[Jim Bruce]

Hi Craig,

Thanks for your help.

It’s very strange. I know about the sizing and mentioned that just to say that this was “apples to apples” looking at a 50% size image.

Basically I just see a flickering “noise” – kind of like what you’d see in an imperfectly compressed DVD. Nothing outrageous but not the pristine look of the quicktime as viewed in QT player.

I tested an export and it too is fine in QT, but plays ugly in FCP.

I’m glad to see it’s not embedded in the export but am a bit mystified by all this.

Do you do anything for your sequence settings besides cutting in a clip and letting FCP suggest that it match the settings to that clip?

I may try FCP board and see if anyone’s had this issue.

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the technical clue-in.

But to the naked eye the footage looks much worse in FCP than in QT. Played back in each case at 50% of the image size, in QT a blazer is a blazer, clean image. In FCP it’s got cycling “noise” and fuzz all over it and the only way to describe it is to say it looks much more compressed. I can imagine the color looking slightly different from one software program to another (which it does though I can’t understand why) but the overall quality?

Do you not have this experience?

Do you use FCP?

Is there the possibility XDCam transfer or FCP has a setting that I’m overlooking?

Thanks for your help,

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the tips and support. I definitely know how critical getting a bulletproof work flow is and am glad the “Cow” is there to help me along.

With your help I think we’ve got the basics of backing up SxS down, but, as always, progress leads to new questions…

So if you get a chance…

1) After making the initial backup to a firewire (Raid 1) with Clip Browser and CRC on, is it “safe” to then make extra backups (i.e. to additional drives – we will archive to Bluray later on) simply using the Mac drag and copy approach? What do you recommend?

2) When using spanned clips, is there any extra step u need to go through? Or are they just 2 clips that are continuous when cut together?

3) What is your process for importing into Final Cut? I used XDCam Transfer to import and the clip as it plays in FCP (in a timeline set to match the clip) seems to have fairly heavy compression added to it. In clip properties it seems to have a 4.4 variable bit rate, whereas the wrapped quicktimes when played in QT player look much better and play back at 35 Vbr – is there something I’m missing? Is this just a playback issue and it will look all right when I export and compress to DVD?

Once again any thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Steve,

I noticed you mentioned using a Redrock shoulder mount with your EX-1.

I just got the camera and was thinking about the Redrock set up.

Can you describe the details of your configuration?

Is it front heavy?

Do you have it set up to use the LCD screen or the eye piece?

Do you use a “micro pod” or anton bauer battery as a counterbalance?

Would love to get your feedback or recommendations before purchasing.

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Thanks Ty!

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Ty,

Thanks for chiming in. We actually will be using a solid backdrop and blanketing all windows (for lighting purposes) which should really help.

I realize this is frustrating for some folks but for me the cost of both a 416 and the Schoeps is simply not in the cards for us. And we already need the 416 for exteriors where the Schoeps would not be useful. Trust me I wish I had a bigger sound budget! And of course if we run into problems we’ll have the ECM 77B as a backup. If we do seem to get terrible sound with the 416 I will probably sell one of my small children to a nice family and buy the Schoeps but out of the gate it’s just not in our budget.

While you’re here I’d love to get your take on a good boom clamp of some kind for mounting boom to C stand.

Any thoughts on ideal positioning of same would be great as well.

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Jim,

Thanks so much for your helpful response. The positioning of the boom that you describe is roughly what I had imagined. I’m guessing about 12 inches in front of (and above) talent and angled steeply, but not 100% vertically down (so they don’t go off mic if they lean forward a bit).

Does that sound about right to you?

I’d also love to get a recommendation on the best particular device to attach the boom to a C stand.

I’ve seen the Boom Mate which looks a bit flimsy – https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/469811-REG/BoomMate__Boompole_Holder_and_Grip.html

and two kinds of boom “cradles”:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/292924-REG/K_Tek_K_BC_K_BC_Boom_Pole_Cradle.html

and

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/329191-REG/ATS_RAM_BPC_BOOMPOLE_CRADLE_Boompole.html

Do you have a preference? Something else that you like?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I’m on this board because I do know how important sound is. I just don’t have the funding to buy as many microphones as some folks would like me to.

Glad to hear you think the 416 should be able to pull this off.

Thanks for your advice,

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Sam,

Just a couple questions…

How does the Boom Mate compare with the Boom Clamp?

And as for the Manfrotto 420B it apparently has a 5/8″ female receiver for attaching a MIC.

Is this compatible with either the Pearstone or the Rycote Mounts? Is there a simple adapter to bridge the two?

Last but not least, what’s your take on the difference for exteriors between the Pearstone mount and the softie vs. the Rycote S series mount and windscreen?

Thanks for your advice.

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply. A couple of extra questions..

Do you have a particular model of boom pole that you’re happy with? Thoughts on the KEG 100CC?

Are you happy with the Boom Mate? It looks kind of flimsy in the picture so I was also considering the “Boom Cradle” for a similar price: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/329191-REG/ATS_RAM_BPC_BOOMPOLE_CRADLE_Boompole.html

I guess what seemed attractive about the Mannfroto 420B it was affordable and light enough to travel with so I’d save on about 20 days of lugging/renting a C stand. Maybe I’ll see if B and H would let me check one out in person…

Thanks for all your advice.

Jim

[Jim Bruce]

Hi Ty,

Thanks for chiming in. I realize looking for just one mic (plus a wired lav) is absurd, but I just don’t have the $$$ for both. Trust me I wish that weren’t the case!

Do you have a take on the boom mate vs. the boom “cradle” ?(https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/329191-REG/ATS_RAM_BPC_BOOMPOLE_CRADLE_Boompole.html)

Any other recommendation for affordably mounting a mic over the subject for a seated interview?

And how about the K-Tek KEG-100CC with the internal cable?

I had figured the internal cable would be more reliable than my inexperienced PA wrapping an external cable…

Also curious whether you think I should spring for the Rycote S Series Mount and Windscreen in addition to the Pearstone DUSM-1 Universal Shockmount and the “Softie” that would already come in the kit?

I appreciate any thoughts or ideas you might share.

Cheers,

Jim