Sennheiser MKE 600 Shotgun Mic

Plus, picking the right boom pole and mic mount

By Dan Brockett

SENNHEISER SHOTGUN MIC Q I’m assembling my first serious audio kit, and I’d like some advice about which shotgun could serve as my main boom microphone. I work on a lot of documentaries and travel to shoot them overseas usually, so size, weight and performance are all considerations. My budget is very limited, but I want the best I can... Read more

Go Wide

Explaining digital anamorphic

By Andy Shipsides

Anamorphic has been a popular format since its introduction more than 50 years ago. Once associated with epic outdoor action dramas, the anamorphic look is now part of the language of small intimate films to blockbusters and everything in between. There’s even a trend to shoot anamorphic commercials. As the digital camera revolution rolls forward,... Read more

Laying Down The Hammer

Covering sports can be a pain in the…back

By Leon Benzakein

I was working as a camera operator on an OB (Outside Broadcasting) truck for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (S.A.B.C.) at the time this incident took place. The OB truck was a five-crew, two-camera EPG/EFP cube truck-sized vehicle. The team consisted of two engineers, two camera operators and one audio technician. Our OB unit was known as... Read more

Log Rolling

Plus, dealing with 1⁄4” connectors

By Michael Guncheon

LOGGING SOFTWARE Q Is there a standard way of getting log notes into something an editor can use? I’m mostly doing shorter projects, but some are scripted, and I get frustrated because, at the end of the day, when I get my stuff to the person doing the edit, it feels like we’re back in the dark ages, with searching through timecodes to... Read more

Peak Performance

Apogee MiC 96k, and output levels for online delivery

By Dan Brockett

APOGEE MiC 96k Q We recently landed a project that will involve shooting on-location performances with singer/songwriters. I have a Canon C100 camera that has okay audio quality, but I’m looking to step up the quality in regard to microphones and sample rate. We just bought the newest version of Apple’s Logic X, so I’m interested... Read more

The State Of 4K Today

What a difference a year makes

By Andy Shipsides

In the October 2012 issue of this magazine, I wrote a column called "4K Plug-And-Play" about an AbelCine client who wanted to shoot and play back 4K live. They had purchased a 4K camera and a 4K projector, and wanted to see the output of the camera live. At the time, this presented a complicated and expensive problem to solve. Their camera... Read more

Grow Your Own

We’re selling what?

By Matt Wightman

About a year ago, I received a call from a producer who needed a crew for a direct-market commercial. I was referred to him by a gaffer I often work with. The producer felt my specialty in product shooting and direct-market content would be a good match for his needs. I live in a part of Florida where direct-market content, or infomercials, is shot... Read more

Lightning Strikes Twice

Plus, conquering critical focus

By Michael Guncheon

THUNDERBOLT 2 Q I see Thunderbolt becoming more common, but now I see a new Thunderbolt coming out. Is this like FireWire? My experience with going from FireWire to FireWire 800 wasn’t terrible, but not great. It all seemed to be about theoretical performance, but when I would use it, I wasn’t that impressed. Am I going to be disappointed... Read more

Resolving Detail

Shooting from a different perspective

By Michael Guncheon

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Q I recently set up to shoot some interviews and thought about the concept of what framing I should use. Usually, I would just mix up the framing, going from medium to close-up, etc., so that once the footage got into edit they wouldn’t be hampered by jump cuts. But as I set up my gear, I got into a discussion with the... Read more

Single-System Sound

Sound Devices MixPre-D sound mixer, and Sony MDR-V6 headphones

By Dan Brockett

SOUND DEVICES MIXPRE-D Q Could you offer a suggestion on a small mixer for maximizing audio quality when shooting with DSLRs and medium-range video cameras like the Canon C100? We’ve been using a Zoom H4n, but keeping the audio organized and syncing in post is becoming tedious, so we want to maximize the sound quality from our new microphones... Read more