KitPlus | Articles

Chromakey questions

What does a specialist paint give me that a DIY superstore (matt blue or green emulsion) doesn’t?VFX Bluescreen Solutions paints are pigment based, as opposed to DIY chains ‘stain’ based. Pigment based paints ensure consistency and intensity of colour, against the stain based paints because they are ‘pure’, instead of being made up of various other...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2008

Chromakey tips and tricks.

Chromakey is one of those slightly magical effects that can still bring out the child in all of us. Also childlike are the frustrated tantrums you throw when you have been trying for hours to get a decent key, and realise you will have to pay some compositing wizard to rescue the shot. There are now 2 distinctly different ways to shoot chromakey fo...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2008

Hands on the EX-1

High Definition at 1920x1080 means 5 times more detail, resolution and sharpness than SD. With this in mind lens selection and focus become absolutely critical when out shooting in the field. I’m sure we’ve all at some point been on a shoot when our precise focus has been a little out but the lens is wide and we’re shooting DVCAM so can ‘get away w...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2008

Making Common Sense of Production Health and Safety

Programme preventionAs many of you may know the presenter of a well known motoring program has a bugbear with the subject of health and safety in programme making. In the past he has often attacked health and safety professionals for becoming far too wrapped up in an ‘absolute’ approach to risk management – focussing on minute detail at the expense...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2008

The Sony PMW-EX1 what can we expect?

We cannot ignore the fact that tapeless acquisition and workflow has become a ‘hot topic’ in recent months with programme makers recognising that like it or not, tapeless acquisition in HD is where television production is headed. Mitcorp have always been at the forefront of technology educating and supporting our customers with full workflow solut...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008

Setting up in business: Taking on staff

Peter Savage continues his series, based on 19 years’ experience, guiding you through the stages and decisions that come with establishing your own business. So far we have looked at getting going, those anxious first days and being pro-active about building your business. Hopefully, in your fledgling company, and through your hard work and plannin...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008

Cheap insurance deal or no deal?

The media sector views third party liability as the third biggest threat to their business after reputational damage and failure to innovate, according to Aon’s Global Risk Survey. But in today’s claim driven world, are you taking enough notice of what insurance you’re buying to help protect your business?Rebecca Dalgetty, team leader of Aon InFocu...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008

The Brown Stabilizer

Garrett Brown is best known as the Oscar-winning inventor of the Steadicam®. He has shot with it on nearly 100 movies including Rocky, The Shining and Return of the Jedi. Garrett holds 50 patents worldwide for camera devices which include the new Steadicam Merlin, a miniature version for camcorders; Skycam, the robot camera that flies on wires over...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008

A Cinematographers Companion, through hell and high water...

Miller Camera Support has never been more thoroughly tested than by Australian Cinematographer Wade Fairley, through Antarctic winters and summers, floods in Tuvalu, swamps in the Solomon Islands and the outback deserts of Australia. The most outstanding project of recent times for Wade was the trip for the BBC Natural History Unit, shooting footag...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008

Lightweight Dolly Systems Vs Heavy Duty Kin

Film sets are fortunate to still employ and make full use of a ‘grip’ and his kit. A Grip Department can make or break a film as they are involved in the whole filming process and a skilled grip can save hours and pounds for the world-weary producer. That aside in the smaller world of young film-maker and broadcast TV Documentary, grips are all but...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2008