May 27, 2018

The Lens Compression Myth: What’s Really Happening to Your Images When You Switch Focal Length

Lens compression is when your lens “compresses” the background of an image. Well, no. That’s a myth.

Many of you might be familiar with the concept of “lens compression,” a phenomenon that makes the size of background elements within a frame appear larger than they actually are, but some of you might not agree on what is causing said distortion, though it’s often said that what makes elements appear larger or smaller depends on which lens you shoot with. However, Lee Morris of Fstoppers tackles this hotly debated topic in the video below, suggesting that the “compression” of telephoto images has less to do with focal length and more to do with camera distance. Check it out below:

Contrary to what you might’ve learned, lens compression isn’t really a thing. Telephoto lenses don’t “compress” images. This phenomenon everything to do with the distance between your camera and your subject, or to use another word, your perspective.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

May 26, 2018

If You’re Going to Crash Your Drone, Here Are 10 Reasons Why It’s Going to Happen

Other than safety, the most important aspect of flying a drone is actually keeping the thing in the air.

Crashing a drone is inevitable. Even the most seasoned drone pilots are occasionally forced to watch their precious darlings fall from the sky—the key word being occasionally, because professionals and experienced pilots don’t only know how to fly a drone, but they know how not to fly a drone. In this video, Tony Northrup goes over ten of the most common reasons behind drones crashes and explains what you can do to avoid making the fatal mistakes that may lead to one. Check it out below:

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Source: NoFilmSchool

May 26, 2018

After 35 Years, We Finally Get to See the Score of THX’s Terrifying ‘Deep Note’

It’s the most awesome, powerful, and terrifying audio trademark in the film industry, and now we get to see how it was written.

Back in 1982, Dr. James “Andy” Moorer wrote a little diddy for Lucasfilm that would join the ranks of the Wilhelm Scream as one of the most iconic sounds in movie history. “Deep Note” served as the audio trademark for THX-certified movie theaters, as well as home video and video games, but you most likely know it as that frightening and uncomfortably powerful sound that played over a simple metallic THX logo before movies.

And now, to celebrate its 35th anniversary, THX has finally made its score public, you know, so we can all know the musical language that scared the bejeezus out of us as kids innocently sitting down to watch our favorite movie. They shared this image on Twitter yesterday:

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Source: NoFilmSchool

May 26, 2018

Just Because Your Location Is Meh Doesn’t Mean Your B-Roll Has to Be

How do you shoot inspiring b-roll when everything you see around you isn’t?

We’ve all been in a situation where we have to shoot some b-roll in a certain location but that damn location is boring AF. I’m talking boring architecture, boring landscaping, boring backgrounds. Maybe it’s a location your client chose and it’s balls. Maybe it’s a location in your hometown that you’ve seen a hundred billion times. Maybe you’re looking through your window and are nauseated by how mundane and dull the world is 30-feet outside your door. If you related with any of those scenarios, you might want to take a look at this video by Peter McKinnon. In it, he challenges himself (and you) to find an “uninteresting” place to shoot some b-roll that captures its beauty and uniqueness, an exercise that will surely test your eye for light and composition, as well a push your creativity beyond its limits.

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Source: NoFilmSchool

May 26, 2018

This Is What a Shot List for a Darren Aronofsky Film Would Look Like

How do you illustrate the emotional drama that goes on in the human mind? Just as Darren Aronofsky.

As one of the most cerebral filmmakers of our time, Darren Aronofsky explores the deepest and darkest corners of the human experience, from the agony of drug addiction to the terror of mental illness. He has lent his incredible writing abilities to films like Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, and Mother! to put these difficult issues center stage, but his ability to masterfully construct controversial narratives isn’t the only thing that makes his storytelling so brilliant. In this video essay from StudioBinder, learn how Aronofsky uses abstract visuals to communicate complex ideas and imbue his viewers with, at least a sense of, the intense emotions that they’re witnessing on screen.

The video examines several very important cinematic techniques that Aronofsky uses in his work, all of which serve to inform the viewer not only of how the characters on screen are feeling or thinking but also how the viewers themselves should be feeling or thinking. Let’s take a look at a couple of them:

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Source: NoFilmSchool

May 25, 2018

Qualcomm expected to reveal Snapdragon chip dedicated to VR, AR next month

Qualcomm is expected to reveal a Snapdragon XR1 chip next week during the Augmented World Expo. It will be optimized for “extended reality” (XR) experiences, which is an umbrella term covering AR, VR, and mixed reality apps.

The post Qualcomm expected to reveal Snapdragon chip dedicated to VR, AR next month appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

May 25, 2018

Vacation and chill: The best virtual destinations to ‘visit’ this Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, forget about the hassle that comes with planning the perfect vacation. We’ve compiled a list of the most ideal virtual destinations, so you can scour the globe without getting off your couch.

The post Vacation and chill: The best virtual destinations to ‘visit’ this Memorial Day appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

May 24, 2018

Microsoft patent could make playing ‘NBA 2K18’ in VR feel more realistic

Microsoft’s accessories for virtual reality will make it feel more real when you’re playing a game of virtual hoops. You will be able to feel drag as you’re trying to make a shot, and virtual checks will feel like real ones.

The post Microsoft patent could make playing ‘NBA 2K18’ in VR feel more realistic appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

May 23, 2018

Free Radical: Chelsea Manning with Vogue’s Sally Singer at SXSW 2018 [Video]

Chelsea Manning changed the course of history when she released hundreds of thousands of government documents. Less than a year after being released from prison, she joined Vogue‘s Sally Singer to discuss her new life, radical politics, and the consequences of unchecked state power, at the SXSW Conference.

“I am not afraid of being a former prisoner. I am not afraid of being a trans person. I am not afraid of being who I am and saying what I did happened. I am going to continue to do things, so it was really an act of defiance.” – Chelsea Manning on joining social media after her release.

In addition to readjusting to normalcy after her prison sentence, Manning has involved herself with a number of different projects. She has a documentary about her life in the works, she’s currently writing a book, and — most importantly — in January of this year she announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Maryland.

Roughly halfway through the conversation, Singer asked about the gathering of information and what advice Manning could offer to people to protect themselves. Manning responded with, “be self-aware of the information you are putting out there…being self-aware when you are revealing something about yourself and whenever it is no longer needed, being self-conscious enough to make it no longer available.”

Watch the video above for the full Free Radical: Chelsea Manning with Vogue’s Sally Singer Featured Session. Browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

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Chelsea Manning and Sally Singer – Photo by Jon Currie

The post Free Radical: Chelsea Manning with Vogue’s Sally Singer at SXSW 2018 [Video] appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Interactive