[Bob Cole]

Thank you, Stan, Pablo. In CS 5.5, I’ve tried those strategies, but I still have the problem. I will be upgrading to CS 6, and that may solve it.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

I take it that the BMCC has full HDMI out.

You make a good point, and I can’t wait to try the BMCC. But (to digress) I find it disappointing that a number of new cameras, including the BMCC, with incredible technical qualities, also have very poor ergonomics (at least for handholding). It isn’t as if the right way to do this is unknown. But a camera like the Aaton, very popular in its day, apparently hasn’t left a lasting impression on designers. Remember the ad which showed a cat resting on the cameraman’s shoulder? I know there are shoulder mount cameras out there, but all the action seems to be in the boxy models, which belong either on a tripod or in some sort of supporting cage.

rant-over.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

There are lots of great bags now, but look at Thinktank. Not cheap, but not out of line for what you get, imho. They have really thought about “the bag,” and it shows.

I’m also very fond of
(1) a small hip bag or beltpack. They can be very simple, cheap, just enough to hold an extra lens or other items; it’s a lot easier to carry stuff around your waist. I use mine not just for DSLR shoots but for regular videography gigs when I’m on the run, don’t want to be encumbered with a shoulder bag, and need more storage than the pockets in a photo vest provide.

(2) the “Capture” clip from Peak Design. This was a Kickstarter project, I believe. You attach a quick-release (Arca or Manfrotto RC2, I think) to your camera, wear their “Capture” clip on your belt or other strap, then just snap the camera in and out, rather than wearing it around your neck all day. I have not yet had the chance to use mine on a job, but I’m looking forward to it. I’d be curious what other people think about it. It’s so neat that I’m trying to think of what else I could use this for.

[Bob Cole]

Here is the answer to my own question, at least for Canon users: 5D Mark III.

Canon just announced a firmware update (perhaps in response to Magic Lantern’s independent hack?) which provides full HDMI output from the 5D Mark III, in 4:2:2, no less (along with AF enhancement).

Here is URL for the press release:

https://tinyurl.com/CanonHDMI

and the most relevant part:

When shooting video, HDMI Output makes possible the recording of high-definition uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:2, 8 bit) from the EOS 5D Mark III to an external recorder via the camera’s HDMI terminal. This, in turn, facilitates the editing of video data with minimal image degradation for greater on-site workflow efficiency during motion picture and video productions. Additionally, video being captured can be displayed on an external monitor, enabling real-time, on-site monitoring of high-definition video during shooting.

[Bob Cole]

I wasn’t thinking so much of a two-camera set-up, with seamless intercutting between cameras – but I would like to improve the compatibility between my XDCAM and Canon footage.

So far it hasn’t been an issue, as I’ve mainly used the DSLR to create timelapses or extreme telephoto shots. In those cases, the DSLR’s footage is so stylistically different that I haven’t had to worry about matching. But I’d like to use the DSLR for shallow DOF shots too, and that’s where it would be neat to have a bit closer matching.

[Bob Cole]

If you can, you want the interview to be a conversation, so it will inevitably meander.

Transcripts can help. You can either do it yourself or hire it done. There are quite a few COW members who do it. Also, Production Transcripts is good at about $2.50/minute with timecode. One way to DIY is to listen to each line, repeat it into software like Naturally Speaking, and hope for the best. It’s still tedious.

Best, of course, is to start the process of noting the timecode of the good soundbites during the interview. There are expensive solutions for this, but you can also just use time-of-day timecode and note the time. If you have an assistant he/she can help with this.

I was hoping that MovieSlate would help me with this, but I haven’t been able to find a way to use it effectively. I wanted the interviewer to be able to tap to record the timecode at every good soundbite, but it turns out you have to tap, enter something, then tap again. An assistant who is getting a verbal or physical cue from the interviewer might be able to handle that, but it’s too distracting for an interviewer who is trying to maintain human contact.

[Bob Cole]

Thanks. I’ll have to try those settings. The big question for me is how to shoot on a Canon 60D so that it will be more compatible with footage from my EX1R. I’m assuming you still shoot with the EX3, so you must have a similar issue. Have you seen Alister Chapman’s how-to video on XDCAM Picture Profiles? Very straightforward and convincing. https://www.xdcam-user.com/how-to-videos/
And https://www.xdcam-user.com/picture-profile-guide/

[Bob Cole]

[Rick Diamond] ” I find that, on my 5D Mark III, Cinestyle is too noisy and requires too much grading.”

Hey Rick! Didn’t know you were into DSLRs. Fun, isn’t it? Have you tried some of the other profiles? What profile are you shooting with? And (veering off-topic a bit) have you tried Magic Lantern?

btw, Chris, I agree with Rick that you should look at your profile; try the default Canon profile to nail down your picture problem.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

I still have my first “good” tripod, and it still gets some use, to support a second camera or my timelapse unit.

You have to think hard about what makes the most sense for you. My first purchase, as a budding documentarian, was a Nagra tape recorder. Similar logic to yours, except that I didn’t foresee video! But it was a good idea. I used the Nagra a lot more than I would’ve used a film camera at the time (film is expensive!), getting lots of pre-interview material, some of which made it into the doc. Plus, I could handle a lot more in post when I had my own audio deck.

You are coming along in an incredible time, for better and for worse. On the one hand, barriers to entry are way down, so a normal, non-trust-fund-endowed student can buy equipment that is incredibly capable. On the other hand, barriers to entry are way down, so … so can everybody else. And one person with a cellphone camera in front of a cute kid or kitten might make more from YouTube than you will ever see in your life, but that’s another story.

[Bob Cole]

1. Avoid “lip flaps,” i.e. at the end of a bite, you can see the lips move but you can’t hear anything because of the L-cut.
2. Try flopping the talking heads, or edit so that they’re not all facing the same way in cut after cut.
3. Use a style that accommodates the material. If you’re getting that jammed-up feeling, insert full-frame intertitles between speakers (with, for example, the name and position of the next speaker, or a topic sentence, typed out). That way you can adjust the spacing of the next audio however you like.

Good luck.