Circom Mojo Training – story 3 by Nadejda

This package was shot by Nadejda Uzunova from BNT Bulgaria on an iPhone using FilmicPro and edited on iPad using Pinnacle Studio. This was the final piece produced at the end of the 5 day course. Nadejda had never previously shot or edited a package

Circom Mojo Training- story 2 by Janneke

This package was shot by Janneke Niland from RTV Oost in the Netherlands on an iPhone using FilmicPro and edited on a MacBook Pro using Final Cut. This was the final piece produced at the end of the 5 day course

I had high hopes but alas Im dissapointed | RØDE Microphones – SmartLav

RØDE Microphones – smartLav.  Im just back from a week long Mobile Journalism training course in the beautiful Santiago De Compostella, Galicia, Spain. This is the second Circom Regional Mobile Journalism course Ive led with my colleagues Karol Cioma from Circom, John Inge Johansen from NRK Norway and Darko Flajpan from HRT Croatia. Im really looking forward to sharing some of the stories that the participants shot. As soon as Circom posts them to their YouTube channel Ill embed them here also.

Anyway that preamble brings me to the purpose of this post. I was really excited to try out my theory of a budget MoJo kit consisting of just a Glif+ and a Rode Smartlav while on the course. There was a substantial array of different holders and audio accessories ranging from Owle Bubos, Phocus Accents, Makayama iPad holders, Glifs and Fostex AR4i. During the interview excercises I asked a number of the students to try out the SmartLav with the simple holder. The results were very disappointing. I had tested the Smartlav in one of our radio soundbooths and under those controlled conditions it performed pretty well, but when in a moderatley noisy environment – a shop for instance, the audio quality was abysmal. The audio was distorting on several of the interviews and no matter where we positioned the mic the level was always too loud or too much ambient sound. (We were using FilMicPro as our camera app and the SmartLavs were plugged directly into the iPhones (4s/5) ) I will email Rode to ask if we were doing something wrong but Im already anticipating their response. On the website the SmartLav is shown in use with the Rode Rec App which has an integral gain control for the mic. When used with FilMicPro no such audio gain is possible though of course you can see the audio level on the screen you cannot hear it as A. A split adapter would be required and B. FilMicPro currently doesnt support realtime audio monitoring while recording. (Though I am reliably informed that this is something Cinegenix are working on for a future update) Anyway the up shot of all this is that the students themselves refused to use the SmartLav for their actual stories preferring instead to use the IK Multimedia iRig Pre  with pro-grade lavalier mics like the AKG C417.

One other surprise was with the iPhone 4s using the Fostex Ar4i . If you are using the Ar4i as your audio interface via the Apple 30pin dock connector you will know that it can support two separate audio inputs. We were using the latest version of FilMicPro (V.3.2.1) which will show two separate audio meters / audio channels when connected to the Fostex -However, every time we clicked into the media review button to check back a clip and then closed it to go back to the FilMic Camera the App would loose its connection to the Fostex, showing only one audio track and in some cases defaulting back to the iPhone mic. This issue caused some problems for some of our interviews which was quite annoying. I need to investigate the issue further to identify if its a particular version of iOS, a version of FilMic or a firmware update with the Fostex Ar4i – but watch out for it! ALWAYS CHECK BACK YOUR AUDIO BEFORE LEAVING THE INTERVIEW!!

iPhone 4s and 5 have separate mics for video and they are not where you (or I) think!. You Learn Something New Everyday – via @marcsettle

So on Friday 19th May I gave a 30min talk on Mojo at the Journalism.co.uk conference News:Rewired in London.

I was advocating the use of some form of Tripod holder and and external microphone to augment the quality of the video content you can create with the iPhone. At the end of the session my good friend Marc Settle from the BBC College of Journalism gently called me aside and politely said – “One of your slides in factually incorrect” I blushed, took a deep breath and asked which one. “The one about the iPhone microphone for video”

Can I say at this point that when I get embarrassed I turn a gentle shade of pink, however at this point I was a deep velvety crimson. Marc (again politely) took out his iPhone 4s and recorded a clip and then while speaking proceed to cover the speaker and microphone elements on the bottom of the iPhone, he then asked me to cover the headphone socket, which I did, albeit slightly incredulously. When he played the video clip back the audio showed no change when the mic and speaker on the bottom of the phone was covered but was almost mute when my finger was over the Headphone socket. He then pointed out the PINHOLE beside the headphone socket – which it turns out IS the video mic.

For fear of suffering the humiliation of this epiphany a second time at some future date, as soon as I got home I tested the iPhone 5 – which remember has the headphone socket on the base, with the mic and speaker – and low and behold I discovered that on the iPhone 5 the video mic is in fact BETWEEN the lens and the led flash.

So you see we can all be wrong and we can all learn something new everyday. Im just thankful that Marc chose to call me aside to teach me this valuable lesson and that someone else didn’t  ask about this during the session. Im suitably humbled and better informed -Thank you Marc.

 

Video Microphone placement on the iPhone 4S versus iPhone 5

Multiple iOS Audio device/ microphones launched at CES2013 @rodemics @TASCAMpro @zoomfx

Im just back from a weeks holiday and what a week to be away…Im catching up on 7 days of CES News and Im very impressed with the latest and greatest additions for iPhone / iPad audio. Rode have entered the fray with the iXY, as have Zoom with the iQ5 and Tascam has launched an update to their (in my opinion) slightly dissapointing iM2 twin capsule mic for iPhone, the iM2x. So lets have a closer look at whats been announced…

Rode have a dedicated website for the new mic the iXY. Its expected to go on sale via resellers by end of February-the first batch is already SOLD OUT on the Rode webstore- expected retail around €200- pricey by comparison with some of the competition but RODE make great microphones and just judging by the sample recordings on the RODE site this is a quailty piece of gear – aimed fairly firmly at the pro market I think – not everyone will be able to afford €200 to improve their iPhone audio  …heres some of the detail from the press release:

“At the heart of the iXY is a matched pair of ½” cardioid condenser capsules, fixed in a perfect 90 degree ‘near-coincident’ alignment resulting in immersive and true-to-life stereo recordings, captured in incredibly high detail. The iXY uses its own high-fidelity analogue to digital conversion ensuring all recordings are rich, smooth and accurate.

The iXY’s small form factor and incredibly detailed performance makes it the perfect microphone for recording live music, meetings, lectures, reporting, dictation and sound design, and also is ideal for use on-camera as a dual-system recorder for DSLR.

A foam windshield is provided for outdoor recordings, as well as a rugged zip pocket to ensure the mic is always around when you need it……Released in conjunction with the iXY is RØDE Rec, an app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch designed to be the ultimate companion to RØDE’s new microphone. When used together the iXY and RØDE Rec transform an iOS device into a fully featured field recorder.

RØDE Rec allows for complete control of the iXY’s continuously adjustable input levels for recording in loud and quiet environments, as well as the high pass filter to cut out low frequency rumbling such as air conditioning or outdoor traffic noises.

The RØDE Rec App is available for purchase from the App Store on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore. The app provides a full suite of features including multiple sampling rates up to 96kHz, equalization effects (compressor/expander, high-pass filter, low pass filter, parametric EQ), non-linear editing, geo and photo tagging, and one-touch publishing to SoundCloud, Dropbox, email, FTP and iTunes.

RØDE has also announced a feature-limited free version of the app, simply titled RØDE Rec LE.
The RØDE iXY is shipping this month. Visit ixymic.com for more information or buy now in the RØDE Store.”

ZOOM, the makers of the ubiquitous H4N which is one of the most popular journalist field recorders and also a mainstay of the off-camera audio for DSLR recording, announced the iQ5. Note the Lightning connector – (The RODE displayed is using the 30 pin dock connector but there is a clause on the RODE site that says you can upgrade to the Lightning version when its available for $99 – making it even more expensive) It will be interesting to see how ZOOM perform with this. According to engadget the iQ5 will ship be end Q2 and will cost in the region of $100. There is no press release on the Zoom/Samson website as yet.

 

Finally Tascam who have been in the iOS audio accessory space for quite some time now, has previewed the iM2x  (top) and the iXJ2 (bottom) Both iOS mic/adapters are shipping right

 

 

now and I saw indicative pricing on www.Thomann.de of €77 each. I bough the original iM2 shortly after it was announced and gave it out to a couple of our radio journalists to try out – In the studio environment the audio was OK but O.M.G. the slightest whisper of wind had the thing popping all over the place – so much so that Rycote came out with a deadcat for it very quickly. Im seriously hoping the the iM2x is a substantial improvement on the original…Ive ordered one so will post an audio sample when I receive it.

The iXJ2 is of significant interest to me, I could be wrong (and please correct me if I am) but the only other device Im aware of that currently allows stereo recording on iOS (iPhone) is the Fostex Ar4i which has been on the market over 18 months. You might remember I posted about a prototype Fostex showed in November 2012 of the AR101 with would give the same functionality but in a different form factor – no release date has been given as yet, however the shape of the iXJ2 is interesting because it just might fit into the butt of the MCam or Phocus? If it did that WOULD be an exciting development – kinda reminds me of the mashup I did in Nov 2011 between the OWLE Bubo and the Ar4i!!! 

HHH’s New iOS Filmmaking Book is available NOW! | Hand Held Hollywood @handheldhollywood @rosenblumtv

HHH’s New iOS Filmmaking Book is available NOW! | Hand Held Hollywood.

Ive been following Taz Goldstein’s HandHeldHollywood website for over two years – In fact I have to give him credit for introducing me to the OWLE BUBO when it was first released. It was his video review of the OWLE that convinced me to start looking at the potential application of mobile in news gathering. If you follow me on Twitter you’ll see that I have tweeted about this book already but for those who don’t, but are interested in the mobile journalism / mobile flim-making movement I cannot recommend this book enough.

Taz has produced what I can only describe as “The definitive mobile production field guide” My copy arrived on Christmas eve and I haven’t been able to put it down since. The list of Apps and Hardware accessories is incredibly comprehensive- If you buy one book on iOS film production this should be it:

Buy a print copy from AMAZON or the iBook version via the HandHeldHollywood website.

Note Taz has a special 35% discount code available on his site so get your copy while you can! You can follow Taz on Twitter: @TazGoldstein @HandHeldHollywood

PS. If you buy TWO books this year then the second I would recommend is Michael Rosenblum’s iPhone Millionaire.

Michael, founder of NYVS and Rosenblum TV has been traversing the globe for the last 20 years teaching journalists and producers how to shoot TV with cheap DVCameras. In the last few years his emphasis has moved to the iPhone and its almost limitless potential as a production tool. In the last few years he has run media training programmes with the Guardian and the Travel Channel but his latest venture is OutwildTV.com Michaels book is a very readable and convincing argument for why the iPhone is revolutionising video production and what you need to know to cash in on it. Its available from AMAZON  You can follow Michael on Twitter: @Rosenblumtv  @NYVSFilmSchool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYMBtNPlROg

Byanymeans-ifilm shot entirely on iPhone | Dan Czerwonka, Producer

byanymeansifilm.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/51375907

ActionLifeMedia the makers of the MCam –  iPhone holder/lens grip had an interesting link to this film on their website: its called By Any Means and it is yet another iPhone shot, short film which looks like its going to do the rounds on the iPhone Film Festival circuit. What cracks me up about this one is that Dan Czerwonka, the films producer mentions on the site that they decided to shoot the whole movie on an iPhone 4s but they then decided to shoot the entire Behind the Scenes production film on a RED EPIC! The irony is killing me…Maybe the guys giving out about Revenge of the Great Camera Shootout 2012had a point after all! Im looking forward to seeing the finished product – they sure used a LOT of great accessories and the website is very informative. You can follow Dan Czerwonka on twitter @furiouswind

Why iPhone and not Android? This graphic may help to explain.

Every time I post something about an iPhone project Ive just finished I get a barrage of anti Apple pro Android grief. So to answer the question once and for all. Let me give you a hypothesis…imagine I run a large electronics company and I want to get in on the smart phone action. I want to bring out a device that allows you to connect external microphones to a smart phone and allow you to (A) record in stereo (B) harness the Digital audio processing on the phone…

Now looking at this quick piece of market research, would I base my business plan on graphic 1 or graphic 2 given that each platform has arguably a 50% share of the market….Which would you go for? Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with Android, in fact I carry two phones with me every day – one iPhone and One HTC Desire (android) it just that the market has a huge selection of accessories for the single form factor of the iPhone4/4s but trying to corner that market for Android means developing about 150 different versions for different case sizes and connectors and chip sets etc etc etc ? You feel me? (Sorry been watching the WIRE a lot lately Case Closed – hopefully

iOS challenge: Shoot a video with iPhone and edit ONLY with iPad. Wanna see the result…?

I spent 4 hours shooting with the very talented Carol Mahon, a design/illustrator from Dublin.

The edit took just over 5 hours including graphics.

Carol Mahon Design website

If the embedded video doesn’t show then Vodpod.com (now Lockerz.com) has let me down -since they were takenover probably, I may have to use WordPress Video from now on – bummer.

Please visit the source video on Vimeo here or click the photo above

I brought a good selection of kit with me but stuck to the challenge..

Shot with iPhone4s using FilMicPro
Mics: Sennheiser MKE400 Mini Rifle
Fostex Ar4i Audio interface
Cullmann Nanomax tripod

The extras were Philip Bloom Pocket Dolly from Kessler Crane, with motor and battery pack (basic controller)
Vinten Blue Tripod for Pocket Dolly

Editied using iMovie on New iPad and used the Split Audio Editing workflow i Blogged about recently to  get soundbites from interview. Used Photoshop Touch on iPad for graphics.

UPDATE: Ive discovered a second way to perform Split audio editing on iPad for use in iMovie!

Old Irish saying – “it never rains but it pours” Only a week after I discovered a way to separate audio from Video on iPad and import into iMovie and a second method has turned up. The last one used email as the “bridge” This one allows you to use email (zip file), FTP, Google Docs, WiFi (shared network) and Dropbox. Ive tested all of the methods and settled on Dropbox as its so easy to use. As before if you want to view the video drop me an email [imobilejourno AT gmail DOT com]  or tweet me to get the password. Happy days

Ive lined up another iPhone shoot, this time (unlike Edible at the science gallery which was all shot on iPhone but edited on Media Composer v5.5 on MAC) I will be both shooting the entire video on iPhone and editing the entire movie using the workflow above / iMovie on iPad (and maybe Avid Studio). Result will be online next week. Hopefully this will illustrate that the iPhone is capable of so much more than just handheld random “breaking news” shots that are so often associated with mobile.