Studio Monthly articles from March 2009

Studio Monthly archives from March 2009

Track & field.(editor's note)
March 1, 2009... There is a lot of tracking going on in this issue. First, Charlie White is over the moon about the improved 3D tracking inside the new Autodesk Flame 2009 (page 6). If your budget can't quite cover one of these aptly called "Hero Box" systems,...

Panasonic's new 10-bit $10K camera.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... Panasonic will ship its new AG-HPX300 shoulder-mount camera this March for $10,700, a bargain when you consider what the company put inside this model. Built on the AVC-Intra codec, this P2 HD camcorder features master-quality 10-bit, 4:2:2...

Smooth shots.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... Glidecam recently introduced the The GLIDECAM HD-Series of camera stabilizers, which feature a fine adjustment Camera Balance Platform, a no-tools telescoping central post and an integrated quick-release camera plate. Each HD-Series...

Two new Pro-HD cameras from JVC.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... JVC further expands its ProHD camcorder line-up by introducing, this month, two professional solid state camcorders, the ultra-compact GY-HM100 and the shoulder-mounted GY-HM700, the industry's first to store files in native QuickTime for...

Disc multiplication.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... Disc Makers has introduced the Reflex Daisy Chain Series of duplicators, which offers all the capabilities and quality of the standard Reflex series with the added ability to connect up to hundreds of towers together--all operated by a single...

P2 portable field recording.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... Also shipping this month is the new AG-HPG20 Master-Quality Field Recorder from Panasonic. Introduced in tandem with Panasonic's AG-HPX300 camera, the recorder features the same AVC-Intra 10-bit recording. While the camera and recorder are made...

Powerful Supply.(gear up)
March 1, 2009... Staco Energy Products will features the UniStar C series single-phase online Uninterruptible Power Supply at NAB 2009. The 1, 2 and 3-kVA rack-mount models include hot-swappable batteries, a powerful internal battery charger, emergency...

Autodesk Flame 2009: fire up your production.(ROI reviews)
March 1, 2009... Join us at the top of the content-creation pyramid for the latest version of Autodesk Flame, version 2009, Extension 1. This Linux-based effects and 3D compositing software running on an HP xw8600 workstation with two Intel Quad-core processors...

Blackmagic Design mini converters: mastermind your formats.
March 1, 2009... Blackmagic Design first announced its new family of mini converters at NAB 2008. Since then, they have been attracting some very positive comments in the industry, and for good reason. They really are excellent in quality, easy to use, and...

ARRI Softbank D4 light kit: reliable wattage for your basic production needs.(ROI reviews)
March 1, 2009... When I needed a new light kit, I started to look at what was available in my price range. I have had many kits over the last 15 years, consisting of mostly Lowel lights. Naturally, I've become quite a fan of Lowel lights. The Lowel kits have...

Track greenscreen data from FCP files with Imagineer mocha for an After Effects comp.(how)
March 1, 2009... STEP 1 EDIT AND RETIME YOUR FOOTAGE The spot first had to be edited and retimed because the raw footage's timings did not match the durations we needed between flips. To do this, place markers on the audio voiceover track at the time...

Create a Lens Flare with Boris Continuum Complete in Final Cut Pro.(train up)
March 1, 2009... STEP 1 LAUNCH FCP AND IMPORT A CLIP Start by launching Final Cut Pro, and import a clip. We're using the Artbeats stock clip "lake.mov." Scrub the clip to familiarize yourself with the motion that is generated by the slow right-to-left pan...

Connective power: in the epic battle between Fibre Channel and Ethernet, the super-charged vs. the super-cheap (well, certainly cheaper), which throughput comes out on top?(TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2009... While many of the major storage manufacturers--Avid, Globalstor, Sonnet Tech, etc--are gearing their product offerings toward Ethernet (and beyond), a few others are staying true to Fibre--Archion for instance. Others still, like JMR, are...

Take stock: music libraries and stock footage update.
March 1, 2009... Access HD Stock footage continues to evolve toward higher-def and lower cost. Artbeats and Mammoth HD have both prominently launched collections featuring RED footage--Artbeats, in fact, offers the first royalty-free RED ONE footage. Says...