Apple’s 50 Years in Filmmaking, I’m Back Roll APS-C, Videndum’s Financial Crisis – Focus Check ep111

by Felix TappeinerApril 9^th, 2026

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In this week’s episode of Focus Check, Johnnie and Nino discuss the I’m Back Roll APS-C Kickstarter, Videndum’s precarious financial situation, Apple’s 50-year impact on filmmaking, why camera batteries fail, CVP’s DACH expansion, the AutoCut 2.0 Premiere Pro plugin, and a new lesson in our ethical AI course on MZed.

The sponsor of this week’s episode is NANLITE – tune in at 20:40.

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I’m Back Roll APS-C Now On Kickstarter – Digital Film Cartridge Moves to APS-C Sensor

(04:38 in the episode)

The I’m Back Roll is a digital sensor insert for analog film cameras — placed where the film roll would normally go. This new version uses a BSI APS-C Sony IMX571 sensor (the same one found in several Fujifilm cameras), shoots up to 4K video in Motion JPEG, includes 256 GB of built-in storage, and transfers files via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. No cables, no external battery — everything is self-contained, charged via USB-C. The Kickstarter has already raised over €362,000 from nearly 750 backers. Early bird pricing starts at $500. Delivery is estimated for August 2027. Compatibility covers a wide range of 35mm cameras from Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Leica, Pentax, Olympus, and more — but checking compatibility before ordering is strongly advised based on mixed experiences with earlier versions.

https://www.cined.com/im-back-roll-aps-c-now-on-kickstarter-digital-film-cartridge-moves-to-aps-c-sensor/

Videndum Posts Third Straight Year of Losses as £85 Million Refinancing Reshapes the Future of Teradek, SmallHD, and Manfrotto

(21:42 in the episode)

Videndum — parent company of Teradek, SmallHD, Manfrotto, Sachtler, Anton Bauer, Quasar Science, Wooden Camera, Rycote, and many others — completed an £85 million emergency refinancing just one day before publishing its annual results on March 30th. Revenue has nearly halved from a peak of £442 million in 2022 to £228 million. The company’s auditors issued a going concern warning. The stock has lost over 99.8% of its value over five years, and the company has been without a permanent CEO for 18 months. A combination of the 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike, rising interest rates on acquisition debt, and aggressive competition from Chinese brands all contributed to the situation. The one bright spot is the Creative Solutions division (Teradek, SmallHD), which grew earnings year over year. Videndum’s stated target of £350 million in revenue for 2025 would require 53% organic growth — an extremely ambitious goal given current market conditions.

https://www.cined.com/videndum-posts-third-straight-year-of-losses-as-85-million-refinancing-reshapes-the-future-of-teradek-smallhd-and-manfrotto/

Apple 50th Anniversary

(46:11 in the episode)

Apple turned 50 on April 1st, 2026. Nino wrote a deep-dive piece tracing Apple’s full arc in filmmaking — from desktop publishing roots and QuickTime (1991) through the iMac DV and FireWire (which made consumer NLE editing possible for ~$1,300 versus the $15,000–$100,000 Avid setups of the era), to Final Cut Pro’s rise to 49% US market share by 2007, and its controversial relaunch as Final Cut Pro X in 2011. ProRes is highlighted as Apple’s quietest and most universally adopted filmmaking contribution. The iPhone 17 Pro with ProRes RAW, Apple Log, and OpenGate is now considered a legitimate cinema tool. The discussion also covers the Apple Creator Studio initiative, the MotionVFX acquisition, M5 MacBook Pros, and what Apple’s renewed focus on professionals might mean for Adobe’s dominance.

https://www.cined.com/apple-at-50-the-company-that-made-me-a-filmmaker-and-changed-an-entire-industry/

Why Camera Batteries Fail: Core SWX CEO Ross Kanarek Explains Watt Hours, Voltage, and Amps

(01:10:41 in the episode)

Core SWX CEO Ross Kanarek published a straightforward explainer video breaking down what the numbers on a battery label actually mean — watt hours, voltage, and amps — and how understanding them can prevent unexpected failures on set. The article on CineD includes the embedded video.

https://www.cined.com/why-camera-batteries-fail-core-swx-ceo-ross-kanarek-explains-watt-hours-voltage-and-amps/

CVP Expands Into Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with Dedicated Local Team

(01:14:13 in the episode)

CineD’s European retail sponsor CVP has hired Marco Müller as Sales Director for the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), covering a German-language market of approximately 100 million people. CVP already operates an EU fulfillment hub in Belgium for post-Brexit shipping. This is a welcome expansion for a region that has long needed local-language support from the retailer.

https://www.cined.com/cvp-expands-into-germany-austria-and-switzerland-with-dedicated-local-team/

AutoCut Plugin Now Integrates AI Directly Into Premiere Pro to Automatically Handle Time-Consuming Tasks

(01:16:50 in the episode)

AutoCut, the French AI editing plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, has released version 2.0 with direct Premiere Pro integration. The plugin can identify and cut the best takes from talking-head footage, remove silences, add captions, assist with podcast editing, and apply dynamic zoom — all from within the NLE. It joins a growing field of AI editing assistants, including tools from Adobe itself, as well as Blackmagic and others expected to announce new AI features around NAB.

https://www.cined.com/autocut-plugin-now-integrates-ai-directly-into-premiere-pro-to-automatically-handle-time-consuming-tasks/

Using AI for Pre-Production Mood Boards and Look Development – New Lesson in “Directing the Future” on MZed

(01:20:06 in the episode)

The latest lesson added to Drew Gerazzi’s ethical AI course on MZed shows a practical, non-displacive use of generative AI: uploading photos of a real model into Hailuo AI to generate wardrobe, lighting, and environment combinations as visual references before a shoot — then using those references on set. The lesson also covers the platform’s photo dump feature, relighting tool, and in-painting capabilities. The course is part of MZed Pro, starting from $29/month on the annual plan.

https://www.cined.com/using-ai-for-pre-production-mood-boards-and-look-development-new-lesson-in-directing-the-future-on-mzed/

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