Recording to FS-100 and archiving

[Greg Beckt]

Hi Randolph…good thread!

I produce some short corporate “documentaries” and I’m in the same boat. Would love to have the format versatility of this camera but the size/costs of the P2 cards are a concern. I typically shoot about 2 hours worth of interviews and approx. 60 minutes of B-Roll a day. I’ll be watching any storage announcements closely over the next few months. We plan on purchasing a new camera late summer.

Also curious how folks are archiving their footage and if you’re able to easily create subclips to reduce the amount of on-line material and archiving.

Greg

[Edward Randolph]

Thanks Greg,
I believe it’s a legitimate concern and I’m sure I’m not the only one being “vocal” about it. I don’t think P2 cards are a workable solution for documentary films, at this time. They probably work fine for narative indie films where, if you were using 35mm film and 400 ft. reels, your shoot time would be about 4 minutes/reel.
I run a small organization where frequently, I am a one man crew; the grip, cameraman and interviewer on site. To use P2 cards, at this stage, I would have to have the camera locked down on sticks and every 8 minutes change a card from the camera to the laptop and back again, all of the time giving my sympathetic attention to the interviewee to keep them talking. When people praise the long term money saving over tape, they don’t include the extra person I have to hire to go along just to swap cards.
It’s great technology. It’s just not mature enough and cost effective yet for documentaries.

[Shane Ross]

Making a blanket statement that the P2 cards aren’t a workable solution for documentaries isn’t wise. For YOUR situation…where you are a one person crew…it isn’t. But I am working on a documentary right now and I ca tell you that it was very workable. But we had a larger crew and could dedicate a person to do this. More often than not it was the producer/director, as the DPs managed the recreations after he gave them direction. But it is a very viable solution.

The article that Panasonic wrote on us and our experiences withthe camera (we got the first two on the west coast and were using them 2 days later) can be found here:

https://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11
301&catalogId=13251&itemId=97145&modelNo=Content04112006041810776&surfModel=
Content04112006041810776

Shane

Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net

[Edward Randolph]

mea maxima culpa
I apologize Shane. Thank you for telling the other side from your real world experience.
I should have said “unworkable for documentaries I am now producing.”
Not only are the interview shoots usually one or two man(or woman) operations, but I am frequently shooting from horseback, moving vehicles or aircraft.
I’m sure when the P2s get to 32 or 64GB, I will sing a different tune.
Peace brother.

[Shane Ross]

And thank you for posting the issues you have in your shooting workflow. It is good to know all the types of productions there are out there and what workflows are needed to facilitate them. In you situation, obviously the P2 cards will be cumbersome. A firestore or Cineporter will be your better option.

I wish I had one to play with and report on. But then again, I don’t have the cameras either….my producer does. I just worked with them and the footage. I wish I could hold onto a camera to play with…but I understand him not wanting to loan me a $10k camera setup for playing around with.

Shane

Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net

[Edward Randolph]

Shane,
Thank you SO much for mentioning the Cineporter. I had heard the name, but thought it was just another Firestore wannabe. I had just been thinking that what I REALLY wanted was a 2.5″ hard drive in an enclosure with a PCMCIA type card that fit in the P2 port. When I saw Cineporter in your post, I thought, “Shane wouldn’t mention that unless it was something worth looking at.”
I looked and read all of the posts I could find. I was amazed and, like everyone else, can hardly wait until they are avaiable. Most of the advantages of P2 AND longer recording times. I can’t quite find out if it keeps the 24PN advantage but I hope it’s everthing else they say it will be. I’d rather have it than the FS-100, but may not be able to wait.

[Shane Ross]

The reason I am anxiously awaiting the Cineporter is that is is supposed to have the 24PN setting available to it. Because it connects to the P2 slots and not the firewire connection.

The only drawback being that the P2 door is now open all the time and susceptable to dust and dirt.

Shane

Alokut Productions
http://www.lfhd.net

[Edward Randolph]

“The only drawback being that the P2 door is now open all the time and susceptable to dust and dirt.”
Shane

Then we should put in the suggestion to include a rubber plug that fits on their interface cable that covers the whole P2 opening. Or at least a PCMCIA size plug to cover the othe P2 slot if not in use.

[Barry Green]

Keep an eye on nNovia as well; they’ve apparently talked about having an HVX-compatible HD recording system on the market within a couple of months or so.

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