In addition to the two camera’s, we have also ordered audio (wireless and shotgun mic’s), lighting kits and tripods. Combine that with the Final Cut Pro editing system and member’s now have a full equipment set for completing their films.

What: What’s New For Member’s
When: Tuesday October 19, 7:00 pm
Where: Creamery Arts Center
411 N Sherman Parkway, Springfield, MO 65802

Board member Darrell Claunch will lead the conversation on what’s been ordered and we’ll fill you in on the membership details.

As always, if you have a short, a trailer or a work-in-progress, bring a DVD with you and we’ll show it as part of the session. It’s another part of your membership benefits – a 65″ HD TV with 5.1 surround sound system that you can use for your private screening events.

The Business Directory, titled “Action – The Small Business Guide to Video” is still in production. We’ll offer an update on the content and how you can be listed in this inaugural edition. Here’s our latest brochure as well! Feel free to share it with your friends!

Join the MFAS!

What: Red Camera demonstration
When: Tuesday February 16th, 7:00 pm
Where: Park Central Library
128 Park Central Square, Downtown (next to Coffee Ethic)

Arable Entertainment, based in Columbia, MO will be on-hand to show you their system and answer your questions about the equipment, the workflow and show you some results. Here’s a music video for White Rabbit’s “Percussion Gun”.

If you have a business interest, contact solson@missourifilm.org to arrange for a private presentation during the afternoon.

Their “under $500,000” dramatic feature, “Fall Away,” has been shooting weekends at Chicago locations, many of them at night, said Wexler.

“We looked at the Red, but found the Canon 7D performs best at night in low light. This is a pretty dark film, set in night time Chicago with scenes in bars, and the Canon works without a tremendous amount of light.

More information on the production, and the use of the Canon 7D, can be found on Ruth Ratny’s REEL CHICAGO website

Doing timelapse with the stills function gives you enormous flexibility and the ability to get some truly mind blowing low light timelapse sequences. Much better than you can do with a video camera.

36 hour timelapse on the Canon 7D from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

As a part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration, Electronic Video Systems presents the Return of the EVS Fall Video Showcase.

• Seminars on Smart Boards, Digital Signage, Broadcast Applications, Apple Final Cut Pro and more
• Equipment on display with experts available to answer all your questions
• More than 60 vendors from Broadcast, A/V and CCTV will be in attendance
• We welcome anyone dealing with Audio or Video of any kind – personnel from Education, broadcast, production, House of Worship and more
• Attendee prizes

NOTE: Pre-Registration is requested.

Details:

• October 8, 2009
• Remington’s
  1655 W. Republic Road (map)
  Springfield, MO

Seminars

• Click here for complete details

Participating Vendors

Tilda Swinton and a group known as “A Pilgrimage” are responsible for the mobile screening facilities and the films that are being shown in remote towns in Northern Scotland that wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to see these films.

What type of films would attract crowds in Southwest Missouri? I saw Sam’s is selling a 72″ inflatable screen for less than $200 that would work well in a backyard. Hmmm….

As most readers know, I’m a fan of Final Cut, so it’s a big deal to me when a major upgrade of the software is released. This new FCS has a lot of changes and new features. Like the upcoming Snow Leopard operating system many of the new features strike me as time-savers, not game changers. But after looking over the changes….I’m a little underwhelmed. Are there improvements? Sure. Am I going to stand in line for this release? No.

Final Cut Studio includes Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5, DVD Studio Pro 4, Cinema Tools 4.5, and Apple Qmaster 3.5

The Final Cut Studio upgrade provides an upgrade path from Final Cut Studio 2, Final Cut Studio 1, Production Suite, or any prior version of Final Cut Pro. Academic and Not-For-Resale (NFR) versions are not eligible for upgrade.

Nar (the show’s host) makes a movie camera out of a block of magnesium at Panavision, investigates the science behind crime-scene blood spatter on Showtime’s Dexter, meets Lola the leading digital plastic surgeon in Hollywood and an indie filmmaker demonstrates DIY effects

The visit to Panavision was real cool and I learned that the first Panaflex camera was used by Vilmos Zigmond for “Sugarland Express” with Stephen Spielberg.

When Zsigmond was filming The Sugarland Express with Steven Spielberg, he convinced Panavision founder Robert Gottshalk to personally deliver the first Panaflex camera to him on location in Texas. Zsigmond immediately put the camera on his shoulder and got into the back seat of a car. He pulled the audience deep into the story by showing them breathtaking action from the perspective of a passenger.

One of these days, I hope Vilmos will visit Springfield and share his vision with us. He has early collaborators here in Springfield. Cross your fingers!

Show time is Thursday nights at 10 pm. Check your cable/satellite provider for access to the channel. Oh, and here’s a clip from a visit to the set of Dexter where they talk blood and crime scenes.

First step if you are still in process would be to download the DTV Transition Made Easy booklet from the FCC and Consumer Union. 5 Simple Steps, in a 16-page booklet.

My sister is getting the reception without the addition of a fancy antenna, courtesy of her location. You may want to look into the service capabilities in your area by checking the Maps available on DTV.org. Personally downtown, I’m receiving all of the local channels well except for KOLR10 which is black, zilch, a non-entity. Kind of remarkable given that they were an early adopter and the original digital signal they had worked fine with my Panasonic plasma TV and basic rabbit ears. When they made their final transition to digital-only, it eliminated them from my viewing habits. I’ve heard they are increasing the power of their broadcast signal but I’m not spending any money on a new antenna. Speaking of which, I spent $40 on a ‘special antenna’ I bought at Sam’s. The result did not improve on my rabbit ears. We’ll see if it helps my sister get PBS in STL.

One other item of interest, from Videomaker, although I haven’t seen this behaviour from Mediacom yet based upon my other sister’s service in Southern Hills:

Some cable TV companies are trying to take advantage of the confusion going on over the DTV conversion. Consumer’s Union, the parent company, writes that some programs viewers enjoy on their usual cable tier are being scrambled and placed on a higher tier, requiring viewers to rent set-top boxes for every TV in the house to watch them.

The CR report goes on to say that the digital TV transition change affects only those that are watching TV via an antenna only, and that this is a deceptive excuse for a rate hike. The story adds, “If the cable company says the channel changes are due to DTV conversion mandated by the feds, notify your state’s attorney general. They’re not.” (Consumer’s Reports, November 2008).

So there you go, the MFAS basics on keeping up with DTV.

Brook Linder, Chicago Millenium Park

Right! It’s definitely not the answer sound-wise, but with the right lenses it can do just about anything. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it until I took it on a trip to a few cities last week (which I’ll have something up from soon). It was just too convenient to shoot absolutely whatever, whenever. I’ve always kind of shrugged off the idea of having something that’s portable, but it was great, absolutely great.

Here’s a link to a video we did in New York. Obviously we couldn’t light or use tripods, but the camera’s small size allowed us to go just about everywhere.

Focus Lens from Brandon Goodwin on Vimeo.

Our first (of many) NYC rap videos. Shot on a Nikon D90 with a 14mm tamron prime lens. Unofficial entry for 2009 STN music video competition.

If you’d like to learn more, leave a comment and I’ll ask Brook to answer your questions.