[Todd Terry]

I had a similar thing happen with a much different camera a few years back (a Sony DVcam, DSR200), but the results were the same, constantly shifting color temps.

In this case it started happening after the camera sustained a very light bump. It was apparently just enough to make it go screwy. Our local repair technicians were unable to nail down the problem and it ended up going back to Sony for a (unfortunately quite expensive) fix.

I tell that story just to confirm that it’s not an unforeseen problem.

Don’t panic yet though…

Obviously the first step would be to conduct a fairly extensive shooting test… in different environments, long takes, with absolute certainty that the camera setting are all as they should be. Maybe it was just a fluke, or you had auto white balance on and color temps were shifting enough to fool the camera into making unneccessary corrections.

If not, at least Canon’s warranties are a lot better than Sony’s.

T2

[Todd Terry]

You did nothing wrong.

You’re dirt cheap and your stipulations were very reasonable.

This was not a client you’d have wanted.

Be glad you DIDN’T get the job.

[Todd Terry]

I’m personally more in favor of the Sony decks, that’s what we use here.

When I know I’m going to have to output to DVcam or MiniDV, I usually edit the project (via PremPro2 and XenaLHe) with all my “regular” settings as if I would be outputting to BetaSP via component. Then if I have to make a DV dub, I start a new (DV) project and import the other project’s timeline.

It may be wise to start planning for this. We almost exclusively produce broadcast commercials, send them out everywhere, almost always on BetaSP. However we are getting more and more requests for DV formats “if we can” (we usually just send them a Beta anyway). However one CBS station here in our home city recently sent us a memo that they will no longer be accepting Beta tapes, commercials can ONLY be submitted via MiniDV. Which we are doing, and by the way the look like crap on the air (the Betas looked great).

Yes, most but not ALL the DV decks I’ve seen had firewire in. That being said, once we had to borrow a DVCpro deck (all of our DV work is DVcam-based, so we didn’t have a deck that would play a client’s tape) and susprisingly that deck did NOT have firewire… so it’s smart to double check and make sure the model you are looking at does.

It would be somewhat more expensive, but It might also be smart (since things seem to be moving toward DV) to get a multi-format deck. A buddy of mine at another facility has one (don’t know the model, I think it might be a JVC) that can handle most all formats and tape sizes, MiniDV, mini DVcam, full-size DVcam, small DVCpro, and full-size DVCpro. Might be a good way to hedge your bets in the format wars.

T2

[Todd Terry]

There are going to be different advantages to each… I would talk to at least a CPA in YOUR state and get his or her opinion.

We are an S-Corp and it has always worked out pretty well. There is the occasional disadvantage though, one that you are already familiar with. As was pointed out, an S-Corp pays no income taxes itself, but the tax burden falls on the shareholders of the company. Ergo, one goal is to make sure you make as little profit as possible (I jokingly refer to ourselves as a “non-profit organization). You do that at the end of the year by basically getting rid of cash… buy needed equipment, salary bonuses for employees, or pay dividends to shareholders (which hopefully primarily will be you). We made the mistake in 2005 of “accidently” having a buttload of profit (and I’m still not sure how it happened), so I had to personally write Uncle Sam a very VERY painful check. Our general manager who takes care of all our accounting is efforting to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Another thing to note… some people can’t decide whether to incorporate as an S-Corp or a “regular” full corporation. If you incorporate as an S-Corp, you can convert it to a regular corp later… but you can’t go the other way around.

Todd

[Todd Terry]

Basically you need to watch the skies very closely, and if you think there is likelihood that it might be inclimate, you make the call.

If it is iffy, you need to discuss that with your client and let THEM make the call. Then, if it IS raining they will be liable for some of the crew charges.

If it was supposed to be nice weather though, and you just happen to wake up and it’s a monsoon on shoot day… then normally a producer just bites the bullet and eats the cost. Normally of course it’s not going to cost YOU as much as you were going to charge the CLIENT, because you are in this to make money and obviously up-charging crew time, as well as charging for your own time and gear. So especially if you have agreements with your crew members that you only have to pay them, say, a half day minimum in event of cancellation, the pain shouldn’t be too bad.

I’ve never ever heard of a client still being charged for a shoot that was cancelled by ANY third party circumstance…. weather included. If you did that I would suspect they would be a one-time client…and I can’t imagine ever having a client willing to sign a contract that said they would still have to pay even if the shoot didn’t come off for reasons other than their own.

[Todd Terry]

I’ve often wished there was a good presets list for the XLH1, that emulated various filmstocks.

I found one or two floating around, but didn’t like the way most of them looked. We ended up making our own presets list after a LOT of trial and error.

[Todd Terry]

I think it would depend on your project, how big of a shoot it is (is it just a two-man crew, or a 10-man crew with 15 actors, six horses and a zepplin), and who the particular client is.

We do mostly broadcast commercials and our average shoot is, oh, I’d say 3-6 hours in length. As a GENERAL rule we will charge a client for two-hours’ worth of shoot time as a minimum ($600) if they cancel within 48 hours of the call time for the first shot. That’s for a tiny shoot with just a three-man crew and no special circumstances or expenses that we won’t recoup when it is rescheduled. If it ISN’T rescheduled, then of course we also bill for anything like props or wardrobe that we have already spent.

HOWEVER…

We generally do not have to hire extra crew or rent any equipment… our own employees and gear are usually sufficient. If I had to hire an additional crew member or say rent a lens that I didn’t already own then I might make the cancellation penalties a little stiffer.

PLUS…

I always consider the client. If it’s someone I’ve never worked with before, someone who just hired us out of the blue, I’m more inclined to hit them with a cancellation fee. However, if it is one of our “most favored” clients (say, an ad agency that we work with all the time and pays us many tens of thousands of dollars a year), I’ll just excuse the cancellation and not penalize them at all… just for the sake of “playing nice” and keeping them happy.

Bottom line, I think it just depends on your particular job. In any event, make SURE that cancellation policies are stipulated in ADVANCE in your contract with the client… or legally you may not be able to enforce them at all.

Todd

[Todd Terry]

Well that’s great news for Mac guys but we’re a PC house running Premiere Pro 2 on XP machines. Still wish I knew if the FireStores would work well… without having to spend a grand to buy one just to test.

T2

[Todd Terry]

My best advice would be to find someone who lights REALLY WELL (on a movie set, television show, commercial production house, or whatever)… and pester him or her until they are willing to let you just hang around and watch for a few days or so (maybe offer to assist or work as a gopher for free).

Before I was a wanna-be movie director, I was a wanna-be actor. Even though I thought I knew a fair bit about it, I learned more about real lighting my first day as an actor on a real set than I have in all the other classes, books, and tutorials put together. Watch everything they do, and for each thing they do, ask yourself “Why?” (It’s probably best not to ask the DP or gaffer that question TOO often, or you’ll get booted from the set).

I worked for a while as an actor on a network primetime show where the DP was this horrid horrid French guy who CLAIMED not to speak any English (although he could). He was an evil, nasty man, treated his men like crap, was abusive to everyone from talent to crew (basically everyone but the director). He was basically just a horrible person… but the things this guy could do with just one instrument and 5 feet of gaffer tape was amazing. I tried to learn as much as I could just by watching him work…. but stayed out of his way!

Todd

[Todd Terry]

[WilliamBusby] “Are you sure about that?”

Ok, I’ll back off a bit.

I recend my statement that “SD video shot 24F will work in any deck.”

My new statement is “SD video shot in 24F does work in all the particular decks that I myself happen to have, and have never had any problem with any of them feeding 24F video.”

I have several different decks (although all Sony’s) from a very old DSR-20, to a funky hybrid WV-DR7 that Sony only sells in Japan, to a couple of the more “modern” ones. Standard definition 24F from the XLH1 plays like a charm in all of them. Captured video from them (when viewed on a 29.97 timeline in PremierePro2) has the proper 3:2 pulldown, exactly like telecined film.

It might just be me, but I don’t tend to be that lucky… which led to my blanket statment that it should play fine in any deck.

Todd