Help Desk: Getting It White (The First Time)
The importance of proper white balance
These can be powerful tools for manipulating your image, but oftentimes, getting the best result is all about getting the right white balance in your camera. White balance is one of those adjustments that seems simple but can really make all the difference to your image.
Video Assist: Exposing Frames
Shutter angles, plus as the big elephant in the room: archival
I've moved to using cameras that have a more cinema background, but I feel a little insecure about setting up for recording.
Video Assist: Motion Fixes
Fine-tune your image with tracking
That seems like an obvious statement, but as I was working with the tracking software mocha for this month's issue, I was reminded of when I first tried rotoscoping a scene.
Help Desk: Making The Match
Creating scene files to match camera looks
At AbelCine, we produce many scene files for a variety of cameras, each designed to improve both look and performance.
Help Desk: Sense And Sensitivity
Explaining ISO, Exposure Index and gain
Recently, a client who purchased a Sony PMW-F3 from AbelCine gave me a call with a "quick question."
Video Assist: New Year’s Resolutions
Trying to improve our production and postproduction habits
Since this is our January/February issue, my thoughts have turned to the new year and, of course, to resolutions.
Misinformation: GoPro Goes Cinema
Is an inexpensive 4K camera helpful or hurtful?
A few years ago, a little company with a little consumer camera made the pro video scene.
Misinformation: Digital Democracy
The dark side of a level playing field
With just a few dollars, a would-be (or wannabe) filmmaker can purchase a DSLR for less than $1,000 and a program like Final Cut Pro X for $299, and go on to produce a movie that, if good enough, could be seen at your local multiplex.
Help Desk: 4K Plug-And-Play
The process of shooting and playing back 4K at home
At AbelCine, we're always trying to stay on the cutting edge of technological development in the camera world, so we often get questions about the latest cameras and workflows.
Video Assist: The Need For Speed
Getting HD data at 24 and 30 fps can still be an issue
Performance with drives depends on a couple of things: how fast the data can be read from or written to the drive's platters, and how data gets from the drive to the computer.
Help Desk: Serial Digital What?
3G, 4:4:4 and HD-SDI explained
At AbelCine, we've embraced the trend toward external video recorders.
Video Assist: Crossing The Line
HD-SDI cable, and the 180° rule explained
What's the longest distance that I can run an SDI cable?
Help Desk: Going Soft?
Understanding back focus
At AbelCine, we have a great deal of experience in digital cinema, with a strong focus on optics.
Video Assist: Get The Balance Right
Tiffen’s Dfx software, dealing with compression and off the beaten path at NAB
I'd say that unless you're doing the final edit and color correction, don't process the footage before you hand it off.
Video Assist: Lost In Transfer
It’s all in the details
I ran into a situation recently that has me a bit worried. I was shooting double-system sound, which I've done many, many times.
Misinformation: Reality Is Relative
How Rango’s photo-realism is changing the future of movies
Misinformation isn't always unintentional. As Martin Scorsese's Hugo made lovingly clear, filmmakers have always been magicians and illusionists, expertly blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
