American Cinematographer - September 2016 - 94

Sim Group's Hollywood HQ
Goes Live
The Sim Group has opened the
doors of its Hollywood showcase building,
where Sim Digital, Bling and Chainsaw now
offer a "cameras through post" solution.
This West Coast headquarters is located on
the historic Eastman Kodak campus.
This new space represents a substantial expansion of Sim Digital's camera-rental
business in Los Angeles. Sim Digital offers
an extensive inventory of digital camera
systems and related gear, ample internal
space for camera testing and preparation,
and multiple loading docks for streamlined
fulfillment. All prep bays have fiber connectivity to the 2nd and 3rd floors, where workflow specialist Bling Digital and postproduction services provider Chainsaw reside.
State-of-the-art resources include dailies
processing, quality control, editorial finishing, color grading, visual effects, sound
mixing and deliverables, as well as a pristine
new theater that includes a 4K Christie
projector. The new complex has a robust
networking and storage infrastructure that
includes nearly 1,000,000' of fiber and
copper cabling, and it can accommodate
productions of all sizes and scope, including
those working in 4K, HDR and beyond.
For additional information, visit
www.simgroup.com.
Blackmagic Enables Video Assist
Blackmagic Design has introduced
the Blackmagic Video Assist 4K, a portable,
all-in-one professional monitor and recorder
for use with any SDI or HDMI camera. The
Video Assist 4K features a bright, high-resolution (1920x1200) 7" monitor for checking
focus and framing; two high-speed UHS-II
recorders for non-stop HD and Ultra HD
recording; two high-quality XLR microphone
inputs for professional audio recording; a
built-in speaker; and more.
The Blackmagic Video Assist 4K
works with the latest high-performance SD
cards. Files are saved as broadcast-quality
10-bit 4:2:2 video in either ProRes or
DNxHD formats, making them compatible
with all popular editing software. Recording
can be triggered to start and stop using
LANC, or over HDMI or SDI from the
camera.
The 7" monitor and touchscreen
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September 2016

offers a wide 135-degree viewing angle.
The extra resolution of the screen lets
customers view 16:9 sources and see critical
status information without covering the
image. The Video Assist 4K features a
heads-up display overlay that lets customers
keep their eyes on the shot while viewing
the current input frame rate, histogram,
audio meters, time code and more.
For power, the Blackmagic Video
Assist 4K features two standard LP-E6
battery slots that allow hot-swapping of
batteries while in use, and it can also be
powered using the 12-volt DC input. The
batteries are discharged serially, so only one
is used at a time. When there's power, the
batteries are charged in parallel, which
saves time when recharging.
Blackmagic Design has also unveiled
the Blackmagic Ursa Studio Viewfinder, a
high-resolution 7" studio viewfinder with
variable tension mounting points, tally,
external controls and more. The all-metal
design is durable and features an articulated arm so the viewfinder can be raised,
lowered, and moved forward and backward. The viewfinder features a physical
dial, knobs and three customizable function
buttons that let operators quickly adjust
brightness, contrast and peaking without

American Cinematographer

having to hunt through menus while
live on air. The customizable function
buttons can be used for zoom, false
color, edge focus detection, loading 3D
LUTs and more.
The viewfinder displays frame guides
that can show the location of a lower
third, graphic, logo or ticker so operators can accurately frame shots. In
addition to viewing the built-in camera
HDTV, 4:3, 2.4:1, 2.39:1, 1.85:1 and
thirds frame guides, users can create
up to three black or white custom cursors
that can have variable height, width and
position, making it easy to match the location for all the graphics that will be added
live or during later broadcast.
For additional information, visit
www.blackmagicdesign.com.
Outsight Upgrades
Creamsource Range
Sydney, Australia-based lighting
company Outsight has launched the
Creamsource+ (Plus) fixture range, which
features a fourth-generation LED light
engine that offers greater than 90 CRI/TLCI.

Boasting "panel Par" performance,
the panels provide a spot function that can
be softened with traditional techniques
such as diffusion, lenses and soft boxes.
Creamsource+ is available in two sizes, the
Doppio+ and the Mini+, with a choice of
daylight, bi-color or tungsten balance.
Building on the proven reliability of
the Creamsource range, the Creamsource+
comes with an extended warranty of three
years, attractive price reductions and three
bundled accessory kits: Essential, Pro and
Gaffer.
In addition, Outsight offers the
Creamsource Sky. The high-power, fullspectrum soft source offers sophisticated
color management and modern ergonom-

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com http://www.simgroup.com

American Cinematographer - September 2016

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