February 21, 2012

£1m camera thieves get Creative

Our largest local broadcast reseller, CVP (Creative Video) had about £1million-worth of camcorders, lenses and other broadcast stuff stolen from its west London warehouse last weekend.

These included lots of Canon XF305, XF300, EOS C300, XF105 and XF100 camcorders, and Sony F3, PDW-700, EX1R, EX3, NEX-FS100, Z5, Z7 and NX5 models, amounting to about 120 cameras in all, as well as viewfinders for higher-end cameras, and lots of other stuff. In response, CVP has set up an online Stolen Equipment Register.

I’ve written a full report for TVBEurope magazine.

By David Fox

Teradek makes Case for WiFi assist

The new Teradek Case is a turnkey video assist system that enables remote analysis over the internet as well as video monitoring on up to 20 iPads.

It was launched by its UK distributor Holdan at BVE last week, and is claimed to provide everything productions need for wireless proxy recording and field monitoring.

Using the wireless encoding technology from Teradek’s Cubeit, it facilitates almost instant multi-user wireless access and remote monitoring. Cube is pre-configured to begin recording a proxy file automatically the moment record is pressed on the camera. Instant dailies are created on a built-in Mac Mini server in .MOV or .MP4 formats. The recorded file shares the same file name, start and stop times, and timecode as the original full resolution master. The proxy is available for immediate review on directors' monitors.

Case makes monitoring more interactive, with LivePlay, which allows iPad users to view takes and add comments in customizable data fields with managed user privileges. Notes are recorded on screen enabling users to record their commentary directly to the proxy file.

The system is preconfigured for optimal wireless video streaming with a powerful wireless access point that can transmit HD video over a range of 300m.

It costs about £2,500 and comes in a Peli housing, making it portable, water and dust resistant when closed, with a shock resistant lining.

By David Fox

February 17, 2012

FREE freelance survival talk - Bristol

At BVE this week I did my one hour seminar on "How To Survive As A Freelancer".

We had a great attendance with people sitting in the aisles and crowding outside the entrance. But, if you missed it, and live in the Bristol area...

Standing room only at our BVE talk

I'll be doing it all over again for FREE on Thursday 
23 February 2012.

We'll be giving info and help on:
  • Getting your finances sorted 
  • how to get paid and what to do if clients won't pay up
  • getting professional advice 
  • marketing your services 
  • the two best ways to get more work
  • and some thoughts on alternative ways to make money
There will be other speakers there too - giving advice on financing, specialist insurance and accounts.

You will need to book a place by emailing Selwyn Foreman at:
info@bradleyforeman.co.uk 
or call 07958 127 925

There will be a whole day of talks suitable for those about to become freelance or have been for a while, or for small media businesses.

Networking and exchanging business cards at the first talk

Explaining the quickest way to get paid

Here are some nice things people have tweeted about the talk this week:

Rebekah Taylor @Rubyekah
@UrbanFoxTV -Fantastic talk yesterday surviving as a freelance. A must see If u're there 2day catch her at 15:00 go watch! @BVExpo#BVE2012

David Symington @davidatkeencity @UrbanFoxTVThanks for a great seminar on how to survive as a freelancer!!

Celes @Celes
@UrbanFoxTV hi, thanks for your talk at bve.

Adrienn Major @_MissMajor_
really enjoyed @UrbanFoxTV 's seminar for freelancers #BVE

February 16, 2012

Canon MXF FCPX Plugin launched

Full report on our Canon XF Notebook site

February 08, 2012

Meet us at BVE – Free seminars

As usual, we’ll be giving talks at BVE/The Production Show at London’s Earls Court next week (14-16 February 2012). Our five sessions will be part of an extensive free seminar programme, with more than 300 seminars across the three days.

We’ll be doing our Production On A Budget sessions every morning (10am) in the Production Theatre with lots of advice on buying equipment and what to look at while you’re at the show, while Christina will do a session on How To Survive As A Freelancer at 3pm in the Producers Theatre (on Tuesday) and in the Production Theatre (on Wednesday) – both theatres are in the Production Show section right at the back of the Earls Court 2 exhibition centre.

The Production Theatre will also feature sessions on Shooting Sub £15k Music Videos by Den Lennie, budget feature film production, underwater filming, shooting in the cold for Frozen Planet, Fathoming the Fundamentals of Formats from Prokit, and how to make the most of Blackmagic Design's Atem switcher.

The Producers Theatre will include the 99-minute Film School (in less than half that time…), with Raindance Film Festival founder Elliot Grove (who will also do a session on Writing For Low Budget Filmmaking), plus seminars on Strategies for Survival in a Freelance World, virtual production, how to win commissions and funding, motion control DSLRs and special effects make-up.

There is also an Arri Production Skills Centre [Free tickets required], with lots of sessions on lighting (including two each day by Jonathan Harrison), as well as seminars on using the Alexa and colour grading.

In the main Broadcast Video Expo section of the show, there will be 11 theatres/seminar areas, dealing with big picture issues such as the next steps for 3D, new developments in religious broadcasting, cloud computing and brands becoming broadcasters, to practical hands-on workshops.

The 3D Revolution [Free tickets required] will look at the latest developments and where 3D might go next, with keynotes from William Sargent, founder of leading Soho post house Framestore, and Dave Blackham, MD of Esprit Films (who will discuss shooting wildlife and caves in 3D). Panasonic’s Peter Van Hooke will present sessions on the recent Elbow concert shot live in 3D. There’ll be several case studies and sessions on when 3D is worth using and how to use it best.

The Audio Room [Free tickets required] also covers 3D, with a panel discussion on immersive audio systems led by Pieter Schillbeeckx, Head of R&D at Soundfield. There is a wide range of practical advice on audio recording, including Phil Coates on working in extreme locations, Graham Boswell from SADiE on how to eliminate pops and glitches, and Jo Tyler of Bournemouth University on the sonic potential for radio, and sessions on loudness metering, HD Voice (for mobile audio) and audio post.

The Post-Production Theatre [Free tickets required] has one of our favourite trainers, Larry Jordan, with: a practical overview of Final Cut Pro X; Creating Motion Graphics that Don't Suck; Compressing Your Video for the Web - and Making It Look Great; and What Creative People Need To Know About Storage. Other sessions include: the making of a Top Gear Live commercial, and lots on tapeless production.

Broadcast Meets IT picks up the tapeless theme, with Mark Harrison, Controller of BBC North, discussing the issues of file-based production and Shane Warden of IMG World presenting tapeless workflows at the Rugby World Cup. Dr John Zubrzycki of BBC Research and Development will discuss Super Hi-Vision for London 2012, and Phil Rutter of AndCubed hosts a debate on 4K production and delivery.

The Institute of Videography will offer sessions in the IOV Theatre on how professional videographers can get involved with local TV stations, what videographers need in their post-production toolkit, and lots on weddings, including Shooting the Marryoke Wedding Sequence.

The Content Delivery Theatre will deal with all sorts of online and other methods of delivery and making money, connected TV, the use of second screens (such as iPads) while also watching TV, broadcast playout using channel in a box systems, and social TV.

There will also be one-day sessions dedicated to various aspects of a specific topic. Religious Broadcasting on Tuesday 14 February; Demystifying the Cloud on Wednesday; and Brands Becoming Broadcasters on Thursday.

The Sony Experience Masterclass Theatre includes sessions on the FS100 by Den Lennie, the F3, F65, and using XMPilot to speed up logging on the BBC’s Escape To The Country.

Added to these are practical sessions offered by Avid [Free tickets required] and Adobe, and FCP X sessions run by Soho Editors.

There's also the opportunity to try out lots of new equipment...

Free registration is available at www.bvexpo.com/register using Priority Code EBPR2.

By David Fox