ACS Short Ends E-News - May 2013

Geoff Boyle ACS RAW Workshops Tour

The Geoff Boyle RAW Workshops are filling rapidly, so go online to book your place. Victoria has already sold out so don’t miss the opportunity to hear Geoff speak on a wide range of topics dealing with RAW, when he comes to your State. The Society has listened to the members and undertaken at great expense to bring Geoff to Australia, so please support the initiative and attend one of the RAW Workshops.

To find out more information and book, visit the relevant link for your state:

Click here for details on the Canberra workshop on May 25th.
Click here for details on the Brisbane workshop on May 28th & 29th.
Click here for details on the Melbourne workshop on June 1st & 2nd.
Click here for details on the Adelaide workshop on June 4th.
Click here for details on the Sydney evening workshop on June 7th
Click here for details on the Sydney workshop on June 8th & 9th.
Click here for details on the Perth workshop on June 13th.

Thanks also to all our sponsors of the Workshops, without their assistance it would not have been possible. So please support them as they support us.

ACS HQ – REPORT

Greetings from ACS HQ!

The 2013 National Awards News categories judging was held in the Boardroom on Friday 5th April, and the 60 Minutes crew at Channel 9 stopped by to record for one of their program segments on Wednesday 10th. KidzFlix was the subject of the Channel 9 Saturday Today Show and aired on Saturday 27 April. The story involved the young movie makers recording one of their productions at the HQ and Channel 9 observing and recording their techniques.

On the subject of learning, Pieter De Vries ACS held several of his classes and promises more next month. Hard working NSW member Sidat De Silva also utilised the HQ facilities to screen a film for a Sri Lankan colleague in the Boardroom.

Judging of the Gold winners from all States &Territories took place on the weekend of April 20 & 21 to determine the Gold Tripod winners for this year’s National Awards for Cinematography to be held in Canberra on Saturday May 25. The theatre and its projection facilities are a perfect facility for this very important task.

The NSW “Thursday Drop In Night” packed the HQ with nearly 90 members , sponsors and guests for a night with John Seale OAM, ACS, ASC and David Burr ACS, ably assisted by their Camera Department Co- coordinator on “Fury Road”, the renowned Michelle Pizanis, as they discussed in detail their latest collaboration.

David Burr ACS and John Seale OAM ACS ASC

John Seale makes a point

The evening was also the perfect opportunity to present NSW stalwart, Laurence McManus ACS with his ACS “Wall of Can Do” Patrons certificate. Thanks Laurence for your generosity and for all the service you’ve given the Society over so many years.

El Presidente with Laurence McManus ACS after presenting him with his ACS Patrons certificate. Pictures Courtesy David Wakeley ACS

Remember the HQ is there for all members to use.

For details contact
David Lewis ACS
dlewis@cinematographer.net.au

Anna Howard ACS
ahoward@cinematographer.net.au

VIDEOCRAFT NAB 2013 DOWNLOADS Presented by Andy Liell

All ACS members and friends are welcome to join us at the Annual Videocraft NAB2013 Downloads presented by Andy Liell
 
Melbourne - MONDAY 29th APRIL 2013
6.00pm - 7.30pm
Videocraft Melbourne
148 HIghbury Road, Burwood VIC 3125
RSVP to: kayla.claydon@videocraft.com.au
 
Canberra  - TUESDAY 30th APRIL 2013
6.00pm - 7.30pm
Videocraft Canberra
Unit 7, 40 Dacre Street, Mitchell ACT
RSVP to: wayne.harding@videocraft.com.au
 
Sydney - WEDNESDAY 1st MAY 2013
6.00pm - 7.30pm
Videocraft Sydney
Unit 5-6, 18 Hotham Parade, Artarmon NSW 2064
entry from Sawyer Lane
RSVP to: lisa.cato@videocraft.com.au

NATIONAL TOUR... BROOME TO PERTH – DECEMBER 2013

Saturday December 14 BRISBANE – BROOME via Perth arrives Broome 4.30pm
Bali Hai Resort & Spa

Sunday December 15 BROOME

Monday 16 BROOME

Tuesday 17 BROOME – PORT HEDLAND 600+klm. (Overnight)
Esplanade Hotel

Wednesday 18 PORT HEDLAND – KARRATHA 233klm. (Overnight)
Ibis Styles

Thursday 19 KARRATHA – EXMOUTH 470klm. (Overnight)
Novotel Ningaloo Resort

Friday 20 EXMOUTH (Ningaloo) – CARNARVON 355klm. (Overnight)
Best Western Hospitality Inn

Saturday 21 CARNARVON – MONKEY MIA 315klm. (Overnight)
Monkey Mis Dolphin Resort

Sunday 22 MONKEY MIA – GERALDTON 400klm. (Overnight)
Ibis Styles

Monday 23 GERALDTON – PERTH via The Pinnacles 424klm.
Mum’s place

Tuesday 24 PERTH

Wednesday 25 CHRISTMAS DAY - PERTH

Thursday 26 BOXING DAY - PERTH

Friday 27 PERTH

Saturday 28 PERTH – WAVE ROCK (Overnight)
Wave Rock Resort, Hyden

Sunday 29 WAVE ROCK - PERTH

Monday 30 PERTH

Tuesday 31 PERTH - HOME

Sponsor Spotlight: Deluxe

Deluxe’s Creative Excellence Shines in Multi-award Winning Australian Gem - The Sapphires

Efilm, Method Studios and StageOne Sound were a one-stop shop for Australia’s box-office smash The Sapphires which received a stunning 12 awards at the recent AACTA Awards.

Production company Goalpost Pictures made use of Deluxe’s full service offering contained under the one roof at their Sydney studio. Deluxe and Efilm in Australia completed the Dailies and Digital Intermediate on the feature with sound services by StageOne Sound and VFX by Method Studios Australia. The project spanned 16 months - Deluxe and Efilm commenced processing the daily telecine transfers in August 2011 and post-production was completed in December 2012.

Efilm’s DI skills are on display throughout the film, including super 2k scan, dust bust, conform, colour grade, titles, DCP mastering, video mastering and digital negative. StageOne Sound completed the final sound mix, print mastering and audio deliverables, and Method Studios’ VFX talent is on display throughout the opening titles and Vietnam scenes - completing extensive digital set extensions, including Saigon, full military camps, battle scenes, digital crowds and vehicles.

The Sapphires: Goalpost Pictures

Andrew Robinson, General Manager of Creative Services for Efilm, Method Studios and StageOne Sound said: “We are extremely proud of our involvement with The Sapphires; it was a complete service offering including, film transfers, DI, VFX and sound.”

To view Efilm’s work visit: http://www.efilm.com.au
To view Method Studios Australia’s work visit: http://www.methodstudios.com.au
To learn more about StageOne Sound visit: http://www.stageonesound.com

Efilm, Method Studios and StageOne Sound are division of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.
For more information, please visit www.bydeluxe.com

ATTENTION WA MEMBERS: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SERIES OPPORTUNITY

Lena Bhise is an Associate Producer working on a six episode series for National Geographic in NYC. Lena touched base with National Secretary David Wakeley ACS recently in search of HD footage for use in up to six episodes of the series. More specifically they require Perth scenics (wide shots of city and an aerial if possible), to be licensed per clip for use in all episodes. If an aerial cannot be found, there may be an option to shoot.

For more information contact Lena directly:

lbhise@atlasmediacorp.com
Associate Producer; Atlas Media Corp. New York NY

Heard Island expedition shot with new Sony PMW-200 HD camera

Still from Dr. Dean Miller’s Heard Island expedition shot with the new Sony PMW-200 camera by Dr. Matthew Curnock

When Queensland-based Marine Biologist and filmmaker Dr. Dean Miller was approached to shoot one of the most remote places on earth with the new Sony PMW-200 HD camera his reaction was a mix of excitement and trepidation. Miller explained, “Heard Island in the Australian Sub-Antarctic is extremely hard to get to and only very few people have ever seen it let alone stood on it. When you get an invitation to take part in an expedition to visit somewhere as special and untouched as this, you simply say, yes please and what’s involved?”The assignment, one Miller describes as his “hardest to date”, involved a 10,000km open ocean voyage through the notorious Southern Ocean to get to the tiny island and a three-day window to explore, research and shoot when they got there.
Accompanying Miller on his expedition into the unknown was the latest Sony PMW-200, the much-anticipated upgrade for the PMW-EX1, a camera that Miller had used extensively all over the world. Miller added, “I know the EX1 back to front and was excited beyond belief to test drive the PMW-200. I took one camera and one camera only so it had to work first time every time. My guess was that if the PMW-200 was anything like my old EX1 it would be the perfect tool for the job - super high quality, reliable, versatile, excellent on batteries, compact and tough against the conditions. It was. I knew we were onto a winner as soon as I saw the PMW-200 was small enough to be carried along with my survival equipment, but large and powerful enough to shoot the amazing HD footage that the broadcasters required.”
Sony’s PMW-200 supports the 50 Mbps MPEG HD422 codec and MXF recording and with its three 1/2-inch Full HD Exmor CMOS sensors (1920x1280), the PMW-200 is able to achieve high resolution (1000 TVl), high sensitivity (F11@2000 lx), low noise (56 dB), and wide dynamic range. Dr. Miller concluded, “The PMW-200 does it all in my opinion - great lens, great range, fast and slow motion and an awesome time-lapse function with plenty of options. This camera can pull off wildlife shooting with ease because it is so easy to setup and very simple to use. On Heard Island the PMW-200 performed flawlessly. The higher 50 Mbps bit rate is a real bonus and is one of many winning features of the PMW-200. The screen has been improved which is great and it was super easy to navigate menus and buttons, just like the EX1. The camera is also very intuitive and very easy to simply pick up and shoot with, another bonus especially if you don’t like reading manuals. It’s hard to fault the PMW-200 and if you think you got great results with an EX1 then wait until you try this camera as it takes things to a whole new level.”

Congratulations to Tasmanian Member Pawel Atchel

Competing with Canon, Sony and other multi-national companies, Tasmanian film-maker, Pawel Achtel, has just won top prize at a prestigious International award ceremony, held in Las Vegas overnight.

World’s First 5K 3D Underwater Camera System A revolutionary housing for RED EPICTM cameras using Nikon Nikonos submersible lenses.

With the Oscars over, the latest inventions in the film industry – the products used to make the movies – take centre stage each year at the huge NAB trade show in Las Vegas, USA. It’s the world’s most prestigious annual show of film and TV technology. And this year two of the nineteen finalists for best invention in film production were the creations of Pawel Achtel’s small, Australian company. In an industry dominated by large multi-nationals, his company has produced the most innovative underwater filming system in years – revolutionary new housings: DeepX and 3Deep® for shooting in 2D and 3D underwater.

“It’s an extraordinary honour,” after being told the results from the USA. “I’ve put hundreds of hours of work, and a lot of thought, into designing these new systems for filming underwater. None of the existing equipment did justice to the magic of the underwater world.”

DeepX 2D housing

Up until now, capturing cinema-quality images underwater, especially in 3D, has meant large, cumbersome and expensive equipment, large camera crews, and images dramatically degraded by the underwater camera housings available. It’s made it almost impossible for film-makers to get close to the very creatures they’re trying to film. And it’s never been possible to capture images that match the quality you can get above water.

Achtel’s inventions change all that. Instead of following the tradition of using large glass plates or domes in front of lenses designed for use on land, Achtel has adapted the latest digital cameras and used lenses designed specially for the very different optical conditions underwater. As a result, for the first time ever, the images from his camera systems produce pin-sharp, undistorted images suitable for the biggest cinema screens in the world.

But it’s not just the quality of the images that sets Achtel’s underwater camera systems apart from the rest; it’s the sheer size – or lack of it. With his latest invention, the 3Deep® underwater camera system, you can film pristine 3D images using a rig that weighs not 120kg but a mere 20kg. So you can go places, and get images, where no-one has gone before.

“I created these new housings so that I could make the best possible films underwater – trying to capture images of sea creatures that look astounding on the big screen, that’s what I’m really passionate about. But to get such an award for this is something I never imagined!”

Brendan Swift departs Inside Film

Former IF Editor and friend of the ACS, Brendan Swift recently left Inside Film magazine, and is now running a new screen-focused website, Picha, where he is writing about the local industry. Click on the Picha name, have a browse on the site where you'll find a mix of breaking news, analysis and humour. The plan is to expand the site over time, but for the moment click away and enjoy. The ACS wishes Brendan every success in this new venture.

SPACE STATION TOUR Courtesy Daryl Binning ACS

I thought you all might appreciate seeing what I consider to be the most interesting time I’ve spent on the computer in quite a while. Click here: Departing Space Station Commander Provides Tour of Orbital Laboratory

Shooting on Film Matters… Confidence in Processing Matters too.

Kodak understands that the landscape for motion picture production is changing, but please be assured that we remain committed to providing filmmakers a full range of film stocks. It is business as usual at Kodak, and we continue to manufacture and supply billions of feet of film.
We would like all our loyal Australian customers to know film processing can still be carried out via Park Road Post Production Film Lab in Wellington New Zealand.
Park Road is committed to providing customers with highest quality 35mm & 16mm film services. The Lab is known for its quick turnaround, competitive pricing, and they can efficiently move your film securely in and out of Australia. Please contact Park Road Lab Manager Brian Scadden directly on +64 4 9097835 or at bscadden@parkroad.co.nz
Alternatively you can contact Kylie Risson at Complete Post in Melbourne at  03 9699 4633 or  at kylie@completepost.com.au. Complete Post has a long standing relationship with New Zealand Park Road Post Productions, and they can also help you with logistics moving stock from anywhere in Australia to the New Zealand Lab.  As labs make adjustments to the marketplace, we will continue to provide them both technical and customer service support, and work closely to maintain quality processing and printing for our loyal customers.
We have updated our lab directory, a searchable tool for finding labs around the world – which is available as an app as well as online. You can visit the directory online or download the app here

Annoucement To all Kodak Motion Picture Film Supporters

Today's announcement of the sale of Kodak’s Personalized Imaging business does not include the company’s portfolio of motion picture products. Kodak has NOT stopped the manufacture of its finished goods in the 65mm, 35mm, 16mm and S8 motion picture film formats.
Film remains an important creative choice for filmmakers, and the company continues to produce billions of feet of motion picture film every year, providing the entertainment community with the products and support they have come to depend upon from Kodak.

Click here for more information

IMAGO CINEMATOGRAPHERS FORUM - VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT -

THE IMAGO MASTER CLASS COMMITTEE in close cooperation with AAC (Austrian Association of Cinematographers)

proudly announces the

IMAGO CINEMATOGRAPHERS FORUM 2013

“Inspiration” in VIENNA

An inspirational meeting and exchange of experiences
A 3-day Master Class aimed at professional Cinematographers

Friday October 18th – Sunday October 20th, 2013
SAVE THE DATE!

After “INSPIRATION!” Cinematographers Forum held in 2008 and 2011 in Copenhagen
it is time to repeat the success with another “INSPIRATION” Cinematographers Forum
– this time we will meet in Vienna!

We will invite three outstanding Cinematographers and Directors with a long working collaboration that have shown creativity and personal expression so evident – that we must meet them, talk with them and be mutually inspired.

The seminar will be structured like a dialogue between the respective cinematographers-director-teams and the audience – with discussions, exchange of views and experience, and screening of clips from their films, giving them the opportunity to explain their artistic choices. All based on the assumption that the cinematographic expression is the pivotal starting point.

All detailed information together with the invitation and the application forms will be sent out soon!

CANON EOS MARK III FIRMWARE UPGRADE NOW AVAILABLE

Canon Australia today announced that the new firmware upgrade for the EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR camera is now available for download, delivering considerable improvements to still-shooting and Full HD video. The new free-of-charge upgrade will allow users to boost the EOS 5D Mark III’s potential, opening the door to new imaging opportunities.

http://support-au.canon.com.au/P/search?model=EOS%205D%20Mark%20III&filter=0&menu=download »

Supports advanced user needs through clean HDMI output for video and boosted AF performance for low-light and telephoto shooting

The upgrade, which was first announced in October 2012, enables the use of the HDMI output functionality for more efficient video editing and monitoring workflows by professionals in the fields of cinema and TV production. With HDMI output, users can record HD uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit) to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI terminal, supporting minimal image degradation during video data editing for greater onsite efficiency during motion picture and video productions. Additionally, video can also be displayed on an external monitor while being captured, for real-time on-site monitoring for HD video during shoots.
 
To further improve functionality, the upgrade improves the AF system with centre AF point now enabled at f/8 supporting the needs of photographers to achieve more from their camera when using fast super-telephoto lenses with extenders. Drastically increasing the shooting range, version 1.2.1 now makes it possible to use an EF600 f/4 lens and two-times extender to achieve a massive 1200mm focal length with precise AF performance. This will benefit sport and nature photographers who shoot over long distances. This upgrade also increases the range of lens options with full AF capabilities, including the EF400mm f/5.6 and the EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS with 1.4x extenders, for zoom ranges up to 560mm.
 
“The EOS 5D Mark III, continues to lead the way in DSLR Full HD Movie making and with this new update Canon has responded to the needs of professional image makers by providing them with clean HDMI output, as well as boosted AF performance for telephoto shooting over an expanded range of focal lengths,” said Charles Montesin, Product Manager – Professional Imaging, Canon Australia. “We’re excited to be offering these features in direct response to requests from professionals working in the fields of cinema and TV production, and expect the firmware to enhance the user experience and workflow.”
 
The EOS 5D Mark III free firmware update is available now

CINEMATOGRAPHY COURSES - AFTRS OPEN

Upcoming cinematography courses include: Lighting Director: Live Band’ in our state-of-the-art TV Studio (18 - 19 May) and ‘Advanced Lighting Skills’ with Louis Irving (23 - 26 June).  Recently added are Camera & Sound Basics (25 - 26 May) andData Wrangling On Set: File Based Cameras (20 July). Plus we still have spots in ‘Underwater Cinematography’ with Jon Shaw (9 - 12 May).

Discounts of 10% apply to all ACS members. For details visit the AFTRS Open website www.open.aftrs.edu.au

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