We previously announced the RØDE Wireless Go system in early April and we had a chance to give the system a first hand look at NAB 2019. This compact TX/RX wireless audio combo requires only two small boxes to be up and recording audio for 7hrs. Check below for details including pricing and availability.  RØDE Wireless Go The Wireless Go features a 2.4 ghz digital transmission and built-in microphone transmitter in an ultra compact form factor. Rode promises pairing will take place in under 3 seconds and it did happen very quickly during the on-camera demo on the floor show in the less than optimal wireless environment of NAB. While the promised line of sight range of the unit is only 70m, RØDE says the Wireless Go is optimized for shorter range operation in tough RF and crowded WIFI environments. At only 29grams each both the receiver and transmitter are very small, but if you are attempting to hide the transmitter/mic completely this may not be the unit for you. Of course you can connect a lav through a 3.5mm TRS port to the transmitter and hide the lav easily that way as well.  Ryan Burke from RØDE did have an interesting idea of branding the transmitter with your own logo and embracing the fact that it is noticeable. Something to consider. Billed for “content creators on the go” this won’t replace kits with longer range capabilities, but as RØDE notes, it does seem to lend itself to V-loggers, to-camera, or onstage presenters, Youtubers and streamers of all kinds. The standard kit includes 2 x fur windshield, 1 x pouch, 2 x USB-A to USB-C cables and a 1 x SC2 cable. Additional spec breakdown below: For those who don’t have a professional audio background (I’m including myself in this category) this seems like a very fast and painless solution for getting quality wireless audio.  Pricing: $199 for the kit Availability: Soon What do you think about the quality of RØDE wireless microphone systems. Do they work well for you in the field? Please share with us your experience in the comment section below. 

A new light called the Go-Panel has been announced at NAB. It features a unique feature called “Active Diffusion” and is built by the company: Zylight. We have heard echoes of this built-in diffusion technology from Zylight for a while and liquid crystal technology being used in architecture is fairly common in high-end office environments, but Zylight has introduced “Active Diffusion” into their new Go-Panel prototype and the results are impressive.  Zylight Go-Panel I had a chance to try out the Zylight F8-200 LED Fresnel last year and found it to be a well-built and high output LED fresnel that is capable of taking some real physical abuse in the field. The new Bi-Color Go-Panel has a similar form factor and aluminum IP65-rated housing to the Zylight F8-200 but introduces a few new features including +/- green and magenta, USB port for firmware updates and dmx control. Beyond DMX you’ll be able to interface with the light through ZyLink, Bluetooth, and LumenRadio as well. Given that the Go-Panel is still a prototype we will need additional spec information, but we’ll run an update as that becomes available. Active Diffusion The banner feature here is “Active Diffusion.” The technology works like this — simply select the correct mode through the back panel and turn a knob as the light starts hard and becomes softer and back again with a turn of the knob. Co-Founder of Zylight, Charlie Collias, explains that while diffusion is added using liquid crystal technology the light dynamically handles the color shift that comes normally with adding diffusion to keep the color temp as close to the intent as possible. According to the company, Active Diffusion works because of a liquid crystal display placed directly in front of the LED diodes. While tricky to catch on camera, we did visually see the light become softer in the demo environment on the floor of NAB. Given the size of the Go-Panel it is easy to see users being drawn to the lower setup time and Active Diffusion might mean one less softbox needing to be packed away for travel. It will be interesting to see how this technology develops and how it handles in the field once the light starts shipping. 

The race is on. As sensor sizes continue to expand, especially in the case of the newly announced ARRI Mini LF, lens manufacturers are working hard to stay ahead of the curve and provide cine lenses that cover large format cameras. With NAB on the horizon, FUJIFILM and FUJINON just announced the Premista 28-100mm T2.9 and 80-250mm T2.9-3.5. Details below: The Premista 28-100mm (shown below) has a consistence speed of  T2.9 throughout the zoom range, but FUJINON says the 80-250mm stays at T2.9 until about 200mm and then slowly ramps to T3.5. While a constant aperture would certainly be preferred, the wide range of 80-250mm is a bonus. Consistent with past FUJINON zooms, both lenses will be available in PL mount. In the past, companies like Duclos Lenses have converted PL FUJINON zooms to an EF mount, so that may be possible again here in the future. FUJINON Premista 28-100mm FUJINON lists both lenses as supporting up-to a 46.3mm image circle (diagonal) without vignetting. This covers all current large format digital cameras such as the RED Monstro with the exception of the ARRI Alexa 65 (54.12 mm x 25.58). FUJINON Premista 80-250mm Specifications: FUJINON Premista Specifications Pricing and availability: The FUJINON Premista 28-100mm T2.9 is expected to ship over the summer with the 80-250mm T2.9-3.5 landing “before the end of 2019”. Pricing is currently set to $38,800 and $39,800 respectively. We are planning on going hands on with both lenses at NAB so stay tuned for updates. What do you think? As this is the beginning of a new era for FUJINON, would you like to see them enhancing the more affordable MK lenses line with lenses covering large format sensors too? Please share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.  

I resisted using Frame.io for some time. Did I really need another application in my life? Could it really be worth switching everything over and having my team learn a whole new platform? Frame.io had initially caught my attention at NAB last year. My producing partner (Rin Ehlers Sheldon) and I were given a demo, and afterward, we were both strongly advocating for the interface to win one of Cinema5d’s “Best of Show” awards. It also took home awards from just about every publication and the exposition itself.  A few stills arranged in the most common folder view you see in Frame.io. Note that both RAW .CR2 stills and .jpegs are present here. There are also a few images marked with “Needs Review” to avoid ambiguity. At that point, our company had a busy year ahead with huge post-flow headaches looming over us.  Rin and I had a personal mission for NAB 2018, and it was to find affordable innovations that would ward off those headaches for our small company. On the docket was 6 hour long episodes for a documentary series and 12 episodes of a digital series, both shooting in 8K on Red Monstros and Heliums. We needed organization and retention. Above all, we needed a way to access and communicate with our teams while traveling. For us this meant coordinating between 6 editors and a slew of stakeholders and collaborators giving notes. Frame.io claims this is what sets them apart. After all, it was designed by post production pros who were fed up the tedium and frustration of failed uploads or hours of babysitting Vimeo queues.  They knew there was a better way for the exchange of notes and content, and they set out to perfect it: the exact solution to our exact problem.  It seemed too good to be true.  Read on to see if it was. What is Frame.io? Frame.io bills itself as “solving video review and collaboration.” It does this by giving multiple teams and viewers access to browser based project folders filled with a variety of your core assets, such as exported video drafts or images.  The user can stack different exports of the same project to keep track of version history.  Versions can even be played side by side for comparison. It accepts any and all media file types that can be organized into a folder structure,  one that should feel familiar to both PC and Mac users… really anyone who has used a computer ever. (Editors may chuckle, but this intuitive structure is helpful when collaborating with less tech savvy clients and investors.) Frame.io encodes your video to HTML 5 for browser video playback, but it saves your core file for download at anytime without compression being introduced. This is HUGE as other online video services have a tendency to compress to the point where things might get pixelated or blacks get noisy once live and they’ll even destroy your color grade on occasion (cough,Vimeo, cough, cough). The most alluring advantage offered is their proprietary upload tech. Their uploader slices your file into 20 MB chunks and uploads them concurrently in batches of five, resulting in a much faster upload that can be paused and resumed, even if your computer loses internet access, your drive gets unplugged, or your laptop turns off. This is where the company’s origin story really shines through. It’s something only editors really understand. Anyone working with 4K resolution or higher or who has had to upload content from remote locations knows what a lifesaver this is. Frame.io plugin window living within Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2019. Getting Started Diving into Frame.io is painless in my experience. Create an account, select a plan, create a project, then invite your team members to collaborate. Number of team members may be limited based on the level of plan you purchase.  Determine what level of access and editing power each person has: whether or not they should be emailed as the project is updated, whether you want to be notified when they give notes, or if they’re allowed to upload/download content. There is a distinction between collaborators and team members, which you can read about here. Download the app for phones and tablets, as well as correlating NLE integration.  We’re Premiere CC users at our company, so we installed the free Premiere plugin for Frame.io, which our editors love. After the plug-in is installed, head to Window -> Extensions -> Frame.io and your new Frame.io window pops up with your current project visible (see the above image). This integration allows you to set up watch folders for a timesaving peace of mind.   Frame.io also offers plugins for Final Cut X, Adobe AE, Avid Composer, Slack, Vimeo and Watch Folders for macOS. Things start getting a little expensive when you move above the base plans. Giving Notes The timecode based discussion feature in action. Giving and taking notes can be tricky. The ability to give clear and concise notes without eliminating agency or enthusiasm is a real art. The mode of delivery  can also be an issue.  When notes start being delivered via text message, a personal detestation of Frame.io founder Emery Wells, lines can be crossed in all sorts of places.  What’s on the record?  What’s off?  Disrespect of an editor’s time (or anyone’s, for that matter) accompanied by the blurring of expectations for when your team members are on and off the clock is major consideration most producers and directors need to make.  An email of 500 notes in a list can be demoralizing and can often lead to a break in your editor’s pace that is now entirely avoidable. Additionally, all parties work more effectively in specificity, so it is very clear for one side how to take notes and very clear to the other side when they have been taken. Errors in feedback cost money and time in the midst of a busy production schedule. Nothing frustrates a producer like giving the same note twice, and nothing infuriates an editor like working on something for hours that ends up getting changed or cut. Everyone needs to know which way to row,  so the boat doesn’t spin in circles. While Frame.io won’t necessarily make your captain more decisive or magically engage your team in some fulfilling reciprocity, it does remove a great deal of the common obstacles that prevent your ideal post “atmosphere.” As the content plays in a review window, one simply has to start typing a note when so inspired, and the playhead will drop a marker at the exact point where it’s needed.  At this point, the viewer can even utilize a pen tool to draw on the frame for the most visual note possible. Did you catch a corner of a boom pole in your frame and need it masked out? Circle it! Need an asset moved to the left?  Draw an arrow! Obviously, timecode is a given at the moment the note is typed, which is incredibly helpful.  With the integration into Premiere, the markers will even drop right onto your editor’s timeline, so there’s no need to open and close the browser. Frame.io will also email you (depending on your settings) when a collaborator or team  member has commented, updated, or changed something, a feature I am particularly fond of. (There is currently not an option for in and out points to define a range of timecode, but Frame.io says us this feature is coming.  At present, you have to write IN and OUT in two notes, which is a little obnoxious, but having the desired changes tied to exactly the right moments is still a better option than an emailed communication of the same thing. My guess is this wasn’t a priority because editors hate blanket notes, but they are necessary from time to time.) Post Issues fixed by the Frame.io Interface One party could be referencing an old version and giving incorrect timecode. Tasks/notes are dropped because a note is buried on a 100 count email thread. Two notes are in conflict with one another and the editor or post team isn’t sure which to take. One party gets annoyed because a note wasn’t taken prior to going live. You now have a written history on if this did or didn’t happen with the exact time in print. Pricing Here is really the biggest drawback, and it’s not a small one. Look, I’m not saying it’s not worth it.  They’ve done a great deal of work to give us something we really need, but if you are used to paying $34 for a Vimeo Pro Unlimited membership, which allows for 3TB/year and unlimited weekly uploads, you’re going to have major sticker shock switching to or adding Frame.io. It feels like a pretty big kick to the gut for those of us that aren’t Buzzfeed, BBC, VICE, etc, because if you’re working with high res content, which most of us are, 1TB of storage isn’t going to last. When I pay for a subscription for my business, I don’t want to have to choose between which projects I put on this new great platform and which team members get to use the better tool.  The only factor I want determining how many projects I’m working on at a time is my own ambition, not my app’s limitations. I find it a little hard to stomach paying a comparable amount to what I spend for my company’s Creative Cloud Subscription that gives me multiple apps for actually creating the work. Most reading this would likely opt for the tier that allows a  small team of three for $44/monthly or a single member team subscription at $17/monthly.  The Frame.io rep at NAB last year talked to us about scaling back membership at times you have less collaborators, but this isn’t really an option if you’re working on a feature or another long-term or large scale project.  It’s not a realistic option for most companies… most likely you will sign up at one tier and either stick with it or upgrade. It’s just the nature of the beast. That being said, if it really came down to cost, I would cancel my Vimeo before I let go of Frame.io, because once you’ve had the advantage, you won’t want to work without it ever again.  Add in the ironclad  file encryption, the use as a final delivery service, the lack of compression, along with being able to use this platform in pre-production for the exchange of storyboards, design renderings, etc and you’ll find the two services aren’t even really comparable. Mobile Version The award-wining Frame.io iOS app is free and intuitive.  As a producer, I use the app more frequently than the site.  Managing the post of multiple projects across different teams within the app’s clean and efficient UI design has saved me a great deal of time. I use the “Save to Camera Roll” feature frequently to review for flights or to transfer to social media in a pinch. There is one odd quirk of the Mobile version currently tied to sharing your work. There are two option in sending off your content from Frame.io.  Sharing a “Presentation” provides a link where you can view but can’t give notes.  This option can be sent to any email address, quite helpful when you need to extend viewing outside your network of Frame.io users. Sending a “Review” link, with which note giving is possible, is limited to those who have created accounts on Frame.io.   Here’s where the quirk comes in. When I go to send a Review, I follow the prompt to”Add Recipients.” Whatever name I type, greets me with that first  name I typed–followed by a list of all the users on Frame.io that contain the name I typed.  Meaning if you are trying to send a link to Ben Hasselblad, after you’ve typed ben, you will have access to Ben Freud, Ben, Howard, Ben Pitt, Ben Garcia…you get the idea. These are real names of real people, not social media handles. This is a privacy concern in my opinion. If one were a career-hungry camera op, he or she might get the gumption to send the old reel out to anyone that comes to mind (and also has a Frame.io account). I reached out to Frame.io about this, and this is how they responded: “When adding Collaborators via the iOS app, it will show the different options for people, similar to social networks. Per requests that have come in, we are reducing this to display only people that have already been added as Team Members or Collaborators within the account. This will be adjusted on the web app soon. I don’t currently have an ETA when it will be adjusted on the iOS app, however, we have many updates for the iOS app coming soon as well.” – Frame.io Team File Delivery As I mentioned earlier, the ability to deliver the final un-compressed file to the end user or client is a big draw. With other services (Dropbox *cough) I’ve had issues uploading lengthy video files over 8gb and I’ve experienced none of that here. With the $44/monthly and above plans, you are also able to customize the client review window with your company branding and color scheme — which is another nice touch. Note the green color cast on the .CR2 Canon RAW files. This color change isn’t present with .jpg. Cons for delivery: There is an aqua color cast on RAW stills in the Frame.io window.  This does not remain when the files are downloaded, but it is a problem if you are a photographer using the system for review with your clients. Of course, you can just choose not to upload RAW images, but if you want review and delivery to be in the same place, it may not be an attractive explanation for you to give to your clients. When I asked, the Frame.io team said my browser was causing the color cast. Frame.io sent me a comment on this: “.CR2s won’t be absolutely color accurate since Frame.io is creating the browser-friendly version as a .jpg. Also, each browser would display it differently too.” – Frame.io Team I had one project that involved uploading hundreds of images to Frame.io for review and we labeled each “In Progress, Needs Review or Approved”. You are able to sort by status, but not filter. That means I still end up scrolling through hundreds of photos to get to the clump categorized as “Needs Review.” Photos are not the main pull to Frame.io, but if this is truly to be a one-stop shop, there’s some progress to be made with different types of file organization. Not an issue when you have five assets in a single folder, but definitely an issue when we’re talking about assets in the hundreds to thousands. All in All Frame.io streamlines the note giving process with innovation and efficiency.  The application has made a strong case for being a singular  workflow interface, and they are nearly there. Frame.io solves problems I didn’t even really know I had. After utilizing its features in post production over the last year, my company won’t be going back to  the TL;DR days of bullet point laden emails and countless back and forths containing the phrase “Did you mean…”  With the very few criticisms my team and I have of Frame.io, we unanimously find it an invaluable tool.  This is a company that is innovating in leaps, not steps–and we can’t wait to see what updates that implement next. Have you used Frame.io in the past? Comment below!  

The new RED DSMC 2 shoulder rig from Zacuto promises to be an ergonomic and light weight option for shouldering any RED DSMC2 body. I spent some time with the rig over a ten day digital shoot and my full review video is above. There’s not a great deal of innovation in the progression of the shoulder rig.  Once you’ve found the one that has the balance you need, that gives you the assist you want, you stick with it.  However, then your go-to camera manufacturer decides to retool their entire line into one body style, and you’re back to figuring it out again.  In response to RED’s transition into the DSMC2 line, Zacuto produced this rig. If you’ve used Zacuto products  in the past, you’ve most likely been drawn to their price point, but a little (or a lot) disappointed with their heft.   The major selling point however has always been their reliable quality– everything metal, not piece of plastic in sight.  The new Zacuto RED shoulder rig delivers on that all-metal promise, while taking itself lightly…literally weighing in at a little over 2.0 lbs, so what had deterred me previously is no longer an issue. When I’m shouldering a camera for many hours at a time, my primary concern beyond weight is simply balance and ergonomics,  the overall feel of the rig. The balance of the Zacuto rig is excellent.  I never had to mess with moving the rig forward or back on my shoulder. There also isn’t a steep learning curve here — we popped the whole kit out of the box and had it rigged up in under 10 minutes. Zacuto RED rig paired with the DSMC2 Helium S35. Image Credit: Chuck France – Copyright: Legendary Digital Networks The kit Includes:  VCT Pro Baseplate 2 x 6.5″ 15mm Rods RED Top Plate 3″ Z-Rail Top Handle with Z-Rail and Cold Shoe Mount Shorty Trigger Grips In terms of price point, you’re looking at $1,330.00 for everything listed above. The price feels right for what you’re getting, but it is worth noting you’ll need a VCT Tripod plate to really take advantage of the quick release functionality of the VCT Pro baseplate included in the kit. The included RED top plate is also a standout and allows passthrough communication between the camera and the DSMC 2 monitor for mounting directly on top of the camera body. I also loved working with the thumb button on the shorty trigger grips for repositioning. Thankfully, gone are the days of strong-arming tightened knobs to move the grips around between shots. Image Credit: Chuck France — Copyright: Legendary Digital Networks In general, this rig does exactly what you need it to do.  If you work with RED DSMC 2 cameras, this is a good buy.  I would like to see another pivot point on the wrists, but that is a small bit of feedback for a system that otherwise works very well. My biggest takeaway from working with this system, is I never felt like I was fighting the design during any stage of shooting and that is a big plus. The music used in the video above is courtesy of Music Vine – Get 25% off your next music license with code C5D25 (valid for one use per customer). What shoulder rigs are you using? Let us know in the comment below!

If you’ve worked in nonfiction in the last 5 years, it’s likely a producer has asked you if you own or have access to a Canon C300. And in the last 2 years, it’s been the Canon C300 Mark II.  What’s impressive though: All 5 Oscar-nominated documentaries have one thing in common: they were primarily shot on Canon bodies. This is a major coup for a manufacturer that has come a long way from the days of the DSLR revolution.  Image Credit: National Geographic As a Canon C300 Mark II owner myself, I’ve found the ergonomics of the camera are unparalleled for how I shoot. It can be built out or stripped down and give a cinematic quality to the sparsest of shoots. More than that, I am one of those people, who just really loves “that Canon look.”  While other bodies from Sony, Arri and RED are very popular in this category, it seems that a great number of documentary DP’s out there are in agreement regarding Canon. My colleague, Tim Fok, did a deep dive into the C300 Mark II camera, which you can check out HERE.  The Oscar category takeover is a huge achievement for the manufacturer, and it’s not one they’re taking lightly. During the Sundance Film Festival in January, I got together with Tim Smith from Canon USA to talk about the company’s new found dominance. Here’s what he had to say: “(We) sort of just got to this point where the last seven years paid off. We started with C300’s 7 years ago and we would always check the percentage of films that were shot on Canon. In the beginning, and we’d get five films or six films (in a year.) Then finally, we’d start to hit where they’d tell us that 40% of the films nominated for awards were shot on Canon. Now to be able to break it down and say we have 100% of the Oscar nominated documentaries — that’s amazing market penetration. That’s a pretty big deal. And there are a lot of choices. The fact that it could be any camera and it is ours is a pretty big deal.” “My heart and soul is in this one. This is what I live and breath. I mean five for five — I’m going to do a victory dance even though it’s guaranteed we win. It’s a big deal for Canon.” – Tim Smith, Canon USA All five Oscar-nominated feature docs are broken down below along with the Canon gear used to make them possible: “Free Solo” – Image Credit: National Geographic Film: “Free Solo,” dir. Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi Equipment: Canon C300 Mark II, Canon 1D X Mark II, Canon Cinema Primes, Canon 50-1000mm Cine Servos “Hale County This Morning, This Evening” – Image Credit: The Cinema Guild Film: “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” dir. RaMell Ross Equipment: Canon 5D Mark III “Minding the Gap” – Image Credit: Hulu “Minding the Gap,” dir. Bing Liu Equipment: Canon 5D (no indication which mark), EF 16-35mm Lens “Of Fathers and Sons” – Image Credit: Kino Lorber “Of Fathers and Sons,” dir. Talal Derki Equipment: Canon C300 “RBG” – Image Credit: CNN Films “RBG,” Betsy West, dir. Julie Cohen Equipment: Canon C300 Mark II, EF Zoom 16-35mm, 24-70mm T2.8, 70-200mm, 400mm Prime lens   It is interesting to note that another thing these films have in common is the majority of these projects have strong Sundance Film Festival  or Sundance Institute roots. One thing is for sure — whichever filmmaker wins this year will definitely be a win for team Canon. On a personal note, I don’t know that I’ll be watching the Oscars this year, given that the Academy has decided to snub cinematographers** and editors along with H&M and live action shorts by airing their awards during commercials. However, even while protesting the Academy’s unfathomable decision, I can still tip my hat to Canon and say, “Congrats!” **Update: The Academy has reversed its decision. All awards will air during the broadcast as in past years.  What do you think? Why did Canon edge out the competition in the doc category this year? Comment below!

The Daylight Zylight F8 200 is admittedly a strange light to look at. It has about the same physical footprint of a 1×1 panel, but to compare it to a simple high output flood light would be a mistake. There is more here than meets the eye. I took the Zylight F8 200 into the field recently in a documentary project in Europe to really put this LED fixture to the test in a wide variety of situations. Does it hold up? Find out below:  The Zylight on location in Basel, Switzerland. Out of The Box When you open the box, it is clear that a ton of thought went into this light. It’s dimmable from 0-100%, runs quiet and isn’y over-designed, but the ability to accordion (for lack of a better word) out the lens to focus the output works marvelously well. Simply turn a knob at the back of the fixture and the beam angle narrows from 16 degrees to about 70 degrees as the lens extends. This simple design feature gives you a more versatile light and keeps it compact for travel (it fits in a small Pelican case with all the accessories). The build is superb; it feels bullet proof. In 6 weeks, we never encountered any issues. I do think it will hold up over longer shoots, but we put it through the paces at a month of using it for several hours a day. In The Field The manufacturer claims a CRI of 93 and in my experience, that’s accurate. I paired the light with several other brands of daylight LED fixtures, and it matches color perfectly without the need of minus green. The light also has an IP54 rating, which means that rain, snow and dust shouldn’t effect the operation of the light much. We did use it in the rain with no problem. You can power the light through the wall obviously, but Zylight also makes a dual V-mount or Gold Mount battery adapter (available separately for $350) that affixes to most C-stands. I will say that the light is battery hungry. I’d say two new Dionic 90’s will get you about an hour of use in most situations. Not a big deal for us as we use Dionic 90‘s with everything. The ability to travel all over the Alps with this light in a run and gun doc style project was exactly what we were looking for. I will say the light weighs a little over 10lbs (4.5 kg), so you’ll want to make sure you have a properly sandbagged C-stand to use for mounting. Zylight F8 200 Output and General Usage The output is where this light really shines. Think around a 2K, if your head still homebases in tungsten. That output allowed us to punch the light into rooms from outside windows in some cases, as a bounced key light or to fill in dark portions of backgrounds as motivated sunlight. There where even moments where we used the light outside (with some diffusion) to fill in shadows on the face of talent during long interviews. The Zylight raking the background of an interview in Lucerne, Switzerland. Accessories and Pricing The price point of $2,499.00 puts the Zylight significantly cheaper than comparable (in terms of output) HMI fixtures, but more expensive than an equivalent intensity tungsten fixture. However, as you know, Tungsten burns hot and pulls a ton of power. A whole line of accessories exist for the light including a softbox and various types of cases, but the barn doors are included in the kit. The Zylight F8 200 is also available in dedicated 3200K form as well. Conclusion I’m always looking for the one light that works in all situations (spoiler alert – it doesn’t exist) but you really can’t go wrong with a high CRI/high output source like the Zylight F8 200. It is small enough to take along in a small crew, has minimal power draw for use in homes and the ability to focus the beam without attaching complicated accessories is fantastic. Since using the fixture in Europe I had the opportunity to use it during a PSA shoot and a longer 6-episode digital series and it is steadily becoming one of my go-to lights. The LED market is becoming more crowded these days, but the Zylight F8 200 is a true standout for me. Did you have a chance to use the Zylight F8 200? Do you prefer working with Daylight/Tungsten fixture? Please share with us your thoughts on the comment section below. 

The fishy love interest from Shape of Water has an evil cousin, and he’s here to eat you and all your millennial friends. Sweetheart is part survival, part creature feature, dripping with throwbacks to the the decade when this subgenre dominated sleepover nightmares. Image Credit: Sundance Institute Kiersey Clemons (Jenn), star of last years musical standout Heart Beats Loud (also a Sundance premiere), has the screen mostly to herself over the brisk 90 minute runtime of Sweetheart, and she doesn’t need Wilson’s help to captivate you. Director/Co-Writer, J.D. Dillard, crafts a simple setup in this Blumhouse thriller. After some post-college-prove-yourself boat trip, which is never really explained, two friends wash up on the shore of a deserted tropical island (shot in real life Fiji). The island is beautiful, but so was Fyre Island, and just like Ja Rule’s influencer victims, no one wants to stay. However, in the first two minutes of the movie, one of them becomes a permanent island resident because of well, dying there.  Spoiler: it’s not Kiersey Clemons. What’s nice about this rando named Brad’s last few flickering moments is that before he dies, he gives us our first tease of the creature, “Did you see it, too?” Jenn did not see it too, and she goes off to needlessly get him a healing coconut.  Even though retrieving this superfood is fruitless, seeing Jenn in the simple act of cracking a coconut serves its purpose. We discover that while she is maybe no survivor, Jenn is far from flimsy. Within the first five minutes of this movie, we see the seedling of a creature fighting heroine with all the strength of a Ripley or a Lara Croft, but none of the training or prowess, which is much of the fun of Sweetheart.  We watch our protagonist discover what she is capable of. The environment forces Jenn to rise to the occasion. First, she has to survive the weather and figure out where to find some gnosh. Her scavenging skills are A++, as she discovers an old campsite with SCORE! some matches and a few other useful bits and bobs. (The matches feel really convenient, but watching Jenn count the days by how many matches she has left is a clever way of tracking time for the audience.) With coconuts for thirst and fish for sustenance, Jenn buries her friend and feels like she has this whole survivor thing a little more under control. Jenn is unaware that despite watching the only other living being on the island (sweet, vacant Brad) journey to that frat house in the sky, she is not alone in this scare-adise. When a plane flies overhead, Jenn shoots a flare into the sky, seemingly to no avail… except for when the red flash falls to the ocean in the most epic homage to the creature feature of this entire film, a quick silhouette of our muscly man-shark rising out of the water. Every night that follows, Jenn finds herself on the wrong side of the hunt. When it’s finally revealed, the monster looks A LOT like Guillermo del Torro’s fish-man from Shape of Water, but with the head of a baby shark… da-doo-doo-doo-dah-doo. However, this amphibian is less interested in listening to music and making out, and way more interested in eating everything that moves. With a script light on easy answers and heavy on unsettling moments, you rarely learn much about the protagonist, but that’s okay, because what matters is the warrior she’s becoming. With very few places to hide, Jenn has to figure out how to put any barrier between herself and her hunter. There’s an attempt at using height, but all she has is a makeshift hammock. There’s an attempt at a haven, but all she can find is a hollowed out palm tree. These two scenes in particular are quite effective in giving the audience a good jump. The action unfolds across a taut line on which Jenn must balance being visible enough for rescue and covert enough to not be eaten by the predator beneath the waves. The effects are uniformly fantastic, and although the creature may be a little silly, once you see what it can do to you, and where it drags its victims, it’s easy to be onboard. The creature’s audio design elevates its impact, and may keep you out of the aquarium for quite some time. That’s not to say there isn’t a face-palm moment or two. When the addition of a few surprise human guests brings dialogue into play, you will long for moments when all we had was our star and her will to survive. While this isn’t a life-changing cinematic experience, there are still a great many elements that categorize this saltwater saga as a good fun watch. Chase scenes on the beach lit by lightning, underwater cinematography, and badass fight choreo that Kiersey Clemons absolutely slays, make this worth seeing in theatres. Be warned that if you aren’t already, you will probably become a Kiersey fanatic, as you cheer on a warrior guaranteed to become America’s next creature-crushing Sweetheart. (i.e. Badass)