[Chuck Purnell]

Would something like this be overkill to use in a nightclub type shoot? Light balloons can provide a good coverage of soft light but I have never used them before. I started to post a link to show you all what I am talking about but remembered someone had a problem with that once before.

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

This is actually going to be for a Music Video I am shooting and directing. I want to fill the club with about 50-100 people. I can light the perimeter as was mentioned. I am eliminating the idea of the lasers but should I use their “Club/disco” lights at all? I like the idea of the Chinese Lantern or China Ball to bring up the base light. What kind of light would I use in there?

I want the club light enough so you can clearly see the artist, and some of the extras in the background but I don’t want it so light that it takes away from it being a nightclub. I am planning on lighting the artist with a LED 1×1 panel or some Kino Flos.

This is a “feel good” song with the dance floor packed with people.

Thanks

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

My apologies for my comment. That was the wrong choice of words because I am not lazy. I knew video could be reversed, I just forgot where in FCP to select the option or doing so.

[Chuck Purnell]

Cut me some slack dude! LOL! I was just being lazy. I remembered seeing an option to reverse the video but couldn’t remember where it was and I didn’t feel like powering up FCP just to look for it. Your right I could have just opened up the manual! Ha!!!

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

I had this same issue earlier this summer and Shane was very instrumental in helping me get mine up and running. I have a Macbook Pro though.

Once your sure you have your Matrox box hooked up correctly and you have the correct Drivers installed, open FCP.

You sequence and capture have to match. For me, I have selected: Matrox MXO2 Mini- Apple ProRes 422 720p 29.97 48 khz for both Sequence and Capture.

Device Control Preset – FW NYSC Basic

Video Playback (This is why I wasn’t seeing anything at first. Once I switched this, FCP was able to see my Matrox Box) I have selected: Matrox MXO2 Mini-720p 59.94 YUV 10 bit (1280×720) Yours may be different since you are working with 1920×1080 content. Just select that codec in the list.

Audio Playback: Matrox MXO2 Mini Audio Output (I ended up changing this so my audio now plays out of my monitors or head phone jack but its not in sync. I may change it back so its in sync with the video.

Try that and see if that works for you.

I am using a HDTV as my external monitor and the only thing I can’t seem to figure out still is how to properly calibrate it. I followed the manual and did exactly what it said to do and after I calibrated it, the colors didn’t look all that vibrant as I know they should. I still have to play around with that aspect of it.

Chuck

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

Terry,

I am going to print your post and take it to my pre production meeting and explain to those guys exactly what I need to make this work! Thank you sharing your advice and suggestions!!

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

Thax,

I totally agree with you but here is another problem that I have with this particular arena. They will NOT allow me to put any cables on the floor. Even when I went through the hassle of taping them down last time, they made me pull them up. They gave me some excuse that the school has a policy that no cables can be on the ground. I think its silly considering I had them taped down but I didn’t argue with them. I had to then resort to using wireless…thankfully I had it with me. We are talking a big college arena where the basketball team plays.

The problem with wireless in places like that is interference. I have been told something like someone’s cell phone can possible cause interference with my audio or other wireless devices in that arena can be a factor too. I was also told to try and mount my receiver as high in the air as I can. Now the camera will be set up at the top of the last row of seats which is pretty high up.

This will be my 4th time shooting in this arena and I cannot seem to get the audio issue down yet! Its quite frustrating.

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

Chip,

This will be output to DVD and they may want me to edit a small promo from the main video to be uploaded to their website. The event is not a concert. Its more of a dance performance competition. The problem I ran into last year is that some of the groups competing used music with lots of bass which was fed to me at an over modulated state. It sounded good in the arena but that’s the issue. The sound guys were mixing the sound for the house and not worry about what I was receiving.

I thought about hiring my own sound guy at a previous event but that would mean they would have to mic the stage as well. When I met with the audio company they claimed that would be a waste of time (hiring my own sound guy) since he [the main audio company] would be able to provide me my own mix. He was also concerned with having a bunch of mics up on stage.

The problem with that is what you and I just stated. He wan’t hired to provide me a mix conducive to outputting to DVD. He was hired to mic the stage and provide audio for the “house”.

Another problem I ran into with this company was that after every act left the stage, they turned my mix off. So I had to constantly switch my channels on the camera to get room noise of the crowd cheering. There were times when they forgot to pot my audio up when a new group got on stage too! For issues like this is a GOOD reason why i need to have my own sound person dedicated to getting me audio for video.

Now the thing that is crazy is that I work for a TV station as my main job. There are many times I have been sent to go shoot a concert of a mainstream artist or band down at the arena or ampitheater. Their sound guys allow me to plug right into their board and they send me my own mix to my camera after I switch my camera over to LINE level and everything is perfect. The audio is perfect to air on TV and not over modulated!

I have no idea what this other company is doing for the work I do on the side but I am getting annoyed with the end results.

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

Well the only reason I turned Unlimited RT off was because that was one of the suggestions when the pop up box came up.

Here are the other settings I have:

Playback – Unlimited RT
Video Quality – Dynamic
Frame Rate – Full
Pulldown – 2:3:2:3
Gamma Correction – Accurate

My sequence and capture settings do match:

Matrox Mini MXO2 – Apple Pro Res422 720p, 29.97 48KHZ

Video Playback:
Matrox Mini MXO2, 720p, 59.94, YUV 10 Bit, 1280×720

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC

[Chuck Purnell]

Thanks for the great responses. I do use Final Cut Pro so I am gonna do some run throughs before my shoot and practice lining up the spikes and so forth.

Thanks again!!
Chuck

Cre8tive Minds Entertainment, LLC