CineD HQ Studio Tour & History Lesson by Orbit for Creators

Interview

by Nino LeitnerSeptember 7^th, 2024

A few months ago, Valentin Farkasch, the creator behind the YouTube “Orbit for Creators“, paid us a visit. It was a pleasant and unusual visit that spurred a lot of discussion about the origins of CineD, where the site came from, how we operate, and where we’re headed. Watch their studio tour and the interview with me below!

Here at CineD, we are hustlers – we constantly strive to find the best tech to make our craft of filmmaking better, geek out over it, and report about it in different ways on our channels in order to get your guys’ feedback. But there is one thing we hardly ever do: Take a step back and think of where we are and how we’ve gotten here. It takes someone else to do that – and in this case, this person is Valentin Farkasch from the YouTube channel “Orbit for Creators,” a channel dedicated to showcasing other creators. We were honored by his visit a few months ago, and I gave him a spontaneous studio tour, which turned into quite a long interview that dove into our history. Watch below!

CineD HQ Studio Tour

CineD history – from DSLR forum to the present day

You know, it’s funny how things evolve. What started cinema5D, this site’s predecessor, as a small forum for DSLR enthusiasts has grown into CineD, a leading publication for cinematography gear reviews. We’ve become the go-to source for sensor testing, helping folks worldwide choose their next kit. But at our core, we’re filmmakers first and YouTubers second. I can’t stand the term “content creator” – it sounds so disposable. Like we’re just churning out disposable bits for the internet void.

Interview – “We’re Filmmakers First”

A totally incomplete history of CineD…

Our journey began in Vienna, where a few of us filmmakers realized we were all working on similar projects. There was Sebastian and Johnnie, who was all about being a one-man band, and myself, fresh from studying in Salzburg and England, with a passion for documentary filmmaking. We decided to join forces, and what was once a side gig became our main focus.

Now, we’re publishing in three languages – English, Japanese, and Spanish – pumping out about five articles a day, including news, reviews, and videos. We’ve got a regular podcast, too, which we started just a few months ago. Trade shows like NAB? That’s when we really kick into high gear. This year, we produced 56 videos from NAB alone, not counting the podcast or additional social media content.

Why we don’t put all the effort only into YouTube

We’ve always embraced YouTube, but we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket. Having our own website gives us independence – after all, if Google decided to end their YouTube partner program tomorrow, it could spell disaster for some careers. That said, we can’t ignore the younger generation, who get their info primarily from social media, so we’re adapting with things like reels. It’s a balancing act, really, trying to maintain our journalistic integrity while also staying relevant in a fast-changing media landscape.

The challenges of reviewing filmmaking technology

Reviewing gear comes with its challenges. We get early access to products, and it’s a fine line between honest critique and maintaining relationships with brands. If there are issues with a product, it’s easy to go online and bash them, but that’s not always the most constructive approach. Instead of creating clickbaity headlines, we would rather contact the manufacturer in such a case and give them a chance to reply to our concerns so we can include their explanation in our review. That doesn’t make a good headline, but it makes a good review, and that is more important to us than cheap clicks. Are we always perfect with that? Surely not – I am sure you can find one or the other clickbait-style headline in our archives, too. But we’ve published thousands of videos so far … mistakes happen, and we learn from them.

Go big or go home – CineD is just getting started

At the end of the day, we’re here to help our fellow filmmakers navigate the ever-changing world of cinematography gear. We’ve seen the industry transform from traditional broadcast cameras and film to the digital revolution we’re in now. It’s been quite a ride, and we’re not slowing down anytime soon. Either we take this to the next level, or we stop doing it – go big or go home, right? And we’re definitely not ready to go home yet. There’s still so much to explore, explain, and review in this fascinating world of filmmaking technology.

What do you guys think about Orbit for Creators’ videos about CineD? Very curious to hear, so let us know in the comments below.