Toolbox

The latest iteration of the Interrotron--the new Mark III HD model--has become available. At this time The American Movie Company and its TeleprompterRental.com subsidiary are the only sources to rent the Mark III in North America.

The Interrotron was invented by Errol Morris, Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker.  He found a novel way to get non-professional interview “talent”  to relax, look directly into the lens, maintain correct eye-line and give a genuine, believable  response.

Morris is credited with naming the device but actually his wife thought of combining the words  interview and terror.  The device  prevented “terror” in his non-professional actors.

Unprofessional talent, children… those who had little or no comfort facing a TV camera found they could relax and give natural, effective performances in front of the Interrotron.

Basically, it’s two modified, improved teleprompters connected by video cable.  Both have cameras which feed the signal to the other.  Thus, the “talent” and  “director can see each other “face to face”  on the screens of the Interrotron units.

So, an unprofessional interview subject does not have to stare into the cold lens of a video camera.   Instead he/she sees the face of the director/interviewer and the two have a simple, relaxed conversion.   Each is able to read the facial expressions of the other, get all of the non-verbal cues involved in normal conversation.

The director sees his subject directly via the lens of the main camera.  He sees the framing, focus, etc. at the same time he judges performance.  Because the talent is relaxed and comfortable, the process not only goes faster but elicits a more realistic, believable, authentic response.

The American Movie Company refined the device and created the  Mark II. And AMC has been renting this improved device with a trained technician in major cities all over the country for the last five years.

Now, in response to the many directors who have found he device gets them substantially better interviews, the new Mark III HD model has evolved and is now accessible to the industry at large.

MAXON has unveiled CINEMA 4D Release 16 (R16), the next generation release of the company’s 3D motion graphics, visual effects, visualization, painting, and rendering software application. In addition to assorted workflow enhancements, CINEMA 4D R16 delivers new features including a modeling PolyPen “super-tool,” a Motion Tracker for easily integrating 3D content within live footage and a Reflectance material channel that allows for multi-layered reflections and specularity. CINEMA 4D R16 reinforces MAXON’s commitment to provide creative professionals with exceptional stability and performance, integration, and a straightforward, efficient and flexible interface to optimize any workflow for VFX, motion graphics, visualization and game development.

MAXON will debut CINEMA 4D R16 at the SIGGRAPH 2014 convention in Vancouver, BC, August 12 -14, Booth #1422.

Innovative new features in R16, available for both the Mac OS X and Windows platforms, include such animation features as:
Motion Tracker – Delivers quick and seamless integration of 3D elements into real world footage. Footage can be tracked automatically or manually, and aligned to the 3D environment using position, vector and planar constraints.

Interaction Tag – Gives users control over 3D objects and works with the new Tweak mode to provide information on object movement and highlighting. Ideal for technical directors and character riggers, the tag reports all mouse interaction and allows object control via XPresso, COFFEE or Python.

Modeling features include:
PolyPen – Utilize the new “super-tool” to paint polygons and polish points as well as easily move, clone, cut and weld points, edges of 3D models. You can even re-topologize complex meshes. Enable snapping for greater precision or to snap to a surface.

Bevel Deformer – The powerful Bevel toolset in CINEMA 4D can now be applied nondestructively to entire objects or specific selection sets. Users can also animate and adjust bevel attributes to create all new effects.

Sculpting – R16 is packed with numerous improvements and dynamic features to sculpt with precision and expand the overall modeling toolset. The new Select tool gives users access to powerful symmetry and fill options to define point and polygon selections on any editable object. Additional features give users more control and flexibility for sculpting details on parametric objects, creating curves, defining masks, stamps and stencils, as well as tools for users to create their own sculpt brushes, and more.

Other modeling features in R16 include an all-new Cogwheel spline primitive to generate involute and ratchet gears; a new Mesh Check tool to evaluate the integrity of a polygonal mesh; Deformer Falloff options, and Cap enhancements to easily add textures to the caps of MoText, Extrude, Loft, Lathe and Sweep objects.

Rendering features are:
Reflectance Channel – The new Reflectance material channel in R16 provides more control over reflections and specularity within a single new channel. Features include the ability to build-up multiple layers for complex surfaces such as metallic car paint, woven cloth surfaces, and options to render separate multi-pass layers for each reflection layer to achieve higher quality realistic imagery.

New Render Engine for Hair & Sketch – A completely new unified effects render engine allows artists to seamlessly raytrace Hair and Sketch lines within the same render pass to give users higher quality results in a fraction of the time.

Team Render Server
Team Render, introduced by MAXON in 2013, features many new enhancements including a client-server architecture allowing users to control all the render jobs for a studio via a browser.

Additional productivity boosting features in R16 include:
Content Library – Completely re-organized and optimized for Release 16, the preset library contains custom made solutions with specific target groups in mind. New house and stair generators, as well as modular doors and windows have been added for architectural visualizers. Product and advertising designers can take advantage of a powerful tool to animate the folding of die-cut packaging, as well as modular bottles, tubes and boxes. Motion designers will enjoy the addition of high-quality models made for MoGraph, preset title animations and interactive chart templates.

Exchange/Pipeline Support – Customers can now exchange assets throughout the production pipeline more reliably in R16 with support for the most current versions of FBX and Alembic.

Solo Button – Offers artists a production-friendly solution to isolate individual objects and hierarchies for refinement when modeling. Soloing also speeds up the viewport performance for improved workflow on massive scenes.

Annotations – Tag specific objects, clones or points in any scene with annotations that appear directly in view for a dependable solution to reference online pre-production materials, target areas of a scene for enhancement, and more.

UV Peeler – Delivers an effective means to quickly unwrap the UV’s of cylindrical objects for optimized texturing.

CINEMA 4D R16 is scheduled to ship in September 2014.

FilmLight, an innovator in color grading and postproduction workflows, is using its presence at IBC 2014 (Amsterdam, Sept. 12–16) to demonstrate how its technology helps broadcasters, movie producers and creative studios shorten timescales without compromising creativity and quality. FilmLight’s IBC stand will showcase its comprehensive range of products as an end-to-end process from shoot to delivery, using the same footage at each stage.

“Whether they are involved in Hollywood blockbusters or high-pressure television production, all our clients tell us that workflow is critical,” said Wolfgang Lempp, co-founder of FilmLight. “Collaborative working is not only more artistically satisfying, it is the best way to get the project finalised and out the door. The result is that audiences see the best possible quality and creativity, and our customers can take on more business.

FilmLight manages color from set to deliverables. On display at IBC 2014 will be a new version of FLIP, the real-time image processor for on-set grading of digital cameras, and a new dailies product, the comprehensive solution for near-set production.

Visitors will also be able to try Baselight Editions, which takes the color processing engine from full Baselight workstations and implements it as a plugin within the foremost professional editing and VFX packages—including Avid, Final Cut Pro and Nuke, with more planned. The grade can be exchanged and adjusted simultaneously between editorial and effects as well as the colour suite, in a highly efficient and render-free workflow.

“What we have built, over the years, is a suite of products with cost-effective and highly productive technology, which all have the same core functionality but allow each production to design its own collaborative process,” said Lempp. “Creative professionals can work where and when best suits the needs of their production, knowing that all their decisions are securely captured and preserved in the final deliverables.”

FilmLight will also show a high-end 4K Baselight grading system at IBC 2014, allowing visitors to understand how the grading and finishing power can be applied to top-end TV productions, world-class commercials, music promos and feature films.

The new version of Baselight software has a number of key enhancements including direct DCP rendering, and comes with ACES 1.0 support and full HDR grading capability, including Dolby Vision.

CARTONI, a manufacturer of professional and prosumer  camera support gear, will debut a number of products and product upgrades at IBC 2014 in Amsterdam, including SMART PRO, a low-cost fluid head for camera payloads from 0-6 kg (0 to 13 lbs). CARTONI can be found at HALL 11-Stand 11.E30.

Based on CARTONI’s best-selling HiDV Fluid Head, SMART PRO offers a variety of innovative touches including ergonomic knobs for ease-of-use, better control and a more fluid touch on drag and counterbalance. In response to international demand, Cartoni has reduced the price for the professional entry level product, giving it a competitive edge over other heads in its class.

SMART PRO is equipped with such professional-grade features as a continuously-variable fluid drag system and CARTONI’s patented “wing” counterbalance system. The head’s 75 mm diameter bowl is compatible with all 75 mm tripods as well as most current-generation slider attachments.

Another worldwide best-seller, FOCUS HD, for cameras from 0 to 12 kg (0 - 26 lbs.), has been further improved for 2014. New features include ergonomic knobs for precise counterbalance and tilt drag control, a complement to the head’s continuously variable fluid damping system and patented variable counterbalance. FOCUS HD comes also packaged with a new, state-of-the-art carbon-fiber tripods offering extreme compactness, lightweight and exceptional stability.

The latest addition to CARTONI’s tripod line-up, STABILO, will be shown for the first time in Europe at IBC. Extremely compact and lightweight 3 kg ( 6.6 Lbs.), the 3-stage, carbon fiber tripod folds to a short 63.5 cm (25 inches), making it perfect as a carryon or for backpack use. Its sticks extend to a maximum height of 182.5 cm (72 inches) with a low range of 22.5 cm (8.8 inches). Stick extension is secured by three rotating easy-grips that can be set to three different angles, clearly indicated on each side of the leg attachment and with no need for a spreader to maintain position.

STABILO is equipped with a standard 100 mm bowl but can be down-stepped to 75 mm via a reduction ring. It can be matched with the FOCUS HD to create a perfect combination for news reporters and wildlife operators, with a total weight of only 5 kg ( 11 lbs.).

CARTONI will exhibit its new, patented ENG tripod, SMART STOP. It features a 100 mm bowl and an innovative 2-stage rapid extension that can be operated by a single lever. Weighing only 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs.), it is perfect for newsgathering.

CARTONI will also present its new remote control head, E-REM 25, suitable for cameras up to 25 kg (55 lbs.). Extremely smooth, reliable and silent, E-REM 25 is ideal for use in television studios and can be operated on pedestals, tripods or under-slung from cranes. Competitively priced, the remote head is equipped with simple modular electronics and state-of-the-art gear mechanics. A variety of remote command options are available for E-REM 25 including joystick, hand-wheels and fluid pan bar (with optional zoom and focus implemented on the console).

An upgraded version of the classic MASTER MK II will be on display. Improved features include a revolutionary, patented counterbalance system for a perfect balance at any tilt angles from 2 kg - 30 kg (4.4 lbs. to 66 lbs.). Compact and lightweight, Master MK II is an ideal companion to the latest digital 35 mm full-frame cameras, stripped or fully equipped with long lenses, follow focus rigs, monitors, batteries and other accessories. MASTER MK II comes with a flat Mitchell base that can be converted to a 150 mm bowl via an adapter. It offers a tilt range of +/- 90° and a camera quick-release attachment that interfaces directly with ARRI and Red camera plates.

CARTONI will also introduce several additions to its high-end accessory line, including an extension for Bazooka owners.  The new Bazooka Column will save grips precious time on sets. The Bazooka extension is a crank-able unit that mounts to the existing Bazooka column, adding an extra 20 cm (8 in) in elevation flexibility. The extension features a precision worm-gear to easily adjust for cameras, sliders, etc.

CARTONI CANDY BAR is a new accessory for Digital camera heads featuring two robust treads (1/4” and 3/8”) that can be used to accommodate a wide variety of accessories including LED lights, monitors, viewfinders, and magic arms.  CANDY BAR can be fixed, orientable or rotating 360°. Two CANDY BAR versions are available with dedicated rosette attachments for SMART Pro and FOCUS HD, as well as ENG Heads such as the CARTONI LASER, GAMMA and DELTA, but can be used on a variety of other heads on the market. 

And CARTONI’s new 100 mm HALF BOWL ADAPTER is ideal for PTZ flat base camera users – i.e. Panasonic AW-HE120 or other small remote control heads – wanting to use them with Bowl mounting tripods. The adapter comes with reversible mounting 3/8” and ¼” pin options.