Wednesday 29 April 2015

Ghost Tours Start this Sunday

Right now there's a group of  dedicated volunteers dusting off their black capes & "oldy tyme'y " lanterns, but most importantly their practicing stories designed to give believers the creeps and make skeptics look over their shoulder 'just in case'.  It's ghost tour season again.

'Ghost tours of Niagara' begin their season of Fort Erie Ghost tours this Sunday May 3rd. Tours will run Sundays at 8:30 through May and June with more days and times during the summer. (Full Schedule Here)

The season wraps up (some might say culminates) with the Halloween Tours in October. If you want to be in 'the most haunted location in the most haunted town in Canada on the mist haunted night of the year' (as it is billed by some of the tour guides) get your tickets early. They go on sale July 2nd and can sell out before Labour Day.

I 'm hoping to make  it out a few times this summer (if that pesky job doesn't get in the way) to hear stories of 1812 soldiers, little girls from the era of the fienian raids & unseen forces that like to torment lone ghost ghost guides & skeptical Quebec exchange students (among others).

If some of us do make it out to the ghost tours this sumemr it might be fun to post something here about our night, and maybe some of the the retired tales from the early days of the ghost tours. 


BTW: there are two books filled with stories from the ghost tours. They are written by ghost tour founder, lover of history & science Kyle Upton. If you ever get the chance to pick one up  DO IT. There a good read and currently out of print.


Friday 17 April 2015

Yet Another Test

https://vimeo.com/125300120

Yet another test. Seems like I've been doing a lot of tests lately, but when ever possible I like to test things out before using them on paid work. 

this isn't something I'd use on it's own, but it can make a nice element in a larger piece, a little point of of interest or change of pace.

So here it is, if I get comments &/or  suggestions, even better.

Monday 13 April 2015

NAB 4 - URSA Mini - last for now

OK the URSA mini looks awesome.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicursamini

160fps @ 1080 , base price of $2995.

OK it will be more in Canada, & it will be a bit more to really kit it out,   Plus it's above my budget ... but damn it  looks cool.

NAB 3 Black majic releases


  Black Magic News! by Michael Artsis
I told you BM probabally had a lot lurking behind that wall. Surprise!

The new products we are announcing are:
  • - Blackmagic URSA 4.6K Models
  • - Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder
  • - Blackmagic URSA Mini
  • - Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera
  • - Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera
  • - DaVinci Resolve 12
  • - Fusion 8 Studio
  • - Blackmagic Video Assist
  • - Teranex Mini 12G-SDI Converters
  • - ATEM Broadcast Studio 4K
  • - HyperDeck Studio 12G
  • - Smart Videohub 12G 40x40
  • - Smart Videohub CleanSwitch 12x12
  • - ATEM Talkback Converter 4K
  • - UltraStudio 4K Extreme
  • - DeckLink 4K Pro


     Thyat's just black magic,   there will be tons of new stuff released during the show, I'll be watching & reading as much as I can,  & hope to vcomment on the stuff that I find interesting.

NAB 2

Forgot a few things

The RED world is getting ready for a new 8K sensor "WEAPON"


Freefly (the movi people)  have a new 1st AC controller so one person fly's the camera on a movi & the other person controls the camera from a separate unit that is motion based.  Looks cool, but I suspect it's 'no cheap' as they say.   Freefly might also be announcing another movi unit,   not sure about that one.

NAB 2015 - the craziness has begun !

* NAB is National Association of Broadcasters annual show in Las Vegas & usually features a lot of new announcements for equipment & software.


The announcements have already started leaking out even thought the doors haven't even opened.

1) Black majic  has it's own 4k copter cam (possible it's own copter)

2) Black majic is announcing a mini ursa rumoured to have 4.5K for around $3000).  I was totally impressed by the full size URSA I saw at the vistek show last fall, so I 'll be watching for more about the mini version.

3) 480GB usb drives are being released http://www.photographybay.com/2015/04/13/owc-envoy-pro-mini-is-a-desktop-class-ssd-in-a-thumb-drive/  , but they are more expensive than  a hard drive (for the space they provide)

That's all for now, more to come once the  doors open.