2018 saw the demand for 4K production equipment grow among broadcasters. At the same time, 8K
began to pop up in conversations about “what’s next.” But, with 4K content becoming ubiquitous, there
is increasingly the question of whether it can truly deliver on its promise of generating and maintaining
viewer engagement.
I work in the Video world. I own a Production company. I recently bought a 4K television; a Samsung 65” curved UHD TV. And I love it! But the latest rumor in our business is 8K is coming… but do we need it? Or even want it?
According to Will Greenwald of PC Magazine (pcmag.com), 8K televisions are at least a year away from being available in America. Even then, they will be anything but affordable for the typical consumer. And, more importantly, will there be any programming for them?
Cinematographer Adam Beck is always working. In addition to lensing commercials and shooting professional ice hockey, this year alone he’s shot three indie features – Camp Twilight, Booze and Broads and Blackjack – and just finished his latest, Killer Rose. On each project, Beck chose Schneider-Kreuznach Xenon FF-Primes, to create a distinctive look. “I constantly hear from producers that the visuals look as if our budgets were two to three times the amount they were,” says Beck. “Much of that credit goes to the crew for their hard work and dedication, but the lenses along with the lighting, also played a big part in giving us a look and feel that is associated with higher budget films.
Shooting with Panasonic AU-EVA1 5.7K cinema cameras, Director of Photography Joe Callahan has completed principal photography on a feature-length documentary about wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in India. The documentary, aiming for premium festival berths, profiles the pioneering work of Wildlife SOS, a worldwide organization dedicated to protecting and conserving India’s natural heritage, forest and wildlife wealth.
Panasonic Systems Solutions Company of North America will feature a wide range of 4K visual, 4K professional imaging and audio solutions for houses of worship at the WFX Conference and Expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The EQ1 Series 4K Professional Displays, PT-RZ120U 1-Chip DLP™ SOLID SHINE Laser Projector, AW-UE150 4K 60p Professional PTZ Camera, AW-RP150 Touchscreen Remote Camera Controller, AK-UC4000 4K HDR and HD Slow Motion Camera System and RAMSA Audio Speakers will all be featured at Booth #501 from November 14-15, 2018.
In late 2015, Smock Media, a Venice Beach-based film and VR production company, and the Victims of Communism (VOC), a Washington, D.C.-based human rights organization, came together and started The Witness Project. DP Benjamin Gaskell was brought on to tackle the first episode of the second installment, which would set the tone for the rest of the documentary series. The episode focused on Anastasia Lin, Miss World Canada 2015 and 2016, and her story.
Q What challenges were associated with shooting? Did you have a hard time landing any shots?
A My favorite filming location was on a remote hill that had these beautiful rolling hills of golden wheat. It was quite a logistical challenge to work effectively in the space, and I had a lot of concerns while we were location scouting about making it work. However our skillful producer J.P. Mandarino was instrumental in putting together a plan that made the whole experience a very efficient operation. It was one of those shooting days where the crew had such a good time working in a beautiful location capturing a meaningful story that you could almost feel the disappointment when we called wrap. If only every shooting day was like that! haha! Another moment that stands out to me was towards the end of our first half-day filming together. We ended up shooting past golden hour and deep enough into civil twilight that our overall ambient light levels required me to push the camera to 1600 ISO to get proper exposure. I’ll be honest about the fact that I was nervous about how the grain structure wouldn’t match, however I was pleasantly surprised at how the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K performed. The color rendition and noise pattern of our twilight footage matched up really well with the rest of the project’s look and tone. It’s a nice feeling knowing that you don’t always have compromise the quality of an established look or aesthetic in order to get enough footage in the can at the end of the day. When you work with good crew and the right equipment you can do almost anything.
StarTech takes a look at upcoming 4K video trends including how it's being adopted, what barriers exist, true 4K ecosystem and more.
Learn more about StarTech at: www.startech.com.
Q How is 4K Being Adopted and Proliferated?
A 4K technology opens a world of possibilities for content creation and consumption. 4K UHD augments the viewing experience in applications like entertainment, digital signage, education, sports, surveillance, games and medical applications. Native 4K resolution is significantly better in resolving detail, allowing closer, more immersive viewing and scales down to 2K output with a higher quality picture than if created in 2K. An entire industry has emerged to enable a truly end-to-end 4K ecosystem - from capture, production, initial distribution, and secondary distribution to consumers. Consumer electronics equipment manufacturers, in particular, are embracing this revolutionary display technology and are the driving force behind making 4K mainstream.
RED DIGITAL CINEMA announced the availability of its new RED RANGER™ all-in-one camera system designed to meet the needs of high-end productions at select RED Authorized Rental Houses.
RANGER includes the benefits of RED’s cinematic full frame 8K sensor, MONSTRO, in an all-in-one camera system that includes three SDI outputs (two mirrored and one independent) allowing two different looks to be output simultaneously; wide-input voltage (11.5V to 32V); 24V and 12V power outs (two of each); one…
Panasonic has announced that TBN has purchased 16 AW-UE150 4K 60p integrated pan/tilt/zoom cameras, 7 AW-RP150 camera controllers and Tecnopoint Tuning software, Totem telescopic column systems and motorized floor and ceiling dolly systems to equip new studio sets at its Tustin, CA and New York, NY facilities.
RED DIGITAL CINEMA announced the availability of its new RED RANGER™ all-in-one camera system designed to meet the needs of high-end productions at select RED Authorized Rental Houses.
RANGER includes the benefits of RED’s cinematic full frame 8K sensor, MONSTRO, in an all-in-one camera system that includes three SDI outputs (two mirrored and one independent) allowing two different looks to be output simultaneously; wide-input voltage (11.5V to 32V); 24V and 12V power outs (two of each);…
Fremont, CA – March 18, 2019 – Blackmagic Design today announced that China’s Anhui TV designed its first 4K OB van with Blackmagic Design 12G-SDI products, including URSA Broadcast cameras, ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K, ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K, Smart Videohub 12G 40x40, HyperDeck Studio 12G and various converters and monitoring products.
