Feb 20

Two things were ubiquitous at this year’s Broadcast Video Expo, 3D and the Canon 7D. There was even a stand doing its best to exploit both trends, with a stereo 7D rig. Over on the Canon stand itself though, it wasn’t just the 7D that was causing the buzz… Continue reading »
Tagged with: Broadcast • Canon • MPEG2 Codec • Video Cameras
Jan 12
All Posts, Apple, Audio/Music, Awards, Cameras, Computers, DJ, Design, Features, Hardware, Lightroom, Photography, Photoshop, Plugins, Software, VJ, Video, Web, Writing

At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s the start of a new decade and this, in conjunction with the Technofile celebrating its 5th birthday (albeit slightly belatedly) seems like the perfect opportunity to give out some awards. Unlike everyone else’s awards though, the Technies are not for the best of 2009, or even for the best of the noughties. They are for, what, in the opinion of The Technofile, is the best software and hardware currently available to creative professionals. Whether it was released yesterday or 5 years ago is immaterial, the only stipulation is that you can go out and buy it…or sit at home and download it (legally, of course) now. So, without further ado: Continue reading »
Tagged with: 2010 • Ableton Live 8 • Ableton Suite 8 • Access Virus • Act! by Sage 2010 • Adobe After Effects CS4 • Adobe Creative Suite CS4 Master Collection • Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 • Adobe Illustrator CS4 • Adobe InDesign CS4 • Adobe Lightroom 2 • Adobe Photoshop CS4 • Akai Professional APC40 • anti virus • anti-spyware • APC40 • Apple • Apple Final Cut Studio • Apple iPhone • Apple Logic Studio • Apple Mac Book Pro • Apple Motion 4 • Apple OS X • Arturia • Arturia Analog Factory 2 • Arturia ARP2600 V • Arturia Brass • Arturia CS-80V • Arturia Jupiter-8V • Arturia Minimoog V • Arturia Moog Modular V • Arturia Prophet V Arturia Prophet VS • Audio Ease Altiverb 6 • Audio Ease Speakerphone 2 • AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9 • Awards • BBE D82 Sonic Maximizer • Best Control Surface • Best DAW • best gadget • Best Hardware Synthesizer • Best Reverb • Best soft synth • Bob Moog • Camel Audio Alchemy • Camel Audio CamelSpace • camera • Canon 5D MkII • cell phone • compact digital camera • computer • computing • contact management • Convergent Design Nano Flash • DAW • distortion • DJ • DJ deck • DJ mixer • DJing • DSLR • DTP • E-MU Systems Emulator X3 • Edirol V4 • Final Draft 8 • firewall • Gadget • GPS • Graphics Tablet • HDR • HDRsoft Photomatix Pro 3 • Holga 120 GN • Illustration • iZotope Trash • Laptop • Lightroom plug-in • Line 6 Bas Pod • Line 6 Guitar Pod • Litepanels • Microsoft Windows 7 • Microsoft Windows XP • mobile phone • motion graphics • music tech • Music Technology • Nik Color Efex Pro 3 • Nik Dfine 2.0 • Nik Sharpener Pro 3.0 • Nik Silver Efex Pro • Nik Viveza 2 • Nikon D3s • Norton Internet Security 2010 • Novation SL MkII • onOne Focal Point 2 • onOne Genuine Fractals 6 Professional • onOne Mask Pro 4 • onOne Photo Frame 4.5 • onOne Photo Tools 2.5 • onOne PhotoTune 3 • Operating System • OS • Panasonic Lumix DMC GF-1 • phone • Photography • Photoshop plug-in • Pioneer CDJ 2000 • Pioneer DJM-800 • Pioneer DVJ-1000 • Pioneer SVM-1000 • Portrait Professional Studio 9 • Predator • Propellerhead Reason • Propellerhead Record • Propellerhead Rewire • Proteus 2000 • Quark Express 8 • Resolume Avenue 3 • reverb • Ricoh GXR • Rob Pappen • Scriptwriting software • Sekonic Dualmaster L-758 Cine • Sennheiser • Serrato Scratch Live • Snow Leopard • Sony PMW EX1 • Sony PMW EX3 • Sony Vegas Pro 9 • SSL 9000k • Sub Boom Bass • Technics SL-1210M5GEB • The 10 Year Suite • The Technofile • TomTom Go 950 Live • Video • Video Editing • VJ • VJ deck • VJ mixer • VJ software • VJing • Wacom Intuos 4 L • web design • Write Brothers’ Movie Magic Screenwriter 6 • X-Rite ColorChecker Passport • Xtreme Lead
May 20

Just over a year ago, Sony announced the camera formerly known as the XDCAM EX (which is now known as the EX1). Sony’s first solid state HD camera, with a ‘proper’ lens, at an affordable price, it was nothing short of revolutionary and I predicted that it would do for filmmaking, what DV did for TV. Naturally I was right. However, great though the PMW-EX1 was, it did have some limitations. But now the good news is that most of these limitations have been addressed by the PMW-EX3, which is not a replacement, but a higher spec, higher priced model, that will be sold alongside the existing PMW-EX1. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Hardware • Previews • Sony • Video • Video Cameras
Feb 09

Desktop audio and video editing is a great thing…using a mouse to navigate a timeline is not…enter Contour Design’s Shuttle Pro, a mini control surface that’s pre-configured to work out of the box with many of today’s top A/V applications. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Animation • Control Surfaces • Hardware • Reviews • Video
Sep 07

Yesterday, at a press conference at IBC in Amsterdam, Sony formally announced the specifications and pricing of its new PDW-EX1 camcorder.
First previewed six months ago at NAB in Las Vegas, as the XDCAM EX, it has since become one of the most hotly anticipated and talked about video cameras of all time…and here’s why…in a nutshell, it’s a true HD (1920 x 1080) 3 chip camera, that records native 24p (23.98) direct to memory cards, has a real lens with full manual control and is badged Cine Alta (as used on Sony’s ultra high end digital cinema products), yet it is roughly the size and form factor of a Sony Z1…and is affordable! Continue reading »
Tagged with: Previews • Video • Video Cameras
Apr 25

It had to happen sooner or later and now it has…someone has released a dual format Blue Ray and HD DVD drive…and that someone is LG Electronics. I know this because last week I was at the launch of not one, but two dual format drives, by the major Korean manufacturer, at appropriately cutting edge London venue, 24. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Audio • News • Previews • Rebbetorials • Storage • Video
Mar 27
All Posts, Animation, Audio/Music, Design, Film, News, Photography, Photoshop, Previews, Software, VJ, Video, Web

Those of you who read my blog will know that at the end of January, I spent half a day at an exclusive press event (and a further half day at a follow up event a couple of weeks ago). Since both events were under Non Disclosure Agreement, I was unable to say anything more until now…when I can exclusively reveal that they were previews of Adobe’s Creative Suite 3, which will be formerly announced today. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Animation • Design • Film • Music • Previews • Software • Video • VJ • Web
Feb 10
If you look in the Oxford English Dictionary, under ‘bloody shambles’, the definition you’ll probably find is “Video Forum.” Continue reading »
Tagged with: Reviews • Shows • Video
Nov 26
If you want to find your way into the VJing scene, you can either head for the next AV Social, or you can buy yourself a copy of ‘Audio-Visual Art + DJ Culture’, edited by Michael Faulkner/D-Fuse…the world’s #12 VJs according to DJ Magazine.
Not so much a book as an visual experience, its lavishly illustrated 191 full colour pages are, quite simply, art, each one providing a unique visual window into the world of VJing. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Books • DJ • Music • Reviews • Video • VJ
Jul 24
All Posts, Animation, Audio/Music, Design, Film, Photography, Photoshop, Reviews, Software, VJ, Video, Web
Adobe recently updated its video suite, with full new versions of…pretty much everything and having spent the past couple of months putting it through its paces, I’m lovin’ it, lovin’, lovin’ it, lovin’ it like this… Continue reading »
Tagged with: Animation • Design • Film • Music • Photography • Photoshop • Reviews • Software • Video • VJ • Web