KitPlus | Articles

When the going gets tough

by Will Strauss Issue 88 - April 2014 When working in the field, the kit we use has to withstand a fair old battering. And Im not just talking about the cameras, viewfinders and those expensive lenses. While glass still needs protecting, these days so does your laptop, your storage, your memory cards: the lot. They all need bags, cases and toughene...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 May 2014

4k testing in todays world

by Adam Schadle Issue 86 - February 2014 1. With the need to ingest and process video from a number of sources, broadcasters are faced with a multifaceted need to handle all types of formats including 4K. What is your multi-resolution strategy?With the emergence of new compression standards such as High-Efficiency Video Compression (HEVC), which of...

Submitted by Adam Schadle

Published 01 March 2014

Covering the Winter Games for Broadcast

by Mel Noonan Issue 86 - February 2014 This was written a few days before the opening ceremony so news arriving from the front line is of last minute angst for some of the tech teams who go out and perform daily miracles in such unuser-friendly locations year after year. Camera platforms erected in the wrong place, cables lost under a recent snowfa...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 March 2014

Packed to Protect: What you need to know

Issue 86 - February 2014Peli Cases have become well established in the market as essential protection for broadcast and photographic equipment, offering watertight, dustproof and crushproof security. Combining durability, security and style, Peli Hardback cases have been introduced to protect iPads, tablets and laptops from drops, knocks and scratc...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 March 2014

The ethos behind TallyHo wireless rally system

by Andy Slightam Issue 86 - February 2014 Having spent the last 30 years working in broadcast television and live event production in a variety of technical roles it has become plainly obvious over the last few years that we have lost some of the benefits working with the traditional PPUs with OCPs and CCUs. There are so many small HD and SDI visio...

Submitted by Andy Slightam

Published 01 March 2014

Location: Seychelles with the Canon C300PL

by Kieron Seth Issue 86 - February 2014 The idea that the Seychelles are all about palm-lined beaches underplays the scale and diversity of this geologically rich group of islands. Unlike many other tropical paradise destinations, a beautiful seascape is only part of the picture for this gem of the Indian Ocean. From the 900 metre peak of Morne Sey...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 March 2014

Dick Hobbs questions how it got to be 2014 so soon?

by Dick Hobbs Issue 85 - January 2014 As we get ourselves ready to launch in to the new year, I have a few thoughts to share with you. The first is prompted by a press release which landed in my inbox back in December. IBM to acquire Aspera was the headline. Aspera is a business started by a fearsomely clever mathematician, Michelle Munson. She cam...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 February 2014

Modern movie finishing

by Alexa Maza Issue 85 - January 2014 Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, Elysium is a new science fiction movie starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. Set in the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined planet. Digit...

Submitted by Alexa Maza

Published 01 February 2014

Speed and accuracy in post

by Walter Kummli Issue 85 - January 2014 Walter Kummli is an experienced editor and director of Inhouse Productions Ltd, based in Basel, Switzerland. Since its inception, all editing at Inhouse Productions Ltd has been carried out using EditShares powerful non-linear editing system, Lightworks. Founded in 1999, Inhouse Productions Ltd offer organis...

Submitted by Walter Kummli

Published 01 February 2014

Near-live production with Softrons multicam logger

by Alastair Owen Issue 85 - January 2014 Berlin-based edelbytes works with German broadcasters for channels such as ZDFkultur, tape.tv and 3sat to deliver coverage of live events music concerts, arts shows with a live audience, comedy and cabaret. But its coverage with a twist. Side-stepping the big-budget satellite van template for live event broa...

Submitted by Alastair Owen

Published 01 February 2014

Three big questions on OTT

by Simen FrostadIssue 84 - December 2013 Every media operator wants to deliver OTT services, or is already doing so. Growth over the past 18 months has been phenomenal, and a media operation without OTT is almost inconceivable now. But for many coming from a broadcast background, the technical side of OTT is terra incognita, and a mixture of fear a...

Submitted by Simen Frostad

Published 01 January 2014

Supporting kids charity on the trip of a lifetime

by Phil HubertyIssue 84 - December 2013 As a warehouse technician at Procam with aspirations to become a camera operator, I was delighted to be given the chance to film a group of seriously ill and disabled children on the holiday of a lifetime hosted by the charity Dreamflight. Dreamflight is a national charity that takes 192 seriously ill and dis...

Submitted by Phil Huberty

Published 01 January 2014

The impact of depreciation with Peter Savage

by Peter SavageIssue 83 - November 2013 I spent last Thursday evening with a longstanding friend discussing depreciation. I can see you all sitting up and taking note, thinking, Wow! This man Savage has a really exciting life ¦. But, hard as it might be to believe, it was a very interesting conversation and one that demonstrates how the market has...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 December 2013

Rising to the occasion

by Kevin CookIssue 83 - November 2013 I must admit I wasnt really in the market for a camera crane until I set eyes on the iFootage M1 Mini Crane. Sure, I love seeing craning shots in a film - and I understand perfectly how these types of shots give the viewer an additional and otherwise unavailable perspective to A scene but it all seemed like a l...

Submitted by Kevin Cook

Published 01 December 2013

Royal College of Art targets loudness with NUGEN Audio

by Mike WyeldIssue 83 - November 2013 In the world of cinema and filmmaking I like to imagine the UK\'s Royal College of Art needs no introduction. Weve had some amazing alumni; Director Sir Ridley Scott, novelist Len Deighton, and Sgt Pepper artist Peter Blake have all walked the halls. Vacuum designer James Dyson imagined his revolutionary vacuum...

Submitted by Mike Wyeld

Published 01 December 2013