The Blackmagic Pocket 4K is currently the Worlds most affordable and popular cinema camera. In a fast paced, developing cinema camera market, the Pocket 4K has had a valuable 18 month head start on any competition, however at its price point and the overall value of the bundle its shipped with,  it's unlikely the Pocket 4K  will ever be eclipsed. Yes, ever.
Bundled for $1295 with Davinvci Resolve 16 Studio, an all in one editing, compositing, sound mixing and color grading package with a $299 standalone price tag, the specification of the Pocket 4K is unrivalled for a camera under $1000. It's unlikely, that any other camera will be released at this price point with these specs along with a professional video creation app.

What is so amazing about the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K?

Being a video professional and accounting for the subject matter it makes sense to use my developed skillset to answer this question fully. However, I'll whet your whistles with my Top 10 list of professional features that are packed in to this small, yet incredibly powerful cinema camera.

1. Industry standard video quality - 10 bit ProRes codecs and Blackmagic raw in 12 bit
2. Adaptable Micro Four Thirds lens mount
3. Shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second
4. 13 stops of dynamic range, capturing all the detail of high contrast scenes
5. Records internally and externally to solid state drives for instant editing
6. The camera is regularly improved with firmware updates
7. The form factor is small and lightweight
8. Professional features, like guides, focus assist, false colour and punch in to focus
​9. Professional XLR audio connections and good  pre amps
10. Intuitive and easy to use menu system

Keeping the mood light, yet insightful, and with a passion born out of experience, do check out  my video review below which I produced for my channel The Filmmakers Workshop.

Last week, Sony ambassador and popular filmmaker, Philip Bloom commissioned Loretz Visuals to create subtitles for his epic review of the Sony FX9 video camera. Yes, I said epic; the review runs for 1 hour 54 minutes. It’s a deep dive in to the cameras performance and AI based autofocus technology.
As such, there’s technical terms and complex information in abundance, as well as Philips stunning cinematography. Subtitles ensure that the technical terminology, products and brand names are correct and, most importantly, you can get the message wherever you are.
The benefits of subtitles are far reaching and in this case, assist those for whom English isn't their first language and provide a template for other language versions. As a long form video, subtitles especially help combat concentration fatigue and enhance the overall viewer experience. For search optimisation, subtitles help the YouTube algorithm position the video to relevant brands and promote it to targeted audiences.

Next time you are putting a budget together for your next video it's worth considering your audiences needs. Crafting your videos visuals and audio are not going to guarantee the  message gets through to your audience. Subtitles provide an extra hook to help keep your audience connected. 

Contact Adam Loretz today to discuss your production needs.

The DJI Osmo Pocket has been available for about 16 months and with some decent firmware upgrades and little competition, it's still my pick as best small video camera of 2020. Recently, I made a short video covering the video features as both a filmmaker and father, where this little pocket rocket shines equally. #vlogging #bestsmallvideocamera #videoproduction #gimbal 

Being an independent video producer, I manage my time between projects for clients and being hired by agencies and associates to work on their productions. For my virtual filmmaking friend Anders Overgaard, working on his own was fun, until one day, it wasn't and he teamed up with a group of filmmaking friends to form a production company. Based in Norway, Anders film company is called VJUS and in the first two years of operation, Anders kept a video diary of the companies ups and downs. It was a rollercoaster ride and this content is now an insightful and fun web series. Something all content creators will connect with.  ​I caught up with Anders to find out all about the series.
​Episode One of Making a Film Company is below the interview.

The truth is, people use YouTube for search, like a visual Google, no wonder Google bought it. Connecting people with products via advertising and affiliate links make it awesome if you are a creator and want to build revenue streams.

Whilst my YouTube channel, The Filmmakers Workshop is about filmmakers and providing in depth reviews and interviews, I cannot ignore what my audience want. In the main, they want answers; is camera X good in low light and does camera Y have great autofocus. As such, I've been making more short videos, sharing insight and providing a different kind of valuable, watchable content. This is the future of The Filmmakers Workshop - A little bit of this and a little bit of that. The FW is a business after all.

I'm also adding links to affiliate programmes and open to sponsorship and paid for programming. Contact me to discuss your product needs. adamloretz@gmail.com

Eerie blog post title aside, Australian filmmaking company Blackmagic have been turning things upside down recently with some new production gear and I felt it was time to bring that magic to Loretz Visuals offering.
A huge aspect of filmmaking is procuring the highest quality images possible and with the launch of the Blackmagic Pocket cinema camera 4K, it seemed like this could be the solution for high end work. To be clear, I’m talking about short films, commercials, single interviews or music video. In this content, stylised imagery and dynamic range is critical and where raw video is required. Raw what? Yes, like in photography, video can now be shot on some cameras in raw formats. The benefits being, that with visually lossless compression and the ability to stylise or amend the footage in the editing process, this new Blackmagic equipment offers Loretz Visuals more creative freedom. The colour science of Blackmagic cameras is World class, skin tones look simply beautiful.
Before offering new technology, I always test equipment thoroughly first. Passion projects are the best test bed for this, where I can experiment and master my craft. Straight off the bat I filmed a piece to camera. A testimonial from a client. Secondly, I filmed an AirBnB for a friend. This time shooting interiors with the camera on a gimbal, to float around and add a graceful dynamic.

There’s a best camera for every film. For longer form content, wet weather, 360 video or just remaining low key, the arsenal at my disposal now covers every event. With an open mind, 2019 is my 20th year in video production; always learning, understanding my clients needs and connecting them with the right visual solution.

The World of filmmaking is constantly evolving. Back in 2007, YouTube was growing rapidly, however indie filmmaker Tom Swindell, whilst popular on the platform, had designs on making it at the BBC. With shrewd moves, style and attitude, Tom made his own luck.
I recently had a chance to work with Tom on a Channel 5 documentary and took the opportunity to interview him about his career so far. Interview below.

Alongside Loretz Visuals, I produce content for my YouTube channel The Filmmakers Workshop. The aim of the channel is to offer fresh insight in to Filmmaking today. Since 2013 I have interviewed first time feature film directors, animators, BBC and Hollywood directors of photography as well taking time to create news, reviews and offer insight of my own for the filmmaking community. If you want to learn to be a filmmaker then subscribe to the channel to find out about some new filmmaking workshops set for Autumn 2019. #GH5 #filmmaker #documentary
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Time is money, but more than that for me, a filmmaker with a wife and three lovely children- time is precious. As such, personal projects and freebies are something that are often hard to entertain. Sometimes though, a project grabs you and you find yourself compelled to pull out the stops.

Last week, I heard that my friend and fellow filmmaker Philip Bloom was releasing a documentary to aid a charity dedicated to helping cats in Skiathos.
Well, if you know Philip, you’ll know that cats are a massive part of his life and that he has spent a lot of time and effort shining a light on their welfare and this good cause.
Feeling I might be able to help somewhat, I reached out to Philip and offered to subtitle the first part of his charity fundraising documentary.


To make the film more accessible I thought it would benefit from English subtitles. In an article,
https://www.3playmedia.com/2015/04/03/3-reasons-why-closed-captions-increase-youtube-views/


Videos with subtitles saw a 13.48% increase in views over their first 14 days and 7.32% more views over their lifetime.


Subtitles also improve SEO and open up the possibility to watch the film in places where you need the sound off, such as on public transport or library.


Having an English subtitled version can also be used to help create other language versions too. As English is both a common language for translators and with the timestamps in place, it’s easy to simply replace the text and upload the .srt subtitle file to YouTube or Vimeo.


The first instalment of the documentary was emotional, beautifully shot, with a great voice over by Philip. I hope the subtitles help raise awareness and increase the call to action-
​The Skiathos Cat Welfare Association needs donations to buy land to build a cat sanctuary.




Philips documentary is being released in several parts. Part one is here
https://youtu.be/WVzv74KQGV0



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