comedyjam a high-def comedyjam a high-def flight

Transcription

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INSTANT
EXPERT
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUE FOR THE INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONAL
WE PICK 10
MONITORS FOR
FIELD AND
STUDIO USE
DV.COM EXCLUSIVE:
EXTENDED-EDITION
REVIEWS AND FEATURES
FEBRUARY 2009
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USING ADOBE MEDIA PLAYER
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TOP GRIP GEAR
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STASIS FLEX TEST
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© 2008 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Features
and speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice. Sony, HDNA, the HDNA logo and SxS PRO are trademarks of Sony.
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We never leave well
enough alone.
As we always do, we’ve taken our hottest product and made it better. We
started with the 1920 x 1080 recording and SxS PRO™ memory cards of the
PMW-EX1 camcorder. Then we added the versatility of interchangeable
lenses, the ﬂexibility of Gen Lock and Time Code jacks and the power of
8-pin interface for full studio remote control. Presenting the EX1’s bigger
brother, the PMW-EX3. To see all the other ways Sony is exceeding
expectations, visit us online.
click: sony.com/prohdna
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INSIDE
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FEBRUARY 2009
24
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2
IN REVIEW
8 STASIS FLEX
Writer-director-actor
Larry Blamire, on the
set of his comedic HD
horror feature Dark
and Stormy Night.
ANTON/BAUER
A novel approach to camera support.
By Chuck Gloman
10 BLACK DIAMOND ESSENTIALS
Must-have grip gear that is the foundation of
any solid production.
By Jay Holben
FEATURES
14 CLOSE-UP: LARRY BLAMIRE
Using top-notch digital video tools to poke
16
ON OUR COVER
Flight of the Conchords
takes off in HD.
fun at Z-grade filmmaking.
By Douglas Bankston
16 THEY LIKE TO ROCK THE PARTY
COLUMNS
12 INSTANT EXPERT
Ned Soltz picks 10 monitors for the field or studio.
Shooting the innovative comedy series
Flight of the Conchords proves to be a
creative jam session.
Interview by Douglas Bankston
22 CLICK TO PLAY
Nels Johnson plays with Adobe Media Player.
28 DV101
20 CLOSE-UP: GREGG KITA
This veteran recordist untangles multiple
Jay Holben on the subject of camera stabilizers.
34 PRODUCTION DIARY
audio streams in the real world.
By Ty Burr
Stefan Sargent plays Dr. Fix-it.
is where you’ll find extended reviews and
features and breaking news. Visit DV online.
Click To Play: Using Adobe Media Player.
22
ALSO ONLINE:
WWW.VIDEOGRAPHY.COM
One Panavision Genesis, Four Personalities
Shooting Showtime's United States of Tara
WWW.2-POP.COM
Why Final Cut Pro-Specific Cameras?
DV (ISSN 1541-0943) is published monthly, by NewBay Media L.L.C.by NewBay Media L.L.C. at 810 Seventh Ave., 27th Floor, New York, NY, 10019. Telephone: 212-378-0400. Periodicals postage paid at New
York, New York, and at additional mailing offices. U.S. subscription rate is $29.97 for one year; Mexico and Canada are $39.97 (including GST); foreign airmail is $79.97; back issues $7. Prepayment is required on
all foreign subscriptions in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All rates are one year only. DV, Digital Video, Digital Video Magazine, DV Full Motion, DV Web Video, DV Expo, Web Video Expo, Digital Video Expo,
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4
dv February 2009
www.dv.com
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PREROLL
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VOLUME 17
NUMBER 2
FEBRUARY 2009
BY DAVID E. WILLIAMS
DV.COM
BLACK DIAMOND
REVIEWS REVISITED
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David E. Williams
[email protected]
MANAGING EDITOR Katie Makal
[email protected]
TECHNICAL EDITOR Jay Holben
[email protected]
I
recently received an e-mail from a major equipment manufacturer
quite pleased to find that one of their new products had scored a very
positive review in our pages, earning it the DV Award of Excellence.
But, they wondered, what exactly did that honor mean? And why does
it seem that so many items reviewed in DV rate highly? How can everything be great?
First things first:
The DV review score chart seen above is quite simple to understand.
Judged on a scale of one to five black diamonds (hence our annual Black
Diamond Awards handed out at the NAB Show), products that earn better
than four diamonds are given our Award of Excellence.
So where are all the single-diamond reviews? The scathing, merciless
rants against the poorly conceived, overly-marketed wastes of money
introduced every year? The complete junk we have all succumbed to buying at one time or another? To be honest, we could run nothing but negative reviews if that’s what readers really wanted, but I personally prefer to
focus on what’s useful rather than useless, so products that fall into the
“Don’t Bother” end of our spectrum simply don’t receive equal space.
Unfair? Possibly, but with editorial real estate at a premium, I’d rather give
our readers information and opinions on notable or breakthrough products than editorial vitriol.
With that bit of editorial bias in mind, we have started a new In Review
department dubbed “Black Diamond Essentials,” in which we will showcase top-notch products in a different category each month — from grip
gear (this issue, on page 10) to special-use optics, from portable storage
to plug-ins, from microphones to HD camcorders.
Finally, although 2009 has just begun, I’ve already started reading early
announcements touting wares to be seen at the upcoming NAB confab,
and buzz is beginning to reverberate around the Web. (And, no, I’m not
talking about RED’s decision to forgo exhibiting this year.)
Look for our NAB Special Edition in April, which will serve as our unofficial In Review hit list for the rest of the 2009, as announced products are
made available to our intrepid team.
ART & PRODUCTION
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Nicole Cobban
ART DIRECTOR Annmarie LaScala
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Fred Vega
PRODUCTION MANAGER Aaron Stone
CIRCULATION
ASSOCIATE CIRCULATION DIRECTOR,
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Anne Drobish
CIRCULATION MANAGER Kwentin Keenan
CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE Michele Fonville
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
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Telephone: 888-266-5828
(USA only, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST)
978-667-0352 (Outside the US)
Fax: 978-671-0460
E-mail: [email protected]
NEWBAY MEDIA VIDEO/
BROADCAST GROUP
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Carmel King
VP SALES/GROUP PUBLISHER Eric Trabb
EDITORIAL/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Anthony Savona
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[email protected]
dv February 2009
ADVERTISING
EAST COAST SALES MANAGER Susan Simon
[email protected] 914. 607. 2192
WEST COAST SALES MANAGER Paul DaCruz
MIDWEST SALES MANAGER Jeff Victor
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[email protected] 011. 44. 1279. 861264
DV EXPO SALES Contact your DV representative
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REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS:
Please contact our Reprint Coordinator
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David E. Williams, Editor
6
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS J.R. Bookwalter,
Ty Ford, Chuck Gloman, John Jackman,
Matt Jeppsen, Nels Johnson, Kendal Miller,
Carl Mrozek, Oliver Peters, Stefan Sargent,
Jon Silberg, Ned Soltz
www.dv.com
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IN REVIEW
Page 8
ANTON/BAUER STASIS FLEX
The Stasis Flex support was intuitive
to use right out of the box
HANDHELD FLEXIBILITY
THE STASIS FLEX IS A NOVEL APPROACH TO CAMERA SUPPORT.
BY CHUCK GLOMAN
A
nton/Bauer’s new camera stabilization device, the Stasis
Flex, uses your shoulder for support to reduce shakiness
and fight fatigue during long handheld shots.
Resembling a snake with a flat tail and a level head that happens to support a camcorder, the Stasis Flex ($299) accepts
Anton/Bauer Gold Mount brick batteries in the rear to help with
weight distribution. A chest pad, adjusted with a supplied Allen
wrench, plants itself firmly against you. The Stasis Flex can support
camcorders up to 14 lb.
The Flex arm has numerous “knuckles” that remain loose until
the locking lever on the top is pulled to make the shape rigid. Mount
the camera to the plate, release the locking lever, and while supporting the camera, adjust the arm until the camera is at the correct
height. Then lock the arm into place — that’s all there is to it.
My first user was a young woman in our university’s summer
SCORE
ANTON/BAUER STATIS FLEX
PROS: No training required; it works “out of the box.” Combines
well with the EgripZ rig. CONS: Uncomfortable for female operators. BOTTOM LINE: A simple solution to an enduring dilemma. MSRP: $299 CONTACT: www.antonbauer.com
8
dv February 2009
program. She found the Stasis Flex very uncomfortable because the
way the chest pad dug into her. The manual does mention that you
can cut the Stasis Flex arm with a hacksaw and reattach the pad —
but it’s not going to grow back for other users.
Other women had the same complaint with the Stasis Flex and
would have preferred the chest strap in the middle, but that would
have been awkward for balance. None of my male students had a
problem with the chest pad, but they are, of course, built differently.
For the next week, my male students used the Stasis Flex with
very little adjustment or variation between them. When I finally got a
chance to use the Stasis Flex, I enjoyed having the strain removed
from my forearm when wearing it for three hours. Unlike most stabilization devices, you do not need a “get acclimated” period. Right
out of the box you can wear it for extended periods of time without
sore muscles.
If you decide to invest in the Stasis Flex, you should also seriously consider picking up an EgripZ, the company’s low-cost camcorder
stabilizer. Not only does it give you another option for “steering” the
camcorder, but it can be installed under the front of the Stasis Flex,
so you can take the entire apparatus and transfer it to a tripod after
your shot. Otherwise, you’ll have to detach the camcorder, which can
be awkward, then take off the Stasis Flex for storage. DV
Chuck Gloman is the program director of the TV/Film department
at DeSales University. Contact him at [email protected].
www.dv.com
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BLACK DIAMOND ESSENTIALS
GRIP GEAR
BY JAY HOLBEN
GET A GRIP
THESE TOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ANY SOLID PRODUCTION.
40" CENTURY STAND
American Grip
www.americangrip.com
Probably the most valuable, versatile and indispensable grip tool available. The C-stand is strong
and adaptable to most any situation. One tool that I’ve never been able to replace with a DIY
version. Every grip kit should have a minimum of four full C-stands, but you can never have too
many. $235
Once you’ve worked with apple boxes, it’s difficult to ever work without them again. The uses are countless
and you’ll often find that you don’t have enough to go around! They’re large and challenging to transport
for a small production — but invaluable to have on any set or location. Set includes: full, half, quarter and
eighth (also called a pancake). $38.95 (each)
C47s
www.walgreens.com
Ubiquitous and indispensable. For years people have been trying to replace or update the simple
wooden clothespin as a production tool, to no avail. It’s heat resistant, doesn’t damage surfaces,
works with all kinds of material — truly an indispensable tool. $3.99
(or any home store)
The big sibling to the clothespin, spring clamps come in three traditional sizes: #1, #2 and #3 for clamping
around 1"-, 2"- and 3"-diameter objects, respectively. Strong enough to clamp heavy fabric or bounce
material to stands, frames or structural fixtures. $3.50 - $9
BEAD BOARD HOLDER
American Grip
www.americangrip.com
Matthews Studio
Equipment
www.msegrip.com
Lee Filters
www.leefilters.com
dv February 2009
CARDELLINI CLAMP
Cardellini
www.cardelliniclamp.com
SPYDERCO POLICE3
KNIFE
Spyderco
www.spyderco.com
Another versatile tool that is indispensable. Control spill off light fixtures, create instant flags, create
snoots or wrap up your leftovers! (I’m kidding. Don’t use Black Foil for food.) Every kit should have at
least one 1' x 50' roll of anodized black aluminum foil. $23.95
Sandbags are a necessary evil for stands that are out of balance, or to keep people from tripping over
stands and hardware. They’re a challenge to transport, but when you need a sandbag, it’s hard to find any
substitute for the real McCoy. Lindcraft makes an excellent bag. $14.50
10
(or any hardware store)
A standard 5⁄8" spud attached to a flat plate, this is a great, handy device for taping (or otherwise securing) to the back of your DIY devices for easy integration with a standard C-stand. Or mount small light
fixtures on this plate and then mount the plate anywhere your imagination can devise. $18.50
This heavy-duty folding knife (item C07G3) is the best hand blade I’ve ever owned. Mostly serrated 4 1⁄8"
steel blade with a non-serrated tip, this incredible tool has lasted in my personal kit for nearly 20 years.
Great for cutting rope, gel, foamcore, etc. $154.95
BLACK FOIL
SPRING CLAMPS
www.acehardware.com
Bead board (Styrofoam) is a fantastic soft bounce material, and this clamp is perfect for attaching a
piece of bead board to any C-stand. Tape a sheet of foamcore to one side of the bead board and you
instantly have a dual-purpose bounce for soft or more direct bounce (depending on which side you
use). These clamps are hard to substitute. $40
Once you’ve worked with this champion little device, it’s hard to use anything else. Strong, robust and
incredibly versatile, you’ll find the Cardellini indispensable to put a baby spud (standard 5⁄8" spud) nearly
anywhere with confidence. This with an extra C-stand gobo head and you’ll find you can mount nearly anything anywhere. $59
BABY NAIL-ON PLATE
APPLE BOXES
Matthews Studio
Equipment
www.msegrip.com
SHOTBAGS
Lindcraft Grip Supply
www.lindcraft.com
www.dv.com
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INSTANT EXPERT
BY NED SOLTZ
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
CHECKING OUT 10 TOP MONITORING SOLUTIONS
ITEM/
CONTACT
BT-LH1760
COMPANY
Panasonic
MSRP
$4,500
WHAT IT IS
SPECS
A 17" studio and
field LCD monitor.
Building upon the successful BT-LH1700, which still remains in the product lineup, this amazing monitor boasts 120Hz refresh, built-in waveform monitor and
vectorscope, split-screen display, CineGama compensation for various Panasonic
cameras, and the same full set of I/Os on the LH1700 and LH2550 versions.
Operates on 12V DC for field use. A landmark achievement in LCD displays.
A 17" studio and
field LCD display.
JVC’s third generation of LCD display is also available in 20" and 24" sizes
for studio use. Features built-in waveform monitor, optional battery adapter,
and new anti-glare coating. Produces sharp images, and its sampling allows
viewing of fast-moving scenes without the smearing effect seen on so many
LCD panels. A lot of monitor for the money.
www.panasonic.com
DT-VT173DU
JVC
$3,000
www.pro.jvc.com
BVM-L230
Sony Electronics
$21,500
A 23" full-HD master
monitor.
Despite having profiled this Sony unit in an earlier column, no listing of
broadcast monitors is complete without this ultimate screen. The TRIMASTER
represents a standard to which all others aspire.
www.sony.com
LMD1750WHD Sony Electronics
$3,500 (including
HD-SDI module)
A 17" high-grade
LCD monitor.
Sony’s LUMA series spans low-end offerings starting at $1,500 and up to this
top-of-the-line model. This is definitely a broadcast-level monitor with its
accurate ChromaTRU color matching and bright/high-contrast LCD display.
www.sony.com
2480zx
HP
$1,999
A 1920x1080
“dream” display.
HP and DreamWorks Animation collaborated to design a monitor for critical editing
and graphics. Introduced at $3,495, but HP was offering special pricing as of
this writing. With DVI-I, HDMI, display port, composite, component and
S-Video, it has a range of inputs. The HDMI port makes it a suitable monitor
for those capture cards featuring HDMI, or use it with SDI-HDMI converter.
Ikan
$995
On-camera 8" TFT
LCD monitor.
Ikan produces excellent production gear at reasonable prices backed with
top-notch customer service. This adaptation of earlier LCD monitors features
HDMI input in addition to component/composite/S-Video. Features support
for camcorder as well as pro batteries. This is a superb bargain for field use,
particularly with the new generation of smaller HDMI cameras.
www.hp.com
V8000HDMI
www.ikancorp.com
V-LCD70P
Marshall
Electronics
$999 (component input)
A 7" LCD on-camera
display.
Marshall is well known for a full line of broadcast monitoring solutions, from on-camera to edit suite to control room units. This new entry boasts a thinner design than
previous LCD models as well as a considerably lower price. Rated at 1.2 megapixels, it
is available with either camcorder or professional battery mounts. SDI and HDMI versions should be available by the time you read this column, with pricing TBD.
A 8.4" field monitor.
While we’re discussing on-camera field monitors, this is my favorite. With a
built-in waveform monitor and CineGama options similar to the LH1760W,
this albeit-pricey model is well-suited for use with the VariCam and other
high-end production cameras. It may be rack mounted, attached with an articulating arm for camera operator use, or even used in a compact edit suite.
Rack-mountable HD
displays for mobile or
studio applications.
Long known in the broadcast world, these Wohler panels bring affordability to the
realm of multiple side-by side displays in 2-up or 4-up versions. SDI is standard and
all loop. The individual LCD panels within the enclosures can rotate +/- 55 degrees
for optimal viewing. Of course, they support HD, SD, NTSC and PAL. Well worth
considering for those setting up a production truck or seeking to outfit a studio.
Among the last of
the HD CRT monitors.
There remains much to be said for good old CRTs over LCD panels. JVC still
has the last of the popularly priced CRT models (Sony still has two higherend BVM series CRTs) with 800-line resolution and switchable 4:3/16:9 for
SD uses as well. Still an old stand-by.
www.mars-cam.com www.lcdracks.com
BT-LH900A
Panasonic
$4,890
www.panasonic.com
RM Series
Wohler
$2,400 and up
www.wohler.com
DT-V1710CGU
JVC
www.pro.jvc.com
12
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$2,000, plus
modules
www.dv.com
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CLOSE-UP
LARRY BLAMIRE
RETRO CAMP COMEDY
LARRY BLAMIRE EMPLOYS TOP-NOTCH DIGITAL
VIDEO TOOLS TO POKE FUN AT Z-GRADE FILMMAKING.
BY DOUGLAS BANKSTON
W
riter-director-actor Larry Blamire’s feature The
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) was a deadon comedic re-creation of low-budget, Bgrade monster/sci-fi movies of the 1950s, complete with
corny, stilted dialogue, cheesy special effects, aliens, monsters, a skeleton risen from the dead and ubiquitous gaps in
plot logic. The movie became a cult hit, and Sony TriStar
picked it up for a theatrical release in 2004. Now Blamire
returns (and so does the skeleton) in the aptly entitled sequel:
The Lost Skeleton Returns Again. The cast reprises their
roles… mostly. Those that were offed in the first picture conveniently come back as “identical twins,” and aliens and
monsters once again make appearances. The follow up is an
old-fashioned jungle adventure film in which Dr. Paul
Armstrong (Blamire), embittered after science let him down, is roped
into finding the valuable Geranium-90 that rests in the hands of the
Cantaloupe People. (Yes, really.)
Cadavra, shot in standard-def digital video with a Canon XL1
and converted to black-and-white, cost a mere $60,000 to shoot and
finish all the way to the film print stage. The Lost Skeleton Returns
Again cost a bit more. “This new one was about $500,000,” Blamire
says. “It’s a few years later, and you have inflation on the one hand,
and on the other we had twice as many actors and a different level
of special effects. We wanted to up the production value so that it
looks different from the first film.”
Lost Skeleton Returns Again was produced under Blamire’s
Bantam Street production banner and recently started making the
festival rounds. “We have interest from distributors and are shopping
it around with hopes of a theatrical release,” Blamire says. Because
of the precedent with Sony, the studio has the option to match any
distribution offer he receives.
Blamire secured production funds via investors. “We’re at the
point where we go from film to film by seeking out investors,” he
explains. “Skeleton is something like eight investors. In the case of
Dark and Stormy Night, it was a single investor.”
The dramatically entitled The Dark and Stormy Night Blamire
refers to is his other new feature, shot on the heels of Lost Skeleton
Returns Again, thanks to an opportunistic timing of funds. The cast
and crew just moved from one film to the next. Both movies were
shot by cinematographer Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein. “A.J. came
highly recommended,” Blamire says. “He is a terrific, all-around filmmaker. He’s got a film that’s being shopped around called Fingerman:
Dr. London and the Triangle Force. It’s hilarious! We have similar sensibilities.”
14
dv February 2009
Blamire (left) directs actor Dan Conroy
on the set of Dark and Stormy Night.
Lost Skeleton Returns Again was shot in standard definition to maintain the same aesthetic as Cadavra. However, the aspect ratio was
widened to 2.35:1 to suit a jungle picture. “We shot with three
Panasonic DVX100s,” notes Rickert-Epstein. “The aspect ratio was
an in-camera effect. Panasonic makes an anamorphic adapter that
optically squeezes the image into 16:9, and we cropped into that to
make it 2.35:1 for the A camera. B and C cameras were in digitalsqueeze mode so that they would look similar to A because we only
had one adapter.”
With Lost Skeleton Returns Again taking place outdoors —
Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita and the Arboretum in Arcadia serving as
stand-in jungle locations — modeling the exterior lighting was a
challenge for Rickert-Epstein. “I tried to find shaded areas to avoid
punchy sunlight coming down through the forest,” he explains. “I
would have mirrors or shiny boards 100” away to bounce sunlight
into a crevice beneath a tree. I basically imported light from wherever I could find it. It was like ‘light irrigation.’ There was a lot of
minute-by-minute adjustment of the shiny boards. My key grip, Axel
Llorens, was really good.”
The effects ante was upped with a healthy dose of foreground
miniatures. “This was the second time I had done miniatures,” notes
Rickert-Epstein. “The first was in college, where I made mushrooms
appear twice as tall as the actors. That experience helped.
Understanding that concept allowed me to move quicker.”
“Right after Skeleton we shot Dark and Stormy Night,” says
Blamire. “We shot that in HD. That movie is a take on the 1930s murder mystery, an ‘old, dark house’ movie, as they call it. Dark and
Stormy Night was emulating an old movie, not a low-budget movie,
so we didn’t want to go with standard def on that. It’s also going to
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From left, cinematographer A.J. Rickert-Epstein,
2nd AC Noah Applebaum and 1st AC Steve
Murray shoot The Lost Skeleton Returns Again.
er on both these movies, did these great 1930s mansion sets for us
on a soundstage and also did a miniature house. All the exteriors are
miniatures.”
With a budget of just over $1 million, Dark and Stormy Night
was the opposite of the Skeleton production. “Being on stage was
completely different,” recalls Rickert-Epstein. “There was so much
more control available to me. I could pull out walls when I needed to,
put the camera on a scissor-lift, all kinds of stuff.”
It also entailed an entirely different shooting approach with
much larger Panavised Sony HDW-F900 cameras. Explains Blamire,
“When you shoot a film that is potentially talky and static — people
trapped in a house, there’s not a lot of action — we tried to make up
for that with camera movement. You don’t want to zoom because
that takes you out of the 1930s. We did a lot of dolly. One shot was
of all 16 subjects in the living room listening to the reading of the will.
We set up what we called the ‘two-headed monster,’ which was two
full camera crews on a dolly, and we did a slow track along every suspect in the 30” room. One camera is getting the close-ups, and the
other is getting the wide. It’s fantastic!”
“We came up with a name for whenever we moved the camera,” adds Rickert-Epstein. “We called it ‘pulling an Archie,’ because
it seemed like every time we were on the Archie character, we’d be
moving the camera.”
The lighting techniques in those classic “dark house” movies of
the 1930s were, it can be argued, rather sloppy and utilitarian. Not
wanting to emulate that look entirely, Rickert-Epstein chose a middle
ground. “They didn’t care about shadows back in those days,” he
says. “There would be five or six shadows from one person due to
unmotivated light. That distracted me. I split the difference between
soft lighting and hard lighting to get a hint of that look but with less
unmotivated light. I usually used 2Ks and below. The only thing bigger than that was a 10K, which we used for lightning.” DV
You’ll find an extended version of this story on
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Page 16
THEY LIKE TO
ROCK THE PARTY
QA
&
SHOOTING THE INNOVATIVE COMEDY
SERIES FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
PROVES TO BE A CREATIVE JAM SESSION.
Top: Troy Miller sets a shot on McKenzie,
Clement and Kristen Schaal. Left: Patrick
Stewart and Miller plan their coverage.
I
n 2007, the often-surreal HBO comedy series Flight of the
Conchords became a breakout comedy hit for its starring
musical duo, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The two
New Zealanders — trying to navigate life in New York City as they
promote their fledgling rock band and deal with a lone, overzealous, fan — are sweetly naive, and often retreat into a creative fantasy realm when confronted by the realities of their Lower East
Side existence, giving the show an unpredictable storytelling edge.
For season two of the series, director of photography Patrick
Stewart and executive producer-director-Steadicam operator Troy
Miller moved up to HD, but the show’s signature style remains the
same: raw, realistic visuals punctuated by stylish “music video”
sequences that pay homage to classic references.
DV: What have you changed from season one to season two?
INTERVIEW BY DOUGLAS BANKSTON
16
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THEY LIKE TO
ROCK THE PARTY
Patrick Stewart: I convinced the producers not to shoot on the
[Panasonic] SDX900 for another season and to shoot HD instead.
My first choice was to shoot with the RED ONE camera, but they
were not comfortable with its media situation — how to store it
and how much that would cost. We settled on the HDX900, the
high-definition sibling of the AJ-SDX900. Flight of the Conchords
is a 1080 show, but the AJ-HDX900 is a 720-native camera. You
have two choices for up-rezzing: in camera or in post. My first
reaction was not to let the camera do that, because surely a post
house could do it at much higher quality. A DP friend of mine, who
is much more technical than I am, heard about my decision and
convinced me to let the camera do it. If you don’t let the camera
do it on its own, you end up with less information, and more information is always better.
Besides now being in HD, is your shooting approach the
same as before?
Stewart: Our lighting budget and the camera department are
slightly bigger. That allows us to tackle more complicated scenes
and music videos without having to order extra equipment on a
daily basis. The style is exactly the same as season one. We
approach our style in the same way that Bret and Jemaine
approach their lives, which is in a simplistic way.
Troy Miller: We don’t use a DIT. All of our camera assistants and
camera operators, myself included, are uniquely responsible and
aware of the technology and how to work with it. We don’t spend
a lot of time in a tent, and there isn’t a guy “coloring” the footage
all the time. We’re responsible for our shots as we go, and it all
matches up great.
Stewart: Troy is a very good Steadicam operator. One of the cool
additions we have this year is a Segway that Troy bought, and with
Above and below, Miller operates his Segway rig while
the cast and crew work in the streets of New York City.
that he can do walking or running shots among cars or along sidewalks.
Miller: It’s created by a company called Handsfree-Transporter in
Germany, and it was originally built for Audi factory workers so
they could hold things in their hands as they steer with their legs.
As a Steadicam operator, I’m always looking for shots where I can
take advantage of the arm, and I had seen this rig at NAB last year.
They sell parts for you to convert your own Segway. For our purposes, we do a lot of stuff on the street, car-to-car and dolly. It fits
the look that I want Flight of the Conchords to have — a
Steadicam on a Segway. Primarily, it is for the music videos, not so
much for dialogue scenes because the show is a docu-style in
which it is more appropriate to go handheld.
What is your shooting schedule like for an episode?
Stewart: We shoot a 30- to 40-page script in five 12-hour days.
With such a short shooting schedule for each episode, how
are the music video segments budgeted time-wise, and
what are some influences?
Miller: That’s the brilliance of Tracey Baird, our co-EP. She does the
budgets. We’re very exacting in how we do our videos and what
we allow time-wise and style-wise. Because the songs are already
produced, we know what each shot is going to be, unlike in the
real music video world where you shoot the whole song in five different locations in five different ways. We’ll go in and shoot one
chorus in the one set we need and move on. Dan Butts, our
designer, and I will look at style plates of an existing video with
Patrick. Each director is responsible for his own videos. James
Bobin, for example, did a video on one-inch tape with old tube
cameras to get the [streaky,] “trailing comet” effect to pay homage to that era. That’s the way Bret and Jemaine’s music is — they
cross so many genres.
What has been the most interesting experience while shooting season two?
Stewart: We had a guest director this year, Michel Gondry.
Working with him was a little more challenging because there is a
slight language difference. Even though he speaks English, it is
18
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Page 19
with a very heavy French accent. When he gets excited, it gets
heavier. And judging by his work in the past, you can tell he doesn’t look at something and shoot it straight on. He directed the
episode called “The Australian,” and we had all the light sources
bounce off the floors, walls, kitchen counters and tables to light
the people. He didn’t want the normal, realistic approach that I
take to lighting. He cares about screen direction, and once you get
a lot of business going with people moving here and there, it
makes shooting the scene with three cameras more difficult.
Almost every scene in that episode is different from the way we
normally shoot Conchords.
le
y.
How do you normally light the two leads?
Stewart: When they are in their apartment, I want to make it look
as real as possible. This year, because we have a slightly higher
lighting budget, I bring the sun or moon or streetlights — depending on what time of day it is — a lot deeper into their apartment
than before. Just as in season one, I could not have achieved
shooting this show in this manner [time frame and budget] without my Litepanels. The four 1'x1' panels I have in my kit, in addition to the two Minis, have been used in basically every scene of
the show — definitely my most important tool. They are in the first
case to arrive at every location and the last to leave.
We use Rosco VIEW extensively in the show. It was a time-saver
as well as a budget-saver in the long run. It works as a polarizing
ND gel. In other words, instead of being locked into a single ND
NEW
exposure without having to add or subtract to the original layer as
the external sunlight fluctuates, you add it to the windows once
and dial up or down the corresponding lens polarizing filter to
whatever exposure you need. You can make the view beyond the
gel and windows almost transparent or almost black. I also use it
for effects shots. For instance, we put a 4'x8' sheet of it on a
Plexiglas frame behind Jemaine. At a certain point in the scene we
needed to segue into a music video where his background needed to go to black in camera. At that point, we simply dialed down
the polarizing filter on the lens, and voilà.
Troy, you have a unique combination of titles: executive producer, director and Steadicam operator. How did you end up
doing all that for this show?
Miller: James Bobin is the show runner-writer and the principal
director. My company, Dakota Pictures, produces the show, so I’m
the executive producer kind of by default, overseeing the look
from a production company standpoint. I do a lot of comedy, and
when I direct, I also do the operating because I can be shooting
while I’m talking to the actors. I’m pretty aggressive with camera
moves, and because I’m operating, I don’t have to talk to a dolly
grip or focus puller and talk to the actor while I’m doing some
improv. With the Segway, I can do a dolly shot while I’m panning
and tilting and talking to an actor right there. Juggling all those
balls at once makes me a better director, and I have a direct connection with the visuals of the film while I am shooting it. DV
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W W W. L I T E PA N E L S . C O M
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GREGG KITA
RADIO
(MIC) DAZE
RECORDIST GREGG KITA
UNTANGLES MULTIPLE AUDIO
STREAMS IN THE REAL WORLD.
BY TY FORD
I
magine the RF tango of up to 80 channels of wireless audio, frequently operating simultaneously. Gregg Kita handles the audio
for RGEAR (www.rgearworldwide.com), which supports the
audio and video equipment and crew for many reality TV shows.
“I’ve been at it for 14 years, reality shows for 12 years, starting with
Los Angeles-based LAPD, Junkyard Wars and FEAR,” he says. “In
January of 2002, things started to get crazy with the first season of
The Bachelor. We were micing 30 cast members and covering the
shots with a dozen cameras, a sound mixer on every camera, plant
mics and a multi-track recorder to record everything as a backup. We
were rolling 24/7 for several weeks at a time, normally shooting in
one large house, typically a mansion, but we also went on location.”
In addition to wireless on the cast, Kita has two-channel wireless
rigs from the mixers to the cameras and wireless IFBs for the producers so they can keep up with the simultaneously unfolding stories.
“We use mostly Sennheiser gear from the talent to the mixers:
SK 5212 transmitters with MKE Platinum lavs, EK 3241 receivers in
the bags and racks of EM 3532 receivers for the multi-track backup
recording,” he says “We’re also using Lectrosonics UM400 transmitters and UCR411 receivers to get from mixers to the cameras.”
Kita says that even with as many wireless products and tools as
they are running, trial-and-error frequency coordination using the
scanners in the Sennheiser and Lectrosonics receivers has been successful. “Usually our biggest challenge is getting range,” he reports.
“We’re frequently shooting in a huge mansion and everyone’s mic is
on.” Kita uses up to eight Shure wideband active log periodic antennae to grab the wireless signals and a Professional Sound Corp.
MultiMax! antenna splitter/combiner to route the reception from the
eight antennae to the 30-some receivers and plant mics for backup
audio recording. “We try to find a central location for that gear and
then position the antennae as needed.”
The ISO backup audio is typically recorded from the central wireless receiver rack to a MacBook Pro running Gallery’s Metacorder
software, creating time-stamped polywave files, targeting external
FireWire dives. Although Metacorder can record at up to a 192 kHz
sample rate, Kita says he normally uses 48 kHz, 16-bit. “Everyone’s
been happy with that. We could go to 24-bit, but as it is, we’re
20
dv February 2009
Kita and his Aviom Pro16
location system.
recording as much as 80GB of audio per day with 30 shoot days per
show. That’s a lot of storage.”
Kita uses a Pixell AutoPatch cross-point switcher and Aviom
Pro16 series rack-mounted gear to traffic the many audio channels.
“The Aviom Pro16 Series consists of different modules: preamps,
input modules, output modules, mixers, system bridges, distribution
modules, even an A-Net card for my small-format Yamaha DM1000
mixer. CAT-6 is lighter and cheaper than copper cable. When we go
into a new location for a new show, we’ll buy CAT-6 cable and cut
custom lengths. Some houses we shoot in have prewired CAT-6, and
we use that when we can.”
Once its in the CAT-6 environment, Kita says he runs to an Aviom
distribution or output model that feeds the multi-track recorder or to
the audio-follow-video router. “That way, for example, each story can
have it’s own keypad or mixer with different channels on that mixer.
The story departments are following the side action that the director
is not paying attention to. With Aviom, we can give them everything
the director has and pretty much anything else more easily.”
The larger Aviom Pro64 handles 128 channels on one CAT-6
cable. It also offers more routing options and different audio format
options. “Post wanted AES for their HD record decks and I wanted a
return to my Yamaha DM1000. The Pro64 does that and it also has
cross-point switching software.”
The Aviom gear is a good example of “unsung hero” equipment.
It’s not flashy, but it provides solid functionality and allows good decisions to be made during production. That sort of elegance doesn’t
draw attention to itself or the audio that runs through it, but it has a
solid, positive impact on production values and content. DV
Ty Ford has been writing about audio for over 20 years. Visit
him at tyford.com.
www.dv.com
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CLICK TO PLAY
BY NELS JOHNSON
LIBRARY SCIENCE
USING ADOBE MEDIA PLAYER TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A MEDIA LIBRARY.
Proposition 1: Over time, most people want their media
files (music and video) organized by iTunes, Media Center,
TiVo, etc.
Proposition 2: While Proposition 1 applies mostly to music libraries,
folders full of AVI, MOV, MPG, WMV, MP4 and FLV clips are fast
becoming fair game for video content management systems
(VCMSs) — homegrown and otherwise. Multi-terabyte hard drives
now cost less than $500.
Proposition 3: Even as traditional TV gives way to YouTube on TiVo
(Series 3), iTunes and its direct competitors will continue to offer firstrun and cable TV shows both free and by paid subscription.
Given these three propositions, we can now
frame the following question in the proper context:
How can somebody (Showtime, for example) allow
you to add an episode of, say, Californication to
your preferred media library without first opening
the library application itself (Windows Media
Player, for example)?
Not that third-party digerati haven’t tried. Sony
risked the rootkit approach and suffered the consequences. PureTracks tested the browser sandbox
with JScript (as opposed to JavaScript) but finally backed off. Now it’s
Adobe’s turn — with their own Media Player library.
THE AMP BADGE
In the July 2008 issue of DV, I wrote that Adobe Media Player (AMP)
does not compete directly with the basic QuickTime, Windows Media
and RealPlayer apps. This is now changing, due in part to Adobe’s
new Badge technology. According to their marketing literature,
“When a visitor clicks a link to a badged show, [AMP] launches automatically and adds the show to their My Favorites area.”
If AIR or AMP is not installed, viewers are prompted to do so
before having the show added to their Favorites. As a bonus for participating publishers, new AIR/AMP installations prompted by a
badge link can be performed with a branded start screen, preloaded
favorites, and other custom configurations for brand extension.
If you have a contractual relationship with Adobe, you receive a
“publisher bounty” when a viewer installs Adobe AIR and Adobe
Media Player by clicking on the Adobe Media Player download badge
on your Web site. If a user downloads Adobe Media Player from an
Adobe site, the publisher bounty does not apply. To enable the publisher bounty, you must be an Adobe partner. For more information,
contact the Adobe Strategic Alliance Team.
22
dv February 2009
Above, Fig. 1: In case you do need some stinkin’
badges. Left, Fig. 2: Unsynched iPhone video,
thanks to Air Sharing.
UNDER THE HOOD
Attaching a badge to an AMP media clip
offered via your site requires a few lines of
JavaScript in your HTML file(s), a reference to
a couple of .JS files containing the workhorse
JavaScript functions, an embedded SWF file (with custom
ActionScript) and the placement of various XML files on your server
that identify and describe the media you wish to distribute. Pretty
good documentation is provided on the Adobe site at
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/mediaplayer/articles/badge_
installation.html
The inline header JS in a badge-friendly HTML file looks like this:
<head>
<script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">
<!-// Globals
var requiredMajorVersion = 9;
var requiredMinorVersion = 0;
var requiredRevision = 115;
var airVersion = "1.1";
var airApplicationName = "Adobe Media Player";
var
airApplicationURL
=
"http://airdownload.adobe.com/air/amp/adobe_media_player.air";
var airApplicationImage = "images/myfile.jpg";
// -->
</script>
</head>
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CLICK TO PLAY
<body LEFTMARGIN="0" TOPMARGIN="0" MARGINWIDTH="0"
MARGINHEIGHT="0">
<script
src="AC_RunActiveContent.js"
language="javascript"></script>
<script src="InstallBadge.js" language="javascript"></script>
Figure 1 shows a Web page with badged content. Mousing over
one of the TV show posters displays a message indicating you can
click to add it to your AMP library. If the required versions of AIR or
AMP are not installed, installation will commence.
Embedding the SWF that displays (and processes) the badges in
Figure 1 looks like this:
<td><div id="badge_1">
<script src = "badge_1.js" language = "javascript"></script>
</div></td>
Note that the otherwise traditional <object> and <embed> tags
are not employed here. Instead we process a .JS file directly in the
body of the HTML file. The .JS file contains (in part) the following
script:
AC_FL_RunContent('codebase',
'http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swfl
ash.cab#version=8,0,0,0', 'width', '600', 'height', '400', 'id',
'badge_1_button', 'align', 'middle', 'src', 'badge_1_button', 'quality',
'high', 'bgcolor', '#474747', 'name', 'badge_1_button', 'allowscriptaccess', 'all', 'pluginspage', 'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer','flashvars',
// Below is where the AMP and publisher specific assets are pulled
from the global variables in the HTML
'appname=' + escape(airApplicationName) + '&appurl=' +
airApplicationURL + '&airversion=' + airVersion + '&imageurl=' +
airApplicationImage + '&buttoncolor=' + buttonColor + '&messagecolor=' + messageColor + '&invparam=http://www.newonadobemediaplayer.com/pos1.xml','movie','badge_1_button');
If you spare users the initial activation click otherwise required for
embedded
Flash
<objects>,
you’ll
recognize
the
AC_FL_RunContent() <I>function<P> included in the
AC_RunActiveContent.js <I>file<P> referenced in the <head> section of the HTML file. Complex, yes, but easy to clone and reuse once
you become familiar with it all.
The complete ActionScript for the embedded SWF is too long to
be listed out here, but customizable .AS files are available at the
Adobe site. Various arguments in the AC_FL_RunContent() function
shown above are employed by the SWF at runtime.
ACCESS TO AMP CONTENT
Finally there is the XML file. The Adobe docs say,”You can create a
setup file and link it from your badge to automatically add your feeds
24
dv February 2009
AMP IS LIVING IN THE PRESENT
AND THE FUTURE...
to Adobe Media Player when viewers click on your badge. This
enables you to distribute your content in Adobe Media Server regardless of whether your content is in the Adobe Catalog.”
What they mean by “setup file” is an OPML (XML) file on a Web
server that looks basically like this (not actual CBS URLs):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
<opml
version="1.0"
xmlns:amp="http://www.adobe.com/amp/1.0">
<head>
<amp:publisher url="http://www.cbs.com">CBS</amp:publisher>
<amp:network>CBS</amp:network>
<amp:start>homeScreen</amp:start>
</head>
<body>
<outline>http://www.cbs.com/feeds/adobe.php?
&site=ShowTime&show=Californication&abbr=californication&category=
/Showtime/Series/Californication</outline>
<outline>http://www.cbs.com/feeds/adobe.php?
site=cbs&show=Gary+Unmarried%20%20Full%20Episodes&abbr=
gary_unmarried&category=/Entertainment/Primetime/Gary%20Unm
arried&
episode=true</outline>
<outline>http://dextr.mtvnservices.com/mtv/mrss.xml</outline>
<outline>http://dextr.mtvnservices.com/colbert/mrss.xml</outline>
</body>
</opml>
To be clear, this is not about building and maintaining a media
library as a CMS. Rather, it’s about the convenience of acquiring links
to and automatically cataloging new digital entertainment streams
with a few clicks. If you have AMP already installed, you’re done.
iTunes and Media Center work with local media assets (files). AMP is
living in the present and the future by effectively blurring the physical location of the assets.
iPhone Video Tip: Speaking of local clips not controlled by iTunes,
here’s a very useful iPhone app that wasn’t available for the DV media
tools roundup a few months ago: AirSharing from Avatron (Google
it). Marketed as a WebDAV-enabled mini-NAS, which it does very
well, it also works great as an iTunes-free video platform (as long as
your clips are encoded for QuickTime for iPhone). Just WiFi them over
(to your iPhone) and tap the one you want in the AirSharing file list.
No iTunes synching, just folder management — especially on 16-gig
3G models (see Figure 2). DV
www.dv.com
DV_02_09_
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Page 25
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tSuper NightShot Plus
tPhoto Capture from Movie
tIncludes Picture Motion Browser
(Windows Based) Software
High-Definition Flash Memory
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t Record full 1920x1080p HD quality
onto high-capacity SDHC/MMC+
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t8GB of built-in flash memory
t6.4-megapixel CMOS image sensor
t1080p mode with 30 fps recording
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seconds) with slow-down playback
t2.7” (16:9) wide touchscreen LCD
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The Professional’s
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60GigaBytes
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tInternal 60GB Hard Drive, and
SD/SDHC memory card Slot
t1920 x 1080 HD Resolution
t3 1/6” CCD Image Sensors,
Capturing 2.1Mp Still Imagery
tLeica Dicomar 10x Zoom Lens
tFace Detection Feature
tAdv. Optical Image Stabilization
t2.7” Widescreen LCD Monitor
t24p “film-look” Recording
tHDMI Terminal
t Support, before
and after sale
t Online live support
t Massive online presence
t Huge inventory available
for worldwide shipping
t Educate yourself
in our product
resource center
Page 1
DV_02_09_
1/20/09
3:49 PM
Page 26
VIXIA HV-30
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t2.0” LCD with 200k Pixels
tColor Viewfinder w/200k Pixels
tDual XLR and One Mini Stereo
Microphone Input
#SOHVRHD1000U
Pro Shoulder-mount HDV
Camcorder
tHDV 1080i and DV SP/LP
recording and playback
t1/2.9”, 3.2 Megapixel
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JUP4%
tw-$%
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tSmooth, Slow Rec. Mode
with Audio Recording
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Flash Memory Camcorder
tRecord high-definition 1080i
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on SD/SDHC media cards
tSolid state recording; fast scene
searches with thumbnail view
t3 1/4” progressive scan CCD sensors
tAdvanced Optical Image Stabilizer
tLeica Dicomar 12x zoom lens
t2.1-megapixel still image recording
t Dual XLR inputs & stereo mini mic in
tHDMI digital HD output & USB 2.0
DCR-VX2100
AVCHD Hard Drive Camcorder
tInternal 120GB Hard Drive
t1/3” ClearVid CMOS sensor with
Exmor technology
t1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution
Recording (Switchable HD/SD)
tBIONZ Advanced Image Processor
t12X Optical / 150X Digital Zoom
t3.2” Wide (16:9) LCD Monitor
tFace Detection for Video and Still
t10.2 Megapixel Still Image Capture
tMicrophone Input
AG-DVX100B
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Hours:
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or Fax:
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tAnalog/Digital Line-In Rec
HDR-HC9
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Fax:
HDV Camcorder
tw$.044FOTPSXJUI
RGB Primary Color Filter
tRecording 1080/60i, 1080/24p,
1080/30F, 1080/24F, 1080/30p
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tw8JEFTDSFFO-$%XLQJYFMT
tWidescreen Color Viewfinder
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tHDMI Terminal
#CAHG20
AVCHD Hard Drive Camcorder
tInternal 60GB Hard Drive; Records
over 5 1/2 Hrs. of HD Video
tUp to 15 hrs of Standard Video Rec.
t1/3.2” CMOS HD Image Sensor
(1920 x 1080) with RGB Primary
$PMPS'JMUFSt$BOPOY0QUJDBM
)%-FOTt0QUJDBM*NBHF4UBCJMJ[FS
tDIGIC DV II HD Image Processor
t24p Cinema Mode
t.VMUJBOHMF7JWJE-$%
t24Mbps recording
#SOHVRA1U
Pro HDV Camcorder
tHDV 1080i and DV/DVCAM
Recording and Playback
t10x Optical Zoom Lens
t1/3” 16:9 CMOS Image Sensor
with 3 Megapixels
tEnhanced Imaging Processor
t14-bit DXP & A/D Converter
tw8JEFTDSFFO)ZCSJE-$%
tDual XLR Mic Inputs with 48vP
tMemory Stick DUO Slot
tSwitchable Clr/B/W Viewfinder
#SOHDRFX7
3-CMOS HDV Camcorder
tHigh-Definition Resolution
(1440x1080) Recording
t3x 1/4” with 2.1k Megapixel
ClearVid CMOS Sensors
t20x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* HighDef. Optical Zoom Lens
tExpanded HD Focus Indicator
tSmooth Slow Recording Mode:
Great for Viewing, or Analyzing
Footage Slowly
t3.5” Wide ClearPhoto LCD
tHDMI Interface Output
60GigaBytes
XL2
HVR-A1U
Most orders shipped
within 24 hours
Overnight service
available
All items are complete
with all accessories
as supplied by
manufacturer.
Used equipment
bought, sold,
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HDR-FX7
Equipment leasing
available
© 2009 B&H Foto &
Electronics Corp.
Page 2
HVR-HD1000U
AG-HMC70U
DV_02_09_
1/20/09
3:49 PM
Page 27
HVR-V1U
#SOHVRV1U
3-CMOS Pro HDV Camcorder
tHigh-Definition Advanced
1080/24P Pro Camcorder
t1920x1080p Resolution
with 4:2:2 Color Space
tProgressive Scan CCD Records to
Tape 1080/60i/24P/30P
t3x 1/4” 3-ClearVid CMOS Sensors
t20x HD Carl Zeiss
Vario-Sonnar T* lens
tHDMI & USB Outputs
tLarge 3.5” 16:9 LCD
tDual XLR Mic Input
AG-HMC150
#PAAGHMC150
3-CCD Pro SD/SDHC Camcorder
t3 1/3” progressive CCD sensors
tRecords HD 1080/60i/30p/24p,
720/60p,30p,24p formats
tSolid-State HD recording onto SD/
SDHC media (21 Mpbs - 1920x1080)
tIn-camera Waveform monitor
Vectorscope and two Focus assist
displays
tLeica Dicomar13x wide zoom lens
tTime/date stamp (legal depositions)
tDual XLR audio inputs
#PAAGHPX170
P2HD Pro Solid-State Camcorder
tTwo P2 card slots recording HD
(1080i and 720p) and SD (480i) f
t20 variable frame rates
t3 1/3” progressive CCD sensors
tHD/SD-SDI output
t13X Leica Dicomar wide zoom lens
tEnhanced metadata management
tDual XLR inputs
t3.5” LCD monitor
tIn-camera Waveform monitor
Vectorscope and two Focus assist
HDR-FX1000
#SOHDRFX1000
t3- 1/3” (1.2 MP) ClearVid CMOS
sensors with Exmor Technology
tSony G-series extra-low dispersion
20x optical zoom lens
tExtended dynamic range
t24p and 30p progressive
scan recording
t3.2” XtraFine LCD with 921k pixels
tRecords HDV (HD) and MiniDV (SD)
tHD focus assist feature
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AG-HPX170
HVR-Z5U
#SOHVRZ5U
t3 Sony ClearVid 1/3-inch CMOS
sensors with Exmor technology
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(29.5mm wide-end)
tNative (24p/24A/30p) progressive
Scan recording
tDirect connectivity to Sony’s HVRMC1K flash memory recorder
tRecords HDV/DVCAM/MiniDV
tDual XLR inputs, SMPTE timecode
t3.2” XtraFine LCD with 921k pixels
tCinema Tone Gamma and Color
#CAXHA1S
3-CCD Pro HDV Camcorder
tTrue 1080 High-Definition
Resolution Video at 60i,
30F or 24F Frame Rates
t3x 1/3” Native 16:9 CCD’s
with 1.67 Megapixels Each
tExternal AF Sensor for Fast
and Accurate Focus in HD
t20x HD Professional
L Series Fluorite Lens
tDIGIC DV II HD Image Processor
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Source
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bhphotovideo.com
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Lens Mount
t1080, 24p and 30p Native
Progressive Recording
tCompactFlash Card Slot
t12x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
tDown-convert HD to SD
tHDMI & i.LINK Interface
XL-H1A / H1S
#CAXLH1A / CAXLH1S
3-CCD Pro HDV Camcorders
t1/3” native 16:9 CCD with
1.67M pixels (1440 x 1080)
tCanon DIGIC DV II HD
image processor
tInterchangeable lens mount
tCanon 20x HD O.I.S. video zoom
lens III with pro L series fluorite
tSuper-Range optical stabilization
tSelectable Frame Rates: 24F, 30F, 60i
tXL-H1S Step-up: SDI 1080i
uncompressed 1920 x 1080 output
Time Code I/O with Genlock
t Support, before
and after sale
t Online live support
t Massive online presence
t Huge inventory available
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t Educate yourself
in our product
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GY-HD200UB
#JVGYHD200UB
3-CCD Pro HDV Camcorder
tFull-frame 720p/60 imaging and
real 24p 720p HD recording
t3x 1/3” enhanced 720p HD image
sensors w/1280 x 720 resolution
tEnhanced cinema gamma
tInterchangeable lens mount (1/3”)
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720/24p, 25p, 30p, 50p, and 60p
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#PAAGHVX200A
3-CCD Pro DVCPRO HD
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4:2:2 Recording to P2 Cards
tHigh-Definition 1080 and
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tVariable Frame Rates
t3x 1/3” 16:9 Progressive Sensors
tLeica Dicomar HD Lens
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tTwo P2 Card Slots
tRecord DVCPRO 50/25, MiniDV
t3.5” LCD Monitor
PMW-EX1
#SOPMWEX1
XDCAM EX Solid State
High-Definition Camcorder
tSxS Memory Card Recording
w/800Mbps Data Transfer
t1/2-inch Exmor 3 CMOS Sensors
t1080i/720p Switchable
tMultiple-Frame Recording
tMPEG-2 Long GOP CODEC
tY)%'VKJOPO-FOTtw-$%
tFull Manual Focus Ring
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FireWire I/O, 2x External Mic In
#SOPMWEX3
XDCAM EX Solid State
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tInterchangeable 1/2” bayonet lens
mount, incl. Fujinon 14x5.8 lens
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that shoot full raster 1920x1080
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tRecording on removable SxS
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/54$TUBOEBSETt)JSFTw-$%
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Page 3
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DV 101
Page 28
BY JAY HOLBEN
STEADY AS SHE GOES
THOUGHTS ON THE USE OF CAMERA STABILIZERS.
I
clearly remember the first time I saw
gravity for fluid operation, a gimbal head
Tobias Heilman, who gave me my first
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining on TV (I
at the center of gravity, an iso-elastic arm
experience operating a Steadicam.
was only 8 years old when it was
to isolate the operator’s body movements
released theatrically). I was 14 and had
from the camera, a counterbalance, and
been making my own “movies” for years.
the weight-distribution body harness. The
Watching the horrifying film, I was comharness is part of what separates the highpletely blown away by the camera operaend systems from the inexpensive ones.
tion. How on earth did that camera follow
As exemplified by Garrett Brown’s
little Danny Torrance’s Big Wheel so
original creation, the Steadicam harness
smoothly throughout the haunted
distributes the combined weight of the
Overlook Hotel?! My own experience with
camera, rig and monitor to the operator’s
makeshift camera dollies of all kinds had
shoulders and waist. There is nearly no
taught me how difficult it was to move a
strain on the operator’s arms, leaving his
camera smoothly without track. Obviously,
hands as mere tools to refine the compoKubrick and cinematographer John Alcott,
sition and operation. Distributing the
BSC were not using dolly track, as the
weight of camera and rig to the body
camera was following directly behind the
allows for greater control, smoother camBig Wheel and you could see the floor all
era shots and more operation stamina.
the way down the halls. With the wide
There are several manufacturers that
lens choice, you could also see the ceilmake body-harness stabilization tools,
ings, so no track was mounted above,
which include Steadicam’s Ultra, Archer,
either. And there was no way they were
Clipper, Flyer and Pilot; Glidecam’s Gold, X
using a free-wheeling dolly, as Danny’s Big Wheel rapidly travels
and V series; VariZoom’s Black Hawk, FlowCam, Aviator and
from hardwood to carpet flooring over and over again (creating an
ProLite; Sachtler’s Artemis line; and Movcam’s Pro, Avant, and
incredibly iconic hmmmm-thumpthump-wrrrrrrrrr-thumpthumpknight series, among others. Each successive model/series from an
hmmmmm sound).
individual manufacturer is designed for use with a different weight
At that time, the Internet was a mere sci-fi dream, so finding
class of camera systems. The top-of-the-line systems, such as the
answers to my cinematographic questions in Scottsdale, Arizona,
Steadicam Ultra, Glidecam Gold, VariZoom Black Hawk and
was no small feat. If the solution couldn’t be found in my small
Movcam Pro-Max, are for use with film cameras or large HD sysstockpile of American Cinematographer magazines, chances were
tems, generally above 25 lb. The small end, Steadicam Pilot,
that “The Curious Case of the Big Wheel Dolly Move” would
Glidecam X-10, VariZoom ProLite and Movcam knight D201 are all
remain a mystery.
designed for small camcorder systems, generally less than 8 lb.
Alas, it wasn’t until several years later that I read about cineAll of these systems include the four principal components:
matographer, operator and inventor Garrett Brown, who created
modified center of gravity, gimbal head, iso-elastic spring counteran incredible tool called the Steadicam. Aha! That’s how The
weight system and a body harness. It is the combination of these
Shining was shot!
elements that makes for the best camera stabilizer. These are, of
The primary attribute of any stabilization system or tool is to
course, going to be the most expensive options, but — in qualified
isolate any external movement from affecting the camera’s movehands — will always yield superior results.
ment. In terms of body-mounted or handheld stabilizers, the priNext in line of both effectiveness and cost are non-body harness
mary goal is to isolate the movement of the operator’s body as
gimbal stabilizers, such as the Steadicam Merlin and Steadicam JR,
they walk or run (most notably the vertical movement that is nearGlidecam 4000 and 2000, VariZoom FlowPod and Ultralight, and
ly impossible to eliminate when one shifts weight from one foot to
Movcam Handfinder 190 and 350. These systems forgo the body
the other while walking).
harness and iso-elastic arm and require the operator to handhold
When considering a stabilization tool for your own camera, the
the entire rig, taking all of the weight of the camera and stabilizer
first choice should always be a body-harness system. A full-bodyon his arms. Not only does this become very fatiguing very quickly,
harness system has four major components: a shifted center of
but it also eliminates one of the principal benefits to a camera sta-
28
dv February 2009
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4:37 PM
Page 29
bilizer tool: isolating the operaManfrotto/Bogen. The Fig Rig
tor’s movements from the camdisperses the camera’s weight latera. These simplified rigs are
erally by putting the camera in
merely a step up from my old
the center of a steering-wheelfriend’s hand-carried tripod techlike configuration where each
nique as they alter the camera’s
hand is off to the side of the
center of gravity to a more neucamera. This device, although
tral position and they incorporate
incredibly fatiguing to hold for
a gimbal handle for more fluid
any length of time, is surprisingly
movement of the camera.
effective to smooth out handheld
Products in the third category
camera operation. A similar
Sachtler’s Artemis stabilizer system device is the Quad-Pod, which
of camera stabilizers are the most
features a carbon-fiber arm.
simplified, eliminating the body
has two handles set out at nearly
harness weight distribution, isolating arm and gimbal to merely
shoulder distance apart, with the camera mounted at various
alter the center of gravity to allow for more fluid operation.
positions between them. This final rig borders on the edge
These are the least expensive, yet least functional of the stabilizbetween handheld stabilizer and shoulder-mounted rigs, which
ers. The PanPilot or StabilizerFLEX are two non-gimbal versions,
are not stabilizers but merely weight-distribution systems.
and there are many, many online articles on DIY stabilizers, most
It’s important to note that with any stabilizer, high-end expenof which are just variations of the old tripod technique
sive model with all the bells and whistles or cheap DIY model, take
(www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam for example). Some DIY
time and practice to understand and operate properly. No tool is
models do incorporate a gimbal handle and, if you look hard
going to solve your stabilization needs all by itself. All of them will
enough, you can find a full DIY rig with isolating arm and body
require refined operator skill to make them function, and it
harness (such as www.codydeegan.com).
behooves any owner/operator of any stabilization tool to spend as
One variation of the center-of-gravity change is the innovamuch time — away from the actual shoot — practicing their opertive Fig Rig, designed by director Mike Figgis and offered by
ation as possible. DV
ADVERTISER INDEX
COMPANY
COMPANY INDEX
PAGE
WEB SITE
Abe’s of Maine
21
abesofmaine.com
ADK Pro Audio
36
adkvideoediting.com
AJA
9
aja.com/keith
B&H
25-27
bhphotovideo.com
7
blackmagic-design.com
Epson America
15
discproducer.epson.com
2009 Government Video Expo
35
gvexpo.com
Litepanels
19
litepanels.com
Matrox
23
matrox.com/video
NAB Association
13
nabshow.com
5
newtek.com/goplaces
11
primera.com
2-3
sony.com/prohdna
30-31
varizoom.com
17
www.videoguys.com
BlackMagic Design
NewTek
Primera Technology
Sony Electronics
Varizoom
Videoguys
Adobe...22; American Grip...10;
Anton/Bauer...8; Apple...20, 22, 34;
Avatron...24; Aviom...20; Bantam Street...14;
Blackmagic Design...34; Bogen...28;
Canon...14; Cardellini...10; Dakota
Pictures...19; Data Robotics...34;
DreamWorks Animation...12; Event...34;
Gallery...20; Glidecam...28; HandsfreeTransporter...18; HP...12; Ikan...12; JVC...12;
Lectrosonics...20; Lee Filters...10; Lindcraft
Grip Supply...10; Litepanels...19;
Manfrotto...28; Marshall Electronics...12;
Matthews Studio Equipment...10; MAudio...34; Microsoft...22; Movcam...28;
Other World Computing (OWC)...34;
Panasonic...12, 14, 18; Panavision...15;
PanPilot...29; Pixell...20; Professional Sound
Corp....20; PureTracks...22; Quad-Pod...29;
RealNetworks...22; RED Digital Cinema...18;
RGEAR...20; Rosco Laboratories...19;
Sachtler...28; Segway...18; Sennheiser...20;
Shure...20; Sonnet Technologies...34; Sony
Creative Software...22; Sony
Electronics...12, 15; Spyderco...10;
StabilizerFLEX...29; Steadicam/Tiffen...16,
28; VariZoom...28; Wohler...12; Yamaha...20
DV_02_09_
1/20/09
4:23 PM
Page 30
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BUYERS MARKET
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dv February 2009
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Page 33
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dv February 2009
33
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2:52 PM
Page 34
PRODUCTION DIARY
THREE FEET UNDER
IT WAS WORKING UNTIL I FIXED IT
Twin 1978 Ampex VPR2 1" machines at Sargent’s London facility back when, and
(inset) Sargent and Scout under the table in his lifeless edit suite.
S
AN RAFAEL, CA. DECEMBER 2008.
I had a client coming in at 10 a.m.
today. It’s now 11. I phone. Nope —
just an answering machine. “Hi Peter, where
are you?” I e-mail. “Did you think it was at
YOUR place?” Zilch. What to do?
I know, I’ll fix the M-Audio thingy that lets
me monitor 5.1 audio. I spent a small fortune
on the three Event Studio Precision 6 active
monitors and the middle one is just sitting
there unused — an embarrassment. Dolby
5.1 here I come!
I met Ray at NAB, maybe in 1978: “Ray,
what are you doing here by yourself?”
“Someone has to be here — they’re all at
lunch,” he said.
“I just bought six of your units for our
new Ampex 1" VPR2 machines — they really
need noise reduction.”
“Bad?”
“No, unacceptable.”
“My guys should get onto to that —
thanks for the tip. Ampex VPR2, is that right?”
“My pleasure, Ray.” As a result, Dolby
noise reduction was built in to all future 1"
C-format machines.
34
dv February 2009
THOSE WERE THE DAYS
In the old days when I had neat and tidy
video facility companies in London, I’d pick
up the phone and call the engineering
department. “Martin, it’s Studio B, we need
the Dolby 5.1 working.”
“Yes boss, I’m on my way.”
I’d wander off to a Soho tapas and wine
bar knowing that Martin and his team would
sort it all out.
Back to 2008 and Chaos Manor. About
six months ago, my precious M-Audio 410
FireWire toy stopped for no reason at all. I
pulled it out, put it on a shelf and went back
to old-fashioned stereo. In the corporate
video world, no one gives a rat’s tooth about
5.1, so why bother?
I power it up and bingo, dialogue
works again. Damn, I can’t move my dialog
to Ch. 3, the center track. I create a new
timeline. Yeah, that has all six channels.
Copy and paste my old timeline on to it.
Move dialogue to Ch. 3. Success! I have
5.1 or, let’s be honest — I have left, right
and center. That’s Dolby 3.0.
BY STEFAN SARGENT
HUH? WHERE’S
THE PICTURE GONE?
But what’s this? My Sony HD monitor, fed
from a Blackmagic card, has no picture. I’ve
got my Dolby 3.0 going like a dream but no
video. Da little red lights on the monitor say
that the signal has gone AWOL. I check the
usual culprits. No dice. It should be working
but it ain’t. Nada.
Maybe I’ve pulled a wire out. Oh well,
Phuket (Thailand’s largest island). I’d better
sort out the mess.
It’s grim down here under the table. Lots
of cat fluff. She likes the heat of the MacPro
fans. What a mess. Two Sonnet enclosures
with five drives each. An OWC eSATA case
with two x 1TBs. A Drobo box with 5TBs.
The two Apple Cinema Displays, on the
desk up above, have spare USB and FW wires
going… nowhere. The breakout from the
Blackmagic card has an incredible 14 separate wires and connectors. Fourteen! I use
only three; the other 11 are wrapped around
a jumble of wires. Nothing for it — I rip everything out and start again.
Wires, cat fluff, redundant power leads,
my lost USB microphone… out, out, out!
SCOUT TO THE RESCUE
The downstairs tenant’s dog, Scout, arrives.
The owner’s gone to work; I’m wirer-upper
and dog sitter. My wife’s friend, Carolyn,
takes my photo. They both go out to lunch,
laughing. Big joke. I’m left alone on the floor
with Scout. Whaaaa! Come back, Martin.
Scout barks. Someone at the door. Oh,
no! My 10 a.m. client. Sheeeet!
“Hi, Peter, I thought you were coming in
at 10?”
“No; 12 noon. Didn’t you get my phone
message?”
“No. My edit suite is Phuketed. I can’t
show you anything.”
“How come?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Come back tomorrow?”
“Flying to London. I’m back on
December 20.”
“That’s the day I’m going to New York.”
“Adios, amigo.”
He leaves. I knew I shouldn’t have got up
this morning. It’s 12:30 and I need a drink. DV
www.dv.com
DV_02_09_
1/20/09
3:50 PM
Page 35
DV_02_09_
1/20/09
3:50 PM
Page 36

comedyjam a high-def comedyjam a high-def flight

Transcription

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