4K Reference Monitor from Sony
Recording in 4K is all well and good, but you also have to be able to evaluate the image afterwards: the BVM-X300 monitor is currently Sony's 4K flagship for this purpose.
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Free HDRIs
Panocapture.com is providing three spherical HDRI maps and backplates called "City Dusk" in high resolution. The only prior condition is a newsletter subscription.
Element 3D V2 on the Way
The Element 3D plug-in from Video Copilot has been well received in the After Effects community. The tool's next major release appears in November.
Pixel Screen Experiment by VC
Video Copilot has published a new experiment in which Andrew Kramer creates an LCD pixel effect using plug-ins included in After Effects.
Huge Sensor and Gigantic Resolution
Arri presented the Alexa 65 camera at Cinec in Munich, which can record 6K resolution and has a gigantic sensor size.
Alpha Release of OpenSubdiv 3.0
OpenSubdiv is a set of open-source libraries from Pixar for calculating subdivision surfaces (Subdiv) in parallel on the CPU and GPU. Version 3.0 has now been released.
After Effects CC Update 13.1
Adobe Product Manager Steve Forde has announced update 13.1 for After Effects CC; it is expected to be available soon in the Creative Cloud download centre.
Firmware for Real-Time Grading with SmallHD Monitor
To make it possible to view an already graded image on set, SmallHD has released firmware for its DP7-PRO field monitor series.
Blockbusters at the animago CONFERENCE
VFX creators from "X-Men", "Godzilla", "Monsters University" and "Iron Man 3" in Babelsberg.
Blackmagic Design Acquires Eyeon Software …
... and thus also its VFX software Fusion. Fusion in the current version 7 was used in films including "Edge of Tomorrow" and "The Amazing Spiderman 2".
HP Z840, Z640 and Z440
New workstation models from HP: with the Z840, Z640 and Z440, the company seems to be targeting disappointed Mac Pro buyers.
Camera Control for Atem Production Switchers
Thanks to new firmware from Blackmagic Design, Atem owners are now able to control their cameras via an SDI connection.
VES Handbook in a New Edition
The ultimate VFX handbook has been thoroughly updated for the second edition. The publisher is the Visual Effects Society.
First Update for the Arri Amira
Amazing: hardly anyone has actually been allowed to hold the new Amira camera in their hands yet – including us – and the first update is already appearing.
Depth Pass for Cinema 4D
David Torno explains here how to create a depth pass for a smoke simulation in Maxon's Cinema 4D. The appropriate zip file for the tutorial is also available to download.
4K Recording for the Sony F5
There is a hack that enables the Sony F5 camera to make 4K recordings. A step-by-step tutorial explains how it works.
Shared Node Setups
Appropriately for today’s beta release of Nuke 9: here is a practical Nuke script called "capture" by Simon Jokuschies, with which node setups can be saved and shared.
Beta version 9 of Nuke released
The Foundry has released version 9 of Nuke, NukeX and the new software variant Nuke Studio. Nuke customers should have access to the beta version from today.
Automatic Editing
Disney Research presented an algorithm at Siggraph that can automatically edit together footage from multiple cameras of the same event.
Cinemartin Denoiser Released
The Spanish company Cinemartin has released standalone noise-reduction software for Windows.
Showreel: Droid Destruction
FX artist Greg Massie dismantled a robot into its component parts in "Elysium". In his droid showreel, he explains the destruction process.
Showreel and Concept Work
Work by the Cologne postproduction company the editors and the film production company Neoxfilm. You can download the DP studio portrait as a PDF.
Autodesk Vision Series
In the Vision Series, Autodesk looks at the future of VFX and its products. Two videos of around half an hour each provide information about Maya and the topic of "Lighting & Rendering.
“Game of Thrones” – Breakdown
Little by little, the studios are showing their work on the Emmy-winning series. Rodeo FX has also published a clip.
3ds Max Script Rattle
Only three days to go! Then the new DP with the focus topic "Plug-ins, Scripts and Extensions" will reach our subscribers! Rattle for 3ds Max is a good foretaste.
“Sin City 2” – Behind the Scenes
Two B-roll clips for "Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill for" provide an insight into the very green filming.
Spider-Man Behind the Scenes
Sony Pictures Imageworks provides an insight into its work on "The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro" in this clip.
Effects That Do Not Age
The Hollywood Reporter has published an overview of film classics that in some cases still show modern productions where the quality-effects bar is set.
Tractor 2.0 from Pixar
Tractor is Pixar's distributed processing software for render-intensive and other network-intensive applications. Pixar releases version 2.0 in the first week of September.
animago AWARD 2014: Nominations
The jury has met and the nominees have been finalised. Here you can find an overview of this year's nominated entries.
Rendering Miracle from Weta?
Manuka is the name of Weta's newly developed, physically based in-house renderer. With it, the studio meets the demanding rendering needs of its projects.
3D Pre-Compose Script
With this free 3D Pre-Compose script, you can save yourself a lot of work in After Effects – in a tutorial, the Video Copilot boss shows how to use it.
Extension 1 for Maya and 3ds Max
Autodesk has released Extension 1 for 3ds Max and announced it for Maya. Here is an overview of the resulting new features.
V-Ray for Modo, Nuke and Katana
V-Ray for Modo and Nuke are in public beta, V-Ray for Katana is already available.
Houdini goes Indie
You won't need a big wallet if you want to use Houdini for commercial projects in the future. Side Effects Software announced that Houdini and Houdini Engine are available as indie versions.
Resolve and Lite 11 Released in Beta
Blackmagic Design has released beta version 11 of DaVince Resolve and Lite. Here you can find an overview of the new features of the colour-correction software.
When MPC Meets Godzilla …
MPC created an elaborate commercial for Fiat starring Godzilla. Here you can watch the spot and find out how it was made.
Shooter Suite 12.5
Red Giant has released version 12.5 of Shooter Suite, which contains six tools for the workflow from the set through post-production.
Blackmagic Camera 1.9 Update
Software Update 1.9 gives the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K a new “Heads-Up Display” for on-screen readings.
State Sets Features in 3ds Max 2015
The State Sets in Autodesk's 3ds Max 2015 can be used to retain and manage different scene stages. Michael McCarthy explains how to use the features optimally.
Make It Go Bang with Video Copilot
Video Copilot released its sci-fi weapon video a while ago; now the detailed tutorial is available.
Dress Better with Wrap 2.3
Version 2.3 of the OpenGL tool Wrap, which can be used to transfer topology to previously created 3D scans or other models, has been released.
The Fifth Serving of Pirates
Johnny Depp is once again taking to the field for Walt Disney Pictures to capture budget in cinemas worldwide.
For the Impatient
Unfortunately, the Arri Amira camera is still keeping us waiting. But for the impatient and playful, at least there is already a simulator.
Fabric Engine at Siggraph
Attention Siggraph travelers: there will be a preview of Fabric Engine 2.0 as well as a Splice demo for 3ds Max.
No More Blackmagic Bargain
The special price of 475 euros for the BMD Pocket Cinema Camera was actually supposed to last until the end of August, but unfortunately it is already over again ...
Commercials from the 1970s
In the 1970s, cartoon characters were still widely used for advertising. Fred Flintstone, for example, was a testimonial for Pebbles cereals. Here is an overview of the best spots.
Club 3D Presents Graphics Adapter
Dutch company Club 3D has announced an adapter that connects to a 4K Ultra HD display via the USB 3.0 port.
Blackmagic Camera Update
Thanks to software update 1.8.2, which is available to download, Blackmagic cameras can record three additional ProRes file formats.
“Pixels” Makes the Leap to the Cinema
The Hollywood film is based on the short film of the same name by animago winner Patrick Jean.
RedTools as an App and Online Version
Incredibly practical on set when shooting with Red cameras: Red has released the Cinephotography Tools Suite as an iTunes app and in a browser version.
In the Starting Blocks – Frame.io
It is not quite finished yet, but there is already a little to see of the new cloud-based video platform Frame.io.
Autodesk Stops Upgrades
Ultimately only a matter of time, but now there is a concrete date: from February 1, 2015, there will be no more upgrades for Autodesk products.
Houdini Engine available for Maya
Manufacturer Side Effects Software has now ended the beta phase and officially released the Houdini Engine for Maya.
4K Workflow Presentation
In April 2014, cinematographer Phil Holland was invited by Red Korea and DVInside to demonstrate a UHD 4K workflow at a workshop in South Korea.
Robot Bashing
Bay, the fourth. Starting today, mighty robots – and spaceships and dinosaurs and everything else – are once again making cinema screens unsafe.
VFX for O2 Campaign
The first “social biopic” from O2 tells the story of a disastrous honeymoon. Incidentally, a crucial scene comes from Arri.
New Mocha Versions
Imagineer Systems has presented version 4 of Mocha Pro as well as Mocha Plus, which was previously known as Mocha AE.
Vision Research Presents the Phantom v2511
At 25,600 frames per second, the new Phantom v2511 model is the fastest camera to date in Vision Research's digital ultra-high-speed camera range.
Rain for Maya
If there is not enough water from the sky outside in Germany for your taste: with version 1 of Rain Tool for Maya, you can add digital rain on top.
60 fps Videos on YouTube?
At least it has already been announced on the official blog that uploading 48 fps and 60 fps videos should soon be possible.
Shockwave Tutorial
Andrew Kramer of Video Copilot has something in store again: in his latest tutorial, he shows how to create shockwave effects in After Effects. Only in After Effects.
3D Equalizer Tutorial
Bernhard Eiser has put together a tutorial. It shows how to optimize the manual tracking workflow.
Mamba FX Version 2.0
We already reported on the new low-cost compositing tool Mamba FX in DP issue 04/14. SGO has now released version 2.0.
4K Bridge Camera from Panasonic
According to Panasonic, the Lumix DMC-FZ1000 is the first digital compact camera to enable 4K video and photo recording. It is expected to be available for under 900 US dollars from the end of July.
Sony PXW-X160 Camera
Sony's PXW-X160 XAVC handheld camera model is a stripped-down version of the PXW-X180 camcorder and is therefore around 1,000 euros cheaper.
Alexa XR/XT to Support ProRes 4444 XQ
Arri announces support in the next software update for Alexa cameras.
Smoke 2015 in the Editing Workflow
In an article at Pro Video Coalition, senior editor Kevin P McAuliffe explains why Autodesk Smoke 2015 might be worth a look as an alternative editing tool.
Siren Test by Elefant Studios
The Zurich studio made a funny spot for the Federal Office for Civil Protection and published a detailed making-of about it.
Blackmagic Camera Update 1.8
The update for all Blackmagic Design cameras comes with a new interface and improved performance.
Cinebox Update
The colleagues at FXGuide took Crytek's developers to task and asked what they are planning to do with the previs engine based on CryEngine.
Ideascale Nodepack 1.5
Version 1.5 of the Mari add-on Ideascale is available. The nodepack includes new Adjustment Layers, Geometry Masks, Noises, Fractals, and Shaders, among other things.
Element 3D Update
The Video Copilot plug-in Element 3D has received update 1.6.2 for After Effects Creative Cloud 2014.
New Short Film from Video Copilot
Andrew Kramer's new short film “Lock & Load” is more entertaining than quite a few of the feature films currently coming out of Hollywood.
View Conference and Award
The Turin VFX conference is entering its 15th round, the topics have been set, and submissions for the award are still possible.
PLY Importer for Maya
The PLY PointCloud Importer script can import files in ASCII PLY format into Maya as particles or nParticles.
DaVinci Resolve 11 Available as Public Beta
Blackmagic Design provides improved online editing features, new photographer-friendly color-correction tools, and on-set media management.
animago 2014 – Submission Deadline Extended!
The submission deadline for the animago AWARD 2014 has been extended by three weeks. Work can be submitted online until July 21.
Time-Lapse That Impresses
There are many time-lapse recordings, but this video shows particularly successful nature footage. There is also a making-of video.
Iray for Maya 2015
(0x1) Software announces the release of the Iray renderer for Maya 2015 – for next Monday, June 30. But information about features and prices is already available.
Free Octane for Cinema 4D Package
CurseStudio has published an Octane 2.0 for Cinema 4D tutorial as well as a free original scene file for 3ds Max.
Public Beta for PluralEyes 3.5
Red Giant Software is inviting users to the beta of version 3.5 of its automated audio/video synchronization tool, which offers new formats, improved speed, and more accurate synchronization capabilities.
Van Lommel Will Soon Work on Arnold
And is leaving the Blender Institute in order to concentrate fully on this work.
Free Update to BulletProof 1.2
Improvements include camera support, footage backup, and the review tool.
New Dolby Atmos Sound Format at the Film Academy
This summer, the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg will become the first film school in Germany to install a Dolby Atmos sound system in its in-house film sound mixing stage.
Lightworks for Mac Beta Launched
Editshare announces the beta launch of version 12 of its Lightworks NLE system for Mac.
Adobe CC 2014
As part of the rolling updates, Adobe is now presenting new tools for After Effects, Premiere, and all other products.
Octane Render 2.0
Version 2 of Octane Render brings new features, including Displacement Mapping, Object and Vertex Motion Blur, a new hair renderer, and Pixar's OpenSubDiv library.
Maya 2015 Bonus Tools
Autodesk has released the 2015 version of Maya Bonus Tools. It includes a new installer and several new features.
Fusion 7 Available
After a long time, eyeon Software has released a comprehensive update to its compositing package.
Dark Arts for Maya
Dark Arts is a collection of tools intended to make the workflow in Maya easier and faster: from modeling and animation to texturing and rigging, there is something for everyone.
HitFilm Plug-ins Available
FxHome had already announced HitFilm's plug-in package at NAB; it has now been released and is available for 499 US dollars.
MovieType for Element 3D
MovieType for Element 3D from Motionworks includes Element 3D presets and After Effects tools that can be used to create dynamic letter graphics in the style of film trailers.
Submit Now!
There is still time – the submission deadline for the animago AWARD 2014 is June 30. So finish your projects and send them in!
Brute-Force Modeling, Part 6: Cylinder Automation
In the sixth and final part, Mike Kuhn shows how to avoid annoying click marathons and automate processes.
Shortcut Finder
Ctrl, Alt, and ... what was that again? Shortcuts are efficient when you know them. Now you can look them up at “myHotkeys.”
Reading Material for the Midday Slump
The article “The Forgotten History Of CGI” traces the arc from perspective drawing and airbrushes through to computer art. Basic knowledge in brief.
Looks for SpeedGrade and Premiere Pro
Oliver Peters – a color grader and editor – is making looks available free of charge on his blog.
Color Vibrance Plug-in
Video Copilot has released a useful free After Effects plug-in for successful, more detailed coloring via an alpha channel.
Maya 2015 SP 2
Autodesk has released SP 2 for Maya 2015. Important fixes have been added for Bifröst, modeling, and animation, among other things. You can download it here.