Starting now (Black Friday) until 10am (AEDT/UTC+11) next Wednesday November 30 (which is sometime on Tuesday if you live in the Americas), you can get a year of UNIFY software for AU$1 (one Australian dollar). Today, that’s about US$0.67 (67 cents of a US dollar) as long as you use a credit card that doesn’t charge any international fee. I was charged exactly U$0.67 for my yearly license. I didn’t really need to buy one, since UNIFY is free with a RØDE X microphone (of which I have two pending to review), but I wanted to see the purchase experience for those who choose to acquire UNIFY without a RØDE X mic. Very briefly: UNIFY is like a RØDECaster in software (for compatible USB devices) plus powerful internal routing and even submixes. Ahead, I’ll explain UNIFY in more detail, how it behaves with mics made for UNIFY and with others. I’ll also answer the question: Can I use UNIFY in a Windows virtual machine with a Mac?

What is UNIFY in a nutshell?

In a nutshell, UNIFY is a piece of software from RØDE which is like a RØDECaster Pro in software (for USB audio devices) plus powerful internal routing and even submixes. Officially, UNIFY works only with Windows 10 and beyond, not macOS. (Ahead I’ll discuss using UNIFY in a virtual machine Windows on macOS.) The different submixes makes it more powerful than the original RØDE Connect, which is completely free and still works officially for both macOS and Windows.

What is the normal selling price for UNIFY?

UNIFY comes free with any RØDE X mic, like the XDM-100 and the XCM-50 which I covered in previous articles). For those who want UNIFY but don’t want to buy any RØDE X microphone, UNIFY can be purchased as a subscription for AU$7.99 (U$5.17) monthly or AU$69.99 (U$45.31) annually. With the Black Friday special, those who want UNIFY but without any RØDE X microphone can get it for only AU$1 or about U$0.67 (67 cents).

How does UNIFY behave with different types of microphones?

The below chart clarifies the behavior with RØDE X mics, with other RØDE mics and with other brands of USB mics.

The above chart was supplied by RØDE.

I have personally confirmed that a non-RØDE mic, the dynamic FDUCE SL40 indeed works with UNIFY, although without audio processing (other than channel assignment, muting and gain adjustment). You can see the FDUCE SL40 listed in my screenshot above.

As seen in my screenshot above, a RØDE X mic like the XDM-100, UNIFY accesses the DSP (digital signal processor) inside the mic so you can activate the High Pass Filter (aka low cut filter), Noise Gate, Compressor, Aural Exciter and/or Big Bottom including Advanced options.

On the other hand, as in my screenshot below, with an non-X RØDE microphone like the RØDE NT-USB+, UNIFY accesses the DSP (digital signal processor) inside the mic so you can activate the High Pass Filter (aka low cut filter), Noise Gate, Compressor, Aural Exciter and/or Big Bottom but without Advanced options.

How does RØDE UNIFY compare with RØDE Connect software?

While UNIFY can accept up to six microphones, RØDE Connect can accept up to only four. Both include virtual carts (playback of pre-recorded sounds) and both can accept virtual sources. Both can record multitrack or stereo. However, only UNIFY has submixes too.

Below is a comparison chart I created to show a matrix of RØDE, RØDE X and non-RØDE USB mics like the FDUCE SL40:

© Allan Tépper/TecnoTur LLC

In order to get UNIFY free for life, you need to own at least one RØDE X microphone. For a studio with multiple microphones in the same booth, I can only recommend dynamic mics, since condenser mics in the same booth are too prone to spill, aka crosstalk. So far, the only dynamic mic from RØDE X is the XDM-100 for U$249 each. If you want to spend under U$100 for a dynamic mic like the FDUCE SL40 (and you own no RØDE X mic), you have to pay for the subscription for UNIFY to get the maximum power.

Another option could be to purchase a single dynamic XDM-100 and then all of the other dynamic mics can be non-RØDE X dynamic mics like the FDUCE SL40 + Shure A7WS windscreens for all of the other local panelists. The XDM-100 gives you lifetime access to a UNIFY license.

Can I use UNIFY in a Windows virtual machine with a Mac?

The short answer is: Apparently yes! Here are some more details:

Even though I prefer Windows 10 LTSC Enterprise for many reasons (as covered in this article), I have recently purchased two Windows 11 Pro OEM licenses for two different reasons:

1. On my ThinkPad laptop, I discovered that Descript was the only app I ever tried where a specific function wouldn’t work with Windows 10 LTSC, which was Descript’s screen recorder.
2. For a Mac with an M1 processor, the only Windows that currently works (quickly) is Windows 11, since it’s the only one made for ARM. (If you have a Mac with an Intel processor, you can indeed use Windows 10 LTSC Enterprise.)

So even though I own a laptop with a debloated Windows 11 Pro OEM, I couldn’t resist trying to run a debloated Windows 11 Pro OEM (with local accounts only) on my Mac Mini M1. So with the Black Friday special, I purchased Parallels Desktop for Mac Standard (1 Year). As part of the Parallels installation, it installed the ARM version of Windows 11 Home (which I won’t use), so I upgraded it to Windows 11 Pro (using a Windows command) and then activated it with Microsoft using a Windows 11 Pro OEM license and created the two local users (without any Microsoft accounts), one Administrator and one Standard.

I then debloated the Windows 11 Pro, purchased the year license of UNIFY with the aforementioned Black Friday of U$0.67 for a year and installed it into the virtual machine Windows 11 Pro on my Mac Mini M1 with 16GB RAM. Then I got UNIFY to recognize a RODE X mic, a standard RØDE USB mic and the FDUCE SL40.

INITIAL CONCLUSIONS:
So far, UNIFY seems to be running perfectly with these three microphones in a debloated Windows 11 Pro OEM in a virtual machine created by Parallels in my Mac Mini M1 with 16GB RAM. I was able to have two local users own Windows 11, without using any Microsoft account. I didn’t have to make any special settings in Parallels. So far, I am using the default settings for RAM and drive. I am ecstatic to see UNIFY running on my Mac Mini M1 and recognizing multiple USB microphones properly.

If your Mac has an Intel processor, then the only difference is that you could install Windows 10 LTSC Enterprise (which only exists for Intel and AMD processors), or you could install the Intel version of Windows 11 and (optionally) debloat it, etc. as indicated above.

DISCLAIMER:
At this time, neither RØDE nor I am recommending that you do this, since further exhaustive tests are required to determine whether this is a reliable solution. I needed to get this article out in time for Black Friday and will share more information later.

For more info

For more info about UNIFY or the Black Friday offering, visit rodex.com/unify

Upcoming reviews

Please be on my list below to be notified when I publish several microphone reviews plus the pending UNIFY review.

If there are any requests in the comments, I might also publish an article about How to debloat Windows 11 and How to use multiple local accounts on Windows 11 to achieve Mac-style security.

Please stand by for the upcoming review. Be sure to be on one of the below lists to be notified.

(Re-)Subscribe for upcoming articles, reviews, radio shows, books and seminars/webinars

Stand by for upcoming articles, reviews, books and courses by subscribing to my bulletins.

In English:

• Email bulletins, bulletins.AllanTepper.com
• In Telegram, t.me/TecnoTurBulletins
• Twitter (bilingual), AllanLTepper

En castellano:

• Boletines por correo electrónico, boletines.AllanTepper.com
• En Telegram, t.me/boletinesdeAllan
• Twitter (bilingüe), AllanLTepper

Most of my current books are at books.AllanTepper.com, and also visit AllanTepper.com and radio.AllanTepper.com.

FTC disclosure

Many of the above manufacturers have sent Allan Tépper review units, including RØDE. Some of the manufacturers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.

It’s the holiday season again and here we are with our annual round-up of Christmas Gift ideas for the Editor. As always, use this as a guide for what to gift to the editor in your life or send this to your loved one as a gentle suggestion as to what you dear editor might like to have in and around the edit suite.

This list has been running for over a decade now. It’s often imitated but never duplicated so browse at your leisure: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Stream Deck +

What would this list be without a new hardware control surface. The Stream Deck + is the next evolution of the legendary Stream Deck button console (complete with it’s tiny LCD screen buttons) and it’s basically an 8-screen Stream Deck with 4 knobs. Pretty simple really. At $200 it’s expensive enough you might not buy it for yourself so it’s the perfect gift to get from your loved one! The new piece of hardware just hit the market last week so it’s brand new and you most likely don’t have one!

LG OLED C2 line

We’ve featured high-end grading monitors before in this list, but if you’re not doing serious color grading but still want a very good, decently accurate, and just plain gorgeous monitor, then the current LG OLEDs are a great choice that feels like a nice balance between cost and performance.

Keep an eye on sales and you can pick one up for under 4 figures depending on the size. And remember, in your edit suite, you don’t need the biggest monitor you can get.

Fluval Spec aquarium

Years ago I linked to a jellyfish tank as a good Christmas Gift for an Editor (that’s real Jellyfish, not the shared storage one) but I never actually owned one. This year I want to recommend an small aquarium for the edit suite. And you can’t do much better than the very stylish Fluval Spec aquarium kit.

The Spec comes in sizes ranging from 2.6 gallons up to 16 gallons. But I think the perfect size is the 5 gallon model as you can do some nice aquascaping in there without it being a major commitment to both shelf-space and normal aquarium care. I came to have an aquarium sort of by default when my son’s aquarium hobby when from one tank to five tanks. I now can’t imagine my home edit suite without soothing sounds and sites of a freshwater aquarium. After all, the edit suite can be a stressful place so why not let an aquarium reduce that stress a bit!

Desktop Hand Massager

As editors, we sure do use our hands a lot. How about a desktop hand massager to ease some of that tension? Disclaimer, I’ve never used one of these but a while back I bookmarked this article about a desktop hands massager. That article ends up at a Japanese site about the product.

But to my surprise (not really) there are quite a few desktop hang massagers out there! How about these: Sharper Image has one for around $150. And Lunix has their LX7 touchscreen hand massager for around the same price.

Color Bars Tapestry

What would the Christmas Gift Ideas for the Editor be without something color bars related? If you like your color bars big then a color bars tapestry might be just the thing you need. I envious this on a far away wall, away from your grading monitor or perhaps in the break room.

This seller has various sizes, ranging from 34×40 inches for $21 (these are sale prices) up to 88×104 for $60.

Color Theory Poster

This one might be more for the motion graphic designers in the crowd but perhaps all of us as long as it’s not in view when color grading. For $8.00 an Etsy shop will sell you this really cool color theory poster.

Now, note this is an “instant download” so it’s just a file, so you’ll have to take it to your local print and framing shop and get it printed and framed so in the end it’s going to cost a lot more than $8.00. But it’s still pretty cool.

With a 1.6x constant squeeze ratio, eliminating the “Anamorphic Mumps” effect on the subject, the Saturn 35mm lens has a body in carbon fiber, making it the lightest lens of its type: 400g!

Available in Sony E mount, Canon RF mount, and DJI DL mount, the SIRUI Saturn 35mm is ideally suited for when you need to shoot with light equipment: the lens, with a body in carbon fiber, weighs only 390g in the DJI DL mount,  with the version for Canon RF mount at 425g, and the Sony E mount version weighing less 10g, at 415g.

This lens is even smaller than a smartphone. When used on cameras or other setups, the overall weight remains favorable. The size and weight make the lens ideal for shooting aerials with any type of professional drone, including medium-sized FPV drones. With the Tilta Hydra Alien Car Mounting System (V-Mount), can be used with stabilizers (DJI RS 3, RS 3 Pro, or RS 2).

SIRUI says that when shooting cars, the use of light equipment with the high-speed movement to increases the effect of stability, to make the results better, and adds that when handheld, the lens is also a better choice, because it’s compact and light, noting that “usually with lighter full-frame micro-single cameras such as SONY A7S3, CANON R5, lighter lenses can reduce the burden of stabilizers”. To sum it up, SIRUI claims that this lens can be used in almost any scenario you can think of to capture stunning shots.

A  1.6x constant squeeze

According to the company, most budget-friendly anamorphic lenses fail to maintain a constant squeeze ratio at all focusing points, which results in a strange look of the subject when de-squeezed. SIRUI’s R&D team resolves critical technical problems to make the Saturn 35mm a 1.6x constant squeeze ratio lens, eliminating the “Anamorphic Mumps” effect on the subject. Equivalent to the horizontal FOV of a 22mm FF lens, the Saturn 35mm can capture both magnificent and narrow shots.

SIRUI also notes that the 1.6x squeeze factor renders a shallower depth of field, more elongated bokeh and a stronger sense of compression than the 1.33x, which is helpful in separating the subject from the background and adding an artistic touch to your film.

With an aperture range of T2.9-T16, 10 aperture blades, able to focus – manually – from  0.9m to infinity, the lens the lens maintains a constant 1.6x squeeze ratio at all focusing points, meaning that the subject size doesn’t change as you pull the focus.

When it comes to flare, the lens offers two options: Blue and Neutral. The neutral-colored flare that provides more control over the flare color. Its color changes according to the light source, and it can be relatively subtler and less distracting.

Ideal for creators who want a compact, lightweight lens that can handle a wide range of scenarios, the SIRUI Saturn 35mm Full-frame Carbon Fiber Anamorphic Lens has a regular price of $1,299.00 but can be acquired with a special launch price of $1099.

Also recently, SIRUI launched an interesting lighting solution that you may want to check. The SIRUI Dragon Series B25R bendable RGB LED light can be bent inwards or outwards to properly illuminate a subject. The curved light beams created by the B25R separate the subject from the background and lend it a premium look. Available for this Black Friday period at a special price!

OpenColorIO is, currently, a plugin for After Effects.  It’s free, it’s open source, it’s the industry standard tool for color management, and you can download it from the fnord website.  Using OpenColorIO is, in general, a conscious decision to manually use the plugin for color management, as an alternative to the built-in system that After Effects has.

We’ve covered a lot of related topics over the past few articles.  In Part 9, I introduced the basic theory of color management.  In Part 10 I looked at the native color management system that’s already built-in to After Effects.  In Part 11 I introduced OpenColorIO and looked at the history behind its development – and the benefits it has over the AE system.  In Part 12 I introduced ACES and explained why it was so significant for the entire post production industry.

That brings us here – to Part 13 – which was always intended to be a guide on how to actually use the plugin in After Effects.

But since the last article was posted there have been some exciting developments.  Adobe have publicly announced that OpenColorIO is being integrated directly into After Effects, offering native support for ACES without the need for a 3rd party plugin.  Not only that, but this new functionality has already made its way into the Beta version of After Effects.  This means that anyone with a Creative Cloud subscription can download the Beta and try out the new color management features for themselves.  As this is still Beta, you have the opportunity to provide feedback through the Beta forums and help shape the future of After Effects.

At the same time, there’s already a lot of other information and tutorials out there on how to use OpenColorIO in After Effects, and how to set up various workflows.  There’s no point me simply repeating the same information, especially when it will become outdated once Adobe release their native OCIO support to the public.

Instead, I’m simply going to take my hat off to another After Effects Guru, Roei Tzoref, who runs the AE Blues channel on YouTube.  Earlier this year Roei released an extensive 2-part tutorial on various methods of using OpenColorIO in After Effects.  For a more extensive, detailed guide on using OpenColorIO and working with different colorspaces in After Effects, take the time to watch Roei’s tutorials.

But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to cover!

As I said above, using OpenColorIO is a conscious decision to do color management manually, instead of using the built-in color management system.  And this means you need to have a solid understanding of what you’re trying to do, and why.  OpenColorIO was created for use on large scale Hollywood productions, and the ACES workflows that it’s used with are designed to future-proof commercial content.

But where does that leave the average After Effects user, right now?  Do you need to use OpenColorIO, and what should you use it for?  These more philosophical questions are what we look at in this video.

If you haven’t downloaded OpenColorIO, you can find it here. Big thanks to Brendan Bolles for porting it to After Effects!

Once you’ve downloaded the plugin, you’ll want to download an ACES configuration from here.

This was not exactly the video I had planned for Part 13, and apologies that it’s been such a long time since the last part of this series.  But the announcement that OpenColorIO is coming to After Effects is incredibly exciting – and significant – for After Effects users.

This is part 13 in a long series on color management.  If you’ve missed the other parts, you can catch up here:

Part 1: The honeymoon is over

Part 2: Newton’s Prisms

Part 3: It’s all in the brain

Part 4: Maxwell’s spinning discs

Part 5: Introducing CIE 1931

Part 6: Understanding the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram

Part 7: Introducing gamma

Part 8: Introducing Colorspaces

Part 9: The theory of a color managed workflow

Part 10: Using After Effects built-in color management

Part 11: Introducing OpenColor IO

Part 12: Introducing ACES

AND – I’ve been writing After Effects articles and tutorials for over 20 years. Please check out some of my other ProVideo Coalition articles.

Welcome to our monthly round table podcast where hosts Scott Simmons, Katie Hinsen & Michael Kammes discuss the latest news on production, post production, entertainment tech and beyond. This week the gang also talks about Davinci Resolve for the iPad Pro 2, NAB and why they each love it, the effect of the economy on production, how NFT’s and Blockchain will shape the future of collaboration during which Katie tells us ‘what real art is’ and they each share their ‘one cool thing’. Enjoy the episode and don’t forget to subscribe.

Topics Discussed Today:

https://www.provideocoalition.com/new-apple-ipad-pro-m2-will-run-an-upcoming-version-of-davinci-resolve/

https://www.nab.org/documents/newsRoom/pressRelease.asp?id=6581

https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/media-layoffs-2022-ad-market-decline

One Cool Thing:

Scott –

https://www.provideocoalition.com/dont-give-up-on-postchat-twitter-yet/

https://postchat.io/explore

Michael –

https://www.makingthecut.net/

https://movielabs.com/

Katie –

https://web3.wb.com/warnermedia/movieverse

https://live.eluv.io/

A bit about the hosts:

Scott Simmons @editblog

Scott was born in rural West Tennessee and didn’t really realize that movies and tv had to be made by actual people until he went to college. After getting degrees in both Television Production and Graphic Design he was in one of the early graduating classes at the Watkins Film School in Nashville, Tennessee. During that time at Watkins he discovered editing. In 1999, Scott took the leap into freelancing and in 2007 accepted a position as an editor at Filmworkers – Nashville. In 2005 Scott created The Editblog a website dedicated to all things editing and post-production which is now housed here at PVC. Someday he hopes to edit on a beach with a touch screen device, a wireless hard drive and a Red Stripe.

Katie Hinsen @katiehinsen

Katie is an international award-winning film and television executive with credits on over 100 major productions. Her background as a Finishing Artist has allowed her to make waves through Editorial, Color, Engineering, VFX and Leadership. She has spent much of her career focussed on the forecasting and implementation of emerging technologies and, is a passionate mentor and advocate for emerging talent.

Michael Kammes @michaelkammes

Michael is the Senior Director of Innovation at Shift Media. He consults on the latest in technology and best practices in the digital media creation and communication space. Specialties: Workflows and Technology in Production and Post Production: Cloud/SaaS, Acquisition, VR/360, HDR, Storage, Asset Management, Automation, Archival, Editorial, Post Audio, Finishing, Encoding/Transcoding and Distribution.

Michael incorporates this deep knowledge into his technical infotainment series “5 THINGS” plus various podcasts, panels and user groups.

Plus he really really digs Post.

http:/5thingsseries.com

http:/michaelkammes.com

Qualcomm Technologies revealed the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 stating that it introduces a collection of premium features and technologies that transform your phone into a DSLR-quality camera.

Smartphone photography is evolving at a pace that moves it closer to conventional cameras. What it lacks in sensor size and optics quality, it tries to compensate with the use of AI. The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 may not be a rival to a DSLR or Mirrorless for many situations, but it has some tricks up its sleeve that make both photography and video easier to capture. Among the new things it offers is a world’s first for any camera: the Snapdragon Sight technology additions include new Cognitive ISP to power real time semantic segmentation for photo and video capture, delivering breakthrough customized professional quality enhancements.

Puzzled by the term and its meaning? Well, Qualcomm Technologies says that Cognitive ISP, now added to its Snapdragon Sight technology, the part of the processor that deals with image capture, automatically enhances photos and videos in real time with semantic segmentation, which uses an AI neural network to make the camera contextually aware of faces, facial features, hair, clothes, skies and more – and optimize them individually so every detail receives customized professional image tuning. It sounds better than any retouching tool you used decades ago for passport photos. And easier to use too!

AV1 codec with support for 8K HDR at 60 fps

So, we’ve a new term to add to the glossary of photography terms: Cognitive ISP. Qualcomm says it contributes to make Snapdragon Sight technology able to open a new era of professional quality camera experiences, delivering breakthrough customized professional quality enhancements.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is also tuned to support new image sensors. Sony Semiconductor Solutions is the first to develop quad digital overlap HDR technology, and which is fine-tuned for Snapdragon. The Samsung ISOCELL HP3, the first 200-megapixel image sensor optimized for Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will deliver professional quality photos and videos. This is also the first Snapdragon to include an AV1 codec with support for video playback up to 8K HDR at 60 frames per second.

During the Snapdragon Summit 2022, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc in which the company introduced its latest premium mobile platform, it was said that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform will define a new standard for connected computing, intelligently engineered with groundbreaking AI across the board to enable extraordinary experiences. This new mobile platform will be adopted by global OEMs and brands including ASUS Republic of Gamers, HONOR, iQOO, Motorola, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, REDMAGIC, Redmi, SHARP, Sony Corporation, vivo, Xiaomi, XINGJI/MEIZU, and ZTE, with the first commercial devices expected by the end of 2022.

Smartphones are more than a camera

The camera is a key element for modern smartphones and premium smartphones will receive the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, so users can expect to have the best mobile image capture devices technology can offer. But because smartphones are more than a camera, Qualcomm also announced other features of the new platform. Here are some of the highlights:

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform to revolutionize flagship smartphones for truly extraordinary experiences
• Snapdragon Smart enables groundbreaking AI experiences like faster natural language processing with multi-language translation and revolutionary INT4 support
• Snapdragon Sight technology additions include new Cognitive ISP to power real time semantic segmentation for photo and video capture, delivering breakthrough customized professional quality enhancements
• Snapdragon Elite Gaming features fuel champion-level gameplay with the industry standard for real time hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• Snapdragon Connect enhancements include unparalleled connectivity featuring the world’s first 5G AI processor in a mobile platform, and the only commercial Wi-Fi 7 SoC with High Band Simultaneous Multi-Link
• Snapdragon Sound technology supports spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for ultra-immersive gaming and multimedia experiences
• Expected to be launched in commercial devices by the end of 2022

AI cinematic video capture

“We are passionate about enabling people to do more, so we design Snapdragon with the user at the center. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, will revolutionize the landscape of flagship smartphones in 2023,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handsets, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers groundbreaking AI, unparalleled connectivity, and champion-level gameplay, enabling consumers to enhance every experience on their most trusted device.”

According to the company, “the Qualcomm AI Engine is our fastest, most advanced yet. Enjoy super intuitive experiences like faster natural language processing with multi-language translation and transcription, AI cinematic video capture, direct voice command of your apps, AI bots for next-level gaming, and more.”

In terms of photography and video, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 introduces, according to Qualcomm, “a collection of premium features and technologies that transform your phone into a DSLR-quality camera” and bring “professional imagery to mobile devices”, claims that should be taken with a grain of salt. One thing is true, though: the Snapdragon Mobile Platform features advanced camera technologies that capture stunning photos and videos while delivering an incredibly smart camera experience. Plus, the always-sensing camera provides zero-touch access to your device—no need to lift a finger.

Here are some of the features Qualcomm highlights when showing its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform:

• Professional-quality images
  The 18-bit Triple ISP can capture from three cameras simultaneously and can capture 4,096x more color and light data compared to our previous generation.
• Staggering capture speeds
  The 18-bit ISP can capture 3.2 gigapixels per second—enough speed to capture 240 12 MP photos in just a second.
• Eye-popping night photos
  The Mega Multi-Frame Engine dramatically enhances night shooting, combining the best parts of up to 30 images into a single image—a 5x improvement over our previous generation—for mega low-light photos.
• Improved accuracy and security
  The AI powered Face Detection powers 300% faster auto-focus than our previous generation that delivers better contrast and color in almost any lighting condition.
• DXOMARK Camera Champion
  Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform, the HONOR Magic4 Ultimate currently has the highest DXOMARK Camera score in the world.

If you follow DxO’s camera scores, then this should be something to check, as some of the upcoming smartphones may well establish a new score, revealing that, slowly, smartphones are getting better at being cameras. There is still a gap and I believe that there will always be, but don’t just say “it’s a smartphone”, because some of the most exciting technologies in terms of image capture are being developed for… the camera you always have with you.

On this weeks episode Kenny talks with Justin Derry, cinematographer behind the the film “Bruiser” which just showed at TIFF. The film follows a 14-year-old boy who turns to a charismatic loner for help after being beaten up. Kenny talks to Justin starting his career as a skate filmer, managing a set, lighting tips, and so much more. Enjoy the episode!

The short that the film is based on, also shot by Justin, can be watched below:

Frame & Reference is a conversation between Cinematographers hosted by DP and PVC Contributing writer Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP’s current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look in to the world making films through the lens of the people who shoot them. You can listen to Frame & Reference where all the best podcasts are listened to like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Each episode can also be found in video form on YouTube. Follow Frame & Reference on Twitter and Instagram for more content, and check your favorite app every Thursday for new episodes.

The creation and production of a long-form series for success with online streaming platforms, as well as broadcast network television, is a delicate combination of creative and business elements that when fused together effectively can result in fruitful results for the creator, producer, writers, and all else involved in the production of the program, sometimes for several years running.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece on how to create a standard pitch document for series programming called a Production Bible (“How to Prepare a Killer Production ‘Bible’ for a TV or Web Series”). As a follow-up, and a complement, to that article, this is the first of three installments on the selling, production, and distribution of long-form series programming, with a special slant on the business and legal aspects of such an enterprise. In recent years, such programming has been categorized into “limited series,” which is essentially content produced for TV networks, and “streaming series,” which is created for streaming platforms and cable.

The first major step in launching a series is getting the“green light” from a studio, production company, or streaming platform that produces its own content. Selling your show and getting that deal memo in hand to confirm a production commitment requires a “slam dunk,” and the creator(s)/producer(s) of the project should have an experienced entertainment attorney in their corner from the earliest possible date.

Contracts are tantamount at the earliest stages of creation and development.

From the creative standpoint, the pitch package for a sale consists of a unique, stellar idea for a series, a written and verbal capsule of that concept in the form of a logline and an elevator pitch, respectively, the pitch document, aka the aforementioned production bible, and a killer pilot script.

Once all of this is put together, the creator or creator/producing team begins the rights acquisition process. This is legalese for determining separated rights and ownership on the project, e.g. “created by, developed by, written by, produced by,” et al. Copyrights and trademarks are then filed accordingly with each party’s entertainment lawyer. The assessment of rights must be drafted carefully and without loopholes that could lead to litigation after the series is distributed.

With ownership in place, the shopping of the project can begin. This is where the “package” of logline/pitch, production bible, and pilot script comes into play, and where pitch meetings with those studios, production houses, and streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu become the order of the day.

The realities of the industry confirm that it is much easier to “make the deal” if you are a producer or writer with a track record and some credits behind you, and one represented by an agent or manager. This is a professional given, not belabored here, just acknowledged as one business aspect of this process, and a call to action if applicable.

An important element of pitching and selling a long-form series these days, both from a business perspective and a creative one, is the fact that pitching to a streaming platform, or a cable provider, requires a different mindset than pitching to a studio for network television broadcast.

Generally speaking, the streaming and cable services take more risks and have much deeper pockets to finance production than a studio that produces network television. That means the boundaries are wider and less rigid with streaming platforms like Netflix, and major cable providers such as Spectrum and DIRECTV, and the show being pitched can be artier, edgier, and more stylized than the more traditional programming that appears on network TV. The basic pitch, as well as the production bible, can reflect this more liberal stance.

Network television, on the other hand, is looking for a safer bet, a surer thing. The pitch presentation should be more concise, and focus on the basic selling points of the series’ premise and characters. Networks are also more interested in future episodes, and where the series “is going.” They operate, arguably, with more of an eye on business and the bottom line. When you consider Netflix has unlimited funding sources, and that a network studio is making an essentially speculative investment when greenlighting a pitch, this isn’t surprising. Also, the TV networks have advertisers to please when making programming choices.

When a creator or producer finds the “holy grail” and hears the proverbial word “yes” after pitching their project, then the production agreement is drafted with seasoned, legal entertainment counsel. The deal is structured pursuant to whether the show is set for a streaming/cable service, or network.

The leading streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, as well as cable titan HBO, do what is called a cost-plus agreement. They buy the show at the rate of the cost of production plus about 30 percent of production costs. This is a greater payment upfront for the creators, but with a price.

The streaming/cable company gets more of the upside revenue down the line if the show is a big hit. In terms of the rights covered earlier in this piece, the streamer/cable service retains most of the future licensing rights, which can amount to millions if the series is a monster success. Nonetheless, creators still make cost-plus deals in droves because the contract covers all production costs, plus they are able to make the show they envision, with little interference.

A traditional network licensing deal works differently. When a series is sold to a studio/production company for airing on network television, the network pays a fee of only 60 to 70 percent of the show’s production cost. However, the production company, as well as the creators/producers, by way of the rights they have been accessed contractually, will make money through licensing deals and syndication, especially if the show is a huge ratings grabber.

When the production agreement is in place, and the show is a “go,” all pertinent eyes focus on production.

Here is something different. A list of Black Friday bargains for 2022, with all the best deals around. It’s a growing list, so return to this page regularly in the coming days, as more deals will be shared.

Black Friday returns and so does the list of bargains we’ve kept here at PVC. To make things easier for you, the 2022 PVC’s BIG Black Friday list is a unique list that grows as we get some more deals to share with readers. New deals will be at the top of the list, making it easy to find them. So, without further ado, here is PVC’s BIG Black Friday list for 2022.

FilmConvert
It’s time for FilmConvert’s biggest sale of the year! Color with confidence this Black Friday. Get 40-50% off new plugin purchases and Nitrate upgrades, and grab your copy of FilmConvert Nitrate, CineMatch or both!

https://www.filmconvert.com/

Triple Scoop Music

The acclaimed music licensing platform for pro photographers, filmmakers, video creators, innovative businesses and biggest brands, Triple Scoop Music returns with its “epic Black Friday deals”. save an incredible 50% on select music licensing subscriptions! Choose your subscription type and apply the code BLACKFRIDAY2022 at checkout for TSM’s best Black Friday + Cyber Monday deal ever.

https://triplescoopmusic.com/

Manfrotto

Black Friday starts now at Manfrotto, and for one week only, selected products are 40% off. Upgrade your photography gear now, while stocks last. Shop exclusive deals on a range of tripods, SD cards, and camera bags. Upgrade your photography gear now, while stocks last. Offer expires on 28th November. ​

https://www.manfrotto.com/us-en/black-friday/

Venus Optics

“Looking for some new lenses for your next trip?Or some ultra-fast f/0.95 lens?Maybe a new cine zoom lens for your next production? Come find these incredible deals and save up to 40%!“  says Venus Optics to announce its Black Friday salkes of Laowa lenses.

https://www.venuslens.net/

Think Tank Photo

“Think Tank Hauliday Sale is Coming!” says the company, and it’s truly not a mistake. It’s a special sale on the Freeway Longhaul, a rugged organizer that will haul your gear from home to your car, to the hotel, campsite, beach — wherever the road leads you. From November 22 until December 9 all Freeway Longhaul duffels are 25% off. Grab your Longhaul this “hauliday”.

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/

SIGMA

Yes, it’s time for SIGMA’s Black Friday. With savings on 22 products, you’ll find something for every photographer, whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a gift. Find your authorized SIGMA dealer and get the same Black Friday prices wherever you choose to buy.

https://www.sigmaphoto.com/black-friday-2022

ACER

For Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Acer is offering deep discounts on many of its renowned products  for creatives via Acer Store and Amazon. The Black Friday sale begins Thursday, Nov. 24 at 8am Pacific time/11am Eastern time and ends Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:59am Pacific/10:59am Eastern time, or while supplies last. This sale includes more than 60 popular Acer products offering up to $1,000 in savings.

https://store.acer.com/en-us

On this weeks episode Kenny talks with cinematographer Alexander Chinnici about his work on “Bandit”, “V/H/S/99”, and more. You might know Alex from his work on the extremely popular “Uncharted” fan film starring Nathan Fillion as well. Enjoy the episode!

Frame & Reference is a conversation between Cinematographers hosted by DP and PVC Contributing writer Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP’s current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look in to the world making films through the lens of the people who shoot them. You can listen to Frame & Reference where all the best podcasts are listened to like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Each episode can also be found in video form on YouTube. Follow Frame & Reference on Twitter and Instagram for more content, and check your favorite app every Thursday for new episodes.

Professional monitor manufacturer PortKeys has expanded its lineup of monitors with a new reference, the PT6 Live Streaming Assist Monitor, a 600-nit budget-friendly monitor with a price of $169.

The new PortKeys PT6 monitor features a 5.2″ touchscreen display with 1920×1080 resolution. With a 600-nit peak brightness with a 1500:1 contrast ratio, the screen can display a 100% P3 colour gamut at 10-bit depth, according to PortKeys. The company says the PT6 Live Streaming Assist Monitor is a budget-friendly monitor packed with content creation and live streaming assisting features. The price, if you have asked yourself  already that question by now, is $169.

The display supports inputs up to 4096 x 2160 at 24hz, meaning this wide range allows support for even the latest professional cameras. PortKeys positions the device as a live streaming assist monitor, and the PT6 has an HDMI output and input. The PT6 can output a 1920x1080p signal at 60Hz according to the information provided by PortKeys, and can output a signal which includes a 3D LUT, Anamorphic De-Squeeze, UI from the Camera and the Stretch Legs feature. Live streaming can be achieved with only the PT6, a compatible camera and a live streaming box.

Anamorphic footage and the PT6

Here is a full list of HDMI output features of the PortKeys PT6 monitor:

• 3D LUT
• Tint
• Contrast
• Luma Histogram
• Chroma
• HDR(HLG)
• Gesture Zooming
• Sharpness
• UI Interface
• Image Brightness
• Check Field
• Anamorphic
• Vertical Extension
• Rectangle Crop
• Audio Signal

PortKeys notes that the Stretch Legs feature allows the user to stretch the image below a chosen point when shooting vertically. Alongside this feature, the PT6 has a customizable menu to access features such as Zebras, 3D LUT, and Luma Histograms. The PT6 can de-squeeze anamorphic footage in a wide range of aspect ratios which are shown in the image published with this news article.

The image brightness, tint and contrast can all be adjusted on the PT6, ready for perfect live-streaming output. The PT6 has several options for peaking, which can be customized in the UI to help you nail focus every time. A customized image crop can be applied on the PT6 and adjusted in the UI for the perfect output frame.

A feature-packed monitor

When it comes to power, the PortKeys PT6 has multiple options: it supports Sony NP-F970/F960/F750/F550 and Canon LP-E6 batteries. Alternatively, the PT6 can also be powered with a 7~24V power supply. The battery tray features a lock to avoid heavier batteries falling out of place.

Additional interface features are a USB-A port that can be used for future firmware updates and 3D LUT importing. Alongside this, there is a 3.5mm microphone jack for audio monitoring.

Included are the PT6 monitor, an MH-2 Mount, HDMI Cable, HDMI – Micro HDMI Cable, User Manual, Carrying Box and a Sunshade for outdoor monitoring.

With a price of $169, the PortKeys PT6 is a feature-packed monitor that will assist the video creation process for creators of all levels.

On this weeks episode, Kenny talks with Cinematographer Michael Prickett and Josh Quick, two of the minds behind the Emmy Winning documentary “100 Foot Wave.” They chat about the challenges of filming in the ocean, managing multiple camera operators and much more! Enjoy the episode

Frame & Reference is a conversation between Cinematographers hosted by DP and PVC Contributing writer Kenny McMillan. Each episode dives into the respective DP’s current and past work, as well as what influences and inspires them. These discussions are an entertaining and informative look in to the world making films through the lens of the people who shoot them. You can listen to Frame & Reference where all the best podcasts are listened to like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Each episode can also be found in video form on YouTube. Follow Frame & Reference on Twitter and Instagram for more content, and check your favorite app every Thursday for new episodes.

If you want to see some real world performance examples of the new GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, the short video from filmmaker Casey Faris using it with DaVinci Resolve is a good suggestion.

Here is something for all those who want to get some suggestions about their next graphics card… and have the money to buy the NVIDIA RTX 40 generation. Filmmaker Casey Faris shared a video in which he tries to answer all these questions: What is the best graphics card for editing? What graphics card should you buy? What graphics card do I use?!

These are the questions Casey Faris gets asked on a very regular basis,  and in the video published on YouTube he answers those questions and checks out the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080! Let me give you the short answer. Here is what Casey Faris said: if you’re working in Resolve and you’re looking for a new graphics card I cannot recommend the 4080 and the 4090 enough. Believe me even coming from the pretty high-end graphics card that I had it makes a huge difference and I’m really excited.”

You should watch the video, though, to better understand the differences between generations. Besides this video Casey Faris and the team at Release the Hounds! Studio  also created a short, sci-fi-inspired film, Tuesday on Earth, using RTX GPUs. With the power of his RTX GPU, Faris was able to edit faster, speed up color-grading, and implement Hollywood-caliber special effects in DaVinci Resolve.

Tuesday on Earth, a sci-fi short

Content creators can now purchase the newly released GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, and can experience an immense boost in performance of up to 1.6x compared to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. NVIDIA GPUs can greatly benefit creators, as seen in the space dedicated to show the work of creatives,  In the NVIDIA Studio, this time with talented filmmaker Casey Faris.

Filmmaker Casey Faris and the team at Release the Hounds! Studio love science fiction. Their short film Tuesday on Earth is an homage to their favorite childhood sci-fi flicks, including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Men in Black and Critters. It was challenging to “create something that felt epic, but wasn’t way too big of a story to fit in a couple of minutes,” Faris said.

Preproduction was mostly done with rough sketches on an iPad using the popular digital-illustration app Procreate. Next, the team filmed all the sequences. “We spent many hours out in the forest getting eaten by mosquitos, lots of time locked in a tiny bathroom and way too many lunch breaks at the secondhand store buying spaceship parts,” joked Faris. Check the entire article about the project at In the NVIDIA Studio.

The GeForce RTX 4080 GPU

Now, with the release of the GeForce RTX 4080 GPU and its third-generation RT Cores, fourth-generation Tensor Cores, eighth-generation dual AV1 encoders and 16GB memory, creators and artists alike can expand their creative possibilities and experience massive improvements:

• DLSS 3, now available in the NVIDIA Omniverse beta, dramatically increases frames per second and improves smoothness in the viewport, enabling 3D artists to more seamlessly work in 3D.
  • Unity and Unreal Engine 5 will soon release updates to support DLSS 3
• The new AV1 encoder accelerates video and live streaming creative workflows with 40% increased encoding efficiency, unlocking higher resolutions and crisper image quality.
  • AV1 is already integrated in OBS Studio, DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro (through the Voukoder plug-in).
• The new dual encoders enable video editors to capture up to 8K resolution at 60 FPS in real time via GeForce Experience and OBS Studio, as well as cut video export times nearly in half.
  • Top video apps, Adobe Premiere Pro (through the Voukoder plug-in), Jianying Pro (China’s top video-editing app), Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve and MAGIX Vegas Pro have all recently added dual-encoder support.
• Fourth-gen Tensor Cores power the GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU to deliver 2x increase in performance over previous generations, providing faster state-of-the-art AI technologies and enabling creators to easily apply advanced effects, brainstorm more efficiently, and remove tedious, repetitive tasks from their creative workflow.

To learn more about the new GeForce RTX 4080 GPU, check out this product finder for retail availability and visit GeForce.com for further information. And that’s not all – the November Studio driver is available to download, enhancing existing creative app features, reducing the repetitive, and speeding up creative tasks.

Have you heard that Twitter has a new owner? And things might not be going all that … well? Regardless of what you’ve heard, don’t give up on #Postchat Twitter.

You may or may not be aware of the thriving, friendly and helpful community of editors, colorists, motion graphic artists, audio mixer, assistants and post-production professionals that have been actively engaged and involved in Twitter for nearly 15 years. I won’t claim credit for starting this community, as there have been many, many people who have made it what it is over the years but I will take credit for a 2008 blog post that seemed to have kicked it off for many of us.

Where the Twitter about editing all began

I had only had the original Editblog up and running for a couple of years when this Twitter thing came along and seemed interesting. I decided to set up an account and thought it would be fun to see if we could get some other editors out there on there so we could communicate in this new 140-character way.

just posted a blog post to try and get folks to Twitter about editing

— Scott Simmons (@editblog) March 22, 2008

While the original blog post is long gone since my original website that housed that early WordPress install is gone, The Internet Archive Wayback Machine has preserved it for us all to see:

The original Twitter about editing blog post from 2008.

And then we visited the Twitter about editing thing a year later in 2009, actually here on ProVideo Coalition.

Ahh, the memories. What is great about that blog post is all the names and handles in the comments of people that signed up for Twitter and became part of the early Twitter editing and post-production community. While the Twitter hashtag had been around since the beginning, someone coined the hashtag #PostChat at some point a few years in, and it became a regular tag to follow.

There was a period where there were regular weekly #PostChat hangouts that might run for hours. Spin-offs for that happened with motion graphics and audio. I’m sure there were many camera and production-related chat hashtags that I was never a part of. #TimelineTuesday gave editors a glimpse into how other editors setup their timelines. Often we gasped a how messy some editors could really be!

Rough cut in the bag in time for #TimelineTuesday pleased with this one so far pic.twitter.com/ltNMAS4qdA

— Tom Strachan (@tstrachanedit) November 15, 2022

Hashtags themselves were even relevant a very long time as you could search #PremierePro, #MediaComposer or #FCPX and find useful information and a helpful community always ready to answer a question or offer up a tip. In recent years a lot of those hashtags have become flooded with marketing spam, sales pitches and shameless self-promotion making them almost useless.

What Twitter has done for me

It’s no doubt that the Elon purchase of Twitter and the subsequent descent into suck that has been happening isn’t what any of us want to see. And it’s downright scary to think that a platform many of us have invested hundreds upon hundreds of hours into (not to mention thousands upon thousands of characters) might die and leave us with a way to connect to so many friends (Don’t forget to download your Twitter data for … well, because you can). As big of a cesspool and hate-filled platform as Twitter can be, for many of us, it isn’t that at all, but rather it can still do what Twitter originally did best: connect you to like-minded individuals.

If not for Twitter, there are many people I would have never met and been able to call friends. There are countless amounts of knowledge I gained from questions asked, conversations lurked, comments favorited and articles shared. There are direct message threads that went on for days and even weeks, only to pick up years later. There were meetups there were planned in the Twitterverse only to manifest in real life at conference after conference.

Is anybody that's at NAB yet riding this Las Vegas monorail? Is it a good way to get around?

— Scott Simmons (@editblog) April 13, 2008

And there are people that, upon meeting in person, you have an instant connection with because you know them first by their handle and then second by who they are because you’ve known them for years on Twitter.

I’ve gotten work from Twitter, meals from Twitter, gear for Twitter and many, many drinks from Twitter. And I’ve also given a lot of all that as well since so much of what makes Twitter great is that back and forth, give and receive.

Where do we go if Twitter flies away?

While I certainly hope Twitter doesn’t fly itself into a window and die, it’s worth looking at what an alternative to the Twitter Postchat community might be like. It seems many are making a move to Mastodon, an open-source Twitter clone. A very smart and very helpful Twitter regular Felipe Baez has setup a Mastodon server called postchat.io for the post-production community, and I am going to follow that one.

The Mastodon server for post is now open for sign ups.https://t.co/yG5NI81RAr — you can find me there as @felipebaez@postchat.io

— Felipe Baez  (@baezfelipe) November 12, 2022

Thanks to Felipe for doing this. It’s worth noting that Mastodon is more work than Twitter, as Felipe is doing a lot of this hosting and setup himself. I asked him about this, and he has 3 server instances set up and backing up, so the workload isn’t trivial. Who knows what the uptake will be for post-chat Mastodon. A social media community is only as good as the users that are there, so time will tell.

Off we go to whatever stays and/or whatever is next!

Enhanced support for stage operations, a VCam overhaul to make more familiar to camera operators, animation and rigging enhancements and lighting enhancements are all part of  Unreal Engine 5.1.

Epic Games announced that Unreal Engine 5.1 is now available. With this release, the team says, “we’ve built upon the groundbreaking feature set introduced in UE5, making it more robust, efficient, and versatile for creators across all industries” adding “as part of this effort, we’ve been stress-testing the engine against different workflows, making it applicable to more sectors.”

The exponential growth in adoption of Unreal Engine over the last two years by media and entertainment professionals and companies of all sizes has yielded successful projects like performance-driven character animation YouTube show Xanadu, the Caledon soccer commercial by Pixomondo, and the new virtual production studio by Fox Sports. With Unreal Engine 5.1, Epic Games’ aim is to empower the industry to build on that success, with a toolset that’s more extensive, robust, and accessible than ever before.

Lumen, Nanite, and Virtual Shadow Maps updates are a key element of this new version. Epic Games has laid the groundwork for the Lumen dynamic global illumination and reflections system, the Nanite virtualized micropolygon geometry system, and Virtual Shadow Maps (VSM) to support games and experiences running at 60 fps on next-gen consoles and capable PCs, enabling fast-paced competitive games and detailed simulations to run without latency.

The new features or updated ones cover different aspects, especially those related to games development, where the software is a popular choice, but this note, based on the information shared by Epic Games, takes a special look at what’s new, in Unreal Engine 5.1, for makers of both live-action and animated film and television content—including virtual production and LED stage projects—as well as for broadcasters and live event production teams.

So, here is, without further ado, a list of what’s new in Unreal Engine 5.1 for media and entertainment:

Enhanced support for stage operations

Stage operators working under pressure in the fast-paced environment of an LED stage will welcome a new dedicated In-Camera VFX Editor that supports a range of workflows specifically tailored for the tasks they need to carry out. This largely eliminates the need for stage operators to hunt through the Outliner for specific objects and controls.

A corresponding iOS application that mirrors the editor’s functionality, but with a UI adjusted for a touch interaction, is planned for release within the next few weeks. In related news, we’ve improved the UI, UX, and performance of the Remote Control APIs, enabling you to construct powerful custom browser-based remote controls more quickly and easily.

The new editor hosts an interface to an improved Light Card system that displays as a preview of the nDisplay wall. As well as making it intuitive and efficient to create, move, and edit light cards and save templates, the new light cards can retain their shape on the wall, eliminating distortion.

A key instrument in blending between the LED wall and physical set—as well as for fine-tuning the content on the LED wall—color corrections are critical to LED stage workflows. Also accessible from the In-Camera VFX Editor are new Color Correction Windows (CCWs) that enable the adjustments to be applied exclusively to anything behind them (similar to Power Windows in color grading applications), together with the ability to apply color corrections per Actor, which reduces the need for complex masking.

Improved Media Plate workflows and EXR playback

Remember when it took tens of clicks to add an EXR or a movie file to a level or Sequencer track? With Unreal Engine 5.1, a new Media Plate Actor enables you to simply drag and drop footage from the Content Browser. In addition, you can now play back mipmapped and tiled uncompressed EXRs both in engine and with nDisplay with the appropriate SSD RAID. We’ve also included the ability to convert EXRs to the correct format for optimum playback.

VCam overhaul

Meanwhile, Unreal Engine’s virtual camera system has been overhauled with a new underlying framework that utilizes Epic’s Pixel Streaming technology for improved responsiveness and reliability, and an updated UI with a modern camera-focused design that will be more familiar to camera operators. We’ve also added the ability to connect hardware devices and laid the foundation for customizing the UI in the future.

Improved DMX workflows

In an effort to integrate Unreal Engine more seamlessly into the larger DMX ecosystem, Epic Games  enhanced its own support for the MVR format to include fixtures, plots, and patches; when both Unreal Engine and a lighting console need to share DMX data, it can be synchronized between the two systems. Epic Games also improved the Pixel Mapping system UX to support the ever-increasing complexity of driving DMX lighting fixtures from Unreal Engine content data.

Lighting enhancements

Lumen, Unreal Engine’s fully dynamic global illumination and reflections system, now offers initial support for nDisplay. With Lumen, indirect lighting adapts on the fly when you change the sun’s angle, adjust lights, or position bounce cards, for example. Previously, these changes would have required a baking step that could pause production, interrupting the creative flow.

Currently, the number of lights supported is modest (about five to seven lights total, depending on the graphics card). For more complex setups that require more lights, we’ve also made improvements to GPU Lightmass, including support for Sky Atmosphere, stationary Sky Lights, light features such as IES profiles and Rect Light textures, and improved quality and performance across the board.

Animation and rigging enhancements

For anyone dealing with animated content, particularly of characters, Unreal Engine 5.1 offers some worthy advancements to the built-in animation authoring toolset.

Now in Beta, the Machine Learning (ML) Deformer generates high-fidelity approximations of nonlinear deformers, complex proprietary rigs, or any arbitrary deformation by using a custom Maya plugin to train a machine learning model, which in turn runs in real time in Unreal Engine. This enables you to simulate film-quality deformations, such as flexing muscles, bulging veins, and sliding skin.

Other character deformation improvements include enhancements to the Deformer Graph Editor for easier graph creation and editing.

On another front, Control Rig continues to expand toward fully procedural rigging, increasing the impact and scalability of rigging teams. Updates to the core framework include a new Construction Event that enables you to generate rig hierarchies via a graph, and Custom User Events for creating and triggering rig events such as “Snap FK to IK.”

With these updates, you can create a single Control Rig asset that can build itself to fit characters that may have different skeletal proportions and properties. For example, the same Control Rig can adapt itself to a three-fingered monster or a five-fingered human without any changes to the rig asset.

Epic Games has also extended Sequencer—Unreal Engine’s multi-track nonlinear animation editor—by adding support for constraints, including Position, Rotation, and Look-at. With these, you can quickly and easily create and animate relationships between any Control Rig or Actors, for example, making a camera always follow a character; keeping a character’s hands on a steering wheel; animating a clown juggling balls; or constraining a cowboy’s hips so that he sits naturally in the saddle as the horse moves, while his hands hold the reins.

Sequencer also sees additional functionality exposed through Blueprint and Python scripting, and we’ve refactored the UI/UX for increased stability and extensibility, and to improve animation authoring and editing workflows.

If you’re an existing Unreal Engine user, you can download Unreal Engine 5.1 from the Epic Games launcher. If you’re looking to dive in for the first time, click the this link to get started. Unreal Engine is free to use for creating linear content like films, and for custom and internal projects. It’s also free in many cases for game development—a 5% royalty only kicks in if and when your title earns over $1 million USD.

Descript, the simple, powerful, full-workflow video and audio editor, launches its biggest product update ever, as it promises to make editing video as easy as editing a doc or slides.

Video editing is not just something professional video editors do to create Hollywood blockbusters, documentaries or any other video editable product. As even smartphone cameras allow users to capture video, everybody wants to edit those moving images. Faced with NLEs that require some learning, many search for tools that make the process easier, and that’s where Descript comes in.

Founded by Groupon co-founder Andrew Mason in San Francisco in 2017, Descript is a new kind of video editor that’s, the company says, “ is as easy as a doc. With tons of cool AI-powered features built into an intuitive interface, Descript powers YouTube and TikTok channels, top podcasts, and businesses using video for marketing, sales, internal training and collaboration. Descript aims to make video a staple of every communicator’s toolkit, alongside docs and slides.”

Here are two quotes from Descript users that suggest what the tool is for:

“When it comes to my content, I challenge myself to create the most compelling and concise storyline. Descript is the first software that feels like a partner and not just a tool,” said Jules Terpak, video-first content creator and Descript user. “The breadth of media Descript provides complements and simplifies my workflow. Instead of having 20 tabs open when creating my video, I now have a powerful single source to rely on.”

“Working for a company with a heavy presence in the social media space, it has been great to find a tool to help our videos feel more native to social platforms,” said Rachel Klein, Executive Producer at theSkimm. “The new Descript also helped turn non-editors into full blown creators, opening the door to more experimentation and creativity.”

More money, more features

Now, Descript is getting even bigger. The company just announced a $50 million Series C round led by OpenAI Startup Fund to support and accelerate AI integration into creativity. Andreessen Horowitz, Redpoint Ventures, Spark Capital and Daniel Gross also participated in the round. Descript’s new $50 million raise brings the company’s total funding to $100 million, and with it, brings the ability to amplify the implementation of AI to marry video, images and text into a new way of creating content.

“We started the OpenAI Startup Fund to accelerate the impact companies building on powerful AI will have on the world, and we’re particularly excited about tools that empower people creatively,” said Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s COO and manager of the OpenAI Startup Fund. “It’s clear from using Descript and talking to customers that Descript is breaking down barriers between idea and creation by extending video editing capabilities to an entirely new class of creators.”

It’s not just about money, though. Descript has a new version, and the redesigned app comes packed with more than 30 new visual and AI-powered editing features, promising to make editing video as easy as editing a doc or slides.

For too long, creators have been faced with a choice: make video using simple tools with limited capabilities, or spend months if not years learning complex legacy tools that require extensive training. Descript removes these barriers, equipping creators and communicators with a single intuitive tool that’s also a fully-powered end-to-end production app.

Descript’s new editing magic

“The stage is set for video to take its place alongside text as something everyone uses to create and communicate — the only things holding it back are the tools,” said Andrew Mason, CEO of Descript. “With the new Descript, we’ve replaced the drudgery of timeline editing with a tool that’s as familiar as the word processor — so you can make, edit, and share video without breaking your creative flow.”

Descript’s new editing magic starts with Scenes – a visual method for making video that’s as intuitive as making a slideshow. Scenes complement and compound the power of Descript’s core transcription-based editor, which already revolutionized podcast editing. Descript’s adaptability allows any creator, in any type of workflow, to create anything from a simple screen recording to a sophisticated narrative with multiple layers of video, b-roll, audio, with video and audio effects, transitions, and everything else they’d get from a more complicated legacy tool.

In addition to a complete redesign around scenes, Descript is launching over 30 powerful new features, including:

• Premium stock media: The tool now includes free access to millions of premium stock videos, images, sound effects and music tracks.
• Templates: Select from a gallery of great-looking layouts, title sequences and social clips. Or creators can make their own.
• Multitrack screen recording: Descript’s recorder is now integrated into the editor, with separate tracks for screen and camera.
• Green screen: Creators can put their videos in any setting they want with Descript’s AI background removal capabilities.
• Write mode: Creators can use Overdub to write their script in Descript while laying out visuals as they go. Then, they can choose one of the ultra realistic text-to-speech voices, or swap it out with their own recording.

The core features, functionality and magic Descript is known and loved for all remain – including Overdub, Studio Sound, automatic filler word removal, easy social video clips, subtitles, screen and webcam recording, exporting & publishing, and collaboration.

The new version of Descript is available to download at www.descript.com.

Just as we are absorbing and understanding the major impact of the recently released XDM-100, XCM-50 and UNIFY software, RØDE today announced yet another new addition to its USB microphones, called the NT-USB+. Based on the NT-USB (which I reviewed back in 2014), the NT-USB+ is a professional-grade USB microphone loaded with next-generation features, thanks to its new preamp and DSP (digital signal processor) which allows APHEX effects, including a compressor, high-pass (low-cut) filter, noise gate, aural exciter, and Big Bottom. Activating them live (or live-to-drive) requires one of many RØDE apps, including RØDE Connect (macOS & Windows), RØDE Reporter (Android & iOS) and RØDE X UNIFY (Windows only so far). Indeed, you can use the NT-USB+ with Android and iPhone too. More information is below, with links to be notified when I release the upcoming review and a last minute surprise regarding software compatibility.

Key features of the NT-USB+:

• Studio-grade condenser capsule and tight cardioid polar pattern, delivering pristine audio ideal for recording vocals (singing), speech and instruments
• Ultra-low-noise, high-gain Revolution Preamp and high-resolution 24-bit/48kHz analog-to-digital conversion for professional sound quality with stunning clarity
• High-power headphone output for zero-latency monitoring, complete with level and mix controls
• USB-C output for plug-and-play connectivity with computers, smartphones and tablets
• Internal DSP for advanced audio processing powered by APHEX – including a compressor, noise gate, aural exciter and Big Bottom effects
• Includes high-quality pop filter and desktop mount – an all-in-one solution for recording professional sound at home or on the go. Also allows mounting on a boom.
• Designed and made in RØDE’s state-of-the-art facilities in Sydney, Australia

The NT-USB+ is based on the original NT-USB, which was released in 2014 (when I reviewed it).

The NT-USB+ features a studio-grade condenser capsule that evokes the sound of a classic large-diaphragm condenser microphone. Delivering warmth and clarity, with a full frequency response and tight cardioid polar pattern for clear, focused audio, RØDE says that it excels on everything from vocals (singing) and speech to acoustic guitar and other instruments. The NT-USB+ features enhanced circuitry, with RØDE’s ultra-low-noise, high-gain Revolution preamp technology – first introduced with the RØDECaster Pro II – as well as upgraded high-resolution 24-bit/48kHz analog-to-digital conversion for pristine audio quality. It also features an internal DSP, which allows users to apply advanced APHEX audio processing via RØDE’s free multitrack recording and live multi-source streaming software, RØDE Connect. This includes a high-pass filter for cutting out low-end rumble, a noise gate for eliminating background noise, a compressor for delivering punchy and balanced sound, and the aural exciter and Big Bottom effects for radio style voice tone.

The NT-USB+ features a class-compliant USB-C output that is plug-and-play compatible with macOS and Windows computers. It is also fully compatible with any Android or iOS smartphone or iPadOS tablet, making it an excellent portable recording solution (as long as you have a semi-treated environment). It comes with a pop filter for minimizing plosives (which I’ll be confirming in my upcoming review), as well as a tripod mount for positioning on a desktop, although I recommend mounting it on a boom. It also features a zero-latency headphone output for monitoring audio with no distracting echo or delay, complete with level and monitor mix controls.

Last minute revelation from RØDE

At the last minute, RØDE also revealed that in addition to using the NT-USB+ with all of the aforementioned apps for live (or live-to-drive recording), there is one more option:

We’ll also now be able to unlock the advanced DSP via RØDE Central. This means we can activate the compressor, noise gate, high pass filter and/or APHEX processing via our computer or smartphone and use it with any other software or app, making it even more versatile.

Price and availability

The NT-USB+ is shipping worldwide and available now for US$169. To find out more, head to rode.com/nt-usb-plus.

Upcoming reviews

Be sure to be on (or get back on) one of my mailing lists shown below to be notified when I publish the review of the NT-USB+, XDM-100, XCM-50, UNIFY software and more.

The new SIRUI Dragon Series B25R bendable RGB LED light is one of the most interesting solutions for when you need a LED panel light that provides up to 360 degrees of illumination.

Here is a lighting solution that will rule over many other solutions you may have or even find. The SIRUI Dragon Series B25R bendable RGB LED light can be bent inwards or outwards to properly illuminate a subject. The curved light beams created by the B25R separate the subject from the background and lend it a premium look. Available for this Black Friday period at a special price!

The way it works, the B25R makes you want to play with the options available and try to go beyond the most common lighting setups. This bendable panel, announced by Sirui as “World’s First Bendable LED Light” offers a distinct solution that allows you to explore new ways to photograph, either in studio or anywhere where you need lighting. Previously, for modeling, you would need a series of conventional flat light sources to increase the illusion of three-dimensional, but this new RGB LED panel allows you to create a variety of setups with a bendable light source. And if one isn’t enough, the system comes with the option to combine two or more, to seamlessly create a longer, brighter light source.

Ideal for creating rim lights

I’ve used and even have some light panels that use a magnetic attachment solution, but the B25R  does it differently, with a quick-release design, so you can easily combine several panels. It also appears to be more versatile than any other lighting system I’ve used, and I would love to have a chance to try the product. Besides the quick-release, the B25R has three 1/4’’ screw holes for use on light stands. A specially designed connector is included in the two-light kit. With the connector attached, a stand can hold a total of two lights for wider illumination while taking up less space on set.

The B25R is ideal for creating rim lights and streak lights for stills, products and portraits. Grab one to create vivid lighting effects for your scenes. With full colour capability, Wide CCT range, a RGB mode, a FX mode with 16 lighting effects that allows you to quickly recreate realistic lighting effects for many scenarios, and a total of 10 user-programmable presets that can be saved to have your preferred looks at the ready, the SIRUI Dragon Series B25R bendable RGB LED light can be run off an AC adapter or through an NP-F970 battery for creative shooting on location or in the studio. Control is directly onboard or using an app that allows for control of different groups of lights, for complex setups.

A Black Friday price

The B25R has a wide color temperature range from 2700K to 8500K. G/M adjustment is added to the CCT mode to balance the color shift from green to magenta, maintaining the uniformity of light sources in the same set. Sirui says that “your RGB light should meet the strict quality requirements, regardless of its shape” to add that each B25R panel goes through a thorough testing process. According to the company, “most indicators are expected to last for at least ten years. Our RGB light have a limited warranty of five years on all power supplies and a three-year warranty on the RGB panels.”

The SIRUI Dragon Series B25R Bendable RGB LED Light costs $199 at launch. Due to a 20% discount on Black Friday, the cost is $159. A real offer is waiting for you. Don’t forget to check the two-light kit, a step further in this solution to illuminate in a new way.

The folks at Elgato dropped a big product announcement day with the Stream Deck +, which adds dials and new functionality to Stream Deck. Imagine an 8 button Stream Deck with 4 dials at the bottom and an LCD strip that changes based on what you want the dials to do and you’ve got an idea of the $200 Stream Deck +.

This might be the ultimate hardware control surface for video editing that brings together the tactile buttons with a tiny screen, pressable dials that can control many editing and post-production functions and a touch sensitive strip to complement those dials. This seems like a near-perfect hardware control surface. Don’t believe me? Look at the trailer.

Many of us have used the original Stream Deck for years in various button sizes because it comes in various button sizes. The 15 button Stream Deck seems to be the most popular but colorists love to use the Stream Deck XL. While I do love my Stream Deck I love the Loupdeck CT a lot more as the dials are quite literally a revolution, IMHO when it comes to video editing control surfaces. Elgato produces great hardware so I can’t wait to get my hands on the Stream Deck + and see how those dials feel.

Today we launch Stream Deck+.

8 LCD Keys
4 endless dials that press in
LCD Touch Bar for dial labeling, page swiping, & extra actions
Unlocks Wave Link Software

Dials are NOT just for audio control. Control lights, camera, video/photo editing software and more! pic.twitter.com/V4iGbc6Tx2

— Steggy (Jeff Stegner) (@Steggy) November 15, 2022

While a lot of the Stream Deck + webpage is dedicated to talking about studio and streaming control I can assume the Stream Deck software is going to have some great post-production app support. Check out this image:

That’s pretty exciting considering how difficult it is to control Resolve with third-party hardware.

And here’s a bit of Final Cut Pro control in a gif:

Control Anything:

We've also added a Dial Hotkey for launch – letting you assign any hotkeys to your dials/LCD Touch Strip so you can use SD+ with your favorite apps while we continue to build out our direct integrations.

I love using my SD+ to control my Final Cut software. pic.twitter.com/ilTIR2vJnt

— Steggy (Jeff Stegner) (@Steggy) November 15, 2022

At $200 the Stream Deck + isn’t a super cheap surface but it does come in below both the Loupedeck CT and Loupdeck Live. No doubt Elgato has some better options for pricing and margins than the smaller Loupedeck company. The Tourbox on the other hand is $170 but doesn’t offer the screen and is really a different philosophy entirely when it comes to control surfaces. And it looks like the Stream Deck + will offer some customization options.

Also I'm sure people will ask because of images on our site with them:

We'll be offering different colored dial sets sold separately – ETA beginning of 2023 – starting with Gold and Silver.

What other colors would you like to see? pic.twitter.com/hZwIHv5TPm

— Steggy (Jeff Stegner) (@Steggy) November 15, 2022

I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing. Sideshow FX already has icon packs ready for it including DaVinci Resolve so it feels like the Resolve integration will be quite deep.

I’ve got my order in!

After the producers of CRÍMENES VERDADEROS (True Crimes) read my 2016 article about the launch of Amazon Video Direct for indies, they knew they’d like to use it at some point to distribute some upcoming production. It took a few years, but now their new series CRÍMENES VERDADEROS is nearly finished and planned to debut soon on Amazon Video Direct (including Amazon Prime). One of the producers, Frank Hardy (a pseudonym for Francisco Cuevas, a veteran video producer/reporter for Televisa and his own production companies) welcomed Amazon Video Direct’s requirements for CC (closed captions) —both in the original Castilian language for the hard of hearing and in English for anglo-speaking viewers— since he realizes that it will greatly expand the potential audience. Although CRÍMENES VERDADEROS is shot primarily in México using a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, the story takes place in the bordering country of Guatemala. Ahead are many behind-the-scenes photos of the production and more details of the workflow.

The parent production company producing the CRÍMENES VERDADEROS series is Frank Harding Films, which is a division of LCD Professional Services Inc. of Florida, United States, founded by Francisco Cuevas in 2016. The associated, subcontracted production company in México is Osovisión.

The equipment used include:

• Blackmagic Pocket 6k Pro camera (reviewed by Kenny McMillan here in ProVideo Coalition)
• GoPro 7 SILVER camera
• DJI Osmo
• Rokinon prime lenses, including 14, 24, 35 and 85mm
• Tascam DR-40 audio recorder
• Zoom H6 audio recorder
• Audio-Technica AT8035 shotgun microphone
• Sony URX-P03 lavalier microphones
• Saramonic UwMic9 wireless systems

Raw footage for CRÍMENES VERDADEROS was shot as ProRes 422 (HQ) at 4K at exactly 24 fps (not 23.976 fps). At press time of this article, it wasn’t yet confirmed whether the raw footage was shot at 4K DCI or 4K UHD. Editing was done in Final Cut Pro version 10.6.5.

Transcription, captions, timing and English translation for the English closed captions were done (and are being done) in Florida, United States, as were the uploads to Amazon, as described in my 2016 article about the launch of Amazon Video Direct for indies. The upload for Amazon was exported at 1080p at exactly 24 fps in ProRes 422 (HQ) at 1920x1080p since so far, 1080p is the maximum accepted by Amazon Video Direct.

Image credits

All images in this article were supplied by the production crew.

For more information about this series, visit CrímenesVerdaderosserie.com.

(Re-)Subscribe for upcoming articles, reviews, radio shows, books and seminars/webinars

Stand by for upcoming articles, reviews, books and courses by subscribing to my bulletins.

In English:

• Email bulletins, bulletins.AllanTepper.com
• In Telegram, t.me/TecnoTurBulletins
• Twitter (bilingual), AllanLTepper

En castellano:

• Boletines por correo electrónico, boletines.AllanTepper.com
• En Telegram, t.me/boletinesdeAllan
• Twitter (bilingüe), AllanLTepper

Most of my current books are at books.AllanTepper.com, and also visit AllanTepper.com and radio.AllanTepper.com.

FTC disclosure

Allan Tépper or TecnoTur LLC is not being paid by Frank Hardy Films, LCD Professional Services or Francisco Cuevas specifically for writing or publishing this article, although they have hired them for consulting services, including editorial and publication services for a book and regarding cameras, video mixers and live broadcasting. Many of the above manufacturers have sent Allan Tépper review units, including Audio Technica, Blackmagic, Saramonic, Sony, Tascam and Zoom. Some of the companies listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to carry out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. So far, none of the manufacturers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta programs, although they are welcome to do so, and some are, may be (or may have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition magazine. Some links to third parties listed in this article and/or on this web page may indirectly benefit TecnoTur LLC via affiliate programs. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his own. Allan Tépper is not liable for misuse or misunderstanding of information he shares.