Capturing The Best Video Possible

For still shooters stepping into video, a short primer on workflow, including codecs and video compression settings from input to output

By David Alexander Willis

The video imaging chain is complex and getting more complex all the time, yet advances in technology are allowing companies like Sony and Panasonic to squeeze immense editing capabilities into tiny still camera-style bodies. These cameras are able to achieve similar features as much more advanced professional video and filmmaking camera systems because... Read more

Prepping Still Cameras To Work With Video

Getting cameras and their kits to function well in the field can take a bit of work, but these solutions aim to make the process an easier one

By David Alexander Willis

The market for video-capable DSLR and mirrorless cameras has exploded over the last decade, thanks in part to their advanced video functionality and relatively small size. While most photographers can pick up a still camera and start shooting straight out of the box, the videographer needs to spend some time, and effort, to configure most still cameras... Read more

NASA Goes Hollywood

To create authentic effects for Sir Ridley Scott’s The Martian, Territory Studio collaborated with the agency for thrilling results, underscoring this modern-day Robinson Crusoe adventure in space

By Simon Wakelin

For Sir Ridley Scott’s latest space adventure The Martian, Territory Studio teamed up with specialists at NASA to design future user-interface (UI) technology featured extensively in the film. Territory’s Creative Director David Sheldon-Hicks collaborated with Production Designer Arthur Max and Motion Graphics Art Director Felicity Hickson on the... Read more

Outside The Box Tools

Cinematographers discuss the sometimes unorthodox tools that help them on set

By Ian Blair

Cinematographers have access to more sophisticated equipment—everything from the latest digital cameras to a wide variety of lenses and lighting—than ever before. And, yet, many still will use an outside-the-box tool to solve a particular filmmaking problem, and that solution can range from the very latest iPhone app to a simple rubber band. Here,... Read more

The CRI Issue

Will LEDs ever dominate the feature film and television lighting landscape?

By Dan Brockett

Just a few short years ago, LED (light-emitting diode) lighting technology seemed poised to take over lighting for film and television. The technology promised significantly greater energy and heat efficiency than existing technologies. LEDs required much less power, were cool to the touch, didn’t heat up sets and, in general, seemed to be the... Read more

Depth Perception

Walt Disney Animation Studios creates a virtual space in the 2D-to-3D conversion process

By Mel Lamberts

With George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace 3D currently playing at a number of AMC multiplexes and Titanic 3D poised to repeat the success enjoyed by its director James Cameron with Avatar 3D, the audience for stereoscopic productions is expanding dramatically. With an eye on consumer dollars, a growing number of movie studios... Read more

The Laws Of Motion

For indie filmmakers, camera movement is now a viable option

By Clint Milby

A still image is the capture of a single moment in time, frozen and devoid of any movement except for what may be implied by its content. When the subject is compelling and when the photographer executes the capture just right, what’s rendered can be just as powerful as any narrative film, thus the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand... Read more

HD DSLR Q&A

HDVP takes an in-depth look at the popular format and the many misconceptions that come with it

By Michael Guncheon

The HD DSLR revolution started relatively quietly in Cologne, Germany, when people saw the first SLRs that could record HD video. In 2008, at Photokina, both Nikon and Canon showed still cameras that used their Live View function to record video. In the past year, I’ve been invited to speak at a number of conferences, both technical and production-oriented,... Read more

The Soft Touch

Cinematographers and gaffers discuss the gear and technique in creating soft light

By Ian blair

For cinematographers, the choice between soft lighting and hard lighting is almost akin to Hamlet’s famous line, "To be, or not to be," in terms of its philosophical and aesthetic ramifications. "It’s a crucial choice, as the way you light a scene or an actor can totally change everything about them," notes acclaimed... Read more

Posting 3D

With the box office success of 3D and the rollout of 3D TV to follow, what are your options in post?

By George Avgerakis

At a recent Golden Globe® party, Star Wars creator George Lucas referred to the stereoscopic 3D world of Avatar in an interview with television show Access Hollywood. “It’s so successful, and worked very well in 3D,” said Lucas. “I haven’t been a big fan of 3D, but that movie definitely improves it. We’ve been... Read more