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VW Spec Ad Shot on EOS-1D Mark IV

Jun 02 2010

VW Spec Ad from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Pretty sweet spec ad for VW shot by Vince Laforet on the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. According to Vince: 

 "A few months ago Canon came to me asking if we could do a shoot together that demonstrated the unique capabilities of their newest HDDSLR cameras - in this case the Canon 1D Mark IV. We decided to shoot a spec ad for the VW Bug. It was shot over two days in downtown Los Angeles with a Canon behind-he-scenes crew on site that documented each step along the way. 

 Canon has just published the first installment of their behind-the-scenes series on this project, and are planning on releasing a new episode each week for the next five weeks."

To learn more visit their site here and Vince's site here.

DSLR Slate App for iPad/iPhone

Jun 02 2010


Here's a neat iPad and iPhone app I heard about from Stu Maschwitz over at ProLost. It's incredibly useful for adding all kinds of important slate information and the iPad makes a perfect slate. Some more information: 

"Along with a color chart and selectable running timecode, DSLR Slate has all the traditional items for input such as Scene, Take, Framerate, Director, etc. DLSR Slate also provides unique items aimed specifically for DSLR cameras such as ISO Speed, Aperture, Shutter Speed, White Balance, Lens, Filter, and more. While being invaluable on set, these items also prove useful when shooting tests in varying lighting conditions. 

Since there are so many items to show the camera, we’ve come up with a new way of displaying the info. While in SLATE mode, you will see only the traditional items displayed. These items are Scene, Take, Memory Card (Roll), Director, Producer, Project, and Date. Those are the pieces of information that editors use most. Once the camera is rolling, click the START button and a quick burst will begin, flashing all items within about 2 seconds. This allows the camera to “see” each item for at least a few frames, ensuring that all of your information will be captured by the camera. The quick burst is then followed by a Visual/Audio sync and the traditional items will fade back in, ending the slating process."

For more details, head over here.

Magic Bullet Grinder simplifies DSLR footage into FCP

Jun 01 2010



Red Giant Software introduced the $49 Magic Bullet Grinder, a tool that converts DSLR video to edit-friendly formats for smooth playback and faster rendering. With Magic Bullet Grinder, Final Cut Pro users now have a fast way to get DSLR footage from video-capable Canon DSLR cameras into their timeline for editing, add timecode, and generate proxies, all in a single, time-saving pass. Batch processing and multi-threading mean fast, painless conversion - and editing can start even while shooting on location. 

"Magic Bullet Grinder is one of those products that users like me have been waiting to come on the market. Magic Bullet Grinder eats up your footage and spits it out into a usable Codec so fast that it has changed the way I work. While there are products that do similar things, the speed and simplicity of Magic Bullet Grinder along with the ability to create proxies at the same time is ideal for me as a professional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it," said Philip Bloom, Filmmaker. For details and to download a trial version, head over to: http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/magic-bullet-grinder/

Cat DV brings media asset management to the masses

May 31 2010

 

So all those DSLR videos you've been shooting are starting to pile up on your hard drive now aren't they? And let's face it searching for clips by name, date or finder preview is a long exercise in frustration. The solution to your problems is media asset management. The big filmmakers of the world are using super high end asset management systems such as Avid Unity to keep all their media tracked and ready for use. You can follow a similar workflow without breaking the bank. One of the most affordable and effective media asset management tools on the market today is Square Box Systems' Cat DV. Here's a brief description:

"CatDV will catalog all your media assets, not just video tapes but also still images, audio files, Flash files, PDFs, etc. With powerful metadata capabilities (both extracted automatically and entered by the user) that can be used for searching and filtering, CatDV will help you organise all those assets - and retrieve them again when you need them."

CatDV starts at $89 for the entry-level version. Download adds features like if you're working with an NLE like Final Cut Pro you can do pre-edits and mark clips within CatDV that will export directly to your editing timeline. It's available both for Mac and Windows. Download a free trial here and get your DSLR video under control.

EOS 5D Mark II vs. Green Screen

May 31 2010

My friend Jem Schofield tries out the 5D Mark II with a green screen to determine if it's suitable for visual effects work over at theC47. For the verdict, watch this video:

 

 

Plastic Bullet camera app for iPhone/iPad

May 31 2010



Here's a pretty sweet photo editing app for iPhone and iPad that approximates the look of old plastic 35mm film cameras like the Holga. And it's from Digital Rebel Stu Maschwitz, author of the DV Rebel's Guide, one of the filmmaking books that's earned a permanent spot in my library. Check out more here.

Great Camera Shootout 2010 - Part 3

May 31 2010

Check out Zacuto's Great Camera Shootout's third and final part! Starring Robert Primes ASC, Gary Adcock, Philip Bloom, Jens Bogehegn and colorist Ryan Emerson.


 

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