Black Friday Photography and Creator Deals from Datacolor

Ant Pruitt November 23, 2022

It’s that time of the year. Holiday shopping and holiday deals are rolling into everyone’s inbox. Over the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sure to share some of the deals I’ve seen just in case you’re interested in some new gear or software for your content creation endeavors. First up, Datacolor.

Color Checker and Color Matching Tools

Datacolor’s Spyder Checkr Photo is marked down from $99 to $79*. Use this tool to make sure your colors in your photos and videos are accurate. You can snap a photo of it and apply the profile most photo or video editors used today.

Spyder Checkr Photo by Datacolor — Image: Datacolor

Datacolor has also discounted its ColorReader EZ tool. Use this tool to scan flat surfaces and identify the closest color match for Savage Universal backgrounds as well as well as match up color schemes when working on design projects. It’s discounted from $59 to $39*.

Noteworthy Mention

The SpyderX Pro is a must have for creatives. At the time of this post, it’s not discounted, but I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on a screen calibration tool. I currently own the older Spyder5* model, but the latest SpyderX Pro is available for $169*.

If you see any other deals out there, feel free to share with me so I can share with others. Thanks, everyone.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Adobe Announce New Partnerships and Key Collaboration Tools at Adobe Max 2022

Ant Pruitt October 18, 2022

Adobe Max 2022 kicks off in Los Angeles with many expectations in this world of content creations with AI becoming more of a norm in the creative space. Adobe is set to announce improvements to its Adobe Sensei AI with several new tools built into it’s Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro tools and more. AI has been controversial in the creative space recently, but as I’ve said many times before, AI can be GREAT for content creators in an effort to speed up repetitive tasks. Here are some of the tools of note coming from Adobe.

Even Better Masking and Selections in Photoshop and Lightroom

Better AI for creating masks and selections in the photography tools will be a big hit. Selections and masks allow creators to work even better with compositing images or get into fine details of the retouching processing. Object selection in the 2021 release of Photoshop was pretty dadgum good. It’s now been optimized even further for better performance. This selection performance will also be available in Lightroom. In addition to the selection updates, Lightroom will also see a performance boost in healing brush and content-aware fill. More information on the Lightroom updates are available here on the Adobe blog, and here for the Photoshop updates.

Adobe Video Updates

On the video side of things, Premiere Pro and After Effects will see a performance boost in renders as well as faster performance on motion graphics templates (.mogrt files). I dig Premiere Pro, but found the .mogrt files included with the subscription to be PAINFULLY slow at times. So slow that whenever I found a graphic, I’d just try to build it myself from scratch because it rendered on the timeline faster. Native H.264 encoding will now be available in After Effects directly from the render queue instead of having to jump into the Adobe Media Encoder (AME) app. After Effects will also have some public beta announcements regarding track mattes, and animation presets as mentioned in the video below as well as on the Adobe blog here.

Cloud Collaboration Rules

Adobe previously announced it’s Frame.IO integration and it’s a big hit for video creators collaborating with other creators, as well as speeding up the review process with clients. Now, Adobe is partnering up with RED and Fujifilm for even more Camera-to-Cloud integration. It’s no secret that RED cameras are found on many sets of some of the biggest television series and movies on the market. Adobe has now certified Red and Fujifilm as partners in Camera-to-Cloud (C2C). What does this mean? Proxy and RAW assets captured on the likes of a Red V-Raptor can be uploaded to the FrameIO service allowing collaborators access to assets needed for the post-production process. A great demo is in the video below.

Adobe Max is available for free as a virtual event if you’re interested in checking it out. I wasn’t able to go this year, but I’m registered and look forward to checking out more from the team including some of their sneak peak projects.

Adobe Camera to Cloud Includes Atomos Zato, Mo-Sys and Teradek at IBC

Ant Pruitt September 8, 2022

With IBC 2022 kicking off, Adobe announces new partnerships and integration with its Creative Cloud ecosystem. Particularly, on the video side with its Camera to Cloud (C2C). There’s been a push for online collaboration for several years now. In my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic really accelerated these efforts from big tech companies such as Adobe. So at IBC, Adobe is set to continue its double-down position and expand on Camera to Cloud.

New Partnerships for C2C

Teradek was along for the ride in collaborative creation since Adobe’s 2021 C2C announcement. The two teams have now added new pieces of hardware to the mix allowing live, wireless monitoring of video content as it’s shot as well as high quality streaming online. The Teradek Serv Micro is a wireless transmitter allowing for monitoring video capture on a set for directors, and stake holders to their mobile iOS or Android devices in 8-bit 1080p video up to 30fps. The Teradek Prism Flex is an encoder for your computer that will allow for streaming to the web or social media platforms up to 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 color. Tools like this in place really open things up for video creators. The head of post at Duplass Brothers Productions, Alex Regaldo says “for the first time, it feels like indie filmmaking is comparable to big-budget productions , and we can’t imagine a production without it.” The Atomos Zato Connect has also been added to the lineup of hardware supported to integrate with C2C.

Updates to Premiere Pro and After Effects

The Adobe video apps featured some updates in the latest Aug2ust 2022 releases of After Effects and Premiere Pro.. I’ve been bouncing back and forth using Davinci Resolve and Premiere Pro for some of my jobs, but I’ve really bene digging the Frame.IO integration in Premiere Pro for client approvals. Ridiculously easy to use as show here. Some of the updates to Premiere Pro include a better titling tool so so graphic creation is more efficient, improved audio ducking for voice tracks with music beds and also GPU-accelerated unsharp mask. After Effects a few beta options such as track matte LAYERS and quick exports with native h.264.

The updates are all detailed on Adobe’s blog here. Check it out for more information on all the new hardware as well as the software update list.

Boris FX Updates FREE Particle Illusion App With Vers. 2022.5

Ant Pruitt August 19, 2022

If you’re a video creator, you know that creating particle effects can be quite a challenge when using VFX apps such as After Effects* , Motion or Fusion. The team at Boris FX has plugins for these apps to help speed up the process, but it also has a stand alone app that works really well. Better yet, it’s FREE to use. It’s Particle Illusion and it has just received an update to enhance the user experience.

In the video below, you’ll see that Boris FX didn’t touch the user interface that much, but gave some additional controls to help make creating 3D visual effects more efficient for the content creator. You can also import 3D models from via C4D (Cinema 4D) or OBJ files. Get the app for free here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I Got a Free V-Mount Battery

Ant Pruitt August 9, 2022

I recently purchased a replacement v-mount battery for my video camera because my old one was just too big and bulky. I wanted something smaller, but yet powerful enough to allow for a decent amount of time recording footage. So I bought this V99* from ZGCINE. Turns out, it’s a pretty great option. The folks a ZGCINE apparently got wind of my purchase and sent me some other stuff for free.

First, I received this NPF battery charger* that’s ridiculously fast. I spoke about this as my pick of the week on #TWiG recently. It’s affordable and totally worth it if you’re a creator using Sony NPF batteries for your lights, camera or monitors.

Next, ZGCINE sent me their newest v-mount battery option. The V50*. It’s an even smaller form-factor packed with i/o you need as a creator. Click the image below to watch my YouTube video about it.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

New ATEM Mini Switchers Announced By Blackmagic Design

Ant Pruitt July 20, 2022

The team at Blackmagic announced a new line of ATEM Mini products today. These models are the ATEM Mini SDI, SDI Pro and the SDI Extreme ISO.

ATEM Mini devices are pretty popular with popular live streamers, youtubers and content creators in general. Including my friend, PhotoJoseph.. The devices are quite useful in allowing a creator to run their own broadcast network as long as enough planning and effort is put in. I’ve previously spoken about the Extreme ISO on my channel, actually.

The main change with the new ATEM model is the input types. Previous models were packed with HDMI inputs. The new models use SDI input. This is an interface more popular in the broadcast camera space. Just like the previous ATEM family, it seems that the better value is to go with the Pro version or higher. Blackmagic mentions the features for the new SDI models below:

ATEM SDI Switchers Features

Features miniaturized control panel based design.
Supports connecting up to 8 cameras or computers.
Live stream via Ethernet on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.
Phone tethering for remote streaming via mobile data on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.
Records to USB disks in H.264 on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.
Automatically standards converts and re-syncs all SDI inputs.
Includes free ATEM Software Control for Mac and Windows.
4 upstream ATEM Advanced Chroma keyers on ATEM SDI Extreme model.
Up to 6 independent DVEs on ATEM SDI Extreme model.
Customizable 16 way multiview on ATEM SDI Extreme model.

The new ATEM Mini SDI models start at $395. Granted, I don’t advise going with the base model. The Pro is $795 and the Extreme ISO is available for $1495. More information can be found on the Blackmagic website. You can order an ATEM Mini SDI from the folks at Adorama.*

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

New G2 Blackmagic Design Pocket 6K Cinema Camera and Updates

Ant Pruitt June 23, 2022

VidCon is going on this week, so content creators are all hyped about new product announcements and potential new partnerships. Today, Blackmagic Design announced some updates to its pocket cinema camera family with the new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2. Also known as the #bmpcc6k.

What’s New?

The Pocket 6K G2* has been redesigned to look very similar to that of the 6K Pro, while still allowing it to feel familiar to the original 6K that some of us own. The LCD is now a flip down/up version like the 6K Pro, additional mini XLR audio inputs, EF lens mount and the battery is now the NPF style of battery instead of the Canon LPE6 battery. Granted, you should probably invest in a better way to power the device with something like a FXLION* pack or a/c. You do not get internal ND filters on the G2, though. Makes sense. You’re still getting a great 6K super 35 image sensor with an alleged 13-stops of dynamic range. But you’re also getting an updated camera operating system (OS).

If you’re like me and running an existing #bmpcc, you can still update your camera OS by downloading the software from Blackmagic. It’s an easy process to update the camera, it’s just a bit slow.

The updated OS includes some useful features to go with the new UI and also unlocks gyroscope information. The gyroscope information will be be used in Davinci Resolve v18 to aid in image stabilization. The stabilizer in Resolve isn’t bad, but it’s nice to see that Blackmagic is working to make it even better. I’ve not installed the beta version of Davinci Resolve 18 yet. Granted, the features sound GREAT in it, but I’m just not mentally prepared to have beta software running on client work.

It’s nice seeing this camera get an update. The 6K is a very nice camera for the amount of money, but it’s not perfect. I’m looking forward to seeing the new OS as well as trying out the stabilization within Davinci Resolve whenever the production version is released. If you’re interested in getting started with Davinci Resolve, I created a quick tutorial to get you rolling. Watch it here. Get the 6K G2 for $1995 available today.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Adobe Premiere Pro June 2022 Updates Released

Ant Pruitt June 21, 2022

Each summer, Adobe pushes out features for its video editing software aimed at making the creative workflow more efficient. Whether it’s leaning on AI with Adobe Sensei, adding new features or just simply adjusting the user interface. Today’s the day for the latest on the Adobe Premiere Pro* updates.

Vertical Workspace

Video creation is great, but apparently, video creation for social media is even better. With platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok pushing the video viewing behavior from the traditional “landscape” 16:9 aspect viewing to “portrait” 9:16 aspect viewing, it’s been critical that content creators embrace not only shooting for vertical viewing, but also editing for it. Adobe has added a dedicated Vertical workspace for this purpose. It has also updated the Essentials workspace to really help editors that are on a single screen or laptop.

Proxy Workflow

Working with proxy files in video editing is nothing new, but Adobe has opt to make it more obvious to the editor that proxy files are being utilized in the project timeline. This is done by adding badges to the clips in the timeline that are proxies, as well as adding badges to the file in the project bin.

New Text Tools

The update also includes the ability to add nice looking shadows and gradients to text you create as graphics in your video. The interface is still the same, there’s just another field added.

Other updates include improved performance for M1 Apple computers as well as additional GPU-Accelerated effects. More info on the update can be found on the Adobe blog post here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I'm Using Davinci Resolve a Little More These Days

Ant Pruitt April 19, 2022

I’ve been using Davinci Resolve a little more these days because I wanted to get better in yet another app that’s being used regularly in the creative industry. This has been a several month process and I’m still learning as I go. With that said, I did feel comfortable enough to do an intro video for folks on my Twitter page asking if I can help with a tutorial for beginners. Well, here’s that tutorial. This is just to help you get started with Davinci Resolve. And for the record, I’m not ready to leave the Adobe Creative Cloud* just yet, but Resolve can definitely make one think about it. At this time, I still find value in having Lightroom, Photoshop, and After Effects for my workflow. Thanks for watching and sharing. Click the image below to watch.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Adobe Integrates Frame.IO Into Its Creative Apps

Ant Pruitt April 12, 2022

Adobe acquired Frame.IO in the summer of 2021 and all of the creative world was a buzz. It was an acquisition that just made sense in the creative space. Especially the film side. Now, Adobe has announced some fascinating and seamless integration of Frame.IO into its Premiere Pro and After Effects video apps.

Yup. The acquisition allows for simple integration for Creative Cloud subscribers* to work even more efficiently on video collaborations. Creative teams can work on a project managing assets as they’re used to doing with Premiere Pro and After Effects, but now there’s better versioning and review tools built right in. Even if you’re not a collaborative type like me, but want to have a client review a sequence, they can. And get the ability to add notes and mark-ups right onto the file with this new integration. Pretty good stuff. All of this will begin to roll out in PHASES starting April 12th (today).

Adobe also announced better performance for the M1 Apple silicon in its creative suite. In particularly in After Effects boasting an 3X performance boost. WOAH. I like After Effects, but man it can be really slow depending on the composite or effects. M1 users, rejoice.

Premiere Pro has also gotten a new look with its import, export and upload layout. More on that redesign and proposed efficiency can be found here on the Adobe blog. Sounds good, but I find the Frame.IO news to be the true meat of today’s announcement. I’m looking forward to trying this out with my clients for their video reviews.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.