SLR Magic introduces a new modestly priced cinema lens lineup, called the MicroPrime. For the time being, the lineup consists of four lenses (25, 35, 50, 75 mm) – with each lens costing $799. Read more below.  SLR Magic presents a new family of E-mount CINE lenses, The SLR Magic MicroPrime CINE 25mm T1.5, 35mm T1.3, 50mm T1.2, and 75mm T1.5 are the first lenses to be available. Smaller (and cheaper) cinema lenses As expected from cinema lenses, these lenses are housed in a cinema-grade metal exterior with matching dimensions and focus/iris gear positioning and a lens ring marked in T-stops instead of F-stops. The lenses are equipped with internal focusing, which is essential for matte box configuration and for cinema applications. Just be aware that the focus ring rotates only 150 degrees due to the smaller form factor, compared to “full size” cinema lenses. However, that should be enough to elevate the accuracy of focus pulling, when compared to a still lens.  As stated by SLR Magic:  The SLR Magic MicroPrime CINE lenses are designed to be compact and robust for use in a professional setting. The MicroPrime CINE lenses have a large image circle that covers up to full frame…Each lens is balanced in a similar weight distribution so that recalibration is not required during switching lenses when using a 3-axis gimbal. Lens gears are built-in with a throw slightly longer than photographic lenses but at the same time manageable when a motorized follow focus is not used. Each lens features internal focusing mechanism and comes with a standard 85mm diameter suitable for matte box use. In the situation where a smaller setup is required, each lenses also comes with a 82mm filter thread for use with 82mm Fixed ND filters. The MicroPrime CINE E-Mount Series Price and availability The price of each lens is $799, which is pretty affordable for cinema lens. All four lenses will be available by May 2018. The SLR Magic 18mm T2.9 will be ready by Q3 2018. This MicroPrime CINE E-mount series looks like a solid and well-built set of full frame cinema lenses. We can’t wait to try them out in order to explore their visual quality.  Would you consider buying MicroPrime lens, or would you prefer to pay more and get a full size cinema lens? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 

Angenieux expands its anamorphic lineup by presenting the new Optimo anamorphic 42-420 mm A2S, which has a different focal length and less distortion than the 2 year old Optimo  44-440 mm. Check it out.  The Optimo Anamorphic 42-420 A2S The lens is available in PL mount, features a 2x horizontal squeeze and is made for tough production conditions (temperature range from -20°C to +45°C).  As stated by Angenieux: Based on the Optimo 44-440 A2S lens, which was introduced in April 2016, and after some customers’ suggestions, the new Optimo 42-420 A2S has a different focal length and has even less distortion than the 44-440, which already was minimal.  The lens provides the specifications that made the Optimo 44-440 A2S lens so popular and some different image characteristics. The resemblance between the older and new lens continues as they both implementing the same IRO technology.  The IRO technology – innovative and modular lens design The Optimo 42-420mm A2S also features IRO (Interchangeable Rear Optics) technology, which is a modular lens design that enables different lens configurations. It was first introduced on the Optimo 44-440 A2S.  Tthanks to the IRO technology, the Optimo 42-420 A2S, with a spherical kit option, can be converted to a spherical 25-250 T3.5 zoom by swapping the rear group and appropriate rings. By having an Interchangeable Rear Optics system (IRO) on its newest lenses, Angénieux offers the privilege to adapt the lenses to a majority of image formats.  Watch the video below to learn more about the IRO technology that is also relevant in the new Optimo Anamorphic 42-420 mm zoom lens. Optimo 42-420 A2S Main Features 2:1 horizontal squeeze achieved by cylinder optics in the rear part of the lens Constant T4.5 across zoom range, no ramping Minimal breathing suitable for rack focusing Close Focus of (1.24m/4’1“ feet) enables extreme close-up shots Reduced distortion on all focal lengths and all focus distances Weight 16.7lbs – 7.6kg Precise and ergonomic focus ring with scale rotation of 320 degrees & over 40 focus marks. Interchangeable focus scale ring from feet to meters Available in PL mount. Easily interchangeable with PV Panavision mount Suited for extreme production environments (temperature range from -20°C to +45°C) Price The price is yet to be announced, but it’s not going to be a rather cheap lens, since its older brother (the Angenieux Optimo Anamorphic 44-440mm) costs $75,000. 

The newest version of FCPX (Final Cut Pro 10.4.1) includes a new video format called ProRes RAW which offers the optimum combination of both the compressed ProRes format and lossless RAW. Furthermore, the update finally includes a closed captioning solution.  FCPX users can work natively with ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ files created by Atomos recorders. ProRes RAW – High performance without sacrificing quality  The major update is the introduction of the new ProRes RAW format. This format is a combination between Apple’s ProRes and RAW, which is a huge advantage as it can be utilized and maintain high quality footage with RAW data coming out from the camera sensor, without impairing the performance in the editing process.  As stated by Apple:  Editors can import, edit and grade pristine footage with RAW data from the camera sensor, providing ultimate flexibility when adjusting highlights and shadows — ideal for HDR workflows. And with performance optimized for macOS, editors can play full-quality 4K ProRes RAW files on MacBook Pro and iMac systems in real time without rendering. Apple claims that the ProRes RAW files are even smaller than ProRes 4444 files, which have the potential to facilitate workflow and archiving. and even edit RAW on a laptop, while still preserving the performances. FCPX users can work natively with ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ files created by Atomos recorders. For now, ProRes RAW will be available as a free update for owners of Atomos Sumo 19 and Shogun Inferno devices, which opens it up as an acquisition format for many cameras that output RAW. The format will also be available as part of a forthcoming upgrade package for users of the DJI Inspire 2 drone and Zenmuse X7 Super 35mm camera system designed for aerial cinematography (separate post coming). For more info, read cinema5D article about Atomos as the first enabler for ProRes RAW Recording. Closed Captioning Tools Finally, FCPX now lets users import and edit closed captions for their videos without the need of third party software. Captions appear in the viewer during playback and can be attached to video or audio clips in the magnetic timeline, so they automatically move with the clips to which they’re connected. An all-new captions inspector makes it simple to adjust caption text, color, alignment, location and more. Pricing and Availability Final Cut Pro 10.4.1 will be available on April 9 as a free update for existing users, and for $299.99 (US) for new users on the Mac App Store. To sum it up, Apple has really been doing their homework with bringing Final Cut Pro X up to a very high standard over the past few years. As ProRes RAW will be only available in Apple’s NLE for the time being, this will be a huge selling point for FCPX that simply wasn’t there before. ProRes RAW seems promising as it allows editing RAW with the performance of the good old ProRes. What is your opinion regarding FCPX 4.1? Will you give it another try in case you’re a Premiere user who’s been plagued with instability lately? Let us know your thoughts. 

Pond5, a content marketplace for high-quality royalty-free video, has developed a new AI (Artificial Intelligence) search engine that allows users to search by images instead of words.  As stated by Pond5, The artificial intelligence that drives Pond5 Visual Search gives customers the ability to show, rather than tell, what they’re looking for. Eliminating the difficult task of trying to put a visual concept into words, Visual Search delivers instant results for licensable media with a similar look to any file a customer chooses.  “Neural network”  This technology recognizes patterns in shape, color and composition, and compares them to the tons of images and clips that already exist on the Pond5 platform in order to find similar results.  Pond5 calls it a “neural network”. According to the company the technology is a patent-pending AI-based Visual Search engine which gives users the ability to discover media based on existing imagery.  As explained by Lawrence Lazare, Sr. Director, Product Management at Pond5, Our team used state-of-the-art deep-learning techniques to build and train a neural network that allows users to search Pond5 using visual assets that inspire them…By adding AI-based search into our industry-leading search experience, we also vastly reduced the amount of time it takes to find the perfect video clip, photo, or illustration. Browser Extension The browser extension application is a part of the new AI visual search, and is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.  It lets users use any video or image they find on the web to search for similar video and image results on Pond5. Visual Search on Mobile Devices Visual search is also compatible with mobile devices, which means it gives users the ability to search for media using a smartphone’s camera, or simply media uploaded from their camera roll.  Watch the short video below to discover more about the AI visual search options: Content Partnership with DJI Apart from the tech innovations, Pond5 announced a collaboration with DJI to develop a premium collection of licensable aerial footage from FAA Certified Pilots and Filmmakers. This footage has to be captured with DJI drones and will be especially promoted on Pond5’s marketplace. As explained by Pond5 CEO Jason Teichman: Drones have become powerful tools for storytellers, providing a cost-effective alternative for gathering aerial footage. They’re able to capture rapidly unfolding events and reach locations that would be otherwise inaccessible, costly, or dangerous…As the world leader in their space, DJI is the ideal partner to bring the best in contemporary aerial footage to our marketplace. Take a look at the aerial Pond5 -DJI sample below: Only pilots with a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is required for commercial use, will be eligible to have their footage included in this series of collections shot exclusively with DJI drones. If you’re authorized for commercial use of aerial photography and interested in applying, submit your details in this form.  Final thoughts Of course the main achievement here is the artificial intelligence visual search for videos, which grants users the significant advantage to search smartly by imagery instead of regular engines based on tags and keywords. The search for the right footage based on shape, pattern, color and composition is the most logical way to explore the desired visual content on this kind of media marketplace, especially for filmmakers.  The question remains here how valuable this tool will be in practice – time will tell.  What do you think about this AI visual search? Would you use it or maybe the regular “old style” search is preferable?   

Musicbed, a platform that licenses a highly curated selection of songs for use in film, video, broadcast and other media, has launched a redesigned website with new interesting features. Find out more below.  We’ve been using Musicbed since its inception, and in my opinion Musicbed is a truly fascinating marketplace for creators and music producers alike. Every time I did research searching for the best place to find good music to my films, I ended up on Musicbed’s website.  The Musicbed platform has over 700 world-class artists which present their music for licensing, for any purpose imaginable (distribution, streaming and even sometimes adjusted to the project’s custom budget).  Their platform is unique among comparable licensing platforms. On Musicbed, the music is so diverse and of such high quality that you can simply listen to it to get inspired for your project. Also, their site is very user friendly, which allows you to find exactly what you were looking for much faster. And now, their website has been redesigned and relaunched with new features. Let’s have a look: Integrated browser and smart filters The option to ‘Include’ and ‘Exclude’ is now implemented in their search interface in one place. Also, you can filter by instrument, song build, length, vocals or even BPM (beats per minute), which is great – this reflects how filmmakers work. It will be very easy to find a fitting “beat” and “feel” for your footage. And from experience we can tell that looking for music can be the most cumbersome part of the editing process. Filter by BPM Filter by instrument Checkout process Although the checkout process is also redesigned, I didn’t find any significant changes. I actually liked the old version better. However, this new design is very straightforward and easy to use, with a lot of options to match the particular need of a project. All-new Knowledge Base FAQ page It seems that the help and support page has also redesigned and now looks more engaging and easier to use. Conclusion As I wrote above, Musicbed is by far my favourite tool to find new high quality pieces of music from amazing artists, as well as a place to get some inspiration.  It seems that this redesign is more focused more on looks rather than functionality.  I have my doubts that those new smart filters are good enough to get what you need. For example, I did try to filter by BPM some Tony Anderson’s music, but I haven’t gotten any correct results. However, I am happy to be convinced otherwise! Update: Musicbed team is aware of some minor bugs related to the advanced filters. The team is already working to fix those bugs. The bottom line here: the most important part in platforms like this one are always the artists and creators themselves, and the quality they deliver. Musicbed says that it goes through 50-100 music submissions daily and that it gives every submission the attention it deserves. Only the best of all submissions are accepted to Musicbed’s marketplace. That says it all!! What do you think about the new design? Let us know in the comments! 

Pictures Instruments, a software company that focuses on color correction and grading tools, releases a new version of Color Cone – available as a stand-alone application as well as an Adobe Premiere and After Effects plugin. Color Cone has been launched a few years ago as a stand alone color grading software, which allows colorists to grade and export LUTs in a simple and innovative way, by using a bicone instead of the traditional color wheels.  The bicone method Color Cone was an entirely new concept for color correction as well as the creation of looks. The method is based on an HCL–color model, visualized in the form of a bicone. As explained by Picture Instruments:  The HCL– color model is not as common or as widespread as for example the HSV model, but much more suitable for photo editing. It offers several advantages since shadows and highlights possess almost no chroma in this color model. 100% black and 100% white generally have no saturation even if other models allow for this. Even similar colors in various positions as they occur in the upper and lower part of a color cylinder are excluded in the HCL-model. Since this might sound complicated, watch the video below to clear some things up.  The new Color Cone version – Plugin for PP and AE This new version includes some improvements of the stand alone product, but the main upgrade is that this version can run as a plugin for Adobe Premiere and After Effects.  As stated in the press release: Not only have color management, ICC-profile support and a very useful undo/redo feature been added to the software; Color Cone is also the first Picture Instruments tool available as an Adobe Premiere and After Effects plugin. The plugin version supports keyframes so that all color settings in Color Cone can be automated over time. Screenshots of the new version Stand alone product AE plugin The PP plugin Pricing Color Cone Standalone and Color Cone Premiere/After Effects plugins are separate licenses which are available for $88 each. Final thoughts  First of all, innovation and disruption of commonly used methods in grading are welcome. Picture Instruments offers a totally different approach compared to the traditional color wheels. However, we all remember that FCPX wanted to offer this as well with its “out of the box” color palette, which was not accepted very well by colorists – most of them use Resolve or other plugins (Color Finale) which mimic the old fashioned color wheels.  Furthermore, for grading we all have the almighty professional DaVinci Resolve and it’s free!  Having that said, I think that in order to properly examine Color Cone, you have to download it and actually use it intensively and struggle with it on a project to explore it and see if this it can facilitate your color correction and grading workflows.  The Color Cone plugin demo version runs without any time limitation, but it adds a watermark to all images. Color Cone’s standalone demo version runs 14 days without any limitations. You can download it here and try for yourself.  Would you give Color Cone a try? Let us know in the comments! 

Face 2 Face, directed by  Matt Toronto, is an award winning film shot entirely on GoPro Hero 4, and available on Netflix. Read more to explore this very special and well executed project.  In the era of new sensors, 8k resolution, sophisticated codecs and cameras as a part of a race to digital cinema technology’s invisible finish line, once in a while there is a cinematic gem which reminds us that the story is still the most important part of what we do!   Face 2 Face, now available on Netflix in the US, is an independent movie told through computer/phone screens of two American teenagers. This film is about two childhood friends who communicate through FaceTime and bond over revealing their darkest secrets.  Director Matthew Toronto and cinematographer Kristoffer Carrillo shot the movie entirely on the GoPro Hero 4, with the intent to mimic the look of Apple’s FaceTime chat service.  Why GoPro?  Other cameras were tested by the filmmakers, including the iPhone, but somehow, they found the GoPro look was most compelling and organic – and looking at the footage, I have to agree that indeed was a good choice. Take a look at the trailer:  The film has won several prizes from film festivals around its innovation of shooting everything with GoPros. It reminds us of other films that have been shot on other than a conventional cinema cameras, like Tangerine from Sundance which was shot on iPhones, or Steven Soderbergh, who – after revealing that everyone should shoot on iPhones (we reported about it) – went to release “Unsane” at Berlinale Film Festival, a feature that was indeed entirely shot on said phone.  Moreover, there are numerous very low budget projects who were shot by inexpensive cameras, that transformed into cinematic success stories, like the famous Paranormal Activity.  Choosing GoPro over other cameras like the iPhone is a much more logical choice since GoPro grant filmmakers a lot more control on camera settings. The film in not new and was finished in 2016, made the film festival rounds in 2017, and arrived on Netflix last month.  In my opinion, the execution is fantastic here.  The advantage of using GoPro as the main (and only) camera on set Well, the advantages are obvious. There are a lot less issues to deal with. For example, there is no need to change lenses, small crew, camera can be operated by the talents themselves, very low camera budget (or zero budget) is needed, much easier post production workflow and the look, if treated well and graded correctly, can still be amazing.  All of that could be a huge plus since it gives us the privilege to focus more on the story and less on the technology.  Take a look of BTS pics which demonstrate how the GoPro was used by the crew DP Kristoffer Carrillo explains the above picture: “Daniela and Daniel actually used FaceTime on MacBooks when we shot the scenes. We mounted a GoPro to the laptop as well as a HDMI-HDSDI converter so we could monitor the shot from video village. For the scenes where they were supposed to be using their phones, we rigged the GoPro and a SmallHD 502 to some coroplast. We used a Paralinx Arrow running off a USB battery to transmit a wireless feed to our Director. While not as small as an iPhone, the actors could operate and frame themselves with one hand and we could watch in real time.” Cell phone and pocket cam rigs Pocket and cell phone back rig This is a proof that the story is much more important than the camera. I think: You don’t need for 8K in order to enhance storytelling, and to thrill and engage the audience.  It might seem that the last thing that we ever need is a new camera as the story always comes first! What are your thoughts about this project? Let us know in the comments section below! 

Moment presents their new Kickstarter campaign: The Filmmaker Collection for smartphones which includes some goodies to transform your phone into a “filmmaking machine”. We all know that a real anamorphic lens costs a fortune and as the pursuit for flares never stops, maybe now we can afford it – at least for our smartphone – as the crown jewel of their kit is the anamorphic lens.  The Filmmaker Collection The Filmmaker Collection by Moment, which is now on Kickstarter, includes an iPhoneX battery case, universal gimbal counterweight, filter mount and an anamorphic lens. I must admit that every product in the collection looks solid and when combined it looks rather cool, but of course the highlight of this kit is the supplied anamorphic lens.  Moment’s anamorphic lens for premium phones Anamorphic Lens Specifications  Magnification: 1.33x Horizontal Squeeze  Aspect Ratio (video) after de-squeeze: 2.40:1 Cinemascope Lateral Color: Minimized Flare: Vintage style anti-reflection coatings create desirable horizontal flares Orientation: Unidirectional — Mount can be rotated 90 degrees depending on the mobile device Works on Moment supported devices by connecting to a dedicated photo case. Moment offers cases for premium phones (iPhone 6,7,8,X, Galaxy 8,9 and Pixel 1,2) Other products in Moment’s Kickstarter campaign iPhone X battery photo case Wireless-enabled battery photo case with a shutter button and 3,100 mAH battery allows for shooting twice as much video without recharging. The battery photo case is only compatible with iPhone X.  Gimbal Counterweight Universal counterweight which is compatible with most major gimbals.  Filter Mount The Filter Mount lets you attach a standard 62mm filter to any of your Moment lenses. The very long (about 25 minutes) Kickstarter video is 99% focused on the lens itself. Moment knows that the lens is the main product here, as stated: “Our anamorphic lens is the sexiest product we’ve ever made. This is the holy grail of filmmaking. Sweet horizontal flares and that widescreen, letterboxed look. Typically, super expensive, we made anamorphic affordable. Now you can shoot like the pros, on your phone.” Watch the whole campaign video:  Prices There are a lot of different combinations available for purchase when backing the project. Head to the Moment Kickstarter campaign for more information and planned final prices. Note that in order to attach the anamorphic lens to your smartphone, you will need to purchase the case for supported phones (iPhone 6,7,8,X, Galaxy 8,9 and Pixel 1,2), meaning that you have to purchase both, the case and the lens for $145.  iPhone X users have the option to purchase the lens with the battery case for $199.  Final thought From what i’ve seen in several videos, the lens does provide a real and impressive anamorphic look. In order to achieve the same results with a camera, you would need to buy one of SLRmagic’s products or a true anamorphic lens, which is extremely expensive.  The bottom line here is that this is a lens for smartphones. You get the anamorphic look indeed, but you get a “smartphone look” as well, which is not cinematic at all. Not that this is always a bad thing – take for example Steven Soderbergh’s “Unsane” that was shot with Moment products on the iPhone 7 and is currently in theaters.  What are your thoughts on this lens? Is it just as a gimmick or can you see yourself using it in a professional way?