Big Mug Software, a provider of computer applications for the television and documentary film industries, has introduced Monitor Magic, a new tool kit that allows the simultaneous monitoring of multiple SD and HD cameras.
The package is designed to help videographers record video with good color balance and contrast. It tests each frame and will highlight areas that need to be fixed for overexposure or for color problems.
Designed for the Mac, Monitor Magic can monitor multiple DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD and HDV format cameras. It provides weighted and colored waveform monitors and vector scopes, RGB parades and histograms so camera operators are assured they are recording broadcast-legal video. There’s a pause input for accurate analysis.
Big Mug said the application is especially useful for multicamera interviews. For example, two cameras can be set up for close-up shots of the interviewer and interviewee, and a third camera for a wider shot of both people. The videographer can check that all three cameras have the same color and lighting balance, and that each camera is recording legally for the final format.
Also, for users of anamorphic lenses seeking a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, Monitor Magic allows the set up of scale factors for a preview so that the camera operator can see the final aspect ratio before shooting. The preview images can also be flipped vertically or horizontally.
Monitor Magic, priced at $139, requires Mac OS X v10.4 or later. High-definition monitoring requires G5 or Intel hardware. DVCPRO HD support requires the Apple DVCPRO HD codec (bundled with Final Cut Pro HD). A FireWire-based video camera is also required.
Post your comments below
