To open with a risky generalization, there now seems to be a realisation that pixel count is neither a particularly good sole indicator of image quality, nor particularly difficult to increase. With Blackmagic Design – a camera manufacturer of only a scant few years' experience – already promoting an improvement on its existing 4K... »

Countries, like people, each have a reputation. Most of us are aware, though, that the things for which an entire nation-state becomes either famous or infamous are slow to change and quick to date, and that's why greater international cooperation and communication are such valuable products of technological advancement. As an international travel consultant,... »

Given that the BSC Show at Pinewood a month or so back was so Alexa-heavy, one might reasonably have expected any big announcement ARRI intended to make to be made there, among the more expensive end of the film and TV market. In the end, though, they announced the miniaturized Alexa in time for... »

The winter exposition mounted by the British Society of Cinematographers is always busy with attendees anxious to banish the new years' blues or the frigid January weather, but the 2015 event seemed, if anything, identifiably busier than usual. Certainly exhibitors were in bullish mood, with reports of brisk sales and of rental equipment more... »

Production designer Andrew Menzies finished working on Fury a year to the day before speaking to BTL. With art department credits on Munich, Syriana, The Chronicles of Riddick, Vanilla Sky, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Avatar (as art director) and other titles covering almost any real-world or fantastical designs that filmmaking could call for, Menzies could... »

Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi's film The Boxtrolls ends with a shot in which a long pull-out begins to reveal an animator at work around the foot-high puppets with which the film was shot. The fact that modern audiences may actually need this reminder of the almost absurd amount of effort that's intrinsic to... »

“Once you've picked up the Bible, you're asking for it as far as commentary goes,” production designer Mark Friedberg admitted. In the end, of course, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah defied these concerns, thanks to Friedberg's collaboration with the director to produce such a believable, yet powerfully allegorical world. »

As is more or less received wisdom in the creative industries, second acts are difficult. It's therefore fortuitous that How to Train Your Dragon 2 director, Dean DeBlois, as well as directing and writing credits including Mulan and Lilo and Stitch, also co-directed the original How To Train Your Dragon with Chris Sanders. »

To refer to Matthew Libatique as a long-time Darren Aronofsky collaborator is to indulge in enormous understatement. Libatique has served as director of photography on all but one of Aronofsky's features since his black-and-white 1998 debut Pi, including Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream. Work outside the collaboration includes studio features like the... »

In the past, we've commented that IBC is often the place to see working examples of things that were only announcements at NAB. Being a baby of organizations such as SMPTE, the IEEE and others, there's always been an engineering focus at IBC, and this year doesn't disappoint, with both AJA's Cion camera and... »