The Black and Blue

Filmmaking Tips for Camera Assistants

  • Blog
  • Camera Guides
  • Menu
  • 
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Free Ebook
  • Pocket Guides
  • Topics
    • Behind the Lens
    • Camera Assisting
    • Cameras
    • Getting Work
    • Industry News
    • Miscellaneous Tips
    • Production Stories
    • Toolkit
    • Website
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • About The Black and Blue
  • Sponsorship
  • Comment Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • 
  • U
  • 
  • R
  • @
  • Q
  • ˆ
  • ‰
×

Framestore thinks 4K adoption is coming soon

by Evan LuziCameras

  • 2

Framestore, the VFX house that did effects for Gravity, says 4K is coming faster than you think:

You might think the switch to 4K sounds a long way off, especially as the first 4K TV sets were only recently launched, but there is a good chance it will happen faster than the switch from standard to high definition. The TV sets have become affordable much in a much shorter time – HD sets remained at a premium for years, but 55” ultra HD televisions are already available for less than £2,000.

The real question is: will it make an impact?

But will the viewer notice the difference? Well, yes. As our Head of Engineering, Andy Howard, describes: “If you’re looking at someone shot in the correct light and you’re at the correct viewing distance from the 4K display, which is quite critical, then you’ll see detail such as the hairs on their arms, the precise texture of their skin.”

“Correct viewing distance,” being the operative phrase here. As Stu Maschwitz at Prolost explains, the closer you sit to a display, the more that resolution becomes discernable:

If you bought a 60” television, you’d have to sit about four feet away from it before you’d perceive the full benefit of 4K over good old 1080p.

Most people won’t be sitting that close to such a large television. For projectors and theaters, however, 4K may be a different story. Normally I’d chalk this article up to marketing hype, but I respect Framestore a lot after seeing Gravity and all the behind-the-scenes work it took to execute.

Evan Luzi

  • U
  • 
  • z

Creator of The Black and Blue. Freelance camera assistant and camera operator. Available for work: Contact Evan here. Learn more about Evan here.

An Essential Resource for Digital Cinema Filmmakers

Get the Complete Library of 30 Digital Cinema Pocket Guides

  • Canon C500 Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Blackmagic Cinema Camera Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Nikon D800 Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Canon 5D Mark II Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Sony FS700 Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Sony F65 Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • Phantom Miro 320s Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
  • RED Epic Digital Cinema Pocket Guide
Click Here to Learn More

Read Next

The Ultimate Guide to a Camera Assistant's Toolkit

The Ultimate Guide to a Camera Assistant's Toolkit

Every camera assistant will have different tools depending on how they work. That’s why it’s important to peak into what other camera assistants have to offer. So I’m going to show you what I have in my toolkit today and also give you advice on what I think you should have in yours.

  • Deciphering the Film Slate (Part 1): What to Write on a Clapperboard
  • Film Set Lingo: General Production Slang - Part 1
  • On American Naturalism and Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat'
  • 25 Hilarious Filmmaking Meme Jokes: The Animated GIF Edition

'The Gift of Room Tone' featuring Martin Scorsese, Roger Deakins, Cristopher Walken, and More

"Capturing room tone requires [Criterion Collection] interview subjects to sit quietly for thirty to sixty seconds, and of course when you ask a bunch of people to do the exact same thing, they’ll all end up doing it differently. As you’ll see, some are very playful while others are more meditative; some close their eyes, and some look around the room or check their phones."

  • Focus Puller Chris Silano on Using the Preston Light Ranger
  • Tom Cruise Isn't Messing Around with COVID Safety
  • 20 Holiday Gifts for Camera Assistants (That Your Family Can Actually Afford)
  • Get Answers to These 9 Coronavirus Safety Questions Before Taking a Job
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
Becoming the Reel Deal eBook Cover on iPad

It Only Takes One Gig.

Becoming the Reel Deal is a free downloadable eBook written to help you get your first job on set in the camera department so you can launch your film career.

Sign up now to get your free copy and exclusive tips from The Black and Blue.

Get Your Free Copy
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Credits
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 The Black and Blue, LLC