[Bob Cole]

[izoneguy] “We use it just for that purpose…
Using DVCPRO HD files in AE on a PC.”

I’d like to edit in FCP using DVCProHD, export DVCProHD files to a format I can use on a PC, treat that file in After Effects, then render to DVCProHD again so I can use the After Effects-treated file in FCP.

Can Raylight go both from and to DVCProHD?

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Mike Most] “you might want to look at Digital Rapids’ cards. They’re very affordable and do the job in real time.”

I second that opinion. I have a Digital Research card and like it a lot. I’ve tried both ways, and if you have a lot of encoding to do, a real-time hardware solution is fantastic. You can even make several files at once, for DVD, broadband, and dialup.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Does anybody make a desk which changes height, so that one could edit either sitting or standing?

I don’t recall who posted this, but someone commented that his backaches disappeared when he got rid of his chair and edited standing up. I suspect it would be beneficial to spend part of the day sitting, part standing. Something about sitting for 10+ hours doesn’t seem healthy.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Leo Ticheli] “I prefer the Biax 8 from Mole Richardson;”

Leo, does the Biax 8 have the same “feature” as the Kino Flo: bulbs in pairs, if either bulb (or socket) is bad, neither one lights up?

I’d like a Biax 8 for interviews, if for no other reason than that I could then move the fixture farther away from the subject and still have enough light. A lot of my interview setups resemble Spanish Inquisition torture scenes. (“Okay, you see that tiny spot surrounded by lights and stands and reflectors… That’s where you sit, and RELAX.”)

In your experience, working with non-professionals, do you have some personal rules about how close you are willing to place the key to the subject — sheerly for the sake of a comfortable, relaxed environment for the interview?

One more random question: it’s commonly said in favor of fluorescent keys, that the light falls off more rapidly from them as opposed to Chimeras, thus enabling you to control the light on the background. Why is this so? I can’t understand the reason for this.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Jerry Hofmann] “Make sure you’re running all the latest software. 5.1.2, QT 7.1.3, OS 10.4.8 for starters.”

Have done all that. Maybe this is a MacPro issue.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Ty Ford] “Is that so wrong!?!? :)”

Almost got it, Ty. You should buy a great key light, scrounge for the rest if you have to because they just do not matter as much.

1. Key light (soft) using either fluorescents or Chimera with a cheap open-face fixture.
2. No need for fill light. Use reflector — even a white board is okay.
3. Hair or backlight optional. Little fresnel is great for this.
4. Light for background optional. My choice (from advice on this forum)= Source 4.

ANY artificial light is optional. You can sit your subject next to a nice big window and shoot.

When I was primarily a producer, I hired a great film shooter who came to an interview with a carload of lighting gear. He took one look at the nice big window, put camera on tripod, said, “Ready.” It looked beautiful.

And for Gods sake make sure the microphone is not in the shot. How often do I have to tell the sound guy to get that thing up higher….

[Bob Cole]

[Leo Ticheli] “Ty, if you can rent or borrow a kit, or better yet, work with someone proficient with the lamps, you’ll be able to find the system that works best for you. If you are in my area, you’re welcome to come to my studio and play to your heart’s content. Surely others at the Cow would be glad to help you.”

Good advice. I volunteer too.

[Leo Ticheli] “I don’t know whether you made a typo or the ultimate put-down of poor Ty! Still trying to figure this one out, “as a shooter he’s the ultimate sound man.” I’m sure you didn’t mean it the way it sounded, but I do plan to use it in my bag of jokes!”

Yeah, it was a joke. For those who do not know, Ty has literally written the book on audio and is a fantastically skilled sound man. Unfortunately he also has an unquenchable appetite for trouble, I mean, for more knowledge.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Ty Ford] “operating instructions that demanded that the tubes be oriented so that the “bottom” of the tube was “up.””

Kino says you should tilt the fixture so the tube’s bottom is higher than the tip, to keep mercury away from the cathodes and maintain better color stability. Lowel’s Caselite alternates the tops and bottoms of its lamps, so that would not be possible with a Lowel.

Leo’s right about the price of the Diva by itself, but with bulbs, accessories, case, it’s going to cost several hundred more.

I would like to point out to the lighting expert community that Ty is a good friend of mine, and that as far as I know, as a shooter, he is a fantastic sound man.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Raymond Motion Pictures] “How can I get the diamonds to sparkle as they turn?”

Very similar to something I did, turntable and all. I tried star and chromatic filters over the lens, which looked okay, but not great. The emotional resonance of seeing something sparkle somehow exceeded the actual sparkle that the camera recorded.

In the end I cheated and did this in post. If you use After Effects there are a number of filters available (for extra $ in some cases) which will allow you to dial in a sparkle to your heart’s content.

— Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Has anybody here done a head-to-head comparison between software uprezzing and Kona 3’s?

— Bob C