Video Studio Support
The days of needing specialized, persnickety tools and weeks of training to “fly a camera” are, for the most part, over, especially when dealing with smaller cameras. It’s the details that make the difference, and it’s in the details where the Zhiyun Crane 2 shines. Robust and thoughtfully designed, you can unpack and shoot with a stripped-down package, or build up your rig to take advantage of all the Crane 2 offers. One of the
It starts with a finished script. Unless you are intentionally doing something different, the finished shooting script is the structure that supports the film. There will be many questions that aren’t answered by the script and will require the director’s input; however, without the script, no one will even know what questions to ask. So, it really does begin with the script, and once you have the finished shooting script, you are ready to begin.
Step 1: Break Down Your Script
Have you broken down your script? How many actors, how many
If you read the title of this article and thought “What the…” don’t worry, you are reading the right article, and once you get past all the jargon, it really is simple and clear. Our aim is to familiarize you with the tools that help you move your video and audio signals from one device to another. To accomplish this, you may need a variety of baluns, matrix switchers, and format converters. What are they? Let’s find out.
Baluns
PTZ stands for “pan/tilt/zoom” and denotes robotic cameras that typically (though not always) have integrated pan/tilt motors and zoom lenses. The Sony EVI series cameras are popular examples. Pan/tilt/zoom cameras may look like outsized surveillance cameras, and in many ways, are like them. They are designed to be installed permanently and can be enclosed in dome housings for protection or aesthetics. However, the benefits of PTZ cameras are
The main things to consider when creating an HDR video are the reference monitor and the format. The monitor is the big issue because HDR monitors are very expensive. The most affordable one at the time of this writing is close to $20,000.
What is HDR Video?
HDR (High Dynamic Range) video is an emerging technology that will be the future of video, for professionals and consumers. HDR video is simply footage graded to display intense colors and high contrast between colors. The dynamic range captured by the camera is extended—detail is highly
HDR is all the rage these days, though sometimes trying to wrap your head around the concept of HDR can be challenging. In this hands-on review video, Doug Guerra will show you how the Atomos Shogun Inferno embraces HDR and how log workflows, in particular, can benefit from HDR monitoring regardless of which camera you’re using. We hope you enjoy the video, and invite you to view the wide selection of other
New to B&H are ikan’s Postium 17" and 24" 4K field monitors. Both monitors support 4K video in DCI and UHD and share similar features and capabilities. The OBM-U170 is the 17" monitor, which features a 1920 x 1080 panel that displays Full HD, as well as 4K UHD and 4K DCI by scaling the image to fit. The OBM-U240 is the 24" version,
Mirrorless cameras are small, light, and can get into spaces traditional cinema and ENG cameras just can't. However, mirrorless cameras are not meant to work on a film set all day long—it just isn't in their ergonomics. This is especially true if you are planning on handholding a camera all day, or working with accessories such as follow focus units, zoom motors, or external monitors.
Build Your Own or Pre-Made
You can build your own support rig, if you like. Head out to your machine shop and have at it. But, most likely, you lack the milling
If you’ve been worried that the advent of HDR would leave your Atomos Shogun, Ninja Assassin, Samurai Blade, or
We here at B&H are happy to introduce six of of Telmax’s new line of teleprompters that span the range of full-blown, monitor-included prompters ranging in size from 15 to 19", as well as a smaller prompter setup, designed to work with your iPad or Android tablet. The Telmax EL15,
It’s not your standard camera support system, but you may be pleased at the end of a long shooting schedule. Many who use it swear by it.
Supporting 11-38 lb and 30-55 lb payloads between the configurations it’s offered in, the Easyrig Vario is a body-worn support system that takes the weight off your back, neck, and shoulders and distributes it to your hips. If
Working on a film set can be a loud experience, with a variety of terms or jargon bandied about that has developed over the past hundred and twenty years or so. I wanted to share with you a smattering of what is said, not said, and what it all means.
Hand signals
These can help to reduce the noise on a set, which is a good thing, since the last thing you as a crew member want is to be noticed for being too loud.
Counting As an assistant camera person, you often need to share information, but you want to keep the noise to a minimum and
Most of the time with small-budget pieces, shooting on location is a necessity, and all too often the choice of location is made from among what is available. I know the feeling well, although I’ve had a few instances where that restriction benefited the production. For example, I once used the subway tunnel walkway under 14th Street, in Manhattan, to shoot the POV of a patient for a medical commercial. Another time, I shot an entire scene on 35mm film using the light bouncing from a window on a building across the street from outside the
Pro editing systems are no longer the only way to edit videos. There are many different user-friendly mobile apps and desktop programs, some of which do half the work for you. Many of these apps and programs are designed specifically for pre-teen kids.
There are many benefits to getting your kids editing. For example, master filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, in his book Rebel without a Crew, describes how when he was a young boy his school teachers allowed him to present certain class projects as videos instead of in written format, and how the
There is an old truism, “To write a movie takes one person, but to make a movie takes an army.” Turning an idea or words on a page into a finished film/video can essentially involve an army of people: those who raise money, break down and budget the script, run the casting, act in the project, crew the film, edit the project, and handle the distribution. Your film/video can end up having hundreds of people working on it by the time it’s finished, with each of these people necessary to finish the project. For our purposes, let’s concentrate on