NYVS News   Yanko Design's VJ CAM Matthias Kestel and Yanko Design present a compact camera design perfect for journalists. It seeks to cut out the crew and give you just as much quality on the go.  The concept features an interchangeable body designed to change various lens effects - according to the description: configured in a manner that suits the journalist. Check it out here >>   KickStarter Revives Veronica Mars Veronica Mars, the canceled CW show, found an interesting way to revive fan interest and get a green light for a film.  "The Veronica Mars Movie Project" on Kickstarter.com has now raised over $2,500,000 with 29 days still left to go in the fundraising.  Creator Rob Thomas admits he had always been interested in making a movie. Warner Bros. Studio told him if he could demonstrate enough fan interest, they would back it.   Pledges come with all sort of gimmicks, with everything from DVDs, Memorabilia and even a speaking role for $10,000! Read more here >>   Vimeo announces On Demand Service Vimeo has introduced its new On Demand service.  Vimeo unveiled its new pay service offering users direct-to-fan distribution.  Offering everything from shorts, web series, music and more Vimeo looks to establish itself in online streaming content. Check it out here >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Twitter & Shaping Television If your twitter feed is anything like mine, it is constantly filled with people tweeting not only about what they are doing, but what they are watching. This is a topic of much discussion at this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas, and IndieWire looks into this phenomenon and how it is shaping an ever changing industry.  Twitter truly is the new watercooler for TV and can reveal much more than the traditional, and seemingly unnecessary, Nielsen ratings.  According to a panel at SXSW on the topic, a majority of people tweeting about TV programs are doing so as the show is airing live.  Now that's something the TV executives should be paying attention to.  Read more here >>   Leica Set to Enter the HD Video Market European camera maker Leica has always prided itself on making quality cameras, but it looks like they don't want to left out of the HD revolution. Their new Leica M camera is their invite to the party.  The camera, sleek as with all Leica cameras, features full 1080p capabilities for both stills and video, with still resolution at 6,000 x 4,000 pixels and video at 1920 X 1080 pixels. This will get any camera enthusiast excited! While it isn't quite at the level that other full HD digital cameras are at from Canon or Sony it certainly is a big first splash! Check it out here>>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: Sneaker Artist This week, we're honoring NYVS Member Younes for his video, "Sneaker Artist."  This video features an artist who works in an untraditional medium but growing in popularity: sneakers.  Using great shots, seamless editing and good sound bites the story of this artist is able to shine through easily.  Well done and congratulations, Younes! Watch here! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Enter Waterproof Smartphones and Tablets Water and consumer electronics don't usually go well together - in fact they're almost mortal enemies.  That is no more as developers are set to unveil a broad variety of smartphones and tablets with ranging capabilities.  One model from Sony, the Xperia Tablet Z, can handle up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes.  While this means no more ruined phones from a rainy day or dropping them in the toilet, the video possibilities for smartphones have now grown exponentially.  The places and conditions in which you can shoot professional quality with your smartphone are starting to seem limitless! Read more here >>   ShortOfTheWeek.com Brings You Quality Short Films The internet has made access to high quality short films instant.  If you love fiction short films of all shapes and sizes (as long as they're still short) look no further than ShortOfTheWeek.com.  This site features news, interviews, and of course short films themselves.  With videos in all varieties from action to stop-motion and everything inbetween, this site truly is your one stop site for everything short film! Check it out here>>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: Trizkel, Flamenco Fussion This week, we're honoring NYVS Member Arturodlp for his video, "Trizkel, Flamenco Fusion."  This beautifully shot video features guitarist, composer and producer Roger Jaffet and his Flamenco Fussion project.  While the interviews are in Spanish, you don't need to speak the language to appreciate the excellent video compositions or Jaffet's wonderful music!  Well done and congratulations, Arturodip! Watch here! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Best Gadgets from MWC 2013 The 2013 Mobile World Congress showcases some of the best and newest mobile technology set to hit the market.  From tablets to smartphones, cameras and more; excitement and innovation are abundant at the conference in Barcelona.  Some noteworthy devices include a waterproof tablet and smartphone, a processor that replicates a 7.1 surround sound speaker system via your mobile, even through a pair of standard headphones; iPhone lenses and a real-time High Dynamic Range photography capabilities that automatically adjust a picture for light and dark areas on the fly. Check it out here >>   Technology a Big Winner at the 2013 Oscars Technology was undoubtedly a big winner at this year's Oscars.  As mentioned in last week's newsletter, Oscar winning documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" started on a Super 8 camera and finished on an iPhone truly showed the cinematic power of that smartphone sitting in your pocket. Another example comes from nominated documentary short film "Inocente." The film, the story of a 15-year-old girl who struggles as an undocumented immigrant living homeless in San Diego, was crowd-funded on the website Kickstarter.com raising over $50,000. Read more here >>   Smithsonian Offers $4,000 in Video Contest Looking to make some cash from your video?  Look no further than the Smithsonian in Motion video contest.  With no entry fee, this contest is looking for original videos that explore and document the world around us. Some things the contest is looking for are: documentaries, timelapse, split screen, animation and mobile video.  Check it out here >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Wall Street Journal Covering Mobile World Congress with Smartphones  The MWC in Barcelona is one of the biggest technology events of the year, featuring mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors and content owners from across the world.  In covering such a big event The Wall Street Journal, fittingly, covered the entire conference using a smartphone and various attachments.  Filming was predominantly done on an iPhone using the Filmic Pro app, an iRig mic was used for audio recording and Voddio for editing.  It makes you wonder why a five person film crew would have ever been used to cover anything. Check it out here >>   What to Look for When Buying a Camera David Pogue of the New York Times looks into what features to look for in a camera and what brands are filling those needs with their new lines. Undoubtedly, picture quality ranks as the most important feature when buying a new camera.  Pogue highlights Sony's 2013 line as the most startling.  Featuring cameras that range at the low end from $150 to high quality S.L.R. cameras up to $6,000. Read more here>>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: Instafame This week, we're honoring NYVS Member CreativeSource for his video, "Instafame."  The video features Jacob Santiago, a mobile photographer and Instagram sensation with close to 17,000 followers.  The video, shot completely on an iPhone and edited on Final Cut Pro X, beautifully blends Santiago's photos with his story of success and vision.  Well done and congratulations, CreativeSource! Watch here! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Director Uses iPhone to Finish Oscar Nominated Film Malik Bendjelloul started with a Super 8 camera and ended up using an iPhone. "Searching for Sugar Man," a documentary directed by Bendjelloul and nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards, tells the story of two South African music fans' search for American musician Rodriguez.  Rodriguez, who could not find success in the US, was oblivious to his stardom in South Africa and had been rumored dead.  When production of his documentary became too expensive for Bendjelloul, he ditched his camera and turned to a Super 8 app for his iPhone. Check it out here >>   Google Previews Google Glasses Google released another preview this week for their much anticipated and highly debated Google Glasses!  The glasses are meant to bring the digital experience out of your pocket and put it in front of your face giving you constant access to your digital life.  One of the more exciting features, as Google's teaser shows, is the device's video capabilities.  Imagine seeing something and instantly being able to capture it just as you see it!  The future is now! Check it outhere>>   New BitTorrent Client Wants to be DropBox for HD Video Want to transfer up to a terabyte of video for free over the internet? File transfers can be long and tedious -- especially when dealing with HD video.  Some have turned to DropBox, but most times it isn't powerful enough to handle users' needs. SoShare wants to fix this problem.  SoShare uses BitTorrent's services to give users more space for transfers.  BitTorrent, known more for illegal uses and piracy rather than its legitimate uses, looks to make a splash with this new service. Doddleme.com has the full story.   See the full article here >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Why is there so much footage of the Russian Meteor? If you've been following the news, or simply surfing the internet, you've probably come across some pretty amazing footage of a meteor last week coming through the atmosphere and shooting across the sky in Russia.  Most of these vidoes, you've also probably noticed, are shot on car dash cams.  According to a report by Al Jazeera dash cams are not used in Russia just to capture natural phenomena but actually serve a more practical use: to combat police corruption. Check it out here >>   Petro Vlahos: Hollywood Green Screen Pioneer Last week, one of Hollywood's pioneers passed away: Petro Vlahos.  Petro Vlahos, Hollywood special effects pioneer born August 20, 1916, died February 10, 2013.  Vlahos pioneered development in chromakey, green screen and blue screen technology innovations for compositing and visual effects.  The impact of his work can be seen everywhere from film to television.    Read more here>>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: Nollywood This week, we're honoring NYVS Member Amy Spiteri for her video, "Nollywood."  This video is about Nigeria's second largest industry: film.  Shot beatifully in Africa's  largest country (by population), this video emerses the viewer into its world and effectivly shows the ins and outs of the country's film industry - or Nollywood.  Well done and congratulations, Amy Spiteri! Check it out! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Michael Rosenblum: Icing the Networks Michael Rosenblum explains how network television's bubble may be close to bursting. And the answer may be: ice.   At the turn of the 20th Century ice was a muti-million dollar global industry with endless demand and slim competition.  Then the refrigerator was invented and it all ended overnight.  New technologies can change even the most stable industries.   Can the same be said about network television? Check it out here >>   There's Still Time to Sign Up for the Guardian Media Academy It's not too late!  If you want to learn video skills from the best, join us in London from Feb. 25 - Mar. 1.  Now is the time to sign up.  Learn everything from the basics of storytelling and shooting to advanced editing techniques and best yet, how to turn those skills into a career.   Based on Michael Rosenblum's book "iPhone Millionaire."  Can't make it this month? Then sign up for July courses now! Sign up here>>   Tips for Directing Actors Writer, director and film professor Michael Rabiger offers nine do's and don't's for directing actors from his new edition of "Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics."  In this exclusive excerpt to IndieWire, Rabiger covers everything from goal setting to commanding attention and subtext. This guide is a must for your next fiction piece.  Know how to get the best from your actors and the best for your film!  See the full article here >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Twitter Reshapes Video with Vine Vine, a new video app from twitter, offers its users a new way to capture and share video.  Its simple, short, looping videos are a beautiful way to capture any of life's moments and share them instantly.  Daniel Terdiman of CNET.com looks into the countless possibilities for this platform, focusing on its impact on citizen journalism. The app is available now! Read the full article here >>   Film Yourself with SoloShot This amazing camera mount and tripod uses a waterproof transmitter to make the camera follow your every movement.  No need to hire a film crew now to capture anything from snowboarding to home movies, and everything in between!  It can rotate at speeds of up to 40º per second for a full 360º, and can track subjects up to 2000 feet away moving at speeds up to 140 mph.  The SoloShot starts at $480.00. Check it out here >>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: Mito-What 5K This week, we're honoring NYVS Member Jason0104 for their video, "Mito-What 5K."  This video exemplifies a story with heart, able to shine thanks to clean, neat shooting and editing.  With a complimentary narration that fills in the story of a young diseased boy and his family, this video is able to convey its message very clearly.   Well done and congratulations, CreativeSource! Check it out! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!  

NYVS News   Learn from the Best in London! There's still time to sign up for the Guardian Media Academy's courses from Feb. 25 - Mar. 1, and take advantage of 20% off for NYVS members!  This course will teach you everything you need to know to write, shoot and edit video at professional quality. The course will also focus on monetizing these skills to turn video from a hobby to a career.  Choose from one, two or four day courses ranging from skills for beginners to advanced techniques. Check it out here >>   PhotoJojo's iPhone Lens Dial If you love taking photos or videos with your iPhone you're going to love this product.  The iPhone Lens Dial from PhotoJojo is an aluminum iPhone case with three built in lenses for the iPhone camera: Fisheye, Wide Angle and Telephoto.  Simply rotate the dial and choose from three high quality lenses and take stunning photos and video like you've never seen on the iPhone. The 10 oz. also features two tripod mounts for steady shooting and starts at $249.00. Read more here>>   NYVS Pick of the Week   Pick of the Week: George's This week, we're honoring NYVS Member CreativeSource for their video, "George's."  The video, shot completely on an iPhone 5 and edited in Final Cut Pro, focuses on a tailor George, a Greek immigrant, and his business in the United States.  Shot with stunning video quality and audio, as well as a cleanly edited project, this video truly shows the potential for smartphones and professional video.  Well done and congratulations, CreativeSource! Check it out! >>   Looking for more NYVS updates, insights and discussions? Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!!