Spotlight: VizTools’ HandiZoom – Zoom Controller

The HandiZoom provides camera and zoom controls to your fingertips, and helps stabilize your shooting. The motorized drive for manipulating the zoom helps ensure a smooth motion. It can also be set at a maximum speed. The HandGrip balances well in one hand, freeing you to dedicate your second hand to zoom or another function.

The flexible system has a quick-release for changing Parfocal Twist Type lenses on Canon cameras (as of release)

Control can also come from a remote, and focus can be adjusted with five and 10x magnification.

Best Editing Software: Adobe Production Premium Creative Suite 6 – Editing Suite

Adobe you know, what you’re waiting on is CS6 and rightly so, it will be a very strong presence in the video editing world for good reason, such as a clean and easy to use interface and good utilization of 64-bit processing. The suite combines big names like Premiere, Audition, Photoshop and After Effects with many more for a package that gives video professionals and enthusiasts an extensive group of tools.

Their emphasis this time around is to speed up your editing, allowing for hover scrubbing within windows, better/more intuitive performance in Audition and uninterrupted playback in Premiere. Another welcome expansion will be found in multicam editing and color correcting. There’s plenty more new features to discover, and as for pricing, we can’t be sure, but to get into the ballpark, CS5.5 is $1,700 and upgrades are about $400.

Best Camcorder: Sony NEX-FS700U – 4K High Speed Camcorder

Now the NEX-FS700U is worth talking about, as a 4K camera with a Super CMOS 35mm sensor and optimization for high-speed shooting, we don’t know where to start.

We couldn’t give this one the best camera at NAB without mentioning the E-mount that will accept a host of lenses. The total of 11.6MP is plenty for a camera that has high sensitivity, adds little noise and minimal aliasing. You may have expected built-in ND filters, but a wheel for it, why not? Another innovative area is the handle which should see plenty of use with controls for expanded focus, auto iris and of course record.

At the end of your production you’ll be glad the FS700 has 3G HD-SDI and HDMI outputs and was shot at 960fps or more pedestrian 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, or 24p. The current design is ready for 4K, but simply waiting on a future firmware to be provided by Sony. The NEX-FS700 should be available in June for less than $10,000.

Spotlight: SmallHD’s DP7 – Pro Field Monitor

We like many other video professionals have come to appreciate the products from SmallHD, and the DP7 is another such monitor. There are two versions at the same price, one with high brightness and the other using an OLED.

With brightness as great as 1000nit it’ll be easy to monitor outdoors beneath the sunlight. The OLED has great color reproduction.

One of the best features is the integration of SmallHD software and keeping up with firmware updates. A more detailed specification sheet is on its way (see link above) but we are already excited after noticing the price at the booth to be $2700.

What’s Your Video Style? Take this quiz for fun and see what style of video best suits your personality. Agree or disagree with your results? Tell us why below!

1) What’s your Favorite thing about putting together a video?

A) I like working in a nice quiet studio, where I can devote all my attention to my work.

B) I like working with video tools and equipment. I’m a real hardware fanatic!

C) I like working with people. They fascinate me!

D) I like creating an ambiance, something that will really draw the audience into the movie!

E) I like the action. I’m not happy unless I’m in the center of the storm!

F) I like the chance to be creative, to experiment with new ideas!

2) What’s the most important thing you look for when you watch a video?

A) I look to see how well it’s technically put together. I appreciate good craftsmanship.

B) It has to look good! People aren’t going to watch it if it looks like it was made by amateurs.

C) I like a good story, something to really make me care about the people on the screen.

D) A good soundtrack! A movie is boring if it doesn’t have a some tunes!

E) I want to see real people in real situations! I want to see how things really happened.

F) Did it teach me something new? I always want to add to my knowledge!

3) If you could pick anyplace in the world to shoot a video, would you choose to shoot:

A) The Great Barrier Reef in Australia?

B) The Roman Catacombs in Italy?

C) The Great Pyramids of Egypt?

D) The Oktoberfest Celebration in Germany?

E) The Running of the Bulls in Spain?
F) Bodie Ghost Town in California?

4) How would you describe yourself?

A) Meticulous and Logical!

B) Dark and Mysterious!

C) An Avid Story-teller!

D) Epic, Bigger than Life!

E) A Romantic at Heart!
F) Curious and Restless!

5) What’s your Biggest Reward in Making Video?

A) The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done.

B) The Appreciation of an Audience

C) Making a difference in the way people see the world.

D) The Chance to do Something Challenging and Creative

E) Seeing People’s Faces when they see themselves in your video

F) Seeing your Work on the Big Screen.

If you answered mostly A, you are an EDITOR. Shooting video is fun, but you have a real appreciation for the craft and artistry that comes afterward. You know that every snip and splice has the potential to make a story come to life, and there’s nothing you like better than turning that raw footage into something compelling.

If you answered mostly B, you are a LIGHTING FANATIC. You know that a video isn’t worth anything if you can’t tell what’s going on in it. Your standards for lighting are strict and your videos benefit from your attention to detail. Whether it’s creating a noir atmosphere with shadows or illuminating an interview subject, you know that lighting is key to interesting, engrossing videos. You’re always up to meet the challenges that other videographers forget to prepare for.

If you answered mostly C, you are a DOCUMENTARIAN. You love story telling and you can find the story in anything. Whether it’s something as small and silly as a nature film about salamanders or as heart-felt and personal as a family biography, you’re aces at finding those telling moments that illustrate the big picture. You love exploring human drama and you’re not shy about capturing the best – and worst– with your camera.

If you answered mostly D, you are a SOUND FANATIC. You’re the person people turn to when they need to capture the soft sounds of birdsong or muffle out the interrupting din from the nearby highway, because you understand how important sound is. When you do your job right, the results are practically invisible. Audiences may not realize why they like your videos, that your perfectly-synced sound effects and carefully selected music are what’s pulling them in, but you know the secret. You’re always up to meet the challenges that other videographers forget to prepare for.

If you answered mostly E, you are an EVENT VIDEOGRAPHER. You’re a daredevil; you like being right in the middle of the action. You don’t shirk from a challenge and you’re not afraid to take on assignments where you only have one shot to get it right – weddings, celebrations, speeches, anything where there’s a vortex of activity, you’ll be there with your camera in hand. Action is your watchword!

If you answered mostly F, you are a JACK OF ALL TRADES. You’re always exploring, always searching for something new. You never accept that you’ve learned enough, and you’re always striving to improve your video-making skills. Your creativity and inquisitiveness show through in your videos, which are continuously changing and maturing.

For tips and tricks with all sorts of video, join Videomaker‘s  eNews electronic newsletter, chock full of the info and advice you crave, it’s just what you need to satisfy that nagging curiosity.

Whether you’re just starting out in video production – or have been into cinematography for years, taking a video production course can help you break out of a rut with new ideas as you meet-n-greet with people who share your interest in video making.

People from all over the country – and all over the world, come to our small town of Chico California – 70 miles north of Sacramento, 2 hours east of San Francisco – for our three day workshop that includes lighting, shooting, editing and audio techniques as well as production planning and location and studio  setups. they learn to work with a crew, and study the many crew positions in the video production process including directing, audio mixing, lighting design, and, of course, shooting.

From our basic workshop that covers a bit of every aspect of being on a crew to our  intensive courses that include Intensive Editing, Intensive Lighting, Advanced Shooting, and Advance Lighting – we enjoy teaching our workshops and these tight-knit groups always leave on Sunday exhausted, but with a new knowledge and understanding of the field of video production.

this week’s Videomaker workshops includes Basic Production and Intensive Editing.

People from all areas of video production come to our workshops: those in video advertising and starting a home business; those interested in possibly moving on to specialized cinematography schools, making online documentaries or looking for television production jobs in the future. We get teachers and hobbyists, career-changers and those looking to enter festivals, contests and film competitions.

Videomaker is a good place to learn – and connect, and we recently added more dates to our 2012 lineup:

May 4-6:  Basic Production Workshop and Intensive Lighting Workshop
June 1-3:  Basic Production Workshop and Intensive Editing Workshop
Sept 14 -16: Basic Production Workshop and Intensive Lighting Workshop
Oct 12 -14: Basic Production Workshop and Advanced Shooting Workshop
Dec 7 -9: Basic Production Workshop and Intensive Editing Workshop

For those who have attended our workshops in the past, we are also updating some of the stories we shoot, the gear we work with and the class schedules. We hope to see you here someday.