Via DCN comes this handy comparison demonstrating the stark differences in size between SD 720×480, 720p, 1080i, 2K, and 4K. It’s a simple and very effective method of conveying the disparities in format size.

Paul Harrill over at SRF has a nice list of light dimmer solutions, including the Harbor Freight Router Speed Controls we’ve recommended previously. Cheap and effective. He’s also got directions for building your own dimmer boxes, if perchance you happen to be into the DIY thing.

NOTE:
Harbor Freight dimmers can really only support up to around 1,500 Watts per line on a dimmer over that and you risk burning them out they work great just don’t overload them

-Kendal

Thanks to everyone for tuning into another successful Live FreshDV Show! I appreciate my associates Kendal Miller and Rick Henshaw taking the time to share insightful and interesting discussion. Some of the topics we covered:

*Redrock has announced a shipping window for their microMatteBox.
*FreshDV matte box reviews, both print and video.
*Zacuto recently announced their handheld and studio kits for RED One cameras.
*Since the term seems to be used so often now (including wedding/event realms), what defines a “Cinematographer”? Is there a hard and fast definition, and what is that threshold?
*Where did the focus on “unobtrusive” come from in the wedding/event world? How does a “cinematographer” balance that with crafting a story. (Great discussion on those topics)
*Storyboarding and pre-production, both physically and in your head as you shoot…shooting for the edit.
*Moving camera techniques…what is the motivation for movement, and how is that decision made? How does a cinematographer/DP/videographer make the decision to introduce movement keyed by the story?
*WGA Writers Strike commentary and opinions. More statistics from a recent Variety article.
*Upcoming Lowel Rifa EX video review.

Stay tuned for a downloadable archive of this live show in our normal podcast feed.

Splice Here, one of my new favorite reads, points to this New York Times article on the position of the Writers Guild of America strikers and how it relates to “big star” salaries.

“According to a report from the Writers Guild of America West, which represents the lion’s share of Hollywood writers, movie residuals were just $121.3 million in 2006, a mere drop in the $3 billion bucket. A big star, by contrast, can easily make $70 million or more from a single hit, if he or she enjoys a so-called first dollar gross deal.”

When you put it like that…ouch.

 FreshDV Live Show 10-30-07 Archive [57:30m]: Download

For the past month now we’ve been doing live call-in discussion shows every Tuesday night at 9:30pm Central. The first few shows we had some technical glitches which limited our ability to record an archive of the show, but I am pleased to note that we have just now uploaded an archive of our October 30th Live FreshDV Show. The archived show is available in our normal Podcast Feed so if you are subscribed you should see it show up soon. Non-iTunes users will be pleased to note it is also available as a straight up MP3 download via the above link. Topics we discussed in our hour-long 10/30/2007 show include:

*RED Digital Cinema Updates.
*Apple Leopard and Final Cut Studio users.
*Blackmagic driver updates.
*Imagineer Mocha.
*Celtx (Kendal does a quick feature walkthrough).
*Commentary on recent TV pilot production, tools and workflow.
*Long conversation with caller “Ken” about production with the HVX200 and Redrock M2 35mm adapter.
*P2/digital “reels” workflow on set vs. film.

Check in with the FreshDV crew tonight for our regular Tuesday night live show at 9:30 PM Central Time. We will post a call-in number at the start of the show and encourage you to call in and join the discussion!

The creators of the independent film 10 MPH have released a practical DIY Filmmaking Handbook that covers all the steps they have taken to market their film, from branding and festival submissions to self-financed DVD release and theatrical tour. The manual is available as a 26 page PDF for a buck, or you can read it online free. Here’s what it covers:

INTRO
HISTORY
ONLINE EXPERIENCE
DESIGN & BRAND
FESTIVALS
PRESS
WHO DO YOU KNOW?
KEEP MAKING FILMS
SPONSORS
DVD RELEASE
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
THEATRICAL TOUR
DIY FOR EVERYONE?

(Via Cinematech)

We’ve covered the Writers Guild strike previously, below a short video that lays out the issues pretty plainly. But in an alternative take on the strike, one writer suggests that the WGA should concentrate on copyright instead of higher payouts that ultimately benefit an elite few.
Continue reading ‘A Short Video That Explains The WGA Strike’

Mike Curtis notes that 90,000 HD-DVD players were sold over the weekend due in part to the limited-time $99 HD-A2 sale price at major retailers Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Circuit City. 90K units in a single weekend. Wow.

Newtek is now shipping the latest version of their $4,995 Integrated Production Suite, a collection of software tools and hardware designed to facilitate live switching/streaming production as well as virtual set technology that quickly integrates with live broadcast. Continue reading ‘NewTek Ships VT5′

This is offtopic, but worth noting since Mac editors move so much data around on a regular basis. Two major data-loss concerns exist that Apple users should be aware of. The first issue is a bug in the new OS X 10.5 Leopard Finder…there is potential for data loss if a drive/volume becomes unavailable during a file move operation. To the best of my knowledge this issue has not been publically addressed by Apple, though developers are already testing a OS X 10.5.1 update. One would assume the workaround is to copy files, and check the transfer was successful before deleting from the source volume.

The second issue relates to certain 2.5-inch Seagate SATA hard drives in Macbook and Macbook Pro notebooks. On specific models the read/write heads of the drive can physically detach from their arm and gouge the magnetic disk platter. This is obviously a Bad Thing and generally results in a drive beyond repair (and lost data).

The problem is reportedly prevalent with Seagate 2.5-inch SATA drives that are manufactured in China and loaded with firmware Version 7.01. Model numbers affected include ST96812AS and ST98823AS. Clark advises users to go to their System Profile, and under Serial ATA look for the “revision number.” “If it is firmware Version 7.01, then you have to panic,” he said. “Apple is being utterly irresponsible and should launch a product recall.”

So there you have it. An excellent reminder to Backup Your Mac.

Redrock Micro’s highly-anticipated microMatteBox has been in development for some time now, and they have now announced a shipping timeframe for reservation holders.

The microMatteBox will be released in two phases. The first phase will be a limited release of 50 microMatteBoxes, and is targeted for delivery in late December of this year. The second phase will be a general release that will cover most if not all of the remaining reservations, and will subsequently be generally available for ordering and purchase. The second phase is targeted for availability in the January/February timeframe.

Those who signed up for reservations will have to confirm their reservation with a $100 deposit on November 14th to hold their place in line. That deposit will in turn be applied to the final microMatteBox purchase price. Final pricing will be announced on the 14th as well. Redrock has maintained all along that they will be close to their “target price”, which always seems to be in that magic $500 range. The base matte box configuration will include:

*Lens shade
*Three rotating filter stages
*Three filter trays that will support 4×4 or 4×5.65â€? filters. Future filter trays will be available for larger filter sizes
*French Flag
*One 16:9 matte
Side wings and an additional flag (for bottom) will be offered as add-on options, available in the same timeframe.

For those that love building their own gear, here’s an EXCELLENT link roundup of various DIY and instructable projects. You’ll find tutorials and directions for building Do-It-Yourself fig rigs, jibs/cranes, steadycams and stabilizers, dollies/track, and lighting. Great stuff if you happen to be handy and don’t mind investing the time.

Monday marked the start of the Writers Guild of America’s industry-wide strike. The decision came over the weekend after talks between the studios and the WGA broke down, with the media conglomerates still unwilling to pay residuals on “new media”…web video, streaming TV shows, and the money made from such content. There is also the issue of a higher rate for DVD residuals, the old contract rate was established back in the early days of VHS and it seems that nobody at the time anticipated how that landscape would develop as DVDs came into popularity. According to The Hollywood Reporter,

“writers get 1.8% of just 20% of wholesale DVD revenue. That formula translates to about $64,800 flowing to writers of a DVD that sells 1 million copies. The WGA would like to see that formula doubled, or more, when it comes to the selling of Internet downloads — even if, right now, sales of such are paltry when compared to DVDs.”

Regarding the online issue, Robert J. Elisberg has summed up the issue in a nutshell: Continue reading ‘What the WGA Strike Means to You’

Just a quick reminder that we’ll be hosting another live audio show tonight, Tuesday November 6 at 9:30PM Central Time. We will post a call-in number just before the show starts here and welcome you to join the discussion.

FreshDV’s full review of Matte Box units is in the November print issue of DV Magazine, you can read it online at DV.com. While we were working with the matte boxes we captured some hands-on video footage that shows how the units match up. In the following video clips we cover the major features of each mattebox system, mount the units to our fully-loaded HVX test rig, and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each solution. We encourage you to view each of these videos and determine which system may meet your unique requirements and needs. UPDATE: Check the comments below for a note on the Petroff review. The matte box bag solution referenced in the Chrosziel video can be seen here.

 Intro and Petroff P44 Mattebox Review [8:41m]: Download
 Cinetech AB02-B Mattebox Review [8:36m]: Download
 Chrosziel 450MA Mattebox Review [7:17m]: Download
 Chrosziel DV Sunshade Review [2:11m]: Download

You can view the video reviews in either Quicktime MOV format (right-click the links above) or as Flash video streams (watch embedded below). Note that the above Quicktime versions are higher resolution and quality. You may also be interested in our accompanying review of five popular follow focus systems.
Continue reading ‘FreshDV Reviews Matte Box Systems’