[Mark Baird]

Thanks for the info.

MB

[Mark Baird]

Sorry, I don’t read the cow much, so I didn’t get back to you sooner. For rapid responce, use my work e-mail: mark.baird1@jsc.nasa.gov. I’ll be happy to help where I can.

First, your problem isn’t necessarily going to be solve by a “leagalize Color” process. Stricly speaking if you IREs are too hot it could be purly a lumanance issue. You need to look for a method on AVID for viewing and correcting your white and black levels.

I read this forum occasionaly because we use AVIDs at work. But I never use them personaly so I can’t really tell you how to adjust your output levels on an avid.

The work I do that is shown on TWC Houston is done freelance, at home, and on a Sony Video Vegas system where such adjustment take about 30 seconds using the video levels tool. (or something like that.) I just render a final file, (in DV-25 because that is my source format) then I take it to a new time line, scroll through it, view the built in waveform, and use the levels tool to adjust the output levels until they fit in the broadcast leagal range.

Sorry, I can’t be of more help with the “how to” on the avid.

MB

[Mark Baird]

One more thing, after reading other posts, I wanted to comment that I submit ONE interleaved file to them not two seperate (video and audio) files. This seems to be what they are expecting since I have not had any complaints about it.

Again, this info is good for Houston only. (and I checked this is the EXACT spec I got from them)

Good luck, contact me if things dont (didn’t) work out.

MB

[Mark Baird]

This looks like the specs for TWC Houston. If that is true, I know for a FACT you can ignore the GOP structure (not that I recomend that) I would certainly use a SIMILAR GOP structure if not that exact one. I have accidentaly submitted in another GOP and they didn’t catch it. What they WILL look at is your white and black levels along with chroma gain. Check EVERYTHING on scopes because they are very strict on this. Also, their Audio requirement is a little vague to me. If you set peaks at 12 DB below max they will say your audio is too soft. I shoot for approx 6dB below max and they seem to like that.

Using the best approximations of these settings I can, My :30s are about 24 meg in size.

The server upload system also seems to work better if you use a real FTP client rather then uploading via your web browser. I was getting time outs and problems with file being truncated using both IE and FireFox. I switched to FTP Voyager and have had no problems. Same is likely true for ANY FTP program.

If this isn’t TWC Houston, then sorry, all bets are off.

MB

[Mark Baird]

Okay, after a RTFM exercise, I discovered the correct button on the preview monitor window.

Thanks

MB

[Mark Baird]

This sounds pretty straight forward, I think you are on the right track.

I use digital fusion for this type of shot, but I think borris/AE/etc can probably do the same thing…

Just make sure you can motion track the corners of the visor, then you can warp the scene and insert it in the space. fortunatly, because it is both warped and only simi-reflective you can probably get away with a lot.

BTW you are doing the motion tracking to adjust your matt, not to move the image being reflected.

MB

[Mark Baird]

I think the important thing, performance wise, is to go with what you know. Benchmarks between apple and PC are close enough that the operator will be the deciding factor in how fast the system operates. If you know apple and FCP then you will definately be able to work faster on that. If you know PC and PPro then that is the fastest system.

Right now I have access to an apple with FCPHD on it and it is the slowest system I have EVER worked on. Why? Because something is wrong under the hood and I have NO IDEA what it is or how to fix it. If the same thing happened to my PC it would have been fixed long ago.

So my thought is the better you know a system, the faster it will be FOR YOU.

MB

[Mark Baird]

This is a corporate system I was using on a freelance gig over the weekend.

But YES. NASA is out of Incite and big time into AVID Adrinaline on Unity with AirSpeeds, etc. Much, much, much better. And by that I mean it works.

MB

[Mark Baird]

you can use dissolves to lessen the impact of crossing the line. A nice LOOOOG dissolve with the bride on the right facing left and the bride on the left facing right with pleanty of screen space to super the two images at once can look really nice.

If you are cutting it like dialogue or movie action then worry about the line. If it is soft disolves with a flowing, almost musical feel, then the line is much less important.

[Mark Baird]

To some extent you can draw the line where you want to, but really the “action” dictates the line.

A wedding has at least two distinct lines. At the begining and the end, the line is the main isle. you want all your coverage comming from one side or the other but not both. If they are walking left to right then keep them walking left to right all the way down the isle. If they turn at the front, and walk left to right you need to show that turn on camera.

During the ceremony the line moves to the line between the bride and groom. notice this is about 90 degrees out from the previous line. This means if you are behind the alter on the right side, you also need to be behind the alter on the left side.

The key is never change screen direction unless you SHOW that change or have a neutral shot to go through. (IE one where they are moving directly along the z axis) The other key is to not have them both facing the same direction for the vows. If he gives his left to right and she gives hers left to right, the audience will see them as talking to the back of each others heads.

Breaking the line rule is very disturbing to continuity, you ignore it at your own risk. No one in the audience may be able to verbalize what is wrong, but they will know something is because your video just doesn’t “seem as professional” as what they want to see.

These basic “film 101” things have a tremendous impact on how your production “flows” and thus how it is percieved.

One caviet, the line thing is actualy a lot more complicated then outlined above, and seveal natural lines exist when dealing with the bride, groom, minister trio. You need to look at a full discussion of “line” in one of any number of basic staging and blocking books. Sit down at a bookstore and look through several basic production books. figure it out, then get some friends and stage something and shoot it WRONG. Cut it together and you will be able to see why it looks bad.

MB