Director Ron Howard is launching another Project Imagin8ion

Canon U.S.A. Inc. has created another partnership with director Ron Howard for Long Live Imagination. The partnership kicks off on May 7, 2012 with a digital campaign, and is a sequel to Howard and Canon’s successful Project Imagin8ion – a user generated photo contest that produced a Hollywood production-style short film.

For Long Live Imagination, a Canon TV commercial will debut on May 14, 2012 and will showcase the eight winning photographs of Project Imagin8ion, and will preview “Ron’s Next Project.” Viewers will also be encouraged to visit www.youtube.com/imagination, which will feature a message from Howard taken from the set of his current film, Rush. The print campaign will launch on May 28, 2012 and details of the new consumer contest will be revealed in summer 2012.

If you’re not familiar with Project Imagi8ion, last year Howard and Canon invited photographers from all over the world to submit their own photographs based on a series of movie themes for a user-generated contest. The contest entry categories represented eight distinct story-telling elements – such as setting, character and goal – that would ultimately shape the film.

They received nearly 100,000 submissions with Howard selecting eight winning photographs to inspire his next production, which was directed by daughter Bryce Dallas Howard. When you find me, was shot using Canon cameras including the C300 and DSLR cameras and lenses. After its world premiere in November 2011, the film screened at Sundance, South by Southwest and Tribeca film festivals. It was also shown in theaters across the country including the hometowns of the eight local winners. The 30-minute film will make its exclusive television debut – commercial free – on IFC on Monday, May 21 at 8PM, ET/PT.

“I loved the concept behind Project Imagin8ion, a very pure experiment that showcased the power of still images on narrative story-telling,” said Ron Howard. “I’m excited about what’s on the horizon as I partner with Canon for year two of this fantastic creative adventure.”

Grey New York, Canon’s agency partner for over thirty years, is developing the creative and digital elements of the multi-phase campaign. Alliance, the activation and public relations division of Grey, is managing the partnership with Ron Howard as well as the promotional, event and public relations efforts.

Adobe's new CS6 Production Premium is their biggest release in a decade

It goes without saying that the production industry has seen some significant changes in the past couple of years. Disruptive camera technology (RED ONE, Canon 5D Mark II, etc.) has created a new industry in which low-budget filmmakers can now compete with studios in delivering a professional looking film. The post-production industry is no different with off-the-shelf, all-in-one editing and finishing suites that have given editors, visual effects artists and colorists the ability to finish projects on laptops with affordable software packages costing in the thousands of dollars rather than the tens of thousands.

Last year at this time marked a major disruption in the post-production market. Apple released Final Cut Pro X for a low price point of $299 and the professional editing community was turned on its head. Not only did the program lack many professional features editors were accustomed to, they also couldn’t open up previous Final Cut Pro projects. In the past year Apple has quickly released numerous updates through their Mac App store to get its FCP X up to speed but the damage was done, enabling Adobe to increase their market share for CS5 and 5.5 Mac licenses up over 40%.

Another big reason why many indie filmmakers have made the switch over to Adobe was the DSLR effect. DSLRs like the Canon 5D Mark II created a new army of filmmakers who were eager to begin editing their footage. Since you weren’t able to work natively with the DSLR’s H.264 codec with Final Cut Pro 7 and earlier versions, Adobe quickly latched on to these new filmmakers because Premiere Pro was one of the first NLEs to enable this. For professionals, companies including the BBC, CBS Sports Network, CNN, Hearst, Media General and NRK started using the Creative Suite Production Premium for their file-based workflows. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Ellen Wixted, Sr. Project Manager, Adobe Systems, Al Mooney, Project Manger, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Steve Forde, Sr. Project Manager, Adobe After Effects to discuss the latest version of Creative Suite – CS6 Production Premium.

Last year’s CS5.5 was a big upgrade with their Mercury Playback Engine broadening its GPU hardware support to laptops and more supported cards, which gave users real-time feedback, higher resolutions, and the ability to work natively with almost any format. At NAB 2012, people were expecting big things, especially with Autodesk announcing a new version of Smoke for $3,495.

Well, Adobe did not disappoint and announced Creative Suite 6 Production Premium, which features big updates to Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Story, Media Encoder, and Photoshop. CS6 is also releasing two new programs to the suite: SpeedGrade for color grading and Prelude for complex workflow. There’s also better integration between the programs so you can move shots or sequences in a more efficient manner. According to Adobe, CS6 is their biggest release in a decade.

Here are some of the updates and highlights from programs for CS6:

Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro CS6 is definitely not your father’s Premiere. In terms of power, the new and enhanced Mercury Playback Engine lets you do a number of new things, such as scrubbing clips, perform multi-format sequences in HD, 5K and even higher resolutions.

Adobe has completely redesigned the Premiere Pro’s UI, making the editing process more intuitive. Some new features include dynamic timeline trimming, Warp Stabilizer, which was previously in After Effects, a revamped Three-Way Color Corrector, expanded multi-cam support and more.

The first thing you’ll notice when opening Premiere Pro CS6 is the new UI. There’s a new “two-up” workspace that shows your Source Monitor and Program monitor taking up the entire upper half of the screen. You can also view your Source or Program monitor in full screen, which you couldn’t do before. Below, in the newly designed Project Panel, there are now 16×9 panels (you can also view these in list) and Adobe has employed a scrub-like feature they’re calling Hover Scrub. Similar to Final Cut Pro X’s scrubbing feature, you’re now able to view clips just by guiding your mouse over a clip to view a shot. Since most editors use key strokes (e.g., J, K, L, etc.) Adobe has really refined the UI to show more video and less grey borders. In terms of controls, you can also manually remove certain buttons with a Button Editor beneath your Source and Program monitors to give your UI an even cleaner look. Pretty much everything within the workspace is now customizable, which is exactly what editors want.

Every year there seems to be an influx of new formats and resolutions. One of the Premiere Pro’s biggest strengths was its versatility with working with a variety of codecs such as H.264 and AVCHD. Premiere Pro CS6 allows you to work natively with the RED Scarlet-X, EPIC, ARRI ALEXA, and the Canon C300.

Another long awaited new feature is an advanced Trim Mode in the Program Monitor panel, which allows you to do more precise edits. When in Trim mode, it changes to a two-up display and you’re able to keep track of trimming by frame by frame both visually and audibly. (In Premiere Pro CS5.5, you could only keep track either visually or audibly.) This is an important feature that professional editors have been asking for.

One of the most popular features in CS5.5 was the Warp Stabilizer in After Effects. The Warp Stabilizer takes shaky handheld footage and smoothes it out to make it look as if it were shot on a Steadicam. What’s great about the feature is that it not only smoothes a shot out, but it also removes motion artifacts that would remain after stabilization. The Warp Stabilizer function is now in Premiere Pro and it gives you even more control and refinement such as reducing the amount of cropping and scaling, as well as the degree of smoothing. For indie filmmakers who can’t afford to work with a dolly or Steadicam, the Warp Stabilizer can add production value.

After Effects's new Global Performance Cache makes the program faster and more powerful

After Effects

Although most editors are not motion graphics designers or visual effects artists, with shrinking budgets, today’s filmmakers and editors are being asked to tackle some of these duties in post-production. After Effects has long been an industry standard for motion graphics and effects but editors have also been using the program for color correction, motion tracking, keying and rotoscoping. After Effects CS6 is faster and more responsive than previous AE releases and Adobe has made it even easier to integrate with other programs. They’ve added and/or updated over 80 built-in effects.

The newest and most talked about new feature within After Effects is the Global Performance Cache, which makes AE faster and more powerful. It consists of new technologies, including a global RAM cache, a persistent disk cache and a new graphics pipeline. According to Adobe, early tests performed by NVIDIA AE functions have improved by a factor of 1.5 to 2.5x with some up to 16 times faster than before (depending on your hardware configuration).

Another new feature is the 3D Camera Tracker that analyzes the motion in 2D; computes the position, orientation and field of view of the camera that shot the scene, and then creates a new 3D camera in After Effects to match. The new 3D layers have the same movement and perspective as the original footage and you can insert these objects into existing scenes.

The negative effects of rolling shutter from CMOS sensors in cameras are a major problem for most shooters, especially for DSLR filmmakers. Wobble and skew are the main issues from rolling shutter in which following a moving subject can cause distortions (e.g., a leaning building or an elongated car driving by). AE6 now has an advanced Rolling Shutter Repair drag and drop effect that contains two algorithms to help straighten out this problematic footage.

SpeedGrade

Last year, Adobe made big news by purchasing SpeedGrade from IRIDAS. SpeedGrade is a professional color grading and finishing software, which previously sold for $20,000. SpeedGrade is now included in CS6 and is a native 64-bit app that offers GPU-accelerated performance and format support, including RAW, HDR, and stereoscopic content. In terms of camera formats, you can work natively with the ALEXA, RED, Phantom, as well as QuickTime, DPX and Open EXR. With SpeedGrade’s new GPU-accelerated Lumetri Deep Color Engine, you can create a look for every scene with 32-bit floating-point accuracy with primary and secondary color adjustments, film-style filters, and effects. You can also de-Bayer RAW footage in real time, work with HDR footage and switch between log and linear color spaces.

SpeedGrade is a native 64-bit app that offers GPU-accelerated performance

Professional colorists can also conform EDLs or receive sequences from Premiere Pro. When your edit is done in Premiere Pro, you can easily send to SpeedGrade, which sets the project up as a 10-bit DPX sequence, creates a SpeedGrade .ircp file that includes a timeline and then opens the project in SpeedGrade.

Prelude

The line between production and post is becoming increasingly more transparent due to the emergence of file-based workflows. On a shoot, someone is usually charged (typically a camera assistant, or on a bigger budget, a D.I.T.) with getting the files off the camera, logging the footage and then delivering to post. Prelude – the newest program to CS6 – provides a smart new workflow interface for ingest and logging. Prelude simplifies this process by allowing you to ingest footage quicker, including the ability to duplicate, transcode and verify formats. With intuitive keyboard driven logging, you can also create metadata and subclips while you’re still viewing your clips. You can also create rough cuts by combining clips and subclips with markers and comments and then send to Premiere Pro CS6 for editing. If you’re working with an editor that you haven’t worked with before, you can also add comments in a clip to tell him or her what’s important in the shot and what to emphasize. Prelude will definitely save you valuable time in post and is a great new edition to an already loaded suite.

For more information, please visit www.adobe.com.

If you heard a collective gasp coming from about ninety thousand people in Las Vegas last week, it was most likely in reaction to Blackmagic’s ground breaking announcement that they are now officially a camera manufacturer. On April 16, 2012, Blackmagic Design unleashed the Blackmagic Cinema Camera on NAB and the world. It’s not clear whether this will be a trend or a one time venture, but either way, this first effort at an image capture device packs a massive punch for the price. The handheld unit is slightly larger than a standard DSLR and includes a high resolution 2.5K sensor, built in high bandwidth SSD recorder, open file format support, color correction with full version of DaVinci Resolve and a built in LCD with metadata entry, all in an attractive compact design for only US $2,995.

Blackmagic Cinema Camera Key Features:

• High resolution 2.5K sensor allows improved anti aliasing and reframing shots.
• Super wide 13 stops of dynamic range allows capture of increased details for feature film look.
• Built in SSD allows high bandwidth recording of RAW video and long duration compressed video.
• Open file formats compatible with popular NLE software such as CinemaDNG 12 bit RAW, Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD. No custom file formats.
• Includes no custom connections. Standard jack mic/line audio in, BNC 3 Gb/s SDI out, headphone, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology, LANC remote control and standard DC 12-30V power connection.
• Capacitive touch screen LCD for camera settings and slate metadata entry.

For more information, go to their website at www.blackmagic-design.com

In the LA area on May 16, 2012?  

LA Blackmagic Roadshow on at Burbank Hilton on May 16th

Blackmagic Design will host the Blackmagic Roadshow in Los Angeles on May 16th. The event will be held at the Burbank Airport Marriott from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and will include Blackmagic Design’s complete range of products for broadcast, post production and live events, as well as presentations by Blackmagic Design partners and renowned editors and color artists, as well as a keynote presentation by DigitalFilm Tree’s CEO, Ramy Katrib.

The event, which is free to attend, will include hands on demonstrations and theater presentations of Blackmagic Design’s products, as well as the first demonstrations in California of the new products announced at NAB 2012, including the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, DaVinci Resolve 9.0, Teranex 2D and 3D Processors, HyperDeck Studio Pro, UltraStudio Express, Universal Videohub Editing Interface and Battery Converters.

As part of the event, Ramy Katrib of DigitalFilm Tree will discuss new workflows and tools used at his LA based post production house. In addition, he will discuss the DaVinci Resolve workflow used by DigitalFilm Tree on the nationally acclaimed television show NCIS: Los Angeles, as well as new studio projects being completed with Teranex standards converter processors. Theater presentations and hands on demonstrations will also be offered by Blackmagic Design partners Avid, Adobe, PNY Technology, Magma and Promise Technology.

Event Details:
Where: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel, Academy Ballroom 2 & 3, 2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank
When: May 16th, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm

To attend the event, please visit invite.blackmagic-design.com

At NAB 2012, Canon's 4K cameras were the talk of the show

With the exception of a camera from Blackmagic Design that nobody saw coming, I think it’s safe to say Canon owned NAB 2012. Not only were they showcasing their excellent new Cinema EOS C300, they also launched the update to the 5D Mark II camera – the 5D Mark III. It’s also probably safe to say that the landmark Canon 5D Mark II saved NAB during a rough economy due to the creation of an entire industry of camera accessories and solutions. Indie filmmaking was changed forever because of the DSLR Revolution.

Now Canon looks to disrupt the professional film industry by releasing two new professional 4K motion picture cameras. The flagship Cinema EOS C500 camera captures 4K (4096 x 2160-pixel) resolution with uncompressed RAW output for external recording. Just like the C300, the C500 will be available in either EF- or PL-mount versions and has a tentative list price of $30,000, which is significantly less expensive than rivals in its class. Canon is also releasing an interesting DSLR – the EOS-1DC – that contains an 18.1-megapixel full-frame (24 x 36mm) CMOS sensor. 4K video is captured by an approximately APS-H-sized portion of the full image sensor, while Full HD video can be captured in the user’s choice of full-frame or Super 35mm cropped sensor area. As you probably know, high-quality cinema-style lenses usually determine a professional camera system. At NAB, Canon showcased four zoom lenses that are light enough for handheld and Steadicam work and contain uniform gear positions, rotation angles and lens front diameters so professional camera crews won’t have to adjust to using a new lens system.

Canon's new Cinema EOS zoom lenses are light enough for handheld and Steadicam work

To prove they are moving into Hollywood, Canon showcased the C500 and its 4K workflow with a short film by cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network) in which FotoKem provided the on-set workflow solution with their NextLab system. Shane Hurlbut, ASC, who was one of the pioneers of the DSLR revolution, demonstrated the 1DC at the Canon booth as well.

While visiting the Canon booth, I got the privilege to sit down with Canon Inc.’s Masaya Maeda, (hang on, long title) Managing Director and Chief Executive of Image Communication Products Operations. Here we discussed Canon’s latest products, as well as their entry in the professional filmmaking space.

HDVP: Is this your first time at NAB?

MASAYA MAEDA: Yes, first time.

HDVP: Before we get into Cinema EOS, I wanted to ask you about the development of the 5D Mark II. From my understanding, it was a surprise to Canon that the camera took off amongst high-end cinematographers?

MAEDA: It was certainly unexpected, even for us. In the development of the 5D Mark II, the original target was still photo journalists who wanted to shoot stills and video on one device. Because of the progress of the Internet, there was a demand for professional photographers to do both.

HDVP: So what went into the strategy for the 5D Mark III?

MAEDA: After the unexpected reaction from the cinema industry, we took all the feedback from the 5D Mark II into consideration for the 5D Mark III’s design. We really wanted to provide a product that would be even more suitable for 5D Mark II shooters. The basic strategy was totally different because with the 5D Mark III, we knew the cinema industry was already looking for even more functions than the 5D Mark II.

HDVP: One of the biggest complaints about the 5D Mark II was the line skipping technology it employed. How were you able to eliminate this?

MAEDA: First of all, the speed of reading out from the sensor has improved dramatically from the 5D Mark II. That enabled us to eliminate the line skipping issues that were happening.

HDVP: Was it primarily a result from the DIGIC 5+ processor?

Canon Inc.'s Masaya Maeda, Managing Director and Chief Executive of Image Communication Products Operations

MAEDA: Yes, it was a combination of both the new image sensor on the camera, as well as the Digic 5+ processor.

HDVP: Do you still see a lot of growth for filmmaking with DSLRs?

MAEDA: We think the market for cinematographers using the DSLR format will still increase. Also, there is a big difference between using a regular camcorder, including the C-series, versus the DSLR. First there’s the compact body. Even though the C300 is compact, a DSLR is even smaller. Also, the DSLR only requires itself to shoot and record versus professional camcorder systems that need all of your professional accessories to shoot with.

HDVP: 4K seems to be the big trend for this year’s NAB. How fast do you see the implementation of 4K for both motion capture and exhibition?

MAEDA: Since 4K just launched, everything is still just an estimation but we can look back to the transition from SD to HD. Even though there was an initial period when everyone launched an HD camera, broadcasts were still in SD, even though people were starting to shoot content in HD. A similar situation will happen at this point where we’ll see a shift from HD to 4K. So even though the majority of broadcasting will be in HD for a couple of years, those people who will use our 4K cameras are shooting everything in 4K for archival purposes – to be ready for the future of 4K broadcast.

HDVP: Where do you see Cinema EOS fitting in with the crowded market of high-end digital camera systems like the ARRI ALEXA, Sony F65 and film? Would you place them in that category or a category of its own?

MAEDA: Neither (laughing). First of all when we released the 5D Mark II, we understand that people gravitated to the overall image quality. It wasn’t just the specs, but the feeling they get from seeing a filmic image from a DSLR. Also, we are not looking to compete with all the existing products from different companies. Since we found out there was a demand for products like the 5D Mark II, we are trying to aim for those needs in the marketplace. 4K is one solution that we provide. We’re not only trying to target 4K to the very high-end but also target the younger generation who would like to use our cameras to create. For example, for lighting in the past, people have been trying to produce what looks like natural light. All of our cameras have really high low-light sensitivity so you don’t need to re-create natural light – you can just use the existing natural light. Please stop by our 4K theatre where you can see the actual footage of the cameras capturing natual light.

For more information, please visit www.usa.canon.com.

Blackmagic Design releases their new digital camera - the Blackmagic Cinema Camera

At NAB 2006, RED Digital Cinema announced the 4K RED ONE camera, which became the talk of the show for both ASC cinematographers as well as eager film students. Show attendees crowded RED’s booth to peer at a prototype behind glass and surrendered their credit cards to place $1,000 deposits at the chance to buy one. Within a year, RED created a new type of indie shooter who could own a professional camera system and compete with the studios in terms of image quality. As a result, industry-standard companies like Kodak and Panavision were the collateral damage.

At NAB 2012, a similar game-changing event took place. Australian company, Blackmagic Design – mostly known for their video converters, routers, disk recorders, etc. – announced the arrival of a new digital cinema camera, which is simply titled the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. The compact rectangular box-shaped camera can comfortably fit in the palm of your hand and includes impressive features such as 13-stops of latitude, a high-resolution 2.5K sensor, a built-in SSD recorder, and the ability to capture 12-bit RAW motion picture files. Like the Scarlet-X, Blackmagic is smartly releasing the camera with an EF-mount that will be compatible with Canon EF, Zeiss CP.2 and ZE lenses. (With Canon having 70 million EF lenses out in the field, I think it’s safe to say indie filmmakers will be living in an EF-world from here on.)

I’m sure your interest is piqued, right?

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera contains a 5" touchscreen LCD

For monitoring, the camera contains a large touch screen LCD that you can type your metadata into as if you were using a smartphone or tablet. The 5” monitor is fixed to the back of the camera and can display record status, shutter angle, ISO, battery level, record time and more. Unlike many of the new compact cameras that contain one HDMI output, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera contains a 3-Gbps SDI output, as well as a Thunderbolt connection to offload footage to a computer or hard drive.

With RAW capture becoming more common with cinematographers shooting for post, a professional finishing solution is needed. Included in the purchase of the camera is DaVinci Resolve, an advanced color correction system and Ultrascope, which enables waveform monitoring. Previously a $20,000 system, Blackmagic Design purchased the company a few years ago from JDS Uniphase Corp. and is now offering the program to customers for $995. So now you’re basically getting a $1,000 app thrown into your camera package.

So far, so good, right? Wait, there’s one more thing.

It will retail for $2,995 and include a copy of DaVinci Resolve

This would be big news for a camera costing in the ten to 20 thousand range but the most revelatory aspect of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera is it’s price point, which will be $2,995. Yes, you heard that correctly. It’s going to be $500 cheaper than Canon’s new 5D Mark III and less than 1/5 of the price of the Canon C300, RED Scarlet-X and Sony F3.

Has your jaw hit the floor yet?

In terms of capture formats, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera uses CinemaDNG, which is an open file format led by Adobe that enables 12-bit RAW recording. With 12-bit RAW and DaVinci Resolve, you’ll be able to pull out extra information and detail in your highlights and shadows unlike working with a DSLR or the Rec 709 environment. If you don’t want the hassle of working with large RAW files, you can also record compressed yet near lossless Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD in 2.5K or 1920×1080 resolution in 24, 25, 29.97 and 30-fps. For me, one of the genius aspects of the camera is the internal SSD recorder. SSD drives are becoming pretty affordable now (64GB for roughly 80 bucks) and with an integrated system, you won’t need to cable out to external recorders that will typically set you back $2K or more. After recording, you simply pop the drive out of the camera, connect to your computer and begin copying files to your NLE or edit straight from the disk.

The only thing I can criticize about the camera system on paper is its sensor, which after speaking with Blackmagic employees on the NAB floor, it was revealed to be a 4/3s sensor, which is the same size as the Panasonic AG-AF100. Super 35mm-sized sensors tend to be the most popular for film production with the Sony FS100U, Canon C300 and RED cameras containing them. Finding a fast wide-angle prime lens will be difficult with a 2x crop from full-frame. (Essentially a 24mm will now become more like a 50mm when compared to a 5D Mark III or Nikon D800.) If I were to take a guess, it might be because a 4/3s-sized sensor is more efficient and easier to cool when capturing RAW files, which uses a lot of processing power.

Another small quibble is there are no XLR inputs so you’ll still probably have to stick with dual-system sound as you would with a DSLR.

But for a price point under three grand, this is as close to a perfect system you’re going to find. Although 4K will soon be the norm for production, I would still take wide latitude and high dynamic range any day over higher resolution. Also, at this price point, it’s going to force camera manufacturers to rethink their own price points and margins. These lower margins will further democratize the filmmaking landscape (e.g., Autodesk Smoke 2013 for a price point of $3,495).

The Blackmagic Cinema Camera contains an EF-mount

In my opinion, the Blackmagic Cinema Camera is most forward thinking digital camera system in years and at this price point, it will definitely disrupt the production industry like the 5D Mark II and RED ONE before it. But before we put such high expectations on the camera, let’s wait until we see a few images first. As I’ve said previously, real results in the field always trump tech specs on paper.

For more information, please visit www.blackmagic-design.com.

NAB 2012 was a game changing show introducing new 4K production and post-production tools.

Last year right after NAB, I converted my office desk to a standing desk in order to train for NAB 2012. A year of standing while working was well worth it because after a grueling three days on the show floor, my feet still feel relatively fresh. (Although I can’t say the same for my brain, which is fried from all of the information I took in.) NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), which took place April 14 – 19, is widely considered the Mecca for camera and post geeks. Typically over 100,000 industry professionals converge on Las Vegas every year to check out the latest gear and software pertaining to content creation.

Roughly seven or eight years ago, thanks to the HDV format, we saw a big transition between standard-def and high-def with virtually every camera company having an HD system coming to the market. Now, even your smartphone shoots 1920×1080 and the new iPad is roughly 2K. This year’s NAB will mark the transition from full HD to 4K.

Canon announced two big cameras at the show – the Cinema EOS C500 and the EOS-1DC – that both have 4K motion capture. The $30,000 C500 is the new RED killer that can capture 10-bit uncompressed RAW data stream with no de-Bayering. Canon also announced a new DSLR – the EOS 1DC – that records 8-bit 422 Motion JPEG 4K video to CF cards. Although it has the same body-style as the 1DX, the 1DC is being promoted more as a video camera. It will set you back $15 grand, which seems a bit steep, especially when you read further down this blog post.

Not to be outdone, RED announced a new sensor they’re calling Dragon that can be installed  in your current EPIC and eventually Scarlet-X camera. The sensor, which is slightly larger than the Mysterium-X, will cost $6,000 and capture 6K at 85-fps.

The G-Tech es PRO supporting 4K DPX playback on DaVinci Resolve

So with these new high-tech cameras outputting 4K RAW, what about the workflow? AJA is releasing the latest in their popular Ki Pro recorder series – the Ki Pro Quad – which supports both RAW and 10-bit 4:4:4 and 10-bit 4:2:2. The RAW signal is output from the camera over SDI to the Ki Pro Quad and then using Thunderbolt™ to transfer to your computer. Convergent Design is releasing the Gemini RAW, which does does live-preview and playback to a 4K monitor. The recorder includes four camera recording/quad-split playback (in HD), AVID DNxHD capture (RGB and YCC), uncompressed RGB 444, stereo 3D, simultaneous recording of RAW/Dailies, and 120fps support (in 2K/HD). At their booth, G-Tech showcased many of their new Thunderbolt solutions and also demonstrated their G Speed eS PRO running 4K DPX playback with DaVinci Resolove at 2000-Mbps.

There were also many 4K (or soon to be 4K) solutions for indie filmmakers. Sony presented their new FS700U, which contains a 4K sensor and can shoot 120- and 240-fps in 16 or 8 second bursts. (At the moment it does not capture 4K footage, but a future firmware upgrade is in the works that will enable the camera to output 4K data over 3G HD-SDI when used with an optional Sony 4K recorder.) The camera will run under $10,000. At half the price of the FS700U, JVC had their new 4K affordable camcorder on display that was announced at CES earlier this year. The GY-HMQ10 delivers real time Quad 4K (3840 x 2160) footage for under $5,000. The only catch is the camera only contains a 1/2″ sensor so low-light performance will not be up to par with typical high-end systems. In my opinion, this camera will be a good low-cost solution for capturing 4K composites.

The Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera was by far the buzz item of NAB 2012

By now, you’re probably aware of the new Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera. Wait, Blackmagic Design is the company that manufactures all of those converter thingamajigs and capture cards, right? Yes indeed, and the $3,000 camera stole the show with many saying this camera is what the RED Scarlet-X should have been. The specs include a 2.5K image sensor, 13-stops of latitude, a built -in SSD recorder, and 12-bit DNG RAW, as well as compressed file formats. It also comes with an EF-mount, an LCD touchscreen for monitoring and metadata entry and a compact medium format camera body style. Did I mention that it comes with DaVinci Resolve so you can do professional color grading for your RAW files. Perhaps the only negative thing I can say about this camera (on paper) is that it only contains a 4/3″-sized sensor instead of a Super 35 that we’re seeing in most new digital camera systems.

Nobody saw this camera coming and this definitely puts the Australian company on the map in the crowded digital camera market. It sort of reminded me of NAB 2007 when the RED ONE was announced and was the talk of the show. Can’t wait to get my hands on this camera!

There was also big news on the post side over in the South Hall with Autodesk releasing the new version of Smoke, which they are calling Smoke 2013. Priced at only $3,495 (approx. $15,000 previously), the new Smoke is an all-in-one creative workflow that combines track-based editorial, industry-standard editing conventions and proven Autodesk creative tools. The program is now more intuitive for editors, who in recent times, have been asked to perform more complex tasks such as titling, color correction and visual effects.

Adobe's new CS6 offers a new UI to Premiere Pro

Adobe CS5.5 was my product of the year last year. This year, they’re releasing an even bigger Creative Suite with CS6 in which they’ve incorporated significant changes (especially to the user interface) to Premiere Pro and After Effects, making them seamless to use together. Also, with the recent purchase of Iridas, which owned high-end finishing application, SpeedGrade, CS6 will be even more revolutionary than 5.5. SpeedGrade was a $20,000 color-correction/finishing software and is now part of the CS6 Production Premium bundle, which also includes Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Audition, Encore, Illustrator, Flash, Bridge, Media Encoder, Story Plus and Prelude – a new app for organizing on-set production workflow. CS6 just might be 2012′s product of the year!

With the democratization of filmmaking tools continuing to force manufacturers to lower their margins on hardware and software, it’s a win-win situation for indie filmmakers. Regarding the $3,000 Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera, I’m wondering what effect this will have on the sub $20K market (F3, Scarlet-X, C300, etc.)?

We shall see, but let’s first see how the camera performs before anointing a new king of digital cinema cameras.

Smoke 2013 is an all-in-one editing and effects super app

In recent years, disruptive technology like the RED ONE, the Canon 5D Mark II, and all-in-one NLE suites have made it fairly easy to create a professional looking project. As a result, budgets have shrunk – especially in post – and editors have been asked to perform brand new tasks, including titling, color correction and sometimes even visual effects.

When you think of Autodesk Smoke, you usually think of a very high-end finishing system that costs a bundle (approx. $15,000) and is not accessible for the indie filmmaker. Also, that the program is not very intuitive to work with, especially if you’re not a trained visual effects artist.

But things have changed in our new democratized environment. At NAB 2012, Autodesk announced the new Smoke – an all-in-one editing and effects super app.

In the past year, Autodesk commissioned a survey of film and video professionals, and learned that because of their limited budgets, new complex file management systems, as well as tight deadlines, they were looking for a program that could work seamlessly with the latest high-resolution formats. They were also looking for an all-in-one package to streamline their workflow so they wouldn’t have to send shots and/or sequences to different programs.

Dubbed Smoke 2013, the new Smoke will help editors simplify their workflow, centrally manage their media, work interactively with high-res media throughout their projects and deliver high-end content. Oh, did I mention price? Smoke 2013 will be priced at an astounding $3,495.

Here are some of the key features of Smoke 2013:

• The Smoke User Interface (UI): An intuitive all-in-one creative workflow that combines track-based editorial, industry-standard editing conventions and proven Autodesk creative tools.
• ConnectFX: Powerful node-based compositing inside the timeline for high-end effects and advanced compositing without leaving the editorial environment.
• Creative Tools: A robust toolset with proven high-end finishing tools, Action for true 3D compositing, the Colour Warper for professional grading and color matching, the Master Keyer for one-click chroma keying and stereoscopic 3D editing and effects.
• MediaHub: A modern approach to working natively with the most common formats that facilitates managing all project media from ingest to edit to effects and archiving.
• Lower System Requirements: Runs on the most recent generation of Apple iMac and MacBook Pro systems using high-bandwidth Thunderbolt storage and IO bringing true high-end video effects to flexible desktop and mobile workflows.

The new Smoke will help editors simplify their workflow.

Autodesk Smoke 2013 will be available in the fall. For more info, please visit http://usa.autodesk.com/smoke-for-mac/.

The new Canon C500/C500PL captures 4K uncompressed RAW for external recording

Well, if you just plucked down $16K on your brand new C300, I hate to be the bearer of  bad news, but your camera is now obsolete. Just kidding. The C300 is still a terrific digital motion picture camera and its 1920 x 1080 resolution is still the dominant format for both production and exhibition. For now.

But in case you haven’t heard, NAB 2012, which kicks off this weekend, is going to be all about 4K. And not just high-end F65 and RED EPIC 4K but 4K for the masses. JVC’s sub $5,000 GY-HMQ10, RED’s $16K Scarlet-X, the Sony $10,000 (approximately) FS700U all deliver 4K and are directly targeted towards the indie filmmaker. Now Canon jumps into the fray with perhaps the biggest 4K news yet. Hold on to your seats because they have three big releases for NAB.

First up…

CINEMA EOS C500/C500 PL The first and perhaps biggest news is the release of the Cinema EOS C500/C500 PL digital camera system that is capable of capturing 4K (4096 x 2160-pixel) resolution with uncompressed RAW output for external recording. Just like the C300, the C500 will be available in either EF- or PL-mount versions.

The C500 looks to be built along the same chassis as the C300 (with the exception of the C300′s rotating hand grip), but there is something entirely different “underneath the hood”. In terms of the 4K capture, the C500′s data stream is a 10-bit uncompressed RAW data stream with no de-Bayering (interesting) and also supports quad full-HD (3840 x 2160), as well as 2K (2048 x 1080) and full 1920 x 1080 resolution. All of the 4K formats can be operated from one to 60-fps. The system also employ a 12-bit RGB 4:4:4 signal format during 2K output, which can be selected to operate from one to 60 frames-per-second (fps) as well. If switched to a 10-bit YCrCb 4:2:2 mode, the camera can operate up to 120-fps. Along with outputting to an external recorder, the C500 records a 50-Mbps HD proxy video file to CF cards that can be used for offline editing (very smart).

The C500′s sensor is a newly developed Super 35mm-sized 8.85-megapixel CMOS that will be compatible with Canon’s range of EF Cinema and PL-mount leneses, as well as Canon EF lenses for DSLRs. Tech specs are a little sparse since the C500 is still in development. Canon plans on launching the camera later this year at a preliminary suggested list price of approximately $30,000. A prototype EF version of the camera will be on display at NAB.

Next up…

The new EOS-ID-C DSLR can capture 8-bit 4:2:2 Motion JPEG 4K video to CF cards

EOS-1D C Canon announces a new camera system that delivers 4K (4096 x 2048) in the form factor of a DSLR. The EOS-1D C contains an 18.1-megapixel full-frame 24 x 36mm CMOS sensor and records 8-bit 422 Motion JPEG 4K video to CF cards at 24-fps or full HD from 24p to 60p. The sensitivity range goes up to an impressive 25600 ISO for low light situations. Although the bit-rate of the Motion JPEG capture is unknown as of yet, Motion JPEG tends to have a little more compression than the more popular H.264 codec. Previous Nikon DSLRs like the D90 used the Motion JPEG codec. (This was probably the trade off Canon had to make to deliver 4K to CF cards. More info on this after NAB.)

From the looks of the camera, the 1D-C looks very similar to Canon’s flagship DSLR, the 1D-X. One exciting aspect of the ID-C is that Canon Log is available with the system. The gamma setting, which was first employed in the C300, extends your dynamic range and delivers up to 12-stops of latitude. Although it’s not RAW capture like the C500, Canon Log does not increase the size of your files and can be captured to memory cards instead of an external recorder. I’m sure Canon is working with all of the appropriate NLEs to be able to work with the 4K Motion JPEG files natively.

For 4K capture, an APS-H-sized portion of the full image sensor is used while full HD can be captured by the full 36mm width of the CMOS or an optional Super 35 crop setting that allows cinematographers to match the industry standard S35 format.

Like the new 5D Mark III and 1D-X, the 1D-C has a built-in headphone jack for real-time audio monitoring, but unlike those cameras, it also has the ability to view the camera’s LCD screen while the HDMI port is engaged. I so wish the 5D Mark III had this feature.

As a still camera, like the 1D-X, the 1D-C has a sensitivity range of 100 – 51200 ISO and uses the new Dual DIGIC 5+ processor, which allows you to shoot stills up to 12-fps.

The 1D-C will also be available sometime in 2012 and has a suggested retail price of $15,000.  Ouch! The price seems a bit high for Motion JPEG considering the Scarlet-X delivers both 4K and RAW capture but before placing any judgements, let’s wait and see what the images look like. Fyi, the ID-X has a price point of $6,700.

And Finally…

The Canon CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 zoom lens resolves 4K resolution and is light enough for handheld work

NEW LIGHTWEIGHT CINEMA EOS ZOOM LENSES

So now that you have your new 4K cameras, you’re probably going to need some great glass to capture your super high-resolution images. For  professional productions shooting with a full camera crew, EF-mount DSLR lenses aren’t going to cut it. DSLR lenses are designed for still shooting and because of their AF function, the lenses have a short focus throw making it difficult for critical focus pulls. Making pulls within feet is feasible but within inches, you have to be a master focus puller.

Designed to resolve 4K resolution, Canon is releasing four lightweight zooms that can handle both handheld as well as Steadicam shooting. They include two wide-angle cinema zooms – the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S* (for EF mounts) and the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L SP* (for PL mounts) – and two telephoto cinema zooms – the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S* (for EF mounts) and CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L SP* (for PL mounts). The lenses all feature a cinema-style body and have uniform gear positions, rotation angles and lens front diameters that professional camera crews won’t have to adjust to using a new lens system. There is no pricing on the lenses yet but you can expect them to be priced higher than say an EF 24-105mm f2.8 zoom. A lot higher.

I’m very excited about these new developments and they definitely mark a seismic shift for the production industry.

See you at NAB!

The Sony NEX-FS700U contains a 4K sensor and can capture high-speed images.

With Sony‘s announcement of the new NEX-FS700U, 1920 x 1080 capture is now officially over! Well, not quite. Everyone is predicting that NAB 2012 will officially launch mainstream 4K solutions and this announcement definitely kicks off the “4K for the masses” movement. We already have a number of cameras on the high-end of production (Sony F65, RED EPIC), the middle-end (Scarlet-X) and even for the prosumer market (JVC’s $5,000 GY-HMQ10). Now, Sony announces their new NEX-FS700U for NAB that nobody saw coming. Part of their growing NEX line of digital still and motion picture cameras, the FS700U contains a Super 35mm sensor and is designed for high speed shooting. The camera can capture full HD quality images at 120 and 240-fps in a 16 or 8 second burst. For even faster shooting, you capture 480 and 960-fps at reduced resolutions. More info and tech specs will probably be given at NAB. The camera will replace the FS100U as the flagship camera of the NEX line.

In terms of its sensor, the FS700U uses a new 4K “Exmor” Super 35 CMOS sensor (11.6 million pixels) and is optimized for motion picture capture – unlike what you would get with a DSLR - with high sensitivity, low noise and minimal aliasing.

Like all cameras in the NEX line, the FS700U contains an E-mount, which accepts Sony’s growing list of E-lenses. If the E-line is too limiting for your production, you can also use Sony’s new LA-EA2 adaptor, which lets you mount Sony’s proprietary A-mount lenses to the FS700U’s E-mount. The great thing about the LA-EA2 is that you also get phase detection autofocus built right into the adaptor, giving you much faster AF capability.

One great feature the FS700U contains that the FS100U does not are built-in ND filters that rotate across the sensor. The wheel includes positions for Clear, 1/4 (2 Stop), 1/16 (4 Stop), and 1/64 (6 Stop). This is a big plus for those that contain multiple lenses with various filter sizes so you won’t have to buy expensive Variable ND filters or sets of standard ND for each lens.

In terms of signals, the FS700U’s 3G HD-SDI and HDMI connectors can output full HD 50p and 60p, in addition to standard HD 60i, 24p, 25p or 30p frame rates with embedded time code and audio. With 3G HD-SDI, it can output native 23.98, 25, 29.97 progressive signals. You can also output PsF over the 3G HD-SDI. The FS100U only contains an HDMI output.

The FS700U also has a detachable top handle that contains a cold shoe, plus two sets of 1/4 and 3/8 inch holes to mount accessories. The handle contains “active grip” that features four buttons for commonly used functions – expanded focus, auto iris, still capture and recording start/stop. Former FS100U users will definitely appreciate the FS700U’s handle, especially for handheld shooting at low angles.

The biggest news of the FS700U’s release is that Sony is planning a future firmware upgrade that will enable the camera to output 4K data over 3G HD-SDI when used with an optional Sony 4K recorder. (If it’s the SRR1000, don’t plan on buying one with the cash you save from buying a Scarlet-X. They don’t come cheap.)

Regarding the 4K capture, I’m also not sure if it will be Full Aperture HD (4096 x 3112) or Quad Full High-Def (3840 x 2160), or what the codec will be. Hopefully more details will come soon.

With a future firmware upgrade, the FS700U will be able to output 4K files to a Sony 4K recorder.

The NEX-FS700U (body only) and NEX-FS700UK (with 18-200mm zoom lens) will hit the market in June 2012 at a price tag of less than $10,000. This is a giant leap forward for digital camera systems. Many were hoping cameras such as the RED Scarlet-X, Sony F3 and Canon C300 would have hit this price point upon their release rather than over $15,000.

NAB just became really interesting.

To be continued…

Vision Research has announced the Phantom v642, which updates its high frame rate predecessor with a new Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology that will allow independent adjustments of saturation and hue for better mixing of high frame rate, slow-motion footage into more standard frame rate footage from regular speed broadcast cameras. The Phantom v642 can record and playback footage simultaneously and it offers an incredible array of frame rates, culminating at up to an incredible 90,200fps at a cropped resolution of 256×64. For more general purpose slow-motion footage, the camera also captures a variety of frame rates at differing resolutions, including 1450fps at full 2560×1600 sensor resolution and 1080p at 2560fps, as well as shutter speeds all the way down to a single microsecond for highly specialized applications.

You can find more information and specs here, and below you will also find today’s press release:

Vision Research Unveils Phantom v642

Third Generation Digital High-Speed Broadcast Camera

Phantom v642 Brings Advanced Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology to Vision Research’s Newest Dual Video Output Digital High-Speed Camera

WAYNE, N.J. (March 27, 2011) – Vision Research, the leading manufacturer of the industry’s broadest line of digital high‑speed cameras, announces the introduction of the Phantom® v642.  The high-speed digital camera retains the unique ability to both record and playback ultra-slow motion footage simultaneously, while adding the capability to accurately color match regular speed broadcast cameras using advanced Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology. The Phantom v642 incorporates Academy Award®- and Emmy® Award-winning technology to record and deliver impressive ultra slow-motion images.
“We at Vision Research pride ourselves on responding to customer feedback. After the introduction of the v641, many customers asked for better color-matching capability. We’ve addressed our customers’ top priority request by adding this technology to the Phantom v642,” comments Patrick Ott de Vries, Broadcast Business Manager for Vision Research. “With advanced Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology, the Phantom v642 delivers an essential tool to color-match regular speed cameras used in Live Sports Broadcast.  This upgrade is the hallmark of the v642 and marks Vision Research’s continued interest and commitment to bringing innovation to the Live Sports Broadcast market and to our integration partners.”
Vision Research’s ultra slow motion technology has been widely adopted in sporting and other live events around the world, including the Super Bowl, World Series, Olympics, World Cup, and Commonwealth Games.  This technology is also used in television commercials and motion pictures and is a key component of the 3D imaging in many Hollywood films. 
 
The v642 is supported by a custom designed ultra-sensitive 4-megapixel 2K sensor that can record full-resolution frame rates of 1450 frames-per-second and be leveraged to support pan and zoom applications. Typical broadcast resolutions are supported, in addition to 1080p at 2560 frames-per-second. 

With shutter speeds down to 1 microsecond and a global electronic shutter, crisp, sharp images are guaranteed with little or no image blur or motion artifacts.  Extremely high frame rates at HD resolutions enables playback speeds as much as 90X times slower than live action. 

Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology
The v642 supports Multi-Matrix Color Correction Technology, which was the number one most requested feature from users of the v641.  This technology allows for accurate color matching to normal frame rate cameras, leveraging independent adjustments of saturation and hue of each of the 16 axes. Working with video matrix, hue, gamma and chroma adjustments enables the Phantom v642 to color match with normal speed broadcast supporting live sporting events. 

Storage and Workflow
The v642 includes 8 GB of built in high-speed dynamic RAM with 16 GB and 32GB versions also available.  A unique segmented memory feature allows users to divide images into up to 63 segments, creating multiple back-to-back shots without the need to download data from the camera.  In addition, users can record into one segment while playing back a slow-motion clip from another.  One segment is always recording the live action. 
This feature gives the v642 flexibility to support environments with and without playback server support. The v642 can be connected to a controller in the studio or Outside Broadcast truck, which can access the camera’s memory for playback while the camera operator is framing and recording the live action.

The v642 comes standard with a PL-mount for full sensor coverage (2560 X1600 pixels). Native support for 1080p using customized B4 adapter options.

Follow Vision Research on Twitter at @PhantomHiSpeed or friend us on Facebook at “vision research”.
 

Key  Features Include:
-      Supporting up to 90X ultra-slow motion at 2k, 1080p and 720p resolutions.
-      Multi-matrix color correction for fast and accurate color matching to regular frame rate Live Sport cameras.
-      Breakthrough light sensitivity, ISO 1200T color (ISO 12232 SAT method)
-      Versatile Dual HD-SDI, two HD-SDI ports for dual-link 4:4:4 or 2x 4:2:2
-      Multi-cine recording capability
-      Remote Replay Camera Control
-      EVS integration for camera control and playback
-      1 μs minimum exposure times for sharp images of fast moving events
-      Internal mechanical shutter for hands-free / remote black referencing
-      8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB built-in high-speed memory
-      8-bit or 12-bit pixel depth
-      Extreme Dynamic Range (EDR): two different exposures within a single frame
-      Burst Mode
 

About Vision Research
Vision Research is a leading manufacturer of high-speed digital imaging systems that are indispensible across a wide variety of applications including defense, automotive, engineering, science, medical research, industrial manufacturing, packaging, sports broadcast, TV production and digital cinematography.
The Wayne, N.J.-based company designs and manufactures the most comprehensive range of digital high-speed cameras available today, all of which deliver unsurpassed light-sensitivity, image resolution, acquisition speed and image quality.  

Over the course of its 60+ year history, Vision Research has earned numerous awards in recognition of its innovations in high-speed digital camera technology and sensor design, including a technical Emmy and an Academy Award®.  Vision Research digital high-speed cameras add a new dimension to the sense of sight, allowing the user to see details of an event when it’s too fast to see, and too important not to™. For additional information regarding Vision Research, please visit www.visionresearch.com.
Vision Research is a business unit of the Materials Analysis Division of AMETEK Inc., a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices.