New Sony PVM740 7″ OLED production monitor

Sony’s first OLED professional monitor, the PVM740, was one of the stars at the recent NAB Show, and is now available ex-factory.

The PVM740 offers exceptional contrast, black level, signal response and a wide viewing angle, with a host of features including wide choice of input signals, vertical/ horizontal flip for 3D, Silent Mode, Screen Saver Mode, Waveform & Audio level Meters.

The rugged body and options for AC, DC and battery powering make the PVM740 suited to a range of field and installation applications – from drama production to OB vans, studio control rooms and non-broadcast video systems. Accessories are available for rack-mounting of one or two monitors.

Of course the LMD940W 9” LCD panel is also still available. You may be wondering what the differences are between the two.  Firstly price: the PVM740 OLED panel is more expensive than the larger LMD940W (plus the cost of the optional ENG kit). Both panels have the same colour processing technology, although the PVM740 has superior black and contrast reproduction. The PVM740 has slightly higher resolution at 960x 540 pixels than the LMD940 (800×480 pixels), but the PVM740 is a smaller size panel: 7″ versus 9″. Both models have the same input configuration and most other features also the same. We reckon the LMD940W is still the best value general purpose on set monitor, and bigger is probably better when giving it to a producer or director. The PVM740 is more an ‘on board’ lighting monitor, for the camera operator and camera assistant/ focus puller.

Both the PVM740 and LMD940 are available now. We have the LMD940W in stock and will have a demo unit of the PVM740 shortly. Please give us a call if you would like to come in and have a look, or place an order!

NEW Panasonic AG-3DA1 Integrated Twin-lens 3D Camera Recorder

Your Exclusive Sneak Peek at the NEW Panasonic AG-3DA1 Integrated Twin-lens 3D Camera Recorder
The twin-lens system lets you adjust the convergence point for recording 3D images with natural-looking depth.

Your invited to a sneak peek at the new Panasonic AG-3DA1, the world’s first integrated twin lens full HD 3D Camera recorder. The camera does not deliver until late 2010, however you have an exclusive opportunity to be one of the first in Australia to see a factory pre production camera and 3D monitor, and get a heads up on Panasonic’s 3D production system. Attending with the camera will be representatives from Panasonic Australia to answer your questions.

Wednesday 28th April – 10am – 4pm
The AG-3DA1 is at VIDEOCRAFT Melbourne!

148 Highbury Road,
Burwood VIC 3125
Phone 03-9888-8511
e: sales@videocraft.com.au

Thursday 29th April – 10am – 4pm
The AG-3DA1 is at VIDEOCRAFT Sydney

Unit 5, 18 Hotham Parade,
Artarmon NSW 2064
entry via Sawyer Lane
Phone 02-9436-3050
e: sydney.sales@videocraft.com.au

This is a drop-in day – no appointments necessary…

Exciting new Studio project for the Sydney team

Andy and his team of installers have been building a studio in a secret location in Sydney. Will be able to tell you all more in a few weeks, but here’s a sneak peek panorama photo of our super control room with our new Sony MVS8000G switcher, Evertz multiview displays and Marshall IMD monitors. There is also a Deko CG and a 6 channel EVS in there as well, and down the end you can see a very casual looking James, just as he has cracked the TallyMan!

VIDEOCRAFT HELPS CREATE MAGICAL TALES

After the success of their recent TV series Larry the Lawnmower (aka Larry), according to production company Ambience Entertainment’s producer on the show Monica O’Brien, there were only two things that were guaranteed for the company’s next project ‘William & Sparkles’ Magical Tales’, “The XDCAM workflow we developed for Larry and using Videocraft for the equipment and support!” Magical Tales is an exciting series specifically designed to captivate and entertain the minds of pre-school children where, in each half hour episode, the audience are invited into the world of Sparkles the Fairy and William the Wizard.

Monica O’Brien explained, “The smooth production run we had with Larry the Lawnmower was due in no small part to the amazing sales, service and support we got from Andy Liell and his team at Videocraft. Bearing this in mind, when Magical Tales was green lit I immediately called Andy to discuss our requirements for the shoot.”

William and Sparkles’ Magical Tales consists of forty-six 30-minute episodes to be aired on Channel 9 throughout March and April, Monday to Friday at 3.30pm.

O’Brien continued, “The workflow we developed with Videocraft for Larry was not only unique but incredibly efficient. We had a couple of extra challenges with Magical Tales though, which meant that process had to be further expanded.”

One of the main differences was that Larry the Lawnmower was based around a single camera drama workflow whereas Magical Tales was to use a multi-camera ‘switching live to tape’ workflow.

“In addition to the change of workflows we also shot Magical Tales at Down Under Studios in Mount Kuringai, a great location but with no OB set-up for multi camera shoots.” Added O’Brien. “At this point it was Andy, over to you! I went straight to Videocraft and asked if we could do a multi-camera switching show on XDCAM HD and if we could set up our own mini production system at the studio as they had no OB facilities. I must say I wasn’t surprised when Andy said that it could all be done. Just how easily Videocraft did it was very much a surprise though.”

Liell and his team proposed Videocraft’s unique Fly Away Production kit. “Or Mobile Production System as it’s also known.” Said Liell. “The system is all based around the Panasonic AV-HS400 HD/SD Vision Switcher and literally comes in one portable roadcase. The real beauty of this system is that it acts as a hub allowing up to an 8 camera set up and clients can use any camera in the Videocraft range from the PMWEX1 XDCAM EX camera and Panasonic HPX302s to the SONY HDC1500 studio cameras. The system is easy to configure with colour-coded connectors, has a lot of flexibility and is used in many configurations. The Panasonic AV-HS400 accepts a variety of video and PC input options and up or down converts and scales the signal to suit the programme format. In this instance we even fed the electronic slates from director Ian Munroe’s MacBook Pro straight into the switcher and it all worked perfectly in HD.”

Monica O’Brien added, “The Fly Away Production kit was a revelation to us. Videocraft effectively produced a compact end-to-end solution that did everything we asked. Our director Ian Munroe was very happy as he got everything he needed including excellent monitoring and all the operators were delighted too.”

The Videocraft Fly Away system allowed a 3 XDCAM HD multi-camera set up with the on-set Technical Director controlling all three cameras. In addition director Ian Munroe was able to switch the live camera feed which was also being recorded.

“This meant we went into post with a rough cut ready to go and with the ability to re-edit it with individual camera feeds.” Said O’Brien. “It’s also the first time Ambience have used the XDCAM HD workflow in this configuration, and it was seamless. Utlising Sony’s XDCAM transfer application, we were again able to transfer the files faster than realtime into Final Cut Pro to deliver a fast-turnaround offline cut which really pays dividends, especially in post.”

Ambience used PDW700 and PDWF800 cameras which according to O’Brien, did the job perfectly. She added, “We controlled and painted cameras as we went. We then recorded to the PDWHD1500 XDCAM deck that we bought from Videocraft for Larry and also recorded ISO to each camera, which is an efficient and affordable alternative to traditional triax or fibre studio cameras and ISO VTR machines. At the end of the day’s shooting we got a main switched master tape which was 90% fit for broadcast, however having all that extra coverage from the ISO recordings on XDCAM makes it much faster to find the shots you need to finish it off.”

Omnilab Media’s CornerPost facility provided the post-production workflow by embracing the Final Cut Pro-ProRes offline path utilising the file-based workflow directly off the XDCAM Professional Disc media. This allowed them to work in ProRes reducing storage requirements without compromising image quality. Then, instead of re-ingesting all tapes at conform, CornerPost did a direct playout to HDCAM and XDCAM masters for audio playout.

O’Brien added, “The CornerPost team were amazing. They really got into the spirit of Magical Tales. One other significant point to note is that we used the   low cost PDWU1 XDCAM disk drive from Videocraft for ingest. Normally you need one Digi Beta deck at the studio and one at the post house which equates to hundreds of thousands of dollars in kit. With our XDCAM workflow the deck is in the studio and the disk drive was at CornerPost for a fraction of that cost. There was no need to colour grade as the cameras were matched and painted by the CCU operator at the studio which also meant that we could turn an entire episode around in 48 hours including mastering out to XDCAM HD and HDCAM. We even pulled promotional stills off the HD footage as the quality was so good!”

Andy Liell added, “In addition to the Fly Away full multi-camera production system we also supplied tallies, intercom, camera control, video distribution technical and production monitoring. Ambience are very forward thinking in terms of efficiencies so we were very pleased to be able to help them achieve exactly what was required in terms of working within their budget and timeframe.”

Monica O’Brien concluded, “As a producer you want things to be as easy and painless as possible. Dealing with Videocraft is like that. You just call them, tell them what you want and they do it all. Not only that they always exceed your expectations and they are always friendly. In the case of Magical Tales Andy and Rentals Manager Nick Gleeson showed up, installed the kit within 2 hours and we started shooting by the end of the day. The fact is, by using this type of workflow and expertise, shooting in HD is simply not expensive any more and by using Videocraft it’s also problem free.”

Magical Tales begins airing on Channel 9 from 5 March, 2010.

VIDEOCRAFT HELPS RED SHIELD DEFENCE SERVICE KOKODA TRACK DOCUMENTARY

Recently the Video Production Department at The Salvation Army in Sydney was approached to film a documentary on the Red Shield Defence Service’s (affectionately known as Sallymen) involvement on the Kokoda Track during WWII. A group of Sallymen from throughout Australia took part in an historic hike on which a memorial was laid paying tribute to the Red Shield Defence Service men who bravely served during the war.

Richard Cause, Technical Producer of CPR Productions for the Salvation Army Australia East THQ explained, “Given the significance of this event and the historical importance of the Sallyman during the Kokoda campaign, we saw this as an opportunity not to be missed. Having used Videocraft over the years, we thought we’d ring them to enquire about what the team consisting of Peter March (Journalist), David Scarborough (Editor) and myself (Cinematographer) might need to film a documentary such as this. So we were obviously after something that was lightweight, compact but also high quality. It also needed to be able to withstand the very rough conditions of this infamous trail.”

Videocraft NSW State Manager Andy Liell recommended the Panasonic HPX172 camera.

Cause continued, “We took Andy’s advice and used two Panasonic HPX172 cameras, one we already had and one Andy helped us get through Panasonic Australia. The team first looked at using an alternative, but after researching it decided that the HPX172 was the better option. The first reason for us deciding to take the P2 was quality. The project needed to be shot on the highest quality, yet most compact format. The second reason for us choosing the Panasonic was weight. Being that we were going to be carrying this gear along one of the world’s most grueling hikes, we found the P2 to be the most suitable camera size-wise without compromising quality.”

Cause and his team found the cameras to be very light and user friendly. He continued, “Also, having a solid-state format, it was easy to review clips that were shot over the course of each day and not have the hassle of cueing the tapes back up.”

The documentary was shot in very high humidity areas, something that brought its own challenges and surprises. Cause explained, “Not recording onto tape, which can be affected by the moisture, was a bonus and another reason we chose the P2. We were also shooting in very muddy, slippery and steep mountainous areas and we found the P2 rugged enough to cope with the occasional bang or drop.”

The shoot went particularly well and Richard Cause and his team were very grateful to all those who helped make it happen. He concluded, “We want to thank Panasonic for their support with the second camera and we’d like to particularly thank Andy at Videocraft was really helpful when it came to answering questions in relation to what we would require to take on this shoot. The other thing that really impressed us was Videocraft’s willingness to go the extra mile and help us obtain additional loan P2 cards from ABC TV facilities, which

we were otherwise not going to be able to afford to purchase.”

The Red Shield Defense Service’s Kokoda Track documentary will be aired in 2010.

LCD Field monitors – lots of new options.

Hi again folks.

Marshall have just expanded their range of 7″ ‘on board’ type LCD field monitors, the V-LCD70XP-HDMI. In a nutshell they have added an HDMI input instead of the HD/SDSDI input that was in the V-LCD70P series.  As with the existing range they are available with simple 4 pin power input, as well as a range of different battery plates to suit various Sony, Panasonic, Canon and V-Lock type batteries, so you choose a model that works with your existing camera battery system.  In addition to the HDMI input, they also have composite and component inputs with loop through. They are ideal for use with any type of camera from a consumer camera with composite output, up to something like the new Sony HXRNX5P NXCAM, which has HDMI output (as well as SDI). The V-LCD70P-3GSDI model is well suited to cameras with an SDSDI or HDSDI output, including the Sony PMWEX1/EX3, Panasonic HPX-302, Digi BETACAM, or XDCAM HD cameras.

We love the picture quality, robustness and features of these Marshall monitors. They have 800 lines of resolution, which is about as good as it gets in a 7″ size, widescreen panel, great brightness and contrast performance. They have blue only display for checking noise, a peaking circuit which makes it easy to find focus with them, and very accurate colour and contrast reproduction, all in a tough robust housing which is compact and lightweight enough to add to any type of camera. They have 1/4″ screw thread mounts on all sides making on camera mounting simple using an additional Noga style magic arm. The best thing about them is the price. Starting from under $1500 for the 4 pin power version, they are a really useful addition to the kit for any size of camera. Full specifications can be found by clicking here.

Marshall have also released a 6.5″ ‘Super Transflective’ LCD monitor, specifically for outdoor use where high ambient light levels are an issue. The design uses a reflective backing to the LCD panel to effectively bounce back direct light hitting the panel surface. This results in a screen that is still visible even in direct sunlight. This is ideal for Stedicam and other applications where it’s not possible to control the light hitting the screen. The V-LCD651 comes in a 3GSDI version and an HDMI version. Both models also have composite and component inputs, as well as the same range of battery plates available as the V-LCD70 series. They have a 1024 x 768 resolution 4:3 aspect ratio LCD panel, peaking and blue only settings. Full details can be found here.

Finally in new monitors, Sony have released the LMD940W. This is effectively the LCD replacement for your old 9″ CRT  on set monitor. And we believe it is an excellent and worthy replacement. The LMD940W has an all new 800×480 pixel 9″ widescreen LCD panel. It has composite, HDMI, and 3GSDI inputs, all with loop through, and supports multiformat SD and HD images up to 1080 50/60P.  Sony have set the bar with it’s new I/P conversion process that optimises the incoming signal for all types of motion, be it static or dynamic, interlaced or progressive. The monitor uses Sony’s ChromaTru technology for highly a accurate colour reproduction, and has excellent contrast and brightness. The LMD940 has built in waveform, markers and blue only function. It also has audio level meter display, as well as an internal speaker and headphone socket, and can dis-embed the audio from SDI input signals. 4 pin and V-lock power all included in a robust housing with a replaceable perspex screen protector with an anti reflective coating. It also has an optional ‘ENG kit’ with a  protective ‘cage’ and sports style hood for use outdoors (see picture)

Videocraft have demo units in stock now, so give us a call and come in for a look. You’ll be surprised at how affordable some of these new monitor choices are!

Skinny sexy HD cables for on board monitors

Hi All, We have stock of this super light weight HDTV rated Belden cable, which we can custom make to any length with sexy black boots and connectors. This cable is ideal for use with on board monitors for all types of cameras. If you would like a quote for a custom length please call our Sydney (02 9436 3050) or Melbourne (03 9885 9666) offices.

Z SPACE SHOOTS FRAMED WITH DOP TONY LUU AND VIDEOCRAFT

SYDNEY, 17 February 2010 — Recently Foxtel’s in house agency Area 51 commissioned and produced a general entertainment series comprising of varied portraits of Indigenous Australia. Under the working title ‘Framed’, the series will be screened as a 60-minute documentary and 5-minute breakaway stories which focus purely on each artist.

DOP on the project Tony Luu ACS explained, “The stories explore the life, history and achievements of the artists through interview, live performance and complimentary stylized footage. Filming of this series included shooting live performances multi-cam EFP style as well as more production oriented stylized sequences and overlay.”

When Luu was looking for the right equipment for the shoot he approached Videocraft. He said, “Nick Gleeson at Videocraft was very helpful in assisting us to put together a package to suit our creative, logistical and budgetary requirements. Initially we filmed on PDW700 XDCAM HD camcorders because of their ability to shoot 25P, while remaining cost effective and robust.  We wanted to shoot 50-frame slow motion effect and used the 700 in 50i for half resolution slow motion effect achieved in post production. After shooting the base of the series on PDW700 we completed a pickup story and discovered that Videocraft was one of the early adopters of the PDWF800, which offered the slow motion effect we desired without having to redub in post. I leapt at the opportunity to put the new camera through its paces.”

Luu discussed all the opportunities and functionality available to him with Gleeson who added, “Tony was very impressed with the Hypergamma modes available in the kit.  The extended dynamic range allowed him to capture highlights that would normally be clipped in other systems, giving him much more natural rendition of the picture, and giving much more information for colouring in post.”

Luu agreed and was particularly keen on the quality of images he was capturing with the Videocraft kit. He said, “I loved being able to watch back 50P images in 25P for slow motion effect straight out of the camera.  The media based system also meant that there was no need to download at the end of a long shoot day. Because we needed the versatility to shoot in both lightweight documentary style for the live performances as well as high production value stylized interviews and overlay, I decided to run the camera in two setups.  For the concerts, of which we had little control, we used the camera mostly handheld with HD EFP zoom lenses.  In production mode, we attached a P+S Technik Pro 35 Adaptor and superspeeds to give a softer, more textured filmic look.”

Most of the documentary was shot at the Dreaming Festival at Woodford in fog and often rain and the camera was faultless at all times according to Luu who added, “Occasionally, the performance lighting was so low that I turned on the slow shutter effect, for a stylized effect.  The streaking motion blur rendered dance performances in an ethereal way. The kit performed incredibly well, with very reliable stability.  The optical disc recording was very fast and easy to manage with very good run times.”

Videocraft’s Rental Manager Nick Gleeson said, “The PDW800 kit was a very versatile and cost effective solution for this project allowing for varying production types in the one body, with images of incredibly high production value. I’m delighted that we were able to help Tony achieve all of his requirements and that he got such excellent results.”

Tony Luu concluded, “Nick Gleeson and all at Videocraft are consummate professionals. Nothing is too much trouble and their knowledge, expertise, service and support is second to none.”

Photo’s courtesy Daniel Boud

AJA Ki-Pro

Hi All,

Just before Christmas, we received stock of the new AJA Ki Pro. The Ki Pro is a portable hard disc recorder that basically takes any kind of signal input, including HDSDI, SDSDI, component, composite and even HDMI, as well as balanced and unbalanced audio and records it all to the Apple Pro Res 10 bit 422 video codec (HQ, Pro Res or LT), onto a removable SATA or solid state hard drive. It also up/down/ sideways converts the incoming video to match the recording codec, and provides various video outputs for monitoring. Recorded files can be transferred into Final Cut Pro by direct connection of the Ki Pro to a Firewire 800 port, or the removable drives also have a Firewire 800 port, and their own power supply. The Ki Pro also has 2 x Express card slots which will eventually be able to be used to record as an alternative to the HDD (in a future software upgrade).

The Ki Pro can be built up with an ‘Exo Skeleton’ for mounting between the tripod and a camera, and it provides interfaces for 15mm matte box rails. It’s a bit clunky and would certainly require the use of a bigger tripod for some of the smaller cameras. It has 4pin DC power input, so we have a couple of custom power solutions for field use, depending on which camera battery system you are using. I would have liked to have seen it with an internal battery option, but I suppose you can’t have everything! It also has a LANC, RS422 and lens interface ports which will eventually allow external record  start/ stop triggering from pro cameras, broadcast style lenses and machine control by RS422 (this feature coming in a future software upgrade)

The great thing about the Ki Pro is that it breaths new life into some of the older and more heavily compressed formats. Because it takes any kind of signal input, you can pair the Ki Pro with anything from a HDV or consumer camera, to an HDCAM or high end Digital Cinema camera. For example, a lot of cameras like the Sony HDWF900 CineAlta camera had a brilliant ‘front end’ (CCD block and processing) that was let down a bit by the limitations of the HDCAM tape format. The Ki Pro overcomes this by recoding the 10 bit HDSDI signal from the camera directly to the Apple Pro Res format, keeping the 10 bit signal and 422 colour space. On top of this you get it recorded as a file to a disc, which means you don’t need an expensive VTR and capture card to get it into your Final Cut Pro, and ingest is generally faster than real time.

Check out the Ki Pro online here:  http://www.aja.com/products/ki-pro/ Call us for a demo on 02 9436 3050

Andy

GPS data with the HXRNX5

I had a bit of a play with this feature on Friday. You need to use the Content Management software that comes with the camera, which only works on Windows at this stage. A little GPS logo comes up on the thumbnails that have GPS data on them and you right click and it opens the position in Google Maps or apparently Google Earth if you have it installed, which I don’t at work! The position was very accurate considering I was shooting on a cloudy day – within about 5m of my actual location.  You can view the GPS data for each clip, and sort clips by location, which is pretty cool. At this stage unfortunately there appears to be no way to access the GPS data in Final Cut Pro.

I guess if you have Google Earth Pro it’s pretty good for generating graphics that can be incorporated into an edit, although you have to seek permission to use these graphics for broadcast. I’d really like to see an application like NHK use in Japan, that streams the real time GPS metadata (from HDCAM) and converts it into on-air graphics. Now THAT would be really cool!