Thursday, March 28, 2013
HD: Past, Present, Future
Randall P. Dark tells his story as an early adopter of HD to Post Magazine.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Random Thoughts from CES
Post Magazine caught up with Randall Dark at CES, which included a little fun with singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett. Read all about it here: Post Magazine
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Celebrating Randall Dark's 25 Years In HDTV
There are HDTV pioneers, and then there is Randall Dark. Now President and CEO of Randall Dark Productions (www.randalldark.net) in Austin, Texas - as well as the Artistic Director of the Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival - Dark can legitimately claim to be a quarter-century HDTV veteran.
Read James Careless' profile story on Dark's long and fascinating HDTV career in the December 2011/January 2012 issue of TV Technology Asia-Pacific by downloading here.
Read James Careless' profile story on Dark's long and fascinating HDTV career in the December 2011/January 2012 issue of TV Technology Asia-Pacific by downloading here.
The mobile HD unit that Dark used to shoot Super Bowl XXX in HDTV for NHK (1996.)
Monday, October 17, 2011
Macao lifestyle magazine CLOSER profiles digital cinema festival
click to enlarge photo
The article "Hollywood Comes to China" in CLOSER gives an excellent overview of this year's Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival held at The Four Seasons Macao. Artistic Director and visionary filmmaker, Randall Dark gives the lifestyle magazine an exclusive one-on-one interview on why he created the festival. Read the article online: Hollywood Comes to China
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Live from Beijing and... wait for it... Austin
See the photo gallery of the event here. View footage of the event here.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Save the Dates!
The second Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Technology Expo will be held November 1-3, 2011. Randall Dark will serve as the Artistic Director for the Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival which he co-founded in 2009 to showcase films from around the world.
The festival and expo will interweave leading filmmakers, entertainment companies, broadcasters and technology experts from across in China, with global leaders in content creation, entertainment technology and manufacturing.
The festival and expo will interweave leading filmmakers, entertainment companies, broadcasters and technology experts from across in China, with global leaders in content creation, entertainment technology and manufacturing.
The event will feature leading industry speakers, motion picture and broadcast celebrities, motion picture screenings, seminars, and panel discussions. Award winning independent, documentary and student films will be shown, in addition to special gala banquets and receptions. The festival and expo will focus on the latest advances and technologies of 21st century motion picture, television and electronic game production.
The latest information on the Second Edition of the Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo may be found on the new website: macaodigitalcinema.com
The latest information on the Second Edition of the Macao China International Digital Cinema Festival and Entertainment Technology Expo may be found on the new website: macaodigitalcinema.com
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Markee Magazine Interview with Randall P. Dark
photo by Lindy Michelle Photography
Inside View | Randall Dark Productions
by Christine Bunish
Markee: You just finished your first stereo 3D project, 3 Cities in 3D, the first shot with Panasonic's AG-3DA1 fully-integrated HD 3D camcorder. What was that experience like?
Mr. Dark: “I had mixed feelings about 3D and felt it was improper to talk about [them] before I'd shot and edited 3D. I was interested in trying the 3DA1 because of its side-by-side lenses. I thought it could be a new, cost-effective way of creating 3D.
“I had worked with Shane Marr on a Dolly Parton PSA and asked him if there was any interest in a tourist-center 3D video in the Smokey Mountains. There was, so I phoned my friends at Wealth TV and asked if they'd be interested in airing a few 3D documentaries if I did them — they were. I met with Panasonic at NAB and told them I'd like to get my hands on one of the first 3DA1s to do a real-world, client-driven project. Panasonic got me a camera last June, and we began 3 Cities in 3D, a co-production between Randall Dark Productions and Shane's company, Cinemarr Entertainment in Sevierville, Tennessee.”
Markee: How did you pack three cities — Gatlinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge — into the 24-minute documentary?
Mr. Dark: “We talked to each city's Chamber of Commerce and asked them to pick seven locations to showcase; Shane and I looked for areas for B roll, too. The doc shows in broad strokes the unique attributes and attractions these cities offer to people who have a week or three days to spend in the area.
“We shot 82 locations in 10 days — we were runnin' and gunnin'. The camera allowed us to shoot many locations quickly because we didn't need a big crew: Its form factor is very easy to move, and you can use Steadicam, jibs and dollies but don't need big set ups. At the end of the day, if I saw a beautiful sunset I could capture it alone, with just a tripod. That's unheard of when shooting 3D.”
Markee: Did you encounter any challenges?
Mr. Dark: “We were shooting at Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg during normal business hours so I couldn't get in the way of paying customers with lots of lights and equipment. Because the camera is so portable, I was able to get what I needed without displacing anybody. I shot people going up and down a zip line in the Smokeys then got myself rigged up with the camera, too. With the 3DA1 I didn't have to think in terms of traditional shots.
“We used high-capacity, 8-gig media cards that had 45-minute loads, very much like the HDCAM loads I'm used to. We treated the cards as master tapes, keeping the files of raw footage safe until we could transfer them in post with card readers and create files to edit with. Cinemarr and I co-own all the raw footage so we'll be able to market 3D stock footage later with FootageBank as our rep.”
Markee: What surprised you the most during the project?
Mr. Dark: “The quality of the images and the ability to do positive and negative 3D and see it in realtime in a very portable environment. We were so mobile, yet we could do convergence in the field in realtime with this technology.
“We were also able to go into environments without a gigantic crew and lots of equipment. You can work very intimately and subtly in public places with a camera that small.”
Markee: What's next for 3 Cities in 3D and for you?
Mr. Dark: “Cinemarr and I co-own a 3D post facility in Sevierville, Dark Marr Productions, where Shane is working on the edit using CineForm Neo3D and an Adobe CS5 editing system. We communicate about the cut interactively with Video Skype when I'm traveling.
“The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce loved 3 Cities so much they wanted their own half hour; so we shot one with all new footage, and that's currently in post, too. We're marketing the concept to other cities across the U.S. — everyone's looking for innovative ways to attract visitors.
“I'd like to do more experimenting with 3D — it's really in its infancy. I always say Ôjust because you can do something doesn't mean you should,' and I think that applies to 3D. I want to test its limits and scope for storytelling and get a better understanding of when and how to use it.”
Find the Markee interview online here.
by Christine Bunish
Markee: You just finished your first stereo 3D project, 3 Cities in 3D, the first shot with Panasonic's AG-3DA1 fully-integrated HD 3D camcorder. What was that experience like?
Mr. Dark: “I had mixed feelings about 3D and felt it was improper to talk about [them] before I'd shot and edited 3D. I was interested in trying the 3DA1 because of its side-by-side lenses. I thought it could be a new, cost-effective way of creating 3D.
“I had worked with Shane Marr on a Dolly Parton PSA and asked him if there was any interest in a tourist-center 3D video in the Smokey Mountains. There was, so I phoned my friends at Wealth TV and asked if they'd be interested in airing a few 3D documentaries if I did them — they were. I met with Panasonic at NAB and told them I'd like to get my hands on one of the first 3DA1s to do a real-world, client-driven project. Panasonic got me a camera last June, and we began 3 Cities in 3D, a co-production between Randall Dark Productions and Shane's company, Cinemarr Entertainment in Sevierville, Tennessee.”
Markee: How did you pack three cities — Gatlinburg, Sevierville and Pigeon Forge — into the 24-minute documentary?
Mr. Dark: “We talked to each city's Chamber of Commerce and asked them to pick seven locations to showcase; Shane and I looked for areas for B roll, too. The doc shows in broad strokes the unique attributes and attractions these cities offer to people who have a week or three days to spend in the area.
“We shot 82 locations in 10 days — we were runnin' and gunnin'. The camera allowed us to shoot many locations quickly because we didn't need a big crew: Its form factor is very easy to move, and you can use Steadicam, jibs and dollies but don't need big set ups. At the end of the day, if I saw a beautiful sunset I could capture it alone, with just a tripod. That's unheard of when shooting 3D.”
Markee: Did you encounter any challenges?
Mr. Dark: “We were shooting at Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg during normal business hours so I couldn't get in the way of paying customers with lots of lights and equipment. Because the camera is so portable, I was able to get what I needed without displacing anybody. I shot people going up and down a zip line in the Smokeys then got myself rigged up with the camera, too. With the 3DA1 I didn't have to think in terms of traditional shots.
“We used high-capacity, 8-gig media cards that had 45-minute loads, very much like the HDCAM loads I'm used to. We treated the cards as master tapes, keeping the files of raw footage safe until we could transfer them in post with card readers and create files to edit with. Cinemarr and I co-own all the raw footage so we'll be able to market 3D stock footage later with FootageBank as our rep.”
Markee: What surprised you the most during the project?
Mr. Dark: “The quality of the images and the ability to do positive and negative 3D and see it in realtime in a very portable environment. We were so mobile, yet we could do convergence in the field in realtime with this technology.
“We were also able to go into environments without a gigantic crew and lots of equipment. You can work very intimately and subtly in public places with a camera that small.”
Markee: What's next for 3 Cities in 3D and for you?
Mr. Dark: “Cinemarr and I co-own a 3D post facility in Sevierville, Dark Marr Productions, where Shane is working on the edit using CineForm Neo3D and an Adobe CS5 editing system. We communicate about the cut interactively with Video Skype when I'm traveling.
“The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce loved 3 Cities so much they wanted their own half hour; so we shot one with all new footage, and that's currently in post, too. We're marketing the concept to other cities across the U.S. — everyone's looking for innovative ways to attract visitors.
“I'd like to do more experimenting with 3D — it's really in its infancy. I always say Ôjust because you can do something doesn't mean you should,' and I think that applies to 3D. I want to test its limits and scope for storytelling and get a better understanding of when and how to use it.”
Find the Markee interview online here.
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