Low/no budget filmmaker blogs daily on subjects like video production, HD cameras, screenwriting, etc.
The Apple Gazette announced a number of key features for Final Cut Studio 2.
One key upgrade is its support for 4K video (4,096 x 2,160 pixels) and in effect support footage that originated from the RED camera (the RED camera stole NAB in 2006).
More info: FCS2 will cost $1,299, or $499 for an upgrade from FCS. FCP users can upgrade to FCS2 for only $699. Final Cut Studio 2 will be available next month.
Or is it? The North American HD DVD Promotional Group took advantage of CES to get out the following:
As of January 5th, the group estimates there were more than 175,000 HD DVD players sold in America, with an annualized attach rate of 28 movies per player. The group projects sales will reach 2.5 million players by the end of this year and more than $600 million worth of movie revenues. HD DVD buyers can look forward to more HDi enhanced titles, now featuring internet features that were demoed at the event, as well as more players hitting the market from manufacturers like Lite-On, Alco, Alpine, Meridian and Onkyo. Look for the trend of combo releases to continue, as the format’s backers see it as a viable way of introducing current DVD owners to the format and building a library prior to upgrading.
Numbers usually don’t lie. And the numbers here (at least in terms of players) are very much skewed in favor of the Blu-ray camp. The reason? One million Playstation 3 have been purchased and I bet this is just the beginning.
I don’t mean Sofia Coppola indies (Lost in Translation). I mean real indies that’ve been shot by a low/no budget filmmaker.
One example is Waterborne, an indie flick about bio terrorism. Apparently, the filmmakers behind it passed on a lucrative (?) offer of $125,000 for the theatrical distribution (North American market, I’d assume).
Instead they went with Google video and reportedly the movie got 25,000 views in its first two weeks of streaming. The “premiere attracted an “average of 1,000 page views and hundreds of paid downloads”, according to Ben Rekhi, Waterborne’s writer/director. There’s an video interview with the filmmaker - Filmmaker Ben Rekhi discusses “Waterborne,” pioneer Google Video feature film.
So far, so good. I still have to see the numbers before I can say I buy Google’s hype. The indications are pretty strong though. For example, Samaritan, an indie “feature” shot with HVX200 in 2 nights (81 setups) could find Google video as the only viable distribution outlet. Another must-see is Steve Ballmer’s Developers video.
Update: Google will be launching pay-per-click video ads - could they appear next to “regular” Google videos?
Update: I’ve been to Google Video again and it seems to me that most of the videos there are junk. Yet, occasionally you get to some original stuff: like the Mentos Coke video or Steve Ballmer’s Developers video. You can even get a fake Diablo 3 trailer (although Blizzard are sneaky about a Diablo 3 release).
A new breed of actors has emerged with Gollum, King Kong, and all the guys from Final Fantasy. That new breed is usually born and bred in Sillicon Graphic servers and released to the unsuspecting public. This pretty much means real actors are still a lot cheaper but of course, a lot less perfect.
If you do have the money, you could do some shopping for virtual actors using Exotique: the leading book title devoted to showcasing the finest character creations from digital artists worldwide. Here’s what you’ll find inside:
EXOTIQUE presents 228 examples of exceptional character artwork by 113 artists from 37 countries presented over 192 pages of the highest quality production. In addition to exhilarating character artwork, EXOTIQUE features the profiles of eight prominent character artists working within the digital arts community.
All “actors” are fully developed 3D model so at least in theory you could get them into the action relatively quickly. I bet most of the artists utilized the latest iMac G5 / PowerMac G5.
When I recently reviewed Apple’s new iMac G5, I was impressed with it’s performance. As a sort of disclaimer: I’m a PC-person really so although I love Macs, I’d rather have a more open system.
Naturally, I wanted to check out the beast inside Apple’s PowerMac Quad. It has two dual core PowerPC processors running at 2,5GHz. Here’s a benchmark test:
Definitely has the WOW effect in terms of Gigaflops but what’s the improvement for the applications you’ll be using:
All in all, the improvement over Apple’s PowerMac G4 is about 3.7 times. Considering the video coming out of the new Panasonic HVX200 is 100Mbps DVCPRO HD, you’ll definitely will need this additional horsepower.
Even if you stick to “regular” HDV cameras, you’ll find it a lot faster to edit on a dual core PowerMac G5. Most of us are no Walter Murch but if you spend 6 months working on the edit, you’ll be able to save substantial time if you upgrade to the new beast. Starts from just $1,999!
Update: Jonathan at VFCPUG Online has already ordered one, so I’m harassing him to do a review 
When Apple released the new video iPod last month, it created such a buzz that no one seems to have noticed another “premiere”: the new iMac G5.
Regardless, professional reviewers did their job and gave the new iMac top ratings:
The combination of the new, improved hardware, plus Front Row, makes the iMac G5 the best consumer desktop you can buy this holiday season, period. For mainstream consumers doing typical tasks — Web surfing, email, office productivity, photos, music, home videos, etc. — it’s the finest desktop PC on the market, at any price. …the top-of-the-line model, with a 20-inch screen, is now $1,699, down $100 from its predecessor. The 17-inch model is still $1,299, despite the added features.
The new iMac G5 has native support for HDV editing as well as DVCPRO HD, the 100Mbps standard used in new “Varicam” - the Panasonic HVX200.
If you’re a serious editor obviously you’ll need a more professional platform but if you’re going to edit your first short, the iMac makes a lot of sense. Apple did price it competitively to other desktop systems so you should take advantage of this iMac.
You’ve all heard of Bittorrent which is by far the most popular tool for downloading (il)legal content online. The programmer behind it, Bram “Stoker” Cohen, just struck a deal with the MPAA, effectively refusing all links to illegal content.
OH MY GOD! Can he do this? Of cours, he can. He’s the programmer that wrote Bittorent (and gave us everything we’ve came to associate with it, like Miss Canada).
Would that have any impact on torrent users downloading illegal content? No way. There are many torrent clients now. I recently reviewed µTorrent - a lightweight torrent client. There are thousands of torrent trackers too…
Another blogger likened this to Bram Cohen going to the MPAA and selling them the Brooklyn bridge. Hope they paid him a pretty penny because I never donated to Bittorent and I feel guilty as hell.
Finally! The specs for the Panasonic HVX200 have been sent to a couple of review sites. If you’re in a video production company or (even better) an aspiring filmmaker, you should start taking notes.
Update: You can already get REAL footage from the HVX200, even footage at 60p (frame rates supported by HVX200). The camera should be available in stores, so you might also want to get my recommendations for accessories for HVX200.
Here’s a summary of the important features introduced with the new Panasonic HVX200. I’ll prioritize them for you.
Variable frame rates
Panasonic HVX200 supports a variety of frame rates just like Panasonic’s Varicam (AJ-HDC27). In 720p, the HVX200 records not only in the most popular 24p, 30p, and 60p, but almost any rate between 4 and 60 as well. One limitation is that his flexibility is reserved for 720p.
When we jump up to 1080p, the camera still delivers TRUE 24p – which is amazing considering none of the HDV cams in the same price range support it. Click here for more on HVX200 frame rates.
Robust format
Panasonic HVX200’s HD format is called DVCPRO-HD. The difference between DVCPRO-HD and HDV is about 4 to 1 in terms of data throughput. DVCPRO-HD supports data rates of up to 100Mbps. This allows the camera to record video without applying as much compression as the HDV cameras do. Another advantage in terms of format is the support of 4:2:2 color space - again linked to the 100Mbps allowance. The DVCPRO-HD has been around for several years and has been used in the Varicam.
In addition to the HD format, Panasonic HVX200 also supports standard DV, as well as DVCPRO50 (Panasonic’s more professional DV format with a much lower compression ratio).
Tapeless recording (P2)
The argument tape vs, memory is still raging on. On the negative side, memory is very expensive compared to tape. An 8GB P2 chip that can hold about 10 minutes of HD (depending on frame rate) is going to cost you $1,700. On the positive, it’s quick, durable, and best of all – bound to become cheaper. SONY has pioneered a disc system – XDCAM – which is similar but naturally, cheaper because it uses Blu-Ray discs (27GB).
Panasonic HVX200 takes advantage of its data recording medium in several ways. First, you start recording immediately after you hit the button. In fact, it’s better than that. P2 allows you to start recording BEFORE you hit the button. The memory will buffer 3-7 seconds of video, so even if you don’t have split-second reactions, you’ll be able to capture action flawlessly.
Another advantage is the ability to transfer files directly to your computer (or you could back them up to Firewire drives). During shooting you can also mark takes which you like so that you can start editing in seconds.
Lens and controls
HVX200’s lens is a 13x Leica which compares favourably to SONY FX1. The zoom ring is full manual which is another big plus. Both JVC GY-HD100U and the upcoming Canon XL H1 have interchangeable lenses although the availability and variety of quality lenses is still in question.
Audio
Panasonic HVX200’s more robust format (DVCPRO-HD) allows four uncompressed channels of 16-bit 48Khz quality audio (or two stereo pairs). This is a BIG change from the HDV format.
Final verdict (based on specs)
Panasonic has created a worthy successor to the DVX100. HVX200 excels in all areas and it could be hard for a HDV camera to compete, especially, when you consider the price. At $5,995, it’s only marginally more expensive than SONY Z1 (50 bucks more) but offers a lot more. It’s much cheaper than the interchangeable lens cameras - Canon XL H1 and JVC GY-HD100U.
That’s until you consider the cost for the media. At $1,700 per a pop, 8GB P2’s are going to be a TOUGH sell. In a year’s time, it’ll probably be 2-4 times cheaper, so don’t start stocking on P2s just now. If $6,000 is too much for you, you could get Sony HC1 for less than $1,500 - it’s a more affordable, entry-level HDV camcorder. The bigger and better Sony FX1 is midway (at $3,000 it’s perfect for wedding videography) between the Hc1 and HVX200.
Update: Check out this USB 1.1 vs USB 2.0 speed comparison.
It’s still a brave new world as far as high definition is concerned. The battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray is still raging on. In terms of software, neither Roxio, nor Nero support HD-DVD, so even if you have your movie in HD, you won’t be able to put it on a DVD.
There’s another “burner” out there called Ashampoo which claims it supports Blu-Ray, Sony’s HD format. With the functionality provided, you can erase a re-writable Blu-Rays or create a data Blu-Ray. You can’t do a video disc though as the specs for it are still not finalized. HD-DVD burners are not exactly cheap or widely available either.
Sony has a Blu-Ray High Definition DVD Recorder with a price tag of about $4,000. That’s close to what the first DVD recorders used to cost. It’s bound to go down. You should check with some of your local video production companies, if you could rent a HD-DVD recorder.
So right now, these are your options. Save the HD movie file to a data Blu-Ray disc that will only be playable on another computer. It’s not much, but it’s a start.
Looking at the new iPod, I start wondering why Apple claims it plays everything… but movies. Apparently, Apple made Hollywood a proposal they couldn’t resist, yet somehow Hollywood did resist it. I wonder why.
For starters, let’s look at the tech specs: it sports a 2.5-inch LCD display (320 x 240 pixels) that supports 260,000 colors. That’s good enough for downloadable porn but I don’t think it cuts it for movies. It’s not widescreen (being 4:3 instead of 16:9) and there’s limit on the resolution of the movies that can be imported (480×480).
Just consider that Sidney Pollack brought a lawsuit against a Danish TV station for the use of its pan-and-scan (4:3) showing of his film “Three days of the Condor”. The court ruled that the pan-and-scan was a “mutilation” of his work and a violation of Pollacks ‘Driot Moral’, his legal right as an artist to maintain his reputation by protecting the integrity of his work.
As an even more extreme example, imagine you somehow get “Lawrence of Arabia” on your new iPod. How long would you wait until you see the black speck that Omar Sharif is in the famous scene? It takes a while to spot it even on the DVD edition.
Despite its shortcomings, the new iPod sets a trend that might eventually lead to an alternative means for distributing “pocket” movies. This could enable indie producers to distribute their movies cheaply and easily. Even now you can find plenty of sites that have torrents for iPod.
The Zen Vision from Creative Labs already sports a 640×480 LCD. I’m hopeful SONY will have the last word on this one. I love the LCD on my SONY VX2000, I’m sure I’ll be able to find Omar Sharif in under a minute if I manage to play it there.
Update: You can read my tips on producing video for iPod. A must-see for your video iPod is Steve Ballmer’s Developers video.
When you’re creating a blockbuster with thousands of CGI-generated extras, you do need a technique that will allow you to previsualize the stuff you’re going to shoot. Certain scenes from recent productions (Star Wars: Return of the Sith, LOTR Trilogy, etc.) are so complex and costly that no sane producer will agree that you spend the budget “experimenting” on location. Here’s where sophisticated 3D tools kick in:
“You can experience directing a big action scene and assemble it without getting out there, without spending any money,” says visual-effects supervisor Robert Legato, an Oscar winner for his work on James Cameron’s 1997 epic “Titanic.” “You have a shot list, a rig list, camera angles, and you can organize your shooting days.”
You can read the complete article on Previsualization at the Hollywood Reporter.
If you’re interested in a more “visual” experience, you can get the Making of Star Wars: Return of the Sith DVD where you can watch the bonus DVD extra - Within a Minute. Looking at some of the stunts being polished is like looking at a small scale video production: they shoot with a Canon XL1S and use a wheel chair as a dolly. Lucas loves indie filmmaking.
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