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Articles By Anthony Burokas
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Anthony Burokas | The HM100U, introduced in mid-2009, is generally perceived as the small camera in JVC's ProHD line, which was established with the highly innovative and groundbreaking shouldermount GY-HD100U in 2005 and continues today with the HM250U and the HM700U.
Anthony Burokas | I was recently tapped to work on an independent feature film, a Western set in 1880s Texas shot on the Panasonic AG-HPX300. In essence, it was a video shoot. But there were also some fundamental differences. Based on several days of experiences there, I have a few recommendations for those embarking on a similar path: 11 lessons learned about indie filmmaking from my sojourn into that world.
Anthony Burokas | As great as the new CMOS HS cameras on the market may appear, the reality is that the infamous "rolling shutter" CMOS image distortion can be easily seen when you bounce the camera up and down lightly, or when you pan the camera side to side—things you probably do routinely when you are recording with the camera in your hands instead of on a tripod. Here we quantify and qualify these issues with CMOS imagers compared straight-up with their CCD counterparts.
We consulted our crack team of contributing editors and columnists on what they saw as the game-changing products and trends in the event video industry in 2008. The envelope please...
December 2008 EventDV Table of Contents
Posted 01 Dec 2008
By
Alan Naumann
,
Anthony Burokas
,
Chris Randall
,
Ed Wardyga
,
Jan Ozer
,
Joe McManus
,
Kris Malandruccolo
,
Lance Gray
,
Laura Moses
,
Lee Rickwood
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Marc Franklin
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Peter Chung
,
Philip Hinkle
,
Shawn Lam
,
Stephen Nathans-Kelly
,
Steve Yankee
,
Stu Sweetow
November 2008 EventDV Table of Contents
Posted 01 Nov 2008
By
Anthony Burokas
,
Dan Lewis
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David McKnight
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Ed Wardyga
,
Elizabeth Avery Merfeld
,
Jan Ozer
,
Joe McManus
,
Kris Malandruccolo
,
Lance Gray
,
Lee Rickwood
,
Stephen Nathans-Kelly
,
Steve Yankee
Anthony Burokas | Can single-chip camcorder models priced less than $1,000 and bearing the bold "Full HD" logo do the job of prosumer and professional camcorders costing many times that price? In this article I'll take two high-end consumer HD camcorders into the field—specifically, the wilds of the Alaskan bush—to see what I can do with these little devices.
Anthony Burokas | While HDV and the move to HD have produced some truly amazing cameras—even in the consumer arena—compared to what was available for many tens of thousands of dollars just 10 years ago, those of us who regularly produce live shows are facing a new hurdle: expensive HD switchers.
Anthony Burokas | Even though professional and prosumer camcorder prices haven't substantially changed over the years, the quality of the footage, and the features you have at your fingertips, have increased dramatically since the era of plubicon tubes and 3/4" tape. One the most revolutionary changes is the most recent one: the arrival of compact flash storage in mainstream HD video acquisition.
Anthony Burokas | SD continues to be something we have to deal with today, even if tomorrow, all we'll want is the HD version. So if you can walk away from an event with all your footage in both SD and HD, you're covering all your bases.
Anthony Burokas | As an emerging video acquisition format, AVCHD holds the promise of offering stunning full HD images at the same data rate as DV. But thus far, all manufacturers of AVCHD cameras are using reduced bitrate settings to offer more recording time on flash media recorders. Will 2008 finally change all this?
Anthony Burokas | Sony recently unveiled its latest HDV camcorders, the HVR-S270 and HVR-Z7. This wasn't just any ordinary product announcement; with the release of these new models, HDV arrived as a true professional video acquisition technology.
Anthony Burokas | At a recent event held at Sony Pictures in NYC, Sony treated the press to a hands-on experience with their XDCAM EX and HD1000U camcorders. Both can record HDV, but the similarities end there.
Anthony Burokas | HD Today columnist Anthony Burokas recounts life on the set of the Speed Channel's Pinks: All Out, where he worked as an audio assist during taping earlier this year in Philadelphia.
Anthony Burokas | Since I saw Sony’s prototype HDV version of the DSR-250 at NAB, I’ve been envisioning the features of my dream HDV camcorder. For me, it’s not a shoulder-mount but a handheld FX1/Z1U-sized model. Some available handhelds have one or two of these features, but I want all of them in a single unit. Is that so much to ask?
Anthony Burokas | Premiere Pro CS3 brings the Adobe NLE back to the Mac as a polished-looking product capable of handling most editing needs with ease. Editors who demand deep capability and minute control may find a few features lacking in what is essentially a version 1.0 MacTel product, but shops that use other Adobe tools, such as Photoshop and After Effects, will enjoy the integration (if they spring for the full CS3 Production Premium suite) and will find Premiere Pro a nice addition to their dock.
Anthony Burokas | To get a sense of what solutions are available and how well they'll work for event shooters today, we compare five relatively inexpensive wireless systems from Azden, Sony, and Sennheiser for their performance on run-and-gun live event shoots.
Anthony Burokas | This winter, I attended a few local professional videographer meetings, and then the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual convention in Las Vegas. Having some time to reflect on what I've seen, I've noticed a dichotomy that warrants examination.
Anthony Burokas | A magazine’s value is original content. The blogs compete against each other, trying to be the first to tell their readers about that original content—located someplace else. Or they try to find original content that other blogs haven’t found. Or they try to put their own unique spin on the original content through witty comments. Some go so far as to offer serious commentary, or contrast several different related items.
Anthony Burokas | At a time when Apple is stratifying users between $80 consumer iLife apps—iMovie and iDVD—or the $1,300 Final Cut Studio package, Adobe basically invites Mac users to dig out their old copy of Premiere and sign up for the Premiere Pro CS3 Upgrade for just $299, with the Blu-ray capable Encore CS3 thrown into the mix as well.
Anthony Burokas | Canon's new XH A1 and G1 camcorders have a chance to push the boundaries of what a compact HDV/DV camcorder can do. How does the new Canon A1 compare to the handheld HDV camcorders by Sony?
Anthony Burokas | How likely are the new AVC-HD camcorders from Panasonic and Sony to find their way into event videographers' gear bags?
Anthony Burokas | Many video mixers now offer some chromakey capability, and software has made green screen affordable. But if you need the "weatherman" effect and you need it to look good, you need more. Datavideo's latest blue box, the DVK-100, is an excellent live keyer that that can easily save your studio enough time and money to pay for itself over the long run.
Anthony Burokas | As YouTube, MySpace, and other streaming sites take centerstage in electronic media, one must wonder about the value of HD in a highly compressed, shrinking-screen world.
Anthony Burokas | More cameras, more features, more choices--here’s a recap of how we got from a one-camera HDV market to a wealth of choices, and a breakdown of how the models differ from one another and the features of each that serve the event videographer best.
Anthony Burokas | A full-fledged PC designed to make DVD recording as simple and straightforward as set-top DVD decks, but with greater flexibility, DVD Shop is a very powerful tool if you intend to use it to its full ability. However, if you don't need the advanced features DVD Shop provides, there are software-only packages that can handle each aspect of what DVD Shop does and are not tied to a piece of hardware.
Anthony Burokas | As we move to HD production and delivery, editing will continue to happen in the edit suite, of course. But in the showroom, the home theater personal computer (HPTC)--with everything in one, component-shaped box--is the way to go, and at present, Apple seems to be moving--and pushing its users--in the wrong direction.
Anthony Burokas | In addition to shooting HD for HD delivery, there are a few other compelling reasons to shoot HD now, even with SD delivery. We'll take a look at what HD videographers need to keep in mind when shooting HD in an SD world.
Anthony Burokas | The final Intel Mac is released, completing the company's transition to Intel-based computers. Is it a bold step in a new direction or is it something pro users could move to without too much trouble? We'll take a quick early look at the Mac Pro and how it stacks up to the G5 tower it replaces.
Anthony Burokas | Wireless mics make sure you can hear the talent, but how does the talent hear you? Recent advancements in other UHF systems have created some niche products that can be used in the production industry. The Conference Systems, Inc., (CSI) PT/PR400 Portable Sound Feed System is an 800MHz, frequency-agile system with 16 user-selectable channels that is very simple to use and proved to be very capable in the field.
Anthony Burokas | Will the so-called "tapeless workflow" banish tape from video acquisition and editing? Don't count on it.
Anthony Burokas | The Panasonic AG-HVX200 camcorder tries to be all things to all people with capabilities that range from DV to HD, solid state recording, and true variable frame rates. But before you plunk down your money--is it as good as it seems, and what are the drawbacks?
Anthony Burokas | With the arrival of HDV camcorders, it's time to step up our game with better audio recording. Here we compare three low-cost, solid-state audio recorders that may get us there: the Marantz PMD660, the Edirol R1, and the M-Audio Microtrack 24/96.
Anthony Burokas | What is the final hurdle for HD production of special events? Is it the cameras? Editing tools? authoring tools? Or delivery medium? We'll go through each of these and find out the real hurdle that event video producers must overcome to move to HD this year.
Anthony Burokas | MacWorld Expo 2005 brings the first Intel-based computers from Apple, plus new applications and promises of doubled processing speeds. Anthony Burokas takes a closer look at the Macworld announcements and what they mean to event videographers.
Anthony Burokas | After a fast and powerful CPU, the next thing any video editor needs is storage. So we brought in a few of the hard drives designed to match the Mac mini to see how they, um, stacked up: the Maxelerate from WiebeTech, the MiniMate from Micronet, the Mini from LaCie, and the MiniStack from NewerTechnology.
Anthony Burokas | With all the small HD camcorders introduced over the last few months, Government Video Expo in Washington, D.C., provided an opportunity to get my hands on several of them.
Anthony Burokas | There are some who have jumped from DV to HDV for event video. Having made the transition to HDV myself, I'll tell you about the view from over here.
Anthony Burokas | Now that we have a genuinely reshaped HDV landscape, with most of the major manufacturers accounted for, here’s an updated look at the various HDV—and accessibly priced “true” HD--camcorder options that are currently available.
Anthony Burokas | Before you buy into HD--and HDV--do the math, and consider the resolution that "hi-def" image is really delivering.
Anthony Burokas | How do the latest "pro" DVD decks stack up to one another? More importantly, how well do they measure up to the task of live DVD production for professional event work? Here we sample three new contenders from Panasonic, Pioneer, and Sony for live production in the field.
Posted 08 Sep 2005
/ INPUT Software Corporate Profile [January 1999] Issue
By
Anthony Burokas
Posted 01 Aug 2005
/ Microsoft Partners Directory [June 1999] Issue
By
Anthony Burokas
Content is still King. Many say they like the excitement of car racing; however, I suspect that if the cars just drove around the track, and there were no accidents, it’d be far less popular. The drama comes with cars rubbing against each other, jockeying for position, and spinning off the track. People watch for crashes, flames, and the driver getting out and waving to the crowd like a gladiator who survived the fight with the lion. Drama makes good TV. HDTV just makes it prettier to look at.
Posted 11 Jul 2005
/ October 1999 [Volume 8, Issue 10] Issue
By
Anthony Burokas
Anthony Burokas|You can shoot and edit HD today. But how can you deliver it?
Posted 20 Jan 2005
/ July 1999 [Volume 8, Issue 7] Issue
By
Anthony Burokas
Anthony Burokas | Does the NextoDI NVS2500 offer something special that makes it a good choice for pros? I think it does. Key advantages of the NVS2500 include an internal battery for use without external power, an integrated ExpressCard slot for SxS and P2 ingest, an integrated eSATA port for speedy transfer to a computer, internal playback of pro formats such as XDCAM and DVCPRO HD, and a handy integrated USB backup synchronize feature.
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