KitPlus | Articles

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

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

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

Kit Protection - the professionals choice

Issue 98 - February 2015More than 30 years of product development has ensured Peli Cases are the market leader in essential protection for broadcast and photographic equipment. Offering watertight, dustproof and crushproof security, Peli cases are backed by legendary "You break it, we replace it\" lifetime guarantee. Professionals choose Peli cases...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 March 2015

Hands-on with the Antelope PICO ultra slow motion minicam

by Mel Noonan Issue 98 - February 2015 Super slow motion, or super motion, has been around for years and is mostly 3x recording speed. If you record say 3 seconds of action and play it back at normal European production frame rate you\'ll have 9 seconds of slow motion replay. These cameras must integrate with the live production workflow in use. SS...

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 March 2015

Stars of the show - A visitors view

by Ben Sheriff Issue 96 - December 2014 Yesterday TV-BAY - Kit Plus came to East London\'s Brick Lane showcasing a roadshow packed with great seminars and kit to whet our appetites in advance of BVE in February. It was no great surprise that, for the DPs and camera operators at least the star of the event was the Sony PXW-FS7. Sony\'s latest large...

Submitted by Ben Sherriff

Published 01 January 2015

Capture and Produce

Issue 94 - October 2014One of the hot topics at this year’s IBC was undoubtedly the growing adoption of end-to-end IP production and the imminent death of SDI. During a panel session, hosted by Mediasmiths and Cognizant, and including representatives from BBC, Sony and more, the key point made was that the adoption of IP production technology and w...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 November 2014

News

Issue 94 - October 2014The most complete, compact multimedia studio in the World NewTek™ have unveiled TriCaster Mini™––the world’s most complete and compact multimedia studio. The ultra-portable system allows anyone who doesn’t speak or understand the technical language of video production or broadcasting to transform an ordinary presentation into...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 November 2014

Sony PXW-FS7

by Alister Chapman Issue 94 - October 2014 At IBC Sony launched a new camera. In fact Sony launched several new cameras. This is nothing new, every year Sony launch cameras. But this year Sony really created quite a stir with one camera in particular, the Sony PXW-FS7. So what is it about the FS7 that is so special? Looking at the specs alone this...

Submitted by Alister Champman

Published 01 November 2014

Cooking Up A Creative Storm With Patrick And Kylie

Issue 94 - October 2014Three years ago, Patrick Drake, who had recently left a lucrative job working at Goldman Sachs in London to follow his true cooking passion, met Kylie Flavell, a young woman who had abandoned her career as a high-stakes fashion journalist in Australia to pursue her dream of one day hosting her own escapist travel and food sho...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 November 2014