October 2011 - Videomaker.com
Transcription
October 2011 - Videomaker.com
Dell recommends Windows® 7 Professional. Editing On Your Tablet - We’ll Show You How page 32 If you can imagine it, you can create it. Set your imagination free – and bring your most amazing ideas to life – with Dell Precision™ workstations. ® YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO OCTOBER 2011 Time to Edit! Annual Editing Software Buyer’s Guide + In the studio and now on the road, you have the power to keep up with your ideas and stay on top of your schedule. • Step up to server-level performance for your workstation with Intel® Xeon® processors. • Collaborate, multitask, render and more – with a system ISV-certified to run 90 applications including Autodesk® Maya® 2011, Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Adobe® CS5. • contents full screen print Reviewed: • Panasonic HDC-TM40 Camcorder • ADK I7-DVC Video Editing Computer • Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Software • G-Technology G-Speed Q RAID Look for the Ships Fast logo on our most popular workstations, and get your system delivered in 48 hours ◊ Learn More Call 1-800-437-0182 or visit www.dell.com/smb/imagine Trademarks: Intel, the Intel Logo, Intel Inside, Intel Core, and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. ◊ Limited quantities. Only available for orders placed by 5:59 PM CT Mon-Thu. System ships the day after an order is placed via next business day delivery. Subject to order approval. contents full screen print Step-By-Step Documentary Production! www.videomaker.com/makeAdoc Webinars Learn From the Video Experts in the Comfort of Your Home or Office. Videomaker Webinars www.videomaker.com Features Contents OCTOBER 2011 19 Animation & Motion Graphics provide the information you need 32 Cloud-Based Editing Using Tablets Buyer’s Guide quickly and effectively. These one Animation and motion graphics software are packages that can create visual assets from scratch, can composite those assets with other visual assets from outside sources together on screen, and can change parameters of those assets over time to create a final animated video product. by Ben Balser hour classes explain and demonstrate essential techniques with an opportunity for our experts to address your individual questions. With 12 classes to choose from, Videomaker & Smartphones In the video spectrum, technology has always reigned supreme. Video is going where early adopters probably never envisioned - into the clouds. by Dave Sniadak 38 Halloween Ghastly Effects How to Make a Ghost - You don’t need any supernatural power to create a real video ghost, it’s all in the production techniques and the storytelling art. by Peter Zunitch 25 Editing Software Buyer’s Guide Webinars cover all aspects of video The road to editing greatness begins by shifting into the right gear. You can’t drive your projects forward with software that leaves your computer idling in neutral. by Dave Sniadak production, providing you with the perfect occasion to improve in the Volume 26 • Number 04 43 Real Video Horror Stories From the Trenches Every year, we traditionally bring you stories of the perils and pitfalls our fellow video producers plunge into with our annual Videomaker Horror Stories. by Jennifer O’Rourke areas where you need it the most! $29.95 per one hour session All attendees receive a bonus report crammed full of additional tips we can't fit into the presentation! Intermediate Editing Documentary One of the best parts of editing Production video is getting to see the pieces of your story come together in a way that enhances the moment you're trying to capture. This overview introduces advanced techniques such as time remapping, compositing, multi-camera editing and more. Considered an art form by many, documentary video production has its own special challenges and rewards. Obtain the knowledge you'll need to produce a documentary from start to finish. With the proper techniques you can change the impact of your documentary. Advanced Shooting Lighting for Video Becoming more efficient in your shooting abilities will allow you to create professional-looking video. Learn camera placement, creative composition, shooting techniques, dramatic angles and framing. Green Screen & Special Effects contents full screen print Contrary to popular belief, most special effects are affordable and easy to duplicate. Learn how to make the most of green screen and illusion techniques - even on a limited budget. The key to successful lighting is being knowledgeable about the lights you are working with. Learn the foundation to great lighting, as well as explore more advanced techniques on creative light manipulation. The Art of Titles & Graphics Great titles and graphics can add a professional element to your video production, poorly done they are a tell-tale sign of an amateur. Learn what to do and what to avoid while creating great-looking titles and graphics. Webinars Wedding & Event Videography DVD Authoring There are no "do-overs" in wedding and event videography. You have one chance to get the shot before the moment has passed forever. Learn how to to capture the essence of those once-in-a-lifetime moments with great results. Authoring your own DVDs can save you money and allow you to create a marketable product. Learn the technical requirements for DVD authoring, basic authoring steps, as well as how to incorporate basic and advanced DVD features into your next project. Audio for Video Basic Editing Capturing great audio is invaluable to the process of making a video. Learn the types of mics and their pick-up patterns, which mics are the best fit for each situation, and special tips on how to capture quality audio every time. Making Money with Video As a video production hobbyist, you may have contemplated starting your own video production business. Designed to help you go pro, this will help you examine your skills, assess equipment needs, master the market and learn to sell your services. There is much more to editing video than just cutting and pasting. Effective editing requires a firm grasp of basic editing techniques. Learn the tools of the trade, such as pacing, continuity, transitions, and titling, as well as how to avoid common mistakes. Editing On Your Tablet - We’ll Show You How New webinars are being added weekly. To see current updated schedules, visit our Webinars page often! www.videomaker.com/webinar DIY Video Accessories by Kyle Cassidy YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO OCTOBER 2011 Time to Edit! Annual Editing Software Buyer’s Guide Reviewed: • Panasonic HDC-TM40 Camcorder • ADK I7-DVC Video Editing Computer • Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Software • G-Technology G-Speed Q RAID Step-By-Step Documentary Production! www.videomaker.com/makeAdoc On Sale October, 11 2011 50 Lighting Color Temperature for Video by Mike Fitzer 53 Editing Getting into GPUs by Doug Dixon + Video in Schools Using Animals in your Production Editing Tips for Windows MovieMaker 61 6 Departments 4 Reader Profile Behind the Lens 59 Ad Index 47 Basic Training ® Next Month Columns Persuasion by Matthew York page 32 293 October cover 11.indd 1 47 2 Viewfinder ON THE COVER • Sony Vegas Pro 10 • Adobe Premiere Pro • CyberLink PowerDirector 9 Ultra64 • Serif MoviePlus X5 Basic Video Production Whether you're interested in video production for new business ventures or simply picking it up as hobby, this will teach you the techniques needed to make better video. Learn shot composition, camera moves, lighting and audio. 43 25 8/9/2011 4:52:33 PM Reviews 6 Panasonic HDC-TM40 Consumer Camcorder by Mark Holder 8 Toshiba CAMILEO S30 Pocket Camcorder by Jackson Wong 58 Projects that Pay 10 Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 61 Audio 14 G-Technology G-SPEED Q RAID How to Price your Project by Jay Montana The Art of the Voice Over by Peter Zunitch 64 What’s Legal Substantially Similar Idea? by Mark Levy VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 Introductory Editing Software by Mark Holder External Hard Drive by Dan Bruns contents 16 ADK I7-DVC Video Editing Computer by Lance Olinger full screen print 1 VIEWFINDER Videomaker empowers people to make video in a way that inspires, encourages and equips for success. We do this by building a community of readers, web visitors, viewers, attendees and marketers. Persuasion nt renovation le pai Melissa Hageman Susan Schmierer Terra York Isaac York Tyler Kohfeld Dawn Branthaver Joseph Ayres Mike Rosen-Molina manager of information systems web developer IT assistant Andy Clark director of finance accounting assistant customer service fulfillment assistant Stephen Awe Sandra Wells Tammy Lynn Hettrick Bree Day ar to o n business ma n Tai Travis Garry Freemyer subscription information Videomaker Subscription Fulfillment P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (800) 284-3226 e-mail: [email protected] address P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (530) 891-8410 fax: (530) 891-8443 surpris toy e s kids Videomaker (ISSN 0889-4973) is published monthly by Videomaker, Inc., P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927. ©2011 Videomaker, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher is prohibited. The Videomaker name is a registered trademark, property of Videomaker, Inc. Editorial solicitations welcomed; publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Editorial-related photos and artwork received unsolicited become property of Videomaker. Single-copy price: $5.99; $7.99 in Canada. Subscription rates: one year (12 issues) $39.50; $79.50 in Canada (U.S. funds); $119.50 Foreign Delivery (prepayment required, U.S. funds). Send subscription correspondence to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927. Back issues of Videomaker are available for order online at www.videomaker.com or by calling Customer Service at (800) 284-3226. Periodicals postage paid at Chico, CA 95927 and additional mailing offices. Canada Post International Mail Sales Agreement #40051846. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927. CANADA POSTMASTER: Please send Canadian address changes to: IDS, P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6S8. Videomaker makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to the completeness, accuracy or utility of these materials or any information or opinion contained herein. Any use or reliance on the information or opinion is at the risk of the user, and Videomaker shall not be liable for any damage or injury incurred by any person arising out of the completeness, accuracy or utility of any information or opinion contained in these materials. These materials are not to be construed as an endorsement of any product or company, nor as the adoption or promulgation of any guidelines, standards or recommendations. P R I N T E D IN USA V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO bER 2011 up For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15162 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15162 co n Matthew York is Videomaker's Publisher/Editor. marketing director marketing coordinator marketing coordinator p tio advertising director advertising representatives telephone (530) 891-8410 senior account executive account executive dancer l ea mo Kyle Cassidy Mark Levy Mark Montgomery Hal Robertson Mark Holder g 2 contributing editors tor print Richard Ober Jennifer O’Rourke Dan Bruns Julie Babcock in full screen executive editor managing editor associate editor associate editor production director art director/photographer had lots of clips of people saying “Did you record that?” or “Please erase that, I don’t want anyone to see that”. Nam June Paik saw these moments as the absolute truth. He seemed like the kind of guy that would enjoy Candid Camera or Punk’d. In 1998, when meeting President Bill Clinton, he stood up from his wheelchair and his pants fell down. If you searched the web for “nam june paik pants” it might be the first item up. Does it look like an accident to you? Perhaps the greatest thing about video is that no one person has control of the camera. We have all seen the truth presented by large numbers of people who traditionally would not have been “trusted” to present the truth. During the 2009 Iranian election protests, Neda Agha-Soltan was killed and her death was recorded by several people with mobile phones and broadcast over the Internet. What would have been a unreported death by the Iranian media became a rallying point for the opposition. Video is a powerful and sacred tool for presenting the truth. Use it responsibly. Matthew York Patrice York ve c contents Wikipedia defines persuasion as a form of social influence. It is the process of guiding oneself or another toward the adoption of an idea, attitude or action by rational and symbolic (though not always logical) means. Video is perhaps the most effective tool for persuasion because it involves two senses: sight and sound, which people use to form opinions. All of us who make video have some desire to influence our audience. Many video creators also desire to change opinions. Video allows creators to selectively present facts and ideas that foster a particular synthesis of ideas. Video is a fantastic tool for people seeking the truth, but is often used to deceive. As we make video, we can be tempted to skate close to the line separating truth from lies. For some, it is easy to produce video with loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. While this isn’t quite lying, it may not be all that truthful. Making video is really a tremendous responsibility; as the creator, you are challenged to grapple with the truth. Many things in life appear in shades of gray, but the truth has always been black or white until Steven Colbert coined the term truthiness; defined as a “truth” that a person claims to know intuitively “from the gut” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts. The power to present what you believe to be the truth, may be the exact reason that you were drawn into the craft of video production to begin with. In 1978, I attended a lecture in New York City by the first video artist, Nam June Paik. He was fascinated with the power of video to present the truth. He began working with the Sony Portapak in 1965 and was amazed how a non-technical person could harness the power of television. Nam June Paik loved unscripted video making and seemed to acutely enjoy moments when people let their guard down. He publisher/editor associate publisher c by Matthew Y or k We’ve seen a lot in eleven years. Whether you’re a designer, advertiser, entrepreneur or blogger, we can help you tell your story with royalty-free photos, illustrations, video and audio. Say anything with iStockphoto. www.iStockphoto.com contents full screen print READER PROFILE Behind the Lens - Guy Bauer Video creation is sometimes a singular business, but video producers are a social lot who work and play in many areas of video production and love to share their stories. This column introduces you to your fellow video producers. Name: Guy Bauer Cameras: Sony HDR-AX2000, Sony HDR-SR11, Canon EOS 60D DSLR Editing Platform: Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Microphones: Shure VP64A, Audix UEM81S, Sony UWP-V6 ENG System Lighting: (2) Smith-Victor Softbox 3-Light kit Support Gear: Bescor fluid head tripod and Sony VCT-1170RM Tripod Website: http://www.guybauerproductions.com Sample Videos: http://www.guybauerproductions.com/portfolio/ I've been making videos ever since 7th grade when I shot and edited a video version of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi using my dad's VHS camcorder and making cuts by dubbing each shot onto a blank tape in our VHS deck. We even dubbed in some music from my parent's record player. Ever since that moment, I've been hooked! In March 2001, when I was 19, I bought a Sony VX2000 and made a TV show with my friends called The Mother of All Shows. The show stunk to high heaven, but it taught me a lot of very important lessons, which I still follow to this day. Lessons like: always feed your crew; great scripts are more important than top-of-theline equipment; there's always a way to do it for free; and never stop learning! We premiered The Mother of All Shows in our hometown of Matawan, contents full screen print 4 New Jersey to a packed house at a movie theater. The line outside was so long that we were forced to play it again! The show's local success inspired me to get into the entertainment business and since then I've worked for Crank Yankers, The Man Show, KCBS-FM in Los Angeles and WLUP-FM in Chicago. In 2009, I was laid off from a producing gig and found myself in the middle of the worst economy with zero job prospects. Luckily, I fell back on my video skills that I had been honing since the 7th grade and started getting work on freelance sites like Guru. com and Elance.com. In September 2010, I officially launched Guy Bauer Productions. At Guy Bauer Productions we make everything from 60-second business profiles to motion graphic TV show intros. Resources like Videomaker, Lynda.com, Video Copilot, Aetuts+, Videopia and believe it or not, the Small Business Administration, have helped me transition from amateur hobbyist to professional. I believe continuing education and the constant pursuit of getting better separates the “wheat from the chaff.” I'm really excited about the DSLR revolution and absolutely love my Canon 60D. I use it on many of my shoots and the quality is just amazing. That being said, the Sony SDI to Analog Analog to SDI SDI to Audio Audio to SDI SDI to HDMI HDMI to SDI Optical Fiber Sync Generator $495 AX2000 is really the workhorse of my operation because of its ruggedness and outstanding audio with the two XLR inputs. I really believe that audio is just as important (if not, more) to a great video as the actual video is. In addition to producing videos for clients, I also produce and host a weekly comedy talk show web series called, The Guy Bauer Half Hour. We do the show out of my 2nd bedroom “studio” and we've actually had some pretty cool guests! Doing the live show every week has taught me a lot about how TV is made and, actually, my biggest takeaway: use a checklist for everything! When we first started doing the show, we had technical problems every 30 seconds because we had forgotten to click this or plug in that. Since then, we've implemented a check-list (that grows every week) and our tech problems are rare. My goal is to take Guy Bauer Productions to the next level over the next five years and have it really become a name brand in the video production business. I would also like to get into teaching my knowledge to others because I believe that great things are possible if we all get better. Thanks Videomaker! Guy Bauer – Making the Cut $495 $495 $495 $495 $495 $495 $295 The most advanced 3 Gb/s converters for SD and HD that include AES/EBU and analog audio! Build your studio with the world’s most advanced converters. Only Mini Converters include auto SD/HD switching, redundant input, AES/ EBU and analog audio on 1/4 inch jack connections, plus advanced 3 Gb/s SDI! There are 8 great models to choose from depending on the conversion you need! Auto Switching SD and HD 3 Gb/s SDI Technology Mini Converters include the latest 3 Gb/s SDI technology, so you’re always future proofed! 3 Gb/s SDI is also fully compatible with all your existing standard definition and high definition SDI equipment. Broadcast Quality Mini Converters instantly switch between all SD and HD formats, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i/59.94, 1080i/50, 1080PsF/23.98, 1080PsF/24, 720p/59.94, 720p/50. Updates can be loaded via USB. Mini Converters are built to the highest quality standards with low SDI jitter, so you get the longest SDI cable lengths combined with ultra low noise broadcast quality analog video and audio. Mini Converters are the world’s first converters to include 3 Gb/s SDI on all models! Redundant SDI Input Eight Exciting Models Most Mini Converters feature a redundant input and loop through SDI output. Connect a redundant SDI cable to the second input, and if the main SDI input is lost, Mini Converters will automatically switch over in an instant. That’s great for mission critical tasks such as live events. Mini Converters include more new technologies than other converters, while every model is an affordable $495. The Sync Generator model is only $295! Pro Analog and AES/EBU Audio Standard 1/4 inch jacks are built in to most Mini Converters for professional balanced audio that switches between AES/EBU or analog. Unlike other converters you don’t need expensive custom audio cables. Mini Converters $495 Sync Generator $295 full screen print Learn more today at www.blackmagic-design.com V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 contents reviews reviews Panasonic HDC-TM40 Panasonic HDC-TM40 Consumer Camcorder TeCH sPeCs Compact Size, Compact Price b y M a rk H ol der I f two of the primary purchase requirements for your next camcorder happen to be price and compact size then you’ll want to have a close look at Panasonic’s new HDC-TM40 (magnifying glass not included). Touted at the time of its release as the world’s lightest full-HD AVCHD camcorder (approximately 213g with battery and optional media card), the ultra compact HDC-TM40 weighs in at a very affordable $400. While concessions have to be made at this price, it is quite capable as an entry level camera. Panasonic Broadcast One Panasonic Way Secaucus, NJ 07094 www.panasonic.com strengths • Low price • Small size • Optical zoom • Power OIS contents full screen print weaknesses • Lower quality due to 1MOS sensor • No manual ring, accessory shoe or external microphone jack $400 6 The Box Included with the HDC-TM40 you will find a very tiny battery pack rated for about 135 minutes of record time (at maximum quality) when fully charged. An AC adaptor and power cord are also included as well as an AV multi cable and USB cable for making that all important computer connection. Although the camcorder has an HDMI port, no such cable is included. The owner’s manual and a CD-ROM containing HD Writer LE 1.0 for importing files to your computer, uploading to YouTube and Facebook, and performing rudimentary editing tasks round out the box contents. The Camcorder Not included in the box is your choice of SDHC/SDXC memory card. Using a Class 4 (minimum, Class 10 preferred) or higher memory card can expand your recording capabilities by as much as 64GB beyond the HDCTM40’s 16GB built-in flash memory. Suitably small for stealthily obtaining those family-gathering YouTube moments, this camera can be a lot of fun. Smooth, steady shots are possible by using proper hand held techniques. Don’t expect prosumer level performance from this model, however. V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctOb ER 2011 Obviously, at this price point, performance and/or feature reductions were necessary. While it does shoot full 1920x1080 HD the single CMOS 1.2 megapixel sensor just can’t deliver the same visual punch as its pricier 3MOS brethren. Picture quality lacks the same crispness, with color reproduction capabilities taking a hit as well. Unlike higher cost models, which use an automatic lens cover, the HDC-TM40’s lens cover is opened and closed by means of a manual switch alongside the lens housing. It lacks both a built-in accessory shoe and an external microphone jack. There is no manual ring for zoom, focus, iris or other such features and the menus are navigated by buttons rather than the much sexier touch screens we see on many of today’s model - how old school! But remember, these are the trade-offs one expects in exchange for lower cost. This unit does have some very nice features, however. For instance, the 16.8x optical zoom is very handy when that extra dash of covertness is needed by being able to shoot from across the room or even the parking lot without losing detail, as would be the case with digital zoom enhancement. While certain functions were Image Sensor: 1/5.8" MOS Effective Pixels: 1.19 megapixels F Value: F1.8 (WIDE) / 2.6 (TELE) Optical Zoom: 16.8x Digital Zoom: 50x / 1200x (at maximum zoom) Focal Length: 2.9 - 48.7mm Lens Brand: Panasonic Lens Standard Illumination: 1400 lx Minimum Illumination: 7.0 lx (1/30 Low Light scene mode); 1 lx (Color Night Rec.) Focus: Auto / Manual White Balance: Auto / Indoor1 / Indoor2 / Sunny / Cloudy / White set Shutter Speed: Auto Slow Shutter; ON : 1/30-1/8000; OFF : 1/60-1/8000 Iris: Auto / Manual Backlight Compensation: Yes Image Stabilizer: POWER OIS [Optical Image Stabilizer] LCD: 2.7" Wide LCD (230,400 dots) Still Image Recording Format: JPEG Recording Image Size: [16:9] 2.1 megapixels (1920 x 1080) shed in favor of lower cost, one that remains happily intact is the power optical image stabilization system, which helps to reduce blurring and movement due to hand-shake. The Conclusion While certainly not for the professional or even the prosumer level user, the HDC-TM40 is well suited for the entry level/beginner user seeking to save a few bucks while still obtaining decent video footage. You probably won’t want to shoot your next indie on this camera (although, look at the number of the "experimental" indie productions shot on cell phones and flip cams!), but it would be perfectly fine for family get-togethers, vacations or climbing up the sides of steep mountains. While a number of features were eliminated or reduced, Video Recording Signal System: 1080/60i, 540/30p Recording Format: AVCHD standard compliant – HA / HG / HX: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264; MPEG-4 AVC file format compliant (.MP4) – iFrame : MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Audio Recording System: Dolby Digital (2 ch); iFrame : AAC (2 ch) Microphone: 2 ch Stereo Interfaces: HDMI, USB 2.0, AV Multi LED Video Light: Yes Standard Accessories: AC Adaptor, AC Cable, DC Cable(with included AC Adaptor); AV Multi Cable; USB Cable; CD-ROM (HD Writer LE 1.0) Rechargeable Battery Pack: min. 1790 mAh / Lithium-Ion Weight (w/o Battery): Approx. 0.37lb Dimensions: 2.03"W x 2.26"H x 4.27"D Media: Built-in memory (16GB), SD/ SDHC/SDXC Memory Card in order to lower cost, several other very desirable features were retained in an effort to provide the public with a very low cost and usable option. As always, consider your intended usage before purchasing. If your purpose happens to coincide with this camera’s design then it could be a well-made match indeed. sUMMArY Anyone seeking an entry level, high definition camcorder, that’s super compact and easy on the budget, should check out the Panasonic HDC-TM40. Mark Holder is a video producer and trainer. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15285 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15285 VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct O bER 20 11 THERE’S AN AZDEN PORTABLE MIXER DESIGNED TO ENHANCE YOUR AUDIO QUALITY. The FMX-42a and 42 deliver high performance and are loaded with features: 4 XLR mic/line inputs with individual level and pan controls, switchable phantom power and limiting for each input, pro quality VU meters, master level control, 1k tone generator, 2 XLR outputs, mini stereo output for DV cameras, and a headphone monitor with level control. Supplied with a ballistic nylon carrying case, both can be powered by either 6 “AA” batteries or with an optional external power supply. The FMX-42a adds a 10-pin and mini-plug “Camera Return”. Built on the same low noise, wide response design of the FMX-42a, the FMX-32 features 3 XLR inputs, a 5-step LED indicator and switchable phantom power for each input. The FMX-32 can be powered by either 6”AA” batteries or with an optional external power supply. Optional ballistic carry case available. The FMX-20 is a low noise, wide response mixer which features: 2 XLR inputs and outputs, a mini-stereo output for DV cameras, headphone out with level control, 3-step LED indicator and a switchable limiter. The FMX-20 can be powered by either a single 9 volt battery or with an optional external power supply. ® contents P.O. Box 10, Franklin Square, NY 11010 (516) 328-7500 • FAX: (516) 328-7506 full screen For full specifications e-mail [email protected] or visit our Web site: www.azdencorp.com print 7 reviews Toshiba CAMILEO S30 Pocket Camcorder Make Room in the Pocket b y J a ck son W ong S ynonymous with laptops, Toshiba has now added the CAMILEO S30, a simple and easy to use pocket camcorder, to its technology family. The large lens at one end of the camera, along with its wide flip screen, are this camera’s most defining features. Quick ‘n Easy The CAMILEO S30 boasts clearly marked buttons and you can become familiarized with it quite quickly. It’s roughly cellphone size, making it pocket-friendly. Flipping up the LCD touch screen monitor is necessary to record video, and powers the camcorder on and off. The menu must be viewed on the LCD screen, while the operation buttons, such as record, can be found on the spine. Operating the CAMILEO S30 tends to Toshiba America, inc 1251 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 4110 New York, NY 10020 www.toshiba.com sTrengThs • Good clarity in images • Allows overall control through camera features and accessories contents full screen print weAknesses • No audio control • Limited zoom • Some difficulty navigating the menus $180 8 require two hands. Sliding the zoom is rarely smooth, but is fairly clear through two-thirds of it. The CAMILEO S30 also compensates decently for camera shake, but operator movement, including noise from any button presses, are recorded by the built-in mic and is hard to monitor since there is no headphone jack. Some bonuses are that the CAMILEO S30 is also an 8MP still photo camera and comes with its own mini tripod. User Friendly We found the CAMILEO S30 user friendly for the novice, but menu navigation is a bit difficult. Like most minis, the audio is acquired using AGC, or automatic gain control, or there is no audio playback control. The size, however, is one of its best qualities, while the image quality makes it attractive as an affordable full HD camcorder. The result is a solid competitor in the pocket camcorder market. sUMMArY The CAMILEO S30 will fit the pockets of many videographers looking for a portable option. Jackson Wong has a B.A. in Communications Design: Media Arts and studies many forms of media, with a preference for sports broadcasting and Foley. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15241 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15241 V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctOb ER 2011 TeCh sPeCs Format: SD/SDHC/SDXC Image Sensor: 8MP CMOS Sensor Interchangeable Lenses: No Lens f-stop: Fixed f/2.5 Optical Zoom: No Focus: Auto (macro/landscape) Iris/Gain Control: No Shutter Speed: Auto Image Stabilization: Electronic Internal ND Filter: No Manual White Balance: Yes Zebra Stripes: No Viewfinder: No LCD Monitor: 3" (16:9) Progressive Scan: No Video In: No Video Out: HDMI, Composite, USB port Color Bar Generator: No Microphone In: No Manual Audio Level Controls: No Headphone Jack: No Speaker: Yes Wireless Remote: No External Battery Charger Provided: No Battery Type: Lithium Ion Disc Loading Config.: No Accessory Shoe: No contents full screen print reviews Workshops Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 Introductory Editing Software Get Real Experience Behind the Camera when you Attend a Videomaker Workshop CLASS SIZES ARE SMALL SO SEATING IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY! Balancing Features, Feel and Budget b y M a rk H ol der P rops go to Corel for a nice job with their VideoStudio Pro X4 non-linear editing product. They have managed to combine solid editing features and a user-friendly look, feel and functionality, with a very reasonable price. Welcome When you fire up VideoStudio Pro you are greeted by a central repository of “updates, info and extras” called the Corel Guide. Many times such features are merely an annoyance and one quickly searches for and executes the make-it-go-away-forever checkbox. In this case, however, the Corel Guide is Corel Corporation 1600 Carling Avenue Ottawa, ON K1Z 8R7 Canada www.corel.com strengths • Very nice interface with dual monitor support for added screen real estate • Smart packaging to .zip file • Stop motion • Multi-trim feature contents full screen print weaknesses • Limited search capabilities • Limited keyframing capabilities $100; Upgrade $80 10 actually quite useful. It’s laid out with re-size itself accordingly. Do you need four tabs at the top: Home, Learn, Do even more space? Left click on the More and Messages. series of tiny squares in the upper left The Home tab displays a brief video corner of any panel and drag it onto a showing us what’s new in X4. The second monitor. When you’re finished, Learn tab houses 16 short instructionpressing F7 on the keyboard sends it al videos on everything from capturright back to its default configuration. ing and cutting your footage to how to do Timelapse and Stop Motion video. Nitty Gritty The Do More tab contains an abunThree tabs in the Menu Bar say it all: dance of downloadable templates, Capture, Edit, Share. audio sources, titles and tools. Some Clicking Capture puts you right into may be downloaded for a fee, but the the meat and potatoes of the editing majority are free. The Messages tab process – getting your footage into your lists any messages from the company project. The timeline disappears and and updates that are available. you are presented with a number of imThe interface has an easy-on-theport and capture options. Capture Video eyes dark gray VideoStudio Pro X4 Editing Interface appearance and uses resizeable, dockable panels reminiscent of those found in Adobe Premiere Pro. Place your cursor in the space between two panels until it turns into a twoheaded arrow, left click and drag up/down or left/ right to shrink or expand any given panel and the adjacent panel will V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO b ER 2011 The Basics of Video Production Learn video production from the ground up, getting to know the equipment like the back of your hand. Get hands-on experience in the field; from planning and shooting to lighting, audio and editing using equipment the pros use. October 14-16, 2011 • December 2-4, 2011 • May 4-6, 2012 Intensive Lighting Master the nuances of lighting. Get hands-on experience with lighting for interviews, green screen, product shots, outdoor exteriors and more for professional level videos. Classes are small, so you set up the lights yourself! May 4-6, 2012 Advanced Shooting Go beyond the basic point-and-shoot, developing sophisticated techniques with hands-on experience using a wide variety of professional level equipment including dollies, boom arms, car mounts and helmet mounts. October 14-16, 2011 Intensive Editing Good editing can turn lackluster footage into riveting video. We provide laptops and Adobe professional editing software to students with a good grasp of the editing basics & help them hone their speed and skills to a fine point! December 2-4, 2011 TO REGISTER OR GET MORE INFORMATION go to www.videomaker.com/workshops or Call 800-284-3226 TO $40 SAVE UP U SIGN WHEN YO RLY! UP EA Cancellations: Cancellations must be received in writing (faxes acceptable) to Videomaker Customer Service. Notification must be received at least 21 calendar days prior to the workshop start date to receive a full refund (less $20 registration charge). A substitute workshop date may be requested in lieu of a refund. For cancellations received between 21 and 7 calendar days prior to the workshop start date, a 50% refund applies. No cancellations, refunds or substitution dates will be given after 7 calendar days prior to the workshop start date. Videomaker, Inc. reserves the right to cancel a workshop up to 1 month prior to the workshop start date. Mail cancellation/refund requests to: Videomaker Customer Service (Workshop), P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927-4591. Fax: 530-891-8443, Attn Customer Service. contents full screen print reviews ATTENTION FINAL CUT EDITORS: TIME TO SAVE IS RUNNING OUT Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 SyStem requirementS OS: Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP Processor: Intel Core Duo 1.83GHz, AMD Dual-Core 2.0GHz or higher recommended rAm: 1GB (2GB or higher recommended) VRAM: 128MB or higher (256MB or higher recommended) Disk Space: 3GB of free hard drive space min Display resolution: 1024x768 allows you to select any video recording device connected to your system and capture your footage live, directly into VideoStudio. DV Quick Scan lets you scan and capture from DV tape. You can import files from digital media via a file browser window as well as import from your mobile devices. Clicking Edit brings back the timeline and a library panel where files are held. Sorting options are limited to sorting by video files, audio files or picture files. From here files may be viewed in the preview window and trimmed using trim handles or in Multi-trim Video Window contents full screen print inPut FOrmAt SuPPOrt Video: AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVCHD, MPEG-4, H.264, BDMV, DV, HDV, DivX, QuickTime, RealVideo, Windows Media Format, MOD (JVC MOD File Format), M2TS, M2T, TOD, 3GPP, 3GPP2 Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, MP3, MPA, WAV, QuickTime, Windows Media Audio images: BMP, CLP, CUR, EPS, FAX, FPX, GIF, ICO, IFF, IMG, J2K, JP2, JPC, JPG, PCD, PCT, PCX, PIC, PNG, PSD, PSPImage, PXR, RAS, RAW, SCT, SHG, TGA, TIF, UFO, UFP, WMF Disc: DVD, Video CD (VCD), Super Video CD (SVCD) point/out point buttons. Once placed in the timeline, clips may be edited just as in other editing software programs. Right clicking on longer clips and selecting Multi-trim Video brings up a separate window which allows you to play the clip and set multiple in/out points on the fly. Click a button as the clip plays then click OK. On playback, you will see that all the unwanted material has been neatly trimmed away in one fell swoop. Along the left margin of the library panel are buttons for accessing transitions, titles, graphic elements such as color mattes, objects, frames, flash animations and numerous effects filters. Once applied, the Options tab in the Library’s lower right corner may be selected to view various properties that may be tweaked and prodded to achieve just the right result. When finished, clicking Share reveals a plethora of output options including DVD OutPut FOrmAt SuPPOrt Video: AVI, MPEG-2, AVCHD, MPEG4, H.264, BDMV, HDV, QuickTime, RealVideo, Windows Media Format, 3GPP, 3GPP2, FLV Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, MPA, WAV, QuickTime, Windows Media Audio, Ogg Vorbis images: BMP, JPG Disc: DVD (DVD-Video/DVD-R/AVCHD), Blu-ray Disc (BDMV) media: CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/ RW, DVD-R Dual Layer, DVD+R Double Layer, BD-R/RE authoring and burning. Cool Stuff In addition, Corel has included a few extra-cool features. Smart Package is one such feature that lets you bundle all the project’s necessary files into a .zip file for transport and use on other computers. Time Lapse and 2D to 3D conversion capabilities are other fun options included in VideoStudio Pro X4. Another very nice feature is Stop Motion video. It allows you to import still photos or capture directly from an attached recording device. When capturing live you can set it to auto capture and specify the image duration by number of frames captured, capture frequency and total duration. An adjustable onion skin feature allows you to see a transparent overlay of the previous frame to assist in proper placement of your subject. sUMMArY Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 offers a nice balance of features, user friendly functionality and price. 39900 84900 $ Adobe announced an upgrade program for video professionals who have purchased any version of Apple® Final Cut Pro or Avid Media Composer and want to switch to industry-leading professional video tools by Adobe— CS5.5 Production Premium or Premiere Pro CS5.5. If you own Final Cut Pro or Media Composer you are eligible for a 50% savings on Adobe Creative Suite CS5.5 Production Premium or Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5! Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium for Mac or Windows features: • The Adobe Mercury Playback Engine. Real-time effects, smooth scrubbing, accelerated rendering and superior multi-layer performance in Adobe Premiere Pro. • Native file-based and DSLR editing. The industry’s most efficient format support for RED (up to 5K!), Sony, Panasonic, Canon, JVC, and DSLR cameras. • Unparalleled Adobe Integration. Native import of Photoshop and Illustrator files and efficient Dynamic Link to move easily between After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Encore® without delays for intermediate rendering. • Cross-platform, open workflows. Easy collaboration with Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools software. Take advantage of EDL support for applications like Scratch as well as an integration with Discreet Smoke. Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 Production Premium includes Adobe Premiere® Pro CS5.5, Adobe After Effects® CS5.5, Adobe Audition® CS5.5, Adobe Photoshop® CS5 Extended, Adobe Illustrator® CS5, Adobe Flash® Catalyst™ CS5.5, Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5, Adobe Encore® CS5, Adobe OnLocation™ CS5 and more /11 E 99500 $ Save 50% When You Make the Switch from Apple or Avid to Adobe® Premiere® Pro CS5.5 or Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium® Now Through September 30th! OF HU FE R 9/3 RS EXRY! 0 PIR $ Crossgrade to Avid® Media Composer® 5.5 for less than $1,000 Now Through September 30th! Many pros in the industry recognize that you can get more work having both Final Cut Pro and Media Composer in your editing arsenal. Not only does Media Composer complement your existing workflow, it opens doors and enables you to do even more—faster. If you’re not getting what you need to succeed—we want to help make things a little easier. Plus, Avid will give you a gift card to get a free copy of the Media Composer for Final Cut Pro Users training DVD (a $99 USD value, or local currency equivalent), so you can get up and running fast. Here are just some features Final Cut Editors will love: • Instantly edit ProRes, QuickTime, RED, XDCAM, and more through AMA • Get everything you need in the professional ACE-certified toolset • Mix and match formats, frame rates, resolutions, and more—in real time, no rendering • Edit quickly using drag and drop, or use advanced tools for ultra-precise cutting • Get the look you want with built-in color, keying, motion tracking, transition, and effects tools The Avid Crossgrade from Final Cut Pro to Media Composer 5.5 promotional pricing is available now though September 30th at Videoguys.com. Proof of Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Studio ownership is required. FCPX does not qualify Crossgrade with Matrox and Save an Additional $175 or more when you Bundle Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium or Avid Media Composer 5.5 with a Matrox MXO2 MAX! Whether you’re making the switch or just adding Adobe CS5.5 or Avid Media Composer 5.5 to your editing system you’ll be happy to know that the Matrox MXO2 Hardware is “Triple-A rated” and Now Supports Apple, Adobe & Avid! MAX gives you faster then real-time encoding to H.2.64 for Blu-ray and web video! Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX with Avid Media Composer 5.5 When used on a Mac the Matrox MAX technology gives you faster then real-time encoding to H.2.64 for Blu-ray and web video directly from the Media Composer timeline!! $ 00 1,699 Matrox MXO2 Mini MAX with Matrox MXO2 LE MAX with Matrox MXO2 Rack MAX with Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Adobe CS5.5 Production Premium Matrox MXO2 MAX devices feature realtime editing for Adobe CS5.5 with support for the Adobe Mercury Playback Engine. Matrox MXO2 LE MAX adds HD SDI I/O and gives you all the features of a high-quality capture card and a breakout box with professional audio and video connectivity. SDI, HDMI, $ 00 Analog video and XLR audio. Matrox MXO2 Rack with MAX, the ultimate desktop solution – all the features of a high-quality capture card plus breakout box in a rugged 2RU form factor. 1,49900 $ 1,899 2,49500 $ contents Mark Holder is a video producer and trainer. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15282 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15282 800-323-2325 10-12 Charles St., Glen Cove, NY 11542 • 516-759-1611 • Fax 516-671-3092 • [email protected] 12 V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO b ER 2011 full screen print reviews reviews G-Technology G-Speed Q RAID G-Technology G-SPEED Q RAID External Hard Drive Fast and Furious b y D a n B runs H ere’s a fact that everyone can agree on: losing data stinks. Without a good storage solution, video editors constantly find themselves playing a digital version of Jenga - one wrong click and all of a project’s data comes falling down. Especially when you’re working with footage from a big production, losing data can mean a significant loss of money and time. At best, it might G-Technology by Hitachi Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Inc. 11811 Landon Dr. Mira Loma, CA 91752 www.g-technology.com sTrenGTHs • Multiple RAID formats • Fast connections • Solid design • Hot-swappable disks weaknesses contents full screen print • Can take a bit of time for RAID drives to spin up • Noisy fan • May be too expensive for some editors $1,300 14 mean a sincere apology to a client and an extra week of work. At worst, it might sound the death knell for the entire project and put a permanent stain on your reputation. Though there aren’t any ways to make sure data is 100% safe, there are some things anyone can do to diminish the chances for data to disappear into cyberspace. One of those ways is by having a RAID drive. RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or individual) Disks. RAID drives allow video editors to mirror their data in RAID-1 mode, speed up their hard drive speeds with RAID-0 or do a bit of both with RAID-5. Of course, the best part is that most RAID drives can have an entire hard drive fail and still be able to get back all of the data that was lost. With G-Technology’s recent release of its 8TB G-SPEED Q, they’ve shown that not only are they intent on saving your video projects from failure but they’re intent on giving you a lot of space to do it as well. The Design Anyone who has ever fallen in love with the sleek and sturdy design of a Mac will inevitably enjoy G-SPEED Q’s design. With its rounded aluminum V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctOb ER 2011 corners and minimalistic approach, this drive will fit perfectly alongside any Mac while still looking cool next to a PC. True to the Mac style, its enclosure is made out of sturdy and sleek aluminum, allowing the drive to stay cool and compact. In fact, it’s also so small and compact that its weight can honestly take one by surprise. The first time we picked up G-Tech’s unit we nearly dropped it due to its 12.5 IT'S SO SMALL AND COMPACT THAT ITS WEIGHT CAN TAKE ONE BY SURPRISE. pound bulk. This puts it in the same weight class as LaCie’s 4big Quadra and Promise’s SmartStor. Of course, one of the most important aspects of any RAID drive are the connections types and G-Tech doesn’t disappoint. The G-SPEED Q was thoughtful enough to include USB 2.0, two FireWire 800 ports for Daisy Chaining purposes, and an eSATA port for blazing fast speeds of up to 3 GB/s. Of course, it was a slight disappointment to not see either a USB 3.0 or Apple and Intel’s Thun- derbolt technology, but considering the unit’s release date, it’s hard to be too disappointed. Looking at the front of the unit, G-Tech has included four hot-swappable drive bays. Swinging a latch on each unit and unlocking it with an included key allows the bays to come out of the unit. The latches also felt well-designed to the point where even a fairly hard push wouldn’t ruin the hinges. Inside each bay that G-Tech sent us were 2TB Hitachi Ultrastar “enterprise-class” SATA hard drives. This means that the hard drives should be able to withstand constant use even while continually spinning at a fast 7,200 RPM with 32MB of cache. Though this more than likely adds to the price of the unit, it also gives editors something that is hard to put a price on: peace of mind. In addition, each G-SPEED Q comes with an Oxford 936SE RAID controller that allows editors to use the drive in either a RAID-0 or RAID-5 configuration. This means that if you want to utilize the speed advantages of writing to 4 drives at once you can use RAID-0. Or, if you want to utilize both some speed advantages and TeCH sPeCs Capacity/Speed: 8TB Formatted Capacity: 5.5TB Interfaces: (1) USB 2.0 port, (1) eSATA port (2) FireWire 800 Data Transfer Rate: 3 Gb/s with eSATA, 480 Mb/s with USB 2.0, 800 Mb/s with FireWire 800 Unit Dimensions: 8.25 in x 4.9 in. x 6.5 in. Unit Weight: 12.5 lbs RAID Modes: RAID-0, RAID-5 Average Read Speed: 172 Mb/s Average Write Speed: 104 Mb/s redundancy for backup purposes you can set your drive for RAID-5. At the same time, the RAID controller also allows your computer to keep doing what it does best without devoting processing power to keeping your RAID drive organized. Lastly, no good RAID system is complete without a helpful LED diagnostic system and a quiet fan. While we enjoyed the addition of blue LEDs showing us that each drive was fully functional or amber LEDs showing us that something was wrong with the drive, we were slightly disappointed by the level of noise coming from the RAID’s fan. Fan noise is a constant IT GIVES EDITORS SOMETHING THAT IS HARD TO PUT A PRICE ON: PEACE OF MIND. issue with RAID enclosures since any additional noise to an edit bay can make it harder to do audio correction in post. In this manner, we thought the fan on the G-SPEED Q was a bit too noisy to be used on the desktop. Instead, if you’re going to be using the G-SPEED Q at your edit station, it would probably be best to have it under the desk with the fan facing some soft or sound-dampening material. The Speed When it comes right down to it, the most important feature that will separate a quality drive from a bad one is its speed. As such, we were impressed by the performance of the industry renowned Hitachi Ultrastar drives. We tested the hard drive in RAID-5 mode running on an HP Z400 with 8GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7 CPU, and the Windows 7 64-bit edition that gave us the fastest possible speeds to work with. While hooked up to our eSATA ports, we found that the average read VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct O bER 20 11 Backside features fan and interfaces rate was 196.1 MB/s, used a mere 1 percent of our CPU, and had an access time of 12.1 ms which is on the fast end of similar drives on the market today. Naturally, when using our USB 2.0, we found the speeds to be slower than our test with eSATA or FireWire 800. Even so, the drive definitely performed as well as any drive of its kind on the market and with “enterpriseclass” hard drives running inside, you can bet that the drives will be giving you those kinds of speeds well into the future. The Bottom Line Any external hard drive purchase decision seems to come down to three factors: speed, price and the amount of inputs/outputs. On just about every one of these factors the G-SPEED Q excels. In addition, with its sturdy and sleek design and large capacity, this is one drive that will last any video editing professional a long time. sUMMArY A fast and flexible RAID drive that will keep data safe within its solid and sleek design. Dan Bruns is an Associate Multimedia Editor at Videomaker. contents For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15127 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15127 15 full screen print reviews reviews ADK I7-DVC ADK I7-DVC Video Editing Computer Benchmarks The Boss SpecViewPerf11 Model Catia-03 Ensight-04 Lightwave-01 Maya-03 Proe-05 Sw-02 Tcvis-02 Snx-01 1280 X 1024 HP Z400 22.99 12.89 53.4 17.81 9.47 41.28 17.31 17.29 HP Z200 7.15 5.37 12.32 5.68 7.57 8.77 5.6 7.06 HP XW6600 10.65 11.68 14.98 8.09 3.99 12.77 15.19 16.6 DV Apprentice 26.92 20.81 37.45 15.1 7.54 33.37 26.13 22.21 ADK I7-DVC 36.63 15.3 10.85 1.72 9.06 0.98 3.31 less than expected, but when rendering videos, the write speed is more important. A HP Z400 7108 23766 standard hard drive will have around 100 Mb/s Read/Write HP Z200 1130 12856 speeds. As seen in the tests HP XW6600 7197 23039 this computer greatly outDV Apprentice 7391 19841 performs the standard. It is worth noting, however, that ADK I7-DVC 23530 30173 since these hard drives are in RAID 0, if one of them fails RAID 0s, creating a source and render all your data is lost. For optimal projdrive. For the OS the computer has ect safety it is better to use RAID 1. a top-of-the-line 240GB Mushkin The Windows Experience Index SSD with a max speed of 268 MB/s. base score was 7.7, one of the highest The video card is a high performscores we’ve seen. Usually, the hard ing Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 drive or graphics card will cause a with 1280MB of video RAM. Though bottleneck, but this is not the case this card is primarily for gaming, with this computer. The highest posit works fine for video editing. All sible score in the Windows Experience the parts in this computer are name Index is 7.9, which the graphics card brand. With name brand you can rest was able to max out. If computers get easier in knowing that mid-project much faster, Windows will have to a power supply or hard drive isn’t expand its score range. going to fail, bringing your work to Since this computer is not a standstill. If there is an incident equipped with a workstation-class the computer can be returned to the video card, it suffered greatly in the manufacturer under the 2-year parts SPECviewperf 11 benchmarks. It is warranty for a hassle free fix. worth noting, however, that unless you plan on using a 3D rendering Performance program like Lightwave or Maya this The first check was the hard drive isn’t a very big concern. If you are, performance speed using HD Tune. In ADK gives you the option of selecting short this computer’s hard drives are an NVIDIA Quadro graphics card to as fast! The primary OS hard drive had be built into your computer, but this an average read of 257 MB/s and an comes at a higher price. access time of 0.094ms. This SSD can The 3DMark Vantage base score find and open a file faster than a trawas P22530 and the CPU score was ditional hard drive. The computer also 30173 using the performance setting comes with four 1TB hard drives in on version 1.1 of 3DMark Vantage. In two RAID 0s for a source and render comparison to other benchmarks' run hard drive setup. The average write using the patched version of 3DMark was 207 MB/s, the average read was Vantage, this computer performs quite 190 MB/s, and the access time was well and is great for both video editing 11.9ms. The read performance was 3DMarkVantage b y L a n ce O l i nger T he first thing you think when looking at the ADK I7-DVC is “Whoa, this is a beast!” The case alone would lead one to believe that it is a fast, expensive piece of equipment. The computer comes complete with driver CDs, backup software, restore CDs, manuals, extra power connectors, extra screws and even a tube of thermal paste. Many big-box companies don’t even come with restore CDs anymore, just a restore partition. This computer is like having a custom computer made just for you, complete with all the accessories. ADK 8321 E Main St., Suite 100 Alexandria, KY 41001 www.adkvideoediting.com strengths • Expandable Case • Name Brand Parts • Fast Hard Drives • Well Ventilated contents full screen print weAKnesses • Large/Heavy Case • No Memory Card Reader $3,467 16 What’s It Made Of? computer to boot. For those who like to overclock, the large Noctua heatsink will not disappoint. With dual 140mm fans and a huge heatsink it will handle a heavy load. All four of the memory slots of the motherboard are filled, giving it 16GB of total memory, more than enough for your video editing needs. For storage the computer has four 1TB drives in two The case is large and well ventilated with four fans. On top of the case is a nice flip-open top with USB, FireWire 400 and audio ports. The case has four slots for holding DVD-ROM devices and eight hard drive bays. Six of the hard drive bays have removable trays with a flip-down door in front of the computer. Unfortunately, these are not hot-swappable teCh sPeCs bays, but nice nonetheless. The cables are neatly woven OS HDD Read: 257 MB/s through the backside of the Render/Source HHD Read/Write: 190 MB/s / case making it very neat 207 MB/s and tidy. The computer has a 700-watt CoolerMaster OS / Programs Drive: 240GB Mushkin SSD, Silent Pro power supply Capture / Work Drive: 2 x 1TB WD RAID 0 with a large 135mm fan. DeRender to Drive: 2 x 1TB WD RAID 0 spite all the fans inside this LAN: 1 X 1000Mb/s (125MB/s) computer, it is rather quiet. The motherboard has a nice CPU: Intel Quad Core i7-2600 3.4GHz (default) set of onboard features: 4.5GHz (over clocked) RAID (Redundant Array of RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600 Independent Disks), SLI OS: Windows 7 64-bit (Scalable Link Interface), 8 Channel Audio, Gigabit LAN, Video: NVIDIA GTX 570 eight USB, eSATA, FireWire Audio: 8 Channel Intel HD Audio 400 and two USB 3.0 ports. Power Supply: 700W Cooler Master Silent Pro M The motherboard also has a back-to-bios button on Available Inputs: eSATA, USB2.0/3.0, Firewire the back of the case, useful 400, Blu-Ray/DVD/CD if you overclock the CPU Warranty: 2-year Parts and Labor too much and can’t get the V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 6.31 Model Total Score CPU Score VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct O bER 20 11 and gaming. Want to know for yourself how this computer ranks? You can view 3DMark rankings anytime by going to http://3dmark.com/search. Unfortunately, due to a bug in 3DMark Vantage most of the scores posted on its website are not valid. Should I Buy This? This computer is best set up for editing video or playing video games. If you also want to render 3D models, it may not be the best fit for you. ADK gives the option for adding a videoediting card, but this will also increase the cost of the computer. This computer has some of the latest hardware in it making it a bit pricey for a midrange editing computer. The computer lacks a memory card reader, which allows you to just swap the card out of your camera instead of having to hook up the USB cable. On the other hand, the many fast hard drives in this computer are great for editing video since external drives generally won’t be needed. In short this computer is fast and has a great setup for video editing and is great for gaming. If this computer is within your budget and you enjoy playing a game now and again it’s worth a look. sUMMArY The ADK I7-DVC is fast, has a great setup for video editing and is great for gaming. Lance Olinger is an IT Professional and Web Developer. contents For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15240 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15240 17 full screen print Digital Downloads Learn exactly what you need to know! Download it today! Video On Demand - Starting at $3.49! Download a popular Video On Demand right to your computer in minutes! Purchase 3 or more Lighting related instructional Video-On-Demand downloads for the special rate of $2.49 each. Lighting Basics Three Point Lighting Learn the foundation of all good video lighting techniques. The 5 Deadly Sins of Amateur Video Get better video by eliminating common mistakes. Start a Wedding Video Business Learn the keys to wedding video business success. eDocs - Starting at $2.49! BY BEN BALSER Over 100 information-packed eDocs to help you learn and master every aspect of video production! Download straight to your own computer! 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Here we will attempt to clarify some of the complexity of animation and motion graphics to help you distill what your real needs are and help you make a more informed decision when shopping for a new software graphics package to fulfill those needs. We’ll look at what to expect from the different types of software packages and feature sets. This is not a comprehensive guide to everything on the market, simply a brief educational guide to help you be a more informed consumer. The higher the level of software package you delve into, the steeper the learning curve, and usually the more money you’ll spend. One problem is between mid-level and high-level applications, there are a few that overlap features, and may be more difficult to categorize easily. But the basic rule of thumb is the more it does, the more it costs and the more difficult it will be to learn, but in the end you will have expanded your studio’s capabilities, and thus its final products and income potential. If all you need to do is manipulate basic text and shapes, most editing applications such as VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 contents full screen print 19 Animation & Motion Graphics buyer’s guide Final Cut Pro, Avid, Premiere Pro, and Vegas can do this type of basic keyframing work. In this article we’re focusing on what you need to look at if those basic tools aren’t enough. Tools You May Already Own TriLab Productions www.digitalhotcakes.com Manufacturer’s Listing 12 Inch Design www.fotosearch.com/filmdisc ActionBacks Footage Firm www.actionbacks.com www.footagefirm.com Adobe Free Stock Footage www.adobe.com www.freestockfootage.com A Luna Blue GenArts www.alunablue.com www.genarts.com Animation Factory Global Cuts www.animationfactory.com www.globalcuts.com Apple Hash, Inc. www.apple.com www.hash.com Artbeats Hypereye Motion Graphics www.artbeats.com www.hypereye.tv Autodesk Instant Imagers www.autodesk.com www.instantimages.com BBC Motion Gallery iStockphoto www.bbcmotiongallery.com www.istockphoto.com Boris FX MAGIX www.borisfx.com www.magix.com Classic Video Products MAXON www.classicvideoproducts.com www.maxon.net Crater Software MotionElements http://www.cratersoftware.com www.motionelements.com Creative Video Products MotionRevolver www.creativevideopro.com http://motionrevolver.com Digieffects Noise Industries http://www.digieffects.com www.noiseindustries.com Digital Associations Phoenix Clips www.virtualset-designs.com www.phoenixclips.com Digital Juice pond5 www.digitaljuice.com contents full screen print FilmDisc www.12inchdesign.com www.pond5.com Drew Jiritano Special Effects RAB–BYTE http://www.djfx.com www.rab-byte.com Elite Video Reality Sets www.elitevideo.com 20 Reallusion www.reallusion.com RevoStock www.revostock.com Royalty Free Stock Video Footage www.royaltyfreestockvideofootage.com ShowStoppersFX www.showstoppersfx.com Sony Creative Software www.sonycreativesoftware.com Studio 1 Productions www.studio1productions.com Suite Imagery www.suiteimagery.com Time Image www.timeimage.com Toon Boom www.toonboom.com TriLab Productions www.digitalhotcakes.com Video Copilot www.videocopilot.net Videometry www.videometry.com Visual Concept Entertainment www.vcefilms.com WorshipFilms www.worshipfilms.com Xara www.xara.com Zaxwerks www.zaxwerks.com www.realitysets.com V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 Some of the popular video editing software comes in suites that include other applications that can do great motion graphics at a pretty sophisticated level. The good news is that if you have an editing software suite, you probably already have software that will fulfill your motion graphics needs. However, learning motion graphics applications can be a steeper learning curve than simple video editing, so some users do have the program, but might be intimidated to use it. If you do spend the time and effort to learn the software included with a suite, you’ll be able to produce more complex products for your clients, and charge a premium for those extras. The most popular motion graphics software included with editing suites are After Effects from Adobe, and Motion from Apple. These two applications are pretty equivalent in capability, yet take two different approaches to their user interfaces and how they handle complex tasks. Today, many tutorials for either can very easily be applied to the other. After Effects has been out for quite a few years giving it a large user base with online tutorials and forum threads. Motion has recently begun to catch up and has a slightly smaller, but growing user base willing to help with online video tutorials and forum threads. Again, learning these takes a bit more than learning still graphics applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint It!, or Studio Artist. The creation and manipulation of graphic elements, as well as the use of imported graphic and video elements, is easily done. Text can be animated in very complex ways. Compositing assets together in order to create a single complex visual effect is what these applications do best. These are both considered motion graphics packages, not animation or modeling applications, as neither can generate true 3D objects nor support the native files from higher end software such as Maya or Cinema 4D. Yet they do a great job with text; keying and compositing green screens, and complex graphic animations. These are used for things like the opening to The Colbert Report, backgrounds and bumpers for CNN and FOX news shows, and the like. Motion is only included with Final Cut Studio from Apple, and only runs on the Macintosh platform. After Effects can be purchased in one of Adobe’s CS5 bundles, or alone, for Windows or Macintosh platforms. Autodesk provides Flame FX tools with Smoke. This is a finishing package that differs from the more traditional editors and adds the ability to work with 3D shapes and integrates with Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer via XML and AAF. 3D Text and Logos and Plug-ins There are software packages that specifically do only 3D text and 3D logo elements. This may be all you need in some cases. Check your video editing software as some come with a plug-in to handle 3D text on a basic level. For example, Final Cut Pro is compatible with Boris 3D text plug-ins. There is a variety of third party plug-ins and stand-alone applications that can take this type of work to a whole new level. Zaxwerks has a line for After Effects on both Windows and Mac platforms, as well as for Final Cut Pro and Motion. These plug-ins do 3D text, 3D logos, and helps you to animate them. It’s the higher end of these types of plug-ins and stand-alone applications. Others to look at are Boris Graffiti, Xara 3D Maker, Reallusion Effect3D Studio and the GenArts collection of special effects and plug-ins. While some of these can come with a hefty price tag, some are relatively inexpensive. They all can give you powerful tools with a small learning curve. If all you need is 3D text and logos, then save the money and time spent learning, and go this route. such as a Wacom tablet, to a canvas on your computer screen, giving you the best of both worlds. You can hand draw, then tweak with the software tools, and animate over time, without having to draw every individual frame. These combined Noise Industries with the previously mentioned software can www.noiseindustries.com give you unique effects and looks that After Effects or Cinema 4D won’t do alone. These types of applications can run from freeware to relatively expensive, depending on the tool set you want. So again, shop around, weigh the learning curve and features with price and platform compatibility. This route is not for everyone. 3D Modeling With higher end software like Autodesk Maya, MAXON Cinema 4D and others, you can create shapes in a true 3D space that has not only height (x-axis) and width (y-axis), but also depth (z-axis). These shapes can get very complex and be covered with textures, or skins, to become very realistic. These will have the steepest learning curve, and take the longest to gain even basic mastery. If you need to create virtual 3D objects that you can move around in 3D space, these are the types of applications you’d shop for. They Apple www.apple.com Hand Animation If you’re looking to do some animating, there are software packages available that allow you to do this in a variety of ways. These can enhance your toolbox when used with the previously mentioned applications, not to mention, are very nice to have for creating storyboard artwork. Studio Artist, Pencil and Toon Boom’s Animate Pro are three really nice places to start shopping for this type of software. Each has unique tools and uses, and if you’re a real hand-drawing artist, you may want more than just one of these in your toolbox. The point of these are to translate your hand-drawings from a device contents full screen GenArts www.genarts.com VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 print 21 Animation & Motion Graphics buyer’s guide Autodesk www.autodesk.com Boris FX www.borisfx.com are mostly reserved for film effects, or high-end broadcasting. 3D shapes created in theses types of applications can also be purchased from commercial libraries, brought into the application and have a virtual camera moved around it. The result of that camera’s view and movement can then be exported to a 2D asset such as WMV or MOV files, then used in Adobe After Effects or Apple Motion, and animated to interact with other 2D assets. Be aware you’re looking at spending several thousands of dollars for one of these applications. These types of applications are becoming more readily available for Windows, Macintosh, and a few for the Linux platforms. There are quite a few to choose from, so carefully review their feature sets compared to the price you’re paying, and the available training. Evaluating Your Needs Not everyone wants to draw by hand. Not everyone needs a 3D realistic model of his or her SUV. Most of us do need some form of motion graphics software, mostly for animating text and other visual assets. If your need is the most basic, look first to your video editing software and see if it includes an application that will suit your needs. What exactly are your specific needs? What sort contents full screen print 22 V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 of effects and looks are you desiring to be able to produce? What are the examples you see in broadcast, video, and the Internet that your clients are asking for? Start by putting those needs and desires in writing. Then go to several folks already doing this type of work and talk to them. Motion graphics and animation professionals are always eager to talk about their work and tools. Be aware what works for one editor may not work for another. If there was only one perfect application, we’d all be using it now. Different packages have different tool sets and approaches to creating work. This is the personal decision you’ll have to mull over a bit after talking to others and doing your research. Get it all down on paper to help you really evaluate your purchase decision properly. The other major factors in choosing a motion graphic software package will be hardware and software requirements. Be sure you know and understand what those are. Many software companies only publish what the bare minimum is for their package to launch and run. You may need a bit more than those minimums depending on how heavy your projects will get. Talking to seasoned professionals who know not only the software, but have a solid professional IT background, will help out a great deal. The operating system you run the software on will also be very important. Which version of the OS will you need? Will that require an update or upgrade to what you currently have? Will that upgrade adversely effect any other software on your system? All very important questions to have answered before spending money on these heavy duty and often expensive motion graphics and animation software packages. Conclusion Motion graphics and animation can get complicated, there’s no question about that. Learning and using a good software package can give you more flexibility and creativity with the products you sell your clients. But not all software is created equal; not all post-production situations are the same. Match what you need with what you purchase, take the time to professionally learn it, and you’ll be glad you did. Ben Balser is a freelance Apple Certified Master Trainer, producer, and consultant. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #14970 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/14970 contents full screen print with Videomaker's Digital Edition GO Digital Looking for a new way to experience Videomaker? Videomaker 's Digital Edition gives you exciting benefits! • View Videomaker online from anywhere • Links from the index go directly to articles • Full Color layout appears exactly as it does in the magazine • Use the search function to get the information you need when you need it • Access URLs and email addresses with just one click FREE to Subscribers To view the Digital Edition simply log in using your Subscription ID The road to editing greatness begins by shifting into the right gear. You can’t drive your projects forward with software that leaves your computer idling in neutral. Revving Up Your Editing Options Editing Software Buyer’s Guide BY DAVE SNIADAK contents contents full screen full screen print www.videomaker.com/digital print VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 25 Revving Up Your Editing Options contents full screen print 26 Trial Version Available Minimum OS Premiere Elements 9 Download price Product Name Adobe Editing Software Buyer’s Guide Physical Package Price Publisher eDITING SOFTWARE BUYER’S GUIDE MANUFACTURER LIST Revving Up Your Editing Options $100 $100 y Win XP/Vista/7; Mac OS X 10.5 www.adobe.com Premiere Pro CS5.5 $799 $799 y Win Vista; Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6 Apple iMovie '11 (part of iLife '11) $49 n/a n Mac OS X 10.6 www.apple.com Final Cut Express 4 $199 n/a n Mac OS X 10.4 Final Cut Pro X n/a $300 n Mac OS X 10.6 Final Cut Studio $999 n/a n Mac OS X 10.5 ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD 2 $100 $100 y Win 2000/XP/Vista/7 www.arcsoft.com TotalMedia Extreme 2 n/a $130 y Win XP/Vista/7 Avid Technology Media Composer 5.5 $2,495 $2,295 y Win XP/Vista/7; Mac OS X 10.6 www.avid.com Avid Studio $170 $170 y Win Vista/7 Corel VideoStudio Pro X4 $80 $80 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.corel.com VideoStudio Express $40 $40 y Win XP/Vista/7 CyberLink PowerDirector 9 Deluxe $70 $70 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.cyberlink.com PowerDirector 9 Ultra $100 $100 y Win XP/Vista/7 DeskShare Video Edit Magic 4.47 $70 $70 y Win 2000/XP/Vista www.deskshare.com Video Edit Magic Express 4.11 $20 $20 y Win 2000/XP/Vista Grass Valley EDIUS Neo 3 $199 $199 y Win 7 www.grassvalley.com/desktop EDIUS 6 $799 $799 y Win XP/Vista/7 Heroine Virtual Ltd. Cinelerra n/a free n/a Linux Kdenlive n/a free n/a Linux, Mac OS X www.heroinewarrior.com Kdenlive www.kdenlive.org LoiLo Super LoiLoScope n/a $88 y Win XP/Vista/7 LiVES n/a free n/a Linux Machete n/a $20 y Win 2000/XP/Vista/7 Magix Movie Edit Pro 17 $60 $60 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.magix.com Movie Edit Pro 17 Plus $100 $100 y Win XP/Vista/7 Video Pro X3 $400 $400 y Win XP/Vista/7 EditStudio 6 n/a $89 y Win XP/Vista/7 Windows Movie Maker n/a n/a n/a Win XP/Vista/7 Movavi VideoSuite 9 $60 $60 y Win 2000/XP/Vista/7 www.movavi.com Video Editor $40 $40 y Win 2000/XP/Vista/7 Nero Multimedia Suite 10 $70 $70 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.nero.com Nero Vision Xtra n/a $60 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.loilo.tv LiVES http://lives.sourceforge.net MacheteSoft www.machetesoft.com Mediachance There’s an industry philosophy that says all good videographers and producers need to put themselves in the shoes of the editor before venturing out on location for a shoot. The editor is inevitably the one who has to deal with the hours of footage, countless retakes and painfully brutal mistakes made in the field. Thinking like an editor will help increase post-production efficiency, while keeping all members of the production team in good standing with each other. And while the job of the editor has certainly gotten easier thanks to the technological advances available today, the principle elements remain the same: the editor must import content, log the content, splice it together, fix flubs and render out the final product (only to do it all over again with revisions and recuts). Having a patient editor is great, but having some intuitive editing software doesn’t hurt, either. With the help of some of the leading minds in the post-production industry, we hope to deliver some qualitative insight that will help make your editing software decision just a bit easier. A Brief History Prior to the plethora of editing platforms available to us today, editors had but one way of editing in the early days – splicing film. Eventually, it evolved into tape-to-tape editing using a playback and a record VTR deck. Then, in 1971, the engineers at CBS and Memorex combined forces to invent the CMX 600, the grandfather of Adobe www.adobe.com www.mediachance.com Microsoft www.microsoft.com V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO bER 2011 Sony Creative Software www.sonycreativesoftware.com all tapeless editing systems. It took a few years, but the tapeless technology evolved into using powerful computers, faster micro-processors, and memory systems that would allow users to edit multiple channels of audio, video and graphical elements in one timeline. Fast forward to 2011 and there are hundreds of options for every editing level – absolute amateur to award winning authority. Prices range from free to thousands of dollars. And now, with the advancement of mobile video, you can edit on the fly on your smartphone – yep, there’s an app for that. (See our associated Tablets Buyer’s Guide in this issue on page 32.) Pick Your Platform Whether you prefer a PC or Mac, the options for editing software are seemingly limitless. We’ll start with the PCbased systems. Randi Ayers-Hammer, a commercial producer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, says that when she edits on a PC, she advises colleagues just learning how to edit to try their luck with Adobe’s Premiere Elements 9 ($100) software. “Premiere is a good starter program to learn the basics of editing,” she said. “But make sure you do your research. Find the right system for your computer and processors. That can make a huge difference in whether or not your system is going to run smoothly.” Another great starter system for PC-based editors would be the Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 9 ($50), which offers great editorial options, as well as the Device Explorer, which allows editors to import the files they need without all the ancillary content they won’t use in their project. For video cutters just cutting their teeth on editing with Macs, iMovie is as easy as they come (pre-installed on all Mac computers). This story-board style editing system allows users to drag a video clip into the order they want their video to play. Additionally, users can export in a format optimized for multiple devices, or even directly to YouTube. And of course, you can’t talk about Macs without talking about Final Cut VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 contents full screen print 27 Product Name Physical Package Price Download price Trial Version Available Minimum OS Call Toll Free: 1-800-793-2237 Publisher MANUFACTURER LIST cont. Revving Up Your Editing Options NewTek SpeedEDIT 2 $995 n/a n Win XP/Vista/7 AVS Video Editor n/a $59 y Win XP/Vista/7 OpenShot n/a free n/a Linux TMPGEnc MPEG Editor $76 $65 y Win XP/Vista/7 Pinnacle Systems Studio HD $60 $60 n Win XP/Vista/7 www.pinnaclesys.com Studio HD Ultimate $100 $100 n Win XP/Vista/7 Studio HD Ultimate Collection $130 $130 n Win XP/Vista/7 Roxio Video Lab HD $70 $70 n Win XP/Vista/7 www.roxio.com Creator 2011 $80 $80 n Win XP/Vista/7 Serif MoviePlus X5 $80 $80 n Win XP/Vista/7 Sony Creative Software Vegas Movie Studio HD 9 $50 $45 y Win XP/Vista/7 www.sonycreativesoftware.com Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 $100 $95 y Win XP/Vista/7 Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 Suite $130 $125 y Win XP/Vista/7 Vegas Pro 10 $680 $600 y Win XP/Vista/7 3D Edit Gold 4 $56 $45 y Win 2000/XP/Vista www.newtek.com Online Media Technologies OpenShot www.openshotvideo.com Pegasys http://tmpgenc.pegasys-inc.com www.serif.com www.tenomichi.com contents full screen print 28 We have thousands of products at deeply discounted prices! over 30 years of quality merchandise and quality service makes abe’s of Maine the right choice for your electronic needs. www.avsmedia.com Tenomichi CyberLink www.cyberlink.com Order online 7 days a week • Worldwide Shipping • All major credit cards accepted • 30 Day Money Back Guarantee* • Pro. While the Final Cut Studio Suite ($999) used to be crème de la crème of editing systems, Apple announced in April of this year that a downloadable version will be offered up to replace Final Cut Pro Express 4. In Express’ place – Final Cut Pro X ($300). The bulked up version of FCP offers a 64-bit scalable application with real-time background rendering, more user-friendly GUI and a jaw-dropping “magnetic timeline” feature which promises to make editing swifter and more succinct. This is tremendous news for editors of all skill levels, as editors can finally update their software with an affordable option that offers the same tools found in many mainstream media houses and Hollywood edit suites as well as those around the globe. If Linux-based computing is more your style, consider Heroine Virtual’s Cinelerra 4.2 (Free), which promises “a movie studio in a box”. This free software is a dynamic way to produce high-quality HD content without a high price. The makers of Cinelerra claim that their software can take low quality, consumer HD video V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO bER 2011 and make it look like film. If you’ve got powerful CPUs, ample memory and a beefy network, this software may just be for you. Canon XA-10HD w/64 GB Internal Memory Camcorder In Stock! Canon HF-G10 32 GB HD Camcorder In Stock! Canon HF-S30 32 GB HD Camcorder In Stock! Canon HF-M41 Flash Memory Camcorder In Stock! Canon HF-M40 Flash Memory Camcorder New! Canon HF-R21 HD Flash Memory Camcorder New Low Price! Canon HF-R20 HD Camcorder New Low Price! Canon FS-400 Flash Memory Camcorder In Stock! Canon HF-S21 Digital HD Flash Memory Camcorder New Low Price! Canon HF-R200 Flash Memory Camcorder New! Sony NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens In Stock! Sony HDR-FX7 1080P Professional Camcorder In Stock! Sony HDR-CX160 16GB Flash Memory Camcorder New! Sony HDR-CX130 HD Flash Camcorder New! Sony HDR-CX560V Full HD 64 GM Flash Memory Camcorder In Stock! Panasonic HDC-HS900K 220 GB HDD 3D Compatible Panasonic HDC-TM900K HD 3D Capable Camcorder Camcorder New! New! PanasonicHDC-SD80 HD SC CAMCORDER In Stock! Panasonic HDC-SDT750K Panasonic HDC-TM90K 3D Camcorder HD Camcorder New! New! JVC GS-TD1BUS Full HD 3D Camcorder In Stock! JVC GZ-HM690 Flash Camcorder In Stock! JVC GZ-HM650 HD Camcorder In Stock! Overwhelming Options It’s easy to become intimidated by the wide variety of editing software. The best thing you can do, says multimedia producer Brett Kanode: “Invest in the full suite. You may start out not using everything, but as your skills grow, you’ll want more. You can’t achieve greatness without the right tools.” Here are a few questions to ask yourself when looking to invest in an editing system: 1. What is my motivation for investing in editing software? Ensure you’re going to be doing more than just splicing together a few highlights from the kids’ dance recital; don’t over invest. Planning to produce videos for your company’s blog? You’ll want to heed Kanode’s advice and go all in. Better to invest and learn the system, than to have to go back to the boss asking for extra budget to buy the program upgrade six months down the road. JVC GZ-HM960 Everio 16GB Flash Camcorder In Stock! Please visit our website for product information JVC GZ-HM450 HD Camcorder In Stock! www.abesofmaine.com contents full screen print Bookstore Revving Up Your Editing Options Editing Software Buyer’s Guide W NE ON! ITI ED 2. What sort of hardware assets do you have to work with? There’s absolutely nothing worse than buying a new program, waiting eagerly for it to arrive and installing it, only to realize that your computer isn’t able to run the program, let alone render a project. Check your specs before signing the check! And know that you’ll need more than just the minimum requirements. 3. Who will be using the program? If you’re a lone wolf producer, that’s a no brainer. But if it’s your job to teach others how to use the program who have little to no experience cutting video, keep that in mind. If you’re the world’s greatest teacher, this shouldn’t be an issue; however, if you’re more of a doer than a leader, perhaps a system that offers less could actually be more for your team. Tools of the Trade While the functionality of each editing system may have its own proprietary name or task, at the end of the day, an editing system needs to take your raw footage and allow you to manipulate it into a finished product that reflects your overall vision for the project. Whether you want to get super technical and monitor every element of your content - down to the waveform displays and vectorscope readouts - there are programs that will fit you like a glove. For the tech heads who moonlight as micromanagers, you may want to look at Avid Technology’s Media Composer 5.5 ($2,495). This is the ultimate system for editors of all levels. The price is certainly reflective of the tools that are included, but if all-encompassing control is what you seek, Avid is the Bugatti of the editing world. Troy Sepion, who edits for a St. Paul, Minnesota based production company, says the functionality of Media Composer offers precise handling that most systems can’t match. “Avid has everything streamlined in the editing process, and the shortcuts and keystrokes you can use make it superior to even Final Cut Pro. Keyboard shortcuts equals faster editing.” Factor in Avid’s full suite of complementary programs - like Boris Continuum Complete 7, Sorenson Squeeze 6.0.4, Avid FX 5.8.3 and Avid DVD 6.1.1 - your productions will be limited only by your own imagination. Another program offering a wide range of control features, beyond the normal transitions and effects offered by many software packages, is Grass Valley’s EDIUS Neo 3 ($199) and EDIUS 6 ($799). Consider the Neo 3 the “EDIUS Light” version, where the EDIUS 6 gives you comparable control elements to Avid’s Media Composer. EDIUS’ real-time editing capabilities offer powerful contents full screen print 30 V IDEOMAKER >>> OctOb ER 2011 From the Editors of Videomaker Magazine comes the New book you’ve been waiting for! This fully updated 4th edition is jam-packed with the basics of how to produce quality video and teaches you all of the video production tips and techniques needed to shoot and edit video like the pros. $24.95 native content support - you can seamlessly cut between Canon’s XF and EOS movie clips, or plow through 4K resolution clips - all while offering a broad bundle of filters, effects and transitions that will give some extra pizzazz to your project. As technology in the home improves, being able to create videos that play nicely will be of the utmost importance. Arcsoft has an editing system called the TotalMedia Extreme 2 ($130), which not only gives users limitless format compatibility, but also offers up a full complement of software applications that take your productions from start to finish. This system is ideal for editors hoping to create mobile-friendly content that can be used on portable video devices. Whether you prefer a storyboard or timeline, tons of transitions or infinite audio channels, regardless of price, there’s an editing software program that will meet and exceed your expectations. How to Decide Buying an editing system is, in many regards, like buying a car. You need to factor in several elements before pulling the trigger on your purchase: • How much time will you be spending with this program? •Will others be using this system beside you? If so, what is their experience level? • At the end of the day, does this program do what you need it to do? If you can answer those questions with confidence before making the investment, then you’ve found the right system for you. Knowing what you plan to do with the software before installing it is half the battle. Most systems offer free demos you can download to see if the system is right for you. Go ahead, kick the tires and take these programs for a test drive. Ayers-Hammer offered one final bit of advice that seems fitting: “If you’re not a techie, find someone who is. It’s not fun to invest all that money into a system only to have it crash every fifteen minutes because your program doesn’t play nice with your processor.” And isn’t that what editing is all about - playing nice? From the producer and videographer to the editor and finally to the consumer of the video content, nice and easy is the ideal end result. Dave Sniadak is an award-winning video producer and creative consultant, servicing clients in the home improvement, hospitality, travel and professional sports industries. 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Companion Workbook available. $74.95 Workbook $21.95 If you're new to After Effects and want to get up to speed quickly, After Effects Apprentice was created just for you. $44.95 56 KEY contracts for Film, TV, and Video production used by the pros, all on CD. $79.95 The ultimate guide to getting up and running with Apple's Final Cut Pro 6. $26.95 ORDER ONLINE www.videomaker.com/bookstore or call 1-800-284-3226 contents full screen print Whether it’s a XOOM, an Android, an iPad or an iPhone, with the explosion of high-quality video cameras in tablets and smartphones, video producers are using their mobile devices to create and distribute content once restricted to land-locked editing software. And as the capability becomes more accessible, more users will embrace this ‘video in the sky’ way of thinking. Major players in the video production world are already embracing cloud-based editing options. For instance, YouTube’s Video Editor func- BY DAVE SNIADAK tion allows you mash up all of your existing video assets into one timeline. YouTube’s program has the potential to revolutionize online video distribution. With the option to trim clips, embed Creative Commons video and royalty free music, and the option to apply transitions, this free offering gives budding video producers tools that could have cost them several hundred dollars. Once you’re done editing, simply hit the “publish” button and your video will be available to share with your throngs of adoring fans on YouTube or other videosharing sites. Tablet Editors On the tablet front, several programs - like Google’s Android Movie Studio for Honeycomb - al- contents low users to capture and edit footage all in one place. While basic in function, the technology for tablet-based editing will continue to grow as more users adopt the practice. A timeline allows you to edit video clips, add pictures, create titles and apply transitions and effects to individual clips with a few swipes of the finger. One downside to editing on a tablet is the render time. The processors for these tablets were not necessarily designed to handle multiple channel, highdefinition video edits, but given the parameters of this production option, it’s pretty impressive. Virtual video producers can download several apps to their phones or tablets that offer basic editing programs. At the most basic end of the spectrum are trimming apps, which allow you to trim your video, but not too much more. VidTrim, by Goseet, is a free Android-based app that al- Google np Movie Studio Free Acer Iconia Tab A500, Asus Eee Pad Transformer (TF101), Motorola XOOM, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Toshiba Thrive, HTC Flyer, LG G-Slate Nexvio www.nexvio.com ReelDirector $2 iPad Path 36 http://spliceapp.com Splice $4 iPad Multi-track Audio Video Transitions Ability to Export iPad Multi-track Video $5 iMovie Import Stills Apple www.apple.com Track / Timeline $5 Preview Window Tablet(s) Forbidden Technologies market.android.com Clesh Acer Iconia Tab A500, Asus Eee Pad Transformer (TF101), Motorola XOOM, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Toshiba Thrive, HTC Flyer, LG G-Slate App Price Developer In the video spectrum, technology has always reigned supreme. Video is going where early adopters probably never envisioned, into the clouds. Source Bin / Media Browser Smartphones and Tablets Editing Apps y y y y y y y y Terms Defined y y y y y y y y y y y y n np y y y y y y np y y y y y y y np y y y CLOUD-BASED EDITING Forbidden Technologies www.forbidden.co.uk FORscene Free JayCut www.jaycut.com JayCut Editor Free trial; cost varies All – Cloud-based Mixmoov SAS www.mixmoov.com Mixmoov np All – Cloud-based Creaza www.creaza.com MovieEditor Free All – Cloud-based Movie Masher www.moviemasher.com Movie Masher Editor Free All – Cloud-based Pixorial www.pixorial.com Pixorial Editor Free All – Cloud-based MemoryHub www.stashspace.com Stashbox Free All – Cloud-based Stupeflix studio.stupeflix.com Stupeflix Editor Free All – Cloud-based Google www.youtube.com YouTube Editor Free All – Cloud-based All – Cloud-based y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y np np np y y y y y y y y y y y y y np np y y y y y n np n n np y y y y y np np np n y y y y np np y y y y y n np np y y full screen Tablets: Which tablets support the app? Not a comprehensive list. Source Bin/Media Window: A window where editable footage can be accessed. Preview Window: Allows you to see the project as it appears in the timeline. Track/Timeline: The area in which edited clips can be moved around/edited. Import Stills: Does the app allow you to bring still images into your project? Multi-track audio: Does the app allow you to layer audio tracks in the timeline (source audio, music, effects?) Video Transitions: Are you able to use more than a cut to transition (cross-dissolve, fade-in/fade-out, etc)? Ability to export: Does the app allow you to export your edited video to the web or out to a computer? Cloud-based: Editing occurs via internet connection as opposed to a downloaded app. full screen np: Information not provided. print 32 V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 contents print 33 1500 VIXIA HF M400 Contour+ Helmet Camcorder HD Flash Memory Camcorder • 170°/125° wide-angle lens • 1920 x 1080/30p HD video • Rotating Sensor for Versatile Mounting • MicroSD card slot • 5MP CMOS sensor • HDMI output • Shot framing via Bluetooth & Smart Phone • Water-resistant aluminum shell • Storytelling editing software (Mac & PC) • 1920 x 1080 HD recording • 2 x SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slots • 2.37MP 1/3" CMOS sensor • 3.0" Touch Panel LCD • SuperRange optical stabilization • DIGIC DV III image processor • 24p & 30p frame modes • 24Mbps recording • Microphone and headphone inputs 5 Mega Pixels #COCPHC #CAHFM400 VIXIA HF G10 ® HD Flash Memory Camcorder HD Motorsports HERO Camcorder / 3D kit • Full 1080/960/720p HD recording • SD/SDHC card slot (up to 32GB) • Record up to 2.5 hours on a single charge • 1/2.5" 5Mp CMOS sensor • Waterproof to 180 ft (60m) • 1.5" LCD screen Interval recording • NTSC/PAL switchable Mac and PC compatible lows users to take video clips recorded on their phones and shorten the clip to their liking, then rename and share the clips. VidTrim Pro ($2.57) gives users a few more options - like Frame Grabber, which allows you to create images from your video, as well as a sharing feature with other VidTrim users. These programs are memory intensive, so users are encouraged to change the settings to allow video files to be stored on an SD card in the phone. And while many of us have become accustomed to lightning-fast render times and infinite post-production features with our desktop editing systems, keep in mind the limitations of cloud-based editing on tablets. Will cloud-based, mobile editing replace land-based editing systems? It’s too early to tell at this point, but the key features needed to create quality video without expensive hardware are there. As demand for mobile editing solutions increase, software designers will deliver products that continue to outshine early online pioneers. YouTube Refines Memories contents full screen print If you have a cell phone, a Google account and a little technological wizardry, you can produce polished videos and publish them with YouTube - the world’s second largest search engine. The popular video site recently launched YouTube Editor, an easy to use cloud-based platform that allows anyone - skilled editor or savvy six-year old - to execute basic editing functions, then deliver them to your viewers. Recently, I jumped into YouTube Editor to see how this feature per- 34 formed. My initial reaction: uh-oh... this could make guys like me (professional video producers) obsolete. In all seriousness, Editor offers a great resource to anyone looking to put a little pizzazz into their productions. Editor’s best feature? It’s free! You won’t need to download an app, pay a subscription fee or worry about trial periods. What you see is what you get. To test this out, I uploaded a few videos of my baby daughter from my smartphone to my YouTube channel. Check out the final no frills, quick-and-easy edit for demonstration purposes here: www. videomaker.com/r/530. I’ve outlined the process of creating an edited video using this program, below. With a little practice, you’ll be on your way to contributing compelling content to video-hungry viewers around the world. Enjoy! 1: Open Your Editor Page Log into your YouTube account. If you don’t have one, sign up for one. This way, you’ll automatically have access to all of your video content already online. If you don’t have any video to upload, but want to create videos, the Creative Commons bin offers a bounty of video from other producers who have given permission for others to reuse their content. 2: Drag Clips Into the Timeline Like most standard video editing software systems, YouTube Editor features a very user-friendly timeline to layout your clips. In my example, I used four videos of my daughter doing things that babies do. Trim each clip by clicking on the individual videos and using V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 5 Mega Pixels • 1920 x 1080 HD Recording • 32GB internal flash memory • Two SD/SDHC/SDXC card slots • 1/3" 2.37Mp HD CMOS pro sensor • 3.5" LCD & Color viewfinder • Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens • SuperRange optical stabilization • Custom cinema-Look filters • Professional shooting assist functions the sliders to establish the in and out points. When you’re happy with the trimmed clip, click save and continue on to the next file. GoPro 3D kit - 3D waterproof housing for (2) 1080p HD HERO cameras, with 3D editing software 3: Sounds of Music • 1/2.7" HD CMOS sensor • 1920 x 1080p and 1280 x 720p • SD/SDHC memory card slot • 0.7m-Infinity fixed focus lens • 142°/120°/95° field of view • Texas Instruments Da Vinci software processing • Rugged Design: Shock/Water/Dust Proof • 2" LCD screen on recording Unit • NTSC/Pal • 32GB internal flash memory • SD/ SDHC/ SDXC card slot • 3x 3.05 Mp 1/4.1" CMOS sensors • 1080/60p recording • Optional Panasonic VW-CLT1 3D image lens required for 3D recording • Leica Dicomar 12x optical, 20x intelligent zoom • 3.5" touch screen LCD screen • Microphone & headphone inputs #VIPOVHD #PAHDCTM900 / Conversion Lens #PAVWCLT1 The YouTube Editor offers producers so many great choices when it comes to music, you’re sure to find something just right for your video. The slider on the right side of the screen allows you to mix between music and audio from your video. Adjust until you get the right mix. 4: Transition To Greatness With more than a dozen transitions to choose from, your videos don’t have to settle for straight cuts or standard dissolves. In my example video, I used a couple of different transitions to showcase the variety of effects you can apply to your work. 5: Point. Click. Publish. When your video is looking like you want it to, simply click the “Publish” button to share your final opus with the world. Video editing and sharing just got a whole lot easier, and no, this won’t replace professional editors just like point-n-shoot hi-res cameras haven’t replaced pro still shooters, so we can all just relax and enjoy the ride! Dave Sniadak is a video production consultant, servicing clients that include broadcast stations, corporations and non-profit organizations. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15529 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15529 #GOHMH / GO3DH Over 300,000 products, at your leisure. BandH.com/VMK #CAHFG10 HDC-TM900 POV.HD Digital Helmet Camera System LS-20M 3 CMOS HD Camcorder with 3D Shooting 3D HD Dual Lens Camcorder • Full HD 1920 x 1080/30p video recording, with studio-grade 24 bit/96 hHz linear PCM stereo audio • 1/4" 5.32MP CMOS Sensor • Records onto SDHC cards (up to 32GB) • WAV / MP3 Files • 2" LCD screen • Olympus fixed focus optical with 4x digital zoom • Creative movie effects • 1920 x 1080 Full HD 3D & 2D recording • 64GB internal flash and SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot • Dual 3.32MP back-illuminated 1/4.1" CMOS sensors • Dual HD GT lenses (f/1.2) • 5x optical zoom in 3D • 3D 3.5" LCD (glasses-free) • 3D Digital Still Images • 34Mbps (3D) / 24Mbps (2D) • Optical image stabilization #OLLS20M #JVGSTD1BUS U32120B / U32120W • 1/4.5" 1.6 Mp CMOS • 1280 x 720p HD recording • 8GB internal flash memory (2hrs HD recording) • Fixed focus lens with 2x digital zoom • 2" LCD screen • Image stabilization • Includes Flip video rech battery • Supports AAA batteries (optional) #FLU32120B* (Black or White) ZR960 800-947-9925 212-444-5025 GS-TD1 HD Video & Linear PCM Audio Recorder UltraHD Video Camera (3rd Gen) VW-CLT1 3D Conversion Lens Fax: 212-239-7770 Consumer Video ............#813 Pro Video ...................... #821 Audio for Video................#91 Video Editing ................ #831 HDR-TD10 Dual Sensor 3D HD Camcorder • 1920 x 1080 Full HD 60p/24p • Two 1/4" HD 'Exmor R' CMOS Sensors • 3D Viewing Directly on 3.5" LCD No Need for 3D Glasses • 2D Playback from 3D Recordings • Dual Wide Angle G Lenses Wide 10x (in 3D mode) optical zoom (17x Extended) • Built-in 64GB internal flash memory • SD/ SDHC/ SDXC/ Memory Stick card slot • Microphone & Headphone Jacks We Buy, Sell and Trade Used Equipment 7 Mega Pixels #SOHDRTD10 Store & Mail Order Hours: Sunday 10-6 • Mon.-Thurs. 9-7 Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST Saturday Closed HDR-CX700V MiniDV Camcorder Flash Memory Camcorder • 1/6” CCD image sensor • 37x optical 41x advanced zoom lens • DIGIC DV image processor • Quick start / Easy operation • Widescreen HR recording • Image electronic stabilization • 2.7” widescreen LCD • Microphone input • Record HD 1920 x 1080/60p • 96GB internal flash memory • Memory Stick Duo / SD card slot • 1/2.88" Exmor R CMOS sensor • 3.0" wide LCD / color EVF • Wide G series 10x optical zoom lens • Optical SteadyShot stabilization • 24p recording & cinema tone control • Mic/headphone input • Built-In GPS receiver #CAZR960 #SOHDRCX700V contents full screen print 12 Mega Pixels Page 1 VIXIA HV40 NEX-VG10 VIXIA HV40 HDV Camcorder HDV Camcorder • 1/ 2.7”, 2.96MP HD CMOS sensor • 1/ 2.7”, 2.96MP CMOS with RGB primaryHD color filtersensor RGB primary • with Frame rates: 60i, color nativefilter 24p (records • Frame 60i, native at 24p),rates: 24p cinema, and24p 30p(records (at 60i) 24p),DV24p cinema, and 30p (at 60i) • at DIGIC II image processor •• DIGIC image processor CanonDV HDII 10x optical video lens •• Canon 10xFocus optical videosensor lens InstantHD Aufo w/ext. •• Instant Aufo Focus sensor SuperRange opticalw/ext. stabilization •• SuperRange optical stabilization 2.7” widescreen LCD screen • External mic input •• 2.7” widescreen External input Smooth variable LCD zoomscreen with 3 •fixed zoom mic speeds • Smooth variable zoom with 3 fixed zoom speeds NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder 3 3 Mega Pixels Mega Pixels #CAHV40 #CAHV40 When in New York, When in New York, Visit our SuperStore Visit our SuperStore 420 Ninth Ninth Ave. Ave. 420 Corner of 34th Street Corner of 34th Street New York, N.Y. 10001 New York, N.Y. 10001 #SOHDRHC9 #SOHDRHC9 6 6 Mega Pixels Mega Pixels XA10 ProfessionalXA10 HD Solid State Camcorder Professional HD Solid State Camcorder Over 70,000 square feet Over square feet of the70,000 latest gear of the latest gear The most knowledgeable The most knowledgeable Sales Professionals Sales Professionals Hands-on demos Hands-on demos Convenient free parking Convenient available free parking available The Professional’s Source TM for Photo, Video & Pro Audio The Professional’s Source TM for Photo, Video Subscribe to our Subscribe to our free Catalog free Catalog BandH.com/catalog BandH.com/catalog 212-444-6633 212-444-6633 & Pro Audio SUMMER 2011 PHOTOGRAPHY 800 947 7785 212 444 6635 SUMMER HOURS OF OPERATION: 2011 VIDEO 800 947 1186 212 444 6686 Sunday: 10:00am – 6:00pm Monday thru Thursday: Friday: 9:00am-2:00pm9:00am – 7:00pm PHOTOGRAPHY DST / 9:00am-1:00pm Saturday: Closed EST VIDEO 800 947 7785 212 444 6635 HOURS OF OPERATION: 800 947 1186 212 444 6686 Sunday: 10:00am – 6:00pm Monday thru Thursday: Friday: 9:00am-2:00pm9:00am – 7:00pm DST / 9:00am-1:00pm Saturday: Closed EST HOME & PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT 800 947 4414 212 444 6692 HOME & PORTABLE ENTERTAINMENT 800 947 4414 212 444 6692 COMPUTERS PRO AUDIO 800 947 3308 212 444 6691 800 859 5252 212 444 5072 BandH.com COMPUTERS 420 NINTH AVE NEW YORK, NY PRO AUDIO 10001 800 947 3308 212 444 6691 800 859 5252 212 444 5072 BandH.com 420 NINTH AVE NEW YORK, NY 10001 • 64GB Internal and Dual SDHC/SDXC • 64GB Internal Dual SDHC/SDXC card slots withand relay recording withCMOS relay recording • card 1920slots x 1080 Image Sensor •• 1920 1080HDCMOS Canonx 10x VideoImage Lens Sensor LensFocus Ring •• Canon 8-Blade10x IrisHD andVideo Manual Manual Focus Ring •• 8-Blade DIGIC DVIris III and Image Processor •• DIGIC DV Recording III Image Processor 24Mbps (AVCHD) Recording (AVCHD) •• 24Mbps 3.5" High-resolution touch panel touch panel • 3.5" LCD High-resolution and EVF • LCD Dualand XLREVF terminals • Dual XLR terminals #CAXA10 #CAXA10 AG-HMC40 AG-HMC40 3-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder 3-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder • 1080 and 720 HD resolution • 1080 and 720 HD resolution recording on SDHC cards on SDHC • recording 3 1/4” 3-MP CMOScards • 3HD 1/4” 3-MP CMOS image sensors image sensors • HD AVCHD MPEG-4 • AVCHD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoding encoding • AVC/H.264 10.6-megapixel still capability •• 10.6-megapixel 12x optical zoomstill capability •• 12x optical zoom 2.7-inch LCD monitor •• 2.7-inch LCD monitor XLR audio input, HDMI output, USB 2.0 • XLR audio input, HDMI output, USB 2.0 #PAAGHMC40 #PAAGHMC40 GY-HM100U 3-CCD GY-HM100U ProHD Solid State Camcorder 3-CCD ProHD Solid State Camcorder contents full screen print Page 2 Page 2 • Supports 1920/1440 x 1080, 1280 x 720 • Supports 1920/1440 1080, 1280 x 720 HD formats in 35, 25,xand 19Mb/ps HD 35, 25, and 19Mb/ps withformats variableinframe rates frame rates • with Dualvariable SDHC card slots • Dual card slots (loop,SDHC pre-record) pre-record) • (loop, Captures native QuickTime files •• Captures native files Fujinon 10x HD QuickTime lens •• Fujinon HDstabilization lens Optical 10x image •• Optical image stabilization Dual XLR audio, with phantom •• Dual audio, with ColorXLR viewfinder and phantom large LCD monitor • Color viewfinder and large LCD monitor #JVGYHM100 #JVGYHM100 #SOHDRFX7 #SOHDRFX7 Mega Pixels Mega Pixels • 3 1/3” progressive CCD sensors •• 3Records 1/3” progressive CCD sensors HD 1080/60i/30p/24p, • Records HD 1080/60i/30p/24p, 720/60p,30p,24p formats formatsonto SD/ • 720/60p,30p,24p Solid-State HD recording • Solid-State recording SD/ SDHC mediaHD(21 Mb/ps -onto 1920x1080) media (21 Mb/ps - 1920x1080) • SDHC In-camera Waveform monitor Vectorscope • In-camera Waveform monitor Vectorscope and two focus assist displays two focus assistwide displays • and Leica Dicomar13x zoom lens •• Leica Dicomar13x wide zoom lens Optical Image Stabilization •• Optical Image Stabilization Time/date stamp (legal depositions) • Dual XLR audio inputs • Time/date stamp (legal depositions) • Dual XLR audio inputs #PAAGHMC150 #PAAGHMC150 HDR-AX2000 HDR-AX2000 3-CMOS AVCHD Flash Camcorder • Three 1/3” CMOS Exmor sensors •• Three 1/3” Exmor Records to CMOS Memory Sticksensors PRO Duo, • Records Memory Stick PROslots) Duo, SD/SDHCto Cards (Dual media SD/SDHC Cards (Dual media • 1080/60i, and 24p/30p AVCHDslots) recording •• 1080/60i, 24p/30p AVCHD recording 20x zoom and G-Lens (29.5mm wide) •• 20x zoom G-Lens Zoom, focus, and (29.5mm iris rings wide) •• Zoom, focus, and•iris Dual XLR inputs 3.2”rings Xtra Fine LCD •• Dual XLR inputs • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD Low-light (1.5 LUX) capabilities •• Low-light (1.5Gamma LUX) capabilities CinemaTone and CinemaTone • CinemaTone Color controlGamma and CinemaTone Color control #SOHDRAX2000H #SOHDRAX2000H 4 4 Mega Pixels Mega Pixels AG-HMC80 AG-HMC80 3-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder #CAXF100 / #CAXF105 AG-HPX170 3 CMOS Solid State HD Camcorder P2HD Pro Solid-State Camcorder • Record HD 1080/720 onto Compact Flash cards • 50Mbps MPEG-2 4:2:2 recording • 3 1/3" 2.37Mp CMOS sensors • 18x Canon HD L series lens • DIGIC DV III image processor • 4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor • 1.55 Mp Color EVF • Over and under crank XF305 Step-up: HD-SDI Output, Genlock & SMPTE Time Code • Two P2 card slots recording HD (1080i and 720p) and SD (480i) f • 20 variable frame rates • 3 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BandH.com/VMK HXR-NX3D1 3-CMOS Pro Solid State Camcorder Professional 3D Compact HD Camcorder • 10-bit, 4:2:2, native 1080 and 720p HD resolution in variable frame rates • AVC-Intra 100 and 50 codecs • Two P2 card slots (hot swapping, loop, pre-record) • 3 advanced 1/3”, 2.2 MP CMOS sensors • HD-SDI output • 20-bit digital signal processor • 17x Fujinon HD lens • Built-in scan reverse mode • Waveform and vector scope display • Dual 1/4" Exmor R CMOS sensors • Two Sony G lenses (10x optical in 3D) • 96 GB internal memory • One SD or Memory Stick card slot • 3.5" LCD (view 3D glasses-free) • Full 1920 x 1080 in 3D and 2D • 3D modes: 60i, 50i, 24p (28 Mb/s) • 2D modes: 60p, 50p, 60i, 50i, 24p, 25p • Active SteadyShot in 3D • Dual XLR inputs (line / Mic / Mic+48V selectable) #PAAGHPX370 #SOHXRNX3D1U NEX-FS100UK Professional Memory Card Camcorder Super 35mm Sensor HD Camcorder with Lens • Large 4/3-type MOS sensor • Micro four thirds lens mount • Uses still & cinema lenses • Two SDHC/SDXC memory card slots (Relay Recording) • AVCCAM Recording 1080i/p, 720p variable frame rates • Optical low-pass filter • HD-SDI, HDMI output, Dual XLR • Exmor Super 35mm CMOS image sensor • Includes 18-200mm Zoom Lens • E-mount interchangeable lens mount system • HDMI 4:2:2 uncompressed • 1920 x 1080p 28Mbps recording • 3.5" XtraFine LCD screen • 1920 x 1080p slow & quick motion • Record onto SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick cards, or Sony HXR-FMU128 (optional) • HD MPEG-4 AVCHD format Lens Optional #SONEXFS100UK 800-947-9925 212-444-5025 Fax: 212-239-7770 Consumer Video ............#813 Pro Video ...................... #821 Audio for Video................#91 Video Editing ................ #831 HXR-NX5U 3-CMOS XDCAM EX Camcorder 3-CMOS NXCAM Flash Memory Camcorder • SxS Memory Card Recording w/800Mb/ps Data Transfer • DVCam Recording • Cache Recording • Image inversion function • 1/2-inch Exmor 3 CMOS Sensors • 1080P/1080i/720p Switchable • Multiple-frame recording • 14x HD Fujinon Lens • 3.5” LCD monitor • Full Manual Focus Ring • Over- and Under-cranking • Three 1/3” Exmor CMOS sensors, with a ClearVid array • Capture uses Memory Stick PRO Duo / SDHC Cards, with relay record capability (optional HXRFMU128 flash memory unit) • 20x wide G series lens • HD-SDI & HDMI output, SMPTE Time Code in/out, Dual XLR inputs • Built-in GPS system • 3.2” Xtra Fine LCD #SOPMWEX1RQ #SOHXRNX5U PMW-EX3 3-CMOS Pro HD Solid State Camcorder #PAAGHMC80 #PAAGHMC80 #SOHVRZ5U PMW-EX1R Shoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder • 3 1/4.1 CMOS sensors •• 31080 1/4.1orCMOS sensors 720 HD recording •• 1080 or 720 HD recording SD/SDHC media card slot •• SD/SDHC cardzoom slot lens 12X opticalmedia smooth •• 12X optical smooth lens High-definition and zoom standard• High-definition and standarddefinition recording • definition Pre-recordrecording & interval recording •• Pre-record & interval recording Optical image stabilization •• Optical image stabilization Dual XLR/3.5mm mic-in inputs •• Dual XLR/3.5mm mic-in inputs HDMI, USB, DV, Component terminals • HDMI, USB, DV, Component terminals • 1/3" CMOS 1920 x 1080 CMOS sensor • Dual CF card slots • 50Mbps MPEG-2 recording • Canon's MPEG-2 4:2:2 color sampling • 60p/60i, 30p, 24p MXF File Format • 10x HD zoom lens • 3.5" 920K dot LCD monitor • Stereoscopic 3-D recording capabilities • Dual XLR inputs • Waveform Monitor XF105 Step-up: HD/SD-SDI, SMPTE Time Code, Genlock #PAAGAF100 HXR-MC2000U HXR-MC2000U Shoulder Mount AVCHD Pro Camcorder #SOHXRMC2000U #SOHXRMC2000U • 3 Sony ClearVid 1/3-inch CMOS sensors with Exmor technology • Sony G-series 20x optical zoom lens (29.5mm wide-end) • Native (24p/24A/30p) progressive scan recording • Direct connectivity to Sony’s HVR-MC1K flash memory recorder • Records HDV/DVCAM/ MiniDV • Dual XLR inputs, SMPTE timecode • 3.2” XtraFine LCD with 921k pixels • Cinema Tone Gamma and CinemaTone Color control AG-AF100 3-CMOS AVCHD Flash Camcorder • 1/4" 4.2Mp, ClearVid Exmor R CMOS sensor •• 1/4" 4.2Mp, Exmor R CMOS sensor Built-in 64GBClearVid hard drive •• Built-in 64GB hard drive Stick slot SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory •• SD/SDHC/SDXC & Memory Stick slot 1920 x 1080i AVCHD (24Mbps) •• 1920 x 1080i AVCHD (24Mbps) MPEG-2 SD Mode (9Mbps) •• MPEG-2 Mode (9Mbps) 12x wideSD angle Sony G lens •• 12x wideSteadyShot angle Sonystabilizer G lens Optical •• Optical SteadyShot stabilizer 2.7" ClearPhoto LCD •• 2.7" ClearPhoto Manual lens ringLCD with assignable • Manual lens ring with assignable parameters parameters HD Professional CF Camcorders AG-HPX370 3-CCD Pro SD/SDHC Camcorder 12 12 3-CMOS PRO HDV Camcorder XF300 / XF305 • High-Definition (1440x1080) Recording •• High-Definition (1440x1080) 3x 1/4” with 2.1k Megapixel Recording • 3x 1/4” with 2.1kSensors Megapixel ClearVid CMOS Sensors • ClearVid 20x Carl CMOS Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* • 20x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar High-Def. 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Optical Zoom Lens • Expanded HD Focus Indicator •• Expanded HD Recording Focus Indicator Smooth Slow Mode: • Smooth Recording Mode: Great forSlow Viewing or Analyzing Great for Viewing or Analyzing Footage • 3.5” Wide ClearPhoto LCD • 3.5” Output Wide ClearPhoto LCD • Footage HDMI Interface • HDMI Interface Output AG-HMC150 AG-HMC150 3-CCD Pro SD/SDHC Camcorder Pro Solid State Camcorder # SOHXRMC50U # SOHXRMC50U Mega Pixels Mega Pixels 3-CMOS HDV Camcorder HXR-MC50U HXR-MC50U Pro Solid State Camcorder • 1920 x 1080 HD resolution •• 1920 x 1080 HD resolutionExmor R 1/2.88" back-illuminated • 1/2.88" back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor sensor memory • CMOS 64GB internal •• 64GB internal Memory Stick memory / SD/SDHC media card slot •• Memory / SD/SDHC 10x wideStick G series lens media card slot •• 10x wide G series Assignable manuallens dial controls •• Assignable manual dial controls 3.5" wide LCD •• 3.5" wide LCD Geotagging with built-In GPS •• Geotagging with built-In GPS Optical image stabilization • Optical image stabilization 14 14 HDR-FX7 3-CMOS HDVHDR-FX7 Camcorder HDV High-Definition Camcorder XF100 / XF105 HVR-Z5U #SONEXVG10 #SONEXVG10 HDR-HC9 HDR-HC9 HDV High-Definition Camcorder • Record HD onto HDV / MiniDV cassette •• Record HD ontoClearVid HDV / MiniDV 1/2.9" 3.2Mp CMOS cassette sensor •• 1/2.9" 3.2Mp ClearVid CMOS Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lenssensor •• Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T lens Optical super SteadyShot • Optical super SteadyShot stabilization stabilization • Smooth slow record mode •• Smooth slowViewfinder record mode Color Wide •• Color Wide Viewfinder 2.7" Touch Panel LCD screen •• 2.7" Touch Panel LCD screen Built-in light/flash •• Built-in light/flash Microphone and headphone inputs • Microphone and headphone inputs • Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor (23.4 x 15.6mm) •• Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor (23.4 x 15.6mm) Includes E-mount 18-200mm (11x) zoom lens •• Includes E-mount 18-200mm (11x) zoom Record 1920 x 1080 HD resolution onto lens • Record 1920 x 1080 HD resolution SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick PROonto SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG media medialenses with • Duo/Pro-HG Accepts A-mount • Accepts lenses with optional A-mount LA-EA1 adaptor LA-EA1 • optional 3" Xtra Fine LCDadaptor monitor •• 3" Xtra Fine LCD monitor Optical stabilization •• Optical Include stabilization Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 • Include Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 We Buy, Sell and Trade Used Equipment Store & Mail Order Hours: Sunday 10-6 • Mon.-Thurs. 9-7 Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST Saturday Closed PMW-F3K 3-CMOS XDCAM EX Camcorder Super 35mm HD Camcorder Kit • Interchangeable 1/2” bayonet lens mount, incl. Fujinon 14x5.8 lens • 3 1/2” Exmor CMOS image sensors that shoot full raster 1920x1080 hi-def imagery • Recording on removable SxS flash memory cards • 1080 and 720 shooting modes with selectable bit rates in both PAL and NTSC standards • Hi-res 3.5” LCD monitor • 8-Pin remote studio connectivity • Exmor Super 35 CMOS image sensor • Includes 35mm, 50mm, 85mm lens kit • PL lens mount, 35mm Cine lens compatibility • 10-bit 4:2:2 HD-SDI • Two SxS memory card slots • Interlace/Progressive modes • D-SDI Dual-link output • 3D-LINK option #SOPMWEX3Q #SOPMWF3K contents full screen print Page 3 BY PETER ZUNITCH The wind grows cold. The days grow short, and all the leaves that brought such peace and life throughout the summer now wither, change, and fall. We’ve celebrated the last great harvest of the year, pulled the shutters tight and prepare for the long, cold sleep that will soon be coming as our land angles ever so slightly away from that which gives all things life. It’s that time of the year again. The celebration of those who have passed. The scaring away of evil spirits, the high witching hour, the leading of those lost to their eternal rest. All Hallows Eve, the Day of the Dead, celebrate what you will. It’s a great time for stories of enchantment, the supernatural, and the unexplained. I love this time of year. W e’ve all seen the movies and shows. The undead walk the mortal plane helping, avenging, or just plain scaring the people of the mortal world. Thousands of tales explore the afterlife; some of them even do it well. It’s an area that, if done correctly, can draw a viewer in like no other, but if done wrong, can ruin an otherwise good idea. People get picky about effects, especially in these modern times of computergenerated artistry. Unfortunately, most of us contents full screen print 38 V IDEOMAKER >>> OCTOBER 2011 don’t have the budget for massive render farms and compositing teams. We must do the best with the funds at hand. So the question becomes, “how can we effectively create the supernatural realm with our own limited resources?” A Hauntingly Tricky Concept How do you make a ghost for movies? To make a ghost effect seem real it takes more than techniques, there’s also the psychology of the rules of ghosts movies. Let’s tell a ghost story. We have an idea that involves a group of characters receiving information that only someone who has passed beyond knows. There are three major elements to pulling this off successfully. • The first, and most important thing one must remember is that spirits, when you boil it down, are still characters. They must be thought of, and portrayed as such. Make them well-rounded, give them a back-story. Give them quirks; needs and faults, just like any other character in your story. You don’t need to show all these things, but having them even in your mind will help with the realization of your vision. • The second element is how your ghost will appear (or not) to the others in the story. Make the spirit a spirit. If your character isn’t fantastical in some way, you might as well make them a regular person. Are they human looking, like Dr. Crowe (Bruce Willis) in the The Sixth Sense? Are they a floating mass of energy and light like the classic Poltergeist movies? Are they somewhere in between like those in Ghostbusters? Can the audience see them? Can the characters? Your entity is a character, but it is a special kind of character. You must present it as such both in motive and appearance. • The third element is often the aspect that gets ignored or forgotten. Enhance the performance with the illusion. Don’t let the illusion ruin the show. You can have the best effect ever, but if it doesn’t work for the story, it’s just an effect. There’s an old editors adage, “If the audience says ‘wow, that was good editing,’ then you’ve failed to edit the scene properly.” When an effect is done right, people should not be saying “wow.” The best effect should simply be accepted as status quo in the world that is presented. The successful portrayal of the supernatural lies in integrating the character into the effect, and the effect into the story. So you don’t need the greatest, most exotic effect to pull off a successful tale, you only need the right ghost effect for your story and your character. Non-conventional Conventionalism We hold in our collective minds beliefs like ghosts are pale and pass through things, and zombies are decaying and move slowly. These are rationalizations whose logic extends back to the origins of the creatures themselves. Many accepted standards are rather convenient for video as well, whose limitations necessitate compromises. If we see a translucent person in flowing white, we immediately accept them as a ghost. It all works rather nicely. These concepts should be seen as starting points though, not an absolute. Some of the most notable afterlife characters have been the ones that have broken the standards. Adding a touch of blue to a spirit might make them stand out from the rest. What if they were gold, or bronze? What if the zombie was suddenly faster than when he was alive, and never got winded? Take a look at the resources you have at hand, and the effects you have in your palette and consider ways you can bring a fresh approach to your character. Do this not just to be cool, but for the proper enhancement of character. If you want your ghost to be more humanized, take the approach from The Sixth Sense and make them essentially “corporeal”. If, on the other hand your poltergeist is more “in- Getting Practical Lighting is a great way to enhance spirits. Light them from a sharp overhead or up angle. You can also follow the ghost with a spotlight to make them brighter than everything around them. Blacklights are also a good way to make ghosts glow. However it doesn’t transmit well in bright light, so dim the ambiance. It’s also hard to get a bright glow and you’ll have to put the black-light rather close to your ghost. You can increase the effect by washing the costume with laundry detergent and using a very light rinse (make sure the actor isn’t allergic to the detergent of course, and that the costume can be washed in such a manner.) Alternatively, you can easily make the glow in post, but there will be almost no interplay with the light from the ghost and the set. If working with a black-light isn’t your thing, look for phosphorous and fluorescent makeup and paint at theatrical supplies, Halloween, party and/or craft stores. Check out sites online like www.alconeco.com and www.blacklight.com. And since you have them, use these tools to enhance your trick-or-treating festivities come All Hallow’s Eve. VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 contents full screen print 39 Halloween Ghastly Effects SubScriber Alert! You may be contacted by unauthorized subscription agents asking you to renew your subscription. These companies are not authorized to represent Videomaker nor are they affiliated with us in any way. Please do not give out any personal, payment or credit card information to the companies listed below. Videomaker will not accept orders from these companies and if you choose to renew through them you will likely never receive any issues of Videomaker. Please do not renew your subscription by mail, phone or Internet through any of these unauthorized companies: • American Consumer Publishing Association, Inc. 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Box 3780. Chico, CA 95927 [email protected] festing”, then give them a touch of distortion. If they are more ethereal, add some particles. Make the particles move in different directions based on how the spirit feels. This, more than anything else, will sell your concept and make a look meaningful rather than trendy. But before you add the accents, you need to shoot the scene. Let’s explore how this can be done. The Keys to the Ethereal Plane There are many methods for creating undead and fantastical creatures. Which one is best for your production should be based on your resource ability, experience and production style. While there’s not enough room to cover them all, we’ll lay out a rather complex shot, explore one approach that won’t break the budget, and give thought as to how we can improve quality while maintaining proper characterization. Having accepted that a ghost is present, our characters now wait with bated breath to find out what it wants to tell them. The best approach to any otherworldly effect is to use a combination of production and postproduction techniques. Many of the on-set tricks you can use have their origins in the theater and magic, and rely on slight of hand foreshortening of angles, and persistence of vision to achieve the illusion. During production, you might want your ghost to be able to move items around the set without being seen. Let’s say a book is to come out of a bookcase, float across from a fan to help turn the pages. In post, you simply need the take with the actor in your timeline, then key the book take on top of it. You’ll have to crop the book layer, cutting out everything but the book and the green, and then make the crop color the same as your green card. Finally, key out the green so that only the book remains in the scene. In shooting, overlap your shots as much as possible so you’ll be able to cut at any time if necessary. Also, have a few reaction shots (where there is no book) to cut away to. It will be easier if you don’t have to force one effect shot right next to another if they don’t work. Note that the black fishing line will be harder to hide if you’re shooting in high definition. Be sure to keep it in shadow as much as possible, and be ready to manually crop it out. Enhancing an effect like this involves more interactivity with the actors, but will also increase the difficulty. Perhaps the book passes behind other objects, or under them. Wind may accom- pany the book. It might travel through shadow and highlighted parts of the room. Think about how you can make the book more interactive. One other consideration is speed. Slower is more mystical, but it’s harder to hide mistakes. Faster may not always fit the mood, but if you use it, you can probably cut out the green screen altogether. Use the line to yank the book from the shelves, then cut to another shot of the book landing on the table and opening (the latter you’ll have to shoot in reverse of course). Remember that you only need to pull off one shot at a time. The compilation of shots as a whole, along with sound and believable action will make the scene believable for the audience. So that’s the action, what about the entity itself? Let’s first approach this character as if they are an ordinary person who just happens to be a ghost. You might want this character to pass through objects or be translucent at times, yet still interact as needed. Use the key- Cheap and Effective The creators of the 1982 Poltergeist shot a light through a fish tank with agitated water to get the eerie flickering effect. You can also try lighting a room that has light-colored walls through a tank of water, then dropping ink or food coloring into the tank. Need an eerie glow in an impossible area? Try glow sticks. For that flowing, floating effect, try placing a fan behind your actor and slowing them down in post. Did your character just confront Darth Vader? Dip a glove in fluorescent green paint, then key it out. Remember that if you can’t afford chroma key-green paint, or a chroma key backdrop, you can always get something close from a fabric store. Try to find a fluorescent fabric that is matte rather than shiny. 40 subALERT.indd 1 a room, land on a table, and open to a specific page. Preparation of the prop and precise staging are essential. We’re going to surround the book with a green colored card that we’ll key out in post. Note that like all key effects, the green should be as evenly lit as possible. Placing a light behind the camera that follows the card will help, but it’s not going to be perfect. Be prepared to yes, I’m gonna say it - ‘fix it in post’. You’re also going to attach several threads of black fishing line to the cover of the book, as well as some pages you want to turn. When you’re ready to shoot, lock down the camera and have the actors go through the shot as if the book were moving. When possible, provide something off-set for eyeline and timing (preferably operated by the prop handler that will actually move the book later). When the shot is done, have everyone leave the set, being careful not to move anything, especially the camera. Place the book in its slot on the bookcase (you may have to fold up the green under the book and have it flop down as the book clears the ledge). As close to the timing of the last take, pull the book out and carry it across to the table, always keeping an amount of green around all sides of the book from the camera perspective. Lay it down, and then use the strings to pull the cover open and start the pages flipping. For a more fluid page turn, add some air V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 7/28/2011 8:59:57 AM contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 41 Halloween Ghastly Effects THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS IF YOU THINK CREATIVELY AND LEARN HOW TO USE THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO YOU. as the other actors as long as they don’t cross each other, the crew or the matte. This will promote better timing and allow for the ghost to hand something directly to the living. If you can’t do this, you might discover some subtle positioning and timing issues in post. Adding blurs and effects to your ghost’s movements can help compensate and cover them. (See www. videomaker.com/article/14903/) Incidentally adding effects to your ghost will be really easy since they are already isolated on their own video track. You can change the hue or saturation of a ghost. Try taking out the color completely and then using the “invert” effect to turn white into black and black into white. Experimenting takes little time comparatively and can yield great returns. Also, an effect in and of itself can be made to look like a supernatural entity. If your edit system supports multiple effects on a single clip (most do) try simply a Every year, we traditionally bring you stories of the perils and pitfalls our fellow video producers plunge into with our annual Videomaker Horror Stories. distortion or warp effect combined with a blur. Then increase its lightness. Make it roughly the size of a person and use key frames to move it around the scene. Channeling the Spirit World Some of the biggest challenges come when an effect goes wrong. The idea here is to be as inventive and creative with your fixes as with the rest of your production. I once worked on an independent short where a spirit returns to haunt the main character. We wanted more of a physical presence than a ghost, so we darkened the character’s eyes and lips and powdered the skin until the character appeared severely pale. Since the ‘ghost’ really just stood there we didn’t need any key effects. However in viewing the footage we realized that the actor’s neck was visible above his coat and there was no makeup on it. We solved the problem by duplicating the image on top of itself, taking out all the color, and cropping it to just the neck. The actor didn’t move a lot, but the camera did, so we allowed for some error by softening the edges and changing the crop every few frames. To this day no one has ever noticed it. As you can see, the possibilities are endless if you think creatively and learn how to use the tools available to you. We’ve only just scratched the surface. The keys to realizing your vision are planning, attention to detail, and a willingness to think outside the box. Make your vision come alive for your audience by wrapping it in character and story. Immerse your viewers, make them believe, and let the fantastical become reality. Illustrations by Steve Ferchaud ing method we just used for the book. Simply have your stage-hands carry a green screen behind the ghost actor wherever he goes. Everything the ghost interacts with must be placed in the second take, and everything they pass through must be removed. If at any time you want the ghost to disappear, simply adjust the transparency of his layer to 0. (Alternatively increase the key tolerance and watch him “break up”). The only downside to this approach is that you’ll have a harder time if you need the ghost to physically interact with the living. Note that you can have the ghost actor in the same scene 2011 by Jennifer O’rOurke Peter Zunitch is a post-production manager and editor working on every system from 16mm film to Avid Symphony, utilizing many of today’s advanced manipulation and compositing tools. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15086 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15086 Getting Ahead of Yourself There’s no reason you can’t divide up your key effects into smaller pieces. Shoot a set background. Next shoot your actor in front of a green screen. At some point have him reach up and pull the hair on the top of his head, lifting his arm straight up. In the edit room, make two layers of the green, cropping the top of the first at the neck, and the second around the head. When the time comes, use key frames to have the head follow the motion of the hand, as if they removed it. Finally, mix these two layers together and key into the background. You can then wrap green around the actor’s shoulders, and essentially have a floating head to place anywhere you want. contents full screen print 42 V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 Things happen. A hard drive crashes. A battery dies. A viewfinder decides to fail at that one moment of moments – but you’re a videographer, it’s in your heart and it’s in your blood to save the shot. So, like the knight who fell from his trusty steed while proudly galloping to battle – you brush yourself off and get back in the game, ready to battle yet again. Here are our offerings this year of our annual stories of terrifying mistakes, and the motivation to avoid them; written by the professionals you’ve been reading in Videomaker all year. As tradition, I’ll start with a story of my own. VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct Ob ER 20 11 contents full screen print 43 Prison Break stripes that told a tale of imprisonment and loneliness. The only problem was, I couldn't get the best angle from eye level due to the height of the windows, so, I kneeled down behind a counter and shot up from below-the-knee. Shot one: Focus, frame, shoot, 1,2,3… I was concentrating on the shot so well, I didn’t notice it got very quiet. Too quiet. Shot two: Focus, frame, 1, 2,3...When I stood up, I realized I was alone. The tour guide lost visual contact with me as the last tourist exited the room, and had assumed I filed out with the others. Hoping to catch up, I ran out a nearby door, only to find I was outside in a long-narrow circular THE LIGHT THROUGH THE BARS SPILLED fenced-in grassy area. The chain-link fence STRIPES ACROSS THE EMPTY ROOM. was 20-feet high and topped with razor wire. A PHOTOGRAPHER'S DREAM. I reached back for the door, but it was locked. Of course – this is a prison, all doors lock turned out. The tour was going to flow automatically. throughout most of the different secTrying not to panic, I suddenly heard tions of the facility: dining area, medical voices and followed the circular path to area, recreation area, cell blocks, etc. find the tour group, but the grassy area All but one of the cell blocks were still let out into a wide exercise yard – full of vacant, and we obviously weren’t going prisoners! One by one they noticed me, to tour the occupied area. Ours was the last tour of the day and and each one froze in shock. No one spoke a word. We all stood there until as the tour guides shuffled us in tight a guard saw me and shouted at me not groups from area to area, I captured to move – and then – pandemonium. the obligatory shots of tourists on parade, but I kept pausing as the last tour- Guards raced towards me, other guards raced into the yard herding the prisonist filed out to get shots of each section ers to a far wall, and I was left with a lot without any people in the scene. The of explaining to do! guides tried to hustle me along at The weekend shift. Sometimes good, first, but realized what I was doing so sometimes bad, always a surprise. allowed me to quickly grab my shots. — Jennifer O’Rourke And I mean quickly: wide shot – focus, frame, shoot, count 1,2,3... 8. Next – medium shot – focus, frame, etc. I tried Another Prison Lockdown to shoot off three quick shots in each The client called with an assignment room within the 30 seconds allowed. and said to arrive two hours early and Finally, we reached the dining room allow an extra two hours after breakin the late afternoon and light was down, in addition to eight hours of spilling in from tall windows that were shooting. We wondered why so much shielded with bars near the ceiling. The time was needed only to learn the projlight through the bars spilled stripes ect was in a maximum security prison. across the empty seats, tables and floor The extra four hours was for security throughout the room, visually speaking checks, which included a complete ac‘prison’ in a way no words could. A phocounting of each piece of equipment. tographer’s dream. I wanted to capture it We were required to bring a print-out just right, encompassing the seats, tables, of each piece of gear that they would walls, and especially those incredible use as a checklist. The assignment was twofold: Get some shots of an Open House ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new prison for that evening’s news, but make sure to get some extra footage for future stories. State prison authorities invited local townsfolk to tour the brand-spanking new prison in our viewing area to assure them of its safety and explain the revenue-abilities for the town. I needed to get a few shots of average citizens on the tour, but I also had to get future file footage that didn’t have townsfolk in the scene. Not as easy as it sounded, it contents full screen print 44 V IDEOMAKER >>> OctObER 2011 On entering the facility we placed all the cameras, lens caps, light stands, batteries, cables and everything we took into the facility on the floor, and they matched each piece of equipment to the checklist. A lot of people signed the list and they kept it to match with the gear when we left the facility. After eight hours of shooting and endless security check points, we arrived at the last check point where they had our gear list, and after laying everything out on the floor again, one black 8-foot extension cord came up missing. I asked what happens now and after 20 minutes on the phone we’re told they have half an hour to locate it or they “initiate complete lock down”, which involves everyone remaining at their designated position for as “long as it takes” until the cord is found. Luckily, not too long thereafter, an employee noticed a piece of Velcro on a cord in the hospital that she had never seen before and called it in. Turns out that someone on the shoot plugged the cord in then mistakenly left it behind. I could go on for several pages on this one because a “lock down” in a maximum security is huge and could have involved hundreds of additional emergency staff. There was an unbelievable amount of people involved in this ordeal. Throughout the shoot day, we were all over the place, so that cord could have been anywhere. I couldn’t believe it when they told us they found the cord, just in the nick of time. We were wearing bright yellow security alarms with big red buttons during the shoot just in case something went wrong. It was the weirdest shoot I have ever done. — by Terry O’Rourke Knowing I’d be in the country for a week, I checked the power input on my Anton/Bauer QUAD charger and it read: 100-250, 50-60. I called Anton and double-checked what that meant and I was told the charger was bullet proof and would work anywhere in the world. Off I went from San Francisco with my Betacam, charger and four brick batteries to Austria, non-stop. Our party arrived in Vienna on Saturday morning and we had a few hours before setting off on a lengthy drive to Transylvania. I decided to top off the batteries, so I plugged in the charger and it instantly blew up and caught fire! Most of western Europe closes for the weekend at noon sharp leaving only gas stations and some restaurants open. What to do? Fortunately, the charger blew out at about 11:30 in the morning, and I learned there was a hardware store just around the corner. I ran to the store, which was in the process of closing, but they let me in and I bought a standard car-lighter plug, some wire, and crimp connectors. I detached the side of the charger that has two battery receivers and spliced the cable wires to the lighter plug. By doing so, whenever the car was running, I had two batteries “on charge”. I was never short of power and, luckily, the car charged the batteries. On my return to Sacramento, we cut the footage into a five-part series that aired on KOVR-TV. My experience in Romania was “magical”. The Romanians were just delightful. A curious side note, Romanian television was running Warner Bros. cartoons that were interrupted periodically by live coverage of some executions by firing squad, then it was back to Bugs Bunny - now that’s what I call diverse programming. I often think what would I have done if I just didn’t bother to top off the batteries until get- ting into Romania, or if I hadn’t found a hardware store minutes before they closed. The rest wouldn’t be history and I would have a horror nightmare to live with the rest of my life. To Anton/Bauer’s credit, they replaced the charger that blew out. — by Gary Tomsic In Loving Memory They dropped the casket and the situation got worse from there. Weddings are emotionally charged events. Double that for a funeral. They're different celebrations of life but things can go wrong at both and have an impact that sometimes cannot be easily overcome. Along with producing memorial videos to celebrate one's life, I also videotape many funerals, but the family members at this service asked only for a montage – and the dropped casket was only the beginning as this poor family put their loved one to rest. Battery Charger Blow-out Christmas day, 1989 — Walter Cronkite reported the execution by firing squad of Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu. For reasons I didn’t understand, they executed his wife too. Within days, I was on my way to Romania. A church in Sacramento, California collected funds to send food and medicine to affiliated churches in Romania. As a TV news photojournalist, I offered to go and document the deliveries. contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct O bER 20 11 45 BASIC TRAINING by K yle C as s idy A short time after the dropping casket calamity, I delivered the montage which turned out great and seemed to soothe the somewhat horrific beginning. I was told the presentation went well, up until the video’s final closing title: “In Loving Memory of Georgia”. The lady’s name was Gladys. Someone at the funeral home had given us the wrong name. I received a panicked call from the family counselor. Relating the horrors of the event and subse- a single frame release cable on autoexposure. What I didn’t realize is that the auto-exposure feature of the camera could not be used with single frame shooting. What I received after the mandatory 10-day wait for film processing was three minutes of overexposed, completely unusable footage. A total bust. The moral of the story? Read the owner’s manual and learn your camera. — by Mark Levy THEY DROPPED THE CASKET, AND THE SITUATION GOT WORSE FROM THERE. Of all the ‘hats’ I wear in my work, Producer is foremost. Whatever you may think, producers make projects happen. Producers arrange everything from getting cameras, arranging locations and places where the crew eats, sleeps and even goes to do their “business”. On a horror film shoot – ironically - I secured an awesome studio location. But, the studio space had a missing necessity: toilets. As a good producer I ordered up a pair of ‘portapottys’ for the crew, but on delivery day there were still no “facilities”. Remaining calm I contacted the company and was told, “the items had been delivered on time” though they weren’t there. As I tried to hash it out over the phone my fellow producer drove up and said, “Hey, I passed a couple of porta-pottys on my way in.” Sure enough there they were, more than a quarter-mile away sitting alone on a vacant lot! Apparently, my directions weren’t ‘necessary’ as the company used GPS for delivery. After a nasty call, the company agreed to move the “facilities” on Monday morning, but this was Friday, so during the hottest summer on record, anyone desperate to ‘go’ would undergo what we called the ‘Porta-Potty Death March’. We had a bet over who would be the first. After two days, nobody did! — by H. Wolfgang Porter quent backlash, I was asked to bring a corrected version and extra copies to the now-in-progress reception. I said yes. Nothing was going to change what happened, but the corrected montage was delivered in under an hour and shown at the reception. Dozens of copies were distributed, paid for by the funeral home. Shooting funerals, like weddings, doesn’t allow for re-takes, so you never know what will happen, you just hold your breath and deliver as best you can. — by Earl Chessher 500 Scenes, 10 days, 3 minutes of Horror contents full screen print My most disastrous horror story occurred before video was a gleam in my eye. It was a pre-historic year – 1975 - and I had a nifty Super 8mm film camera (antique technology our younger-than-50-years-old readers are unfamiliar with). I obtained a copy of a Rossini overture on audio tape (see comment, above, about younger readers), and painfully created a scene-byscene breakdown of each phrase of the music, based on the projector speed of 18-frames per second. I then packed up my camera and a relatively heavy tripod and went for a very long walk in the woods, carefully framing, focusing, and shooting gorgeous fall leaves on trees for the exact number of frames needed per musical phrase. I shot over 500 scenes, editing in the camera, using 46 Porta-Potty Death March More Toilet Humor One summer about 15 years back, I found myself between jobs and decided it would be fun to PA on a local independent 16mm project; partially to keep busy, but also to assess the state of the local indie scene. We were way V IDEOMAKER >>> OctObER 2011 out in the middle of nowhere and they were using a rented RV as a base of operations. Well at some point on the second day the RV’s toilet filled up, so the Unit Manager and I drove the foulsmelling beast to a local campground that had disposal facilities. Neither of us had done it before, but how hard could it be? Hook the tube to the drain pipe, put the tube in the hole. If there’s one thing you must know before ever renting an RV, it’s that you should always make sure the release valve is in the closed position before taking the cap off the drainage pipe. In a matter of seconds both of us were covered, arms and legs, in a mess of unmentionable muck. I took the rest of the day off and never went back. When someone asks what I think of unpaid PA jobs I have a very fitting answer for them - not in this lifetime! — by Peter Zunitch Last Call Real horror stories - Stories that don’t make the video scrapbook – are stories that you tell only in the presence of your fellow video producers because, honestly, no one else would truly “get it”. But we do. We love hearing your stories from the trenches, and especially how you solved a tricky situation. We hope these stories have inspired you to keep making video, and realize that everyone has those moments of falling off that trusty steed, but they get back on and get the shot, and have a great story to tell … ‘Til next year… Videomaker Managing Editor, Jennifer O’Rourke is an Emmy award-winning videographer & video editor. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15113 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15113 Interested in adding your “Video Horror Story” to our collection? Check out this forums link, have a laugh or two, and continue with your own video horror story. We'd love to hear how you remedied that 'fall from grace' and got the shot - or not. Check out our forums link: www.videomaker.com/r/533 DIY Video Accessories Producing video is an exciting hobby and rewarding business, but it takes a lot of gear. Sometimes, the rewarding and the exciting part can be in just making the gear. Were you in the A/V club in high school? Were you the person that teachers relied on to thread the film through the projector, change bulbs or figure out how to get the tape player to play through the speakers? Very likely you were, and it's that same tinker’s spirit that has you out making videos today. There are lots of pieces of equipment made to perform very exact tasks in video production, from camera mounts that help cameras move smoothly to light producing and shaping tools. We all look through thick catalogs crammed with gear with a quickening heartbeat and wide eyes (I know I've never seen a light modifier I didn't immediately know would solve every problem VIDEO PRODUCERS ARE PEOPLE WHO LOOK FOR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. I've ever had with lighting), and this gear acquisition syndrome can be hard on the bank account. Video producers though, are people who look for creative solutions to problems and a sub-current of DIY (Do It Yourself) runs strongly through our community, powered by the same thing that made you want to learn how the ditto machine worked back in 4th grade. This month we're going to take a look at some DIY resources and ideas to get you started making your own equipment. Tripod Shoulder Strap I like to travel light when I'm on the road doing video and this very often means one camera, one fast lens and one tripod. While the camera and lens can easily fit over my shoulder alone, my tripod bag is three times the size of my tripod which very often leads me to think “well, if I have this mostly empty bag, I might as well fill it with light stands and batteries” and suddenly I'm carrying 40 pounds of gear. I'm puzzled that when my tripod manufacturer made my Very Expensive Tripod they didn't think to put a couple of D-rings on it so that you can attach one of those extra bag straps cluttering your closet. You can take care of this yourself by using hose clamps to attach a pair of rings to the top and bottom of one of the legs and then attaching one of those extra straps you've hoarded from every duffel bag you've ever thrown out and are littering the back of your hall closet (I save them too, don't feel weird). The DIY Sky Cam A few years back I was taking video of a construction site and although there were lots of sparks and people VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 hammering things, the video suffered from a two dimensionality that didn't really show off all the action that was going on. Noticing a crane being used to haul heavy items from one place to You can create an easy solution to carrying your tripod by attaching a hose clamp and ring to both ends of a leg. Then clip on a spare duffle bag strap and you're ready to go. 47 contents full screen print basic training a third story window and a tree in the back yard later provided aerial footage of the most intense game of croquet of the summer of 2007. Nature filmmaker Rob Israel has been testing ways to mount and wire dozens of bright and inexpensive LED lights together. The lights are powered by small batteries and can be used in extremely small spaces. Out in the World another I asked the foreman if it would be possible to have the crane operator make a pass over the side with a video camera. He agreed and I created a camera mount out of a five-gallon bucket with a hole cut in the bottom. A video camera was mounted vertically in the bucket aimed through the hole and held in place by a half dozen rolled up T-shirts. A five-minute pass over the site provided some "WOW" footage for the client and something interesting for the crane operator to take home and show his family. You don't need a crane to get a camera in the air though– the same bucket suspended from a rope between Videography enthusiast and nature filmmaker Rob Israel has been making his own equipment for years, inspired by necessity and curiosity. “Sometimes you need to spend a lot of money on equipment,” he says, “and there's no way around it, but other times, if you have a free Sunday afternoon and a few tools, there's no reason to.” Rob's made a lot of his own equipment, most recently a stabilizing camera mount for his Nikon D90. “I'd seen photos of one that someone else built on the Internet that required a lot of very specific equipment that I didn't have, like a pipe bender, and I started thinking of things I had around the house that could serve a similar function.” In the end, Rob's camera mount included pieces of PVC pipe, a gimbal I started thInkIng of thIngs I had around the house that could serve a sImIlar functIon. from a radio controlled car axle, and a mounting plate previously used to hold a hard drive in a computer. “The hard drive mount actually has a lot of room to make adjustments,” he says, “which is important when you're using a DSLR — which is asymmetrical — it has a battery on one side, but a centered tripod mounting screw. Its center of gravity is a bit strange and with the [stabilizer] you want the center of gravity to be at a very particular point, about four inches under the camera.” Photos page 48 by Kyle Cassidy Matte Box contents full screen print 48 basic training october 2011 Videography enthusiast, Rob Israel, makes his own gear and with great results. This handheld HDSLR stabilizer was partially built using common household items as substitutes for more expensive equipment. V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 The lens shade that might have come with your camera is as large as it is convenient (and still you may have lost it or, like me, keep it in a drawer most of the time), but sometimes when shooting with lights very close to the subject your lens shade isn't big enough and your shot fills with the white mist of lens flair. If you're on a set with lots of grips standing around vandalizing the catering table you can have one of them “flag” the lens — which is to say, pick up a big piece of black foam core and block the light spill that gets into your lens, or you can hold your hand up next to the lens like you're about to karate chop someone and angle it until the flair goes away. This is what I often do, but if you need both hands, are moving the camera, or are fresh out of off-camera assistants, a matte box may be just the thing you need. “Real” matte boxes are so expensive that many videographers have been inspired to create one from things around the house. There are a number of tutorials on YouTube from the very simple — manufactured of immobile cardboard — to ones made with fully articulated barn-doors. Many of them are based around the Cokin filter adapter, allowing the matte box to also perform that function. Simply searching for “DIY matte box” will lead you to step-by-step tutorials. Here people are discussing things like how to get a video camera to the roof of a church, and possible ways to inexpensively create huge banks of LED lights. www.videomaker.com/community/ forums/forum/diy Where To Look Next time you're looking for a piece of video gear, from a dolly to a softbox, take a minute to look around the Internet to see if other video enthusiasts have figured out how to make it themselves — or if you have a great idea of your own, have a go at making something yourself. Then share it with us on the Videomaker DIY forum. Learn, Create, Share @ Videomaker.com You might not know it, but there are a number of lively forums on the Videomaker.com website where readers of the magazine discuss all sorts of topics. It's always a good place to trade ideas or comments about the latest issue, and it's also a great place to learn and share your ideas. There's a DIY forum under community>forums> DIY. Contributing Editor Kyle Cassidy is a visual artist who exhibits regularly and has written books on technology and photographic art. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15092 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15092 BC Media, Inc. The Video Supply Co. 7” HD LCD Monitor Kit 1080p HDMI, Component RGB, RCA Inputs Upgrade to Deluxe Kit for only $50. Includes Hood, Li-Ion Batt, HDMI Cable, Articulating Arm & More! 7” LCD Hood 59 DSLR LCD Viewer CPT Electronic Pan/Tilt With Joystick Remote! On Sale, Only $799 129 $ @johnoconnell: @SynthEyesHQ you're saving a lot of asses on a new HBO series. We like your program. @LinusHofmann: @SynthEyesHQ Loving the new tutorials, really great work! @BeetleCarDriver: Syntheyes 2011 has very impressive texture extraction tool. Just pulled out virtually noise free texture. This is going to be very useful. Follow Focus DSLR Shoulder Support Quick /Lightweight $ #140reasons to try... SynthEyes Tracking @duberstudio: I love SynthEyes. The most affordable, high-end, tracking software on the market. Anyone should have a license! ikan SD 7” LCD Kit RCA Inputs Li-Ion Battery Shoe Mount october 2011 299 $ Add $130 for 12ʼ Jib @lesterbanks: just tracked a shot in syntheyes 2011 in 2 seconds where two other apps weren't able to get even close to a solve yesterday - Russ rocks! 10ʼ Boompole - Collapsible to 3ʼ $89 www.Bargain-Camera.com 1-888-845-BCAM contents @SynthEyesHQ full screen Cranes/Jibs, Camera Stabilizers, LANC remotes, Tripods, Pro Audio print Use the coupon code “videomaker” to Save $15 on any order over $200! VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 49 Lighting Lighting october 2011 b y Mi ch a e l F i t ze r Color Temperature for Video Why is color temperature awareness important in the AV industry? Whether it's setting white balance for iPhone 4 or Nikon D90, your Manual control of your camera's white balance allows you to manipulate the color temperature and mood of the scene. This scene purposefully leans towards the blue spectrum. camera needs a starting point. You've probably heard the phrase, "painting with light". How about the terms "red hot" and "white hot"? These and many other phrases refer to the use of color temperature in still photography and cinematography. The color temperature setting in your video camera tells it how it should see white. Once properly adjusted, the camera sees the color white as white and then adjusts for all the other colors accordingly. White balancing is a step that should never be overlooked or misunderstood, because white balance affects not only the proper visualization of objects and events in a scene — for instance proper skin tone — but it can also help to determine the overall mood of how a scene plays out within the frame. White balancing is a step that should never be overlooked or excused due to lack of time. Setting your camera's white balance prior to shooting your scene will help ensure the colors within the frame are accurately represented. degrees on the Kelvin scale (K). This is, of course, where the terms “red hot” and “white hot” derive. The Components of Color Color is light. However, the color of an object is based on a combination of factors; the color of light, the nature of the material the light is hitting and how light it is being reflected off the object. This simple set of facts is why you, as a videogMost video cameras on the market today have spot-on auto white balance control. However, as a director of photography, I can’t remember the last time I used the auto white balance function on any of the video cameras I regularly use. I’m a big fan of using the camcorder’s manual controls in nearly every situation, especially when it comes to controlling the color temperature of a particular scene. I shoot a lot of medical scenarios like mock emergencies, simulated life flights, and even surgeries. I find that through the simple understanding contents full screen print 50 V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 of color temperature and manipulation of that color temperature in the camera’s settings, I can successfully guide the viewers' eyes and even their emotions while watching that scene. entertainment technology exposition Color and Temperature Color and color temperature can be crucial components of just about any scene. The lighting of an orange sky typically associated with a sunset in the desert not only serves as a distinct tone in the frame but also delivers information such as time of day while also delivering a feeling or mood. It’s important to remember that changes in color temperature as seen by your camera are not necessarily seen the same way by the human eye. To understand color temperature and ultimately how to control it, it’s helpful to know a bit of simple physics. The color temperature scale is derived from a theoretical “black body” known as a Planckian locus or Planckian radiator (a metal object having no natural color of its own). When heated to incandescence (the giving off of light from a hot body due to its temperature), the metal body glows at different colors depending on its temperature, which is registered by rapher, are able to manipulate color in a scene based on the adjustment of your camera’s white balance. But to get the most out of your ability to manipulate color, it is also good to know how to break down the components of color. They are Hue, Chroma, Value and Temperature. The first three, Hue, Chroma, and Value are simply the physical properties of color while the last, Temperature, is seen as something more along november 2-3, 2011 | burbank marriott | burbank, ca Createasphere’s Entertainment Technology Expo Launched in 2001, our largest annual gathering features industry renowned decision makers and thought leaders. Scan the code with your mobile device to receive a free gift when you register. Explore where future technology and creative vision converge. Featuring educational sessions, interactive panels, and hands-on access to gear, the Entertainment Technology Expo offers the knowledge and tools to compete in the ever-changing world of content creation. contents full screen To register for FREE and for the full schedule, log on to: createasphere.com/expo CS_EXPO_NOV11_VIDEOMAKER_HALFPAGE.indd 1 print VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 51 7/28/11 5:02 PM Lighting EDITING october 2011 by D ouglas D ix on Indoor Light temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin. 1,200K As light increases 1,700K in temperature, the color of it changes from warm hues (red) to cooler hues (blue). Outdoor It’s time to take a look at the next 2,400K 3,200K 2,800K 3,400K Chroma is the term used to refer to the saturation or strength of a color. When you add black or white to a color you are affecting its Chroma. For instance, deep red and royal blue both refer to the Chroma of a color. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Remember that the color of an object is partly based on how that object reflects light. This statement refers directly to the value of a color since the lightness of a colored surface depends on its reflectivity. Temperature refers to the warmth or coolness of a hue, which can have a psychological effect on people. Even though temperature is measured using the Kelvin scale many think of it as a psychological factor rather than a physical property. Knowing these definitions is not a prerequisite for knowing how to light a scene, however, having a basic understanding of color (light), how to control it and the subconscious feelings or thoughts often associated with a color will allow you to stretch your creative wings and guide your audience through your story with more than just spoken lines or camera movement. my color balance. In other words, how I color the scene. For instance, one way I like to film inside surgical suites is to light using daylight, which is at 5600 degrees Kelvin (K). I then set my white balance for 3200K, which is a setting used to normalize a scene lit with warm tungsten light. The disparity creates a scene that leans heavily toward the blue spectrum. Blue is often regarded as a clean, cool, technical color. Lighting this way heightens the “cool” energy and emotion of the scene, purposefully separating it from the warm or possibly natural look of other scenes in the same piece (see photo, page 51). The same is true for the reverse. Say I want to turn a busy scene in a restaurant kitchen into one where the temperatures are soaring to 120-degrees and the workers are barely able to find relief. I would light with warm tungsten light, coming in at 3200K and then manually set my camera white balance closer to daylight or possibly the greenish florescent color temperature spectrum of around 4800K. This disparity forces the camera to see white as something closer to warm yellow, thus creating a scene where the temperature of the room could be viewed as uncomfortably warm. These are just two examples of how a basic understanding of the color spectrum, how it translates to the viewer, and using the camera as a transmission tool can enrich your viewer’s experience. Whether you’re a hobbyist or a fulltime professional, you can get the most out of your camera and your scene just by using a few simple tricks and having a basic understanding of something you see and feel every day… Light. Michael Fitzer is an Emmy award-winning commercial and documentary writer/ producer What is Normal Light? Remember I mentioned that I film a lot of medical scenes? Medical environments are rich in action, emotion, and technology. The way a scene is going to play out often dictates how I set 52 generation of processing for video. Hardware acceleration for video only is the new processing faster, rainbow. Hue is a wavelength of light on its place along the natural spectrum of color. When you say “that shirt is blue,” you refer to its hue. print 4,500K 7,000K 6,000K editing has changed greatly. Not Hue The best way to think of Hue is to think of a full screen 5,000K 3,800K the lines of a psychological factor, even though it is a physical element, which you can measure using the Kelvin scale. contents Getting into GPUs V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 For comments, email: [email protected], use article #14939 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/14939 some newer software demands that you upgrade your system. Remember the ancient days of video editing, with the red render bar above the timeline marking huge sections that you couldn’t preview in real time? So you — get this — had to sit there and twiddle your thumbs while waiting for the timeline to be rendered. Those days now seem as old as floppy disks, as today’s video editing software running on mainstream systems can handle even HD material with aplomb. But we demand more — beyond HD to 2K and 5K cinematic resolutions, real-time editing of complex compressed formats like AVCHD, and building multitudes of layers on the timeline while applying sophisticated effects like color correction. And then we’ll move on to 3D video. So how can we keep up? One answer is raw speed from the central processing unit (CPU), but the growth in gigahertz (GHz) is peaking, as chips are expanding with multiple processing cores. Luckily, this parallel processing capability matches nicely with the demands of video editing, particularly decoding and encoding video stored in multiple blocks of data. Meanwhile, the CPU-sucking needs of the gaming market has lead to the development of sophisticated graphics processing unit (GPU) chips to off-load drawing in the frame buffer, including shapes, textures, and blending. Working together, multi-core CPUs, plus parallel GPUs, can allow PCs to challenge the performance of dedicated gaming systems. Even better, GPUs also do the kinds of things that we want for video editing — not just drawing pixels, but transforming and warping, merging and blending. So while CPU chips have been adding integrated graphics capabilities, which are particularly useful for lower-cost and lower-powered systems, the combination of a powerful multi-core CPU and video card with parallel GPU can provide a serious kick to accelerate your video editing experience. support the Open Computing Language (OpenCL) programming framework for developing applications to run across mixed CPU / GPU systems. Similarly, Sorenson Squeeze 7, for dedicated compression, takes advantage of GPU acceleration for AVC/H.264 encoding on NVIDIA video cards supporting the NVIDIA CUDA Faster and Better The first application for GPUs is to deal with compressed video by splitting the work between both CPU and GPU, and then further among multiple cores on each. For example, the Sony Vegas Pro 10 video editing software has GPU-accelerated AVC/H.264 encoding and AVC rendering. The AVC encoding is parallelized on AMD ATI graphics chipsets, which VI D EO MA K ER >>> O CT O BER 20 11 contents An AMD Radeon HD graphics processor can increase speed and performance while editing video. 53 full screen print ON DVD editing Introducing Videomaker’s Premium Series of award winning* Instructional DVDs Videomaker’s Premium Series sets a new standard for video production tutorials and demonstrates just how astonishing video can look. These are must-have DVDs for anyone solid on the basics of video production and ready to realize their dreams of becoming a documentarian or professional wedding videographer. Featuring high-end production value and essential, detailed information, this series is perfect for serious videographers ready to break into these highly specialized and competitive fields. Learn more at: Videomaker.com/newdvds • Documentary Funding • Documentary Storytelling • Documentary Production: Equipment and Crew • Documentary Production: The Shoot *Wedding Videography received a 2011 Educational Video Telly Award • Wedding Videography $49.95 each Videomaker Instructional DVD Series $24.95 each • Light it Right • Intro to DVD Authoring • Basic Shooting • Advanced Shooting • Basic Audio for Video • Basic Video Editing • Advanced Video Editing • Titles and Graphics $24.95 each Videomaker Basic Training Tutorial DVDs • Special Effects • Movie Genres • Green Screen • Video Lighting • Video Production print • Outdoor Videography • Field Audio • Video Lighting Tips • Special Effects • Green Screen • Online Video • Makey Money With Video • Creating Action Video Also included on the DVDs are many related PDFs of our best articles and other bonus materials. $24.95 each Complete Training for Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 (DVD-ROM) Basic Training for Final Cut Pro Studio 2 (DVD-ROM) $149.95 each. Complete Training for Pinnacle Studio (DVD-ROM) $49.95 Multimedia Tutorial DVD-ROMs After Effects - Part 1, After Effects - Part 2, DIY Jib & Crane, Editing. contents full screen Videomaker Tips and Tricks DVD Series Buy the Entire Set and Save! • Set of 5 DVDs $86.95 - Save 30% (regular price $124.75) $49.95 each. Buy the entire set for $139.95 Brown Bag DVDs Video Camera Techniques, Editing and Continuity Tips, Audio for Video Tips. $9.95 each. Buy the entire set for $21.00 Order Online www.videomaker.com/newdvds or call Toll Free 800-284-3226 Call or go Online for Shipping Rates (Compute Unified Device Architecture) parallel computing architecture, including the GeForce and Quadro product lines. And the improvement is significant: Sorenson reports encoding times are up to three times faster from GPU acceleration. On the system side, Apple has designed high-end CPU and GPU architectures into its latest MacBook Pro and iMacs, which offer dual- and quad-core Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz with a new media engine for high-performance october 2011 frames, while the GPU handles the processing of real-time effects. Other GPU-optimized functions include motion and scaling, time remapping, compositing, opacity, deinterlacing, and the handling of multi-format timelines. Accelerating So how much GPU do you need? And what are the price/performance options for bulking up an editing system with GPU acceleration? Technically, you do not need any GPU at all. Today’s software is designed APPLE DESCRIBES THE RESULTING IMACS AS UP TO 70% FASTER. video encoding and decoding. Plus, these systems include integrated AMD Radeon HD graphics processors for high performance gaming, pro video editing and graphics intensive applications. Apple describes the resulting iMacs as up to 70 percent faster, and with up to three times the graphics performance of the previous generation. And Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X, pre-announced at the National Association of Broadcasters conference (NAB) in April this year, is rebuilt as a 64-bit application, and designed to playback using all cores and background rendering. This is the future of video processing, as demonstrated by Adobe’s Mercury Playback Engine, introduced last year with Premiere Pro C5. This significantly boosts performance by leveraging three key elements of modern systems: 64-bit memory for handling larger frames and timelines, multi-threading for faster CPU performance, and NVIDIA GPUs to help offload on complex timelines for smooth playback. Premiere Pro balances the processing by having the CPU perform the decoding of compressed video contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct Ob ER 20 11 55 editing editing october 2011 NVIDIA’s GeForce and Quadro lines work on both Windows and Mac operating systems. However, NVIDIA suggests the Quadro line for those interested in video editing. The Quadro touts faster performance and computational simulation. to scale up to take advantage of the available GPU performance, but can still perform all the same functions on the host CPU. But even a small investment can yield great savings in your time and workflow. To evaluate GPUs, you can generally think of them in much the same way that you compare CPUs — in terms of clock speed, the number of parallel cores, and the amount of dedicated memory. For example, the NVIDIA GeForce line scales from starter GeForce / GT boards for around $30 to $75 (with relative 1x to 18x performance, 8 to 96 cores, and 256MB to 1GB of memory) to the performance GeForce GTX systems for up to $400 to $750 (with up to 75x - 94x performance, 512-1024 cores, and 1.5 to 3GB of memory). While Adobe supports a variety of both GeForce and Quadro boards on both Windows and MacOS systems, NVIDIA strongly suggests focusing on the professional Quadro line for serious video editing. These are designed for longer lifetimes as a standard platform, compared to the more gaming-oriented GeForce line, and include stronger warranties. While graphics companies and software developers are reluctant to make promises about performance gains for the wildly varying needs of video editing, the step from a midrange NVIDIA Quadro 2000 at around $600 to a higher-end Quadro 4000 at $1,200 could provide around a 40 percent boost (stepping up from 192 to 256 cores and 1 to 2GB of memory). Then higher end systems like the Quadro 5000 and 6000 for around $2,300 to $5,000 move up considerably (with 352 to 448 cores and 2.5 to 6GB of memory), along with boosting the internal architecture, including fast double precision and memory speed. changes, interpret footage, and field options. There’s plenty more magic to come from GPUs as new graphics cards are sporting 1024 cores and 12GB of memory. For example, NVIDIA has been showing GPU-accelerated functions including color adjustment of RAW Don’t let its size fool you; NVIDIA’s Tegra is a dual-core CPU, and allows faster processing in mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. contents full screen print 56 V IDEOMAKER >>> OctO bER 2011 For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15099 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15099 Become a professional wedding videographer To be a professional wedding videographer, you need to show up prepared to do things right. The award winning Wedding Videography will make sure you can handle any curve ball the big day throws at you. Growth GPU-accelerated effects can be found in the newest version of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5. These effects include Directional Blur, Fast Blur and Film Transition. camera images and calibration of 3D images. And there’s even more — the GPU has become a general-purpose processor in its own right, and is not just for graphics (and video) any more. Other kinds of applications, as well as operating systems like Windows and Mac OS then can take further advantage of these architectures to COPY A (in some sort of circle or accelerate into the future. Meanwhile, the same bubble) kind of accelerated processing is coming to mo2011 Educational Video Telly Award bile devices through chips like the NVIDIA Tegra, Winner! featuring multitasking on a dual-core 1GHz ARM CPU, up to two times faster Web browsing, hardware-accelerated Flash, console-quality 3D gaming with an ultra-low power GeForce GPU, and 1080p HD video playback processor. And that’s on a tablet, or even a smartphone! Doug Dixon covers digital media at Manifest-Tech.com. There’s plenTy more magic To come from gpUs as new graphics cards are sporTing 1024 cores and 12gB of memory. The options in GPUs and graphics cards is good news for video editors, who can reap the benefits of better performance by upgrading to more powerful hardware. Video applications can automatically take advantage of additional cores and faster processing speeds through architectures like AMD OpenCL and NVIDIA CUDA. And these benefits are also available on laptop systems, which can rely on a low-power CPU and integrated graphics for office work, and then power up a parallel GPU to now meet the demands of serious video editing. Even better, this trend will only improve with software upgrades, as application developers will be able to accelerate even more functions as they get more experience in designing for these systems. For example, Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 adds new GPU-accelerated effects including Directional Blur, Fast Blur, Invert, and the new Film Transition, along with additional optimization for features including mismatched media, speed october 2011 20o1na1l Video ti Educa Award Telly er! Winn This complete six-part training DVD covers every aspect of the wedding, giving you the inside scoop on the extra details that separate the serious wedding videographer from the amateur with a camera. Videomaker's trusted editors will walk you through every facet of wedding videography, from navigating the legalities ahead of time to adding post-production effects after the ceremony. Segments include: Legalities, Pre-Ceremony, Audio, Ceremony, Reception and Post-Production. Learn more at www.videomaker.com/weddingDVD contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> O ct Ob ER 20 11 57 Projects that Pay Projects that Pay OctOber 2011 ABE’s Of Maine |__________________ 29 b y J a y Mo n t a n a How to Price Your Project How do you put a price on your time, skill, and the singularly unique vision that you and you alone bring to a video project? It’s a question asked by philosophers, poets and production personnel alike: “What am I worth?” No magic formula exists to pin down an exact dollar amount, but arming yourself with the right strategy will help ensure that you’re charging appropriately for your work. The first step in figuring out what to charge is determining how to charge for video production. The two most popular options are by the day or by the project. contents full screen print to operate the jib and not much else. For that reason, Directors of Photography [DP] and other crewmembers often charge on a day rate basis. Day Rate But what is a “day” exactly? How Charging a day rate is the most many hours does that include? It varstraightforward arrangement. Someies, which means you need to negotione hires you for a job, and they pay ate. In most major markets expect you a set amount each day you do the standard to hover around 10 it. Simple. If the project falls behind hours. After 10 hours, some jobs pay schedule and you work a second day, overtime, but not all. Get this clearly then you receive the same rate again defined before the job begins. If you the next day. expect overtime, do not wait to bring Day rates work best with clearly it up on set when a production is defined roles. For example, when a jib just moments from going beyond the operator arrives on set, he’s expected “full” day. Sometimes, day rates have no limit. While ethically questionable, and even legally questionable in some cases, workdays of 18 hours or more are not unheard of in the video world. Many disgruntled crewmembers have skulked bleary-eyed around a set in the twentieth hour of the day, wishing they discussed The bigger the project, the more complex your rates can be- overtime sooner. On rare occasion, the opcome. Because it's easy to sometimes forget to add certain items to your list, using forms can help you factor your rate posite works in your favor. Honest production managand stay organized. 58 V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 ers won’t ask you to forego a portion of your rate if a day runs a little short. Instead, if a short day is possible, they will ask for a half-day rate. Price this around 50-70 percent of your full day rate. Because productions often run over, your day of work may turn into a week or more. Consider offering a weekly rate that's less than you would charge if hired separately each day of the week. Just like selling in bulk, your lower rate is offset by the guaranteed work. It also keeps you priced competitively. Day rates function best in basic work-for-hire situations. But what if a client tasks you with leading a production? What if they want you to carry the project from pre- through postproduction? Suddenly, the scope of your role grows. You’re the one setting the schedule, not following it. Now how do you know what to charge? Luckily, there’s a simple way to do that too. Project Rate advertising index With a project rate, you take all the factors of a job into consideration up front, calculating your expected time and expense, and billing one allencompassing price. The advantage Adorama |_________________________ 9 of this method is scalability. It works whether you’re looking to establish your own production company or just picking up a few extra dollars with your hobby. The critical first step is an accurate price quote, and that means gathering information. Ask a lot of questions. What are the client’s expectations? What aspects of the video will the client provide vs. what they expect you to provide? What do you estimate to incur in production costs? How long will the project take? Nail down specifics. You can’t give a quote to produce a video that will require “a few locations.” Where are these locations? Street corners around town? Siberia? And how many is “a few”? Ask and push for answers. Most clients will appreciate your thoroughness and take comfort in the attention to detail. Inevitably, some clients request a ballpark price before working out all the details on their end. Proceed with caution. Offer a price range along with an explanation of how different options come in at different price points. For example, a green screen shoot where you place a gym behind someone may cost less than renting out an actual gym. But what if your client owns a gym? Shooting there might cost even less than the green screen studio. Get as many of these details as possible up front to help you provide a better quote. Let’s say you get all the information you need, account for every variable and give a flawless price quote. Nothing can go wrong, right? If you answered “yes,” you may want to turn in your camera and take up stamp collecting! Allow me a moment of psychic fortune-telling: something will go wrong, expectations will change and you need to know how to charge accordingly. Ideally, you accounted for some variables in your original quote. If a client suddenly decides their spokesperson must wear a tie and you didn’t budget for a tie, that shouldn’t bust your budget. But at some point you need to establish the line between reasonable tweaks and a change in scope. If a client suddenly requires drastic script revisions, a new cast or more locations, then it’s time to address the rising costs of the production. With larger projects, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for staged payments. For example, you collect the first part of your fee up front, the Adorama |________________________ 23 Andersson Technologies LLC |______ 49 Azden Corp. |______________________ 7 BC Media Inc. |____________ _______ 49 B&H Photo/Video & Pro Audio |__ 35-37 Blackmagic Design |________________ 5 Createasphere/HD Expo LLC |______ 51 Dell Computer Corporation |________ C4 GlideCam Industries Inc. |__________ 45 iStockphoto.com |__________________ 3 Kino Flo |_________________________ 41 LCD4Video |______________________ 27 Tolis Group, Inc. |__________________ 55 Video Guys |______________________ 13 Videomaker Library |________________ 31 The Checklist of Creeping Costs Avoid under-budgeting by keeping these easily-overlooked expenses in mind: Videomaker Digital Downloads |_____ 18 Insurance – sometimes legally required, always financially prudent. Videomaker Digital Subscription |____ 24 Expendables – gaffer’s tape, black wrap, colored gels, etc. They add up quickly. Gear/rentals -– what equipment will you need to rent? If the client wants a dolly shot and you don’t own dolly tracks, it’s time to revise your estimate. Transportation – those dolly tracks need to get to the shoot somehow, and your trunk probably won’t cut it. It’s time to rent a van or truck. With that, comes gas and parking expenses. Videomaker Instructional DVDs |_____ 54 Videomaker Plus Membership |____ C3 Videomaker Subscription Alert |_____ 40 Food – if you’re hiring a crew, they’ll expect to be fed. The same goes for talent. No one performs well on an empty stomach. Videomaker Webinars |____________ C2 Delivery – in what format will the client need the final product? Sending a file via FTP is inexpensive, as is handing over a hard drive, but tape layoffs can be pricey. Videomaker Wedding DVD |________ 57 contents Other work – what projects are you not taking in order to deliver this one? If you could have earned more by completing several smaller jobs in the same time it took to complete one big job, then you’re essentially losing money. Videomaker Workshops |__________ 11 full screen VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 print 59 Projects that Pay Audio october 2011 by P eter Z unitc h Honest Self-Assessment Consider bartering your video work for the work of another. Taking this route may not put money in your pocket, but it can assure you receive some sort of value for your hard work. second part after principal photography, the third part after a rough cut review and a final lump sum upon delivery of the finished product. Of course, that’s assuming you’re paid at all, which isn’t always the case. Alternative Pay or No Pay At times, other motivators besides money come into play. One reason to produce a video without pay is as a favor. Videos make wonderfully generous gifts, but beware. Many otherwise healthy relationships have disappeared down this dark alley before. In general, most people have no idea how much work goes into video creation. Consider bartering as an alternative. That’s where you create a video for your uncle-with-theroofing-business, and, in return, he agrees to patch up your leaking roof. No money changes hands, everyone’s happy and now the family can enjoy holiday get-togethers without intervention by the authorities. Deferred pay can sometimes be legitimate, but it, too, comes with risks. With deferred pay, you agree to take on a project sans compensation, with the hope or expectation of payment at a later date. Often, this arrangement works for projects with the potential to either hit it big or fail spectacularly. For example, someone shopping around a TV pilot about astronaut clowns asks you to create an attention-grabbing trailer. If the show gets picked up, you share in the riches. And if it doesn’t, which is the case more often than not, hopefully you enjoyed the experience. Vetting these types of projects requires the same diligence as any other. As a matter of fact, without money in the equation you need to be certain that the experience alone is worth your time. contents full screen print 60 V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 Now you know how to charge, but exactly how much do you charge? The answer is just a few tough, soul-searching, ego-bruising questions away. First, you have to know what the competition bills for similar work. If inquiring with peers, tread carefully. Asking someone what they charge for their services isn’t far off from asking a co-worker their salary. Online research circumvents many of those discomfiting conversations. Once you’ve got an average, run it through a gauntlet of questions. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest! The only person you'd be fooling is yourself, and it could cost you in the end): • How do my skills stack up against the competition? • How is this video being used? Is it for broadcast? Web only? Often, the broader the distribution, the larger the budget. • What niche do I want to fill? Am I the discount service that profits on quantity? Or, does my stellar craftsmanship and customer service demand a premium? • How comfortable am I with losing jobs if I price myself at a premium? • How can this project benefit me? If a video helps beef up your reel, then compromising your rate to win the job may benefit you in the long run. • What is my client’s budget? If the local soup kitchen needs a commercial to drum up community donations, chances are it won’t come with deep pockets. This isn’t to say you should charge a client more just because they can afford it. In fact, that’s an easy way to run oneself out of business. But listen to the clients. Understand their situation, their needs and their resources. Then structure your quote accordingly. The Bottom Line Putting a price on your work is one of the most difficult things a creative person ever has to do. But you needn’t grow anxious with doubt. Take heart in your skills. And remember that making money by doing what you love is, above all, priceless. Jay Montana runs Kerosene Studios, a New York–based video production company. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15237 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15237 The Art of the Voice Over Recording a voice over isn't like recording an interview or live action in the field. This is the sound that carries your video, and needs to be clear, concise, and engaging. Voice-overs are simple, right? Place the mic, speak the words, you're done. Well, I have two phrases for you; “time is money” and “you get what you pay for”. You can do it, or you can do it right, and if you need it to be a regular part of your business, or want it to drive part of your income, then you should learn the latter. To host a successful voice-over session, you need to remember that it should be treated like any other production, meaning you must pay attention to preparation, operation, and follow up. Your client, and the talent are there for business, so things need to run smooth technically. But, don't forget the luxuries. A little attention to detail and conveniences will go a long way. A quality product will satisfy, but a good experience is what will bring your client back time and again. Let's look at some things we can do to run a successful voice over session. Suite Stuff First off, have the right equipment. You need a decent microphone. You need a quiet, sound absorbing room to record in. Obviously, you'll require some method for routing (a mixer) and recording sound, and if you don't have them already, a decent set of speakers. A system for communicating with your talent is also helpful. They work best when they can hear their own voice through the circuit as they read, so you'll probably want headphones for them. If you're really serious about hosting voice over sessions, try to have a way to play video into the recording booth as well. A client may want to show video to narrators so they can better understand the mood of the scene for which they are reading. All these things must work without hum or glitch. Engineering Speak There are three key positions in a recording session: the engineer, the producer and the talent. At any given time, you may find yourself fulfilling one or all of these roles. As the engineer, you need to anticipate what's coming and plan for every possible issue. Find out from your clients what they need in advance. Set up early, test your equipment before anyone arrives, and be ready to go at least 30 minutes before scheduled start time. You should also have standard amenities ready to go. Now before we go any further, you need to know that there is a wide variety of voice talent out there. You'll have to adjust to everything from, “this guy I know who has a good voice” to the full-time professional who does it as his or her sole income. The former will need guidance from you, will undoubtedly be a little VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 nervous, and take longer to get a good read. True professionals on the other hand are some of the most laid back people around, but they can also be rather picky. They know what works in achieving their best reading voice, and most will have set patterns they will want to follow. Planning for these needs will go far towards bringing you recommendations for future use. That said, the standard amenities will be a little non-standard. Have a variety of drinks available. Bottles of water (both cold and room temperature), hot water or tea, and perhaps apple or orange juice are common. It's all about conditioning the vocal cords. Most won't drink coffee or soda before reading, but it’s not a bad idea to have some on hand for the client. Snacks, if you decide to have them should be relatively neutral. Bagels, or a small assortment of fruit is all you need. Avoid things like crackers and lemonade. The VO booth should have a music stand or equivalent to hold the script. Place an assortment of pencils pens and highlighters in the booth as well. Paper clips (both wire and clamp types) can also be useful. One 61 contents full screen print audio other piece of equipment you should consider is a pop filter. This is simply a mesh screen that sits between the microphone and the speaker to help prevent any hard-pronounced P's from sounding like someone blowing into the mic. Some talent will want to stand, but have a stool or stiff chair available for them as well. Once you start, you should limit your interaction with the talent. However, always let the producer and talent know when you're recording and when you stop. Audio takes up a trivial amount of drive space, so it's best to keep recording at all times. It's a good idea to always record to two channels. Set one at your nominal recording level, and the other two to 4dB less. That way if the primary channel has peaked and become distorted, you have a backup that should be clear. Record (and export) in an uncompressed or lossless format, and at 44.1 or 48kHz, whatever your footage is in. Have your talent do a test read for setting levels. Most of the time you'll barely touch the controls once set, but try not to change them too drastically when you do. Monitor levels, cue tapes, and take notes for your client. Note the starting time of each take. Mark the good takes, and try to say what was bad about the others. Keep your notes to one or two key words, as things will probably be moving faster than you can write at this point. Be sure to spot check your recordings before declaring you’re done. contents full screen print Emphasize the VO lines that are to be read by the talent. You can do this by resizing the font, double spacing, or highlighting the selected area. 62 Having a variety of amenities like water, tea, or juice available for the talent allows them to choose the best beverage for the task at hand. When the session is over, the fun doesn't stop. As soon as possible (preferably before the talent leaves), make a backup copy on another hard drive. Eventually, you should make some type of hard copy as well. If you can record to tape and hard drive at the same time, you're golden. Next, copy your script notes and hand them to the client. Keep your copies for as long as possible. You'll get bonus points galore for saving the day when the client calls you and says they've lost something. It's also a good idea to have some sort of Internet location where the client can grab a copy of the files remotely if they need to. Whenever possible, it's good P.R. for you to have the files up before the client gets back to the office. Nothing speaks more to a smooth operation than leaving your V/O session only to arrive back in your edit room to find your editor already working on the clips. Some Words on Producing As the producer, your primary job is to ensure each line is read, and read properly. You must provide the materials to make that happen. In prepping the scripts, make the talent's copy double-spaced, so they can write notes above or below each line. Print out at least the paragraphs before and after the lines to be recorded. That way the actor can get the mood of the content. Have the entire script available, but not for the talent, excessive pages will only get in the way. Highlight, resize, or otherwise clearly emphasize every line to be recorded on every copy. If you're V IDEOMAKER >>> O ctObER 2011 Classified Network audio october 2011 taping narration for a pre-edited show, write down the time codes of each insert location, and the duration of the space it needs to be dropped in to. Bring a stopwatch if you have one, or ask the engineer for assistance. When the talent arrives, give them the script and leave them alone to get familiar with the material. Be nearby, though, to answer any questions. It might be tempting to skip this extra prep time if you're running late, but don't. Familiarity is a great asset in quickly achieving successful reads. Also, never try to rush through a recording session. At best you'll get reads that sound rushed. More likely the anxiety in the air will grind the whole process to a halt. Listen to your talent closely for correct pronunciation as well as inflection. Exotic names or complex words should be phonetically spelled out on the script in parenthesis. If you're unsure, have the talent pronounce it every way you can think of because you might be able to piece together the correct phrasing later. However, do your research - you need to know this going in. Many a commercial has had to be taken down due to a mispronounced regional name. Keep in FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd mind that your voice talent 48 is akin to an actor on the radio. Try not to “act” the line for them when describing how you would like it read. Let them bring their personality to the production. Describe the mood of the line or scene. During one of48 FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd my edit sessions, a gentleman was reading narration. In reality, his speak was rather proper. When he had been presented with the line, “I don't know why I broke the microscope, I just did,” his 'properness' came through. He kept reading it as if to say, “It was me that did it”. We finally got what we wanted by explaining that the narration was written with “kid speak” in mind, and that the line was really implying, “I just felt like doing it, so that's what happened”. The next read was much closer to what we needed. Eventually, you'll wonder if you should take a break. For the most part, Reach 100% of a Steadily Growing Video-Producing Audience! Black & White Rates 1" 2" 3" Before getting started, have your talent do a test read while you set the audio levels. Once set, adjustments should be relatively minimal. let the talent decide. If they are consistently stumbling, their reads sound tired, or their voice is faltering or clogging, you'll be better off letting them rest and come back fresh in a few minutes. On the other hand, if they are on a roll, they probably won't want to stop. Let them keep at it for as long as they see fit. Towards the end of the session, the talent might be feeling a little more relaxed, and their reads might sound a little more up beat. Don't be afraid to ask them to go back and read the first few lines at the beginning over with this new tone. It's for this reason that I've seen some producers actually start an audio recording in the middle of the script. At the end of the day running a voice over operation is pretty standard fare. However, to be successful, it does require a certain amount of technical knowledge, and a lot of personal management. Customer service and consistency are the keys to satisfaction. Even if your facility is not the top of the line, when a client walks away with a satisfactory product, and both the talent and client were treated with a touch of class, they'll give you their business every time. 1x $199 $388 $577 3x $187 $365 $542 Color Rates 6x $175 $341 $508 12x $149 $291 $433 1" 2" 3" 1x $252 $493 $733 3x $237 $463 $689 6x $222 $433 $645 12x $189 $369 $550 Non-display: $4.48 per word, 20-word minimum. All initials, abbreviations, box numbers, etc. count as words. Orders accepted by mail, e-mail or fax. Credit Card orders accepted. Prepayment required. Closing Deadlines For more details call or write: Tyler Kohfeld • [email protected] • Fax: (530) 891-8443 • Phone: (530) 891-8410 ext. 407 • P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927 Dec ‘11 Issue: Jan ‘12 Issue: Feb ‘12 Issue: Sept 22 Oct 27 Nov 30 music EquipmEnt & AccEssoriEs .COM NEO Sounds CREATIVE MUSIC FOR CREATIVE PEOPLE HAND-PICKED BY EXPERTS A vast online collection World-class composers All genres covered Try before you buy ROYALTY-FREE STOCK MUSIC 4/18/2011 9:05:35 AM www.NeoSounds.com rE-mAstEring 8/9/2011 RE-MASTER old, obsolete and damaged video 8:59:57 AM & audio tapes to modern tape/file/ disc formats. Disaster recovery specialists. (800) 852-7732 www.specsbros.com tApE to DigitAl trAnsfEr TRANSFER VIDEOTAPE to DIGITAL FILES 23 Hi-Def. and SD tape formats including Beta-SP, DVCPRO, XDCAM, HDV, ¾”-Umatic. 20 years video experience. 407-645-5656 www.HorizonMediaExpress.com Peter Zunitch is a post-production manager and editor working on every system from 16mm film to Avid Symphony, utilizing many of today's advanced manipulation and compositing tools. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15105 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15105 VI D EO MA K ER >>> Oct O b ER 20 11 usED EquipmEnt contents “Get In-Sync” New & Used Film & Video Equipment. Go to: www.insyncpubs.com for nationwide listings. Or call: (310) 543-9045 for more information. full screen 63 print Try A Trial Videomaker Plus Membership, Risk-Free! What’s LegaL p r o d u c e r ’s r i g h t s by Mark Levy and Shaun R. Va v r a What You Get: Expert Hotline Wait, Wasn’t That My Substantially Similar Idea? contents full screen print Copyright infringement is the act of violating a copyright holder’s exclusive rights granted by the federal Copyright Act, and is nothing short of theft. The Supreme Court recognizes copying as “that which comes so near the original as to give every person seeing it the idea created by the original.” The severity of the subject can render an infringer fined from $200 (unintentional infringement) to $150,000 (willful infringement) per act of infringement, or even land one in jail. Infringement is dependent on three components: the holder must have an active or enforceable copyright, the alleged violator must have access to the copyrighted material, and the duplication must be “substantially similar” to the copyrighted material. As you would most likely assume, the presence of these characteristics is subject to perpetual argument. It is hence the responsibility of the civil or criminal court to organize this mess and to define what is indeed infringement. What exactly does the court deem copyright infringement, and what exactly constitutes substantial similarity? The answers to these questions vary vastly from court to court. The federal Copyright Act establishes the grounds for copyright protection. As the creator, you are granted the privilege of the first owner. For a copyright to be valid you must reduce your aforementioned work to a tangible medium like paper, videotape, or a DVD. In the United States copyright attaches automatically upon conception of a work and registration is not necessary, although you should register your work in the U.S. Copyright Office if you wish to sue an infringer. You can usually prove presence of the information or “access” easily. 64 Presence of the information requires that the copyright infringer of your copyrighted material had access to the material before he copied it. Courts typically will revert to a question of public access to prove presence of the information. For instance, was your copyrighted material displayed on YouTube or at a film festival, or was it stowed away in your basement? Substantial similarity is the standard used to determine the level of similarity between two materials. The first rule of substantial similarity is there are no rules. There is no quantitative method to decide whether a duplicate is substantially similar to your copyrighted material. This is the grayest area of the criteria for infringement, and most courts vary on decisions. There are two categories of substantial similarity: comprehensive and fragmented. Comprehensive similarities are non-literal and often implied, where fragmented similarities are literal, but minor segments. This is the traditional method of approaching an infringement claim. Has the duplicate taken so much of the copyrighted material in either of these categories to have wrongly appropriated something that belongs to the owner? Different courts have since adopted their own methods for determining similarities. The Ninth Circuit created a test called the Total-Concept-and-Feel Test. This test relies on a subjective view to determine whether the “concept and feel” of one work is similar to another. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals uses a test named the AbstractionFiltration-Comparison Test. This test compares the elements of a work at increasing levels of abstraction, excluding the elements of that work that are not copyrightable. Different methV IDEOMAKER >>> OctOb ER 2011 Get direct email access to the editors. Our experts answer all video-related questions submitted by members. ods will inevitably lead to a spectrum of infringement results. Although the guidelines for infringement are vague, you can take precautions to avoid any infringement confrontation. The first and probably the most important guideline is: do not copy any material from the Internet or anywhere else. By default, all of this material is already copyrighted. Secondly, be aware of the scope of copyright. Copyright pertains to drawings, paintings, music, still photographs, film, video, literary works, and choreographic works. It does not pertain to names and ideas. Crossing this boundary might lead you into the domain of trademarks or patents. Thirdly, stay innovative. Being original and creative ensure that you are not violating any copyright laws. You should make note though, as always, there are some loopholes. If the source you are copying was created before 1922, you are safe from allegations of infringement. Also in the list of exceptions is music or sound effects that are royalty-free. Exceptions to copying have additionally been granted under the fair use doctrine. Fair use permits limited copying solely for the purposes of reporting, criticism, commentary, and teaching. This is a complex subject, for more insight on this subject, read this article online at www.videomaker. com/article/15066/. Contributing editor Attorney Mark Levy specializes in intellectual property law. He has won many amateur moviemaking awards. Shaun R. Vavra is a legal intern and an Electrical Engineering student at Clarkson University. For comments, email: [email protected], use article #15066 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15066 Exclusive Access Browse through 1000s of full articles, tips and online training videos unavailable to non-members. Early Online Access The complete content of each issue of Videomaker magazine is available to members before anyone else, up to 3 months before the issue hits the newsstand! Free Downloads Check the membership page for a link to the current free download from our popular training eDoc collection. Ad Free Browsing When logged in, members enjoy our website free of advertising banners and pop-ups. Exclusive Merchandise Discounts Keep your eye open for special discounts on our training merchandise. Training Event Discounts Members receive $10 off all training webinars. If you attend just three webinars a year, your membership has more than paid for itself! Priority Status Get royal carpet treatment at Videomaker events! contents Once you try it and love it, just $24.95 gets you a full year of access! www.videomaker.com/plus2011 full screen print PLUS