KitPlus | Articles

The key to stability

by Mark Scotton Issue 106 - October 2015 Moving shots dont just enhance video production, they bring it to life and allow the viewer to experience what they are watching. This isnt something new, but the options we now have available to bring productions to life are more varied and readily available than ever before. No longer do you need a Hollywo...

Submitted by Mark Scotton

Published 01 November 2015

Sony PXW-FS5 Review

by Alister Chapman Issue 106 - October 2015 I was lucky enough to get some hands on time with a prototype FS5 in Amsterdam at IBC. In case you havent heard about it, the PXW-FS5 is a compact interchangeable lens, super 35mm camcorder from Sony that can record in HD or UHD 4K. It shares many of the features of the already incredibly popular PXW-FS7...

Submitted by Alister Champman

Published 01 November 2015

Increase your prices... vital for growth

by Den Lennie Issue 105 - September 2015 Increasing prices is such an important part of growing your business. If you want to invest in the latest gear then you have to be charging enough to allow for continual investment The easiest and most efficient way to achieve this is to reposition you and your business away from a cheap commodity product to...

Submitted by Den Lennie

Published 01 October 2015

5 broadcast trends at IBC 2015

by Peter Savage Issue 105 - September 2015 Azule CEO Peter Savage gazes into his crystal ball to make predictions about the technology trends that could emerge from IBC 2015. 4k acquisition will go mainstreamOf course, 4k has been a hot topic for several shows but this year will see it move into the mainstream. Alongside the plethora of camera intr...

Submitted by Bernard Newnham

Published 01 October 2015

Picking the right prompter

by Jon Hilton Issue 104 - August 2015 There is so much choice available today for prompting devices. From phones and tablets to full Broadcast Studios systems and with non-word prompting techniques like Interrotrons becoming popular choosing the best prompting system for your productions needs some serious consideration. 1. The Talent comes first...

Submitted by Jon Hilton#

Published 01 September 2015

Shoot safe, shoot dynamic

by Nick Allen-Miles Issue 104 - August 2015 Todays craze for shooting from a UAV or drone is not for the faint hearted. Unless used legally and in very limited situations, its a dangerous way of capturing dynamic shots. Wherever people are involved or height restrictions apply, there are more useful ways of filming safely that deliver a more intere...

Submitted by Nick Allen Miles

Published 01 September 2015

4k storm chasing

by Alister Chapman Issue 103 - July 2015 15 years ago I got my first big Broadcast Commission. It was to produce a 1 hour special on Tornado Chasing vacations. Yes, people pay to go on storm chasing holidays. In 1999 this was a new thing, today its a booming business. Ive always been fascinated by natural extremes and filming tornadoes seemed like...

Submitted by Alister Champman

Published 01 August 2015

Is working for free, training or a pathway to paid work?

by Graham Reed Issue 102 - June 2015 I suspect like a lot of KitPlus readers I often have a look at a websites that advertise jobs, but mainly un-paid. I have frequently thought that these job offers are really just trying to get free or cheap labour for the benefit of the director/producer. One recently advertised for .... a cameraman thats enthus...

Submitted by graham reed

Published 01 July 2015

Those pesky scientists

by Dick Hobbs Issue 102 - June 2015 This month\'s picture is of something I was given on a visit to the Grass Valley camera factory in Breda, maybe 10 years ago. I think it is a thing of beauty, which is why it sits in pride of place on top of the wine cabinet. It is the sharp end an HD system camera: the optical block and a CCD imager. We saw in t...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 July 2015

Hungerford and the 10 rules of making a Microbuster

by Miles Bullough Issue 101 - May 2015 On April 27th 2015 Wildseed Studios\' debut feature film, \'Hungerford\', launched on iTunes and begins what we hope will be a digital voyage around the world to success. We coined the term \'Microbuster\' to describe movies made on micro budgets but with blockbuster ambitions - and it perfectly captures what...

Submitted by Miles Bullough

Published 01 June 2015

Is it my eyes, is it in focus?

by Graham Reed Issue 100 - April 2015 Is it me or as I get older, and my eyes not as good as they were, are viewfinders getting smaller and less sharp?When I started as a cameraman the cameras were large (EMI 2001\'s) as were the viewfinders. They were large format cameras with a 30mm 4x3 sensors and the normal aperture was f 3.5, so a shallow dept...

Submitted by graham reed

Published 01 May 2015

DOPs discuss minicams, lenses, 4k and all

by Mel Noonan Issue 100 - April 2015 If anyone knows about the practical reality of using minicams and lenses it has to be the DOPs who are out there using them. We are now seeing minicams used in all areas of production, some with 1080p and 4K capability at prices you would not have believed possible a few years back. I spoke to some of the DOPs I...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 May 2015

Rise of the drones

by Jeremy Braben Issue 100 - April 2015 Drones are taking TV and film productions where they have never gone before. But how can they be used to best effect, what challenges do they present and will they replace helicopters in aerial filming? Jeremy Braben of Helicopter Film Services (HFS) has some of the answers... The recent explosion of unmanned...

Submitted by Jeremy Braben

Published 01 May 2015

Capturing the action : Ocean Communications

Issue 99 - March 2015The dream of any reporter is to be on the scene when a story breaks and the action and drama unfold. This happens to only a select few. Even fewer find themselves right in the middle of events as they happen. Brian Carlin knew he\'d be getting good material reporting from onboard a boat competing in the Volvo Ocean Race, but no...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 April 2015

Increased Support

by Mark Scotton Issue 98 - February 2015 Shoulder rigs are more commonly used these days than ever before and have become a great solution during the DSLR boom. Providing you with the option to adjust your kit, depending upon the set-up required, the rail system rigs are both practical and adjustable with the option to add matte boxes, viewing moni...

Submitted by Mark Scotton

Published 01 March 2015