Atomos has released a new software update for the Ninja V and Ninja V+ to introduce several new creative features that include custom frame guides, frame grabs and onion skin overlay for repositioning and stop animation work.
Anyone familiar with the Ninja V or V+ knows that these 5-inch on-camera monitors and recorders are densely packed with a rich array of easy-to-use features and tools right at your fingertips. Now the Atomos development team has been hard at work to deliver us a host of new and advanced options that are available in the latest update, which software will be available for free for all new and existing owners of a Ninja V or V+.
To get a brief insight into these new features and how the can be development into your workflows, take a look at the demo below:
What the new software gives you
New features is always a great thing, but to have them offered in a free software update to all new and exciting customers really goes that extra mile for brand loyalty. Some of these features might not be needed for some however, I can see these new features being a god send to many DP's on set or solo filmmakers looking for that truly intuitive workflow. These new features are:
Custom Frame Guides - Frame guides make it easy for filmmakers to check composition. With the NINJA V/V+ this includes being able to preview the shot as it would appear with different aspect ratios or cropped for different social platforms. The new update features the ability to create custom guides to meet any specific or unique requirements. Custom guides include an option to display correctly proportioned safe zones, to ensure that the frame is set up correctly during production.
Frame Grab - From providing a reference, through storyboarding, to social media posts, there are a multitude of uses for still frames. The latest software update allows you to generate and save stills directly on the NINJA V/V+. Frames can be grabbed during playback and recording with a tap of the new Frame Grab button. Each frame is saved as a 1920 x 1080 still in the PNG format. This feature can be used in conjunction with the monitoring tools on the NINJA V/V+, to capture frames with specific LUTs and create a record of different looks.
Onion Skin Overlay - The ability to compare and match setups is a highly requested feature, which has increasing importance for continuity, scene layout or visual effects. The term “onion skinning” will be familiar to animators and simply refers to the ability to overlay images with various levels of transparency for comparison. The new Onion Skin feature on the NINJA V/V+ offers the ability to load a frame grab, then select from three levels of opacity or activate a split screen view. In addition to quickly loading the last frame grab, any preexisting PNG images loaded onto the device can be selected.
Collectively these features in the latest update offer filmmakers a unique set of creative tools to work with on-set. Each provides a fresh way to use the Ninja V / V+ to perfect each shot or explore new ways to make films, either way these new features are certainly going to help improve and speed up your production and post-production workflows.
Estelle McGechie, CEO, ATOMOS had this to say: “The new creative tools we’re introducing in the latest update for the NINJA V and NINJA V+ are a terrific addition to the existing feature set. We know that our software helps set us apart and makes our devices invaluable to production teams. We understand the creative potential these tools represent, and the update is free for all registered users to ensure we can get the new software onto as many devices as possible.”
Read more:
Best cinema camera
Best on-camera monitors
Best cine lenses
Best audio recorders for filmmakers
Best wireless follow focus
