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Is this a growing trend?
I normally use my own SDHC memory chips when doing shoots for other people but recently I went to do some pickup shots with a producer that brought his own. I resisted that when talking to him prior to the shoot informing him that not all SDHC cards are compatible.
Sure enough I met him on location and he gave me what appeared to be 2 Trancend 32g units; but they didn’t have the word ‘Transcend’ on them – and they didn’t work, displaying first of all the ‘not formated’ message and then the ‘error formatting’ and finally “media (A) needs to be restored” message. I told him they were not compatible and he almost called me a liar. He told me they had been used before in the EX 1 so there must be something wrong with my camera. Hmmmmm….Luckily I had a pocket full of Transcend 16gigs so I proceeded to do the shoot and I could hear him protesting the whole time in the background (and you can here him on the playback).
So at the end of the shoot I transferred all that I had onto one of his 32g cards and bid him a fond farewell. When I got back to base I realised I still had his other 32g card so I put it away for when he calls me for it and so far he hasn’t so it will sit there and maybe I will use it to just transfer stuff around the office.
How do others handle shooting for 3rd parties? Do you sell them the SDHC cards, rent them for the period they need them, or what? Its not like the old days where they went away with a tape. Thus my pocket full of SDHC cards.
Baz
What would I do without the ‘UNDO’ button!!!!
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11 Replies
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It sounds like you did what we all would probably consider our instinct: iron out that detail in advance. It also looks like we techies aren’t the only ones that need to embrace some new conventions with tapeless!
Cf
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Good rule. Besides, it doesn’t matter how good of an excuse the producer or anyone else has…either the card works or it doesn’t. Time spent screwing around trying to make it work is billable, that’s something that may penetrate the fog in a hurry.
Cf
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My rule.
Since I am responsible for function of my camera then I alone decide whether a card is qualified to do go into it. If a client REFUSES that and their card doesn’t work that’s THEIR responsibility, they either pay for may solution or pay for the blown shoot.
They can provide NO PROOF the card worked elsewhere and certainly the card’s labeling offers no PROOF that it’s a Transcend card and may well be counterfeit. For all you know a real Transcend card was used/worked and then the client bought the counterfeit thinking it was the same.
Certainly the client can buy the card stock but it’s THEIR responsibility if they do. If I buy it, it’s MY responsibility.
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[Baz Leffler] “How do others handle shooting for 3rd parties?”
I will find out exactly what that 3rd party needs to edit the XDCAM EX footage I’m providing. Depending on the editing platform I will give them the copied BPAV folders on a small hard drive formatted in either NTFS or Mac OS Extended
or
USB flash drives if the total amount of storage required is small enough. Since I’m a Mac user I can even provide the re-wrapped MOV files if the client wishes it.I don’t use SDHC cards but if I did I’d bring my own and hand them over at the end of the day. Minimal charge as long as I got them back later. There are knock-off SDHC cards out there and I don’t trust that the 3rd party showing up with cards in their pocket will have reliable ones. My camera – my media. It’s like someone who’s bankrolling a film showing up on set with cans of 35mm bought from Joe’s Film Store and Hot Dog Stand because they were cheap.
Work everything out with the 3rd party before the shooting day to avoid a repeat of your scenario. Editing XDCAM EX footage is not as ground breaking today as it was a few months ago but it’s still pretty new. Make sure your 3rd party is aware a of all the requirements.
– Don
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[Baz Leffler] “How do others handle shooting for 3rd parties? Do you sell them the SDHC cards, rent them for the period they need them, or what? Its not like the old days where they went away with a tape. Thus my pocket full of SDHC cards. “
In some respects similar to Don with some more variations.
Burn BPAV to DVD and include ClipBrowser installer is most common for me. It’s cheaper than cards or hard drive, etc.I’d consider selling them the SDHC cards (I’d use Transcend 16GB SDHC Class 6) which really isn’t much different than tape when compared to HDCAM and it’s not much more than XDCAM disc. The client MUST understand these are NOT miniDV/HDV prices and you can’t compare. Certainly you can compare to DigiBeta too (in its early days/prices at least). Which brings me back to DVD which certainly is price competitive with miniDV. Two DL-DVD can hold almost one hour of video for around $4 of media give or take.
The choice is whether they need to leave shoot with video (more expensive cards, hard drive, etc) or can wait for me to burn the DVDs.
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Hey Craig, How do I transfer an 11GB BPAV folder to DVDs?
Thanks,
Jay
Jay Curlee
JC Communications
Makers of Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey
http://www.rockingtheboatmovie.com -
[Jay Curlee] “Hey Craig, How do I transfer an 11GB BPAV folder to DVDs? “
Use split function in ClipBrowser. It’s got a DL-DVD setting to ensure they’ll fit.
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You have to insist they use your cards- maybe not buy them but at least use them for the shoot. There’s a ton of SDHC cards that won’t do the trick- why hold up a shoot over a $50-100 item?
Noah
Check out my new RED Blog. Unlock the secrets of the DVX100, HVX200 and Apple Color.
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[Don Greening] “Joe’s Film Store and Hot Dog Stand”
Do you have an address for Joe. There’s a few people that I’d like to send over there.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD . -
Isn’t this the place?
Joe Girard
Freaky Beats & Eats Film Catering, Inc.
Vancouver – British ColumbiaI think it’s in Don’s ‘hood.
SDHC with spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut please.
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