[Nick Griffin]

[Pat Ford] “can rent a PAL camera easily.”

Pat-
Most pro cameras these days — at least the ones I’m familiar with — already have 50i PAL as one of their set-up options, so getting what you need should be fairly simple.

[Pat Ford] “inexpensive consumer camera and got a lot of pulsating with fluorescent lights.”

This is not within my field of knowledge but I would suggest that if you were shooting with a 60hz NTSC camera in a location with 50hz lighting, weird things can happen. But then flickers are always a possibility with fluorescents in my experience. An equally big problem with “practical” consumer fluorescents is the dreaded “green spike,” which is best dealt with by gelling on location, but can be removed in post with good color correction tools.

Other than that, and especially if you’re dealing with some form of tungsten or halogen lighting for the speaker, you should have no problems.

[Nick Griffin]

Todd-
Hopefully the one Mac you have has the current version of Final Cut Studio on it. Apple’s Compressor makes high def H.264 files for iPad a breeze. If you don’t have FCS, contact me offline and I’ll be happy to do a couple of conversions for you.

[Nick Griffin]

[Todd Terry] “sounds like the iPad is not the optimal “portable screening room.””

Oddly enough this one scene from this one video has been the only thing truly objectionable… so far. Perhaps the fact that the show was shot and mastered in PAL is also a contributing factor.

Even whips and other rapid things generally look good. I also have to say that handing someone the iPad with a video they are holding in their own hands is a much more powerful tool than is showing stuff on a laptop.

[Nick Griffin]

Thanks, T2. Helpful as always!

I’m wondering how much of my concern is unfounded, or at least beyond my control. I recently put an industrial I did last year, containing a slow elegant pan, on my iPad for showing to prospective clients. While it appears fine on an HD monitor in the office, it stutters on the iPad. Maybe I should only worry about the actual product and not this one playback means, but it makes me crazy every time I see it.

I will pursue getting an ASC manual, if only for my continuing education. Again, thanx.

[Nick Griffin]

Philip –

Based on the fact that you mention ethics in the subject line, it appears that you have serious reservations about having the financial institution use your work as a vehicle for their own self-promotion. Does this summarize the basic question?

You have to decide if you want to make a pure documentary or a sponsored piece that serves commercial interests — theirs as well as yours. There is absolutely nothing wrong with one choice or other other. The problem comes when you set-out to do the first, present it to the public as being the first and in reality have created the second. The problem becomes worse if, OK when, the sponsor exerts production and editorial control. At that point you’re best to abandon any pretense of your final product being a pure documentary.

My two cents. Let’s see what others have to say.

[Nick Griffin]

[Mark Suszko] “you are not going to get your Maslovian Hierarchy satisfied, working at that place”

Awww, Mark. Maslovian Hierarchy, REALLY?? Do you really need to prove that the money spent on a college education was worthwhile when you went into a career in video anyway? 😉

Good points, though.

[Nick Griffin]

[Sandy Chase] ” I need like an “ND filter” for audio”

Sandy it’s called a “pad” and some mics, especially higher end condenser mics, have it built-in so you are actually attenuating the signal before it reaches any electronics in the mic. For dynamic mics, which should be able to handle higher levels without going into distortion because they are somewhat less sensitive, pads can be added in line prior to reaching the mixer or pre-amp. Most mixers also have “trims” built-in to dial-down the input prior to reaching the rest of the electronics.

Oh… and thank you for visiting Ty Ford’s Audio Professional’s COW forum.

[Nick Griffin]

All of the comments so far are sensible for their own reasons. However Ebony must answer the “why” question. Why would you want to be in business?

1) Is it to protect yourself from potential liability?
2) Is it to be able to depreciate equipment and assets more quickly and simply?
3) Is it to simplify your personal taxes at the expense of having to also do corporate returns?
4) Is it to grow beyond this initial project?

5) Or is it simply to create more of an appearance of credibility?

Most of us here operate as a business for one or more of the first 4 reasons. If you have a good reason, then by all means it probably makes sense. If it’s just a “wouldn’t it be fun to…” then it’s probably not worth the trouble and expense.

[Nick Griffin]

Dustin-
Forgive me for being blunt, but this sounds a little like you are starting to get in over your head. Do all three mics need to be wireless? Also, you really DO need a mixer — and someone to operate it. If it were my gig I’d hire a sound guy who would come with the mics, the mixer and the knowledge how to get the most out of the gear.

[Nick Griffin]

[grinner hester] “Insisting on unwanted production value…”

Yea, but what I see too much of, like on these particular segments for a Congressman, is the lighting is controlled — sometimes good, the “talent” (quotes used with a fair amount of derision) is pretending that they are a professional on actual TV, they are obviously reading from a prepared script and NOBODY has given the first thought to decent, intelligible audio.

Imitation of the viral look can be done in many ways and still not blow the basics. Remember Blair Witch Project?