Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551510
54 CINEMONTAGE / SUMMER 2015 54 CINEMONTAGE / SUMMER 2015 organize, share and manage the mounds of data generated over the course of a production. While media management technology is not exactly new, axle Video specializes in making software that is geared toward a wide market with products that are affordable, easy to use and simple to install. The company calls this "radically simple media management." This past June, axle Video introduced a new product that elegantly solves one of the most persistent problems faced by videographers: managing camera media. The product, axle Cam, is an affordable camera ingest application that streamlines the process of acquiring, organizing and sharing media from many popular brands of video cameras and DSLRs. What makes axle Cam useful is that it addresses the organizational pitfalls and issues that arise due to multiple file formats, differing bitrates and file wrappers and folder structures caused by different implementations from the various manufacturers and models of cameras. The software automatically detects, imports and organizes camera media so that users are then able to instantly access, edit and share the files through a simple user interface resulting in — as axle Video puts it — a radically simple camera-to-computer workflow. axle Cam supports DSLRs and HD cameras made by Sony, Panasonic, Canon, JVC, Nikon and GoPro, and is currently working on support for high-end cinema cameras. Aside from narrative and documentary filmmakers, axle Cam is a great solution for news organizations, sports broadcasters, professional videographers, government, religious groups and just about any other organization that deals with very large volumes of camera media. With axle Cam, the path between production and editorial is simplified, making it easier to share camera media among different groups of people for review, approval and collaborative editing. Sam Bogoch, the CEO of axle Video, previously worked at Avid, where he focused on Interplay, Avid's own media management system, which is used at large organizations like the BBC. According to Bogoch, axle Cam is the missing link between the camera and the computer, and stands to eliminate the countless hours video professionals now spend in processing and organizing camera files before they can be used by others. During ingest, after the camera crew has finished the shoot, axle Cam automatically rewraps files from the camera with no reduction in image quality. The original files and folder structures can also be copied intact to another location. Next, low-resolution H.264, low-bitrate proxy versions of the camera media are automatically created for use in editorial and review. There is also a suite of other highly useful integrated media management tools in axle Cam, such as a streamlined interface that displays the media in a browser on your desktop, laptop or mobile device. In addition, the interface has a search function that makes it easy to find the exact clip you're looking for and allows you to search for technical details and useful metadata that was entered during the production. A dashboard grid layout makes it easy to designate storage sources such as local drives, network-attached devices and cloud storage, as well as selection and define actions. Video cameras and DSLRs can generate dozens or hundreds of files and folders and, for most people, sorting through this clutter presents a tedious and unforgiving task. This can often lead to errors, misplaced shots and, perhaps most importantly, less time for creativity. By automatically cleaning up incoming files, making H.264 proxies, filing the metadata and displaying everything in a simple and elegant browser/mobile interface, axle Cam can be thought of as your very own personal editorial assistant that can handle the tiring but necessary drudge work, freeing you up for more important things. The software supports many different kinds of file formats, including MP4 and MOV (as well as any format playable by QuickTime or plug-ins), MXF (Sony XAVC), Canon XF, Panasonic DVC Pro HD, AVC Intra, ProRes, MPEG-2, DNxHD, SRcam, MTS/M2TS (AVCHD), H.264 with AC3 or LPCM audio and M2T. Since axle Cam is a new product, it should accommodate new camera formats, as its software will be continuously updated. Axle Cam is priced at $995 for a two-user license and can be ordered from www.axle-store.com. f axle Cam's user interface helps you keep track of the processing of your camera media. TECH TIPS