You are on page 1of 34

contents

full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

Turn Your Tablet Into a Teleprompter page 50


AUGUST 2014
In Color and Monochrome
YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO
Go From Dreamer to Director
Videomakers Directing Toolkit is designed to give you pro-level directing skills, fast!
Videomaker.com/ProDirector
is Back
327 August Cover.indd 1 6/24/2014 10:54:06 AM
CUPESMAR-13-075_B.indd
10-24-2013 1:39 PM Lauren Moise / Lauren Moise
1
Job
Client
Media Type
Live
Trim
Bleed
Pubs
CUPESMAR-13-075_B
Canon
Print
7 x 9.75
7.75 x 10.5
8 x 10.75
VIDEO MAKER
Job info
Due at 10/25
Issue: Dec
Notes
Art Director
Copywriter
Account Mgr
Studio Artist
Proofreader
Nick Deyring
None
Jared Goldwasser
Lauren Moise
None
Approvals
Fonts
Proxima Nova (Bold, Regular, Light, Light Italic,
Bold Italic)
Images
XA20_3.jpg (RGB; 428 ppi; 70.09%), Canon_
KO.eps (30.09%)
Inks
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
Fonts & Images
Saved at None from nyc01lmoise by Printed At
2013CanonU.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. CanonandDIGICareregisteredtrademarks of theCanonInc. intheUnitedStates andmay alsoberegisteredtrademarks inother countries.
Wi-Fi is a registeredtrademark of theWi-Fi Alliance. All other product andbrandnames aretrademarks or servicemarks of their respectiveowners.
Dual SD Card Slots with simultaneous
HD- and Web-version dual recording
35Mbps MP4
Built-in dual-band 5 GHz
and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
Introducing the XA20, Canons full-featured, Wi-Fi compatible, compact professional camcorder
designed to seamlessly t your HD workow.
Our new full HD 1920x1080 HD CMOS Imaging Sensor with high-sensitivity and wide dynamic range
ofers up to 35Mbps MP4 and AVCHD recording capability, simultaneous HD- and Web-version dual
recording, and slow- and fast-motion recording.
A Canon 20x High Denition Optical Zoom Lens with Intelligent Optical Image Stabilization enables you
to capture precise and sharp video, while two phantom-powered XLR Audio Inputs with Manual Gain
Control deliver accurate sound.
With built-in dual-band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, the XA20 gives you reliable signal transport. You can
also manage settings and operations remotely with its wireless control capabilities.
Find out more at pro.usa.canon.com/XA20
20X Optical Zoom Lens with Intelligent
Optical Image Stabilization
Cost-efective shooting solution
S:7
S
:9
.7
5

T:7.75
T
:1
0
.5

B:8
B
:1
0
.7
5

221410_01b_CUPESMAR-13-075_B.indd 1 10/24/13 6:42 PM


FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 10/25/2013 10:50:13 AM
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
1
22
30
Features
Columns
2
50
54
58
61
64
Reviews
Digital Bolex D16
Cinema Camera
By Adam Vesely
Sony FDR-AX100
Camcorder
By Adam Vesely
Audio-Technica ATH-AG1
Headset
By Ty Audronis
MAGIX Video Pro X6
Editing Software
By Doug Dixon
Dell P2815Q
Ultra HD Monitor
By Ty Audronis
8
12
15
17
19

38
44
Next Month
Narrative Filmmaking
Shot Assist Tools Explained
How to Pull the Perfect Key
Make Movie Ideas a Reality
Story Arc and Freytags Pyramid
On Sale August 26, 2014
Contents
Volume 29 Number 02
AUGUST 2014
Viewfinder
The New TV
By Matthew York
Basic Training
DIY Tablet Teleprompter
By Kyle Cassidy
Profit Making
Cash in Your Content
By David G. Welton
Editing
Tune Software for Peak Performance
By Chris Ace Gates
Lighting
The Essential Green Screen Kit
By Chuck Peters
Take 5
5 Inspiration and Organization Tools
for Video Editors
By Chris Ace Gates
Increase YouTube Visibility with
Channel Collaborations
YouTube has implemented many ways to connect with like-minded
media consumers and creators of the moving image worldwide, but
cross-promotion & collaboration may be the best tools yet.
by Morgan Paar
Create a YouTube Studio in Your Room
There is a distinct advantage to having your own YouTube studio. It
will bring a level of professionalism and sophistication to what you
shoot, regardless of its square footage.
by Marshal Rosenthal
How to Create a Cable News-like
Interview Over the Web with Skype
The scenario is simple: we have an interview wed like to conduct.
The host and interviewee are far apart from each other, and travel
of any sort isnt in the budget. How should we proceed?
by Peter Zunitch
Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow
While organization and creativity may not always go hand in hand,
having a few assets at your disposal can help expedite the creative
process and make your video production projects painless.
by Dave Sniadak
www.videomaker.com
Subscribe
Departments
4
5
6
60
Whats On Videomaker.com
Quick Focus
New Gear
Ad Index
Subscribe to Videomaker and save up to 76%
off the newsstand price!
Try an issue risk-free at: videomaker.com/subscription
On the Cover
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera
44 58 8 22 50
327_TOC.indd 1 6/25/2014 11:21:08 AM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/5/2014 1:37:49 PM
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
2
The New TV
Not so many years ago recent
enough that many of us can re-
member TV programming was
controlled by a very small group of
wealthy and inuential people who
owned and operated the three big
TV networks, ABC, CBS and NBC.
Television was anything but demo-
cratic. It was very limited. The only
viewpoints expressed were those of
the head honchos at the big stu-
dios. These elite network executives
decided which programs would be
produced and which would not. The
idea of making TV at home was un-
imaginable in that day.
Before long, over-the-air broadcast
had expanded with more channels,
and soon cable came on the scene.
Cable TV, and subsequently satel-
lite, gave viewers a far wider range of
entertainment options, and exposure
to more broad and varied points of
view. In the 1990s we experienced the
desktop revolution, when camcord-
ers came into the mainstream and
digitizers and capture cards allowed
early adopters who were willing to
crack open their computer cases to
install new hardware, to edit video
on their PCs. With the introduction
of the DV recording format and IEEE
1394 FireWire technology, the ability
to shoot and edit broadcast quality
video, became affordable enough that
many could make media at home on
their computer.
Today, broadcast TV is a dinosaur
that may be teetering on the brink
of extinction. The new video king is
online. From DVR recorders, to on-
demand services like Netix, to video
distribution portals like Vimeo, the
web has opened the way for anyone
with a camera and an Internet con-
nection to be a broadcaster. YouTube
estimates that 100 hours of video
are uploaded to its site every minute.
According to its published statistics,
more than 1 billion unique users visit
YouTube each month, and more than
PRI NTED I N USA
Videomaker (ISSN 0889-4973) is published monthly by Videomaker, Inc., P.O. Box 4591,
Chico, CA 95927. 2014 Videomaker, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this
publication in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher is prohibited. The
Videomaker name is a registered trademark, property of Videomaker, Inc. Editorial solici-
tations welcomed; publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material.
Editorial-related photos and artwork received unsolicited become property of Video-
maker. Single-copy price: $5.99; $7.99 in Canada. Subscription rates: one year (12 issues)
$19.97; $29.97 in Canada (U.S. funds); $44.97 Foreign Delivery (prepayment required,
U.S. funds). Send subscription correspondence to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA
95927. Back issues of Videomaker are available for order online at www.videomaker.com
or by calling Customer Service at (800) 284-3226. Periodicals postage paid at Chico, CA
95927 and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Mail Sales Agreement
#40051846. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico,
CA 95927. CANADA POSTMASTER: Please send Canadian address changes to: IDS, P.O.
Box 122, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6S8.
Videomaker makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to
the completeness, accuracy or utility of these materials or any information or opinion
contained herein. Any use or reliance on the information or opinion is at the risk of
the user, and Videomaker shall not be liable for any damage or injury incurred by any
person arising out of the completeness, accuracy or utility of any information or opinion
contained in these materials. These materials are not to be construed as an endorse-
ment of any product or company, nor as the adoption or promulgation of any guidelines,
standards or recommendations.
6 billion hours of content are watched
monthly almost an hour for every
human on earth. We have come a
long way in the democratization of TV
since those early days of the big three
broadcasters.
Now, video is ubiquitous. Access to
production equipment is no longer
a hindrance to producing media.
Consumer hobbyists and professional
broadcasters often own and use the
same equipment. History is happen-
ing right now. You are part of it. We
are writing a new chapter in the histo-
ry of visual communication. Distribu-
tion to a global audience is available
to anyone online. Today, everyone
is a journalist. A documentarian. An
entertainer. An educator. An activist.
There is an audience for every pro-
gram, no matter how small the niche.
As producers of media in 2014, we
have the opportunity to reach an audi-
ence larger than those early television
executives could have imagined. The
question is, what will we do with this
opportunity? Inform, instruct, inspire,
entertain. Join the global conversa-
tion. The world is waiting to see what
youve got.
VIEWFINDER
b y Ma t t h e w Yo r k
subscription information
Videomaker Subscription Fulfillment
P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927
telephone: (800) 284-3226
e-mail: customerservice@videomaker.com
address
P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927
telephone: (530) 891-8410 fax: (530) 891-8443
Videomaker empowers people to make video in a way
that inspires, encourages and equips for success. We
do this by building a community of readers, web visitors,
viewers, attendees and marketers.
MatthewYork is Videomaker's Publisher/Editor.
publisher/editor
associate publisher
director of content
associate editor
associate editor
art director/photographer
contributing editors
director of advertising
advertising representative
telephone (530) 891-8410
account executive
director of
business development
marketing
marketing coordinator
web analyst

information systems
IT assistant
web developer
director of finance
accountant
customer service
/fulfillment coordinator
Matthew York
Patrice York
Mike Wilhelm
Greg Olson
Jackson Wong
Susan Schmierer
Kyle Cassidy
Chris Ace Gates
Mark Holder
Mark Levy
Terry ORourke
Isaac York
Olin Smith
Terra Yurkovic
Joseph Ayres
Jordan Claverie
Seth Hendrick
Jill Lutge
Stephen Awe
Jessica Anderson
Tiffany Harness
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17011 in the subject line.
327_C1 Viewfinder.indd 2 6/24/2014 2:55:55 PM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/24/2014 9:38:35 AM
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
4
Go Mobile
Reading on the go? Find Videomaker on your iPhone and iPad along with apps
that help video producers on location. Go to www.videomaker.com/r/676.
The Videomaker
Community Speaks Out
QUESTION:
From Arthouse: So I have a bit of a
dilemma. Ive recently purchased a
$8500 cinema camera (with lenses)
and I got it on credit so I still have to
pay a lot of it back. I run a small video
production company so I can pay it
off through various client projects but
recently Ive been approached by a
camera [rental] company who are inter-
ested in renting out our camera to their
customers in return for 50/50 split of
the rental charge. The [rental] company
has assured us that if anything were to
ever happen to the camera it would be
covered by insurance that the person
hiring the camera would be forced to
take out before being able to hire it in
the rst place.
I was wondering if anyone had any ex-
perience of this or any strong opinions?
What would you do?
REPLY:
From fx1shooter: I would offer my ser-
vices but NEVER rent out my bread and
butter! If something happens to it you
may have to delay a 100% paying job
because you dont have it. If you dont
use it sell it to the rental ofce and tell
them if you do need it. You will rent from
them. My 2 cents worth! Keep shooting!
See more at: http://www.videomaker.
com/r/771
Controlling Depth of Field
Once you understand the power of depth-of-eld,
the next step is learning to control it. Find out how
use different methods to get the look you want.
http://www.videomaker.com/r/769
August 2014
Whats on Videomaker.com
Talk to us online!
Love Videomaker? Tell the world! Share your videos, nd extra content, talk to us! We want to know who you are.
Find us on Facebook
facebook.com/VideomakerOnline
Follow us on Twitter
twitter.com/videomaker
Catch us on YouTube
youtube.com/videomaker
Add us on Google+
videomaker.com/GooglePlus
....
Canon C100 VS 5D Mark III
We take the Canon C100 and the 5D Mark III out
for a spin to compare the footage and form factor,
and nd out which camera gives you the best bang
for the buck.
http://www.videomaker.com/r/770
Videomaker
Webinars
Videomaker has an-
nounced its upcoming
Fall/Winter schedule for
training webinars. Held
once a month, these
one-hour webinars allow
you to interact with the
Videomaker editors as
they teach essential
techniques to creating
high quality video, with
lots of time for Q&A.
Upcoming titles include:
DSLR Video Production,
Titles and Graphics For
Video, Audio for Video,
Camera Movement and
Composition and Post
Production Workow.
Visit videomaker.com/
webinar for the schedule
and content details.
Correction
In the July 2014 issue of Videomaker on page 17,
we incorrectly stated that as a weakness, the HP
Z1G2 used an mSATA SSD rather than SATA. In real-
ity our conguration had two SATA SSDs in addition
to the mSATA SSD for boot. We regret any inconve-
niences that may have occurred due to this error.
327 D12 What's On.indd 4 6/24/2014 9:58:22 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
5
Sun Surveyor is the
type of app thats
essential for location
scouting, as it tells
you exactly where the
sun or moon will be at any particular
time. Rather than going to a location at
a specic time, Sun Surveyor empow-
ers you to location-scout wherever
you want, then use your smartphone
to nd out exactly where the sun
will be on the day and time youll be
shooting. Not only does this help you
estimate what your shadows will look
like, it may also help you take stunning
landscape time-lapse videos, using the
sun or moon in creative ways.
Quick Focus
Storehouse is a
unique app that uses
video, photos and text
to create compelling
stories, shared across
multiple devices via the app itself or a
web browser. You can think of it as a
classy digital scrapbook. Once youve
collected a handful of media, simply
lay it out using Storehouses easy to
use story editor. The nal results are
extremely visually compelling stories
that really cant be achieved on Face-
book or other, more traditional media
sharing platforms.
Adobe Voice is a
free app aimed at
creating explainer
videos. These are
the kinds of videos
other mobile and web apps use to ex-
plain how their service works. Weve
all seen these before: xylophone or
ukulele music over mainly animated
graphic visuals with a easy to un-
derstand, friendly voice-over. Adobe
Voice takes the normally complex
process of creating animated video
and makes it easy, then helps you
share it via Twitter, Facebook, email or
your own website.
Storehouse
(Free, iOS)
Sun Surveyor
($6.49, Android; $6.99 iOS)
Adobe Voice
(Free, iOS)
Every month the selection
of video apps on both the
App Store and Google Play
gets better and better!
This month we look at
a range of apps, from
the highly specialist
Hoid for Android, to the
more consumer-friendly
Storehouse for iOS.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17376 in the subject line.
Hoid Pro is a special-
ized media player, and
the rst that supports
the H.265 format. In
addition, Hoid Pro will
play back Apple ProRes and MXF les.
Obviously, this type of application isnt
for everyone, especially considering
the price, but for pros who need to be
able to view recently compressed 4K
les or ProRes les that just came off
a cinema camera, Cinemartin's Hoid
Pro looks like a great option. Other-
wise non-Pro and Gold are available.
Other pro codecs supported include
XAVC, XAVC-S, AVCHD and more.
Hoid Pro
($13.53, Android)
327 D9 Quick Focus.indd 5 6/24/2014 2:56:31 PM page 4
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
6
with a screen resolu-
tion that comes in at
a sharp 2160 x 1440.
It's powered by a 4th
generation Intel Core
processor, i3, i5, or i7,
making it able to handle desktop Windows applications such
as Adobe Creative Cloud. Users can take advantage of the
Surface Pen and multi-position kickstand to express their cre-
ativity with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and even draw masks
in Adobe After Effects. Internal storage on the Surface Pro 3
comes in options of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Pricing
ranges from $799 for a Surface Pro 3 with 64 GB of storage
and an Intel i3 processor, to $1949 for a model with 512 GB
of storage and an Intel i7 processor. Microsoft has stated that
Surface Pro 3 units should begin shipping this summer.

NEW GEAR
Video Copilot MotionPulse
Some of the best videos are made great because of their
sound design. This means that one of the best tools a
video editor can have is a collection of high-quality and
useful sound effects. Big cinematic sounds are whats
needed to create videos of epic proportions. Video Copilot,
the makers of Element 3D, Optical Flares, Action Es-
sentials 2 and more, have announced the release of their
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools.
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools is a collection of
over 2000 sound effects in 24-bit 96KHz quality, WAV
and MP3 les. Video Copilot is known for their cinematic
style products, and MotionPulse Sound Design Tools ts
in with their existing product line. The set features ve
libraries: Machines, Signals, Organic, Velocity and Impact.
The sound effects contained in each library perfectly
coincides with the librarys name. Machines are well
designed, complex mechanical sounds. These mechani-
cal soundscapes are often desired, but in the past were
only found on the desktops of precision-obsessed sound
designers. Signals is lled with glitches, scratches, statics,
distortions, pulses and other electronic noises. Organic is
A Summer of Post-Production
lled with lifelike sounds, liquids, lifeforms, meat slices, medi-
cal and more. Velocity includes a variety of swishes, drones,
atmospheres and more. The featured sound effects all come
through as high quality volumetric sounds. Impact is a collec-
tion of crashes, hits, impacts debris, bass drops and trailer
hits. Theyre perfect for punching up critical points in an edit.
MotionPulse Sound Design Tools are exactly what one would
expect from Video Copilot. The libraries are ideal for trail-
ers and high-energy action pieces. Each individual library is
available at $49.95. The MotionPulse BlackBox, containing all
ve libraries, is available for purchase from Video Copilot as an
instant download for $149.95. Video Copilot is also offering a
bundle deal of MotionPulse BlackBox and Shockwave Particle
FX, 50 HD rendered particle elements for a price of $199.95.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet
Computers are an ubiquitous part of any video production,
from planning in pre-production, all the way to nal nish-
ing in post-production. Tablets and mobile devices have
entered into the landscape that was once occupied by lap-
tops. Theyre able to accomplish many tasks but are limited
in what they can do. A tablet is great for pre-production,
scripting, storyboarding and scheduling. Theyre even used
on set to slate takes and run teleprompter software, but
theyre not viewed as technology that can handle true post-
production tasks. Just like it happened with laptops, the
capabilities of tablets are changing. Microsoft announced
the forthcoming Surface 3 tablet, a tablet that is able to run
the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is a power packed tablet,
expanding on the computing power of a laptop with the
functionality of a tablet. The Surface Pro 3 is 12-inch tablet
327 D5 New Gear.indd 6 6/24/2014 9:52:02 AM
Blackmagic URSA is the worlds rst high end digital lmcamera
designed to revolutionize workow on set. Built to handle the
ergonomics of large lmcrews as well as single person use, URSA
has everything built in, including a massive 10 inch fold out on set
monitor, large user upgradeable Super 35 global shutter 4K image
sensor, 12G-SDI and internal dual RAWand ProRes recorders.
Super 35 Size Sensor
URSA is a true professional digital lmcamera with a
4K sensor, global shutter and an incredible 12 stops
of dynamic range. The wide dynamic range blows
away regular video cameras or even high end broadcast cameras,
so you get dramatically better images that look like true digital lm.
The extra large Super 35 size allows for creative shallow depth of eld
shooting plus RAWand ProRes means you get incredible quality!
Dual Recorders
Blackmagic URSA features dual recorders so you never need
to stop recording to change media. Thats critical if you are
shooting an historical event, important interview or where you
just cannot stop shooting! Simply load an empty CFast card into the second
recorder and when the current card is full, the recording will continue onto
the second card, allowing you to change out the full card and keep shooting!
www.blackmagicdesign.com
Introducing Blackmagic URSA, the worlds rst
user upgradeable 4K digital lm camera!
User Upgradeable Sensor
Blackmagic URSA features a modular camera turret that can
be removed by unscrewing 4 simple bolts! The camera turret
includes the sensor, lens mount and lens control connections
and can be upgraded in the future when new types of sensors are developed.
This means your next camera will be a fraction of the cost of buying a whole
new camera! Choose professional PL mount, popular EF mount and more!
Built in On Set Monitoring!
Say goodbye to bulky on set monitors because
you get a massive fold out 10 inch screen built
into Blackmagic URSA, making it the worlds
biggest viewnder! The screen is super bright and features an ultra
wide viewing angle. URSA also includes two extra 5 touch screens on
both sides of the camera showing settings such as format, frame rate,
shutter angle plus scopes for checking levels, audio and focus!
Blackmagic URSA PL Blackmagic URSA EF
$
5,995
$
6,495
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/17/2014 9:03:40 AM
page 6
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
8
REVIEWS
b y Ad a m Ve s e l y
D16: $3,300, D16M: $4,000
Bolex is back!
Digital Bolex
D16 Cinema
Camera
Digital Bolex
www.digitalbolex.com
STRENGTHS
Decent dynamic range
Robust codec
Inexpensive lenses
Solid construction
WEAKNESSES
Lackluster built-in LCD Monitor
Noisy high-iso performance
Limited documentation
I
n March 2012, Joseph Rubinstein
started the Digital Bolex campaign
on Kickstarter to create a camera that
would bring the charm and desired look
of 16mm lm to the digital age using a
Super 16-sized sensor and a RAW-based
codec that helps preserve image delity.
That Kickstarter campaign was a great
success, and nearly two years later the
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera came
to the market for those looking for the
nostalgia of working with 16mm cam-
eras without the hassle of using actual
lm. Everything from the form factor
to the sensor choice comes together to
create an unusual blend of the old and
the new, providing an opportunity for
those willing to work with something
that is a little different than what the
mainstream camcorder market is offer-
ing. The big question is, can a camcord-
er that is designed to emulate a specic
look and feel be useful for a variety of
cinematography needs?
Going Retro
If you are going to create a product
with a retro design, the rst thing that
is always appreciated is consistency.
Digital Bolex has done a fantastic job
with this. Everything from the exterior
design of the D16 and it's packaging,
to the cool and hip marketing mate-
rial on the Digital Bolex website has a
cool, hip vibe that attracts the eye. The
2K CCD sensor, working in conjunc-
tion with the Cinema DNG RAW codec,
completes the package by creating
a 16mm lm-like look with up to 12
stops of dynamic range.
The D16 has a unique teardrop
shape that tapers toward the back, and
most of the buttons and controls have
no labeling to detract from the mini-
malistic design. The detachable pistol
grip, which includes a recording trig-
ger, blends in perfectly with the D16s
design and provides a pretty comfort-
able operating mode for handheld
shots. The lens features a C-Mount,
which uses a threaded connector
rather than a bayonet system like most
modern mounts. On the top is a cold
shoe mount for accessories, a small
LCD monitor for settings and video
monitoring, and basic function buttons
for accessing the settings menu and to
start or stop recording.
One interesting aspect of the D16 is
the fan vents on the very front, which
allow hot air to be expelled from the
camera body by a small multi-speed
fan. The left side features a second
cold shoe mount, two XLR inputs
with phantom power, 4-pin 12V
power input and output, and 1/8-inch
headphone and composite video out-
puts. On the right side youll nd two
cranks, one smaller than the other,
that can be used to control various
camera settings and two small knobs
for controlling the audio recording
levels. On the back, below the control
buttons, there is a small media door
that reveals two CompactFlash slots as
327 C5 Digital Bolex D16.indd 8 6/24/2014 2:57:29 PM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
9
TECH SPECS
Sensor Size/Type: Super 16-sized CCD
Video Format: 12-bit Adobe Cinema
DNG (RAW)
Resolution/Frame Rate: 2K (24/30),
1080p (24/30), 720p (24/30/60), 480p
(24/30/60/90)
Recording Media: Internal 256/512GB
SSD and Dual CF slots
Display Size/Resolution: 2.4"
320x240
Lens Mount: C
lightweight and can be found fairly
cheap these days.
Operating the D16 handheld and
being able to squeeze the trigger on the
pistol grip to start and stop recording
felt very natural and is a nice feature to
have when grabbing quick shots that
dont need the stability of a tripod. The
grip is easily removable and attaching
a tripod plate in its place is just as easy.
The small internal fan eventually red
up between shots but is set by default
to turn off when recording is started.
When the recording stops, it will start
back up if the internals need cooling.
We started to shoot some footage of
the surrounding grass, ponds, and trees.
One thing became quite apparent when
shooting with the D16: make sure you
have an external eld monitor with you
for focusing and setting exposure! We
used the internal LCD monitor, which
has an adjustable angle of about 5-10
degrees, has a very low resolution and
has fairly poor viewing angles. These
factors lead to some of our test footage
being slightly soft in focus and some
shots were overexposed. Attaching
something like a Zacuto EVF solves this
problem, but be prepared to factor that
cost into the cost of the camera, be-
cause external monitoring is essential.
The internal LCD monitor is OK for
changing settings or checking your
shooting parameters, but should prob-
ably not be used as your main monitor-
ing source when shooting.
While shooting with the D16, youll
have to adjust a lot of settings before
each shot, as everything is set manu-
ally. You wont nd anything that is
automatic on the D16, so easy access to
ISO, white balance and audio levels is a
must for proper use. The D16 has two
crank wheels on the side that can each
be set to adjust one of many available
settings including ISO, shutter angle,
white balance and headphone levels.
The clicky feel of the crank wheels
made them a delight to adjust, but the
D16 often lagged behind when adjust-
ing the parameter assigned to the crank
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera
REVIEWS
Roll Film
To put the D16 through its paces, we
ventured out to a small community park
in the California foothills on a bright,
sunny day. The harsh sunlight and
bright colors created a lot of contrast be-
tween lit and shady areas, so this was a
great location to test the dynamic range
of the Super 16 CCD sensor.
We had four lenses to use with
our D16: a 10mm fixed f/4, a 10mm
f/2.8, a 25mm f/0.85 and a 50mm
f/1.4. We also had a gradual neutral
density filter we could use in place
of adjusting the aperture for bright
scenes. Three of the lenses had
focus rings, but the 10mm f/2.8
did not and could only be focused
by actually unscrewing
the lens little by little on
the mount itself. This
proved to be a somewhat
precarious proposition,
as we were operating
handheld at first and hav-
ing the lens not solidly
mounted created a sense
of impending doom that
was difficult to ignore.
The other lenses worked
as you would expect on
any other camera that
uses fully manual lenses.
On the positive side, C
Mount lenses are small,
well as a USB 3.0 connector for trans-
ferring les to a computer.
The D16 has a very solid build
quality and is much heavier than it ap-
pears. Weighing in at 8lb. without the
pistol grip, the D16 is very dense and
can get a bit heavy when operating
handheld for an extensive period of
time. The control surfaces are placed
in appropriate locations for easy ac-
cess while shooting, although it can
be difcult to see the monitor on top
and adjust settings if you are shooting
using a tripod at head height. Overall,
the smooth curves and classic looks
make the D16 one the most unique
looking cameras available.
Audio/video I/O and side-panel cold shoe
Included Lens: None
Audio In: XLR Inputs (2)
Audio Out: 1/8" Headphone
Video Out: HDMI, 1/8" Composite
Other Interface: USB 3.0, 12/V 4 pin XLR
In/Out
Shutter Range: 45-360
Shot Assist: Aspect ratio guides, zoom
for focus
ISO Range: 100-800
Battery: Non-removable, 4-hour life
327 C5 Digital Bolex D16.indd 9 6/24/2014 2:57:37 PM
page 8
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
10

SUMMARY
The Digital Bolex D16 and D16M
Cinema Cameras are solid options
for cinematographers that want full
manual image control and enjoy
working with a form factor similar to
the 16mm film cameras of yesteryear.
AdamVesely is a videographer/director of photography
and a still photographer in Northern Calif.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17006 in the subject line.
wheel. It also was not clear how much
turning was required to adjust a setting.
If you turned the crank one click, noth-
ing changed, but turn too many clicks,
and youll pass the setting you actually
wanted. This imprecision made the
crank wheels a little ddly to use, but
they worked OK for the most part.
There are a few other quick-access
features to help get things ready for
shooting. You also can press the Enter
button to zoom in the video to 100
percent and move the zoomed in
section around to help with focusing.
You can also press the Display button
to turn on a set of helpful overlays
with common aspect ratios or turn the
monitor off completely.
The audio levels have dedicated
control knobs, which are used to ad-
just each channel individually. There
is no built in microphone, so you must
use an external mic through the two
XLR ports to record any audio. For-
tunately, the audio interface captures
clean, 24-bit 96kHz audio, which
sounded good from our small shot-
gun mic. The headphone jack can be
used to monitor the sound, but if you
are recording using one channel, the
audio will only come out of the left or
right headphone and not both.
One small point of contention with
using the D16 is that you must dis-
cover some things on your own as the
documentation provided is very limited.
There is only an eight page quick-start
guide available on the Digital Bolex
website at time of writing. There were
a few settings for the LCD monitor
that we wanted clarication on, so we
visited the website to look for the full
user manual. Where there should be
a link to download a full user manual,
there are the words, Coming Soon. It
would denitely be nice to have a full
manual available that documents every
feature and setting for users that may
not be familiar with all the terms used
in advanced video production.
In the Cutting Room
The D16 records using the Adobe Cin-
ema DNG codec, which uses about 5GB
of disk space per minute of footage.
This robust codec plays a large role in
providing the increased latitude and
exibility you have with the footage in
your editing software. Before you can
bring the Cinema DNG les into your
editing software, they must be pro-
cessed rst by intermediary software
in which you can adjust basic param-
eters of the footage including the color
temperature and color proles that
are applied. Once this step is done, the
footage can be edited similarly to many
other professional codecs.
The CCD sensor in the D16 uses a
global shutter, which doesnt produce
any rolling shutter or Jell-O effects
when panning the camera rapidly. This
is nice to see in a world full of CMOS
sensors, which are commonly aficted
with this behavior. However, CCD
sensors can be affected by very bright
sources of light and can cause strange
vertical lines to appear when the pixels
get hot and overow into their re-
spective columns. The dynamic range
shown in our test footage was very
good, showing detail in both bright and
dark areas of the frame. Footage shot
in low light using the maximum ISO
setting (800) generated a high level of
digital noise, but this can be used to en-
hance the 16mm lm look, if desired.
Digital Bolex also created a mono-
chrome camera, the D16M, which is
identical in design to the D16 except
for the sensor. The CCD sensor in
the D16M only captures luminance
values, which results in a cleaner im-
age with less digital noise than one
captured with a full color sensor. Our
test footage from the D16M had a
smooth, pure quality that looks much
more satisfying than desaturated color
footage, and the image is very clear of
digital noise. All the highlights have a
slight glow to them and the overall ef-
fect the monochrome sensor provides
is quite impressive. If you are inter-
ested in shooting in black and white
often, the D16M is denitely a camera
you should check out.
Its in the can!
The D16 and D16M Cinema Cameras
are certainly interesting diversions
from the mainstream camera market.
There are some quirks involved in
operating them, but the results you
get are worth the trouble. Both of
these cameras provide a unique form
factor and sensor combination that
produces a specic quality and expe-
rience similar to working with a Super
16 lm camera. There is also some-
thing attractive about working with a
fully manual camera that lets you do
exactly what you want to the image.
Whether it is for nostalgic purposes
or simply to take advantage of the ad-
vanced codec and pure image quality,
the D16 and D16M Cinema Cameras
will be attractive to cinematographers
that are looking for something differ-
ent than the usual suspects.
Digital Bolex D16 Cinema Camera
REVIEWS
CompactFlash slots and USB 3.0 connection
327 C5 Digital Bolex D16.indd 10 6/24/2014 2:57:46 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/24/2014 8:27:13 AM page 10
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
12
REVIEWS
b y Ad a m Ve s e l y
$2,000
4K Goes Mini
Sony FDR-AX100
Handycam
Camcorder
Sony Electronics Inc.
www.sony.com
STRENGTHS
Large sensor
Built-in ND filters
Built-in adjustable viewfinder
Excellent feel/build quality
WEAKNESSES
Excessive rolling shutter at telephoto
Non-standard hot shoe design
Only one memory card slot
Battery charges on camera
S
onys Handycam line has been
around since 1985 and a lot
has changed since then. In this
new digital age, things seem to get
smaller, faster and less-expensive at
an unprecedented rate. With the 4K
revolution in full swing, professionals
and consumers alike are clamoring
to get their hands on equipment that
takes advantage of the extra resolution
and detail that 4K footage provides.
One of the biggest issues prevent-
ing more widespread adoption of
4K is fact that most 4K equipment
is expensive and usually has a steep
learning curve to operate. Also, most
high-end 4K camcorders record at
very high bitrates, which require more
media storage, further increasing
costs. Sonys FDR-AX100 Handycam
camcorder lls the gap between pro-
fessional and affordable, recording 4K
UHD video, using the efcient XAVC-S
codec and is not much larger than
Sonys previous agship Handycam
models. The price point and ease of
use helps to lower the barriers of en-
try for consumers and professionals to
start using 4K workows while seeing
all the benets it can provide.

Mini 4K
The FDR-AX100 is in Sonys Handycam
line, which is traditionally aimed at
consumers, but this camcorder has an
appearance that oozes professionalism.
The 4K emblem proudly gleaming on
the side announces the headline fea-
ture and the whole body looks fantas-
tic. The high quality nish and texture
gives off a professional vibe and the
camcorder is well-balanced for a great
feel in hand. Keep in mind that this is
not a camcorder that will t in your
pocket, and nor would you want it to.
Tipping the scales at 2lb., the FDR-
AX100 is denitely at the high-end of
the Sonys Handycam line in size and
weight, but it is still small and light
compared to Sonys larger professional
4K camcorders. The lens hood and
cover on the front are solid and can be
easily removed and installed.
Holding the FDR-AX100 with the
built-in strap is comfortable and the
controls for taking photos, starting,
stopping recording and enabling the
focus magnier are within easy reach.
There is a variable zoom rocker on
top that is easily operable with the
gripping hand. On the back is an
articulating and ippable viewnder
and controls for the three built-in
ND lters, including an auto-enable
switch. The battery is mounted far
enough from the tripod mount that it
can still be removed when attached
to most small-to-medium-sized
tripod plates. On the left, youll nd
the 3.5-inch LCD touch display and
below it, are buttons to enable manual
modes for iris, gain/ISO, and shutter
speed. There is a small dial toward
the front to manipulate settings while
they're set to manual mode. Above
the manual dial is an auto/manual
focus button and a switch to change
the large lens ring between control-
ling focus or zoom. When the LCD
display is open, it reveals a single SD/
327 C5 Sony FDR-AX100.indd 12 6/24/2014 9:59:06 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
13
magnication button, you are asked to
touch the area of the screen you want
magnied and even after magnica-
tion, there are arrow buttons to move
the area of magnication around the
frame. The autofocus worked pretty
well most of the time, but there were
occasions when we zoomed the lens
out to the widest setting while panning
and the camcorder would stay out-of-
focus for several seconds before snap-
ping back in. The FDR-AX100 features
zebra stripes and peaking settings to
help with adjusting focus manually and
getting proper exposure levels.
The FDR-AX100 features three built-
in ND lters which help greatly when
you are outdoors and want to use lower
f-stop values in bright light. They can
be set manually or there is an auto-
matic function that will engage them
when the smallest aperture is reached
and the exposure is still too bright. The
automatic ND lters worked pretty well
in our testing, although there is a slight
icker to the image when the lter
engages. The lens also features Sonys
SteadyShot image stabilization which
denitely helped reduce jitter and
vibrations when walking with the cam-
era or when using the telephoto end
of the zoom. However, when standing
still, we saw the image stabilization
exhibit some odd behavior, snapping
to and fro rather than gently gliding as
most optical image stabilization does.
This was only noticeable at the long
end of the zoom lens, but it is some-
Sony FDR-AX100
REVIEWS
dont need while recording. The menu
system itself is a bit difcult to navigate
as it is organized into unexpected cate-
gories. It is also frustrating that you can
go three levels deep in the menu sys-
tem, make a selection on one setting,
then get kicked all the way back to the
top level of the menus, having to drill
back down if you wanted to change a
second setting in the same area.
There is an adjustable viewnder
that is sharp and bright. The viewnd-
er can be used for critical focus and
is perfect for when you dont want to
disturb others with the brightness of
the LCD display.
The Zeiss lens and Exmor CMOS
sensor combination on the FDR-AX100
produce a picture that is sharp and full
of vibrant color. The relatively large
sensor helps to create a shallower
depth of eld when used at the lesser
f-stop values of the lens. The lens has a
12x optical zoom, which is controlled
by a variable rocker on the grip. The
rocker button is little and has a small
amount of travel, so it requires a deli-
cate touch if you want to zoom slowly.
While the image is very clear at all fo-
cal lengths, it should be noted that we
saw some pretty serious rolling shutter
skewing when panning at moderate
speeds while zoomed in. The lens ring
has just the right amount of resistance
and works very
well for controlling
focus and zoom.
We found it to be
more valuable to
control focus, as
the zoom rocker
works better for
smooth zoom
movement. Focus
can be made easi-
er using the focus
magnication fea-
ture which takes
advantage of the
LCD touch screen
wonderfully.
After pressing the
MS card slot and buttons for switching
to playback mode, enabling NightShot,
and changing picture parameters. On
the top there is a built-in 5.1-channel
surround microphone and a hot shoe
for mounting powered accessories.
Overall, the FDR-AX100 does an ex-
cellent job of tting all of its features
into a small and substantial chassis
that is easy to hold and operate.
Performance
We took the FDR-AX100 out to shoot
the owers and plant life that spring
has brought about and we were very
impressed by what we saw. The 3.5-
inch LCD panel has a high resolution
and is easy to see when facing direct
sunlight. The LCD display is also a
touch screen, which is used to navigate
the menu system and make changes to
the conguration. On the home screen,
there are touch buttons for starting
recording and zooming, as well as a
plethora of icons indicating the various
settings of the FDR-AX100. Some of
these settings only show up momen-
tarily when rst starting the camcorder,
but a press anywhere on the screen
will bring them back and they can be
touched directly to bring up options for
that function. This works pretty well,
as it leaves your display uncluttered
with settings information that you
Controls beneath LCD and SD card slot
Focus magnifier
327 C5 Sony FDR-AX100.indd 13 6/24/2014 9:59:15 AM
page 13 page 12
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
14

SUMMARY
The Sony FDR-AX100 blurs the line
between professional and consumer
camcorders and does so at an
aggressive price point. It is small,
easy to use, and relatively affordable.
It also has a large sensor, a great
lens and tons of manual controls.
AdamVesely is a videographer/director of photography
and still photographer.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17102 in the subject line.
Sony FDR-AX100
REVIEWS
thing to note if you plan on relying on
telephoto handheld shots.
One of the best things about the
FDR-AX100 are the manual adjustment
controls which allow you to control the
iris, gain and shutter speed individual-
ly. After pressing one of these buttons,
you use the small manual dial to adjust
the setting. If youd like to change a dif-
ferent setting, simply press that button,
then adjust it with the dial. There is
also a Manual button that can be long-
pressed to assign settings including
exposure and white balance. This setup
for manual adjustments worked pretty
well for us when we got the hang of it,
but you have to be careful to see which
function you are currently manually
adjusting before you press any buttons.
If you press the button for the currently
selected setting, you can accidentally
kick the setting back to automatic,
which could ruin your shot.
The FDR-AX100 features a 1-inch
sensor and performs pretty well in low-
light, but gain can be added when there
isnt enough light to properly expose
the image. Adding gain also adds noise
to the picture, but it isnt very distract-
ing and doesnt affect the color levels as
much as weve seen in other camcord-
ers that are similar in size and price.
There is also the NightShot feature,
which uses an infrared emitter to see in
total darkness, though the color is heav-
ily affected. It's worth mentioning that
the lens hood should be removed when
using this feature as it casts a shadow
on your subject when using the infrared
emitter to illuminate your scene.
There is a built-in 5.1 channel sur-
round microphone that has several
manual settings that are usually found
in more expensive, professional cam-
corders. There are settings to control
the audio levels manually, reduce wind
noise, make the microphone behave
more directional and even try to cancel
out the voice of the camera operator. It
should be noted that the 5.1 channel
recording is only available when using
AVCHD; XAVC-S modes record in stereo.
One interesting feature of the FDR-
AX100 is the built-in Wi-Fi capability
that allows you to transfer video clips to
your mobile device for instant sharing
or use your mobile device as a remote
control. In order to transfer video clips,
you have to have enabled the Dual
Recording feature which produces
low bitrate MP4 les, in addition to the
full-size video les when the camcorder
is recording. The Sony PlayMemories
Mobile app is available for both Android
and iOS and is free to download.
While our experience with the FDR-
AX100 was mostly pleasant, there are a
few issues that keep it from being per-
fect. The rst thing would be to include
an adapter for the recessed, non-stan-
dard hot shoe so that you can attach
third-party accessories like a eld
monitor or an external microphone.
The FDR-AX100 has one media card
slot, but it would be nice to have two
for being able to record continuously
from one card to another or record-
ing to both simultaneously for backup
purposes. Perhaps the biggest issue we
encountered during our testing was
that the FDR-AX100 froze up a couple
times when changing resolutions and
frame rates. This left the top half of
the screen garbled and required us to
remove and reconnect the battery to
get the camcorder to function again. Is-
sues like this may already be addressed
with rmware updates, but we thought
it was worth mentioning.
The Bottom Line
Sonys FDR-AX100 is a product that
blurs the line between professional
and consumer equipment and does
so in a way that favors both groups.
It still feels like a Handycam, but
behaves more like a professional cam-
corder. If you are looking to jump on
the 4K bandwagon but want to get a
camcorder that is versatile enough to
be used in both a casual and profes-
sional capacity, we highly recommend
looking into the Sony FDR-AX100
Handycam camcorder.
TECH SPECS
Sensor Size/Type: 1.0" back-illumi-
nated Exmor R CMOS
Video Format: XAVC-S (UHD/HD),
AVCHD (HD)
Resolution/Frame Rate: 3840x2160
(24p, 30p), 1920x1080 (24p, 30p, 60i,
60p), 1440x1080 (60i), 1280x720 (30p)
Recording Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC card,
Memory Stick PRO Duo/XC-HG Duo
Display Size/Resolution: 3.5"
1920x480 LCD monitor
Optical Zoom: 12x
Lens: 9.3-111.6mm f/2.8-4.5 Zeiss
Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
Audio In: 1/8" (3.5mm)
Audio Out: 1/8" (3.5mm)
Video Out: HDMI
Other Interface: Multi/Micro USB ter-
minal
On-camera 5.1 mic
327 C5 Sony FDR-AX100.indd 14 6/24/2014 9:59:23 AM

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
15
REVIEWS
b y Ty Au d r o n i s
$300
Best Gaming
Headphones Ever?
Audio-Technica
ATH-AG1
Headset
Audio Technica
www.audio-technica.com/
STRENGTHS
Comfortable headband
Impressive looks
Included USB DAC
WEAKNESSES
Short cable
High price
Poor seal around the ears
Average sound quality
T
he specications of the ATH-AG1
headphones are impressive for
sure. Even some DJ headphones dont
have the specs these headphones have.
Bass response down to 5Hz, and an
upper-range to 35,000 Hz. Compare
that to an average studio monitor at
56Hz-22,000Hz, and you cant wait
to hear what the headset can do. The
massive 53mm driver units denitely
t a bass-heads specications, and you
immediately imagine that you wouldnt
so much be using a headset as put-
ting your head between two powerful
speakers. With a closed-back design,
and soft, huge, cushy ear pads; a seal
should be formed around your ears
and produce mind-numbing bass, and
block out most outside noise. Really, by
the specications alone, they should
sound spectacular. The reality is, when
you consider the price, the sound qual-
ity is just OK. At $300, Audio-Technica
clearly had to make a compromise
between the speakers and the mic.
The marketing claims they are
an audiophile gamer dream. The
unfortunate reality is that the ATH-
AG1 doesnt sound any better than
the Sony Hi-Res Stereo Headphones
that sport a list price of only $150,
and signicantly lower quality than
the $180 Sennheiser HD 558. OK, so
those are prosumer headphones, and
dont have microphones, so lets look
at something more in the gaming
market. The top-of-the-line headset
we found is the $250 Ear Force Z
Seven by Turtle Beach. The specica-
tions arent as nice, but the cans t
more snugly around the ears, and
thus the bass response of the speak-
ers sounds much better (and are a
bass head dream).
The ATH-AG1 headset does have
good speakers, and you can hear the
massive bass response, but it doesnt
sound very bassy. When tested using
a boom sound on an 808 drum kit
from a Roland Fantom synthesizer, it
becomes really evident. An 808 boom
is that very bassy kick drum sound
that is so common in pop music that
its even referred to in the song Like
a G6. The 808 sounded more like a
toy. Why? Because without a good seal
around your ears, the sound escapes,
and although the low frequency
response range allows the bass to be
heard, it doesnt move enough air to
resonate on your eardrums. This is
why custom in-ear monitors are desir-
able. They dont have huge drivers,
but the seal in your ear lets you hear
bass. This sound leakage is probably
because Audio-Technica went with a
traditional round-design for the cans
instead of over the ear headphones
with an oval design. With the right
seal around your ears, even an open-
back headphone (like the Sennheiser)
will generate a better bass sound. If
they were priced around $100, the
327 C5 Audio Technica ATH-AG1.indd 15 6/24/2014 2:49:37 PM page 14
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
16
Form Factor: Headset
Frequency Response: 5Hz-35,000Hz
Maximum Input Power: 1,000 mW
Connectors: USB, 1/8" (3.5mm) Stereo
Cord Length: 3.3' (1m) + 6.6' (2m)
adapter cable
Transducer Type: Condenser
Pickup Pattern: Cardioid
Mute Switch: Yes
Impedance: 38 ohms
Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
SUMMARY
At a price of $300 you'd expect it to
be the best headset ever. What the
ATH-AG1 delivers feels like compro-
mised sound quality to make up for
exceptional comfort and a decent
microphone.
Ty Audronis is a professional in the television and film
industry. Hes scored many productions, and worked as
a sound designer in award-winning productions.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17533 in the subject line.
sound card with only the standard 1/8-
inch plugs.
Another point of strangeness, the
headphones came with one audio
cable extension cord. Well, they call
it an extension, but its really an
adapter. The headphones themselves
use a standard 1/8-inch, 4-ring plug to
couple the stereo headphones and the
microphone to one plug. The adapter
has one 3-ring headphone plug and
one 3-ring mic plug. So, if your USB
port is more than 3 feet away, youre
out of luck to plug into the USB DAC.
Should you buy them?
Really, theyre not bad headphones.
Its not a terrible microphone. Sure the
audio cables are a bit strange and the
DAC can cause some conicts on your
system. Often with headsets, you either
have great headphones with a terrible
mic or a great mic with terrible head-
phones. Neither is the case with the
ATH-AG1. However, when compared
to anything within $150 of the price
point, the headphones on the ATH-AG1
are either merely equalled, or vastly
outclassed. They do look impressive.
The initial impression when you see
them is whoa. And putting them on
does honestly feel incredibly comfort-
able, other than the leather cups that
make your ears sweat. The ATH-AG1
doesnt weigh down your head, the mic
is out of the way, and the mute but-
ton is convenient. But $300? We were
expecting a bit more for our dollar.
Audio-Technica ATH-AG1
REVIEWS
suited for high-delity capture, but
for YouTube gaming commentary,
its denitely usable. When compar-
ing the quality of the mic to another
gaming headset, the Steel Series Sibe-
ria V2, the ATH-AG1 was notably bet-
ter. The saving grace is that the mic is
far enough away from your mouth to
eliminate plosives, i.e., the popping
sounds caused by your breath. Luck-
ily there is a mute button for the mic
in a convenient, but not bumpable
spot. So, screaming out expletives
can be held back from your team-
mates in games.
The only complaint we had on the
ergonomics of the ATH-AG1 headset
was moving the mic out of the way.
The pivot-point of the mic is a bit
rough, and moves it up to a 45-degree
angle. This puts the mic up on your
eye. The only way to really move the
mic out of the way is to move the
exible tube the mic is attached to.
To move the mic out of the way, we'd
prefer to not have to deform the mic
post. With the ATH-AG1 headset, you
do have to deform the mic post.
The USB DAC
The USB DAC is truly plug and play.
We tried this on a Dell XPS 8300 with
Windows 7 64-bit. Within a few sec-
onds of plugging in the USB DAC, the
headphones were ready to go. However,
after a day of use, a previously stable
machine was suddenly crashing on the
dreaded blue
screen of death
even at idle.
Upon investiga-
tion, the crashes
were triggered by
the existing sound
card. After remov-
ing the sound
cards driver, the
crashes went away.
With some cards
you may be stuck
using the USB DAC
as your sound
card, or using your
sound these headphones generate
would be more than acceptable.
Hows the mic?
We tried this headset with games from
Call of Duty to the R/C ight simula-
tor RealFlight 7. In all the games we
asked people how we sounded over
the mic. The response was a resound-
ing um... OK I guess. Skype, Face-
Time, WebEx all the same: so-so
response. On recording (Pro Tools), it
wasnt passable as a professional voice-
over mic, nor for any singing, though
we wouldn't expect it to. We wouldnt
advise anything but a studio condenser
mic for voice-overs, but this is Video-
maker, so we had to try, right?
With a frequency response of
100Hz-12,000Hz, the mic really isnt
The ATH-AG1's nicely-placed mute button
TECH SPECS
327 C5 Audio Technica ATH-AG1.indd 16 6/24/2014 2:49:47 PM

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
17
REVIEWS
b y Do u g Di x o n
$400 ($15 disc optional)
Pro Value
MAGIX
Video
Pro X6
MAGIX
pro.magix.com
STRENGTHS
Professional editing
Proxy editing, multi-cam, 4K, 3D, title
editor, color corrector
Edit nested sequences as objects
WEAKNESSES
Missing some pro features such as
RED support, closed captions
DVCPRO25/50/HD and AVC-Intra
codec require additional fee
Limited optimization for variety of
GPUs
Y
ou may know MAGIX in the U.S.
for its broad selection of consum-
er software for movie and music cre-
ation, photo and graphic design, and
website creation. From a broader view,
MAGIX has branches across North
America and Europe, and is the multi-
media software leader in Germany.
MAGIX has a similar portfolio of
professional software tools, including
Samplitude Pro X for audio recording,
mixing and mastering, Xara Designer
Pro X9 for graphic and image design,
and MAGIX Video Pro X6.
MAGIX positions Video Pro X6 as a
pro level video editing tool at $399. Its
a signicant step up from MAGIX Movie
Edit Pro and other consumer video edit-
ing tools, but with a traditional interface
that should be familiar and comfort-
able when escaping the limitations of
consumer tools. Its strong enough with
64-bit performance, tools and special
effects to satisfy the needs of small
production companies such as wedding
videographers or smaller broadcast sta-
tions. You might think of it as occupying
the middle ground between consumer
and pro, something like Apples now-
discontinued Final Cut Express.
So how does
Video Pro X6
stand up to pro-
level expecta-
tions? The best
way to nd out is
to take a tour through the application,
highlighting its new and more distinc-
tive features.

Whats New
The big news for Video Pro X6 is the
move to full native 64-bit support,
with an optimized video engine for
the Intel Core i7 and new H.264 and
audio codecs and GPU acceleration
for AVCHD export. With the additional
64-bit headroom, this version has also
expanded support for Ultra HD and 4K
including editing and export presets.
It also adds two 64-bit effects plug-ins:
proDAD Mercalli V2 to stabilize shaky
videos and Red Giant Magic Bullet
Quick Looks templates.
The most impressive new editing
feature is support for nested sequenc-
es. You can choose an entire video
sequence and embed it as a movie
object in a project so it can be directly
edited with effects and animations.
The effects section has also been
redesigned, and the important video
effects have been GPU-optimized,
including an HDR effect.
In addition to usability improvements
like better editing handles and keyframe
ease in/out, Video Pro X6 also adds four
new measuring instruments to precisely
monitor your video: Vectorscope to
calibrate and check color tint, Wave-
form Monitor to check levels, Histogram
to correct over/under-exposure and
RGB parade to analyze the brightness
distribution of individual colors. These
are GPU optimized to support real-time
operation up to 4K resolution.

Input and Formats
The rst test of pro-level video tools is
support for a broad range of devices
327 C5 Magix Video Pro X6.indd 17 6/24/2014 2:59:22 PM
page 16
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
18
TECH SPECS
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 and greater
Minimum CPU: Dual core processor
with 2.0GHz (Quad-core processor rec-
ommended)
Minimum RAM: 2GB
Space for Installation: 2GB
Graphics/VRAM: Yes with resolution of
at least 1280x1024
License Restrictions: None to note
Requires Internet Connection: On
activation
SUMMARY
MAGIX Video Pro X6 video editing
software offers professional produc-
tion starting at $400. Its fully 64-bit,
with support for 4K and pro cameras,
and full of features including multi-
cam editing, stabilization and scalable
proxy editing. Additional bonuses, like
nested sequences, make it even more
interesting.
Doug Dixon covers digital media at Manifest-Tech.com.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17100 in the subject line.
Video Pro X6 supports the Virtual-
Dub plug-in format (.vdf) for effects,
as well as proDAD VitaScene and
Adorage. The general audio effects
are augmented with echo/reverb,
timestretch/resample, and tools for
audio cleaning.

Rendering and Export
While Video Pro X6 can import and
edit a variety of professional camera
formats, its export is focused on tra-
ditional le, device, and Web formats.
It exports to the standard PC-based
video editing le formats, including
AVI, WMV (HD), QuickTime and MPEG
variants to H.264.
It also transfers to digital camcord-
ers, VHS recorders and mobile devices.
And it provides disc authoring for
DVD, AVCHD and Blu-rays with menus
and chapters. For playback online,
you can upload directly to YouTube,
Vimeo, MAGIX Online Album and
showfy.com, or output as a Flash video
for a website.

Pro Video
After taking a tour of MAGIX Video
Pro X6, you can see that it stands up
well in providing many professional
video editing features and exibility at
a mid-range price. If youre stepping
up from consumer tools, youll nd
that the interface is familiar and com-
fortable but without the limitations
and restrictions.
MAGIX Video Pro X6
REVIEWS
ed basic editing mode corresponding
to Movie Edit Pro, with a drag-and-
drop storyboard interface. The full,
standard interface then provides dual
program and source preview monitors
above the timeline, with a media pool
window for accessing content and
effects and a project folder window to
stash and prepare material.
The timeline also offers a scene
overview mode for quick organiza-
tion and rearranging, and a multi-cam
mode with up to nine source tracks
and automatic audio synchronization.
You can drag and drop to arrange
content on the timeline, with options
to move and group clips across one
or all tracks. Other tools include time
stretching and gap search to nd areas
of black frames, plus a built-in title
editor with templates.
For audio, there are advanced op-
tions to automatically recognize tempo
to help you adjust video cuts to the
beat of a music track, a real-time multi-
channel mixer that supports 5.1 sur-
round sound, and a soundtrack mixer
to automatically create soundtracks for
various moods.

Effects
The media pool tabs provide access
to a wide variety of transitions and
effects. The collection also includes
design elements including collages,
backgrounds and intros/outros.
You can load, save and copy effects
as your own presets. Then add key-
frames to adjust the effect parameters
over time, or use
the effects curve
overlaying the
clip in the time-
line to adjust and
copy the anima-
tion. You also
can apply effects
masks per param-
eter to modulate
the result of the
effect based on
the intensity of
the mask.
and formats, from Ultra HD consumer
cameras to professional cameras.
Video Pro X6 stands up very well here,
with support for standard SD and
HD video formats including AVCHD
(progressive), H.264, ProRes, DNxHD,
XDCAM, NXCAM, DVCPRO and AVC-
Intra (although these last two require
an activation fee of $70).
Video Pro X6 also supports current
DSLRs, and is optimized for popular
models including the Canon EOS 5D
Mark III, Canon EOS 7D, Panasonic
LUMIX DMC-GH3, and Olympus OM-D
cameras. And it provides 3D import,
editing and export.

Editing
For getting your work done, Video
Pro X6 provides a traditional editing
interface design in a muted grey look.
To help new users, it offers a simpli-
Color correction interface
327 C5 Magix Video Pro X6.indd 18 6/24/2014 2:59:34 PM

VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
19
REVIEWS
b y Ty Au d r o n i s
$700
4K for Well Under $1K
Dell P2815Q
Ultra HD
Monitor
Dell
www.dell.com
STRENGTHS
Excellent price point
Great picture
Lightweight
Thin frame
WEAKNESSES
Low refresh rate
Software interfaces don't scale well
4
K movies have made media profes-
sionals excited over the last few
years. Now that prices have come
down on 4K cameras, and technol-
ogy has gotten better for post with a
new plethora of 4K monitors, faster
computers and better storage; its time
to step up to the plate and get ready
to add 4K movies to the average post
production workflow. But, just as it was
when the standards switched to HD
from SD, 4K movies can be a minefield
of buzzwords, resolution hedging,
poor frame rates and shallow color
space. Dell introduces their 4K moni-
tor, the 28-inch P2815Q; painstakingly
designed for post-production, and at a
relatively reasonable price. Is it a viable
monitor for the video professional?
What is 4K anyway?
Unlike HD, which is measured in
vertical lines (i.e. 1080p is 1920x1080
progressive), 4K is measured in hori-
zontal space. 4K can be anywhere from
3,800 to 4,100 pixels, going across
an image horizontally. For instance, a
GoPro HERO3: Black Edition can shoot
3840x2160 and 4096x2160, while a
RED ONE shoots at 4096x2304. Each
is technically considered 4K video, but
have a fair difference in pixel counts.
The Dell P2815Q follows the standard of
3840x2160. To Dells credit, they dont
mention 4K in any of their literature. In-
stead, Dell uses the Ultra HD moniker.
Drilling Into the Specs
Lets be fair, this is a beautiful screen.
The colors are rich, the blacks are
black and the design is great. With that
out of the way, it could be a tad better.
The 30Hz refresh rate at full resolu-
tion, and the 5ms response time can
certainly be improved. But remember,
this is a 28-inch 4K monitor priced at
well under $1,000. Contrast that with
the HP ZR2740w (2560x1440) at $900,
and its a great value. Also, that 28-inch
rating doesnt get cropped off by the
frame around the screen; its truly a 28-
inch viewable area. Great contrast
1000:1 and perfect viewing angles
170-degrees horizontal, 160-degrees
vertical wont leave you playing
musical chairs with your client for opti-
mal viewing and the anti-glare coating
doesnt affect clarity nor color.
The P1815Q is lean too. The narrow
frame will allow you to use multiple
monitors without the giant gap to tra-
verse when moving your mouse across
the desktop. There are no speakers on
the monitor. Some may wrinkle their
nose at that, but a professional would
be using powered speakers on a good
sound device not mixing using tiny
speakers on their viewing screen. Its
light at 11.4lb., so using third-party
stands for your multiple monitors
wont rip the corner off your desk.
This 4K monitor has a port for
everything: a DisplayPort, mini Dis-
playPort, HDMI (1.4), USB upstream
and four USB 3.0 ports. It even has a
DisplayPort out.
Alright, but how does it feel to
use?
Text is tiny. If you use this monitor for
writing documents, youll need glasses.
If you dont need glasses, you soon
will. Fitting that many pixels on a 28-
inch monitor results in breathtakingly
clear imagery, but reading can be prob-
327 C5 Dell P2815Q.indd 19 6/24/2014 2:52:54 PM
page 18
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
20
TECH SPECS
Display Type: LED backlit LCD (Ultra
HD / 4K)
View Size: 28"
Resolution: 3840x2160
Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
Input: HDMI 1.4, mini DisplayPort, Dis-
playPort, USB 3.0
Output: USB 3.0 (x4), DisplayPort
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Brightness: 300cd/m2 (typical)
Frequency: 30Hz
Colors Supported: 1.1 billion [1.073]
Speakers: Optional speaker bar
Stand/Mount: Included, adjustable
height /tilt/pivot
view monitor within Adobe Premiere
Pro CC in a RED project. A professional
in post-production will pick up on a
slight strobe effect when editing foot-
age at that frame rate. After about three
hours solid of editing, this author felt a
bit light-headed, so take some breaks.
Nobody should sit at a computer with-
out looking away for that long anyway.
Lets reiterate that the Dell P2815Q
has amazing color and clarity. If
youve ever been swimming and
come up, then your ears unplug
and you imagine you can hear like
never before; thats what this moni-
tor is for your eyes. Considering
the relatively low price, youll nd
yourself taking all sorts of things for
granted. Remembering having to edit
Dell P2815Q
REVIEWS
lematic. Also, your wrist will soon need
a brace. As icons and text gets smaller,
exacting pixel-accurate clicking with
your mouse will require more skill.
The color is extremely accurate
right out of the box, and the moni-
tor has all of the familiar controls
for setting it to your taste. Using a
Huey Pro color calibration device and
calibration software, barely made any
difference to the image. Although
wed suggest using such a device on
any screen, this screen seems to only
need one for adjusting the monitor for
the changing light conditions between
open windows and ofce lighting. To
which the P2815Q adjusted to the cali-
bration software commands perfectly.
The 30Hz refresh rate can be a little
odd when editing 24fps footage. We
used the 4K monitor primarily as a pre-
port CUDA. So, all the benchmarks and
scores in the world mean nothing if your
video card doesnt support the command
set your software is trying to use.
But wait. Im not a 3D artist. Wrong.
Believe it or not, if you use any post-
production software, youre using 3D
technology. Whether its for simple tran-
sitions, or highly intricate compositing,
your computer is using 3D processing
to do the heavy lifting. When you key out
that green screen and put your weather
reporter in front of a map, your com-
puter is literally putting the layer of your
reporter in front of that map in 3D space.
The better your card can accelerate
this process, the more real-time output
you can do with more layers of effects,
transitions and composites. Hence the
need for a rip-roaring video card that
can speak the same language as your
software.
So what video card is right for you if
you have $4,000-$5,000 to spend? It
completely depends on your software
needs. We can tell you this: The AMD
W9100 rips through 3D calculations like
a minigun rips through bullets obliterat-
The Dell P2815Q monitor was tested
using the AMD W9100 video card in a
Dell Precision T7600. The performance
of the W9100, in conjunction with the
P2815Q 4K monitor, was impressive.
Many effects were rendered real-time.
At times, the high-quality 4K display
was the only reminder you were push-
ing loads and loads of pixels.
Diving down into the nitty-gritty,
the W9100 represents a third of the
performance improvement over its
older brother (the D700), and roughly
$1,000 cheaper than the NVIDIA
Quadro K6000. Sounds amazing,
right? It is, but nothing is perfect.
Any software that uses CUDA to
render (rather than OpenCL) will be
left in the dust by systems running
NVIDIA chipsets. The W9100 supports
OpenCL, while NVIDIA supports both.
What is CUDA? What is OpenCL?
Simply put, command sets that video
cards parse into 3D graphics. These are
currently the two big boys on the block,
and a lot of software developers (for
instance Maya and The Foundry) that
use OpenCL, while some prefer to sup-
AMD FirePro W9100
ing lag time and giving you all the per-
formance you could hope for, provided
those 3D instructions are OpenCL.
The final Luxmark score of 1306 will
definitely make you happy. In Premiere
Pro CC, editing non-proxied RED
R3D footage was as easy and fast as
editing HD XDCAM footage. Our only
suggestion is that prior to spending
the $4,000 or saving the $1,000
over the Quadro K6000 you may
want to make sure youre optimized
for OpenCL and have no need for a
CUDA-based card.
With little performance difference
between the W9100 with 4K and
an average editing bay working with
1080p footage, this number-crunching
beast of a video card will leave you
giggling and working not
waiting for the machine
to catch up with your
creativity.
Cont i nued on page 53
327 C5 Dell P2815Q.indd 20 6/24/2014 2:52:40 PM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/30/2014 9:51:28 AM
page 20 page 21
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
22
Lets explore whats involved in
producing a high-quality video
interview session using web-based
communications systems.
Hows it done?
How can we avoid the pitfalls?
Is it even worth it?
How to Create a
Cable News-like
Interview Over
the Web
with Skype
BY PETER ZUNITCH
with the capability for rather decent
sound and picture quality. Youll also
need some type of desktop/laptop
computer for all participants. At the
time of this writing, Skype for iOS and
Android is gaining support for confer-
ence calling, so some mobile use may
be limited.
There are many programs out there
to record Skype video, but the two you
should seriously consider are Ecamm
Call Recorder for Mac, and Evaer
for PC. These two programs (both
less than $30) have the capability of
recording each side of the conversa-
tion individually, in full resolution. You
could use screen capture programs
like Camtasia or QuickTime, but you
T
he scenario is simple: we have
an interview wed like to con-
duct. The host and interviewee
are far apart from each other,
and travel of any sort isnt in the bud-
get. How should we proceed? In the
old days one might set up a satellite
feed, and with any kind of substantial
budget that would still be a possibility,
but at that point you could all but hire
a local crew to shoot it for you. What if
we could do away with all that? What
if we could use cloud services?

Hardware & Software
Well begin with Skype: the standard
Internet communications tool com-
bining free video chat functionality
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 22 6/24/2014 1:45:59 PM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
23
may nd a drop in quality. Also, post-
production may be that much more
complicated, as youll have to crop
images and take out overlays. These
programs capture the actual com-
munication streams and nothing else.
Linux users may conduct conference
call or use a screen capture program.
Congure the recorder to use side-
by-side recording with the best avail-
able codec your computer can handle
(H.264 is a good bet), and set a desired
destination folder. The presenters
do not need a copy of the recording
software on their machines. Note that
the recording programs can some-
times have strange side effects when
conferencing more than two people.
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 23 6/24/2014 1:46:11 PM page 22 page 23
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
24
with Skype, youll want to set up a pre-recording
test session with each of them. During this time,
call them on the phone and be prepared to walk
them through downloading and installing the
software. Youll then need to help with installing
the hardware. Luckily, its usually as simple as
plugging in the two USB cables, waiting and then
selecting them in the Skype audio/video prefer-
ences panels. The Skype interface is different
from Mac to PC, however, so conrm with your
speaker which computer they are using and be
intimately familiar with both.
Finally, youll need to walk them through log-
ging in and connecting the video call. To avoid po-
tential issues, all users will need to be accepted as
contacts with the host account that initiates the
call, and everyone should be on the same Skype
primary revision whenever possible. If one caller
for example has version 5.1 and the other has ver-
sion 6.1, then they will be unable to communicate
fully, but mixing 6.1 and 6.3 should be OK. Con-
sider having a few generic accounts that you can
lend out to your presenters on a temporary basis.
This will allow your presenters to skip the hassle
of registration, and has the added bonus of having
all accounts pre-added to your contacts list.
Before recording, check the general camera
framing for each side and have them adjust light-
ing as best as possible. Ideally, they should not be
sitting with a window behind them, and should
have some sort of light on their face coming from
next to or behind the camera. Dont push the
issue too much though, as youre asking your
talent to be your crew and too much fussing can
lead to resentment and grumpy presentations.
This is one time when some xing in post may
actually be preferable to live tweaking. A good tip
Using the latest version of Skype and the latest
recording program can avoid an insane amount
of issues.
In practice, its best to have each user on
a wired broadband connection. The signal
can often uctuate in quality and wireless
connections will only exacerbate the issue.
Each person should use an external webcam,
as they provide better quality that built-in
cameras and place less strain on the CPU. The
Logitech C920 is a great option as it provides
HD 1080p at $100. Youre also going to want a
USB headset, as using computer speakers can
sometimes create an unwanted echo through
the transmission, even with noise cancellation
turned on. Companies like Plantronics make a
wide variety of headsets that will t any bud-
get. Why use a USB headset over analog? You
just plug it in and it works.
Not everyone you record will understand
how to install and congure analog headsets,
and some may not have a mic input on their
computer. Wireless headsets are generally less
conspicuous but youll most likely notice a
good deal more compression on the audio.

The Setup
Without question, the hardest part of the pro-
cess is getting the call started. There are many
things that can go wrong and sometimes the
stars being aligned is the only way things end
up working. Youll need to develop extreme
remote directing and troubleshooting skills,
and be able to display an incredible amount of
patience. Often its best to create a How-to/best
practices manual to send out to each partici-
pant. If your presenters have no experience
Ecamm and Evaer
allow you to
record your Skype
calls from either
Windows or Mac
OS X.
How to Create a Cable News-like Interview
Over the Web with Skype
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 24 6/24/2014 1:46:23 PM
With JVCs 23X Zoom, your shots will take center stage.
2012 JVC. All trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective proprietors. Camera shown with optional shotgun microphone.
Innovation Without Compromise
14X
vs.
23X
Our new GY-HM600 is your ticket to amazing performances. With the new GY-HM600, JVC introduces the next
generation of handheld ProHD cameras. Light and easy to use, its equipped with a newly developed Fujinon 23X Wide Angle
(29mm667mm) Zoom lens, and delivers remarkable imagery. The GY-HM600 offers intuitive features that make it ideal for shooting
news, sports, and independent production. You can also count on superb low-light performance with excellent sensitivity (F11@ 2000
lux). Heres some other great features:
Three 1/3-inch 12-bit CMOS sensors (1920 x 1080 x 3)
Produces ready-to-edit HD or SD files in multiple file formats: .MOV (Final Cut Pro), .MP4 (XDCAM EX), AVCHD
SDXC/SDHC memory card recording (2 slots for simultaneous or relay recording)
For more information on the GY-HM600 Series, talk to the Pros at JVC. Visit pro.jvc.com
JVC-1905 HM600 7.75x10.5:JVC-1905 HM600 7.75x10.5 11/19/12 1:01 PM Page 1
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 11/19/2012 2:27:16 PM
page 24 page 25
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
26
To maximize picture, have all parties close any
non-essential programs, including email and web
browsers. Before hitting record, wait a minute or
two after the call is started as Skype can take a few
moments to warm up to its best picture quality.

The Recording
To start a conference call, control (command)
click the username of each participant in your
contacts list and click Video Call. Alternatively,
start with one and add others one at a time.
Decide who will start and conclude the
conversation, and inform all participants of the
desired approximate duration. Participants who
are only observing the conversation, and not
contributing should mute their mics before you
hit record. Give a 10 second countdown, warning
everyone that you will mute yourself somewhere
around ve (if youre not participating).
At that point, turn off your camera and audio
feed on the Skype screen and hit the record button
in the recording program. This prevents irrelevant
streams being sent to the recorder, and minimizes
extraneous noise. The recording system can take a
second or two to start after pressing the button so
make sure your host doesnt jump the gun. Unless
you see a warning message, you can be pretty sure
that the recorder is working just ne.
Consider having the host mention that the
video is being recorded via Skype. People are
used to web quality videos these days and will be
forgiving of a picture that is less-than-perfect, or
that everyone is wearing headsets if they under-
stand the context in which video was shot.
Unlike almost any other video production,
your guests should talk directly into the camera
lens whenever possible. This will give the im-
pression that they are talking to the audience as
well as the other participants. They should also
be aware that ideally they will be on screen from
is to keep the camera a little wider, and heads
a little more toward the center of the frame
than you would normally place them. You cant
adjust the cameras during recording, but this
allows you the maximum potential to re-frame
in post. Given the medium, the quality loss
caused by this will be all but irrelevant. Ideally
you want all presenters to end up proportionally
the same, but you dont have to shoot them that
way. Angle and stability of the cameras should
take precedence over lling the frame.
Inform the presenters that they should feel free
to move, but try their best not to lean back or for-
ward. This will not only make them really small or
large on the screen, but can cause the most image
breakup. Also, avoid backgrounds that move; the
less non-essential movement the better.
Troubleshooting Tips
Have everyone check for updates to all software.
If headsets arent available, have everyone turn down their speakers as low as possible and disable
the auto volume feature. Set levels manually.
Ensuring faces are lit brighter than the background help prevent color temperature fluctuations.
Black flashes on your screen dont necessarily mean black flashes up in your recording.
Lower connection quality will result in audio/video sync issues.
Sometimes restarting the call and/or connecting people in a different order can make a stubborn
video connection work.
Never assume your participants have working knowledge of their computer, let alone Skype.
Be aware that many universities and corporations have firewalls that dont allow Skype. If you run into
this issue, a service like bluejeans.com can help in an emergency.
Most comput-
ers now come
with webcams
installed, but
having one thats
detached from
your monitor
allows you more
freedom with your
camera angles.
How to Create a Cable News-like Interview Over the Web with Skype
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 26 6/24/2014 1:46:39 PM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
27
you hear dropped words or see the picture fall
below acceptable quality. If things get really bad,
consider re-establishing the call. It can help, but
its not guaranteed.
Note that the recording programs should
smartly lter out overlays (like the annoying
your mic is off icon, and notication sounds
beginning to end, so when theyre not talking
they should not do anything they dont want to
appear on camera. A casual, yet aware presenta-
tion is the best approach for an Internet-record-
ed conversation.
Be conscious during the talk that the audio
is constantly clear, and be ready to interrupt if
Additional Considerations
Google Hangouts has a built in recording system and supports up to nine callers at once, but there is
no way to disable the image from autofocusing on the current speaker.
Adobe Connect provides better remote control over the conference, but output is currently FLV only,
and you must download the stream in real-time after the recording.
Screen capture programs are great recording alternatives, but not all will recognize every chat
systems audio as a valid input.
Approach producing remote recordings as professionally as you would any other production, and
present yourself accordingly.
Time of day can be a big factor. Know your time zones and make sure everyone else does too. Try not
to schedule your recording during peak Internet usage hours.
Examine your images carefully before shooting for possible offensive or identifying material in the
background and have your talent remove it before recording.
Want to live stream your Interview? Try XSplit
Your data is the most critical
part of your professional life.
Our mission is to support
your workows with quality
products backed by an
industry-leading warranty.
For over 20 years Glyph storage solutions have been
designed for content creation workows needing speed and
capacity. The all-new Studio family is equipped with rugged
all-metal enclosures, pro-grade internal power supplies, disk
health monitoring, and intelligent cooling systems.
Every Studio series hard drive is backed by Glyphs
outrageous, industry-leading warranty and a team of tech
support professionals who know and understand your
production environments.
The original drive for professional content creators.
3 YEAR HARDWARE WARRANTY 2 YEAR LEVEL I DATA RECOVERY 1 YEAR OVERNIGHT ADVANCE REPLACEMENT
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 3/11/2014 4:19:56 PM
How to Create a Cable News-like Interview Over the Web with Skype
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 27 6/24/2014 1:46:48 PM
page 26 page 27
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
28
Peter Zunitch is an award-winning video editor in NewYork.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #17030 in the
subject line.
like other contacts logging on and off), but as a
safety measure, consider disabling such noti-
cations. Resizing the windows and accidental
screen saver interruptions should not affect the
recording, and it is okay to turn on your mic
at times to talk to your presenters, as long as
youre muted when you rst start the recording.
Recording duration will be limited strictly to
your hard drive space and codecs used.
At the end of the recording, stop the capture
system and then turn your hardware back on
to nish the calls. Its best to open the output
folder and quickly check the recording before
you let everyone go.

Post-Production
With Ecamm, the rst thing youll want to do
is open up the included Movie Tools and use
the Split Sides of Conversation, which quickly
makes a separate movie le of each presenter.
Dragging your videos into your editing timeline
at this time can be a hassle, as the frame rate is
variable; a format which disagrees with most
edit systems.
To alleviate this, convert each to a DV stream
using Compressor or something similar, adjust-
ing the frame rate to a xed standard FPS. Youll
nd that the process is incredibly accurate, and
syncing your presenters is as simple as lining up
the rst frame of each angle.
Now is the time to ne-tune framing and
color correction. Consider arranging the pre-
senters so they are angled towards one another.
Consider placing borders around the images to
hide the edges, and lling the rest of the frame
with a neutral background, lower thirds, bugs
and other relevant information. A complete look
will really make the production.
Be aware that Skypes modest frame rate and
less-than-perfect picture can be an advantage
during editing. You can sometimes hide jump
cuts, deleted frames and dissolves within the
image and average viewers will not even notice
them. If you really must make an edit, or need to
break up the monotony, feel free to go to a single
shot of a person during a long speech.
With practice, youll quickly establish two-
shot and single looks that you can quickly
switch between. Consider as well, any cutaways
that can help demonstrate the topic, as these can
cover edits in obvious places.
If your edit system supports nested sequences,
its a great help to build the single-person and
multi-person layouts in separate timelines, and
then drop them into a master timeline. This way,
making an edit means simply cutting from one
track to another.

Final Thoughts
Understand that this is not an exact system.
Results will vary and there are times when you
will simply not get a satisfactory recording.
There may even be times when you will have to
postpone your conference.
Inform all participants of these possibilities,
and have a contingency plan in place. Should a
participant have video trouble, but audio comes
through, a graphic with an image of the speaker
can go a long way to preserving clarity in com-
munication without disrupting the interview. If
possible, a backup recording system can also be
a great reassurance. Hardware screen grabbers,
though less than ideal for primary systems, are
great for backups.
Patience, knowledge and the proper prepara-
tion is key, but with experience a remote pro-
duction is not only possible, but a revolutionary
concept. It can save time, money and yield more
than satisfactory results. You should never feel
restricted by budget and distance. If you need
that specic input from a source and cant get
there any other way, jump on the Internet, set
up your chat and dive right in.
How to Create a Cable News-like Interview
Over the Web with Skype
Camtasia
allows for
selective screen
recordings.
Simply dial in the
dimensions and
place the dotted
green line around
the part of the
screen you want
to record.
327 F04 Create interview with Skype.indd 28 6/24/2014 1:46:56 PM
H5 HANDY RECORDER
Four Tracks. Evolved Recording.
zoom-na.com
2014 Zoom Corporation
EVOLVED
RECORDING
The all-new H5. Built with an interchangeable capsule system and
ultra-low noise foor. The H5 handles up to 140 dB SPL and captures
moments in near-perfect audio.
Were Zoom. And Were For Creators.
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 5/12/2014 2:03:29 PM page 28 page 29
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
30
Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow
327 F04 Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow.indd 30 6/24/2014 10:00:37 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
31
Organization and
creativity often clash in
the production process.
Sticking to these simple
philosophies will enable you
to turn around great content
without the hassle of having
to start from scratch with
every project.
BY DAVE SNIADAK
Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow
I
n life, crossing the line between idea and
action is as simple as getting started. In
a book about personal motivation, Scott
Belsky penned this brilliant philosophy,
An idea can only become a reality once it
is broken down into organized, actionable
elements. When applied to the video world,
ideas that start with organization can mean
the difference between delivering a great
video quickly and burning countless buckets
of midnight oil attempting to assemble every
piece of the puzzle in a haphazard fashion.
While organization and creativity may not
always go hand in hand, having a few assets
at your disposal can help expedite the cre-
ative process and make your video produc-
tion projects painless. Before you start your
next video project, listen to a few experts in
the production industry and consider follow-
ing a few of their simple words of wisdom.
Start a Self Assessment
In the video world, we all claim to be the ex-
pert of our own domain. Our video projects
are always better than those of our brethren,
327 F04 Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow.indd 31 6/24/2014 10:00:45 AM page 30 page 31
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
32
this way: A house is built on a foundation of con-
crete. This foundation serves as the base for all
of your supporting elements that form the home.
Much the same way, your video projects should
be structured with a solid base. Determining
what youll need to develop in the editing process
begins in the pre-production phase of your video
project.
The easiest way to do this is to create a project
template. Call it something like Project Base
and work from there. As you build up this tem-
plate for your video projects, create bins and
assign names reective of the type of content
youre working with video, music beds, audio
tracks, lower thirds, etc. Once youve done this,
save the project and then duplicate it every time
you start a new project. Be sure to do a Save
As for the new project and name it according to
your specic video project.
The most important part of the video produc-
tion process starts in pre-production, said Rob-
ert Weiss, who runs MultiVision Digital, a New
York City-based production company. Making
sure that all resources are known and what the
key message points will be. We need to essen-
tially see the video on paper rst. Going into post
with a plan makes the effort that much more
efcient.
Know When to Fold(er) Em
Having bins and folders established in your video
project will make the allocation of assets much
easier. As you import video les, graphics or im-
ages, being able to simply drag and drop them
into their respective bins will mean you or your
editor will be able to easily nd and manipulate
the content without wasting time searching for
the les one by one. That will mean, much like
Kenny Rogers advised in his song The Gambler:
Know when to walk away and know when to
run. Set yourself up for an easy exit by doing the
little things before you even shufe the deck.
All video production professionals know that
efciency is the key to effective video projects.
Naming your folders, even taking the time to
name your individual clips, means the little bit of
time invested right out of the gate has prepared
you for success once you sit down to polish your
video project.
Stock Up on Common Content
If youre in the business of turning around
web videos that share similar visuals open-
and our editing is always seamless and our
nished product is worthy of screening at the
nest lm festivals the industry has to offer,
right? Right. While this advice may not apply
to you, take a step back from your edit bay and
consider that maybe your workow isnt as
streamlined as it could be.
As you review your most recent projects, do
you nd yourself scrambling to locate video
les? Are you constantly switching between
multiple hard drives to track down content?
Are you willing to admit that maybe,
just maybe, you could use some
post-production renement before
embarking on your next creative
adventure? Admitting you have a
problem is the rst step. Doing
something to x it is the next one.
Purging Old Habits
The easiest way to solidify a
streamlined video production
process is to realize the way
you may have been doing
things in the past arent the
best way to do things in
the future. This all starts
with the way you begin
the editing process. If
youre used to simply uploading all
of your video les and other content into
one general bin within your editing software,
thats perhaps the rst place you can make a
big change. Clear visions at the outset will help
make for clean results at the nish.
Jeffrey Fitzgerald, who leads all multimedia
work for BioCentury, a biotechnology publish-
ing company in Redwood City, Cali., summed
this thinking up perfectly. My protocol is prob-
ably different in that I consider myself an ex-
periential editor, Fitzgerald said. This means
I want all of the media ingredients on hand but
still desire the freedom to let a story breathe on
its own apart from a rigid academic script.
Much the same way musicians seem to make
beautiful music, streamlining for me means
understanding what I am trying to do and what
the vision of the project is.
Building Blocks For Better Beginnings
The key is to organize all of your assets by the
type of le youre working with, while working
within a template project workow. Think of it
M
UCH THE SAM
E W
AY
M
USICIANS SEEM
TO
M
AKE BEAUTIFUL M
USIC,
STREAM
LINING FOR M
E
M
EANS UNDERSTANDING
W
HAT I AM
TRYING TO DO
AND W
HAT THE VISION OF
THE PROJECT IS.
Je
ffre
y

F
itz
g
e
ra
ld
327 F04 Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow.indd 32 6/24/2014 10:00:54 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
33
who has been involved in several notable
Hollywood projects. Some-
times it can be as small as
a special effect, or a video
clip that starts the creative
process.
Additionally, using a
graphic design program like
Illustrator or Photoshop can
help you create polished lower
thirds and title slides that can be
easily adjusted for each project.
Simply highlight the text or im-
age layer, duplicate it and adjust
with the content you need for your
existing video project. Having high-
quality lower thirds and graphics in
your video template should boost the
production quality of your video proj-
ects and leave a lasting impression with
your viewers.
ing sequences, title slides, motion effects with
interchangeable drop zones you likely know
that stock footage and template motion projects
can make your post production life much easier.
Utilizing online stock footage companies can
be a great virtual partner in delivering excellent
visuals at a decent value.
While your project budget may not allow you
to take the time to capture that breathtaking
time-lapse of the Grand Canyon, or a high speed
video of a model eating an apple in slow motion,
integrating stock footage can be the driving force
in creating memorable web videos.
As far as using motion graphics templates, the
resources you can nd online from companies
like Videohive.net can either be a stopgap in
delivering the look you need, or it can serve as
a valuable learning tool to create the visuals you
want, but werent sure how to produce.
I nd templates to be a good resource and
great source of inspiration, said Nick DiNinno,
W
E N
EED
TO

ESSEN
TIALLY SEE TH
E
VID
EO
O
N
PAPER
FIR
ST.
G
O
IN
G
IN
TO
PO
ST W
ITH

A PLAN
M
AKES TH
E
EFFO
RT TH
AT M
U
C
H

M
O
R
E EFFIC
IEN
T.
R
o
b
e
rt
W
e
is
s
FullPageAD_Template.indd 48 9/4/2008 1:53:16 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 1/7/2009 12:10:56 PM
327 F04 Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow.indd 33 6/24/2014 10:01:02 AM
page 32
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
34
Keeping Watch
Anyone whos been in the video
world longer than ve years knows
that while variety may be the spice
of life, it can wreak havoc on a
streamlined video production pro-
cess. Whether youre using ProRes,
AVCHD, HDV or XDCAM format clips,
unifying your creative process by
integrating multiple clip formats
can slow your post production
efforts to a halt if your
computer isnt
that your software is working in your
best interest.
Preset Preparation
Having your proverbial production
ducks in a row before embarking on
any video project is key to ensuring
a streamlined workow. However,
there are ways you can integrate
template-based workow solutions
into your video production. Start by
determining the look and feel you
want for your video les, then adjust
your camera settings accordingly.
Most prosumer level video cameras
allow users to save certain settings.
Whether youre looking to shoot
cinema-grade 1920x1080 at 24 fps,
or 1280x720 at 60 fps to slow things
down, being able to quickly and eas-
ily switch between video formats can
save you time on location that can
be better spent shooting, rather than
setting the production specs.
Begin With the End in Mind
If theres one thing utilizing a tem-
plate-based workow can do, its that
it makes your end-result that much
easier to deliver. Who wants to key-
frame a motion graphics element over
and over again if it can be replicated
and rened with a few simple tweaks?
Why waste a day rebuilding new title
slides and lower thirds when you can
simply change one piece of the puzzle
and export a new graphic le? These
questions, and many more, can be
solved by using template-based video
production processes. It make time
to nesse your templates and your
workow before you are operating at
maximum efciency, but youll get
there. Your video projects are sure
to benet from your streamlined ap-
proach to post production, regardless
of the format of your video les.

up to the task. In the past, you had
less than a handful of video formats
to choose from when ingesting or
exporting your content. Nowadays,
utilizing watch folders can save you
the hassle of watching your comput-
er painstakingly render your video
les into your idyllic video format.
Depending on your interpretation
of the phrase watch folders, the
term actually refers to the process of
encoding a large amount of content
into a desired video format. There
are several software options when it
comes to encoding your video les.
Compressor is the standard Apple-
based platform, while Adobes Me-
dia Encoder software plays nice on
both PC and Mac based platforms.
Encoding.com offers exceptional
resources for editors looking to
take their encoding needs into
the cloud.
When it comes to deliver-
ing the goods to your clients,
using a cloud storage site like
DropBox or Box.com allows
you to upload and deliver
the les without the hassle
of needing to protect a
video link. Dont run the risk of
having a le get out to the public
before its ready for sharing, via a
Vimeo or YouTube link, and trust
Dave Sniadak leads all creative work for a Minneapolis-
based marketing agency. He also serves as a sideline
videographer for the local NFL franchise.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17151 in the subject line.
YOUTUBE ANNOTATION TEMPLATES
If your business is producing web videos, consider building a template that
gives you a closing slide to add to your video projects that feature annotated
links to similar content. YouTube allows users to embed hyperlinks to other
videos on YouTube by simply clicking on the video timeline and adding some
information. Use your template to build a title slide or a series of lower thirds
that can be selected in the YouTube video editor. From there, select from a
drop down list of options YouTube Annotations offer. You can simply add nota-
tions to the screen, highlight certain elements within your video project, or
even have selected portions of your video be clickable to other content. The
goal with annotation is to drive views to your other video projects. If your video
production work allows you to create web videos or series that can easily be
shared, recommending other work within your existing video projects is a great
way to deliver the content viewers want without a lot of extra work.
N
ic
k

D
iN
in
n
o
I FIN
D
TEM
PLATES TO

BE A GO
O
D
RESO
URCE
AN
D
GREAT SO
URCE O
F
IN
SPIRATIO
N
. SO
M
ETIM
ES
IT CAN
BE AS SM
ALL AS
A SPECIAL EFFECT, O
R A
VID
EO
CLIP THAT STARTS
THE CREATIVE PRO
CESS.
327 F04 Secrets to Streamline Your Workflow.indd 34 6/24/2014 10:01:10 AM
Page 1
800-947-9925
212-444-5025
Fax:
212-239-7770
Store & Mail Order Hours:
Sunday 10-6 Mon.-Thurs. 9-7
Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST
Saturday Closed
We Buy, Sell and Trade
Over 300,000 products,
at your leisure.
www.BandH.com

HERO3+ Black Edition


UltraHD Sports/Helmet Camcorder
Supports 4K, 2.7K, 1440p & 1080p video
Capture up to 12MP photos at 30 fps
20% smaller & 30% longer battery life
Ultra wide angle glass lens
Camera housing waterproof to 131'
Improved wind-noise reduction
Protune is an advanced video mode
Supports both NTSC and PAL systems
Auto Low Light & SuperView video modes
Built-In Wi-Fi & Wi-Fi Remote 600'transmission range
#GOH3PBEA
HDR-FX7
3 CMOS HDV Camcorder
3 1/4" CMOS, 16:9, ClearVID technology sensors
Carl Zeiss 20x Vario-Sonnar T Lens
High-Definition 1080i recording
Super SteadyShot optical stabilization
Expanded focus assist
3.5" LCD screen & Color viewfinder
Zoom and focus rings
Focus and zoom precision controls
Built-in & 1/16 ND Filters
HDMI, Microphone, Headphone, & LANC connectivity
#SOHDRFX7
HDR-AS100V
POV Action Cam
Record up to 1080 60p (50 Mbps) video
XAVC S HD 1080p recording
1/2.3Back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor
Built-In GPS & Wi-Fi connectivity
One-Touch NFC smartphone pairing
Micro SD/SDHC Memory Stick Micro
Included housing is waterproof to 16.4
Wide Zeiss Tessar lens SteadyShot image stabilization
Interval still recording Smartphone, or optional Live-View remote (RM-LVR1)
24p high-speed 120 fps and 240 fps shooting with sound.
#SOHDRAS100V
HDR-TD30V
3D Flash Memory HD Camcorder
Dual 1/3.91 back-illuminated
Exmor-R CMOS sensors
Record to SD/SDHC/SDXC
MS PRO-HG Duo & XC-HG media
1920 x 1080 Full HD 24p/60p video
Sony G series wide 10x 17x extended zoom lens
3.5" (16:9) LCD screen & Color viewfinder
5.1-ch recording Optical image stabilizer with Active mode
Watch 3D on 3.5" (16:9) LCD without special glasses
Built-in GPS Microphone & headphone input
#SOHDRTD30VB
VIXIA HF G30
HD Flash memory Camcorder
Full HD 1920 x 1080p Recording at 60 fps
Canon 2.91MP 1/2.84 HD CMOS Pro Sensor
Canon 20x HD Video Lens (3.67 - 73.4mm)
Record in MP4 (35Mbps) or AVCHD
(28Mbps) Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC
Memory Card Slots Built-in
Wi-Fi & Free Movie Uploader App
OLED 3.5 touch Panel display &
joystick Color 0.24 Viewfinder
Optical Image Stabilization
#CAHFG30
GC-PX100
HD Everio Camcorder
HD 1920 x 1080p recording
SC/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot
3" touch panel LCD
1/2.3 back-illuminated
12.8 MP CMOS sensor
29.4mm f1.2 wide angle lens
Optical image stabilizer with A.I.S.
10x optical zoom & 16x dynamic zoom
Supports shooting speeds up to 600 fps Built-in Wi-Fi
Capture still images in bursts of nine frames a second
#JVGCPX100
HC-X920
3 CMOS Flash Memory HD Camcorder
3x 1/2" back-illuminated CMOS sensors
12x optical, 25x advanced Leica Dicomar
lens (f/1.5 maximum aperture)
Record to SD/SDHC/SDXC media
Remote WiFi mobile device
tether plus Ustream sharing
Manual controls
3.5" (16:9) LCD screen & color viewfinder
3D recording capable with optional Panasonic VW-CLT2 3D lens
Optical image stabilizer Microphone & headphone input
#PAHCX920K
HDR-CX900
HD 1" Sensor Camcorder
1 Exmor R CMOS sensor
XAVC S 1920x1080 60P, 30P,
24P / AVCHD 1920x1080 60,
30, 24p, 1440x1080/60i;
and MP4 1280x720 30p
video recording resolution
BIONZ X processor / high speed 120fps
Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* Lens 12x optical zoom & 24x clear image zoom
0.39 OLED EVF / 3.5 XtraFine LCD Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
#SOHDRCX900B
HXR-NX30
Compact HD Camcorder
Shoots AVCHD Up to
1080/60p at 24Mbps
Balanced Optical SteadyShot
Equipped with Dual XLR Inputs
Built-In 96GB Flash Memory Capacity
Pro Audio Control & Level Adjustment
Built-In Projector & 3.5" LCD Monitor
Built-In Stereo Shotgun Microphone
Super-Wide Carl Zeiss 10x Optical Lens
Features SD or Memory Stick Card Slot
#SOHXRNX30U
Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter
with Integrated FPV Camera
14 MP stills and 1080p video
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi Downlink
for Smartphones
Smartphone mounts to
controller for FPV
iOS/Android App for monitoring/control
Phantom 2 Vision+ Quadcopter
with Gimbal-Stabilized Camera
14MP, 1080P Camera stabilized & controlled
with an integrated 3-Axis Gimbal
Phantom 2 Vision #DJPV..................... Phantom 2 Vision+ #DJP2VP ..............
20
Mega
Pixels
20
Mega
Pixels
12
Mega
Pixels
12
Mega
Pixels
20
Mega
Pixels
VIXIA Mini X
HD Camcorder
Record 1920 x 1080p resolution
High-sensitivity 12.8MP CMOS sensor
Records HD MP4 (30p/24p) or AVCHD (60i) format
SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot
Built-In Wi-Fi & live streaming function
2.7 variable-angle LCD
Ext microphone input & headphone output
Records linear PCM 16-bit at 48 kHz audio
Records slow or fast motion or interval recording
Canon wide & close-Up f/2.8 fisheye lens
Black #CAVMINIXB 12
Mega
Pixels
HC-V750
WiFi HD Camcorder
1/2.3", 12.76Mp BSI MOS sensor
Crystal Engine Pro+ image processor
5 Axis hybrid optical
imaging stabilization
Advanced level shot function
Optical 20x, intelligent 50X zoom
Records HD 1920 x 1080 at 120 fps
Remote live-view and filming
via Panasonic image App
Home/baby monitoring via Wi-Fi to Smartphone or tablet
#PAHCV750B 12
Mega
Pixels
13
Mega
Pixels
Phantom 2
Vision+
Phantom 2
Vision
Videomaker 08-14 JN140450.indd 1 6/24/14 1:21 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 35 6/24/2014 10:51:11 AM
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
Prices, specifcations, and images are subject to change without notice. Manufacturer rebates are subject to the terms and conditions (including expiration dates) printed on the manufacturers rebate forms. Not responsible for typographical or illustrative errors. 2000-2014 B & H Foto & Electronics Corp.
Page 2
When in New York,
Visit our SuperStore
420 Ninth Ave.
Corner of 34th Street
New York, N.Y. 10001
Over 70,000 square feet
of the latest gear
The most knowledgeable
Sales Professionals
Hands-on demos
Convenient free parking
available
BandH.com/catalog
212-444-6633
HXR-NX5U
3-CMOS NXCAM Flash Memory Camcorder
Three 1/3 Exmor CMOS sensors, with a ClearVid array
Capture uses Memory Stick PRO Duo /
SDHC Cards, with relay record
capability (optional HXR-FMU128
flash memory unit)
20x wide G series lens
HD-SDI & HDMI output, SMPTE
Time Code in/out, Dual XLR inputs
Built-in GPS system
3.2 Xtra Fine LCD
#SOHXRNX5U
XF100 / XF105
HD Professional CF Camcorders
1/3" CMOS 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor
Dual CF card slots
50Mbps MPEG-2 recording
Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 color sampling
60p/60i, 30p, 24p MXF File Format
10x HD zoom lens
3.5" 920K dot LCD monitor
Stereoscopic 3-D recording capabilities
Dual XLR inputs Waveform Monitor
XF105 Step-up Features: HD/SD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, Genlock
#CAXF100 .......................... $2,499.00 #CAXF105 ..........................$2,999.00
AG-AC90
AVCCAM Handheld Camcorder
Three 1/4.7" HD 2.19MP CMOS back
illuminated sensors 1920x1080 native with
variable 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p frame rates
Five-Axis optical image stabilization
Dual SD Memory Card Slots
12x zoom (f/1.5) and 25x digital zoom lens
3.5" LCD screen & LCOS color viewfinder
Six scene presets, and seven programmable user buttons
Interval Record, Pre-Record, Record Check, Last Clip Delete
AVCCAM HD Recording Modes Two-Channel XLR Audio Inputs
#PAAGAC90
XA10
Professional HD Solid State Camcorder
64GB Internal and Dual SDHC/SDXC
card slots with relay recording
1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor
Canon 10x HD Video Lens
8-Blade Iris and Manual Focus Ring
DIGIC DV III Image Processor
24Mbps Recording (AVCHD)
3.5" High-resolution touch panel
LCD and EVF
Dual XLR terminals
#CAXA10 ........................... $1,499.00
NEX-EA50UH
HD Shoulder Mount Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor (AVCHD /
MPEG2-SD) Add lenses without
being locked on a lens brand or lens mount
Supplied 18-200 servo power zoom
E-mount interchangeable lens system
Use Alpha A-mount lenses with
15point phase detection AF
Mechanical shutter Still Picture
3.5LCD Panel Records on media card and FMU128 Simultaneously
Record onto Memory Stick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXR-FMU128 (Optional)
#SONEXEA50UH
AG-AC130A / AG-AC160A
3-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders
3x 1/3, 2.2 MP CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp
22x optical zoom lens
1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60
Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
AVCHD & DV recording (SD) modes
AG-AC160A Step-up Features:
HD-SDI & LPCM audio recording
59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable
Slow/quick motion recording mode
#PAAGAC130A .................................... #PAAGAC160A ....................................
AG-HPX250 / AG-HPX255
3-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders
3x 1/3, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp
22x optical zoom lens
HD-SDI & HDMI output
59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable
Slow/quick motion recording mode
P2 card and DVCPRO mode recording
1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60
Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris
AG-HPX255 Step-up Features:
Remote terminal for studio control
#PAAGHPX250 .................................... #PAAGHPX255 ....................................
PMW-100
XDCAM HD422 Handheld Camcorder
1/2.9" CMOS Sensor (1920 x 1080)
XDCAM 422 MPEG-2 Codec at 50 Mb/s
10x Zoom Lens - 40-400mm
(35mm Equiv)
3.5" LCD Screen (852 x 480 Pixels)
HD-SDI & HDMI Outputs
Dual XLR Inputs / Timecode
& Genlock I/O DVCAM Recording
Dual ExpressCard SxS Card Slots
Compatible with XDCAM Disc & EX Formats
#SOPMW100
XA20 / XA25
Professional HD Camcorder
1/2.84 HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary color filter
20x HD Zoom Lens 2 x SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
with relay and dual recording
Canon Digic DV 4 image processor
Built-in Wi-Fi technology with FTP transfer
capability Optical image stabilization
3.5 LCD screen and color viewfinder
2 phantom-powered XLR audio inputs
Native 24p and slow- and fast motion recording
XA25 Step-up Features: HD/SD-SDI output Pre-record 3-sec. buffer
#CAXA20 ........................... $1,999.00 #CAXA25 ........................... $2,499.00
GY-HM600 / GY-HM650
ProHD ENG Camcorder
Three 1/3 (1920 x 1080)
12-Bit CMOS sensors
Dual SDXC/SDHC card slots,
dual-backup, continuous recording
MPEG-2 / AVCHD / H.264 Recording
23x Fujinon wide zoom lens
F11 Sensitivity Optical image stabilizer
3.5 LCD screen with focus assist HD-SDI and HDMI connections
GY-HM650 Step-up Features: WiFi with Apps for iOS/Android, Live
transmission (streaming), Secure FTP File upload via WiFi
#JVGYHM600U .................................... #JVGYHM650U ....................................
GY-HM70U
Shoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder
1/2.3" 12Mp CMOS image sensor 3" touch screen LCD and LCOS EVF
3.76-37.6mm f/1.2-2.8 JVC HD GT lens Optical image stabilization
10x optical zoom, 16x dynamic zoom
Records 28Mbps AVCHD 1080/60p
Dual snap-on battery system
enable hot swapping
Two SD/SDHC/SDXC
memory card slots
High frame rate, up to
300fps recording
#JVGYHM70U
FDR-AX100
4K Ultra HD Camcorder
1" Exmor R CMOS sensor
with direct pixel readout
XAVC S, AVCHD, and
MP4 recording options
4K ultra HD video at 30 fps
Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* Lens
0.39" OLED EVF
3.5" XtraFine LCD
Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Optical image stabilization
#SOFDRAX100
AG-AC160A
15
Mega
Pixels
12
Mega
Pixels
Videomaker 08-14 JN140450.indd 2 5/22/14 4:34 PM
NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer General Lic. #0907906
Page 3
800-947-9925
212-444-5025
Fax:
212-239-7770
Store & Mail Order Hours:
Sunday 10-6 Mon.-Thurs. 9-7
Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST
Saturday Closed
We Buy, Sell and Trade
Over 300,000 products,
at your leisure.
www.BandH.com
XF300 / XF305
3 CMOS Solid State HD Camcorder
Record HD 1080/720 onto
Compact Flash cards
50Mbps MPEG-2 4:2:2 recording
3 1/3" 2.37Mp CMOS sensors
18x Canon HD L series lens
DIGIC DV III image processor
4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor
1.55 Mp Color EVF
Over and under crank
XF305 Step-up Features: HD-SDI Output, Genlock & SMPTE Time Code
#CAXF300 ..........................$4,999.00 #CAXF305 .......................... $5,999.00
EOS C100
EF Cinema Camcorder
Super 35mm 8.3MP CMOS sensor
Canon EF mount with EF contacts
Dual SDHC/SDXC memory card slots
Exceptional low light sensitivity
and wide dynamic range
Dual XLR audio connectors
DIGIC DV III image processor
Full manual control and focusing aids
Multiple recording modes and frame rates
High resolution EVF and integrated LCD screen
#CAC100EF
AG-AF100A
Digital Cinema Camera
Large 4/3-type MOS sensor
Micro four thirds lens mount
Uses still & cinema lenses
Two SDHC/SDXC memory card
slots(Relay Recording)
AVCCAM Recording
1080i/p, 720p variable
frame rates
Optical low-pass filter
HD-SDI, HDMI output, Dual XLR
#PAAGAF100A
FDR-AX1/PXW-Z100
Digital 4K Camcorder
1/2.3" back-illuminated Exmor R
CMOS Sensor 3.5" LCD screen
Dual XQD Memory Card slot
Records 4K video resolutions
(Up to 3840x2160 60P/50P)
20x Sony G-Series zoom lens
Records in 2K and 4K: 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p
Video format XAVC S format, MPEG4-AVC/H264 XLR audio Input
PXW-Z100 Step-up Features: 4K XAVC Intra 422 MXF
3G-SDI Slow & Quick Wi-Fi Remote
#SOFDRAX1 ..........................$4,499.00 #SOPXWZ100 .......................$5,499.00
NEX-VG30
Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder and Lens
16.1MP Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor
Includes E-mount f/3.5-6.3 18-200mm
OSS zoom lens A-Mount capable
with optional A-mount lens adapter
XGA OLED electronic viewfinder
Direct power zoom with
variable zoom speed control
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
Comprehensive manual controls expanded focus, zebra, and peaking
Quad Capsule Spatial Array Surround mic (5.1 channel) Mic/Headphone jacks
#SONEXVG30H
NEX-VG900
35mm Full-Frame Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
24.3MP full-frame 35mm Exmor CMOS HD sensor
E-Mount, and A-Mount with includes
LA-EA3 A-mount lens adapter
1080/60i/60p/24p Quad capsule
microphone with XLR option
Tru-Finder OLED viewfinder
with eye sensor 3.0" LCD screen
Uncompressed 1080 HDMI Output
Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC
Cinematone Gamma with comprehensive manual control
#SONEXVG900

Pocket Cinema Camera
Active Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount
Super 16mm Sized Image Sensor
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) at 220 Mbps
3.5 LCD with 800x480 Resolution
Uses SDXC and SDHC Memory Cards
EN-EL20 Compatible Rechargeable Battery
HDMI, LANC, 3.5mm Audio Input and Output
Records Full HD 1920x1080 CinemaDNG RAW
Portable Design (5" Long & 12.5 oz) 13 Stops of Dynamic Range
#BLPKCINECAM
EOS C300
Cinema EOS/PL Camcorder Body
Super 35mm CMOS sensor
Dual CF card slots
Multiple recording formats
HD-SDI, HDMI, XLR audio
Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
Timecode I/O, Genlock in & Sync out
50 Mbps MPEG-2 EF or PL lens mount
Canon XF Codec - 4:2:2 color sampling
High-resolution VF and 4", 1.23 MP LCD
High-Speed, Slow-Motion, Time-Lapse and Stop-Motion
#CAC300EF........................................... #CAC300PL ..........................................
PMW-300
3 CMOS XDCAM HD Camcorder
3x 1/2" Exmor HD CMOS sensors
14x Fujinon HD Series lens
50Mb/s HD recording at MPEG HD422
Interchangeable EX lens mount
HD-SD/SDI and HDMI outputs
Record to SxS, SD, Memory Stick,
& XQD cards Semi-shoulder style
camcorder 3.5" color LCD viewfinder
Advanced signal processing
Timecode and genlock interfaces Optional wireless adapter
#SOPMW300K1 ................. $7,999.00
PMW-F5 / PMW-F55
CineAlta Digital Cinema Cameras
8.9MP Super 35mm CMOS Image Sensor
2K and HD Recording
Highly Modular Design
SxS Pro+ media cards
Dynamic Range Rated at 14 Stops
Native FZ-Mount and PL-Mount Adapter
Olivine Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries
Optional AXS-R5 docking recorder enables
4K and 2K resolution video recording in 16-bit RAW
PMW-F55 Step-up Features: 4K /2K /HD Recording
#SOPMWF5 ...................... $16,490.00 #SOPMWF55 ....................$28,990.00
PMW-200
XDCAM HD422 Camcorder
Three 1/2" Exmor CMOS sensors
MPEG HD422 at 50 Mbps recording
HD422 1080p at 24 & 30 fps HD422
720p at 24, 30 & 60 fps Fujinon
14x zoom (servo/manual) lens
Dual SxS memory card slots
Four Channels of 16-bit audio
Supports MXF and XDCAM EX
workflows Articulated 3.5" LCD screen
Timecode & Genlock input Cache recording Up to 15 seconds
#SOPMW200 .....................$6,299.00
Cinema 2.5K / Production 4K
Cinema Interchangable Lens Cameras with EF Mount
Canon EF and Zeiss ZE mount compatible lens mount
2.5K image sensor 12-bit RAW, ProRes,
DNxHD, and CinemaDNG RAW formats
Super wide dynamic range 5" display size
Variable frame rate recording
Records to removable 5 SSD drives
SDI video output and Thunderbolt Port
Includes DaVinci Resolve and UltraScope
Uncompressed and compressed recording
Production 4K Step-up Features: 4K super 35mm sensor
#BLCINECAM....................................... #BLPRODCAM4K .................................
16
Mega
Pixels
Lens not included
Lens not included
Lens not
included
Lens not
included
24
Mega
Pixels
Lens not included
Lens not included
Videomaker 08-14 JN140450.indd 3 5/22/14 4:33 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 36 6/24/2014 9:24:43 AM
Prices, specifcations, and images are subject to change without notice. Manufacturer rebates are subject to the terms and conditions (including expiration dates) printed on the manufacturers rebate forms. Not responsible for typographical or illustrative errors. 2000-2014 B & H Foto & Electronics Corp.
Page 2
When in New York,
Visit our SuperStore
420 Ninth Ave.
Corner of 34th Street
New York, N.Y. 10001
Over 70,000 square feet
of the latest gear
The most knowledgeable
Sales Professionals
Hands-on demos
Convenient free parking
available
BandH.com/catalog
212-444-6633
HXR-NX5U
3-CMOS NXCAM Flash Memory Camcorder
Three 1/3 Exmor CMOS sensors, with a ClearVid array
Capture uses Memory Stick PRO Duo /
SDHC Cards, with relay record
capability (optional HXR-FMU128
flash memory unit)
20x wide G series lens
HD-SDI & HDMI output, SMPTE
Time Code in/out, Dual XLR inputs
Built-in GPS system
3.2 Xtra Fine LCD
#SOHXRNX5U
XF100 / XF105
HD Professional CF Camcorders
1/3" CMOS 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor
Dual CF card slots
50Mbps MPEG-2 recording
Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 color sampling
60p/60i, 30p, 24p MXF File Format
10x HD zoom lens
3.5" 920K dot LCD monitor
Stereoscopic 3-D recording capabilities
Dual XLR inputs Waveform Monitor
XF105 Step-up Features: HD/SD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, Genlock
#CAXF100 .......................... $2,499.00 #CAXF105 ..........................$2,999.00
AG-AC90
AVCCAM Handheld Camcorder
Three 1/4.7" HD 2.19MP CMOS back
illuminated sensors 1920x1080 native with
variable 60p, 60i, 30p and 24p frame rates
Five-Axis optical image stabilization
Dual SD Memory Card Slots
12x zoom (f/1.5) and 25x digital zoom lens
3.5" LCD screen & LCOS color viewfinder
Six scene presets, and seven programmable user buttons
Interval Record, Pre-Record, Record Check, Last Clip Delete
AVCCAM HD Recording Modes Two-Channel XLR Audio Inputs
#PAAGAC90
XA10
Professional HD Solid State Camcorder
64GB Internal and Dual SDHC/SDXC
card slots with relay recording
1920 x 1080 CMOS Image Sensor
Canon 10x HD Video Lens
8-Blade Iris and Manual Focus Ring
DIGIC DV III Image Processor
24Mbps Recording (AVCHD)
3.5" High-resolution touch panel
LCD and EVF
Dual XLR terminals
#CAXA10 ........................... $1,499.00
NEX-EA50UH
HD Shoulder Mount Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor (AVCHD /
MPEG2-SD) Add lenses without
being locked on a lens brand or lens mount
Supplied 18-200 servo power zoom
E-mount interchangeable lens system
Use Alpha A-mount lenses with
15point phase detection AF
Mechanical shutter Still Picture
3.5LCD Panel Records on media card and FMU128 Simultaneously
Record onto Memory Stick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXR-FMU128 (Optional)
#SONEXEA50UH
AG-AC130A / AG-AC160A
3-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders
3x 1/3, 2.2 MP CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp
22x optical zoom lens
1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60
Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris
Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
AVCHD & DV recording (SD) modes
AG-AC160A Step-up Features:
HD-SDI & LPCM audio recording
59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable
Slow/quick motion recording mode
#PAAGAC130A .................................... #PAAGAC160A ....................................
AG-HPX250 / AG-HPX255
3-MOS HD Handheld Camcorders
3x 1/3, 2.2 Mp CMOS sensor - 18-bit dsp
22x optical zoom lens
HD-SDI & HDMI output
59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable
Slow/quick motion recording mode
P2 card and DVCPRO mode recording
1080p 1080i 60/p30/p24 & 720p60
Three rings; Manual Zoom, Focus & Iris
AG-HPX255 Step-up Features:
Remote terminal for studio control
#PAAGHPX250 .................................... #PAAGHPX255 ....................................
PMW-100
XDCAM HD422 Handheld Camcorder
1/2.9" CMOS Sensor (1920 x 1080)
XDCAM 422 MPEG-2 Codec at 50 Mb/s
10x Zoom Lens - 40-400mm
(35mm Equiv)
3.5" LCD Screen (852 x 480 Pixels)
HD-SDI & HDMI Outputs
Dual XLR Inputs / Timecode
& Genlock I/O DVCAM Recording
Dual ExpressCard SxS Card Slots
Compatible with XDCAM Disc & EX Formats
#SOPMW100
XA20 / XA25
Professional HD Camcorder
1/2.84 HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary color filter
20x HD Zoom Lens 2 x SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots
with relay and dual recording
Canon Digic DV 4 image processor
Built-in Wi-Fi technology with FTP transfer
capability Optical image stabilization
3.5 LCD screen and color viewfinder
2 phantom-powered XLR audio inputs
Native 24p and slow- and fast motion recording
XA25 Step-up Features: HD/SD-SDI output Pre-record 3-sec. buffer
#CAXA20 ........................... $1,999.00 #CAXA25 ........................... $2,499.00
GY-HM600 / GY-HM650
ProHD ENG Camcorder
Three 1/3 (1920 x 1080)
12-Bit CMOS sensors
Dual SDXC/SDHC card slots,
dual-backup, continuous recording
MPEG-2 / AVCHD / H.264 Recording
23x Fujinon wide zoom lens
F11 Sensitivity Optical image stabilizer
3.5 LCD screen with focus assist HD-SDI and HDMI connections
GY-HM650 Step-up Features: WiFi with Apps for iOS/Android, Live
transmission (streaming), Secure FTP File upload via WiFi
#JVGYHM600U .................................... #JVGYHM650U ....................................
GY-HM70U
Shoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder
1/2.3" 12Mp CMOS image sensor 3" touch screen LCD and LCOS EVF
3.76-37.6mm f/1.2-2.8 JVC HD GT lens Optical image stabilization
10x optical zoom, 16x dynamic zoom
Records 28Mbps AVCHD 1080/60p
Dual snap-on battery system
enable hot swapping
Two SD/SDHC/SDXC
memory card slots
High frame rate, up to
300fps recording
#JVGYHM70U
FDR-AX100
4K Ultra HD Camcorder
1" Exmor R CMOS sensor
with direct pixel readout
XAVC S, AVCHD, and
MP4 recording options
4K ultra HD video at 30 fps
Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* Lens
0.39" OLED EVF
3.5" XtraFine LCD
Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Optical image stabilization
#SOFDRAX100
AG-AC160A
15
Mega
Pixels
12
Mega
Pixels
Videomaker 08-14 JN140450.indd 2 5/22/14 4:34 PM
NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer General Lic. #0907906
Page 3
800-947-9925
212-444-5025
Fax:
212-239-7770
Store & Mail Order Hours:
Sunday 10-6 Mon.-Thurs. 9-7
Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST
Saturday Closed
We Buy, Sell and Trade
Over 300,000 products,
at your leisure.
www.BandH.com
XF300 / XF305
3 CMOS Solid State HD Camcorder
Record HD 1080/720 onto
Compact Flash cards
50Mbps MPEG-2 4:2:2 recording
3 1/3" 2.37Mp CMOS sensors
18x Canon HD L series lens
DIGIC DV III image processor
4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor
1.55 Mp Color EVF
Over and under crank
XF305 Step-up Features: HD-SDI Output, Genlock & SMPTE Time Code
#CAXF300 ..........................$4,999.00 #CAXF305 .......................... $5,999.00
EOS C100
EF Cinema Camcorder
Super 35mm 8.3MP CMOS sensor
Canon EF mount with EF contacts
Dual SDHC/SDXC memory card slots
Exceptional low light sensitivity
and wide dynamic range
Dual XLR audio connectors
DIGIC DV III image processor
Full manual control and focusing aids
Multiple recording modes and frame rates
High resolution EVF and integrated LCD screen
#CAC100EF
AG-AF100A
Digital Cinema Camera
Large 4/3-type MOS sensor
Micro four thirds lens mount
Uses still & cinema lenses
Two SDHC/SDXC memory card
slots(Relay Recording)
AVCCAM Recording
1080i/p, 720p variable
frame rates
Optical low-pass filter
HD-SDI, HDMI output, Dual XLR
#PAAGAF100A
FDR-AX1/PXW-Z100
Digital 4K Camcorder
1/2.3" back-illuminated Exmor R
CMOS Sensor 3.5" LCD screen
Dual XQD Memory Card slot
Records 4K video resolutions
(Up to 3840x2160 60P/50P)
20x Sony G-Series zoom lens
Records in 2K and 4K: 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p
Video format XAVC S format, MPEG4-AVC/H264 XLR audio Input
PXW-Z100 Step-up Features: 4K XAVC Intra 422 MXF
3G-SDI Slow & Quick Wi-Fi Remote
#SOFDRAX1 ..........................$4,499.00 #SOPXWZ100 .......................$5,499.00
NEX-VG30
Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder and Lens
16.1MP Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor
Includes E-mount f/3.5-6.3 18-200mm
OSS zoom lens A-Mount capable
with optional A-mount lens adapter
XGA OLED electronic viewfinder
Direct power zoom with
variable zoom speed control
Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
Comprehensive manual controls expanded focus, zebra, and peaking
Quad Capsule Spatial Array Surround mic (5.1 channel) Mic/Headphone jacks
#SONEXVG30H
NEX-VG900
35mm Full-Frame Interchangeable Lens Camcorder
24.3MP full-frame 35mm Exmor CMOS HD sensor
E-Mount, and A-Mount with includes
LA-EA3 A-mount lens adapter
1080/60i/60p/24p Quad capsule
microphone with XLR option
Tru-Finder OLED viewfinder
with eye sensor 3.0" LCD screen
Uncompressed 1080 HDMI Output
Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC
Cinematone Gamma with comprehensive manual control
#SONEXVG900

Pocket Cinema Camera
Active Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount
Super 16mm Sized Image Sensor
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) at 220 Mbps
3.5 LCD with 800x480 Resolution
Uses SDXC and SDHC Memory Cards
EN-EL20 Compatible Rechargeable Battery
HDMI, LANC, 3.5mm Audio Input and Output
Records Full HD 1920x1080 CinemaDNG RAW
Portable Design (5" Long & 12.5 oz) 13 Stops of Dynamic Range
#BLPKCINECAM
EOS C300
Cinema EOS/PL Camcorder Body
Super 35mm CMOS sensor
Dual CF card slots
Multiple recording formats
HD-SDI, HDMI, XLR audio
Canon DIGIC DV III image processor
Timecode I/O, Genlock in & Sync out
50 Mbps MPEG-2 EF or PL lens mount
Canon XF Codec - 4:2:2 color sampling
High-resolution VF and 4", 1.23 MP LCD
High-Speed, Slow-Motion, Time-Lapse and Stop-Motion
#CAC300EF........................................... #CAC300PL ..........................................
PMW-300
3 CMOS XDCAM HD Camcorder
3x 1/2" Exmor HD CMOS sensors
14x Fujinon HD Series lens
50Mb/s HD recording at MPEG HD422
Interchangeable EX lens mount
HD-SD/SDI and HDMI outputs
Record to SxS, SD, Memory Stick,
& XQD cards Semi-shoulder style
camcorder 3.5" color LCD viewfinder
Advanced signal processing
Timecode and genlock interfaces Optional wireless adapter
#SOPMW300K1 ................. $7,999.00
PMW-F5 / PMW-F55
CineAlta Digital Cinema Cameras
8.9MP Super 35mm CMOS Image Sensor
2K and HD Recording
Highly Modular Design
SxS Pro+ media cards
Dynamic Range Rated at 14 Stops
Native FZ-Mount and PL-Mount Adapter
Olivine Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries
Optional AXS-R5 docking recorder enables
4K and 2K resolution video recording in 16-bit RAW
PMW-F55 Step-up Features: 4K /2K /HD Recording
#SOPMWF5 ...................... $16,490.00 #SOPMWF55 ....................$28,990.00
PMW-200
XDCAM HD422 Camcorder
Three 1/2" Exmor CMOS sensors
MPEG HD422 at 50 Mbps recording
HD422 1080p at 24 & 30 fps HD422
720p at 24, 30 & 60 fps Fujinon
14x zoom (servo/manual) lens
Dual SxS memory card slots
Four Channels of 16-bit audio
Supports MXF and XDCAM EX
workflows Articulated 3.5" LCD screen
Timecode & Genlock input Cache recording Up to 15 seconds
#SOPMW200 .....................$6,299.00
Cinema 2.5K / Production 4K
Cinema Interchangable Lens Cameras with EF Mount
Canon EF and Zeiss ZE mount compatible lens mount
2.5K image sensor 12-bit RAW, ProRes,
DNxHD, and CinemaDNG RAW formats
Super wide dynamic range 5" display size
Variable frame rate recording
Records to removable 5 SSD drives
SDI video output and Thunderbolt Port
Includes DaVinci Resolve and UltraScope
Uncompressed and compressed recording
Production 4K Step-up Features: 4K super 35mm sensor
#BLCINECAM....................................... #BLPRODCAM4K .................................
16
Mega
Pixels
Lens not included
Lens not included
Lens not
included
Lens not
included
24
Mega
Pixels
Lens not included
Lens not included
Videomaker 09-14 JN140537.indd 3 6/24/14 5:21 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 37 6/25/2014 2:26:20 PM
page 32 page 37
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
38
Increase YouTube Visibility
With Channel Collaborations
BY MORGAN PAAR
B
efore the appearance of the Internet and,
more specically, the birth of the social
video-sharing website YouTube in 2005,
building an audience for even a single lm was a
monumental endeavor. Now video producers can
start to build an audience with the clicks of a few
computer keys. And for those who want to invest
a bit more time and effort, collaboration can
earn you many more active audience members.
YouTube has implemented many ways to
connect with like-minded media consumers and
creators of the moving image worldwide in their
nine-year existence, but cross-promotion & col-
laboration may be one of the best tools yet. Let
us show you how you can grow your audience in
ways you may never have thought possible.
Subscribers
On its most basic level, YouTube makes it easy
for lmmakers to reach people interested in
watching the types of videos they are producing.
For example, if a lmmaker made a four-minute
video about an organic, permaculture chocolate
farm in Panama, tags would be added upon up-
load such as organic, permaculture, choco-
late, Panama, Central America, etc. This
way, anyone searching for any of these topics
would have an easier time nding this video.
However, we need to go one step further. The
foundation upon which you will build a large fan
base starts with subscribers, not just viewers. You
may have watched videos where the creator im-
plores you to Like the video and Subscribe to
their channel. Having large view and like counts
are important, but a large number of subscribers
opens all new doors.
Niche
Many will subscribe to your channel if they like
the vein of your work. Keep this in mind when
uploading videos. You probably want to keep
your channel to a specic niche. For example,
your travel video channel should not be lled
with videos of your nephews and nieces or your
best video game results. Put those clips on an-
other channel. Stay specic and fans will want to
see what your next production by subscribing to
your channel.
Like-Minded Creators
It gets deeper. YouTube is now encouraging more
advanced users to think beyond the concept of
Phil Wang
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Panasonic
GoPro
Devin
Graham
Wheezywaiter
Stephen
Anderson
Miranda
Sings
Taylor
Davis
Penatonix
Assasins
Creed
Halo
Nathan
Moore
Wayne
Brady
Ryan
Higa
DeStorm
Videomaker
Gardiner
Sisters
Chris Romrell
Robert Bennett
CBR Stunt team
Lindsey
Stirling
Freddie Wong
Lana
McKissack
Peter
Hollens
William
Joseph
327 F12 YouTube Collaboration.indd 38 6/25/2014 11:14:06 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
39
Increase YouTube Visibility
With Channel Collaborations
Chances are, if youre fortunate enough to have
participated in one, you learned a very important
lesson on your very first day of any video
production class: Know your audience.
Collaborating takes time, its not just a click of
a button. You will need to foster relationships,
plan events with your collaborators and execute
them. Lets look at a few ways that YouTube sug-
gests you take advantage of collaboration.
Demographics
Demographic is dened as the statistical data
of a population, according to Dictionary.com.
In simpler words, what type of people are, or
should be, watching our videos? If were shoot-
ing GoPro footage of base-jumping or whitewater
kayaking off of 20-foot waterfalls, are we inter-
ested in spending a lot of time trying to part-
ner with producers who make video for senior
citizens or nomadic goat herders in the Sahara
Desert? Probably not. Identify and understand
your audience.
Guest-star
Organize an appearance in your collabora-
tors video and vice-versa. If a picture is worth
a thousand words, video is worth a million. If
you cant physically appear in your collabora-
tors video because they live 5,000 miles and an
ocean away, video Skype in or produce a pre-
your immediate fans and followers and to engage
directly with your fellow YouTube creators. By
fostering relationships with like-minded pro-
ducers, you can grow your own audiences even
faster than previously possible.
In as few words as possible, collaboration is
working with other video creators to cross-pro-
mote content between channels.
For example, the travel video channel No-
madic Frames (full disclosure: the authors You-
Tube channel) could search out similar travel
video type channels such as The Perennial Plate
and Eight Miles from Home. As of the spring of
2014, Nomadic Frames had only 12 subscrib-
ers and fewer than 10,000 views. The Perennial
Plate had almost 2,000 subscribers and close to
a quarter of a million views, where Eight Miles
from Home was just shy of 3,500 subscribers
and was quickly approaching half a million
views. It would be a tremendous advantage to
Nomadic Frames to make it easier for Perennial
Plates and Eight Miles subscribers to nd a di-
rect path to Nomadic Frames travel videos. And
as Nomadic Frames grows, their fans will most
likely be interested in the videos of Perennial
Plate and Eight Miles.
Phil Wang
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Panasonic
GoPro
Devin
Graham
Wheezywaiter
Stephen
Anderson
Miranda
Sings
Taylor
Davis
Penatonix
Assasins
Creed
Halo
Nathan
Moore
Wayne
Brady
Ryan
Higa
DeStorm
Videomaker
Gardiner
Sisters
Chris Romrell
Robert Bennett
CBR Stunt team
Lindsey
Stirling
Freddie Wong
Lana
McKissack
Peter
Hollens
William
Joseph
327 F12 YouTube Collaboration.indd 39 6/25/2014 11:14:15 AM
page 38 page 39
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
40
Frames talks to Perennial Plates subscribers,
Nomadic can send them a link to their own food/
restaurant videos, which will hopefully impress
viewers enough to inspire them to subscribe to
Nomadic Frames YouTube channel.
How To Find Collaborators
There are a few ways beyond a random search
to nd fellow lmmakers to collaborate with
but one of the most efcient, according to
YouTube, is through the YouTube Top Fans tool.
Sign in to your YouTube account, click on your
prole picture in the upper right corner of
your YouTube page, click on the Video Manager
link which will appear in blue just to the left
of your prole pic and click on COMMUNITY
on the left side of the page after the jump. If
you have a large enough number of subscrib-
ers, you will see a Fans link option appear
under the word COMMUNITY. If you dont, like
Nomadic Frames doesnt, you wont see it. Get
more subscribers!
Another page Nomadic Frames does not have
access to, due to not having enough subscribers
is the Insights page. Insights lets one see which
videos their fans are watching and the channels
they have subscribed to. This could be a treasure
trove if you have a large following. You will need
to connect your YouTube channel to Google+ to
utilize Insights.
Another, more obvious technique, not to men-
tion easier, is to nd which of your fans are also
shot video and send it to them so it appears
within their program. Consider video chats or
Internet Hangouts with each other. And the
easiest appearance could be a shout-out or
positive mention.
Links
Help their audience nd your channel by using
annotations, playlists, links or any other way
within the video or in the About section of their
videos YouTube page.
Interaction
It takes a lot of time and effort to organize
a collaboration, but your work doesnt stop
there. Once the collab is live, you should be
present and active with your potential future
subscribers. Leave comments on the videos
page and be sure to answer any viewers ques-
tions, tweet on Twitter, post on Google+, put
something up on Facebook, pin to Pinterest,
post to tumblr, Instagram and even LinkedIn.
Remember, we said it wouldnt be as easy as a
click of a button but a bit of personal interac-
tion can go a long way.
Personalization
If Nomadic Frames is going to collab with The
Perennial Plate, who make videos about food
around the world, then Nomadic Frames should
showcase some of their videos about food in
a customized playlist. Then, when Nomadic
Phil Wang
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Panasonic
GoPro
Devin
Graham
Wheezywaiter
Stephen
Anderson
Miranda
Sings
Taylor
Davis
Penatonix
Assasins
Creed
Halo
Nathan
Moore
Wayne
Brady
Ryan
Higa
DeStorm
Videomaker
Gardiner
Sisters
Chris Romrell
Robert Bennett
CBR Stunt team
Lindsey
Stirling
Freddie Wong
Lana
McKissack
Peter
Hollens
William
Joseph
Increase YouTube Visibility With Channel Collaborations
327 F12 YouTube Collaboration.indd 40 6/25/2014 11:14:26 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
41
creators. This maybe more time con-
suming, but anyone with any amount
of followers can do this without
having to worry about connecting to
other forms of social media or having
the right amount of subscribers.
Success
A big collaboration success story
happened to Sarah Dussault, a.k.a
SarahFit who, at the time of publish-
ing, has more than 170,000 YouTube
followers. If I could pinpoint the
specic events during my YouTube
career that really helped propel it to
the next level, it honestly has to do
with collaborations and working with
other YouTubers, said SarahFit, dur-
ing an interview with Tim Schmoyer
of VideoCreators.tv.
Surround yourself with successful
people and dont be afraid of compe-
tition build those relationships that
you already have, SarahFit said. If
someone starts getting really popu-
lar or you start getting much more
popular than someone else, dont
lose that friendship. I still am very
good friends with a lot of different
YouTubers that started at the bottom
and now theyre way above me and if
I had just stuck my nose up at them
Phil Wang
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Panasonic
GoPro
Devin
Graham
Wheezywaiter
Stephen
Anderson
Miranda
Sings
Taylor
Davis
Penatonix
Assasins
Creed
Halo
Nathan
Moore
Wayne
Brady
Ryan
Higa
DeStorm
Videomaker
Gardiner
Sisters
Chris Romrell
Robert Bennett
CBR Stunt team
Lindsey
Stirling
Freddie Wong
Lana
McKissack
Peter
Hollens
William
Joseph
Increase YouTube Visibility With Channel Collaborations
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/19/2014 8:06:26 AM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/25/2014 9:35:22 AM 327 F12 YouTube Collaboration.indd 41 6/25/2014 11:14:35 AM
page 41
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
42
Maroon 5 came to Kutiman for collaboration.
http://thru-you.com/
Third Party Collaboration
Third party apps and websites are beginning to
get in on the collaboration gig. FanBridge makes
Channel Pages, which they call a collaboration
engine for YouTube channels & video marketers.
It is easy to set up and it is YouTube Certied. It is
free to list your channel and there are paid spon-
sor opportunities. Once you sync your YouTube
account you can search for collaborations and be
found by other mediamakers or a wider content
creator community. There are articles written
about Channel Pages in Forbes and other internet
and tech publications if you want to learn more or
just go to their website. http://channelpages.com/
Get Down to Work
Collaborating is not easy work. Youll have to
put in time and effort, but by collaborating
with like-minded video creators, you can ac-
cumulate audiences far bigger than previously
imagined. Plus, you might just make a few new
lmmaking friends.
in the beginning, I would have missed out on a
lot of cool opportunities.
SarahFit reached out and custom-built a work-
out for one woman who tweeted that she needed
atter abs, expecting nothing in return and the
woman gave SarahFit a shoutout in a video a
couple of months later. That single mention
brought SarahFit 10,000 subscribers, which was
a lot for her at the time.
Foster those relationships somewhere off
of YouTube... also help them out through other
social medias like Twitter.
Collaboration can come in many forms. Here
is a ne and funny example of celebrity col-
laboration between comedy crew Barely Politi-
cal (more than 3,500,000 subscribers at time of
print) and the worlds most famous skateboarder,
Tony Hawk: Tony Hawk Skateboarding Secrets!
http://youtu.be/yhtgqtGjCUY
Unorthodox Collaboration
One of the more unusual collaborations, and
one of our favorites, comes from Jerusalem-
born Ophir Kutiel, better know as Kutiman. To
produce his ThruYou project, Kutiman collected
sound bites, samples and other audio bits from
musicians on YouTude to create entire songs and
nally an album. ThruYou received more than 10
million views in about two weeks. This earned
him a mention in Time magazine when they
named it one of the Best Inventions of 2009.
After this touch of fame, well-known acts such as
Morgan Paar is a multiple award-winning filmmaker and photographer
who specializes in travel video, audio and stills. Paar earned two
degrees in filmproduction and he produces media, teaches filmmaking
and consults fromhis base in NewYork City.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #17133 in the
subject line.
Phil Wang
Jacksonville
Jaguars
Panasonic
GoPro
Devin
Graham
Wheezywaiter
Stephen
Anderson
Miranda
Sings
Taylor
Davis
Penatonix
Assasins
Creed
Halo
Nathan
Moore
Wayne
Brady
Ryan
Higa
DeStorm
Videomaker
Gardiner
Sisters
Chris Romrell
Robert Bennett
CBR Stunt team
Lindsey
Stirling
Freddie Wong
Lana
McKissack
Peter
Hollens
William
Joseph
Increase YouTube Visibility With Channel Collaborations
327 F12 YouTube Collaboration.indd 42 6/25/2014 11:14:46 AM
The Store You've Known For Over 50 Years
378 5th Avenue
New York NY 10018
Contact us to fnd out why we have been in the
photography industry longer than anyone else.
We stock one of the largest selections of products available.
For a FREE GIFT with online purchase use Promo Code: Video082014 at checkout.
855-244-5800
www.42photo.com
We Carry:
Point and Shoots DSLR's Macro, Zoom and Wide Angle Lenses Pro Video Cameras
Pro Video Camcorders Filters Memory Cards Batteries Flashes and MUCH MUCH MORE ...
42nd St. Photo.indd 48 6/24/2014 9:01:48 AM page 43
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
44
A home studio in a small
room will enable a setup
for shooting professional-
quality YouTube videos.
S
hooting video has become
almost totally automated on the
consumer end. Once the camera
has been turned on, it can take over
doing many chores a human once
had to, such as focusing the image or
adjusting the color balance. This has
led to the misconception that when
shooting inside a room, it can be left
as is and the camera will take up the
slack. But thats erroneous, because
the room inuences and affects the
nal video. Does that mean you have
to build a home studio in a big room
in order to shoot YouTube videos? Do
you have to spend a lot of money to
build your YouTube studio? Does that
the room have to be devoted entirely
to shooting? No, to all three questions.
But it does mean that the basics for
capturing video and sound must be
put into place. And time must be spent
looking for equipment from a number
of sources, such as the local hardware
store, photo store and online retail-
ers. Still, there is a distinct advantage
to having your own YouTube studio
setup, since it will bring a level of
professionalism and sophistication to
what you shoot.
Location
In a small room, the ability to shoot
full-length body shots may not be
possible. Half-length may be the
norm; for example, a TV newscaster-
like setup where the talent is seated
behind a table. So the next step is to
create a dead zone in the room both
for what the camera can hear and an
on-air zone for what it will see.
Light Control
Lets look at light control rst. Any
external lighting must be elimi-
nated. For example, windows must
have blinds, curtains or masks that
remove any light from entering. This
might require using black velour on
a curtain rod that can go in front of
the window shades to further cut off
light. You might need to apply black
fabric directly to the windows with
tape to seal around the edges (paint-
ers tape, for example, is a temporary
tape that wont pull up paint or dam-
age the material it has been placed
against). Doors must also be dealt
with, but the majority of light-leak
will be conned to the oor and can
temporarily be taken care of by using
a thick towel to reduce the draft or
for a more permanent solution, make
a skirt from a dark, light-trapping
material that hangs down from the
bottom of the door.
Sound Control
Extraneous items in the room should
be removed to lessen sound vibra-
tions in general, although couches
and other dense items not wood
will absorb sound rather than reect
it. Carpeting will be of aid here also,
but if there is no carpeting, carpet
remnants can serve the purpose. The
number of these required will depend
on the volume of the oor in theory,
but in reality it will be a matter of
YouTube Studio
327 F04 Make YouTube Studio.indd 44 6/25/2014 9:15:27 AM
DSLRs, like this Canon EOS 70D, are a great option for a home YouTube studio,
as they are inexpensive, versatile and produce a great image.
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
45
Create a
BY MARSHAL M. ROSENTHAL
trying different amounts in different
locations on the oor while record-
ing, then listening to how it sounds,
and repeating with varied placement
until the sound quality is desirable.
As a matter of course, sounds can be
mufed using such means as weather
stripping around windows and doors
and closing up any holes or vents.
Removing extraneous sounds from
the room can prove more difcult,
especially if the person is an apart-
ment dweller. Loud noises from
neighbors can be dealt with by asking
the neighbor making the noise to
refrain from what they are doing or by
changing ones schedule to avoid the
times noises are at their highest. Street
noise must also be taken into account,
shooting at the time when the garbage
truck rumbles down the street makes
little sense when another time can be
used instead.
With these physical liabilities
dealt with, creating an aural dead
zone can be accomplished through
the use of sound absorbing panels.
Similar in nature to those that go un-
der a speaker or subwoofer to mufe
the sound, these panels reduce the
reection of sound as it bounces off
the walls. They are available from
different companies, for example,
Auralex Acoustics. The size and
shape of the room dictates the num-
ber of panels that will be needed,
but more important than number
is their actual placement. Working
with sound deadening panels which
will go on walls and the ceiling, will
require the same kind of trial and
error as that of the rugs noted above,
but as an inexpensive aid to all this,
there are digital sound level meters
which provide the means for match-
ing the overall audio response to
that of the acoustic environment and
seeing how the noise pollution is
being affected. If possible, the voices
or sound sources that are going to
be recorded should be those used for
the various tests.
Studio Setup
The physical items that will be
on-camera should be chosen with
care, for example, if a person is go-
ing to be seated behind a table, the
table shouldnt be one with a highly
reective surface. Chairs should be
simple and also avoid having reec-
tive qualities (wood is better than
chrome) and should be of neutral
color with no discernible pattern on
the fabric. If the on-air zone extends
to the oor, then clean, neutral low-
pile carpet is best. Plain white or
colored photographic rolls of paper
that are hung at the back of the set
and swept down and extended past
the cameras view can provide a
oor as well (requiring replacement
after a shoot, as feet/shoes will leave
marks and indentations).
YouTube Studio
in Your Room
327 F04 Make YouTube Studio.indd 45 6/25/2014 9:15:42 AM
page 44 page 45
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
LED lights provide nice, soft light, are dimmable and consume a small amount of
electricity. Unfortunately, they often cost more than their tungsten counterparts.
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
46
lens will provide a view that is well-
designed for waist-up shooting and
will not distort when brought closer.
It also has a shallow depth of eld
that is well-suited for use when the
background is close to the foreground
subjects. DSLRs can adjust exposures
manually with f-stop, shutter speed,
and ISO. When space really becomes
an issue, a wide angle lens, like a
35mm lens, can make up for the lack
of space. However, care must be taken
against the image being distorted
around the edges. An overall solu-
tion for many will be to get a zoom
lens that provides a range such as a
18135mm lens.
Lighting
The basics of good lighting remain
the same regardless of the size of the
room: for a standard single subject
lighting scheme, the usual three-point
lighting design is desired. You place
two lights on either side of your sub-
ject at 45-degree angles and the third
behind or above your subject.
Alternately, if you have one light
with a softbox or diffused light source,
you can set it slightly to the side near
the camera position to create an over-
all diffused lighting scheme. Both the
soft box and individual lights might
have good success at being bounced
off a wall or the ceiling. Whether this
works or not requires trial and error.
Camera
There are two choices here: tradition-
al video cameras and DSLRs. Video
cameras come in varying types, but
most possess a zoom lens of some
magnication. However, these camer-
as are notorious for not having good
wide-angle coverage. What could be
more problematic is whether there
is enough space between the camera
and subject. This can best be deter-
mined by creating the setup in the
room, aiming the camera and seeing
exactly what restrictions the view
presents. Niceties such as creating a
shallow depth of eld with a wide f-
stop or tight close-ups are a function
of the camera, not the space. Some
accommodation between camera and
space might be necessary lters and
creative camera angles taking up the
slack, but in general, if theres a prob-
lem between camera and the room,
rst see if theres another room that
can be used. Getting a new camera
might seem like the last resort, but
if it is unable to provide the desired
results because it just isnt capable,
then it might be time to replace it
with a model whose features suit
your needs.
If a DSLR is to be used for shooting
the video, theres the advantage of be-
ing able to change the lens to suit the
room, rather than relying on the zoom
feature. Typically speaking, a 50mm
In any case, the separation of the
person from the background must be
such that any shadow can be elimi-
nated, such as being thrown to the
side (this will be evident with green
screen). Test your exposure levels
and move the lights forward or back,
depending on if you need more or less
light. Place some gaffers tape on the
oor, marking the lights and camera
tripod position for future shows.
Incandescent light sources can
be purchased locally or online and
most producers will nd buying a
kit that consists of a set of reectors
and stands is better than going a la
carte. Although they cost more, LED
lights provide a stable and consis-
tent light source without any of the
heat issues of incandescents. Heat
can also become a greater issue for
incandescent lights and should be
monitored closely.
Changing the intensity of the
lights can be done by physically
moving their position or through the
use of dimmers, which must be rated
for the voltage that will be coursing
through them. In either case, do not
tax your AC power by having all the
lights plugged into the same AC out-
let and, if possible, a separate surge
protector extension should be used.
Additionally, high-quality extension
cords are recommended to ensure
stability and safety.
A decision on which type of light-
ing to use for the YouTube studio
must be made. Tungsten lamps
generate greater heat than LEDs, and
both types of lighting can be dimmed
to alter their intensity. Also there
are many LEDs that can be had with
dimming built into the product. LEDs
have another advantage: they have
a greater shock resistance and are
less likely to be damaged from being
moved over time. Filters to convert
the 3200K of tungsten to 5500K (day-
light) are readily available but will
require mounting on holders placed
in front of the lights. These lter
holders will also need accessories,
such as bar doors, ags, etc. to allow
for control of the light.
Another source of broad lighting
for a YouTube studio can come from
Create a YouTube Studio in your Room
327 F04 Make YouTube Studio.indd 46 6/25/2014 9:15:56 AM
Lavalier mics are the go-to mics for small YouTube studios for a reason: Theyre
easy to use and capture audio from a single speaker very well.
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
47
daylight-temperature uorescent
light strips. These can be suitable
for casting light on backgrounds or
from walls to provide ample illu-
mination in small areas. However,
unlike stand-based lights, these
lighting strips will need to be solidly
attached/mounted to the wall and
are far more invasive. But when the
room has low ceilings that preclude
the ability of raising lights up high,
having these light strips attached
can be an effective solution.
Audio Capture
Sound is as important as video, and
since only limited adjustments are
possible with a cameras built-in
microphone, you should always use
an external microphone. As for which
microphone to get, it depends on
where the mic is to be positioned. For
example, Blue Microphones Yeti USB
mic is designed for tabletop use, while
Audio-Technicas ATR-6550 provides
Create a YouTube Studio in your Room
a shotgun directional mic that can be
used out of view, but near the cam-
eras position.
Shotgun mics, with a supercardioid
pickup pattern, are great since theyre
designed to gather in sound from only
one direction and can avoids unwant-
ed sounds. Using a shotgun mic will
require a stand so as to control place-
ment, and making sure that it doesnt
cast any shadows on the subject is an
obvious concern.
Find the right concept and your video will appeal to audiences and show off the music to its best ability. But that's only
the rst step. You'll also need to understand the nuts and bolts of putting the video together, directing musicians, editing
for music and even protecting yourself with an ironclad contract. Available in DVD or Digital Downloadable Formats.
Master:
Choosing a Music Video Genre
Forming Ideas for Music Videos
Contracts for Music Videos
Pre-Production for Music Videos
Directing Music Video Shoots
Editing Music Video
Whether
you're having
fun with your
garage band
or seriously
pursuing a
career as a
videographer,
this training
video has the
info you need
to create videos
that rock.
Learn more at: videomaker.com/VideosThatRock
327 Music Video DVD.indd 48 6/23/2014 4:15:29 PM
327 F04 Make YouTube Studio.indd 47 6/25/2014 9:16:15 AM
page 46
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
48
Background
Its important to note that what
the camera sees behind the person
should never be distracting. This
includes furniture, posters or family
photos on the walls, doors, cupboards
or anything that isnt intentional for
the theme of the video youre shoot-
ing. For instance, if youre shooting
a video on a DIY home improvement
expert, strategically placed tools can
add to the look, as long as its not over
done. Background material can be
taped to the wall for temporary use
or through the use of spring clamps
and C-stands if the surface can be
held together.
Another option is to have a multi-
purpose background. The basic
background can consist of a paper
roll white or any color desired as
gotten from a photo supply house or
art center that is attached to a cur-
A lavalier mic, on the other hand,
has the advantage of being less notice-
able while also picking up the sound
from the person wearing it, if care-
fully placed. These mics vary in price
and sensitivity, and many can be used
with wireless transmitters. This then
permits the subject free movement
without the constraints of wiring to
deal with.
Generally, condenser mics will
work well in a small YouTube studio
environment, though more expensive
than dynamic, they are well suited for
indoor use and their output is louder
and better detailed.
Since there is no single standard for
the quality of the audio that will be
transmitted from YouTube to listen-
ers, or the speakers or headphones on
which they are heard, the selected mic
must capture clean and clear sound
with as little distortion as possible.
Marshal M. Rosenthal is a technology and consumer
electronics freelance writer located in Los Angeles.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17142 in the subject line.
SOFT BOX USE FOR A SMALL ROOM
Controlling incandescent or LED lighting in a small area can be difficult. For this
reason, the use of a soft box might be the best solution. A soft box is essentially a
covering that goes over a light with space between the light source and the front
of the box to allow for the diffusion material to spread the light out. This light has
a broader range of coverage and also removes the sharp shadows that direct
lighting can produce. Fill lights can be dispensed with in most cases as a result.
On the negative side, contrast is also lowered and must be compensated for,
and they often take more space than the light fixture alone. If using a soft box in
your studio, be sure to use one made of non-flammable material.
tain rod. The sides of the rod can be
held in place with clamps attached to
tall photographic stands. If you dont
have stands, but need a background
solution, wooden rods that are taped
to dumbbells or which have been
encased in a pail that has been lled
with quick-drying cement can hold
a paper roll. The paper can also be
covered with stylistic touches, such as
fabric, or have streamers or balloons
attached to it to create an entirely dif-
ferent background.
If youre planning a virtual back-
ground, there are a variety of green
screen options. The easiest are fabrics,
being fairly easy to handle in larger
sizes, the main disadvantage are
wrinkles in the fabric, as they must be
ironed out or they will cause irregular-
ities in the lighting. If you dont care
that its green, you can nd special
chromakey paint to use on a smooth
wall for a permanent setup.
By using a green screen, most
editing software can take the nal
video and insert a background of
your choosing be it a simple white
wall, a window view into a garden or
a scene from Star Wars. Unlike years
past, green screen technology for
home use has reached levels that do
not require a steep learning curve or
cost thousands of dollars.
Finishing the YouTube Studio
Having a dedicated room to shoot
your YouTube videos is a luxury that
many may not be able to afford. But
even if the accoutrements must be as-
sembled and then disassembled each
time a video is to be made, theres no
getting around the need for creating
a visual and aural environment that
makes what is being shot the center
of attention. This can be done by ap-
proaching and attacking each of the
problem areas that video and audio
will encounter in the room and solv-
ing them in a patient and straightfor-
ward manner.
Collapsible green-screens are incredibly handy in tight spaces. Simply clamp
one to a stand, or even lean it against a wall, and youre all set.
Create a YouTube Studio in your Room
327 F04 Make YouTube Studio.indd 48 6/25/2014 9:16:30 AM
Whether youre a beginner or professional, were available to answer all your questions before, during and after the sale. Well even stand behind our
recommendations with a 30-day money-back guarantee and FREE tech support a policy unmatched in the industry! Check out Videoguys.com for
our complete product catalog, Video Tutorials & Guides, Daily Updates & Sales, System Recommendations for video editing & live production and more.
800-323-2325
Media Composer opens your possibilities even further, simplifying and
accelerating file-based workflows and real-time production everywhere. From
new high-res workflows and AMA media management, to automated media
operations and global collaboration, experience the industrys preeminent
NLE. With the new FrameFlex tool and LUT support, you can acquire 2K, 4K,
and 5K media and deliver the HD programming required today, eliminating
time-consuming transcodes and resizing. Now available in your choice of
subscription or perpetual license. Call for special Floating License options
for multi-seat & educational labs of 20 users or more.
NEW! Avid Media
Composer | Software
Now available in
3 license types:
Subscription, Perpetual,
or Floating Licenses.
Special Upgrades also
available thru 12/31/14
When it comes to stability, reliability and performance these workstations
set the bar by which all others are judged. If youre building a professional
post facility, HP z series workstations are the way to go! Intel processors,
Thunderbolt 2 & USB 3 connectivity with flexible and reliable expandability!
Go to Videoguys.com for more information, pricing & custom builds
Pros are moving
from Mac to Z
HP z Workstations
optimized for
video editing from
Videoguys.com
New desktop versions of your favorite creative tools & services, check.
Immediate access to new features and updates, check. And thats just the
beginning. Everything you need to create intuitively & collaboratively is
included - for one affordable subscription price.
Creative Cloud for teams includes the latest 2014 versions of Premiere
Pro and After Effects for professional video editing and compositing; plus
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash & much more to complement your
complete content creation workflow. A subscription gives you access to new
products and features as soon as theyre released. Just download the latest
whenever you want. Plus Behance and the
Adobe Digital Publishing Suite.
$
599
00
1-year
Adobe Creative
Cloud for Teams
All of the newest Adobe
CC Applications plus
Cloud Storage, Behance
Prosite, Digital Publishing
Suite and more
A complete HD multi-camera video production studio that enables anyone to
create professional streaming television on a small budget. TriCaster 40 gives
students, schools, small organizations, video bloggers, and indie producers
access to the same production capabilities used by major networks
including customizable animated transitions, titles &
graphics, improved file interoperability and more.
NewTek TriCaster 40
All-in-one Live Video
Production Solution
$
4,995
00
NewTek
TriCaster 410
Are you working with
SDI cameras? Deliver
mid-sized webcasts
& events with SDI
cameras and TV-style
production visuals; streamed or aired live,
or saved to the drive, and done starting at...
$
9,995
00
G-RAID STUDIO
High-performance Thunderbolt 2 storage
with hardware RAID. Configurable in RAID 0,
RAID 1, or JBOD. G-RAID Studio ships with
two removable 7200RPM hard drives for total
capacities up to 12TB, complete in a solid black
enclosure. With transfer rates up to 360MB/s,
G-RAID Studio easily supports 2K & compressed
4K video workflows. Designed to save you time
with demanding video & photo editing.
$
699
00
starting at...
G-Technology
G-DOCK ev
Thunderbolt RAID with 2
removeable drives
G-DOCK ev s the hub and it ships with two 1TB removable
G-DRIVE ev hard drives. These can be used
as stand-alone USB3 drives or in a RAID in the
G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt
$
599
00
Upgrade Media Composer with a Support Plan by 12/31 for $285
$
1,250
00 $
569
00
1-year
Perpetual License with 1 year Support
Subscription License
with Symphony Option
$
2,999
00 $
3,999
00
$
4,999
00
HP zBook 15 Laptop
Quadro K2100 mGPU
16GB RAM, 32 mSSD
HP z620 Dual Xeon
Quadro K4000 GPU
32GB RAM, 256 SSD
HP z820 Ultimate!
Dual Xeon Hex-Core
Quadro K4000 GPU
32GB RAM, 256 SSD
Subscription
Complete line of Grass
Valley ADVC-G Converters
starting at just $599
Teradek
VidiU
Live
Streaming
without a PC
Get the freedom to broadcast live high definition
video directly to the Web without a PC. Whether
youre streaming out of a video switcher or
wirelessly from your camera, VidiU allows you to
go live when you want,
where you want.
$
649
00
NewBlue FX Titler
Pro
Create beautiful, complex
and compelling 3D/2D
titles through a fast and
intuitive workspace.
Tap into rich styles and
dynamic animations,
which will enliven your
production with a quick
to learn interface for fast, stunning results.
$
299
00
StreamVu CDN
Affordable, Flat Rate
Video Streaming Solution
StreamVu features ease of use technology designed to meet the needs of
beginners & broadcast professionals alike delivering high quality video.
Flat Rate plans are locked in price points for 3 months of service, with
no overage charges. If you do not exceed projected usage your price is
renewed for a new 3-month term. If you exceed projected usage, we take
your monthly data usage average and multiply that by the Base Rate to
establish your new pricing.
StreamVu Flat Rate Plans start at $100 per month!
Roland VR3-EX Mixer
Built-in USB Output for 480i Streaming
HDMI & Composite Inputs
Standard Definition 16:9 Mixing Engine
Scaled Output up to 1080p
Advanced 18 Channel Audio Mixer
2.5 Multiview Preview Monitor
PnP, Key and Video Effects
A small, easy-to-use appliance designed for video producers who need to
simultaneously stream a live event & record the master quality version for
post-event editing. By separating the task of recording from streaming in a
single integrated unit, Monarch HD ensures that your CDN is focused on
delivering quality video to your audience while you
control the quality of the archive.
$
995
00
ts simple: EDIUS Pro 7 is the fastest and most versatile real time editing
software4K, 3D, HD, SD, and almost any format from 24x24 to 4Kx2K,
all on the same timeline, even in nested sequences, all in real time. And
now EDIUS supports Matrox and Blackmagic Design hardware for added
capabilities including affordable 4K workflows. The perfect finishing tool for
broadcast news and studio programs, as well as corporate, documentary,
and 4K theatrical productions.
Grass Valley EDIUS Pro 7
The worlds fastest nonlinear
editing software when mixing
formats on the same timeline!
Special Crossgrade Offer from
any other NLE software!
$
339
00 Crossgrade
Check out the new Videoguys.com YouTube Channel!
If youre looking for a video tutorial on the products we sell or
want to learn more about the new software licensing options
and sales then theres a good chance weve got a video for you!
www.videoguys.com
Monarch HD
Live Streaming
Appliance with
Recording
Matrox Convert DVI Plus
HD-SDI Scan Converter with
Genlock & Region-of-Interest
Support - $995.00
$
2,195
00
Roland VR50-HD
Multi-Format HD Mixer with:
USB 3 for 1080p Streaming
3G-SDI, HDMI, RGB & Comp. In
High Def Mixing Engine up to 1080p
Advanced 12 Channel Audio Mixer
7 Multiview Preview Monitor and more
$
7,495
00
BUNDLE! SONY
Vegas Pro 13 with
Pioneer BDR-XU03
Combine the professional video
editing features of the new Vegas
Pro 13 with Sony DVD Architect
for Blu-ray Disc Authoring and the
Pioneer BDR-XU03. This drive is a
state-of-the-art magnesium, Slim
Slot-Loading Blu-ray Disc Burner
with USB 3.0designed for ultra portability.
Up to 6x write speed to BD-R!
$
429
00
Sorenson Squeeze 9
Encoding Software
The most trusted encoder and perennial award
winner. Great videos, professional output and
easy workflow. Squeeze 9 is now up to 6x faster
than competitors with multi-core encoding,
enhanced quality, and
better adaptive bitrate
encoding.
$
499
00
Call for special multi-seat and educational discounts
prod-vmkr.indd 1 6/20/2014 1:28:51 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/24/2014 9:42:45 AM
page 48 page 49
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
BASIC TRAINING
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
50
The company they founded was
called TelePrompTer, and what they
invented was a mechanical device
designed to scroll large printouts of
a script in the vicinity of the camera
in time with a speaker. Mechanical
teleprompters took off, and talent,
from U.S. presidents to talk show
hosts, utilized them. They were used
on television for decades, even as re-
cently as 1992 on the Johnny Carson
show, where they had resided since
the shows incep-
tion.
The idea with
these mechani-
cal teleprompt-
ers was fantastic,
but there was
one small prob-
lem the talent
couldnt look at
the camera and
read teleprompt-
ers at the same
time. This was
ne for certain
programs, but
for shows like
the evening
news, they didnt
t the bill.
Way back in the nifty 1950s, the tele-
vision nally gained some traction.
It took a few decades for TVs to nd
their way into most of our homes,
though they were commercially avail-
able since the 1920s. Televised news
broadcasts overtook the newspaper
and radio as the principal news source
for families. A new era of media-
based tools and video technology was
underway, paving the way for genera-
tions of future Videomaker readers.
In 1950, a year before the rst video
tape recorder was invented, a couple of
crafty folks founded a company dedicat-
ed to advancing lm and television. The
idea was to build an active scrolling cue
card system that could help the talent
deliver lines on camera without being
required to memorize large amounts of
text in short periods of time.
DIY Tablet Teleprompter
Tablets such as the Apple iPad or
Samsung Galaxy Tab have equipped
budget-conscious video pros with
more options, up to and including
building a makeshift teleprompter.
b y Ru s s F a i r l e y
That problem was short-lived. In
1953, Jess Oppenheimer, the creator,
producer and head writer for I Love
Lucy, needed his prompters to allow
his stars to give testimonial-style com-
mercials directly into a camera. We all
know that eye contact implies sincer-
ity, so the on-camera teleprompter
was born out of necessity.
What is it?
In its simplest form, the modern tele-
prompter is comprised of a few basic
components. A monitor or tablet pro-
jecting an image of text, a place to rest
that monitor or tablet, reective glass
held on an angle over the monitor and
a hood to cover a video camera aimed
through the glass. The hoods job is
to keep the camera in a completely
dark spot so it doesnt show through
the glass and keep the camera lens
from seeing the glass. Professional
models have valuable features such
has variable speed control remotes,
which allow an operator to follow the
cadence of the talent working from
the teleprompter.
In recent years the advent of the
LCD monitor has helped advance the
teleprompter, allowing them to be-
come smaller, lighter and more afford-
Apart from the teleprompter mirror, you should be able to find every-
thing you need at the local craft store.
P
h
o
to
s
b
y
R
u
s
s
F
a
ir
le
y
327 C10 Basic Training.indd 50 6/24/2014 2:53:45 PM
BASIC TRAINING
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
51
able. In much the same way, tablets such as the
Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab have allowed
budget conscious producers some even more ac-
cessible options, up to and including building a
teleprompter from scratch to house a tablet.
The practice of building a teleprompter from
scratch has become popular in the last few
years, particularly because the parts arent ter-
ribly complex and the screens are becoming
less expensive and more widely available. So,
maybe we should build ourselves one for use
with a tablet. There are plenty of nicely-built
examples online to draw from, and this is one
example adapted from a cool DIY prompter
devised by J. Alan Meier of HeyJustJ. This rig is
cheap, simple and looks decent enough to bring
it to a clients site. Plus, if it doesnt suit your
needs, a couple of quick searches should bring
you some other options.

What Youll Need
A couple of cheap 8" x 10" plastic or wood picture
frames black, if possible
Two small hinges with small screws
Some Velcro
A bit of .5" plywoodenough to ft inside an 8" x 10"
hole
Some black fabric
Some wire coat hangers
A large elastic band or small black bungee cord
Some strong glue, staples, fnishing nails and any form
of light adhesive.
Drill, screwdriver, tape measure
Optional: an 8" x 10" piece of real teleprompter mirror
(beam splitter mirror)about $45 from
telepromptermirror.com

Step One: Prep the Frames
Take the two picture frames and remove the
cardboard backing and that sweet sample shot
the manufacturer sticks in there.
For the frame that will become the tablet tray,
remove the glass, and then glue, screw and/or
nail the 8" x 10" piece of wood into the bottom
of the frame so that it is ush with the bottom
of the frame and leaves a lip on the top side.
Be careful not to split or break the frame if you
choose to nail or screw it in.
Screw a 15mm rail block onto the bottom of
the wood to allow the teleprompter to mount to
a tripod rail system. Alternatively, its possible to
nd a 1/4" or 3/8" threaded wood insert, which
can accept a tripod head or plate. The rail system
is preferred because a camera can mount to the
BASIC TRAINING AUGUST 2014
We recommend
having an extra
pair of eyes handy
for quality control
purposes.
The small, wire
constraints included
with most frames
work perfectly for
holding the prompter
glass in place.
Before applying the
hinges, make sure
both frames are as
centered as possible
with one another.
These small hinges
should be all it takes
to keep the two
frames together.
327 C10 Basic Training.indd 51 6/24/2014 2:53:53 PM
page 50 page 51
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
52
BASIC TRAINING AUGUST 2014
On what is to be the hinged side, screw a
hinge onto either side of the top frame and then
screw the hinges into the lower frame. Using
small screws there shouldnt be an issue with
splitting the frame.
Take a couple of snipped pieces of a wire
hanger to create small braces for the teleprompt-
er. Pieces of equal length around 7-8 should
do the tricktheyre easy to trim later on with
wire snippers. Bend each end of both of them 90
degrees so they can t in the holes drilled in the
frames.
Drill holes just large enough for the wire
braces along the sides of the upper and lower
frames. Match them up on either side by mea-
suring before drilling.
Test out the angles youll get using the braces
and add extra holes to allow for different setups.
To keep the wire braces from popping out of the
holes, slide a large elastic band around the lower
frame and slide it up until it covers the braces
and keeps them in place.

Step Two: Finish er Off
Now its time to put a hood in place.
First of all, take your fabric, blankie, shirt or
sheet whatever you chose to use and cut it
into a piece large enough to wrap of the way
around the teleprompter and hang far enough
back to fully cover whatever kinds of video
cameras you might put in there. If this is going to
appear in front of clients, hemming rough edges
with a sewing machine isnt a bad idea.
Take some small rectangles of Velcro and stick
them to the top edge of the reector frame as well
as one piece on each side of the base frame about
three-quarters of the way toward the front of the
teleprompter. Some Velcro comes with a peel off
adhesive side, which is great, but if it doesnt, use
strong glue or a staple gun to lock those pieces in
place. In fact, its not a bad idea to toss a staple or
two in each piece just to be sure.
Match up the opposite Velcro piece on the
hood material afxed using staples then attach
the hood to the teleprompter so that it sticks
smoothly along the top frame and covers the
This is what your final
hinge arrangement
should look like.
Two bent wires will
hold the top frame up
while the teleprompt-
er is in use.
This is what the final
setup should look
like before the black
cloth is applied.
same set of rails as the teleprompter and remove
the need for a second tripod, but both methods
work ne.
For the frame that is to act as the reector, if
you decided to go with a real prompter mirror,
insert it now. Use the frames small wire re-
straints, which usually lock in the cardboard and
glass to now just lock the glass in place.
If you choose to skip using the snazzy tele-
prompter mirror, the original glass from the
picture frame will work, but wont reect quite
as well.
Place the lower tray, opening-side up on
a table or workbench and center the second
reector frame, glass-side down on top of the
lower tray.
THE BEST APPS WILL ALLOW FOR
USE OF A REMOTE CONTROL,
ADDING A PROFESSIONAL TOUCH.
327 C10 Basic Training.indd 52 6/24/2014 2:54:05 PM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
53
BASIC TRAINING AUGUST 2014
sides of the device by sticking to the
bottom frame Velcro.
As a precaution, its recommended
to put Velcro on the back of the tablet
and into the tablet tray to lock it in
place. Some people may choose to
skip this step, but it never hurts to
protect an investment.
There are plenty of variances that
can be made to this design, but this
guide should help with getting started.
If this is a bit daunting, there are other
options to get a tablet close to the
camera. You can purchase mounts
that attach to a microphone stand
to hold a tablet in place. If the talent
stands far enough from the camera,
its still possible to read off-camera
without being too noticeable.
Getting Rolling
To use this new wonder, open the
teleprompter and lock it in place with
the braces and elastic band, sit a tablet
in the tablet tray within the bottom
frame, mount a camera to the rails the
teleprompter is mounted to and pull
the cover back over the lens.
Then theres direction for the speak-
er. Experiment shooting at different
distances from the teleprompter to see
how noticeable eye movement it. The
further away from the camera the bet-
ter, but there will be a distance where
either the framing is off or the speaker
can no longer read the teleprompter.
Its been fun building a teleprompt-
er, and its all ready to shoot with, but
theres a bit more to it. Placing a tablet
into the prompter is half the battle,
but how does that text le, Word
document or PDF make itself seen on
the prompter glass and scroll auto-
matically?
Like most things, theres an app for
that. Plenty of them, in fact.

Whats app, Doc?
Whether using iOS devices or one of
the myriad devices running Android,
there are quite a few decent options
for prompting software. The best
apps will allow for use of a remote
control, adding a professional touch
into the mix.
Russ Fairley is the owner of Russ Fairley Productions
Inc., a turnkey video production company. He also
founded After Effects Toronto and hosts RFShow.TV.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17021 in the subject line.
Teleprompt+ for iPad is pretty
much the industry standard tele-
prompter app for iPad. Text can be im-
ported from Dropbox or Google Drive,
or entered directly in the app. Text
can be mirrored so it appears properly
on the teleprompter, and the speed of
text playback can be controlled on the
iPad itself or on another device on the
same network.
If using the iPad to VGA adapter,
the text can be output to an external
device, which would prove handy for
the teleprompter operator.
Other notable iPad prompting apps
include Prompster Pro, iQPrompter,
Prompterous and ProPrompter.
For Android devices there are
similar options. PromptWare Plus
covers all of the same bases as Tele-
prompt+, with portrait or landscape
text scrolling. Mirrored text is also in
there, of course, as well as an option
to control speed with a custom wire-
less remote.
Other notables in the Android
market are Android Prompter, Visio-
Prompt and EZ Prompter. A version
of Prompterous is also available for
Android.

Prompting a Conclusion
DIY projects are fun and rewarding,
and in some cases they can solve a
problem. Building a teleprompter
allows videographers to gain great ex-
perience and expertise with the device
before showing up to a client site, or
before dropping major dollars on a
proper prompter purchase.
Is a DIY solution perfect for every
job or in place of a professional tele-
prompter and operator? Not really. Itll
work perfectly for personal videos,
but for professional gigs it is recom-
mended to use a professional tele-
prompter and a separate operator, to
keep camera operators and directors
focused on operating the camera.

SUMMARY
With its impressive image quality and
amazingly low price, the Dell P2815Q 4K
monitor gives you the freedom to work,
and is definitely a must-get.
Ty Audronis is an expert in post-production workflow.
Hes consulted on workflowand technology for several
global, high-end post-production houses.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17116 in the subject line.
REVIEWS
Dell P2815Q
4K movies in low-resolution prox-
ies, and then having to re-edit when
re-uprezing the project because
of aws never noticed with prox-
ies? Editing 4K movies now has the
post-production workow of editing
for HD. Computers are faster, video
cards are beeer and 4K monitors
such as this Dell P2815Q are far
more nancially justiable. Crowd-
ing around a workstation for dailies
and editorial reviews is far more
efcient than the entire post produc-
tion department schlepping down to
a theater for minor reviews.
The Bottom Line
This 4K monitor is fantastic. Sure,
it has some minor aws with re-
fresh rates and pixel response time.
However, youd be extremely hard-
pressed to nd another 4K monitor
to seamlessly integrate into your 4K
workow with better quality in this
price range. Were pleased that Dell
spent their manufacturing and design
budget purely on the quality of the
display, and no useless features such
as integrated webcams and speakers.
Its when you get into your work, and
dont notice anything no hindranc-
es, no generating proxies, no wonder-
ing if colors are accurate and can
concentrate on what youre produc-
ing, you know youre seeing quality.
It's much like visual effects, where
it's what you dont notice thats the
real prize. In that sense, and virtually
every other, Dell has done their job
splendidly.
Cont i nued f r om page 20
327 C10 Basic Training.indd 53 6/24/2014 2:54:23 PM
page 52 page 53
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
54
but theres a problem if copyrighted
music is playing in the background.
The only solution is to acquire the
rights to the song, and that can get
expensive and complicated.

Ad Varieties
YouTube ads take three forms: display
ads, overlay in-video ads, and what
YouTube calls TrueView InStream ads.
Lets take a closer look at each type.
Display ads are 300x250 pixels and
take the form of typical Google-style
webpage ads remember, Google
owns YouTube.
Once registered in
YouTubes Partner
Program, display
ads appear by de-
fault on partners
pages. When a
viewer clicks on
one of these ads,
you earn money.
If you embed
your video in
another website,
you wont take
advantage of the
moneymaking
potential of these
ads. Partners have a choice of allowing
embedding or not.
Overlay in-video display ads are ban-
ner ads that appear near the bottom of
the video window, minimally obscur-
ing your content. The opaque ads ap-
pear at about the 10-second mark and,
if desired, can be closed by the viewer.
The ads minimize automatically if the
viewer does nothing. Since they are im-
possible to ignore, overlay in-video ads
generate more revenue than display
ads. You can opt out of including these
ads on your YouTube channel.
The currency of online advertising is
CPM, which literally means cost per
mille mille is Latin for thousand. If
we apply this cost-per-thousand met-
ric to online advertising, then CPM is
the cost of one thousand impressions
an impression is a single ad shown
to a viewer. You can earn a slice of
that revenue.

YouTube is King
YouTube was created in 2005, ac-
quired by Google in 2006 and is
indisputably the largest online digital
video warehouse. YouTube states
that more than one billion users visit
each month. Collectively, hundreds of
millions of YouTube users upload 100
hours of video every single minute.
YouTube created its Partner Pro-
gram in 2007 allowing video produc-
ers with a free YouTube account to en-
able the monetization feature through
their settings dashboard. The program
now includes more than a million peo-
ple earning money from their YouTube
videos. Thousands of channels a
collection of videos under one account
are making more than $100,000 a
year, according to YouTube.
So how do you go about turning
your videos into cash on YouTube?
Most importantly, you must own 100
percent of the content that means
you hold worldwide commercial us-
age rights to both the audio and video
content. Say you have a cute video
of a pre-school ballerina who comi-
cally misses a cue while performing
to a copyrighted song. You may have
a video with huge audience appeal,
PROFIT MAKING
Your videos could earn you cold,
hard cash by monetizing your online
content. Lets take a closer look at
the path to making money with your
video production skills.
b y Da v i d G. We l t o n
Cash in Your Content
40
%
mobile viewing comprises
40% of global
80% of YouTube traffic
comes from outside the U.S.
80
%
61
YouTube supports
61 languages
YouTube claims that
viewing time
327 C7 Profit Making.indd 54 6/24/2014 2:30:26 PM
PROFIT MAKING AUGUST 2014
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
55
TrueView InStream is akin to adver-
tisements viewed on broadcast TV. In
most situations, the ads precede your
content. Depending on the length of
your work, ads may appear during or
at the end of your production like
your favorite sitcom. Like live broad-
cast TV, its not possible to avoid these
in-stream commercials. However,
YouTube claims that 75 percent of their
InStream ads are skippable after ve
seconds of viewing. You can opt out of
these too, but these ads can potentially
pull in the big bucks.
YouTube is available on hundreds of
millions of mobile devices. YouTube
claims that mobile viewing comprises
about 40 percent of global viewing
Skip
YouTube ads take
three forms (left to
right): display ads,
overlay in-video ads
and TrueView In-
Stream ads.
time. Speaking of global, YouTube
supports 61 languages. Thats a good
thing because the video warehouse
giant reports that 80 percent of its
trafc comes from outside the U.S.
Paid subscriptions are yet another
method to monetize your YouTube
content. If you have a channel with
more than 10,000 subscribers, you
Videomaker Subscribers, Beware this
Fraudulent Subscription Agency: Magazine
Subscriber Services
You may be contacted by unauthorized subscription agents
asking you to renew your subscription. These companies are
not authorized to represent Videomaker nor are they affiliated
with us in any way. Please do not give out any personal,
payment or credit card information to any company you
have not previously done business with in regards to your
Videomaker subscription.
You can view a full list of known fraudulent agencies at:
videomaker.com/alert
Videomaker will not accept orders from companies on this
list. Videomaker renewal notices will only come with zip
code 95927 (Chico, CA) on the return address envelope. If
you are contacted by any of suspicious companies regarding
Videomaker magazine, please let us know immediately by
writing to: Videomaker Customer Service P.O. Box 3780. Chico,
CA 95927 customerservice@videomaker.com
SUBSCRIBER
ALERT!
subalertFOURTHpageSQUARE.indd 108 6/23/2014 4:18:31 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/24/2014 8:12:57 AM 327 C7 Profit Making.indd 55 6/24/2014 2:30:38 PM
page 55
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
56
can activate this option. For viewers,
channels offer 14-day free trials, fol-
lowed by subscription rates beginning
at $0.99 a month.
Product placement has become
a necessary evil for healthy revenue
streams in many broadcast television
series. For instance, Toyota paid to be in-
cluded in scripts of the award-winning
sitcom Modern Family. Sure enough,
youll nd several shameless plugs for
the Toyota Prius throughout the show.
Once YouTube producers nd large
audiences, they may choose to increase
their earnings by including product
placements also called brand
integration in their work. However,
YouTube may decline to monetize pro-
ductions with product placements. The
best advice is to check rst.

Paid Access
In 2004, Vimeo launched its video-
sharing website this competitor
actually beat YouTube to the web.
Vimeos statistics pale in compari-
son to YouTube's, but nonetheless, it
boasts more than 26 million registered
members and reaches an audience
of 170 million each month not too
shabby. Vimeo attracts serious lm-
makers and offers fewer unrened
productions like GoPro cameras
attached to anything that moves.
For $9.95 per month or a price
break of $59.95 per year Vimeo
Plus allows members to activate a
virtual tip jar. Happy viewers can
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17124 in the subject line.
David G. Welton is a professor of Media Studies.
submit tips using
their credit card
or PayPal ac-
count. For more
social networking
reach, Tip activity
can be shared to
Facebook, Twit-
ter, Tumblr and
Google+.
Step up to
Vimeo Pro for
$199 per year to
take advantage of
Vimeos on-de-
mand service that
allows viewers to
rent or buy your content. Launched
in 2013, Vimeo On Demand is a direct
distribution system that allows video
producers to set their viewing price,
format (stream or download) and
geographic reach while maintaining
full ownership. Vimeo offers in-player
transaction support, enabling produc-
ers to sell work on their own sites or
embedded elsewhere.
Filmmakers have posted more than
6,000 titles to Vimeo On Demand cov-
ering a broad range of subjects since
its launch. Content creators keep 90
percent of revenue generated, while
Vimeo hangs onto 10 percent. Viewing
prices start at $0.99.
Selling tickets to viewers to watch
a live video event is another way to
monetize your work. Going live can
bring immediacy and excitement to
your content. Ustream.tv offers a paid
service, starting at $99 per month,
which allows producers to sell access
to live pay-per-view events. Ustream
handles the viewers Pay Pal and credit
card transactions, leaving you free to
focus on creating something compel-
ling for your viewers to watch.
Direct sales of DVDs and Blu-rays
are yet another way to turn your work
into cash. Amazon offers an Individual
Plan that allows a maximum of 40
sales per month. This plan charges the
seller $0.99 per item, a referral fee of
15 percent of selling price and a clos-
ing fee of $1.35. Step up to unlimited
sales with the Professional Plan for
PROFIT MAKING AUGUST 2014
$39.99 per month plus the same fees
of the individual plan.
Path to Success
Theres at least one company with the
mission of helping people nd more
success with their YouTube channel.
For a slice of your prots, Maker Stu-
dios, owned by the Disney Company,
specializes in helping YouTube content
creators hit it big on the global stage.
One Maker Studios success story is
a YouTube channel called PewDiePie
(pronounced PEW-dee-pi) run by
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, a Swedish
video game commentator. According
to SocialBlade.com a free website
that estimates the earning potential of
YouTube channels PewDiePie has
more than 27 million subscribers and
has amassed more than four billion
views. These numbers translate to So-
cialBlade estimating monthly earnings
for PewDiePie ranging from $169,000
to $1,400,000. Not bad, even at the
low end.
Aaron Lobnitz, a 23-year-old Cali-
fornia college student and avid video
gamer, is adept in how to earn money
through YouTube. However, hes
realistic about his slender chances
of becoming the next PewDiePie. He
does remain optimistic though, in
YouTubes moneymaking potential.
YouTube content is a great way to
drive trafc to your website and then
advertise a product to them, Lobnitz
said. For example, Lobnitz uses afli-
ate programs like iTunes and Amazon,
which offer a slice of sales that origi-
nate from the owners website.
Maybe your chances of scoring the
next huge YouTube viral sensation
seem distant. Possibly a more realistic
goal might be to earn enough cash
to buy that next piece of gear youve
been dreaming about. Whatever your
aspirations, go out, create some com-
pelling content and watch the cash
stream in.
26
PewDiePie has more than
26 million subscribers and more than 4 billion views.
4
million subscribers
billion views
Estimated monthly earnings ranging from
$169,000 to $1,400,000.
*SocialBlade estimate
PewDiePie
327 C7 Profit Making.indd 56 6/24/2014 2:30:48 PM
Subscribe to Videomaker
and Save up to 76
%
off the Newsstand Price
Beef up your video
production skills
videomaker.com/save76
for as little as
$
1.39 an Issue
321 VM Magazine Sub.indd 26 6/24/2014 9:45:06 AM
page 56 page 57
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
EDITING
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
58
Running complex software can
tax your computer resources, and
force digital traffic to slide over to
the slow lane. Every editor should
dig into their software settings, so
they can fly in the fast lane and get
to their destination on time.
video editors who never take the
time to gure out how their system
can be optimized, and instead keep
everything running using the default
presets. Fortunately, video editing
software publishers, such as Adobe,
Avid, Sony Creative and Autodesk
make it pretty easy for the average
video editor to pop the hood and
harmlessly monkey around with their
systems settings.
A look under the hood of video editing
software can be daunting. There are a
lot of parts that can be tweaked to cus-
tomize how everything runs. A video
editor doesnt need to be a certied
engineer to optimize their software,
but it sure helps if theyre a little bit
of a shade tree mechanic. With a little
ne tuning and some basic mainte-
nance, a video editor can get their
video editing software to run like a
nely tuned sports car.
A video editor is usually concerned
with what they can do with their
video editing software, not what they
can do to their video editing soft-
ware. For this reason there are many
Tune Software for Peak Performance
b y Ch r i s Ac e Ga t e s
The Basics
There are some simple adjustments a
video editor can make to their video
editing system to help it run at opti-
mal performance levels. These adjust-
ments are all based on the assump-
tion that a video editors computer
hardware is up to date and is able to
handle the latest video editing soft-
ware. Having the minimum amount of
RAM required by the software doesnt
always cut it when an editor is trying
to get creative. Hard drive space can
be an issue as well. Even though sys-
tem architectures have changed over
the years, its still a good idea to have
video editing software installed and
running off of the system drive.
Source media, on the other hand,
should be stored on a separate drive
thats fast and has the throughput to
play the media in real time. When it
comes to running the system, a video
editor should do a clean boot up of
their machine. A fresh start often
takes care of little glitches from a ma-
chine thats been running for a while.
The video editing software should be
the only program open at the time
of operation. This helps insure that
all available system resources are
After Effects Prefer-
ences pane can
be intimidating to
the uninitiated. To
improve performance,
skip the General tab
and go straight to
Display.
327 C3 Editing.indd 58 6/24/2014 2:46:16 PM
EDITING
EDITING AUGUST 2014
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
59
poured into the task of video editing and not
slowing things down.
Optimizing Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a standard piece of video ef-
fects software that is widely used by video editors.
Part of what makes Adobe After Effects so powerful
is not only its robust tool set, but the ways it can
be optimized to help speed up the video editing
workow. It serves as a great example of how to
optimize software, as its highly integrated with
computer hardware and is commonly used in a
video editors workow, regardless of which editing
platform they work with.
The rst place a video editor should go to
optimize Adobe After Effects is the Preferences
menu. You can access this menu under the
Adobe After Effects menu on a Mac, or in the
edit menu on a PC. Finding and experiment-
ing with the preferences menu in most video
editing software can result in enhanced system
performance. In Adobe After Effects, under the
display tab in the Preferences menu, a video edi-
tor should check the box to Hardware Acceler-
ate, Composition, Layer and Footage Panels. By
default, After Effects uses software processes to
render everything. With this check box clicked,
After Effects will take full advantage of the sys-
tems hardware.
The hardware components of a video editing
system play into how the video editing soft-
ware performs. Hard drive usage plays a factor
in system performance. Under the Media and
Disk Cache tab of the Preferences menu, a user
should make sure that Enable Disk Cache is
selected and then choose a folder for the disk
cache location. The folder should be on a fast
drive that is always accessible to the system. An
SSD is optimal, as there are no moving parts or
mechanical systems to depend on.
Just as hard drive usage is an important part
of hardware and software integration, so is RAM
allocation. The more RAM made available for
video editing software, the faster the overall
system will perform, but there is a catch. If the
computer itself doesnt have enough RAM to
perform properly, it will weigh down on the
video editing software. The trick is to allocate
the maximum amount of RAM possible to the
video editing software in use, while still mak-
ing enough RAM available for the computer to
operate. As stated earlier, it helps to only have
the video editing software open when working
on a project. After Effects helps the user allocate
RAM under the Memory and Multiprocessing
tab of the Preferences menu.
A video editing softwares working environ-
ment can be adjusted to optimize its perfor-
Adobe After Effects Secret Menu
Just like In-and-Out Burger, Adobe After Effects has a secret
menu. Video editors cant place an order for a 4x4 or an
Animal Style burger off the secret menu, but they can dis-
able their layer cache to optimize Adobe After Effects for big
renders. Its a menu that doesnt normally show up in After
Effects, and can only be found if the video editor knows how
to call it up. This is more of a leftover artifact from the early
days of After Effects, but it still comes in handy from time to
time, and better yet, its a fun fact to know. If a video editor
is having problems rendering out of Adobe After Effects and
continually gets an out of memory error, the secret menu
is the way to go. In order to get to the secret menu, the user
needs to hold down the Shift key, navigate to the Adobe
After Effects menu and select Preferences > General (On
a PC, its in the edit menu). Once the Preferences window
opens the user can let go of the shift key. The navigation
menu on the left hand side of the window should have
Secret as the bottom option in the menu. Inside the Secret
menu, the user can check the Disable Layer Cache button
and set the number of frames at which Adobe After Effects
will purge the layer cache while rendering. It works best to
purge every 0 or 1 frames. This will increase render time,
but it will take care of those pesky out of memory errors.
327 C3 Editing.indd 59 6/24/2014 2:46:27 PM
page 58 page 59
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
EDITING AUGUST 2014
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
60
mance. Adobe After Effects has no
shortage of environmental adjust-
ments. The composition window of Af-
ter Effects is where a video editor does
much of their work and where they are
able to view a project in progress. The
video editor doesnt always need to
view their project at full resolution. The
system will run faster if the resolution
of the preview in the composition win-
dow is decreased, because it uses fewer
system resources.
There is an adaptive resolution icon
at the bottom of the composition win-
dow. When clicked it gives the video
editor the following options: Off (Final
Quality), Adaptive Resolution, Draft,
Fast Draft and Wireframe. Off (Final
Quality) uses the most system resourc-
es and is the slowest. It helps a video
editor to be precise in their work and to
see the highest quality image theyll be
able to output.
Adaptive Resolution is a great option
for working fast because the resolution
of the composition window is contin-
gent on what the video editor is doing.
If there is nothing happening, the
window will display a full resolution
image. If the video editor is working,
such as adjusting a parameter, the
system will give a fast draft preview at
a lower resolution. Once the adjust-
ment is made the window will return
to full resolution. The wireframe view
is ideal for working fast when block-
ing multiple high resolution assets or
3D content. It shows the video editor a
wireframe bounding box of the assets
without rendering any of the image.
There are some simple workow tips
that will change a systems speed. If a
project needs to be nished in 32-bit
color, its okay to do the initial work at
an 8-bit color depth and then switch
over once the set-up of the project is
completed. The thing to remember
here is that some effects will work
at an 8-bit depth but are not able to
perform correctly at 32-bit. Perform-
ing an ofine edit of high-resolution
video les, such R3D 4k, will be less
taxing on system resources. The user
can turn off effects when working on a
project to speed things up. The project
will hold up as long as the effects are
turned back on for the render.
Life in the Fast Lane
The road to success for a video editor is
a long one, but its wide open and the
only speed limits are technical ones.
Youre best served by being your own
mechanic. By getting your hands dirty,
you can maximize the performance of
your video editing software. All it takes
is familiarity with what options for
optimization are available.
The best way to learn how to
customize video editing software is
to talk shop. Taking the time to chat
about whats going on under the hood
doesnt just build camaraderie, its a
great way to gain knowledge and share
advice. A little tinkering can soup up
the most stock video editing system
and turn it into a hot rod editing bay
that cruises in the fast lane.
Chris Ace Gates is a four time Emmy Award-winning
writer and video producer.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17054 in the subject line.
Settings panels vary widely from software to
software (like this panel inside Avid Media
Composer), but most of the same basic op-
tions are found in all of them.
ADVERTISING INDEX
42nd Street Photo
________________
43
B&H Photo/Video & Pro Audio
__
35-37
Blackmagic Design
________________
7
Canon
___________________________
C4
Digital Bolex
_____________________
11
Eagle America Sales Corp.
_________
55
Glide Gear
_______________________
41
Glidecam Industries Inc.
____________
3
Glyph Tech Inc.
___________________
27
JVC Professional Products
_________
25
Kino Flo
_________________________
33
Libec Sales Of America
____________
21
Litepanels (VITEC GROUP)
_________
C3
Shure, Inc.
_______________________
C2
VideoGuys
_______________________
49
Videomaker Instructional DVD
Make Music Videos
_______________
47
Videomaker Subscribe
____________
57
Videomaker Subscription Alert
_____
55
WeVideo
_________________________
41
Zoom North America
______________
29
327 VM Ad Index.indd 68 6/25/2014 9:38:39 AM
327 C3 Editing.indd 60 6/25/2014 9:39:09 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
61
The reason for these color prefer-
ences is a very practical one. In order
to pop a person off of the background,
the color behind them must be dis-
tinctly different than any color on
them. Any part of the subject that is
too similar in color value to the back-
ground risks becoming fully or par-
tially transparent, and that will never
work. The bright, hideously ugly green
that is commonly used for chromakey
effects is a favorite because it is vastly
different than the color tones found in
skin, hair and, in most cases, cloth-
ing. Therefore, for the purposes of this
Shooting great green screen shots
and pulling clean chromakeys may
seem daunting to the uninitiated, but
with the continual improvements the
industry has made to camera and ed-
iting technology, going green is easier
than ever. A producer with a high
quality video camera and an editing
application like Adobe Premiere Pro,
Apple Final Cut Pro, or Sony Vegas
Pro, already has the expensive parts
covered. The rest is paint, light and
technique. The good news is that
greatest difference between gorgeous
green screen shots and crummy
chromakeys isnt about the cost of
equipment. Its about knowledge and
execution; and those can be taught.
So lets take a closer look at the key
components of setting up and shoot-
ing good green screen footage to help
achieve optimally clean chromakeys
in the edit suite.
How It Works
While the technique is often called
green screening in casual conversa-
tion, the technical term for the effect
is chrominance keying, and the color
green, though preferred by many
producers, isnt really a requirement.
Chromakeying is a process of isolat-
ing and replacing any color value
within a frame of video with another
image. Any color you can shoot can
be chromakeyed, so you can key out
a blue sky, a purple bedroom wall
or a yellow sticky note. However, TV,
video and lm professionals generally
prefer two colors: bright green and
bright blue.
LIGHTING
With these simple tips for creating
and lighting a green screen, editors
will have a far easier time pulling
clean keys. The secret to success
is to shoot with the edit in mind.
b y Ch u c k Pe t e r s
discussion we will base our technique
on using the color green.
Going Green
One of the rst considerations before
building out a green screen set is size.
If the scripts calls for chromakey-
ing a sock puppet into outer space,
a few pieces of poster board may be
plenty. However, if the goal is to shoot
a full-body shot of a subject, the green
screen must be much larger. For full
head-to-toe chromakeys, the green
screen will need to ll the entire frame
behind the subject as well as the oor.
The Essential Green Screen Kit
C-stands and clamps
can keep a roll of
green paper up and
taut during a shoot.
327 C13 Lighting.indd 61 6/25/2014 9:05:06 AM
page 60 page 61
contents
full screen
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
62
For best results on this scale, look into
one of the many professional green
screen products on the market. These
may be permanent berglass cyclo-
ramas or foldable fabric backdrops. In
most cases, a combination of waist-
up and head-and-shoulders shots
will work well enough. Shots of this
style can be accomplished with one
of several low-cost, homemade green
screen backgrounds that can be set up
fairly quickly. Experiment by building
your own green backdrop using fabric,
paper or paint. Remember, the key is
color, not molecular makeup. Head to
a local hardware, hobby or fabric store
and see what is available.
Fabric: Head to a fabric store and look
for bright green cloth sold by the yard.
Make sure the material is not too thin
or shiny. Thin, shiny fabric will not take
light evenly. The more thick, opaque
and matte the material, the better. Also
be aware of width. While you can pur-
chase bulk fabric in any length you like,
you may be limited by the width of the
LIGHTING AUGUST 2014
strip. You can certainly overcome this
limitation by sewing a seam, but if that
seems like too much work, consider us-
ing another approach.
Paper or Plastic: Affordable green
screen backdrops made of paper rolls
or foldable plastic are commercially
available. These work well when sus-
pended on a frame or hung between
C-stands. You can also make your
own green screen by piecing together
several bright green poster boards
that can be purchased at any depart-
ment store or hobby shop. While not
the ideal solution, some tape along
the seams on the back side can net a
workable hunk of green for a couple
dollars. There is bright green gaffer's
tape if you want to get fancy.
Paint: With a little paint, any avail-
able section of wall can become a
green screen set. Any home hardware
store with a paint section will have a
whole host of green paint swatches
that can work for your chromakey
color. The national chain hardware
stores will mix up small samples for
around $5 each. It might take two or
three sample containers to get all the
paint needed to paint a large enough
area, but with a paint roller and $20,
any empty wall can be transformed
into a special effects backdrop. Paint
is still a viable option even if a wall
cannot be dedicated. Instead of paint-
ing a wall, consider painting a couple
4x8-foot pieces of wall panel or insu-
lation board. They take paint well, and
can be hung for shooting, then taken
down for storage.
Lighting the Wall
Once the paint has dried, its time to
throw a little light on the wall. The
secret to successful green screen keys
is to light the green wall as evenly as
possible. The wall must be lit up nice
and bright for optimal chromakey
results. No one should expect to get
good results by merely setting up the
wall and shooting with available light.
Because the computer needs to key
out a narrow color range, the goal is
LOCK IT DOWN
Because the subject will be com-
posited over a new background,
camera moves, whether in the form
of handheld shots, loose tripod
drags, pans, tilts or zooms, are not
good partners for chromakey shoot-
ing. To get this right, youll have
to mark your wall and track your
camera in post-production, which
can be really tough to pull off cor-
rectly. Shooting chromakey with the
camera solidly locked into position
on a sturdy tripod is a much simpler
process. Unless youre adventurous,
set your framing, hit record and step
away from the camera. It can save
you hours in the edit room.
Soft lights are ideal for green screen lighting,
as they minimize problematic shadows.
to minimize any shadows or shifts in
shade. Bright hot spots are as harmful
as dark areas. There are a few ways to
go about lighting a chromakey back-
drop evenly. Which technique you
should use, depends largely on the
lighting gear you have available.
Tubular Fluorescent Bulbs: Afford-
able tubular uorescent lights are a
simple hardware store solution for
casting even light on a green screen
set. This can be achieved by hanging
one or two lights slightly in front of
the top of the set, and on the oor
facing up. The number of xtures will
depend on the size of the wall.
Tungsten Lights: Small and medium
sized walls can be lit with one or two
tungsten xtures. Start with a single
light placed on a low stand directly
behind the talent, pointing back at the
wall. Soft lights distribute the light more
evenly, but you can also try using a hard
327 C13 Lighting.indd 62 6/25/2014 9:05:16 AM
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
63
LIGHTING AUGUST 2014
Chuck Peters is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning writer
and producer.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use
article #17038 in the subject line.
light with an adjustable beam set to
ood, with diffusion over it. For head
and shoulders shots, this may be all the
set lighting thats necessary. For larger
sets, dedicate two additional lights
positioned in front of the backdrop and
out to the sides. These can be physically
moved closer to, or farther from the set
to adjust where the beam falls and with
what intensity.
Separate the Subject
The last piece of the puzzle is lighting
the subject. One of the most common
mistakes that causes failed chromakey
shoots is positioning the subject too
close to the wall. Its important to put
as much distance as possible between
the subject and the set. This is im-
portant because light bounces. Light
reecting off of the green screen can
create a green halo around a subjects
hair, shoulders and skin that will wreak
havoc when trying to pull the key in
post-production. A subject too close to
the backdrop can also cast catastrophic
shadows on the set. It is best to not
try to light the subject with the lamps
that are being used to light the wall.
Instead, pull the subject away from the
green background and light them with
a separate set of lighting instruments. If
you can, use a backlight with a minus
green gel over it to help counteract
green spill from the background. Like-
wise, make sure that the lights for your
talent do not spill onto the background
and wash out the color.
Camera Considerations
There are a few camera considerations
that chromakey shooters need to know
before they roll. One important tech
spec is color subsampling. Cameras
and codecs that compress color at 4:2:0
or 4:1:1 color sampling lose chromi-
nance information, and neither of these
sample rates is an ideal option for pull-
ing clean keys. For ideal results, the foot-
age should be shot with a camera using
4:2:2 color space (or better, 4:4:4).
With a smooth, evenly lit green
screen backdrop and a well-positioned
subject, shooting high quality chro-
makey footage is a breeze. Most of the
magic of chromakey happens before
the shoot, in building and lighting the
set, and in post production when the
key is performed. With these simple tips
for creating and lighting a green screen,
editors will have a far easier time of
pulling clean keys. The secret to success
is to shoot with the edit in mind.
CLASSIFIED NETWORK
RE-MASTERING
RE-MASTER old, obsolete and damaged
video & audio tapes to modern tape/file/
disc formats. Disaster recovery specialists.
(800) 852-7732 www.specsbros.com
STOCK MUSIC
EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES
Reach 100% of a Steadily Growing
Video-Producing Audience
in Videomakers Classified Network!
Contact us at:
www.videomaker.com/about-us/advertising/ FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 8/23/2013 10:04:26 AM
Copyright clear /
No re-titled music
Use in Unlimited Productions
No Account Required
Search, Preview, Download!
Royalty Free Music
Youll Be
Proud to Use!
CSSMusic.com
800-468-6874
Videomaker Ad2 - 1-15-14_Layout 1 1/16/14 1:08
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 1/17/2014 2:27:23 PM
Wireless & Shotgun Mics
Portable Mixers & More
Sounding better all the time.
Come see whats new at
www.azden.com
WR32-PRO
Dual Channel
Wireless Receiver
Great for DSLR Shooters
Get In-Sync Free
Go to: www.insyncpubs.com
Check Out our New Digital Magazine
New & Used Film & Video Equipment
327 C13 Lighting.indd 63 6/25/2014 3:26:31 PM
page 62 page 63
contents
full screen
print
contents
full screen
print
VI DEOMAKER >>> AUGUST 201 4
64
the tactile feel of writing and draw-
ing ideas out by hand. Its quick, easy
and theres no learning curve. Plus, its
fairly inexpensive.
Scratch Folder
What is a scratch folder? Its not
manilla, its simply a folder the
user keeps on their computer, or
an external hard drive, to hold any
digital pieces of inspiration they
come across. Video editors are used
to keeping folders lled with sound
effects, music beds, stock video clips,
and other types of content that they
use over and over again. Its not a far
stretch to make a new folder for the
sole purpose of collecting inspiration.
Camera
Lets be honest. More than anything,
video is about images. The best way
to capture an image is with a camera.
Sketching comes in at a close second,
but it takes a lot more time than the
click of the shutter. Cameras are a
ubiquitous part of our culture, mobile
devices are rated by consumers on
how good the internal camera is.
Capturing images is easy. By com-
bining a camera with one of the other
organizational tools mentioned, a
video editor should be able to easily
build their own image library for the
purpose of inspiration.
I
ts easy to understand the need for
a le structure when it comes to
video editing, but how much thought
is given to the organization of ideas
and inspiration? A video editor needs
a constant intake of ideas and inspira-
tion, otherwise their video editing will
start to look more like a template and
less like a crafted vehicle for commu-
nication.
Ideas are all around us and inspira-
tion can strike at any moment. A video
editor just needs to be aware of it and
turn that inspiration around and put it
into projects. Coming up with ideas is
a small fraction of the bigger picture.
Video editors should have a way to
capture that inspiration and a method
of organization so they can easily ac-
cess those inspired ideas. Here are ve
readily available tools that can be used
to capture and organize ideas.
Social Media
Social media is good for more than
cat videos and cupcake recipes. The
different social media platforms have
built-in tools that provide a simple
means for organization and can be
useful to the video editor. Video shar-
ing sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo,
are lled with amazing videos that
should be a great source of inspira-
tion. A video editor can do more than
scour these sites for interesting tech-
niques, they can like the videos that
stand out to them. If a video editor has
a prole on either YouTube or Vimeo,
they can go back through their likes
to nd videos they found inspiring.
This helps in a pinch when deadlines
are approaching and a creative spark
b y Ch r i s Ac e Ga t e s
5 Inspiration and Organization Tools
for Video Editors
is needed. Other social media plat-
forms, such as Pinterest and Tumblr,
are good for capturing ideas from
various websites and storing them
under the users prole. Social media
isnt going away, and if used right its a
powerful tool for the creative mind.
Evernote
Evernote is a free note taking and
organization app. Its cloud-based and
platform agnostic, meaning as long as
any user has an internet connection
they can access it from any device.
This makes it super easy to jot down
ideas at a moments notice. Evernote
is able to read text in images, making
pictures and image les searchable
by the words in the image. If the user
were to take a picture of a book at the
bookstore and upload the image to
Evernote, the title of that book is now
tagged in Evernote and the user never
had to write down any text. Evernote
allows inspiration to be captured and
accessed when needed.
A Notebook
Creative people have used pen and
paper to capture inspiration for cen-
turies. It doesnt require any power
or an internet hookup; its a reliable
tool. There is something special about
Chris Ace Gates is a four time Emmy Award-winning
writer and producer. He is a big fan of animation and
transmedia storytelling.
TAKE FIVE
5 q u i c k p r o d u c t i o n t i p s
Organization is a big part of video editing. A video editor is best served
by being surrounded with tools that provide optimal organization.
For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article
#17400 in the subject line.
LETS BE HONEST. MORE
THAN ANYTHING, VIDEO IS
ABOUT IMAGES.
327 C15 Take 5.indd 64 6/24/2014 2:55:14 PM
www.litepanels.com/astra
A NEW STAR
IS BORN
YOUR VI SI ON, I N A BETTER LI GHT
MEET THE ASTRA

1X1 BI-COLORTHE NEW STAR IN LED LIGHTING.


WITH CLOSE ATTENTION PAID TO EVERY DETAIL, YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK HAVE GIVEN BIRTH TO THE NEXT GENERATION 1X1.
4X BRIGHTER OUTPUT THAN LEGACY LED PANELS
HIGH CRI FOR SUPERIOR COLOR REPRODUCTION
ACCURATE ADJUSTABLE COLOR TEMPERATURE: DAYLIGHT TO TUNGSTEN
SELECTABLE COOLING MODES: SILENT PASSIVE/ULTRA QUIET ACTIVE WITH DOUBLE OUTPUT
MODULAR BY DESIGN: AFFORDABLE AND CUSTOMIZABLE
ASTRA1X1 FROM LITEPANELSLEADING THE LED REVOLUTION
Litepanels
A Vitec Group brand
Litepanels in association with its sister brands, provides complete cine
solutions with best-in-class, innovative products around the camera.
03LP001_Astra_Videomaker_FP_2/14.indd 1 6/23/14 12:58 PM
FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/24/2014 9:40:45 AM
page 65

You might also like