Camcorder & Computer Video articles from August 2007

Camcorder & Computer Video archives from August 2007

Video starter kit.(Upfront)
August 1, 2007... In our first attempts at videomaking, some of us are perfectly content to take the camcorder out of the box, aim it at our subject, then hit the Record button, and keep on shooting. This "technique" may be fine if you're still learning the...

Software protection.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... Every time you click on your Web browser, your computer and its contents become susceptible to malicious spyware, or worms that phish out information, steal files, etc. With Alienware's second version of AlienRespawn, v2.0, you have multiple...

RAID it.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)(Guardian MAXimus[TM] RAID 1 fromNewerTech)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... With the high demands of video production, including expensive equipment, top-of-the-line software, and super computers with dual core processors, you still need more juice to pump out that HDV output. Take a look at NewerTech's Guardian...

Graphics card.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... Making sure your computer is up to snuff with its graphics reproduction isn't hard, so having a graphics card, whether you're a gamer or a compositor, is essential in the world of video, animation, rendering, etc. PNY Technologies gives you two...

Ultimate Studio.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... Pinnacle has been providing the consumer and professional videographer great editing tools market for quite some time. With its economical, yet feature-rich Studio Ultimate version 11, it gives you HD DVD and AVCHD format editing, HD DVD...

High-def editing.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... Compatible editing with HD DVD format, as well at AVCHD, Ulead's VideoStudio 11 Plus is for the video editor who wants options when creating a project. The VideoStudio 11 software lets you author your DVDs from 16x9 widescreen, or lets you burn...

Dual--layer Blu-ray disc burner.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... As the competing camps for our high-def attention are trying to "one-up" each other, we still aren't quite sure what the standard will be, but until the day everything is high-def, we won't hold our breath. Nonetheless, Blu-ray is coming into...

Indie stabilizer.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
August 1, 2007... Here's a product for all you Indie filmmakers out there. Specifically designed to work with the most current models of HDV & DV camcorders is, the Sachtler DV Pro FX camera stabilization system. So what does it do? It straps on as back-mounted...

Wind stopper.(ZOOM IN: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)(Topper from K-Tek)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Getting the best audio possible takes a few variables to create the right sound. External mikes, booms, whatever it takes to get the crisp, pure sound. Wind is always an issue when you're shooting videos outdoors, and not every mike is perfect,...

What a summer.(Camcorder Insider)
August 1, 2007... We just passed the mid-summer point about a month ago. Traditionally, that's the time for family outings at the swimming pool, beach, etc. Well, Sanyo has definitely got you water babies in mind with the world's first waterproof camcorder! ...

First look: Adobe's Creative Suite 3.(New Tech)
August 1, 2007... It's official, the next generation of Adobe's design and development tools shipped in March, known as Creative Suite 3. This is a tremendous accomplishment of software development for Adobe just in releasing new versions of some 13 major...

Camcorder shopping made easy: find the format that's right for you.
August 1, 2007... In many ways there has never been a tougher time to decide which camcorder to buy. There are as many different format choices as there ever was before. All have reached the digital age, and analog has been left behind. All are excellent...

Canon HV20: a high-powered HD camcorder that also shoots 3.1MP digital stills.
August 1, 2007... The HV20 (MSRP $1,100) is Canon's offering in the new realm of high-definition camcorders. It captures 1080i video, shoots great looking high-res stills, is compact, has a smooth and attractive contour, and is easy-to-use. In short, it has a...

Third party filters: our favorite effects for enhancing video (Part I).(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Do you want to get a lot more out of your editing software? Add acclaimed glass-filter effects that weren't available to you in the field? Can it be done? After testing hundreds of filters, I will share my favorite picks and begin this two part...

Easy ways: to make great summer videos.(Pro SHOOTING TIPS)
August 1, 2007... Summertime is here, and movie making is easy. Or is it really that simple? Even though the sun may be shining and there are no storms in the sky, there are many ways you can improve your summer movie-making adventures with your family and...

Get a command of composition: become a stronger shooter by learning the rules.(Pro SHOOTING TIPS)
August 1, 2007... Whether you are a photographer or cinematograher, composition is one of the most influential variables when trying to capture images with impact. Depending on the subject matter and situation, how you compose your images will either assist you...

Ready for close-up: secrets to making your actors look good on camera.(Pro: SHOOTING TIPS)
August 1, 2007... Most of us want to make the people who appear in our videos and family movies to look good. You don't need to hire an expensive cinematographer or a team of make up artists--but it wouldn't hurt. The secret to making the people in your videos...

Canon ZR800: a solid mini DV cam for the videographer on a budget.(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
August 1, 2007... A far cry from the days of the $1,500 full-size video camera, the compact and lightweight Canon ZR800 has a price tag of only $279. While it's no surprise that this Mini DV camcorder doesn't have all the bells and whistles of more expensive...

Automatic editing: let the software genie do it for you.
August 1, 2007... Editing is probably the most difficult part of creating good-looking videos. Not only is it, complicated, it can take a lot of time, and its not always a lot of fun. In my experience, doing a good job of editing complex video takes at least one...

Primera Bravo Se disc publisher: a low-cost, automated disc duplicator.
August 1, 2007... For many video producers duplicating DVDs is usually a one-at-a-time process. Insert a disc into the computer and burn data onto it. Then put in another disc in and wait while, and it does the same thing. After the discs are burned, you can...

High-performance High-Def editing: putting all the components together.
August 1, 2007... Only a few years ago we were struggling with configuring desktop systems to support editing DV video, which had huge demands for real-time video capture, streaming to hard disk, and video-rate decompression and processing. Today even mainstream...

Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick: High-Def TV-to-go.(HARDWARE REVIEW)
August 1, 2007... I was stranded at the Denver International Airport for several hours a few months back, due to weather delays and, although I had my notebook with me, I really didn't feel much like writing or doing other computer-oriented work. All of the...

Navigating the High-Def maze: which HD camcorder is right for you?
August 1, 2007... There's no doubt that the driving force in consumer camcorders can be summed up in two words: High Definition. High-Definition camcorder models abound with each manufacturer; that's because High-Definition TVs have become so affordable--many...

Panasonic HDC-DX1: is Panasonic's new High-Def camcorder the wave of the future?(CAMCORDER REVIEW)
August 1, 2007... Panasonic has recently joined the High-Definition consumer camcorder bandwagon with the joint release of two new models--the HDC-SD1 ($1,500 MSRP) and HDC-DX1 ($1,400 MSRP). Both models record in the new AVCHD High-Def recording specification....

$30 Film School: Second Edition.(Bookmark)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... $30 Film School Second Edition by Michael W. Dean $30.00; Thomson Course Technology; www.courseptr.com A headline on the back of this book states, "You don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars at film school--make your low- or...

Bluescreen Compositing: A Practical Guide for Video & Moviemaking.(Bookmark)
August 1, 2007... Bluescreen Compositing A Practical Guide For Video & Moviemaking by John Jackman $44.95; Focal Press; www.focalpress.com Part of Focal Press' DV Expert Series, Bluescreen Compositing is a great how-to guide to composting. Straightforward,...

The 30-Second Storyteller: The Art and Business of Directing Commercials.(Bookmark)
August 1, 2007... The 30-Second Storyteller The Art And Business Of Directing Commercials by Thomas Richter $34.99; Thomson Course Technology; www.courseptr.com Did you know that filmmakers like Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, David Fincher, Jonathan Glazer,...

Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD and HDV Cameras.(Bookmark)
August 1, 2007... Video Shooter Storytelling With DV, HD And HDV Cameras by Barry Braverman $44.95; CMPBooks; www.cmpbooks.com; www.focalpress.com In his introduction, Braverman states that he hates DV, HDV and the "new inexpensive HD cameras," because it is...

Write to TV: Out of Your Head and Onto the Screen.(Bookmark)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2007... Write To TV Out Of Your Head And Onto The Screen by Martie Cook $27.95; Focal Press; www.focalpress.com If you've ever dreamed of writing a script for TV then you really need to get a copy of this book. When the author was 13, she told her...