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Seeing things with a 360 viewpoint

One of the benefits of working in teaching support is you often get opportunities to explore and experiment with lots of new kit that has been purchased for teaching or research. I have spent the past couple of years supporting the activities that take place within the Creative and Cultural Industries TV Studios (CCI TV for short) at the University...

Submitted by Michael Parsons

Published 22 July 2016

NAB Review

by Duncan Payne Issue 113 - May 2016 As I emerge from the customary post-NAB haze and try to formulate a coherent analysis of the 2016 show, perhaps the most striking realisation is that despite pacing the halls for four long days, I barely scratched the surface. The scale of the event, much like Las Vegas itself, is simply extraordinary, with over...

Submitted by Duncan Payne

Published 13 May 2016

Sound Devices: My Choice For Everything Audio

by Darren Brisker Issue 113 - May 2016 Ever since I can remember, I have had a passion and curiosity for sound and sound recording. For the past thirty years, I have had the good fortune of turning that desire into a career as a production sound mixer working on incredible projects, including three of The Twilight Saga films. During my three decade...

Submitted by Darren Brisker

Published 13 May 2016

Gaining insight in a fragmented broadcast world

by Keith Bedford Issue 110 - February 2016 The proliferation of mobile devices, on-demand content and the fragmentation of viewing habits makes the task of measuring TV audiences and the level of audience participation a bigger challenge than ever before. While the ways that consumers' access content may have changed radically, broadcasters' need f...

Submitted by Keith Bedford

Published 16 March 2016

Out with the new, in with the old

by Peter Savage Issue 110 - February 2016 Out with the new, in with the oldGetting the film look with a digital camera requires the correct lens: and sometimes that means going back in time, writes Peter SavageFor consumers and professionals alike, a digital camera offers convenience and immediacy. But when youre using one to shoot a movie or TV dr...

Submitted by Peter Savage 2

Published 16 March 2016

The 4K Conundrum

by Eric Achtmann Issue 108 - December 2015 2015 has confirmed once more that 4K remains the TV industrys Holy Grail. While 4K TV screens are becoming more affordable and Netflix, Amazon Prime and even YouTube are beginning to offer some 4K content, mass adoption is still sluggish as the increases in bandwidth required for distribution make 4K busin...

Submitted by Eric Achtmann

Published 17 December 2015

4k - is it really worth it

by Beth Zarkosh Issue 108 - December 2015 4K; the holy grail of modern digital filmmaking. Weve all heard of it, but perhaps not all of us are ready for the change. Here we look at the perceptions versus the realities of shooting in 4K. Ultra High Definition is something that has derived from 4K, but now it seems most filmmakers are pressured into...

Submitted by Beth Zarkhosh

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

Creating native looks in alien worlds: the making of The...

with Richard Baker Issue 107 - November 2015 Prime Focus Worlds Richard Baker explains how Mars was brought into stereo 3D with the help of Fusion Studio for Ridley Scotts new SciFi survival epic, The Martian Directed by SciFi master Ridley Scott, this years The Martian has all the makings of a space exploration epic to remember. The film stars Mat...

Submitted by Richard Baker

Published 01 December 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

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

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

#TVFUTURES

by Callum O\'Leary Issue 101 - May 2015 When I first introduced myself back in September, I had just begun my final year project and it was all very early days. I cannot stress how scary the prospect of a final year project is, and it is most certainly a mountain that needs to be climbed. I had originally decided upon a \'combined project\', which...

Submitted by Callum O Leary

Published 01 June 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