Awesome Video

Captain Disillusion’s latest educational video about video explains how the speed and way a shutter opens and closes affects still and moving images. You’ll learn how shutters work in film cameras, CCD camcorder sensors, and modern CMOS-based digital cameras. Plus, why rolling shutters cause image distortion and the tech that can minimize it.

Typical night vision scopes display monochrome images in shades of green. Yashica has developed a scope that can display and record full-color video in the darkness of night. It also has a 3-level infrared illuminator to produce high-contrast black-and-white footage with a viewing distance of up to 1970 feet and a sensitivity of 0.0037 lux.

Photographer Luke Edwin shows off a bunch of neat tricks for capturing amazing video shots on a shoestring budget. From using a cheap camera gimbal as a motion-control rig to pulling an action camera through scenes using an ultra-long selfie stick and string, each creative technique produces dramatic and professional-looking results.

The Mandalorian revolutionized the way visual effects are made with the use of a gigantic video wall and CG backgrounds created by Unreal Engine. Since then, the tech has found its way into smaller productions. This video from Live Production Mastery shows how such a wall comes together from 560 LED panels to create a virtual production space.

Advancements in display tech enable some pretty immersive experiences, like that storm simulation spa we checked out a while back. In this video from custom LED display maker JYVisions, they show off a party room wrapped in screens on all sides to surround viewers in moving images. That splashing water effect is awesome – it also might make us vomit.

This 1″ thick laser projector outputs sharp and bright 1080p HD video up to 120″ diagonal. It has intelligent screen alignment, autofocus, and keystone correction for easy setup and has a built-in 15º kickstand. It can run on AC power indefinitely or up to 1.5 hours on its internal rechargeable battery.

This silent, motorized camera rig helps you capture smooth dolly shots on any flat surface. It drives along circular or linear paths or a pre-set route you draw with the Trexo mobile app. An optional turntable kit lets it turn 360º either on a tripod or as a base for objects. It can also be programmed without a smartphone.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the most expensive display you can buy, gradients of color in dark scenes often look like a blocky mess. Tom Scott offers a great explanation of the technological limitations that cause these issues, and the visual mechanisms that make them less noticeable in brighter scenes.

With the launch of cameras like the GoPro HERO10 Black, it’s now easier than ever to shoot footage at high frame rates. While there’s a time and a place for the tech – like slow-mo or sports – filmmaker Mark Bone explains why our eyes gravitate to the more cinematic look of lower frame rates like 23.98 or 29.97 fps.

Back in the 1980s, the demoscene was all about creating cool motion visuals and music using the computers of the day. Engineer Matthias Kramm figured out a way to create an old-school demo without a computer by hacking the output of an old Commodore 1541 floppy drive into a video signal. More details on his blog.

Fractal images are generally made with math algorithms on a computer. But it turns out that there was a way to create fractal images in the 1930s using multiple cameras and projectors. CodeParade explains how these analog patterns would have worked, and how to simulate them with a webcam and a monitor.

Bitluni’s Lab continues to upgrade his DIY video wall project by supersizing it to 1920 ping pong ball pixels, each illuminated by an RGBW LED. With its latest circuit, it can stream live video at up to 74fps. Unlike the prior versions, he didn’t have to drill tons of holes, and it’s made up of multiple small panels instead of one big one.

South Korea-based creative studio d’strict created this cool public art display that uses a series of wrap-around screens to make it look like ocean waves contained in a giant box. Of course it helped that they had a massive set of ultra high-def LED displays built by Samsung at Seoul’s equivalent of Times Square.

This fascinating clip by video artist Yuge Zhou and sound designer Stephen Farrell was created from hundreds of video clips shot in NYC’s subway stations, then assembled together into concentric squares. It was designed for a top-down projection mapping installation, but it’s just as intriguing flattened.

Taiwanese rap artist and honorary magician Loya manages to pull a cat out of thin air to help promote animal adoption. It’s a good cause, and the Internet needs more cats.

Preserve your home videos and old movies to DVD with this handy converter. It also has a DV input for transferring footage from a camcorder directly to a DVD. It also works as a VHS and DVD player.

The Blackmagic Cinema has a huge 2.5K sensor with 13 stops of dynamic range, capable of shooting feature film quality moving images in RAW format. Accepts EF and ZE mount lenses.

Capable of shooting high-speed video at 1280×1024 resolution at 500 frames-per-second – or up to 20,000fps at lower resolutions, the TS3Cine captures amazing slow-motion footage.

Looking out the window and seeing grey skies and wintery temps? Even if you aren’t, you can still appreciate this short film of two guys paragliding in a variety of sunny places. (Thanks Michael!)

Blödes Orchester (Stupid Orchestra) was composed for this 200 piece vintage home appliance orchestra by Michael Petermann; he gathered the motley ensemble through eBay purchases.

YouTube user FunToTheHead connected a few floppy drives to a PIC18f14k50 microcontroller to create an engaging musical piece. Bonus: special appearance by the talent at 2:30. (Thanks Alex!)

Thom Yorke’s mime-magician-revival dancing style in Radiohead’s latest video is also an amusing companion to Beyonce’s Single Ladies. Watch it quick, before Sony finds this and puts a ring on it.

Sometimes it’s fun to go to a more soothing place than extreme sports videos. Take, for example, the charming, carcinogen-filled style of Tom Noddy, the skillful trick bubblemaker. (Thanks Dave!)