News

Livestream announced the newest member of the Livestream Studio family, Studio HD31. Studio HD31 is an entry-level live production switcher that includes all Studio features plus 3 HDMI / HD-SDI inputs, 3 GFX tracks, 2 media players, 2 remote cameras, up to 2 external screens and 40 hours of broadcast quality recording. All of this at an affordable price.

Adobe has released an update to Premiere Pro CC 2014. This version (Premiere Pro CC 2014.0.1) provides important fixes and enhancements to the editing experience, and is recommended for all users. The new version contains many bug fixes, incl. fixes to issues where relinking to spanned MXF clips could be incorrect, reduced UI responsiveness in large projects after relinking, exporting merged clips with silent or missing audio, incorrect timebases could be used on EDL export, crashes could occur during export to QuickTime, and more. The updates also adds several new features, including a Codec column in the Project Panel or Sequence Timecode display option in the Monitor Overlays.

Press Release

August 6, 2014

Major update dramatically improves online editing features, adds new photographer friendly color correction tools, on set media management and much more!

Blackmagic Design today announced the release of DaVinci Resolve 11, available now for download free of charge for all existing DaVinci Resolve Customers. DaVinci Resolve 11 is a major upgrade with over 100 new editing and color grading features. This new update includes professional nonlinear video editing with context sensitive trimming tools, onset file cloning, a revolutionary new ColorMatch feature, photographer style color grading tools and an amazing new collaborative workflow that allows multiple users to work simultaneously on the same timeline.

The new DaVinci Resolve 11 has over 70 new editing features based on feedback from professional editors. With DaVinci Resolve 11, editors now have dual monitor support and familiar professional tools like dynamic JKL trimming, audio crossfades and fully customizable keyboard shortcuts for faster editing. Trimming tools are context sensitive, which means DaVinci Resolve automatically knows whether editors want to ripple, roll, slip, slide, extend or shorten edits, based on the position of the mouse. This makes editing super fast because time is not wasted switching tools and clips can be trimmed on multiple tracks simultaneously in the same direction, or asymmetrically.

DaVinci Resolve 11 features a new spline curve keyframe editor integrated into the edit timeline that positions keyframes directly under each clip and in context with the clip. Editors can now also add and animate Open FX plugins directly in the timeline as well as use plug-ins for transitions.

The new collaborative workflow tools in DaVinci Resolve 11 allows an editor and multiple colorists to work on different workstations, sharing the same timeline and working in tandem as they complete shots. An example is a colorist could be color grading or tracking windows while another colorist fine tunes grades that are all immediately updated as the editor edits. Each user can see the timeline update so they are all working on the same job at the same time. Sharing the same timeline makes it much easier for creative teams to stay in sync and work faster on large complex jobs such as feature films and television programming.

One of the most exciting advantages of the enhanced editing features in DaVinci Resolve 11 is the dramatically better round trip collaboration with Final Cut Pro X. This is possible because more of the features in each application are compatible so projects can be moved back and forward easily. A powerful example of this integration is when a Final Cut Pro X customer might be shooting an independent film but then wants to move their edit to a large Hollywood post production facility for color grading and finishing. This is an exciting workflow that makes it possible to allow independent filmmakers to integrate with the largest post production facilities. DaVinci Resolve 11 also includes support for ProRes 4444 XQ, the highest-quality version of ProRes that is designed to maintain the detail of high-dynamic-range video through rigorous post-production.

Color correction features have also been upgraded in DaVinci Resolve 11, including all new RAW image and color grading controls that are designed for photographers who are moving into cinematography. The new camera RAW palette features highlight and shadow recovery, mid tone detail, color boost, saturation, lift, gain and contrast. DaVinci Resolve 11 solves the single frame limitations of photo enhancement systems and gives photographers advanced control over RAW images so they can pull the maximum detail from high dynamic range footage in real time.

Adding to DaVinci Resolve’s powerful on set tools, DaVinci Resolve 11 can now securely back up and save digital camera files. The new DaVinci Resolve Clone tool copies media drives, memory cards and camera packs to multiple destinations simultaneously. All copies are checksum verified, that means users get exact bit for bit digital copies of their source media. The new Clone tool is included in the free DaVinci Resolve Lite and can be installed on a laptop for on set use.

DaVinci Resolve 11 also features Color Match, a unique and powerful automatic color chart color balancing tool that works on all types of footage including video, RAW and even film. The new Color Match tool automatically gives a primary base grade by analyzing shots containing standard color chip charts even if they were shot in different lighting conditions with different exposure and color temperatures.

DaVinci Resolve 11 also adds optimizations to OpenCL image processing which allows improved rendering speeds on the new Apple MacPro systems. The MacPro features dual GPU’s making it the ideal “off the shelf” system for customers looking for a high performance solution that can handle the extreme image size and wide dynamic color range of Ultra HD 4K video at the deepest YRGB 32 bit floating point processing quality.

“With over 1 million DaVinci Resolve customers worldwide, we have had great feedback from editors working on high end feature film and television programming jobs and we have rolled this into DaVinci Resolve 11. DaVinci Resolve is not only the worlds most advanced color correction system but now a full featured online editing and finishing system”, said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design, “Since the first beta release, feedback from professional colorists and editors has been extremely positive and we are very thankful to have such an advanced community that relies on DaVinci Resolve for their work every day and who can provide us such high quality feedback and guidance!”

Availability and Price

DaVinci Resolve 11 is available now for download from the Blackmagic Design web site free of charge for all DaVinci Resolve customers. For new customers looking for advanced color correction and editing, DaVinci Resolve 11 Lite is a powerful version that can be downloaded free and supports resolutions up to Ultra HD.

Press Photography

Product photos of DaVinci Resolve 11, 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 “Morganville,” a new digital series based on the best selling “Morganville Vampires” novels by Rachel Caine, is being shot on Blackmagic Cinema Cameras, Production Camera 4Ks and Pocket Cinema Cameras and graded using DaVinci Resolve.

A sneak peek premiering at this year’s Geek & Sundry Lounge at Comic-Con International: San Diego includes footage from “Morganville: The Series,” which follows events in a small Texas college town controlled by vampires. The series stars Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Robert Picardo (The Mentalist) and Lindsay Seidel (The Final) and is being produced by Felicia Day and Sheri Bryant’s Geek & Sundry digital entertainment network. The series will include weekly episodes which will initially air on Geek & Sundry’s own YouTube Channel with its almost one million subscribers.

Dallas, Texas based Loud Pictures is handling production and post production for the series, with Loud Picture’s Blake Calhoun directing and Alan Lefebvre as Cinematographer.

For the series, Blake and Alan are using several Blackmagic Cinema Cameras as their A cameras. Blake used Pocket Cinema Cameras for various aerial and tight shots, including several drone shots, and also used Production Camera 4Ks for wider shots and shots being used with a MOVI.

Blake uses the Blackmagic Cinema Cameras with a variety of Zeiss Super Prime Set lenses and various rigs from Wooden Camera, while using the Production Camera 4Ks and Pocket Cinema Cameras primarily with different MOVI gimbals. Shooting mostly in RAW, footage is brought from the cameras into DaVinci Resolve and then output via ProRes with a “one-light” grade for editing. Once picture is locked, an XML will be exported and the original RAW files will be conformed back in Resolve for the final color grade and master created in ProRes 4444.

“We are shooting a lot of low angle, wide stuff in a very ‘Breaking Bad’ kind of vibe. And since this is a vampire series, a lot of the shots are in low light situations. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera has been absolutely amazing for all of this,” said Blake. “The 13 stops of dynamic range and the ability to shoot in RAW, combined with the size of the camera, really has opened up how we can shoot. We shoot at 800 ASA, and even in the darkest shadows we can bring out the details. The DP was surprised and very happy with the camera and how far he could push it.

“With the 4K camera, we got a lot of the wider shots because of its Super 35MM sized sensor – the field of view is just wider. But also, shooting in 4K really helped us capture the details in those wide shots beautifully. With its small size, the Pocket Cinema Camera is great for various inserts and has really done well with the drone shots flying over the town, getting a bat’s eye view. We threw it on a drone with a MOVI gimbal, sent it airborne and got great footage. “

‘Morganville’ will begin airing in the fall of 2014 on Geek & Sundry’s YouTube channel, with additional distribution to be announced later in the year.

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Production Camera 4K and Pocket Cinema Camera 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 film restoration software for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability, 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 stereoscopic 3D and 4K workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Latest software development kit for ATEM production switchers is available now. This is a beta release, and some interfaces could possible change based on developer feedback.