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Cameras & Lights Articles

Creative COW Magazine
Creative COW Magazine : Cameras & Lights Articles
Cinematography
The Redrock Micro DSLR Cinema Bundle for the Canon 5D MKIIThe Redrock Micro DSLR Cinema Bundle for the Canon 5D MKII

If you are using the Canon 5D MKII or Nikon D90 for their gorgeous HD video, or even thinking about it, you need to read this. Creative COW Contributing Editor Jim Harvey shows how the Redrock Micro DSLR Bundle makes these cameras even more useful for video shooters, then shows how he and other pros are using it, in the field and in the studio. Jim is enthusiastic about the possiblities it opens up, and thinks you will be too.

  06/23/2009
Author: Jim Harvey
Panasonic HVX - HPX (P2)
AVC-Intra and the Panasonic AJ-HPX2000AVC-Intra and the Panasonic AJ-HPX2000

In this Creative COW Magazine article, Jeremy Garchow discusses his experience using the AVC-Intra codec and the Panasonic AJ-HPX2000 camera on an overseas production project.

  02/19/2009
Author: Jeremy Garchow
Cinematography
Focus on Controlling Depth of Field with Depth of Field ConvertersFocus on Controlling Depth of Field with Depth of Field Converters

Cinematographer and Creative Cow leader Todd Terry has shot countless television commercials and industrials using both 35mm film and depth-of-field converted video. In this Creative Cow Magazine Extra, from The Visual Effects Issue, learn how depth of field converters allow you to attach 35mm lenses even to video cameras with fixed lenses, how they work, and which one might be right for you.

  02/10/2009
Author: Todd Terry
Creative COW Magazine feedback
The Truth About 2K, 4K and The Future of PixelsThe Truth About 2K, 4K and The Future of Pixels

John Galt, Panavision Senior Vice President of Advanced Digital Imaging, led the team that created the Genesis camera, was responsible for the F900 Star Wars camera, and continues to play a leading role in guiding future digital cinema technologies. In this Creative Cow Magazine Extra, join us for a wide-ranging conversation, as John cuts through what he calls the intentional obfuscation of marketing pixels, and considers the range of options that are becoming available to digital filmmakers.

  02/03/2009
Author: John Galt
Art of the Edit
Metadata & The Future of FilmmakingMetadata & The Future of Filmmaking

In this expanded version of an interview first published in Creative Cow Magazine, Dave describes a possible future for filmmaking -- faster, less expensive, and more creative -- as cameras and metadata come together.

  12/16/2008
Author: Dave Stump
Lighting Design Pros
Lighting with ShadowsLighting with Shadows

In this extended version of his article in the Creative Cow Visual Effects Issue, lighting expert and instructor Rick Wise draws on his decades of experience to illustrate how shadows can be the most important part of how a scene is lit. Learn how to control the direction and quality of your lighting design to add texture, dimension, and force to your images.

  12/02/2008
Author: Rick Wise
Lighting Design Pros
Westward Ho!Westward Ho!

A wild ride of an edit: shot on film, projected onto five screens. In this Creative COW Magazine article Mike Sullivan discusses some of the problems such as lighting and color interaction he faced in a project he did for National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming.

  09/03/2008
Author: Mike Sullivan
Sony EX Series XDCAM
On Stage with the Sony XDCAM HDOn Stage with the Sony XDCAM HD

When your corporate clients are as big as Wembley Stadium, a small camera will not do. Besides, Rick Bronks was not interested in HDV or in tapeless shooting that cost more than tape. Enter XDCAM HD.

  08/19/2008
Author: Rick Bronks
RED Camera
RED: Early Workflow FindingsRED: Early Workflow Findings

In this real world video production RED Camera review from The Creative COW Magazine, Assron Zander discusses how The Brooks Institute students put RED ONE through the paces of a student production. Here are their findings.

  02/11/2008
Author: Aaron Zander
Panasonic HVX - HPX (P2)
P2 Digital Workflows with the Panasonic HPX500P2 Digital Workflows with the Panasonic HPX500

Don't be afraid of digital workflows, says Mark. And don't be afraid to spend money on the right camera. In this Creative COW Magazine article, Mark Wagoner discusses workflow when working with the Panasonic HPX500 in comparison to the HVX200 and other cameras.

  02/03/2008
Author: Mark Wagoner
Audio Professionals
Audio Mixing for DV and HDV: PSC DV Promix 3Audio Mixing for DV and HDV: PSC DV Promix 3

Brandt Sleeper shows how PSCs DV ProMix 3 will help your DV and HDV recordings sound better than ever -- bars and tone, calibration, for one or several cameras. Could this be the field mixer youve been waiting for?

  12/15/2007
Author: Brandt Sleeper
Audio Professionals
Why Use a Mixer?Why Use a Mixer?

Want to know why you should be using a mixer and an external mic instead of your cameras onboard mic? After years shooting for clients including National Geographic, NFL Film and Oprah, as well as production for his own company, hell give you the background you need to make your work sound its best.

  12/13/2007
Author: Brandt Sleeper
Audio Professionals
Field Mixing with the PSC AlphaMixField Mixing with the PSC AlphaMix

In this review from producer and professor Brandt Sleeper, he takes you on trip through this field mixers exceptional feature set, including support for multiple cameras and NP-1 power. He also puts it through its paces on a segment for Good Morning America.

  12/09/2007
Author: Brandt Sleeper
Canon camcorders
Film-Style Shooting with the Canon XL H1Film-Style Shooting with the Canon XL H1

Interchangeable lenses and powerful, accessible controls make the Canon XL H1 the choice at Fantastic Plastic. In this Creative COW Magazine prosumer hd digital video camera review, Todd Terry discusses the real world pros and cons of the Canon XL H1.

  10/27/2007
Author: Todd Terry
Digital Photography
Time Lapse Video Secrets: HD and Beyond with your Digital CameraTime Lapse Video Secrets: HD and Beyond with your Digital Camera

You already know that your digital camera has higher-than-HD resolution -- even higher than film res sometimes -- and the pictures can look amazing. It turns out that your still camera actually works better than an HD video camera for creating time-lapse photography. Marco Solorio tells you how to put it all together.

  10/10/2007
Author: Marco Solorio
Panasonic HVX - HPX (P2)
Making History with Panasonic P2 and the HVX200Making History with Panasonic P2 and the HVX200

In this reprint from Creative COW Magazine, Creative Cow leader and broadcast editor Shane Ross uses his work for The History Channel to illustrate end-to-end workflow using P2 media and the Panasonic HVX200: from a multi-camera shoot in the middle of blazing gunfire, all the way to your living room.

  09/24/2007
Author: Shane Ross
Indie Film & Documentary
A Tale of Cows, People, Passion and High TechA Tale of Cows, People, Passion and High Tech

After we remarked in the January/February 2007 issue that this would be the year of the COW, Barbara Summer Burstyn wrote to tell us about the film she and her husband Tom had made, with cows playing a central role in its theme. Its a fascinating story that sheds light on the challenges of documentary filmmaking.

  06/17/2007
Author: Barbara Summer Burstyn
HDV Format
Building the Perfect HDV KeyBuilding the Perfect HDV Key

In the first of our Creative COW Magazine Web Extras, we begin with Stephen Smiths outstanding article on setting up an area for proper keying from the May-June 2007 edition. His article covers every option for setting up and lighting perfect keys. Here, we look at the best advice around The COWs online communities for pulling keys from HDV footage.

  06/15/2007
Author: Tim Wilson
Business & Marketing
To Be or Not To Be Self-EmployedTo Be or Not To Be Self-Employed

Self-employment may be your personal path to riches and enlightenment, or it may be one of the worst choices you'll ever make. In this article, Creative COW's Nick Griffin discusses the pros, cons and realities of starting your own business and gets into some of the things that should be considered before making the leap.

  06/10/2007
Author: Nick Griffin
Sony F900 & PDW Series
Sony XDCAM HD PDW-F350: First ImpressionsSony XDCAM HD PDW-F350: First Impressions

In this prosumer hd dv camcorder review from The Creative COW Magazine, Timothy Duncan discusses his first impressions with the CineAlta-branded XDCAM HD PDW-F350, along with the PDW-F70 recording deck. Sony's XDCAM HD F350 is an optical disc-based variableframe-rate camera that shoots in both HD and Standard Definition DVCam.

  05/04/2006
Author: Timothy Duncan
Creative COW Magazine is copyright 2006 - 2009 by Creative COW®. All rights are reserved.
No reprint rights are granted except to educational institutions such as universities, colleges,
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