A French newspaper (English translation) is reporting that a National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) scientist has determined that a Mac Pro computer purchased in 2007 has been emitting cocktail of “seven volatile organic contaminants,” including styrene and benzene derivatives. Apparently the researcher is not alone… he has stated that numerous new Mac Pro owners have reported a chemical odor not unlike a “new car smell,” along with symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and migraines.

It is my understanding that benzene is only toxic when ingested orally. When inhaled, as would be this case, the chemical is not directly toxic, but can irritate eyes, skin and the respiratory tract. Also, the article mentions that chemical derivatives were detected, so it may be overstating the risk (I am not a scientist). Furthermore, there is no data presented on the amount detected by researchers. Remember folks, chemicals aren’t inherently harmful, only certain chemicals at specific concentrations. So on the surface it appears that such issues may be an irritation to some, but not necessarily a significant direct health risk. However, the article goes on to quote “an expert in chemical risk” who states “Benzene can affect the bone marrow. Imagine a person works eight hours a day for two months by inspiring such vapors, sensitive people could very well develop leukemia.” Given a statement like that, I suppose it’d be worth checking into this.

The issue in question reportedly is limited to Mac Pro computers purchased before 2008, and the word on the street is that Apple has been informed, but has not publically acknowledged it, nor do they appear to be taking steps to contact potentially affected customers.

Mac Pro users… does your tower smell funky? Have you been experiencing any adverse health issues since it’s installation? If so, have you contacted Apple about it?

(Via ZDNET)

Ever wonder what audio normalization really does? Here’s an explanation for video editors from GeniusDV.

Larry Jordan over at HDFilmtools stopped by ARRI recently to take a look at their new line of HD camcorder accessories. Here’s a video from that visit.

Digital Post Production has a nice roundup of cost-effective pre-visualization software options for independent filmmakers.

Over at Motionographer I spotted a great short advert for the Australian Director’s Guild Conference.

“I came up with the idea of film makers as freaks ostracized by society growing up and finding each other through the calling of film making. [They] tend to be pretty precious with fragile egos so the idea stuck. The freak factor [...] represents the skills that are peculiar to film craft. The effects [...] involved substantial 3d tracking and photogrammetry that allowed the actors freedom to perform…”

Watch it at Motionographer.

This is a bit offtopic, but chock-full of awesome. I had to share it. People getting punched in super slow motion, watch below.

Are you an M2 35mm lens adapter owner? Have you experienced issues with light loss efficiency or edge sharpness? Those that have may be interested to know that Redrock Micro has announced an update to their cinescreen imaging element. The cinescreen II supposedly addresses these issues and more, is user-installable, and will sell for $125 after October 1. More info here.

I’ve posted a few links over at PVC that deal with the audio production so-called Loudness War that has been escalating in recent years. It turns out that average loudness levels isn’t necessarily the only factor in how we hear loudness.

Finally, the review you’ve been waiting for! Adam Wilt has posted his extensive review of the AG-HPX170, Panasonic’s complementary camera update to the HVX200 and 200A series. The HPX170 dumps that old-fogey tape drive and captures DVCPROHD and DVCPRO50 to P2 instead. Adam is extremely complimentary of the 170, and it looks like a worthy addition to Panasonic’s already excellent line of HD camcorders.

“Just as the HVX200 built on the success of the standard-definition DVX100, adding multiformat recording and multiple frame rates, the HPX170 takes the best features of the HVX200 and builds on them. The 170 makes a better picture. Added functionality, like HD-SDI, more frame rates, and Dynamic Range Stretch, makes it more versatile. Its lighter weight, refined ergonomics, and built-in waveform monitor make it an operator’s delight.

The HPX170 (US$5700 list, $5200 street price) can be considered a slimmed-down, tapeless, feature-enhanced brother to the HVX200. The camera records DV25, DVCPRO50, and DVCPROHD on P2 cards. The 170 drops the 200’s tape drive (which only records standard-def DV25), resulting in a 20% loss of weight and a thinner, better-balanced body that’s much more comfortable to operate handheld for long periods of time. While resolution, sensitivity, and basic scene-file “looks” are similar to those on the HVX200, the CCD block and DSP have been upgraded for cleaner,smoother, more naturalistic images with markedly reduced aliasing, and numerous operational improvements make the camera easier to control.”

That’s just a snippet from the introduction. The review takes no prisoners, going on in detail for three pages, covering all the key areas of this exciting new camera. An excellent read, I recommend it highly. Great job, Adam!

B&H is currently accepting orders on the AG-HPX170, listed at $5,195 USD and including a 16GB P2 card along with Barry Green’s HVX and HPX reference book. As is always the case with B&H, cards aren’t charged until the camera is in stock, and orders will ship in the order they are received. Purchases made via that link help support FreshDV at no additional cost to you.

Over at the Scarletuser forums, Jim Jannard has announced that due to recent industry developments they have decided to completely redesign their forthcoming “pocket sized” professional camera dubbed Scarlet. Here’s what he has to say, with commentary:

“We have changed everything about Scarlet because the market has changed and we have discovered a lot of things in the process. We have a new vision. Wipe you minds of the past announced Scarlet. Forget the design and forget the price. It is all different now. We think you will be surprised. Glad we didn’t take any deposits…”

Clearly this is a direct response to three recent announcements; Nikon’s D90 with 720p HD capture, Canon’s 5DMKII-thirtyaught-d9-quadrillion (or whatever the hell convoluted name they are using) with the 1080p feature, and the latest, Ikonoskop’s intriguing digital 16mm A-Cam dII. Quizzed if this would change ship dates, Jim has responded in a follow-up post:

“Full working models at NAB… shipping to ramp up after. Volume estimations are high so the long wait like a RED ONE should not be an issue. But that depends on the real demand. This is the current schedule… but you know things can change. The only good news is that we have now done this once and have a better idea of what is involved. We are making these changes ‘in the nick of time.’”

Many forum users seem to think there may be a slight price increase, and Jim doesn’t appear to have directly answered that question. I think at this point it’s better to just sit back and wait…it sounds to me as though Red is still unsure about a lot of details, price included.

As with any new pre-production camera hype:
1.) Take any shipping, price, and featureset projections with a nice big helping of salt. Red has shown time and time again that they can and will turn on a dime (this is either good and bad, depending on your particular POV). The good news is that they show a propensity towards overdelivering on features. The bad news is that they do it on their terms and their timeframe.

3.) It’s a camera concept. It’s not going to be the be-all and end-all of imaging devices, no matter what the fanboys say. Sure, it may be a paradigm shifter, but it will most certainly have limitations. It will have workflow or use issues. It won’t cook a mean omelette and serve it to you in bed. Take a step back, pull the Scarlet renders off your pedestal, and remember that it’s just a camera. Hopefully a damn good one, but just a camera.

I say we all take a short hiatus on Scarlet hype and let Red develop what they will. There will be plenty of time for hype when it comes out and we see the product, and more importantly, footage.

Swedish 16mm camera boutique shop Ikonoskop just released a (relatively) affordable 1920 x 1080 digital cinema camera at IBC. The A-Cam dII is a unique offering in a beautifully integrated case design. Already it’s being compared to the Red One and Scarlet by Red shooters and potential customers. Over at PVC I’ve posted 5 reasons why I believe this new camera offering differs from what Red is offering, and how it stacks up to the Red One and Scarlet.

Kung Fu in HD, shot with the super-slow motion Phantom camera. Need I say more? Behind the scenes videos here. Enjoy!

One of the products shown at IBC is the 8LED Reporter light by Sachtler. This tough looking lighting solution is the latest in efficient LED lighting intended for camera mounted use in the field. The daylight balanced light can be powered by any source from 6 to 24 volts, and the systems utilizes AB Power Tap, with adapters available for XLR, car adapters, etc. The 8LED is supposedly in a sealed, water resistant housing for the rigors of field production. Output is rated at 250 lumens. Finally, there are a number of accessories including barn doors and filters, and even an exchangeable LED module if you’d prefer a tungsten default source.

Mike Curtis has the scoop on a new plugin for Apple Compressor from QuVis called Wraptor. It enables content creators to encode their finished film or trailer to Digital Cinema Initiative Digital Cinema Package format (DCI DCP), the latest wrapper standard for digital cinema projection. Says Mike,

“Why is this such a big deal? Because I’ve heard encoding of even just TRAILERS was about $6K a pop, and features were about $20K. Now you can “roll your own” for about $700. So that’s BIG.”

It is developments like these that will ultimately swing the balance of power and control back to the hands of independent content creators. Read on for all the juicy details.

Titles. At times they seem like an afterthought. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Give a creative editor enough time and they can develop an amazing opening title sequence that properly sets the tone for the film to follow. Get inspired.