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Most interesting thing I didn't see at NAB

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Finner

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Okay for me NAB just did not seem to have much new to offer. It seems Japans tragedy has a lot of companies reeling and it shows at NAB. First off though my prayers and thoughts go out to Japan and I hope they are able to come through this with as little life loss and hurt as possible.

What I found very interesting at NAB though was the absolute lack of film cameras. None at the ARRI booth, think about this for a second as this is huge: ARRI did not have a single film camera at their booth. In fact traveling through the show I only saw 1 lone film camera (A haggard 435 on a large dolly at a grip booth). Film is definitely near its end which is sad for me as a worked with film a lot and it did offer a lot through the years. The new horizon is exciting though and the infinite possibilities of future sensor technology along with its more environmentally friendly aspects is great.

Farewell Kodak, thanks for the memories!
 
Agreed that sensor sales will keep Kodak afloat for a while Liam but Kodak will never own the market like it did in the years of film.
 
Sadly Kodak's modern sensor technology (or at least what they are currently releasing (leica m8 and m9 ccds for example) lag WAY behind everyone else. They might be sitting on some awesome patents or IP but where the rubber meets the road or should I say the photons hit the silicon they kindof stink.
 
Mike Prevette said:
Sadly Kodak's modern sensor technology (or at least what they are currently releasing (leica m8 and m9 ccds for example) lag WAY behind everyone else. They might be sitting on some awesome patents or IP but where the rubber meets the road or should I say the photons hit the silicon they kindof stink.
Click to expand...

Kodak had great sensors not all that long ago... ten years ago I loved my DCS 620x (unbeatable low-light camera in its day) and my DCS 760. Both pretty much bulletproof (based on F5) and produced some very nice images; I still drag the 760 out and shoot with it occasionally. Then they went and made the Pro 14N, which was full frame but anything but 'pro' and an unreliable piece of crap; game over.

Mike
 
Finner,

I would suggest that you should ASAP have a drink with Wally Pfister, ASC,

who won Oscar - Best Achievement in Cinematography Academy Award for Inception (2010)

and talk about film vs. digital and even more...:cheers2:

Wally Pfister's Real Life Quotes:

The battle that we have to fight as cinematographers is to not let anybody treat us like we are consumers by using marketing techniques to push technology that's not better than what we have. Good enough isn't good enough. 24P is nowhere near the resolution of 35mm film, and if you put it side by side with anamorphic it's off the charts. There's not even a comparison. I don't see why we should settle for that and I don't see why the public should settle for it. I don't understand why we would use an inferior product to capture our images, when we want to see all the nuances and into the darkest details. I want to push the envelope. I don't think we have the power to fight this battle alone. The technology vendors have enough power and money to influence our art form. We need to get the directors on our side, because they have the clout.

Sadly, some people think of good cinematography as a beautiful sunset or a spectacular vista. I believe we affect the audience in a much more subtle way. We're manipulating them emotionally with light, darkness, colors, contrast and composition. I know the Dogme 95 theories, but I believe actors respond to light. Just look at a Rembrandt or Caraveggio painting or any of the Dutch masters, and tell me light isn't important. The pictures have to be true to the narrative, but I like to test the boundaries and see how far I can go.

I liked photographing people kind of on the sly with a long lens. I tried to capture stolen moments and find humor in them. I took pictures in natural light with interesting colors and shapes. But photography wasn't my main interest. I loved music. I played guitar in high school bands and that's still one of my passions.

Film has an enormous amount of exposure latitude and dynamic range, which gives us infinite creative ability in creating images. I can underexpose it by 3 stops and overexpose it by 5 stops within the same frame and see the entire spectrum on the screen. That's simply not possible in any digital format I've seen. Every digital camera is trying hard to emulate 35mm film, and there's a reason for that.

My work will not be seen on screen the way I want it to if I'm forced to compromise my tools and my integrity. I can't short-change my director by taking a chance that the perfect shot is going to be ruined because we're using a format of lesser quality than film.

LINK>>>
 
Well, we can't blame Wally for not being able to predict the (fairly predictable) future. And that future has now caught up with us. Besides, who is Wally in the face of the overwhelming talent that chooses digital acquisition? Are they all just blind consumers, with not an artist to be found among them? Get real.
 
Sanjin Jukic said:
Finner,

I would suggest that you should ASAP have a drink with Wally Pfister, ASC,

who won Oscar - Best Achievement in Cinematography Academy Award for Inception (2010)

and talk about film vs. digital and even more...:cheers2:
Click to expand...

I find it quite funny that you mention that Sanjin. I worked on Inception when it shot all the winter mountain scenes in Canada. We shot up on top of Fortress mountain a closed down ski hill in Kananaskis, Alberta under the fake name of Olivers Arrow to keep Paparazzi and other unwanted people trying to get on set. So thanks for the advice but I have already had a few drinks and meals with Wally. I would love to hear what he tells you next time you hang out with him though Sanjin.

I know you are just trying to stir the pot with your comments as usual but as per normal the chop stick you try to stir the pot with really doesn't get very far. If you read what I wrote I never said that film is dead right now but that film is very close to its end. Sensors are just getting so much better at an exponential rate. Also ARRI not having a single film camera at their booth is extremely telling of whats going on. In fact I have heard from an inside ARRI source that they have not even built a film camera for quite a while and are just servicing what they have already because demand for the cameras is so down.

Attached are a couple of quick stills I banged off on the shoot (You have to take these on the down low as the publicists and producers are always worried pics like these will be leaked before the film debuts) . Please excuse my cameras barney that is to small, when you are a down as far on the totem pole as I you don't get the best gear in the truck. By the way Sanjin you are right Inception was shot on film and it did win an award so really we should all probably only shoot on film.
 

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Finner,

thanks for the info story and those amazing photos, my favorite is below.

Also you are totally right what you've said about film...

Then looking forward to watch the new finnerknowsbest.com NAB gear report clips.

attachment.php
 
Finner said:
I find it quite funny that you mention that Sanjin. I worked on Inception when it shot all the winter mountain scenes in Canada. We shot up on top of Fortress mountain a closed down ski hill in Kananaskis, Alberta under the fake name of Olivers Arrow to keep Paparazzi and other unwanted people trying to get on set. So thanks for the advice but I have already had a few drinks and meals with Wally. I would love to hear what he tells you next time you hang out with him though Sanjin.

... snipped for brevity.
Click to expand...

Post of the month right there.

Nice to see you again this week, Daren. I would've loved to cruise around the show floor with you and Colin some more if I had given myself more time at NAB this year.
 
My wife and I saw Inception in a "Major" theater in Toronto.
It was the worst projection I have EVER seen.
Worse than any standard def. high compression download on P2P.
I caused a stink before We left, it did no good; the Jr. Manager pleb simply didn't get it.
I didn't just want my money back. I honesty felt like the little dutch boy with his finger in the dyke.
And then I just walked away.

Something about 'how i feel about the industry' just died in me that day.

I was embarrassed for the people who worked so hard to make what is a great film.
The piss-poor presentation of it...
...reaffirmed my desire to see all films at home on my projector.
...confirmed that I get little out of the movie houses these days (there was 16-20 people in a large theater...so much audience interaction).
...I wont go into the "food" prices, we all know that story.

"24P is nowhere near the resolution of 35mm film, and if you put it side by side with anamorphic it's off the charts."

I don't even know where to begin with that ridiculous, unqualified statement.
Many are so misguided in some areas while so gifted in others.
I suppose I have to count myself among them.
 
JD Holloway said:
My wife and I saw Inception in a "Major" theater in Toronto.
It was the worst projection I have EVER seen.
Worse than any standard def. high compression download on P2P.
I caused a stink before We left, it did no good; the Jr. Manager pleb simply didn't get it.
I didn't just want my money back. I honesty felt like the little dutch boy with his finger in the dyke.
And then I just walked away.

Something about 'how i feel about the industry' just died in me that day.

I was embarrassed for the people who worked so hard to make what is a great film.
The piss-poor presentation of it...
...reaffirmed my desire to see all films at home on my projector.
...confirmed that I get little out of the movie houses these days (there was 16-20 people in a large theater...so much audience interaction).
...I wont go into the "food" prices, we all know that story.

"24P is nowhere near the resolution of 35mm film, and if you put it side by side with anamorphic it's off the charts."

I don't even know where to begin with that ridiculous, unqualified statement.
Many are so misguided in some areas while so gifted in others.
I suppose I have to count myself among them.
Click to expand...

And that is EXACTLY why I wait for BluRay release and watch my movies at home, 95% of the time. I have a modest home theater set-up - PS3, 5.1 Surround, Mitsubishi HC4000 DLP 1080p projector going to a 96" screen - about $2500 invested. It is a much better experience than going to the local AMC theater. The last time I went, it was projected 35mm film, scratched to hell, such a soft picture that I questioned that it was in focus, and sound set so high it hurt my ears. My friends, who attend more regularly, thought it all was great and saw no problems. For my money, I much prefer the experience I have at home.
 
Finner said:
Hi Michael, what does this mean. I'm not quite down with all the lingo the kids are using these days? Ha!
Click to expand...

It's a term originally from the gaming subculture. If you "pwn" or have "pwned" someone, it means you have mopped the floor with your little bitch opponent.
 
So it wasn't meant to be "owned"? Which might be a corruption of pwned??? I'm hardly up to speed on the jargon either.
 
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