February 2012
93 posts
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
“Act of Valor” – Leap of Faith In our continuing coverage of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II superstar movie “Act of Valor” we present an article written for MovieMaker magazine by Hamish McCollester. We’re posting with MovieMaker’s permission – thanks guys!… Act of Valor: Reinventing the Action Genre by Shane Hurlbut If you haven’t gathered, I consider “Act of Valor” an incredible achievement and...
Feb 23rd
Act of Valor: Reinventing the Action Genre/Tweet...
Act of Valor: Reinventing the Action Genre When Scotty Waugh and Mike “Mouse” McCoy, the incredible directing team at Bandito Brothers, asked me to shoot Act of Valor, I was excited, especially after listening to their unique vision for the making of this movie. I was ALL IN. The idea of reinventing… Tweet Up for Act of Valor on Saturday, February 25 in LA I wanted to make all of you aware...
Feb 23rd
Dpreview News
Nikon D4 & D800: What the Professionals Think Following the refresh of Nikon’s pro-level DSLRs, we asked four professional photographers to give us their take on the D800 and D4. We spoke to a group whose work and expertise spans a wide variety of genres and styles to see what they thought Nikon… DxO Optics Pro 7.2.1 gains Canon G1 X, Sony NEX-7 and Nikon 1 support DxO Labs has...
Feb 23rd
We Got The Trailer to “Open Our Eyes”
We Got The Trailer to “Open Our Eyes” I wrote about the Gail’s movie yesterday. Today I’ve got the trailer. Classic Mooney, stunning visuals illustrating an extraordinary story. via: Photocine News
Feb 23rd
Dpreview Reviews
Nikon Coolpix P7100 via: Reviews (latest): Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Feb 22nd
NoFilmSchool
Advice for Creating a Transmedia Documentary It’s an exciting time for filmmakers and storytellers who are exploring ways to enhance their stories via the web.  One of the new genres to emerge is the “web” or “connected” documentary.  In essence, these are documentary… Get Industry Attention with the 2012 Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowships and Two Other Competitions The Academy of Motion...
Feb 22nd
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
DitoGear OmniSlider: First Look and Basic Features I’d like to welcome planetRic (Ric Kasnoff) to the planet5D team – and this is his first post (part one of three parts) DitoGear OmniSlider Servo Review Part 1 of 3 First look and basic feature tests After owning and using a lower cost motion… Cinetics Launches CineSquid Suction Cup Camera Mount System How cool! The guys behind CineSkates...
Feb 22nd
Dpreview News
First impressions shooting with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 The European press event for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 gave us a chance to get some proper shooting time in with one of the most discussed cameras of 2012. Our preview already looks over the features and custom options but this trip gave us a chance to really… via: News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Feb 22nd
One of Our Faves, Gail Mooney Releases Her Movie
One of Our Faves, Gail Mooney Releases Her Movie Truly one of the most lovely people that we know in this business, Gail Mooney, is on the road promoting her new film. It’s called “Opening our Eyes” and is slated for the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Women’s… via: Photocine News
Feb 22nd
NoFilmSchool
Timelapses Just Got Easier: DitoGear Announces the OmniHead and LensDrive DitoGear, maker of the OmniSlider, already has a following among “Timelapsers” and visual effects folks, but now they’ve cemented that following with the addition of a motion control head and lens motor: the OmniHead and LensDrive. If… Silent Film Director Shows You ‘How to Be a Motion Picture...
Feb 21st
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
Introducing DitoGear™ OmniHead & Lens Drive DitoGear™ is pleased to announce the release of DitoGear™ OmniHead and DitoGear™ LensDrive. Both new products address the expectations of the most demanding cinematographers working with film, digital cinema, timelapse or stop motion needing a compact,… RØDE announces 2 mics – one of them is even its own digital recorder! Also in the “I can’t...
Feb 21st
2012 Vimeo Festival Last Call For Entries/Act of...
2012 Vimeo Festival Last Call For Entries This is just a reminder that the Vimeo Festival + Awards call for entries closes Monday, February 20th at 11:59pm.  So this is your last chance to submit the work you have produced over the last year.  The above film, “Thrush,” is… Act of Valor “Act of Valor” premiered this week on Sunset Blvd.   As you may know the film...
Feb 21st
Cinema5D news
In depth, nice and personal Canon C300 video review   Not that we haven’t been flooded with C300 reviews already (link, link, link, link, link, link), but I would like to present this one in particular as it’s done with a lot of love to detail, well conducted and nicely filmed in a similar… via: cinema5D news
Feb 21st
Dpreview News
Just Posted: Nikon Coolpix P7100 enthusiast compact camera review Just Posted: Our review of the Nikon Coolpix P7100. The P7100 is Nikon’s second attempt at producing an enthusiast compact to go toe-to-toe with Canon’s popular G-series cameras. The P7000 showed some promise but slow, quirky operation meant it fell short… PocketWizard Plus III transceiver makes remote...
Feb 21st
NoFilmSchool
Shoot a Short with Your AF100 and Win Prizes from Panasonic Own a Panasonic AF100? Need a new monitor for your color suite? If you answered yes to both, Panasonic’s second annual “Shoot It. Share It” competition could be exactly what you’re looking for. Panasonic wants videos under 5 minutes,… via: NoFilmSchool
Feb 20th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
ikan product announcements – ikan Elements and ikan Elite iPad Teleprompter Kit ikan announced these products recently and I’m a tiny bit slow getting them out – sorry! ikan Elements: it’s all about the “rig”! The widespread popularity of smaller DSLRs and the new hybrid, cinema style cameras has introduced… Review of the Red Scarlet-X by Timur Civan Timur Civan has written a review: Red...
Feb 20th
Cinema5D news
Review of the Sony NEX-7 Andrew Reid from EOSHD has conducted a very nice and honest review about one of the currently most interesting video capable DSLRs: The Sony NEX 7 (body currently $1199) Reid expresses mixed feelings about video quality: “The NEX 7 is a real mixed… via: cinema5D news
Feb 20th
Dpreview News
Book Review: ‘Vivian Maier, Street Photographer’ When Vivian Maier died in obscurity in 2009 she left behind a huge collection of photographs, taken over several decades. A new collection of her work, ‘Vivian Maier, Street Photographer’ showcases the breadth of her hitherto unrevealed talent. Barnaby… via: News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Feb 20th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
Sunday planet5D poll: What ruins a movie for you? This morning, I was reviewing some movies to possibly add to our planet5D cinema and got to thinking about the different skills required to make movies; you know, cameras, actors, editors, sound guys, etc. So I wondered what the most vital of skills was… via: planet5D
Feb 19th
Journeys of a hypbrid
When “We” Became “Me” It started happening after JFK was assassinated, followed by Martin Luther King’s death and finally the brutal slaying of JFK’s brother, Robert in the kitchen of a hotel in Los Angeles.  We were beginning to shift from a culture of “we” that… Share Some Love Today Reblogged from Journeys of a Hybrid: I came across a wonderful blog entitled “What Does Love Mean to a...
Feb 19th
Cinema5D news
Vimeo Film Festival + Awards 2012 – Deadline Feb 20th The internet has become a great way to get your creations out there into the wild. Vimeo has been a great asset for filmmakers and the vimeo awards take that idea a step further. The ultimate platform for indie filmmakers. Here’s a great quote from… via: cinema5D news
Feb 19th
Microsoft’s Biggest Miss
Microsoft’s Biggest Miss This really isn’t our beat here at PCN, but this article from Patrick Rhone (& Wife) at Minimal Mac is so profoundly thought provoking that I had to share it with you all. Rhone’s wife elucidates on what Microsoft did to blow it in the… via: Photocine News
Feb 19th
NoFilmSchool
What Can Aspiring Filmmakers Learn from the ‘Found Footage’ Trend? With Chronicle recently topping its opening weekend, the debut of The River on ABC, and various found footage concepts in development, it’s no surprise many folks are asking – what’s behind the popularity of found footage?  So I was… via: NoFilmSchool
Feb 18th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
Remote Controlled Helicopters cleared to fly by FAA Tweet There’s been a lot of discussion on planet5D lately (here and here) about the legality of flying RC (remote controlled) Helicopters or drones and today thanks to @AlvarezPhoto’s tweet we see there are new rules coming into place to allow… New! planet5D HDSLR news on twitter steroids – no fluff, just news You guys love news – it is...
Feb 18th
Dpreview News
Fujifilm X10 firmware: Appears not to fix ‘white orbs’ We’ve been taking a look at Fujifilm’s recently released firmware update for the X10, which was designed to reduce the much-discussed ‘white orbs’ blooming effect. Our initial conclusions are disappointing enough for us to pre-empt our forthcoming coverage… Samsung US announces rugged and waterproof...
Feb 18th
Lucent Dossier Experience
Lucent Dossier Experience I’m going to see Lucent Dossier Experience at the Palace Theater Downtown LA tomorrow night and decided to watch some of their videos in anticipation of the event. This video is from last year’s Burning Man and it’s a perfect example… via: Photocine News
Feb 18th
NoFilmSchool
John August Announces ‘Highland,’ a Screenwriting App That Makes PDFs Editable Again Hot on the heels of Fountain, a screenwriting tool that could become a standard, John August has announced “Highland,” a Mac app that takes the headaches out of screenwriting file types. Though it’s still in beta, Highland could become… via: NoFilmSchool
Feb 17th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
See Act of Valor and hear from Shane and filmmakers Feb 25th Tweet See @ActOfValorFilm & special Q&A with filmmakers – 2/25 at 5:10pm at Regal LA LIVE bit.ly/w9bysN #ActOfValor (wrong link b4) — Shane Hurlbut, ASC (@hurlbutvisuals) February 16, 2012 Yes, that’s right! Next Saturday,… via: planet5D
Feb 17th
DSLR News Shooter
The dream they carry –A short doc on migrant labourers in northern India shot on 60D By Micha Hilliard Last November I found myself hurtling along perilous roads, across flat and arid expanses and along azure rivers. I travelled up passes at the end of winding valleys surrounded by snow-capped mountains – all in a shabby old Maruti… via: DSLR News Shooter
Feb 17th
Dpreview News
Former Olympus Chairman and President, and six others arrested over scandal The former President and Chairman of Olympus who oversaw the financial mismanagement that has seen the company’s value more than halved, has been arrested. Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and his former vice-president Hisashi Mori who has also been arrested, were only… via: News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Feb 17th
Dan Chung on the Future of Photojournalism
Dan Chung on the Future of Photojournalism … via: Photocine News
Feb 17th
NoFilmSchool
Deadline for 2012 Vimeo Festival + Awards Less Than Week Away, $25K Grant Up for Grabs The 2012 Vimeo Festival + Awards submission deadline is February 20th, 2012.  Judging from previous years, it looks like it has been a great event, and this year is shaping up to be another interesting outing.  Not only are the prizes enticing ($5k… via: NoFilmSchool
Feb 16th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
That mysterious AA(anti-aliasing) filter – do you need it? Tweet I’ve known about anti-aliasing filters for a while but I’ve not taken the time to really dive in and understand exactly what it does… and with the release of the Nikon D800 (pre-order on B&H) and the D800E (pre-order) you… Yikes! World’s Highest Rope Swing – Going Viral! Don’t try this at home part 2! Tweet Devin does it...
Feb 16th
Digital Camera Comparison Chart
Digital Camera Comparison Chart I found this Digital Camera Comparison chart over at Fletcher Camera & Lenses, and it’s handy for comparing all the different digital cinema cameras available now. Camera choice in the film days used to be either Panavision or Arriflex, but… via: Hurlbut Visuals
Feb 16th
Cinema5D news
Is Adobe CS6 imminent? – CS5.5 Production 53% off I just received news that the Adobe CS 5.5 Production Premium suite is 53% off (link). It loos like the end of the CS5.5 life-cycle is near, despite the fact that previous rumors and the NAB show in April would make a May 2012 release more credible. Adobe… via: cinema5D news
Feb 16th
Dpreview News
Just Posted: Canon G1 X studio test samples We’ve shot our standard test scene with Canon’s latest PowerShot G1 X large-sensor compact camera. The images have been shot using a production-standard G1 X and, as usual, have been shot in both Raw and JPEG with all original files available for download…. DPReview is looking for a Mobile Imaging Editor Dpreview.com is looking for a...
Feb 16th
Photographer Talks about LED Lighting and Adding...
Photographer Talks about LED Lighting and Adding Video To His Toolbox Austin based Photographer Kirk Tuck has a pretty successful blog that I check in on every now and then. I like his conversational writing style and his pragmatic approach to photography. He has a new book out about using LED lights that sparked my interest…. via: Photocine News
Feb 16th
Dpreview Reviews
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 via: Reviews (latest): Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Feb 15th
NoFilmSchool
John August and Stu Maschwitz Release ‘Fountain,’ a Handy Screenwriting Tool/Markup Language Writing a script on the go has been hit-or-miss. Final Draft still does not have a dedicated screenwriting application on any mobile device (though a reader exists). If you’ve been looking for an easy way to write a script on your phone or tablet… via: NoFilmSchool
Feb 15th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
Jon Yi directs HOT new Canon EOS C300 music video for Math the Band Tweet Jon Yi has had some amazing fun with the Canon EOS C300 – I’m sure you’ll remember we were the first to post “Canon EOS C300 “awesome” video by Jon Yi” and then we interviewed Jon live (see the podcast archive)!… via: planet5D
Feb 15th
stillmotion
GOING TO HUNGARY. NO BULL.   shortly after the launch of youarenotcattle.com, our new wedding site, we announced that a winner had been chosen for our “no bull” giveaway. we had asked couples to send us anything and everything about them – their stories,… via: stillmotion
Feb 15th
Dpreview News
CIPA starts to report growing mirrorless sales CIPA has started publishing sales and shipment figures for mirrorless cameras, giving a clear picture for their take-up around the world. The Japanese trade body will issue separate figures for ‘Non-reflex’ cameras and Single Lens Reflex cameras, rather… Scalado’s Remove technology takes distractions out of photos Mobile...
Feb 15th
How “Dinner With Fred” Got John Williams’ Players...
How “Dinner With Fred” Got John Williams’ Players for the Music “Dinner with Fred” is one of the best shorts to come through the PCN screening room. It tells the true story of how chickens saved the life of a Canadian Lieutenant during World War II. Written and directed by Ben Proudfoot, who you’ll know from… via: Photocine News
Feb 15th
NoFilmSchool
The Latest on the Chinese KineRAW Digital Cinema Camera The KineRAW is a Chinese digital cinema camera that I called (perhaps too harshly) a “knockoff” of the ARRI ALEXA and RED cameras. This is a guest post by Wentao Marvin. As China is celebrating the Lunar New Year (the Year of Dragon), Kinefinity… In NYC on March 3rd? Don’t Miss the Free Creative Conference DIY Days (I’ll be...
Feb 14th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
An incredible 3D render of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II by Mikael Eidenberg Tweet Mikael Eidenberg created something amazing over a year ago and I just found it yesterday (and I tweeted a small snippet to see if anyone would realize it was a render – nobody noticed that) so I just have to post this incredible 3D render… Ron Martinsen’s hands on with the Canon EOS-1D X Tweet Craig over at...
Feb 14th
Amazing Astro-photography/RedrockMicro ultraCage |...
Amazing Astro-photography Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo. I came across this stunning video of a time-lapse from Earth taken from Space and I thought I would share with you.  The footage is absolutely mesmerizing… RedrockMicro ultraCage | blue for C300 (and other systems…)   The Canon C300 is finally starting to ship, and so far the...
Feb 14th
Cinema5D news
Sigma also wants to sell stuff – up to 20% off Canon has been teasing us with their announcements of their SuperHDSLRs. That’s nice but for many these are just too highly priced, unreasonably so, I might add, if technology were to be invested right we could have had the perfect HDSLR a long… via: cinema5D news
Feb 14th
Dpreview News
Just posted: Our Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 in-depth review Just posted: Our in-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1. As the long-awaited spiritual successor to the highly-regarded Lumix GF1, this enthusiast-oriented offering from Panasonic combines its 16MP sensor and latest touchscreen interface with… Book Review: Edward Weston, One Hundred Twenty Five Photographs Edward Weston was...
Feb 14th
planet5D-Canon HDSLR news (5Dmk2, 7D, 1Dmk4)
A funny HDSLR web series – “walking in circles” – raising money for season 2 Tweet There are a lot of funding requests out there (and I expect that will grow) but it isn’t often you actually get to preview the work before you decide if you want to help fund the project: Walking In Circles: Season 2! — IndieGoGo. Here’s… Absolution | A Canon EOS 5D Mark II film by Director Ravi Vora Tweet...
Feb 13th
Cinema5D news
NextLites: New Lighting company by NextWaveDv Tony Reale‘s NextWaveDv has been a great resource for filmmakers. Their website has provided news and training articles for independent videographers and filmmakers for quite a while. It’s a good thing when new companies come into existence… via: cinema5D news
Feb 13th