Everyone’s favorite HD blogger Mike Curtis is at Sundance, doing his part to cover things. Read HD4NDS for the scoop. He also noted that some video coverage is available on Youtube, courtesy of the folks that brought you Four Eyed Monsters.

Red Digital Cinema has re-opened the reservation window for the Red One body and both branded lenses. They will be accepting reservations until January 24 at midnight.

We are currently accepting reservations for:
* RED ONE Camera. $17,500 ($1000 deposit)
* RED 18-85mm f2.8 Lens. $9,500 ($750 deposit)
* RED 300mm f2.8 Lens. $4995 ($500 deposit)

So if you missed the first round of reservations, here’s a second chance. I thought it was interesting that they are using Paypal for their credit card checkout system (Paypal account not required, just as a processor). Though I suppose it’s just as good a choice as the other options out there…particularly since Google Checkout has been getting so much flak lately.

We mentioned Jeff Han and his experimental multi touch interface some time ago. In the year since it was first shown at TED ‘06, the system has matured into a viable product…with the first delivery of a multi-touch panel to the US Military for a reputed six-figure price tag.

Fast Company has a nice long article (and video, embedded below) about Han and the technology, and I believe it is telling of what we’ll see in the future of motion graphics and editing interfaces. Maybe not now, maybe not even in 5 years. But it seems all too obvious that someday the cost of ownership will enable multi-touch to be widely used. After all, it’s natural. Imagine software that frees you to create outside of the interface, without being locked into a certain workflow or methodology. Instead of manipulating keyframes and nodes with a mouse, you literally push pixels on screen. The possibilities are endless.

Continue reading ‘Jeff Han’s Multi-Touch Interface grows up’

For all of those longtime RedRock fans such as myself who purchased the redrock follow focus and were disappointed by the amount of play in the gears, RedRock has released an update: Follow Focus Upgrade

You can buy an upgrade as an existing user for $65.00 directly from here: Buy Here

And if you need a video detailing the installation process you can get that here: Installation Video

There is also talk of offering an extension arm for the Follow Focus to work with pre-geared cinema lenses. Once again its great to know there are companies out there who actually listen to their customers and make adjustments to fit their needs. Its also worth noting that RedRock has released their rail mounted accessory pod, as well as a rail mounted lens support for those longer zoom lenses.

As you can see, some major changes here at FresHDV. We’re far from finished. Bear with us over the following few days as we iron out the kinks, fix links that were wonkified during migration, and restore most of the layout and resources you are used to seeing. When it’s completed, FresHDV will be stronger than ever.

The latest update on the much anticipated and long-awaited Cineporter camcorder storage solution is that it will tentatively be available in late 2007. The project was announced over a year ago, most recently Specialized Communications has completely reworked the chassis and electronics. On one forum, a SpecComm rep stated “…the shipping unit will be like buying V.2, even though V.1 never shipped.”

We understand that the Cineporter will feature:
*160GB / 320GB options (one or two drives)
*Internal 2.5″ SATA hard drive(s), fan-cooled, options for RAID
*PCMCIA-like interface that plugs directly into the HVX P2 slots
*6 ft cable extensions will also be available
*Under 2.5lbs

More info on features at the Cineporter site.

Slashdot has an article and discussion on the Adult Film industry favoring HD-DVD over Blu-ray for the distribution of high-definition content.

Digital Playground, who were committed to Blu-ray last year, are now producing HD-DVD titles instead. No Blu-ray disk manufacturer would make their disks because Sony doesn’t want porn on Blu-ray (just as with Betamax). Second, as reported by tgdaily, the porn industry overwhelmingly favors HD-DVD because it’s much cheaper and easier to produce.

It is commonly reported that the XXX Video industry was a major factor in the last big format war, when VHS format was chosen over Betamax. Regardless of your moral and ethical stance on Adult Films, it cannot be denied that it is a huge industry that wields a fair amount of clout and tends to drive new tech adoption. This is pretty good news for HD-DVD, even if they were hacked just recently.

Red Digital Cinema is now featuring a wider assortment of Red One renders in the photo tour.

At this years CES in Las Vegas, Westinghouse has been showing off a montrous 52″ 2160p “Quad” HDTV.

“The 52″ TV runs a super high-resolution of 2160p (3840 x 2160 pixels). In absolute numbers, the device is running a stunning 8.3 megapixels - four times more than 1080p TVs (1920×1080p) and more than twice the resolution of Dell’s, HP’s and Apple’s 30″ desktop LCDs. So, what do you get from this resolution, especially if HD DVD and Blu-ray are running only 1080p anyway? According to Westinghouse, the TV does not really target the consumer market, but high-end industrial applications.”

Just how much would a dual monitor editing setup cost? This would be a nice setup to color grade your beautiful 4K Red One camera images. Westinghouse has declined to share pricing, so it appears to be another case of “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

 Pro Gripper Quad Review [9:28m]: Download
 Pro Gripper Quad Footage (Mustang GT Concept) [1:40m]: Download

FresHDV Test Bench
VFGadgets Pro Gripper Quad Camera Mount Review
By Matthew Jeppsen & Kendal Miller

$500
VFGadgets
877-686-1452
www.vfgadgets.com
Fresh Score: 3 (of 5)

The VFGadgets Pro Gripper Quad is a camera mounting system that allows you to stick a small camcorder on a moving vehicle in a variety of configurations. We had a chance to road test the system on a hot Mustang GT, and decided that a video review would be the best way to present our findings.

Pro Gripper Quad Video Review

(Right-click to download 50MB or 110MB H.264 MOV)

The following is a short spec that we made with the Mustang GT footage.

(Right-click to download 20MB H.264 MOV)

You wouldn’t think that Mike Curtis would have any free time for such matters…but apparently he liked the Apple iPhone announcement enough to whip up a little photochop action (more available here)

I expect a detailed and well-thought out treatise on the new device once he has time to post one. In the meantime he’s posted some thoughts on the iTV/Apple TV announcement.

UPDATE: ytmnd.com has a humorous take on the iPhone announcement.

Josh Oakhurst has a detailed interview with Kevin Knoblock, the creator of Border War: The Battle Over Illegal Immigration. The filmmaker shares some of the technical and financial challenges behind the project. They largely utilized Sony HDW-F900 HDCAM and JVC-HD100U HDV cams for acquisition. Some Mini-DV SD camcorders were used for various pickup shots.

For most of the Los Angeles shoots (Lupe Moreno, Teri March) we used a Sony HDW-F900 HDCAM. Emmy Winner Jody Eldred was my Los Angeles cameraman. I’ve worked and traveled the world with Jody on various shows since we met at KABC in the mid 1980’s. His setup - with wide angles lenses - was over $125,000 in gear.
It might seem crazy to intercut a $125,000 setup (the Sony) with a sub $10,000 camera (the JVC). We were amazed at the results - and so were our colorists.

Everything was converted to 720p DVCPRO HD for post production (HDCAM downconverted). After editing in FCP, the footage was hardware upconverted for DaVinci color correction, and some 35mm prints created. After showing a 20-city self theatrical distribution run across the country, the DVD distribution rights were acquired by Genius Entertainment. Lots more details and nuggets in the interview, many thanks to Josh for putting this all together.

The upgrade to the iPod Video and the long-rumored new iPhone have been announced…and they are the same device.

Hardware
*3.5″ widescreen touch sensitive display
*11.6 mm thin
*Onboard 2 megapixel camera
*Motion sensitive accelerometer, ambient light and proximity sensors
*Quad-band GSM with EDGE, WiFI, Bluetooth 2.0
*16 hr audio playback, 5 hr talk/video/other

Software offers a slew of handy features like 3-way conference calls, iChat-like multiple SMS sessions, Safari, Widgets, Google Maps, etc. Supposed to be shipping in June of this year, and pricing starts at $499.00

Remember when The Matrix came out? Remember…barely minutes into the film, and you had to retrieve your jaw from the theater floor after Trinity showcased the first example of “bullet time”.

Nowadays, there are a number of options for filmmakers who wish to use a similar effect. You can fake it with a few cameras and some patience. You can hire the pro’s to come in with either fully digital or film camera rigs. And of course there’s always the “do it in 3D” approach.

If turnaround time is limited, you’ve got another option. Mark Ruff’s fully digital “Time Splice Mac Rig” utilizes up to 60 DSLR cameras tethered to dedicated Mac Mini computers. Custom Applescripts pull everything together and are capable of processing and producing a watchable time-slice in seconds. The rig can be setup and ready to shoot within an hour of arrival. Don’t care to rent? Mark will sell you a turn key solution (along with exclusive rights to a geographic area).

UPDATE: Once more, Bruce Allen offers additional helpful links. Another option is Timetrack, or it’s digital equivalent Movia. Thanks again, Bruce!

What the Heck is Bokeh? Rick Denney takes the time to explain, and in plain english. Why should you care about bokeh? You probably don’t, unless you’re a still photographer or happen to own a camcorder with interchangable lenses or 35mm lens adapter system.

There is much written on the net about this elusive subject, and I won’t attempt to provide the etymology of the word (is it Japanese or not?) to compete with it. Suffice to say that different lens designs have an effect on the appearance of the out-of-focus areas in photographs.

Some photographic styles commonly use selective focus to bring the viewer’s attention to the subject. That means the subject is focused but the non-subject areas are not. If those unfocused areas are busy and distracting, the objective of bringing attention to the subject is lost. That’s why portrait photographers in particular care about bokeh.

Don’t miss the wrapup at the end of the article.

UPDATE: Alert reader Bruce Allen suggested another excellent article on the subject. Thanks Bruce! -MJ