Cunning Ape Productions

Today we checked out the realm of canon, mainly the Canon EOS 1D-C, which is Canon’s response to the prevalent use of the 5D MK II for shooting films.

The 1D-C is unique in that it shoots 4k video. Two short films and one behind the scenes segment were shown in the Canon Theater. Relative to what we saw in the RED theater, this was gold.

We were truly impressed by the tonality that the 1D-C offered.  The camera appeared to be  one of the best mobile cameras.  The problem with this camera is the price – $15,000.  Canon, you have to do better than that to keep me interested, but I value the incognito style camera – the only thing giving it away is the Canon CN-E 30-300mm.

Adobe had a consistent flow of useful knowledge from their guest speakers.  With the release of CS6 in a couple months, everyone was getting excited.

First, we were able to see the 3d HUD (heads up display) for Ironman used in the new Avengers movie.  We were walked through the process of designing the HUD and were impressed by the realism of the HUD (The design team worked with various groups such as the AirForce).  The important thing that we learned here was the the importance of pre-visualization and the use of pre-comps in After Effects.

The next adobe presentation was on Adobe’s new CS6 software called SpeedGrade. The program’s ease of use was demonstrated before the eager audience.  It looked a lot more useful in terms of functionality and workflow when compared to Apple’s Color.  Adobe added new looks and partnered with LookLab so you can download custom looks (first release being around $99) and the colorist can actually work beneath the look. It is an extremely powerful tool that greatly enhances the quality of your product.

With flawless integration of Prelude and Premiere with After Effects and SpeedGrade, Adobe has built an army of programs that now focuses on the economics of post-production, allowing Adobe’s smarts to manage your digital assets .  Round trips take only a fraction of the time you would spend on the FCP / AE workflow.

Adobe CS6 is a buy.

Day 2 of NAB was even more exciting than the first.

We spent most of the day analyzing cameras. Lets get right into it. Aside from the Alexa, the camera the got us most excited was the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which follows suit in the modern big glass/ little ass category (EPIC, AF100).  The camera is unique in that it shoots uncompressed.  You can record and playback from the integrated SSD recorder with the touchscreen on the camera, which Blackmagic calls similar to using a smartphone (that’s the last thing I would compare a camera to, not our call).

Although claiming a dynamic range of 13 stops, the sensor maxes out at 2.5K, which not the worst option out there.  This year the term 8K was being thrown around, but the market is nowhere near ready for it. With the increase in dynamic range, one thing remains certain – blowing out windows is still going to be accepted.

The camera is built with the post process in mind, coupling the camera with DaVinci Resolve.  It is interesting to note that Blackmagic did not create Resolve, but rather bought the company.  It is an interesting move to enter the digital film realm.

It’s still too early to make any judgements, but with a price tag of $3,000, you might be able to buy a lens, too!  The first model of the camera is going to be buggy and probably need to add extra features for the prosumer.  We doubt that Blackmagic is going to get it right the first time, so we recommend waiting to see what Blackmagic has in store down the road.

We commend Blackmagic for its attempt at making a prosumer friendly product, but we can’t see this camera being a huge success, at least so soon.

We also checked out the RED booth.  It’s dissapointing that the RED primes are made by Tamron and that the 3d movie was not impressive. Luke Scott, son of director great Ridley Scott wrote and directed a short film that was so-so. It was more of a 3D camera test than anything else.

It’s all about the Alexa this year.

Excitement was in the air but it wasn’t the typical kind. It was the kind that left our stomach feeling hungry – hungry for the knowledge that we knew we would ingest from 9-6p.  By the end of the night, NAB and Las Vegas buffet had left us really full.

Rental companies were having a profitable week; we have never seen so many ALEXAS and J.L. Fisher Dollies under one roof.

And we do not know why the man is shooting 3d with gopros in the background.  So far our top picks for booths are Arri, GoPro, and Panasonic.

We are excited to be headed to Las Vegas for the NAB 2012 Convention.  Follow us on twitter and facebook as we make our way through the largest technology convention in the world.  

I have been watching the Rancho Magdalena promo video come together quite nicely.  It’s hard to believe we shot 30 scenes in a day and a half and it looks so good!  For this, I thank my camera crew, my gaffer, and my grip & electrics.  Things couldn’t have happened so smoothly without you.

Welcome to the Cunning Ape blog – your source to find out what’s going on behind the ape.