All it took was a billion dollar acquisition for the industry to take a bigger leap into the cloud. Not to say that cloud-based workflows haven’t been part of productions already, but if you wanted to stamp a singular theme on NAB Show 2022, it would be: “to the cloud we go.” Following a COVID-19-induced two-year hiatus, NAB 2022 returned as an in-person event. Show producers announced 52,468 attendees took part in the multi-day tradeshow, roughly half the number of the last three pre-pandemic editions: 91,460 (2019), 92,912 (2018) and 103,443 (2017). While the “natural buzz” of the show floor […]

Alvin Toffler in his prescient 1970 bestseller, Future Shock, predicted that in a post-industrial society the design of goods would turn over frequently as they became quickly outdated and triggered their own replacement. They would grow disposable too, with the cost of repair exceeding cost of replacement. His emblem of discardability was the disposable lighter. (He also foresaw the rise of the freelance economy in which people would change career and workplace frequently—a fact of life for most of us in this industry.) At NAB in April, Blackmagic Design advertised a new “Professional Ultra HD broadcast camera for less than […]

Have you heard? The United Nations designated 2015 the “International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies,” and cinematography made the cut. But is IYL 2015 finally the year in which the dam burst of innovation subsides, and new digital cameras and techniques no longer threaten to drown us? Surveying the latest advances in large-sensor digital cinema cameras for Filmmaker’s fifth annual round-up — written, as always, on the eve of NAB — gives me pause to consider how far we’ve come in the five years since Sony’s F3 and FS100 were cutting-edge… since Panasonic’s AF100 stirred passions, ARRI’s Alexa represented a bold choice, and RED’s hand-assembled Epic-M […]

It’s that time of year again for a slew of new cameras and gear to be revealed at NAB. I’m out at the show for my second year in a row, writing about new gear throughout the week on the site. I’ve got an interest in gear I’d use myself, for single shooter setups and low budget productions. But if there’s something you’d like to see covered, just reach out to me on Twitter or comment here. One new device I saw that really solves a lot of problems for the one-man band shooter is the DEC Adapter from Aputure. […]

This was my first year at the gear-head mecca of NAB. It definitely did not disappoint, and I had a blast attending, checking out new gear (which you can see a list of here) and finally meeting some people I’ve only had contact with in the online world. Here are some of my overall impressions about what I saw (or didn’t see) on the showroom floor and the conference itself. Very Few Surprises and Not a Whole Lot of New 4K The #1 question I keep getting asked is, “What was the best thing you saw?” And I really don’t […]

At NAB Red Giant announced a wide array of updates and new effects across their various programs. A lot of the changes revolve around Supernova, an original framework they developed that enables them to rapidly create new effects that run quicker than before. This is the backbone of their new Universe plug-in suite, a collection of 50 effects, everything from lens flares to retro film looks. Universe is also experimenting with the subscription model, though not forcing anyone to commit. You can choose a recurring pricing option for $10 a month or $99 a year, or get a lifetime membership (essentially […]

I have been a big fan of Panasonic’s GH line since the GH2. When the GH3 was announced I was first in the cyber line for pre-orders and same deal when the GH4 went up. This time I opted to get the YAGH Interface Unit package. My thought process was I’d have a “real camera” setup that can handle XLR audio (I hate dealing with a second recorder and syncing audio), I could jam-sync the timecode on multicam shoots, and then I’d be set up to just rent a 4K recorder for high-end jobs that needed 10-bit 422 recording. I […]

Tenba showed off the Shootout 14L Action Pack – a bag specifically built to carry all your GoPros and rigs to remote locations. It’s a small backpack that opens up to a series of small cases to organize all your gear (a bunch of labels are included so you can organize it however you like). The bag is built to hold 4 GoPro bodies with accessories, but you can obviously configure it with more or less. In the open flap are some removable sleeves for batteries and media cards. The outside has some more pouches, one big enough to hold […]

Here’s another clever tool on the NAB floor that’s both small and handy. Airbox is a modifier that attaches to your LED light to give you a softer, larger source. It packs up flat but with a few quick blows it quickly inflates to attach to your light. It also has a clear sleeve in front to slide in gels. Also available is an attachable egg crate to focus the light’s beam. Available in three sizes, both with and without the egg crate, ranging in price from $39 to $115. Get more info at Airbox.

It’s becoming more and more common to do quick shoots with iPhones and iPads. They’re inexpensive, they have great cameras, they’re connected to the internet. But they obviously lack certain elements of even the most basic camera. When high school teacher David Basulto was using iPads in his media arts class he was noticing a common theme – shaky footage with poor audio. This led him to create iOgrapher. iOgrapher is a simple plastic molding that now comes in three flavors – iPhone 5, iPad, and iPad Mini, with iPad Air on the way. The rig gives you two handles, […]