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The LightWave 3D Group has released a new update, ChronoSculpt 1.0.1. This update adds support for Linux (specifically CentOS); corrected Alembic loader xpath/xname properties to allow loaded Alembic content to be saved properly in a CS project; reduced CPU usage on the Mac; and more. Log into your account and view the list of Registered Products to download the latest version of the software.

A new V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max beta build is now available for download at the Chaos Group Downloads page. The new beta build comes with the much anticipated intuitive Skin shader that makes it easier for artists to create complex, layered skin. The Intel Embree ray caster has also been updated to version 2.0 in the new beta build. Check out the complete list of new features and improvements. The official release of V-Ray 3.0 for 3ds Max is only a few weeks away!

Blackmagic Design today announced that director Shane Meadows shot Jake Bugg’s latest music video on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and Pocket Cinema Camera, and completed color correction on DaVinci Resolve.

Nottingham born singer songwriter Jake has taken the UK and European music scene by storm since his self titled debut was launched in 2012. “Slumville Sunrise” is the second single from his latest album, Shangri La. Shane Meadows is a Bafta winning British filmmaker, responsible for such raw dramas as This Is England, Dead Man’s Shoes and the recent Stone Roses biopic, Made Of Stone.

Shane and Jake met in London during a Stone Roses concert, which Jake was supporting. As this was from Jake’s second album, there was a conscious desire on Meadows’ part to show a ‘different’ side to the artist. “I really wanted to do something that was less cool, which he is, while still having fun with it. The “Slumville Sunrise” lyrics and meanings helped shape the locations, costume, feel and effects of the video.”

As the duo share Nottingham as their home town, it became an integral character in the video itself. “The song’s lyrics talk about Nottingham in a not so positive a light. Because of that we chose a variety of locations to show audiences different aspects of the city. In fact, some of the locations that we chose were ones I’d used previously in my short films.” “Blackmagic’s cameras were unbelievably manoeuvrable, which meant we could react more quickly to changes in the environment, while also being a little more spontaneous. During set piece scenarios we were able to use all of the two Pocket Cinema Cameras and one Blackmagic Cinema Camera in very small spaces because they were so small making coverage and locations easier to handle. This really complemented the fun nature of the shoot as we could chop and change, or grab anything interesting as we went along without worrying about long set ups,” said Meadows.

“The sensitivity and latitude afforded by the 13 stops of dynamic range on both cameras meant we were able to shoot largely with only incidental lighting, or daylight, making them incredibly versatile on location. The cameras have great adaptability, latitude and quality - at times too good for this video - so we actually pulled down some of the quality of the images to achieve the to look we wanted.” “The Super 16 sensor on the Pocket Cinema Cameras gave the project a really raw documentary feel, which matched Jake’s costume and the low key locations, furthering the organic feeling of the video as a whole. At the same time, the Pocket Cinema Cameras were of a quality that could stand up to the Micro Four Thirds sensor of the Blackmagic Cinema, which we were using as our main camera.”

http://youtu.be/p4wTRbW0aos

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and 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 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.

Blackmagic Cinema and Pocket Cinema Cameras, DaVinci Resolve 10 Used on Spiderbait Music Video – Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that Australian rock band Spiderbait’s new “It’s Beautiful” music video was shot with Blackmagic Cinema Camera by Toby Angwin, a Melbourne, Australia based director. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera was also used as a B camera on the shoot, with DaVinci Resolve 10 used for color grading.

Formed in 1989, Spiderbait has enjoyed more than 20 years in the music industry, with its cover of “Black Betty” reaching number one on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Singles Chart, five top 20 albums and two ARIA Music Awards. For its seventh album, the self titled “SPIDERBAIT,” the band encapsulated its history while experimenting with new sounds. “It’s Beautiful” is a personal, delicate and heavenly sounding song.

“For the ‘It’s Beautiful’ music video, the band wanted the song to speak for itself with pure imagery that helped portray the transcendental sound, so we shot three puppets walking around downtown Melbourne finding beauty in everything they see,” explained Toby. “As it was my first time working with puppets, I couldn’t predict how long it would take to shoot. And instead of hiring a camera, it was more affordable to purchase the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which I had my eye on because of its compact size, RAW shooting capability, 13 stops of dynamic range and affordable cost.

“Our schedule was crazy because of the unpredictable weather, but because I owned the camera, I could film extra pickups whenever the weather allowed or just because I wanted to. Soon, I stopped filming extra pickups because I needed them to make the music video and instead, because I wanted to make the music video better,” said Toby. “There were moments when I would literally turn around from the editing desk, pick up the camera and shoot against the green screen. Thanks to the camera’s flexibility and affordability, I was able to make both the project and the camera my own.”

During shooting, the weather would often transition from full sun to clouds within shots or just after Toby started recording. “This shoot would have been impossible without the camera’s wide dynamic range and ISO settings,” said Toby. “When we weren’t being blown off set by the wind, the constantly changing light was a challenge. But the camera’s latitude and extra stops made fixing the light in post easy. The images looked absolutely amazing, and I loved being able to shoot flat in RAW.”

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera’s small size was helpful in getting shots in extremely tight spaces that were too small for even the compact Blackmagic Cinema Camera. “The puppets were so small that we had to get down extremely low for some shots. The Pocket Cinema Camera was perfect and could get shots in really tight spaces,” said Toby.

Once in post, Toby relied on DaVinci Resolve’s tracker and Power Windows to achieve the perfect grade, and he also took advantage of version 10’s new tools, such as new online editing features and OpenFX plug-ins, to help streamline his workflow and the finishing process.

“I needed to make one or two edits, and it was so handy to have that functionality right there in DaVinci Resolve,” said Toby. “Also, having the Sapphire plug-ins meant I could give the footage a little sparkle at the end without having to go through another step. These finishing tools are a necessary part of the post process, and instead of wasting time going back and forth between programs, I’m able to have efficient and seamless access to them within DaVinci Resolve.

“The resulting images were impressive considering we had two cameras sitting in a laneway with a green screen taped up. We were able to get very detailed keys,” concluded Toby. “The end result was certainly comparable to many of the international feature films that I have worked on over the years.”

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and 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 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.

Creative Cloud is evolving and another update for the video tools is upon us. Adobe has released updates for Adobe Premiere Pro CC, SpeedGrade CC, Prelude CC, and Adobe Media Encoder CC. A new After Effects CC update will follow soon. You can install the update through the Creative Cloud desktop application, or you can check for new updates from within any Adobe application by choosing Help > Updates.

Adobe Premiere Pro CC – December 2013

Adobe Premiere Pro CC has seen four new releases in this year (June, July, October, and now, December) – all within the 6 months since the CC version was announced. Guided by user requests, the Adobe Premiere Pro CC December 2013 release adds Open CL performance enhancements, media management improvements like multiple Media Browser tabs, new editing enhancements for even greater workflow efficiency, and delivers more intuitive voiceover recording.

Adobe After Effects CC – December 2013

After Effects CC, the leading motion graphics and visual effects application, is evolving faster than ever with Creative Cloud. The After Effects CC December 2013 release will offer customizable output of file name and path templates, improved snapping behavior, enhanced scripting options, and the ability to migrate user settings when updating to newer versions.