Jonathan Ziegler
Forum Replies Created
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[Tiago Ribeiro] “a) Will this camera handle feeding the screen during several hours?
Not likely. The camera is designed for short (10-15 min) shoots. I’ve had loads of problems with these cameras and long continuous shooting.
b) Will it over-heat, or cause any problems to the camera?
Yep. The CMOS isn’t really made for that kind of use. Expect an overheat relatively quickly. You’re better off renting a regular video camera that is designed for long shoots.
c) If it over-heats, the camera will just shut down, right?
Usually, you start getting a lot of gain even at low ISO a bit before it turns off. Downtime depends on temperature, but have a small fan nearby to cool it off. I live in the desert so I have to sequester myself in a car with air conditioning and blow it on the camera body to get it cool. That’s during the summer, though. Typically, it can take 5-15 minutes.
d) I guess this might get audio and video out of sync. any idea on where I can add a AUSampleDelay audio unit to the chain? (using OSX)
May want to simply record the footage and then use something like PluralEyes to resync the audio and footage later. If you can isolate the feed’s audio and then resync that way, it should work.
e) Is there any way to mess around with the live view video settings on the EOSUtility application? What I mean is to change the resolution and frame rate of the video we get on the computer screen.
Not that I’ve seen. I’d be interested to see what you come up with. I don’t think you have any control over what comes out the HDMI output. Also, the feed is still an SD feed when shooting live, but it’s HD on playback.
f) Any other info you might share from previous experience or that you feel is useful for this?”
Honestly, I hate using DSLRs for events. I’d rather use a consumer camcorder. You’d be better off renting a regular camera for the event and using the DSLR for cutaways and b-roll. You said live event though, so not likely. I would try several tests before the day of the event. That will give you the best information. If it won’t work during a test, it won’t work during the event.
Incidentally, I was just asked to shoot an EV Drag Race. They didn’t have a budget so I had to use a DSLR (550D/T2i). I was quickly reminded as to why I despise shooting events with a DSLR – setups aren’t as easy as a regular video camera, the large sensor makes for a narrow depth of field so you are constantly monitoring focus on that tiny little LCD screen, you can never get wide enough due to the sensor crop, short shooting times make long shooting tough, etc. Look up Magic Lantern – not sure if it works on the 600D/T3i, but it can “add” features to the camera.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Hmmm. Okay, does the footage play okay in Premier? If so, it’s likely the h.264 conversion – try exporting as a more neutral format like ProRes422 on mac or Cineform for PC or another less compressed format if you like. If the footage is choppy in Premiere, it could be Premier, the codec, the camera, etc., but that sounds like a reach.
How does or did the footage play back on the camera itself? Also, you may see some of that if you have an image stabilizing lens, but I’m not sure if that’s the issue here.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Hey there, talk with an accountant and attorney. To protect you from liability, set up either a corporation or LLC. Depends on your state. In AZ, it costs almost nothing to set up an LLC and get a business license, but the laws in your state may be different. As a sole proprietor or just as a line professional, you expose all of your personal assets to any business liability. A corporation or LLC (limited liability company) limit your personal exposure to liability created by doing business – if someone sues you, they won’t get to come after your house and car. Nothing is ironclad though and you need to talk with a lawyer for your specific situation. Trust me, the money you spend now on legal fees and articles of organization can save you 1000% in the long run. Be smart and talk to a business lawyer – many will consult with you for free knowing you will use them for something else in the future – just ask. I have actually called attorneys and gotten good info – I hire the guy later so it was good for him.
Liability insurance isn’t bad to buy. I have a $1mm policy that costs about $85 a month. It covers me for all sorts of stuff like damage to a property while in a shoot. If you are going to shoot on someone else’s property, which we all do, you should have it. You never know when a client will get litigious. You still need protection with releases and contracts, the liability ins just helps.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
I made my own and I love it. I wasn’t happy with the options (and the prices) so I made one. Doesn’t seem like you want to make one, but would rather buy one, so what’s your budget like? You can spend anywhere from $50 on up (or $20+ if you want to make one).
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Looks like an issue with the camera or the codec. What are the exact settings for: ISO, frame rate and size, shutter, aperture, and anything else on the camera. Next, exactly what steps did you take to process the footage from camera to computer to edit to final version? Did you transcode the footage to a different format? If so, what were the settings? Need all of that info to even start to troubleshoot.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Hi there, sorry, no, it was recommended to me by a friend who had used them and loved them. I brought a couple 16mm films I had shot years ago and a pile of Super-8 reels with family footage and some film school stuff. The 16mm and Super-8 transfers were top-notch. I would call and speak with them about it (I did). Tell them what you need transferred, how much you need transferred, what your budget is and they’ll work with you. For mine, I didn’t need the premium package, I just wanted it transferred for a small project – I used my family super-8 footage as a sort of dream sequence of my sister and I running around and I got the rest transferred for the heck of it.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Dunno if this price is better but they have decent rates (400′ reel of super 8 is about $65 – I send my own hard drive partially because I have a lot of them).
https://www.videoconversionexperts.com/
Hopefully this is better.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Hey there, a rank telecine transfer will be spendy. Why do you need that type of transfer? You could just have a consumer-type service do it. I find it’s much cheaper and if you have a lot of film the price per minute is decent. Shop around a bit and look for a place that also does pro-level transfers – see if they will convert to prores or another editing friendly format in HD (1080).
How much film do you have and is it super 8, regular 8, 16mm? How many feet?
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
Yeah but…now I’ll play devil’s advocate:
I like the idea of a web commercial for $300 (I charge more for mine), but where is it costing you $50 out of pocket? I would think gas (at almost $4 a gallon and up), food (those prices are going up, too), and equipment (not even counting crew) would wind up costing you more, but you can’t be including your equipment amortization, insurance, rent, office, software, hardware, etc.
Breaking it down hourly isn’t really gonna help you decide which is more profitable. If you do 10 web videos a month, you have at least 40 hours and you make 2500 profit. If you do 1 wedding video, you make 2600. I’m betting you do way more than 4 hours of work on a single web video, though. For me, its the pre-prod planning with the client (storyboards, sketches, sample graphics, research), writing up a script if needed, getting it all formatted and timed in the teleprompter, lots of emails and phone calls, 30+ min of driving both ways, setup and teardown, 2-4 hours of shooting, then its transcode the footage, edit the footage, add info-graphics, graphics and lower-thirds, sync the audio, add music, export, convert to display format (web, DVD, BluRay, etc.), upload and/or burn to disk. Wait, forgot to get client approval! Backtrack, backtrack…
Whew. I’m into the video for about 8-16 hours already and that’s assuming everything went well with no problems, mistakes, equipment failures, or just plain Murphy’s Law. Most of the time isn’t really billable hours (like emails, processing, driving, etc.), but its still time you have to spend working on the project whether you get paid or not. I find the less gross pay I get, the less I’m apt to take the job. I just think 10 web videos are way more work than 1 wedding video. Web videos are a great way to get started though and once you have a few to show, it makes it easier to get commercial work, corporate work, etc. so there’s that.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293 -
If cost is of primary concern, check out some options by Audio Technica. I like their stuff, it’s not the best in the world, but it works great for video and I can’t tell you how many projects I’ve used their stuff with:
Audio Technica ATR-6550 (shotgum mic) uses a 1/8″ or 1/4″ jack (no XLR) and runs about $50. I think it plugs into the H1. You would also need a shock mount and your boom pole of course. I use this mic as a DSLR assist or on a pole. It won’t work for everything, but works as a shotgun mic when I need it. I plug into the Zoom H4n, but this device is really geared towards musicians and I rarely use the device mics as they are condenser mics and not appropriate for dialogue, but great for doing an ad hoc recording of, say, a band, a meeting, or another situation where I can set it in front of a speaker and just let it run. I’m guessing the same situation is applicable to the H1.
Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293