This is what Christmas is like in Australia #Canon C300 MarkII #Upgrade #What Mattress Did I Put Those Unmarked Non-sequential $20s In?
The Canon C300 Mark II is an evolutionary cinema EOS 4K camera that has raised the bar higher than our pals in Colorado and Washington. Not only is it capable of internal and external 4K/2K/full HD recording, but Canon developed an 8.85 Megapixel Canon Super 35mm 16:9 CMOS image sensor that records at a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 pixels and provides a high-speed readout for reduced rolling shutter distortion. That all equates to a larger-than-life, gorgeous picture that will make your neighbors feel like the poor kid at the arcade.
Canon didn't stop with sensors, they threw dual DIGIC DV5 image processors in to help reduce visual noise and enable high-sensitivity shooting at an unheard of max speed of ISO 102,400 (or +54dB), i.e. you could shoot in your creepy cousin's dark apartment without much fuss.
That's a lot of numbers and acronyms, so lets wrap this up. The Mark II is an incredible new machine that will certainly revolutionize the industry; but make sure not to forget how amazing the older brother (the always dependable Canon C300) is. Our friends at F11 rentals have a couple if you find the need.
Why Panasonic p2 is failing #videoproduction #AU-XPD1 #Panasonic #p2
With the recent announcement of Panasonic's new AU-XPD1 Usb 3.0 p2 reader, it's a reminder why the P2 format is getting left behind.
Years back we relied solely on the Panasonic line of cameras. SDX-900s, HDX-900s, HVX-200s, HPX-500s and so on. About 3 years ago our projects were getting bottlenecked because off the off-load time of the P2. Panasonic offered a USB 2.0 card reader for over $300 or a firewire reader for over $2000. We looked into a new camera the Canon C300 which had better compression rates and shot to CF card. A usb 3.0 card reader runs under $20.
We also invested in the Sony SXS cameras. A 64GB card can record 144 minutes of footage and transfers via usb 3.0 4X faster than the p2. Our p2 cameras sat on the shelf for over a year until sonnet released a thunderbolt to p2 reader for under $300. While more expensive than a CF reader it was a great investment to make our cameras relevant again.
Which is why today's announcement reinforces why Panasonic is going the way of the dinosaur. A usb 3.0 drive for $495. Panasonic, the saying goes "Good/Fast/Cheap, pick 2". Your giving us Outdated/Slow/Expensive.
The Artist Series: Robert Rodriguez #RobertRodriguez #TroublemakerStudios #IndyFilm #RebelWithoutACrew
My second subject in The Artist Series is Robert Rodriguez. Robert Rodriguez runs his Troublemaker Studios and his El Ray cable television network from Austin, Texas, where he acts as a producer, writer, director, musician, editor, and actor... So- he's a man of many sombreros.
Rodriguez started his film making career with the critically acclaimed Indy short Bedhead, which then led him to the critically acclaimed Indy feature El Mariachi which he acted as a one-man crew. Rodriguez documents the process of making this film, from his time as a medical test-subject to get the funds, through the distribution and release process in his diary formatted book "Rebel Without A Crew".
Rodriguez has gone on to work with his close-contemporary Quentin Tarantino on a number of films, as well as with graphic Novelist Frank Miller, just to name a couple.
Check out the book, it's a cool look inside the foundations of an impressive film career.
Adios muchachos.
The Artist Series: Edward Burns #EdBurns #ActorDirector #LowBudgetFilmMaking
I recently read a book by director/actor Edward Burns that was pretty interesting and also, a bit inspiring. "Independent Ed" is an autobiographical account of Edwards' film making career from college till today; the central theme being the twelve days of filming of his first feature.
Ed Burns found his passion in the low budget, "close-to-home" Woody Allen films, as well as the great French and American film makers of the 40's, 50's, and 60's. The autobiography chronicles Burns' struggles with financing, production, and distribution of his films, as well as his battle to stay out of big-budget Hollywood. The book also looks at his surprisingly successful acting career, both in his own films (like Allen) and opposite huge names like Hanks, Hoffman, and Di Niro.
Throughout this artist series, I am going to present just a bit about a wide range of film and television folk who I find interesting, inspiring, or just, plain amazing. So, start off with Mr. Burns here, and more will follow. Happy filming!