News

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that the Centre National du Cine?ma et de l’image anime?e (CNC), France’s national government body for the film and broadcast industries, has restored and replicated the original tints of the 1924 silent production of Les Mise?rables, directed by cinema pioneer Henri Fescourt, in 4K with DaVinci Resolve.

CNC’s film archive laboratory will use a DaVinci Resolve Linux 4GPU system, which was installed and designed by French integrator Magic Hour to handle conforming and grading for an extensive archive of French cinema. The post production workflow features Blackmagic Design DeckLink 4K and UltraStudio 4K devices for capture and playback, as well as an Easy DCP plug in to enable the lab to produce fully finished digital cinema productions.

For the Les Mise?rables project, a five person team at the CNC laboratory produced a 4K digital scan from the 17 rolls of original nitrate negatives, edited to the film’s original length and used DaVinci Resolve to conform the restored digital version. Within its archive, the CNC also had access to a shorter version of the film with tinted prints, which enabled the team to produce two grades of the original film in parallel; one in black and white and one which simulated the original tinted colors, which will be screened in Toulouse in December.

Nicolas Ricordel is in charge of the digital department and explains the project. “The black and white grade was very much a way of preserving the original, so we kept it as close to the black and white nitrate negatives as possible, only reworking contrast and making slight lift, gamma or gain level adjustments. Once this was completed, we could create nodes, and using the tinted scenes from the short version as our reference, to produce a color DCP conformed to the original prints. The system’s ability to handle greyscale DPX files has also been important, particularly given the length of the film and the storage required.”

"DaVinci Resolve will allow the CNC to maximize its vast archives of French cinema, which as we can see from its first project, date right back to the beginnings of the industry,” explains Jeff Ferriol, Magic Hour. “We developed a system that is powerful enough to handle major archive restoration projects, but also provide the professional color grading features that are used on many of today’s major Hollywood feature films.”

“The CNC’s mission is to promote French film and television to as wide an audience as possible, so in the digital age, it is important for us to have a comprehensive digital archive that brings new life to France’s cinematographic history,” said Daniel Borenstein, laboratory head, CNC.

Press Photography

Product photos of DaVinci Resolve 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 EmmyTM 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.

Red Giant Software released a free update to Shooter Suite. Shooter Suite Update 12.6.1 includes new features and improvement in PluralEyes 3.5.5, including:

– Support for RED Camera media (supports audio-only playback of RED video).

– Automatic handling of spanned RED media, treating split clips as a single logical clip.

– A new welcome window that provides a PluralEyes video tutorial to help users get started quickly.

– Improved export workflow.

– Bug fixes.

One year after releasing the point update, Cubase is back with major updates boasting a vast range of studio-grade audio and MIDI tools for composing, recording, editing and mixing. First and foremost: Cubase becomes Cubase Pro. The name change reflects the 25-year evolution of Steinberg's advanced music production system and spearheads the Cubase range of DAWs.

Both Cubase Pro 8 and Cubase Artist 8 witness a massive engine rebuild, which lets you run more instruments and more tracks. ASIO-Guard 2 is the magic word, improving the audio processing performance for instrument tracks and channels. Automation enhancements are key to Cubase Pro 8, giving you VCA faders. Steinberg also added render in-place to both versions for bouncing MIDI and audio parts in a really easy way. Chord pads, Chord Assistant modes and MIDI tempo detection are introduced to the creative feature set of both Pro and Artist, while the new Rack Zone provides a dedicated area for the MediaBay sound browser and VST Instrument Rack.

The redesigned Track List and Inspector, the new plug-in manager, global workspaces plus improved windows handling on PCs make the lives of Cubase users that bit easier. Then there's the rejuvenated Quadrafuzz multiband distortion plug-in, the new Virtual Bass Amp, Multiband Expander, Multiband Envelope Shaper and many other effects. Groove Agent SE 4 now includes an acoustic drum kit, the Acoustic Agent, with 20 drum style patterns. The MixConsole has also witnessed feature additions and there's a new version of VST Connect for remote recording over the Web.

The Cubase Pro 8 and Cubase Artist 8 full retail versions are available for pre-order now, shipping begins on December 8, 2014. Users who have activated Cubase 7.5 and Cubase Artist 7.5 since October 15, 2014, are now eligible for a free, downloadable update to version 8.

Panasonic AW-HE40 is a cost-effective HD pan/tilt/zoom camera with advanced features including Power over Ethernet+ (POE+) for easier integration and IP-live video monitoring. The HE40 is available in two versions, the AW-HE40H with HDMI output, and the AW-HE40S with HD/SD-SDI output, both versions in black or white colors. Available January/February 2015.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that the Pocket Cinema Camera was used to shoot concert, event and behind the scenes footage for the award winning hit band Thirty Seconds to Mars. Videographer and DP for the band, K.C. Lauf, used the Pocket Cinema Camera to capture every possible moment, both on stage and off, during the band’s recent 25 show Carnivores Tour co headlined with Linkin Park.

“Our motto is, ‘if you didn't film it, it didn't happen,’ which is why we film absolutely everything on tour. From the moment we wake up in the morning, we are shooting B roll of the crew, the stages being built, the instrument prep, planning meetings, band arrival and prep, interactions with fans, artist relations, VIP events, performances and meet and greets. We are busy all day, every day,” explained K.C. “Distribution for the footage is endless. In addition to using video and frame grabs across social media, all footage is archived for use in documentaries, TV promos, band promos, Internet streams and more.

“For this kind of workflow, simplicity, mobility and reliability while maintaining quality are key. We don't have time to deal with cumbersome drives, extra cables, slow speeds and a hassled post process,” he continued. “It’s why we chose the Pocket Cinema Camera. It was a snap to get high quality footage off the SD cards. Not to mention the sensor provides huge dynamic range, which let us get all the details in one shot.”

K.C. typically shot in ProRes for longer durations and during performances, but for insert, texture or landscape shots, he used RAW for even greater detail. “It’s about quality and quickness. We post videos of the tour and even video snippets throughout the day on the band’s website and via social media, and we want a real look to it,” he said. “Fans watching the videos can feel like they’re on stage or with the band having a VIP experience. The camera’s dynamic range and the cinematic realness of the footage helped create that connection for them.

“During the shows, we wanted to capture the crowd, which was usually in darkness, in the same shot as the stage, which was in bright light. The two were like night and day. A DSLR would make you choose one or the other, but not the Pocket Cinema Camera. We shot darkness and highlights in the same shot, which was essential because we wanted to showcase the action on stage and capture the crowd’s reaction to show them feeding off each other,” said K.C.

Thirty Seconds to Mars puts everything they have into each of their shows, and the result is a dazzling spectacle for fans. Each performance is full of action, lights and movement, with the band, led by front man Jared Leto, fully engaging the audience. And according to K.C., the Pocket Cinema Camera captured it all.

“I love how focus peaking is built into the camera. I moved around so much, and there was so much movement on stage, that it was quick and easy for the super important shots I needed. We really used the camera to its fullest potential, and the resulting cinematic footage is amazing,” said K.C. “Jared had shot with it as well and reviewed footage on the camera and set up shots on stage all the time.”

The Pocket Cinema Camera was housed in a Wooden Camera rig, and a Panasonic wide angle lens and audio recorder rounded out the setup. “Touring means being constantly on the move, and the camera is so easy to set up and travel with. I can throw it in a Pelican case and carry on planes. We got a huge bang out of one of the smallest camera packages possible, and it’s made our camera process 10 times better,” concluded K.C.

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic 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.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that the Pocket Cinema Camera was used to shoot concert, event and behind the scenes footage for the award winning hit band Thirty Seconds to Mars. Videographer and DP for the band, K.C. Lauf, used the Pocket Cinema Camera to capture every possible moment, both on stage and off, during the band’s recent 25 show Carnivores Tour co headlined with Linkin Park.

“Our motto is, ‘if you didn't film it, it didn't happen,’ which is why we film absolutely everything on tour. From the moment we wake up in the morning, we are shooting B roll of the crew, the stages being built, the instrument prep, planning meetings, band arrival and prep, interactions with fans, artist relations, VIP events, performances and meet and greets. We are busy all day, every day,” explained K.C. “Distribution for the footage is endless. In addition to using video and frame grabs across social media, all footage is archived for use in documentaries, TV promos, band promos, Internet streams and more.

“For this kind of workflow, simplicity, mobility and reliability while maintaining quality are key. We don't have time to deal with cumbersome drives, extra cables, slow speeds and a hassled post process,” he continued. “It’s why we chose the Pocket Cinema Camera. It was a snap to get high quality footage off the SD cards. Not to mention the sensor provides huge dynamic range, which let us get all the details in one shot.”

K.C. typically shot in ProRes for longer durations and during performances, but for insert, texture or landscape shots, he used RAW for even greater detail. “It’s about quality and quickness. We post videos of the tour and even video snippets throughout the day on the band’s website and via social media, and we want a real look to it,” he said. “Fans watching the videos can feel like they’re on stage or with the band having a VIP experience. The camera’s dynamic range and the cinematic realness of the footage helped create that connection for them.

“During the shows, we wanted to capture the crowd, which was usually in darkness, in the same shot as the stage, which was in bright light. The two were like night and day. A DSLR would make you choose one or the other, but not the Pocket Cinema Camera. We shot darkness and highlights in the same shot, which was essential because we wanted to showcase the action on stage and capture the crowd’s reaction to show them feeding off each other,” said K.C.

Thirty Seconds to Mars puts everything they have into each of their shows, and the result is a dazzling spectacle for fans. Each performance is full of action, lights and movement, with the band, led by front man Jared Leto, fully engaging the audience. And according to K.C., the Pocket Cinema Camera captured it all.

“I love how focus peaking is built into the camera. I moved around so much, and there was so much movement on stage, that it was quick and easy for the super important shots I needed. We really used the camera to its fullest potential, and the resulting cinematic footage is amazing,” said K.C. “Jared had shot with it as well and reviewed footage on the camera and set up shots on stage all the time.”

The Pocket Cinema Camera was housed in a Wooden Camera rig, and a Panasonic wide angle lens and audio recorder rounded out the setup. “Touring means being constantly on the move, and the camera is so easy to set up and travel with. I can throw it in a Pelican case and carry on planes. We got a huge bang out of one of the smallest camera packages possible, and it’s made our camera process 10 times better,” concluded K.C.

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic 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.