KitPlus | Articles

Interrontrons - a prompting gimmick or a real production...

The first question for many is what is an Interrotron? Essentially it is the use of a traditional prompter but instead of the words in the script the presenter sees the interviewer\'s or director\'s face. This technique was pioneered by American film director Errol Morris in his film The Fog of War which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Fe...

Submitted by Jon Hilton#

Published 24 August 2016

Do you have a MAM solution

One of the top questions I get asked at trade shows is, "Do you have a MAM solution?"Well, yes. Of course. It's what we do; but thank you for asking. What you should be asking is, "What differentiates your MAM solution from the rest of the MAM pack?"Now we have something to talk about. For a lot of MAM solutions out there, workflows are designed -...

Submitted by Paul Wilkins

Published 22 July 2016

Intimate and Extreme

It's the intimate views and unusual angles that make the difference to the viewers' enjoyment of any event, and specialist RF cameras can turn a Director's vision into a production that's as gripping as being at the game - or almostThe Aviva Rugby Premiership Final at Twickenham was not just a high profile 4K event, it was a multi-camera event usin...

Submitted by Tony Valentino

Published 22 July 2016

Freelance finance

As a freelance cameraman working on varied productions, you need to be sure you always have the right kit for the job. Acquiring the latest equipment is a necessity, not a luxury; the difficulty is being certain you will be able to manage the cost. How can a freelancer be sure he can finance his equipment?First, before discussing the financing opti...

Submitted by Peter Savage 2

Published 22 July 2016

Networking with the GTC

The annual Guild Of Television Cameramen ( GTC ) Open Day and AGM was held recently in the Oxfordshire countryside on a sunny Sunday. It's a while since I've attended one, and the welcome was as warm and friendly as it always has been. Organisations like these must be incredibly useful for freelance camera operators, most of whom do not attend NAB,...

Submitted by Duncan Payne

Published 14 June 2016

TVFutures looking back at the class of 2015

In a review of the academic year, KitPlus looks back over all of the contributions from students (and staff) and asks for one last comment 'with an eye to the future'Charlie Watts - Course Leader - TV and Broadcasting#TVFutures is a brilliant way for students to evaluate their current situation and really articulate important moments of learning an...

Submitted by Charlie Watts

Published 14 June 2016

Soutions for Portable Storage

We all know how frustrating it can be to keep losing data because your hard drive keeps packing in, right? So, I 've done my research to help you choose the best portable hard drives with a focus for the 'on the go ' editor of today!1. Coming in at No.1 is the 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim. This little beauty weighs 5.6 ounces and is incredibly thin...

Submitted by Beth Zarkosh

Published 14 June 2016

Canon C300 MkII Reviewed

The Tech It 's been just over eight months since the release of the updated C300 camera the C300 MkII and almost five years since Vincent Laforet shot Mobius with a pre-production C300. In a landscape dominated by self-shooters and the continued rise of internet video, the C300 perhaps surprisingly like it 's forefather the 5DMkII came to become a...

Submitted by Ben Sherriff

Published 14 June 2016

Females In The Broadcasting Industry

by Emma Clifford Issue 113 - May 2016 You\'re hiring. You\'re reviewing CVs.You\'re not bothered about names are you?What matters are skills, experience and the competencies of the candidates, right?Wrong! You probably have unconscious bias. A recent US study used 100 STEM professors (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to review CVs. But h...

Submitted by Emma Clifford

Published 13 May 2016

TV Futures

by Gemma Frith Issue 113 - May 2016 I used to hate audio. Every time we recorded audio on a location shoot, something seemed to go wrong. It was a nightmare. And because I didn\'t understand it, I avoided it and would do anything to not be responsible for recording sound. However, eventually it got to a point where I hated how much I hated audio mo...

Submitted by Gemma Frith

Published 13 May 2016

TV Futures - Streaming

by Danielle Wiltshire and Oliver Ray Issue 111 - March 2016 Hello I\'m Danielle Wiltshire and I am currently in my final year at the University of Portsmouth studying on the specialist course BSc Television and Broadcasting. One of the things I love about my course is that the academics involved are always striving to be ahead of the curve with tea...

Submitted by Danielle Wiltshire

Published 01 April 2016

Focus Technology in 2016 and Beyond

by Lisa J. Whelan Issue 110 - February 2016 With the advance of larger camera sensors, faster lenses and complex lighting systems, the role of the 1st AC (Assistant Camera) is more demanding than ever. Fortunately, the world of focus technology is developing new and innovative ways to step up and meet these demands head-on. Out of FocusHistorically...

Submitted by Lisa J Whelan

Published 16 March 2016

Lenses cant be that complicated can they? Part 1

with Graham Reed Issue 108 - December 2015 Many people who use lenses have very little understanding in the complexity or the science that goes on behind them. I do not pretend to be an expert on optics but I have spent some time in trying to understand just how complex they are. I think its first just a good idea to remind ourselves of what light...

Submitted by graham reed

Published 15 December 2015

Sorry for any disruption caused: Netflix strikes again

by Peter Savage Issue 107 - November 2015 Netflix helped to change the TV landscape with its OTT subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service and its Originals. Could it be about to change things again by making programmes in-house? It might seem obvious to say it but what we used to call television is currently changing at great speed: and its all...

Submitted by John Smith

Published 01 December 2015

Ground breaking production tool

with Stefan Lange Issue 106 - October 2015 NEO¢, the latest product from British LED manufacturer Rotolight, is a revolutionary on-camera or location LED lighting fixture designed for the most demanding of professionals. NEO¢ includes several industry first features that set it apart from the field, notably amongst which is an arsenal of Cinematogr...

Submitted by Stefan Lange

Published 01 November 2015