I agree with Dan. This is a tough situation. We can do so much more with professional tools that were once too expensive to own as a small operator, but that ease also trickles down to the consumer level.

The problem I see is a combination of what Dan mentioned as the massive lowering of standards along with a generational approach to spending. Frankly, the younger generation does not want to pay for anything (unless it has an Apple logo :) ). As a business owner, you can not compete with a do it yourself attitude. Nothing you will say can change that situation.

Who knows how much the workload will survive, but I know I am not buying anything big ticket moving forward as the clients just do not want to support the need for the purchase.

Cheap little DOF machines seem like the best business purchase in the next few years.

We all like to argue about image quality and codecs, but in most cases it just does not matter. The image quality bar is most often exceeded anyway. Which I also agree with Dan, 720p is great. I shoot most everything in 720p60. This gives me the option to get 24p or 30p from the footage that looks pretty darn good and interlaced is never in the picture. If 1080p60 was around I might use it, but on my 1080p plasma, the 720p60 Blu-ray output looks stunning to my picky eye.

A tool like this new iPhone is the right machine at the right time. For a vast amount of people, they will think that shooting a video on their iPhone and editing it on their iPhone is good enough. I am sure you will see plenty of iPhone footage broadcast as well. News, crash cam, undercover footage, the footage will probably look pretty good too.

It is the time we are living in.

Dan

I can see it being used in situations for "news" like on CNN "Ireport" and other news sites where people can share their news shot with their own gear.

I can also see this being used illegally on a large scale. Perverts are going to just love this thing.

Also how are concerts and performances going to restrict the use of video cameras when it is built into the phone? You can't tell people not to bring their phone into a concert.

I think the video camera in a phone concept is neat but I also think we are opening up a Pandora's box. We might as well kiss privacy goodbye. Now the entire world will be paparazzi.

Tom -

That horse already left the barn... but yep, increasingly we have ZERO expectation of privacy if we aren't behind our own locked doors (OK, turn off the webcam...).

Now if there is a cell phone anywhere within a couple hundred feet, if something happens, it'll probably be "memorialized". Good or bad, it's pretty easy for anyone to "capture" a moment, and put it on YouToob for the world to see in all its glory... scary really, but there it is. Behaving badly is a hazardous thing... particularly if you are newsworthy or potentially of interest to the "authorities".

The only variable is how good or bad the video & audio quality will be - if the "content" is newsworthy, quality becomes secondary. Of course the equipment costs to create reasonably high quality content are becoming cheaper and cheaper, and stuff that's passable can be produced from really CHEAP "toys".

I still think there's a place for quality edited "content" shot multicam, but your "product" has to be noticeably better to have value. And of course, depending on the situation, that "value" has to compete with "free" or almost free, and you'd better know how to present, promiote, and promise quality in a way that a "customer" realizes what they get for the cost.

There's also an element of the "nut behind the viewfinder" - knowing how to shoot and get the most out of your equipment will still create SOME added value over the pimple faced kid with the iPhone "shooting" the same thing, but how much is certainly a diminishing figure.

"Now the entire world will be paparazzi. "

You should try living in LA or NYC, it has been this way for about a decade already.

D

A few weeks back I worked on the concert video for the "Glee" show at Radio City Music Hall--my assignment was audience shots (tech note: we had 12 cameras shooting iso, mostly Varicam, but I was on my trusty 1DMKIV for the enhanced sensitivity in the house). Last night I was watching some of the footage with the director and we both noted how many people were "watching" the show through their cel phones or point-and-shoots in video mode. Considering how much some of these people paid to attend the show, it seemed nothing short of bizarre that they were content to view it on a three inch screen.

When I was a teenager I dreamed of having a video camera that was portable enough to have with me at all times, and here we are. Some people are going to make really creative things with their cameraphones, others will capture priceless moments that they may cherish forever. Most will barely get around to watching what they shoot. One wonders if maybe they will end up missing out on experiencing a certain percentage of their life this way.

I guess they can always enjoy the replays on their MindScreen™ when they are chilling away their latter days in a nursing home?

Andrew

Which leads to the question...
"...is there life after Apple?"

If there is, Steve Jobs will rework the design of the user interface.

Andrew

Yes,... mine! I do not own a single apple device and amzingly I am happy and still get my work done.

I jest, Apple makes fine products and even better marketing. I believe many don't want to consider life without Apple.

Yes, but you must purchase it from the Apple Store and it can only be accessed through iTunes. ;)

OK...that's just not funny! (giggle, snicker, chuckle)

I'll admit I'm an Apple geek and have been for over 25 years. I've always used their systems in my profession/s and honestly they have never let me down. As for the iLife concept, that I just don't get. As long as I can do the work I need to do and the stock keeps moving up, I'll be a happy camper.

So I'll throw this into the mix...will Zacuto's iphone grip fit the iphone 4? Think I can fly it on my Blackbird? HaHa!

Maybe that Apple Time Machine "backup" unit has a more sinister purpose than we first realised?

Andrew

There is a post over on the LAFCPUG board from an editor who is having to edit a cooking show that was shot by the client on their Flip camera. Of course, the audio and video quality, really everything about it is awful but this is production for many in 2010. Don't hire a competent crew, don't know what you are doing, just whip out your Flip or iPhone and shoot a TV show. It will be goooood.

Dan