[Tony]

If he is motivated and is willing to pay his dues by contributing hard work, sweat and a quest to learn the business then he is an asset and should be compensated.

However if he is nothing but a “warm body” (no brain) with no interest in actually contributing to the shoot via a mental or physical contribution then he is worthless in the long run.

If you had the choice to hire a qualified assistant who has experience would you do so instead of the intern or are you hoping to save some money by paying the intern nothing?

This case is a two way street for both of you. If both parties have something to gain from each other via a mutual exchange then the deal is worth it for everyone.

One last thing to consider is the political implications with your client should the internship relationship not work out and things go bad (ie the kid is responsible for damaging or losing gear).

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

It does not matter if you were not a party to the signing of the contract as you did secure the rights or permisson from r the copyrighted owner(s) of the production in order to videotape the event.

At this point you have the tapes back which is what really counts.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Leny,

What are you pissing about?

I said no such thing?

Hey did I tell you the story about… never mind I think I did

Now back to that 8 gb issue. I know some space for sale in Oakland 8 gb for under 200K such a bargain.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Lenny,

Invest in 8gb of real estate instead and watch your investment grow daily.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

David,

I can easily do this within FCP by doing the following.

Export your current sequence as a reference movie (no need to make it self contained) then reimport it and paste it into another sequence. I keep the original sequence and the reference movie within the same project to avoid confusion.

Add the timecode filter to the entire clip (which is the newly imported reference movie) and magically via RT extreme you will be able to get an instant timecode window burn which you can reposition anywhere on the screen and change the color.

The trick is not to add a drop shadow to the window burn numbers to maximize RT extreme.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Depending on what mode you shot in SQ or HQ this will have a variable on which HDCAM SR vtr you will need to playback with (either SRW-5000 or SRW-1).

If you have a limited amount of footage to dub it would be more cost effective to dub the tapes at a duplication facility instead of renting the three decks (HDCAM SR,F500,DVCPRO HD deck, HD monitor, waveform monitor, and support gear required.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Yes Steve,

I tell it like it is.

Take care,

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Robert,

With all due respect I think you missing Bob’s points completely.

In addition I don’t see why using the DSR-11 as a composite to digital converter would not suit your needs for converting composite 8mm video.
Unless you have a items such as a noise reducer and proc amp there seems little gain from spending time and effort on a higher end converter when the original source is such low quality.

Have you heard of the term GIGO “garbage in, garbage out” a higher end converter might make the garbage smell better but it will not magically convert it into image quality you might expect from digi beta.

AJA does make a product which has a frame sync built in for dealing with non genlockable devices. This feature has been incorporated into the IO product line.

Why it does not exist in the LH only AJA can answer this question.

I not sure how inputting composite sources has anything to do with analog HD which I believe you mean to imply HDV. HD generally implies higher end formats such as HDCAM, DVCPRO, HDCAM SR etc. It is best to be specific about what flavor of HD if you really are referring to HDV.

The problem with using the term HD generically only confuses what exactly you mean. The majority of professional HD applications use HDSDI not analog as this is mainly used for prosumer applications such as HDV due to cost savings.

If you want to use analog HD then use the component inputs on the LH to do so.

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Chris,

Your consultant and you have overlooked a major item involving the purchase of capital equipment which is how many of your clients are already willing or currently using the P2 post workflow.

Just because you are excited about the camera does not reflect what “9 out of 10” of your clients are willing to accept and pay for.

Any professional who has been in this business for quite sometime will tell you the perils of buying the first generation of any new product. You are and will be on the bleeding edge and will bear the pain of paving a new road for yourself and clients at the expense of an unproven track record.

The SDX-900 although it is at the end of the its product cycle has a proven client base, established post production workflow and can be purchased quite cheaply. The forthcoming HD products are all first generation, have no long term established track record or end user reports based on real world shooting conditions which you and I face every day.

Lab reports can be misleading at best given the circumstances we face in the world under these “real world” scenarios.

Regarding the magically 24P option it is not an easy software fix to make a camera magically output 24P instead it is all about hardware. The camera design was long ago approved and there is little chance that a month before NAB it will magically have 24P added unless this was already in the planning stages.

I recommend you take a wait and watch approach and see if P2 does indeed catch on and become the next best thing since sliced bread. Have you researched if any major rental facilities in your area are even considering the camera? If not ask why? If a major rental facility can forecast a product will generate alot of rentals then they will buy it if not they will wait and see or bypass it all together. Are there any broadcasters or major corporate end users you have spoken to who will or have adopted P2?
Start asking the hard questions and listen to the answers before allowing the lust for technology to blind you. Have you spoken with any of the other local freelancers to discuss what their plan are?

You do not want to be an orphan alone with a single camera and nowhere to go when you need a backup or second unit. You may even want to consider renting the unit first to discover all the hidden bugs and workarounds required before you dive in head first. “Try before you buy” can work to your advantage when making a major purchase.

One major rental facility I work with decided to forego the HVX-200 because it did not fit into their client base. Even with a diverse client base they felt P2 did not fit into their overall plan at this time for others this may be a different case.

One last note no manufacturer can honestly provide an answer what is best for your clients needs and expections. All they can do is hype what they have to offer and hope it works out for you. In the end it’s your money and you need to be quite cautious and figure out what your clients really need and are willing to actually pay for.

Have you asked any of your clients if they would commit in writing to hiring your HD P2 package before you make a purchase or are they just blowing smoke.

You don’t need to rush into this purchase only to suffer the pains of being the first on the block with the newest toy which no one really needs.

The best thing you can do is research, research and more research.

I personally recommend waiting for the 2nd or 3rd generation versions which will have had a chance to establish a proven track record.

Good luck,

Tony Salgado

[Tony]

Walter,

The issue is paramount when shooting in 24P dvcpro,or hdcam as there is not option for DF only NDF.

It is standard practice for broadcasters to require drop frame as their world depends on critical to the minute accuracy with real clock time versus timecode. I never deliver any masters for broadcast unless they are DF.

Sorry to hear this one got by you but it happens to the best of us.

Tony Salgado