KitPlus | Articles

Taking the heat out of lighting

by Kevin CookIssue 82 - October 2013 Weve seen a gradual move away from tungsten video lighting for a number of years now and for all sorts of reasons. Firstly theres the ecological issue about using tungsten lights. Burning a metal filament within a gaseous-free glass chamber is not the most efficient way to generate a light source. Most of the en...

Submitted by Kevin Cook

Published 01 November 2013

Could you be powerless on arrival?

by Steve EmmettIssue 82 - October 2013 PAG is now hearing more frequently of incidents where air transport rules for Lithium-Ion batteries are being enforced more rigorously by airlines. Camera crews are often unsure of the regulations and can face problems if they break these rules. We were recently informed of a cameraman, travelling from Denmark...

Submitted by Steve Emmett

Published 01 November 2013

12 months test of the Petrol Deca Dr. Bag

Issue 82 - October 2013 Sometimes the only way to properly test something is to use it for a year in all manner of scenarios and then look at how it and, more importantly in this case, the contents have fared up. So the bag of choice for the next 12 months for hauling around our trade and road show camera gear is the Petrol Bags Deca Dr. Bag. Weve...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 November 2013

Will Strauss rounds up IBC 2013

by Will StraussIssue 82 - October 2013 Dear Reader. I have a confession. I did not visit every single one of the many hundreds of stands at IBC this year. In fact, I didnt even visit all 11 halls within the RAI. And I didnt talk to all 52,974 attendees. I was there. I have the stroopwafels to prove it. Its just that IBC is a massive show. And I am...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 November 2013

A year in the life of SIS LIVE

by David MeynellIssue 81 - September 2013 This time a year ago SIS LIVE was still glowing with the pride that came from working to deliver outside broadcast TV coverage and satellite connectivity for London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic events. At the time 2013 was billed as a fallow year for the live broadcasting industry which, as we will see, was...

Submitted by David Meynell

Published 01 October 2013

A bag for life? PELI Elite Laptop Backpack reviewed

by Simon TillyerIssue 80 - August 2013 Were a big user of PELI cases here at tv-bay. We use them for what they were designed for... and then some with attempted drownings, drops, drags and dynamite tests!So when I was offered the chance to try out the new PELI Elite Laptop Backpack I jumped at the chance. My Workstation Specialists PC is loaded wit...

Submitted by Simon Tillyer

Published 01 September 2013

Generic vs. name brand: Portable power solutions

Ask the Experts: Generic vs. Name Brand – How to Differentiate Portable Power SolutionsIn today’s marketplace, there seems to be a disparity in cost when it comes to batteries. What should the professional consider when purchasing new batteries? There are three key considerations: What value do I place on reliability—is my reputation at stake? Seco...

Submitted by Martyn Sly-Jex

Published 01 July 2013

Continuous power in the field

When on location whether in the depths of a jungle with reduced access to power or in a city centre with limited charging opportunities then good consideration to your kit bag is needed to remove those power hungry devices that could leave you running short for the final big shot of the day!The benefits of field recorders are well known, often doub...

Submitted by Raymond Burns

Published 01 July 2013

The Teradek Bolt reviewed

The location is a small busy working kitchen of a top London restaurant; the chef and kitchen staff have enough on their plate (!) without having to worry about avoiding cables and bumping into members of the crew filming them go about their business. The soundman is able to keep himself out of the way, not causing trip hazards with cables and the...

Submitted by Jon Boast

Published 01 July 2013

Capturing awesome audio

Paul Sargeant, Director of Operations at Procam discusses the challenges facing sound recordists using the latest broadcast technology If you look at the industry as a whole, the rapid evolution of camera technology is drifting away from audio, despite the importance of compatibility between the two. Meaning it’s becoming harder to plug straight in...

Submitted by Oliver Masciarotte

Published 01 June 2013

Will Strauss captures some decent sound gear

Capturing decent location sound requires skill, experience and, as Will Strauss discovered when compiling a list of recent audio acquisition innovations, piles of expensive kit. Although some cameramen might disagree, audio is still the most important thing to get right when on location. The odd dodgy shot can, generally speaking, be sorted in post...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 June 2013

Delivering in all conditions with a Petrol Bags raincover

Autumn in the Czech Republic is damp and foggy, and the higher the altitude, the more piercing and rainy the climate becomes. At an old, remote mill 40 km (25 miles) away from Prague, sludge and mud are everywhere while moisture penetrates the bones. These are the filming conditions on the main set of the psychological thriller Cold Sunday. The oth...

Submitted by Raymond Burns

Published 01 May 2013

Three legs good... better, best

by Kieron SethFluid SticksWhy do exhibitions and open days still exist in the social media mad world? Why do manufacturers and resellers maintain show rooms when information is immediately accessible online?Simple: no matter which ‘celebrity’ DOP endorses a particular product, there’s no way to log on to assess how any camera balances on the should...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 March 2013

Will Strauss gets a grip!

By Will StraussOf all the many areas of television technology that tv-bay Magazine covers, you might think that camera support is the one that appears, on the surface at least, to move the slowest. Take the tripod for example. Fundamentally, the design hasn’t changed for a hundred years. Or how about the dolly? The wheels and track device that Alfr...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 March 2013

The joy of field editing

In the world of remote working, cloud storage and instant news, the ability to edit on location at a shoot has become a pre-requisite. Only a few years ago, field editing used to be merely about the quick rough cut, the assembly of proxy files or simply the ingest of media in an edit-friendly format. These days, however, energy efficient, high perf...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 February 2013