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  • Best looking HD “by far”

    Posted by Walter Biscardi on November 10, 2006 at 1:52 pm

    Just had to share this with the forum and the folks in the AJA forum because it’s something I’m mighty darn proud of.

    We sent off a test HD master to a new International HD network that will be launching next week. Got word this morning that it’s the best looking HD they’ve ever seen. That’s on top of a US Network telling us last year that our HD work is the best they are receiving, “by far.”

    So a big Thank You to the folks at Apple and AJA for giving us the tools that allow us to compete with much larger HD Post facilities. We’re just a small shop in a very large pond and it’s nice to know that our quality not only holds up to stringent network Quality Control checks, but is singled out as an example of what HD should look like.

    With all the negative issues we get on this forum every day, thought it would be nice to share some positive news. Feel free to add your own positive stories to this thread.

    Walter Biscardi, Jr.
    https://www.biscardicreative.com
    HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
    HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

    “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

    Michael Gissing replied 19 years, 6 months ago 6 Members · 10 Replies
  • 10 Replies
  • Shane Ross

    November 10, 2006 at 2:02 pm

    Great news Walter.

    I too used the Kona products for our output of The Mexican American War for the History Channel and it passed QC without one picture note (the only notes referred to issue with closed captioning). And the engineers were very pleased with the result, and surprised at our workflow.

    The AJA folks (with the urging of Jon Thorn) made sure to add functionality to the Kona 3 to upconvert 720p to 1080p on the fly in real time, specifically because our delivery specs changed MIDWAY THRU THE SHOW from a 720p master to a 1080p master. AJA heard our dilemma and produced a card and firmware that solved it…because they knew more and more networks would be demanding 1080p masters…and that our workflow would become more and more common.

    So, not to steal Walter’s thunder or anything, but I too wanted to pat AJA on the back and thank them for making my life easier.

    Shane

    Littlefrog Post
    http://www.lfhd.net

  • Walter Biscardi

    November 10, 2006 at 2:04 pm

    [Shane Ross] “AJA heard our dilemma and produced a card and firmware that solved it…because they knew more and more networks would be demanding 1080p masters…and that our workflow would become more and more common.”

    Absolutely a HUGE improvement from AJA. One of our shows is shot in 720p and we’re able to deliver a 1080i master directly from that timeline thanks to AJA. Great point to mention and congrats on the History Channel work!

    Walter Biscardi, Jr.
    https://www.biscardicreative.com
    HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
    HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

    “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

  • Uli Plank

    November 10, 2006 at 2:14 pm

    We don’t own AJA, but a few Sony FX-1 and Z-1s, and we finished a project for an important German government authority last week. It was shot by Christoph Janetzko, our lecturer in camerawork, a very experienced DOP with 15 years of work in 35mm film behind him (he even has works of his in the collection of the NY MOMA).

    It was transferred to 35mm by one of the most well-respected facilities in Europe, located in Berlin, and the first screening to the client was in a cinema in Babelsberg normally used by major European film productions for client presentation. All those present said it looked like good Super 16 and were very surprised to find out that it was shot on HDV!

    So, a good cameraperson who really knows how to handle the limitations of HDV can truly compete in this field with others who own equipment worth a hell of a lot more…

    Regards,

    Uli

    Author of “DVDs gestalten und produzieren”, a book on professional DVD-authoring in German.

  • Walter Biscardi

    November 10, 2006 at 2:16 pm

    [Uli Plank] “So, a good cameraperson who really knows how to handle the limitations of HDV can truly compete in this field with others who own equipment worth a hell of a lot more…”

    You hit it right on the head. No matter how good the equipment is and how much emphasis people put on particular equipment, it all comes down to the people who operate it.

    Walter Biscardi, Jr.
    https://www.biscardicreative.com
    HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
    HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

    “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

  • Bob Flood

    November 10, 2006 at 4:26 pm

    thats great walter

    if the mythbusters and good eats is any indication of your work, i can see where your “bar” is set pretty high, so i am sure you would not be turning out any bad mediocre or evem good stuff. it would all be rockin!

    so why not share with us your workflow? waht cameras, vtrs, and codecs?

    puhleeze???

    bee eph

  • Walter Biscardi

    November 10, 2006 at 4:41 pm

    [Bob Flood] “if the mythbusters and good eats is any indication of your work,”

    I don’t work on mythbusters. Big fan as you can see by my quoting Adam, but we don’t work on that show.

    [Bob Flood] “so why not share with us your workflow? waht cameras, vtrs, and codecs?”

    If you have the latest Creative Cow Magazine, Tim Wilson did a complete overview of our Good Eats workflow.

    Walter Biscardi, Jr.
    https://www.biscardicreative.com
    HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
    HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

    “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

  • Chris Borjis

    November 10, 2006 at 5:26 pm

    Walter what tape format did you deliver that show on that impressed them?

    On a side note, I was watching good eats the other day for a minute and it looked like somebody went a little too far with the promist filter. It would have worked out if it was an “Alton Dreaming” sequence but this was just in the kitchen.

  • Bob Flood

    November 10, 2006 at 5:48 pm

    walter

    thanx!

    bee eph

  • Walter Biscardi

    November 10, 2006 at 7:33 pm

    [Borjis] “Walter what tape format did you deliver that show on that impressed them?”

    DVCPro HD for the international HD network.

    Food Network still gets HDCAM masters.

    Walter Biscardi, Jr.
    https://www.biscardicreative.com
    HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
    HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”

    “I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters

  • Michael Gissing

    November 11, 2006 at 5:09 am

    Mythbusters looks good cause it is PAL and post produced in Australia.

    I agree with the comment that the people who make the best of any technology are the key ingredient.

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