Adobe Creative Cloud: Major updates coming to video apps

Adobe has announced plans to roll out a “significant update” across all its video apps in its Creative Cloud (CC) digital design software.

Full details are yet to be confirmed but Adobe said that some “milestone features” expected to ship in the coming months include major updates to Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe After Effects CC, “designed to make everyday tasks easier and faster [and] enabling video professionals to create videos, TV shows, films and commercials more efficiently”.

The software updates will be revealed at NAB 2014 show in Las Vegas later this month along with new features for Adobe Anywhere.

Adobe named the key features coming to the digital design software. The first are timesaving editorial features in Premiere Pro CC, including Live Text Templates, which let users edit text in After Effects CC compositions directly in Premiere Pro, and Autosave, which enables Creative Cloud to automatically backup projects.

Adobe said there will also be a new Masking and tracking feature in the video app updates that provides accurate masks to follow subjects and blur out faces and logos, which the firm said is crucial for newsroom editing.

Updates to After Effects CC include Keying effects to provide better keying results with compressed footage, and Typekit integration with Premiere Pro CC and After Effects CC to provide users with access to a growing library of fonts that’s worth £18,000 and can be used on the desktop.

“Broadcasters, filmmakers, corporate publishers and video professionals today are expected to relentlessly keep up with new formats, frame rates and distribution methods,” said Adobe VP of product development Steve Warner.

“Customers who have switched to Adobe Creative Cloud from alternative offerings tell us that Adobe apps and solutions give them a significant advantage. And with hundreds of new features and enhancements added with regular releases over the past 12 months, we continue [...] faster workflows for video pros.”

Adobe will demonstrate its new video products for the first time at NAB at its booth numbered SL3910 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre between 7-10 April. The applications will ship “in the coming months”, Adobe said.

Adobe last announced updates to its CC digital hub across its Creative Suite (CS) in January, including integration of 3D printing capabilities in Photoshop.

In what Adobe said showed that “the rate of innovation is not slowing down”, the update brought 20 new features to Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign, and some more to Muse, which will arrive in late 2014, all with access to new Type Kit fonts across all of the firm’s software products.

The main features added to Photoshop included a perspective warp effect that allows users to easily manipulate images, along with a smart objects linking tool that makes it easier for designers to be able to work on multiple projects at the same time.

Here’s a good rundown of what Adobe Anywhere will allow creatives to accomplish:

Adobe Creative Cloud: Major updates coming to video apps

Adidas Packs 6 Cameras Into World Cup ‘Brazuca’ Soccer Ball

Adidas have created a special version of their World Cup ‘Brazuca’ Soccer Ball, packed with 6 action cameras. Obviously it’s been created as an advertising stunt but we’re looking forward to seeing the results. The teaser video above shows the ball (the most spherical to date) being created and setting of on it’s global adventure.

In the weeks leading up to the Brazilian World Cup the ball is traveling to Spain, Germany, England, Russia, Japan, the USA, Mexico and more, recording interviews, tweeting out selfies  and (soon) providing 360-degree interactive images.

All of the ball’s adventures will be uploaded to the Adidas Football YouTube channel and you can follow the ball specifically on the Brazuca Journey website or Twitter.

Adidas Packs 6 Cameras Into World Cup ‘Brazuca’ Soccer Ball

Canon announce software upgrade for C500

Canon has announced a software upgrade for the EOS C500 digital cinema  camera . The new Cinema RAW Development 1.3 software, currently under development, will deliver enhanced shooting workflows, including the on-set playback and confirmation of 4K raw video. The software upgrade will also support greater workflow efficiencies for 4K raw data by enabling real-time playback with playback speeds of up to 24 frames per second.

Canon Press Release

Canon Announces Free Software Upgrade for the EOS C500 Camera that Delivers Greatly Enhanced Efficiency with Intel® Iris™ Pro Graphics-PoweredPCS

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 2, 2014 – Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, shared today that its parent company, Canon Inc., announced a software upgrade for the EOS C500 digital cinema camera (launched in October 2012), part of Canon’s Cinema EOS System lineup of professional digital cinematography products, that will enable users to more efficiently on-set production workflows. The Company plans to offer the free-of-charge Cinema RAW Development software upgrade* starting in October 2014.

The new Cinema RAW Development 1.3 software, currently under development, will deliver enhanced shooting workflows, including the on-set playback and confirmation of 4K RAW video, when using the EOS C500 camera.

Through collaboration with Intel, Cinema RAW Development 1.3 will deliver improved performance using a beta version of the Intel Media SDK 2014 Professional Camera Pack, making possible faster development of 4K Cinema RAW data when using a PC equipped with Intel Iris Pro graphics. Canon’s software upgrade will support greater workflow efficiencies for 4K RAW data by enabling real-time playback with playback speeds of up to 24 frames per second (fps). To date, previewing 4K RAW video footage on a notebookPC and other compact computer devices had been difficult because of the slow fps rate and the need for tremendous processing power, which was only available with aworkstation PC. Now, with a combination of upgrades to Canon’s Cinema RAW Development 1.3 software, compatible with the Intel Media SDK 2014 Professional Camera Pack, and a PC with Intel Iris Pro graphics, Canon users will be able to more quickly preview their 4K video footage while on a shoot.

Executive quote from Intel

“Through our close collaboration with Canon, Intel is excited to be able to deliver highly accelerated 4K playback performance on a mobile PC with Intel Iris Pro graphics,” said Christos Georgiopoulos, vice president, Software and Services Group general manager, Developer Relations Division, Intel Corporation.

About Cinema RAW Development

Cinema RAW Development software enables 4K Cinema RAW footage shot with the EOS C500 camera that has been exported to and recorded by an external recorder to be converted into DPX and other standard file formats and output for image previewing and editing.

Demonstration at 2014 NAB Show

Canon will demonstrate a trial version of Cinema RAW Development 1.3 using an Intel Iris Pro graphics-powered PC at the Canon NAB 2014 exhibit, Central Hall Booth No. C-4325 from Monday, April 7 through Thursday, April 10 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2013† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2014. In 2013, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the tenth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past three years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visitingwww.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.

 

Canon announce software upgrade for C500

Photographic Composition for Video

David Thorpe takes us through a comprehensive overview of the ‘rules’ of photographic composition, also relevant to video

Photographic Composition for Video

Lensbaby Unveils Sweet Spot Lens for iPhone

Lensbaby has unveiled a new patent-pending Sweet Spot Lens, designed for giving iPhone video and photos the Lensbaby’s trademark look. The lens attachment lets you selectively focus your images on a specific point in the frame, with the rest of the scene  falling off into a dreamy blurriness, as seen below. Lensbaby have been producing attachments for DSLR lenses for over a decade but this is their first attempt at serving mobile creators.

Attaching the new Sweet Spot Lens to an iPhone requires you to stick a small steel ring around the lens on your phone. The lensbaby attachment is then held in place with a strong magnet on the mount.

One quirk with the Sweet Spot is that it flips the image upside down. If you don’t want to have to flip all of your images in post, Lensbaby is releasing a free app with the lens that can display the world right-side up:

Lensbaby is currently raising funds for the Sweet Spot Lens on Kickstarter, where a pledge of $50 will preorder one. Orders will ship starting in July and August if they hit the $20k target (it’s looking good so far).

Lensbaby Unveils Sweet Spot Lens for iPhone

Freefly Systems to Give Away 12 MōVI M5s during NAB 2014

Freefly Systems, an industry leader in developing next generation systems in camera stabilization, has announced that it will give away 12 MōVI M5 camera stabilizers during the 2014 NAB Show. NAB will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 7^th – 10^th, with Freefly giving away three MōVI M5s each day.

From April 7^th-April 10th, there are three ways to enter and three ways to win a MōVI M5:

1) Visit Freefly at NAB Booth #C6719 and have your NAB badge scanned.

2) Follow Freefly on Twitter (@freeflycinema) and tweet how you would use the MōVI M5 with the hashtag: #itsyourmove.

3) Like Freefly on Facebook (www.facebook.com/freeflysystems) and comment on the MōVI M5 NAB Giveaway post with how you would use the MōVI M5.

Each day of NAB, one winner will be chosen from each of the entry methods – Freefly NAB Booth, Twitter and Facebook.  Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced the following morning on Facebook and Twitter.

“We debuted the MōVI M10 a year ago at NAB 2013 and are excited to bring the innovations behind the system to productions of all scales with the MōVI M5,” says Tabb Firchau, President of Freefly Systems.

About The MōVI M5

The MōVI M5, Freefly Systems’ newest three axis digital camera stabilizer, draws on the advanced stabilization technology originally developed for the MōVI M10 to bring big budget camera moves to a wider range of productions through its compact form factor and approachable design. Designed and manufactured 100% in-house, the MōVI M5 features such innovations as a fully enclosed camera cage for maximum rigidity and shot stability, simplified tool-less balancing, an improved adjustable camera plate and a quick release top handle. The stabilizer was designed for DSLR cameras, including the Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D800, Panasonic GH4 and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

About Freefly Systems

Freefly Systems is an industry leader in developing next generation systems in camera stabilization and movement. Freefly Systems’ products include the MōVI line of handheld camera stabilizers and the CineStar line of multi-rotor aerial camera platforms. With over a decade of experience in the professional cinematography industry, Freefly Systems has a unique ability to develop and bring innovative products to market that serve both cinema and aerial professionals.

Visit www.freeflysystems.com for official rules.

 

 

Freefly Systems to Give Away 12 MōVI M5s during NAB 2014

Manios Digital & Film launch $440 DSLR Field Monitor at NAB 2014

Looking for an inexpensive field monitor to use when shooting with DSLRs? Then you may want to check out the Manios Digital & Film MD7, a 7-inch 1280×800 monitor with 1080p HDMI in, record/run control, and peaking and histogram displays.

“The run/record button is a unique feature,” said Manios in a prepared statement. “It controls the start and stop of the recording process with an optional remote-control cable. It’s great for rigs attached to Steadicams, jibs and car mounts.”

The MD7 field monitor comes in three versions. The MFM-777D ($440) is packaged with four DV-style battery plates for use with Canon, Sony and Nikon cameras. The MFM-777S ($460) works with Snap-On batteries, and the MFM-777V (also $460) is designed for V-mount batteries. All three come with a D-tap power adapter cable. Accessories will include separate Snap-On and V-mount plates, shutter-release cables, and a detachable sunshade.

MD7 Field Monitor Specifications

Panel Size:                             7-inch

Resolution:                             1280 x 800

Aspect Ratio:                           16:09

Brightness:                             400cd/m2

Contrast:                               800:01:00

Viewing Angle:                          178° / 178°

Input Signal:                           HDMI / AV

Output:                                 HDMI

Audio:                                  Speaker x1 built-in, mini

headphone jack

Current:                                960mA

Input voltage:                          DC7-24V

Power Consumption:                      ≤ 12W

Operating Temperature:                  -4°F ~ 140°F

Storage Temperature:                    -22°F ~ 158°F

Dimensions:                             7.25 x 5.15 x .9"

Weight:                                 12.9oz (365g)

Warranty:                               18 monthsAccessories included in all kits:

Folding Sunshade

Shoe Mount

DC 12V Power Adapter

HDMI A/C Cable

Composite Cable

D-Tap Power Adapter

Instruction Manual

MSM-777D also includes:

Battery Plates for Sony F970, Sony QM91D, Canon LP-E, Nikon D700/D800

MSM-777S also includes:

Snap-On Battery Adapter and neutral bracket

MSM-777V also includes:

V-Mount Battery Plate and neutral bracket

Optional Shutter Release Cables
SRC01 Canon (3 pin jack): EOS 10D/20D30D/40D/50D5D Mark II/7D/1D/1Ds

Mark I, II, III, IV
SRC02 Nikon (10 pin jack) D1/D1H/D2/D3/D3X/D3s/D2Hs/D2X/DXs/D200/D300/D300x/D300s/D700
SRC03 Canon (sub-mini jack) EOS 30/33/50/60D/300/300D/350D/400D/450D/500/D550D/1000D Digital Rebel XT/Xti/Xsi/T1i/T2i/XS
SRC05 Sony a series 100 to 900, SLT a33/SLT a55
SRC06 Panasonic DMC Series: G1/GF1/G2/GH1/GH2/G10/L1/L10/FZ100
SCR07 Olympus: E520/E510E/E410/E420/E400/E450/E620/SP-560UZ/SP-550UZ/SP-510UZ

Other Available Accessories

NXAM Snap-On Battery Adapter

NVXM V-Mount Battery Adapter

NXTBK01 Neutral Bracket to Allow for V-Mount and Snap-On Battery

NDXDU21 Panasonic DU21 Battery Adapter

NWDT01 D-Tap power cable

Manios Digital & Film: http://www.maniosdigital.com

Manios Digital & Film launch $440 DSLR Field Monitor at NAB 2014