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The death of DSLR revisited: Blackmagic Design’s new affordable digital motion picture camera

Amid all the shiny new toys announced and demoed at NAB 2012 by the usual suspects of companies such as RED, Arri and Canon, one company not even known for cameras at all lay the smackdown on all the camera manufacturers. Past the initial shock and gadget giddiness, I’ve had a chance to collect my thoughts on this exciting new development.

Blackmagic Design -best known for their high end video capture cards and cross converters- unveiled their new DIgital Cinema Camera to the shock of everybody at NAB2012. It is a 2.5K camera that shoots in Prores, AVID DNx, and RAW in the ADOBE CinemaDNG format in 23.976/24p/25p/29.97/30p fps. All for $2995 USD. This is big news. Seriously. The key lies in how it shoots and records

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Arts Computing Photography Production 

Canon 60D or Nikon D7000: A Filmmaker’s Decision Part 3

It’s been a while since I first embarked on this 3-part article. Since then, life happened as it always does and before I knew it, quite a bit of time has passed and the digital camera landscape has completely changed. But always for the better. Newer and more affordable video and cinema cameras have surfaced that surprised everybody. For the sake of completing this series, I will not discuss any of the new developments. That is best left for another article altogether.

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Raindance Canada’s Live! Ammunition Pitching Competition is Back!

Well, it’s Fall here in Toronto Ontario Canada and that means Raindance Canada’s Live! Ammunition! Pitching Competition is back! Pitch your idea or screenplay to a panel of industry insiders & executives. Intense fun infront of a LIVE audience… Over $1,000 value in prizes.  Networking after party

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Arts Film Hardware Photography Show video 

Filmmaking on a Lo-Fi Budget: The $4 Focus Lever

I first saw this while looking for some kitchen utensils at a home/kitchen store. It is a silicon jar opener. Composed of a rubbery silicon material with a hard plastic tightening collar, it is made to open the toughest of jars.

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Entertainment Law for Filmmakers

In the past, we had the above course and it was very well received.  Unfortunately, we can’t have it as often as we would like due to the tutor’s schedule.  We are pleased to let you and your readers know that Entertainment Law for Filmmakers series is coming back once again because of its demand.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could post the following on your website: ENTERTAINMENT LAW FOR FILMMAKERS DATE – JUNE 13, 16, 20, 23 TIME – 6:30pm to 9:00pm LOCATION – St. Paul’s Church…

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Canon 60D or Nikon D7000: A Filmmaker’s Decision part 2

Nikon was the first camera company to enable HD video recording on their D90 DSLR in 2008 and thus ushered in the ensuing frenzy that took hold of the video world. For once in the history of video cameras, there was now a sub-$7000 camera that shot 720p 24fps HD video on a sensor that dwarfed even broadcast cameras, but as well allowed people to interchange and use the seemingly endless variety of DSLR lenses! It was the independent filmmaker’s dream come true. Thus the HD-DSLRs were born.

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Upcoming Raindance Canada Events

Live! Ammunition! Pitching Competition, follow by Boozin’ N’ Schmoozin’ Tuesday, March 29, 2010 at the Drake Hotel This is it! Your chance to pitch your movie idea directly to a panel of top Canadian film executives. These are the people who matter. They are the people who buy scripts – they are the people who decide what will be made and what won’t. Creating a Dynamic Cinematic Vision – April 9/10/16/17 at St. Paul’s Church Why is it that everyone wants to direct, but few take the time to learn…

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A Filmmaker’s Decision: Canon 60D or Nikon D7000?

Part 1 Everyone around here knows I’ve been looking around for a new camera for a while.  Being an independent filmmaker who shoots primarily narrative-based (fictional) films, I have certain specific requirements that are very different to the requirements of a photographer.  Now that DSLRs have come into their own – especially with indie/low budget filmmakers – when the camera manufacturers enabled Full 1080p HD video recording capabilities on these DSLRs, it has opened a world of possibilities for the indie filmmaker.  Before, the choice was a bit clearer when…

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Raindance Canada’s Lo-to-No Budget Filmmaking Class is Back!

What helped to kick start the careers of Christopher Nolan, Mathew Vaughn, Edgar Wright and Guy Ritchie? They all took the intensive masterclass Lo To No Budget Filmmaking course taught by Toronto-born Elliot Grove.  Few people know more filmmakers, or more about filmmaking than the founder of the prestigious Raindance Film Festival.

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