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The most compelling stories coming out of NAB? Non-attendees warmly invited :-)
I’ve always found “Best of NAB” to be the wrong way to put it. Any product not shipping should be disqualified, since nobody knows if it’s any good at all, much less a “best.”
A good story’s a good story, though, whether or not the product is any good, or whether it even comes to exist at all.
There are ways in which the opinions for non-attendees are at least as interesting to me, maybe moreso. It’s one thing to see a big booth for a vendor, and for buzz to bounce around the room…but what’s so compelling that it bounced outside the room and all the way to wherever you are?
Looking at the forum, it appears to me that Resolve 12 is the most compelling story, yes? Perhaps skewed by the software bent of the conversations here, though. Perhaps?
Does X.2 count as an NAB story? If so, that’s in the running.
I’ve heard several folks mention that Premiere appears to have taken the largest slice of mindshare as reflected in NAB booths. Is there an NAB story that you see for Premiere? Or do you see its booth presence as a larger reflection of the world “out there” as well?
I’m struck by the lack of camera conversation this year. We may not see another camera make as much noise here as the first BMD Cinema Camera…whic most definitely DID create acres of conversation…but they released what look like interesting iterations to me. So did ARRI.
Any buzz to add for CION, or Panasonic Varicam 35? (The COW used to have the biggest Varicam community in the world, so I’m particularly surprised at the lack o buzz for that one.)
Those are just a few suggestions that may have nothing to do with what you’re thinking. (Wouldn’t be the first time for me to make a post completely out of sync with anyone else here. LOL)
So tell me. What’s compelling?
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21 Replies
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I did not attend NAB this time for the first time in many many years… I am mainly an Avid user and editor and focus on feature length content from an independent level to studio type workflows. My feeling from just reading buzz of interested to me:
1. Resolve 12. It is an essential part of my workflow, but the additional feature set is intriguing the editor and metadata whore in me. More than anything the number of new features and refinements is amazing – the proof will be in the pudding, but they are not standing still.
2. Ursa Mini. A nice size and specs for production. Something that my film student son can easily use as well as something I would not hesitate checking out for higher budgeted features. The $5K price version being the model to look at – depending on your lens arsenal.
3. I was underwhelmed by Avid DNxIO. It left me with more questions than answers. Of course things may change by the time this ships in Q3, but for now this looks like a better deal for BMD than it is for Avid. Perhaps a better fit into “broadcast” or enterprise broadcast/post.
4. Fusion OS X. I work on both platforms, so I am familiar with Fusion, but having it available on OS X is a really good thing for parity alone.
5. Other stuff in general, but not in the top three for immediate impact on my day to day (once released).
Michael
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And nothing groundbreaking from Red…was Media 100 even at NAB? Or LTO products for backing up our hundreds of nearly “boat anchor” hard drives?
Drones maybe? Heard there was a new pavillion, even if it is still illegal in the US without an FAA exemption.
Anything at the GoPro Booth?
Glad I sat out this year.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
At the top of my list is Resolve 12, as a owner of the Cinema Camera, thus lloks like a very nice update. I really hope the performance is improved. Will just have to wait like everyone else. I am also considering shooting on film, yes film. So now Resolve is even more of an interest.
What threw me for a bit of a surprise was the update to my old pal X, being released during the NAB event. No need to comment on 3D text, pretty well covered.
I am going to zip through the Adobe forum out of curiousity. While not happy with rental only still interested to see what is going on.
Now back to life.
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Ditto David M. From the opposite end of the globe my reading is that Resolve and CC are the significant software developments. New cameras are also of interest, partly as I suspect I might not see much development for the BM4K camera that I have.
That said if a serious production justified it, I might consider the Ursa Mini and have the BM4K as a second camera. The new BM viewfinder however, if I can add it to the BM4k, is an excellent addition to the camera range from BM and potentially makes it a better camera for field work, especially telephoto wildlife.
Some interesting developments in smaller radio mic transmitters by Lectrosonics as well although I am not too keen to get more portable audio kit. Again if a significant self production happens…
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[Tim Wilson] “So tell me. What’s compelling?”
Lots of MAM and/or Cloud solutions showing up. Primestream (Fork), CatDV, Cantemo, AFrame, Axle Video, etc.,. Even shared storage companies like ProMAX, SNS, and EditShare have at least basic MAM functionality. These companies run the gambit from enterprise level to single user solutions, but I think user demand is going up while the cost of the products/services is coming down so we’ll be seeing many more people utilizing MAMs than in the past.
[Rich Rubasch] “Or LTO products for backing up our hundreds of nearly “boat anchor” hard drives? “
Quantum, Spectralogic and ProMAX (they bought CacheA a while back) were all there with LTO though it’s not a very sexy topic. Spectralogic had some cool hardware but it was definitely geared towards enterprise-level clients.
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I’ve got to say that the most exciting news for me from NAB are the 2 new 4k offerings from Canon. Whilst on the one hand I’m upset that my Canon C300 had just had a large chunk of it’s residual value knocked off it I can’t wait to get my hands on the C300 Mark 2.
It’s expensive but seems to have everything that’s required to move forward for the next few years as 4K slowly starts to take a hold. It’s not released until Sept earliest but in the meantime there is the dinky Canon XC10 4K out in June which will make a really great B cam or grip cam.
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Just a hint of sarcasm noted in your comments about Red their Rick! ; )
The blackmagic releases were impressive, but the option to record vista vision resolution raw files alongside 2K ProRes to the same media whilst using an externally created iOS app for control and wireless monitoring via wifi, with live h264 encoding is incredible.
Co-owner at Pollen Studio
http://www.pollenstudio.co.uk -
As a non attendee it seemed that Black magic once again had the most interesting new products. The Ursa Mini looks very interesting for the money, as does the mini 4K cameras – we use a remote high angle camera for shooting down into high sided pots during cooking and these would be perfect when we move to 4K (not this year.) Resolve 12 looks closer to being a competitive NLE as opposed to an editing module inside of grading software.
Adobe CC as well as FCPX demonstrated they were still committed to upgrading their offerings with some interesting developments, but nothing earth shattering. Avid sounds like they are thrashing around, trying to figure out what kind of company they want to become.
But to an outsider what was most surprising about NAB this year was the lack of surprises. Arri, Cannon, Panasonic offering 4K upgrades is not news; Smoke as an editor seems to have stalled out; Lightworks is still marginal. Avid/Adobe Anywhere/Everywhere is still nowhere. 8K now replaces 3D and HFR as the new “must have” tool of the future that nobody really wants. LTO, slow as it is, is still the best archiving medium. Seems like a year of consolidation, at least from 2 thousand miles away.
Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf -
[Herb Sevush] “But to an outsider what was most surprising about NAB this year was the lack of surprises.”
Great observation! Perhaps the industry is suffering a little from game-changer fatigue.
[Herb Sevush] “Smoke as an editor seems to have stalled out”
Smoke was decoupled from Flame last year, so Smoke and Flame development is no longer in lockstep. Smoke 2016 is due out later this year — maybe IBC?
Walter Soyka
Designer & Mad Scientist at Keen Live [link]
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
@keenlive | RenderBreak [blog] | Profile [LinkedIn] -
[Herb Sevush] “As a non attendee it seemed that Black magic once again had the most interesting new products. The Ursa Mini looks very interesting for the money, as does the mini 4K cameras – we use a remote high angle camera for shooting down into high sided pots during cooking and these would be perfect when we move to 4K (not this year.) Resolve 12 looks closer to being a competitive NLE as opposed to an editing module inside of grading software.
“I agree with Herb’s highlights. I’m in the process of of ordering the 5 lbs URSA Mini 4.6K (EF mount for me due to the cost of PL lenses and lack of accessibility to rent PL in my small town). Probably going with a more modest set of Rokinon Cine DS lenses (T2.2 16mm, T1.5 24mm, T1.5 35mm, T1.5 50mm, T1.5 85mm, T2.2 135mm).
Herb, I think you are referring to the Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera, BMMMSC:
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicmicrostudiocamera4kRick Lang
iMac 27” 2.8GHz i7 16GB
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