Archive for the Category ‘Technology’
7D Review – Why digital SLRs are not video cameras ::
I’d like to preface this entry by saying that I enjoy our Canon 7D digital SLR camera. It takes great pictures and has taken some great elemental and reference footage for us. It’s sensor is of the same size as the original famed RED camera and it’s a virtual swiss army knife of image acquisition. (the price wasn’t bad either) What I think is important to address is that everyone’s excitement over it’s “capabilities” is pretty blatant… to replace camera’s that were designed for shooting video.
I’d like to point out several reasons why digital SLR cameras are not video cameras. I’d like to initially rebuke the certain argument… that with a set of rails, matte box, remote controls, additional rigging, follow focus, an auto-level defeating professional microphone interface and/or some sort of software hack, that you’ve got yourself a video camera.
Ok, I see that.. but is that a Digital SLR or essentially a frankenstein rig… home built camera? There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s definitely a return to yesteryear when someone invented a DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA!! OH MY! Take a look at this old comic that we had on the dub-rack at Channel One Video & Film when I worked there back in 2000. Thanks to Brian Butcher for snapping a pic for me.
Get the picture? NOW ONTO THE LIST!
Tags: 5D, Canon 7D, D90, Digital Cinematography, Digital SLR, HD Video, MKII, Nikon, Problems, Tips, Tricks
Posted in Technology
SCREEN SHOT FRIDAY 100803 ::
Here’s this week’s SCREEN SHOT FRIDAY. Please have a great weekend at the beach. 
Postage.
In the above screen capture, Joseph is working on an advanced composite for an animated short.
Here... a different Joe, who was job-shadowing all the way from York County School District was helping me texture the human-robot connection for a print-still. We were having a conversation about how to emulate human skin... imperfections make perfect renders!
And... a touch of Allen's work doing lossless r3d compositing for Choose.
Tags: 3d modeling, animated short, Animation, atomic robo, choose, compositing, Movies, node tree, Post Production, r3d, red camera, robbie bryan, texture tree, texturing, Visual effects
Posted in Technology
JUSTIFY YOUR FX ::
I’ve been finding myself climbing down the ladder of abstraction a lot lately. Taking a look at all of the wonderful tools and techniques we employ it’s sometimes difficult to keep them from “driving the bus.”
The cliche way to say this is to make visual effects a “means to an end” rather than an end. Joseph and I wrote these three words on the dry-erase board when we founded Postage: “Justified, Aesthetic, Clarity.” What we’re focusing on here is the Justified part… something borrowed from Hillman Curtis in his book, MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer
Tags: computer, effects, fx, george romero, Graphics, hillman curtis, justification, justify, Movies, mtiv, Post Production, Technology, Visual effects, zombie, zombies
Posted in Technology
FIG RIG CAMERA SUPPORT ::
I know that the Fig Rig is no new device. It’s been around awhile. It’s made by Bogen who has an extensive line of camera tripods and rigging that ranges from amateur photography to high quality video production. It’s namesake and designer is film director, Mike Figgis (hence the name) who was the Producer and Director for Cold Creek Manor among others. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: 7d, bogen, Camera, canon, dslr, ergonomic, fig, fig rig, lancaster, manfrotto, pa, Pennsylvania, rig, support
Posted in Technology
3D IN THE THEATRE, IN THE HOME: A POINT OF CONVERGENCE ::
3D Movies are pretty much the new norm. There’s an appeal to film investors because it offers something that is more difficult to experience from a cheaper rental or illegal download… it’s appealing to filmmakers for the art and possibilities of the medium and finally, it’s appealing to movie-goers because well, it’s pretty spectacular. One of the most popularly spectacular films to date is Avatar, which paired with it’s stunning visual effects and relatable story claimed the highest gross of all time at over 1 billion USD worldwide. It also claimed the lives and minds of several fanatics… but that’s another story (CNN).
Now, the technology is pedaling itself forward into peoples homes in the form of upcoming 3D games and special viewing hardware such as 3D Televisions from some of the bigger home theatre product innovators. Will they be wildly popular or is 3D meant for the big screen? Or is even that a fad? As fun as it can be, many people are trying to decide weather or not the 3D viewing is worth the additional dinero at the ticket booth.
Tags: 3d, Avatar, Digital cinema, Film, RealD Cinema, Stereoscopy, Visual effects
Posted in Technology
