Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/21561
adapters in front of the lens of their 1/3-inch and 1/2-inch sensor cameras.Two of the major players are addressing it in different ways. The biggest competition to HD-DSLR will come from Panasonic’s AG-AF100 (MSRP $4,995), which uses a 4/3-inch imager with inter- changeable lens mount. Sony will be releasing the PMW-F3 ($16K), which has a single CMOS 35mm sensor and is based on the XDCAM EX codec. Additionally, the F3 will be upgradeable to out- put RGB 10-bit 4:4:4 and use S-Log gamma curves via the dual-link HD-SDI.The PMW-F3 will also have a ‘3D link’ connector for stereoscopic applications. “In terms of stereoscopic 3D, 2011 might be a make-or-break year for broadcast 3D.The question of who’s going to pay for the additional production costs is still unanswered.Will it be the viewers via PPV/premium channels or will it be the sponsors? However, 3D for cinema appears to be here to stay.The studios can charge a pre- mium for 3D tickets and will continue to do so and push it as long as the audience pays for it.” RICHARD SALAZAR Cinematographer/Director In-house Digital Imaging Specialist Digital Jungle www.richardsalazar.com www.digijungle.com Hollywood In addition to his work at Digital Jungle, a post production studio, Richard Salazar offers digital and videography services, such as cam- era operation and technical support for a variety of today’s data- based cameras. STRENGTHS:“2011 will be a year when Non Volatile Memory (NVM) solutions, cloud computing and cloud storage data solutions will be a greater part of a mix of technologies being used alongside tape and hard drive storage.Non Volatile Memory and media storage in compact flash, P2 cards, NVM arrays etc., are now capture stan- dards for most productions in Hollywood. “NVM is less susceptible to physical shock, is quieter, has lower ac- cess time and latency, and will provide filmmakers with better and safer options at a way lower cost than ever. NVM will transform the industry by requiring systems and persons who can manage and wrangle this data properly. In working with larger and larger data re- quirements, filmmakers at every level will now need to fully under- stand (DIT) digital imaging technologies as it pertains to production, post production, workflow and how it relates back to the final look and feel of each project.” OPPORTUNITIES: “NVM is evolutionary as it pertains to image making and the aesthetics of image capturing. At Digital Jungle Post we run regular Red One camera workshops in image capturing and we teach how it relates to post production.There will be opportu- nities at several levels, such as the ability to store and manage data, providing services that can manage the data, understanding and managing large data workflows as it pertains to heavy data use for compositing and 3D projects, archiving and storage, and manifesting of data all in nonlinear and non volatile media storage. “Though hard drives and tape are here to stay for awhile, film- makers just don’t seem to have the patience to wait and offload material, and they find that the various mixes of mediums is often a hassle. Producers are moving to digitize assets and then reuse in the nonlinear and NVM realm, and this provides opportunities across all segments of the industry.” THREATS:“HDSLR camera manufacturers like Canon and Nikon, etc., are developing ways to increase the sensitivity of CMOS sensors to approximate human vision.The Canon 5D is a transformational technology because it is moving in that direction already.A few draw- backs for these devices is heavy compression in H.264 and a ‘rolling shutter’ resulting in heavy noise, aliasing, color smearing or shifting. “I don’t feel that HDSLR camera manufactures will stay long in H.264 video because despite the virtues of HDSLR cameras, one of the drawbacks with CMOS sensors equipped with ‘rolling shutters’ is that they can exhibit skew, wobble and partial exposure. No cur- rent CMOS camcorders or cameras on the market are equipped with global shutters. Perhaps Canon or others will move to a global shutter. For 3D work, both camera’s shutters must be perfectly in sync. Movement or temporal shifts, due to an out-of-sync shutter, ruins the 3D effect. “Right now there is no practical way to sync the shutters on two 5Ds or 7Ds.Also, H.264 is not frame-by-frame exact but only an ap- proximation, add to that the fact you need to convert H.264 to a different flavor in post and you can see why 3D with these kinds of cameras may not be yet practical.” Richard Salazar on a recent shoot:“Image capturing and devices servicing the Internet and social networking platforms are already transforming our industry.” OUTLOOK 2011:“Image capturing and devices servicing the In- ternet and social networking platforms are already transforming our industry.They are having a deep and profound impact in politics, sci- ence, medicine, etc.We will see a distinctive third avenue of image making between film and television that utilizes interactivity in ways we can’t predict.We are in a transformational period and time.We are seeing upheaval in many areas of society as it pertains to the In- ternet.This will be a driving force for imagemakers. “Inexpensive imaging technologies like the Red One camera, Canon 5D, iPhone 4 and Flip camera are creating upheaval in the way we plan and shoot our projects. Content is king as reflected in what people feel is immediate, real, authentic and now.This opens up art and the commerce of entertainment to possibilities never imagined. “Everyone seems to be on the 3D bandwagon. 3D necessitates experts, like Digital Jungle Post, who have years of experience in the various aspects of 3D post production.Anything can happen in 3D production. It’s crucial to have a 3D post production support team who understands workflow and data management. It’s important to have a facility that can mine and manage huge data sets. “It is important to note that image making is a craft; nothing can replace a director of photography, director, editor, etc., with a singu- lar vision or point of view. Commercial image making is a collabora- tive medium and it’s important to have trained craftspeople.” www.postmagazine.com December 2010 • Post 31 CAMERAS