Canon Expo (Sept 2-3, 2010)

I spent the end of last week attending the Canon Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Center. The show was much less about Canon's new technology itself and more about it's practical integration into the workplace and creative industries. There were some interesting technologies on display, such as Canon's new 4k consumer video camera as well as new projection systems, on-site printing presses and 3D technology.

Most interesting to me were the seminars featuring industry professionals. Alex Buono the director of Saturday Night Live's video production arm spoke in great detail about the use of HDSLR technology on the show. Vincent Laforet spoke later in the day about his work with the Canon EOS 5DmII and his move from photojournalist to filmmaker/director.

 From left to right: Vincent Laforet, Alex Buono, Steven Poster and unknown. Photo: Russell Peborde.

On the second day I took part in a seminar featuring a panel of cinematographers, including Buono and Laforet who continued to speak on the application of HDSLRs and what they mean for the industry. They spoke of the cameras as learning tools for aspiring cinematographers and as a tool and a resource for cinematographers already in the field. The importance of the Canon line of HDSLRs as teaching tools has not entirely been explored and is a topic I will be discussing in more detail in future posts.