Studio Monthly articles from January 2008

Studio Monthly archives from January 2008

Sundance stories.(editor's note)
January 1, 2008... When I got word that Alex Gibney would be heading once again to Park City, I knew we needed to talk to him about his latest project, Gonzo, a wild ride through the life and work of an American original. It was a tricky proposition, due to this...

Sony's new tape/solid state hybrids.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Sony is expanding its HD production line-up to include a handheld (HVR-Z7U) and a larger shoulder-mount (HVR-S270U) camcorder. The latter features three 1/3-inch CMOS chips and records simultaneously to full-size DV cassettes and compact flash...

Tall order.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Disc Makers, a manufacturer of CD and DVD duplication hardware, recently introduced the latest version of its Reflex tower manual duplicator line. The new towers run on 20x DVD[+ or -]R / 48x CD-R / 8x DVD[+ or -]R DL drives, and have a new...

Quicktiming.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Prime Image is introducing Time Tailor, an innovative new software to automatically edit video to fit determined time constraints. Well-adapted for the needs of broadcasters and television producers, the fully automated micro-editing technology...

Updated Adobe Flash Media Server gets affordable.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... In a dramatic and welcome move, Adobe has announced that the next generation of its popular Flash Media Server will be available this month in two affordable packages that the company hopes will appeal to a much broader audience. Unlike the...

Stay focused.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Independent filmmakers take note: Redrock Micro is releasing a microX accessory for the Redrock M2 cinema lens adapter. The microX attaches to the M2 to provide a correctly oriented image. The lens adapter adapts 35mm lenses to DV or HD/V video...

Easy switch.(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Video and audio product developer FOR-A recently added a new digital video switcher to its Hanabi line, the HVS-1500HS. It features an up-converter, down-converter, color corrector and DVE, which has a choice of three compact 24, 16, or...

Free 16 GB P2 card (with camera).(DETAILING YOUR STUDIO)
January 1, 2008... Panasonic is now shipping new AG-HVX200 P2 HD camcorders with a free 16 GB P2 card (model AJ-P2C016RG). Customers who buy a new HVX200 from an authorized U.S. Panasonic reseller will receive one 16 GB P2 card, a $900 value, and a copy of The...

Power protection.(Spotlight on Monitors)
January 1, 2008... Panamax/Furman Sound have announced the forthcoming release of a reasonably-priced power management system, the MP-300. The system uses power cleaning and premium filtration to eliminate common symptoms of AC line noise. The slim design makes...

Fully adjustable.(Spotlight on Monitors)
January 1, 2008... Audio/video product developer Chief Manufacturing is introducing several new innovations in mounts this month. The new MIWRF and PIWRF series swing-arm (PIWRF shown top left) is the first of the industry to be completely integrated and...

Samsung's USB-connected LCD.(Spotlight on Monitors)
January 1, 2008... Samsung will release its 2263DX Monitor, a 22-inch flat-panel USB-connected LCD display that leverages the company's proprietary UbiSync technology to allow multiple screens to connect via USB, rather than VGA--all without the need for a...

Apple Logic Pro Studio, version 8: finally, a worthy audio partner to final cut Pro.(ROI reviews)
January 1, 2008... Watching all the attention showered on Final Cut Studio for the past few years, I've often wondered when Logic Pro 7 would get some love. Well, here it is, love included. Not only is Logic Pro 8 full of exciting features, improvements and...

Adobe Visual Communicator 3: accelerate your video presentations.(ROI Reviews)
January 1, 2008... Visual Communicator 3 is the first release of the product since Adobe acquired Serious Magic. Any doubts I might have had about the quality of it post-transfer were immediately alleviated; the company has added some very cool new features to...

Integrate a 3D model into a video clip with Luxology modo and Photoshop.(how)
January 1, 2008... STEP 1 PRE-VISUALIZE THE ARCH Import your video to Photoshop. Create a new layer, and then paint an arch on it as shown. The color-coding makes it a lot easier to reference objects when the painting is later exported to modo. Create a...

Maximize your workflow with P2 cards and Avid Xpress Pro HD.(how)
January 1, 2008... STEP 1 PLAN YOUR SHOTS AND THEN PLAN SOME MORE Data management is very important in the tapeless world. In the tape world, you think on the fly because you have your shot sheet and can improvise; plus, tape is cheap. But with P2 cards,...

Animate an 8-frame run cycle with Adobe Flash CS3.(how)
January 1, 2008... STEP 1 SET YOUR STAGE Create a new document. Select MODIFY > Document (*J) to launch the Document Properties window. Enter your dimensions and frame rate. We suggest 960 x 540 for dimensions and 30 for frame rate, the preferred...

Making must-see documentaries: with one film headed to Sundance and the other in wide release this month, filmmaker Alex Gibney considers the price of objectivity, the burden of technology and the demand for documentaries in such politically charged times.
January 1, 2008... It was Sundance that turned Alex Gibney into a household name--in the homes of documentary buffs, at least--after 2005 festival favorite Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room became a must-see doc. He returned in 2007 as executive producer of...

Digital Kitchen's ambient design.(STUDIOS ON THE RISE)
January 1, 2008... WHAT'S THEIR GIG? The first thing you notice when you walk into Digital Kitchen's new offices in Manhattan is that everybody in the place is, well, really kind of cool. You know the type: guys who wear thick black-framed eyeglasses and...