Bill Davis
Forum Replies Created
-
If you want high end, from buyout to full scoring – try Grooveworks – (formally GrooveAddicts) in LA.
They’re one of the hottest shops in LA right now, scoring the BIG commercials and stuff like Deal or No Deal’s sound packages.
Good luck.
UPDATE:
I just looked at the site and it appears the Groove Addicts buyout stuff was sold to NonStop – which is the Warner/Chappel music library. (The Groove Addicts guys appear to be doing ONLY custom scoring at the high end of the industry these days.The W/C library has all the excellent higher-end music I’ve been using for years, however.
Check it out here.
https://www.nonstopmusic.com/us/homepage.aspx
-
Sure.
File should be up at:
https://files.me.com/davisbill/0jlcg6.mov
Al,
It appears that I have to send this link to SOMEONE for it to remain on the file server.
If you want to respond with an email addy, I’ll post the link directly to that address.
Sorry for the confusion.
Actually, I think sending it to myself worked to keep it on the board.
Try this new link:
files.me.com/davisbill/znvt5l.movLet me know if it works
-
Sure.
File should be up at:
https://files.me.com/davisbill/0jlcg6.mov
Remember, this is native H264 from the camera. A fast mac with FCP *can* edit and work with it natively, but the process will be much less processor intensive and smoother if you transcode to ProRez 422 before you attempt to work with the file.
Good luck.
-
The RC-1 and RC-5 wireless remotes will trigger stills OR video from a 5d. I’d imagine the same works for the 7d.
If you need more “reach” there are a lot of wireless RC extender systems out there.
Also check out the Photex Cleon II which might be what you were originally looking for. I believe they’re shipping now.
Do a search under “Canon 7d remote control” and see what happens.
-
Not sure which effect you’re particularly talking about – but in general, that parody video uses club lighting as an overall theme.
The strongly backlit scenes have a lot of stuff going on.
Among them…
Theatrical effect (disco style) lights behind the characters. These create the multiple beams that break up the otherwise plain background.
in order to see these beams, you must inject particulates into the air in the form of smoke or fog. Without the smoke particles, you can’t see the beams and glows.
This needs to be balanced with front lighting to show the characteres faces.
The shot angles are also typically low camera angled up – to provide the characters with height and stature.
It’s nothing very complicated but I don’t know if there’s any particular “name” for it.
It’s rock band lighting 101. (or perhaps 201 since there obviously was a competent LD involved in the Sat. Night Live crew..) An attempt to make the band look like “stars” in a vibrant setting – precisely what the overall video is making fun of.
-
Generally speaking, ribbon mics, IMO have two dominant characteristics.
The FIRST is their sensitivity. A well designed ribbon will be VERY efficient at translating the pressure gradient waves of sound into electrical energy that can then be amplified and stored, or whatever.
The OTHER paired characteristic is their FRAGILITY. Traditionally, It’s VERY easy to F**k up a ribbon mic. You can do it by banging them against something. Dropping them. Even putting them in front of something that’s too loud.
That’s the story of CLASSIC ribbon mics. Modern versions MAY be different. I don’t know.
Back in the day, I also learned you can fry a ribbon mic them by applying an improper charge to the wrong circuits within the mic. Ribbons are often the star in stories where some poor sap wired the connector wrong – flipped on the circuit – and watched a puff of smoke rise because someone got the wiring wrong and sent the wrong voltage directly across the RIBBON.
All that said, this stuff is going to ENTIRELY depend on the design and craftsmanship of the folks creating the mic.
Your post indicated that the person who wants the mic is young.
I’d think that this mic type would be a POOR choice for someone young. This very BIASED view is based on the fact that I have a late teenager at home and HE can damage a HAMMER without trying very hard.
I wouldn’t expect a Ribbon mic to last more than a month in his hands.
Your kid may be the opposite. And these folks might have crossed a ribbon mic with a TANK for all I know.
But that’s my honest opinion on first hearing.
Good luck.
-
Not really thrilled with the current plot.
You’re setup is essentially 3 separate drivers license photos in action.
You might think of COMBINATIONS of people – which lets them interact more natrually.
First, which camera has the establishing wide shot. Knowing nothing about background and lighting and the hundred other things that can effect this – with nothing but the diagram to go on – I’d say your wide shot would balance best from between the jib and the Camera B position. Then pull out Cam 1 so that they have an angle on more than just “head on C” – you can get both an alternate 3 shot – a 2 shot of B+C as well as a single shot on C.
That leaves 3 to cover A&B for singles and the combo 2-shot.
All of this might change, however, if you have to SHOW THE MONITOR as well? If so, you MUST leave a shot so that we can see how the interviewees react to that – which might take a camera by itself – particularly if you want to orient the watchers in positions where you may have to “cross the line” to see the monitor/footage.
Just some thoughts.
-
Not to put to simple a point on this, but from the original post, it appears your problem might be something as simple as someone having skipped the all important step of setting up the mixer to a proper GAIN STRUCTURE.
For the new folks here – here are the steps. They are as REQUIRED for using an audio mixer, as setting a proper WHITE balance is to shooting proper video.
FIRST – and foremost – check that the channel strip INPUT PAD is set correctly – Mic level signals and Line level signals are VERY DIFFERENT in amplitude. If this initial strip control is set incorrectly, you WILL have a mess of a time setting up your gain structure. (Note: this COULD cause the specific symptoms in the original post in this thread -If the channel strip is expecting a LINE level signal but being fed a WAY too low Mic level – ONLY the last part of the log travel of the fader might provide enough boost to get the signal up to the correct range for output.
NEXT: turn the channel’s Trim Control to ZERO – (fully blocking any signal prior to delivering it to ANY fader, EQ, or GAIN slider in the channel strip) and bypass, zero out, or otherwise remove any EQ from that channel strip.
Then, present a KNOWN signal to the channel input – tone at 100% amplitude is IDEAL but music will do.
Then go back to the channel strip you’re setting and SET the gain of the channel slider PLUS, any subMasters and Master gain controls that you’ve assigned to the signal path – until they are in the OPTIMAL Signal passing position. (neither boosting or attenuating a signal) This is the U (unity gain) or *0* position – or perhaps the bold line in the middle of the shaded areas about 80% of the way up the slider travel path.
At this point, the board is set up to pass any signal presented to a channel perfectly – EXCEPT the signal is totally blocked at the channel strip entry point – the TRIM POT.
THEN and ONLY then, go back and slowly raise the trim pot on the channel strip until you have the signal registering at the proper level on the meters and you’re hearing the sound correctly at the monitor stage.
The point is that the “TRIM CONTROL” is set LAST. If you treat the “trim control” as “just another volume control” you’re screwing things up. Because it’s NOT. it’s the Initial signal GATEKEEPER of gain structure and unless each trim control is set properly by using the above step by step process – the entire board may not mix properly.
This is the BASIC step in setting a mixer up to maximize the signal to noise ratio or each channel strip and give you the best control over gain on all channels.
It means you aren’t presenting an overly strong OR weak signal to any channel strip.
The ONLY reason the nature of the trim pots range of control (log, or linear, or anything else) MATTERS is so you can get the signal into the right range for the channel strip to control.
If TRIM is not set properly – than it’s NOT the channel sliders fault if it reacts incorrectly in controlling gain.
AND just as anything but a calibrated monitor can FOOL YOU as to color balance in a video signal – an improperly calibrated mixing board can FOOL YOU into thinking that your signals are flakey.
For what it’s worth.
-
You do realize that you’ve just caused thousands of readers here to wonder if Calgon might be a University of Southern California project on public transport – or maybe a race of bad guys on Star Trek.
Sucks to be old. I know.
-
Want to know what the 5Dmk2 (plus FCP, largely) has done to the industry? It’s made equipment INCIDENTAL to the process of making videos.
Nobody will be paying a dime EXTRA for a specific camera soon. So if you are not charging for expertise over equipment now – you will be soon.
Right now, I understand that there are a MILLION FCP paid seats out there. Soon, the majority of them will be paired with cheap INCREDIBLE image producing cameras. So what sets you apart from the 25 other folks IN YOUR MARKET who have EXACTLY the same gear you have?
A – you have clients – or you don’t.
B – you have superior aesthetic/business/creative skills – or you don’t.
C – you have a REPUTATION for dependability, customer service, ethics, and overall ease of operation – or you don’t.That’s about IT.
When EVERYBODY has the gear – the only difference is who you are and how you play.
Your mileage WILL NOT vary from this in the future.
Sorry.