Vid 2013 09

DJI PHANTOM DRONE reviewed page 8
Built-in dual-band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi HD-SDI Output 35Mbps MP4 Dual SD Card Slots with simultaneous HDand Web-version dual recording
YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO SEPTEMBER 2013
n o i t c G u d N o I r P T T sto U P C DGE E
B:10.75 T:10.5
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Introducing the XA25, Canons full-featured, Wi-Fi compatible, compact professional camcorder designed to seamlessly t your HD workow. Our new full HD 1920x1080 HD CMOS Imaging Sensor with high-sensitivity and wide dynamic range, offers up to 35Mbps MP4 and AVCHD recording capability, simultaneous HD- and Webversion dual recording, and slow- and fast-motion recording. Featuring HD/SD-SDI output that integrates with your existing HD workow, the XA25 is the newest and most innovative member of Canons line of professional camcorders. Our precise Canon 20x High Denition Optical Zoom Lens with Intelligent Optical Image Stabilization, combined with two phantom-powered XLR Audio Inputs with Manual Gain Control, enable you to capture sharp video and sound. With built-in dual-band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, the XA25 gives you reliable signal transport. You can also manage settings and operations remotely with its wireless control capabilities.
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Find out more at pro.usa.canon.com

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2013 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. Canon and DIGIC are registered trademarks of the Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks in other countries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other product and brand names are trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
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Go From Dreamer to Director NEW - Videomakers Directing Toolkit is designed to give you pro-level directing skills, fast!
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Features
18 Laptops Buyers Guides
Contents
SEPTEMBER 2013
Volume 28 Number 3
You need the mobility that only a laptop can provide, and since youll be editing video, you need more power than a tablet has to offer. Find what you seek in Videomakers Laptops Buyers Guide. by George F. Young If youre ready to update your system, or youre new to the world of video editing, Videomakers Workstations Buyers Guide will help you make an informed choice. by George F. Young Video production rules, secrets and tricks arent something were born with, or a gift gained via effortless, often unconscious assimilation. by Earl Chessher
34 The Anatomy of Subsampling
Chroma subsampling is the DNA of color information in the pixels of a video image. Its a small part of each individual frame, but one that plays a major role in the construction of the overall clip of footage. by Chris Ace Gates There are no simple, paint-by-numbers solutions to your creative conundrums, but there are steps you can take to increase your odds of gaining inspiration. by Chuck Peters Along with acquiring the skills of editing on a professional system, video editors need to understand their systems processing needs. by Dan Bruns
21 Workstations Buyers Guide
40 5 Tips for Capturing Creative Inspiration
26 9 Affordable Approaches to Video Training
64 The Fastest Processor for Video Editing
18
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Columns
2 Viewfinder
DVDs Future by Matthew York
53
Departments
56 Ad Index
On the Cover JVC GC-PX100 Camcorder LaCie 5big Thunderbolt RAID GenArts Sapphire 7 Visual Effects Software RDE iXY and smartLav Microphones DJI Phantom Quadcopter
46 Basic Training 50 Lighting 53 Editing
Writing Your First Screenplay by Kyle Cassidy
Reviews
4 JVC GC-PX100
Camcorder by Dan Bruns
Light Boxes and Specialty Setups by Terry ORourke
8 DJI Phantom 10 LaCie 5big
Quadcopter by Brian Peterson Thunderbolt RAID by Mike Wilhelm Visual Effects Software by Mike Houghton Microphones by Mark Holder
Color Grading by Chris Ace Gates
58 Directing 61 Audio
Next Month
Shooting in Black and White by Dan Bruns
14 GenArts Sapphire 7 16 RDE iXY and smartLav

The Illusion of Volume by Hal Robertson
DLSRs and Lens Filters Buyers Guides How to Profit From Training Videos An In-Depth Look at Adobes Creative Cloud Subscription Program
On Sale September 24, 2013
ng The Best Way to Become a Video Ace, Fast? Trainiu rce Let the Videomaker experts teach you hands-on, face-to-face! Reso See page 29 for details
VI D EO MA K ER >>> SEP T EMBER 20 13
VIEWFINDER
by Matthew Y ork
Videomaker empowers people to make video in a way that inspires, encourages and equips for success. We do this by building a community of readers, web visitors, viewers, attendees and marketers.
www.aja.com
DVDs Future
For current video production, from Hollywood to a childs birthday celebration, the host of new delivery and viewing options removes the hassle of burning a DVD and all the variables that come with that preparation. Move over DVD, but for what? We who shoot, edit and create for DVD distribution are aware of the steps it takes, but many others use a new world of distribution that makes for instant access of videos, without ever having to burn a DVD. Previously, from movies to documentaries and archival lm and video, moving from one distribution format to another always resulted in loss. Many older lms are stuck in limbo as costs for reformatting are often prohibitive. Some of that is changing, ever since the plethora of options for online and on-demand viewing signicantly lowered processing expenses. Which all begs the question: what is the future of video distribution? The formula that eventually made DVD successful over lm, LaserDisc and VHS, with all the competing elements of each, was ubiquity and inexpensive media. As players became a dime a dozen and home burner systems became more and more affordable, these allowed just about anyone the ability to create and preserve a DVD. But even with its apparent universal availability and ease of use, DVD has not reached every consumer on the planet. There are drawbacks to each current distribution option; from YouTube, iTunes, Amazon, Hulu and others including direct-to-consumer delivery via cloud-based services like Dropbox, Blu-ray and even ash media like USB drives. In spite of all of us who have computers, wireless access, smartphones, smart TVs, etc., there are still plenty of people who want to play DVDs with their players along with a few holdouts still milking their VHS collections on that dusty-but-trusty VCR.
publisher/editor associate publisher chief operating officer content director managing editor associate editor associate editor art director/photographer contributing editors
Matthew York Patrice York Tom Urbanowicz Mike Wilhelm Jennifer ORourke Greg Olson Jackson Wong Susan Schmierer Kyle Cassidy Earl Chessher Mark Holder Mark Levy Terry ORourke Hal Robertson Isaac York Dane Smith Olin Smith Terra Yurkovic Joseph Ayres Tyler Kohfeld Jordan Claverie Seth Hendrick Jill Lutge Stephen Awe Jessica Pilgram Brandie Ross
Io XT Harness the power of Thunderbolt
Due to the costs involved, Blu-ray hasnt reached the market penetration of DVD. Many popular titles arent making the jump. With DVD players that can scale up resolution, a goodly number of consumers are still happy with that method for viewing on their new HD televisions. The USB drive or other ash media, while nearly treated as disposable these days, is still more expensive when compared to blank DVDs. Joining this myriad of options are TVs, most of which can now utilize many storage options but not all of them. Tablets and smartphones dont accept USB or optical sources. While still plentiful, laptop and desktop computers and their universal connectivity are losing market share to mobile devices. So, how long will the stationary computers be an option? The answer is, regardless of your personal, commercial or distribution needs there is still no more ubiquitous delivery method than DVD and our best option is to utilize every available method we can to ensure access for the most people possible.
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Lightning-fast, portable video capture and playback for post-production professionals.

Announcing the Thunderbolt-equipped Io XT, a new portable, compact capture and playback solution that offers the power of KONA desktop systems. Io XT uses the blazing-fast 10Gbps available bandwidth on the latest Thunderboltequipped Macs to deliver true desktop-level performance to your MacBook Pro, enhancing the quality and speed of your workflow - wherever you are. Designed for todays workflows, Io XT provides compatibility with the most popular NLE programs, the newest codecs, video formats, stereoscopic 3D workflows, and more.
Io XT Features:
(2) Thunderbolt ports (supports multiple Thunderbolt-enabled device daisy-chaining) (2) 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs and outputs Single link SDI 4:2:2 or 4:4:4; Dual-link SDI 4:4:4 support HDMI input and output Analog component/composite output, 10-bit Video Up, Down, and Cross conversion (hardware-based, 10-bit) 8-Channel embedded SDI audio I/O 8-Channel analog audio output (via standard DB-25-type cable) Front panel LED VU meters and Headphone output w/level control Reference In/LTC In (selectable) LTC output RS-422 4-pin XLR Power (AC adapter included) AJA Technical Support and International Warranty included
subscription information Videomaker Subscription Fulfillment P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (800) 284-3226 e-mail: customerservice@videomaker.com address P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (530) 891-8410 fax: (530) 891-8443
Videomaker (ISSN 0889-4973) is published monthly by Videomaker, Inc., P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927. 2013 Videomaker, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher is prohibited. The Videomaker name is a registered trademark, property of Videomaker, Inc. Editorial solicitations welcomed; publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Editorial-related photos and artwork received unsolicited become property of Videomaker. Single-copy price: $5.99; $7.99 in Canada. Subscription rates: one year (12 issues) $19.97; $29.97 in Canada (U.S. funds); $44.97 Foreign Delivery (prepayment required, U.S. funds). Send subscription correspondence to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927. Back issues of Videomaker are available for order online at www.videomaker.com or by calling Customer Service at (800) 284-3226. Periodicals postage paid at Chico, CA 95927 and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Mail Sales Agreement #40051846. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927. CANADA POSTMASTER: Please send Canadian address changes to: IDS, P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6S8. Videomaker makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to the completeness, accuracy or utility of these materials or any information or opinion contained herein. Any use or reliance on the information or opinion is at the risk of the user, and Videomaker shall not be liable for any damage or injury incurred by any person arising out of the completeness, accuracy or utility of any information or opinion contained in these materials. These materials are not to be construed as an endorsement of any product or company, nor as the adoption or promulgation of any guidelines, standards or recommendations.
Io XT connects to your Mac with a single Thunderbolt cable and provides a second connector for daisy-chaining other Thunderbolt devices, such as storage, making it perfect for on set, or in the edit suite. Its loaded with KONA-grade features that provide 3G/Dual-link/HD/SD-SDI, Component Analog, and HDMI connectivity. AJAs industry-proven OS X software and drivers provide extensive codec and media support - and superior 10-bit always-on hardware-based up/down/cross conversions allow you to seamlessly ingest and output in the video format of your choice. Pair Io XT with a MacBook Pro and Thunderbolt-based storage solution and youve got a no-compromises, fast editing system - portable enough to fit in a backpack.
Find out more at www.aja.com and visit us at Booth #7.F11

B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s . B e c a u s e i t m a t t e r s .
Matthew York is Videomaker's Publisher/Editor. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15669 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15669
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P R INTED IN USA
V IDEOMAKER >>> S EPTEMBER 2013
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
JVC GC-PX100
JVC GC-PX100 Camcorder

High Frame Rate, Low Price
b y D a n ie l Bruns
rom its inception, capturing beautiful images in cinematography has relied on seeing the world in a fresh, new way. Whether that meant getting incredibly close to a subjects eyes, or seeing the world from the inside of a mailbox, audiences have always yearned to see scenes from angles that are impossible to see in real life. Thats one of the main reasons why slowmotion, and high frame rate cinematography are so popular. People simply love studying the detailed nuances that slow-motion cinematography can
provide. Camcorder companies like JVC are well aware of this. Thats why they've created the GC-PX100. With its ability to shoot video up to 600 frames per second, and at $1,000, JVC makes its mark in the world of affordable high frame rate recording.
A Bold New Design
JVC GC-PX100
www.camcorder.jvc.com procisioncam.jvc.com
STRENGTHS
Up to 600fps recording speeds /1.2 lens 10x zoom Solid low light performance
WEAKNESSES
Touch screen delay Low resolution when recording at high frame rate
$1,000
One of the rst things people notice about the GC-PX100 is its truly unique design. With its diminutive size and manual controls, JVC seems to be trying to split the difference between the convenience of a DSLR and a traditional camcorder. The resulting strange form factor is a surprisingly ergonomic and functional camcorder that accommodates a large aperture /1.2 lens, a zoom rocker, a tiltable LCD screen, two shoe slots, Manual control dial for aperture or shutter speed an optional viewnder, an SD card slot, and a bevy of inputs and outputs into its design. The bold body of the GC-PX100, while unique, does helps us appreciate its useful features. One of the aspect we really liked was the weight of the camera. At 1.3-pounds, the GC-PX100 is one of the lightest camV IDEOMAKER >>> S EPTEMBER 2013
corders in its class. This means that shooting your friends or childs hourlong baseball game shouldnt require several trips to the weight room before the shoot. Much of the reason for the minimal weight of this camera can be attributed to the small, lightweight battery the GC-PX100 uses. The 1460mAh Li-ion battery is small, yet surprisingly powerful due to the efciency of the internal electronics. In fact, we found that the battery lasted for almost two solid hours of intermittent recording. For night games, the GC-PX100 has a fast /1.2 lens which will allow cinematographers to capture noise-free images, even if the game goes into extra innings. As with most zoom lenses though, the f-stop does drop to /2.8
as the image is magnied up to 10x. In our tests, we were easily able to tell the difference in brightness between the wide and telephoto zoom lengths of our image. As such, most cinematographers would be well-advised to sit close to the action so that zooming isn't required. Great looking shots require a great looking monitor, and the GC-PX100 has just that. Its 3-inch LCD monitor has one of the better looking images weve seen at this price. The color is rich and accurate, and the picture is very bright, even in outdoor situations. Additionally, JVC includes a springloaded hood that blocks much of the glare from hitting the screen in bright light. The LCD screen also tilts vertically which made high angle and low angle shooting easy. The LCD is not able to hinge horizontally, however,
TECH SPECS
Image Sensor: 1/2.3" Back-illuminated CMOS Recording Modes: 1920x1080: 60p/60i; 1280x720: 60p/30p; 640x360: 300p, 240p, 120p; 320x176: 600p, 420p Recording Media: SDHC/SDXC memory card class 6, 10 File Format: MOV, MP4, AVCHD, iFrame Interchangeable Lenses: No Lens -stop: 1.2-2.8 Focus Distance: 3.76mm-37.6mm Optical Zoom: 10x Filter Diameter: 46mm Focus: Auto/Manual Iris/Gain Control: Auto/Manual Shutter Speed: Auto/Manual
Image Stabilization: Optical Manual White Balance: Yes Zebra Stripes: Yes LCD Monitor: 3" 460K pixels (16:9) Progressive Scan: Yes Video Out: 1/8" (3.5mm) component, Mini HDMI Microphone In: 1/8" (3.5mm) VU Meter: Yes Headphone Jack: 1/8" (3.5mm) Speaker: Yes Wireless Remote: No Battery Type: Lithium ion Accessory Shoe: Yes (1 hot, 1 cold) Dimensions(LxWxH): 4.4" x 3" x 7.3" Weight: 1.2lb. (500g) without battery

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REVIEWS
JVC GC-PX100
which limited our ability to get great shots in tight situations. The menu system on the PX100 is accessible through the same LCD touch screen. Though we felt that the menu system was easy to understand and the touch screen was very accurate, we did notice that the button delay was long enough to be a nuisance. As for controls, the PX100 took a note from traditional camcorders by including a standard zoom rocker, a manual control dial which can switch between controlling aperture or shutter speed a dedicated highspeed recording dial, a focus ring, and a pair of shoe slots. One of these is a hot shoe that allows users to take an optional viewnder on and off the back of the camera while still leaving room to attach a microphone or light to the front. Another great design feature is the plethora of inputs and outputs that come with the PX100. Unlike many DSLRs, the PX100 has both a microphone and headphone jack in order to aid the quality of sound in the camera.
image looked good no matter what the lighting conditions were. JVCs excellent sensor technology and speedy processor also make for excellent image quality. In our tests, we found that there was virtually no rolling shutter, which was very impressive considering that even a high-end camcorder might struggle with the issue. The quick processor also means that the camera shuts off and powers up very quickly. In our tests, it took four seconds to power up the camera and 1.5 seconds to power down. This allowed us to never miss a shot, even if our camera was powered down.
A Need for Speed

The most exciting feature this camcorder's quick processor provides is the ability to shoot at frame rates up to 600 frames per second. This frame rate captures enough to be able to analyze golf swings, running form, and pitching style which makes it perfect for athletes looking to improve their game. In fact, JVC has even developed an app for coaches to record video of athletes on tablet devices using the PX100. To do this, JVC includes a Wi-Fi transmitter in the PX100 that can broadcast a video signal in near real-time to a tablet device. Once connected to the camera, it is possible to quickly export up to 12 stills of the most important part of the athletes movement. However, even if youre not a coach, we found the app was still quite useful for controlling the camera from a distance and playing back the footage in slow-motion instantaneously on a much larger screen.
Added value! Sample footage from the JVC GC-PX100: http://www.videomaker. com/r/655
THE MOST EXCITING FEATURE IS THE ABILITY TO SHOOT UP TO 600fps.

JVC also includes HDMI, AV, and USB output on the camera for exibility outputs.
Though the speed of JVCs processor is quite remarkable, it still only allows for a resolution of 320x176 pixels at frame rates of 480 or 600 frames per second. We found that this resolution is noticeably blocky during playback, which often led us to shoot at a lesser frame rate of 300 frames per second in order to get a decent resolution of 640x360 pixels. However, considering where the technology is today and the price of the camera, we still felt like the high frame rate capabilities of the PX100 are truly noteworthy. Also noteworthy is the ability to play the high frame rate footage in slow-motion through the cameras review menu. This meant that we were able to analyze our slowmotion footage just moments after we shot it a time-saving feature for athletes looking for an instant replay. Overall, we found that the ability to record at 300 frames per second in such a lightweight package, and at a price of $1,000 makes the GC-PX100 a real winner in the world of affordable high frame rate cinematography.
SUMMARY
The best broadcast quality mini converters now in both regular and heavy duty models!
The worlds most popular converters are now available in two families, for the studio or heavy duty for live outside broadcast! The new heavy duty models are machined from solid aluminum so they look beautiful and are super tough! There are 14 models including HDMI, analog, optical ber, audio embedding/de-embedding and up, down, cross conversion. Mini Converters are even available as OpenGear cards for when you need a rack mount solution. Auto Switching SD and HD Mini Converters instantly switch between all SD and HD formats, including NTSC, PAL, 1080PsF23.98, 1080PsF24, 1080PsF25, 1080i50, 1080i59.94, 1080i60, 720p50, 720p59.94 and 720p60. Updates can be loaded via USB. Redundant SDI Input Mini Converters feature a redundant input and loop through SDI output. Connect a redundant SDI cable to the second input, and if the main SDI input is lost, Mini Converters will automatically switch over in an instant. Thats great for mission critical tasks such as live events. Pro Analog and AES/EBU Audio Standard 1/4 inch jacks are included for professional balanced audio that switches between AES/EBU or analog. Unlike other converters you dont need expensive custom audio cables so youll save thousands of dollars! 3 Gb/s SDI Technology Mini Converters include the latest 3 Gb/s SDI technology, so youre always future proofed! 3 Gb/s SDI is also fully compatible with all your existing standard denition and high denition SDI equipment. Broadcast Quality Mini Converters are built to the highest quality standards with low SDI jitter, so you get the longest SDI cable lengths combined with ultra low noise broadcast quality analog video and audio.
A Quality Sensor
Great features and versatile controls are wonderful items to have on a camcorder, but its all for naught if it doesnt produce great looking video. To address this, JVC included a 1/2.3inch backside illuminated sensor in the PX100. Not only is the size of the sensor rather impressive for a camcorder in this price range, but with the natural noise-suppression capabilities of back-illuminated sensor technology, we noticed that dark areas of the
JVCs GC-PX100 is one of the most affordable choices for high frame rate, slow-motion cinematography today. With its ability to shoot up to 600 frames per second, small form factor, and affordable price, this camera is a solid choice for athletes, coaches, and consumers who need good performance on a budget.
Daniel Bruns is an award-winning cinematographer and editor. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15865 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15865
Mini Converter Family

Regular Mini Converter SDI to Analog Mini Converter Analog to SDI Mini Converter SDI to HDMI Mini Converter HDMI to SDI Mini Converter Sync Generator Mini Converter SDI to Audio Mini Converter Audio to SDI Mini Converter Optical Fiber Mini Converter UpDownCross Mini Converter SDI Distribution $295 $295 $295 $295 $295 $495 $495 $495 $495 $295 Heavy Duty Mini Converter H/Duty SDI to Analog $345 Mini Converter H/Duty Analog to SDI $345 Mini Converter H/Duty SDI to HDMI Mini Converter H/Duty HDMI to SDI $345 $345
Learn more today at www.blackmagicdesign.com/miniconverters
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
DJI Phantom
DJI Phantom Quadcopter

A Bird for Beginners
b y Br ia n P eters on
TECH SPECS
ave you ever dreamed about getting into aerial videography but shuddered at the complexity and high cost? DJI Innovations Phantom quadcopter, with its simple operation and comparatively low cost, may be your answer. The Phantom is a ready-to-y quadcopter optimized for GoPro cameras. It comes with all the parts necessary for ight, including a 6-channel transmitter, a camera mount, a lithium polymer battery, a charger, a spare set of propellers and software.
Fun, Fun, Fun

We have to admit it: ying the Phantom is pure fun. For just a moment, forget about creating cinematic ybys
and perfectly stable tracking shots; ying a Phantom will simply make you feel like a kid again. Of course, like kids, we probably didn't spend enough time reviewing the manual before our maiden ight. Fortunately, the online video tutorials helped us get airborne without seriously damaging our new airship. It certainly helps if you have own remote controlled aircraft before, but it isn't critical. We had a little experience ying RC gliders but we had never own a helicopter or multi-rotor aircraft, so the action of the throttle and yaw controls were new to us.
laminated so we could leave it lying around on damp grass.
Video Platform
The Phantom is, of course, more than just a fun toy. It is a very capable video and photo aerial platform. To get the most out of this aircraft you will need to reduce vibration to a minimum. You do this by balancing each of the four propellers by using a prop balancer and sanding off the heavier sides of each blade and/or using balancing tape. There is information about how to do this using vibration dampening mounts and even selecting non-stock props at www.phantompilots.com. For our tests we used stock propellers, balancing each one. We used a
Power Consumption: 3.1W Hover Accuracy (GPS mode): Vertical; +/- 31.5" (.8m) Horizontal; +/98.4"(2.5m) Max Yaw Angular Velocity: 200-degrees/sec. Max Ascent/Descent Speed: +/13.4mph (6m/s) Max Flight Velocity: 22.4mph (10m/s) Battery type: LiPo Dimensions (LxWxH): 17.8" x 17.8" x 7.5" (350mmx190mm) Weight: 1.4lb. (650g) with camera mount but no battery TRANSMITTER Working Frequency: 2.4GHz ISM Control Channels: 6 Communication Distance: 300m Power: AA batteries (4)
GoPro HERO3: Black Edition and set it to capture video at 720p/60fps. Since we had plenty of rough landings, we also recalibrated the Phantoms IMU using the included NAZA-M software. We also calibrated the Phantom's compass. DJI provides instructions for this process, but we also watched their helpful how-to videos. The Phantom has several ight modes. The GPS mode attempts to return to a hover after moving in one direction and releasing the control sticks rather than continuing in the same direction. We enjoyed ying in this mode but the Phantom's automated quick course corrections in this mode made for very shaky video. We ended up using the Attitude Control Mode while shooting video, as it did not make any automated course adjustments other than returning to level ight when we centered the control sticks. There is also a manual mode you enable through software but we did not feel brave enough to try it.
Blinking Lights
DJI Innovations Technology

www.dji-innovations.com
STRENGTHS
Fun Low cost Easy controls Stable flying

WEAKNESSES
Short flight time Best stability requires skill and additional accessories
$680
The Phantom lets you know what's going on with ight modes, acquired satellites and inertial DJI Phantom with a mounted HERO3: Black Edition measurement unit (IMU) status with an LED light that indicates red, yellow and green in a variety of sequences and rates. It took us a while to understand the important ones, but DJI gives you a handy, one-page PDF that is a good reference for all initial ights. In fact, we found we referred to this sheet enough to warrant getting it
DJI Phantom Remote Control Handset The Intelligent Orientation Control is perhaps the best feature for those of us not used to ying RC helicopters. It has two modes; course lock and home Lock, both require you to enable them through software. Course lock lets you y the Phantom regardless of which way the quadcopter is pointed with forward/ backward and left/right controls maintaining their normal function. Home lock works similarly but the left/right control will make the Phantom circle to drift up and down a little requiring around the recorded Home location. us to constantly nudge the throttle to Finally, we tested the go-home and maintain altitude. Make no mistake, land failsafe mode. This only works this is not a replacement for a jib. when you have acquired six or more Perfectly stable and level footage is GPS satellites. We were in a very large the Holy Grail, but to get this, you may open eld with no trees around, had nd you have to spend more money more than six satellites and very little and time than you initially thought. A wind. We ew the Phantom to about good two or three-axis brushless gim100-feet away and about 100-feet high bal is about the only way to achieve when we turned off the transmitter. It this footage and most are expensive. was a bit scary, but it did y to the lift There are several third-party gimbals off point, hovered briey and slowly currently available and DJI has its own. landed within a couple yards of where The Phantom is a well-built, wellit took off. engineered and relatively low cost aerial video platform. Just remember Conclusion to save some cash for accessories such Flying the Phantom is, above all, fun. as extra batteries, maybe a gimbal and Our test video looked very good, with lots of replacement propellers. little to no wiggling effect, especially afSUMMARY ter we balanced our propellers and had a little more experience in the air. The DJIs Phantom quadcopter is a wellPhantom can get you angles you've designed, easy to fly, low cost aerial never before been able to capture. But video platform, with sophisticated protable? No. At least for now, the FCC GPS and failsafe features in a small says you can't charge people for footand durable package. It is perfect for age from your new toy. (See our feature hobbyists who want to add camera on the legalities of shooting with drone angles that used to be reserved for cameras, Attack on the Drones, Is shootonly big budget productions. ing With a Drone Camera Legal? from our August 2013 issue, www.videomakBrian Peterson is a commercial video producer, coner.com/article/15795). sultant and certified Steadicam owner/operator. In all modes, we did have some For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article trouble maintaining the same altitude #16035 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this in a hover. Even without any wind or article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/16035 throttle movement, the Phantom tends
Camera not included
REVIEWS
REVIEWS
LaCie 5big
LaCie 5big Thunderbolt RAID

Heavy Lifting With the Power of Thunder(bolt)
b y Mik e Wi l hel m
down from my bedroom. On a night I had several overnight renders queued, and with both doors open, the blue light was enough to spill into the hallway, reect off my eggshell colored walls, and illuminate my room.
TECH SPECS
First Things First: Speed Tests

To test the 5big, we put it through a couple of tests using articial and practical methodology, all on a current generation MacBook Pro with Retina display. The rst thing we did was a disk speed test using Blackmagics Disk Speed Test utility. When in RAID 0 conguration, we saw write speeds of 533.1MB/s and read speeds of 536.5MB/s. (LaCie reports read/write speeds signicantly higher than this, which could be attributed to our maxed-out speed test utility.) When
h the woes of being a video editor! Most people get along ne with their out-of-the-box workstation, even for professional uses, but not us. While many creative professionals could use more power and more speed out of their machine, we face a somewhat unique problem: storage space. Thats where devices like the LaCie 5big come in. The LaCie 5big is a ve-bay RAID enclosure that uses a Thunderbolt interface to connect to your Thunderbolt-capable workstation. It is designed to be used by the professional video editor who needs a very large, redundant storage solution thats fast enough to work directly from without
LaCie Inc.
www.lacie.com
STRENGTHS
the need to move les to a local drive. Weve all been there. We have an external drive connected to our workstation, and need to edit video using the les stored on the drive. The problem is, the connection between the drive and the computer isnt fast enough to handle our editing software's need to constantly read the les and write new render les. What ends up happening is we have to copy all the video les we need from the external drive onto our local drive in order for them to be usable at all; not a great solution. With Thunderbolt, we no longer have to worry about the limitations of the connection between the two peripherals. In fact, at 10Gb/s, the Thunderbolt connection is faster than the read/write speeds of the hard drives contained within the RAID enclosure itself.
an impressive amount of security, so its unfortunate that RAID 5 isnt an option. The 5big has a brushed aluminum exterior, which nicely matches the look of the current generation of Mac devices. It features a very large blue orb on the front, which lights up when the RAID is active. The 5big looks great sitting on your desk next to your iMac or MacBook Pro, but the blue light can become obnoxious. What looks awesome during the day quickly becomes a distraction when editing at night or in a dimly-lit room. For this review, I had the 5big set up in my home ofce, which is two doors
LaCie 5big docking bay
Capacity: 10TB (reviewed) or 20TB Interface: Dual 10Gb/s Thunderbolt Interface Transfer Rate: Up to 10Gb/s Included Disks: Swappable HDDs (5) Rotational Speed: 7200rpm Cache: 64MB or greater RAID Modes: Preconfigured RAID 0 array, RAID 1/JBOD configuration using Mac OS Disk Utility Data Protocol: PCI Express Video Protocol: Dual-Mode DisplayPort Data Channels: 10Gb/s independent uplink and downlinks
Video Channels: 10Gb/s independent uplink and downlinks Daisy Chain: Up to six thunderboltcompatible devices Enclosure: Aluminum Cooling: Noctua magnetic levitation cooling fan Power Supply: 100-240Vca; 47/63Hz Dimensions (WxHxD): 6.8" x 8.6" x 7.7" Weight: 16.8 lb. (7.6kg) System Requirements: Computer with a Thunderbolt Port, Mac OS X 10.6 or greater
The 10TB 5big

The model were reviewing is the 5big 10TB. Listed at $1,200, this unit comes with the enclosure itself, a single Thunderbolt cable, and ve hot-swappable 7200RPM hard disks. The 5big comes pre-congured as RAID 0, and offers RAID 1 as an option. The 5big doesnt support RAID 5, which is unfortunate considering its loaded with ve drives. Being able to spread data across this many drives would offer
V IDEOMAKER >>> S EPTEMBER 2013 VI D EO MA K ER >>> SEP T EMBER 20 13
Extremely fast Durable build Looks cool

WEAKNESSES
Blue light can be obnoxious No RAID 5 configuration
$1,200
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REVIEWS
LaCie 5big
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test configurations (L-R): local SSD, 5big RAID 1, and 5big RAID 0
compared to speed tests on the local SSD, which resulted in 322.9MB/s write and 411.5MB/s read, we can see that its actually better to edit from the external 5big rather than to transfer footage locally rst. As expected, the RAID 1 conguration was not as strong. Our write speeds were 171.3MB/s and read speeds were 162.5MB/s. In this case, its better to edit from our local SSD. However, better vs. worse doesnt mean anything compared to a simple does it or doesnt it test. For that we brought out the big guns.
Editing 4:4:4 Footage

We just so happen to gain possession of a few hundred gigs worth of ARRI ALEXA footage. These les are 2k ProRes 444 les; more demanding than most editors use on a regular basis. Since rendering is handled by the CPU, GPU, and RAM, what were mainly looking for is the hard drives ability to write and access data. For a video editor, this is most noticeable during standard video playback, so our test was pretty simple. Back in RAID 0, we loaded up a timeline in Adobes Premiere Pro with about six different clips edited end-to-end, and attempted to play them back; smooth as silk. Of course, the math certainly supports this. Since the read speed of the 5big is 536.5MB/s, there should be no problem reading 330MB/s video clips. What about split screen video? you ask? Lets try it!
Aaannd ... no luck. The playback is choppy at best. That said, remember that this footage has an extremely high bitrate. With that in mind, we loaded up some variable bitrate H.264 les from an EOS 5D Mark III. Without difculty, we were able to run four full-resolution videos without a hitch. Overall we were happy with the results of the 5big in its RAID 0 conguration. But how did it fare in RAID 1? When mirroring data, read/ write speeds are drastically reduced. Again we should be able to turn to the math. At 162.5MB/s, theres no way the 5big should be able to play back our 330MB/s ALEXA footage. In practice, our suspicions are conrmed: the footage does appear choppy. The 5D Mark III footage, however, oats around 4.8MB/s, and therefore had no problem playing in real-time.
difculty working with DSLR footage. Even Blackmagic Cinema Camera les in CinemaDNG RAW at 150MB/s should play back ne.
The Bottom Line

Is the 5big worth the $1,200 price tag? When you compare the 5big to its nearest competition, it denitely seems worth it. Similar Thunderbolt RAIDs can break $2,000 without a much larger capacity. The real question is whether or not its worth the money versus something like LaCies own 4big Quadra. For the same price you can get 2TB more if youre willing to give up Thunderbolt for USB 3.0. If you need to archive a lot of video, or are a video editor working with terabytes of footage, having a large, high performance RAID connected to your workstation is a great resource. The 5big performs where it counts and looks cool to boot. If you need the SUMMARY speed and convenience of Thunderbolt, and are content without a RAID 5 conguration, the LaCie 5big Thunderbolt RAID is highly recommended.
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Copying and Transferring Files

For our nal test, we simply copied les from the local SSD to the 5big in RAID 0 conguration. Eight gigabytes were copied in around 10 seconds. Any video editor used to working with external USB 2.0 drives will recognize this as astounding. While using a RAID 1 conguration was not nearly as fast, for most uses, RAID 1 is the better option. The redundancy provided is too important. To those editing DSLR video, I would recommend this setting, even though it means cutting your total usable capacity in half. You will never have
The LaCie 5big Thunderbolt RAID is sure to be a welcome addition to any serious video editing setup.
Mike Wilhelm is Videomakers Content Director. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #16036 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/16036
contents
SOLA ENG FLIGHT KIT LIGHTEN THE LOAD
full screen print

www.litepanels.com/kits
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REVIEWS
REVIEWS
GenArts Sapphire 7
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If you are contacted by any of the companies listed above, please let us know immediately by writing to: Videomaker Customer Service P .O. Box 3780. Chico, CA 95927 customerservice@videomaker.com
GenArts Sapphire 7 Visual Effects Software

Commercial Grade Polish
b y M ik e Houghton
ALERT!
TECH SPECS
ver need an old-fashioned, scratched-up lm effect for your video? How about a beauty lter that would selectively soften only skintones? GenArts Sapphire 7 is a great package that accomplishes that and much more. With a large selection of highly customizable lters and transitions, its a commercial-grade visual effects playground.
Setup and Systems

The full version of Sapphire 7 downloads as a single 70.9MB application le, is a deceptively small package for all thats inside. Open it and a setup wizard installs the necessary les, activates the product, and youre ready to go. The GenArts Sapphire software
GenArts Sapphire 7
www.genarts.com
STRENGTHS
Good learning curve Excellent variety and quality of visual effects Wide platform compatibility
WEAKNESSES
Price makes it somewhat exclusive
folder includes an online manual, an you'll nd nearly 250 visual effects update checker, an uninstall option and and transitions distributed among a program that lets you custom design nine new category folders in the your own lens ares to use with the Effects & Presets pane. Just drag and Sapphire LensFlare plug-in. Getting drop them onto a layer and youre in Sapphire 7 installed is pleasantly easy. business. If theres a learning curve, During the review process, the full it starts with the adjustments you version of Sapphire 7 ran without any can make to each one. The average hiccups inside Adobe After Effects effect has a dozen or more controls CS4, on a Windows 7 laptop with an to spin, slide and tweak. Most have Intel Core i7-2820QM 2.3GHz CPU, intuitive labels; a few require some 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce creative messing around. Theres GTX 560M video card. Results tend to also a reset button to bring the vary by system so its a good idea for default settings back in case the fun prospective buyers to check the Gengets out of hand. Overall, the level of Arts website and make sure their syscustomization is enormous. tem meets the requirements. Sapphire The variety of effects is also quite is compatible with a number of host impressive. You can nd BleachByplatforms such as Adobe After Effects, pass, FilmDamage, LaserBeam and Apple Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Smoke, even some that require long and Avid Media Composer, The Foundry hard thought for a circumstance Nuke, Sony Vegas Pro and open source you would use them in, such as the platforms. Its also GenArts Sapphire 7 interface within Adobe After Effects capable of running on Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems. Again, check the compatibility notes on the website for more detail.
Version Reviewed: 7.02 for Adobe After Effects Operating System: Windows Vista or greater, Mac OS 10.6 or greater Multiprocessor Support: Yes Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 series and greater, Quadro 4000 or greater required for maximum performance Trial Version: 14-day Manual: Yes (digital only)
DogVision effect. While an advanced user might be able to duplicate some of the lters, the time and effort spent doing so is not nearly as costeffective as the Sapphire 7 plug-ins. Additionally, a good amount of the effects are unique or complicated and would require a programming degree to duplicate. The new Beauty lter greatly simplies the process of enhancing and blurring skin tones with just a few clicks. Looking through the list, there are effects for old-time movies, music videos, spy lms, sci- projects and more. Each one is just a drag and drop away from your video. Sapphire 7 is quite the Swiss Army Knife of effects and transitions in regards to variety and professional quality.
is: can you make it pay for itself? For freshly minted amateurs, enthusiasts without a real budget for visual effects or those who arent buying it for professional purposes, perhaps not. But if editing and effects are your bread and butter and time is indeed money, Sapphire 7 is an investment denitely worth checking out. A free 14-day, full-featured trial period is available if youre prepared to try before buying. And who knows? Perhaps after getting lost in the demo, it could motivate you to kick your video business into gear.
No Pixie Dust Here

Remember, theres no magic dust to sprinkle on a bad video that will make it into the next cinema blockbuster. Tools are only as good as the person using them. Passion, creativity, patience and professional pride are qualities you cant buy, yet will show in your video projects. While good quality tools like Sapphire 7 can expand your horizons, it wont work miracles all by itself. Be your own pixie dust.
Check It Out
GenArts' Sapphire 7 is a professional product that effectively gets the job done. While a pricey tool, its selection and quality is both convenient and time-saving. Professional video businesses and serious enthusiasts should check it out. Its well worth the look. Its also a lot of fun!
SUMMARY
The Price Tag

Even with all of its amazing qualities, Sapphire 7 distances itself from casual users with its price tag. For rsttime users the price is on the heavy side with a new After Effects license going for $1,700. For Sapphire 6 users, the upgrade price is considerably less at $499. There are also different rates for oating licenses, licenses not bound to a particular computer, and rental licenses. The big question
If Sapphire 7 is within your reach, its definitely worth having.

Mike Houghton is a freelance videographer and an independent filmmaker. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15884 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15884
$1,700; $499 upgrade; other platforms may vary
Mixing to Taste
Upon opening After Effects,
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REVIEWS
REVIEWS
RDE iXY Stereo Microphone for iPhone

iCandy or Quality Tool?
b y Ma rk H ol der
RDE smartLav Microphone

Light Lav or Brilliant Purchase?
pace, weight and costs are always important considerations to every video production. Having the ability to re-task items that we already have in our toolkit can be a great way to get the job done while saving in these areas. Take the iPhone, for example. Many producers already have one. Rather than running out and buying a separate audio recording device, why not adapt it by adding a quality microphone and making it capable of capturing truly awesome audio?
with a number of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. The unit has a slick, attractive appearance and the build quality is very solid. One word of caution however, regarding the point of attachment: A good bump and both connector and microphone could part ways. Although the iPhone already has a built-in microphone, as with all built-ins there is plenty of room for improvement. Whereas the interTECH SPECS
nal mic is only capable of monaural recording, the iXY utilizes a pair of half-inch cardioid condenser mic capsules, afxed in the distinctive X-Y arrangement to deliver clear, stereo quality. The results are fuller, bassier recordings with noticeably less ambient noise and overall better quality than can be achieved with the built-in microphone. The iXY even comes with a protective hard case and a foam windsock that does a really great job of blocking out wind noise.
Video Production Companion

Well, thats exactly what the audio wizards at RDE Microphones have done. Theyve designed an X/Y style stereo microphone with Apples 30pin connector so it will pair up easily
RDE Microphones Intl.

www.rodemic.com www.ixymic.com
STRENGTHS
Excellent sound quality Very good construction Headphone monitoring

WEAKNESSES
Connector could be easily damaged Not compatible with iPhone 5 or newer
iXY: $199; RDE Rec LE app: free; RDE Rec app: $6
Acoustic Principle: Pressure gradient Capsule: 0.5" Address Type: End Frequency Range: 20Hz-20kHz Maximum SPL: 120dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1K-ohm load) Sensitivity: -42.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (8.52mV @ 94dB SPL) +/- 2dB @ 1kHz Equivalent Noise Level (A-Weighted): 18dB-A Power Options: N/A; powered by device Compatibility: iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPad (third generation), iPad (1st,2nd, 3rd generation), iPad and iPod touch (4th generation, iOS 6+) Weight: 1.4oz. (40g) Dimensions (HxWxD): 1.8" x 2.2" x 1.5" (46mm x 55mm x 40mm)
Lots to Appreciate
To realize the fullest potential of the iXY, download the RDE Rec or RDE Rec LE app. The LE version is free and provides basic functionality. The full-meal-deal version features 24-bit/96kHz recording for greater audio detail, an equalizer, compression, volume normalization, gain adjustments, high/low-pass lter, live monitoring and more, including sharing via Dropbox, email and SoundCloud. If you own a compatible Apple iDevice then consider the RDE iXY stereo mic as an alternative to courtesy-of-your-camera audio on your next production outing.
SUMMARY
ave you ever wished you could get your hands on a decent audio recording device or perhaps an extra one? Well, if you own either an Apple or Android smartphone then you already have one. But what about the sound quality? Internal mics on smartphones tend to pick up a great deal of ambient noise and the overall quality generally leaves much to be desired.
connector into the headphone jack on your device, attach the tiny lavalier microphone to your talent, re up your favorite audio recording app and youre ready to record some signicant sound. The one drawback here is that with the headphone jack busily recording audio you have no means of aurally monitoring your recording.
ing up our voices while excluding the extraneous noises of wind and wildlife around us. Drop-off was practically non-existent as we turned away from the mic and back again. The overall sound quality was very good.
Maximum Performance
Although the smartLav will work with a wide number of Android devices and any audio recording app that will take input from the 1/8-inch jack, it shines brightest when attached to an iOS device running the RDE Rec app. There is a free LE version of the app with limited functionality, but the full-featured version provides access to editing features and lets you ne tune your audio with compression settings, limiting, equalization and more. Once your work is ready to publish, you can send it directly to SoundCloud, Dropbox or email it to whomever you wish.
SUMMARY
Into the Wind

The mic is small about a centimeter in diameter with a windscreen to handle plosives and reduce wind noise. It plugs in to a nice slim smartphone and ts easily on the pocket of a groom, a wedding ofciate, a public speaker or an interviewee. We tested it outdoors and found the smartLav to do an excellent job of clearly pickTECH SPECS
Steppin' Up
Enter RDE Microphones. RDE has created the smartLav to transform your smartphone or other Apple iOS device into an audio recording master of superior sound quality. And its easy to use; simply plug the TRRS
STRENGTHS
Excellent sound quality Affordable Unobtrusive

WEAKNESSES
Whether recording lectures, interviews, or voice overs, the RDE iXY delivers convenience and high quality stereo in one affordable package.
No headphone monitoring No RDE Rec app for Android
smartLav: $60; RDE Rec LE app: free; RDE Rec app: $6
Acoustic Principle: Pressure gradient Active Electronics: JFET Capsule: 0.1" Address Type: End Frequency Range: 20Hz-20kHz Sensitivity: -32.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (25.50mV @ 94dB SPL) +/- 2dB @ 1kHz Power Options: N/A; powered by device Weight: .2oz. (6g) Dimensions: 3/8" (9mm) diameter; 47" (1180mm) cord
For highly portable, quality audio recording, editing and publishing on a device you already own, check out RDE Microphones smartLav.
Contributing Editor Mark Holder is a video producer and trainer. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15878 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15878
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Laptop
Buyers Guide
BY GEORGE F. YOUNG
Hewlett-Packard www.hp.com
Lenovo www.lenovo.com Toshiba www.toshiba.com
Youve made up your mind, and you want a laptop. You need the mobility that only a laptop can provide, and since you'll be editing video, you need more power than a tablet has to offer. At this point in time, you dont quite need the power and expandability a workstation provides or you need to stay portable.
The low-priced laptop, with software, should come in at less than $1,000. For video editing, your laptop needs to have a little more horsepower with at least an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of memory. (See our feature, The Fastest Processor for Editing, on page 64 for a deeper explanation.) The internal drive should be around 500GB at this price point. You'll need an external drive to edit with because you dont want to edit to your system drive. If you take a look at the ASUS K Series with a 15.6-inch display, it has an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB memory, and comes with a 500GB hard drive. At $690 this meets our minimum recommended system conguration and leaves you with money left over for peripherals and software. The Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 can have an Intel Core i5 processor, a 15.6" display, 8GB Memory, and a 1TB hard drive. Though more expensive at $830, it gives you more memory and a larger internal drive. You still have some cash leftover to buy an external drive. If you're a beginner then you may nd the software that comes with your new computer has everything you need. The next step up the software ladder might be Adobe Premiere Elements. Don't worry about upgrading until you gure out just what you are going to be doing with your new tools.
of memory, and a 1TB hard drive for $1,000. Dell can send us a 17.3-inch Inspiron 17R Special Edition laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB memory, with a Blu-ray optical drive and a 1TB hard drive for $1,300. The software for mid-priced users might be a little more expensive. At this level, its more than likely that you'll be making a video for someone else besides your own videos. You will need more advanced software like Sony Vegas Pro 12 or EDIUS Pro 7 at $600 and $700 respectively.
High-Priced ($2,000-$3,000)
Mid-Priced ($1,000-$2,000)
O
ne of the most important features of a laptop is the portability factor. You can take your editing tools with you wherever you go. Whether youre an amateur videographer or a professional shooter, you need a way to view and edit video while on the go. You may have a nice workstation at home loaded with software, but the only way to keep working while on the road is with a laptop. In this buyers guide, we look at price ranges and features that can be found on laptop computers for video editing. Well start with the lowpriced laptop, take a look at mid-priced laptops, then nish up with some higher-priced examples. Well also look into some features you may want to consider when searching for your new laptop, then follow with a feature on desktop choices.
Low-Priced (Under $1,000)
This is a good place to start for the amateur. You may be shooting video with your smartphone or you may even have a nice pocket video camera. Either way, your laptop is going to be your tool for viewing and editing your videos. At this point you dont have a heavy dependence on your laptop, its more or less just for fun. If you dont have the budget for a professional machine, the low-priced laptop is a good place to start. You may be tempted to take a peek in the bargain aisle when looking for a low-priced laptop; dont. Many of you have seen the ads for the $300 laptop. Most of those found in the bargain bin will not satisfy your needs when it comes to editing. The bargain laptop has just enough features to get you on the Internet to browse and check your email.
The mid-priced laptop user wants a little more performance. You'll have a larger budget and probably a better camera. Youre probably shooting HD footage, so more horsepower will come in handy. And with that additional horsepower comes rendering speed. When its time to output that project, things can happen a little faster than before. The mid-priced laptop and equipment should come at less than $2,000. For that kind of money, you could stay with an i5-powered laptop and add more memory, a larger hard drive, or go for a larger screen. So to eliminate confusion lets say that at this price point you will be looking for an Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB of memory, and at least a 1TB hard drive. With this next level of performance you will notice a big difference in speed. Things like rendering, transcoding, and outputting les will all happen faster. A 17-inch screen will also be nice to work with. You will not regret spending more money here. A Toshiba Satellite S70-AST2NX2 has an Intel Core i7 processor with a 17.3-inch screen, 12GB
High-priced users have more expectations for a laptop. You'll have a greater budget and need something that will perform well under pressure. You should be willing to pay more, because the increased power and speed will pay off in the end. At this level there may be clients waiting for a complete DVD or video to be delivered. You might be a pro that needs to take work on the road for weeks at a time. A high-priced laptop at this level can be found for less than $3,000. Now you can look for an Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of memory. But in addition to these core features you might want to add something from the extra features category like a high resolution display. In the high-priced category, you can buy a Dell XPS 15.6-inch laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB Memory, 512GB SSD, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM for $2,300. With this laptop, you can use the dedicated graphics card to edit with, and take full advantage of the Truelife WLED display. And theres still money leftover for software. Now you may want to invest more in the hardware. For example the HP EliteBook 8770w with a 17.3-inch screen, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD can be had for $2,290. This laptop has a larger screen but the internal drive is a little smaller. If you're a Mac user, the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB memory, and 512GB ash storage can be had for $2,800. The trade-off here is that there is no disc drive included, but youll get Apples high resolution Retina display and connectivity with Intels high-speed interface; Thunderbolt. The high-priced user is going to also want professional editing software and possibly visual effects software like Adobe After Effects. Such software can get expensive, but when you are working for business, your investments should eventually pay for themselves.
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Laptop Buyers Guide
PORTABLE MINI?
There is another computer out there that is somewhat portable. Well, not as portable as a laptop but very small and easy to move about. Were talking about Apples Mac mini computer that is less than 1.5-inches tall, about 8-inches square, and weighs less than three pounds. You can get an Intel Core i5 processor, with 4GB of memory, and a 500GB hard drive for $600. You wont be able to use it in the airport while youre waiting, but it is really small. You will have to bring a monitor to the table because it doesnt come with one, nor does it come with a mouse or a keyboard. PC companies also provide options in a similar form. Technically, its a desktop computer, but it is so small we had to mention it. If youre still undecided about buying a laptop, this might be for you. Maybe you really just wanted something smaller than your old tower that takes up so much space. You thought a laptop was the answer. This may be the alternative. Well let you decide. www.videomaker.com/r/658
Workstation
Buyers Guide
Features
Lets look at some of the features that youll need in a video editing laptop. Battery: an extended life battery will keep you working longer, and note your time, especially during video editing or intensive use. Bluetooth: consider this handy technology for part of your new laptop. There are many peripherals that are Bluetooth capable. Display: expanding the usable desktop space with a second display can make editing easier. You'll need an external display port. For critical review of HD footage, Apples high resolution Retina display is very good. Disc burner: to make a disc of your project and a good way to make backups from your digital media cards. You never know what your client will ask for so its good to be ready. eSATA port: handy to connect external drives. Ethernet port: found on most if not all laptops. Fingerprint reader: a great idea when you need more security. Headphones: great for checking audio tracks. The speakers that come inside laptops have yet to measure up to a good pair of headphones. Media card reader: wonderful when you have a camera that uses a matching media card. You can take your card right from the camera to the laptop. Solid-state drive: an SSD will withstand everyday life much better than a traditional mechanical hard drive. Theyre still a little expensive, but are faster and will last longer. Thunderbolt port: a high-speed interface created by Intel, most widely found on Apple computers as of the writing of this article.
Touchpad: found on most new laptops and can offer more features than a traditional mouse, allowing nger gestures similar to a tablet. USB ports: the more the merrier, especially 3.0. Wi-Fi: most if not all new laptops come equipped for Wi-Fi, but you should make sure before you purchase.
In Conclusion
Have you made up your mind yet? Just look in your wallet before you make your nal decision. No matter what you buy there will always be something new coming out that you may want. For now, get what you can afford. The hardware you buy today will be outdated by next year. For a rst-time laptop editor, once you start using your new laptop you'll quickly nd out that the features you wish you had or don't need when you're again ready to upgrade. If you become a pro editor, you will probably be looking into a new workstation, and youll have your laptop to take on the road. Saving part of your budget for external hard drive is important for video producers. If you use your system drive to edit you may nd yourself in hot water very quickly. Video les can be very large and consume lots of hard drive space. Make sure you purchase another drive to digitize your footage to before you get started. For a thorough listing on computer specs and features, check out our downloadable .pdf that compares over 100 different computers online at: www.videomaker.com/r/659. For a look at upgrading your desktop ... see the next page!
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15765 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15765
BY GEORGE F. YOUNG
So you're in the market for a video editing workstation. Do you think you might ditch that laptop and move into a more expandable workstation? If you're ready to update or youre new to the world of video editing, this buyers guide will help you make an informed choice.
Dell www.dell.com
Apple Inc. www.apple.com
ASUS www.asus.com
re you a beginner video producer? Or are you a professional that needs all the video editing programs and tools? Should you decide to move up to the next video editing level with a boost in editing software, you may need or want to upgrade your system, too. One of the best features of a workstation is the ability to upgrade. If youve had that old computer for longer than you would like to admit, it may be just the right time for a new one. Even if its not the exact time for a new one, at some point in time it will be. Unlike classic cars, computers don't grow old gracefully. This article looks at three
levels of performance for your new video editing workstation. First well look at beginners with smaller expectations and probably a smaller budget. Next well examine the intermediate user who has more money to spend and higher demands, but not quite as much as a pro needs. Then, well look at what a pro might want in a workstation.
The Beginner
A typical beginner is someone who shoots video with a smartphone or consumer video camera. Then the footage will need digitizing, editing, and distribution. As a beginner youre often not making movies for anyone but yourself. Your need for
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Workstation Buyers Guide
this new toy to work. This is a very substantial investment that can help you earn revenue in return for your video editing.
The Intermediate Computer
Hewlett-Packard www.hp.com
Apple Inc. www.apple.com
Lenovo www.lenovo.com
the best camera or the best computer simply isnt there. You may be someone who has never edited before or someone who is buying a computer for the rst time. If so, uploading videos to Facebook or YouTube is likely going to be your rst method of distribution. The software that comes with your new computer may be just what youre looking for. It is likely going to have one video track and two audio tracks. For Mac users thats iMovie, and for Windows users it's Movie Maker. As a beginner you may need to spend up to $2,000 for a video editing workstation and software. Its a good idea to be a little conservative if its your rst time out. At this point, you may not really know if this new toy is going to be what youre looking for or just another box that sits in the corner and collects dust. But it is a substantial investment, so choose wisely.
memory and room for expansion. Dont forget to pick out a nice monitor, keyboard, and mouse to get the job done.
Beginners Software
The Beginner's Hardware
In addition to the computer, youll need some software to get started. Most, if not all, brand new video editing workstations will come with video editing software. These tools will give you a basic set of features. Apples iMovie and Microsofts Movie Maker may be limited, but can satisfy your needs for many projects. If you need more than two audio tracks and one video track, you will have to invest in a better video editing software package, and there are plenty of choices out there to choose from. To make an educated decision for video editing software for beginners to intermediates, check out this Consumer Video Editors feature, from our February 2013 issue: www.videomaker. com/article/15707
The intermediate can aim for great value out of the fullest extent of a computer's features. You can benet from some of the cooler tools and features, now. More memory, a faster processor, and high-speed drives will all pay off in the end. The intermediate computer is denitely capable of handling the job. The intermediates computer has more horsepower than the beginner's. Intels Core i7 processor with 8GB of memory is a good place to start to get the job done. The intermediate might also invest in an upgraded graphics card, beyond what comes as standard, to help with processing and screen rendering. Beginner or intermediate; dont forget the external storage or additional internal drive to edit with. You dont want to digitize to the system drive, and with the intermediate computer, the second drive may belong to a client. At this level, the second drive is not only highly recommended, its a requirement. Again the larger the better, whatever your budget will tolerate. For the intermediate, the Dell XPS 8700 desktop at $1,050 has an i7 processor, 24GB of memory, and a 2TB hard drive.
package, third-party plug-ins or stock elements to satisfy client requests. Having both the software and hardware that can be the platform for these is worth considering. You can use the Videomaker search tool to nd out more about the editing software youre interested in or read our guide: www.videomaker. com/article/15757.
The Professional
Intermediate Software
The pro is someone who is making a living shooting and editing video. The pro's equipment has to be widely capable and efcient. As a pro, you'll use professional or broadcast-quality cameras and equipment. It may or may not be the most expensive, but it gets the job done fast. When quality and speed are the most important factors, you need the best available. Most if not all of your clients are looking for results in HD, or better. Your software and hardware must be up to the task. At this level, increased processing power is a necessity and rendering and outputting are your bread and butter. Your price range should be from $5,000 on up for a workstation and software. Also important at this performance level is workow. This is an important factor to the pro. In fact you may look to study other pros for best practices. A good workow can save time when moving a video from the camera to the edit suite, and from the computer to the nished product.
As a beginner you dont need all the tools of a pro just yet. Its best to gure out which ones you might actually want as you go along. Then, when the time is right, you can do an upgrade. You dont have to buy everything now. Thats the advantage of buying a workstation instead of a laptop; you can upgrade at a later date. For now you will need a computer thats capable of handling the job. Even at the beginners level, if you're editing video, you need a computer with a little more horsepower than an average user. Video editing takes more processing horsepower than surng the Web or writing your thesis, and it can be processor intensive for your video card as well. (See our feature, The Fastest Processor for Editing, on page 64 for a deeper explanation of CPU requirements.) At a minimum, Intels Core i5 processor with 4GB of memory will get the job done at this level, and dont forget the external storage or additional internal drive to edit with. You dont want to digitize footage to the system drive, so a second drive is highly recommended. The larger the better. Go with whatever your budget will tolerate. For less than $600, the Asus CM1745 is a nice beginners workstation with lots of
The Intermediate
The intermediate user is someone who shoots video with any level camera, consumer, prosumer or professional. You will denitely need a way to edit it, and besides your own videos, you are probably making a video for someone else. Again, you dont need the best camera or the best computer, but in this case, the advanced features will see a lot of use. The increased processing power will speed up rendering and output of movie les. As an intermediate user, you'll get creative with shots and editing, and push to make more use of all your available tools. The intermediate users usually invest in a more expensive video editing software package and will need the capability to use multiple audio and video tracks. You will most likely be utilizing some of the audio and video effects that come with the software package. You may even invest in some additional effects software. As an intermediate, you're likely spend $2,000 to $5,000 for a video editing workstation and software. This is someone who has edited before. If you have the budget, its a good idea to spend a little more for better performance. At this point you know exactly how you will be putting
The software is more expensive at this level because it can do more. You might use one of the leading editing software programs out there today like Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas Pro or Avid Media Composer. Media Composer and Premiere Pro are both available for Windows and Mac. Final Cut Pro is only found on Macs, and Sony Vegas Pro is only for Windows. All of these video editing packages will give you more than enough features. At this point you may also be looking for Adobe Photoshop to create graphics for your projects. But keep in mind; the greater price of the software at this level is closely tied to the demands from your clients. You may also have the need to invest in additional software such as a 3D drawing
Toshiba www.toshiba.com
The Professionals Computer
The pro's computer is going to be impressive. It will have that extra memory and hard drive capacity that a beginner can only dream of. There may be more than one additional bell or whistle. With this, multiple cores will be the norm, not the exception. The pro is looking for a dedicated workstation that has all the necessary horsepower. A dedicated workstation is built with heavy usage in mind and can handle hours and hours of editing and rendering without failing. Your pro computer processor will be at least an i7 with multiple cores. It may also have 8GB of memory or more, and there will certainly be an upgraded graphics card installed as well. In this price range the HP Z820 Workstation at $4,340 has
Dell www.dell.com

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Workstation Buyers Guide
The All-in-one Beginners Solution

If youre a beginner and you like to keep your actual desktop clean and uncluttered then you might want to look into an all-in-one computer. These computers are typically less powerful than their tower brothers and sisters, and they have limited upgrade options. If they can be upgraded, it may cost slightly more than a standard tower configuration. That said, they do have a nice, modern look. For the beginner who likes the Windows all-in-one style of computer you can get a Lenovo 23-inch ThinkCentre M92z for $1,050. www.videomaker.com/r/660. This model comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, and a 500GB hard drive. For the Mac enthusiast you can get the 21.5-inch iMac with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, and a 1TB hard drive for $1,300. www.videomaker.com/r/661. Toshiba has the PX35t-A2230: a 23-inch all-in-one computer with an Intel Core i5 processor that comes with 6GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for $1,100. A few of the major differences here include the media card reader being an upgrade on the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92z, and there is no disc drive on the Apple iMac. The iMac, however, gives you the latest technology with Intels new Thunderbolt I/O. www.videomaker.com/r/657. The Toshiba PX35t-A2230 gives you beefy memory with a large hard disk drive. All three come in at less than $1,500. Each would make a fine beginners home computer that can do some basic video editing. And with the extra money dont forget to buy an external drive for all your footage.
an 8-core Xeon processor, 16GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive. On the Mac side there is the current Mac Pro 12-Core for $3,800 with two 6-core Xeon processors, 12GB of memory, and a 1TB hard drive. Keep in mind that this computer will be discontinued later in the fall of 2013. Although its possible to upgrade to a higher-end graphics card during the purchasing process, you may not have the option to upgrade to the exact type of card you need. For example, editors using Sony Creative Softwares Vegas Pro 12 who want to take advantage of GPU acceleration will need a computer with a CUDA-enabled NVIDIA card or an OpenCL-enabled AMD card. Whatever computer you decide on, be sure to double check your specications to make sure the card it comes with is compatible with your editing software of choice. Additionally, its worth noting that many high-end workstations only allow upgrades to a specic brand: more often than not, NVIDIA Quadro. If you need or prefer a high-end AMD card, like the FirePro, you have two choices: accept the fact that you have limited options for computers that ship with your favorite AMD card, or purchase the computer you want, replace the card, and put the other on eBay.
Professional Software
As a pro youre going to be depending on the software to deliver quality HD products on a daily basis. At this level youll need all the tools for video production, audio production graphics, and editing. An expansive suite of tools is Adobes Creative Cloud. You get all the tools you need to create a professional product. Avid Media Composer, or high-end visual effects software, in a networked environment is very common at the pro level. Avids ISIS 7000 networked storage provides a place where the camera operator, editors, and graphic designers can all work together. They can share project les and graphics and get work done from any connected workstation. Once you have settled on your software you can get to work on some cool effects. There are lots to choose from but dont overuse any one of them. Heck, there will be lots of effects to choose from at the beginner level, and those shouldnt be overused either.
wireless mouse and keyboard will be relatively inexpensive, while drives and monitors may cost thousands. Again, the beauty of a desktop workstation is that you can upgrade on your own time. Disc burner: to output quality projects. Also good for backup storage. Drive bay: additional bays can hold different types of drives or other accessories. Hard drive storage: required for editing and can be internal or external. Media card reader: for all those ash memory cards that your HD cameras use. This is an important part of workow. Monitor: an additional one is not a necessity for the beginner, a nice option for the intermediate, but a must-have for the professional. Networked attached storage: exactly how it sounds: anyone attached to your network has access to your storage. RAM: more will benet any user. Programs will load faster and run better. Shared storage: allows others access to the network, especially useful for collaboration. Video card: upgrading here will help with rendering and accommodating your second monitor. Wireless mouse and keyboard: because you'll have enough wires to worry about.
Finding Your Fit
The process of choosing a new workstation is predominantly dened by your budget. Even if you are a pro, you still need to have the funds to buy what you need. As you can see, there is a workstation out there for everyone at any level of expertise. Still cant decide which way to go with Windows or Mac OS X? Try out both if you can. It may take a visit to a local college or library, which are sometimes great resources for media equipment in general. You can nd really good editing setups for both platforms. Once you have made your choice, dont worry. Get to work with your current hardware and software until it can no longer handle what you throw at it. If you nd yourself needing more, upgrades are always in development! For a thorough listing on computer specs and features, download a .pdf that compares hundreds of computers online at: www.videomaker.com/r/659.
George F. Young is an audio/video producer who works for a government agency in the Washington, D.C. area. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15766 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15766
THE RIGHT PEOPLE + THE RIGHT GEAR =GREAT DOCUMENTARY

Youre only as good as your equipment & crew. You might have an idea for the best documentary ever. You might even have the talent and drive to pull it off. But an unqualied crew or inadequate equipment can doom your production. You can avoid this by following a few simple guidelines. Videomakers Documentary Production: Equipment and Crew will show you exactly what to do to ensure youre working with the right people and gear. Segments include: Choosing a Camera, Choosing Audio Gear, Choosing Lighting Gear, Essential Accessories, Finding Crews, and Working with Crews.
Bells and Whistles
Here are a few items that you may nd desirable at any level. Gear like media card readers and
ComputerManufacturer's Manufacturer'sList List Computer

Acer www.acer.com Alienware www.alienware.com Apple Inc. www.apple.com ASUS www.asus.com Dell www.dell.com Hewlett-Packard www.hp.com Lenovo www.lenovo.com Samsung www.samsung.com Sony Electronics Inc. www.store.sony.com Toshiba www.toshiba.com
Learn more at: videomaker.com/doc-crew

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Training
Video production rules, secrets and tricks arent something were born with or a gift gained via effortless, often unconscious assimilation.
BY EARL CHESSHER
Affordable Approaches to Video Training
to Video
W
e must be exposed to the video production environment in order to absorb and learn the knowledge and skills necessary to get videography jobs. A formal education can be expensive, but learning how to produce great video doesnt have to be. Lucky for us, there are many paths toward learning video production. Many of these paths dont require hours and days in a classroom, and spending money we dont have on tuition, books and materials. A formal education serves its purpose, creating contacts, avenues of opportunity, even amenities for
Affordable Approaches
those who truly excel. Then there are alternative resources for video enthusiasts who want to learn, but are economically challenged. These nine affordable paths to great video production training can help you fulll your dream of landing that videographer job.
1. Watch and Learn
How many videos do you view a week? Five? Convert entertainment to education by watching to learn rather than for fun. Stop to assess what you see. How was that technique done? Why was it done? Sure, you need to know what youre looking for and what it is you want to learn. Anyone wanting to get video production work can learn through osmosis, or simply watching videos. You need to view special features that often present the making of and behind-the-scenes segments. Thatll teach you something. Home video in the form of DVDs and Blu-rays with special features offer professional insight into creating a story, shooting, tricks and then some. Combine your weekly entertainment with a focus on learning its a budgetary no-brainer. Turn money spent into an investment by paying attention to more than the story. Research classic lms. Search the Internet for all-time great movies, documentaries or shows. Read about what made them classics or exceptional productions, then watch with an eye for why theyre studied. This is part of the curriculum at many video production schools and is a study you can conduct on your own.
discretion. Theres also plenty of bad information. The good stuff will rise to the top, though. Search YouTube with a phrase like how to produce great video and youll get pages of listings for titles like these: How to Create Great Videos - Nine Rules for Creating Video, Film Riot Make Movie Rain Without Getting Wet, and Video Production Basics. Theres more, much more. Youll need to narrow your search to the specics you want to learn. Look to how-to videos for just about anything, from storyboarding to making a fake explosion.
The Internet is a font of information and how-to videos. Video production segments are often short and sweet, offering you insight to a single skill or more polished techniques.
3. Affordable Online Training
2. YouTube
If you want to learn about video, the best or worst approaches to production, how to nd the right equipment and use it, what to light or mic, etc., go no further than this ubiquitous video website. Just about anything you want to learn regarding video production, equipment or how to break the rules can be found on YouTube. Use
Maybe yours is a low budget rather than no budget situation. Stay at your computer. Search online video production training sites. Vimeo Video School offers a Video 101 series for video enthusiasts who might be new to making videos, or veterans who want a basics refresher. There is plenty of instruction at both skimming beginner levels and deeper advanced levels. Some companies produce downloadable training series for video production and equipment or offer courses on DVD. www.lynda.com is a popular site offering online training in many areas. There are more than 570 tutorials just on video production there, available on a monthly or annual fee. Many tutorials feature free seg-
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Get Real Experience Behind the Camera

ments and the site offers a free trial period. Another low-cost online video tutorial site is www. video101course.com, offering iPad Textbooks for $3. Subjects cover editing, shooting, sound, lighting, camera, lens selection and more. Virtually any topical search gets you professional-level instruction at a fraction of the cost of a formal education. Not many come with certicates of completion to add to your rsum, but the knowledge you gain can take you far. Even if you end up in a situation in which you dont receive formal instruction, you still need to practice taking initiative, an essential skill for any videography. Youll consistently need to assess and evaluate what you want to learn.
when you Attend a Videomaker Workshop
Workshops
5. Volunteer to Help a Local Indie
4. Working for the Government
Workshops like this one offered from Videomaker not only teach you video production skills, but also give you a chance for some hands-on experience with gear you might only see in catalogs.
You can learn a lot by working for the other guy. It isnt always a classy educational environment, nor one that pays while you learn. These government-supported positions come with some challenges and specic requirements and provide you with on-the-y experience. Of the learn-by-experience environments such as public access jobs, make sure your job description is clear. Join a local public access TV station. Check for the one nearest to you to see how to get involved in video production that is meaningful for your community. One such example is Boxford Cable Access Television Corporation, Inc., which we featured in the July 2013 issue, www. videomaker.com/r/666. BCATv provides training, facilities and more for the community. For better or worse, these programs provide you with experience, which goes both ways, teaching you what not to do and teaching you what you need to know. There are some excellent community access programs, while others are less-developed.
You can learn a lot by volunteering to work with a local indie project. Indie producers look for help through classied ads, community newsletters and via yers, Craigslist, YouTube pitches, Twitter, Facebook and other social networks. Another good place to check is LinkedIn, a networking site for professionals. Depending on how you search this professional site and how you connect there, volunteer, or even paid videography jobs can be found. Theres a danger of becoming one of many gofers doing simple, menial tasks without ever getting exposed to the real production. Overcome that by showing a genuine interest in the project, a desire to learn more than how to fetch a cup of java and be a team player. Let people know youre serious about learning. If your area of the world is a location for ongoing video or movie production, try getting inside by doing a walk-on. Go where the action is but be careful not to get in the way. Find out who, probably a producer, to talk to about working on the production as a volunteer.
CLASS SIZES ARE SMALL SO SEATING IS LIMITED.
REGISTER TODAY!
The Basics of Video Production Learn video production from the ground up, getting
to know the equipment like the back of your hand. Get hands-on experience in the field; from planning and shooting to lighting, audio and editing using equipment the pros use. October 18-20, 2013 December 6-8 2013
6. Adult Education Classes
Community center and community college adult education works. Many offer evening and weekend video courses. Classes are often available for a minimal fee. Visit the facility website and check the adult course options. You may discover one that has a media education center where you can get hands-on experience and training in a class environment and possibly as a volunteer. Adult education programs focus on many of the programs used in video production, offering other options for expanding your video knowledge. Although most classes arent held at video production schools or lm schools, they still contribute to your overall video learning experience.
Intensive Lighting Master the nuances of lighting. Get hands-on experience with lighting for
interviews, green screen, product shots, outdoor exteriors and more for professional level videos. Classes are small, so you set up the lights yourself! October 18-20, 2013
Intensive Editing Good editing can turn lackluster footage into riveting video. We provide laptops
and Adobe professional editing software to students with a good grasp of the editing basics & help them hone their speed and skills to a fine point! December 6-8 2013
7. Let Your Employer Pay for It
Depending on your line of work, your employer may have a need for someone with video production skills. Parlay your video interests into a winwin by offering to provide Web or other videorelated work in exchange for your employer
TO REGISTER OR GET MORE INFORMATION

go to www.videomaker.com/workshops or Call 800-284-3226
TO $40 SAVE UP U SIGN WHEN YO RLY! UP EA
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Cancellations: Cancellations must be received in writing (faxes acceptable) to Videomaker Customer Service. Notication must be received at least 21 calendar days prior to the workshop start date to receive a full refund (less $20 registration charge). A substitute workshop date may be requested in lieu of a refund. For cancellations received between 21 and 7 calendar days prior to the workshop start date, a 50% refund applies. No cancellations, refunds or substitution dates will be given after 7 calendar days prior to the workshop start date. Videomaker, Inc. reserves the right to cancel a workshop up to 1 month prior to the workshop start date. Mail cancellation/refund requests to: Videomaker Customer Service (Workshop), P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927-4591. Fax: 530-891-8443, Attn Customer Service.
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paying tuition. Sometimes, in order to learn, we production. Creating video with that equipment have to create our own videography jobs. Here as a learning experience offers valuable handsat Videomaker, many of our workshop attendees on time: something you dont always get in the are people who work in one eld at their busiclassroom. Also, that classroom certicate isnt ness, and are thrust into being the video producalways a guarantee youll nd videographer jobs er, too. For many, their company pays for their any more than taking the initiative on your own workshop expenses or they can write them off might produce. as continuing education expenses if they work in the educational eld. 9. Videomaker to the Rescue One woman we know worked for an area hosVideomakers articles, videos, forums and news pital and volunteered to be the video director. She offer a vast library of instructional, how-to, wanted to learn video production and her hospital training, webinars and more; from free to afneeded public service and promotional video for fordable, as well as monthly articles covering a cablecast. She talked the hospital CEO into buyvirtually every aspect of video production. ing the essential equipment for producing basic The forums and website not only provide in-house video and almost immediate convinced him to response to help pay her tuition for PRACTICE UNTIL YOU BECOME MORE CON- save me! posts, courses that helped but an abundance FIDENT IN YOUR ABILITIES AND IMPROVE her learn what she of archived articles needed to know. and news topYOUR PRODUCTION SKILLS. Determine if ics covering all such a need or aspects of video resource represents production, and a value to your company, make your pitch and a bounty of tutorials. There are eight how-to learn what you need to know about making categories on the site, covering the business, video, with your boss footing the bill. post-production, production, technology, distribution, pre-production and more. 8. Buy Used Equipment and Experiment With all the avenues of knowledge offered by Invest in the basic used equipment you need, Videomaker comes information about videogthen go hands-on and learn by your mistakes. rapher jobs, details regarding what to expect Shoot. Experiment. Assess. Learn. Find resources in a videographer job description, even video detailing videographer job descriptions and do production schools and lm schools. And check the things with your rig that help you ll in your out those Videomaker workshops! Hands-on educational blanks. training in a small group can give you much Keep in mind that your purpose is to learn, more exposure to the gear and techniques in not earn ... yet. Dont offer production work one weekend than you might gain in a full seyoure not sure you can provide. Shoot video. mester of higher education. Review the results. Evaluate what you capture, and go out and do it again. Edit video. Review Self-Taught Success the results. Evaluate and show to trusted friends Follow any of these paths to learn about video or family members. Be critical of what works production, how to use the equipment and what and why, then try again, improving as you go it takes to do it right. Identify your learning needs, along. Faster. Better. Be more creative. Sure, its a dene your goals and self-education will take you clich, but experience is often the best teacher. where you want to go. The power of knowledge Share your work with others; join video starts with these resources, and the learning expeforums and submit your work. Accept criticism rience doesnt have to be an expensive lesson. and suggestions. Go out and do it again and Contributing editor Earl Chessher is a full-time professional video proagain, until you become more condent in your ducer, writer and published author. abilities and improve your production skills. An investment in used equipment is usually For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15786 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: something youll be tempted to budget even if www.videomaker.com/article/15786 you were pursuing a formal education in video
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#CAHFM500
HD Flash memory Camcorder

Full HD 1920 x 1080p Recording at 60 fps Canon 2.91MP 1/2.84 HD CMOS Pro Sensor Canon 20x HD Video Lens (3.67 - 73.4mm) Record in MP4 (35Mbps) or AVCHD (28Mbps) Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card Slots Built-in Wi-Fi & Free Movie Uploader App OLED 3.5 touch Panel display & joystick Color 0.24 Viewfinder Optical Image Stabilization
#CAHFG30
VIXIA HF G30
NEW
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HD Flash Memory Projector Camcorder

1/2.88 back-illuminated Exmor-R CMOS sensor Record to internal 96GB flash memory, or SD/SDHC/ SDXC MS PRO-HG Duo & XC-HG media 1920 x 1080 Full HD 24p/60p video Internal 35 lumen projector Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens (10x, 17x extended) 3.0" (16:9) LCD screen & Color viewfinder 5.1-ch recording WI-Fi capable (optional ADPWL1M wireless module) Optical image stabilizer Smooth slow-motion recording capabilities Built-in GPS Microphone & headphone input
#SOHDRPJ790VB
HDR-PJ790
Compact HD Camcorder
HXR-NX30
Sunday 10-6 Mon.-Thurs. 9-7 Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST Saturday Closed
Shoots AVCHD Up to 1080/60p at 24Mbps Built-In 96GB Flash Memory Capacity Pro Audio Control & Level Adjustment Equipped with Dual XLR Inputs Built-In Projector & 3.5" LCD Monitor Built-In Stereo Shotgun Microphone Super-Wide Carl Zeiss 10x Optical Lens Balanced Optical SteadyShot Features SD or Memory Stick Card Slot
# SOHXRNX30U

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NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer General Lic. #0907906
Professional Professional HD HD Solid Solid State State Camcorder Camcorder

64GB 64GBInternal Internaland andDual DualSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXC card cardslots slotswith withrelay relayrecording recording 1920 x 1080 CMOS Image 1920 x 1080 CMOS ImageSensor Sensor Canon Canon10x 10xHD HDVideo VideoLens Lens 8-Blade 8-BladeIris Irisand andManual ManualFocus FocusRing Ring DIGIC DIGICDV DVIII IIIImage ImageProcessor Processor 24Mbps 24MbpsRecording Recording(AVCHD) (AVCHD) 3.5" 3.5"High-resolution High-resolutiontouch touchpanel panel LCD LCDand andEVF EVF Dual DualXLR XLRterminals terminals
#CAXA10 #CAXA10
XA10 XA10
XDCAM XDCAM HD422 HD422 Handheld Handheld Camcorder Camcorder

1/2.9" 1/2.9"CMOS CMOSSensor Sensor(1920 (1920xx1080) 1080) XDCAM XDCAM422 422MPEG-2 MPEG-2Codec Codecat at50 50Mb/s Mb/s 10x Zoom Lens 40-400mm 10x Zoom Lens - 40-400mm (35mm (35mmEquiv) Equiv) 3.5" 3.5"LCD LCDScreen Screen(852 (852xx480 480Pixels) Pixels) HD-SDI HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIOutputs Outputs Dual DualXLR XLRInputs Inputs//Timecode Timecode & &Genlock GenlockI/O I/O Dual DualExpressCard ExpressCardSxS SxS Card CardSlots Slots Compatible Compatiblewith withXDCAM XDCAM Disc Disc& &EX EXFormats Formats DVCAM DVCAMRecording Recording
#SOPMW100 #SOPMW100
PMW-100 PMW-100
Interchangeable Interchangeable Lens Lens HD HD Camcorder Camcorder and and Lens Lens
16.1MP 16.1MPExmor ExmorAPS-C APS-CHD HDCMOS CMOSsensor sensor Includes IncludesE-mount E-mountf/3.5-6.3 f/3.5-6.318-200mm 18-200mm OSS OSSzoom zoomlens lens A-Mount A-Mountcapable capable with withoptional optionalA-mount A-mountlens lensadapter adapter Direct Directpower powerzoom zoomw/ w/variable variable zoom zoomspeed speedcontrol control XGA XGAOLED OLED electronic viewfinder electronic viewfinder Quad QuadCapsule Capsule Spatial Array Surround mic (5.1 Spatial Array Surround mic (5.1 channel) Mic/Headphone jacks channel) Mic/Headphone jacks Optical OpticalSteadyShot SteadyShotimage imagestabilization stabilization Comprehensive Comprehensivemanual manualcontrols controlsexpanded expandedfocus, focus,zebra, zebra,and andpeaking peaking
#SONEXVG30H #SONEXVG30H
NEX-VG30 NEX-VG30
XDCAM XDCAM HD422 HD422 Camcorder Camcorder

Three Three1/2" 1/2"Exmor ExmorCMOS CMOSsensors sensors MPEG MPEGHD422 HD422at at50 50Mbps Mbpsrecording recording HD422 HD4221080p 1080pat at24 24& &30 30fps fpsHD422 HD422 720p 720pat at24, 24,30 30& &60 60fps fpsFujinon Fujinon 14x 14xzoom zoom(servo/manual) (servo/manual)lens lens Dual DualSxS SxSmemory memorycard cardslots slots Four Channels of 16-bit audio Four Channels of 16-bit audio Supports SupportsMXF MXFand andXDCAM XDCAMEX EX workflows workflows Articulated Articulated3.5" 3.5"LCD LCDscreen screen Timecode Timecode& &Genlock Genlockinput input Cache Cacherecording recordingUp Upto to15 15seconds seconds
#SOPMW200 .............................................................. #SOPMW200 ..............................................................$6,299.00 $6,299.00
PMW-200 PMW-200
16 16
Mega Mega Pixels Pixels
Professional Professional HD HD Camcorder Camcorder
XA20 XA20 // XA25 XA25
NEW NEW
3-CMOS 3-CMOS AVCHD AVCHD Flash Flash Camcorder Camcorder

Three Three1/3 1/3CMOS CMOSExmor Exmorsensors sensors Records Recordsto toMemory MemoryStick StickPRO PRODuo, Duo, SD/SDHC SD/SDHCCards Cards(Dual (Dualmedia mediaslots) slots) 1080/60i, 1080/60i,and and24p/30p 24p/30pAVCHD AVCHDrecording recording 20x 20xzoom zoomG-Lens G-Lens(29.5mm (29.5mmwide) wide) Zoom, Zoom,focus, focus,and andiris irisrings rings Dual DualXLR XLRinputs inputs 3.2 3.2Xtra XtraFine FineLCD LCD Low-light (1.5 LUX) capabilities Low-light (1.5 LUX) capabilities CinemaTone CinemaToneGamma Gammaand andCinemaTone CinemaTone Color Colorcontrol control
#SOHDRAX2000H #SOHDRAX2000H
HDR-AX2000 HDR-AX2000
Pocket Pocket Cinema Cinema Camera Camera
NEW NEW
3 3 CMOS CMOS Solid Solid State State HD HD Camcorder Camcorder

Record RecordHD HD1080/720 1080/720onto onto Compact CompactFlash Flashcards cards 50Mbps 50MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-24:2:2 4:2:2recording recording 3 31/3" 1/3"2.37Mp 2.37MpCMOS CMOSsensors sensors 18x 18xCanon CanonHD HDL Lseries serieslens lens DIGIC DIGICDV DVIII IIIimage imageprocessor processor 4" 4"1.23 1.23Mp MpLCD LCDmonitor monitor 1.55 1.55Mp MpColor ColorEVF EVF Over Overand andunder undercrank crank XF305 XF305Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features:HD-SDI HD-SDIOutput, Output,Genlock Genlock& &SMPTE SMPTETime TimeCode Code
#CAXF300 #CAXF300//#CAXF305 #CAXF305
XF300 XF300 // XF305 XF305
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420 420 Ninth Ninth Ave. Ave.

Corner Corner of of 34th 34th Street Street
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1/2.84 1/2.84HD HDCMOS CMOSsensor sensorwith withRGB RGBprimary primarycolor colorfilter filter 20x 20xHD HDZoom ZoomLens Lens 2 2xxSD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC card cardslots slotswith withrelay relayand anddual dualrecording recording Canon CanonDigic DigicDV DV4 4image imageprocessor processor Built-in Built-inWi-Fi Wi-Fitechnology technologywith withFTP FTPtransfer transfer capability capability Optical Opticalimage imagestabilization stabilization 3.5 LCD screen and color viewfinder 3.5 LCD screen and color viewfinder 2 2phantom-powered phantom-poweredXLR XLRaudio audioinputs inputs Native Native24p 24pand andslowslow-and andfast fastmotion motionrecording recording XA25 XA25Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features: HD/SD-SDI HD/SD-SDIoutput outputand andpre-record pre-record3-sec. 3-sec.buffer buffer
#CAXA20 #CAXA20//CAXA25 CAXA25
Super Super16mm 16mmSized SizedImage ImageSensor Sensor Active ActiveMicro MicroFour FourThirds ThirdsLens LensMount Mount 13 13Stops Stopsof ofDynamic DynamicRange Range Records RecordsFull FullHD HD1920x1080 1920x1080 CinemaDNG CinemaDNGRAW RAW Apple AppleProRes ProRes 422 422(HQ) (HQ)at at220 220Mbps Mbps Portable Portable Design Design(5 (5Long Longand and12.5 12.5oz) oz) 3.5 3.5LCD LCDwith with800x480 800x480Resolution Resolution Uses UsesSDXC SDXCand andSDHC SDHCMemory MemoryCards Cards EN-EL20 EN-EL20Compatible Compatible Rechargeable RechargeableBattery Battery HDMI, HDMI,LANC, LANC,3.5mm 3.5mmAudio AudioInput Inputand andOutput Output
#BLPKCINECAM #BLPKCINECAM
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HD HD Professional Professional CF CF Camcorders Camcorders

1/3" 1/3"CMOS CMOS1920 1920xx1080 1080CMOS CMOSsensor sensor Dual DualCF CFcard cardslots slots 50Mbps 50MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-2recording recording Canon's Canon'sMPEG-2 MPEG-24:2:2 4:2:2color colorsampling sampling 60p/60i, 60p/60i,30p, 30p,24p 24pMXF MXFFile FileFormat Format 10x 10xHD HDzoom zoomlens lens 3.5" 3.5"920K 920Kdot dotLCD LCDmonitor monitor Stereoscopic Stereoscopic3-D 3-Drecording recordingcapabilities capabilities Dual DualXLR XLRinputs inputs Waveform WaveformMonitor Monitor XF105 XF105Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features:HD/SD-SDI, HD/SD-SDI,SMPTE SMPTETime TimeCode, Code,Genlock Genlock
#CAXF100 #CAXF105 #CAXF100//# #CAXF105 #
XF100 XF100 // XF105 XF105
3-CMOS 3-CMOS NXCAM NXCAM Flash Flash Memory Memory Camcorder Camcorder
Three Three1/3 1/3Exmor ExmorCMOS CMOSsensors, sensors,with witha aClearVid ClearVidarray array Capture Captureuses usesMemory MemoryStick StickPRO PRO Duo Duo//SDHC SDHCCards, Cards,with withrelay relay record recordcapability capability(optional (optionalHXRHXRFMU128 FMU128flash flashmemory memoryunit) unit) 20x 20xwide wideG Gseries serieslens lens HD-SDI HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIoutput, output,SMPTE SMPTE Time TimeCode Codein/out, in/out,Dual DualXLR XLRinputs inputs Built-in Built-inGPS GPSsystem system 3.2 3.2Xtra XtraFine FineLCD LCD
#SOHXRNX5U #SOHXRNX5U
HXR-NX5U HXR-NX5U
Digital Digital Cinema Cinema Camera Camera
AG-AF100A AG-AF100A
3 3 CMOS CMOS XDCAM XDCAM HD HD Camcorder Camcorder

3x 3x1/2" 1/2"Exmor Exmor HD HDCMOS CMOSsensors sensors 14x 14xFujinon FujinonHD HDSeries Serieslens lens 50Mb/s 50Mb/sHD HDrecording recordingat atMPEG MPEGHD422 HD422 Interchangeable InterchangeableEX EXlens lensmount mount HD-SD/SDI HD-SD/SDIand andHDMI HDMIoutputs outputs Record Recordto toSxS, SxS,SD, SD,Memory MemoryStick, Stick, & &XQD XQDcards cards Semi-shoulder Semi-shoulderstyle style camcorder camcorder 3.5" 3.5"color colorLCD LCDviewfinder viewfinder Advanced Advancedsignal signalprocessing processing Timecode Timecodeand andgenlock genlockinterfaces interfaces Optional Optionalwireless wirelessadapter adapter
#SOPMW300K1 #SOPMW300K1
PMW-300 PMW-300
NEW NEW
Large Large4/3-type 4/3-typeMOS MOSsensor sensor Micro Microfour fourthirds thirdslens lensmount mount Uses Usesstill still& &cinema cinemalenses lenses Two TwoSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXCmemory memorycard cardslots slots (Relay (RelayRecording) Recording) AVCCAM AVCCAMRecording Recording1080i/p, 1080i/p, 720p 720pvariable variableframe framerates rates Optical Opticallow-pass low-passfilter filter HD-SDI, HD-SDI,HDMI HDMIoutput, output,Dual DualXLR XLR
Lens LensOptional Optional #PAAGAF100A #PAAGAF100A
AVCCAM AVCCAM Handheld Handheld Camcorder Camcorder

Three Three1/4.7" 1/4.7"HD HD2.19MP 2.19MPCMOS CMOSback back illuminated illuminatedsensors sensors 1920x1080 1920x1080native nativewith with variable variable60p, 60p,60i, 60i,30p 30pand and24p 24pframe framerates rates Five-Axis Five-Axisoptical opticalimage imagestabilization stabilization Dual DualSD SDMemory MemoryCard CardSlots Slots 12x 12xzoom zoom(f/1.5) (f/1.5)and and25x 25xdigital digitalzoom zoomlens lens 3.5" 3.5"LCD LCDscreen screen& &LCOS LCOScolor colorviewfinder viewfinder AVCCAM AVCCAMHD HDRecording RecordingModes Modes Six Sixscene scene presets, presets,and andseven sevenprogrammable programmableuser userbuttons buttons Interval IntervalRecord, Record,PrePreRecord, Record,Record RecordCheck, Check,Last LastClip ClipDelete Delete Two-Channel Two-ChannelXLR XLRAudio AudioInputs Inputs
#PAAGAC90 #PAAGAC90
AG-AC90 AG-AC90
3-MOS 3-MOS HD HD Handheld Handheld Camcorders Camcorders

3x 3x1/3, 1/3,2.2 2.2Mp MpCMOS CMOSsensor sensor--18-bit 18-bitdsp dsp 22x 22xoptical opticalzoom zoomlens lens 1080p 1080p1080i 1080i60/p30/p24 60/p30/p24& &720p60 720p60 Three Threerings; rings;Manual ManualZoom, Zoom,Focus Focus& &Iris Iris Dual DualSD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXCcard cardslots slots AVCHD AVCHD& &DV DVrecording recording(SD) (SD)modes modes
AG-AC130A AG-AC130A // AG-AC160A AG-AC160A

AG-AC160A AG-AC160A
35mm 35mm Full-Frame Full-Frame Interchangeable Interchangeable Lens Lens Camcorder Camcorder
24.3MP 24.3MPfull-frame full-frame35mm 35mmExmor ExmorCMOS CMOSHD HDsensor sensor E-Mount, E-Mount,and andA-Mount A-Mountwith withincludes includes LA-EA3 A-mount lens adapter LA-EA3 A-mount lens adapter 1080/60i/60p/24p 1080/60i/60p/24p Quad Quadcapsule capsule microphone microphonewith withXLR XLRoption option Tru-Finder Tru-FinderOLED OLEDviewfinder viewfinderwith witheye eye sensor sensor Cinematone CinematoneGamma Gammawith with comprehensive comprehensivemanual manualcontrol control Uncompressed Uncompressed1080 1080HDMI HDMIOutput Output Memory MemoryStick StickPRO PRODuo/PRO-HG Duo/PRO-HG Duo, Duo,SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC 3.0" 3.0"LCD LCDscreen screen
#SONEXVG900 #SONEXVG900
NEX-VG900 NEX-VG900
Cinema Cinema Interchangable Interchangable Lens Lens Cameras Cameras with with EF EF Mount Mount
Cinema Cinema 2.5K 2.5K // Production Production 4K 4K
AG-AC160A AG-AC160AStep-up Step-upFeatures: Features: HD-SDI HD-SDI& &LPCM LPCMaudio audiorecording recording 59.94 59.94Hz Hz//50 50Hz Hzswitchable switchable Slow/quick Slow/quickmotion motionrecording recordingmode mode
#PAAGAC130A #PAAGAC130A//#PAAGAC160A #PAAGAC160A
Canon CanonEF EFand andZeiss ZeissZE ZEmount mountcompatible compatiblelens lensmount mount 2.5K 2.5Kimage imagesensor sensor 12-bit 12-bitRAW, RAW,ProRes, ProRes,DNxHD, DNxHD,and andCinemaDNG CinemaDNGRAW RAWformats formats NEW NEW 5 display size Variable frame rate recording 5 display size Variable frame rate recording Super Superwide widedynamic dynamicrange range SDI SDIvideo videooutput output and andThunderbolt ThunderboltPort Port Records Recordsto toremovable removable 5 5SSD SSDdrives drives Uncompressed Uncompressedand and compressed compressedrecording recording Includes IncludesDaVinci DaVinci Resolve Resolveand andUltraScope UltraScope Lens LensOptional Optional Production Production4K 4KStep-up Step-upFeatures: Features:4K 4Ksuper super35mm 35mmsensor sensor
#BLCINECAM #BLCINECAM//#BLPRODCAM4K #BLPRODCAM4K
800-947-9925 800-947-9925 212-444-5025 212-444-5025

212-239-7770 212-239-7770
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Over Over 70,000 70,000 square square feet feet of of the the latest latest gear gear The The most most knowledgeable knowledgeable Sales Sales Professionals Professionals Hands-on Hands-on demos demos Convenient Convenient free free parking parking available available
24 24
EOS EOS C100 C100
Shoulder Shoulder Mount Mount AVCHD AVCHD Pro Pro Camcorder Camcorder
1/4" 1/4"4.2Mp, 4.2Mp,ClearVid ClearVidExmor ExmorR RCMOS CMOSsensor sensor Built-in Built-in64GB 64GBhard harddrive drive SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory Stick slot SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory Stick slot 1920 1920xx1080i 1080iAVCHD AVCHD(24Mbps) (24Mbps) MPEG-2 MPEG-2SD SDMode Mode(9Mbps) (9Mbps) 12x 12xwide wideangle angleSony SonyG Glens lens Optical OpticalSteadyShot SteadyShotstabilizer stabilizer 2.7" 2.7"ClearPhoto ClearPhotoLCD LCD Manual Manuallens lensring ringwith withassignable assignable parameters parameters
#SOHXRMC2000U #SOHXRMC2000U
HXR-MC2000U HXR-MC2000U
3-MOS 3-MOS HD HD Handheld Handheld Camcorders Camcorders

3x 3x1/3, 1/3,2.2 2.2Mp MpCMOS CMOSsensor sensor--18-bit 18-bitdsp dsp 22x 22xoptical opticalzoom zoomlens lens 1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60 1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60 Three Threerings; rings;Manual ManualZoom, Zoom,Focus Focus& &Iris Iris HD-SDI HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIoutput output 59.94 59.94Hz Hz//50 50Hz Hzswitchable switchable Slow/quick Slow/quickmotion motionrecording recordingmode mode P2 P2card cardand andDVCPRO DVCPROmode moderecording recording AG-HPX255 AG-HPX255Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features: Remote Remoteterminal terminalfor forstudio studiocontrol control
#PAAGHPX250 #PAAGHPX250//#PAAGHPX255 #PAAGHPX255
AG-HPX250 AG-HPX250 // AG-HPX255 AG-HPX255
EF EF Cinema Cinema Camcorder Camcorder

Super Super35mm 35mm8.3MP 8.3MPCMOS CMOSsensor sensor Canon CanonEF EFmount mountwith withEF EFcontacts contacts Dual DualSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXCmemory memorycard cardslots slots Multiple Multiplerecording recordingmodes modesand andframe framerates rates Full Fullmanual manualcontrol controland andfocusing focusingaids aids Exceptional Exceptionallow lowlight lightsensitivity sensitivityand andwide wide dynamic dynamicrange range DIGIC DV III image processor DIGIC DV III image processor High Highresolution resolutionEVF EVFand andintegrated integratedLCD LCDscreen screen Dual DualXLR XLRaudio audioconnectors connectors
#CAC100EF #CAC100EF
Cinema Cinema EOS/PL EOS/PL Camcorder Camcorder Body Body

Super Super35mm 35mmCMOS CMOSsensor sensor 50 50Mbps MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-2EF EFor orPL PLlens lensmount mount Dual DualCF CFcard cardslots slots Canon CanonXF XFCodec Codec--4:2:2 4:2:2color colorsampling sampling Multiple Multiplerecording recordingformats formats High-resolution High-resolutionVF VFand and4", 4",1.23 1.23Mp MpLCD LCD HD-SDI, HD-SDI,HDMI, HDMI,XLR XLRaudio audio Canon DIGIC DV III image processor Canon DIGIC DV III image processor High-Speed, High-Speed,Slow-Motion, Slow-Motion,Time-Lapse Time-Lapseand andStop-Motion Stop-Motion Timecode TimecodeI/O, I/O,Genlock Genlockin in& &Sync Syncout out
#CAC300EF #CAC300EF//#CAC300PL #CAC300PL
EOS EOS C300 C300
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Lens LensOptional Optional
Lens LensOptional Optional
Store Store & & Mail Mail Order Order Hours: Hours:
HD HD Shoulder Shoulder Mount Mount Interchangeable Interchangeable Lens Lens Camcorder Camcorder
Exmor ExmorAPS-C APS-CCMOS CMOSsensor sensor(AVCHD (AVCHD// MPEG2-SD) MPEG2-SD) Supplied Supplied18-200 18-200servo servo power powerzoom zoom E-mount E-mountinterchangeable interchangeable lens lenssystem system Add Addlenses lenseswithout withoutbeing being locked lockedon ona alens lensbrand brandor orlens lensmount mount Use UseAlpha AlphaA-mount A-mountlenses lenseswith with 15point 15pointphase phasedetection detectionAF AF Mechanical shutter Still Picture Mechanical shutter Still Picture 3.5LCD 3.5LCDPanel Panel Record Recordonto ontoMemory MemoryStick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXRStick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXRFMU128 FMU128(Optional) (Optional) Records Recordson onmedia mediacard cardand andFMU128 FMU128Simultaneously Simultaneously
#SONEXEA50UH #SONEXEA50UH
NEX-EA50UH NEX-EA50UH
ProHD ProHD ENG ENG Camcorder Camcorder
GY-HM600 GY-HM600 // GY-HM650 GY-HM650
3-CMOS 3-CMOS Pro Pro Solid Solid State State Camcorder Camcorder
10-bit, 10-bit,4:2:2, 4:2:2,native native1080 1080and and720p 720p HD HDresolution resolutionin invariable variableframe framerates rates AVC-Intra AVC-Intra100 100and and50 50codecs codecs Two TwoP2 P2card cardslots slots(hot (hotswapping, swapping, loop, loop,pre-record) pre-record) 3 3advanced advanced1/3, 1/3,2.2 2.2MP MP CMOS CMOSsensors sensors HD-SDI HD-SDIoutput output 20-bit 20-bitdigital digitalsignal signalprocessor processor 17x 17xFujinon FujinonHD HDlens lens Built-in Built-inscan scanreverse reversemode mode Waveform Waveformand andvector vectorscope scopedisplay display
#PAAGHPX370 #PAAGHPX370
AG-HPX370 AG-HPX370
CineAlta CineAlta Digital Digital Cinema Cinema Cameras Cameras
PMW-F5 PMW-F5 // PMW-F55 PMW-F55
Sunday Mon.-Thurs. Sunday 10-6 10-6 Mon.-Thurs. 9-7 9-7 Friday Friday 9-1 9-1 EST EST // 9-2 9-2 DST DST Saturday Saturday Closed Closed

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Three Three1/3 1/3(1920 (1920xx1080) 1080) 12-Bit 12-BitCMOS CMOSsensors sensors Dual DualSDXC/SDHC SDXC/SDHCcard cardslots, slots, dual-backup, dual-backup,continuous continuousrecording recording MPEG-2 MPEG-2//AVCHD AVCHD//H.264 H.264Recording Recording 23x 23xFujinon Fujinonwide widezoom zoomlens lens F11 Sensitivity Optical image F11 Sensitivity Optical imagestabilizer stabilizer 3.5 3.5LCD LCDscreen screenwith withfocus focusassist assist HD-SDI HD-SDIand andHDMI HDMIconnections connections GY-HM650 GY-HM650Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features: WiFi WiFiwith withApps Appsfor foriOS/Android, iOS/Android,Live Live transmission transmission(streaming), (streaming),Secure SecureFTP FTPFile Fileupload uploadvia viaWiFi WiFi
#JVGYHM600U #JVGYHM600U//JVGYHM650U JVGYHM650U
8.9MP 8.9MPSuper Super35mm 35mmCMOS CMOSImage ImageSensor Sensor 2K 2Kand andHD HDRecording Recording Highly HighlyModular Modular Design Design 8.9MP 8.9MPSuper Super35mm 35mmCMOS CMOS Image ImageSensor Sensor SxS SxSPro+ Pro+media mediacards cards Native NativeFZ-Mount FZ-Mountand andPL-Mount PL-MountAdapter Adapter Lens Lensand andEquipment EquipmentOptional Optional Dynamic DynamicRange RangeRated Ratedat at14 14Stops Stops Olivine OlivineLithium LithiumIron IronPhosphate PhosphateBatteries Batteries Optional OptionalAXS-R5 AXS-R5docking docking recorder recorderenables enables4K 4Kand and2K 2Kresolution resolutionvideo videorecording recordingin in16-bit 16-bitRAW RAW PMW-F55 PMW-F55 Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features:4K 4K/2K /2K/HD /HDRecording Recording
#SOPMWF5 #SOPMWF5.......................................................................................... ..........................................................................................$16,490.00 $16,490.00 #SOPMWF55 $28,990.00 #SOPMWF55........................................................................................ ........................................................................................ $28,990.00

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Prices, cations, Prices,specifi specifi cations,and andimages imagesare aresubject subjectto tochange changewithout withoutnotice. notice.Manufacturer Manufacturerrebates rebatesare aresubject subjectto tothe theterms termsand andconditions conditions(including (includingexpiration expirationdates) dates)printed printedon onthe themanufacturers manufacturersrebate rebateforms. forms.Not Notresponsible responsiblefor fortypographical typographicalor orillustrative illustrativeerrors. errors. 2000-2013 2000-2013BB& &HHFoto Foto& &Electronics ElectronicsCorp. Corp.
NYC NYCDCA DCAElectronics ElectronicsStore StoreLic. Lic.#0906712; #0906712; NYC NYCDCA DCAElectronics Electronics& &Home HomeAppliance ApplianceService ServiceDealer DealerLic. Lic.#0907905; #0907905; NYC NYCDCA DCASecondhand SecondhandDealer Dealer General GeneralLic. Lic.#0907906 #0907906
The Anatomy of
Chroma Subsampling
The anatomy of video contains a wide variety of parts some remain hidden, right before the viewers eyes. Pixels, like cells of the body, work together, combining to make the overall image. Chroma subsampling is the DNA of color information in the pixels of a video image. Its a small part of each individual frame, but one that plays a major role in the construction of the overall clip of footage.
BY CHRIS ACE GATES
C
hroma subsampling involves the compressing of color information in video footage, to reduce the overall storage size and bitrate of video les. Its a method used across multiple video codecs and how much compression happens is often expressed as a set of numbers such as 4:2:2. Whether its 4:4:4 or 4:2:0, this specication can have a profound impact on a video, especially during post-production.
Pixels: The Video Building Blocks

In order to understand chroma subsampling, its important to understand how an image is created in a frame of video. In the simplest terms, a video image is made up of pixels: solitary points lined in rows across the screen. Each pixel has a specic luminance and chrominance, both determined by the data that denes that pixel. Luminance refers to how bright a pixel is. It creates contrast and detail within
the overall image. If the luminance information is isolated, without the chroma information, the resulting image will be in black and white. Technically, it would be grayscale, as there are variable depths of contrast between pure black and pure white. Chrominance is the color information of a pixel, it determines whether a pixel is red, green, blue, or somewhere in between. There are several color spaces by which color is rendered,
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35
The Anatomy of Chroma Subsampling

ACCESSING 4:4:4 OUTPUT
regardless of which, the basic method of chroma subsampling is the same. Whereas luminance can render a black and white image when isolated, chrominance renders black when isolated. It is dependent on the luminance to create an image. The chrominance is the data that denes the color, and how much of that color is represented in each pixel. Chroma subsampling is a reduction of color information. Its achieved through the sharing of data for one pixel across a sampling of several pixels, fewer than those that compose the entire image. less detailed information in the chrominance is overlooked by the eye and the complete image is perceived.
Chroma subsampling helps in compressing the overall size of video files, but those files can be trickier to work with in post-production. This is something to be aware of when that footage is being used for green screen work, visual effects, and serious color grading. There is more latitude for what can be done with footage in post-production when there is a greater amount of color information in the image. The best option for any recorded and processed video is to have uncompressed video with a chroma subsampling of 4:4:4. The problem lies within the fact that most cameras record internally to solid state media, necessitating compressed video with chroma subsampling of 4:2:2 or less. Most video cameras and DSLRs have a video output, such as SDI or HDMI. Depending on the cameras image sensor, as well as its image processor, it may have the capability to output video with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling. When this video output is coupled with an external recording device or a computer outfitted with a high-end video capture card and corresponding software, it becomes a powerful tool. If the camera is capable of outputting 4:4:4 subsampled video, and an external recording device capable of recording the signal is attached, the resultant video will be better suited for post-production processes. This is why on many studio visual effects shoots, such as green screen capture, there is a large camera rig that is tethered to a computer. A cameras technical manual is the best place to find out if its capable of outputting 4:4:4 subsampled video. Online forums dedicated to the best video cameras will have in-depth discussions on the best ways to output uncompressed video.
How does chroma subsampling work?
The Human Eye
Chroma subsampling is effective and successful, not only because of the anatomy of the video, but because of the human eye and how it sees color and interprets images. The human eye is a remarkable part of the central nervous system. It is able to capture and focus light onto its photoreceptors and deliver the data of that visual input to the brain. Photoreceptors are the cells that line the back of the eye in the retina, where light is focused. There are two basic types of photoreceptor cells: rods and cones. Rods are highly sensitive to light and are achromatic, meaning they do not see color. The cones are less sensitive to light but are chromatic able to perceive color. There are 100 or more millions of photoreceptor cells, and
THE BEST VIDEO CAMERAS WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO OUTPUT 4:4:4 CHROMA.
In order for chroma subsampling to work, and the data size of an image to be reduced, engineers gured out a way to share chroma information across a range of pixels while maintaining a different amount of luminance information for that same range of pixels. The selection of information from a portion of an image is known as sampling. Subsampling is the selection of specic pixels, but not every pixel, to determine the chroma information that is used as representative of all pixels. Subsampling is a portion, or fraction, of the overall chrominance sampling in an image. Chroma subsampling is expressed as a numerical formula that represents the ratio of pixels used in the subsampling of that clip. This ratio is represented by three numbers, separated by colons. Written out it appears as J:a:b, this is a ratio of the pixel width of a sampling region compared to the number of pixels sampled from each row in that sampling region. J is representative total number of pixels in the horizontal sampling region. In most cases J will equal four. The next two numbers of the ratio, the a and the b digits, refer to the vertical resolution that is sampled across the J sampling region. The second digit of the ratio, the a position, is the number of pixels sampled amongst the rst row of pixels as dened by J. The b position of the ratio is the number of pixels sampled amongst the second row of pixels in the J region. There are codecs that will note a fourth position in the ratio, it represents the sampling of pixels for an alpha channel.
4:2:2
The 4:2:2 chroma subsampling, samples two pixels from both the top and bottom rows. This reduces the chroma information to 50 percent of the uncompressed source chroma. This is one of the more popular samplings and is found in codecs such as AVC-Intra 100, Digital Betacam, Panasonic DVCPRO HD, Apple ProRes 422, and XDCAM HD422.
4:2:0 subsampling is common in HDV footage, AVCHD, the Apple Intermediate Codec, and in many of the MPEG encoded video formats used by DSLR cameras.
4:1:1
A chroma sampling of 4:1:1 also reduces the amount of chroma information to 25 percent. It takes one sample from the top row of pixels and one sample from the lower row of pixels. A sampling of 4:1:1 is the sampling ratio found in DVCPRO, DVCAM, and in NTSC DV.
Common Chroma Subsampling Ratios

4:4:4
This is the highest quality and it effectively has no subsampling. Each pixel is represented and retains its own luminance and chroma values. The best cameras will have the capability to output 4:4:4 subsampled video. These are professional grade tools and are priced accordingly.
4:2:0
The more reduced 4:2:0 subsampling takes two chroma samples from the top row of pixels and none from the bottom row. Instead, the bottom row shares chroma information from the top row sampling. This reduces the overall chroma information to approximately 25 percent of the uncompressed chroma. The conguration of
less than 20 percent of them are cones when compared to rods. This is why the human eye is more sensitive to the luminance, the brightness and contrast portion of an image and less sensitive to the chroma, color information of an image. When the luminance and chrominance portions are combined to create the overall image, a degraded or compressed amount of chroma information is not highly noticeable. The human eye sees the overall image, with the sharpness of that image dened by the luminance and the chrominance information composited within. The fact that there is
What does it all mean?
A video producers aesthetic decisions are limited by the technical limits of their footage. Thats why its important to have an under-
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The Anatomy of Chroma Subsampling

800-323-2325
standing of chroma subsampling and what it does to footage. Chroma keying and color grading are two processes of postproduction that are affected by chroma subsampling. Footage that relies heavily on chroma subsampling will yield poor results when chromakeyed. Video compositing software is able to create transparency by selecting a particular color, or range of colors, in a clip and applying that selection to an alpha channel. The alpha across blocks of pixels. Footage with a chroma subsampling equivalent of 4:1:1, or less, will result in block-edged artifacts along the edge of the key. Even footage with a ratio of 4:2:2 will contain some block artifacts. The cleanest keys comes from footage with an uncompressed 4:4:4 ratio. Color grading is the post-production process of changing the dynamics of a videos color to achieve an aesthetic goal. Sometimes color grading is subtle, with changes that arent noticeable. Other times color grades are drastic with signicant changes to the color and dynamic range of an image. When the chroma information is reduced due to chroma subsampling, dynamic color grading can reveal digital artifacts in footage. This is most often seen in the banding that occurs across gradients of color. Instead of a smooth transition from one color into the next, bands of color appear as graduated steps between the two colors. The reasoning for this is simple: chroma subsampling reduces the amount of color information between two regions of an image. As these colors are changed through color grading, the color steps between them, the chroma subsampling, become more apparent. Its as if they were stretched out. This is another reason why producers who work on commercial projects, that require intense color grades, choose to work with the highest quality footage allowed by their budgets.
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THE QUALITY OF THE COLOR INFORMATION IN THE IMAGE IS THE MAIN FACTOR IN PULLING A CLEAN KEY.
channel creates transparency in the image. The quality of the color information in the image is the main factor in pulling a clean key from green screen footage. Uneven lighting or color consistency will make it more difcult to create clean areas of transparency. Chroma subsampling becomes apparent in the edges of keyed footage because the key is based on the shared chroma information
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A producer needs to know the technical limitations of their footage and what they can do with it. There are many shooting situations when it is advantageous to capture footage that relies heavily on chroma subsampling in order to compress the image, save space, and reduce expenses. There are also situations when it is critical to acquire footage that is of the highest resolution possible; footage that is uncompressed without chroma subsampling. Chroma subsampling is part of the hidden anatomy of video, working within its host body. By a having a solid knowledge of what chroma subsampling is, producers are better prepared to doctor their video and get the results they desire.
Chris Ace Gates is an Emmy Award-winning writer and content producer.
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INSPIRED MEDIA
While there are no simple, paint-bynumbers solutions to your creative conundrums, there are active steps you can take to increase your odds of encountering inspiration.
BY CHUCK PETERS
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Tips for Capturing Creative Inspiration

eve all experienced stretches of time when our productivity is slowed by creative blocks that drain our strength and drag us down. If youve been there, you are not alone. The ebb and ow of inspiration is a natural part of the creative arts. While its fun and exciting, making media always involves an amount of angst, because the process of creating content is an artistic act, not a scientic fact. If making media were merely a matter of math, you could follow a formula that would allow you to achieve inspiration in a clean, clinical manner. A lot of editors want to approach production this way. Some devour technical tutorials hoping to discover a secret code that will unlock media magic, but there isnt one. There are most certainly efciencies that can be realized by creating templates for recurring tasks (and arguably, discovering them is, in itself, an inspired event), but much of the time, most makers of media function in modes and patterns that are stale and devoid of anything we would refer to as inspiration. Nevertheless, while there are no simple solutions to your creative conundrums, there are active steps you can take to increase your odds of encountering the inspiration you so desperately desire.
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The word inspire comes from the Latin word inspirare, which literally means to breathe upon, or to breathe into. It carries the connotation of an outside source bringing a feeling of energy, excitement and enthusiasm that exerts and gives rise to an extraordinary act or creation. It often implies divine inuence.
Inspiration is rare and eeting. It doesnt come often and it doesnt stay long.
In short, inspiration is about nding air and nding awe. It shocks your system with a blast of fresh wind that revives and lls your creative spirit while it simultaneously takes your breath away. By nature, inspiration is rare and eeting. It doesnt come often and it doesnt stay long, so to capture it, we need to know where to look for it, and how to capitalize on it when we cross its path. If you want to harness inspiration, this article is for you.
1. T ake a New Path
Routine hinders inspiration. Inspiration isnt often found amidst the mundane repetition of
everyday routine that denes the little, limited worlds within which most of us are forced to function. It requires searching, which demands that we step out of our ordinary orbits to investigate other avenues. If you, like most people, nd yourself in the rut of a rigid routine, you need to stop, change direction, and do something different. Consider, both literally and guratively, exploring new and different paths. The majority of us mindlessly follow the same patterns day in and day out. We wake up at the same time, shower with the same soap, get dressed in the same clothes, eat the same breakfast, then leave home at the same time. We take the same car down the same road to the same ofce where we sit at the same desk in the same position in the same room staring at the same software on the same monitor wondering why we lack the fresh ideas and enthusiasm we need to tackle the new creative tasks that are in front of us. Many fall into similar production patterns. We shoot and light and edit the same way we always do, and we fall into uninspired monotony. When you follow deeply ingrained routines, you reach the point where you move mindlessly and your creativity and originality wane. When we mindlessly follow the same trails repeatedly, we no longer see the scenery. Weve been there and done that, and as a result we cant see the beauty right in front of us that a newcomer might soak in with awe. The good news is that you can nd fresh air by choosing to break out of your predictable patterns. Challenge yourself to take different roads to work and to establish different routines. Try rearranging your ofce or edit suite so you physically face a different direction. One of my uber-talented editor friends has started taking 10-minute breaks to go outside for quick mindclearing constitutionals two times a day. Things like these force you to step out of automatic mode and heighten your awareness. The goal is to mix things up, not to merely establish new ruts. Making conscious choices to change your routine is an effective way to get out of a creative slump and increase your chances of encountering inspiration.
both encourage and challenge me to raise the bar. These are big-idea friends who I respect, admire and trust. They are able to help me think through scenarios and identify solutions that get me past my roadblocks and back on the fast track to creative excellence. Spending time brainstorming with them lifts my spirit and gives me new hope. If you have friends like this, invite them in, especially when you are facing a creative crisis. If you dont have your own big-idea people to call on, make an honest effort to nd some and begin building your own creative trust today. You dont need naysayers who merely meet you in your dark moments to multiply your misery; those people are a dime a dozen. You need to align yourself with an elite enclave of positive people; energetic encouragers and proactive problemsolvers who are able to spur you on to success. It is important that these people be of a certain caliber, but they dont necessarily have to be professional media makers. Look around for someone who has these key character traits and invite them to connect with you over coffee. Be on the lookout for creative collaborators. Inspiration is contagious. Sometimes the best way to catch it is to get close to someone who is already a carrier.
NO EXCUSES
Now that we have paid homage to inspiration, we must also address the reality that a lack of inspiration is no excuse for not getting things done. In a professional setting, delivering at a consistently high quality and with predictable reliability are absolute expectations, regardless of whether you feel inspired or not. So while inspiration is something we should all seek, not having it is a poor excuse for late work or a subpar performance.
3. Study Other Programs

Its easy for time to y by as you sit still for many hours working on a task. Getting up and taking a break can help you re-energize and get both blood and ideas, owing through you.
2. Spend Time With Inspiring People
Inspired people inspire other people. Its hard to nd inspiration in isolation. It is more often caught from other creative people. There are a few guys that I can go to who are always able to hear my ideas and offer insight and advice that
When I take on a new project, especially in an unusual genre or on an unfamiliar topic, I make a habit of searching the Web (and Netix) to see what type of work is being done in that category. Even a few quick Google searches return a useful sampling of other peoples work that I can use to build a collection of reference material. I leverage these samples to help hone in on the style, pace or approach that I am looking for. I use a simple four-step process to analyze my search results. 1) Collect 2) Dissect 3) Reect and 4) Select. In the Collect phase, I run a series of keyword searches to locate comparable programs, clips and graphic elements. The key is to look for shows that are similar to the ones you will create. I then populate a folder with clips, images and links to the items I like the best. Next, I Dissect these elements, scrutinizing them closely and making notes as to what aspects of them I like or dislike. These notes may include comments (pro or con) on pace, personality, organization and ow of content, graphic treatments, color choices, lighting, mood, camera positions, and other observations of this nature.
Once I have gathered and assessed my reference materials, I reect on my notes to help me select which elements to emulate and which ones to eliminate. These collections of reference elements also help me on future projects; I oftentimes combine components from two or more program styles to create something original. Im not a big fan of knocking off other peoples shows shot for shot, but I am a proponent of borrowing good ideas from others who have implemented them well. For instance, I recently needed to develop a concept for an interview segment. After a bit of research, I determined that the desired feel was one that might be between Entertainment Tonight and 20/20. Pulling small bits of inspiration from the lighting, composition, graphic styles, sets and pace of both of these shows allowed my team to create a high quality broadcast look that took bits of the best of both programs without directly copying either. I then develop a concept by borrowing a style and approach from a show in one genre and apply it to another genre. For
Keyword Searches
Comment (Pro or Con)
Emulate or Eliminate
Develop Concept
Collect
01
Dissect
02
Reflect
03
Select
04
Inspiration can come from watching the work of others. Collect some ideas, Dissect what you like, Reect on how youd make your own changes, then Select and develop your own ideas.
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instance, borrowing from the look, style and pace of a cooking show and applying it to a video production training series.
4. Be prepared!
is why many writers keep notepads on their nightstands. When an inspiring thought is upon you, write it down. Snap a picture. Text yourself or leave yourself a voice message. Tell the idea to someone else who is with you. Whatever you do, dont miss it, and dont let it slip away.
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A fascinating aspect of inspiration is that it comes at crazy and unpredictable times. Because of this, you need to always be ready to recognize it when it shows up. Inspiration doesnt keep ofce hours. Capturing it is a challenge and an ad-
5. Be Proactive
Inspiration comes at crazy and unpredictable times. You need to always be ready to recognize it when it shows up.
venture. It sometimes shows up in the middle of the night, or when youre in the shower, or when youre mowing your lawn. You might bump into inspiration when youre pumping gas into your car, or while youre watching your kids soccer game. Sometimes, the greatest inspiration comes when we arent obsessed with nding it. And often times, as quickly as it comes, it goes. It is there one moment and gone in a ash. Armed with this knowledge, you need to be ready to capture those moments when they arise. This
Thomas Edison, my favorite inventor and fellow Jersey boy, famously said that genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. The underlying truth is that success requires activity. Sometimes we wait passively and patiently for inspiration to nd us, but it doesnt come. Some of us look again and again in the same places we have already looked a hundred times before hoping to nd something today that was not there yesterday. We scratch our heads wondering who moved our proverbial cheese. But inspiration doesnt come to you where you sit; it meets you in your movement. In order to reach your destination, you need to start the trip, even if that means starting with limited information instead of complete inspiration. This is particularly good to remember if you need to nd your inspiration under deadline. In those moments when the job must be done whether you feel it or not, I encourage you to press ahead with whatever amount of inspiration you can muster. Many times youll nd that the farther down the road you travel, the clearer things will become. Ultimately, truly inspired work is rare. I have worked on hundreds of productions and there are only a handful that I would point to as work that I feel was truly inspired. Most days we are content to operate within degrees of inspiration that give us enough enthusiasm for the work that is in front of us at that time. Inspiration is truly a precious and highly-sought-after commodity. We must each endeavor to practice good habits in regards to the paths we take, the people we interact with, the programs we study, our preparedness and our proactivity as we all search for our elusive daily doses of inspiration. Go on. Get inspired!
Chuck Peters is a 3-time Emmy award-winning writer and producer. He is currently VP of Production at KIDMO/Rivet Productions.
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Inspiration can hit at any moment, and many times when you are at your deepest rest a puzzle becomes clear. Keeping pad and pencil by your bedside lets you jot down your thoughts as they come to you.
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BASIC TRAINING TRAINING BASIC

b y Ky l e Ca ssi d y
BASIC TRAINING
AUGUST 2013
Writing Your First Screenplay

A time may come when you have to get your ideas from paper to video, and you need to explain to a financial backer, crew and cast how your idea plays out.
So youve got a great idea for a video project and you want to get some people to help you make it. If its really simple like I want to get video of the sun coming up over that hill and play the 1812 Overture behind it, you can just tell someone. But if it was that simple, you wouldnt need any elaborate help. When your ideas get big, you need to write them down. When you need to approach people for help, you need to write your ideas down properly. To learn some script writing tips, check out: www.videomaker.com/article/15386. Formatting, typos, proper cover page with the title, authorship, date and contact information all matter to me, says Sandy King Carpenter, a Hollywood movie producer and former script supervisor whose credits include Sixteen Candles, The Outsiders, They Live, and Big Trouble in Little China. Passion goes into the idea behind the work, but discipline goes into creating it and carrying it forward. How you present your script is the equivalent of how you would present yourself for a job interview. I am assuming this is the best you can do or be. With that in mind, lets look at how to best present your ideas in a way.
Figure 2
FADE IN: INT. FRASIERS LIVING ROOM - LATER THAT DAY DAY/1 (Frasier, Martin, Daphne, Eddie) FRASIER IS ON THE PHONE. EDDIE IS SEATED NEXT TO FRASIER, LOOKING AT HIM. FRASIER (INTO PHONE) Yes, I would mind holding again. Ive already held three times Im simply trying to cancel a credit card and every five seconds Damnit! (HES ON HOLD, THEN TURNING TO EDDIE) Dont stare at me, Eddie. Im a human man but right now I could kick a kitten through an electric fan.
years, nearly every lm and TV show has been scripted with Final Draft software. Theres a free trial version as well as templates for different types of script and even special pricing for non-prot producers. Movie Magic Screenwriter (www. screenplay.com) is in a similar price bracket, with an MSRP of $250. Happy users of Movie Magic Screenwriter include Paul Haggis, the screenwriter of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, and also Jon Cassar the director and coexecutive producer of many thrilling TV shows including 24.
How to Get Started
Many of you working in industrial and corporate video may already be very familiar with scripting. Today, many TV shows are written like mini movies, but some like news shows and advertising still use the split page format, also called A/V format. This divides the page into two columns: one describing the visuals, and the other with audio such as dialogue, effects, music, etc. (See Figure 1.) For more on the types of video that often use A/V formatted scripts, see www.videomaker.com/article/7356.
TV dramas typically use the screenplay format which is written like a play; action is described along with dialogue, written in a single column. See Figure 2 for an example from an episode of Frasier called, Fool Me Once, Shame on You. Fool Me Twice..., written by Christopher Lloyd in 1995. Youll notice that only the character movements important to understanding the dialogue are mentioned: Eddie (the dog) looking at Frasier, and people entering the room. All the rest of the blocking is left for the director.
MARTIN AND DAPHNE ENTER THE FRONT DOOR. THEY AD-LIB HELLOS. MARTIN So, Niles called. You got ripped off, huh? FRASIER Yes, Dad, so why dont you go ahead and tell me how stupid I was to get taken advantage of that way? (RE: PHONE) It beats listening to Jumping Jack Flash arranged for piano and flute.
While your story may be complicated, you need to be able to explain your plot very simply; which means you must know how to write a
YOUR SCRIPT IS NOT JUST YOUR STORY IDEA, ITS YOUR CALLING CARD.
good script, and how to get people interested in reading it. That means, at the beginning, telling your story in a single paragraph. Seriously? Yes. Condense your story into the broadest strokes. From there, write an outline of the script and include the major plot points. Youll then use this outline to create your treatment, which is a description of the plot, usually around four pages long. For the most part, it wont include any dialogue, and will simply, yet grippingly, explain what happens. Carpenter points out that your script is not just your story idea, its your calling card. It represents not just your movie or TV show, but you. Just as a script is the beginning and the basis for every movie, TV show or other visual presentation, she says, it is also the basis for the creative col-
Figure 1
VIDEO: Wide shot of forest, camera slowly zooms in. AUDIO: NARRATOR: Sasquatch spends his days hidden in the deep forest of the Pacic Northwest, shy and elusive, he is rarely seen by humans. It is his overpowering odor which gives him away. ELMER: They call it a skunk ape for a reason. You can smell a bigfoot from half a mile away. They smell like rotting cabbage. Back in the 1980s there was a family of bigfeet that used to vacation in the elds behind my farm and it downright made the place uninhabitable in the summer.
Dont worry though about having to gure it all out right away, theres lots of software to help you, well take a look at that next.
Formatting and Software
What is a screenplay and how is it different from a TV script?

But youre thinking why do you need to know this stuff? Youre a video producer, right? Put simply, you need to get your ideas across to the other people involved in your production.
Elmer Wiesbottom interview, medium shot.
Nearly all script writing programs like Screenwriter and Final Draft come with templates already installed. There are a number of free applications and a number of paid applications. As your career advances, you may eventually switch from one to another. Celtx (www.celtx.com) is free screenplay writing software (the plus
version is $15 and includes some extras like clip art and the ability to customize your desktop). Celtx includes a number of templates not just for screenplays, but also A/V scripts and radio plays. Trelby (www.trelby.org) is also a free software which includes not only templates but more than 200,000 names from numerous countries, which can help if youre stuck for a character name. Final Draft (www.naldraft.com) is the best selling screenplay writing software. Clocking in at $250, its not cheap, but it boasts for the last 20
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A sampling of three scriptwriting software programs from Final Draft, the most well-known and well-used in Hollywood, to Celtx and Trelby, which are free downloads.
laboration that begins when it crosses my desk. Just on the surface, it indicates not only your ideas, but what you will be like to work with. There are a number of movie treatments available online. Lets take a look at a 1972 draft by Paul Dehn for the movie Battle for the Planet of the Apes: the nal lm in the original Planet of the Apes franchise. In the treatment Dehn describes the action, occasionally incorporates important dialogue, describes the motivation of the characters why and
idea. Lets take a look at some of his exposition, where he describes the decision making process on the Battle for the Planet of the Apes: The Orangutans are a minority faction, but their two votes in the Council can be decisive in the event of a deadlock between the three Chimpanzees and the three Gorillas. We must watch Zeno. At the pictures end, he will become the Lawgiver retrospectively referred to in PLANET. In the SCREENPLAY we shall more fully establish the character and viewpoint of each faction-leader during the brief debate that follows Caesars opening statement. Here hes telling us something that we may not get from dialogue, but it explains why certain characters are important, why some might ally with others, and what their belief system is; all in very broad strokes. This will help people reading the treatment to quickly understand the motivation behind the action of certain characters at a later time.
lopes and reading thousands of scripts, Carpenter talks of some of the most annoying pitfalls shes seen, and warns of not properly following the story structure: If you are only writing a script because you have a cool scene you want to shoot, put it back in the drawer [until] you have something to say that the scene will t into because it will have no meaning without context. Three act story structure works, even if you cut it up and toss it in the air and rearrange it to do a ashback movie like Memento. You must have SOMEWHERE in your story a setup, an encounter or conict and a resolution. Something must happen. Your characters must have an arc. Your story must have an arc. Or not ... and no one will care.
put the script down and I dont pick up my phone when its ringing. In order for you to progress with your project, the next step is to begin critically examining story structure in the movies and TV that you watch, try to identify the three acts in each. Also spend some time on the Internet examining the form and structure of TV and movie scripts. As well as reading long movie and TV scripts, have a look at some short lm scripts and see how they managed to segment the three-act format in less time. Being clear and concise will help you get your point across and attract the sort of people you need to get your project to come to fruition.
Contributing editor Kyle Cassidy is a visual artist who writes extensively about technology. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15679 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www. videomaker.com/article/15679
Final Bow
How do I know when Ive got the right one? says Carpenter, When from that opening line... that rst It was a dark and stormy night... I cant
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MOST MOVIES AND TV SHOWS ARE BASED ON THE 3-ACT STRUCTURE: SETUP, CONFLICT, RESOLUTION.
how they are important and tells the story of the lm in a few compact pages. This lets people sitting around a table somewhere in Studio City, California decide whether or not they want to commit $1.5 million into his
Typically one page of script equals one minute of screen time, this is what people will be expecting when they read it; a 60-page script means a one-hour show. Most dramatic movies and TV shows are based upon the three-act structure. The action can be divided into three parts: Act 1: The Setup Act 2: The Conict and Confrontation Act 3: The Resolution Act two will be the longest of the three parts and have the majority of your action in it. Act three might only be a few minutes long. After years of opening thousands of enve-
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LIGHTING LIGHTING
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Light Boxes Boxes and and Specialty Specialty Setups Setups Light
When you land specialty jobs, youll also need specialized lighting. Often, one light or a 3-point kit isnt enough. You need to pull out the power tools and get creative.
The fun thing about lighting for video and photography is that you get to be creative in how you approach your projects, and youre only limited by your imagination. With that in mind, were going to delve into the unlimited ways you can light a tabletop set. Dont forget these strategies are also applicable to larger sets like interviews, retail store displays and even room sets like you might nd in a documentary setting. In previous lighting columns, weve discussed soft lighting, harsh lighting, edge dened lighting and how to mix all these together to achieve perfect lighting for just about every subject one can imagine. In this article we are going to learn how to build our own tabletop setup, and how to integrate many lighting patterns into a tabletop set; each of which will help to dene, reveal and enhance the subject you are lighting. You can easily go out and buy all you need to light just about any subject imaginable, but why not harness
Figure 3
youll love to duplicate the quality of light that radiates from this fabric. Unlike taffeta, China silk is quite sheer and allows for well-controlled reections. China silk yields strong, dened shadow edges as well as color penetration on dark surfaces. China silk is perfect for lighting food, textiles, clothing, jewelry, high tech plastics and items with texture like leather.
Figure 6
Figure 4
your creativity and build your own? Other than saving time, the only other reason you might choose to buy all of your equipment is to insure consistent results and to have professionallooking equipment. These are all valid reasons, but if you spend time planning your DIYs and shop for the right materials, you can easily achieve professional results.
Rags to Riches
A good place to start building a tabletop kit is with softboxes and scrims, because these light modiers are essentially the foundation of tabletop lighting. They provide soft lighting,
Figure 1
Figure 2
which gives you gentle edge detail on a subject such as a persons face, but also allow you to control reections. This is imperative when lighting shiny objects such as reective metals, glass or other surfaces like textured plastics as in Figure 1. As you probably know, softboxes are bare bulbs contained within a fabric box, which usually have four black fabric sides and one translucent front. The black sides prevent light from spilling out and contaminating the set with unwanted light, but they also provide control, so you can create a soft graduated lighting pattern on your background while leaving the subject unchanged. As in Figure 1, the product lighting in Figure 2 was tightly contained while the background was lit separately with a strong round beauty light. Basically, the only thing a softbox does is separate your light bulb from the translucent fabric. The sides are just there to keep things from spilling all over the set. You can almost use a simple piece of fabric or even a thin rag to achieve the same results, but why make things difcult when good light scrims are so easy to make for your studio lighting kit?
You might want to nd a fabric called taffeta, which is a very nice, smooth, crisp material and quite affordable. Taffeta is very dense and yields both extremely soft shadows and well-diffused reections, which is perfect for metal subjects such as stainless steel machinery or cookware made from polished silver or polished aluminum. In Figure 3, one large softbox behind the camera provided the reection on the knife blade, while a small softbox above and to the right of the set created the highlights on the knife handles. The rest of the set was lit through a China silk from above. You might also want to get some China silk because
Figure 5
In Figure 4, the set is lit from one scrim with China silk from the left and one large reector from the right. Another scrim material, architects vellum, isnt a fabric, but has become one of the standards of the industry for small tabletop sets, as in Figure 5. Vellum is drafting paper that is especially useful on small sets because the light is perfectly diffused. It allows enough raw light in to create excellent texture while maintaining very soft, controlled reections. In Figure 6, the set was lit with one wood frame wrapped with vellum, while one small spotlight from behind the set provided the highlights. There is no material quite like it. Since it is paper, using tungsten lights is not advised; but its easy to work
The three rolls (left) are useful fabrics for your tenting: taffeta, China silk and vellum. You can buy them by the foot or by the roll. A simple wooden frame (right) from a discount store with vellum stapled to it makes an easy tabletop backdrop or scrim.
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TRAFFIC AHEAD
When shooting tabletop sets, you may find that there is a lot of traffic around the set especially if you have stylists, art directors and designers involved. Add to that mix the client and perhaps talent such as someone holding a glass of wine or pouring coffee and things can get a bit complicated. With this in mind its important that your light stands be very stable, your booms are sandbagged and your lights are safe. Even if youre working alone, safety should always be paramount around the set. It is for this reason we might recommend using LEDs, fluorescent or HMI lighting, because fire is always a possibility, especially if you are shooting on seamless paper and moving scrims around the set. Factory-made softboxes are designed to contain the lighting as well as the heat even from tungsten lights. They are somewhat fire retardant, but the materials you find at the fabric store might not be, so its best to use caution and maybe even stay away from tungsten lighting.
Color Grading
Color conveys meaning. We use it to define our sensory experience, to describe objects, express emotion, and evoke a response. Its no wonder that careful thought goes into crafting the color palettes on screen.
Color is a fundamental element of design and visual storytelling. Traditionally, artists use it to set the mood for their work, the tone of their voice, and to carry a theme in their craft. In the world of video, color grading is an art form all its own. In the not so distant past, the post-production process of color grading was reserved for expensive edit suites, requiring specic and nite tools. Today, color grading is
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
with and pretty cheap by the roll. Any translucent material can be use to construct a light tent, and you can mix and match these scrims to create a highly customizable light tent for
Figure 10
lighting a variety of items. You can mount it on special wood frames for a clean, tight, surface, or clamp it to a simple wood dowel or aluminum pole and let it hang loosely as in Figure 7. Or you can choose to construct a complete frame from PVC, as in Figure 8. Try making a tent frame from the same material and using a light stand, clamp or tape any material you want to it, as in Figure 9. Mix raw lights with soft lights and dont be concerned with shadows as long as they contribute to the overall look of the scene. See Figure 10. Here, the leather shoes were lit with a small softbox while a focusing spot provided the highlights, the texture, the shad-
Over tented? Or look Ma, no tent!
ows and the spot on the background. Whichever way you choose to approach your tabletop studio is up to you, as long as the results work for the items you are shooting; which brings us to a common problem we see in many studio shoots. There is a way to over tent your lighting and make everything look at without details. Since the invention of soft-boxes, studio lighting has come within the reach of even occasional videographers. Seasoned professionals can spot tent lighting at a glance because everyone uses it. To prevent that over-tented look, dont over do it. Subtle shadowing adds to a natural look.
Terry ORourke specializes in photography and videography for advertising clients worldwide. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15686 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15686
accessible to any editor and the tools to accomplish it are found in most video editing programs. Color grading can make a drastic change to footage, turning day into night or making a drab shot into a vivid landscape. It can make the backlot look like a location from a world away. It doesnt need to be bold and loud, and can be a small tweak to footage. Even a subtle color grade can have a profound impact on an audience. Color grading allows the video editor to control the image. A video clip conveys more than the content it contains. A varied and intentional color palette in video can inform the audience in a multitude of ways. The mood of a narrative is enhanced by the use of color grading. The Walking Dead on AMC is a great example of this. The series is about a group of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Its a dreary
Why use color grading?
and bleak world. Visually its emphasized through the use of dark, muted tones and the absence of bright colors. Different locations have different nuances and a varied color palette can bring that out. Color can help orient the audience to the location on screen. Films such as Steven Soderburghs Trafc rely on the use of color as a device to denote location as well as differentiate storylines. There are times when producers nds themselves with a catalog of problematic footage and color correction is incapable of xing it. When bad footage needs to be used, color grading can rescue it. A color grade masks over some technical issues in the footage, using a crafted appearance that helps sell the story. Video journalism shows often do this with nighttime surveillance footage. Instead of using underexposed grainy footage as is, the editor uses color grading to simulate a look that resembles night vision videography.
Disclaimer: As with any do-it-yourself project, unfamiliarity with the tools and process can be dangerous. This story should be construed as theoretical advice. Videomaker, its editors and authors will not be held responsible for any injury due to the misuse or misunderstanding of any DIY project Videomaker publishes. This story cannot be construed as formal advice. Videomaker will not be held liable in any instance of an action resulting from this story, and Videomaker assumes all our readers will exercise good common sense. This disclaimer assigns the readers all responsibility for their own decisions.
Color Grading Denitions
Stills from the movie Traffic. Director Steven Soderburgh set the warm tone for scenes that take place in Mexico, while cool tones reflect a sterile Washington D.C. scene.
In order to create stunning color with the tools of post-production, its important to understand some basics about color in video, how it works
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Saturation can change the feel of a scene, from rich to muted, depending on how you brighten or whitewash the colors.
in equal proportions. A complete absence of color creates black, while white is the full possible amounts of the three primary colors. Color grading is performed by manipulating ranges of thresholds and tolerances within these channels.
RGB
Hue
Hue is the pure spectral color that expresses or denes a general range of colors. Simply put, this is the general term for a color such as red, purple, blue, orange, etc. It denes a general position of color on the color wheel.
Color grading is accomplished by manipulating an images RGB channels. This can be difcult because adjusting one color channel affects the other two, so dialing in to a particular hue can be frustrating. Theres also the need to target specic ranges of values as opposed to changing the entirety of a clip. This is why there are different tools built for color grading. Many of these tools have common elements. Regardless of the software, these tools work the same way.
Saturation
HSB
Saturation is the amount of a hue used in dening a specic color. When a color is void of any saturation it is black, white, or a variance of grey. A color that is fully saturated has the maximum amount of hue possible. Partial saturation creates a range of colors, from muted dull tones to rich vibrant colors.
Luminance
and the terms to dene it. This allows an editor to understand the majority of tools used in color grading.
The HSB color selector allows the editor to choose color based on Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. Each of these is represented numerically with the hue being measured in degrees zero to 360. Saturation and brightness are measured by a percentage of zero to 100. There are two visual elds of an HSB color selector; a gradated tile and a bar representing the color spectrum. The bar has a slider that selects the hue. As the slider moves along the bar, the hue
Blue, green and red are primary colors in an additive color system.
Additive Color
Video utilizes an additive color system. The primary colors of this system are blue, green and red. In an additive color system, different colors are created through varying combinations of the primary colors. Each pixels color is determined by three channels, a set of data, representing each primary color. All colors are a combination of the three primary colors, not necessarily
Luminance is the brightness of a color. By itself, its gray, ranging from black to white. As part of a specic color, combined with a saturated hue, it creates different tints and shades. Video editing programs use several terms to express luminance. Expressed by itself, luminance is a general reference to the overall luminance values. Different applications break down threshold ranges of luminance. The more common terms are shadows, mids, and highlights. Its easiest to think of these in general ranges with variable tolerances, where each tolerance responsible for a specic range of the luminance. Other terms that are used and mean generally the same thing are pedestal, gamma, and gain, as well as lows, mids, and highs.
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COLOR CORRECTION VS. COLOR GRADING

Color correction and color grading are often misinterpreted, and one process is mistaken for the other. While they do share some of the same tools and processes, they are different. Many of the differences lie within their individual purpose. Color correction alters footage to a consistent technical standard of appearance. The goal is to match the recorded image with a standard that is an accurate portrayal of the subject as it would be viewed from the human eye. It is performed on shots individually but is used to conform multiple shots to the same quality. This is a tricky task when dealing with footage that was shot using multiple cameras. Color grading is the process of altering an image for aesthetic and communicative purposes. A colorist creates a look and a feel to further the purpose of a shot.
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42nd Street Photo ________________ 45 AJA Video Systems Inc. ___________ 03 B&H Photo/Video & Pro Audio ___ 31-33 Blackmagic Design _______________ 07 Canon ___________________________ C4 Consumer Electronics Association __ C3 Eagle America Sales Corp. _________ 55 Glidecam Industries Inc. ___________ 05 KinoFlo _________________________ 11 Litepanels (VITEC GROUP)_________ 13 MovieMaker Magazine ____________ 49 NewTek _________________________ C2 VideoGuys ______________________ 39 Videssence ______________________ 49 Videomaker Documentary Production Equipment and Crew ______________ 25 Videomaker Downloadable Training Videos ___________________ 55 Videomaker Instructional Series DVD _ 57 Videomaker Workshops ___________ 29 Changing a color curve changes only that colors levels. You can adjust specific color luminance to just the mid-range color, without changing the entire color spectrum.
increases the output value from bottom to top. The line across the graph, the curve, is the point corresponding to the input and output of each channels value. By default, the initial curve is a linear relationship, the output equals the input. For example, if the input luminance is 50, the default curve (the straight line), will have an output of 50. The output values change as the curve is adjusted. An editor can adjust ranges of color and luminance in a clip by placing points along the curve. So if the editor wants to change that 50 luminance input into 60 luminance output, the curve would look like an arc, as the values in the middle are moved upward, effectively brightening the mids (luminance values) near 50.
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Selective Color Grading
is reected in the tile. The tile is often a box that is a composite of the saturation and the brightness values. If theres a set of paired axes, the horizontal axis is generally saturation and the vertical axis represents brightness. A target style cursor may be used to select the saturation and brightness values for the tile.
Curves
Videomaker Subscriber Alert _______ 15
The channel curves editor is a common tool found in video editing programs. Curves are applied to an images channels: luminance and individual RGB channels. When applied to the luminance it affects all color channels equally. If applied to one color channel, curves will affect how much of that color is increased or decreased. Curves can be confusing to a rst-time user. An unadjusted curve appears as a diagonal line climbing across a graph. This line represents the input levels of an image in relation to its output levels. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the input values of the source clip. The graph increases from darkest to brightest. The vertical axis, represents the output value of the resultant image from the curves, it
All these tools and terms are basic, but they allow an editor to wield a great power; the ability to perform selective color grading. Much like chromakeying, an editor is able to target specic ranges of color and luminance to make adjustments to portions of the image. They are able to stretch and compress the dynamic range of the image, shift hues, and tint clips. This allows the editor to make aesthetic choices that are decided upon in post-production, and create looks that contribute to the overall video.
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The pigments are pixels and the brushes are digital when painting the video canvas. Color grading is an art form. It has the power to change the meaning of video. It helps shape and express the content it surrounds. An editor is able to harness the power of color grading with an understanding of its technical fundamentals and the aesthetic impact of color.
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DIRECTING
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Shooting in Black and White

Black and white imagery gives a feeling of elegance to a photo or video, but theres more to creating the art than simply turning off the color saturation.
when using color, when you convert it to black and white, your subject may become a oating head. The problem lies in that fact that you may have had plenty of color contrast, but without dark and light contrasts, the black and white footage looks at. To x that mistake, you could have had your subject wear a light blue shirt against a dark orange background. This would have given the scene color, brightness, contrast and would have made your subject pop.
the proper tone in skin and the gradual depth of objects in your scene. Thats why overcast days are some of the best times to shoot landscapes in black and white. Doing so not only solves the typical problem of muted colors, but gives you a plethora of grays that give an outdoor scene plenty of detail. The real trick is to make sure that the image not only includes a healthy gray level, but pure blacks and pure whites as well. Otherwise, your image will simply look washed out.
Lighting
Ansel Adams, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles. What do these three have in common? Well, besides being famous, they all shot their masterpieces in black and white. Perhaps because of their exceptional work, shooting in black and white has since evolved into a way to transform a lm from one of mediocrity to one with style, class and edginess. Who would honestly say that color would improve movies like Schindlers List, Citizen Kane, or Sunset Boulevard? These movies enjoyed a vintage, artsy feel due to the stark contrast of their black and white cinematography. However, capturing good black and white video isnt as simple as dropping the color from your footage. Youll also need to know how to light, shoot and properly edit your footage so that you can achieve the full impact that shooting in black and white can give to your next masterpiece.
Turning Colors into Shades
Lets be honest. Besides the occasional in-camera effect, most camcorders shoot in color. Worse yet, most camVibrant color can disappear in a black and white shot. Here, the red curtains draw your eyes in the color photo, yet they are subdued and fade into the background in black and white scene.
corders can only preview color footage to your viewnder or EVF. This is usually a good thing since shooting in color allows for more exibility in post, but it also means that youll have to dedicate some time to learning how to see gray shades in a world of vibrant color. It may require a little work, but doing so will drastically improve the results of your black and white cinematography. In order to turn off your color vision and start seeing the world in black and white, it helps to look at color photos or videos side-by-side with those that are in black and white. This way you can see how the light intensity, color saturation, shapes and texture affect your footage once its converted to
black and white. What youre likely to nd is that the hue of a color (or a pure color without tint or shade) doesnt really have an impact on your footage. Instead, the brightness of the color (or how dark or light a color is) is what makes the real difference. For example, if your subject is wearing a dark red lipstick, its likely to show up as a very dark shade of gray when converted to black and white. Also, green leaves often show up gray and navy blue shades show up as almost black. Youll also nd that a loss of color can change the focus of a shot. For example, lets say youve shot some gorgeous footage of a subject wearing blue against an orange background. While that may be sufcient contrast
As youve already seen, black and white cinematography tends to look best when applied to high contrast footage. So for the best results when lighting for black and white, youll want to create dramatic shadows and highlights while still keeping a full range of midtones. This is often best achieved with a strong backlight and keylight. Thats because without color to lead viewers eyes in the shot, the only areas that a viewers eyes are going to be drawn to will be areas of sharp contrast. For example, shooting a closeup of an eye can really pop in black and white due to the strong contrast between the white of the eyes and the pupil. Or when shooting a building, having a shadow on one side of the building while the rest of the building is fairly bright will serve to bring out the shape of the building that would be lost if it was lit too evenly. That being said, its still very important to be able to capture a wide range of grays in your image. Otherwise you stand to lose a lot of detail. The grays are especially important for capturing
Shooting
After youve made sure your scene is properly lit for black and white cinematography, its time to shoot the image. First, lets make sure that your camera is set up properly. Well begin with our gain, or ISO. If youll recall, black and white imagery can draw attention to details and texture in your image that may be overlooked when shot in color. This is usually a good thing, but it can quickly go south when an image has almost any noise. To solve this, its a good idea to turn down the gain or ISO settings in your camera to the lowest level that can be achieved. This way, those expensive actors you so dearly paid will still be the center of attention. Next, when it comes time to set the exposure of your camera, its important to nd an object that is a perfect middle gray. Typically, this object is something of importance in the scene such as a sky in a landscape shot or an actors skin when shooting talent. This way, you can adjust your shutter speed and -stop until the
To look crisp, a good black and white scene will have multiple levels, from darkest black to lightest white and all gray levels in between. Without these varieties, your scene can look muddy, washed out and amateur.
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DIRECTING
SEPTEMBER 2013
AUDIO
by H al R oberts on
LIGHT CONTROL
Light falloff is an important factor to consider when lighting for black and white cinematography. By placing your lights closer to your subject, youll end up with areas of intense shadow and intense highlights. On the other hand, by placing your lights further from your subject, youll get shadows that gradually go from black to white. Though youll start to lose light intensity as you bring your lights further back, the expanded range of grays in your shot will make your black and white footage look more professional and will bring back detail that high contrast lighting tends to lose.
The Illusion of Volume

Youve created video, so you know that most of what we hear in movies and on television is manufactured in post-production. But how?
rest of your image is both brighter and darker than your object of importance.
Monitoring
Though being able to see in black and white is a useful talent, you may still be wondering if theres a way to tell if your image is going to look just as good as youve envisioned. Luckily, there are some easy ways to do this, even on cameras that dont have a proper black and white mode. By far the easiest method for seeing how black and white will affect your image is to use a eld monitor that has a black and white feature. This feature is often found in the exposure control area of a monitor since its often easier to see if your overall image is too bright or dark when the color is removed. Some cameras even have the ability to check exposure in black and white right in the cameras exposure control menus. DSLRs
COLOR CORRECTION EFFECTS CAN DEEPEN BLACKS, BRIGHTEN WHITES AND ADD PUNCH TO MIDTONES.
such as the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Nikon D800 actually have a picture style for the express purpose of monochrome shooting. Dont be misled by the name though. You can actually use the picture style to shoot video in monochrome as well. Even better yet, most consumer camcorders have the ability to shoot in black and white as a preset or mode. With these kinds of cameras, you can simply switch into black and white mode and let your camera do the rest.
ing color footage to black and white is to simply desaturate your footage using your editing programs saturation tool. You just need to set the saturation to zero percent and your footage should be color free. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that you have a masterpiece of modern cinema on your hands. Youll rst have to use curves or other color correction effects to add even more contrast to your scene by deepening the blacks, brightening the whites, and punching up the midtones. Doing so will give your footage that artsy, punchy feel that can only be achieved with black and white footage. For those on tight time constraints, converting your footage to black and white can be as simple as using a preset in most popular editing programs. Adobe Premiere Pro has an effect under Image Control called Black & White that will convert your footage in one quick click. Similarly, Final Cut Pro has an effect under Image Control called Desaturate that can also promptly kick your color to the curb. The fact is, almost every popular video editing software has a way to quickly convert your footage to monochrome. The only thing to consider is how much control you want over the look of your image.
How do they capture crystal clear dialog in that noisy club environment? How is it possible to hear the snap of a twig so clearly? Simple. Its an illusion. Not a Las Vegas magicians illusion, but an illusion nonetheless. Adding a few simple tricks and gimmicks to your audio skill-set will have you producing your own illusions in no time.
The Setup
Making a Black and White Masterpiece
Converting Color to Black and White

As you can see, shooting in black and white is not only a great way to give your footage an isolated and artsy feel, but it can also improve footage taken on overcast days and make textures stand out. Black and white shots can turn the attention of the audience to details while masking objects of color you dont want to emphasize. With just a little bit of practice and by following the tips weve outlined above, you may someday shoot a masterpiece that rivals even the most critically acclaimed black and white lms made in the Golden Age of cinema.
Dan Bruns is an award-winning cinematographer and editor. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15702 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15702
Compared to the previous steps for black and white cinematography, converting your footage to black and white will be a walk in the park. Thats because the process almost never takes more than a few steps to achieve. One of the most common ways of convert-
If youve ever watched a NASCAR race on TV, youve got to feel for the poor audio mixer in the control booth. One minute, theres a eld reporter in the pits describing something that happened. A few seconds later, 43 cars blast by at nearly 200mph. Even screaming at the top of their lungs, we can barely make out what the reporter is saying. Contrast that to a racing movie like Days of Thunder or Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. We see and hear the same things going on, but magically, we hear everything perfectly. We call this the Illusion of Loud. As movie viewers, we know that races are loud. As content creators, we also know that this was a movie set and there was probably no natural sound of a race at all. The director simply had the actor yell into the microphone and they added the car sounds later during sound editing. The same technique goes for most any type of sports lm: hockey, football, basketball, boxing, take your pick. Staying with the sports theme for a moment, what about golf? Golf announcers speak in hushed whispers because, as we all know, youre supposed
to be quiet while golfers take their swing. But where are the announcers? Are they right there at the 14th hole? Not likely. In reality, theyre probably in a production trailer or on a set far away from the action. This is the Illusion of Quiet. The announcers deliberately enhance the intensity of the moment by whispering, whether its required or not. But how loud is too loud? While recording digital audio, there is a hard ceiling of 0dBfs. That means all your sound sources, mixed together, cannot exceed that limit. Of course, theres a balance in there too. You
want your sources to blend well and sound natural in the context of whats on the screen. And, if youre mixing in 5.1 surround sound, the sum of all six channels cant exceed the ceiling. This ensures compatibility with all playback systems and requires a more elaborate balancing act. Conversely, how soft is too soft? If youve recorded much audio before, you know there is always some source of background noise, either at the location or generated by your recording devices. Good recording technique dictates that we capture audio with
Consider the environment your audio will play in. Movie theaters may sound great, but loud backgrounds might override narration on a TV or smartphones speaker.

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AUDIO
SEPTEMBER 2013
AUDIO
SEPTEMBER 2013
Crowd noise and high volume music sells the nightclub scene in The Social Network. A low volume in the library scene in Ghostbusters, gives the illusion of silence, and other sounds seem even louder.
NEGLECTING THE RIGHT TOOLS

A friend recently recounted her experience creating a short film for a 48-hour film contest. The pace was hectic, but her team managed to write, cast, shoot, edit and deliver their project in the allotted time. As the movie was playing in the contest theater, she and her co-creators were shocked to discover they could barely hear the dialog over the music and sound effects. Their mistake was twofold. First, the project was edited entirely on a laptop and they trusted their audio mix to a pair of dime-sized speakers. Second, in the rush to meet a deadline, they failed to use the audio metering tools built into their software. A quick check of one of the louder scenes would have shown the mismatch between voice and music. She says shes learned her lesson and swears this wont happen again.
Use Your Illusion
as much dynamic range as possible, but thats difcult if youre going for soft. Thats why in movies and TV, when people whisper, they whisper much louder than they would in real life. Alternatively, the whisper was recorded in the perfect world of a recording studio where background noise and equipment limitations are virtually nonexistent.
Multiple Platforms
Today, we deliver visual media to a wide variety of devices. The largest system is the movie theater and we know it sounds great there. But months later, that same movie might be seen on everything from a home theater to a smartphone, and it has to sound good regardless of the device. As a media creator, its wise to consider all the possible delivery methods and mix your audio accordingly. By leveraging the illusion of loud and quiet,
Using the audio compressor or limiter helps you make loud sounds seem softer and soft sounds seem louder. Dont over do it, though, or it will sound fake. Trial and error is the rule here.
your audio will cut through however its played. For instance, lets create a ctitious commercial for a new cereal called Spy Flakes. Through some combination of vitamins and minerals, Spy Flakes make kids extra sneaky and smart. The commercial features kids hiding, whispering and generally spying on their parents. As the commercials producer, your job is to capture the kids whispering, and clearly, so it can be heard on television. In addition, there will be theme music and an announcers voice that cant overpower the kids. As a part of the promotion, the cereal box will feature a QR code so moms can scan and watch the commercial while standing in the aisle at the supermarket. The smart producer will leverage every tool available (including checking the nal mix on their phone) to ensure the commercial plays well on television and at the grocery store.
While dialog capture is key, sound effects will also help sell the illusion of quiet. Shoes squishing in carpet, creaky doors and clothes rustling, all indicate quiet sounds. Whether you record them yourself or use free sound effects, if you push them louder in the mix, they become larger than life, heightening the sense of quietness.
Other Tools
Surprisingly, one of the best ways to provide the illusion of a loud or quiet environment is with visuals. Consider a club scene like the one in The Social Network. With only some ashing lights and a small mob of people, the viewer naturally assumes this is a loud club. In reality, it could have been shot in any large room. Add some club lights, some haze and a crowd and there you go. In the same way, a library is assumed to be a quiet place. The opening library scene in Ghostbusters is a classic example. Downstairs in the library, the librarian operates quietly, despite the oating books, until she senses the card catalog ying all over and runs away screaming. The naturally quiet environment makes the loud sounds seem even louder. Another simple visual cue to either loud or soft is the use of reaction shots. If someone sticks their ngers in their ears, we assume its very loud where they are. The same thing applies to the appearance of hearing protection. By contrast, if an actor strains to hear what someone is saying or cups their ear to hear better, the viewer instinctively knows that this was a quiet sound whether it really was or not.
Finally, dont forget about processing the audio in your audio editing software. Here, the audio compressor is your best friend. With the right adjustments, a compressor makes loud sounds a little softer and soft sounds a little louder. Use with caution though, its easy to apply too much processing,
making your loud sounds lifeless and your soft sounds noisy and inconsistent. For high impact sounds like gunshots and explosions, consider using a limiter instead. By lowering the audio ceiling with 6dB of limiting, you provide the illusion of something twice as loud without going into distortion or overload.
This is a fairly subjective topic and one that may be hard to grasp. So the next time you sit down to watch a movie or TV show, consider how the creators may have used the illusion of loud or quiet to accomplish various scenes. Use what you know about production and post-production to break down the soundtrack and guess how each bit was done. If possible, watch bonus features and listen to directors commentary to mine tidbits on production. Then, find a way to apply them in your next project.
Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15801 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15801
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TECH TALK
b y Da n Br u n s
The Fastest Processor for Video Editing

Along with acquiring the skills of editing on a professional system, video editors need to understand their systems processing needs. What features are important in a CPU for video editing and motion graphics? Why would you chose one CPU over another? How do CPU lines from AMD and Intel differ in these features?
Video editing is no simple task. It can take years before an editor can really claim to master the intricacies of a professional video editing system. Add to that the need to meet demanding deadlines, and why many people avoid editing entirely. Most editors will tell you that a powerful edit station with the fastest processor is worth its weight in gold. A beefy edit station is more responsive, can handle more real-time effects and render complex sequences, thus helping you keep your clients happy and your coffers full. more cores for your processors. Highend video editing software can reap the benets of a multi-core processor, especially when rendering. In addition, many of these software packages also allow for multi-threading. A thread is a string of instructions from one of the processing cores in a CPU. High-end editing applications can manage many threads at once, for extra speed. Of course, your processor will have to be able to churn out more than one thread at a time in order to see a speed increase. All AMD CPUs turn out one thread per core while some Intel processors use a technology called Hyper-Threading that mimics multiple threads within its cores. support which speeds up CPU intensive tasks in Adobe Premiere Pro such as AVCHD and MPEG decoding. However, AMD has a clear advantage when it comes to price. To tell which processor manufacturer is best, we shall compare the numbers. Websites like Toms Hardware and Premiere Pro Benchmark have spreadsheets dedicated to showing which processor performed best in a given editing application (be sure to check exactly how the processor is rated.) With the majority of the top spots on both websites, Intels Core i7-980X is a top choice. It has 3.3GHz speeds, a 6-core processing unit and costs $1,060. Not to be outdone, AMDs FX-8350 and FX-8150 make an appearance on the list from Toms Hardware. Though not quite as fast as Intels Core i7 offering, they cost signicantly less ($180 and $200 respectively.)
Finding Your Budget
The rst task in nding the best processors for your workstation should always be knowing your budget. Processors can range from $100 for a low-end offering, to more than $1,000. As proof, Intels best consumer offering, the Core i7-3960X is listed at $1,060 while a comparable processor, the Core i73770K, is $332. On the other hand, all of AMDs consumer processors are less than $300. AMDs fastest processor does come with some caveats. So if you need a computer that can render your project before a tight deadline, expect to put aside several hundred dollars to get the kind of speed youll need.
Integrated Graphics
Clock Speed, Multi-Core and Multi-Threading
It may seem like an intimidating task to understand what the array of numbers near a processor really mean. You really only need to compare two numbers: the clock speed (or GHz) and the amount of cores. The more GHz a processor has, the more instructions per second the chip can complete. Also, the more CPUs (cores) a processor has, the more simultaneous processing a chip can do. Even so, more cores dont always translate to a huge boost in speed. Thats because some software developers have yet to fully utilize the speed of multi-core processors. However, dont let that deter you from springing for
Of course, theres more to consider when nding the best processors than just GHz and cores. The type of processor you have is often the determining factor as to what kind of input and output technologies your workstation can support, such as USB 3.0 or SATA 6Gb/s. Recently, processors have also delved into the world of GPUs by adding integrated graphics processors into their chip design. Intel offers this feature with its Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge processors while AMD has its Accelerated Processor Units. It may be easy to assume that the processors with integrated graphics have a natural advantage since they include both a graphics processing unit and a central processing unit. However, that technology has so far been more of a nuisance to video editors than a help.
Getting the Most Bang
AMD or Intel?
Knowing what specs to look for when purchasing a beefy processor is great, but thats not all there is to consider. Intel currently has a leg up on the market due to its powerful Hyper-Threading technology which can signicantly speed up editing by processing multiple threads per core. Intel adds SSE 4.1+
The best price for speed bargains are almost always found in the technology one model year previous. Much like the way the last years cars are sold at a discount, previous model processors carry a steep discount as well. Consider the Intel previous model Core i7-3770K processor. It runs at 3.5GHz and has four cores, yet is $342, a steal for serious editors. On major benchmark websites, the i7-3770K rounded out the top 10 in the Premiere Pro CS6 and After Effects CS6 rendering tests. If one thing is certain, its that technology will always change. So whether you get an AMD or Intel processor for your editing dream machine, its best to consider your budget, your software and the performance of the chip before getting out your wallet. Doing so will result in a processor that can match your editing speed for years to come.
Dan Bruns is an award-winning cinematographer and editor. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use' article #15734 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15734

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YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO SEPTEMBER 2013

100 sma E D R rtLav

Find out more at pro.usa.canon.com

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34 The Anatomy of Subsampling

21 Workstations Buyers Guide

40 5 Tips for Capturing Creative Inspiration

26 9 Affordable Approaches to Video Training

64 The Fastest Processor for Video Editing

46 Basic Training 50 Lighting 53 Editing

Writing Your First Screenplay by Kyle Cassidy

Light Boxes and Specialty Setups by Terry ORourke

8 DJI Phantom 10 LaCie 5big

Color Grading by Chris Ace Gates

Shooting in Black and White by Dan Bruns

14 GenArts Sapphire 7 16 RDE iXY and smartLav

The Illusion of Volume by Hal Robertson

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