[Todd Terry]

So you have, Jeremy? Does it work well?

Dunno about nuts (a possibility), but he seemed ill-informed to say the least.

Todd

[Todd Terry]

The easiest thing would be to make the title in something else, like Photoshop…

BUT…

If you really want to use the Premiere titler, you can do it like this (I’ll assume the test is white, but you can apply other colors as needed) in nine steps…

1) make the title
2) throw it on the timeline OVER BLACK and render out one frame of whatever type of still image you want, so that you have white type on a black background.
3) open the newly-made file in Photoshop
4) select ALL
5) Copy
6) In CHANNELS make a new channel
7) Paste what you copied onto the new channel (your new alpha channel)
8) SAVE IT as a Photoshop file, .tif, or .tga
9 enjoy

T2

[Todd Terry]

“you can only use the XLH1, the XH series cameras, and the HV10 (& HV20 when it’s released) for playback.”

Yep, I think that’s unfortunately true… but fortunately I believe it is limited to the HD world. If you happen to be shooting SD, then the tapes shot at 24f should work in any deck… we do it all the time, feeding SD 24f out of several different decks (although I do believe they are all Sonys).

Todd

[Todd Terry]

Thanks… yeah I understand that “the Xena cards support what ever Premier allows”… and I’m sure I can import files from the FireStore and they will work…but to what degree they will work is the big question hanging over my head.

I don’t know if any of the file types that FireStore can spit out will then have to be rendered, or will they work in real time? (For example, if I import a Canopus AVI from one of my other machines into the Aja, it’s beautiful… but it still has to be rendered).

If I have to render the files I’m better off time-wise just capturing them from tape so they would come in as ready-to-go Aja AVIs.

By the way, I finally heard back from someone in FireStore support at Focus. He said he doesn’t know of anyone that has ever used FireStore with an Aja system, that I “would be the first.” In fact, he acted a bit as if he had never even HEARD of Aja. Hmmmmmm.

Todd

[Todd Terry]

Hi Shane…

Thanks… you have shed a little bit of light on that. I’m completely ignorant of exactly what ALL the FireStore can do (I only know what it does in theory, and I like the theory), so pardon my poor education on the subject.

We primarily shoot with a Canon XLH1 body married to a P+S Technik converter and Leitz/Panavision cine primes. At times we also shoot with an older (but still lookin’ good) Sony DSR-200… and even occassionaly shoot MiniDV with an XL1. But the H1 is our primary shooter (generally standard def, but on occasion HDV).

We edit in three suites, two Canopus and one Aja. It’s the Aja suite that I’m most concerned about supporting. Its a Boxx machine running XP with Xena LHe card and editing with Premiere Pro 2.

Any of those details help?

Thanks muchly,
Todd

[Todd Terry]

Sorry, I missed one of your questions.

Yes, the XL1 definitely has firewire out, so you COULD use it as a source deck if needed and your computer only had DV inputs (and even if you COULD take analog into your card, you’d be much better off using the DV firewire feed than the XL1’s composite or S-video out anyway).

I’d put a real deck on the list of stuff you “don’t have to have right away but need pretty soon.” I just don’t like using cameras as feed decks. They’ll do it, but it’s not what they were built for. I’d rather wear out my cameras shooting than wear them out feeding tapes into the NLEs.

Todd

[Todd Terry]

Couldn’t really say, I’m not too up on what is currently out there.

We recently bought a system based on the Aja XenaLHe card, but that was so we can do high-def.

I LOVED Canopus stuff for years, and we still have two Canopus-based suites (one DVrexPro and one Storm2)… but we edit with PremierPro and Canopus got out of bed with Adobe in favor of their own editing software, so we had to leave Canopus.

Even though weddings on the surface seem very simple and not production-intensive at all, you’ll still want as powerful a system (with as much storage) as you can afford. With something like a wedding (where the whole thing, including reception, could be a couple of hours long) you don’t want to waste any more time rendering, or transcoding video files for DVD, than you absolutely have to.

You might inquire in one of the other forums (maybe Editing).

T2

[Todd Terry]

Thanks for you thoughts…

Oh yeah, I know exactly WHY it is happening… beat-up or overused equipment and a-few-dollars-an-hour employees that dont really care how it looks… it’s just how to WIN that battle that has left me clueless.

And yeah, I know the national spots should look great when they are part of the network feed. I didn’t describe that clearly enough… I meant a national spot which is inserted into a local break (say, Coca-Cola or Chevy buying time, but it is a local insertion into a station’s break time within a primetime show, or within a show of local origination, like a newscast). Those spots typically look pretty good (and can confirm that many of those come in on BetaSP just like the ones we deliver them).

It just chaps me that these are all multi-MULTI-million dollar companies whose main job is to broadcast, and whose main revenue comes from broadcasting COMMERCIALS, yet they look like crap because the bottom rungs of the employee ladder don’t care, and it apparently doesn’t seem to bother anyone higher up.

Heck… actually spots on the cable systems look better than some of the broadcast stations. In fact, the spots look the very WORST on the CBS affiliate here, which is a very up-to-date and well-funded station (is a NY Times station, although the Times is in the process of selling all their TV stations). They are actually a client of ours and occassionaly we do news promos/opens etc for them when they need something beyond their in-house capability… and even THAT sometimes looks bad… their own stuff!!

Sadly, none of us have time to visit all these stations and have a sit-down with them. There are only five of us and we are in a constant firefight all day producing what is for this market at least relatively high-end stuff, so it’s just logistically not practical. I might fire off some letters or emails though.

Thanks,
Todd

[Todd Terry]

Well, it’s hard to say. I’m not sure what all your needs might be, or what equipment you already have, if any.

Obviously, #1, you need a tripod and a good fluid head (and probably a spreader or wheeled spider dolly). If you want something new, be prepared to spend big bucks, or go with something lower-end like Bogen (which is still decent equipment, actually). Sometimes you can find older versions of higher-end stuff on eBay for next to nothing. I recently bought a several-years-old but great-condition Oconnor 50D head and sticks for I think like $600… whereas the current-model equivalent new is several SEVERAL thousand dollars.

Secondly, lighting: that might be easy… usually when shooting weddings they won’t LET you use any, so you’ll have to go with available light. If you’re shooting the receptions, etc., as well, you’ll need a couple of lighting instruments.

Thirdly, sound: I’ve never shot a wedding (we mostly do broadcast commercials) but I think of all he wedding videos that I’ve been forced to watch they rely heavily on radio mics (wireless lavaliers), at least one on the minister and maybe some on the other parties. Unfortunately really good ones are kinda expensive….my top of the line choice would be Lectrosonics, at about $2500 a pop (and that’s just for one transmitter and receiver, add a few hunderd more for the mic itself). For something more affordable, Sennheiser makes a wireless system that isn’t bad for about $600. I think technically it’s a consumer system not a pro system (unbalanced 1/8″ outputs instead of balanced XLR outputs), but the price is right. You may also want a directional (shotgun) mic. The little mic that comes on the XL1 actually isn’t too bad, but you might want to consider getting a “real” one. A good mid-range one is the Sennheiser MKH416, but it’s still about a thousand bucks. Audio-Technica makes some lower-end (i.e. “cheaper”) ones that aren’t too bad.

Fourthly: a field monitor… you don’t want to totally rely on your viewfinder, especially when shooting something long and boring like a wedding. A small LCD monitor (like one from Varizoom that you can use on-camera) should be adequate.

Fifthly: general grip stuff. Whatever you need… stands, clamps, lamps, bags, cases.. whatever it takes to complete your package.

As for where to get it… you can find a lot of this stuff used on eBay or from the classified services such as mandy.com. For new equipment, we by 99% of our stuff from B&H Photo (bhphotovideo.com). Their prices aren’t always the best, but they are usually in line… they always have most everything in stock, are friendly people, good return policy, ship fast… etc etc etc.

Hope this helps,
Todd

[Todd Terry]

I think it depend on your particular place and application.

We are a production company in Alabama and do a fair little amount of political commercials, as well as doctors, dentists, car dealers with lease offers… all frequently needing disclaimers.

At least in our area, for political disclaimers (“Paid political advertisment by committe to elect…”) the requirement is 20 scan lines, up for a minimum of four seconds.

There are further particulars, for example for a local election (mayor, etc.) the disclaimer can come anywhere (even in the middle of a spot). But for a statewide election (governor, etc.) it MUST be either the first :04 or last :04 in the spot.

For other types of uses (such as advertising for attorneys or dentists: “No representation is made that the services….”) there is a completely different set of rules.

All that’s a long way to say, I don’t think there IS one standard… it just depends on what kind of “legal disclaimer” you are talking about.

Todd