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Descent into Madness
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It’s a given that the Zacuto iPhone rig is silly. But I actually think it’s a slightly nuts compendium of two legitimate ideas.
Proposition 1. My wife has a regular gig on local TV as the on-camera host of a segment where she uses her educational skills (former teacher and instructional specialist) to do lifestyle segments including money saving tips in this down economy. This is a major independent TV station that used to be the ABC affiliate – so it’s no small cable operation. As a part of that gig, she regularly does some segments on where to find bargains at local small boutiques. On both the show and in her web column she regularly uses photos taken with… her iPhone. Which is my hand me down 2nd gen.-= not the newer higher density photo chip. The point of proposition 1 is that dismissing “small tech” because it’s not “as good” as older, bigger tech is a slippery slope. She’s using an iPhone for legitimate on-air work – albiet in a limited and sensible way. (Check out https://www.azfamily.com/yourlife and click on Live and Learn with Linda – for the article this week and the boutique photo attached is courtesy of her iPhone.)
Proposition 2 is that while Zacuto makes what I personally consider to be uncomfortably overpriced equipment – there IS a market for their wares and in an open competitive economy – they have the same right to sell their stuff as anyone else. The basic concept is that if someone does want to shoot video with their iPhone -why shouldn’t there be a stabilizer for it? If they can find a customer base, more power to them.
Heck, Zacuto is one of the major players in the Canon 5dMk ii conversion to shoulder-rigged camcorder form market and since I own a 5d , I’ve got to tell you that used properly, the full frame 35mm sensor in that camera design is capable of INCREDIBLE video imagery. Seriously – near RED CAMERA pixel density at a fraction of the price.
So let’s all not get too smug about this admittedly “at first blush” goofy little gizmo.
Someone working with view cameras probably said that about the original LEICA pocket film cams as well. And in hindsight – when small finally meets truly capable – the game will change yet again.
And we risk our own futures if we don’t keep an open mind.
My 2 cents anyway.
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[Jason Jenkins] “And be sure not to get permission to use that music. “
Dude. Garage Band. Midi Keyboard. 2 fingers. Should take me about 10 minutes to create the soundtrack, especially since I can’t play music. Should sound pretty much like most of top 40 today.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” now in Post.
Creative Cow Forum Host:
Apple Final Cut Pro, Apple Motion, Apple Color, AJA Kona, Business & Marketing, Maxx Digital. -
[walter biscardi] “MTV”
Hey Walter, stop picking on MTV or I’ll start picking on the food network.
Mark
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No MatteBox. Gotta have a mattebox.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards
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just bought a ’64 Karmann Ghia yesterday and that’s not it. Just tonight, at midnight, I tore the front end off of the Harley that I crashed on the freeway in April ’06. That will be running in about a month and will be for sale.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards
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[walter biscardi] “I figure 30 minutes of that set to the latest grunge band should be Emmy Award winning material….”
Make it a little longer and we’re talking Oscar.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards
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I just innovated a stabilizing rig for my Blackberry. Especially useful for use in the kitchen. Someone call Alton Brown.
You can get sweeping crane shots if you use a potholder – it dampens the vibrations.
Mike
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Mike,
We have a wonderful patent attorney that works alongside our trademarks and intellectual property attorney, if you wish to patent this amazing idea.
Bessie may want to work with you to market it, should you get a patent pending on this.
Mike, as always, you are ever the genius.
Ron Lindeboom
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[Mike Cohen] “I just innovated a stabilizing rig for my Blackberry”
Damn! I wish I’d come up with that.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .Ask me how to Market Yourself using Send Out Cards
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Bob said “the 5th grade class will be producing shows (with McDonalds as the sponsor) while “we” debate lossless compression”
Absolutely. My daughter is a videographer for her 4th grade class. She uses a DV camera that I would have killed for back in the late 90s. I believe they school is upgrading to at least HDV shooting format later this year. They have a daily TV program in the mornings instead of the usual announcements. I think you have to be in 6th grade to actually be an Editor, but you can start reporting and scriptwriting in 3rd grade. The scary thing is that the quality is not really that far off from some in-house corporate video announcement type things I’ve seen in the past.
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