Virtual Reality and 360 Video Panel

Virtual Reality and 360 Video Panel

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
The B & H Photo live stream event, A Production Revolution: Virtual Reality and 360 Video Live Panel Discussion, today shared interesting takes about virtual reality and 360 video. What is virtual reality (VR)? "...the creation and stimulation of environments that you can interact with and experience. Virtual reality is simply the next way that we are going to tell stories. Take it a whole step beyond film and photos and traditional story telling methods." Nicolas Cambata Notes & Takeaways: Pre-Production Treat production with virtual reality and 360 video like a stage play. Filming Be mindful of framing; watch for objects which may interfere with the immersive experience (foreground). Treat the camera(s) like a person and think about the human reaction Post-Production "Painting out" in frames is possible. Stitching is necessary to "stitch" overlapping fields of view. It turns the individual videos into a single, high resolution, seemless panoramic video. Click here to check out VideoStitch tutorial. Parallax will need to be corrected. Parallax error is introduced by the slightly different...
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Compact Sony Cameras to Supplement Film Production

Compact Sony Cameras to Supplement Film Production

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
If you are looking for another camera to work along with your main camera, Sony offers 3 smaller cameras to choose from - the FS7, RX10 or a7S models. Here are the specs: Specs for the RX10 Imaging Pixels Actual: 21 Megapixel Effective: 20.2 Megapixel Sensor 1.0" (13.2 x 8.8 mm) CMOS File Formats Still Images: JPEG, RAW Movies: MP4, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, MPEG-4 AVCHD, XAVC S Audio: AAC LC, AC3, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM Max Resolution 20 MP: 5472 x 3648 Aspect Ratio 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9 Image Stabilization Optical Color Spaces sRGB, Adobe RGB Optics Lens Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar, 14 elements in 11 groups 7 Aspherical EFL: 8.8-73.3mm (35 mm equivalent: 24-200mm) Aperture: f/2.8 Filter Thread 62mm Zoom Optical: 8.3x Clear Image Zoom: 16x Digital: 33x Focus Range Wide: 1.18" (3 cm) - Infinity Telephoto: 9.84" (25 cm) - Infinity Exposure Control ISO Sensitivity Auto, 100-12800 (Extended Mode: 64-25600) Shutter Type: Mechanical Speed: 4 - 1/3200 seconds in  Auto Mode Type: Mechanical Speed: 30 - 1/3200 seconds in  Program Mode Type: Mechanical Speed: 30 - 1/3200 seconds in  Bulb Mode Type: Mechanical Speed: 30 - 1/3200 seconds in  Aperture Priority Mode Type: Mechanical Speed: 30 - 1/3200 seconds in  Shutter Priority Mode Type: Electronic Speed: 4 - 1/32000 seconds in  Auto Mode Type: Electronic Speed: 30 - 1/32000 seconds in  Program Mode Type: Electronic Speed: 30...
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Wren’s Song Helping Orphans in the DRC

Wren’s Song Helping Orphans in the DRC

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Sarah and Tony Witbrod are passionate about helping children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). There are an estimated 4.6 million orphaned children in this area of Africa. In February, the Washington Times published an article detailing their inspiring story of finding hope for Congolese children through the tragedy of others. Here's an excerpt: "The brief life of a little girl named Wren is making a positive difference for many other children. Sarah and Tony Witbrod were in the process of adopting Wren in 2010 from an orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are an estimated 4-6 million orphans in this war-ravaged country in central Africa. The Witbrods, who lived in Douglas at the time, also planned to adopt Wren’s sister Emory because they did not want the two to be separated. On Oct. 27, 2010, they received a phone call with a devastating message that changed their lives: 15-month-old Wren had died. A malaria epidemic swept through...
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Is Scala a More Efficient Programming Language?

Is Scala a More Efficient Programming Language?

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Recently I've heard more mention of Scala in programming realms that it could become a better standard for programming languages.  It seems they are gaining popularity. According to their website, Twitter, LinkedIn and Intel are using Scala with their systems. It's goal is to create a more efficient programming language. Comparison to other programming languages "Scala is statically typed, while both Groovy and Clojure are dynamically typed. This makes the type system more complex and difficult to understand but allows almost all type errors to be caught at compile-time and can result in significantly faster execution. "  via Wikipedia History The programming language name is a blend of the words "scalable" and "language". Martin Odersky began developing Scala in 2001.  The first version of Scala was introduced to the public in 2004. The second version released in 2006. The current version is 2.11.8. Watch Marconi Lanna's 2015 review of Scala Click here to visit the Scala website and learn more. Click here to read more at Wikipedia....
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Nike Pro Skills

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Nike Pro Skills is helping youth grow to not only become better basketball players. They are providing the opportunity to become better citizens. Today I had the privilege of meeting Josh Feemster who is a Nike Pro Skills coach in Dallas. He shared that another aspect of Nike Pro Skills is their mission to help youth in Haiti. They make it possible for boys to come to the U.S. with the prospect of building a better life through basketball. Visit the website to learn more. www.nikeproskills.com Follow them on Twitter teamproskills...
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Adventure of Goodness

Adventure of Goodness

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Goodness. It is a daily pursuit. It is not a state of living perfectly - none of us can do that. We can do our best to excel at living "good" however. Look for opportunities to serve those around me Listen to those who would like to share a success or struggle Give from resources I have been blessed with Comfort those who are hurting Encourage those pursuing similar paths and goals Highlight the unique talents and skills you see in others Do you want more adventure in your life? Pursue to do good every day!  ...
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Pour Les Femmes

Pour Les Femmes

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
See how Pour Les Femmes, Robin Wright and Karen Fowler have grown their social cause and product line in the latest Selfridges & Co. video. Pour Les Femmes is a socially conscious sleepwear company created by Actress/Activist Robin Wright and longtime friend and Designer Karen Fowler. The company was founded to make a product that they love that symbolizes comfort and security and at the same time helps women around the globe. Click here to visit their website....
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Bono and Eugene Peterson

Bono and Eugene Peterson

by Mark JohnsonNo Comments
Bono. Is there anyone who isn't aware of Bono and U2? Would anyone turn down an invitation to meet with him? Apparently so. And until today, I'd not heard of Eugene Peterson. I had heard of one of his works though, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. I watched the Fuller Studios story Bono and Eugene Peterson: The Psalms with the inspiring story of Bono and Eugene Peterson. Experience their conversation. "Why do we need art? Why do we need the lyric poetry of the Psalms? Because the only way we can approach God is if we are honest through metaphor, through symbol. So art becomes essential, not decorative. I would love if this conversation would inspire people who are writing these beautiful voices and writing these beautiful gospel songs - write a song about their bad marriage. Write a song about how their pissed off at the government. Because that's what God wants from you - the truth. Weigh the truth....
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