Anglo-Saxon witchcraft refers to the practices and beliefs related to magic and the supernatural in the culture of the Anglo-Saxons, who were the dominant peoples of England from the 5th to the 11th centuries. While the term "witchcraft" often conjures images of dark magic and evil spells, the reality of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft was much more nuanced. The main theme that emerges from the study of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft is the deep connection between magic and daily life in this society. Magic and witchcraft were an integral part of Anglo-Saxon culture and were often practiced by women, who were known as "wicce" or "wise women." These women were highly respected members of their communities and served as healers, midwives, and advisers. They possessed knowledge of herbs, charms, and rituals that were believed to have the power to cure illnesses, protect against evil spirits, and ensure fertility and prosperity.
Features 12 motorized faders, rotary control knobs illuminated buttons for pan, solo, mute and call, plus bank select buttons.
The DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel features an auto switching international power supply, making it compatible with mains power anywhere in the world. These navigation keys can save you a lot of time by keeping your hands on the panel, instead of reaching for the mouse when performing common tasks, such as switching nodes.
They possessed knowledge of herbs, charms, and rituals that were believed to have the power to cure illnesses, protect against evil spirits, and ensure fertility and prosperity. Their role was essential in the well-being of their communities. The practice of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft was deeply rooted in the belief in supernatural forces and the power of words and rituals.
Review: Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel
If you’ve never used a color correction panel like the Tangent Element, Tangent Ripple, Avid Artist Color, or been fortunate enough to touch the super high-end FilmLight Blackboard 2, Blackmagic Advanced Panel or the Nucoda Precision Control Panel, then you don’t know what you are missing.
If you can, reach out to someone at a post house and sit at a real color correction console; it might change your career path. I’ve talked about it before, but the first time I sat in a “real” (a.k.a. expensive) color correction/editing bay I knew that I was on the right career path.
Color correction can be done without using color correction panels, but think of it like typing with one hand (maybe even one finger) — sure it can be done, but you are definitely missing out on the creative benefit of fluidity and efficiency.
In terms of affordable external color correction panels, Tangent makes the Ripple, Wave and Element panel sets that range from $350 to over $3,300, but work with pretty much every color correction app I can think of (even Avid if you use the Baselight plug-in). Avid offers the Artist Color panel, which also works with many apps, including Avid Media Composer, and costs about $1,300. Beyond those two, you have the super high-end panels that I mentioned earlier; they range from $12,000 to $29,999.
Blackmagic recently added two new offerings to their pool of color correction panel hardware: the DaVinci Resolve Micro Panel and DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel. The Micro is similar in size and functionality to the Avid Artist panel, and the Mini is similar to the center part of most high-end color correction panels.
One important caveat to keep in mind is that you can only use these panels with Blackmagic’s Resolve, and Resolve must be updated to at least version 12.5.5 to function. They connect to your computer via USB 3 Type C or Ethernet.
I received the Resolve Mini Panel to try out for a couple of weeks, and immediately loved it. If you’ve been lucky enough to use a high-end color correction panel like Blackmagic’s Advanced Panel, then you will understand just how great it feels to control Resolve with hardware. In my opinion, using hardware panels eliminates almost 90 percent of the stumbling when using color correction software as opposed to using a keyboard and mouse. The Resolve Mini Panel is as close as you are going to get to professional-level color correction hardware panel without spending $30,000.
Digging In
Out of the box, the panel feels hefty but not too heavy. It’s solid enough to sit on a desk and not have to worry about it walking around while you are using it. Of course, because I am basically a kid, I had to press all the buttons and turn all the dials before I plugged it in. They feel great… the best-feeling wheels and trackballs on a $3,000 panel I’ve used. The knobs and buttons feel fine. I’m not hating on them, but I think I like the way the Tangent buttons depress better. Either way, that is definitely subjective. The metal rings and hefty trackballs are definitely on the level of the high-end color correction panels you can see in pro color bays.
Without regurgitating Blackmagic’s press release in full, I want to go over what I think really shines on this panel. I love the two five-inch LCD panels just above the main rings and trackballs. Below the LCDs and above the row of 12 knobs are eight more knobs that interact with the LCDs. Above the LCDs are eight soft buttons and a bunch of buttons that help you navigate around the node tree and jump into different modes, like qualifiers and tracking.
Something I really loved when working with the Mini Panel was adding points on a curve and adjusting those individual points. This is one of the best features of the Mini Panel, in my opinion. Little shortcuts like adding a node + circle window in one key press are great features. Directly above the trackballs and rings are RGB, All and Level buttons that can reset their respective parameters for each of the Lift Gamma and Gain changes you’ve made. Above those are buttons like Log, Offset and Viewer — a quick way to jump into Log mode, Offset mode and full-screen Viewer mode.
When reading about the user buttons and FX buttons in the Resolve manual it states that they will be enabled in future releases, which gets me excited about what else could be coming down the pike. NAB maybe?
Of course, there can be improvements. I mean, it is a Version 1 product, but everything considered Blackmagic really hit it out of the park. To see what some pros think needs to be changed and/or altered troll over to the holy grail of color correction forums: Lift Gamma Gain. You’ll even notice some Blackmagic folks sniffing around answering questions and hinting at what is coming in some updates. In addition, Blackmagic has their own forum where an interesting post popped up titled DaVinci Mini Panel Suggestion Box. This is another great post to hang around.
Wishlist/Suggestions
When using the panels, when I would exit Resolve the LCDs didn’t dim or go into screen-saver mode like some other panels I’ve used. Furthermore, there isn’t a dimmer for the brightness of the LCD screens and backlit buttons. In the future, I would love the ability to dim or completely shut off the panels when I am in other apps or presenting to a client and don’t want the panel glowing. The backlit keys aren’t terribly bright though, so it’s not a huge deal.
While in the forums, I did notice posts about the panel’s inability to do the NLE-style of transport control: double tapping fast forward to go faster. Furthermore, a wheel might be a nice transport addition for scrubbing. In the node shortcut buttons, I couldn’t find an easy way to delete a node or add an outside node directly from the panel. On other panels, I love moving shapes/windows around using the trackballs but, unfortunately, you can only move/adjust the windows around with knobs, which isn’t terrible but is definitely less natural than using the trackballs. Lastly, I kind of miss the ability to set and load memories from a panel, with the Mini Panel we don’t have that option….yet. Maybe it will come in an update since there are buttons with numbers on them, but who knows.
Mini and Micro Panel
Technically, the Mini Panel is the Micro Panel but with the addition of the top LCDs and buttons. It also has the ability to connect the panel not just by USB-C but also via Ethernet. If connecting via Ethernet, there has been some talk of power over Ethernet (PoE) compatibility, which powers your panel without the need for a power cable. Some folks have had less success with standard PoE, but have had success using PoE+ appliances — something to keep in mind.
Both the Micro and Mini Panels have the standard three trackballs and rings, 12 control knobs and 18 keys hard coded for specific tasks and transport controls. In addition, the Mini Panel has two 5-inch screens, eight additional soft buttons, eight additional soft knobs and 30 additional hard-coded buttons that focus on node navigation and general mode navigation.
Both the Micro and Mini Panels are powered via USB-C, but the Mini Panel also adds PoE connection as mentioned earlier, as well as a 4-pin XLR DC power connection. Something to note: I thought that when I received the Mini Panel I might have been missing a power cable from the box because I had a test unit, but upon more forum reading I found that you do not get a power cable with the Mini Panel. While Blackmagic does ship a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter cable with the Mini and Micro Panels, they do not ship a power cable, which is unfortunate and an odd oversight, but since the panels are affordable I guess it’s not that big of a deal. Plus, if you are a post nerd like me, you probably have a few 5-15 to C13 power cables lying around the house.
I can’t shake the feeling that Blackmagic is going to be adding some additional external panels to piece together something like the Advanced Panel set-up (much like how the Tangent Element panel set can be purchased). Things like an external memory bank or an X-Keys type set-up seem not too far off for Blackmagic. I would even love to be able to turn the LCD screens into scopes if possible, and even hook up an Ultrascope via the panel so I don’t have to purchase additional hardware. Either way, the Mini Panel gets me real excited about the path Blackmagic is carving for their Resolve users.
Summing Up
In the end, if you are a professional colorist looking for a semi-portable panel and haven’t committed to the Tangent Element ecosphere yet, the Resolve Mini Panel is for you … and your credit card. The Mini Panel is as close to a high-end color correction panel that I have seen, and has a wallet-friendly retail price of $2,995. It is very solid and doesn’t feel like a substitute for a full-sized panel — it can hold its own.
One thing I was worried about when I began writing this review was questioning whether or not tying myself down to one piece of software was a good idea. When you invest in the Mini Panel, you are wholeheartedly dedicating yourself to DaVinci Resolve, and I think that is a safe bet.
Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on Life Below Zero and Cutthroat Kitchen. You can email Brady at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff .
Charms and spells played a significant role in their magical practices. These spells were often recited or written down and included invocations to various gods and spirits, as well as the use of symbolic objects such as amulets or talismans. One of the key elements of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft was the belief in the existence of a parallel world inhabited by various supernatural beings. These beings, including elves, fairies, and wights, were believed to have the ability to influence human affairs and could be either benevolent or malevolent. The wise women of Anglo-Saxon society were seen as intermediaries between the human and supernatural realms, capable of communicating with these beings and harnessing their powers. Despite their crucial role in society, the practice of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft eventually came into conflict with the rising influence of Christianity. The Church sought to suppress pagan beliefs and practices, including witchcraft, and gradually replaced the old gods and spirits with Christian saints and symbols. The wise women, once revered, became demonized as witches, and their magical practices were seen as heretical and evil. In conclusion, Anglo-Saxon witchcraft was an integral part of the culture and social fabric of the Anglo-Saxon society. It was deeply rooted in the belief in magic, supernatural forces, and the power of rituals and charms. The wise women who practiced this form of witchcraft played essential roles as healers, advisors, and protectors of their communities. While their practices eventually clashed with the rising power of Christianity, the legacy of Anglo-Saxon witchcraft remains a fascinating aspect of the cultural history of England..
Reviews for "Witches in Battle: Anglo Saxon Magic in Warfare"
1. John - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "Anglo Saxon Witchcraft". The book promised to delve into the history and practices of Anglo Saxon witchcraft, but ended up being a jumbled mess of vague information and poorly explained concepts. The author seemed to assume a certain level of prior knowledge from the reader, which made it difficult for me to follow along. I also found the writing style to be quite dry and dull, which made it even harder to stay engaged. Overall, this book fell short of my expectations and I would not recommend it.
2. Sarah - 3/5 - "Anglo Saxon Witchcraft" had some interesting aspects, but it was lacking in depth and clarity. While I appreciated the effort to explore a lesser-known topic, the book failed to provide enough historical context and practical guidance for someone who is curious about Anglo Saxon witchcraft. The organization of the chapters felt disjointed, and the author often jumped between different topics without proper transitions. Additionally, the references and sources were not well-cited, which made it difficult for me to validate the information presented. While it had potential, this book ultimately left me wanting a more comprehensive and well-researched exploration of the subject.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I found "Anglo Saxon Witchcraft" to be a confusing and disorganized read. The author tried to cover a wide range of topics within the realm of Anglo Saxon witchcraft, but failed to provide sufficient explanations or examples. The lack of clear structure made it challenging to follow along, and I often found myself re-reading sections in an attempt to grasp the author's intended meaning. Furthermore, the book lacked practical exercises or rituals to help readers better understand and connect with the subject matter. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and would not recommend this book for those seeking a comprehensive guide to Anglo Saxon witchcraft.