Post Magazine

April 2016

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BITS & PIECES www.postmagazine.com 4 POST APRIL 2016 INDIE FILM EVERLASTING CUT ON APPLE LOS ANGELES — Everlasting is the latest offering from Super Grande Films and writer/director Anthony Stabley — a dark tale that won the Jury Award for Best Feature at the 17 th Annual Nevermore Film Festival earlier this year. Edited by Bryan Colvin (Blackbird) and Brad McLaughlin (From Prada To Nada), the film follows a high school filmmaker as he travels from Colorado to Los Angeles to confront a serial killer responsible for the murder of his girl- friend. The film intermixes past memories, realtime clips and stylish pictorials to tell its story. It stars Valentina de Angelis (The Midnight Game) and Adam David (The Stranger in Us), and features SAG Award Winner Elisabeth Rohm (American Hustle, Law & Order). According to Stabley, "Bryan detailed a lot of the post work, cleaned sound, revamped scenes and montages, while Brad gave us a strong framework for the film and established the musical tone, the sound design and the story structure reflected in my screenplay. They were both amazing." Everlasting, which was shot in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Red Rock Canyon in Nevada and Evergreen, CO, on a Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera by DP Jon Bickford, was edited on Final Cut. Much of the rendering of textures, colors, desaturation and such was done in After Effects. "It was really important to communicate present time (colder tones) with the past (golden tones), plus, we created various textures to create [lead character] Matt's camera, news footage, newspaper documents, television clips, glitches, flash forwards, etc.," says Stabley. "The color red was kept for our serial killer. We added B&W images for flashbacks and for much of the fashion compo- nents. This was a nonlinear film and we did all we could visually to help audienc- es stick to the timeline." Music composers were Scott Gordon and David Levita (Criminal Minds), while the sound mixer was Dana Ferguson. Everlasting just completed the festival run last month and will soon be dis- tributed on various multi-platforms, including VOD. — BY LINDA ROMANELLO Stabley (inset) edited Everlasting in Final Cut Pro. DJI LAUNCHES NEW PHANTOM 4 DRONE NEW YORK — DJI (www.dji.com), maker of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), just launched the Phantom 4, the first consumer quadcopter camera (or drone) to use highly advanced computer vision and sensing technology to make profes- sional aerial image capture easier for operators. The Phantom 4 expands on previous generations of DJI's Phantom line by adding new on-board intelligence that makes piloting and shooting great shots simple through features like its Obstacle Sensing System, ActiveTrack and TapFly functionality. "With the Phantom 4, we are entering an era where even beginners can fly with confidence," says DJI CEO Frank Wang. "People have dreamed about one day having a drone collaborate creatively with them. That day has arrived." The Phantom 4's Obstacle Sensing System features two forward-facing optical sensors that scan for obstacles and automatically direct the aircraft around the impediment when possible, reducing risk of collision, while ensuring flight direc- tion remains constant. If the system determines the craft cannot go around the obstacle, it will slow to a stop and hover until the user redirects it. Obstacle avoid- ance also engages if the user triggers the drone's "Return to Home" function to reduce the risk of collision when automatically flying back to its take off point. With ActiveTrack, the Phantom 4 allows users running the DJI Go app on iOS and Android devices to follow and keep the camera centered on the subject as it moves simply by tapping the subject on their smartphone or tablet. Perfectly- framed shots of moving joggers or cyclists, for example, require activating the ActiveTrack mode in the app. The Phantom 4 understands three-dimensional images and uses machine learning to keep the object in the shot, even when the subject changes its shape or turns while moving. Users have full control over camera movement while in ActiveTrack mode — and can move the camera around the object while it is in motion as the Phantom 4 keeps the subject framed in the center of the shot autonomously. A pause button on the Phantom 4's remote controller allows the user to halt an autonomous flight at any time, leaving the drone to hover. By using the TapFly function in the DJI Go app, users can double-tap a des- tination for their Phantom 4 on the screen, and the Phantom 4 will calculate an optimal flight route to reach the destination, while avoiding any obstructions in its path. Tap another spot and the Phantom 4 will smoothly transition towards that destination. The Phantom 4's camera, an aerial-optimized 4K imaging device, has un- dergone an upgrade that includes improved optics for better corner sharpness and reduced chromatic aberration. The Phantom 4 also has DJI's signature Lightbridge video transmission system onboard, allowing users to see what their camera sees in HD and in realtime on their smart devices at a distance up to five kilometers (3.1 miles). The Phantom 4's form factor, still the classic quadcopter style pioneered by DJI, has been redesigned and redefined to emphasize elegance and smoother, more-aerodynamic lines. Its frame incorporates a lightweight composite core to provide enhanced stability and more-agile flight. The core now features a redesigned gimbal that provides more stability and vibration dampening, and has been repositioned for a better center of gravity and to reduce the risk of propel- lers getting in the shot. Refinements to motor efficiency, power management and a new intelligent battery have extended the Phantom 4's flight time to 28 minutes, which means more time in the air to capture professional photos and video. The Phantom 4's US retail price is $1,399. [See our "Special Report: Drones" on page 34.]

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