Self gratifying is a variation of witchcraft. Witchcraft, in its various forms, has been practiced for centuries and remains an intriguing yet controversial subject. It encompasses a wide range of beliefs and practices, often involving the manipulation of supernatural forces to achieve specific outcomes. One variation of witchcraft, often overlooked or misunderstood, is self gratifying. Self gratifying, in the context of witchcraft, refers to the act of seeking personal gain or pleasure through the use of magical practices. It involves harnessing one's own power and energy to manifest desires and manipulate the external world.
The new UI is gesture based.
Ideally where the cable connects to the Video Assist and camera it should be very short with angled 90 degree connectors at both ends so that the cable doesn t stick out in the line of danger like this. It s been on the market since April 2016 so it doesn t match the spec of the latest 4K 60p capable competitors, nor can it cope with the wider-screen DCI flavor of 4K but, through a series of firmware updates, Blackmagic has been adding features to this sub- 1000 monitor recorder.
It involves harnessing one's own power and energy to manifest desires and manipulate the external world. While mainstream witchcraft often emphasizes the importance of community and ethical considerations, self gratifying focuses solely on individual desires and needs. The main idea is that self gratifying, in its essence, is a form of witchcraft.
Blackmagic Video Assist Review
Out of the blue Blackmagic sent me the new Video Assist, which isn’t quite yet shipping at B&H (pre-orders are available) or CVP but will be soon.
Here is an early look at the device and what it can do.
Ethics statement: as regular readers will know I always buy my own gear for use in my filmmaking and the EOSHD reviews come off the back of that quite naturally. This is a little bit different as Blackmagic decided to support my endeavours! They sent me a unit for free! I didn’t even ask for one! Whilst I am grateful to them for that, be assured this review is in the usual independent mindset. Full Video Assist specs are at Blackmagic here.
Blackmagic seems to have generated quite a bit of excitement with the Video Assist. Not quite as much as with their cameras but it isn’t hard to see why it has been well received even before release. This is an extremely capable $495 field monitor for accurate focus and composition. It’s also an HDMI ProRes / DNxHD recorder that even takes Ultra HD signals with twin 6G SDI for your $495 – that is insane value for money.
Rather than to large SSDs the device records 10bit ProRes 422 to tiny SD cards, a trick Blackmagic first exploited with the Pocket Cinema Camera. The space saving flavours are also in there not just HQ. There’s LT, Proxy and standard. I’m a big fan of the smaller file sizes and I can barely tell the difference between LT and 422 HQ for most stuff.
The deck also takes audio from the HDMI connection, adding on-screen meters and a headphone jack, giving those features to users of cameras without decent audio monitoring which is a a surprising number, including the little Nikon D5500.
The full HD 1920x1080p screen is glorious and adds the ability to, erm, focus our images. Quite important this one!! Like the missing headphone jack on so many cameras, manual focus seems to be an afterthought on DSLRs with their 3″ screen and no peaking – I’m looking at you Canon and Nikon!
This magic ability to finally focus our images is done without any distracting manual focus aids like punch-in or peaking. Just look at the shot, be confident then hit record. It is almost like having a proper RED or Cinema EOS monitor on a mirrorless camera, without the expense. Wonderful.
The Video Assist uses the very common Canon LP-E6 batteries of the 5D series and this helps keep the weight down. Much preferred to the bulky Sony NP batteries. However like their cameras it appears to be quite hungry for juice – run times aren’t groundbreaking (so far I detect 1 hour per battery) – or maybe it is that my Canon 5D batteries are old since I sold my 5D Mark III years ago!! On the plus side these batteries are so small and cheap you can bring a lot with you on a shoot.
One other issue I’ve run into is dropped frames, but it’s possible my Sandisk Extreme 95Mb/s SD card needs defragmenting or even replacing with the latest model. I’ve had it 2 years now. You will need the FASTEST card you can lay your hands on for the Video Assist. However these cards are cheap and make carrying numerous ones on a shoot 100x less cumbersome than packing the same number of SSDs. If you’re a one-man operator travelling with hand luggage trying to carrying 10x 64GB SSDs and a bulky field monitor/recorder, you will really appreciate the ability to carry 5x 128GB SD cards and the Video Assist, believe me. (I’m not a fan of piling tons of footage onto a single 512GB SSD in case it breaks during a shoot and you lose everything. Better to spread it over more smaller cards).
The Video Assist itself benefits from downsizing. It is a 5″ display yet easily large enough to check focus without magnifying thanks to the extreme DPI. The small size and low weight makes it much more balanced in the hotshoe of a small mirrorless camera like the Panasonic GH4, when shooting bare bones.
The HDMI ports are full sized but unusually on a device this inexpensive there’s two 6G SDI ports offered as well. There’s a second full size HDMI port for outputting an image to a secondary device (such as an EVF in bright sunlight). For firmware updates there’s a USB port on the base.
Plenty of mounting points – 3 threads on the top and bottom.
The screen is utterly first rate. It’s a high end smartphone class full 1080p touch screen display with useful gestures to control the UI. There are ZERO fiddly physical buttons aside from an on/off. There’s also a built in orientation sensor which flips the display when you have the monitor mounted upside down.
It involves the use of magical techniques and rituals to serve one's own interests, often at the expense of others. This can be seen as a deviation from the principles of harmony, balance, and interconnectedness emphasized in traditional witchcraft. Self gratifying can be seen as a form of witchcraft because it shares many similarities with other forms of magical practice. Both involve the use of visualization, intention setting, and energy manipulation to bring about desired outcomes. However, the key difference lies in the intention behind the practice. While traditional witchcraft often seeks to align with the natural rhythms and cycles of the universe, self gratifying focuses solely on personal desires, disregarding any potential ethical consequences. Despite its controversial nature, self gratifying has gained popularity in recent years, fueled by the rise of individualism and the desire for instant gratification in modern society. With the widespread availability of information and resources on magical practices, more individuals are exploring self gratifying as a means to manifest their goals and fulfill their desires. In conclusion, self gratifying can be considered a variation of witchcraft, although it deviates from the principles of harmony and interconnectedness commonly associated with traditional witchcraft. It is centered around personal desires and the manipulation of supernatural forces to achieve individual goals. Whether or not one agrees with the practice, it remains an intriguing aspect of the broader realm of witchcraft that continues to fascinate and spark debate among individuals..
Reviews for "Self-Gratification: A Pathway to Witchcraft?"
1. John - 1/5 stars - "I found 'Self gratifying is a variation of witchcraft' to be utterly pointless and uninteresting. The author seemed to be rambling on without any clear direction or purpose. The writing style was overly verbose and convoluted, making it difficult to understand the main message of the book. I was expecting a thought-provoking exploration of the topic, but all I got was a jumbled mess of ideas. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this one."
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "While I appreciate the author's attempt to delve into the concept of self-gratification and witchcraft, I was left disappointed by the execution. The book lacked a coherent structure and failed to provide any substantial arguments or evidence to support its claims. It felt more like a collection of random thoughts and personal anecdotes rather than a well-researched and logical exploration. I struggled to connect with the author's perspective, and ultimately, it left me unconvinced. There are definitely more informative and well-written books out there on the same topic."
3. Alex - 2/5 stars - "I picked up 'Self gratifying is a variation of witchcraft' expecting a deep analysis of the connection between self-gratification and witchcraft. However, the book fell short of my expectations. The author's writing style was overly poetic and abstract, making it difficult to comprehend their arguments clearly. Additionally, the book lacked concrete examples and practical applications, leaving me with more questions than answers. While the topic is intriguing, this book didn't provide the substance I was seeking."
4. Emily - 1/5 stars - "I truly regret reading 'Self gratifying is a variation of witchcraft'. The author seemed more interested in showcasing their writing style than providing any genuine insights into the topic. The majority of the book felt like an unnecessary tangent, irrelevant to the main theme. The author failed to present a cohesive argument, leaving me confused and frustrated. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time or money on this book if you're looking for a thoughtful exploration of witchcraft and self-gratification."