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production values
Gidday,
I’m after advice on how to up the current production values that I operate under. We’re using a Sony Z1 and editing on FCP on a G5 Power PC dual 2G with 4G RAM. Often media is coming from a RAID0 Maxtor hard drive through 8oo firewire. There’s no broadcast monitor. Mostly doing low level TVC’s and Corporate DVD’s. It’s not too bad, but I’m frustrated that the end result is never as clear and crisp, with better quality that I see other production companies are achieving. I’m wondering which direction to go – a better graphics card? different camera? I shoot the TVC’s in HDV and the corporates in DV Cam, both are rendered to uncompressed 10 bit QT files, before going into compressor. I haven’t been doing this for 20 years through a variety of companies, or been through a University cinematography course, so my experience is a bit limited, but not completely zero!
Any advice from anyone?
bb -
15 Replies
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first question, do your graphics/titles look just as good on the DVD as they do the timeline? Its very difficult to judge that without a broadcast monitor though.
As long as you are not shooting the cineframe mode on the Z1 and you have good lighting, it should look very close to what an SD Digibeta camera could deliver on a DVD.
describe a typical work flow with as many details as you can list.
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Graphic card has nothing to do with this so you don’t need to think of that, for this problem at least.
One thing that has a lot to do with final quality is how well you light your seen. If it is not well light you will fight it the entire way. The only way to judge lighting on the set is to have a production monitor hooked up to your camera.
If you post a link to a sample of your work you maybe able to get more detailed suggestions.
Better production practices go further than better equipment.
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Great post, thankyou. You’re quite on the money, I am fighting the light in alot of my stuff. Some scenes turn out great, others are complete rubbish. A bit hit and miss really. It’s a good place for me to start.
Thanks for that. -
I read this book awhile back and thought it was great. Handles the why as well as the how to light. Once again lighting knowledge is more important than expensive light kits.
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0966250400/lowellight-20
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[Michael Sacci] “Better production practices go further than better equipment.”
AMEN AMEN & AMEN
So many people think that big spendy equipment, will automatically make your end product look professional.
For example a couple of years back I worked for a guy that thought he was hot stuff because he owned a Varicam, yet his composition was greatly lacking, and he would also break the 180 degree rule with out knowing it, therefor his edits were confusing because people would suddenly change screen direction. (yes I know that it is OK to break the rules, but if you do you should at least be aware that you are doing it.
[Michael Sacci] “If you post a link to a sample of your work you maybe able to get more detailed suggestions. “
Yea we really need to see some of your work before we can say what is really lacking in your “production value”
Don’t let technology get in the way of your creativity!
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Thanks for that. The titles done in Boris on FCP seem to come out very well, rendering 10 bit uncompressed. Photoshopped graphics don’t fare all that well, I’m bringing them into FCP as psd, although recently I’ve been trying them as png files. But whether to deinterlace or not—-I don’t know! It’s the footage that seems to suffer the most.
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I’ve got a bit of work that I’m having trouble with – I think it will probably illustrate what you guys are getting at.
Thing is – how do I post it here and in what format? -
[Zane Barker] “he would also break the 180 degree rule with out knowing it, therefor his edits were confusing because people would suddenly change screen direction. (yes I know that it is OK to break the rules, but if you do you should at least be aware that you are doing it.
““Crossing the line,” “dutch angles,” odd lighting choices… can all be tools for setting a specific tone or mood.
If done unintentionally, they can be very destructive to the intended mood… even if the viewer doesn’t exactly know why.
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Hey
dont forget the old school rule of thumb:
“If you break a rule once its a mistake, twice its a bad mistake, three times its art”
🙂
bee eph
“I like video because its so fast!”
Bob Flood
Greer & Associates, Inc. -
One of the best ways to upgrade your production values is to improve your lighting and composition. Another great way is to improve your sound. Taking a quick peek at your website, it looks like you already know something about audio.
Does anyone offer any lighting or production workshops in your area? If so, take some.
Do you have a good tripod? Access to a decent dolly, jib arm, steady-cam, shoulder mount? Anything is better than hand holding a small camera.
And hook a video monitor up to your Mac! It’s the best way to evaluate the quality of your picture and graphics all throughout the post process. You should also have a decent monitor on set to evaluate focus, composition & lighting.
[Brian Baker] “Thing is – how do I post it here and in what format?”
Post a quicktime on your website & post the link here.
Arnie
Now in post: Peristroika, a film by Slava Tsukerman
https://www.arniepix.com/blog
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