[Marc Brak]

Perhaps I should add:

Version 3.1 (5525.13)
Mac OS X 10.5.2.

I have installed all recent software and firmware updates.

[Marc Brak]

Is it mono? Premiere can’t put mono sound on a stereo track so it creates a new mono track.

[Marc Brak]

Wouldn’t that cause sync problems?

‘Cause the video signal goes directly from the Kona to the UVX-1800 deck, while the audio signal has to take a detour through the mixer?

[Marc Brak]

We did a pretty neat ‘edutainment’ video recently, if that’s what you wanna call it 🙂

For a government office that’s about to upgrade their website & online service, we did a cool little three minute puppet movie. Shot HDV in a real, great looking old puppet theater with a puppeteer, we had the puppet (an old washerwoman) literally beat the dust out of the old website (printed on a piece of cloth) with a carpet-beater, and then wash it out with all kinds of detergent such as ‘user generated content’, ‘web 2.0’, ‘call me back buttons’ and all kinds of new features that would be on the new&improved website. A storyteller-type voiceover explained the story of what was going to happen to the website (‘once upon a time… there was a website’), and the puppet would comment on that. Worked out really well, and very fun to do.

Another example, when that same office introduced a new software, we did a couple pretty straightforward before-after type videos, illustrating the hassle of the old system vs. the more efficient new way. What made it fun, though, was that the ‘before’-piece was shot all silent film/comedy capers style, with the really crappy old sped-up b&w film look, title screens instead of dialogue and soms slapstick humor, whereas the ‘new way of doing things’ part was really futuristic. Corny? Definitely, but funny too, and people still come to me because they liked those videos and it’s been over a year and a half.

I could continue, but i think the point is: try to make it enjoyable for yourself, and try to do something new with every new video you deliver, to keep it interesting for yourself. It will show. And: humour works.

By the way, I will also give you a book tip. Not a how-to for writing corporate video, but a very interesting book about how to bring a message across in such a way that it sticks with people. Not surprisingly, it’s called: Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath.

Hope all this helps. Good luck!

[Marc Brak]

For HD, many folks seem to believe the ACD/MXO seems to be the ONLY hi-quality/low-budget option. I believe Shane Ross wrote in a review that he would trust it for monitoring HD broadcast projects! Other than that, it’s straight into $multi-K territory, which is simply out of the question given my current budget.

As for SD: would a small SD CRT from JVC be a good option?

Like this one:
https://www.expandore.com/product/JVC/Monitor/TM1011G.htm

Or this one:
https://www.expandore.com/product/JVC/Monitor/TMH1700G.htm

(or any other tips in that price range?)

< convincing myself to go OVER budget >
As an added bonus, we could take this with us when shooting, as a field monitor for the director, right?
< /convincing myself to go OVER budget >

With a small monitor like that and the MXO, i could simultaneously monitor and grade HD and SD, on LCD and CRT.

Yes, i’m leaning towards the mxo + acd 23″ solution, with additional SD CRT monitor.

[Marc Brak]

Thanks, that a clears up a lot.

But once you zoom in double size or fill the screen, you’ll see breakup. Cuz the pixels aren’t there in the first place to size the bigger size.

Isn’t that always the case when you play video fullscreen? And not only on an HD monitor? You’d need a 720×576 monitor to watch pal footage fullscreen without breakup 🙂

My apologies if these seem like dumb questions to you, I hope one day they will seem like dumb questions to me, too 😉

[Marc Brak]

Not as a presentation monitor, i do my presentations at the client’s place on a macbook.

I will use it for FCP, after effects, photoshop, etc. Whatever I need to get a video done. So i do need a good, accurate monitor. Just not broadcast quality.

But why would it be okay for editing but not for client presentations? Either it looks good or it doesn’t, right?

Thanks!

[Marc Brak]

Thanks a lot Walter, i really appreciate it. Gives me a lot to think about.

I wonder how other folks in my league handle this. Obviously I’m not the only one working with both SD and HD who cannot afford to whip out a couple thousand for a monitor.

[Marc Brak]

I’m guessing the reason the ad looks stretched when you change it from 720×576 to 1024×576 is that you also need to change the aspect ratio. 720×576 pal widescreen has an aspect ratio of 1:422 and 1024×576 has an aspect ratio of 1:1 (square pixels).

So change the ad (and the movie) from 740×576 (1.422) to 1042×576 (1:1) and you should be fine. Or change the trailer from 1024×576 (1:1) to 720×576 (1:422), saving yourself a little time 🙂

Hope this helps.

[Marc Brak]

OK, and what if I shoot and edit SD or HDV, then render it as SD (pal 720×576 4:3 or 16:9) and play it back with quicktime – that too will look crappy?

Ater all, my biz is mostly web video and video presentations (you know, laptop to beamer stuff). Sure there’s the occasional promo dvd or commercial, but those I’ll just monitor on a regular tv.