Interviews

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Run-through of the Ki Pro by Jon Thorn

08/03/2010

Rick Young
Jon has been heavily involved with the Ki Pro - it has been described as his "baby". His enthusiasm for the product shines through as he explains in detail that this product functions as a 10-bit ProRes recorder, enables one to up-convert, down-convert or cross convert the video signal, and can be used as a recorder/playback device for high quality mastering level performance.

Stu Maschwitz: DV Rebel (part 2)

22/02/2010

Rick Young
Why shoot 24P? Stu Maschwitz tells us why. In this, Part 2 of the MacVideo interview with Stu Maschwitz, he tells why shooting and replay at 24 frames per second is so important to the filmmaker. Stu Maschwitz is a highly regarded director, writer and visual effects artist based in San Francisco. He has worked as a senior visual effects supervisor on many films. He previously worked at Industrial Light and Magic and also co-founded a company known as The Orphanage.

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Canon reveal prototype 4:2:2 camera; 50mbps; recording to MPEG-2

08/02/2010

Rick Young
Canon has announced it has adopted an MPEG-2 Full HD (4:2:2) file-based recording codec for a new file-based professional video camera currently under development. The new Canon MPEG-2 codec will enable high-quality imaging in a 4:2:2 colour space, making this camera suitable for many broadcast applications.

Ajay Parekh, Live Events/Video Producer

31/01/2010

Rick Young
Ajay Parekh has had 2 decades of experience in the live events, conference and video industry. Trained as a stage managerhe quickly developed his people and project management skills into the film and television industry. During his four years at the BBC he worked on many projects, with one of his highlights being a film called 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' Written and Directed by the late Anthony Minguella.

The future of Radio Mics. - Alain Richer, Sennheiser

18/01/2010

Rick Young
Much of the entertainment industry relies on radio mics: television, theatre, concerts, hotels, events - at every corner of the production scene there is a need for wireless mics which are high quality and effective. The current range of radio mics rely on analogue frequencies. As these frequencies are reallocated or switched off this presents a problem to the entertainment industry with fears current equipment will not work for too much longer.

Matt Davis on the PMW-EX1R

11/01/2010

Rick Young
When Sony released the PMW-EX1 over 2 years ago now, Matt Davis purchased one of the cameras as an upgrade to his Z1. The jump in quality was significant, the tapeless workflow provided the means for ultra-fast turnaround, and since then Matt has moved more and more away from the world of tape and to a file-based workflow. Now Matt has purchased a PMW-EX1R. In this interview he gives impressions the latest model, what has changed, what matters, and tells just why he is now considering a second EX1R.

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Best of MacVideo Interviews 2009 (parts 3 & 4)

02/01/2010

Rick Young
Featuring: Claudio von Planta - War Cameraman/Journalist; Jonathan Walls- Co-Director/Editor; Lenny Lipton - Independent Filmmaker; Michael Wohl - original Final Cut Pro Development Team; Vaughan Smith - War Cameraman/Journalist; Walter Murch - Feature Film Editor; Tom Ohanian - Founding team Avid Technology; Jerry Hofmann - Digital Video Pioneer; Ramy Katrib - CEO and Founder, DigitalFilm Tree; The Ken Stone Sessions (part 1).

Underwater Specialist: Luca Coltri

07/12/2009

Rick Young
In this interview Luca talks about the equipment he uses, how it operates, and just what he has to go through to work as an underwater videographer. Beyond the task of acquiring the footage, the post-production process is equally interesting. The footage is shot an 50 frames per second, providing slow motion, and is then conformed using Apple's Cinema Tools to the required frame-rate. The option is there to work at slow motion (50 fps) or standard motion (25 fps). For HD acquisition Luca works with the Panasonic DVCPro HD format.

Jan Crittenden - Product Line Business Manager at Panasonic Broadcast, USA

30/11/2009

Rick Young
Panasonic are a company which have been independent when it comes to acquisition: AVC Intra, AVC Ultra, DVCPro HD, DVCPro 50, Varicam, P2 - these are all trade marks in the industry by which Panasonic is known. In this interview Jan Crittenden, Product Line Business Manager at Panasonic Broadcast, USA, tells of the attitude of Panasonic when it comes to making cameras, the much talked about Panasonic "Mojo", and what it is which makes these cameras unique.

Olivier Bovis - General Manager, Product Marketing, Sony Europe

26/10/2009

Rick Young
Olivier Bovis explains in detail the new XDCAM EX products offered by Sony. He explains the evolution of the XDCAM EX format, Sony's positioning in the market place and the philosophy behind the creation of these new products. This interview provides insight into the thought processes which go into producing this equipment. Olivier also provides information on the fact that the Sony cameras are largely put together by hand.

Vaughan Smith - War Journalist

18/10/2009

Rick Young
Vaughan Smith has filmed in many of the world's conflict zones. From Iraq to Afghanistan, Kosovo and deep into Africa, this war journalist understands the difficulties of filming in these environments. In this interview he tells the history of Frontline, the agency in the 1990's which pioneered the use of portable cameras in war zones. He talks of the devastating loss of life of many of the original members and the role the Frontline Club plays in supporting independent journalism and the ethics and values which this profession demands.

Lenny Lipton - Filmmaker and Author (Part 5)

22/09/2009

Rick Young
Lipton wrote the lyrics to the song Puff the Magic Dragon as a 19-year-old at Cornell University. In this, Part 5 of the interview with Lenny Lipton, Lenny talks about Puff the Magic Dragon, the writing of this famous work, and how much a part of his life Puff has become.

Interview with Simon Schleidt P+S Technik

21/09/2009

Rick Young
The SI-2K Digital Cinema Camera System is a mobile means to movie making, enabling high quality acquisition using a small camera head. Simon Schleidt, sales representative from P+S Technik, provides an overview of what this camera does, how it works, and what makes it so unique. Providing over 10 stops of dynamic range, tremendous compatibility with different lens options, and the means to position the SI-2K camera head long distances from the recording unit, connected by gigabit Ethernet, makes the SI-2K an amazing filmmaking tool.

IBC SuperMeet Preview - Dan Berube and Michael Horton

06/09/2009

Rick Young
The agenda is now set for the Second Annual Amsterdam FCPUG SuperMeet to be held Sunday, 13 September 2009 at The Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Dam Square, the heart of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Doors open at 16:30 with an FCP Showcase with 26 exhibitors; Presentations begin at 19:00 and continue until 23:30. Headlining the event is Final Cut Pro co-creator Michael Wohl.

Dedo Weigert - world-class cinematographer (parts 2 and 3)

31/08/2009

Rick Young
Dedo Weigert, world-class cinematographer and inventor of the Dedo lighting system talks about how he became inspired to develop equipment which is different to everything else on the market. Dedo's career extends over 5 decades. In 1990 the unique innovation of the Dedolight system was recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a Technical Achievement Award.

Changes in technology, beyond our wildest dreams...

24/08/2009

Rick Young
Bob Daniels is the Executive Director at the Center for Digital Imaging and Arts at Boston University. In this piece he talks about the potential of modern digital technology and how this is changing the means by which stories are told. At the same time, we take a look at some still functioning technology from a previous era.

Interview with Claudio von Planta - parts 2 and 3

10/08/2009

Rick Young
In this in-depth interview Claudio talks about the equipment he uses; why he chooses small cameras which allow him to be mobile and to move quickly in conflict zones, and how the changing technology has influenced what he is able to do when working in dangerous and hostile environments.

Dedo Weigert - world-class cinematographer (part 1)

13/07/2009

Rick Young
Dedo Weigert, world-class cinematographer and inventor of the Dedo lighting system talks about how he began in the world of images and light, first in theatre before moving into film camerawork. Dedo's career extends over 5 decades. In 1990 the unique innovation of the Dedolight system was recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with a Technical Achievement Award.

Step into the 3rd Dimension with Lenny Lipton

29/06/2009

Rick Young
In part 3 of the interview with Lenny Lipton - Lenny talks about 3D video production, an area which he is an expert in. Lenny is credited with having created the world's first 3D flickerless stereo field sequential system, which means the stereo image is projected out of a single source. His work in the area of 3D video production is used at the highest levels, including blockbuster 3D Hollywood motion pictures. In 1982 he published his book, Foundations of the Stereoscopic Cinema, which provides a wide ranging analysis of many stereoscopic topics.

Rigs for DSLRs - Brian Valente Redrock Micro

22/06/2009

Rick Young
Redrock Micro are leaders in the field of creating rigs for Digital SLR movie cameras. The problem with these cameras is they do not fit well onto traditional video tripods, and they don't handle well in the hand like a video camera. Fit the camera into a rig and this changes the manoeuvrability of the camera you are working with, giving you control akin to shooting with a film camera. With cameras such as the EOS 5D Mark II, the Nikon D90, and Panasonic Lumix GH1, the use of a rig to mount the camera is becoming somewhat of a necessity and will undoubtedly develop as time goes by.

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