In recent years, we’ve come to rely on iPhone’s as a readily available source of information, and this goes for on-set reference tools as much as any other area of life. iPhone apps have been developed for nearly every aspect of production, and now there are apps designed for those working in the Grip and Electric departments.

theGripApp (Enlightened Shenanigans, $4.99) is designed specifically as a reference manual for those working as grips, describing itself as 25% dictionary, 25% equipment stats, 25% descriptions of equipment, and 25% practical applications. A wide variety of equipment is presented, from dollies to flags to cranes, all with detailed specs and images directly from the manufacturer. In fact, the app is helpfully organized into four categories (Dolly, Cranes, Hardware, Rigging) to make it easier to find exactly the information you’re looking for.

Enlightened Shenanigans also makes another app, setLighting ($9.99) that presents a wealth of information, in this case on lighting equipment. It is organized (similarly to theGripApp) into four categories: Lights, Power, Bulbs, and Useful. The app provides a guide to the most common lighting units in the production world, including images, specs, available accessories, and bulb options. An especially helpful feature is the power distribution cheat sheets, such as the amperage usage chart and the maximum ampacity chart. setLighting is a great reference guide for anyone working with fixed lighting.

Ever since Mitch’s original iPhone app blog, we’ve been discovering more and more apps that we think our clients will find useful. Check out our iPhone Apps for Modern Cinematographers resource for a list of apps, organized into categories such as FOV calculators, timecode, filters, etc. Don’t forget to bookmark the page, as we will be continually updating and adding more to our list.

When we launched our blog in 2009, our goal was to share the expertise of our technical staff with our clients. Our instructional and “At the Bench” videos have become a popular feature of CineTechnica, and now we’ve made them even easier to watch on the go.

In addition to being accessible on YouTube and Vimeo, the great majority of the videos on our website and blog are now iOS friendly. This means you can keep up with latest video posts from our AbelCine experts on your iPhone, iPad or other mobile device from the set, or anywhere you have internet access.

Visit blog.abelcine.com/tag/video on your iOS device today.

Last year on this blog we discussed a number of feature films that were currently in production using the Aaton Penelope 2-perf / 3-perf switchable 35mm camera. Now, with several of these high-profile projects about to be released, here’s a recap of a few of Penelope’s credits.

The Fighter, directed by David O’Russell, is a film inspired by the life of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward. The production considered shooting on digital, 16mm and 3-perf with various cameras but ultimately decided to use Penelope because of the 2-perf cost savings and the easy handheld capability. Renting two cameras through Abel Cine Tech, the production worked fast, averaging 36 set-ups per day. Camera Assistant Gregory Irwin pointed out that the “Penelope camera is smaller and lighter than any other studio package,” allowing the production to get almost every shot hand-held or with a Steadicam – no need for tripods or dollies. For his part, DP Hoyte van Hoytema praised the camera’s “thoughtful design” and “human touch.” The Fighter will be in theaters this December and stars Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams and Christian Bale. Watch the official trailer.

…continue reading Aaton Penelope Projects Hit Theaters this Winter

Sony recently announced the SRW-5800/2, an HDCAM SR studio recorder that builds on the quality and flexibility of the original SRW-5800 VTR. The SRW-5800/2 uses the latest version of the HDCAM SR MPEG4 Simple Studio Profile codec ASIC, which provides support for higher sampling resolutions, including 2K. Support for RGB 4:4:4 SQ comes standard, meaning the additional HKSR-5803SQ board is no longer necessary.

Other features include:

– MXF SStP file transfer
– SR-Lite MXF file support
– Double speed record & playback for 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 SQ modes
– RGB 3D record & playback for 4:4:4 SQ mode
– Real-time 2K formats: (2048×1080 RGB 10 bit, 2048×1080 XYZ 12 bit)
– Support for 96 KHz audio sampling

An optional upgrade kit (HKSR-58UK) will be available so that the SRW-5800/1 can be made into a 5800/2. Older SRW-5800 decks that have not been upgraded to /1 can also use the HKSR-58UK, but will require an additional HIF-56 board.

For those of you using the PDW-U1 with a newer Mac, there is a software update available on Sony’s website that might make your life a little easier. Version 2.30 extends compatibility to Macs running Snow Leopard (10.6.2 or later), as well as adding support for Windows 7. Some other fixes include:

– Correction of a problem where Disc writing fails when the USB connection performance is low or unstable
– Correction of a problem that causes some applications not to launch after installing XDCAM Drive Software 2.2.1
– Support for handling “component directory” and related files through voice-over editing with a PDW-HR1 v1.6
– Support for metadata added from PDW-F800

You can download the PDW-U1 Drive Software v2.30 update directly from Sony’s site.

When the opportunity arose to travel to the South Pacific and document the Amelia Earhart Expedition’s archeological research, picking which camera to bring was an easy choice for award-winning DP Mark Smith. “The ability of the HPX370 to shoot full raster HD and record in AVC-Intra…coupled with the flexibility of the camcorder for either handheld or tripod-style shooting, made my choice of a main camera easy,” explained Smith, an Abel client.

He continued, “The HPX370 also affords very low power consumption, which translates into a two-pound battery powering most of a day’s shooting…The camcorder, with lens and battery, is sized and weighted ideally for this onerous assignment.” Additionally, Smith took the HPX170 along as a “B” camera. Rounding out his workflow were the HPG20 P2 portable recorder, HPG10 P2 Gear viewer/recorder, and the PCD2 single-slot memory card drive. He shot AVC-Intra at 1080/30pN on the HPX370 and DVCPRO HD 1080/30p on the HPX170.

As part of a 16-member team, Smith journeyed to Nikumaroro, a remote island in the Pacific formerly known as Gardner Island, in order to detail the Expedition’s findings. The expedition, which is lead by The Institute for Aviation History (TIGHAR), seeks to prove that Earhart landed, and eventually died, on the the island. Proving this theory would solve the decades-long mystery surrounding her disappearance. For more information on the Amelia Earhart Expedition, visit Smith’s website or The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery’s website. Check out the full Panasonic press release here.

When faced with the challenge of creating a compelling video to launch Cadillac’s new luxury coupe, Executive Producer Hal Long knew he needed to have all his bases covered. In order to emphasize the performance and comfort of Cadillac’s CTS-V Coupe, he and DP Mark Raker made use of a wide-range of equipment, all rented from Abel’s LA office.

For some dramatic shots of the car idling on a tarmac then peeling out onto the track, the production shot with the Phantom HD. However, for interior shots, Panasonic’s HPX3700 VariCam was the camera of choice. “While we needed an ultra high-speed camera for exteriors, the VariCam 3700 integrated beautifully into our specialized workflow…shooting with the HPX3700 at full-raster 1920×1080 resolution in AVC-Intra 100, we achieved images that fully convey the passenger luxury inside the car,” explained Long. In addition, the production deployed the HPX170 to get even more detail in smaller interior spaces.

Rounding out their workflow were Panasonic’s HMR10 compact field recorder/player, the HPG20 P2 HD recorder for real-time back-up, and the HCK10 POVCam for use on car-mounts. Says Long of the ultra-compact camera, “Considering its minute size and weight – a little more than ½ a pound – the POVCam is a big performer. We shot in the highest-quality PH mode, using a long lens, and recorded 1080/30p to the HMR10. The car mounts were all about singling out detail, and we got a really nice looking defocused background with the HCK10.”

To watch the full video which premiered at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, click here.