time code generator

[Richard Crowley]

Everything drifts. Every camera, every recorder, every “reference clock”. It is a matter of SYNCHRONIZING the different clocks together so that they are all “on the same page”. Most higher-end pro cameras have internal clocks that are typically accurate enough to go for 4 hours or even 8 hours before drifting too far (more than perhaps 3-4 frames). So it is a matter of taking the reference (in your case your SD 633) and jam-syncing each camera to it before you start shooting for the morning (or afternoon).

It would certainly be advisable to set up all the cameras and jam sync them to the SD 633 and let them run for as long as your recording media holds out. Then go back and analyze the recorded video tracks and see how much drift each camera has. That will give you a reference point how often you need to jam sync the cameras.

The length of the BNC cable is of no significance. It doesn’t matter whether you use a 6-inch cable or a 60-foot cable. And especially when you are using the same cable to sync all the cameras. If you had a cable length of several MILES you might even be a whole frame off. But, of course, the timecode signal wouldn’t survive several miles of cable losses. Electricity travels through cables typically at 70% ~ 80% the speed of light.

You did not disclose what kind of production you are preparing for? Is it “reality” where you are shooting unscripted, unrehearsed, reacting to real-world events? Or do you have the luxury of “slating” each “take”. Even with timecode the slate (and the clap-stick reference) make breaking down and cataloging the clips and editing ever so much easier.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Brian Reynolds]

You can sync from ANY time code generator….. Just pick the one you want to call ‘master’ and therefore ALL the others are slaves and must take the code from that master.

In the ‘old days’ often camera to camera was used to sync (again one master and the others are slaves) often no audio recorder was used, the audio was just split across the many camera audio tracks available.

I have even done shoots where the cameras started in different locations / cities at the start of the day, what we did was set the time code the same as the time read on a Telco dial in service. And yes there was a difference of about a second or so between cameras… BUT that difference was constant for the entire day, a simple ‘offset’ for that camera was entered into the timeline during editing…. simple.

The drift people refer to is (PER 24 hr period)…. shoot for 12 hrs the drift would be half of the errors of a 24 hr period. Shoot for 6 hrs then that would be 1/4 of 24hrs. etc etc.

Im only suggesting a 2m cable as it will fit neatly into a case or bag.

Just something else if you have a crew logging the shoot then all they need to use is a standard wrist watch to quote a Timecode time. The time code will be or should be set to ‘time of day’.