11.201238

review

Despite these innovations, I found the FS100 wanting in several respects—notably its lack of internal ND filters, SDI output, useable top handle and bottom mounting plate. With the NEX-FS700, Sony has overcome many shortcomings of the FS100 and has added features while keeping the camera in the sub-$10K price range.

Like its FS100 sibling, the FS700 is a rather oddly shaped camera. It feels like those medium-format cameras I used to shoot back in the days of 120 film. Sony provides any number of ways to configure the camera, however, and numerous third-party vendors offer rigs and accessories.

This is a modular camera. It has a removable top handle that bolts securely to the camera, which in turn has front and top shoe mounts as well as four mounting points on top. The handle is bolted so securely that it is safe to carry the camera by it even with a moderately heavy lens like a PL prime. Don’t need the handle? Remove it? Don’t like it? Buy a third-party handle.

Moving to the body, there are two 1/4-20 holes with metal sockets planted in front of the pop-up viewfinder, and you’ll find even more secure mounting points on the camera bottom. Sony has clearly learned its lesson from earlier cameras whose plastic mounts led to breakage.

The right side of the camera sports a rosette to which any rosette attachment may be bolted. Sony provides a side handle for this rosette mount that has

start/stop, photo and auto-iris buttons (for Sony auto-iris lenses, of course). This side handle also contains a zoom rocker, which is currently non-functional and reserved for a future lens product. As an owner/operator of a Sony PMW-F3, I am

disappointed that Sony has cluttered this camera with yet another rocker of minimal to no use.

The FS700’s LCD viewscreen pops up from the camera’s top and can be viewed directly or through the supplied magnifying loupe, which is essentially the same loupe found on the PMW-EX3 or F3 (optional). The attachment is a little plastic-y but works effectively. But it feels awkward viewing the image from above the camera, no matter whether the camera is handheld or mounted on a rig or tripod.

There are controls all over this camera, but they feel less cluttered than on the FS100, which again makes this camera an advance over the original design. You should definitely expect a period of adjustment while you learn where all the controls are located before you’ll be able to work most effectively.

I like the six preset buttons on the camera’s left side, which may be customized. The presets correspond to typical Sony options—zebra, peaking, histogram and marker—and two new ones, last scene and face detection.

Camera controls here are not where operators of larger cameras will expect them. (Note that this is a criticism of many smaller cameras, not just the FS700.) White balance, for example, is on the side. I’ve come to expect white balance on the lower left front of the camera beside the lens mount. Likewise, the shutter control resides on that left side.

The FS700 is powered by Sony NP-F970 or NP-F770 batteries. The battery compartment is recessed, so it’s a bit awkward to insert the smaller battery. With optional DC in, many users will simply choose to use external

Super 35 SenSor, SenSible priceShooting with Sony’s NEX-FS700 Camera

NED SoLTz

LUST Sony neX-FS700

Sony’s NEX-FS100 camera broke new ground last year with its Super 35-sized sensor, AVCHD recording codec with frame rates up to 1080/60p at 28 Mb/s, native E-mount lens system adaptable to Sony Alpha, Canon, Nikon or PL-mount lenses and, of course, its sub-$6,000 street price.Product: Sony NEX-

FS700

Pros: 4K-ready Super 35 sensor, Super Slow Motion frame rates, recording up to 1080/60p, three-position ND, secure mounting points, modular design.

Cons: No 4K announcement yet, output 8-bit only, somewhat awkward design, no waveform monitor.

Bottom Line: A strong contender in the Super 35 marketplace, and once 4K is implemented, a reasonably-priced entrée into 4K shooting. Versatile in configuration and highly adjustable. Shoot it alone or as a B-camera to Sony’s larger single-sensor cameras.

MSRP: $9,900 with 18-200mm E-mount lens, $9,200 without lens

Online: pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-NEXFS700U/

Quick Take

videodigital

Excellence Award

dv.com | 11.2012 39

V-mount or Gold-mount batteries stepped down to the appropriate voltage by third-party battery mounts.

The camera has two XLR inputs, but they are located oddly: one is below and to the right of the handle, the other is at the rear. The FS700 has both HDMI and SDI outputs (the FS100 is HDMI only), as well as composite/component outputs. A Micro USB connector will link the FS700 to a computer to transfer data or update firmware. Finally, on the right side of the camera is a plate covering a slot for the optional 128 GB memory unit ($800). A LANC port allows attachment of Sony’s LANC controller unit ($1,040).

The camera ships with an external mic holder. I have been critical in the past of mic holders on most cameras in this price range. The FS700 offers the first holder I’ve seen that probably won’t break in the first week of use—or ever, for that matter.

The FS700 records to a s i n g l e

SDHC, SDXC or Sony Memory Stick card. Files are saved in .mts format, which can be read by virtually every NLE. The camera records 1920 x 1080 in 60p (28 Mb/s data rate), 60i, 30p and 24p. Additionally, it records in 1440 x 1080 modes, 720p, and also at SD resolutions. Like all AVCHD codec cameras, the color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8 bits per sample. In fact, internal processing of the camera is 8-bit, meaning that its SDI and HDMI output are also 8-bit.

What’s NeW?Now for this camera’s innovations. Sony has been touting the FS700 as 4K-ready. Indeed, its Super 35 Exmor sensor is more than 11 megapixels and is capable of resolving 4K. At the camera’s introduction, Sony indicated plans for a 4K solution via the 3G-SDI port. As of this writing, however, no 4K solutions have been announced. I can only review a product based on what is actually shipping, so I’ll have to wait to evaluate this camera’s 4K functionality.

The second innovation, super-slow-motion recording, is actually the first feature I tested. The FS700 records in Super Slow modes of 120, 240, 480 and 960 fps. Resolution of 120 and 240 fps video is full 1920 x 1080; 480 and 960 fps resolution is reduced.

The camera will record specific durations of Super Slow Motion, all the way down to about 19 seconds of 960 fps. The camera buffers the recording and writes to the card when the recording stops. The documentation says it could take up to six minutes to write to card. The faster the frame rate, the longer the write. In one test of about 12 seconds of 960 fps video, it took close to five minutes to write to the card.

With shutter set to match, the

dv.com | 11.201240

camera’s slow motion is remarkably strobe- and artifact-free. Clips may be played back in camera and require no conversion when imported into your NLE. As with any off-speed recording, note that the camera cannot output overcranked footage via SDI or HDMI. You must record internally.

Recording higher frame rates requires more light. While all large-sensor video and DSLR cameras demonstrate good light sensitivity, the FS700 surpasses even this high bar with the ability to boost the gain up to +30, or about 16,000 ISO. The FS700’s Exmor sensor, like that in the FS100 and F3, is amazingly noise-free. Expect some noise at 16,000 ISO, of course, but shoot at even 3,200 ISO and you’ll be amazed.

The camera ships with a native E-mount lens mount and an optional 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Sony auto lens. I tested the model with the bundled lens. Sony now offers the LA-E2 adapter ($400) to adapt the camera to the full line of Sony Alpha lenses, including the Sony-Zeiss glass.

I was disappointed with the LA-E1 on the FS100 because of its lack of many auto functions, slow response and tendency to stop down the lens completely and then set to desired aperture when changing aperture manually. All of these

shortcomings are remedied with the LA-E2 adapter for the FS700. Response is fast and the camera will auto-focus and invoke auto-iris easily. Also enabled is the built-in face recognition auto-focus function. This is a nice consumer feature, but I don’t believe it is relevant for a professional using the FS700 in a cinematic application.

Third-party adapters are available for Nikon, Canon and PL-mount lenses.

One major shortcoming of the FS100 was its lack of built-in ND filters. By redesigning the front end of the camera—in fact borrowing from the F65 design—Sony was able to include a three-position ND filter on the FS700 for ND up to six stops. (Sony cameras in this range have virtually all had only two positions of ND.)

The FS700 offers four CineGammas. These may be invoked in user-created picture profiles. While I’m mentioning picture profiles, a number of users have created profiles (easily downloadable) and AbelCine has a whole set available free on its site.

Sony still has not addressed a shortcoming I see on all of its cameras in this price range: the only scope included with the camera is a histogram. I personally find a waveform monitor much more

useful and wish Sony would consider adding it.The FS700 is a worthy addition to Sony’s NXCAM

lineup as well as to its Super 35 sensor strategy. I tend to resist comparisons, but I think it’s important to note that the FS700 isn’t exactly a baby F3; it is an 8-bit camera without much of the image post-processing of the F3. It lacks a log gamma curve. Note, however, that AbelCine’s picture profiles contain a log emulation profile. But because the FS700’s sensor is the same as that in the F3 and picture profiles can be used to match cameras, the FS700 and F3 cut very well together. I would not hesitate to use an FS700 as a B-cam to my F3, particularly if I needed super-slow-motion footage.

What is the target market of the FS700? I find far too many shooters attempting to use large-sensor cameras for run-and-gun applications, not realizing that the shallow depth of field of Super 35 cameras makes this a difficult proposition. Outfitted with the appropriate automatic Sony E or Sony Alpha lenses, the FS700 is a suitable run-and-gun camera, though I wouldn’t try it without a third-party rig—it’s just too awkward to handhold the FS700, even with the rosette-attached grip, for longer than a couple of minutes.

It is in independent film and documentary production that the FS700 shines. This camera is compact and affordable, delivering a sharp image with tremendous versatility. Between offerings from Sony and third-party vendors, it can be configured in an almost unlimited number of ways.

I recommend it strongly. dv

Super Slow Motion RecordingFrame Rate (60 Hz) 120 fps 240 fps 480 fps 960 fps

Recording Time 16 sec 8 sec 9 sec 19 sec

SPECIAL OFFER!SAVE $250 ON THE MOSTAFFORDABLE I/O SOLUTION

Affordable HDMI/analog video & audio I/O

Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX provides HDMI and analog video and audioinput and output for Apple Final Cut Pro X, Avid Media Composer,Avid Symphony 6, and the newly released Adobe Creative Suite 6.

Take advantage of the Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX to capture, scale, monitor, and output video in any format you need. Add HDMI and analog I/O with up-convert, down-convert, and cross convert to your editing PC or Mac. Monitor your 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound mixes on the HDMI output, thanks to eight channels of audio support. Turn your HDMI screen into a professional grade video monitor with the unique Matrox HDMI Calibration Utility.

Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX also turbocharges H.264 encoding for deliveries to the web, mobile devices, and Blu-ray up to five times faster than software alone without sacrificing quality — all in a convenient, portable breakout box. In fact, the Matrox MXO2 products are still the only I/O solutions on the market that connect anywhere; Mac and PC, via PCIe, ExpressCard/34, or a Thunderbolt adapter — with the same versatile unit.

*HURRY! SPECIAL MATROX PROMOTIONAL PRICING ONLY VALID UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2012

Check out the Videoguys’ FAQ articles to learn more about the Matrox MXO2 Mini Maxand the rest of the Matrox MXO2 products at www.videoguys.com.

$599*

800-323-2325516-759-1611 • Fax 516-671-3092 • [email protected]

Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX with Thunderbolt Adapteris also on sale for $699*

dv.com | 11.201242

Sorenson launched Squeeze 8.5 with more features and faster encoding, especially for users of some CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GPU cards. CUDA acceleration was introduced with Squeeze 7 and accelerates presets using the Main Concept H.264/AVC codecs; however, 8.5 also accelerates MPEG-4,

WebM, QuickTime and adaptive bit rate encoding. Other new features include additional input and output formats, some interface enhancements and 5 GB of permanent storage with the Sorenson 360 video hosting site (included with the 8.5 purchase).

I use several different encoders and have always

SorenSon Squeeze 8.5lust

SorenSon Squeeze 8.5 and 8.5 ProFaster Encoding, Extra Formats Enhance the Editing Tool

OlIVEr PETErS

Many editors prefer the video encoding application Sorenson Squeeze. It’s one of the top encoders for both Mac and PC platforms and also comes bundled with Avid Media Composer in the third-party software package. Sorenson recently introduced the optional Pro version, which enables the encoding of Avid DNxHD MXF media, as well as Dolby Pro Audio and Apple Prores QuickTime codecs (Mac only).

Product: Sorenson Squeeze 8.5 and 8.5 Pro

Pros: Wide range of presets and formats organized with common tasks in mind. 5 GB of Sorenson 360 web hosting included. Free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. Specific Pro formats may be added as options.

Cons: Some older codecs, like WMV9, are not supported. No droplet feature.

Bottom Line: The leading encoder for video editors has more than kept up with the competition. Speed, quality and modern codecs continue to make this the choice for professionals.

MSRP: $649 / $899 Pro

Online: www.sorensonmedia.com/video-encode/

Quick Take

videodigital

Excellence Award

Custom presets for encoding and workflows may be saved as favorites.

been a fan of Squeeze’s straightforward interface, which is organized around formats and/or workflows. Settings are easy to customize with granular control, and modified presets may be saved as favorites. Although I typically import a few files, set my encoding requirements and let it go, Squeeze is also designed to allow import from a camera or work automatically from a watch folder.

The workflow aspect is not to be overlooked. You can set up Blu-ray and DVD disc burns, upload to various web designations and include e-mail notification—all within a single encoding preset. Burning “one-off ” review DVDs for a client is as simple as importing the file, applying the DVD workflow preset and loading the blank media when prompted. If you use the web for client review and approval, then it’s handy to have the Sorenson 360 account built in. Sorenson 360 is Sorenson Media’s video hosting site, which runs on Amazon servers, thus giving you a reliable backbone. You may set up player skins and access controls to use the site as an outward facing presence to clients—or embed the videos on your own site.

Aside from the improved speed and encoding quality of 8.5, the pro version is a great front end tool for video editors, too. For instance, if you don’t want to edit with the native media format, convert QuickTime files into Avid-compliant MXF media—or take Canon C300 MXF clips and convert them to ProRes for use in Final Cut. These new Pro features will continue to enhance the Squeeze brand in the eyes of video editors as their top encoding solution. dvSqueeze 8.5 includes 5 GB of permanent video hosting at Sorenson 360.

dv.com | 11.2012 43

Preset control is granular, including options for BIAS audio filters, publishing destinations and e-mail notification.

Sorenson Squeeze supports dual-display layouts and CUDA-accelerated H.264 Main Concept codec encoding.

dv.com | 11.201244

Panasonic BT-LH1850 MoniTorlust

reference MaTeriaLEvaluating Panasonic’s HD/SD BT-LH1850 LCD Monitor

Ned Soltz

Panasonic continues its tradition of producing high-quality and reasonably priced reference monitors with the Bt-lH1850, an 18.5” Hd/Sd lCd production monitor with Hd and Sd closed caption display, vectorscope, waveform monitor for RGB signals and RS-485 serial remote. With Hd and HdMI connectivity, the lH1850 also offers a 3d lUt, which produces faithful color hues and smooth gradation, together with quick-response motion images.

Product: Panasonic

BT-LH1850

Pros: Reasonably priced.

Excellent refresh rate. Easily

transportable. Multiple I/O

options. LUT and gamma

choices.

Cons: WXGA resolution

instead of 1920 x 1080.

Some limitation in

customizing scope position

on screen.

Bottom Line: A great

monitor in the $2,500 range

for use in a small studio,

truck or on set. Lightweight,

accurate, energy efficient. It

gets the job done.

MSRP: $2,595

Online: www.panasonic.

com/business/provideo/

BT-LH1850.asp

Quick Take

videodigital

Excellence Award

As is the case with all monitors in the 17”-18” range, the LH1850 offers 1366 x 768 pixel resolution (WXGA) rather than the full 1920 x 1080 of a larger, more expensive display. Still, features include a 1:1 pixel mapping feature should an editor wish to see full-resolution details, which is more than adequate for this monitor’s intended market. Monitors of this size are ideal for use with small workstations (such as my own setup), on trucks and in remote applications, or as a director’s monitor on set. The LH1850 will satisfy all of these needs adequately.

There are advances here over earlier generations of Panasonic monitors. Power consumption has been reduced to 22W. The LED panel is mercury-free. A built-in 3D LUT enables accurate viewing. And most important to me, the scopes now read all lines.

A feature I particularly like is the crosshatch overlay, which allows a user to check the tilt of his camera.

Monitor specs are one thing, but how the image looks is ultimately more important. Images displayed on the LH1850 were clean. Refresh rate was fast enough to avoid motion artifacting. The viewing options, which include CineGammas, would allow for great on-set versatility.

My testing included using SDI inputs from camera as well as AJA Video and Blackmagic capture devices to simulate on-set and editing scenarios. In each case, monitor calibration was straightforward. The unit includes all of the controls one would expect (blue-only, etc.) and provided excellent reference for image as well as for color grading. Of course, it is unfair to compare the BT-LH1850 to monitors intended for professional color correction, but it’s certainly adequate for the work of its intended market.

I own a 17” monitor and perceived a difference that seemed larger than just 1 diagonal inch when I put the two side by side.

The input/output options include two SDI ports and the ability to daisy chain up to 32 monitors. I didn’t have 32 monitors to test, but it certainly worked with two. I appreciated its ability to work on DC power as a field unit. The integrated base means no assembly, and it just goes right into its box or field case for transport.

In short, the LH1850 is a worthy heir to the Panasonic monitor legacy. This unit provides excellent monitoring capabilities at a reasonable price. dv

Digital Video magazine gave this monitor a Black Diamond Award at the 2012 NAB Show.

AWARD 2012

dv.com | 11.201246

I received the company’s new Vision blue5 pan-tilt head, coupled with a model 3819-3 75mm two-stage aluminum tripod. It is an elegant and lightweight system that uses a new Vinten development called “Perfect Balance.”

FeaturesThe Vision blue5 pan-tilt head is intended for medium-sized cameras; its capacity range is 12 to 26.5 lb. It sports the usual controls for pan and tilt drag, though these controls are “infinitely adjustable” instead of being set in discrete steps. Where a more basic product might have settings of 1-2-3-4 and so forth, Vision blue5 can be set to somewhere between two and three, for example, if that’s

Vinten Vision blue5 lust

better balanceEvaluating Vinten’s Vision blue5 Pan-Tilt Head

BoB KoVacs

Vinten is a well known manufacturer of tripods and pan-tilt heads, with a reputation for quality products. The range of camera support systems the company builds is broad, from lightweight systems for field use with small cameras to heavy, remote-controlled studio systems.

Product: Vinten Vision

blue5

Pros: solid, smooth and

infinitely adjustable for

any camera weighing 12 to

26.5 lb.

Cons: Pricey, and it may

not balance perfectly with

DsLrs and mirrorless

cameras, which are too

lightweight for this pan/tilt

system.

Bottom Line: You can

pay less for a good tripod,

but it won't be this smooth

and adjustable, or have

this build quality.

MSRP: $2,900 (pan/

tilt head, tripod and pan

handle)

Online: www.vinten.

com/en/vision-blue5

Quick Take

videodigital

Excellence Award

Camera operator tom Guilmette with a Vision blue5

dv.com | 11.201248

what works best for you.In addition to infinitely adjustable pan and

tilt drag, the Vision blue5 offers a sliding quick-disconnect plate that balances the weight on top of the head. Vinten suggests balancing the weight so that it just starts to tilt down, then adjusting the head’s Perfect Balance counterbalance control so that the payload can be tilted at any angle (±90° tilt range) and remain there.

The Vision blue5 head comes with a lightweight pan arm that can be attached on either side of the head and a sheet of instructions explaining how to properly adjust the Perfect Balance feature.

The model 3819-3 tripod I tested is made from aluminum and has a floor spreader. The tripod has two stages, with a minimum height of 28” to the pan-tilt head’s top platform and a maximum height of 66.5”. The stages are locked in place with triangular knobs that Vinten calls Pozi-Loc leg clamps.

The floor spreader is fastened with strong rubber loops that double as feet for the tripod. Removing the loops and the spreader exposes steel spikes on the bottom of the tripod for use on soft surfaces.

The Vision blue5 head and 3819-3 tripod arrived in a sturdy and padded cloth bag that’s suitable for shipping as baggage or tossing in the trunk of a car.

In UseThe Vinten Vision blue5 and 3819-3 head seemed a perfect combination to me; however, although the components look relatively small and the entire system is reasonably lightweight, this setup requires a camera with some heft in order to get the Perfect Balance counterbalance adjustment dialed in properly. You really do need a camera/equipment payload that weighs at least 10 lb. to configure the pan-tilt head appropriately.

With its ball mount and heavy leveling knob, it’s easy to get the head level. Vinten says that the cool blue LED on the bubble level enhances the viewability of the level in both darkness and daylight.

Once I got it set up and leveled, I used the sliding quick-disconnect plate to balance the camera as Vinten recommends, then set the Perfect Balance counterbalance adjustment. With the tilt drag set where I liked it, the tilt stayed wherever I put it—in fact, I was able to tilt it straight up or down and it remained in place without backlash or drift. The Perfect Balance knob was stiff at the ends of its

Vinten Vision blue5 with sony PMW-F3 camera

Vision blue5 goes on location with professional videographer and mountain bike racer David Jaquin

dv.com | 11.2012 49

range, the only downside to its function.Everything about the Vision blue5 whispers “high quality,” including

the silky pan-and-tilt drag controls. Lesser pan-tilt heads click into discrete settings for pan-and-tilt drag, then lurch to the next setting. The Vision blue5 was simply smooth wherever I set it, and the only thing that changed was the amount of drag. It was a classy performance, if that can be said about a pan-tilt head.

I took the Vision blue5 and 3819-3 combination to a park to get some shots of spring flowers and associated wildlife. With a combined weight of around 13 lb., the system was easy to carry the half mile or so I needed to take it.

I panned smoothly to follow insects and birds as they visited flowers. Much of this was at maximum zoom, and the Vinten system kept the shots steady and smooth. There was no backlash or twisting torque from pans with this combination.

Some of the birds returned to a large birdhouse, where they hopped around seemingly at random. Although the birdhouse was above my position, the head’s counterbalance feature held the tilt without drifting, even with the fairly light drag control settings I used. That’s a great feature for keeping a camera on unpredictable subjects like wildlife.

The 3819-3 tripod worked well with the Vision blue5 head. The two-stage legs can be locked at any height, so setting up on a slope was not a problem. The bottom locking knob on each leg is close to the rubber locking loop for the spreader, so twisting the knob with my fat fingers was a little tricky.

Vinten says that the Vision blue5 pan-tilt head will work over a wide range

of temperatures. I can’t confirm that, as I had it for only a few days and the weather was fine. I was impressed with this unit’s features and overall level of quality.

SummaryVinten’s Perfect Balance feature is new to me and I was impressed by how it will hold a camera in exactly the position you want. Normally I tilt my camera and then dial in just enough tilt lock to hold the camera there, which then means that I have to fight the lock some when I inevitably have to move the camera.

The Vision blue5 eliminates that annoying pan-tilt head problem, which will be a major selling point for many shooters. And let’s not forget the Vinten 3819-3 tripod, which is a pretty fine set of sticks. I was a little sad to see this system go back to Vinten, but such is the lot of the reviewer. dv

The author prepares the Vinten Vision blue5 for a nature shoot

phot

oby

mar

yel

len

daw

ley

dv.com | 11.201250

LitepaneLs Cromalust

CoLor CorreCtionConsidering Litepanels’ Croma Fixture

Jay Holben

litepanels leads the pack when it comes to high-quality precision leD fixtures for film and videography. litepanels’ latest on-camera light is Croma, a color-changing fixture with both 5,600°K and 3,200°K leDs.

Croma is available at adorama and b&H for $584 minus $100 mail-in rebate until December 15, 2012.

The Croma features 190 leDs (90 tungsten and 100 daylight) in a 4.75” x 3.25” face. The leDs are protected by a clear plastic lens. The body is a grey metallic plastic instead of litepanels’ classic black, and there’s something about the unit that doesn’t feel quite up to litepanels’ standard of manufacture. It feels more like the original Micro that was more plastic.

The construction is good. although the front and back plastic tends to flex and creak a bit when

Croma offers smooth dimming from 100 percent to 0 with no color shift.

I’ve had a chance to play with a lot of little leD fixtures in the past couple of years. It seems these guys are everywhere, and they’re incredibly useful. although I am rarely in a situation where I’m doing a standup interview with an leD mounted on the camera as a front light, I do use them on camera for eyelights or tuck them in corners for more general illumination. They’re versatile fixtures that work well in any number of situations.

I pick it up, I don’t feel like it’s going to shatter if I drop it.The Croma’s function is simple and intuitive. One

knob controls the main dimming function and a second, smaller knob controls the cross-fade between 5,600°K and 3,200°K lamps. You have no control over

the cross-fade ratio—as soon as you start the transition, one color fades out and the other fades in. So there’s no possibility of having daylight at 100 percent while tungsten is at 50 percent, for example, but that makes it only slightly less versatile.

Product: Litepanels Croma

Pros: Small, smooth dimming, good output, lightweight, color selectable from 3,200°K to 5,600°K, standard power options.

Cons: Light spill, erratic function when batteries are dying, no main on/off switch.

Bottom Line: A great small fixture with the flexibility to blend into a multitude of lighting situations on the fly.

MSRP: $649

Online: www.litepanels.com/croma

Quick Take

Director of photography George Mooradian, ASC, uses a Croma on the set of the TVLand sitcom The Exes.

dv.com | 11.201252

I wish it had an on/off switch; to turn the fixture off, you need to dim down past zero. This means I can’t set the intensity and work with the fixture, turn it off for lunch, and know when I come back it’s going to be at exactly the same setting. I’ll have to either mark the dial or take measurements to ensure I’m at the same intensity when I return after a meal.

I dislike it when fixtures don’t offer calibration markings. Croma features two knobs—a dimming knob and a color-changing knob—but neither has

an indicator to show start and stop points. The Croma is slightly ahead of the competition here as there is a notch on each knob that provides at least a hint about where the dial is. I suppose you could add your own marks with a Sharpie or a piece of tape, but there’s not much room.

The dimmer function is stellar. From 0 to 100 percent, it’s incredibly smooth. No jumps, no

stuttering. The same is true of the color changing dial—the transition is seamless and smooth, no jumps, no stops. If you wanted, you could change the color during a shot and it would have a very smooth effect. You may experience anomalous function from the fixture when your batteries are getting low, including flashing—which is a bit obnoxious—and complete failure. The fixture doesn’t dim as the batteries die; it goes from on to off very quickly.

I love that there’s an AC adapter to this fixture in addition to basic “AA” battery power for real-world versatility. There’s an optional D-Tap cable to connect with Anton/Bauer DIONIC HC batteries.

It’s interesting to note that the Croma doesn’t work with lithium-ion batteries: There’s a thermal sensor that shuts the unit down in the case of overheating, and apparently lithium-ion batteries can get hot enough to cause the sensor to kick in. Litepanels warns you of this with an informational card you’ll find when you first open the box. It’s also clearly stated—twice, once in bold—in the instructions, and it’s labeled on the battery lid itself: Not for Use with Lithium-Ion Batteries. They’re not kidding, folks. Litepanels is serious about informing the fixture’s owners about this issue.

Further, if I weren't paranoid enough about

Photographer Alan Weissman uses a Croma as eyelight fill.

Photometrics5,600°K w/diffusion 3,200°K w/diffusion Even Mix w/diffusion

2’ 100 fc 48 fc 78 fc 45 fc 110 fc 52 fc

4’ 20 fc 11 fc 17 fc 9.8 fc 24 fc 12 fc

6’ 9.2 fc 5.3 fc 6.9 fc 4.3 fc 9.8 fc 12 fc

8’ 5.3 fc 2.8 fc 4.3 fc 2.5 fc 5.3 fc 3 fc

10’ 3.5 fc 2 fc 2.8 fc 1.7 fc 3.7 fc 2 fc

Variable color temperature Croma LED softlight mounted on a Sony PMW-F3 camera

The Croma’s function is simple and intuitive. One knob controls the main dimming function and a second, smaller knob controls the cross-fade between 5,600°K and 3,200°K lamps.

batteries, another warning card jumped out at me like a cautionary jack-in-the-box when I first opened the battery compartment. “Please insert batteries properly... improper insertion may damage the fixture.” All this caution may give me battery nightmares tonight.

Croma comes with a 1/4-20 threaded ball socket adapter that fits right into the top shoe of your camera. It’s sturdy and well built, if a little heavy (3 oz. by itself ). A large lever on the side allows for loosening and tightening.

The top and bottom vents on the Croma have a bit more light leak than I’d expect—enough that I could see users taping off the bottom vent holes to keep the light leak from getting in their eyes while they’re operating.

As with most LED fixtures, the Croma runs very cool, with nearly no heat output from the front and very little from top and bottom.

The unit comes with a small piece of plastic diffusion, similar to LEE 251, that slips into a

slot between the LEDs and the fixture’s clear plastic front face. It fits in snugly, no

chance of falling out or making any noise.The diffusion is not really significant

enough to change the quality of the light. At 2’ there are still multiple shadows from the 190 individual point sources, and they’re gone at 4’—but this is also true of the fixture’s performance without the diffusion. With a fixture this small, simply putting

a piece of frosted plastic in front of the LEDs doesn’t really do anything for the overall light quality at any distance of typical operation.

Once you get more than 2’ away, it generally behaves the same with or without

the diffusion—except for the fact that the diffusion cuts the light output about in half. Even that isn’t necessarily a bonus, because—as with all Litepanels fixtures—there’s a dimmer on the unit that works wonderfully. All of this renders the diffusion nearly irrelevant.

The Croma comes in a nylon carrying case that keeps it safe and sound. dv

The 10 oz. Croma is lightweight for handheld operation.

dv.com | 11.201254

toolkitManfrottoKLYP Kit

Designed for use with the Apple

iPhone, Manfrotto’s KLYP kit

includes the ML120 LED POCKET

light and POCKET tripod, as well

as the KLYP case. Although the

case stays on the iPhone at all

times, the light and tripod can be

snapped on and off quickly. The

light and tripod may be attached

at any of four different points

around the case, allowing the user

to capture images/video in either

landscape or portrait orientation.

The LED can be mounted to face

either forward or backward, to

light for the iPhone’s front- and

rear-facing cameras. The two KLYP

snap-on adapters have 1/4” thread

and flash shoe fittings, so users can

also interchange the accessories

they attach. www.manfrotto.us

Canon U.S.a.EoS 6D DSLrWith its 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5+ image processor, Canon’s EOS 6D DSLR camera offers full-frame 1080p HD video capabilities with full manual control over exposure and audio levels while recording video. The camera records NTSC and PAL video at multiple frame rates, including 1080p at 30 (29.97), 24 (23.976) and 25 fps, 720p at 60 (59.94) and 50 fps and standard video at 30 (29.97) and 25 fps. The 6D provides up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds of continuous recording (with 4 GB automatic file partitioning) in selectable I-frame or IPB compressions with embedded timecode. A built-in wireless transmitter allows users to share images and video with a range of wireless devices and cloud-based destinations. www.usa.canon.com

fLoVELfZ-B1 CaMEraFLOVEL Company Japan’s FZ-B1 high-sensitivity HD camera features a 2/3” CMOS 1.3 megapixel color image sensor that records in 1080/59.94i, 1080/50i, 720/60p and 720/50p formats. The high-end specialty camera, which is configured for use with C-mount lenses, has a light sensitivity of 0.01 lux. To make the camera smaller and less obtrusive, customers can record using the sensor module without the camera housing. The camera is available through FOR-A’s worldwide sales offices starting at $30,000. www.for-a.com

PanaSoniCLUMiX DMC-GH3Panasonic’s LUMIX GH3 mirrorless single lens system camera offers Live MOS sensor for high-resolution images with low noise and Venus Engine image processor with high-speed signal processing. Video recording

options include AVCHD, AVCHD Progressive, .mp4 or .mov formats with frame rates of 60p (NTSC), 30p (NTSC) or 24p. The GH3 is also capable of ultra-

high-bit-rate video recorded at 72 Mb/s (ALL-Intra) or 50 Mb/s (IPB). The camera uses OLED displays in both the

viewfinder and rear free-angle monitor. It automatically generates multiple seamless video files for continuous

recording. The DMC-GH3 embeds SMPTE-compliant timecode either in Rec Run or Free Run count-up

methods. www.panasonic.com

New Gear

dv.com | 11.2012 55

Sachtlerace lWith a payload range of 0 to 13 lb. and a tilt range of +90° to -75°, the 75mm Ace L fluid head features SA drag (Synchronized Actuated Drag) damping with three vertical and three horizontal grades of drag (+0). The seven-step counterbalance and the long 4.1” sliding range of the Ace camera plate allow for quick counterbalancing of a camera setup. The Ace L is available with a choice of two different carbon-fiber tripods: the TT 75/2 CF telescopic tripod, which offers three segments per tripod leg, adjustable in length and secured with a fast action clamp; and the Ace 75/2 CF mid-level spreader tripod. www.sachtler.com/us

redrock MicrolowBaSeDeveloped for taller DSLR cameras such as the Canon EOS-1D X, Nikon D4 and RED EPIC and SCARLET, Redrock Micro’s lowBase camera baseplate offers 15mm front rail support for attaching follow focus, mattebox and other camera-front accessories (60mm spacing) and 15mm rear rail support for adding a shoulder pad, external battery and other rig accessories. Using “lift ’n’ lock” repositionable thumbscrews, rubberized pads to securely grip and hold the camera body and adjustable 1/4-20 screw for camera mounting to the plate, the lowBase is available as a standalone baseplate or as part of a customized rig. The lowBase also works with DSLRs configured with a battery grip such as the Canon EOS 5D/7D/60D and Nikon D800. www.redrockmicro.com

Sonnet technologieSecho expreSS Se thunderBolt adapterSSonnet Technologies announces the Echo Express SE 10-Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt adapter and Echo Express SE eSATA Pro 4-port Thunderbolt adapter. The Echo Express SE 10GbE bundles Sonnet’s Echo Express SE Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe cards and the Presto 10GbE PCIe Card with Fibre SFP+, providing a solution for adding 10GbE connectivity to any computer with a Thunderbolt port, while the Echo Express SE eSATA Pro 4-Port bundles Sonnet’s Echo Express SE Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis for PCIe cards and the Tempo SATA Pro 6Gb 4-Port eSATA host controller, providing a solution for adding four eSATA ports to any computer with a Thunderbolt port. www.sonnettech.com

Sony creative SoftwarevegaS pro 12New workflow features in Sony Vegas Pro 12 include project interchange with additional editing platforms, including Adobe Premiere Pro CS6, Avid Pro Tools 10 and Apple Final Cut Pro 7; an expanded edit mode for fine-tuning the timing of a project using an interactive “A-B roll” paradigm; Color Match for quickly matching the color characteristics of different video clips; and Smart Proxy editing, which automatically and dynamically replaces clips on the timeline with HD proxies. Also look for new masking tools in Vegas Pro 12, including Effects Masking, which quickly obscures a face or logo. Vegas Pro 12 can ingest Panasonic P2 DVCPRO and AVC-Intra content and encode to the HDCAM SR mastering format at bit rates up to 880 Mb/s. www.sonycreativesoftware.com

dv.com | 11.201256

T he capabilities of small-format digital video cameras keep improving. Now even high-speed digital photography is becom-

ing affordable for digital cinematographers.The Phantom Miro M320S from Vision Research

is a rugged high-speed camera that can shoot 1,380 fps at 1920 x 1200 or more than 1,500 fps at 1920 x 1080 thanks to 10 μm pixel microlenses on its custom-designed CMOS sensor. That sensor also gives it significantly enhanced light sensitivity for a 2-megapixel camera with 3.2 gigapixels per second throughput.

Scientists and engineers have experienced the benefits of the Phantom Miro eX series cameras since 2007. But with the latest generation M series of Phantom Miros, independent filmmakers are also learning how a camera that captures all that overcranked data can enhance their digital productions.

A LittLe History“Whenever you see a slow-mo car crash test on TV, chances are it was shot with a Phantom camera,” begins Rick Robinson, director of marketing at Vision Research. “Starting around 2000, digital cinematographers began using our cameras to shoot TV commercials or live sports replays, despite the fact they were not specifically designed for those applications. So we launched a development program to create a new line of sensors that would be more tailored to the needs of digital cinema and TV production.”

By 2006 this effort resulted in the well known 10-megapixel 2K Phantom HD and 4K Phantom 65 cameras, which could each process 1.5 gigapixels per second. The Phantom HD could shoot up to 1,000 fps at 1920 x 1080, while the Phantom 65 could handle 150 fps in 4K. An update to these cameras in 2008 enabled production of the Phantom Gold line for both the HD and 65 cameras that incorporated the feedback Vision Research

The Science of high-Speed VideoGo Slow-Mo with Vision Research’s Phantom Miro M320S

JAy ANKeNey

Learn phanTom miro m320S

Geduldick shoots a motocross event with Phantom Miro

Jim Geduldick shoots with a reD ePiC and Vision research Phantom Miro

had received from cinematographers, followed by a totally new generation of production cameras called the Phantom Flex. With a global shutter, the Flex could outperform even the progressive shutter design of the HD Gold. Then came the Miro line.

“Introduced in 2011, the Phantom Miro family was originally targeted at the scientific community, but we soon realized that with the addition of features such as an HD-SDI output port, it would be very attractive to digital cinematographers,” Robinson says. “Then this year at the NAB Show we brought out the Miro M320S, which is capable of shooting 1,540 fps in 1920 x 1080 HD. We gave users the choice of four lens mounts: F-mount, C-mount for scientific/engineering applications, or PL-mount or EOS styles to meet the needs of digital cameramen. It also has 12-bit pixel depth for excellent image quality to satisfy the hunger for high-speed imaging at an affordable price.”

The Phantom Miro M320S starts around $45,000 and, depending on the accessory package, can go up to $60,000. That’s about half the cost of a Phantom Flex, although the Miro line does not have the Flex’s level of resolution, write-to-storage

speed or recording capacity.Video clips are saved in the camera’s internal

RAM (3 GB, 6 GB and 12 GB capacities are available). Utilizing Vision Research’s own removable, non-volatile CineFlash storage technology, the Miro M320S can quickly save 10-bit log raw cine files from the camera’s internal RAM to 60 GB, 120 GB or 240 GB CineFlash modules. Their contents can then be downloaded through a docking station to a computer with the help of Phantom Camera Control (PCC) software.

The M320S supports Vision Research’s new Phantom PH16 protocol, providing it with enhanced white balance and color processing controls. To help calibrate the camera when shooting in widely varying lighting conditions or high dynamic range situations, the Miro M320S has an internal shutter that covers the sensor before every take. This gives the camera an absolute black level reference for each shot for the best possible image quality.

Jim GeduldickCinematographer and editor Jim Geduldick was an alpha tester of the Miro M series, having received

the first two that came off the production line a month or so before April’s NAB Show. He wanted a pair of the cameras so he could configure one with a PL mount for his ARRI lenses and the other with an EOS mount for Canon glass.

When we spoke he was using a Miro M320S on a documentary about a blind judo athlete training for the 2012 Paralympic Games. “When shot at high frame rates, judo is really like a ballet between two dancers,” Geduldick says. He praised the small form factor of the Miro M320S and its attendant flexibility, noting, “Camera movement is what sets high-speed videography apart.”

But Geduldick learned that if you shoot at the camera’s highest speed, 1,540 fps at 1920 x 1080, you’ll quickly fill up your recording media. He recommends relying on the camera’s built-in shot trimming capability in RAM and having a download station nearby to free up those CineFlash modules.

He also recommends experimenting with wide-angle lenses for close-ups. “Seeing the sweat drip off a trained athlete’s face in slow motion can be almost sensual,” he tells me, “but remember that high-speed shooting requires a lot of light. The

dv.com | 11.2012 57

Steve Romano

dv.com | 11.201258

Miro M320S is amazing in daylight, but you’ll need a lot of tungsten if you’re shooting indoors. So you need to watch for the flicker if you’re shooting under something like stadium lighting.”

Steve RomanoSteve Romano is a New York-based DP/digital imaging technician who has been using Vision Research cameras since the original Phantom HD. He has used the Miro M320S to shoot music videos, promos and a show produced by True Entertainment called Too Cute for Animal Planet.

“This camera is kind of like a GoPro HERO camera but with a high frame rate,” he says. “It’s so light, it lets me get shots I could never get before using larger cameras without massive Steadicam rigs.”

To keep the video noise level down in his high-speed shots, Romano recommends that you crush the blacks (lower the black level). “Always keep a 5K or greater light in your kit so you have enough illumination,” he recommends.

Like most high-speed cameras, the Miro M320S shoots in a loop mode with a circular buffer, so Romano finds it imperative to black balance regularly. “You may be waiting minutes for something to happen, and by the time it does, you have lost your original black balance,” he says. “So use the internal shutter to black balance all the time.”

Romano makes sure he always gets insurance when renting a camera like the Miro M320S. “If you have a camera small and light enough to strap onto a running dog, people are going to do it,” he laughs, “so you better keep yourself covered

whether renting or buying.”

tRent KameRman and nicK BaloghTrent Kamerman, owner of 800Kamerman (a company name that doubles as a toll-free phone number), and his production manager/producer,

Nick Balogh, use their Phantom Miro M320S mostly for ENG work for clients including ESPN. “I bought the camera right at NAB, and Vision Research made sure we had it in time for June’s X Games 2012,” Kamerman reveals. “We had Nick stand on the top of the MegaRamp to shoot skateboarders flying by to catch big air. Shooting at 500 fps, you could actually see what the athlete’s feet were doing on the board.”

The camera’s workflow let them get footage into the ESPN truck “super fast,” Balogh says. “We kept a Sound Devices Pix 240 recorder on hand so we could offload our footage and play the shots on the monitor in DNxHD right away. We call it ‘baking’ the shot, and it let us get the footage to the ESPN production truck as fast as possible.”

Like all the cinematographers using the Miro M320S, Kamerman and Balogh found that shooting high speed smooths and stabilizes all the imagery it records. “You can go from the bottom of a bike wheel all the way up to the rider’s face and it looks rock solid,” Kamerman says. “It was an incredibly fast shot when I took it, but when slow-mo’d, it looks super dramatic.”

Better, faster, cheaper. Digital camera evolution is a wonder of our age. dv

trent Kamerman

digital vision Phantom miro m320

Videoguys.com is your source for tapeless field recorders

800-323-2325 516-759-1611 • Fax [email protected]

Check Out the Videoguys on Facebook and Twitter!Follow the Videoguys for the latest news live from the NAB Show April 14th - 19th

or year-round for reviews, tech-tips, special discounts & more!

“Like” us at www.facebook.com/videoguys or follow us at www.twitter.com/videoguys

Videoguys.com is your source for video editing software

Videoguys.com is your source for necessities and add-ons including video storage solutions, plug-ins and more...

10-12 Charles St., Glen Cove, NY 11542

NEW! Grass ValleyEDIUS Pro 6.5

The editing application of choice for major broadcasters and video professionals worldwide, EDIUS Pro 6.5 adds new features for better editing and faster operations. It’s the perfect choice for multiformat editing EDIUS®, by Grass Valley™, supports real-time editing of all popular standard-definition (SD) and high definition (HD) formats. EDIUS nonlinear editing software is designed for any broadcast and postproduction environment, especially those using newer, tapeless forms of video recording and storage.

$67500

EDIUS Pro 6.5 Upgrades available now at videoguys.com

Videoguys.com is your source for hardware I/O solutions

AJA T-TAP Thunderbolt Powered SDI

& HDMI Output T-TAP is a very small Thunderbolt bus-powered device for high-quality 10-bit SD, HD and 2K output through SDI and HDMI connections. This adapter enables a simple, unobtrusive means of getting professional video & audio out of any Thunderbolt Mac system. T-TAP supports everything from SD to HD to 2K and 3D with pristine 10-bit quality, even over HDMI, and all with 8-channel embedded audio.

Videoguys.com is your source for video storage solutions, GPU and other add-on hardware

Grass Valley ADVC-G1Any In to SDI Multi-Function Converter

Convert and/or upconvert, by your choice, sources from HDMI, DVI, component, composite, S-Video, AES/EBU, and analog audio to HD/SD-SDI.

Pioneer BDR-XD04 Slim, Portable Blu-ray Disc & BDXL WriterThis USB 2.0 Blu-ray Disc/DVD/CD writer allows you to watch standard & 3D Blu-ray Disc titles, author high-definition Blu-ray Disc content while also delivering the ability for high-capacity data storage with the included Cyberlink software.

Pioneer BDR-XD04 Slim, Portable Blu-ray Disc & BDXL Writer

$12995NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY

The world’s best under $1,000 graphics board to support the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine on PC or Mac! The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY is a true technological breakthrough delivering excellent performance for all video applications with 256 CUDA parallel processing cores.

Videoguys.com is your source for video storage solutions, GPU and other add-on hardware

$79900 Avid Artist ColorColor Grading Control Surface with EUCON

When it comes to color grading, using a mouse can leave you seeing red—literally. With the compact, ergonomic Artist Color, you gain deep hands-on control with great precision & speed. Features EUCON for compatibility with Avid Media Composer & Symphony, Apple Color, Smoke for Mac, STORM, and REDCINE-X

$1,39900

Videoguys.com is your source for converters

$1,19900Matrox Convert DVI Plus

HD-SDI Scan Converter with Genlock

Now you can easily & economically take the computer-based content that is quickly becoming a key part of the nightly news to air. Downscale or upscale your region-of-interest to any size & position on screen.

$1,49500

Matrox MC-100 Mini ConverterDual SDI to HDMI for 3G/3D/HD/SD

A dual SDI to HDMI mini converter that supports a wide range of display resolutions through 3G, Dual Link, HD, and SD-SDI.

$49500

Convergent Design nanoFlash

Designed to record higher quality than the camera itself, using uncompressed 4:2:2 HD-SDI with embedded audio and timecode or HDMI output with video and audio signal.

$2,89500

AJA KiPro Mini Portable Flash Disk Recorder

The smallest way of connecting production and post! 10-bit 4:2:2 from SDI or HDMi to Apple ProRes

$1,99500

Boris Continuum Complete AEThe most comprehensive VFX plug-in suite ever created for Adobe After Effects & Premiere Pro Mac or Windows. More than 200 filters including 3D Objects such as Extruded Text, 3D particle effects, image restoration tools, lens flares & lights, keys & mattes, 3 Way Color Grading & other color correction tools, time-based effects such as Optical Stabilizer, warp & perspective effects, blurs, glows, and more

ATTN Avid Editors: Call for special upgrade price on BCC AVX

$89500

Videoguys.com is your source for Plug-Ins

Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 11.2Designed by seasoned colorist & film director Stu Maschwitz, this Suite produces Hollywood-style results on an indie budget. Its nine essential tools let you capture the emotion of your subject, making your footage more personal and compelling. NEW! Includes PhotoLooks 2 to create beautiful color effects for photographers inPhotoshop, Aperture & Lightroom.

$71900

Save 40% OFF when you make the switch

to Adobe CS6Production Premium

High-performance toolset with everything you need to create productions for virtually any screen. Avoid workflow bottlenecks with tight integration between Adobe Premiere® Pro, After Effects,® & Photoshop®; easy project exchange with other NLEs; and amazing performance optimizations including Adobe Mercury Playback Engine.

CS6 Production Premium Upgrade licenses start at $359Master Collection CS6, Student Editions & more also available

$1,29900

NEW! Avid Media Composer 6.5

Avid Media Composer 6.5 is the top choice for professional film and video editing in the industry. Whether you edit movies, TV shows, commercials, or other video, this industry-standard nonlinear editor provides 64-bit performance, easy-to-use video editing tools, and streamlined HD, file-based, and stereo 3D workflows. Its open platform enables you to work with the gear you have or want and integrate into any workflow. Plus, it’s designed to eliminate bottlenecks, enabling you to work faster than ever.

Avid Symphony 6.5, Avid Mojo DX and Avid Nitris DX also available now at Videoguys.com!

$48800

$5,49900Avid Nitris DX

High-performance, dual linkcustomizable HD I/O and monitoring

If you edit films, TV shows, or commercials for a living, you need a system that gives you the speed, flexibility, and confidence to take on anything. Pair Nitris DX with Media Composer or Symphony for the best I/O interface for working with HD, RGB 4:4:4, stereoscopic 3D, Avid DNxHD, SD 24p film projects, and more.

Avid Nitris DX with Media Composer 6 - $6,999.00

Upgrades starting at

Matrox MXO2 Mini with Matrox MAXThe Most Affordable HD I/O Device with faster

than realtime H.264 Encoding!

Regardless of what tapeless formats you shoot on, or computer, or application you edit with; Matrox MXO2 Mini turns your inexpensive fl at-screen TV with HDMI into a pro-grade video monitor with color calibration tools. MXO2 Mini MAX gives you full resolution, full-frame-rate, multi-layer, realtime video editing via Matrox RT™ technology; and faster than realtime H.264 encoding

$59900$29500

NEW! SONY Vegas Pro 12

Combining a familiar track-based timeline with 100s of thoughtful workflow innovations, Vegas Pro 12 simplifes the editing process while offering the high-end performance and features you’ve come to expect in an award-winning NLE. Supporting more formats, more workflows, and more creative control than ever before, Vegas Pro 12 makes it easy to deliver your message and express your artistic vision. Includes DVD Architect and the Dolby Encoder software

Also available without DVD Architect and the Dolby Encoder as the Sony Vegas Pro Edit edition for only - $399.95

$59900

Matrox MXO2 LE MAX Pro I/O Plus Faster than Realtime H.264 Encoding!

Highly-reliable, broadcast-quality I/O via HDMI, SDI, and analog; professional audio I/O; and HDMI video monitoring with calibration controls including blue-only. You also benefit from a wide variety of HD and SD workflows with 10-bit hardware up/down/cross scaling engine & support for file-based formats and industry-standard codecs. MAX gives you faster than realtime H.264 encoding

$1,39500

$1,49500

AJA IoXT Thunderbolt I/OIo XT connects to your Mac with Thunderbolt cable & provides another Thunderbolt connector for chaining other devices, such as storage, making it perfect for on set, or in the edit suite. Compact, portable & powerful, it’s loaded with high-end features including 3G/Dual-link/HD/SD-SDI, Component Analog, and HDMI connectivity.

G-Technology G-RAIDProfessional Video Storage Solutions Now

also Available with Thunderbolt Connectivity

Designed specifically for pro content creation applications like Final Cut Studio, Adobe CS5, Avid Media Composer & more

New Low Price 4TB - $299.956TB - $569.99 • 8TB - $749.95

NEW! Thunderbolt Models4TB - $664.95 • 8TB - $949.95

AJA Hi5 Mini ConverterHD-SDI/SDI to HDMI A/V Converter

Convert SDI or HD-SDI to HDMI for driving monitors. Embedded SDI/HD-SDI audio is supported in the HDMI output allowing a convenient single connection.

$34500

Azden 330Dual-Channel On-

Camera UHF Systems

Features 188 User-Selectable frequencies displayed on an LCD.

with 2 lapel mics - $699Handheld & lapel - $769

Lapel & XLR- $739

Azden SMX-20Stereo Mic for DSLR

Designed to work with DSLRs, the SMX-20 offers directional high quality stereo sound. Includes windscreen, LR-44 battery & mount

Avid ProTools 10Record, edit & mix music on a Mac or PC using the industry-standard platform. Amazing new AAX plug-in format, major advances in workflow, file handling, & cross-software compatibility

$69500$29900

Videoguys.com is your source for Audio & MicrophonesSamson ZOOM

H4n Audio Recorder

The H4n has become the “go to” solution for DSLR. The H4n offers DSLR cameras its incredibly sensitive onboard mics and 4-channel recording capabilities.

NewBlue FX Titler ProCreate beautiful, complex and compelling 3D and 2D title graphics through a fast and intuitive workspace. Tap into rich styles and dynamic animations, which will enliven your production with a quick to learn interface for immediate, stunning results. $29995

Downloadable License exp 11/30/12

dv.com | 11.201260

HuffPost LiveLearn

O n Monday, August 13, 2012, at 10 a.m. ET, The Huffington Post launched its live streaming news network. Entitled

HuffPost Live, live.huffingtonpost.com delivers 12 hours of live programming daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. The programming features a number of HuffPost Live hosts on a working newsroom set interacting with in-studio guests, Huffington Post reporters and remote viewers coming in via Google+ Hangouts, Skype and other forms of web-based videoconferencing.

Stories taking place on HuffPost Live are tied

in to stories posted on HuffingtonPost.com, a more traditional online news outlet, and vice versa; live video from HuffPost Live is edited and repurposed into clips posted on HuffingtonPost.com, AOL (Huffington Post’s parent company) and elsewhere online.

HuffPost Live’s ability to turn its viewers into participants has caught the attention of the broadcast world. Small wonder: In breaking down the invisible wall between those who produce content and those who watch it, this web site has applied social media interactivity to traditional TV programming.

Gabriel Lewis, co-creator and executive editor of HuffPost Live and head of AOL Studios, says, “Thanks to the web and social media, we no longer need to send a team of correspondents around the world to get news and comment,” Lewis explains. “Instead, anyone with a laptop and an internet connection who is already there can bring us authentic on-site comments and insights—in real time.”

How HuffPost Live Does itHuffPost Live’s shows are broadcast from

Media ManageMentCross-Country Integrated Production at HuffPost Live

JAMES CArELESS

the HuffPost Live studio at AoL Huffington Post headquarters in New York

photoby

damon

dahlen/aol

dv.com | 11.2012

nearly identical studios in New York and Los Angeles, bolstered by a small satellite studio in Washington, D.C., for breaking political news. New York produces live content from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Los Angeles takes over from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

“Technically, the two studios are as identical as we could make them,” says Joseph Adams, operations manager for AOL Studios and the person in charge of HuffPost Live’s Los Angeles facility. “The only differences are due to the fact that the Los Angeles studio was built for AOL shoots before HuffPost Live was conceived.”

The HuffPost Live studio in each location consists of a large rectangular stage with news desks, tables, chairs and couches. Viewers can see the desks and computers of the show’s staff in the background. “We shoot within our newsrooms, and the people you see are the producers and hosts of our content,” Adams says. “They are also the people who appear on the show; they move back and forth over the course of the broadcast day based on whatever segment is being shot.”

LocaL TechHuffPost Live’s camera of choice is Panasonic’s AJ-HPX2700 2/3-inch 3-CCD P2 HD VariCam camcorder. Mike Whitmore, director of operations for studios and workflow at HuffPost Live Production New York, describes the New York production setup: “We have two HPX2700s on manned pedestals, plus two more on robotically

ADORAMA.COM

VISIT OUR STORE42 W 18 ST [5+6 AV] NYC

800-223-2500SNAP IT.

SHARE IT. SHOW IT.

SAVE IT.

adoramatv.com adorama.com/alc

new weekly episodes

how did they do that?

digital photography 1 on 1

product reviews

behind the scenes

WATCH. LEARN. CREATE.VISIT US AT ADORAMATV.COM, ADORAMA.COM/ALC

OR THE iTUNES STORE.

FREE EDUCATIONFOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

HOW-TOARTICLES

PRODUCTREVIEWS

WORKSHOPS@ADORAMA

BUYINGGUIDES

VIDEOTUTORIALS

Green Rooms are guides to upcoming segments that enable viewers to interact with a huffPost Live story before it goes live. Users can read up on a topic using the Resources Well, suggest topics that the hosts should talk about during the segment, and chat with other viewers. Viewers can also use the Green Room to request to be an on-camera guest for that segment.

dv.com | 11.201262

controlled arms.” In Los Angeles, the HuffPost Live set has four HPX2700s on manned pedestals, with wiring for two more as needed. “We have HPX2700 field kits in the studio so we can add them as needed,” Adams adds.

At a list price of $39,950, the AJ-HPX2700 may seem like overkill for a web broadcaster, but HuffPost Live execs don’t see it that way. “We stream in 720p and are big believers in the quality offered by this Panasonic P2 format,” Whitmore says. “We also back up our video on P2 cards and use a P2-based workflow.”

The video from the HPX2700 cameras, plus audio captured by lavalier mics on the talent, is piped back to separate rooms for production. Both the New York and Los Angeles studios are equipped with “traditional master control rooms,” says Lewis, “with audio being managed in their own separate facilities.” Video is switched using Grass Valley Kayak switchers, while audio is handled through Wheatstone audio consoles. HuffPost Live’s production facilities also use Panasonic robotic camera controllers, Harris Platinum routers and RTS intercom systems.

In-studio lighting is a mix of LED and florescent lights. “Incandescent lights run too hot, requiring more power to be spent on them and running air conditioning,” says Adams.

Bringing in the World via the WeBHuffPost Live’s advantage is its ability to bring in video (and tweeted comments) from outside contributors in real time. To do this, the web site relies on Google+ Hangouts, the multi-user ad hoc chat rooms that can support up to 10 people each. “We help people who contact us get into Google+

Hangout rooms,” says Lewis. “Or if they prefer, we take their calls via Skype. Frankly, we will use whatever works and seems best depending on the situation.”

The live content is captured using four Apple Mac mini computers in New York. (HuffPost Live has fiber links connecting its Los Angeles and New York studios and providing distribution links to its mass content distributors, such as Akamai.)

Viewers may browse upcoming segments in the Green Room and submit an audition video explaining why they want to be a live guest in that segment. These videos are screened by HuffPost Live staff for language, suitability and content. Those who pass the test are then referred to the show’s producers, who determine which viewers they believe would have something to contribute to the conversation.

As a live segment airs, HuffPost Live techs

record it to their production servers. “We then go over the segment to pull clips that can be posted to our many content sites,” says Lewis. “These clips, which are edited using [Apple] Final Cut Pro, are very important to our brand. So selecting and editing them all takes up a lot of time.”

So Far, no Major headacheSAs any broadcaster will tell you, being live is the ultimate test of both on-air talent and off-camera technical skill. It also puts in-studio production and remote distribution technologies to the test. If something isn’t up to scratch, viewers will soon see it fail in front of their eyes.

Amazingly, “Things have worked so far without any major hitches,” says Adams. “Despite being live 12 hours a day and switching between studios on both coasts, HuffPost Live has managed to stay up as scheduled.” dv

huffPost live control room in new York

huffPost live new York hosts: josh Zepps, abby livingston, alicia Menendez, Mike Sacks, ahmed Shihab-eldin and Marc lamont hill

huffPost live los angeles hosts: janet varney, nancy redd, jacob Soboroff and alyona Minkovski

photoby

damon

dahlen/aolph

oto

byda

mon

dahl

en/a

ol

dv.com | 11.2012 63

2012 MTV Video Music AwArds in 3d Learn

F ew people saw the 3D broadcast of the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place Sept. 6 in Los Angeles. In fact,

the experience was limited to a few hundred fans, winners of a contest held by Trojan condoms, who viewed the VMAs as an “enhanced experience” in 3D in the L.A. Live Theater across the street from the Staples Center, the venue for the VMAs.

But the success of this VMA presentation may provide a pathway out of the chicken-and-egg conundrum of not having enough 3D content to drive audience acceptance that is plaguing attempts to fill 24/7 3DTV programming schedules. The 2012 VMAs demonstrated that live 2D-to-3D conversion is feasible on a professional level. While the 3D conversion isn’t perfect, the result would be satisfactory for many production applications.

Positive ParallaxTo put this landmark experience on the 3D screen, the original 1080/60i HD feed from the Staples Center was given extra dimension by simultaneous, unassisted 2D-to-3D conversion through a Blackmagic Design Teranex VC100 signal processor. (The Teranex unit also converted from 1080i to 1080p to accommodate the Barco projector at the venue.)

What the “Trojan Charged Intensified VMA Viewing Party” audience saw on the 3D screen, although admittedly not the cinema-quality 3D of Avatar, was thoroughly enjoyable. That’s partially thanks to the fact the Teranex processor created most of the 3D in positive parallax, or receding into the screen, thereby avoiding many of the stereographic taboos of hyperconvergence (objects are too close to the viewer’s eye to be viewed comfortably), edge violations, keystoning or alignment errors.

Additionally, since the 2D-to-3D conversion was from a single HD stream, there were no sync/genlock conflicts or risks of full reverse stereo

The nexT diMensionMTV Experiments with Live 2D-to-3D Conversion

JAy Ankeney

Kevin Hart and Psy perform at the 2012 Mtv video Music awards

dv.com | 11.201264

imagery (left and right images are swapped) that have plagued other similar attempts. Only when the show’s host, Kevin Hart, was introducing the opening acts did a minor anomaly appear. MTV’s iconic Moonman figure had been projected on the screen at the rear of the stage in the Staples Center behind Hart, but in the 3D version in the

L.A. Live theater, it seemed to hover somewhere in the air above him. Still, this was the first time this technology had been given a public airing in the United States and, hey, it’s only rock ’n’ roll.

Blackmagic Design’s Teranex VC100 signal processor had been used previously by the Tennis Channel to convert the French Open into 3D on

Memorial Day weekend, and both France’s Digital Factory (DF) and Germany’s ZDF have been employing Teranex systems to convert archival 2D material. But the 2012 VMAs marked its debut in the United States.

Jeff Jacobs, senior vice president and executive in charge of production for the MTV Music Group,

handled most of the behind-the-scenes content production and distribution during the VMA Week, most prominently including producing the 3D screening in the L.A. Live theater.

“The 2D-to-3D conversion of the production that was seen at the streaming party in the L.A. Live theater was completely non-obtrusive to the main show,” Jacobs says. “Not one creative thing was changed and not a single camera was repositioned. That’s the magic of the Teranex technology.”

Positioning computer-generated graphics in Z-space can be one of the trickiest aspects of 3D production. Most stereographers feel they should

1. Rihanna Performs at the 2012 MTV Video Music

The MTV Video Music Awards were shown in 3D at the “Trojan Charged Intensified VMA Viewing Party” held at the L.A. Live Theater, across the street from the Staples Center.

Pink

Rihanna

Frank Ocean

dv.com | 11.2012 65

not draw attention to their work by popping imagery out of the screen or competing with objects in the background. During the MTV Video Music Awards, all the billboards and lower-thirds appeared right on the plane of the screen, as they should.

“We had the option of taking a clean feed [no graphics] from the production control room and inserting our own 3D graphics,” Jacobs explains, “but after seeing how good the graphics looked after the Teranex 2D-to-3D conversion, we decided to go with the dirty feed [graphics included] and let the system position the graphics based on its own algorithms.”

New TeraNex 3D Processor To comeWhat is the magic inside this box? Ray Conkling, the general manager of Teranex systems at Blackmagic Design, explains, “Our Teranex 3D Processor incorporates advanced Teranex proprietary technology, which includes two powerful video processing engines. Each engine has a Single Instruction, Multiple Data [SIMD] processing array that enables operations to occur on thousands of pixels simultaneously, along with a dedicated image warping processor that allows for complex image manipulation. This design combination of brute force SIMD processing and complex image warping and image processing algorithms gives us the ability to create a number of applications.”

Although the Teranex VC100 signal processors

have been capable of 2D-to-3D conversion for a couple of years, the specific algorithms used for the VMA production will be incorporated into Blackmagic Design’s Teranex 3D Processor system, which will be released in the fourth quarter of this year for $3,995.

The impact of this 2D-to-3D conversion demonstration could open new horizons for 3DTV delivery as long as the idealized “perfect” does not become the enemy of what is currently possible in 3D presentations. Broadcasters can factor in

that conversion to 3D does not affect the original master, so improved dimensionalizing processes can always be applied later when they become available.

“If more audiences fall in love with the 3D experience, more viewers will demand it from their entertainment providers,” Jacobs predicts. “We are still at the ‘show and tell’ stage of 3D home entertainment. The more viewers who can experience it will determine how the broadcast industry embraces it.” dv

Katy Perry

Taylor swift

dv.com | 11.201266

TIPS TO CLIP DICK REIZNER

Phony Fire FlickerIf you’re looking for a small flickering fire effect but you don’t want to really play with fire, try this tip from Ernie Simmons of Alexander, La.: use a grouping of LED tea lights.

Available in most variety stores, these battery powered lights won’t do much singly but work well when used in groups. You can increase the effect by putting them on shiny aluminum foil.

Properly placed, they can also stand in for real candles without the potential of burning down your studio.

Buzzing MicroPhonesThe Problem: Here is one of those

problems that doesn’t come up too

often, but when it does, it’s great

to know the cure. Dave Marks of

Boulder, Co., shoots a lot of outdoor

documentaries. He used to be

plagued by the loud sound of flies

and other bugs buzzing around his

boom microphone.

The Tip: His tip is simple: put a

little dab of insect repellent on the

mic or windscreen. (Don’t use spray

directly on any microphone.) Marty

says it usually lasts a few months

before needing replenishment.

reFlecting on MirrorsOne of the many multipurpose items

in my “goodie bag” is a small mirror.

The first and most obvious use

is when talent wants to make an

adjustment to hair or makeup.

Less obvious is using the mirror to

see the connections on the back of

equipment when I am trying to make

a hookup in the field.

And remember, placing a small

flashlight close to your eye and

shining it on the mirror will illuminate

the area you are examining.

shAre your tiPNow it’s your turn to share a

favorite shooting or production

tip or question with your fellow

professionals. Please send e-mails to

[email protected].

All submissions become the

property of Reizner & Reizner. None

can be returned.

cArd cAreThere are so many types of recording media today that it is hard to keep track. If the media you are using is some type of memory card, you may find difficulty getting them in and out of your computer or other download device. Robert Wellington, photojournalist for NBC Bay Area, says several cards actually broke before he made the job easier by putting a small gaf-fer’s tape tab handle on each of them.

Before you start writing protest letters, the cover on the side of the camera is normally closed to protect the cards. Robert opened it for the photo.

old school eFFectsShooting against greenscreen is so common that many videographers forget that sometimes it is better to do an effect “old school” so actors actually have something to react to.

One of the simplest effects is that of a floating object. Special effects artist Richard Albain suggests using two strands of the thinnest monofilament fishing line that will hold the load. One strand should be connected to each end of the object, then fastened to a puppet-type control stick. The stick should be slightly shorter than the object so the lines form something like a letter A. Two lines rather than one will keep the object from spinning, and the shorter stick will make your control movements smoother.

Clear monofilament will tend to take on the color of the background, making it almost invisible. Just ask any fish.

Learn

dv.com | 11.2012 67

compiled by ned Soltz

Instant expert BLACKMAGIC CINEMA CAMERA PLUSRigs and accessoRies to BRing out its Best

ITEM/ CoNTACT CoMPANY MSRP whAT'S NEw & oThER CoMMENTS

You'll find links to these products at www.dv.com/Nov2012.

dragonFly ikan We’ll start by decking out our Blackmagic Cinema Camera (BMCC) with a simple but sturdy handle mount. Use it for your DSLR or BMCC. Lots of mounting points on top for accessories and cushioned handles for ease of holding.

$149

blackmagic Handheld Shape

Canadian manufacturer Shape offers several options for the BMCC. The Blackmagic Handheld is a basic camera cage with multiple mounting points. Other Shape rigs for the BMCC include shoulder-mount rigs with Shape’s amazing adjustable handles. (These are great handles. I own a set and can vouch for them.) Shape offers top quality and reasonable price points (priced in Canadian dollars).www.shapewlb.com

CAD $599

blackmagic tripod Rig

Zacuto Zacuto offers a number of solutions for the BMCC. The tripod kit is built around Zacuto’s Mini Baseplate and includes 12” 15mm rods, Horizontal Zwiss Plate cheeseplate, articulating arms, a wireless plate and Zacuto’s Blackmagic Top Handle. As with all Zacuto products, add other options to create just the rig you need.www.zacuto.com

$875

contineo bmc cage

View Factor Studios

One of the finest BMCC cage products I’ve seen and certainly among the most reasonably priced. The cage has been designed to add no width to the camera. Lots of mounting points on top, bot-tom and sides. View Factor also offers top handle, power, and even camera strap accessories for the BMCC.www.viewfactor.net

$299

bmc Stealth Rig Team Tilta This looks like a genuine bargain. The Team Tilta rig includes baseplate with rods, mattebox and follow focus. This product has just been announced and we’ve not actually had hands-on time with it yet. Do take a look—it seems a very promising option for your BMCC camera.

www.teamtilta.com

$1,349

450R2-bmd1Kit Chrosziel This kit for the BMCC includes Chrosziel’s 450-R2 mattebox and follow focus. Yes, it costs almost as much as the camera, but it can be used with a variety of other cameras. And it’s a Chrosziel—the parts fit tightly and it will last you a generation.

www.chrosziel.com

Around $2,800 depending on configuration

A-box Wooden Camera Wooden Camera lists more than 80 accessories for the BMCC. We chose to highlight the A-Box as an inexpensive audio solution for XLR connection to the camera. What some called an over-sight on the camera (lack of XLR) is easily remedied by this inexpensive adapter. Does not provide phantom power. Check out Wooden Camera’s other Blackmagic accessories as well.www.woodencamera.com

$199

blackmagic cinema camera Handles

Blackmagic Design Consider Blackmagic’s own accessory: easy grip handles for the BMCC. It’s just handles, but

maybe that’s all you need.www.blackmagicdesign.com

$195

Gp-bmcc battery plate

Switronix Switronix offers two options, V-mount plate (model GP-S-BMCC) and Gold-mount plate (GP-A-BMCC), both with double D-Tap outputs and 20” BMCC DC pin connection. Switronix’ PB70-BMCC ($300) is a combination lithium-ion battery and mount, again specifically for the BMCC.

www.switronix.com

$200

ultracage | blue for bmcc

Redrock Micro This lightweight cage adds mounting and handling options. The ultraCage can be configured for handheld, shoulder-mount or studio operation, with various options for each. Extensive list of accessories includes rods, handles and more. Innovative solutions from an industry standard.

www.redrockmicro.com

From $499

www.ikancorp.com

OUR 15TH ANNIVERSARYOUR 15TH ANNIVERSARYYYY

the laRgest pRo video,av/it event on the east coast

gV expo is co-located With these eVents to bring YoU the latest in goVernment technologY solUtions.

ConferenCe november 27-29, 2012exhibits november 28-29, 2012Walter E. Washington Convention Center | Washington, DC

www.GVexpo.com

You’ll learn the latest tips and techniques on Apple, Adobe and Avid software and video production to help you work smarter by increasing both your creativity and productivity. One, two or three day passes are available on gvexpo.com.

RegisteR at gvexpo.com with code gve22 for a free exhibit hall pass and $50 off the conference program.

digital media dc confeRence pResented by

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH

ROOM 152A 152B 154A 154B

TRACK Final Cut Pro WorkshopAdobe After Effects

WorkshopProducer | Director Workshop Web 3.0

9:00 - 10:15amAdding Final Cut Pro

X to your Tool KitBootcamp: Getting Started with

Adobe After Effects CS6

Getting Professional Performances Out of Non Pro Talent

Giving Your Web Video a Graphic Identity

10:30 - 11:45amBuilding Budgets for

Video ProjectsCopyright in the Digital Age

11:45am - 12:45pm Lunch Break

1:00 - 2:15pm Color Correctin in Final Cut Pro XTracking and Stabilizing in Adobe

After Effects

Putting the Team Together: Finding & Contracting the Best

Players

Practical Video Compression in a Post Youtube World

2:30 - 3:45pm DSLR Video Workflows for FCP XTexturing and Polish: Finishing

Techniques for Motion Designers in After Effects

Practical Project Management Techniques for Video & Multi-

media

Listening, Engaging with Social Media Tools

4:00 - 5:15pmMastering the Magnetic Timeline:

Advanced Editorial WorkflowInnovation in Motion: What’s New

in After Effects CS6?How to Register Your

Creative WorkOptimizing Video Content for

Mobile Devices

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH

9:00am - 3:00pm Exhibit Hall Open

TRACKMotion Graphics & Visual Effects

Adobe Production Premium Digital Video Production Web 3.0

9:00 - 11:45amPhotoshop for Premiere Pro CS6 - Putting it All Together

In-Depth: Native Workflows and Less Rendering

More Than an Editor: Learn-ing to Be a Preditor

Understanding Video Compression


WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH

9:00am - 5:00pm Exhibit Hall Open

TRACK Final Cut Pro WorkshopAdobe Premiere Pro

WorkshopDigital Video Production Web 3.0

9:00 - 10:15amIn Depth: FCP X Effects (Featur-

ing Speed & Optical Flow)Bootcamp: Getting Started with Adobe Premeire Pro

DLSR Essentials - What You Need to Know for

a Successful Shoot

Social Media Metrics: How and Why to Measure

10:30 - 11:45amFrom Field to Edit… Get-

ting Ready to EditFrom Passion to Profit-

able Distribution


1:00 - 2:15pmManaging & Archiving Your

Media in FCP & FCP XMixing Audio in Adobe Pre-miere Pro & Adobe Audition

DSLR Sync Sound Workflow Producing a Video Podcast

2:30 - 3:45pmPrecision Output from FCP X to Compressor

The Power is in the Keyboard: Adobe Premiere Pro Trimming

and Keyboard ShortcutsCorporate Video Production

Repurposing Your Content to/from Social Media: Efficient

Workflows & Strategies

dv.com | 11.201270

fluorescent fixturesLearn

L ast time, I broke down the elements of tungsten light sources; for this installment of Adventures in Lighting, we’ll take a look at fluorescent fixtures.

Once upon a time, fluorescent light was the bane of the cinematographer’s existence. The light produced by the ubiquitous lamps was greenish, ugly and unflattering. However, modern advances in multi-phosphor mixes in fluorescent tubes have made them feasible production lighting tools.

Fluorescent lighting has a lot to recommend it: it’s naturally soft, consumes very little electricity and puts off nearly no heat. These are all strong pros in the world of digital video.

The cons: the inconsistent mixture of different types of tubes you’re likely to encounter in any given location, the high green content of the light, the non-continuous and false color spectrum, and the flicker associated with shooting at very fast shutter speeds or high frame rates.

A fluorescent tube is made up of five primary parts:• Electrode• Mercurygas• Phosphorcrystals• Glassenvelope(bulbitself)• MetalterminalsFluorescent light is derived from electrons that are emitted

by an electrode at one end of the tube colliding with a free electron in the outer orbit of an atom of mercury (a metal/conductor in gas form) inside the tube. This collision, whichhappens at high speed, produces ultraviolet radiation. The radiation in turn excites the phosphors coating the glass tube, which then emit light.

Fluorescent light is unlike incandescent light and doesn’t produce a full spectrum of color. Although fluorescent lighting is energy efficient and doesn’t create the heat that standard incandescent lighting does, its lack of a full color spectrum causes digital videographers a number of headaches. Instead of providing a smooth, even distribution of color from the full spectrum, fluorescent light provides spikes of specific color wavelengths. Although fluorescent bulbs may simulate a specific color temperature (called CCT or correlated colortemperature) equivalent to incandescence, it is never perfect.That being said, with careful selection of your lamps, you can use them very efficiently to light your scenes.

Adventures in lightingYou, Tube: Working with Fluorescent Fixtures

Jay HolbEn

A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)

dv.com | 11.2012 71

There are many types of fluorescent lamps, from the popular CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) to the Slimline to the ubiquitous T-12 tubes. The most important aspect of the different shapes and styles is that you find the right lamps for the fixture you’re working with.

By the nature of their operation, fluorescent lamps require precise control over the electrical current delivered to the lamp. Without this control, the lamp would nearly immediately die, possibly in a volatile manner.

A fluorescent lamp is a negative differential resistance device; as more current flows through the tube, the electrical resistance within the tube actually drops. If the lamp were connected to a constant supply of electricity, it would most likely explode, or at least quickly burn out the electrode.

Electricity is moderated by a ballast, which provides an initial high burst of current to cause the electrode to spark, and then carefully regulates the flow to prevent overheating. A ballast is designed to work with a particular size and wattage of fluorescent lamp. If you ever need to replace a ballast, make sure the replacement is designed for the lamp in your fixture.

Most important to digital cinematographers are the CCT and CRI ratings of the lamps they work with. CRI (a somewhat controversial topic beyond the scope of this story) stands for color rendering index; it is a scale from 1 to 100 by which noncontinuous spectrum light sources are measured to denote how accurately they simulate a full spectrum of color and, in turn, allow objects to be seen in their “real” colors. In other words, it represents the accuracy of colors in that light as compared to a natural light source.

A CRI of 100 represents natural daylight, which renders objects’ true colors. Light with a CRI of 50 might render reds more maroon or greens more grey than their “true” colors. You can white-balance under low CRI lamps, but you’re not going to get true colors in your scene because the wavelengths of light just aren’t there, regardless of how neutral your camera makes the whites.

Low CRI lamps are often used where inexpensive, long-lasting illumination is needed and where color fidelity is not a priority. The worst-case real-world example is the low pressure sodium vapor street lamps that

Light tubes

Parts of a fluorescent lamp

dv.com | 11.201272

pervade many cities. These fixtures emit a very narrow wavelength of yellow/orange light (about 589 nm) and have an effective CRI of 0.

Commercial and residential fluorescent lighting normally has a moderate CRI in the 70-85 range to make the light more comfortable for people to work and live in, but it’s not photographically precise. These commercial fixtures are moderately accurate in representing natural colors and can have a high concentration of green/blue in them.

Advancements in phosphor combinations and in fluorescent lamps have led to some really great tools available pretty much anywhere. Look for lamps with high CRI ratings—in the 85 to 95 range. Look for lamps with a CCT that most closely matches the lighting you’ll be mixing the fluorescent source with.

In the late 1980s, gaffer Frieder Hochheim and best boy Gary Swink created a high-output fluorescent fixture with remote ballast for cinematographer Robby Müller during the production of the film Barfly. This invention evolved into a whole new career for Hochheim as he founded Kino Flo Inc., a prominent manufacturer of lighting equipment for film and television. Kino Flo fixtures set the standard in the industry and brought fluorescent technology out of taboo and into vogue. Research and development into specific recipes of phosphor

blends, first with third-party vendors and then through Kino Flo’s own creation, resulted in color-correct tubes with very high CRIs of 95.

In addition to getting the phosphor mixes perfected to work seamlessly alongside tungsten and daylight color temperatures, Hochheim incorporated several advances into the Kino Flo fixtures to solve the other problems of fluorescent

lighting in motion pictures. One of the primary differences is Kino Flo’s high-frequency ballast, which cycles the lamp 25,000 times a second (as opposed to a standard ballast, which cycles a lamp 60 times a second). This ballast makes Kino Flo units virtually flicker-free at any shutter speed or frame rate.

Today there are many additional manufacturers making fluorescent fixtures, including ARRI, Lowel and Mole-Richardson.

In the last few years, especially with the

emphasis on resource con-servation and environmental preservation, compact fluo-rescent lamps have become very popular. Their efficiency is twice to four times that of incandescent bulbs, which lose 90 percent of their energy to heat. Since fluorescent fixtures get their brightness primarily from the surface area of the glass, manufacturers designed a way to twist the glass into a tight spiral to compact it and get a lot more surface area in a smaller space. CFLs incor-porate their ballast in the base of the bulb to create a single device that can be screwed into any standard lightbulb sock-et. The CFL’s smaller size and all-in-one construction meant that people could replace their

tungsten bulbs with fluorescent ones without having to change their fixtures.

Fluorescents are very efficient sources, and they’re fairly inexpensive. (Although they are much more expensive than the equivalent wattage in tungsten bulbs—about five to 10 times more.) They are not manufactured for use in photography, however. Most CFL globes do not have published

CRI ratings, and there are considerable differences between manufacturers and even between individual product lines and shapes from a single manufacturer. You can certainly use CFLs to light with, of course; if you use them, it’s best to use them exclusively and stick to one manufacturer and a specific model of CFL. In that case, you can white-balance away any green cast and achieve some good results. If you intend to combine with any other sources, however, I’d recommend staying away from CFLs altogether. dv

CRI color information

Although fluorescent bulbs may simulate a specific color temperature (called CCT or correlated color temperature) equivalent to incandescence, it is never perfect. That being said, with careful selection of your lamps, you can use them very efficiently to light your scenes.

dv.com | 11.2012 73

R esolution is a term that is thrown around with reckless abandon like mashed potatoes at a food fight. Unfortunately, it’s a term that is rarely used properly.

While many people refer to resolution as the pixel count in the final display image or as the number of photosites on a camera’s sensor, neither of these measurements is actually resolution. 1920 x 1080 is not resolution; it’s merely the number of pixels in an image. Likewise, the RED EPIC may have 5120 x 2700 active photosites on its sensor, but that is not a definition of resolution either.

Resolution is reliant on, yet independent of, the number of photosites on a sensor and the final number of pixels within the display image.

Resolution, by definition, is the ability of a camera (or lens, compression algorithm or display) to resolve detail within a scene. It is measured by resolving fine detail between high-contrast elements—namely fine black and white lines next to each other. Modulation transfer function, as I discussed in my September 2012 DV101 column, is a method of measuring the resolving power (resolution) of a lens or optical system. It is tested by photographing high-contrast black and white lines of increasing spatial frequency—meaning they’re getting narrower and narrower, with more and more of them fitting into the same space so that the frequency of alternating lines increases within the given space. A lens that can resolve detail from a high spatial frequency image is said to have high resolution.

JAy HoLbEn

DetaileD DefinitionEvolution of the Term “Resolution”

DV101Learn

The higher the number of samples taken, the more accurate the digital representation of the original subject.

dv.com | 11.201274

In the digital world, resolution is also dependent on the number of samples that are taken from a given scene. The more samples taken, the more accurately the original image can be reproduced in the digital picture.

An example: if we take the basic shape of an ellipse and sample that shape at five points, we have a very small sample size and the resulting digital shape will not accurately represent the original form. If we increase the number of samples, we can record more of the gradual curve of the ellipse and the resulting digital image will more accurately reflect the original.

Each photosite on a digital sensor can be thought of as a device that takes a single sample of an image. It would stand to reason, then, that the higher the number of samples, the more potential resolution we have. This is where photosite and pixel counts relate to but do not define a camera or system’s resolution.

As it turns out, we need twice the number of samples to reproduce a given resolution without introducing artifacting or aliasing. This idea is the basis of the Nyquist theorem.

Harry Nyquist was an engineer at AT&T’s (which later became Bell Telephone Labs) Department of Development and Research from 1917 to

1934. He is most famous for his Nyquist sampling theorem, which postulated that any sampling rate must be at least twice the highest frequency present in order to reconstruct the original signal.

In other words, for X samples, we can resolve only X/2 resolution without interference.

Let’s take a closer look at this concept. Resolution is defined as a system’s ability to differentiate detail between high-contrast elements. So if we have black and white lines, we need two of them—one black and one white—in order to tell the distinction between them and define resolution. The smallest single element in a digital image is the size of a pixel. So if we have a 1920 x 1080 image, the smallest area that we can get details in is 1920 pixels or lines across the screen and 1080 down. For 1,920 lines, we need one black line and one white line in order to define resolution via contrast, so we have—at maximum—960 line pairs (1920/2 = 960).

That’s the Nyquist limit. For 1,920 samples, we can resolve only 960 lines of resolution. Beyond that point, the detail is too fine for the camera or display to discern and we begin to get artifacting like aliasing and moiré.

Moiré is a common problem with digital images; it happens when the frequency of detail within the scene is higher than the system’s ability to

Otto H. Schade found that what humans experience as appearing sharp from a normal viewing distance is equal to the square of the area under the MTF curve.

dv.com | 11.2012 75

resolve. With an HD image, if any element in the image has greater detail than 960 line pairs per picture width, then that element will display moiré artifacting.

It stands to reason, then, that the higher the sampling rate, the greater the resolution—and this is true. The more photosites we have on a camera’s sensor, the higher the frequency of digital samples of an image and the greater our Nyquist limit. If we increase the number of photosites on our sensor to 4096, we can now resolve 2048 lines of resolution in an image. This is the theoretical maximum, however—not necessarily the actual resolution.

Just like MTF, every component of an imaging system has its own resolution limit. The lens, the digital recording format and the display all have their own resolution limitations, and the highest resolution possible in a given system is determined by the maximum of the lowest resolution component in the chain.

Further, there’s a very interesting distinction to be made between resolution—the system’s ability to reproduce fine details—and perceived sharpness as seen by the human eye.

This is where Otto H. Schade comes in. Schade, an engineer at RCA, performed extensive studies on perceived picture sharpness. He found that what humans experience as appearing sharp from a normal viewing distance is equal to the square of the area under the MTF curve.

So if our MTF curve—which, remember, is the product of the MTF of the lens, the digital format and the display—allows us to represent a certain resolution, which maxes out at half the total sample rate, then the perceived image sharpness, as seen by the human eye, will be even lower—in the square under that curve. This means that what we see as sharp is really defined by the low spatial frequency resolution elements of an image.

Just like camera lenses, human eyes are more sensitive toward lower spatial frequencies, so we see larger elements as defining the sharpness of an image. Additionally, human eyes will perceive higher contrast as sharper than actual detail in a lower-contrast image. You can have all the detail in the world, but if there isn’t significant contrast in the image, the image will appear to lack sharpness. Ever

play with sharpening filters in a program like Adobe Photoshop? What you’re actually doing is increasing the contrast in high-contrast lines in the image. By increasing that contrast, the apparent sharpness of the image is increased.

What is the lesson to be learned here? Resolution is not just the pixel count in an image, but it is dependent on pixels and can be only a maximum of half of the pixels in an image. Even if we have a high-resolution image, if there isn’t sufficient contrast in low spatial frequency areas of the image, it will generally not be perceived as sharp to the human eye. dv

The top and bottom parts of this image are identical except for contrast. The bottom area received a significant contrast increase, which, in turn, increases the apparent sharpness.

When the spatial frequency of the image being captured exceeds the Nyquist limit, we see artifacting. Instead of clean concentric circles, we see odd, anomalous patterns that are a result of the sensor’s inability to resolve the detail in the image.

Resolution, by definition, is the ability of a camera (or lens, compression algorithm or display) to resolve detail within a scene. It is measured by resolving fine detail between high-contrast elements—namely fine black and white lines next to each other.

Subscribe to ourfree CatalogBandH.com/catalog212-444-6633

Page 1

When in New York,Visit our SuperStore

420 Ninth Ave.Corner of 34th Street

New York, N.Y. 10001

Over 70,000 square feetof the latest gear

The most knowledgeableSales Professionals

Hands-on demos

Convenient free parkingavailable

Prices, speci� cations, and images are subject to change without notice. Manufacturer rebates are subject to the terms and conditions (including expiration dates) printed on the manufacturers’ rebate forms. Not responsible for typographical or illustrative errors. © 2000-2012 B & H Foto & Electronics Corp.

HXR-MC2000UShoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder

• 1/4" 4.2Mp, ClearVid Exmor R CMOS sensor• Built-in 64GB hard drive • SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory Stick slot• 1920 x 1080i AVCHD (24Mbps)• MPEG-2 SD Mode (9Mbps) • 12x wide angle Sony G lens• Optical SteadyShot stabilizer • 2.7" ClearPhoto LCD• Manual lens ring with assignable

parameters

#SOHXRMC2000U

VIXIA HV40HDV Camcorder

• 1/ 2.7”, 2.96MP HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary color filter

• Frame rates: 60i, native 24p (records at 24p), 24p cinema, and 30p (at 60i)

• DIGIC DV II image processor• Canon HD 10x optical video lens• Instant Aufo Focus w/ext. sensor• SuperRange optical stabilization • 2.7” widescreen LCD screen • External mic input• Smooth variable zoom with 3 fixed zoom speeds

#CAHV40

AG-HMC403-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder

• 1080 and 720 HD resolution recording on SDHC cards

• 3 1/4” 3-MP CMOS HD image sensors

• AVCHD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoding

• 10.6-megapixel still capability• 12x optical zoom• 2.7-inch LCD monitor• XLR audio input, HDMI output, USB 2.0

#PAAGHMC40

HDR-AX20003-CMOS AVCHD Flash Camcorder

• Three 1/3” CMOS Exmor sensors• Records to Memory Stick PRO Duo,

SD/SDHC Cards (Dual media slots)• 1080/60i, and 24p/30p AVCHD

recording• 20x zoom G-Lens (29.5mm wide)• Zoom, focus, and iris rings• Dual XLR inputs • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD• Low-light (1.5 LUX) capabilities• CinemaTone Gamma and CinemaTone Color Control

#SOHDRAX2000H

HXR-NX30Compact HD Camcorder

• Shoots AVCHD Up to 1080/60p at 24Mbps

• Built-In 96GB Flash Memory Capacity• Pro Audio Control & Level Adjustment• Equipped with Dual XLR Inputs• Built-In Projector & 3.5" LCD Monitor• Built-In Stereo Shotgun Microphone• Super-Wide Carl Zeiss 10x Optical Lens• Balanced Optical SteadyShot• Features SD or Memory Stick Card Slot

# SOHXRNX30U

AG-HMC803-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder

• 3 1/4.1 CMOS sensors• 1080 or 720 HD recording• SD/SDHC media card slot• 12X optical smooth zoom lens• High-definition and standard-

definition recording • Pre-record & interval recording• Optical image stabilization• Dual XLR/3.5mm mic-in inputs• HDMI, USB, DV, Component terminals

#PAAGHMC80

GY-HM150U3-CCD ProHD Solid State Camcorder

• Supports 1920/1440 x 1080, 1280 x 720 HD formats in 35, 25, and 19Mb/ps with variable frame rates

• Dual SDHC card slots (loop, pre-record)

• Captures native QuickTime files• Fujinon 10x HD lens• Optical image stabilization• Dual XLR audio, with phantom• Color viewfinder and large LCD monitor

#JVGYHM150

HXR-NX3D1Professional 3D Compact HD Camcorder

• Dual 1/4" Exmor R CMOS sensors• Two Sony G lenses (10x optical in 3D)• 96 GB internal memory• One SD or Memory Stick card slot • 3.5" LCD (view 3D glasses-free) • Full 1920 x 1080 in 3D and 2D • 3D modes: 60i, 50i, 24p (28 Mb/s) • 2D modes: 60p, 50p, 60i, 50i, 24p, 25p• Active SteadyShot in 3D • Dual XLR inputs (line / Mic / Mic+48V selectable)

#SOHXRNX3D1U

HDC-Z10000Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder

• Two independent 3MOS sensors• HD Stereoscopic 3D recording• Dual Integrated 10x Lenses

(12x in 2D)• Triple manual rings: focus, zoom and iris• Multi View Coding (MVC)

Recording in 3D 1080p60• 3.5" 3D compatible LCD• Dual XLR Inputs• 2D/3D Still Image Recording

#PAHDCZ10000

HDR-TD20V3D HD Handycam Camcorder

• Shoot full HD 3D in 1920 x 1080 60p/24p• Dual 1/4.0” back-illuminated Exmor

CMOS sensors• Dedicated 2D/3D switch• 3.5” LCD (3D viewing without

3D glasses)• Optical 10x & 17x extended zoom• Optical image stabilization• 5.1 ch surround mic• Microphone & headphone inputs

#SOHDRTD20VS

20MegaPixels

XA10 / VIXIA HF G10*Professional HD Solid State Camcorder

• 64GB Internal and Dual SDHC/SDXC card slots with relay recording

• 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor• Canon 10x HD Video Lens• 8-Blade Iris and Manual Focus Ring• DIGIC DV III Image Processor• 24Mbps Recording (AVCHD)• 3.5" High-resolution touch panel LCD and EVF• Dual XLR terminals * Same as XA10 without handle & XLR audio adaptor

#CAXA10 / #CAHFG10

AG-HPX250 / AG-HPX2553-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders

• 3x 1/3”, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp• 22x optical zoom lens • 1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60• Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris • HD-SDI & HDMI output• 59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable• Slow/quick motion recording mode• P2 card and DVCPRO mode recordingAG-HPX255 Step-up Features:• Remote terminal for studio control

#PAAGHPX250 / #PAAGHPX255

Same as XA10 without handle & XLR audio adaptor

10MegaPixels3Mega

Pixels

4MegaPixels

XA-101/4" 4.2Mp, ClearVid Exmor R CMOS sensor

4Mega

2D modes: 60p, 50p, 60i, 50i, 24p, 25p

3x 1/3”, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp

We Buy, Sell and TradeUsed Equipment

Page 2

Store & Mail Order Hours:

Sunday 10-6 • Mon.-Thurs. 9-7Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST

Saturday Closed

800-947-9939212-444-5039

Fax:

212-239-7770

Over 300,000 products,at your leisure.

BandH.com

NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer – General Lic. #0907906

HXR-NX5U3-CMOS NXCAM Flash Memory Camcorder

• Three 1/3” Exmor CMOS sensors, with a ClearVid array

• Capture uses Memory Stick PRO Duo / SDHC Cards, with relay record capability (optional HXR-FMU128 flash memory unit)

• 20x wide G series lens • HD-SDI & HDMI output, SMPTE

Time Code in/out, Dual XLR inputs• Built-in GPS system • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD

#SOHXRNX5U

PMW-F3K-RGBSuper 35mm HD Camcorder Kit

• Includes RGB 4:4:4 baseband output with S-LOG gamma • Exmor Super 35 CMOS image sensor • Includes 35mm, 50mm, 85mm lens kit • PL lens mount, 35mm Cine lens compatibility • 10-bit 4:2:2 HD-SDI • Two SxS memory card slots • Interlace/Progressive modes• D-SDI Dual-link output• 3D-LINK option

#SOPMWF3KRGB ................................................... $19,890.00

PMW-100XDCAM HD422 Handheld Camcorder

• 1/2.9" CMOS Sensor (1920 x 1080)• XDCAM 422 MPEG-2 Codec at 50 Mb/s • 10x Zoom Lens - 40-400mm

(35mm Equiv)• 3.5" LCD Screen (852 x 480 Pixels)• HD-SDI & HDMI Outputs• Dual XLR Inputs / Timecode & Genlock I/O• Dual ExpressCard SxS Card Slots• Compatible with XDCAM Disc & EX

Formats • DVCAM Recording

#SOPMW100

PMW-EX3XDCAM EX Solid State HD Camcorder

• Interchangeable 1/2” bayonet lens mount, incl. Fujinon 14x5.8 lens

• 3 1/2” Exmor CMOS image sensors that shoot full raster 1920x1080 hi-def imagery • Recording on removable SxS flash memory cards

• 1080 and 720 shooting modes with selectable bit rates in both PAL and NTSC standards • 3.5” LCD

• 8-Pin remote studio connectivit

#SOPMWEX3Q .......................................................... $8,320.00

XF100 / XF105HD Professional CF Camcorders

• 1/3" CMOS 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor• Dual CF card slots• 50Mbps MPEG-2 recording • Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 color sampling • 60p/60i, 30p, 24p MXF File Format • 10x HD zoom lens• 3.5" 920K dot LCD monitor• Stereoscopic 3-D recording capabilities • Dual XLR inputs • Waveform Monitor XF105 Step-up: HD/SD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, Genlock

#CAXF100 / #CAXF105

XF300 / XF3053 CMOS Solid State HD Camcorder

• Record HD 1080/720 onto Compact Flash cards

• 50Mbps MPEG-2 4:2:2 recording• 3 1/3" 2.37Mp CMOS sensors• 18x Canon HD L series lens• DIGIC DV III image processor• 4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor • 1.55 Mp Color EVF• Over and under crankXF305 Step-up: HD-SDI Output, Genlock & SMPTE Time Code

#CAXF300 / #CAXF305

AG-HPX3703-CMOS Pro Solid State Camcorder

• 10-bit, 4:2:2, native 1080 and 720p HD resolution in variable frame rates

• AVC-Intra 100 and 50 codecs• Two P2 card slots (hot swapping,

loop, pre-record)• 3 advanced 1/3”, 2.2 MP

CMOS sensors • HD-SDI output• 20-bit digital signal processor• 17x Fujinon HD lens • Built-in scan reverse mode• Waveform and vector scope display

#PAAGHPX370

NEX-VG20Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder

• Exmor APS-size HD CMOS 16.1 Mp sensor• Records 1920 x 1080 @ 24p, 60i, 60p• Memory Stick PRO Duo/SD/SDHC/

SDXC card slot• Sony NEX E series lens mount

(A series option)• 24 Mb/s AVCHD MPEG-4 AAC-LC• 3.0" LCD and CVF• Quad-capsule microphone & 5.1 Sound• Cinematone Gamma / Color • Manual audio control

#SONEXVG20 (Body Only) #SONEXVG20H with lens

NEX-VG20H

EOS C300Cinema EOS/PL Camcorder Body

• Super 35mm CMOS sensor• 50 Mbps MPEG-2 EF or PL lens mount• Dual CF card slots• Canon XF Codec - 4:2:2 color sampling• Multiple recording formats• High-resolution VF and 4", 1.23 Mp LCD• HD-SDI, HDMI, XLR audio• Canon DIGIC DV III image processor• High-Speed, Slow-Motion, Time-Lapse and Stop-Motion• Timecode I/O, Genlock in & Sync out

#CAC300EF / #CAC300PLLens Optional

AG-AC130A / AG-AC160A3-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders

• 3x 1/3”, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp• 22x optical zoom lens • 1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60• Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris • Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots• AVCHD & DV recording (SD) modes

AG-AC160A Step-up Features:• HD-SDI & LPCM audio recording• 59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable • Slow/quick motion recording mode

#PAAGAC130A / #PAAGAC160A

NEX-EA50UHHD Shoulder Mount Interchangeable Lens Camcorder

• Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor (AVCHD / MPEG2-SD) • Supplied 18-200 servo power zoom • E-mount interchangeable lens system • Add lenses without being locked on a lens brand or lens mount

• Use Alpha A-mount lenses with 15‐point phase detection AF

• Mechanical shutter Still Picture• 3.5’’LCD Panel • Record onto Memory Stick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXR-

FMU128 (Optional) • Records on media card and FMU128 Simultaneously

#SONEXEA50UH

PMW-200XDCAM HD422 Camcorder

• Three 1/2" Exmor CMOS sensors• MPEG HD422 at 50 Mbps recording• HD422 1080p at 24 & 30 fps HD422

720p at 24, 30 & 60 fps Fujinon 14x zoom (servo/manual) lens

• Dual SxS memory card slots• Four Channels of 16-bit audio• Supports MXF and XDCAM EX

workflows • Articulated 3.5" LCD screen• Timecode & Genlock input • Cache recording Up to 15 seconds

#SOPMW200

3x 1/3”, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp AG-AC160A

power zoom • E-mount interchangeable lens system • Add lenses without being

NEW

NEW

dv.com | 11.201280

800Kamerman ....................................................... 58Aaton ...................................................................... 20AbelCine ................................................................. 40Adobe ....................................................12, 27, 55, 75AJA Video ........................................................... 8, 45Akamai ................................................................... 62Amazon Web Services ........................................... 43Anton/Bauer .......................................................... 52AOL Studios ........................................................... 60Apple ...............................................27, 42, 54, 55, 62ARRI ...........................................16, 22, 30, 34, 57, 72Autodesk................................................................. 12Avid ................................................................... 42, 55Barco ....................................................................... 63Blackmagic Design .........................31, 32, 45, 63, 67Bolex ....................................................................... 82Canon U.S.A. ............. 6, 12, 16, 20, 40, 43, 54, 55, 57Carl Zeiss .................................................8, 16, 20, 40Chermayeff & Geismar .......................................... 14Chrosziel ................................................................ 67Cinedeck ................................................................ 16Codex Digital ......................................................... 36Colorfront ............................................................... 36Colorworks ............................................................. 10Company 3 ....................................................... 32, 36Corporation for Public Broadcasting ..................... 3Deluxe .......................................................... 8, 31, 36Dolby ...................................................................... 42EFILM ..................................................................... 36Encore..................................................................... 31ESPN ....................................................................... 58FLOVEL Company Japan ...................................... 54

FOR-A ..................................................................... 54Google .................................................................... 60GoPro ............................................................... 16, 58Grass Valley ..................................................... 16, 62Harris ..................................................................... 62Huffington Post ..................................................... 60ikan Corp. .............................................................. 67IMAX ...................................................................... 36Independent Television Service ............................ 3Kino Flo ............................................................ 10, 72LEE Filters .............................................................. 53Leica Camera ......................................................... 27Litepanels .............................................................. 50Lowel ...................................................................... 72Lumapanels ........................................................... 24Mac Tech LED ....................................................... 24Manfrotto ............................................................... 54Microsoft ................................................................ 12Mole-Richardson .................................................. 72MTI Film ................................................................ 16MTV ....................................................................... 63Music Video Producers Guild .............................. 26Nikon ................................................................ 40, 55NVIDIA .................................................................. 42OConnor .................................................................. 8Panasonic ........................... 16, 20, 27, 44, 54, 55, 61Panavision ............................................................. 22PBS ........................................................................... 3Phosphene ............................................................. 12Pinewood Studios ................................................. 35Prime Focus ........................................................... 14RED ............................................................ 14, 55, 73

Redrock Micro ................................................. 55, 67RTS ......................................................................... 62Sachtler ............................................................ 12, 55Shape ...................................................................... 67Silicon Imaging ...................................................... 14Silvercup Studios ................................................... 30Skype ...................................................................... 60Society of Camera Operators .................................. 8Sonnet Technologies ............................................. 55Sony Creative Software ......................................... 55Sony Electronics ...............................8, 10, 12, 16, 38Sony Pictures Animation ...................................... 10Sony Pictures Imageworks.................................... 10Sorenson Media .................................................... 42Sound Devices ....................................................... 58Soundelux ................................................................ 8Switronix ................................................................ 67Team Tilta .............................................................. 67Terbine Entertainment ........................................... 8Thales Angenieux .................................................. 16The Foundry........................................................... 12The Post Republic .................................................. 14Thornberg & Forester ............................................ 14Tiffen Steadicam ........................................ 14, 20, 58View Factor Studios ............................................... 67Vinten ..................................................................... 46Vision Research ..................................................... 56Wheatstone ............................................................ 62Wooden Camera .................................................... 67Zacuto .................................................................... 67

company Index

Statement of ownerShIp, management and cIrculatIon (requeSter publIcatIonS only)

a. Total # of copies 16,917 16,482

b. Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1) Outside-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 15,900 15,769

(2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541

(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS

(4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS

c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 15,900 15,769

d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)

(1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 361 376

(2) In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541

(3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail

(4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 298 141

e. Total Nonrequested Distribution 659 517

f. Total Distribution 16,559 16,286

g. Copies Not Distributed 358 196

h. Total 16,917 16,482

i. Percentage Paid and/or Requested Circulation 96.0% 96.8%

16. Total circulation does not include electronic copies.

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requestor Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2012 issue of this publication.

18. Signature of Executive Vice President, Video/Broadcast Division: Carmel King, 9/28/12

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation

Average # Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months

Number Copies of Single Issue Published

Nearest to Filing Date

1. Publication Title: Digital Video

2. Publication No.: 11215

3. Filing Date: 9/28/12

4. Issue Frequency: Monthly

5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 12

6. Annual Subscription Price: Requester

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: NewBay Media L.L.C., 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959; Contact Person: Kwentin Keenan 703-852-4604

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: NewBay Media L.L.C. 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959

9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Eric Trabb, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959 Editor: Cristina Clapp, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959; Managing Editor: Katie Makal, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959

10. Owner: NewBay Media L.L.C., 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016-7959, wholly owned by the Wicks Group of Companies, 405 Park Avenue, Suite 702, New York, NY 10022

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders: None

12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months

13. Publication Title: Digital Video

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October 2012

dv.com | 11.2012 81

Classifieds Marketplace

advertiser index

Adorama 21, 47, 61 adorama.com

AJA 11 aja.com

B&H Photo-Video-Pro Audio 78, 79 bhphotovideo.com

Blackmagic Design 7 blackmagic-design.com

Dracast 5 www.dracast.com

Ensemble Designs 29 ensembledesigns.com

International Supplies 51, 53 internationalsupplies.com

JVC 9 pro.jvc.com

Kino Flo 35 kinoflo.com

Mobile Studios 45 www.MobileStudios.com

NewTek 13 newtek.com

Opticomm 33 opticom.com/studios

Panasonic Broadcast 2 panasonic.com/broadcast

Schneider Optics 17 schneideroptics.com/chrosziel

Shure 37 shure.com

Shutterstock 84 footage.shutterstock.com

Sony Creative Software 25 sonycreativesoftware.com

Tactical Fiber Systems 45 tacticalfiber.com

TVLogic 15 www.tvlogicusa.com

Varizoom 76, 77 varizoom.com

Videoguys 41, 59 videoguys.com

Company page Web site Company page Web site

Call Susan Shores 212.378.0400 Ext. 528

Email: [email protected]

log on to www.2-pop.com and join today!

the online community for

digital video filmmakers

STAY ONE STEP AHEAD

with newbay media’s FRee electronic newsletters

Sign up today by visiting www.nbmedia.comFREE!

dv.com | 11.201282

production diary

Sydney, AuStrAliA, december 1963

T CN Channel 9 has given me a rent-free garage. It’s basic and incredibly hot, but I don’t care as I’m off to London next month.

“Hey, Stefan, this guy just phoned. He’s seen your films on Bandstand—can you make some political commercials? He’s in Grafton, wants to get into Parliament.”

“Grafton? Where’s Grafton?”“Up north, the Jacaranda Festival and all that...”

GrAfton, n.S.W., A Week lAterI’m met at the airport by Bill Manyweathers. I wasn’t hard to recognize as I have a tripod over my shoulder and I’m carrying a Bolex 16mm camera with Nomad recorder.

I’ve been using the Bolex/Nomad combo for the last two years. For a measly $585 my spring-driven Bolex can record sync sound. Well that’s the theory—but in practice, coupling the two with a flexible cable and depending on the Bolex spring is hopeless. I have a DC motor and a 9 volt battery.

the briefinG“Bill, why do you want to get elected?”

“I’ve been working in my dad’s furniture business since I left school. I’m tired of working for my dad. The local TV station has made a donation to my campaign. I’m using that to buy five commercials a night.”

“Is that legal?”

firSt locAtionBill is in front of a banana plantation. “Hello, I’m Bill Manyweathers. I support the banana growers...”

“Can you say some more?”“Vote for me...”“Bill, I think we need a policy, a reason to

support them.”“Gee, that’s tough. Bad weather is a problem.

Let’s go and find a grower, see what he wants.”

We find the plantation owner. He tells us that flood mitigation is important.

next locAtionWe’re down inside a concrete water channel. “Hello, I’m Bill Manyweathers. I support flood mitigation...”

“Can you say more?”“Flood mitigation is important. Vote for me...

I’m sorry, Stefan. This isn’t working.“You must have made speeches before.”“Of course; I’m on the local council—it’s just

not the same as standing in the middle of concrete drain talking to a camera.”

Set my bolex freeBack at his house, I uncouple the Nomad recorder. Now the Bolex is a free-wheeling handheld camera. I shoot Bill, his wife and kids. We drive into town. Film him meeting people. We go to the local sugar refinery. Visit the stockyards.

I record voiceover on the Nomad. We talk about his career, his war service, his local community involvement.

the deAl“Stefan, I don’t think you’re going to find anything worthwhile.”

“Not true. There’s some great voiceover there and I can top and tail it with your opening and closing one-liners. You’ll get in, I’m sure of it.”

“I’m happy to pay you but I think I’ve wasted my money.”

“Here’s the deal. If you don’t get in, no charge from me—you get in, then pay me double.”

We shake on it.

Win—WinFeb. 29, 1964, and he’s elected. I’m in freezing cold London with a brand new Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter. I type out the invoice; yep, double my quote. It’s win—win; he’s happy—so am I.

Bill is in politics for the next 14 years and all because of me. I question my 1963 ethics as I had no idea what he supported—but then again, he didn’t either. dv

STeFaN SarGeNT

Vote for MeI’m Tired of Working for My Dad

Learn

Grafton—famous for its jacaranda trees

1960 press advertisement for the magnasync nomad—no, that’s not me

that’s me in 1963 shooting a pop video with my bolex and magnasync nomad recorder

Date post:	02-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	leon-dario-castro-corrales
View:	71 times
Download:	14 times

Digital Video November 2012

Documents