Category Archives: Acquisition

Capture – with lens or microphone, perhaps moving electrons around with a stylus, or perhaps conversion from an analogue form. Regardless, the beginning is acquisition.

Cameras

3ality Technica Combo

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Technica, a geek’s wonderlab that was first to market with dual RED 3D systems, will be at IBC next month, as will 3ality.

The new website isn’t online as of now, but the link will be: 3alitytechnica.com

The press release follows:

(Burbank, California–August 24, 2011) 3ality Digital, considered to be the leading innovator of the most sophisticated S3D production technology in the industry, announced today it has acquired Element Technica, a company long-known for its manufacturing expertise, accessories, and mechanical engineering of motorized S3D camera rigs.

3ality Digital has been named in the 2011 Inc. 500 list and is considered one of the fastest growing companies in the nation.

3ality Digital is now 3ality Technica, and with its acquisition of Element Technica, 3ality Technica now provides all of the control, accuracy, breadth, automation, modularity, accessories, and design of both existing product lines. 

Element Technica’s product line has become synonymous with ease of use, great design, affordability, and durability. 3ality Digital’s product line has become synonymous with precision components, speed of use, incredible accuracy, and advanced image processing. In acquiring Element Technica, – the Company gains an in house manufacturing and design capability, and the opportunity to further expand its already sizable R&D infrastructure. Physically, the companies will combine in an expansion to the 3ality Digital headquarters in Burbank, CA. 

““As our primary competitor, we have always had great respect for Element Technica and their achievements. The complete compatibility and lack of redundancy between the companies has made this an ideal acquisition, strengthening the Company’s position to provide the most advanced and dependable S3D solutions to the market. Perhaps the greatest benefit of this acquisition will be to the motion picture and broadcast producers who will now have an unprecedented amount of tools and technology tailored to meet their specific needs” said Steve Schklair, CEO of 3ality Technica. 

The combined engineering skills of the two companies will help push 3D production to levels of integration and refinement previously unmatched. Many of Hollywood’s major theatrical releases which have been shot utilizing these two companies systems and technology include “Jack the Giant Killer,” “The Amazing Spider-Man, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Prometheus,” “Underworld 4,” “Oz,” and “The Great Gatsby.” Also, companies like BSkyB, the world’s leading 3D broadcaster, and the HBS feeds from the FIFA World Cup have based their productions of live events on the backbone of 3ality Technica technology. 

“With this acquisition, 3ality Technica will be a decade ahead of the rest of the industry. Not only will automation become more common, it will be the standard as the industry begins to enjoy the simplicity and speed it affords,” said Hector Ortega, Senior Vice President of 3ality Technica.

“Integration will fast-forward as the merging systems require fewer and fewer ancillary components. Compatibility with other industry systems will cease to be an issue as 3ality Technica alone already leads the way in seamless connectivity from post production, to VFX, and live broadcast,” said Stephen Pizzo, Senior Vice President of 3ality Technica.

The combined expertise that forms 3ality Technica ranges from Hollywood feature films and television, to live-broadcast sports events and concert performances, to NASA. It also positions the company to offer the world the most comprehensive advanced 3D educational program (3DIQ™) to filmmakers, broadcasters, and craftspeople. 

Element Technica is also well known for their line of both 2D and 3D accessories, and it is planned that this product line will continue under the existing Element Technica banner. 

“You cannot believe the level of excitement we all share, but it’s not just us that are so elated. Some of our key customers and partners that were recently made aware of this deal have shared in this excitement as they all understand the benefit this will have to their work. We have already integrated some of the best aspects of both companies’ product offerings, so the market will see an immediate improvement in tool sets, component integration, and customer service,” said Schklair.

About 3ality Technica™
3ality Technica is headquartered in Burbank, California, and is the leading provider of advanced stereoscopic 3D (S3D) production products that
enable the highest quality live-action S3D. 3ality Technica systems have been deployed for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Jack the Giant Killer, “Oz,” “Prometheus,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “Underworld 4.” 3ality Technica has enabled most of the world’s first S3D cinematic and broadcast achievements, including U2 3D (the movie), and the first live S3D broadcasts from the NFL, BCS Championship, BSkyB, the Super Bowl, the World Cup and NBC television.

In broadcast, 3ality Technica is the technology and production systems behind the BSkyB launch of their 3D channels, and has been used on a wide range of events including the Isle of Wight Festival, the Ryder Cup, and Champions League Football. To learn more about the advanced products and services available from 3ality Technica, visit http://3alitytechnica.com

Cameras

Test Bloom – AF100/F3/FS100/5DMkII

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Phillip Bloom has done a quick and dirty set of tests between the Panasonic Panasonic AG-AF100 Micro 4/3 Pro HD Camcorder, and the Sony F3 and FS100…along side a Canon 5D MkII. You can see them on his blog or watch them with these links.

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AF100 vs F3 vs FS100 Part 1: The Real World from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

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AF100 vs F3 vs FS100 Part 2: In depth and conclusions. from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

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The Bloom Danube: Sony FS100 Smooth slow motion test from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Workflow

Marvin Data System

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MARVIN layoutA lot of nice touches from a film maker who has had find the solutions to his own problems. This system backs up data in the field, puts the data out to LTO and whatever other format, the cleverly interfaces with the post projects EDL/XML.

Version 2.0 gets introduced at NAB in the Cintel booth. We aren’t told what the changes are from Version 1, but it all should be interesting. See: Meet MARVIN

Cameras

Pearls of 3D–Audio Interview, Steve Schklair

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Broadcast Engineering has an exclusive interview with 3D entrepreneur Steve Schklair, founder and CEO of 3Ality Digital. The conversation weaves broadcast 3D concerns with feature information. 20 minutes of Must Hear.

TRAINING 3-D CREWS REACHES CRITICAL LEVEL

Mandatory listening for anyone who has read the Walter Murch/Roger Ebert article.

 

Cameras

100 Great Resources for Cinematographers

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Recently he put together a powerful list of places to pay attention to on the internet. This is his introduction and the headings for the list:

One of my goals when I started this blog, along with providing original content, was to be a place that could redirect its readers to valuable resources they might not otherwise find. Well, I have taken this to the extreme and listed out 100 resources for cinematographers, camera assistants, and film professionals that features everything from places to find work, to books, to podcasts and forums.

100 Great Resources for Cinematographers, Camera Assistants, and Film Professionals 
The Black and Blue – A Camera Assistant’s Blog

The list is separated into sections that can be accessed quickly below:

1 – 12: Jobs and Industry
13 – 20: Film News
21 – 32: Print (Physical and Digital)
33 – 44: Blogs
45 – 53: Podcasts
54 – 63: Forums
64 – 74: Reference and Advice
75 – 84: Tools and Gear
85 – 93: Social Networks and Technology
94 – 100: Analog (Real World)

The Black and Blue – A Camera Assistant’s Blog

The Best of 2010: Top Posts of the Year – The Black and Blue – A Camera Assistant’s Blog

Cameras

Jackson, Hobbit, 3D & 30 RED EPIC Cameras

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The Hobbit will be amongst the first productions in the world to use the EPIC. The camera’s small size and relatively low weight makes it perfect for 3D, where two cameras have to be mounted on each 3D rig. RED cameras are modular and can be customized any way they want. The photo above is of Jackson holding one of the RED EPIC cameras they’ll be shooting with. Jackson has a long history (relatively, since they started in 2006) with RED, dating back to when he directed a short film called Crossing the Line (watch a trailer) as an early test of prototype RED cameras. “I have always liked the look of Red footage.”

 

From an article at FirstShowing.net
Jackson Shooting ‘The Hobbit’ in 3D with 30 RED EPIC Cameras

Jackson continues:

 

“I’m not a scientist or mathematician, but the image Red produces has a much more filmicfeel than most of the other digital formats. I find the picture quality appealing andattractive, and with the Epic, Jim and his team have gone even further. It is a fantastic tool, the Epic not only has cutting edge technology, incredible resolution and visual quality, but it is also a very practical tool for film makers. Many competing digital systems require the cameras to be tethered to large cumbersome VTR machines. The Epic gives us back the ability to be totally cable free, even when working in stereo.”

Impressive. There’s always been a lot of debate about RED and digital camera systems in Hollywood. Every different cinematographer I’ve spoke to has his/her own opinion on if the cameras are good or not or what the drawbacks are. Seeing Jackson choose RED almost exclusively for an extremely high profile project like The Hobbit will only give them more credibility and I’m sure we’ll start to see these cameras used more and more. I’ve got no problem with RED cameras, I think used properly they’re just as good as film, and I’m sure the set design and lighting on The Hobbit will be incredible enough that this will still look phenomenal no matter what. Shooting starts next year on both parts of The Hobbit, so we’ll continue to keep you updated!

Cameras

H. Potter kills 3D; RED kills Low Dynamic Range

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The previous Harry Potter movie was moved from December 2008 to July 2009. This time, instead of losing their December slot, thus pushing back a July 2011 Part II slot of the last Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros have decided not to wait to de-flatten the movie, but rather to release the movie in 2D on schedule. (So, close one eye to get some 3D feeling.)

 

Those who remember Warner Bros’ Clash of the Titans will say that this is a good move. One could also say that Clash was an outlier, that the technology they chose was not ready for prime time, that post groups are now better geared up to make stereoscopic 3 dimensional conversions…

See: 
 ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I’ Loses 3D Release « FirstShowing.net

Or perhaps this is just a great way for the studio to release a 2D version of both movies, get the 3D right, then re-release to a great new box office.

More amazing is this clip from RED showing their new HDRx™ software in action. You can read the entire thread, but the shot is taken in a dark dark barn, with wide open doors and bright desert light outside, and in the distance is a building with a person sitting on the stoop. It would be difficult to make this work as HDR for a still. But the shot in the clip also shows a moving person going from light to dark, and an amazing amount of detail in the dark. The colors aren’t graded, but the technology allows that each stream of dark and light could be worked on separately. A true game changer:

 

RED HDRx™ Walk Desert Barn scene

Cameras

ASC Digital Assistant–The iPhone App

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Toland (named after Gregg Toland, ASC, cinematographer of Citizen Kane, The Best Years of Our Life, Grapes of Wrath among other films, as well as being an innovator in the use of light) combines a calculator and logging interface that tracks photographic choices as they are made. Changing the camera speed will bring up feedback on how this affects running time and exposure; changing a lenses, will derive Depth of Field and Field of View updates in real time. If desired, Toland then allows a log to be created with all this information, building comprehensive camera reports throughout the process.

See more at the Toland site:

:::::: CHEMICAL WEDDING ::::::

FEATURES (from the site):

  • Comprehensive database of cameras and lenses
  • Exposure calculator covering camera speed, shutter angle & filter factor
  • Running time and footage calculator
  • “Flicker Free” warning indicator
  • Depth of Field calculator with clever focus marks
  • Angle of View indicator with pretty picture
  • Full camera data logging which can be exported for reporting
  • Pocket voodo
Cameras

Bloom’s Guide To Lenses

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The friendly DSLR shooting community just got the ultimate favor from Phillip Bloom – Which…lenses to buy? | Philip Bloom

What follows is not the definitive list of lenses to buy. It’s my opinion. Please treat it like that. Many will disagree and may well be quite right too! All I can do is base this post on my own experience, with the plethora of lenses I own and have used.

I want to cover other makes of cameras with this evolving blog post but for now it will be purely for Canon lenses. I will cover the GH1, Nikon, Sony at some point later. My most experience is with Canon Lenses.

There is no more to this post; go straight to the Bloom post. And, as he says, check back often as he plans to update it with different company’s products.

Cameras

Bloom Compares DSLRs [Updated]

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Details of the damned, but for just this one moment, these are those details for a handful of cameras that make the cut, manual control being the main hurdle. Take away point: There will be something better soon, so concentrate on lenses and skills.

Which… “Video DSLR” to buy? | Philip Bloom

The comments section is just as important…

[Update – 26 August] There is now an announcement for a Canon 60D, in between the Ti2 and the 7D. As one of the commenters says: “The camera you have always takes a better picture than the one you are waiting to be released.”

Cameras

RED Sched for IBC

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RED will not have a booth at IBC this year, but like last year they have a presentation at Assimilate (Saturday, 10:30AM), but this year Jim promises that Ted will have a working EPIC and a new reel, and BandPro says they will style the EPIC with Leica lenses.

Ted has posted the following schedule:

Here’s the list so far:

ASSIMILATE – Booth 

7.K01

Big Screen Theater Presentation planned with them on Sat. Sept 11th at 1030am.

(Other casual visiting times throughout the week as time permits, opportunities for close up look at EPIC and latest Scratch developments on their highly evolved, RED Rocket powered, fully native R3D grading and finishing workflows)

The Foundry – Booth 

7.J18

415pm on Friday, Sept. 10th

4pm on Sunday Sept 12th

1130am on Monday Sept 13th

11am on Tuesday Sept 14th

(Presentations and workflow discussions planned, chance for a close up look at EPIC and discussions on native R3D Post Production, VFX and Compositing with the Foundry solutions.)

Band Pro – Booth 

12.B20

1pm to 3pm on Friday, Sept. 10th
1pm to 3pm on Sunday Sept 12th
1pm to 3pm on Monday Sept 13th
1pm to 3pm on Tuesday Sept 14th

(casual meet and greet time each day, plans to show EPIC with the new super high performance Leica Primes, that are very well suited for the ultra high resolution 5k EPIC camera.)

Avid – Booth 7.J20

10am on Sunday Sept 12th

(Special Presentation, Q&A session and latest Avid developments for Media Composer 5 and Avid DS that support RED R3D footage natively for editing through 4k finishing)

Autodesk – Booth 7.D25:

5pm on Saturday Sept 11th

(Special Presentation, Case Study session and latest developments on Lustre, Smoke, Flame, etc. Covering AutoDesk’s end to end support of RED R3D footage natively for editing, through 4k finishing)