Hong Kong lens maker SLR Magic has announced the HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 lens for the Leica M mount. The lens, which can be easily adapted for Micro Four Thirds or Sony NEX cameras, is designed for low light and shallow depth-of-field videography and available-light photography. The lens features 12 elements in 7 groups and, the company says, is optimized to be shot with the aperture wide open. The lens won’t be available until September 2012.

Hong Kong, China (January 1, 2012)  – SLR Magic opens up the M mount lens lineup with the new SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 ultra fast normal focal length lens. The world’s fastest interchangeable camera lens with an image circle beyond full frame coverage in its focal length, the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 concept lens will be publicly available for experience testing in September 2012 at Photokina in Cologne, Germany.

The field of view of this new HyperPrime Lens corresponds to a 50mm lens in 35mm format. It is optimized to be shot wide open. This ultra fast normal focal length prime lens opens up many new creative composition opportunities, particularly in the fields of available light, in portrait, and street cinematography. Built with modern non aspherical lens technology, the lens excels at defocusing busy backgrounds at T0.95. A minimum focus distance of 0.70m allows for artistic bokeh effect. A fast maximum aperture of T0.95 makes the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 ideal for available-light photography.

Our highest priority in the development of all HyperPrime lenses is to fulfill the demands of professional cinematographers and photographers. The design and build of the SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 is solid and reliable.

The SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95, a concept lens, will be available from authorized SLR Magic dealers by the end of September 2012.

I hope 2012 is a better year for all of us especially for our friends in Japan, so lets sit back and welcome the New Year and hope for some stunning camcorders during 2012 plus the odd firmware update for FS100, NX70 and FCP-10.

Such sad news, Kevin passed away in his sleep last Wednesday evening (28th December 2011) and leaves his loving wife and two very loving daughters.

I must have known Kevin for over 20 years and what a character, full of life and a good joke or two. Kevin worked for Sony Broadcast for many years before moving over to JVC Professional.

Kevin was a man who knew his cameras and was liked by all who met him in the video industry, he will be sadly missed.

Richard Desmond’s Channel 5 will relaunch its news output next year with on-air reporters editing their own footage.

5 News is making more than a third of its news staff redundant – including all editors and newsroom staff – in a fresh bid to cut costs at the broadcaster.

About 16 staff are being made redundant as part of changes to the Channel 5 news output, which will see some on-air presenters edit their own footage and the introduction of “low-budget” cameras.

The redundancies were announced to staff after ITN won back the contract to produce 5 News from Sky News. ITN will take over the daily bulletin, fronted by presenters Matt Barbet and Emma Crosby, in February 2012.

ITN said most of the redundant staff would be replaced but in different roles. “We’ve always said the majority of 5 News staff will be transferring to ITN,” a spokesman for ITN said. “We are currently in consultation with the workforce as we reconfigure roles on the service. As with any change, ITN does have different working practices to other news producers and we are supporting staff through this process.”

Some 5 News cameramen are understood to be furious after being told that their job title would be changed to “video journalist”, which incorporates a broader range of editorial duties, and given what they claim are low-budget cameras. Some on-air reporters will edit their own footage.

“They’ve been given old [Sony] EX1s,” said one 5 News insider. “They were told that they’re award-winning cameras – but that’s only because they’re used in war zones.”

The 5 News budget for international coverage is also understood to have been squeezed, with foreign coverage next year restricted to the US presidential election.

Desmond was expected to make sweeping changes to the 5 News budget after he bought the terrestrial broadcaster for £103.5m in August last year.

Channel 5 and Sky News had held on/off discussions over the past year to cancel the agreement – thought to be worth £9m a year – as Desmond sought to cut the cost of 5 News. ITN’s new deal is thought to be worth considerably less.

A focus on lighter news and the introduction of the entertainment news magazine spin-off OK! TV – which was scrapped last week after just nine months on air – followed 80 redundancies at the network, in a clearout some compared to the brutal aftermath of Desmond’s Express Newspapers purchase, which saw 130 staff made redundant 11 years ago.

Josh Halliday  guardian.co.uk

HDW : Once again we see the rot setting into UK independent television with staff being made redundant for a do it yourself news output, not just as bad as CNN but skilled professionals out of a job is bad news in my books.

There is a mention of replacing some of the staff in different roles which is no bad thing but the cameramen are now to be called video journalists is a joke.

The Sony EX1r I presume as EX1s are now discontinued will produce great broadcast footage at 35Mbs its only the BBC that have some hang up about everything in HD land must be 50Mbs or more.

Walter Biscardi “As has been reported recently, CNN laid off 50 staffers, primarily videographers and editors.   Why?   Essentially after a three year internal review, CNN has determined that professional editors are not necessary to craft news stories any longer.   Instead they are expanding their iReport section allowing for more user generated content to be provided to the network, at absolutely zero cost to the network.

I have to have to say, this is the first time I’ve seen a broadcaster literally coming out and saying we’re going to replace professionals with consumers and hobbyists. They save the salaries of 50 professionals and get all sorts of free content, no matter how it’s shot or edited with no regard for sound or video quality. Kind of ironic to see this push to the lowest common denominator at the same time that so many editors are discovering the joys of high end color correction tools.”

You can read the full story at fcp.co : http://fcp.co/final-cut-pro/news/662-walter-biscardi-for-now-editing-is-a-commodity-and-less-a-craft

This is a very chilling story especially when you can bet the bean counters over here in the UK will be watching this story with great interest.

Television news in its basic form is someone passing on some information with the odd video thrown in for good measure so why do I care ?

I care because my craft is being eroded by shareholders and bean counters who could not care less what rubbish you see on your televisions as long as the bottom line is saving money. Many a poor decision has been taken with shareholders in mind.

British television news has always been at the forefront of innovative yet interesting formats the best in my mind is still the national BBC news network with Sky news coming a close second.

We still get on the whole well produced news items filmed by experienced camera men/women and edited usually by the news staff reporters themselves. Its all cuts and the reporters are taught how to do simple editing with the more involved story being cut by an editor.

VJs or Video Journalists as they are known by are staff reporters who turn up to a news story with a semi professional camcorder and produce simple point and shoot news story’s, sadly this has also meant laying off cameramen and women and using less freelancers for daily news.

To go down the CNN road is to completely rip the heart out of a newsroom by using amateur footage full stop…anyone can work for zero and you can be well assured that the free footage producers for CNN will get sick of working for nothing after a while or worse still produce utter rubbish because their enthusiasm has diminished.

People eventually click that big companies are taking the rip and I think CNN will 100% live to regret this unprofessional move towards free TV news input.

As news watchers we accept the odd news story with amateur footage usually filmed on a mobile phone but could you imaging everything filmed at that quality !

Newspapers are always looking for free content from their readers for their web sites but their is a marked difference in standards between web news and television news.

This is part of Scottish Televisions local news input via the web it’s more like a community news port with some footage shot locally by the web providers, not as professional as the main news coverage that STV provides but it keeps someone in a job.

People are savvy creatures they may not be television producers but they know when they are being short changed and amateur footage shines through like a sore thumb, lest we forget ratings why would Ted Turner forgo the all important ratings just to save a few bucks in peoples wages, this news is a sad day for world television news and even sadder for those professionals who after many years service lose their highly skilled jobs to a bunch of amateurs it beggars belief.

Just in case you have some smashing FREE footage that you want to get rid of then Final Cut Pro 10 has the answer , (I knew FCP-10 was useful for something) the drop down panel under sharing you have surprise, surprise an option called iReport so you can see CNN were thinking of this move well over a year ago.

Fortunately for us in the UK the BBC should remain relatively free from the amateur poking their nose into television news reporting but you do have to keep an eye on companies like CNN who seem to think they have the perfect solution to the wage-less news room when it will fall flat on their face in years to come and a legacy they will certainly not be proud of.

For all you budding movie makers here is a chance to down tools to the digital world and use a totally analogue film camera. Beware : The maker of this camera has been able to transfer the 35mm film footage onto video but as far as I am aware this won’t be possible with the basic kit shown here.

With this device (pictured above), amateur filmmakers can manually produce their own frill-free movies on any roll of 35mm film. All you have to do is load your film into the so-called “magic box,” turn the crank and let the LomoKino work its magic. The camera, which boasts a 25mm lens and max aperture of f/5.6, will capture 144 shots on a single roll of film, good for about 50 to 60 seconds of footage.

It also supports a wide array of effects, including slide film, color negative, redscale and black and white. Once that’s developed, you can run it through Lomography’s LomoKinoScope, direct it toward a light source, and watch your homemade Baby’s Lunch or Nanook of the North unfold before your eyes. You won’t find any sound, special effects, or fancy post-production tools here — just moving images, plain and cinematically pure. Lumiere enthusiasts can grab one now for $80, or opt for both the LomoKino and the LomoKinoScope, bundled togetherfor $100.

Last weekend I was privileged to be at my ex-boss Chris Attkins 60th birthday party over on the isle of Arran. The picture above spans 30 years, we have all changed mainly in the hair department.

This is me at the side of the Ross road doing a piece to camera that Mr Attkins has not yet seen. As usual I volunteered to produce a birthday DVD for Chris and was aided by another ex employee Frank.

Frank no longer films but has taken up photography, he noted the size of the Sony NX70 saying that it was a far cry from the shoulder mounted Betacam days.

In this photograph all three men are still filming professionally while Alison is now a freelance television presenter…not bad for thirty years and a testimony to Chris (far right) who gave us all a chance and a start on the video production ladder.

My first encounter with Vision Charity was at the video show at Haydock Park last year.

“Vision Charity was created in 1975 and celebrates over 35 years of fundraising for the benefit of blind and visually impaired children. Its foundation was the professional and corporate television industry, but since then it has broadened its reach beyond the Visual Communications Industries.

Only this week I was photographing a wee cracker of a pup called Ike, he is 8 weeks old and starting out in his major career as a guide dog for the blind. These are very special dogs and I have a lot of time for people like my friend Lynda who has volunteered to look after and train wee Ike till he is about thirteen months old.

As cameramen and women we use our eyes daily to produce many types of programs for television, corporate and industrial to special events like weddings. We have a special relationship with our sight so why not give a donation to a well worth charity.

http://www.justgiving.com/visioncharity

IOV seeks new Administration

Having successfully provided the administrative backbone to the IOV for the past 17-years, IOV Focus Ltd has announced that it will not be tendering to renew its contract when it expires in October 2012.

Having fulfilled the role of Executive Administrator since 1995, Kevin Cook, Managing Director of IOV Focus Ltd, feels that his place in the IOV has come to a natural conclusion. Kevin said, “Whilst there is a big part of me that is very sad about this change, I wholeheartedly agree that this is the right thing for both the IOV and for me at this point in time. We both have extremely bright futures and exciting times ahead of us.”

IOV Chairman, Ron Lee, added, “Whilst the management of the IOV has always been a collaborative effort, no one could deny the enormous impact that the team at IOV Focus has had on our association. Virtually every positive development has been a result of their vision, determination and enthusiasm in building the IOV into a truly worthwhile and well-respected trade association. Having quadrupled in size since 1995, the IOV has become a substantial and influential part of the industry.

Whilst the current agreement does not expire until October next year, both parties want to move on and implement changes without delay. The IOV has therefore taken ownership of the entire shares of IOV Focus Ltd and from now on will gradually route its business activities through the IOV. For the immediate future Kevin will continue to act as Executive Administrator as an employee of the IOV until a suitable alternative is found. It is also hoped that Kevin will continue to be involved in the IOV at Executive level so that the organisation can continue to benefit from his extensive experience.

Ariane Nombro, the IOV Membership Secretary, will also continue in her role as an employee of the IOV until the new administration is in place.

Kevin added, “I am extremely proud of what we achieved with the IOV over the years and really appreciate the help, encouragement and support offered by the membership over this time. Many of you have become, and I hope will continue to be, very close friends. It has been an honour to serve you all and, in particular, the IOV’s past and present Executive Committee for the best part of my working career. I’m sure the next administration will enjoy the same support and encouragement that I have.”

Going forward the IOV is now actively seeking interest from a replacement company or individual/s that can take the IOV forward and spearhead the further development of the association and build on its many successes. The IOV Executive has a description of the tasks involved and the expectations, qualities and requirements of those who will be fulfilling these important roles. They are willing to consider either entering into a new arrangement with an external contractor or employing a person or persons to deliver these tasks.

In the first instance, applicants should email exec@iov.co.uk to express their interest and request the job/role descriptions. All correspondence will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Issued on behalf of the
IOV Executive Committee
exec@iov.co.uk

HDW…Having known Kevin over the majority of his service with the IOV I am surprised it’s taken so long for him take his creative skills else ware, he has given a good part of his career to the IOV and they are the better for having had Kevin for so long. I was a Fellow/committee member a few years ago but my own work had to come first and started to clash with my IOV duties so I resigned.

On the whole no one makes any money working for the IOV in fact Kevin because of the full time commitment to their “Focus magazine” was one of the few full time paid members.

It will be interesting to see how the magazine progresses, time will tell. 

Make a date if you live in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and you edit with Final Cut or Premiere Pro, the UK Final Cut Users Group (UKFCUG) are holding a seminar at the Thistle Hotel on Thursday 22nd September 2011 thats one week after I come back from IBC with all the news, fresh ideas and some new toys.

I have been invited as a guest speaker along side Rick Young to talk about editing, production, lenses and lighting.

The only downside for us Scots is the price, yes unfortunatly you have to dip into your deep pockets to retreive a fiver, yes a whole fiver, but for a fiver you get an evening packed with hints tips and much much more.

It all kicks off at 6.30pm and goes onto 10.30pm thats 4 hours of everything to do with filming and editing a snip at a fiver. You will also here from Alister Brown the inventor of the “ORIGINAL” and “BEST” and “UPDATED” Hybrid Slider from Glidetrack.

A fantastic evening for anyone interested in video production work…NOT TO BE MISSED !

MORE DETAILS HERE…

http://www.macvideo.tv/ukfcug/Glasgow/