Cinamaker is pleased to introduce Cinamaker Meeting Director, a powerful video switcher and media engine to enhance your live Zoom meetings, events, and much more
The wait is over!
Online video meetings are alive and well.
And to commemorate this first anniversary of the Covid-19 global pandemic, we are pleased to introduce Cinamaker Meeting Director, our powerful Mac-based app designed to increase the impact and overall effectiveness of your online video meetings, video webinars, video events, and shows over Zoom and other major meeting platforms, like MS Teams, Webex, Skype, and more.
Meeting Director is a powerful video switcher and media engine to enhance your live meetings, events, and much more
With Meeting Director you may use up to four (4) camera angles, including your webcam, video clips, graphics, photos, picture-in-picture, chromakey, multiple audio sources, screen share, and more to tell your stories and impact your audience like never before.
Meeting Director – Video Switcher, Media Engine and more for live Zoom Meetings
It’s simple to connect your iPhone cameras to your Mac and send your Meeting Director output to Zoom via the built-in Cinamaker Virtual Web Camera & Audio device.
Use up to 4 cameras; iPhones, iPads, and digital cameras*. Control from your Mac. Output to Zoom and others via the Cinamaker Virtual Web Camera/Audio device.
Panasonic PTZ Camera Video Switcher for iPad with Cinamaker Inside
When Panasonic was looking to develop a new multi-camera video switcher software platform for its professional line of Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) video cameras, Cinamaker got the call.
As a result, we are excited to announce our partnership with Panasonic and today’s release of LiveCTRL (pronounced LiveConTRoL) Panasonic’s new mobile iPad app with Cinamaker-inside enabling control, live switching and streaming select Panasonic pan/tilt/zoom cameras.
LiveCTRL for iPad is now available in Apple’s App Store for free.
“Panasonic chose us as their platform of choice because they recognized Cinamaker did precisely what their users were asking for,” explains Cinamaker CEO Benjamin Nowak. “This software partnership demonstrates the power and sophistication of Cinamaker’s IP workflow solutions for professional video cameras, and we’re proud to work with Panasonic to help their customers create and live stream more efficiently, with portability and at significant cost savings from traditional desktop and standalone hardware solutions,” Nowak added.
LiveCTRL App Pushes Video to Streaming Platforms and Social Media
With Cinamaker’s core Video Production technology built from the ground-up atop Apple’s iOS platform, Panasonic’s LiveCTRL can facilitate single or multi-camera live streamed monitoring and control. Camera control utilizes a newly-designed software joystick and remote operation interface for enabling smooth control and fine-tuning from a software interface.
The app is compatible with Panasonic AW-HE40, AW-UE70 and AW-HE130 PTZ cameras as input sources. In addition to Panasonic cameras, users can also add iPhones as camera sources.
With LiveCTRL, a single Panasonic camera stream can be sent to streaming platforms such as Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Upgrading to the premium license permits a user to switch between multiple cameras, live stream and record, mix audio, add graphics, titles, and b-roll video, and push a finished production to the same streaming platforms and social video outlets.
Adds Nowak, “With our Panasonic partnership and the extension of our core iPad-based Video Production Platform, Cinamaker continues to make it fast, easy, fun, and affordable for ANYONE to successfully produce professional-grade video”.
A video interview can be as simple as two people sitting and talking to each other on a couch or as complex as a staged panel interview or survey of strangers on the street. Maybe while watching TV, you see a host talking to some people in a huge, beautifully lit room. This interview lighting might seem effortless, but it can actually be difficult to accomplish.
While you may be used to shooting no-frills, single-camera, documentary style encounters, sometimes a multi-camera setup is the best or only way to capture a particular interview configuration. Interviews with multiple cameras can invite varying production problems, and you could spend hours trying to figure out how to arrange the lighting. But don’t fear– Cinamaker is here to help! What follows are some tips and steps on how to set up interview lighting for a multi-camera video shoot.
Ensure All Cameras Are On The Same Side Of The Axis
When setting up interview lighting for multiple cameras, make sure that all the cameras are on the same side of the axis, or the imaginary do-not-cross line created by the 180-degree rule. Reverse angles only result in everyone being framed on the same region of the screen. To set up lighting for multiple cameras, you need to place your lights based on the location of each camera.
A Three-Camera Interview Lighting Setup
You can light a three-camera shoot using just four or five lamps. When you have multiple cameras focusing on two or more people, there should be one camera in the center and then one camera on the left and right of your interview subjects. Once the cameras are in place, you can begin a three-dimensional lighting setup with the right camera.
First, position a key light about 45 degrees above the subjects and slightly to the left side of the right camera. Next, ensure that the backlight is directly adjacent to the camera. This backlighting should target the person facing the right camera. It should also light the face of the individual speaking to the interviewee. This right camera lighting setup will ultimately provide the fill light for the camera on the left and vice versa.
At this point, you have two cameras and four lights set up. You can now add an extra light directly above the middle camera or to the left or right of a middle camera. This fifth light will soften the shadows and provide a sweep for the scene. This light needs to be less bright than the main lights, as this creates a disparity between the dark and light areas.
After you’re done with lighting setup, look through the cameras to ensure that you’ve properly lighted the area. Feel free to rearrange the lights in different directions to achieve the perfect scene. If it’s not properly setup, you’ll need a slight change in light concentration. You can always use a grid cloth or a white board to bounce the light back to the objects.
Other Important Considerations
To achieve the best lighting, check to ensure that the background communicates something important about the interviewee. The shots should be complementary rather than distracting.
Be sure none of your angles accidentally include shots of wires, cameras, lights, or anything else that will break the illusion of your set.
Your audience needs to believe that the people on camera are engaged in a meaningful conversation– make sure your angles and lights successfully capture the expressions of your subjects, and that you anticipate the necessary close ups or wide shots to get the most out of it.
When scouting your location for the interview, consider how tall the ceilings in the room are, what pre-existing lighting conditions are, and whether the space in the room looks dull, colorful, or just a space of white walls. These qualities will affect your lights, props, and overall configuration.
The trick with lighting for multiple cameras is really quite simple: light your scene with key light, fill light, and backlight according to three-dimensional lighting principle. If you do this and apply some of your own creativity, you can achieve a polished, bright look with the tone you want for your interview.
Still looking for an affordable multi-camera solution? Download the Cinamaker apps today to begin creating quality multi-camera productions with just your tablet and smartphones.
You don’t have to be an expert filmmaker to produce a successful product demo video.
With that said, the quality of your product demo could be one of your first chances to really impress your potential client, and there is a certain level of professionalism expected from these videos. But never fear! Thanks to free, professional quality, multi-camera production software such as Cinamaker, creating a top notch product demo on your own is totally possible. You just need some pointers to get started.
First, you should thoroughly plan your shoot, from set to storyboard, so that when the time comes, you’ll know exactly what your video should look like. This plan should be created with your exact goals, target audience, and brand voice in mind. Your storyboard and script should be polished well before you plan to shoot; be sure to research comparable product demos beforehand. This will ensure that your product demo hits all the standard marks and show you the points on which you can improve to demonstrate your product’s “special sauce.”
When it comes to the technical side of production, there’s a lot that can go wrong, so you’ve got to be sure your setup is right…
Have The Right Equipment Ready
It’s pretty clear cut — without the right equipment, you won’t be able to make the right video. Some key equipment you should have within easy reach includes:
Cameras – For this type of shoot, making use of multiple cameras and angles would ideal. Single-camera style can work fine, you just need to create a narrative that complements that style, which may be a little different from standard product demos.
Lenses – Quality lenses include powerful macro lens, filters, focus breathing, lateral color fringes, high-level sharpness and many other characteristics. If you’re using mobile devices for filming, check out our 10 best accessories list for quality lens clip ideas.
Lights – You need great light to properly showcase your product. Be smart about what lights you use and where you use them; a well lit set can convey more professionalism and quality than you might think. Read up on multi-cam lighting strategy and value lighting options on our blog.
Have A Great Set
Without great staging, your product demonstration will look weak and floppy. You therefore should have the right tables and props in place, a professional lighting system, and a background that flatters the foreground without distracting from the subjects. Solid colors are often best, but above all else, make sure you don’t choose colors so similar throughout your set that they work to camouflage each other. Create dynamic contrast with your set, props, and lighting. Run some test shots beforehand to perfect the colors on screen and make sure there is nothing upstaging your product.
Break Up The Shoot
Instead of jamming the entire shoot in one go, try breaking it up into parts so you have built-in time to spot and correct any flaws and time to prepare when moving from various stages or angles. It’s always better to budget more time than less. If you video is shot in a rush, it’s likely your audience will notice — and it won’t reflect well on your brand.
Edit Your Video
Unless you want to risk committing any of “The 7 Deadly Sins of Product Demos,” you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to editing your work. To make your product demo stand out among the rest, you must use a reliable editing app, especially if you’re not an expert editor yourself. And remember, it can be fun to add music and animations, but keep any extras minimal, tasteful, and always ask yourself if they’re truly in line with your brand voice and goals. Don’t add for the sake of adding. Be concise and stay focused.
A Never-Ending Learning Process
Life is about learning. Shooting a product demo is no different. These tips will give you an excellent foundation to begin shooting, but you’ll find that you will be picking up many other little things along the way, ensuring that your next product demo will be better than your last.
For more video marketing tips and tricks, read more articles on the Cinamaker blog. Want to start making professional, multi-camera video productions with tools you already have? Download the Cinamaker Apps today.
Version 2.5 brings a redesigned interface and multitude of new features, including live-editing capability during and/or immediately after recording
To be nominated for Product of the Year by NAB, the top broadcast industry association is quite an honor.
We’re deeply grateful for the recognition where today at the 2019 NAB Show we will be rolling out Cinamaker v2.5 with revised UX and interface enhancements as well as exciting new features to our live video production platform.
Join us at NAB in our booth # SU10510 in the South Upper Hall
With Cinamaker 2.5 comes the rollout of “Live-Edit”, where users can now connect, preview, switch, control media, record, and live stream up to 4 iPhones, digital cameras, and external sources in Perfect Sync™ during recording and during playback, as well.
“We’ve made live multi-camera video production fast, easy, fun, and affordable”, says Benjamin Nowak, founder, and CEO of Atlanta-based Cinamaker. “With our Perfect Sync™ synchronization engine, cameras, audio, media assets, and real-time edit decisions are captured in both wireless and wired settings. As soon as a live stream or recording is finished, users can switch cameras and/or refine edits while in playback, making for the fastest HD video production available,” says Nowak.
Cinamaker Live-Edit: Preview, switch, control media and audio – in real-time and in playback
Also included in Cinamaker 2.5 is a fresh User Interface ensuring a simpler, more intuitive User Experience for new and experienced creators alike. New features in 2.5 include on-the-fly camera transitions, animated gif support, embedding audio clips, applying borders and cropping and adding transitions to media overlays and picture-in-picture windows as well as advanced project management and iCloud archive capabilities.
As a proud partner of Apple and Adobe, we have integrated Cinamaker’s production workflow with Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro. Using Handoff and Panel integration, Cinamaker passes all XML files, video and audio assets, graphics files, and edit decisions, in PerfectSync™ simplifying editing refinement, audio and color correction within seconds of being imported, and saving countless hours of post-production.
And the price is right, too. Cinamaker Director 2.5 for the iPad can be downloaded from App Store and is free to use with up to two iPhone/iPad cameras. Cinamaker Director 2.5 is also available for up to four iPhone/iPad or digital cameras at a monthly cost of $19.99 or $199 per year.
To be recognized as one of the most significant and promising new Streaming B2C products and technologies being exhibited at the NAB Show is quite an honor. And we think with Cinamaker 2.5, new and existing creators will reap the benefits of fast, easy, fun, and affordable live video production and live streaming for unlimited uses.
