September

IBC shows footage from the RED camera

August

Capture rare behaviour of a Humpback Whale in Iceland

July

Shoot offshore in North Sea the construction of wind turbines for Discovery Channel

Provide 2nd unit crew for HD action feature.

HD kit for Frech based production team.

Aerials for Granada TV australia

Provided complete content from stock footage for Polish HD TV presentation

June

Aerial work for Sky and BBC

Aerial cineamtography for around ireland boat race,.

Aerial Irish coast series included coeographed air to sea shots of a naval warship

May

HD aerials for Hamma Glamma and shoting inside Thames Barrier for Discovery Channel

Detailing the life of Errol Flynn Shooting in Monaco by sailing on his 140ft yatch.

April

HD 24 consults on three major TV series and a HD action feature

Oakley Sunglasses share price rockets US $ 200M in the week of the launch of the RED camera at NAB.

March

Dockable SR camcorder revealed

HD aerials for Visit London and Spitfire special

February

BBC announce Starwinder project to test tapeless workflow

HD24 shoots more HD for Philips TV

January

Nikon announce they will stop making all 35mm cameras apart from the classic F1.

Kodak announce a new logo, after 70 years dropping the yellow square backgound.

Panasonic and Hitachi announce two new factories to make full res HD screens. Bringing the toal invested in flatscreen factories to US$10billion in the last 2 years.

Thomson seem to be gearing up for CMOS camera in 2007

Apple plan 2k workflow for Final Cut

HD24 supplies kit to Sophie Art for third year in succession.

December

Viper filmstream shoot in Mexico for Phillips TVs.

Aerial work for BBC of Europe's Largest fire since WW2 The Hemel Hemstead Oil Fire

Breakfast TV appearance and radio interviews on BBC about shooting the oil fire.

November

Royal Command Variety performance opening title sequence using HD stock footage and commissioned footage.

Technical director and equipment supplier for "Hawk" a HD short.

Aerial work for Arena Aviation.

Multicamera HD shoot for Apple demonstrating Guitar for Mac software.

October

HD commercial for NEWI.

Aerial work or BBC including 8 minute long unedited continuous shot.

Bafta funded HD short film "Ghost"

JVC use my article about judder.

September

*HD Commercial in Ireland for retail store.

*Slave Traders. Reenactment using tall ships for History Channel

August

*Holidays!

*I organize and shoot comparison camera shoot for Avid using three HD cameras

*DCI announce digital cinema standards.

July

*Innovative Aerial Shoot in USA for Major corporate client, using Cineflex V14.

*HD Pop Promo

*BBC aerial work of London Bombings

*ITN aerial work of London Bombings

June

*Complete shooting of high fidelity HD images on location in Miami for TV set manufacturer using Viper filmstream 444 recording.

*More Pop promos.

*Aerial work in LA with Cineflex V14

*Finish shooting bio of Herod the Great, including HD aerials in Israel.

*Prepping for Atlas Discovery France series.

May

*Begin work on HD promo for worldwide, in store release for TV set manufacturer

*HD Stock footage in demand!

*My f900 kit used on 10 camera music shoot in Cuba.

*Prepping for Bio of King Herod

*Consultant for UK production company making part of Discovery Atlas series.

April

*NAB news includes new P2 3ccd camera from Panasonic.

*Thomson unveil deal to put Technicolor digital cinema kit in thousands of cinemas in the USA.

*Superman begins shooting on Genesis.

*Sodenburg signs up to 5 more HD movies

*My kit used on Scottish HD feature "Night People"

*I begin production of feature length HD biography of famous music personality

March

* Genesis HD camera chosen for Superman V. Warner Brothers go with Genesis and the SR format, putting Genesis on the map.

* Tech support for UK HD feature film continues.

* HD title sequence in Ireland

* HD consultant for UK producer of Discovery Home Theater Atlas series.

February

* Commercial for UK insurance company Exeter Friendly

* Consultant for UK feature film.

* Panavision France purchase 26 Canon HD lenses for TV, commercial and feature film work with their non Panavised HD cameras. I have been using the same Canon Zoom lenses for three years.

January 2005

* Pop promo for Belasco

* Commercial with cinema release for Royal Navy Lifeboat Institute, shooting in force 9 gale.

* I get to test the Sony Z1 HDV camera, read the report here

* Attend the HPA tech retreat in California

* Thomson announce the Venom a hard disk magazine for the Viper and rumors of a tapeless disc-less HD camcorder.

December

*New Qualia TV range is shown in London. It looks very good!

*Consultancy and camera tersting continues for TV manufacturer.

*Euro1080 announce plans for second HD channel, "HD2"

*Shooting doc on Bodicia for History Channel

November

*Work continues on Mind the Gap UK US coproduction using my f900.

*Consultant including encoding testing for consumer TV manufacturer

*Conduct 3 day training course in Prague with Prague Film School, training 15 DPs.

*FX1 HDV camera launched

*The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off wins a International Emmy, I supervised aerial HD photography.

October

*Consultant with Asian based CGI effects house.

*Pre production for HD feature film.

*Supplying equipment for Mind the Gap UK US feature film.coproduction

*HD aerial shoot using new HDCAMSR format.

*Job losses at Kodak in UK and Australia.

*Sony release first 1920 X 1080 pixel LCD display illuminated by LED, providing a colur Gamut, better than PAL CRT.

*Price reduction of HDCAM equipment by Sony.

*HD consultant and training for the BBC of staff and freelance lighting cameraman.

September

*HD Commercials for Irish Tourist Board

*BBC announces it will be totally HD production by 2010

*Panasonic and Toshiba look set to spend $950 million on flatscreen factory

*EBU announce 720p as favored transmission format for Europe.

*After uproar of previous reports EBU announce that although 720p is their favored format they may reconsider.

August

*HD commercials for Qatar Airlines. Shooting on location in desert.

*Agfa sells its film operation.

*Sony and Samsung to build $1.5 billion HD flatscreen factory.

July

*HD commercials for Irish Tourist Board

*Kodak announce expected 20% drop in 2004 of domestic sales of consumer film

*HD promo for new London Ad agency.

June 2004

*Shot a Series of HD commercials for an African bank in Nigeria.

*Panavison/Sony announce the Genesis a 12megapixel ccd HD camera, using SR field recorder. Sensor size enables use of 35mm lenses

*Attended Thomson factory for launch of new HD products as well as visit to TF1. TF1 will commence HD transmissions in 2005.

*BSKYB announce HD transmissions will commence in 2006.

*Winter Olympics to be shot in HD.

*Shooting Around Ireland Boat Race. 20 hours of aerial filming using gyrostabilised digital camera.

*Commence work on Americas Cup project

May 2004

*HD gyro adventures continue with pre production in full swing for a major European boat race.

*HD24 is once again back in France shooting a innovative sponsored arts project for theatrical release.

*read my detailed NAB round up of HD equipment in High Definition Magazine.

*Euro 1080 set top boxes now available for around £500

April 2004

*The short film "Murderer Either Way" has officially been scheduled as a Premiere at the Short Film Corner &endash; SFC &endash; on Sunday the 16th May at 5:30pm. Check the website: www.cannesmarket.com and look for it!

*NAB has come on gone. Check back for details of my view on Digital Cinema Summit and new HD technologies in the pipeline.

*Shot a aerial of a London property development, using Tyler side mount and f900. The HD pictures were tracked and a cgi image of the new building composited into the shot. A Windows media 9 file of the completed commercial is being projected on a 8 foot screen in the sales office.

*Pre production for a seven week HD feature.

March 2004

*More digital slo mo is being considered for a Pepsi commercial.

*Shooting a modest budget commercial for a European Airlines the client commented, "how can you make good pictures with such a small crew?"

*In Europe Discovery is commissioning more programmes on HD.

*A mockup of a HDV camcorder by Sony gets plenty of world wide attention.

*Panasonic announce a 1200 deck that records 24 and 25p at much higher quality than 720 60p and a rival to HDCAM. Will they bring out a camcorder?

Feb 2004

*Tom Cruise is being shot on HD for his new movie Collateral.

*I'm second unit DP for Mexican UK co production of Rabbit on the Moon, using my own f900 kit.

*Library sales from my HD library www.cliphd.com are increasing with sales to Discovery channel and Touchstone Pictures.

*My helicopter bracket has finally been approved by the CAA, built to support the cinelfex HD gyro it can also be used with other gimbals.

*I'm consultant for a HD commercial for UK car manufacturer.

Jan 2004

*Digital Slow motion is on the agenda this month with me shooting parts of a commercial for Coca Cola breaking new ground in use of high speed digital imaging and another super slo mo project in the wings.

Dec 2003

*A surprising Parliamentary report details that film as an archiving medium has serious problems, even in the hands of the British Film Institute.

Nov 2003

*I am documenting Concorde's last days for a large screen presentation.

*B17 The mission here is the link to work in process here for the before www.sfdp.co.uk/missions/before.mov and here for the after www.sfdp.co.uk/missions/after.mov B17 is the 3d HD short, with 180 degree projection! Director is Benjamin Smith. benjamin.smith@sfdp.co.uk

*A US stock footage Library bought my stock footage, feed back from the ABC prime time show was that it was the best stock footage they had ever bought! The show shoots on 35mm film.

Oct 2003

*Flight testing of my new helicopter camera bracket is now complete. The bracket can be fitted with ultramedia or cineflex camera systems as well as other systems. It has been thoroughly tested and proved to latest CAA specification. The benefits to producers include 30% reduction in ferry times over existing systems and benefits to the aerial cameraman include left or right side fitting. Watch this space for more information!

*HD Short film for Blue Star Movies shooting on location in Italy.

*Shooting continues with Simon Nasht on biography of photographer Frank Hurley.

Sept 2003

*Application to the UK CAA for use of the High Definition gimbal on AS 350 or AS355 (and variants) type helicopters has been approved.

*I'm using the new HD gyro in UK and Ireland this month.

August 2003

*I'm taking the reins of High Definition Magazine as editor.

*The National Film Theater have announced $20M funding to subsidising the installation of over 200 digital projectors in cinemas across the United Kingdom. The goal is to create a distribution system of movies made by and for ethnic minority groups.

July 2003

*A independent website www.cinealta.biz has been setup to communicate faults and issues about the f900 to end users. Not a Sony site!

June 2003

*New 3D camera. Looks like a mockup. http://www.hd3dmovies.com/index.html

*(San Francisco) Wired News on Tuesday reported on "Titanic" director James Cameron's plans to shoot his next feature in 3D, using 3D film technology he developed to produce his recent hour-long documentary on expeditions to explore the site of the Titanic's wreckage, "Ghosts of the Abyss." "I don't see a need for 35-mm film based on what I've seen over the last few years," Cameron told Wired News. "Long term, it's all going to go digital."

http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,58940,00.html

*I am testing the cine gamma builder for the f900.

May 2003

*I've been invited to join the European Digital Cinema Forum's Editorial Board of EDCF Digital Film Production Handbook.

*Invitation to speak at the HD masterclass at The Production Show, London's premier trade show.

*See frame grabs of footage I shot in New Zealand using the amazing Helitranz HD gyro and read the report!

April 2003

 *Here is a survey of digital cinema patrons. Nato the National Association of Theater Owners begin move toward Digital projection

*I am conducting tests with the upgraded f900. Also comparing HDCAM recording with HDSDI. See the results in the next few weeks here.

*Frazier lens is an example of hype over common sense. Hyped by the manufacturer and few top hollywood DPs whose claims are now revealed as inaccurate. Panavision are the sole distributors of the system that for 8 years has been adopted worldwide, partially it seems, on a false technical claim. It goes to show that one must be careful of magic filters and special processes that defy the laws of physics. At least with HD wysiwyg. The Frazier lens is a great lens that didn't need the hype. Click here for details of the court case.

*James Cameron's 3D Ghost of the Abyss shot on HD is being released in April. Read about how he graded the project on iQ 3D HD

*Check out the first survey of the digital cinema experience from both the patrons and theater owners perspective. Digital Cinema Survey

*Lucas announces he will use new Sony camera (not camcorder) and new uncompressed recorders for principle photography of next Star Wars. Fuji lenses will be used exclusively.

*First camera dockable solid state HD recorder announced. It can record 6 minutes of 444 or 8 minutes uncompressed HDSDI.

*Here is a press release from Sony detailing the new software that enables the gamma curve to be created to better suit motion picture applications.

New gamma building curve for f900 

March 2003

Congratulations to Robert Primes ASC for receiving the ASC outstanding achievement award for episodic TV series "MDs" shot on HD.

Compositors of a top movie chose HD for aerials over film as there is less intra frame motion on HD, which makes compositing a CGI element faster and easier.

copyright Michael Brennan