A few months ago, CAME-TV released the P1200, a set of medium sized Soft RGBDT LED Light Panels. One innovative feature with these lights are that they stack on top of each other, making it easy to pack into a case. They even offer the P1200 kit with custom cut foam that simply drops into your own
Pelican 1510 or the new
Pelican Air 1535.

The foam even includes enough room to fit 3 compact v-mount batteries, and the clever folding Yoke design keeps the panel compact so that you can even throw a couple in a backpack if you needed.

Unlike smaller LED panels that only work on sony batteries which you tend to have to switch out every so often, the P1200 runs off V-mount batteries. I prefer v-mount batteries (even the compact models) over
sony NPF batteries as they have a longer runtime, so I don't need to worry about a light turning off in the middle of an interview. The smd mounted led bulbs behind a permanent soft diffusion panel make it perfect to add broad soft lighting, but of course there are times where I throw one or two of them behind a scrim if I need extra diffusion and a larger light source. But as you can see in this demo below, Film Riot was successfully able to use Green light and key out a small backdrop.

Aside from using them for talking head interviews, product shots, and food shots, you can quickly enable any RGB color in the P1200R to use for ambient lighting and to add color to any scene. The lights are just as featured as some of CAME-TV's larger panels which include wireless controls built in (use a smartphone app or a handheld controller). There are various lighting effects built in such as Police, Bonfire, and Lightning which can add elements to a scene when you're trying to fake a subject watching tv for example.

Another review that explains some of the features of the P1200R by INGAF.

As most people do, I own a variety of different lights for different purposes. But after a few months of owning the P1200 set, I find this kit travels with me to every project whether I plan to use them or not. It just stacks nicely on my gear cart, and being medium sized offers enough punch and features for a lot of run-gun situations. If you're looking for a not-too-small not-too-large led kit, I recommend checking out some of what the P1200R offers (found here).

CAME-TV P1200R Stackable LED Lights

Press Release:
Simon Says Assemble brings the story forward with modern tools and narrative-driven editing capabilities that enable collaboration and speed up video workflows

San Francisco, CA - December 8, 2020 - Simon Says, the leading timecode-based AI transcription platform for video professionals, announced today the launch of Simon Says Assemble, a new product and significant expansion to the Simon Says platform that makes video editing as simple as copying and pasting text. Assemble enables production teams and clients to quickly and easily lock story from the web. Import and transcribe interview footage and dailies; highlight the key soundbites in the transcript; then easily drag and drop the soundbite text into the desired sequence to create the spine of the story. Share, annotate, and sign off in one flow.

See Simon Says Assemble in action or test it out firsthand. Existing Simon Says users have immediate access to Assemble via their web dashboard, giving them even more power.

With story locked, the editor can export to their preferred NLE - Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Apple Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve - where the XML auto-magically re-creates the assembled timeline and seamlessly relinks the media at the correct in and out points. Eliminated is the tedium of scrubbing through audio to find a soundbite, flipping between highlights on a transcript, implementing edit notes, and the back-and-forth of endless exports trying to get signoff. With Simon Says Assemble, the editor is liberated to do what she does best: focus on shot selections, pacing, music, and all the creative elements that bring a story to life.

“Teams can now edit, discuss, and sign-off on rough cuts from the web as simply as editing text,” comments Shamir Allibhai, founder and CEO of Simon Says. “Transcription was the stepping stone to Simon Says Assemble, which empowers everyone involved in a project to find and order the meaningful parts of the video to create an impactful narrative. Assemble brings down technical and cost barriers and frees the story from the silos of an NLE.”

Shamir adds: “I deeply believe in video tech that increases simplicity and efficiency and that when you enable that, you bring in more creators, with their own unique voices, who will push forward the boundaries of storytelling and even the craft itself.

“Simon Says is grateful to be a part of the workflows of tens of thousands of the most indomitable creative teams on the planet.”

With Simon Says Assemble, building the story now takes minutes instead of hours or days and all before even stepping into the edit suite.

Simon Says Assemble Key Features:

Supports nearly all file formats and codecs

Import from the web or natively from within Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, and Adobe Premiere Pro

Transcribe and translate in 100 languages

Search and highlight soundbites directly in the transcript to add them to the timeline. Order and reorder soundbites freely as you preview playback.

Collaborate with team members anywhere

Export to every major NLE and DAW to finalize the edit; the timeline/sequence seamlessly recreates

Export to subtitles, captions, and FCP titles

Metadata including file location, framerate, and start timecode are preserved through to export

Damien LeVeck, owner/producer of Skubalon, Inc. and production partner with major networks including CBS, ABC and NBC, is currently using Simon Says for a documentary chronicling the history of skateboarding, starring the biggest names in the sport. He comments, "Transcription is an invaluable part of any unscripted or documentary workflow. And, as budgets contract, the need for affordable solutions becomes greater. Simon Says is the perfect AI transcription service, not only because of the quality of transcription and low cost, but also because it offers the widest array of integrations with editing applications."

He adds, “The recent addition of Simon Says Assemble further streamlines our workflow, allowing our team to send stringouts and radio cuts to editors faster, which enables quicker turnaround on tight deadlines. It's further proof that Simon Says gets better and better by the day."

Simon Says Assemble - For the Modern Day Video Creative

Simon Says Assemble is designed to empower today’s visual storyteller, from the one-man-band to production companies, from corporate teams to agencies working with demanding clients, and everyone in between. Simon Says Assemble is ideal for the following scenarios:

Marketing videos - from promos to product launches, production companies need to work closely with their client

Corporate videos - for in-house teams, production companies, and agencies tasked with shooting and producing events, conferences, launches and training videos

Social media videos - for creators and teams distributing on Instagram, YouTube and everything in between

Documentaries, reality, and other non-fiction - for production companies who have hours of footage to comb through and need to find the most impactful quotes to tell the story

News, podcasts, interviews, testimonials and so many more scenarios where identifying the narrative’s best soundbites or removing extraneous audio is key

About Simon Says

Simon Says is the leading AI transcription, subtitling, and video editing platform for video professionals, helping you find the meaningful soundbites, assemble your video, and collaboratively lock story from the web. Simon Says integrates with all the major video editing applications - Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid Media Composer, Apple Final Cut Pro X, and DaVinci Resolve - and seamlessly fits within post production workflows.

Collaborating on edits used to be frustrating. Simon Says solved it.

Simon Says has been featured in Apple’s Keynote (twice), has cloud and on-premises applications that are suitable for every security requirement, and is used by customers at Adobe, BBC, CBC, CNN, Sony, Yale University, Bunim/Murray, Goodby Silverstein, and TED.

To learn more please visit: https://www.simonsays.ai

Sharing the same sensor and near identical specs, the newly announced Canon EOS C70 Cinema Camera is often referred to as a a pocket sized version of the Canon C300 Mark III. The C70 sports a 4K Super 35mm (DGO) Dual Gain Output sensor that combines parts of two different exposures to create a single image with 16+ stops of dynamic range. The EOS C70 is also capable of recording DCI 4K at up to 120 fps in 10-bit 4:2:2.

I'm a big fan of this new design. Perhaps because i've been shooting a lot of video on DSLR and Mirrorless bodies over the years. The small form factor design is looks very similar to a large DSLR body like the 1D series, but has the button, dials, and controls of a higher end EOS Cinema camera. Somehow Canon still managed to include a built-in ND Filter system, dual SD Card slots, and two mini-XLR inputs, and also a Timecode in/out via SDI.

This camera looks solid in build quality, features, and pricing. There's just too much to list here on what this camera is capable of doing, so I recommend checking out the Canon C70 Explora article via B September 18, 2020

I received an email yesterday asking what equipment I would personally suggest for a starter video kit. I get that you can produce great video quality simply from a smartphone, but what the user is asking is for a kit that offers ease of use while providing better video quality for sit down interviews when out in the field and at various locations.

What this means is we don't need RAW, nor do we need the best sounding microphones. We just need something to capture simple interviews to post mainly on social media channels - yet with somewhat of higher production quality. So what i'm going to recommend is just coming from my personal opinion, but you're all welcome to make suggestions of your own. In this post i'll also include a little insight on why i've selected some of the equipment for a Basic Video Kit. Also, while trying to keep it low cost, some of the equipment might not be the cheapest. Sometimes it's worth spending a little more to get the features in equipment that I believe would make for better efficiency and have less issues during live production.

I've personally used many cameras from Panasonic, Sony, Canon, Blackmagic Design, etc. In fact I own all the brands to this day because they all have different use cases for me. Each has pros and cons, and smaller gear is easier to navigate with, but larger gear typically offers features not found in the smaller equipment (SDI, Timecode, XLR audio, etc). While I would recommend the following equipment below for anyone just starting out doing simple interviews, there are reasons you'll eventually want to upgrade if you plan to do more professional work, but we'll save that conversation for another day.

LET'S START WITH THE BASIC CAMERA
For sit down interviews, a camera that's easy to travel with, and fast to produce video edits from, I recommend starting with the Sony A6600. This is not even one of Sony's latest cameras, so besides being a bit budget friendly, this camera offers ease of use and plenty of features for quick on location video interviews.

Sony A6600 Mirrorless Camera

Why do I recommend the Sony A6600? Sony is known for it's fast autofocus and quick face / eye tracking. This is one big reason I would choose the A6600 over a Panasonic GH5 for simple interviews. The A6600 is also a larger sensor over micro four-thirds which can offer a different aesthetic and help to blur out not so ideal backgrounds. Though I believe the in-camera recording quality is better in the Panasonic GH5 (bitrate and codecs), the A6600 I think overall is easier to work with.

Sony is also known for decent quality in dim lighting conditions which means being able to work with ambient lighting, and being able to work with smaller less powerful lighting kits. The A6600 doesn't have time limits on video clips (something even smaller Fuji cameras have), and offers both a microphone input and headphone output (again something some Fuji cameras may lack). Those two audio features are very important to have for video interviews.

If you're wondering why not save money on an older Sony APS-C bodies like the A6400, here's why. Even though final image quality is not much different from an older body, the Sony A6600 was redesigned to use the larger Sony battery (longer run times), and also includes in-camera image stabilization. The IBIS is something that would benefit anyone doing interviews handheld or recording b-roll handheld. It will allow you to work with more lenses that may not have IS built in. The older A6400 for example also lacks a headphone output. So while you would pay more for an A6600, these features I feel are worth the extra investement. There's plenty of other reasons why I would choose the A6600 over other cameras, but let's move on to which lens I think would be great for general use.

MOST VERSATILE LENS FOR INTERVIEWS
My first pick for an overall versatile lens on the Sony A6600 would be the Sony 18-105mm F4. Although this lens does not have the same aesthetics as one that can shoot at F/1.4 or even F/2.8, you get a lot of focal range. This can be helpful when you need to choose between a wide angle or longer focal length to compress the background and frame tight. It has built in Image Stabilization and coupled with the IS of the A6600, will allow you to easily get handheld footage into your projects. If I had one lens to travel with a Sony A6600, it would be this one.

Sony 18-105mm F4 G OSS Lens - via B 1 CommentCheesycam September 2, 2020

I've always loved the image quality and Dual ISO capabilities from the Panasonic GH5s and I still use it actively to this day. I shoot V-LOG exclusively as I personally favor Pansonic's VLOG over SLOG from my Sony A7R3. But the few things I wished it had was slightly better autofocus, in-body image-stabilization, and more of a full frame look. When Panasonic finally announced the S1H full frame, I loved all the features of this camera, but the body was much bigger and heavier than the GH5s. The price of the S1H body alone was pretty expensive and it would require me to purchase a whole new set of lenses (L mount). At the time of that announcement, there was a limited amount of lenses, hence I didn't go that route.

Today, Panasonic announced the new S5. The body is as small (or smaller) than the GH5s, but like the S1H is full frame. The camera also has in-body image stabilization and still provides that lovely flip out LCD screen, Dual ISO, and the VLOG profile that I love to shoot in from my GH5s. The body is priced at under $2K and with a growing line of available third party lenses for L Mount, it's more affordable now to add new lenses. The new Panasonic S5 for me ticks off a lot of boxes, and adds pretty much everything I felt was missing from my GH5s. I'm excited to be adding this camera to my workflow!

Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 Mirrorless Digital Camera

If you have to shoot outdoors and you need to diffuse the harsh sunlight you'll want to setup a scrim. But setting one up is not always an easy task for one person, and to one over your subject's head typically requires at least 2 stands. With each stand, you'll need to drag out some weighted sand bags to prevent the setup from tipping over (as it becomes a sail in a slight breeze). While this is the preferred method on most shoots, sometimes it's easier to just move your subject into a shaded area and relight (or bounce light back in with a reflector). Here's where a simple Pop-Up tent could help.

Using a lightweight fast setup one like this 10x10 Easy Pop Up Tent will offer some overhead shade. And choosing will a white canopy will help to diffuse (mostly block) the sunlight without causing any color casts. Once you have your subject in the shade, you can bounce light back in with a reflector. The cons for this type of setup is that you can't shoot too wide as the legs of the tent could get into the shot. So using a longer focal length will help to compress your image, and this setup should be great for talking head shots done outdoors.

While a simple pop tent is no replacement for a good scrim, it's better than nothing when you find yourself (being lazy) not wanting to setup a scrim with all the extra bits and heavy sandbags typically required. You can find many pop up tents some as small as 5x5 for under $100 these days. And if you're not using it to shade your subject, you can use it as an area for the rest of your gear and crew.

Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera

Sony A7S III Overview (via BHphoto)
Optimized video, optimized sensitivity, optimized speed, the Sony Alpha a7S III raises the bar for what a full-frame mirrorless camera is capable of. A revised 12.1MP Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor and updated BIONZ XR image processor offer faster performance, improved noise reduction, and a wider dynamic range, along with UHD 4K 120p video recording and internal 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling.

Video is the primary application of the a7S III, and improvements to the sensor and processor enable faster readout speeds and greatly reduced rolling shutter, along with high-bitrate internal recording, 16-bit raw output via the full-size HDMI port, and flexible control over motion with variable frame rate selection. The a7S III also does away with recording time limits and incorporates HLG for direct HDR production as well as S-Log2/S-Log3 gamma profiles for advanced HDR production with editing.

The updated sensor design also brings improved autofocus performance via 759 phase-detection points, which offer intelligent subject tracking and Real-time Eye AF to ensure critical focus on moving subjects in all recording modes. The sensor and BIONZ XR processor also facilitate impressive sensitivity, with an expanded range from ISO 40-409600, as well as fast 10 fps continuous shooting for up to 1000 consecutive raw frames. Additionally, 5-axis SteadyShot INSIDE sensor-shift image stabilization is available, too, which minimizes the appearance of camera shake by up to 5.5 stops.

Complementing the imaging assets, Sony has also made some changes to the a7S III's physical design, including a rear LCD with a side-open articulating design and an impressive 9.44m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. The camera's menu system has also been updated for more intuitive navigation and the body design helps to promote better heat dissipation for improved continuous recording capabilities. Additionally, dual memory card slots both support working with CFexpress Type A or SD UHS-II memory cards for flexible and high-speed file storage.

Sony a7S III Mirrorless Camera

Today Blackmagic Design announced a new Ursa Mini Pro Camera capable of shooting up to 12K at 60fps resolution. The 12K Super35 sensor was developed directly by Blackmagic Design. So while many productions may not 'always' require such high resolutions, the new Ursa Mini Pro 12K can switch to lower resolutions using in-sensor scaling due to a symmetrical sensor design. The camera body itself has not changed (much) and all previous accessories designed for Ursa Mini Pro cameras should work such as any rigs, Ursa EVF, etc.

BlackMagicdesign Ursa Mini Pro 12K Camera

But one accessory i'm really glad to see them figure out is the new SSD Adapter. I admit there was some controversy around the one they made for the 4.6K camera, when I returned mine and went with an aftermarket solution. The problem was that their SSD recorder for the 4.6K used the SDI outputs to record. But because I use the SDI outputs on my ATEM switcher, this option didn't work for me. Instead I used an SSD adapter that connected to the CFAST ports, and left my SDI outputs free for me to use.

Blackmagicdesign's new SSD Adapter fixes this problem now by connecting to the (newly relocated) Type-C USB port. The adapter is powered through the camera, and the data is recorded through the Type-C leaving your SDI ports free to use. Finally!

Product Description:
Featuring a revolutionary 12K Super 35mm 80 megapixel sensor with Generation 5 Color Science and 14 stops of dynamic range, URSA Mini Pro 12K is designed for high end feature film production.

Storage Features
Storage Type
2 x CFast 2.0
2 x SD UHS-II cards
1 x high speed USB-C expansion port for external media.

Storage Rates
Storage rates based on 24 frames per second.

12K - 12,288 x 6480
Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 578 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 361 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 241 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 160 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 241 to 578 MB/s 1
Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 144 to 361 MB/s 2
Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 96 to 241 MB/s 3
Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 72 to 180 MB/s 4

8K - 8192 x 4320
Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 258 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 161 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 107 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 72 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 107 to 258 MB/s 1
Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 64 to 161 MB/s 2
Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 43 to 107 MB/s 3
Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 32 to 81 MB/s 4

6K - 6144 x 3240
Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 145 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 91 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 61 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 40 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 61 to 145 MB/s 1
Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 36 to 91 MB/s 2
Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 24 to 61 MB/s 3
Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 18 to 45 MB/s 4

4K - 4096 x 2160
Blackmagic RAW 5:1 - 65 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 8:1 - 41 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 12:1 - 27 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW 18:1 - 18 MB/s
Blackmagic RAW Q0 - 27 to 65 MB/s 1
Blackmagic RAW Q1 - 16 to 41 MB/s 2
Blackmagic RAW Q3 - 11 to 27 MB/s 3
Blackmagic RAW Q5 - 8 to 20 MB/s 4

Recording Formats
Blackmagic RAW Q0, Q1, Q3, Q5, 5:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 18:1 at 12,288 x 6480, 11,520 x 6480, 12,288 x 5112, 7680 x 6408, 8192 x 4320, 7680 x 4320, 8192 x 3408, 5120 x 4272, 6144 x 3240, 4096 x 2160, 3840 x 2160, 4096 x 1704 and 2560 x 2136 stored as 12 bit non-linear with film, extended video, video or custom 3D LUT embedded in metadata.

Ursa Mini Pro 12K will be Available for Pre-Order via B July 2, 2020

Zoom announces a new H8 / 12-Track Portable Recorder that is designed to make it easier to switch between Podcasting setups or Sound Recording with 3 App driven modes.
Podcast App: With four mic channels and two sound pad channels readily available, the Podcast app makes high-quality podcast production easy. Use the 13 pre-loaded sounds or load your own from an SD card to trigger sound effects, music beds, and more from the dedicated Sound Pads. Music App: Record up to 10 input tracks, overdub, mix, and enhance your recordings with EQ and compression, all while the Music app puts important controls such as audio levels, faders, and metering at your fingertips. Plus, you can connect to Zoom’s Guitar Lab via USB to access a vast assortment of amps and effects. Field App: Designed for location sound, sound design, conferences, and more, the Field app gives you instant access to large meters for every track, so you can make sure your recordings never clip. It also lets you quickly adjust input type, lo-cut filtering, compression, limiting, the noise gate, and other key settings.

Zoom H8 Product Overview
With three app-driven modes that instantly configure the color touchscreen for podcasting, music production, or location recording, the Zoom H8 portable handheld recorder lets you quickly record up to eight simultaneous input signals via a workflow that's highly optimized for your task. Plus, it's compatible with an array of capsules (available separately) for easy expansion into 10-input recording, Ambisonics 360-degree audio, and more.

Like other H-Series Handy recorders such as the H5 and H6, you can hold the H8 in your hand, attach it to a mic stand or tripod, or mount it to a camera (shoe mount available separately); the H8 packs an impressive array of features into a lightweight body that's more than ready to meet the varied demands of podcasters, musicians, sound designers, and content creators. The bundled Cubase LE and WaveLab Cast software programs give you the tools you need to edit, refine, export, and upload your projects. Read more >>

Zoom H8 Recorder