A film school graduate, McDougal’s focus has been screenwriting and photography. He has also recently taken up programming and is proficient in JavaScript-based Web frameworks.
Peter Ward_1
Latest Articles
10 years ago
5
The Introduction
In the introduction to his 1912 dramatic writing how-to, Play-Making, William Archer opens with this pessimistic observation:
There is thus a fine opening for pedantry on the one side, and quackery on the other, to rush in. The pedant, in this context, is he who constructs a set of rules from metaphysical or psychological first principles, and professes to bring down a dramatic…
10 years ago
With a 1080p camera, FPV capability, and GPS, what more could you ask for? The new H501S X4 quadcopter from Hubsan may style itself “for beginners,” but it has features will…
10 years ago
Though to the uninitiated eye they might look like 7” tablets, these are really professional video production tools. The 701 LITE and…
10 years ago
Vlogging, or intertwining video content with blog posts, looks like it might become the new blogging. If you are thinking about starting a vlog, or already have one, you might want to know what tools are best to use. In this part of Explora’s vlogging how-to series, we will consider…
10 years ago
Equip yourself for FPV flying or stabilized shooting a little closer to the ground with KumbaCam’s range of aerial-imaging accessories and gimbal stabilizers. The company’s offerings include all-inclusive FPV monitor kits, FPV goggles for a more immersive flying experience, 3-axis gimbal stabilizers for your GoPro on…
10 years ago
Grandview is likely to have the screen you need in the size you want, whether it’s for mobile use, in the office, or at home. Grandview's comprehensive line of projection screens includes options from just about every…
10 years ago
YUNEEC has just released two exciting new contributions to the world of 4K filmmaking. A new six-rotor UAS with integrated gimbal and camera system, the Typhoon H and a…
10 years ago
How far we've come since the Phantom's humble beginnings as a flying GoPro mount. The latest member of the Phantom 3 series, the Phantom 3 4K, gives users yet another option to consider. Unsurprisingly, given its name, the…
10 years ago
Beginning December 21, 2015, the FAA will require all drones ("SUA" in FAA terminology) weighing between 0.55 and 55 pounds to be registered before operating outdoors. Failure to register can result in stiff penalties, which can include fines of up to $27,000 or, where criminal liability has been found, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years in jail. What this new requirement means for…
10 years ago
In many ways, the RC aircraft industry is responsible for pushing wireless video technology forward. Even before drones were really used for video recording, the first-person view (FPV) experience demanded a way to give pilots a view from the cockpit, so to speak, of their model aircraft. The staple for many years has been 5.8G transmitters (“video Txs”). 5.8G, of course, refers to the fact…
10 years ago
What makes a great shot? Is it the lighting? The camera angle? The mise en scène? Is there even a formula? Who can compare the gritty naturalism of much postmodern cinematography with the deliberate, expansive visuals of classic Hollywood? I can, I hope, show you many of the tools that have the potential to make great shots possible.…
10 years ago
B &H is pleased to host this three-part how-to on shooting with the DJI Inspire 1 and Zenmuse X3 Gimbal Camera. Produced and narrated by Sebastian Wöber―aka "Seb"―of the…
10 years ago
The BLADE Chroma enters the market with four bundles: a basic BNF with no controller, camera, or gimbal; a 3-axis gimbal-equipped RTF model; and two with integrated, 3-axis stabilized cameras, one shooting 1080p, and the other 4K. The camera-equipped models feature the ST-10+ transmitter with built-in live video…
10 years ago
What are they and who uses them? Some call them drones, some apply the label “quadcopters” as a blanket term—though they can have any number of rotors or even be planes—the FAA calls them “unmanned aerial systems” (UAS). I prefer to call them “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs), a neutral term broad enough to safely include pretty much the whole gamut, from Hubsan nano drones up to commercial and…
11 years ago
At the 2013 NAB trade show, Freefly Systems introduced the world to a new concept in camera stabilization—the motorized gimbal. A device giving operators the ability to capture dolly-smooth shots while enjoying something close to the freedom of handheld shooting has been around since 1976; of course, I’m referring to the “arm-and-vest” stabilizer. Amazingly, it took 37 years for a serious…
