Best camcorders for any video shooter — 2024

Professional camcorders are often smaller, lighter, less expensive, and have more controls than other camera options. With so many choices on the market, from affordable cinema cameras to DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, the advantages of a fixed-lens camcorder may not be as easy to see as they once were, but they're definitely still there.

At the end of this article, we'll go over some of the special considerations unique to this form factor. But first, here are the best camcorders currently on the market.

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Lessons from the field

The dos and don'ts of green screen backgrounds

Using green screens, also known as chroma keying, allows video producers to virtually layer any image or video in the background while having a subject (actors, props, etc.) in the foreground. Green screen backgrounds (or blue screens depending on the situation) are used in anything from high-budget Hollywood movies to video conferences calls. What makes them useful in all scenarios is their increased flexibility, giving you the ability to essentially add any setting you desire and, most notably, do so in a controlled environment. Read more.

Creator Handbook: Researchers have potentially cracked the TikTok algorithm

A recent study in the U.S. and Europe presents an in-depth analysis of TikTok's recommendation system for videos based on user preferences and likes.

Because of the European Union's data protection laws, researchers from Boston University and the University of Washington were able to examine user data from TikTok. According to their analysis, between 30 and 50 percent of the first 1,000 videos that are suggested to newly created TikTok accounts correspond with the known preferences of the users. Read more.

Casting director: The role explained

Casting on a film is critical. With the right group of actors, a production can become a classic. However, even with the best story and cinematography, the wrong cast can make a movie flop. So, how do casting directors in Hollywood find the right mix? What does the process look like? How can a smaller project benefit from understanding the process?

We caught up with Mark Paladini, CSA. He's been an independent casting director since 1991 and has worked on more than 50 film and television projects: "I worked on the movie 'The Mask' with Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz. I worked on 'Beverly Hills 90210' the original series for a couple of seasons," Mark says, mentioning a few notables. "I did Richard Attenborough's final movie, which was quite a wonderful experience called 'Closing the Ring' with Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer." Read more.

Apple is suing a former iOS engineer. Allegedly, the engineer leaked the Vision Pro.
YouTube is rolling out paywalled Shorts. Now, creators can post exclusive Shorts for a subscription.
Insta360 released a major update for the Insta360 Studio. The update adds additional editing controls.
arkona announced its BLADE//master software. It's a new live broadcast software that will be shown for the first time at NAB 2024.
Apple disputed the United States Department of Justice's claim that it's a monopoly. The company compared its current success to Windows' hold on the market back in the early 2000s.