Assumption of Risk (Feature Critique)

Posted by on Jun 27, 2014 in Critiques, Critiques (Feature Narrative), Feature Length, Featured, Narrative | 0 comments

Wes Riemann (Dan McLaughlin) is a numerical savant. He can predict your life expectancy better than almost anyone else—and it's led him on a fast ride into one of the most lucrative life insurance companies in the country. However, when a new colleague, Darci Bettencourt (Patricia Mizen), points out some shocking anomalies in the company, Wes discovers that there are some dark secrets...

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More Magic For Your Rig: New Blackmagic Camera Firmware 1.8 (Industry Press Release)

Posted by on Jun 24, 2014 in Featured, Industry, News, Press Releases | 0 comments

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Fremont, CA – 24 June, 2014 – Blackmagic Design today announced the release of Blackmagic Camera Update 1.8 software which includes updated features for all Blackmagic Design cameras. Blackmagic Camera Update 1.8 is available now for download free of charge for all existing Blackmagic Camera customers from the Blackmagic Design support page on the website.

The new Blackmagic Camera Update 1.8 software features a completely new code base for all Blackmagic digital film cameras so provides a foundation for new features. This update supports the original wide dynamic range 2.5K Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K.

This all new code base also improves performance and includes a new modern user interface similar in design to the new URSA camera announced at NAB. This new user interface is included in all models of cameras available from Blackmagic Design, allowing a nice clean fresh look.

Blackmagic Camera 1.8 adds compressed RAW DNG support for the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K model, and this allows RAW recording in real time so all sensor data can be captured allowing more range and much higher image quality when doing post production and color grading. DaVinci Resolve 11, also available today, fully supports RAW grading and rendering to final output direct from the RAW camera original files. This means customers get incredible first generation masters, with a solution that edits RAW files as easily and as responsively as a normal video file. read more

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Disney, Star Wars, & Rian Johnson: What We Can Learn from Star Wars Episode VIII (Editorial)

Posted by on Jun 20, 2014 in Articles, Editorials, Featured, Industry, News | 0 comments

The fact that Disney/LucasArts is in the process of making an offer to an Indie writer/director that I love to continue the main Star Wars saga is almost unprecedented! The news that Rian Johnson would replace JJ Abrams for Star Wars VIII, which we’re just hearing today, is the biggest leap we’ve seen from Disney to date. (The fact that Johnson’s IMDB page has been updated with these facts...)

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Orion DVC210 Crane (Equipment Review)

Posted by on Jun 16, 2014 in Equipment, Featured, News, Reviews, Reviews (Equipment) | 0 comments

ProAm USA has been working to make reliable cranes that are so cost-effective you couldn't even dream of trying to make them yourself for what they charge. And, quite frankly, they've been doing a pretty great job with this strategy. In today's review, we look at the Orion 210, which is an 8' crane (as far as actual length goes) but can potentially move a 10 pound camera over a range of 10', so lo

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