[Bob Cole]

Ty, you know I love you and only want the best for you.

Even though you are a nationally-recognized audio engineer and author, who is plenty busy doing audio stuff and don’t need to mess with video.

Even though you and I serve the same market.

Even though you are now seeking advice on how to do your own video work.

So, I want to be as helpful as possible to you, because you (truly) have been a Godsend to me, generously answering all of my audio questions, and a few life questions as well.

Here’s your solution:

[Bob Cole]

Todd, you remind me of myself.

Years ago, I was a very enthusiastic user of D/Vision Pro, the predecessor to Discreet edit*, which ran on Windows.
I had a dilemma: because a big client was using Apple’s Final Cut Pro, I had to as well.

I complained to my good friend David Roth Weiss about what I perceived as the excessively hip atmosphere at the Apple Store, the clubbiness of it all, the “in-group” feeling which made me feel out of the loop. I wanted no part of it.

But David helped me make the leap into the Apple universe. He said (more articulately than I am remembering now), “Sure, I get it about the smugness. But go ahead, buy a Mac, and then YOU will be part of the in-group.”

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Its power and adaptability are impressive.

Early days, but I read a few of the comments on one of the Apple fan sites, and the consensus is that it will cost a lot more to equip to its full potential, but for professionals who can charge enough, it will be well worth it.

I will wait to see what a moderately-equipped MacPro costs, but I suspect that my upgrade path will probably be the iMac Pro or even a PC.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Hi Todd,

I tried to send you an email with a couple of names, but it got returned. I’ve never worked with them, but here are a couple of names (DPs, I think) for support, or leads to where you can get support, in Las Vegas:

Bill Johnson: 702.349.6212
Robert Starling: 702.474.0041 (Steadicam operator) https://www.starling.com

Good luck! If these guys are not helpful please let me know and I’ll ask a friend who’s shot there more recently for his input.

bob

[Bob Cole]

Perhaps you should go to lowepost.com. At the end of their free Intro to Fusion tutorial, the teacher gives his email address and invites questions. If you actually pay for their premium membership, which is fairly inexpensive, you may get even more attention.

Ripple Training is also good, although I’m not sure whether they offer an email address.

Perhaps the fastest way to learn is to tackle your own specific task, hone your questions down to the essentials, try diligently to use Resolve’s online manuals, and then go to one of the Resolve forums on Facebook. I’m told there are also forums on Instagram, though I haven’t investigated them.

Good luck.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

They’re bad, yes, but advertorials are at least easy to spot. But the fake “customer reviews,” some by “verified buyers,” really bother me.

Crime must pay, or the manufacturers wouldn’t be doing it.

And is there any way to fight back?

I like the COW’s policy about name-signing; I wish others would emulate it.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

We’d been thinking of shooting the presenter with one video camera, and running that and a feed from the Power Point laptop into a video switcher. You make a great point about unpredictable client requirements down the line.

I think we have to live switch, because there is no money for editing in the short term. But thanks to your warning, we will also do an iso record of the speaker using the camera’s own memory cards.

We’ve identified a video switcher, and wonder whether anyone here has had experiences, good or bad, with this or a comparable model: Roland V-02HD. We would send the switched video to a Blackmagic Video Assist.

Thanks, and please keep those great ideas coming!

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Not sure of the source now, but I heard from some expert at a trade show that some newer zooms, those with the option for automatic focus, will also act as if they are parfocal, even though they are not truly parfocal “optically.”

The theory goes: Even in manual focus mode, the electronics in the camera/lens combo will compensate for the lens’s tendency to go out of focus when you change focal lengths.

Perhaps the lens you are testing has this feature, but there is a time lag?

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Todd, can you afford to “take a sabbatical”? Get off the treadmill for six months, or a year?

I’d be very curious as to why your right-hand-man is going. Knowing more about his interior life would probably be very useful in charting your course. I have had a couple of very good partnerships. I found that thinking about why they were good, and why they ended, were both very instructive.

Good luck.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Todd, I know you’re a fan of the Astra.

In B&H’s reviews, a 6X owner reports that a Litepanels tech person suggested at least a 120WH battery. I have been keeping to 90’s for air travel due to FAA restrictions (two carry-on batteries over 100WH and under 160WH are allowed at the airline’s discretion but I’d rather not risk that). How are you powering, and if you’ve used 90WH batteries, have you run into problems with the Astra 6x?

Thanks.

Bob C