Digital FX Design | Production | Post

When I bought my Canon 5D Mark II camera, I was eager to utilize the video functionality. However, it was immediately apparent that using a SLR body and an LCD screen for video was going to be a challenge, to say the least. It was awkward holding the camera for video while trying to use the LCD screen. I had to hold the SLR at arms length – making focusing almost impossible. Ultimately, I quit using it for video all together. Then, the Z-finder popped up on my radar. Though the price was a little high, I bought it believing the attachment would provide a valuable added functionality for the Canon. Now, with the Z-finder I can actually use the camera for video – and it takes great footage.

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Nearly one-hundred years apart from each other, two inventors sought to revolutionize the film industry. In 1914, the results changed the way film cameras would forever be designed. In 2006, the results threaten to replace film all together. Both inventions and their creators came as a result of a personal passion and a belief in doing things their own way…

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There’s little doubt that technology is one of the most influential components in our industry. If you’re like me, you probably spend a great deal of time researching and investing in the best software and hardware available. In our recent expansion, my company has spent a small fortune investing in the very latest technology. But here’s the thing – technology doesn’t create art, artists do. Sometimes, in our rush to grab that expensive shiny object before our competitors do, we forget that technology can actually get in the way of creativity. And creativity is what separates you from the rest – not the technology.

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For years now I have been telling our local video assist vendors to upgrade their aging gear to HD. Yet, they still use their circa 1980 software, DVD recorders…and down converters, even today.

I finally got tired of waiting, and about the same time I met Vlado Struhar (www.vladostruhar.com) on-line. Vlado is a commercial Director in Slovakia. While Slovakia is not known as a hotbed for programmers, what Vlado showed me was simply amazing. As a Director he too was tired of the lack of quality HD Video Assist solutions available, so he developed his own. He asked me to take it for a spin, and I was blown away.

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Being Prepared Merits More Than Just A Badge

You know the old saying – “poor preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine?” It couldn’t be more true –particularly in tough economic times. On the surface, it may seem the two have nothing to do with each other. But, in fact, I’ve found in nearly 30 years of business that they have everything to do with each other.

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