The Future of Drones and Filmmaking

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Accessories

Published on Wednesday, 05 August 2020 15:04

Written by Filmfestivaltraveler Staff

Cinema has had a long and storied history that can be told alongside both past technologies and the latest innovations in the world. From  Louis Le Prince's invention of celluloid film to the emergence of sound films, there's no questioning the essential relationship between cinema and innovation.

Today, the connection between technology and cinema is stronger than ever. And nothing embodies this relationship more than Industrial Light & Magic, and the real-time 3D projection system that they've dubbed as Stagecraft. Tech Crunch explains how the Stagecraft system is transforming film and television as it allows filmmakers to create sweeping landscapes and complex worlds without ever leaving the set. However, this isn't the only piece of technology that lets filmmakers capture stellar sights from new angles and perspectives. The rise and popularity of drone technology has also greatly improved the way we make films today.
Considering how much more can be done when it comes to improving upon drone technology, the possibilities for filmmakers seem truly endless. If you want to know more about this, read on for a quick run-through of how drones are being used in films and what it could mean for the future of cinema itself.

Drones are unmanned flying devices that are either controlled remotely or fly autonomously by following pre-programmed flight plans. While they initially began as a novelty, they were soon utilized by the military in covert operations. However, the innovations in drone technology have allowed it to branch out into different industries such as agriculture and entertainment. Adorama’s array of drones and accessories are a testament to the diversity of drone technology. The range highlights how in terms of filmmaking, drones and drone cameras have allowed for more dynamic cinematography and unique points of view. Through the use of drones, filmmakers broke through the physical limitations set by ground-based cameras. 

The use of drones also allowed filmmakers to shoot in areas that could prove to be dangerous for humans. This is significant, as directors no longer need to take such huge risks. These were common not too long ago, with films such as Werner Herzog's masterpiece, Fitzcarraldo, putting the crew in mortal danger due to the hazardous shoot location. This particular shoot even led to a literal lost foot for one of the unfortunate crew members, all thanks to an unexpected snake bite.

A great example of how drones circumvent these risks is seen in scenes such as Skyfall's motorcycle chase, as it makes use of drone tech to capture all the action, while minimizing the risk of accidents for the remote camera crew. Drones were utilized quite a bit in the making of Skyfall, as they had to shoot in some pretty exotic locations even by Bond film standards.

Considering where we already are when it comes to drone technology in film, how much further can we really push the envelope? Well, as mentioned above, drones can either be manually controlled or be autonomous as long as they've been programmed to follow a specific flight path. And this is where the future of drone filmmaking lies – one where the drone acts as an extension to the film director is certainly not out of reach.

ZDNet highlights how drones can make use of machine learning</a> to learn what particular elements of a shot make it visually appealing for audiences. While a system that completely removes the human element from filmmaking may never be achievable, smarter devices will certainly be a great help when it comes to the filmmaking process as a whole.
[If you're looking for more articles on how technology is shaping how we produce and consume media, check out Film Festival Traverler's articles under our Gadgets & Stuff section. Mpre stories on the sbuject are coming.]

The Love Bottle: Less is More

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Accessories

Published on Tuesday, 14 November 2017 16:26

Written by Brad Balfour

The holiday season tends to involve either perilous ventures into crammed malls, or sitting vigilantly by the front door waiting for your 3X expedited online orders to show up in the nick of time, just so you can end up practically drowning in discarded boxes, wrapping paper, and junk no one really asked for or wanted. Sometimes it helps to remember when less is more. Less junk, less pollution, less useless gifts. That’s where the Love Bottle comes in.

According to their press release, the Love Bottle is “...proudly made in the USA… crafted with up to 40% recycled, eco-friendly glass. The handcrafted lid has two water droplets coming together to form a heart, and a raised heart on the chest serving as a reminder to always wear your heart out. When you take a sip, you’ll look through the mouth of the bottle and see that UR Loved. On a mission to reduce the use of single use plastic, Love Bottle is a friend to the environment and a positive voice for change!"

"With her journey in neuroscience and nutrition leading her to look for an easier way to improve health, founder Minna Yoo created Love Bottle. Believing that bringing love into our water experience can be powerful, each sip from a Love Bottle is an opportunity to change the way we feel and to remember the things that are most important in life. Committed to giving back and helping people who need it, Love Bottle donates 5% of every purchase to Global Water. Helping to get clean water to people who need it, Global Water knows the devastating statistics on access to healthy drinking water.”

To learn more, go to: https://www.lovebottle.com/

Casio Celebrates G-Shock's 30th

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Parent Category: Gadgets

Category: Accessories

Published on Tuesday, 27 August 2013 13:45

Written by Elaine Ing

Thirty years later and Casio's G-Shock still continues to make their mark in the annals of watch history.  What started out as a "Triple 10" concept for an "unbreakable watch" - 10 year battery life, 10-bar water resistance, and 10-meter dropping resistance - has transformed and revolutionized performance watches into lifestyle watches. With over 65 million watches sold globally during its 30-year period, G-shock continues to shock the world with its performance, fashion and innovation.

The annual "Shock the World" event is normally held to announce the brand's latest releases as well as the next phase in its evolution. However this year marked its 30-year anniversary and what other place better to celebrate than New York City?

Members of the press and special guests were first treated to an exhibit of the extensive line of G-shocks spanning from its inception in 1983 to present day. Next came a press conference presided over by Vice President of Timepiece, Casio America David Johnson, G-Shock creator Kikuo Ibe (Director of the Timepiece Development Department), Casio Yuichi Masuda and, rolling in on a motorcycle, CEO and president of Casio America Shigenori Itoh, as well as celebrity guests/ spokesmodels (actor James Marsden, supermodel Jessica Stam, Brooklyn Nets player Brook Lopez and professional snowboarder Louie Vito) who introduced the latest product launches.

Casio showcased a range of almost a dozen new lines, models, and special editions to whet consumers’ appetites.  New “Ultimate G-shock” models included: the Ultimate Iceman, Ultimate Heatman, and Ultimate Frogman.  Expanding on their revolutionary Master of G collection, G-SHOCK introduced the Rangeman: a military inspired timepiece for first response professionals to truly master all natural elements.  Other announcements included the launch of the new 2nd Generation Bluetooth model, Lightening Yellow schemes (available on a number of G-shock models as part of their 30th Anniversary celebration), G-Aviation model and many more.

Brooklyn Nets player Brook Lopez introduced a revamped G-SHOCK classic: the iconic 6900. Now almost 10% larger in size, the GDX-6900 is also packed with G-SHOCK's latest performance technologies. This will the same large model used for the collaboration piece between G-Shock and Eminen, the GDX6900MNM-1, set to be released in Dec., featuring the hip-hop legend’s hometown skyline of Detroit. Supermodel Jessica Stam, following singer Kesha in 2011, unveiled the ladies collection, Baby-G (BA110, BA111 and BA112), which has been updated with layered 3D metallic faces and available in nine different colors.

James Marsden showed off the pièce de résistance, a highly anticipated new luxury timepieces from G-SHOCK: the metal twisted MT-G Collection.  Aimed at the affluent consumer, the MT-G Metal Twisted G-SHOCK collection is a completely new timepiece incorporating metal casing components.  The piece, featuring a new case design and available in three versions will be available exclusively at Tourneau and the G-shock store in Soho (NYC).

Continuing its success with snowboard company Burton, G-Shock announced its latest snow-sport collaboration with pro snowboarder Louie Vito.  
"It is with immense pleasure and satisfaction that we can come together to celebrate 30 years of G-SHOCK with such an amazingly supportive community of G-SHOCK fans," said Shigenori Itoh, Chairman and CEO of Casio America, Inc. "Personally, I'm very happy about the future of G-SHOCK as we are entering a new era for our brand."

Topping off the G-SHOCK's 30th Anniversary celebration was a line-up of exclusive musical performances by New York rapper Yelawolf, star DJ Mick Boogie and hip-hop legend Eminem.