News

Featuring 5” 1920x1080 LED back lit LCD panel, the lightweight (365 g) FM-055F from BON is an excellent 5” on-camera monitor for DSLR and ENG cameras, providing HDMI to SDI conversion, DSLR scale, focus peaking, selectable loop-through or conversion out, markers, de-embedded 8~16ch audio level meter, horizontal/vertical screen flipping, and range error check. Now shipping!

The special „Jump Upgrade” promotion for owners of older versions of EDIUS has been extended to July 31, 2015. This upgrade is available for ANY version below EDIUS 7.0, including NEO and any academic versions. The „Jump Upgrade” gets you the 7.5 upgrade, AND a FREE upgrade to version EDIUS Workgroup 8 and any upgrades to that version. This is a must have upgrade for anyone working on older versions. This upgrade offer IS ONLY GOOD THOUGH JULY 31. At that point it disappears. Anyone with versions before 7.0 that wants to upgrade after that date will have to pay full price.

Users who purchased EDIUS Pro 7 (excluding the education version) or the EDIUS Pro 8 Upgrade from Pro 7 between April 1st, 2015 and July 31st, 2015 are eligible for a free upgrade to EDIUS Workgroup 8. To upgrade, you will need your EDIUS Pro 7 serial number (or EDIUS Pro 8 serial number if you have one) as well as your proof of purchase in the form of a copy of your original receipt (in .JPG or .PDF format). and apply here.

New v1,21 firmware for Panasonic's PTZ cameras AW-HE40 and AW-HE65 adds video monitoring in Full HD via IP transmission. The cameras can now transmit H.264 data in 1920x1080, 1280x720, 640x360, and 320x180 at 60 fps, and also M-JPEG video with approx. 30 fps. The firmware also adds support for USB Video Class specification, and MP4 file recording to microSD cards, as well as playback, download and FTP-transfer functions. These new features require the purchase of AW-SFU01 upgrade software key. In addition to the above, the update also brings Web browser functionality enhancement, support for Max OS X 10.10 Yosemite, and NWCameraView 4.33.06 for Windows. Download here.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that Pocket Cinema Cameras were used by DP Chris LaVasseur and Second Unit Director/DP Mark Vargo, ASC, to shoot action scenes and stunt work for Spike TV’s television event series “Tut.” Produced by Muse Entertainment and directed by David Von Ancken, the three-night, six-hour, limited series event recounts the astounding saga of one of history’s most extraordinary rulers, King Tutankhamun, his rise to power and his struggle to lead Egypt to glory, while his closest advisors, friends and lovers scheme for their own nefarious interests.

“We chose the Pocket Cinema Cameras because we could put them in places that standard studio cameras couldn't go,” explained LaVasseur. “For example, we designed a scene where a chariot flips over during a battle. Because the Pocket Cinema Cameras have such a low profile, we were able to mount them on the chariot. The horses, who were attached to the chariot, were very sensitive to their surroundings, but the stunt coordinator approved the camera positions because the horses couldn’t see them.”

The Pocket Cinema Cameras were also used for additional coverage on scenes that required a lot action or stunts. “We put one of the cameras on a mini monopod and designed fight scenes where it was right next to the soldiers in battle,” said LaVasseur. “Von Ancken wanted the audience to be right smack in the middle of the action and feel what it was like to be on the battle field 3,000 years ago, so we placed the Pocket Cinema Cameras very close to the action to get the best angles possible.”

LaVasseur added: “In one particular shot, an Egyptian soldier actually jumped on top of me from a ledge during a fight while I was holding the camera. Mark designed very specific creative shots with the Pocket Cinema Cameras, such as attaching one to a bow and arrow and even to a soldier's chest during a battle scene, to give the director unique coverage.”

For “Tut,” Von Ancken wanted interesting shots that hadn’t been seen before, and Vargo rigged and mounted the Pocket Cinema Cameras in a number of ways to help achieve this.

“We rigged the Pocket Cinema Camera to a stunt guy’s chest, which was great for capturing intense sword and spear fighting, hand to hand combat and energetic and close quarters shots,” said Vargo. “We also mounted it on a spear and ran someone through with it, as well as mounted it on chariot several times, and when it flipped, the shots worked out well.”

In one scene, a stunt performer held the Pocket Cinema Camera in a Steadicam rig and was given the shot from the main character’s point of view in the middle of a battle. “This one stunt performer took the camera right into the center of the action, and he would go in close and mix it all up, which produced really fun cuts. Because you can run very fast handholding this camera, we captured some visually groundbreaking moments in our battle scenes,” said Vargo. “The point of all this was to add energy and a visceral quality to the shots, as well as expand the visual pallet, and the Pocket Cinema Cameras helped create these specific shots that weren’t possible before.”

“Tut” is an event series that opens up a fascinating window into a world filled with heart-breaking romance, epic battles, political backstabbing, conspiracy, jealousy, and murder. The limited series event stars Academy Award®-winner Ben Kingsley, Avan Jogia, Sibylla Deen, Alexander Siddig, Kylie Bunbury, Peter Gadiot, , Iddo Goldberg and Nonso Anzoie. “Tut” premieres on Spike TV July 19 – 21.

Press Photography

Product photos of Pocket Cinema Camera and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

In the near future, Panasonic plans to release several new lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system. First on the menu is the first LEICA DG 100-400mm / F4.0-6.3 telephoto zoom lens (35mm camera equivalent: 200-800mm) for the Micro Four Thirds system. The LEICA DG lenses are designed and developed clearing the stringent quality standard certified by Leica to boast excellent optical performance. Four single focal length LEICA DG lenses have already been introduced to the market and are highly acclaimed by users worldwide. The new telephoto zoom achieves exceptional imaging performance over the entire zoom range. It also features high speed digital signal exchange at 240 fps to comply with the high-speed, high-precision AF (Auto Focus) with DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology on the LUMIX G camera. The new telephoto zoom lens also excels in size and weight, which is a common advantage with all LUMIX G cameras, enabling handheld 800mm (35mm camera equivalent) telephoto shooting even without using a tripod. The company is also developing a LUMIX G 25 mm/F1.7 single focal length lens as a digital interchangeable lens for the Micro Four Thirds system.