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I think ARRI and Codex have done a good job of putting together technical explanations of the new ARRIRAW HDE Format and how it works. This has been instrumental in getting Producers, Directors and DPs to utilise it for their production. Technical explanations aside, that doesn't mean people unde...

When working with any form of camera footage that uses Apple's ProRes Codec, it's always been easy. Traditionally they have been .mov files, you can play them back as simply as pressing the spacebar and using Quick Look on macOS. If you are using the Alexa Mini LF on-set and shooting ProRes, the ...

If you are performing data management on set you are likely using Silverstack, Hedge, Shotput Pro or YoYotta. Here at Film Drives we are always striving for faster offloads so we decided to put them to the test. The results were surprising, so allow us to walk you through the process, the results...

Last week I had my first job with the Alexa Mini LF. It was great to get hands on with ARRI's latest camera and test out some of the new hardware. I thought I'd put together this post for those that are curious about the new Codex Compact Drives and their companion Compact Drive Reader as well as...

In short, sometimes. But in most circumstances it won't make a difference. This is a common assumption that comes up time and time again. I have had many Production Managers assure me that 'I got Thunderbolt Drives so they'll be the fastest and we'll be covered'. This is almost never true and I ...

Recently we launched our Film Drives 'Speed Lookup' Tool that allows you to enter the Serial Number from any Film Drive and instantly access the Write and Read Speeds that it recorded during testing at the factory. You might be asking, where exactly do I find my Film Drives Serial Number? So we t...

When prepping your computer for on-set data management there are many things that need to be setup. This can include software installations, application preferences, testing hardware, etc. One thing that is often overlooked is Finder in macOS. When you take a second to really think about it, this...

In 2016 the MacBook Pro got updated with a new design and beefier specs, but the specs were never really pro. Finally in 2018 Apple issued an update that finally ticked the boxes for a worthy upgrade.   6-Core CPU, check. 32GB of RAM, check. Decent Graphics Card, check.   I jumped at the chance...

Over the past few years we've witnessed the rise of Drone Cinematography on-set. While this has brought new and exciting tools into the hands of many filmmakers, it's also caused an equal number of headaches for DITs and Data Wranglers. Today I want to show you how to solve the number one problem...

Today I am going to run you through all of the components that make up a great Data Management Kit. My philosophy is to have every tool in the toolkit, that way no matter what problem arises you have all the resources on hand to tackle it head on. The Data Kit that I outline below is my personal ...