July 3, 2017

Queen’s ‘VR the Champions’ delivers a live show to your virtual reality headset

VR the Champions gives Queen fans the chance to completely immerse themselves in a live performance recorded in Barcelona last year, thanks to 4K 360-degree video and ambisonic audio.

The post Queen's 'VR the Champions' delivers a live show to your virtual reality headset appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

July 2, 2017

Here’s an Easy (and Free) Way to Stop Zoom Lens Creep

Sometimes the most helpful solutions are the easiest.

For anyone who has ever shot with an old, low-quality, or extra long zoom lens, you might be familiar with lens creep. This happens when the lens barrel extends, or creeps, due to its own weight when it’s pointed up or down. It’s incredibly annoying and can actually cost you big time when you need to get a particular shot for a project. There are several inexpensive items out there that help stop lens creep, including the Lensband which is specifically made for it, but if you want to keep your zoom lens in place and not spend a penny doing it, this video by Dr. Jake Newman offers a free solution.

Ah, good ol’ rubber bands—always saving filmmakers when they’re in a pinch. As Newman points out, this idea seems almost too simple to share, but to be honest, I’ve never thought to do this before. In my early days, I had a few temperamental kit zooms that gave me the business every now and again, and like a true noob I had no idea what to do other than keep my hand firmly against the lens barrel to keep it in place.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

July 2, 2017

The best 360 cameras you can buy

While 360 cameras are still a new technology, that doesn’t mean there’s not a few that are worth a look. Whether you want to shoot from the middle or just need a simple, affordable option, here are the best 360 cameras on the market.

The post The best 360 cameras you can buy appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

July 1, 2017

Watch: The Paintings That Inspired David Lynch’s Cinematic Style and Philosophy

David Lynch’s great love of art shows in his very peculiar mundane/macabre cinematic visual style.

Watching a David Lynch film is kind of like walking through an art gallery while on LSD. One one hand it’s beautiful, artistic, even slightly boring, but on the other it’s utterly macabre, so incredibly out there, and so peculiar that the unfamiliarity of the scene seems almost nostalgic. It makes one think, “What kind of man thinks up these kinds of scenarios?” Well, although Lynch is definitely a unique breed of filmmaker, he’s not without his teachers, and in this video essay by Menno Kooistra for VoorDeFilm, we get to take a look at the famous painters that inspired the director to create his bizarre brand and cinema. Check it out below:

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Source: NoFilmSchool

July 1, 2017

3 Cinematic Techniques Alfred Hitchcock Used to Make His Films Stand Out

As a director, Alfred Hitchcock is in a league of his own, but what kinds of cinematic techniques did he use to make his films so iconic?

Alfred Hitchcock was an absolute master of cinema. His complete understanding of the art form allowed him to construct complex cinematic worlds around his audience as they watch his unsavory cast of killers, thugs, and cheats lay waste to his damaged, but determined, heroes. But how exactly did Hitchcock do it? In this video, Sven Pape of This Guy Edits names three techniques that ol’ Hitch used in most, if not all, of his films in order to make them the most thrilling, well-told stories in cinematic history.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

July 1, 2017

The Beguiling Cinematic Worlds of Sofia Coppola

What makes a Sofia Coppola film a Sofia Coppola film?

Oscar-nominated director Sofia Coppola has been directing films for almost two decades and in that time has proven herself to be a true visual virtuoso. Her films are patient, subtle, and nuanced while still managing to be powerfully mysterious and perplexing—each one its own carefully crafted cinematic world that beguiles audiences with their unique and personal artistry. In this video essay by ScreenPrism, we get to see these worlds from all angles, from their visual construction to their oft conflicted inhabitants, as well as get a better understanding of the sensibilities of their creator.

A life in pictures

What many of you know is that Sofia Coppola is the only daughter of famed director Francis Ford Coppola, but what many of you may not know is that she didn’t set out to become a film director like her father. She instead got her start in the fashion industry, interning with Chanel at just 15 until she set her sights on CalArts to study painting, ultimately transitioning into photography at the Art Center College of Design.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

June 30, 2017

These Simulations of Rolling Shutter Perfectly Explain How It Works

If you gave up trying to understand what rolling shutter is and why it makes fast-moving objects look so weird, then today is your lucky day.

It’s always fun to see someone’s confused face when they check out an image they’ve captured that looks melted, bent, or chopped up in midair. “It’s just rolling shutter, guy,” is what I usually say—other times it’s, “Hide the children. It’s the end of the world.” Rolling shutter, which is a method for capturing images, has a real knack for distorting fast-moving objects in pretty hilarious ways, whether it’s a propeller, speeding car, or even a fidget spinner, but understanding why it distorts them is not quite as hilarious. In fact, it can be pretty difficult to grasp for some people—for me—it’s difficult for me (and hopefully for others).

But Destin Sandlin of Smarter Every Day and Henry Reigh of MinutePhysics joined forces to create a simulation in After Effects that is probably the all-time greatest explanation of how rolling shutter works, as well as how it manages to distort your images.

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Source: NoFilmSchool