Rob Manning
Forum Replies Created
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Cool enough, I will check that.
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Nice work, not sure the camera really “made” the film.
It’s craft after all, begins with script, pure and simple.
Other than that pedestrian comment, yes the glass and shot choice, construct, do advance the case for the GH series as an inexpensive and professional grade tool, equal to or (arguably) better than the other HD enabled DSLRs.
Thanks for sharing,
RM
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Josh, have you tried Kick Starter?
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From the Edison era of film making, tested well for audience visual sensibilities (warm look/motion blur) also kept costs nominal for raw film stock.
The shutter on a camera/projector would expose on half then the other of each frame in (360)divided by 2 (180 degree) increments.
Good analogy here: https://tylerginter.com/post/11480534977/180-degree-shutter-learn-it-live-it-love-it
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We also had a 5th camera, a slightly older HD video cam.
The shots were more video like but did not have the low light DR of the Nikons or Canons so we did not use that footage. (It would have worked in post, just a different look that’s all)
If you have a friend, intern pal, younger relative etc. see if you can have them tag along for line credit or dinner, and use a boom pole with an appropriate shotgun.
Even a Zoom H4N on a pole will do a better job close in than the Rode as mentioned in the last post. The Rode might do well also, on a pole don’t know the field/range/SPL of that model.
Perhaps you can stage an area where the interviews are taking place with a static placement of a good overhead drum mic or shotgun, also to better control the interview lighting.
If you can scrounge up a DAR for live interviews, just watch the gain at each stage of the process and check levels before the down beat for the spoken bits.
Mics are either dynamic (magnet on board) or Condenser (48v Phantom or battery) so check with your friends, or even the band.
Even though this all may seem like the performers are being put upon, encourage them to meet your suggestions over the fact that getting the best possible product from the moment, allows the HD content to be wrung out later (SD versus HD) onto DVD, and these steps allow for the best quality going forward or for h.264/Flash/html5 uploads.
Sounds like you have it under control, have fun.
Rob
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Hi Frank,
We shot four cameras last April. Live concert in Santa Barbara.
The advice is correct so far, do not use auto settings for WB, it will be a nightmare if someone moves across the frame with a darker or lighter jacket etc.
Best practice, ask for a stage/set run through with show lighting, do not be shy.
We shot 2 D7K’s, a T2i and a MK2 and although we agreed before hand on the ISO’s for each.
The lens with obvious issues was a zoom that had variable f3.5-5.6 build. When opened up, pushed or pulled it had considerable effect on exposure. The Canons, hued greatly in a red over cast (70-200) and 400. While the Nikon hand held (on stage) D7k was a 24-70 and had the best DR given the results, because it was on the stage.
What we did not benefit from was a show lights run through, that, is my fault and I should have demanded (asked firmly) from the amenable house crew and MD, but shy took over.
What the crew could have gained from (the four operators) was a test drive of short clips from each setting in show lights by song, and that should have been run back to the DIT table and put into Premiere for a scope evaluation.
Had we done that, the post production tasking for color balancing, over and under exposed clips, would have taken hours and days off of the editing that I did myself.
The project advanced so I built an anthology of the label (15 year anniversary concert) from their archives, stills and CD cover, tunes, JPEGs, and added several of my stock shots and video where fill was appropriate. Also, a trailer for their fan base, and then the 12 song concert.
Missing elements even though we had a Grammy winning engineer running his (48 track) Pro Tools rig was consensus on 48k versus 44.1 (I up converted the mastered mix in post) and that a house mic should have been running for the banter and MC walk up, stories and so on.
As it was, I had to pull that from the various cameras because the MD and engineer didn’t consider tracking the between set banter or walk up intros etc. which I did not know until the CD was released.
I then paid my own mastering engineer to make sense of the disparate audio sources when we went to DVD. The in between takes, fleshed out the documentary nature of the release.
Upon final review, the footage all passed muster (I gave them option for outside color correction, they passed) some things could be tighter but, I refused to comp any footage with one short five second exception, to the dismay of an outside editor who was consulting. His suggestion, while valid, simply demanded additional time and expense so we went with the organic look, because it worked and it is my edit in the end.
The project was released in December with a delay of a few weeks over a dead C drive (that was fun!) and allowing (against my written proposal, because I am a musician duh!) for the singers to review their takes (a complete waste of three weeks as everyone was fine).
It was my gig to shoot stills (D3S) and I talked them into filming on spec. Four people jumped on it for film credit.
The second run will be manufactured and managed by a third party distributor, and the label will eventually settle up in full so I will recoup which I found out today.
Oh, buy Plural Eyes or equal, hand synching 2 1/2 hours of cameras for walk up audio, to CD tracks is a (chore)but I did hand synch when one of the Prima Donna players decided to cut a song and a half in the studio after the fact, talk about looking for cymbal and conga hits and guitar riffs from hell. It’s a good thing I play and knew when to cut away and fill with another angle.
So get a board feed, one other thing I did not demand.
HTH’s
Rob Manning
PS: I credit Rich Harrington and his cohorts for the guidance their excellent training has provided, seminars, books: From Still to Motion, An Editors Guide to Premiere Pro and the plethora of video available here in Cow Land and on Video Cop since embarking on this imagery journey back in 2010.
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The Canon has Technicolor picture controls, but DR is not (never has been) on the same level as Nikon (according to many) BUT we are talking about 2MP files, which makes the stills argument moot. Plus Canon, has luts (I think?)
Translated in 1880p or 10801 MPs, the Nikon versus the Canon is arguably, a fine point.
Another question for you, will you be shooting with AF following?
If so, neither Canon or Nikon do well in that regard, the technology in lens cannot compare to the A99/Zeiss(Sony) package which as I understand it, cost Sony when they purloined it (the in sensor AF) from Minolta, but I digress.
The A99, has settings to reduce the area for subject following into zones, say the subject is moving in frame, but only on one side of the shot, that can be selected as a zone.
The D800 serves well for stills, and HDMI output but I shot the D3S at the NAMM show, simply for varying light on auto ISO, some clocked at well above 6400. Video, I shot the D800.
The A99 though, as I see it, is a refined tool if one is set on HD enabled DSLRs for capture and is kitting up from scratch.
RM
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Steve is correct, in LV take a still but video resolves on every HD enabled DSLR, at around 2MP set everything equally, then review.
Messing with the D7K, a couple of things.
When in LV, push the info button, scroll the rear wheel while holding down the WB button, was that set for something other than conditions you encountered?
Hold down the WB button, check the LV brightness, is it in the middle (use the up/down functions on the main OK button), check the +/- exposure compensation button, is it at zero?
Trying for poor results on the 85 f/1.8, at close range, set ISO to 800, and balance Exposure Compensation (centered) for a still, in manual, I’m at f/6.3.
I’m just guessing, but can you check the stuff and get back to us?
Rob
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Were you using Manual Controls on, in the movie settings?
I assume this is the G lens. Did you have it (the D7K) on manual focus? I guess you would have, just asking.
The D7K will over ride adjusting for ISO exposure if the ISO Auto setting (Page 100) is active, unless the Manual Controls are set to on, allowing your ISO to remain static.
Otherwise, (one can also use the AF/AE lock buttons) the changing light might or will show up as over or underexposed when you get to edit, not fun, and a giant PITA to fix (frame by frame in some cases). Page 60, last entry in the user guide.
Also, use neutral picture controls for the most latitude in post.
The kit lens, because it uses a variable F/factor. 3.5 to 4.5, when zoomed, will affect the exposure, light/dark.
Otherwise yes, the other suggestions above could be factored in.
If all is correct, try using a flat picture profile, search flat picture profiles for the D7000.
We did a concert shoot last April, it finally was released by the label last month but, one D7K was using the 18-200, and even though we did a run through, the f/8 would be spot on for certain shots, and pulled or pushed would under or over exposed.
The real key (we did not have time for this) is set up your takes, run a short clip in show lighting, venue etc, then load into the the scopes on a lap top and do a visual analysis, much like a sound check.
Short of that, take a test still, and check the histogram, adjust the F/stop and ISO until the spectrum is as even for contrast as possible.
Had we done that, the grading and color correction in post would have been much easier (4 cameras, three different bodies and four different lenses).
HTH’s
Rob Manning
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D7K has no live view histogram, one must stop, test a still from the video format, then check for that.
The D800 has a live histogram, and can be adjusted on the fly.