MIC REFRAMING DROP TUTORIAL ON TEST: PARROT BEBOP II How to make the most of your 4K footage with Larry Jordan
A mic for every (interview) occasion
MEDIA SUPPORTER
The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers
JULY/AUGUST 2016
@ProMoviemaker www.promoviemaker.net
MEGA TEST: TRIPODS
PRO TEST
Which of these four will you choose?
JVC GY-HM660 One ENG camera to rule them all
TELEPROMPTERS
Read your way to time-saving shoots
PLUS
How to: work with make-up artists Your beginner’s guide to vlogging Are you our One to Watch winner? Legal highs: worldwide drone law Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
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WELCOME The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ
Editorial Editor Terry Hope Deputy editor Zena Toscani Senior sub editor Lisa Clatworthy Sub editor Catherine Brodie Advertising Sales director 01223 499453 Matt Snow mattsnow@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Krishan Parmar 01223 499462 krishanparmar@bright-publishing.com Design Design director Andy Jennings Design manager Alan Gray Senior designers Mark George & Laura Bryant Designers Emily Stowe & Katy Bowman Junior designer Lucy Woolcomb Publishing Managing directors Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck Media supporters and partners of:
If this copy of Pro Moviemaker has arrived a little earlier than you might have been expecting you could have missed the news that the title has now gone bimonthly in response to popular demand. The team here is delighted to have the opportunity to bring you even more features and news from the vibrant world of professional filmmaking. Alongside the latest news from Cine Gear Expo in LA our features this time around include the story of Sea Raven Media, a team that’s spent the last couple of years travelling round all the US National Parks producing some extraordinarily compelling film, much of it time-lapse. We’ve also been talking to Edmund Fraser, a photographer/ filmmaker who’s been pushing the boundaries between still and moving imagery. Regular contributor Jim Marks has been working on a project that involved turning familiar TV faces into terrifying zombies, a job that required the services of a specialist makeup artist, while Todd Baxter, who oversees CNN’s drone operation, explains how UAVs have changed the face of news. We’ve also got extensive reviews on the latest streaming model from JVC and Blackmagic’s Micro Cinema Camera. All in all it’s another issue that’s simply bursting at the seams with exceptional stories and I hope you enjoy the read!
Pro Moviemaker is published quarterly by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. ISSN number: 2045-3892. Pro Moviemaker is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. The advertisements published in Pro Moviemaker that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Prices quoted in sterling and US dollars are street prices, without tax, where available or converted using the exchange rate on the day the magazine went to press.
Terry Hope TERRY HOPE, EDITOR
MEET OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS ZENA TOSCANI DEPUTY EDITOR When she’s not writing features and reviews for Pro Moviemaker, or getting overly excited about new camera gear and cinema releases, Zena puts her 1st class film degree and dancing feet to good use shooting wedding videos at Happy Kettle Films.
LARRY JORDAN SOFTWARE GURU Based in Los Angeles, Larry Jordan is considered one of the best software trainers in the world, and his philosophy is to make the business of editing less frightening and more understandable. To date he’s got eight books and thousands of technical articles to his name.
PHIL RHODES FILM JOURNALIST Phil is a highly respected cinematographer, technologist, writer and, above all, communicator, who has a wealth of experience testing product from all the top manufacturers. Never afraid to speak his mind, he’s always worth listening to.
RYAN BURKE AUDIO EXPERT Ryan kicked off a career in professional audio as a studio sound engineer, then got caught up in the DSLR filmmaking boom. He’s now an educator and audio specialist at RØDE Microphones in Australia, and he spends his time producing content for a global audience.
JIM MARKS FILMMAKER
DAN CHUNG FILMMAKER
A photographer turned filmmaker, Jim Marks trained initially under Bob Carlos Clarke and Patrick Lichfield, so has a rich background in the medium. He now spends much of his time focusing on the moving image, and his motto is “Nothing ever stays the same.”
JEFF FOSTER DRONE PILOT
After cutting his teeth as a stills photographer with The Guardian newspaper, Dan became immersed in the world of filmmaking and, alongside a career making movies, he helped to set up the hugely popular News Shooter website (www.newsshooter.com).
PHIL VINTER FILMMAKER
Jeff is a an author, producer, Adobe Community Professional and experienced drone pilot. He’s also the co-founder of global online publication The Drone Coalition, and he regularly lobbies for the introduction of a more cohesive drone policy in the US.
Former news journalist Phil swapped his notebook for a Nikon a decade ago, was won over by film and now heads up London-based video production company Spires Media. He’s also a qualified drone pilot, travelling the world making aerial films.
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CONTENTS NEWS
6 THIS JUST IN
Our first bimonthly issue brings you the must-know industry news and happenings sooner than ever before! FEATURES
18 CASE STUDY: SEA RAVEN MEDIA Discover how the Pattiz brothers have combined their media skills with a lifelong passion in this ambitious National Parks project.
27 CASE STUDY: EDMUND FRASER
Think your time-lapses are creative? Think again. Read our interview with Edmund Fraser and get inspired to be more innovative with your next shoot.
35 ONE TO WATCH: THE WINNER
Nearly a year on from when we started our search for the next big thing in filmmaking, we can finally announce the winner of our £5000/$7200 grand prize.
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ACADEMY
43 MIC DROP
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We run through all of the mikes you could possibly need in an interview environment and advise which is best.
51 ALL MADE UP
Learn how important make-up is for your shoots whether you’re doing a corporate video or shooting a promo for the next series of The Walking Dead.
57 4K REFRAMING
Our resident post-production expert Larry Jordan advises how to make the most of your 4K footage. MOVIE MATTERS
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63 ASK THE EXPERTS
Whether you’re baffled by blue screen or perplexed by prompting, our panel of experts is here to quash your fears.
68 CINE LENS LOVE-IN
Filmmaker Dan Chung waxes lyrical about why you should invest in dedicated cinema lenses.
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72 VLOGGING 101
Everything you need to know about getting started with vlogging including how you can monetise this venture.
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CASE STUDY SEA RAVEN MEDIA
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SEA RAVEN MEDIA CASE STUDY
PARK LIFE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES
Despite running a hugely successful media company, brothers Will and Jim Pattiz find time to embark on a personal filmmaking adventure to serve the greater good WORDS ZENA TOSCANI STILLS WILL & JIM PATTIZ
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rowing up, Will Pattiz had two primary loves: the outdoors and technology. While these two passions might seem pretty disparate, a business-minded friend and encouraging teacher put them on a collision course. “In high school I started a web design company with my friend, Matt Keough, and was fortunate enough to have a teacher, Jeff Stuart, who made the school film festival cool,” Will says. “It was through
these two ventures that my passion for filmmaking was born.” Will’s younger brother Jim also shared a passion for the great outdoors and soon became interested in filmmaking though admits he was less wooed by Will’s first business venture, “Will was always a little more interested in the computer/ web design world than I was – too much code and technical jargon and not enough doing and seeing for me,” Jim says.
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ACADEMY
INTERVIEWSET-UPS SET-UP INTERVIEW
WORD AUDIO EXPERT
PERFECT The secret of a great interview recording is clean audio, which calls for the right tools and an innate understanding of how to set up a space for audio WORDS RYAN BURKE
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ehind every great interview you’ll invariably find an impeccable audio track. However interesting what someone is saying might be, it’s still incredibly off-putting if an interviewee’s voice conveys very little emotion or depth, so you need to ensure that your audio is clear, crisp and intimate in order
to properly capture your subject and engage your audience. A shotgun microphone is the one that’s most widely used for recording interviews and, when placed correctly, this versatile device will minimise background noise while capturing a rich and detailed tone that’s perfect for the human voice. Opt for one,
such as the RØDE NTG3, that features a tight supercardioid polar pattern and you’ll be able to pick up sounds that are directly in front of the microphone while minimising sound pickup from the sides. This enables you to amplify the interviewee’s voice while minimising extraneous background noise.
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ACADEMY
REFRAMING 4K EDITING IN 4K
THE LARRY JORDAN WORKSHOP
REFRAMING A 4K PRODUCTION Most professional filmmaking cameras these days come with a 4K option, and although it’s memory hungry this format gives the added option to reframe into a 1080p project at the editing stage WORDS LARRY JORDAN
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hile the jury is still out on using 4K media for distribution, shooting and editing, there’s no doubt that this format is now an accepted part of production and post. There are several advantages of using 4K: First, you are future-proofing your media and, second, you have the opportunity to reframe shots in editing that you might not have shot perfectly during production. However, before I shift over into Premiere to illustrate how this works, I need to put both of the above statements into context. If you’re shooting 4K media using AVCHD or another eight-bit codec, your future proofing will actually be exceedingly limited. In order to support HDR, media needs to be shot using ten-bit codecs
1 and 4K, in and of itself, is not sufficient. Shoot 4K using a ten-bit Raw or LOG codec, however, and you will be covered. Also, as I will illustrate shortly, editing 4K images into a 1080p or 720p project allows you to reframe a shot. However, reframing doesn’t affect the depthof-field or the lighting, so while this technique can rescue poor framing on occasions it isn’t a replacement for doing a better job shooting during production. OK, with those comments out of the way, let’s take a look at our 4K clip. 1 This is George. He’s a giraffe. Not only is he physically tall, he was also photographed at 4K resolution.
2 As you can see from the specs – 4K, 25 fps, RED codec – this is a 4K clip. But wait, you say, I thought 3840x2160 was 4K? Yup. So is 4096x2160 (why should we just have one standard?). You’ll find that 3840x2160 is most often called UHD, as it takes a 1920x1080 frame and doubles both dimensions, and this format provides the easiest scaling for HD images viewed on an UHD monitor. However, this image, called True 4K, is built on a foundation of 1024x540 pixels and, for mathematical reasons, this size is more pixel efficient. Whether you shoot UHD or True 4K, the process of editing in Premiere is the same.
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MOVIE MATTERS VLOGGING
GET IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA
CHANNEL YOUR TALENT If you’re a natural in front of camera then take the chance to put yourself out there and join the growing worldwide army of vloggers, who are attracting both an audience and commercial support WORDS TERRY HOPE
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here’s a big wide world out there and, thanks to everincreasing Internet speeds and the reach of sites such as YouTube, all of us are in a position to address it should we so choose. Blogging has been an area of growth for years, with many articulate and clever writers building fame and fortune for themselves, often from the sanctuary of their own bedrooms. More recently filmmakers have been able to join the party, uploading their productions and sharing their message through movies. Vlogging is increasingly becoming big business, and already there are some global superstars out there, each with their own particular niche, whether this be fashion, music, food or lifestyle. Philip Bloom, a British DoP, director and filmmaker, has built a huge following by talking lucidly about his business, reviewing products and interviewing others in the filmmaking world. Watching his videos is hugely entertaining, informative and addictive, and the numbers who follow the site have ensured that some serious commercial backing has also been attracted.
Others who have likewise become stars of the Internet include Shane Hurlbut (with his famous Hurl Blog) and independent filmmaker Noam Kroll. There are also more general sites, such as the No Film School, Still Motion, Raindance and the Lights Film School, which have become essential viewing for anyone interested in the filmmaking world. It’s definitely worth taking a look at some of these sites to see how they’re set up and what they’re offering. So, where do you start if you fancy joining in, and how straightforward is it to become involved? Starting out The first thing you need to do is to work out what you want to say and whether you might be the right person to say it. Set up a camera, talk into it and be honest with yourself: are you a natural in front of the camera and can you present a relaxed and friendly persona that people are going to warm to? You might have cue sheets to make sure you stay on script, but you’ll still need to sound as though you’re speaking naturally rather than reading your lines, and you’ll have to maintain eye contact throughout.
“The first thing you need to do is to work out what you want to say and whether you might be the right person to say it” 72
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VLOGGING
10 TOP TIPS Don’t be precious about your films. Show them to people you respect and take note of their honest feedback. Don’t simply post for the sake of it and always have something worthwhile to say. Keep your films short and make them fun and watchable. Run them as twoparters if necessary. Always keep your production values high – they represent the quality of your filmmaking. Vlog about something that you are knowledgeable about so that you will come across as an expert.
It’s fine if you’re not completely up to speed straight away since you will get better the more you practice, but if you eventually conclude that you’re more of a camera operator than a presenter then it may be worth either working with someone who is more comfortable or natural in that role or thinking of another avenue to explore. If you feel you’ve got something to offer then you it would be a good idea to have a niche that you can explore. This has to be something that you feel passionately about, because you won’t be able to fake this side of things. For the sake of argument let’s say that you love flying a drone: if you’re working regularly in this area then you’ll have plenty to say, whether it be a conversation about the struggle to get your licence, an informed opinion on a new piece of kit or a report on an interesting job you’ve just undertaken. If you do your job well then others with similar interests will eventually find you and spread the word.
Continually browse the most successful vlogging sites for ideas. Don’t copy, but see what it takes for a film to be successful. Be honest about your performance: you need to be natural and relaxed. Shout about your films once they’ve been posted so that people can find and watch them. Collaborate with other bloggers and vloggers to spread the word about your own site. Find a niche – however small – and make sure everyone in that niche knows about you.
Naturally what you put out has to be of the highest quality and with genuine production values. Don’t imagine that you don’t need to invest time into the quality of footage or editing, just because your results might be viewed on a smartphone or a tablet. Audio is another consideration and this has to be spot on: this is a film that’s going to represent you and your business so make sure it does a good job. One of the key things that a vlog can do is increase your profile and build your credentials as an expert, with the hope being that potential clients will come across you and be convinced enough to book you for a job. If the quality of your production isn’t up to scratch then you’ve already blown your presentation and a key reason for putting your work online is lost. If your hope is to ultimately attract sponsorship and support from some of the companies that operate in your niche area then again you’ll find that they won’t want to be involved unless the whole set-up looks professional.
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AERIAL FILMMAKER NEWS
UAV TECHNOLOGY
DJI introduces the Matrice 600 DJI has unveiled the Matrice 600, its next-generation aerial platform. The M600 integrates DJI’s features such as the A3 flight controller and advanced Lightbridge 2 video-transmission technology that offers high frame rates and HD live-streaming capability at distances up to five kilometres/3.1 miles. The UAV features a six-rotor system with a maximum payload of six kilograms/13.2lbs, making it compatible with the full range of DJI’s Zenmuse gimbals, including the Z15 series and the Zenmuse X series cameras. The M600’s carrying weight also allows it to fly the Ronin-MX, DJI’s newest handheld and aerial three-axis gimbal. The M600’s propulsion system is dust proof to simplify maintenance and increase its durability, while it has actively cooled motors for more-reliable flight and its landing gear is retractable for full 360° unobstructed imaging. The M600 is powered by six DJI Intelligent Batteries, and the
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customised battery-management system and power distribution board allow all six batteries to be turned on and off with the push of a button. They are said to be capable of keeping the system aloft should a single battery fail. The M600 will fly up to 36 minutes with a Zenmuse X5 camera attached and up to 16 minutes with a larger camera, such as a RED EPIC. Flight time will vary for different cameras, gimbals and a number of other conditions, however. One of the key features of the M600 is the A3 flight controller it comes with. This uses sine-wave-driven, intelligent electronic speed controllers to ensure that the UAV performs accurately, safely and efficiently. Meanwhile, self-adapting flight systems adjust parameters automatically, based on different payloads. An upgrade is possible to the A3 PRO system, which features advanced diagnostic algorithms that compare sensor data from three Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) units and three inertial measurement units. The A3’s GNSS system can also be optionally upgraded to DJI Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, offering centimetre-accurate positioning to allow for complex manoeuvres in an industrial setting and cinematic shots to be precisely replicated. The RTK technology can also withstand magnetic interference. The M600 supports the DJI GO app, which includes a live video feed, battery and redundancy status, transmission strength and other data to keep the user informed of flight status at all times. The app also provides access to aperture, shutter speed, photo and video capture on any Zenmuse X-series camera, plus remote focus on the Zenmuse X5 and X5R cameras. The M600’s retail price, including the integrated A3 flight controller with Lightbridge 2 and a full set of batteries, is £3999/$4599. www.dji.com
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NEWS
NEW GHOSTDRONES TAKE TO THE SKIES
Ehang has released two new versions of its popular Ghostdrone 2.0, the Ghostdrone 2.0 Aerial bundle and the Ghostdrone 2.0 VR. The Aerial bundle features the drone with a new 4K camera, which can be activated to begin filming by the tap of a button in Ehang’s mobile app. The VR version, meanwhile, features an integrated 4K spherical camera and a pair of VR googles, which gives the pilot the opportunity to see from their drone’s perspective or to change the camera angle, simply by tilting their head up or down. Combined with Ehang’s signature Tilt Control, which allows users to steer their drone simply by tilting their phone, the new Ghostdrone 2.0 is said to give users an experience close to flying a real plane. Both the Aerial and VR models are available for purchase at Fry’s and Amazon, or online via the Ehang website for £554/$599 and £978/$1099 respectively. The VR goggles can also be purchased separately as an accessory for £239/$349. www.ehang.com
TYPHOON H NOW AVAILABLE Yuneec has announced that its awardwinning Typhoon H is finally available following a pre-order period. The hotly anticipated new model features an all-new six-rotor airframe, which provides a solid platform for the full three-axis, 360° unlimited rotation gimbal and the new CGO3+ camera. In addition, the landing gear retracts during flight allowing unobstructed panning for breathtaking 4K videos and 12-megapixel stills. The Typhoon H also adds new flight and image capture modes including Point of Interest, Orbit, Curved Cable and Journey. Innovative new safety features includes ultrasonic proximity detection to prevent collisions with obstacles and a redundancy fail-safe system allowing the Typhoon H to
remain stable and land if a motor should fail. The Typhoon H comes with an Android-based ST16 controller, which has a built-in 17.78cm/7in HD LCD display and HD 720p video downlink for real-time video reception. An HDMI output allows external monitors and VR goggles to be used to monitor video, while an ST12 or Wizard controller can bind to the Team Mode, which allows one controller to operate Typhoon H and the other to operate the camera. For a limited period this is being offered free with the UAV. The price of the Typhoon H Advanced is £1099/$1299, while the Professional model, which features an Intel RealSense Technology
module, is £1399/$2044. This uses advanced computer vision processing to enable the UAV to dynamically alter course in real time as it encounters obstacles, such as tree branches, while the camera continues to track the subject. Future add-on modules will also include specialised gimbal cameras which can be interchanged on the go. www.yuneec.com
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GEAR
JVC GY-HM660
NETWORK NEWS
JVC GY-HM660 As broadband speeds increase, the potential for live streaming becomes ever clearer. JVC is leading the way with the GY-HM660, its latest and most advanced handheld ENG camera WORDS PHIL RHODES
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GEAR
BLACKMAGIC MICRO CINEMA CAMERA
MICRO MARVEL
BLACKMAGIC MICRO CINEMA CAMERA The tiny Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera can go almost anywhere, even on a drone, and produce high-quality footage. We paired it with the new 4K Video Assist to see what it could do WORDS PHIL VINTER
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lackmagic’s new Micro Cinema Camera is the very personification of a niche product. It’s a little cube with a Super 16 sensor at its heart and a handy Micro Four Thirds mount and it simply exudes the confidence of something that knows it has a distinct and uncrowded position in life. It seems happy believing that, whilst its appeal might not be broad, those that are interested will be enthralled. So the questions that spring to mind are twofold: is the world’s smallest digital film camera genuinely capable of solving your problems and does it actually excel when it does?
This little camera does deliver quality and comes with the kind of flexibility that other action cams can only dream about. It shoots Full HD 1080p video using CinemaDNG Raw or Apple ProRes compression, and it comes with Blackmagic’s customary list of frame rate options. You can shoot 23.98p, 24p, 25p, 29.97p, or 30p using a global shutter, and you can go up to 50p, 50.94p and 60p using a rolling shutter. Just like the Pocket Cinema Camera, it offers an impressive 13 stops of dynamic range. From all the trade show fanfare the message that appears to be coming across is that this camera has aspirations
of becoming the professional’s version of the GoPro. It’s aimed at filmmakers who are keen to strap a device to a skier’s helmet or the windscreen of their car but are not prepared to put up with the image quality and recording restrictions of a consumer-level product. Others to be targeted are professional camera operators who have been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to operate small drones. These are people who don’t hold a licence to fly a large quadcopter that could lift large high-end cameras and lenses, but they still want to be able to remotely adjust focus and have accurate iris control.
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GEAR
MINI TESTS
Here’s another round-up of essential accessories for the filmmaker, ranging from a tough-as-nails hard drive to protect your vital data through to a high-end slider with magnetic appeal WORDS TERRY HOPE & DILLON HOLLIS
G-TECHNOLOGY G-DRIVE EV ATC 1TB Price: £87.50/$179.95
www.g-technology.com
G-Technology’s G-DRIVE ev ATC prides itself on its ruggedness, and for good reason. The chunky case of the drive is rather cumbersome but it can definitely take a good beating. I took the bold claims on the packaging as a challenge to see how well it would hold its own in rough conditions and preceded to drop the drive on a variety of materials, from gravel and concrete to wood, all from the recommended height of two metres/6.5ft. But the drive simply shrugged this off and still performed at optimum capacity with few visible defects to the casing. To further test its allterrain credentials, I took the drive to the water where it simply floated happily without any signs of leakage or damage. The G-DRIVE ev ATC is an excellent transit solution for those who are shooting in less than perfect weather conditions (or for simply the clumsier among us). While the threeyear warranty is a nice touch from G-Technology, it’s almost useless given that the drive seems almost
indestructible. The tethered USB cable is an excellent addition as it saves having to constantly remove the drive from its case. If I had to find anything to complain about then it would be that the bulky case and somewhat lacklustre 1TB of capacity does limit the drive from being an all-purpose one, especially at this price point. On the performance front the drive’s speeds are astoundingly fast and consistent. The Blackmagic Design app reported a top write speed of 127.8Mbps and a read speed of 135.2Mbps with a stress of 5GB. I tried to push the drive as far as I could and was transferring a full Final Cut library of over 55GB, which the drive copied in an impressive eight minutes. While there is a more expensive Thunderbolt version, the G-DRIVE ev ATC 1TB sits in the middle of G-Technology’s price range for rugged drives. For the protection it offers your data from the elements, the price is more than worth it if you can deal with only 1TB. DH
SPECIFICATION Interface: USB 3.0 cable (used with the G-Drive ev Raw) Data transfer speed: Read 135.2Mbps Write 127.8Mbps Compatibility: Mac OS 10.7+, Windows 8.1, 8 and 7 In the box: G-Drive ev ATC hard drive with tethered USB cable, USB 3.0 cable, three-year warranty Dimensions (wxhxd): 10.5x3x16.5cm/4.1x1.2x16.5in Weight: 412 g/0.9lb PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 If you are looking for a drive that can survive everything you could throw at it, with impressive speed to boot, this is the one. Pros: Tough, fast transfer speeds Cons: Only 1TB
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GEAR MINI TESTS
SHOOTOOLS SLIDER PRO 100 Price: £682/$995
www.shootools.com
Sliders come in all shapes and sizes and are designed to meet a wide range of budgets, but this example from ShooTools definitely sits at the higher end of the scale and will do a sterling job even for those working with larger cinema cameras. The product oozes quality and is heavyweight with rubber feet to minimise unwanted movement. It certainly felt silky smooth in operation, and the Pro 100’s clever USP is its ‘magnetic field’. There are magnets on both sides of the central carrier and magnets with like poles at either end of the slider, so as the carriage approaches the end of its journey it’s gently pushed back rather than being allowed to hit the buffers. Very useful if you’re shooting time-lapse, for example, and you want a soft push back when you reach the end of travel. The PRO 100 features a travel length of 100cm/39.4in and a width of 10cm/3.9in and it’s capable
of accommodating cameras up to 90kg/198lb in weight: enough for even the largest of cameras. Underneath there are tripod threads at each end so the slider can be supported evenly, with no danger of it toppling over as the camera reaches the end of its run. There’s a wheel on the side of the carriage that allows resistance to be adjusted, and the camera is attached via a ball head so the angle of view can be easily adjusted. Much admired were the stylish solid wooden ends of the slider: they don’t affect performance but they look amazing.
This is a beautifully constructed piece of kit that would be suitable even for the high-end filmmaker. It’s not cheap, but then again you’re paying for the quality, and this is a product that’s designed to do a superior job. TH SPECIFICATION Length of travel: 10ocm/39.4in Payload: Up to 90kg/198lb Dimensions: 103x4.5x10cm/ 40.5x1.7x3.9in Weight: 3.8kg/8.4lb PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING 9/10 Silky smooth in operation and beautifully made. Pros: A piece of kit built to last, with a motor just announced Cons: You can get cheaper options if you’re working on a budget
SHURE MV88 IOS DIGITAL STEREO CONDENSER MICROPHONE Price: £125/$149
www.shure.com
iPhones have the ability to record high-quality sound but the built-in microphone will only really suffice for such things as note taking. However, help is at hand in the form of the Shure MV88 iOS Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone, which simply plugs into the Lightning connector on your phone (iPhone 5 onwards) to then offer up to 24-bit/48kHz resolution with a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz. I plugged it into my phone and it came up with a link to the iTunes store so I could download the free ShurePlus MOTIV Mobile app. This gives you access to mute, gain and volume controls, as well as stereo width settings, EQ and five DSP modes. Each DSP preset offers a different combination of EQ and compression and includes choices for speech, singing, acoustic, loud and flat. Five minutes later I was ready to go: it was that simple.
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The microphone itself is compact, about the size of a golf ball and is covered in foam to provide wind noise reduction. It also offers a 90° hinge with left/right rotation to add some useful audio and video recording options. Audio quality was excellent, far better than the built-in mic of the iPhone could provide. If you save your settings in your app it will save all the choices you make per mic, so if you want to switch devices your settings and presets will switch over automatically, which is a big time saver. The whole package comes in a neat zipped case that is really portable and easy to carry. The one drawback is that the microphone is an iOS only device, so if you’re using any other phone it’s not going to work. Not a problem for everyone, but it would be good to see the same product with an Android option. TH
SPECIFICATION Recording: Up to 24-bit/48kHz resolution with a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz Socket required: Lightning connector on an iPhone (5 onwards) App required: ShurePlus MOTIV Mobile (free) Hinge: 90° with left/right rotation Case: Zip case provided PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING 7.5/10 Small and portable and it can be set up in a matter of seconds Pros: Will massively improve the quality of your iPhone audio Cons: Only iPhone compatible, so it can’t be used by everyone
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