your guide to - Videomaker.com
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your guide to - Videomaker.com
EXPOSING FOR THE SKY page 50 ® YOUR GUIDE TO CREATING AND PUBLISHING GREAT VIDEO JUNE 2013 DETAIL YOUR GUIDE TO STUDIO PRODUCTION • Keeping Your Gear Safe • Your First Job • Writing Grants reviewed T:10.5” B:10.75” S:9.625” Panasonic AG-AC90 Nikon 1 J2 Compact Camera NewTek TriCaster 40 The new EOS-1D X offers the most advanced focusing, exposure and low-light performance of any Canon DSLR. With the newly designed 18.1 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and a wide ISO range, you can shoot confidently in any light with the ability to capture low noise images even at a high ISO. And when used with its 100,000-pixel RGB metering system and the new radio-based wireless Speedlite 600EX-RT flash system, you will shoot with total control in the most challenging situations. contents pro.usa.canon.com/detail • Studio Gear • Tripods and Supports • Production Monitors full screen contents full screen print print © 2013 Canon U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. Canon and EOS are registered trademarks of Canon Inc. in the United States and may also be registered trademarks or trademarks in other countries. Let the Experts Teach You How to Shoot Great Video ... in Person! Join Videomaker’s Editors for a one-day training conference in Sacramento, Calif. June 28. videomaker.com/SAC2013 Contents Volume 27 • Number 12 JUNE 2013 www.videomaker.com Features 18 Tripods & Stabilizers Buyer’s Guide: 38 Entry-Level Jobs for Video: Better Video From the Ground Up The Building Blocks of Your Career If you want your work to look more like the shots you see on TV, you need to shoot rock-solid steady footage. by Chuck Peters There are many jobs in the video and film industry that require years of on-set experience or working as an apprentice. For aspiring videographers, the initial job search can be discouraging. by Julie Babcock 26 Production Monitors Buyer’s Guide: Getting the Right Image for the Work Choosing the best production monitor for the work being done is the best key to success. by Marshal Rosenthal 18 38 44 2 Viewfinder TriCaster 40 Panasonic AG-AC90 Nikon 1 J2 Overused Conventions by Matthew York 44 Basic Training Keeping Equipment Safe and Clean on a Shoot by Kyle Cassidy 47 Distribution 50 Lighting print On Sale June 25, 2013 Cover Photo by Jennifer O'Rourke full screen 4 Panasonic AG-AC90 Professional Camcorder 6 Adorama Flashpoint 500 LED Light 9 TriCaster 40 Portable Production Studio 55 Editing contents Reviews by Stephen Diaz Exposing for the Sky by Terry O'Rourke Pro Camcorders Buyer’s Guide Videomaker’s Best of NAB Editing Pre-Edited footage Working in 5.1 Surround Sound 57 Ad Index by Mark Holder Writing Proposals That Sell by Morgan Paar Next Month 4 Departments Columns On the Cover 47 by Brian Peterson Editing HD for SD Output by Russ Fairley 60 Audio 12 Manfrotto 502 Tripod System by Chris Monlux Hits and Impact Sound Effects by Hal Robertson 64 Take 5 14 Nikon 1 J2 Compact Camera by Stephen Diaz Five Tips for Finding Free or Cheap Video Gear by Bree Brouwer New rs a Webin contents full screen Four New Classes Added to Videomaker's Popular Training Webinars! Advanced Shooting • Audio • Making Money • Wedding & Events V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 print See page 59 for details 1 VIEWFINDER Videomaker empowers people to make video in a way that inspires, encourages and equips for success. We do this by building a community of readers, web visitors, viewers, attendees and marketers. by Matthew Y or k Overused Conventions contents full screen print Video conventions are an interesting lot. We find it curious that most of them are quite good and some are outstanding. The only problem with is that they catch on and get overused to the extent that videographers and viewers become jaded. What was once the rage is no longer acceptable. That’s a shame because, in spite of their overuse, a lot of video conventions are worth a second look. When does an overused video convention become a video cliché? Take a wedding video made during the past several years. Have you seen the bride twirling in her regular clothes, then magically transforming into her wedding dress as she continues to twirl? How about black and white segments with only the bouquet in color? There are some transitions that became so identified by their use to the point that videographers could point them out, “Say, that’s a Toaster transition.” Some of those transitions and effects were great. Many became standing faves, but their overuse ceased to generate wow after a time. In action videos some skateboard, snowboard and motocross moves and associated shots are cliché conventions but that doesn’t keep the extreme sports enthusiasts from enjoying them. In creative video production the use of shallow depth of field shots is sometimes overused. Is this going to become a cliché to the point that creative types avoid using this technique at all because everybody else is? Using a telephone conversation in a scene, at one time, became so overused that it might be frowned upon in today’s productions. More recently, how about all the cat videos posted on the Internet. Overused cliché? Remember the Star Wars style credits disappearing into an infinity? What are some other overused conventions you remember? Any new ones? Do you hate them or avoid using them because they show up too often? Do 2 publisher/editor associate publisher chief operating officer HR/office manager content director managing editor associate editor associate editor art director/photographer contributing editors you avoid using something perceived as a video convention at all costs, or use one where it fits? There are elements of video production that, though consistently used, do not a cliché make. The establishing shot in your production. Overused convention? Probably not. Does shooting a wide shot of the opening scene show a lack of creativity or new cutting-edge (cliché intended) thinking to use as an establishing shot or to set the mood? Some might consider lack of an establishing shot to be the sign of a freshman who has not yet realized its importance. There’s no doubt, however, that both old video conventions and clichés will thrive and new ones will occur. It is our job as video producers to come up with the next great video convention and guard it from becoming cliché as often as we can. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery (cliché intended), so if your next new move, treatment or unique POV (point of view) becomes overused, it might be because a lot of people like it. Use your creativity now before it winds up becoming a video convention cliché! Matthew York is Videomaker's Publisher/Editor. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15667 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15667 advertising director advertising representative telephone (530) 891-8410 account executive account executive marketing director marketing coordinator marketing coordinator web analyst information systems IT assistant web developer director of finance accounting assistant fulfillment/customer service fulfillment assistant Matthew York Patrice York Tom Urbanowicz Jessica Wright Mike Wilhelm Jennifer O’Rourke Greg Olson Jackson Wong Susan Schmierer Kyle Cassidy Earl Chessher Mark Holder Mark Levy Terry O’Rourke Hal Robertson Isaac York Dane Smith Olin Smith Terra York Joseph Ayres Tyler Kohfeld Jordan Claverie Seth Hendrick Jill Lutge Stephen Awe Jessica Pilgram Tammy Lynn Hettrick Brandie Ross subscription information Videomaker Subscription Fulfillment P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (800) 284-3226 e-mail: customerservice@videomaker.com address P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927 telephone: (530) 891-8410 fax: (530) 891-8443 Videomaker (ISSN 0889-4973) is published monthly by Videomaker, Inc., P.O. Box 4591, Chico, CA 95927. ©2013 Videomaker, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher is prohibited. The Videomaker name is a registered trademark, property of Videomaker, Inc. Editorial solicitations welcomed; publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Editorial-related photos and artwork received unsolicited become property of Videomaker. Single-copy price: $5.99; $7.99 in Canada. Subscription rates: one year (12 issues) $19.97; $29.97 in Canada (U.S. funds); $44.97 Foreign Delivery (prepayment required, U.S. funds). Send subscription correspondence to Videomaker, P.O. Box 3780, Chico, CA 95927. Back issues of Videomaker are available for order online at www.videomaker.com or by calling Customer Service at (800) 284-3226. 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P R INTED IN USA V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 contents full screen print REVIEWS REVIEWS Panasonic AG-AC90 Panasonic AG-AC90 Full HD 3MOS AVCCAM Camcorder Familiar Format, Fabulous Results b y M a rk H ol der W ith so much attention placed on DLSRs and interchangeable lens camcorders today, Panasonic has continued to focus a great deal of effort on improving a design that has been working quite well. The Panasonic AG-AC90 full HD, 3MOS AVCCAM handheld camcorder packs a number of very nice pro features into an extremely well balanced, lightweight and reasonablypriced prosumer level piece of equipment. The level of improvement and detail given to the automatic features will appeal to the run-n-gun, singleshooter types among us, while the Panasonic www.panasonic.com STRENGTHS contents full screen print • Excellent image quality • Highly effective OIS • Very clean gain • Backup recording on second memory card WEAKNESSES • No magnified focus assist $2,250 4 Two XLR audio inputs TECH SPECS ability to switch to manual controls will put a smile on the face of pretty much everyone else. Familiar Design There are no neutral density or video gain switches or dials on this camera. These tasks are instead integrated into the iris ring. At one end of the exposure spectrum, the iris is fully closed. It begins to open at f11 and continues to open wider until it reaches f1.5 - fully open. At settings wider than f2.8, neutral density filtering is automatically applied in increasing degrees. Continue to rotate the iris ring beyond fully open and gain is applied in 1dB increments up to a maximum of 30dB. The trade-off here is that as gain is added, noise increases. The AC90, however, has some of the cleanest gain we have seen, with increases to 20dB being relatively noise free and very usable. Exposure assist features include a Zebra button on the control panel with two zebra settings and a marker function. The placement of the LCD represents an interesting design change Though not an interchangeable lens camera, the lens it comes with is quite capable. The fast lens (f1.5 fully open) allows loads of light to hit the sensor, always a good thing - particularly in low light situations. Optical zoom is a respectable 12x and you control it using the middle of the three rings on the lens barrel or one of the two zoom rocker switches - one at the top of the handle and the other atop the hand grip on the right side - each near its own thumb-accessible record button. The rocker switches are right-now responsive, while the zoom ring is much smoother, allowing you to ease in and out and vary the speed of your zoom. The focus ring allows you to achieve manual focus while Push AF (assigned to a User button) lets you Left side control buttons switch temporarily to auto for a quick assist from the camera. Two buttons on the control panel affect your focusing options: Focus A/M switches between auto and manual focus, while Focus Assist outlines the areas in focus with red. Older eyes will welcome this feature. V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 Pickup Devices: 1/4.7 type 3MOS image sensors LCD: 3.5" wide Viewfinder: .24" wide EVF Lens: Auto Iris optical zoom (full range AF) Aperture (Focal Length): f1.5 to f2.8 (2.84mm to 34.1mm) Filter Diameter: 49mm Zoom: 12x optical, 25x i.Zoom, 2x/5x/10x digital Image Stabilizer: Optical (hybrid optical image stabilizer, active mode) Microphone: 5.1 ch surround (with zoom/focus function), stereo microphone Recording Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card to this otherwise familiar format. Most LCD panels fold up flat against the side of the camcorder, covering frequently used buttons. The AC90’s LCD panel slides out from a crosspiece at the front of the handle then rotates vertically up to 270 degrees for high and low angle, or self, shooting. The high-res panel is sharp, crisp and touch sensitive. The touchscreen controls menu and playback options, all of which are nicely responsive and easy to navigate. The retractable nature of the LCD provides a high level of protection to the screen when safely tucked away, but care should be used when the screen is out and while putting it away, so that it isn’t struck or forced at an angle. Attention to Audio Of course, a huge part of the success of any video production is the quality of its audio and the AC90 includes numerous options to enable you to achieve that goal. Its built-in mic is capable of 5.1 surround sound or two-channel stereo capture with both focus and zoom functions. Although this audio is certainly usable, we know it is better to get the Recording Format: AVCHD version 2.0 compliant, AVCHD Progressive Motion Picture Compression: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Audio Compression: Dolby Digital (5.1ch/2ch) Still Picture Recording Format: JPEG Video Output: AV Multi, HDMI Audio Input/Output: Line (2ch - AV Multi terminal), HDMI (Dolby Digital), headphones, XLR (2) Input/Output: USB, camera remote Weight: Approx. 3.3lb. - main unit only; Approx. 3.9lb - with battery and SD card Dimensions (WxHxD): 6-5/6"x7-11/16"x13-1/16" microphone closer to your subject than the camera as often as possible. To this end, the AC90 includes two XLR inputs on the right side of the crosspiece at the front of the handle. Opposite the inputs, at the other side of the crosspiece, is a hinged plastic cover, housing line/mic and phantom power switches. A second cover at the rear of the control panel protects the input source selection switches and gain control dials. These dials can be accessed through holes in the cover, without having to open it first, for gain adjustments on the fly. Peak Performance Three 1/4.7 type MOS, 1080p image sensors (one for each primary color RGB) combined with highly sensitive backside illumination (BSI) and dense pixel shifting technology, delivers extremely sharp pictures without aliasing, excellent color reproduction and a broad dynamic range. Shadows and highlights are right where we like to see them. The AVCHD format records at a color sample ratio of 4:2:0. The Intelligent Auto Mode and Hybrid Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) will likely appeal to run-n-gunners VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 in particular. The auto mode automatically detects shooting conditions and adjusts every parameter accordingly. Of course, we like our manual controls, but for those times when it’s shoot it or lose it, Intelligent Auto Mode does an excellent job. Hybrid OIS combines the best of both optical and electronic approaches to image stabilization, analyzing motion along five axes for excellent results - some of the best we’ve seen in fact. In addition to awesome video images, the AC90 also takes very nice 3MP still photos, recording everything to SD cards. With dual memory card slots, your recording time can be extended by automatically switching to the second memory card when the first becomes full. For more paranoid shooters, backup recording records the same material to both cards simultaneously for safety. If at any time one card fails, recording continues on the second card so you don’t lose the shot. With excellent image results, reasonable pricing, all these features and too many more to mention, the Panasonic AG-AC90 has a lot to offer enthusiasts and prosumers alike. SUMMARY With loads of professional features, excellent image quality and an affordable price, the Panasonic AG-AC90 is a great value. Contributing Editor Mark Holder is a video producer and trainer. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15860 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15860 5 contents full screen print REVIEWS Adorama Flashpoint 500 LED Light Dialing in LEDs b y S t e p h e n D i az I t’s surprising how much light shines out of the relatively small Flashpoint 500 LED light. With a simple twist of a dial, one can easily fine-tune the amount of tungsten or daylight illumination desired for any video situation. “Lights, Camera, Action!” Before rolling the cameras, it’s no wonder lights is the first word out of the director’s mouth. Lighting is everything from setting the mood to giving that professional touch needed for your videos. For video producers everywhere it’s easy to think about the Flashpoint [Adorama] www.adorama.com STRENGTHS • Small and lightweight Separate dials for individual or combined tungsten and daylight Portable with purchase of additional battery pack WEAKNESSES contents • No quick release on barn doors No carrying case full screen print $200 6 camera and the action but even easier to neglect the lighting of scene. Even if you consider yourself a master of using natural light, sometimes you just need that extra boost. That’s where the Adorama Flashpoint 500 LED light comes in. Maybe you’re adding yet another light to your arsenal of studio equipment, or maybe this is the first light purchase you’ve considered. Either way, the Flashpoint 500 LED is a highly capable yet affordable option. There are many lights on the market today that range from small oncamera lights to studio setups that cost thousands of dollars. Adorama’s Flashpoint 500 LED combines the best of both worlds, all while keeping the price tag at $200. It’s a little too large to mount on a camera, but the perfect size for a home studio or for packing and traveling. Plug the Flashpoint 500 LED into an outlet with the included 13-foot power cord, or pop on an optional lithium-ion battery to take the light beyond the reach of your household extension cords. No Instructions Needed Available directly from Adorama, the V IDEOMAKER >>> APRIL 2013 Flashpoint 500 LED arrived wellpacked in a package. Everything inside was snuggly wrapped in plastic and secured by fitted Styrofoam. A light stand is not included with the Flashpoint 500 LED but one can THE FLASHPOINT 500 LED IS A HIGHLY CAPABLE YET AFFORDABLE OPTION. be purchased separately from any video related equipment retailer. The included mounting adapter attaches easily to any side of the light, allowing for vertical or horizontal configurations. On the other side of the angle-adjustable adapter is a hole that will fit around any standard 5/8-inch top-studded light stand. The Flashpoint 500 LED comes with no instructions and frankly, it doesn’t need any. This light is dead simple and easy to use. We grabbed a light stand and had it ready to light an interview in less than two minutes. On the backside of the Flashpoint 500 LED light are two simple dials, one for The new DaVinci Resolve is now even faster and easier to use! With over 25 years’ experience in color correction, DaVinci Resolve is the world’s most loved high end color grading system! Only DaVinci Resolve is designed to be real time all the time, so it keeps up with you when you’re working on demanding client jobs. With the most creative toolset and highest image quality, it’s easy to see why DaVinci Resolve is used on more Hollywood feature films, syndicated network television series, music videos and high end television commercials than any other system. Greater Creativity Automated for Speed DaVinci Resolve includes more automatic tools such as the 99 point 3D window tracker so you’ll rarely need to manually track windows! You get automatic 3D eye matching, auto-grade, auto stabilization, auto 3D color matching, automatic XML, AAF and EDL conforming, real time proxies, auto scene detection and much more! World’s Best Compatibility With a massive toolset designed by colorists for colorists! The innovative YRGB primaries and node based design allow more creative grading and better looking images. Combined with PowerWindows™, RGB mixing, curve grading, blur, sharpen, mist, keying, noise reduction and 32 bit float quality, you get more with DaVinci Resolve. No system supports more file formats in real time. Grade from mixed format clips on the same timeline including bayer format CinemaDNG, RED™, ARRI™ and F65™ raw, ProRes™, DNxHD™, H.264, uncompressed and more. Get full multi layer timeline XML, AAF and EDL round trip with editing built right into DaVinci Resolve! If your edit changes, Resolve will automatically relink grades! Super Computer Processing DaVinci Resolve uses a cluster of GPUs for real time super computer performance. Simply plug in an extra common graphics card (GPU) to get more performance. Add up to 3 GPUs on Mac OS X or a massive 16 GPUs on Linux. The freedom is yours, and there are no extra software costs! Simply plug in GPUs when you need more power! DaVinci Resolve Lite Free Free download with unlimited nodes. Supports 1 GPU. DaVinci Resolve Software 995 $29,995 Full Resolve with unlimited nodes and multiple GPUs. Use 3rd party control panels. DaVinci Resolve Full Resolve with colorist control surface for the most advanced facilities. $ Learn more today at www.blackmagicdesign.com/davinciresolve contents full screen print REVIEWS REVIEWS Adorama Flashpoint 500 NewTek TriCaster 40h TECH SPECS Bulb Type: Ultra Bright LED Bulb Size: .2" (5mm) Light Temperature: 3200-5900K Light Dimensions: 14" x 7½" x 2 ¾" (35cm x 19cm x 7cm) Watts: 42w Fuse: 5A Power Cord Length: 13' Battery: AC, V-lock lithium-ion battery pack sold separately Carrying Case: No Accessory Mount: Yes Handles on Lamps: Yes Spot/Flood Adjustable: No Barndoors: Yes Total Weight of Kit: 6lb. tungsten and one for daylight. Each dial lights up half of the LED grid, shining either specific palette onto your subject. The Flashpoint 500 LED consists of a 16x32 grid of LED lights, which actually totals 512 LED lights. Turning both dials allows the user to combine the two styles of LED to find the perfect color temperature for any video shoot. As well as the two individual temperature dials, the light has an Back of Flashpoint 500 showing dimmer dials full screen print 8 From the Studio to the Streets While setting up the Flashpoint 500 LED in a basic three-point lighting configuration, we discovered that it worked great as the key, fill or the backlight. Even with a single-light setup, the Flashpoint 500 LED worked flawlessly for a variety of applications. Having the temperature dials to fade the perfect color and brightness in or out was key to achieving a perfect shot every time. Ranging from 3200-5900K, the tungsten and daylight knobs help attain perfect skin tone and white balance. Tungsten gives off a warmer orange-yellow tone while daylight is a cooler blue tone. No matter where you’re shooting, it’s always helpful to have this range of options to counterbalance any other light source that may negatively affect your color temperature balance. For instance, V IDEOMAKER >>> APRIL 2013 Affordable HD Switching when shooting indoors under combined fluorescent and tungsten lights, video footage turns out orange and green in color. With the Flashpoint 500 LED light, it’s simple to counterbalance the conflicting light sources by matching the natural color temperature. Similarly, when shooting outside with tungsten lights, often your subject comes out a little red with everything else looking blue, especially in the shade or on an overcast day. Using the daylight setting on the Flashpoint 500 LED will help brighten and balance the colors of any scene. This not only makes your footage look better than ever, it saves you precious color correction editing time! Many budget LED lights on the market only have a daylight setting with a tungsten filter that slides over the light to warm it up. The Flashpoint 500 LED stands out from the crowd with the capabilities to combine both color temperatures to find the perfect mix of each. b y B r i a n P e t e r so n N ewTek’s TriCaster 40 is designed to give small facilities, schools, churches or independent producers live production capacity without breaking the bank. For $4,995 you get the TriCaster 40, and an LED backlit keyboard and a mouse. This powerhouse can switch between 14 channels that include four live mixed resolution video sources up to HD, two network, two internal graphics, one digital disc recorder, one black and four virtual sources. And it is also among the first budget switchers that can compress a live stream for the Internet. Brighten Up Your Day Overall, we were highly impressed with the performance of Adorama’s Flashpoint 500 LED Light. At the attractive price point of $200, this light is affordable and compares to other lights priced at twice or even three times as much. From solid build quality to the surprising amount of light it throws into a scene, the Flashpoint 500 LED is a great piece of gear to add to any video producer’s collection. SUMMARY Whether you need daylight or tungsten light, the Adorama Flashpoint 500 LED light packs a lot of power in an attractively affordable package. Stephen Diaz is an independent filmmaker and professional blogger. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15863 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15863 Photos by Jennifer O'Rourke contents XLR input for the included power cord and a mount for a Flashpoint V-Lock mount lithium-ion battery. An installed 5A fuse helps power the 42watt light, plus a backup fuse in the box for future use. Included barndoors on the Flashpoint 500 LED help with directional lighting and come attached to the frame. They are removable with a screwdriver and small wrench, yet they simply fold out of the way so removal is not generally necessary. The only downside of the Flashpoint 500 LED is it does not come with a carrying case. Although, with such an affordable price and small size the light can fit in a padded gear bag purchased with the money you saved. Simply Powerful Setup is about as easy as it gets. In fact, unless you're completely new to video, you'll have no problem hooking up cameras, starting the system, creating a new session and beginning live switching without ever glancing at the user guide. From taking the unit out of the box to switching between two cameras took us just less than 10 minutes without a peek at the guide. But should you need to, the TriCaster 40's well-written 70+ page manual keeps things brief and clear. It is also one of the first user guides that uses a QR code on the switcher screen for ready access on your tablet or Tricaster 40 face showing a multitude of inputs and outputs smartphone. The TriCaster 40 is a compact black box that easily fits on a small desk. The front panel houses all of the A/V inputs and outputs that keeps you from fishing around the back to change configuration. Video inputs use professional locking BNC connectors but if you don’t have the right cables, the TriCaster 40 includes VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 BNC to RCA converters. There are a pair of stereo RCA ins and outs and one mono balanced 1/4-inch input for a microphone and one stereo 1/4-inch output for headphones. Four USB connections and the power button complete the front panel. The rear panel offers standard computer system connections plus one HDMI and two eSATA ports for external storage. Newtek sent us the optional control surface for this review so, of course, we had to check it out. Like the main NewTek, Inc. www.newtek.com STRENGTHS • Easy to use • Flexible source and output types • Low cost WEAKNESSES • Minimal audio inputs • Fan noise • Limited graphics customization contents full screen $4,995 TCXD40 $1,995 Control surface print 9 REVIEWS REVIEWS NewTek TriCaster 40 NewTek TriCaster 40 Ready, Set, Switch TECH SPECS Switcher Channels: 14 – 6 external, 4 internal, 4 virtual inputs Video Input: 4 simultaneous mixed live video sources, including HD, Component, SD Component, Y/C or Composite. Network Sources: 2 via Gigabit connection. Virtual Inputs: 4 independent, mix/ effect-style channels. Downstream Key: 2 with independent DVE, transition controls, positioning and scaling. Video Layers: 5 simultaneous layers. Virtual Sets: 24 HD live virtual sets. Video Output: Analog BNC configurable for Component (2) or Y/C + Composite (Program and SD-only AUX). Network output for live streaming. Recording: Resolutions up to 1080i Encoded as QuickTime or Web-quality H.264 Recording Capacity: Approximately 20 unit, the control surface is very well built. The buttons feel solid and the T-bar for dissolves and fades has the same silky smooth motion found in expensive switchers. We also used the mouse control included in the base model. Test Configuration contents full screen print For our tests we hooked up two 720p JVC GY-HD110Us and a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with the HDMI output converted to component video. Your camcorders need to output a composite or component analog signal. If they only output digital data you'll need to use an external signal converter. We then manually configured the types of camera signals by selecting the input settings icon at the upper right of each input screen within the 10 hours of 1080i or 120 hours of 480i via internal drive in QuickTime format. Live Streaming: HD live streaming via Adobe Flash or Microsoft Windows Media Push/Pull. Audio Inputs: 1/4" Mono (Mic) Stereo RCA, L/R (Line) Audio Outputs: Stereo RCA, Stereo L/R 1/4" Stereo (phones) Supported Formats: NTSC model: 1080i, 720p, 480i (16:9), 480i (4:3) Playback Media Formats: AVI, DV, DVCPro, DVCProHD, FLV, F4V, H.263, H.264, MOV, MKV, MJPEG, MPEG, MP4, WMV, WebM, PSD, PNG, TGA, BMP, JPEG, EXR, RAW, TIF, AIFF, MP3, WAV, and more. Processing: Video: 4:4:4:4, 32-bit Floating Point. Audio: 2 channels, 96 kHz, 32-bit Floating Point. System Physical: 10.4 x 8.5 x 17.5 in. 19lb. Live Desktop. Here there is also a processing amplifier (proc amp) to adjust brightness, contrast, color or saturation, a chromakeyer and crop tool for making simple garbage mattes. What we did not have to do was perhaps most amazing; each camera input was automatically in sync. Unlike many switchers, you don't need expensive external time base correctors or genlocks to sync cameras. For audio we connected the output of a 12-channel mixer to the TriCaster 40’s unbalanced RCA inputs and also plugged in a lavalier microphone to the balanced 1/4-inch input. The last part of our system configuration included setting up our main Live Desktop screen on a 24-inch LCD and connected the Program Out component signal to an LCD TV. V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 We started the system and created a new 720p HD session. At this point you can either go directly to a live show or manage digital assets such as video clips, stills, titles or audio. We imported some sample media and started our session, letting the TriCaster 40 go through its initialization which can take about two minutes the first time you use it. The Live Desktop screen appeared and we were ready to start our test show. We performed a sample two minute live show with open graphics, talking head, lower thirds title, pre-produced video segments, externally networked PowerPoint, chromakey, a live music mix and closing graphics. Starting from black, the fade up to our open revealed the fades are incredibly smooth with no banding or rapid fall-off near the end of the transition that some budget switchers display. The cut to our talking head had no perceptible lag. We used the downstream keyer to dissolve in our lower third identifier graphic stored in the GFX 1 channel. Like the fade up from black, the dissolve of the overlay is very smooth with no visible banding throughout the transition that can plague low-cost switchers. We then transitioned to our first pre-produced video clip. When playing back video clips a nice feature is a red bar that alerts you to the last five seconds of playback so you are ready for the next take. But even if you forget, the TriCaster 40 can automatically switch back to your last source. Autoplay is another very welcomed feature. With it, all you have to do is click Auto Take and your preview media automatically starts rolling (if a video clip) in perfect sync with dissolves or special effects. In addition to cuts and dissolves, the TriCaster 40 keeps 20 other transition types at the ready in the two downstream keyer banks, but there are dozens of others you can load into this reserve. Tricaster 40 optional switcher board Using the TriCaster 40's iVGA client software loaded on a separate networked computer, we cut to a PowerPoint presentation and advanced through slides. We did notice some loss of fine detail and color shifting when accessing the desktop of another computer. We adjusted some of the color and contrast problem using the TriCaster's proc amp but there is no compensation for the slight loss of detail. For our chromakey test we used the TriCaster 40's LiveMatte. You get basic matte and spill suppression controls that produce a very good chromakey quickly and with minimal fuss. We were impressed at how good our key was, even with basic lighting. To really have fun, we browsed the many virtual sets included with the system and picked one to use with our keyed host shot and a pre-produced video clip to create a picturein-picture effect. For an added touch of realism, you can even zoom into virtual sets with keyed subjects locked into place. Lighting your subject to match the virtual set is the most important part of making the composite look believable, but even with a simple lighting setup, our test looked very good. The TriCaster 40 is designed for use with an external audio mixer if you have more than one microphone or external sources, but the internal audio mixing gives you all the basic controls. Levels adjust in real-time smoothly and quietly. We liked the separate Stream and master output level controls as the demands for these can be different. The TriCaster 40 excels at output options. You can send both HD and SD signals at the same time to a recorded file or composite or component devices such as TVs, monitors or projectors, but perhaps the most intriguing is its ability to encode a compressed Windows Media Video or Flash video on the fly for live streaming to the Web while recording your archive at the same time. Back of Tricaster 40 showing USB, internet and peripheral ports Conclusion To keep costs and complexity to a minimum, there are some design limitations built into the TriCaster 40. You can only reallocate so much screen space in the Live Desktop for sources, preview and program. The graphic overlays are limited to the included templates and there is no internal live character generator, just pre-designed VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 title templates that are editable on the fly. So if you need more customization you'll need the optional $995 LiveText. Other options left out of the THE TRICASTER 40 IS WELL DESIGNED AND HAS JUST ENOUGH FLEXIBILITY TO UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY, base model include a $1,995 control surface and $1,495 Virtual Set Editor that lets you create and modify your own virtual sets. The audio inputs are minimal so multiple external audio sources needs to be premixed. We would like to see at least balanced line inputs in a future design. About the only thing we found objectionable was the fan noise. But if you are producing your show in a large space, this shouldn’t be a problem. For such a potentially complicated piece of equipment, the TriCaster 40 makes it uniquely easy and affordable to create professional looking HD multi-cam, multi-source live productions that can be broadcast, projected, recorded or streamed. The TriCaster 40 is well designed and built, portable and has just enough flexibility to unleash your creativity, and simple enough to be nearly foolproof. If you are thinking about a switcher, you must check out the TriCaster 40. SUMMARY The TriCaster 40 is the classic magic “black box;” a powerful multi-cam HD switcher that is well-designed, flexible, easy to use and affordable. Brian Peterson is a commercial video producer, consultant and certified Steadicam owner/operator. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15681 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15681 11 contents full screen print REVIEWS REVIEWS Manfrotto 502 Manfrotto 502 Tripod System TECH SPECS Load Capacity: 8.82lbs (4kg) Pan/Tilt Drag : 0- 100% Pan/Tilt Lock : Yes Bubble Level: Yes Bowl size: 60mm Leg Style : Telescope with mid-level spreader Tripod/pedestal fitting: 60mm Pan Bar(s): EX Pan bar, LANC optional Leg Sections: 2 Minimum Height: 24.8" (63cm) Maximum Height: 61.8" (157cm) Folded Length: 29.7" (75.7cm) Weight: 8.4lbs (4kg) Get a Leg A-Head b y Ch ris M onl ux F or those who want to take their video production to the next level, a quality tripod system is a necessity. Manfrotto began producing tripods that were innovative, light and versatile in the early 1970s. The Manfrotto 502 system is no different. Manfrotto offers a wide range of video production tools, from pocket systems to clamps, pan heads and tripods. The Manfrotto 502 tripod system consists of the MVT502AM leg system, MVH502A fluid head and Manfrotto tote bag. The capacity of the MVH502A fluid head is 8.82lb., supporting small 3-chip cameras to DSLRs and small camcorders. Manfrotto 502 Tripod System www.manfrotto.us STRENGTHS • Lightweight • Rugged design • Easy transport contents full screen print WEAKNESSES • Quick plate too long for some cameras • Legs lack stability when fully extended $518 12 Setting aside a budget for a nice tripod system isn’t always easy and typically isn’t on the top of the priority list. If you’ve ever purchased a A QUALITY FLUID HEAD IS ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING A SEAMLESS SHOT. tripod before, and went for the cheap option, you might have realized that you are only as strong as your weakest link, meaning if you have a budget for a nice camera, you ought to set aside some of that budget for a quality, durable and long lasting set of sticks. It looks pretty - but how well does it perform? system is the quality of the head. You will experience the quality through its ease of use and robust build quality. The spirit level or bubble level, Fluid Drag System tilt dial is in the perfect location, and the MVH502A has very easy access to set its level. One of the first tips I received as a young producer was don’t go with the most typical angle: eye level. A great shot is always your goal. Get in there and view the scene from an unseen angle. Lower the tripod from eye level to offer your viewers an angle they weren’t born with. This is why shooting with the legs fully extended isn’t something we opt to do, when we have the option. When not fully extended, the Manfrotto MVK502AM leg system offers quality stability. However when fully extended, the legs are a bit lightweight, and might require using a sandbag to achieve optimum performance. The legs are made of lightweight aluminum, making it the perfect option for pack and carry shooting needs. Adding to its portability is its size when collapsed completely at 24.8-inches. The quick release legs are made of a hard plastic that tighten securely and offer a full range through their extension. Testing and Results Through testing, we used both a Panasonic AG-HVX200A and Canon EOS 7D. The head fit both cameras, and performed well with both. The mounting plate was a bit large for the 7D, getting in the way of some operation, but fit the HVX200A perfectly. The difference in weight between the Quick-release leg locks Spirit level is easy to use scored big with this lightweight system, offering a reasonably priced fluid head and legs that will get your next work a leg ahead. Let’s sum it up folks! Save up: buy a system that will ensure your next project will be worth the time you put into it. Although this system is a bit unstable when fully ex- TAKE YOUR BUDGET TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND INVEST IN YOUR WORK. tended, the smooth operation of the head and lightweight design are well worth the cost. Don’t get caught going cheap, rather, take your budget to the next level and invest in your work. SUMMARY Fluid Drag pan head dial The best shots are always those that keep you in the scene. A rickety or unstable tilt can take the viewer out of the story; therefore a quality fluid head is essential to achieving a seamless shot. The MVH502A fluid head is smooth, easy to pan and tilt and has infinite drag from 0 – 100 percent for both true “fluid” pan and tilt operation. By far the best value in this two cameras didn’t change the performance of the head; the biggest difference was the stability of the legs. The HVX200A’s extra weight allowed less skipping of the legs when panning with the drag set to high. The system is very affordable and we found it performed well for its cost. Manfrotto V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 The Manfrotto MVK502AM tripod system is a great bang for your buck, offering smooth fluid head operation and can be used on a wide range of cameras. Chris Monlux is the Commercial Production Director for a broadcast television station. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15867 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15867 13 contents full screen print REVIEWS REVIEWS Nikon 1 J2 Nikon 1 J2 Compact Camera Easy as Pie b y S t e p h e n D i az W ith ever increasing video capabilities, many point-and-shoot digital cameras are starting to appeal to the video crowd as well. For a beginner photographer with an added curiosity for video, the Nikon 1 J2 is an enjoyable and easily-operated device. No need to be confused over the complicated features of a full-fledged DSLR, the Nikon 1 J2 automatically shoots high quality photo and video with the touch of a button. Many people love these mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras for a Nikon Inc. www.nikon.com STRENGTHS • Exceptionally easy to use • Small and light, great for travel • Capable of fun super slow-motion WEAKNESSES contents full screen print • Video-specific features are lacking • Slow-motion frame sizes are extremely small • Poor performance in low light situations $550 (with a kit lens) 14 number of reasons. They are small, lightweight, and let the user easily switch out lenses for a variety of looks and zooming capabilities. Out of the Box, Ready to Rock the box and start taking quality photos and videos within seconds. Included in the white Nikon box are a battery charger, USB cable and matching strap to secure the camera to a wrist or bag. Alongside those accessories, there’s a multiple language user manual and some editing software included to assist with movie creating and managing images. to record HD video. The Nikon 1 J2 can shoot in full high definition (HD) 1920x1080 at 30p (progressive) frames per second (fps) or at 60i (interlaced) with a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. The camera can also record 60 fps at 720p. This mode is perfect for fast moving action shots or for editing a video into smooth slow-motion. The user manual has detailed explanations of the varied modes and will help in determining which frame rate to use. While capturing video, sound recorded through the onboard stereo microphone has surprisingly good audio quality. What’s great for beginners is that the Nikon 1 J2’s user manual gives little notes to aid in the learning process. In addition, most of the features in the video mode default to auto so there is no need to worry about controlling exposure, white balance or shutter speed when you first get going. One of the Nikon 1 J2 features attracting a lot of attention is the extreme slow-motion video capture mode. Pressing the “F” button on the camera brings up an option to change from HD Movie to Slow Motion mode. In the slow-motion mode, the camera can capture two different speeds: 400 and 1,200fps. These frame rates are incredibly fast, the only downside is the resulting frame size is very small. During the slowmotion mode, the Nikon 1 J2 can record up to five seconds. To give you an idea of how slow this actually is, when played back at normal speed five seconds at 400fps turns into a little over one minute, and 1200fps transforms into almost three and a half minutes. The frame size captured Nikon 1 J2 with 1 NIKKOR VR 10-100mm lens during these modes is so small it is distorted quite a bit when enlarged to basic YouTube size. Nevertheless, it is an absolute blast to play around with this special slow-motion feature of the Nikon 1 J2. The beautifully designed Nikon 1 J2 camera body and matching 1030mm standard zoom lens caught our attention immediately. After powering the camera, a welcome screen appeared followed by clear Let's Talk Video instructions how to unlock the While the Nikon 1 J2 is a camera lens and start using the camera. primarily focused on photography, The Nikon 1 J2 is a favorite camera we at Videomaker are going to focus among beginners for that very realargely on the video capabilities of son: it is simply easy to use. this camera. Switching the dial to With each dial turn or button press, the dedicated video mode, the video the Nikon 1 J2’s LCD screen displays record button now enables the camera explanations of the asBack of Nikon 1 J2 sorted modes to provide a fast and laid-back learning curve. Without even picking up the user manual, the layout and settings of the camera seem very intuitive and have a second nature feel about them. With no prior instruction or experience with the Nikon 1 J2, we were able to pull it straight out of V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 15 REVIEWS Nikon 1 J2 TECH SPECS Lens Mount: Nikon 1 Picture Angle: Appx. 2.7x lens focal length Effective Pixels: 10.1MP (12MP total) Sensor Size: 13.2mm x 8.8mm Image Sensor: CMOS CX Dust-reduction system: Optical antidust mechanism Storage Media: SD, SDHC, SDXC Viewfinder: LCD 3" 921,000 dots Lens Aperture: electronically controlled Shutter Type: Electronic Shutter Shutter Speed Range: 1/16,000 sec. - 30 sec. Frame Advance Rate: Electronic [Hi]: Approx. 10, 30 or 60 fps Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution: 5 frames per second 10, 30 or 60 fps using Electronic (Hi) shutter Remote Control Modes: Delayed remote (2 sec), Quick-response remote Exposure Modes: Programmed Auto with flexible Program (P), Shutter-Priority Auto (S), Aperture-Priority Auto (A), Aperture-Priority (A), Manual (M), Scene Auto Selector Scene Modes: Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Close-up, Auto Shooting Modes: Still Image (3:2), Smart Photo Selector (3:2), Movie (HD 16:9), Movie, Slow Motion (8:3), Motion Snapshot (16:9) Exposure Compensation: ±3 EV in increments of 1/3EV An Easy Transition contents full screen print For the beginning photographer looking to explore the world of video, the Nikon 1 J2 offers a seamless transition … it also is capable of doing both photos and video at the same time! While shooting in video mode, press the shutter button at any time to snap a 16 Exposure Lock: Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button ISO Sensitivity: 100-3200, 6400 Active D-Lighting: On, Off Built-in Flash: Yes Guide Number: 5/16 (m/ft. ISO 100, 20°C/68°F) Approx. White Balance: Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Preset Manual, All except preset manual with fine tuning Movie File Format: MOV Movie Video Compression: H.264/ MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Movie Audio recording format: AAC Movie Audio recording: Built-in stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable Movie HD: 1920x1080/60i HD: 1920x1080/30p, HD: 1280x720/60p, Slow-motion: 640x240/400fps, Slowmotion: 320x120/1200fps Motion Snapshot: 1920x1080/60p (plays at 24p) Interface: Hi-speed USB, Mini HDMI (Type C) Battery: EN-EL20 Lithium-ion Tripod Socket: 1/4" Approx. Dimensions (WxHxD): 4.2" (106mm) x 2.4" (61mm) x 1.2" (29.8mm) Excluding projections Approx. Weight (Body only): 8.4oz. Operating Environment: 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C) <85% humidity (no condensation) full quality photo without interrupting the video recording. Nikon takes this a step further with the new Motion Snapshot Mode, a feature that allows the user to record movie highlights of their photographs. For someone looking to get into video without the hassle of editing V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 software, the Motion Snapshot Mode offers a simple solution. Using this mode is simple: holding the shutter button halfway down the camera begins to buffer. Once pressed fully, the Nikon 1 J2 will capture a moment of video before and after the button press. It will then add background music of your choice and play back the short movie clip in slow-motion. In the setting menu, the user can choose from four different themes, which result in four different background songs of varying moods. What is great about this mode is not only do you get a great snapshot of your special memory; you also get a short 10-second video to remember the moment without any editing work at all. Nothing helps retell a story better than a video. Photos First, Video Second Overall we had quite a bit of fun with the Nikon 1 J2. It is lightweight, has a great looking design, and with the mirrorless interchangeable-lens system it opens up a multitude of options for future progression. Although when it comes down to it, this is a photography-focused camera. The video addition is nice, but is lacking because it is not the primary focus of the camera. The Nikon 1 J2 boasts powerful photo features from creative filters to face recognition, and is an excellent transition for any beginning photographer who wants a simple and easy route to capturing video in addition to their photos. RUN-AND-GUN IN A BETTER LIGHT MAKE ANY HOUR GOLDEN. IMAGES ARE MOMENTS CAPTURED IN LIGHT. ON-CAMERA FIXTURES LIKE SUMMARY THE CROMA AND LUMA PROVIDE THE VERSATILITY YOU NEED IN ORDER The photography-focused Nikon 1 J2 is an excellent transition for any beginning creative who wants a simple and easy way to capture video in addition to their photos. TO CREATE STRIKING IMAGES IN EVERY ENVIRONMENT. DIAL IN THE CROMA TO MATCH ANY AMBIENT COLOR, OR GRAB THE LUMA FOR A HIGH-POWERED PUNCH OF DAYLIGHT. OWN THE MOMENT. Stephen Diaz is an independent filmmaker and professional blogger. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15855 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15855 contents full screen CRO MA BALANCED FOR ANY ENVIR ONMENT Litepanels A Vitec Group brand print ® www.litepanels.com/croma Tripods & Stabilizers If you want your work to look more like the shots you see on TV, you need to shoot rock-solid steady footage. Sachtler www.sachtler.com Camtrol www.camtrol.com Matthews Studio Equipment, Inc. www.msegrip.com contents Manfrotto www.manfrotto.us Edelkrone www.edelkrone.com full screen Better Video From the Ground Up Zacuto www.zacuto.com indiSYSTEM www.indisystem.com BY CHUCK PETERS T here’s no place for unintentionally shaky shots or sticky pans in professional productions. When you think about shooting rock-solid shots you may be reminded of that famous wise man who built his house on a rock and his foolish friend who built upon the sand. When the storms came, the house built on the foundation of the rock stood strong, but the pad on the beach ... not so much. print 18 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 buyer’s guide VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 19 contents full screen print Feet contents full screen print In order to anchor your shots, it’s important that your tripod’s feet grip the ground without slipping around. There are a few different types of feet that you’ll commonly see, and it is worthwhile to know what your options are as you shop for the right set of sticks. In general, watch out for cheap feet made of hard rubber or plastic. These hard feet may slide around too easily on smooth flooring 20 www.atlascamerasupport.com • AZGRIP.com LLC www.danadolly.com BarberTech Video Products www.barbertvp.com/index.html • BARSKA www.barska.com • Basson Steady System www.bassonsteady.com.ar Berkey System LLC. www.berkeysystem.com Berlebach www.berlebach.de • Bescor Video Accessories www.bescor.com • Black Bear Studio Systems www.blackbearstudiosystems.com BushHawk www.bushhawk.com/ • Cam Caddie camcaddie.com/ • Camadeus Film Technologies www.camadeus.com Cambo www.cambo.com Camera Control www.cameracontrol.com Camera Dynamics Ltd (Vinten) www.vinten.com Camera Motion Research LLC www.camotionllc.com Camera Support Industries www.cineped.com Camera Turret Technologies, INC www.cameraturret.com Camtrol www.camtrol.com Carbon XL LLC www.carbon-xl.com/ Cartoni (USA) www.cartoni.com Cavision Enterprises Ltd www.cavision.com Celestron, LLC. www.celestron.com Chrosziel GmBH www.ditogear.com Dolica www.dolica.com • Dracast www.dracast.com • DVTEC www.dvtec.tv Dynamic Perception LLC www.dynamicperception.com Eagle Beaming International Co., LTD www.acebil.com/ Edelkrone www.edelkrone.com • Endzone Video Systems www.endzonevideo.com • EZFX www.ezfx.com FLOATCAM www.floatcampro.com Giottos Industrial Inc. www.giottos.com Glidecam Industries Inc. www.glidecam.com • • Glidegear www.glidegear.net • • Glidetrack www.glidetrack.com Habbycam www.habbycam.com Hakuba USA, Inc., www.hakubausa.com/ Hatcams LLC www.hatcams.com/ HI-POD INC www.hi-pod.com Hollywood General Machining, Inc. www.porta-jib.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.chrosziel.com • • CINEIK www.cineik.com/index.html • • CineRover www.cinerover.com Cinevate Inc. www.cinevate.com CobraCraneUSA www.cobracraneusa.com Comely Productions www.camcrane.com CPM Camera Gear www.cpmcamerarigs.com • D|Focus Systems Inc. www.dfocussystem.com • Dana Dolly www.danadolly.com Daniel Hamby www.wildshotcamera.com/ • Delkin Devices Inc. www.delkin.com • V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ikan Corporation www.ikancorp.com/ Indicam www.indicam.com/ Infinite Jib Inc. www.infinitejib.com Intel-A-Jib www.intel-a-jib.com/ iOmounts www.iomounts.com/ JL Fisher Inc. www.jlfisher.com • • • • • • • • • • • JOBY, Inc. www.joby.com • • • JonyJib www.jonyjib.com • • juicedLink www.juicedlink.com K-Tek www.ktekbooms.com • • Kamerar www.kamerar.com • KB Systems www.kbsystem.com • Kenko Tokina USA, Inc. www.kenkotokinausa.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • buyer’s guide and they are more prone to breaking. The type of surfaces that you typically shoot from is a key consideration. If you primarily shoot indoors, look for feet made of soft, pliable rubber that won’t slide across the room or cause damage by scratching up hardwood or vinyl flooring. Look closely at how the feet are attached. Some are caps that simply slide over the outside of the leg, some are securely glued on, others are plugs that insert inside the tubular legs. The biggest consideration here is that the feet are attached in a way that will last without popping off and getting lost. Many high-end tripods also include spikes on their feet for getting a good grip in the grass or digging into the dirt. These are typically concealed by rubber covers that either twist to retract or slip over the top of the spikes for indoor use. Legs and Latches • • www.industrialrev.com/pedco/ • • • Industrial Revolution • • www.hoodmanusa.com/ www.indiedolly.com • • www.idcphotovideo.com www.indisystem.com • • Hoodman Corporation Indie – Dolly Systems • • • iDC Photo Video indiSYSTEM Pedestals Atlas Camera Support System DitoGear • Dollies/Sliders Jibs/Cranes Monopods • Shoulder Mounts Body-Worn supports Handheld supports Mountable supports www.albacamerasupport.com Tabletop Tripods Alba Camera Support Standard Tripods www.8ballcamerasupport.com Website 8 Ball Camera Support Manufacturer www.16x9inc.com Pedestals 16x9 Inc. Dollies/Sliders Jibs/Cranes Monopods Shoulder Mounts Body-Worn supports Handheld supports Mountable supports Tabletop Tripods Standard Tripods Website What does this have to do with video? The wise builder knew that without a firm foundation even the best building would be shaky at best. It’s a simple matter of science. If something is going to be steady on top, it has to be securely anchored at the bottom. If we apply this principle to a paraphrase of our parable, it might go something like this: The wise man shot his video from a high quality tripod with a bubble level, strong but lightweight flip-latch legs and a true fluid head so his shots were stable and his moves were smooth. The foolish videographer? After seeing his friend’s fantastic footage, he decided it was time to go tripod shopping. Analogies aside, tripods are some of the most important tools that videographers employ. Because they are responsible for supporting your expensive camera and for creating smooth moves and steady shots, they are an absolutely essential part of any professional’s production paraphernalia. Every serious shooter should have a tripod that is well matched to his or her camera and production needs. Many videographers have multiple support options designed for different applications. So, depending on where and what you shoot, you may need to have more than one piece of gear in your trunk. To make the right choice, you need to know your particular needs, and you need to be familiar with the key features and components of today’s supports, so let’s review them from the ground up. Tripods & Stabilizers buyer’s guide Manufacturer Tripods & Stabilizers • • • VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 • The legs are what give the tripod it’s name. While all tripods have three legs, all tripod legs are not equal. When you look at legs, it’s important to consider their strength, height, weight and the type of latches that secure the extensions. The strength of a tripod is gauged by the amount of weight it is rated to hold. This spec is readily published in a tripod’s marketing documentation. The key here is to select a tripod that is well-matched to the camera you intend to mount on it. If you have a lightweight camera, it may work quite well on an inexpensive, light-duty tripod. But the same tripod may flex and bounce under the weight of a full-sized, heavyweight camcorder. ACEBIL’s hefty j-805GX can carry a payload of 8.8lb. while the smaller i-605LAX is rated for an 6.6lb.-payload. Make sure you know the weight requirements of your camera, and select a tripod that meets or exceeds your need. Overall height is another important spec to check. If you want to be able to shoot comfortably while standing 21 contents full screen print contents full screen print A tripod’s legs are responsible for adjusting height and handling weight, but camera position and movement are the job of the head. The tripod’s head mounts your camera to the legs, and allows your camera to rotate laterally and vertically to pan and tilt. It also supplies resistance, so your camera stays put without drifting or falling out of position when you let go. A good tripod head lets the shooter make butter-smooth moves. The smoothest 22 Matthews Studio Studio Equipment, Equipment, Inc. Inc. Matthews www.msegrip.com/ www.msegrip.com/ Merlin Video Video Dolly Dolly Merlin www.merlindolly.com www.merlindolly.com MICRODOLLY, Inc. Inc. MICRODOLLY, www.microdolly.com www.microdolly.com Miller Camera Camera Support Support LLC LLC Miller www.millertripods.com www.millertripods.com Miveu Miveu www.miveu.com www.miveu.com MK-V MK-V www.mk-v.com/ www.mk-v.com/ MOBISLYDER MOBISLYDER www.mobislyder.com www.mobislyder.com Monostat Switzerland Switzerland Monostat www.monostat.com www.monostat.com Movcam Movcam www.movcam.com www.movcam.com MovieTech AG AG MovieTech www.abc-products.de www.abc-products.de •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• OConnor (VITEC (VITEC GROUP) GROUP) OConnor www.ocon.com www.ocon.com Omni-Tracker Omni-Tracker www.omni-tracker.com www.omni-tracker.com OmniPod OmniPod www.omni-pod.com www.omni-pod.com Paterson Photographic Photographic Ltd. Ltd. Paterson www.patersonphotographic.com www.patersonphotographic.com •• Photographic Research Research Organization Organization Inc Inc Photographic www.promaster.com www.promaster.com •• Photography Lighting Lighting Inc. Inc. Photography www.jtl-lighting.com www.jtl-lighting.com •• Premier Studio Studio Equipment Equipment Inc. Inc. Premier www.premierstudioequipment.com www.premierstudioequipment.com ProAM USA USA ProAM www.proamusa.com www.proamusa.com ProMediaGear ProMediaGear www.promediagear.com www.promediagear.com Prompter People\Flolight People\Flolight Prompter www.prompterpeople.com www.prompterpeople.com Quadrocopter, LLC. LLC. Quadrocopter, www.quadrocopter.us/ www.quadrocopter.us/ Rabbit Audio Audio Video Video Inc. Inc. Rabbit www.rabbitav.com www.rabbitav.com Really Right Right Stuff Stuff Really www.reallyrightstuff.com www.reallyrightstuff.com Redrock Micro Micro Redrock www.redrockmicro.com www.redrockmicro.com Rhino Camera Camera Gear, Gear, LLC. LLC. Rhino www.rhinocameragear.com www.rhinocameragear.com RigWheels LLC LLC RigWheels www.rigwheels.com www.rigwheels.com www.cameraslider.com • The Slider Co., LLC. www.theslider.com • The SteadyTracker Company www.steadytracker.net The Tiffen Company www.tiffen.com • Tiltall Tripod www.tiltalltripod.com/ • ToCad America Inc. www.tocad.com • Trek Technologies LLC www.trek-tech.com • Tyler Camera Systems www.tylermount.com Ultra Camera Mounts www.ultracameramounts.com •• www.shapewlb.com www.shapewlb.com • • • • • VariZoom www.varizoom.com • Velbon www.velbon.co.uk • VFGadgets.com www.vfgadgets.com • Video Innovators www.videoinnovators.com • • • • •• • • www.varavon.com •• • • Varavon •• • • •• •• • • www.ulcs.com/ •• •• • www.vanguardusa.com •• •• Shape Shape • UltraLight Control Systems •• •• •• •• • Vanguard USA Inc. •• • • •• •• •• • • •• •• •• www.vivitar.com www.vivitar.com • www.tamrac.com/ •• Sakar Inc./Vivitar Inc./Vivitar Sakar www.jimmyjib.com/ That Cat Camera Support, LLC. •• •• •• Stanton Video Services, Inc. • Tamrac •• •• • •• •• www.sachtler.com www.sachtler.com www.sony.com •• •• Sachtler Sachtler Sony Electronics, Inc. • • • •• •• • www.switronix.com •• Ronford-Baker Engineering Engineering Company Company Ltd Ltd www.ronfordbaker.co.uk www.ronfordbaker.co.uk Ronford-Baker • Switronix, Inc. •• •• www.skyeye.com www.smithvictor.com • •• •• •• • SkyEye Corporation Smith-Victor Corporation www.stickypod.com •• •• • www.studio1productions.com •• •• www.novoflex.com www.novoflex.com • Sticky Pod Camera Mounts •• •• •• • • Studio 1 Productions, Inc •• •• Novoflex [Präzisionstechnik, [Präzisionstechnik, Novoflex precision engineering] engineering] GmbH GmbH oror precision V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 http://www.simaproducts.com •• Pedestals •• SIMA Products Corporation •• •• Dollies/Sliders Jibs/Cranes Monopods •• www.manfrotto.us www.manfrotto.us www.remotecameratech.com Shoulder Mounts Body-Worn supports Handheld supports Mountable supports www.libecsales.com www.libecsales.com Manfrotto Manfrotto www.shootools.com Sidereal Systems Inc. Tabletop Tripods Libec Libec •• Shootools •• Standard Tripods www.kirkphoto.com www.kirkphoto.com Website Kirk Enterprises, Enterprises, Inc. Inc. Kirk •• Manufacturer www.kingdom.com www.kingdom.com •• •• Pedestals Kingdom, Inc. Inc. Kingdom, Dollies/Sliders Jibs/Cranes Monopods www.kesslercrane.com www.kesslercrane.com Shoulder Mounts Body-Worn supports Handheld supports Mountable supports Kessler Crane Crane Kessler Tabletop Tripods Standard Tripods Head Website up straight, you’ll want your tripod’s mounting plate to be about chinhigh when the legs are extended. For maximum stability, you’ll want it to be suitably tall without having to crank up a center pole extension more than a few inches. Not all tripods are equipped with center extensions, but they are an excellent option to look for if you think you might ever need supplemental lift to shoot over people’s heads. If strength is important to you, consider that legs with multiple extendable segments are stronger than those with just a single long one, but the additional sections also make a tripod heavier. The Matthews M25 has three leg sections, stands 5-feet tall (1,520mm) and weighs 7lb. Tripods with fewer leg sections tend to not be as heavy, but they trade away strength. Many light to medium-duty tripods include a stabilizer hook that hangs in the center of the tripod below the center pole. Users can increase stability by hanging weight on this hook. The Libec TH-650DV is an entry-level model that features a counterbalance system with a built-in spring. Consider also the type of latches on the tripod’s legs. The two most common latch types are twist and snap. Of the two, snap latches are quicker and easier to engage. We’re not saying that all screw-type latches are bad, just that users need to be aware of their potential drawbacks and use extra care to tighten them well but not so much to strip the threading. Tripods & Stabilizers buyer’s guide Manufacturer Tripods & Stabilizers • • • • • • • Vidpro www.vidprousa.com Vinten www.vinten.com • Vortex Optics www.vortexoptics.com • Wood’s Powr-Grip www.powrgrip.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Woxom.com www.woxom.com • • Xshot www.xshotpix.com • • Zacuto www.zacuto.com ZazaSlider www.zazaslider.com Zhumell Inc. www.zhumell.com • • • • • • • and best performance comes from true fluid heads, like Vanguard’s PH-111V, which uses an internal viscous liquid to cushion and control movement. True fluid heads are at the top of the totem pole. In terms of pan/tilt heads, they are the exclusive choice of serious shooters as they let the camera operator start and stop moves smoothly, easing in and out of pans and tilts without a hitch, and allow the varying of speed through the duration of the movement. While true fluid heads perform the best, they are also at the top end of the price scale. Many intermediate level tripods boast of “fluid action” heads, that simulate the performance of fluid heads without the expense. Ultimately, these are not fluid heads, but a variation of another type: the friction head. Friction heads function by pressing parts, usually made of heavy-gauge plastic, against one another, providing enough pressure to hold the camera in position, or to slide against one another so the camera can pivot on an axis. The user can adjust the amount of drag to permit more or less movement, or lock the camera in place, but the amount of friction is constant. At certain tensions the friction plates begin to grab, so moves become sticky and jerky. Friction heads range in quality. Some are better than others, so it’s wise to try before you buy if possible. One of the biggest problems with low-cost tripods is the tendency of their inexpensive plastic heads and mounting SOLD SEPARATELY • • buyer’s guide Higher end heads and legs are sold separately, so you can mix and match the legs and heads to build your own tripod that is perfectly suited to your personal preferences. Manfrotto’s website allows you to select the parts to customize your own rig. You can even select accessories like mounting plates and pan handles. •• •• contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 23 Tripods & Stabilizers plates to break, rendering the tripod useless. Almost every videographer has an old broken tripod or two in a closet somewhere. Once the head breaks the tripod is trashed, so it may be wise to spend a little more money on a well-built model that will last, rather than save a few bucks in the short term on a tripod that you will quickly have to replace. Shoppers should note that photo and video tripods are not interchangeable. Photographers and videographers have different needs and their tripods have different features. One of the most obvious observations is that still cameras are designed to shoot stills, and video cameras are designed to record motion. Therefore, tripod heads designed for shooting photography are specially crafted to hold a camera in a variety of fixed positions. This often includes the ability to flip the mounting plate up on it’s side to rotate the photographer’s camera for shooting portrait layouts as well as in the traditional landscape aspect ratio. As specialty tools, photo tripods do have value to videographers. They are excellent tools for locking your camcorder into creative positions; allowing you to tilt your video camera to create a canted angle, for instance. Just be aware that these tripods are not made for panning or tilting the camera as you record. A good head will also include a bubble level, which is an excellent feature to have. Tripods with a single bubble level (typically the circular “target” style) allow you to find where level is with uneven ground. This is usually done by adjusting the height of each leg until the bubble is centered in the target. If you regularly shot on tilted terrain, you might consider a head that has a ball type mount. These mounts let you adjust the level of the head within a mounting cup so you can find level quickly without the hassle of adjusting each leg. Some tripods include two or more leveling bubbles so you can center and level your tripod both horizontally and vertically. DSLR Rigs The popularity of DSLR cameras in video production has spread like wildfire. They capture amazing-looking footage, but shooting video from these lens-heavy powerhouses requires wrists of steel. A few short years ago video cameras were huge. While the giant shoulder-size dinosaurs that broadcast professionals used to lug around were heavy beasts, they produced shots that were inherently steady because their heft was anchored on the shoulder of the shooter. As sensor technology has improved, camcorders have gotten exponentially smaller and smaller. The perennial problem with palmsized cameras is the unstable whipping and blurring caused by quick twists of the wrist, which are the mark of amateur video. A similar instability is in the DNA of the DSLR design. DSLR cameras can be mounted to standard video tripods, but there is a also a special category of stabilizer mounts designed specifically for DSLR shooters who want additional control without having to be tied to a tripod. The solution is a lightweight rig that attaches to the camera, adds a hand- MONOPODS Not all camera supports have three legs or rest on your body. Monopods like Manfrotto’s 680B or the SIRUI P-326 are highly portable one-legged supports that provide assistance in holding a camera for quick steady shots or for stabilizing a small camera for a long shoot. Monopods are more popular with photographers than videographers, but they are gaining popularity in video as camcorders continue to shrink in size. If you don’t need all the features of a tripod, but would like more stability than simply shooting handheld, a monopod may be a superb solution. contents full screen print 24 Tripods & Stabilizers buyer’s guide grip and extends back to the shoulder. Basic models include the Stedi-Stock Black and the Opteka CXS-1 Shoulder Stabilizer Support System. This feature alone provides shot stability that gives footage a more professional quality. Mid-level models like Redrock Micro’s microShoulderMount and the ikan Flyweight add a second handgrip, improved ergonomic design and include horizontal and vertical adjustability for a more comfortable fit. High-end rigs like Redrock Micro’s DSLR Field Cinema Bundle can be configured with accessories like monitors and mic mounts and include counterbalance weights and a follow-focus feature. Flying Supports Sometimes you need steady shots without being anchored in one position. Flying stabilizers like the HD-2000 from Glidecam or the Pilot HD from Steadicam are excellent options for keeping your shots smooth while you’re on the move. Varizoom’s unique CrossFire-FP is a hybrid device that acts as both a flying stabilizer and as a tripod. Flying camera stabilizer rigs like these let you shoot smooth gliding shots like the ones you see in feature films. In the last few years, this category has exploded with a wide variety of affordable options for videographers at all levels. Floating rigs are an excellent solution for active wedding and event videographers who need to move around a venue quickly without sacrificing shot stability. Rigs generally include a camera mount on a gimbal, and a set of weights used to counterbalance the camera. One consideration shooters should keep in mind is total weight. Many models are held in the hand. If you plan to shoot short shots, this is not a problem, but if you need to shoot for extended periods of time, your arm may become quickly fatigued. If you have a heavier camera, or need to shoot for long durations, you can consider a vest-type rig like the VariZoom Navigator arm and vest with FlowPod or the high-end Steadicam Pilot-AA. These wearable camera stabilizers still require an amount of upper body strength, but transfer the bulk of the weight of the stabilizer onto your body instead of falling fully on your forearm. Jibs and Cranes Cranes and jibs are a specialty category of camera supports that raise the elevation, allowing you to lift your camera high overhead to achieve spectacular shots from higher points of view. Height, length, weight, capacity, collapsibility and camera controls are just a few options to consider when you consider a crane. Most jibs mount onto tripod legs that you must purchase separately; something to keep in mind as you budget for your jib. Lightweight and easily portable models like the CobraCrane FotoCrane UltraLite single bar jib will support DSLR cameras up to 3lb. and provide an 8-foot lift for $279. Generally speak- ing, costs go up as you increase payload and extension. The CobraCrane I Plus ($430) is a single-bar arm that will raise a 6.5lb.-camera to 12 feet, and the CobraCrane II Plus is a 20lb.-capacity jib offering seven feet above a tripod for $500. The VariZoom QuickJib will support cameras up to 50lb. and extends to 10 feet. Professional models like the JonyJib2, $1,200-$3,400 for arms reaching 8-feet to 18-feet, are highly modular and feature-packed. One JonyJib2 option is a heavy duty arm that can extend to 18-feet with five telescoping sections and can be fitted with options like a motorized pan and tilt head and monitor. Finding the Right Support There is a wide range of tripods and supports on the market, and they each have their own strengths. The secret isn’t simply to buy the most expensive buyer’s guide one, and bigger isn’t always better. You need to determine which support is best matched to the camcorder it will hold and the specific job it needs to do. Be sure to consider the weight rating, height, and above all, the quality of the craftsmanship. Watch out for flimsy or springy legs, fragile mounts, sticky pan heads, and unreliable locks and latches; any of which can cause bad shots or a broken camera. Ultimately, reliability and durability are the two most important features to look for in a foundation, whether you’re building a house or a video. Chuck Peters is a 3-time Emmy award winning writer and producer. He is currently VP of Production at KIDMO/Rivet Productions. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15760 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15760 contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 25 11/13/2012 4:21:49 PM GETTING THE RIGHT IMAGE FOR THE WORK Production Monitors Buyer’s Guide Choosing the best production monitor for the work being done is the best key to success. BY MARSHAL M. ROSENTHAL S contents full screen print hooting a video production requires more than just using a camera and some lights. A production monitor (also known as a studio monitor) provides a view of what is being shot that otherwise would be limited to the cameraperson while everyone else hovers nearby. Additionally, such a monitor offers both verifications of the quality and characteristics of the video in play as well as manipulation for broadcast use. But don’t expect to just hook up a television from the den or basement, as there are exacting standards that the monitor must meet in order to function not only efficiently, but correctly as well. Monitor Characteristics To begin, the physical size of the monitor determines screen size and resolution, although a trend for 26 increasing resolution in small form factors exists today. For the most part, the larger the monitor, the larger the viewing panel with greater resolution possible. This viewing panel is typically LCD, with or without other technologies added in (for example, LED backlighting) and the V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 3013 panel’s size helps determine its cost. Screen resolutions approach and can meet that of an HDTV (1920x1080 pixels), but for the most part they are similar to that of high-end computer monitors in that resolution of 800 pixels horizontal (800x600) is sufficient for most productions. The inputs of a production monitor also vary, depending on the model, but the choices found are standardized and not proprietary; for example component, RGB, and HDMI, and those designated for use with professional video equipment, being SDI, HD-SDI and the more recent 3G-SDI which is seen as replacing dual-link HD-SDI. These inputs all conform to the standards for use with broadcastgrade video. Also to be found with some inputs will be a “pass-through” capability: this is where the signal is passing through the monitor without alteration for use elsewhere. VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 The brightness levels vary for different monitors, as does the contrast. Those designed for field use have increased brightness to compensate for outdoor ambient light and typically a higher contrast level than those designated for indoor use. Another consideration is how rugged the chassis is and how well it can handle abuse outside of a studio location. Whether or not the monitor can run off battery power also affects its viability for outdoor shoots. The significant trade-off between the monitor’s weight with or without battery power is less of an issue with current field monitors. These can be found in use as stand-alone monitors as well as viewfinders for digital cameras. Additionally, the advent of the Internet as well as features found on mobile devices has not been lost on 27 contents full screen print contents Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) HDMI Loop-Through Component Composite Viewable Angles Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) Max. Resolution Component Component HDMI Loop-Through HDMI Loop-Through Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) y y n n rack, rack,1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread Display Size (inches) Composite Composite nn Manufacturer HDMI HDMI HD-SDI HD-SDI Viewable Angles Viewable Angles Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) Max. Resolution Max. Resolution yy nn Atomos Atomos Ronin Ronin $1,995 $1,9955 5 800800x 480 x 480 npnp 170170 opt.opt. y y npnp npnp opt.opt.rack, rack,desktop desktop DT-X91Hx2 $2,900 9(dual) 1280 x 800 np np n y n y np rack, 30° tiltable www.atomos.com www.atomos.com Samurai SamuraiBlade Blade $1,295 $1,2955 5 1280 1280x7x72020 npnp 170170 opt.opt. y y npnp npnp opt.opt.on-camera on-camera DT-E17L4 $2,650 17 1920 x 1080 np 160° / 140° V y y y y y np Samurai Samurai $995 $995 5 5 800800x 480 x 480 npnp 170170 opt.opt. y y npnp npnp opt.opt.on-camera on-camera DT-X51Hx3 $2,495 5x3 800 x 480 140° H / 120° V y y n y y rack, 30° tiltable 1920 1920x 1200 x 1200400400 npnp HD-SDI $600 $600 7 7 HDMI AT-DIS7-PROHD AT-DIS7-PROHD Price ($) Atlona AtlonaInc.Inc. www.atlona.com www.atlona.com Model Price ($) Price ($) Display Size (inches) Display Size (inches) GETTING THE RIGHT IMAGE FOR THE WORK Model Model Manufacturer Manufacturer Production ProductionMonitors MonitorsBuyer’s Buyer’sGuide Guide JVC Professional Products Company DT-V17G1 $2,995 17 1366 x 768 350 178° H / 178° V y y y y np stand www.pro.jvc.com DT-E21L4 $2,950 21.5 1920 x 1080 np 170° H / 160° V y y n y y 350 np Ninja Ninja $995 $995 4.34.3 800800x 480 x 480 npnp 170170 y y opt.opt. npnp npnp y y on-camera on-camera DT-X71Hx2 $2,195 7x2 1024 x 768 400 160° H / 160° V y y n y y rack, 30° tiltable Fast FastForward ForwardVideo Video www.ffv.com www.ffv.com SideKick SideKickHDHD $2,495 $2,4954.34.3 480 480x 272 x 272 npnp npnp yy yy npnp npnp n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread DT-V9L5U $1,995 8.2 1280×800 80° H / 80° V y y y n y np Flanders FlandersScientific, Scientific,Inc.Inc. LM-2340W LM-2340W $2,995 $2,9952323 1920 1920x 1080 x 1080npnp 178178 nn yy yy y y n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread www.flandersscientific.com www.flandersscientific.com LM-0950W LM-0950W $2,795 $2,7959 9 1024 1024x 600 x 600 npnp 176176 nn yy yy y y n n VESA, VESA,rack, rack,wallwall LM-2140W LM-2140W $2,495 $2,49521.5 21.5 1920 1920x 1080 x 1080250250 178178 nn yy yy y y n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread, Thread,rack rack 360 DT-E15L4 $1,995 15.6 1366 x 768 170/160 y y y y np np LCD4Video QR7-HD Quad monitor $900 7x4 1920 x 1080 450 140/120 y n y y n dual rack (2) www.lcd4video.com LCD10-3 (packaged in one of 3 kits) $500 10.2 1024 x 768 300 70/60 n n y y n desk, on-camera LCD7-HDSLRII $600 7 1920×1080 250 160/150 y n n n n on-camera LM-0750W LM-0750W $1,995 $1,9957 7 800800x 480 x 480 npnp 160160 nn yy yy y y n n VESA, VESA,rack, rack,wallwall ikan ikanCorporation Corporation MR7 MR7 $2,300 $2,3007 7 1024 1024x 600 x 600 400400 170170 yy yy yy n n y y 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread, Thread,rack rack www./ikancorp.com www./ikancorp.com MD7 MD7 $2,300 $2,3007 7 1024 1024x 600 x 600 1100 1100 170170 yy yy yy y y y y 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread, Thread,rack, rack,VESA VESA LG RM7Xi RM7Xi $2,100 $2,1007 7 1024 1024x 600 x 600 350350 170170 yy yy yy y y y y rack rack www.lg.com 23ET83V-W $550 23 1920 x 1080 250 178 y n n n n desk TL-1850HD-SE TL-1850HD-SE $2,000 $2,00018.5 18.5 1366 1366x 768 x 768 300300 L85/R85, L85/R85,U80/D80 U80/D80 yy yy yy n n n n Adjustable Adjustablemonitor monitortilttilt IPS277L-BN $370 27 1920 x 1080 250 178 y n n n n desk IPS237L-BN $240 23 1920 x 1080 250 178 y n n n n desk 7 1920 x 1080 450 120/140 y n y y n desk 29 2560x1080 178 y n n n n VESA 300 D7wD7w $1,300 $1,3007 7 1280 1280x 800 x 800 400400 178178 yy y y nn n n y y 1/2"-20 1/2"-20Thread Thread $1,000 $1,0007 7 1280 1280x 800 x 800 400400 178178 y y y y nn n n y y 1/2"-20 1/2"-20Thread Thread IPS235V-BN $240 23 1920 x 1080 250 178 y n n n n desk D5wD5w $1,000 $1,0005.65.6 1280 1280X 800 X 800 300300 160160 y y y y nn n n n n 1/2"-20 1/2"-20Thread Thread IPS235T-BN $230 23 1920 x 1080 250 178 n n n n n desk VX9e VX9e $900 $900 8.98.9 1024 1024x 600 x 600 180180 45º/45º 45º/45º(R/L) (R/L)15º/35º 15º/35º y y y y (U/L) (U/L) y y y y y y 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread IPS225T-BN $200 21.5 1920 x 1080 250 178 n n n n n desk VX7i VX7i $900 $900 7 7 1280 1280x 800 x 800 400400 170170 y y y y y y 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread y y y y D5D5 $700 $700 5.65.6 1280 1280x 800 x 800 300300 160160 y y y y nn n n n n 1/2"-20 1/2"-20Thread Thread V8000W V8000W $499 $499 8 8 800800x 480 x 480 400400 65/65(R/L) 65/65(R/L) upupto to1024 1024 x 768 x 768 y y nn y y n n n n desk, desk,wallwall VK7i VK7i $499 $499 7 7 1280 1280x 800 x 800 400400 178178 y y nn y y n n n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread VK5VK5 $399 $399 5.65.6 1024 1024x 600 x 600 220220 80/80(R/L), 80/80(R/L), 55/55(U/L) 55/55(U/L) y y nn y y n n n n npnp VH8VH8 $399 $399 8 8 1600 1600x 768 x 768 300300 35º/35º 35º/35º(R/L) (R/L)10º/30º 10º/30º y y n n (U/L) (U/L) y y n n n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread VL7VL7 $299 $299 7 7 800800x 480 x 480 400400 npnp y y nn y y n n n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread $249 $249 5 5 800800x 480 x 480 400400 150(H) 150(H)130(V) 130(V) y y nn nn n n n n 1/4"-20 1/4"-20Thread Thread Ikegami IkegamiTsushinki TsushinkiCo.,Co.,Ltd.Ltd. HLM-7002WR HLM-7002WR $2,700 $2,7007(dual) 7(dual) 800800x 480 x 480 1000 1000 170170 nn y y nn n n n n rack rack www.ikegami.com www.ikegami.com HLM-1704WR HLM-1704WR $2,000 $2,00017 17 1280 1280x 768 x 768 370370 170170 nn y y y y opt.opt.n n npnp HLM-904WR HLM-904WR $1,500 $1,5009 9 800800x 480 x 480 320320 170170 nn y y y y opt.opt.n n npnp print 28 $350 $700 D7D7 VL5-KIT VL5-KIT full screen LCD7-HDRGB 29EA93-P V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 3013 manufacturers either: some production monitors now feature Ethernet inputs to allow for remote adjustments through computer software (besides the usual front-mounted physical controls), for example Blackmagic Design’s SmartView Duo rack-mountable dual 8-inch LCD monitors which features 800x480 resolution and 3G/HD/SD-SDI inputs. Among other features, the $700 price tag buys the ability to rotate both displays upside-down for an auto image-flip as a way of achieving the best viewing angle. Another important aspect of a production monitor is the viewing control technologies that are built-in, for example false color which is a group of color rendering methods for displaying color images (i.e. a “true-color” image) and blueonly exposure check for adjusting chroma and phase. Calibration technologies are also built in, Atomos www.atomos.com Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd. www.ikegami.com contents full screen SmallHD www.smallhd.com VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 print 29 www.marshallmonitors.com www.marshallmonitors.com Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) 1280 x 768 np HDMI Loop-Through $2,900 17 Component LMD-1751W Composite Price ($) Sony Electronics Inc. HD-SDI Model desk desk HDMI Manufacturer nn Viewable Angles Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) nn Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) HDMI Loop-Through nn Max. Resolution Component yy Display Size (inches) Composite 1024 1024 xx 768 768 400 400 L/R: L/R: 170° 170° // U/D: U/D: 110° 110° nn HD-SDI HDMI $2,760 $2,760 8.4 8.4 GETTING THE RIGHT IMAGE FOR THE WORK Viewable Angles Price ($) OR-841-HDSDI OR-841-HDSDI Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) Model Marshall Marshall Electronics Electronics Max. Resolution Manufacturer Display Size (inches) Production Monitors Buyer’s Guide 178° n y y n n rack, VESA V-LCD15SB-AFHD-DT V-LCD15SB-AFHD-DT $2,530 $2,530 15 15 1024 1024 xx 768 768 600 600 npnp yy yy yy yy nn desk desk LMD-940W $2,600 9 800 x 480 np 85°/85°/85°/85° y y y n n np V-R841DP-AFHD V-R841DP-AFHD $2,180 $2,180 8.4 8.4 1024 1024 xx 768 768 400 400 170 170 nn yy yy nn nn 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread PVM740 $2,495 7.4 960 x 540 np 85°/85°/85°/85° y y y n n ¼, 3/8 M-LYNX-19SDI M-LYNX-19SDI $1,700 $1,700 19 19 1280 1280 xx 1024 1024 400 400 178 178 nn yy yy nn nn optional optional rack, rack, ceiling, ceiling, oror wall wall LMD1541W $2,300 15.3 1280 x 768 np 89/89/89/89 y y y n n VESA www.pro.sony.com V-LCD651STX-HDA V-LCD651STX-HDA $1,630 $1,630 6.5 6.5 1024 1024 xx 768 768 650 650 L/R: L/R: 160° 160° // U/D: U/D: 140° 140° opt. opt. opt. opt. yy yy nn npnp LMD1530W $1,360 15.3 1280 x 768 np 89°/89°/89°/89° y n y y n VESA V-LCD651STX-HDI V-LCD651STX-HDI $1,630 $1,630 6.5 6.5 1024 1024 xx 768 768 650 650 L/R: L/R: 160° 160° // U/D: U/D: 140° 140° yy opt. opt. yy yy nn npnp LMD2110W $1,200 21.5 1366 x 768 np 170°/160° y y n desk, rack V-LCD90MD V-LCD90MD $1,600 $1,600 99 1280 1280 xx 768 768 600 600 L+R: L+R: 176° 176° // U+D: U+D: 176° 176° yy opt. opt. nn nn yy 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread SD-SDI y avail. with BKM320D V-LCD56MD V-LCD56MD $1,000 $1,000 5.6 5.6 1280 1280 xx 800 800 300 300 L+R: L+R: 170° 170° // U+D: U+D: 170° 170° yy opt. opt. nn nn yy 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread V-LCD70XHB-HDIPT V-LCD70XHB-HDIPT $870 $870 77 800 800 xx 480 480 nn yy yy yy 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread 77 800 800 npnp yy V-LCD70MD V-LCD70MD $790 $790 1024 1024 xx 600 600 800 800 L+R: L+R: 170° 170° // U+D: U+D: 170° 170° yy opt. opt. nn nn yy 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread V-LCD50-HDI V-LCD50-HDI $600 $600 55 800 800 xx 480 480 nn nn nn nn 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread M-CT7 M-CT7 $450 $450 77 1920 1920 xx 1440 1440 400 400 70°/70° 70°/70° (L/R), (L/R), 50°/70° 50°/70° (U/D) (U/D) nn yy nn nn on-camera on-camera 300 300 L+R: L+R: 170° 170° // U+D: U+D: 170° 170° yy yy LPM770BP $1,150 7 800 x 480 SSML24F1 $1,090 24 1920 x 1080 250 np 80°/80° y n y y n on-camera, 1/4" thread (4) 170°(H) / 160°(V) y n y y n VESA LMD1510W $950 15.6 1366 x 768 np 89/89/89/89 y y y y n VESA SSML22F1 $895 21.5 1920 x 1080 250 170°(H) / 160°(V) y n y y n VESA SWIT ELECTRONICS USA M-1071H $2,360 7x2 1024 x 600 400 H/V: 160°/160° y y y n n rack www.swit.us M-1051H $2,250 5x3 800 x 480 350 H/V: 140°/120° y y y n y rack $1,800 8.9 1280 x 800 250 H/V: 140°/120° y y y n y on-camera, Screw mount V-LCD51 V-LCD51 $380 $380 55 800 800 xx 480 480 300 300 L+R: L+R: 170° 170° // U+D: U+D: 170° 170° yy nn nn nn nn 1/4"-20 1/4"-20 Thread Thread M-CT6 M-CT6 $360 $360 6.2 6.2 800 800 xx 480 480 400 400 75°/75° 75°/75° (L/R), (L/R), 70°/70° 70°/70° (U/D) (U/D) yy nn yy nn nn on-camera on-camera S-1090F S-1071F $1,680 7 1024 x 600 400 H/V: 160°/160° y y y n y on-camera, Screw mount Panasonic Panasonic Corporation Corporation ofof North North America America BT-LH1850 BT-LH1850 www.panasonic.com www.panasonic.com $2,595 $2,595 18.5 18.5 1366 1366 xx 768 768 npnp yy yy yy nn yy npnp S-1090H $1,350 8.9 1280 x 800 250 H/V: 140°/120° y y y n n on-camera, Screw mount S-1071H $1,180 7 1024 x 600 400 H/V: 160°/160° y y y n n on-camera, Screw mount Plura Plura Broadcast, Broadcast, Inc. Inc. $2,900 $2,900 1717 1920 1920 xx 1080 1080 450 450 178 178 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack S-1070C+ $960 7 800 x 480 H/V: 130°/110° y n y n n on-camera, Screw mount S-1071C+ $890 7 1024 x 600 np H/V: 160°/160° y n y n n on-camera, Screw mount www.plurabroadcast.com www.plurabroadcast.com PBM-317S PBM-317S 170° 170° HH // 160° 160° VV DBM-140 DBM-140 $2,800 $2,800 40 40 1920 1920 XX 1080 1080 500 500 178 178 yy nn nn nn npnp Wall Wall PBM-184S PBM-184S $2,700 $2,700 8.4 8.4 1024 1024 xx 768 768 400 400 178 178 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack S-1051H $750 5 1024 x 600 350 H/V: 140°/120° y n y n n on-camera, Screw mount PBM-219S PBM-219S $2,700 $2,700 19 19 1366 1366 xx 768 768 250 250 178 178 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack S-1071C $580 7 1024 x 600 400 H/V: 160°/160° y n y n n on-camera, Screw mount S-1051C $420 5 800 x 480 H/V: 140°/120° y n n n n on-camera, Screw mount PBM-217-3G PBM-217-3G $2,700 $2,700 1717 1366 1366 xx 768 768 350 350 178 178 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack PBM-307-3G PBM-307-3G $2,500 $2,500 77 1024 1024 xx 600 600 400 400 178 178 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack PBM-209-3G PBM-209-3G $2,400 $2,400 99 800 800 xx 480 480 yy yy yy yy npnp rack rack 600 600 178 178 SmallHD SmallHD DP7-PRO DP7-PRO HB-SX HB-SX $2,700 $2,700 6.95 6.95 1280 1280 xx 800 800 1200 1200 160 160 yy yy yy yy yy on-camera on-camera www.smallhd.com www.smallhd.com DP7-PRO DP7-PRO OLED-SX OLED-SX $2,700 $2,700 7.7 7.7 1280 1280 xx 800 800 250 250 165 165 yy yy yy yy yy on-camera on-camera DP7-PRO DP7-PRO OLED OLED $2,000 $2,000 7.7 7.7 contents full screen print 30 350 1280 1280 xx 800 800 250 250 165 165 yy yy yy yy yy on-camera on-camera DP7-PRO $1,600 6.95 6.95 DP7-PRO (with (with info. info. for for $1,600 SB, SB, SB-X, SB-X, HB-SX, HB-SX, OLED OLED and and OLED-SX) OLED-SX) 1280 1280 xx 800 800 400 400 160 160 yy yy yy yy yy on-camera on-camera AC7-OLED/SDI AC7-OLED/SDI $1,400 $1,400 7.7 7.7 1280 1280 xx 800 800 250 250 165 165 yy yy yy yy nn on-camera on-camera AC7-OLED AC7-OLED $1,100 $1,100 7.7 7.7 1280 1280 xx 800 800 250 250 165 165 yy nn yy yy nn on-camera on-camera AC7-LCD-SDI AC7-LCD-SDI $900 $900 77 1280 1280 xx 800 800 400 400 160 160 yy yy yy yy nn on-camera on-camera DP4 DP4 EVF EVF $600 $600 4.3 4.3 800 800 XX 480 480 350 350 160 160 yy nn yy yy yy on-camera on-camera AC7-LCD $600 77 AC7-LCD (with (with info. info. for for $600 AC7-LCD-SDI, AC7-LCD-SDI, AC7-OLED, AC7-OLED, AC7-OLED-SDI) AC7-OLED-SDI) 1280 1280 xx 800 800 400 400 160 160 yy nn yy yy nn on-camera on-camera DP4 DP4 (with (with info. info. for for DP4 DP4 $450 $450 4.3 4.3 EVF) EVF) 800 800 XX 480 480 350 350 160 160 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 3013 yy nn yy yy yy on-camera on-camera 350 such as color bars generators and vectorscopes for viewing image saturation. The types of productions that can take advantage of using a production monitor can be broken down into three categories: the hobbyist, the lone wolf producer, and the small production company. Hobbyist Everyone likes to shoot video, but going beyond a quick grab of the video camera or cellphone separates the hobbyist from the others. Perhaps it’s a tribute to a returning veteran for a local public access channel or to commemorate a special event; it could be an event of importance like a graduation or special outing. Regardless, having a monitor to use, instead of relying on a viewfinder, will up the ante not only produc- ikan Corporation www.ikancorp.com Plura Broadcast, Inc. www.plurabroadcast.com contents full screen SWIT ELECTRONICS USA www.swit.us VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 print 31 Production Monitors Buyer’s Guide HD-SDI Composite Component HDMI Loop-Through Mount (rack, on-camera, desktop, VESA) 1920 x 1080 450 L/R/T/B: 88/88/88/88° y n y y n desk, wall www.totevision.com LED-1908IP67 $2,340 19 1280 x 1024 300 80/80/65/65 y n y n n VESA LED-4201HDMT $1,435 42 1920 x 1080 450 89/89/89/89 degrees y n y y n VESA LCD-3200PVM $1,120 32 1366 x 768 500 89/89/89/89 degrees y n y y n desk, wall, ceiling Max. Resolution HDMI $2,345 55 Viewable Angles Price ($) LED-5500HDT Brightness 1 cd/m^2 (equal to 1 nit) Model ToteVision, Inc. Display Size (inches) Manufacturer GETTING THE RIGHT IMAGE FOR THE WORK LED-4202HDT $875 42 1920 x 1080 450 89/89/89/89 degrees y n y y n VESA LCD-842HD $785 8.4 800 x 600 75/75/75/75 n y y n desk, flush, rack 450 y LED-3204HDT $615 32 1920 x 1080 400 89/89/89/89 degrees y n y y n desk, wall, ceiling LCD-703HD $615 7 800 x 480 350 65/65/55/60 y n y y n desk, wall, on-camera LCD-703HD $615 7 800 x 480 350 65/65/55/60 y n y y n desk, wall, on-camera LED-2361HDMT $695 23 1920 x 1080 300 85/85/80/80 y n y y n wall LCD-1560HD $500 15.6 1366 x 768 200 90/90/65/65 y n y y n VESA LED-1902HDT $496 19 1366 x 768 250 85/85/80/80 y n y y n desk LED-1908HD $496 19 1280 x 1024 300 85/85/80/80 y n y n n desk, wall, under cabinet LED-2600HDT $488 26 1920 x 1080 400 80/80/75/75degrees y n y y n desk, wall, ceiling LED-1002HD $479 10.4 1024 x 768 400 89/89/89/89 degrees y n n n n desk, VESA, 1/4 - 20 (2) LED-1708HD $467 17 1280 x 1024 300 85/85/80/80 n n y n desk, wall, under cabinet y LED-1708HD $467 17 1280 x 1024 300 85/85/80/80 y n y n n desk, wall, under cabinet LED-2360HD $426 23 1920 x 1200 250 85/85/80/80 y n n n n np LED-2361HD $277 23 1920 x 1080 300 85/85/80/80 y n n n n np TVLogic USA LVM-174W $2,995 17 1366 x 768 350 178°(H) / 178°(V) y y n y n desk www.tvlogicusa.com SRM-074W $2,895 7 1024 x 600 1000 170°(H) / 170°(V) y y n y y on-camera, desk Wohler Technologies, Inc. www.wohler.com LVM-074W $2,695 7 1024 x 600 400 170°(H) / 170°(V) y y n y y on-camera, desk LVM-172W $2,595 17 1366 x 768 350 178°(H) / 178°(V) y y n y n desk LVM-084 $2,000 8.4 1024 x 768 400 170°(H) / 170°(V) y y n y n on-camera, desk PRM-502LE $1,895 5 (dual) 300 170°(H) / 170°(V) n y n y n np VFM-056W / VFM-056WP $1,445 5.6 1280 x 800 300 170°(H) / 170°(V) y y n y y on-camera RM-4290W-HD 800 x 480 250 140° (H) / 100°(V) n y y n n rack 350 $2,995 9 (dual) 800 x 480 RM-3270W-HD $2,795 7 (dual) 800 x 480 RMT-170-HD-RM $2,495 17 1920 x 1080 400 RMT-170e-SD-TT $1,760 17 1920 x 1080 400 RM-2443W-2C $1,015 4.3 (quad) 480 x 270 165 130°(H) / 115°(V) n y y n n rack 178 (H) x 178 (V) n y y n n desk, rack 178 (H) x 178 (V) n n n y n desk, rack 160 (H) x 160 (V) n n y n n rack tion-wise, but quality-wise as well. Examples include: • Marshall Electronics V-LCD51 800x480 oncamera/portable field monitor with HDMI, $600. The 5-inch screen and small chassis contains features found in much more expensive models – such as an 800x480 resolution LED backlit screen with a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. It features a 600:1 contrast ratio and an HDMI input. Standard features include a wide variety of formats and markers, as well as false color and peaking filters (designed to assist the camera operator in getting the sharpest focus possible). Batteries supply the power and the V-LCD51 can be mounted to cranes, jibs and DSLRs. This makes it quite useful for all sorts of shoots, and can function quite effectively as a field monitor. • Atomos Ninja-2 10-bit smart production for DSLRs and HDMI cameras – field recorder, monitor and playback/playout device, $795 This battery-powered field monitor doubles as a video recorder – providing touch screen operations for HD recording, monitoring and playback. 10-bit 4:2:2 video and audio are captured from any HDMI source, which even includes mobile devices such as iPhones or iPads. Built-in software aids in accurately assessing focus and exposure, with other functionality such as false color twin mode, blue-only exposure check and adjustments for individual filters included. User-replaceable 2.5inch hard drives (HDD/SSD) provide for up to 16+ hours of recording time. Aircraft-grade aluminum makes for a lightweight but durable chassis. Lone Wolf Producer This type of production involves the one-man band and requires attention to detail since you don’t have a multitude of people to do the work or be involved in the technical execution. The shoot could be a band’s performance in a stadium or a dance troupe in a theater, or even “hard” news on the street that requires the flexibility of fast movement, quick setups and even faster shooting. Having a monitor that can meet the changing needs of varying types of productions will serve well here. Some examples of this type of monitor include: • ikan TL-1850HD-SE LCD studio/field monitor, $2,000 Equipment Backup contents full screen print Shooting a video production must always include the possibility of equipment failure. While a careful examination and run-through of all equipment prior to the shoot can guard against this possibility, should a vital piece of equipment cease functioning when on the job, the loss in time and money can be exorbitant. The simplest solution is to have a backup of the most critical equipment. This equipment can be rented and, while having similar functionality to the one it might have to replace is desirable, it can be many times less sophisticated than the one it is to replace since the odds are that it won’t be used. If nothing breaks down, the worst thing that has happened is the loss of a rental fee. 32 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 3013 contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 33 Production Monitors Buyer’s Guide A rugged construction and a dual-use (in studio or out) is complemented by an 18.5-inch screen and 1366x768 resolution. Inputs consist of HDMI, composite, SD/HD-SDI and VGA (audio as well for the dual speaker). Built-in features include Pixel-to-Pixel, underscan/overscan and temperature settings, plus a tally light. • TVLogic SRM-074W 7-inch viewfinder, $2,895 This lightweight (2lb.) magnesium housed 7-inch 1024x600 display comes with a wealth of inputs, two 3G/HD/SD-SDI, HDMI in, HDMI out, and HDMI to HD-SDI converted out. The matte finished panel also possesses the necessary brightness for being able to be viewed in sunlight conditions. Horizontal and vertical image flip adds to the versatility, as does support for TVLogic color calibration, waveform, vectorscope and RS422 external monitor control. Small Production Company Professional productions require professionalgrade equipment, and for monitoring video feeds, this is of vital importance. The work may take you from studio into the field, on foot or in a broadcast van, but in each case the monitor being used must be more than merely competent if the production is to be true to what is being shot. The monitors that meet these needs do not come cheaply, but what is being paid for is massive control over the image. Examples include: • TVLogic LVM-074W 7-inch multi-format HD LCD monitor/$2,695 This high resolution 1024x600 (16:9) LCD panel (LED backlit) is contained in a durable housing suitable for studio as well as on-location use. It has an 800:1 contrast ratio. Its features include HDMI-to-SDI convention output and HDMI-to-HDMI/SDI-to-SDI Active Loop Through. Control buttons are located on the front panel, and internal software provides for such features as Waveform, Vectorscope, built-in HDMI to HDSDI conversion output and vertical image flip, among others. White balance drift (from cold/hot weather) is automatically compensated for, and proper color calibration is assured through the TVLogic Color Calibration utility. • ikan MR7 7-inch 3G-SDI LCD monitor with built-in H.264 recorder, $2,300 This 7-inch 2k resolution monitor has much going for it – even if that means looking no further than the built-in H.264 recorder, false color, waveform, vectorscope, tally, SMPT-425M 3G signal, 1:1 resolution mapping, daytime brightness mode, and focus peaking assistance. The monitor also shows a VU meter, has a viewing angle of 170-degrees, can convert HDMI input to SDI output and has an internal speaker. contents full screen print 34 HD Helmet Camcorder Field Monitors A field monitor, although used in a manner similar to that of a production monitor, has a different “mindset” in that it is designed for use outside or on location. As a result, these units are built to expect some rough handling and battery packs are employed for greater mobility, although the ability to plug into an AC outlet often exists as well. There are also models that can be camera-mounted, with the advantage here being: lighter equipment, and a more mobile setup. One example is the Marshall Electronics 5-inch V-LCD50-HDI. A few other examples of these monitors include: • SmallHD AC7 field monitor, $600 This 7-inch IPS LCD monitor runs on AC or battery power. It has a 1280x800 resolution display, 8-bit color depth, and HDMI and component and composite inputs. The built-in software provides for such functionality as focus assist, false color, DSLR scales and frame guides. • ikan D7w 7-inch 3G-SDI LCD monitor w/IPS Panel, $1,300 This digital 1280x800 HD resolution on-camera monitor packs a wealth of features within a compact aluminum chassis featuring both HDMI as well as a 3G-SDI video input. Software functionality includes underscan and DSLR scaling functionality, along with peaking (with red outline), false color with adjustable under/over luminance warning as well as a Clip Guide with an adjustable threshold. The D7w is battery powered and compatible with select Sony, Canon and Panasonic batteries. The built-in features include a Waveform (calibration of professional video cameras), Vectorscope (set/verify skin tones and white balance monitoring) and RGB Parade functions – here designed to balance out the shadow region when leveling a shot and provide a view of the color cast of an image (by providing the color values for the red, green and blue channels). Decisions, Decisions Video productions can vary wildly, but all will benefit from the use of a monitor. That’s because it provides a way to control and modulate what is being shot so that it will meet the standards of the intended use (such as broadcast) as well as ending up looking the same when viewed as was shot. Choosing the best monitor will be determined by your needs, not just your pocketbook. Marshal M. Rosenthal is a technology and consumer electronics freelance writer. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15759 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15759 VIXIA HV40 HDV Camcorder • Solid State HD Sports Camcorder • Waterproof to 3’ & impact-resistant • Wide-angle (170°) fixed-focus lens • Rotating Lens with laser-aided leveling • Record 1080p to 720P HD video resolutions @30/25fps • One switch turn-on & record • One-click video uploading • Record onto microSD media (up to 32GB) 5 Mega Pixels #CO2HDHC • 1/ 2.7”, 2.96MP HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary color filter • Frame rates: 60i, native 24p (records at 24p), 24p cinema, and 30p (at 60i) • DIGIC DV II image processor • Canon HD 10x optical video lens • Instant Aufo Focus w/ext. sensor • SuperRange optical stabilization • 2.7” widescreen LCD screen • External mic input • Smooth variable zoom with 3 fixed zoom speeds 3 Mega Pixels #CAHV40 ® HDR-FX7 HERO3 3 CMOS HDV Camcorder UltraHD Sports/Helmet Camcorder • Supports 4K, 2.7K, 1440p & 1080p video • Capture 3840x2160 pixels at 15 fps • 2.7k mode recording 30 or 24 fps • Capture 12, 7 or 5-megapixel stills • 12- megapixel low-light image sensor • Wide angle 6-element aspherical lens • Camera housing waterproof to 197' (60 m) • Built-in Wi-Fi & GoPro app ready • MicroSD card slot (up to 64GB) • Basic mounts included • Includes Wi-Fi remote (up to 600' capabilities) 12 Black Edition Camera #GOH3BE Mega Pixels HDR-AS15 • Carl Zeiss 20x Vario-Sonnar T Lens • 3 1/4" CMOS, 16:9, ClearVID technology sensors • High-Definition 1080i recording • Super SteadyShot optical stabilization • Expanded focus assist • 3.5" LCD screen & Color viewfinder • Zoom and focus rings • Focus and zoom precision controls • Built-in ¼ & 1/16 ND Filters • HDMI, Microphone, Headphone, & LANC connectivity Over 300,000 products, at your leisure. www.BandH.com #SOHDRFX7 GC-PX100 HD Action Camcorder HD Everio Camcorder • Record HD 1920 x 1080/30p video • Back-illuminated 1/2.3" CMOS Exmor R CMOS sensor • Built-in WiFi capability • Waterproof Housing with Tripod Mount • Waterproof case to 197' (60 m) • Memory Stick Micro & MicroSD/SDHC slot • Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar ultra-wide 170° capable viewing angle lens • Optical image stabilization • HD 720p slow motion modes, 60 or 120 fps • External microphone input • HD 1920 x 1080p recording • Supports shooting speeds up to 600 fps • Built-in Wi-Fi • SC/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot • 1/2.3 back-illuminated 12.8 Mp CMOS sensor • 29.4mm F1.2 wide angle lens • 10x optical zoom & 16x dynamic zoom • 3" touch panel LCD • Optical image stabilizer with A.I.S. • Capture still images in bursts of nine frames a second #SOHDRAS15B #JVGCPX100 HC-X920 12 Mega Pixels 3D Flash Memory HD Camcorder • 3x 1/2" back-illuminated CMOS sensors • 12x optical, 25x advanced Leica Dicomar lens (f/1.5 maximum aperture) • Record to SD/SDHC/SDXC media • Remote WiFi mobile device tether plus Ustream sharing • Manual controls • 3.5" (16:9) LCD screen & color viewfinder • Optical image stabilizer • 3D recording capable with optional Panasonic VW-CLT2 3D lens • Microphone & headphone input • Dual 1/3.91 back-illuminated Exmor-R CMOS sensors • Record to SD/SDHC/SDXC MS PRO-HG Duo & XC-HG media • 1920 x 1080 Full HD 24p/60p video • Sony G series wide 10x 17x extended zoom lens • 3.5" (16:9) LCD screen & Color viewfinder • 5.1-ch recording • Optical image stabilizer with Active mode • Watch 3D on 3.5" (16:9) LCD without special glasses • Built-in GPS • Microphone & headphone input 20 #PAHCX920K 800-947-9925 212-444-5025 HDR-TD30V 3 CMOS Flash Memory HD Camcorder Mega Pixels VIXIA HF M500 Fax: 212-239-7770 20 Mega Pixels #SOHDRTD30VB HXR-NX3D1 HD Flash Memory Camcorder Professional 3D Compact HD Camcorder • Canon 1/3” HD 2.37Mp CMOS pro image sensor • 1920 x 1080 recording on to SD/SDHC/SDXC media • HD 10x optical zoom lens • 3.0” widescreen LCD • Optical image stabilization • Cinematic Features • 24p cinema & 30p progressive modes • Microphone & headphone inputs • RGB Primary Color filter • Dual 1/4" Exmor R CMOS sensors • Two Sony G lenses (10x optical in 3D) • 96 GB internal memory • One SD or Memory Stick card slot • 3.5" LCD (view 3D glasses-free) • Full 1920 x 1080 in 3D and 2D • 3D modes: 60i, 50i, 24p (28 Mb/s) • 2D modes: 60p, 50p, 60i, 50i, 24p, 25p • Active SteadyShot in 3D • Dual XLR inputs (line / Mic / Mic+48V selectable) #CAHFM500 #SOHXRNX3D1U HDR-PJ790 HDC-Z10000 HD Flash Memory Projector Camcorder Twin-Lens 2D/3D Camcorder • 1/2.88 back-illuminated Exmor-R CMOS sensor • Record to internal 96GB flash memory, or SD/SDHC/ SDXC MS PRO-HG Duo & XC-HG media • 1920 x 1080 Full HD 24p/60p video • Internal 35 lumen projector • Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens (10x, 17x extended) • 3.0" (16:9) LCD screen & Color viewfinder • 5.1-ch recording • WI-Fi capable (optional ADPWL1M wireless module) • Optical image stabilizer • Smooth slow-motion recording capabilities • Built-in GPS • Microphone & headphone input • Two independent 3MOS sensors • HD Stereoscopic 3D recording • Dual Integrated 10x Lenses (12x in 2D) • Triple manual rings: focus, zoom and iris • Multi View Coding (MVC) Recording in 3D 1080p60 • 3.5" 3D compatible LCD • Dual XLR Inputs • 2D/3D Still Image Recording #SOHDRPJ790VB V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 3013 +2 24 Mega Pixels #PAHDCZ10000 NYC DCA Electronics Store Lic. #0906712; NYC DCA Electronics & Home Appliance Service Dealer Lic. #0907905; NYC DCA Secondhand Dealer – General Lic. #0907906 We Buy, Sell and Trade Used Equipment Store & Mail Order Hours: Sunday 10-6 • Mon.-Thurs. 9-7 Friday 9-1 EST / 9-2 DST Saturday Closed contents full screen Page 1 print AG-HMC40 AG-HMC40 420Ninth NinthAve. Ave. 420 Cornerofof34th 34thStreet Street Corner NewYork, York,N.Y. N.Y.10001 10001 New XDCAMHD422 HD422Handheld HandheldCamcorder Camcorder XDCAM 35mmFull-Frame Full-FrameInterchangeable InterchangeableLens LensCamcorder Camcorder 35mm 1080and and720 720HDHDresolution resolution • •1080 recordingononSDHC SDHCcards cards recording 1/4”3-MP 3-MPCMOS CMOS • •3 31/4” imagesensors sensors HDHDimage AVCHDMPEG-4 MPEG-4 • •AVCHD AVC/H.264encoding encoding AVC/H.264 10.6-megapixelstill stillcapability capability • •10.6-megapixel 12xoptical opticalzoom zoom • •12x 2.7-inchLCD LCDmonitor monitor • •2.7-inch XLRaudio audioinput, input,HDMI HDMIoutput, output,USB USB2.0 2.0 • •XLR Supports1920/1440 1920/1440x x1080, 1080,1280 1280x x720 720 • •Supports formatsinin35, 35,25, 25,and and19Mb/ps 19Mb/ps HDHDformats withvariable variableframe framerates rates with DualSDHC SDHCcard cardslots slots • •Dual (loop,pre-record) pre-record) (loop, Capturesnative nativeQuickTime QuickTimefiles files • •Captures Fujinon10x 10xHDHDlens lens • •Fujinon Opticalimage imagestabilization stabilization • •Optical DualXLR XLRaudio, audio,with withphantom phantom • •Dual Colorviewfinder viewfinderand andlarge largeLCD LCDmonitor monitor • •Color 1/2.9"CMOS CMOSSensor Sensor(1920 (1920x x1080) 1080) • •1/2.9" XDCAM422 422MPEG-2 MPEG-2Codec Codecatat5050Mb/s Mb/s • •XDCAM 10xZoom ZoomLens Lens- 40-400mm - 40-400mm • •10x (35mmEquiv) Equiv) (35mm 3.5"LCD LCDScreen Screen(852 (852x x480 480Pixels) Pixels) • •3.5" HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIOutputs Outputs • •HD-SDI DualXLR XLRInputs Inputs/ Timecode / Timecode • •Dual GenlockI/OI/O• •Dual DualExpressCard ExpressCardSxS SxS & &Genlock CardSlots Slots• •Compatible Compatiblewith withXDCAM XDCAM Card Disc& &EXEXFormats Formats• •DVCAM DVCAMRecording Recording Disc 24.3MPfull-frame full-frame35mm 35mmExmor ExmorCMOS CMOSHDHDsensor sensor • •24.3MP E-Mount,and andA-Mount A-Mountwith withincludes includes • •E-Mount, LA-EA3A-mount A-mountlens lensadapter adapter LA-EA3 1080/60i/60p/24p• •Quad Quadcapsule capsule • •1080/60i/60p/24p microphonewith withXLR XLRoption option microphone Tru-FinderOLED OLEDviewfinder viewfinderwith witheye eye • •Tru-Finder sensor• •Cinematone CinematoneGamma Gammawith with sensor comprehensivemanual manualcontrol control comprehensive Uncompressed1080 1080HDMI HDMIOutput Output• •Memory MemoryStick StickPRO PRODuo/PRO-HG Duo/PRO-HG • •Uncompressed Duo,SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC• •3.0" 3.0"LCD LCDscreen screen Duo, #PAAGHMC40 #PAAGHMC40 #JVGYHM150 #JVGYHM150 #SOPMW100 #SOPMW100 #SONEXVG900 #SONEXVG900 HXR-NX5U HXR-NX5U HDR-AX2000 HDR-AX2000 24 24 Mega Mega Pixels Pixels AG-AF100A AG-AF100A AVCCAMHandheld HandheldCamcorder Camcorder AVCCAM 3-CMOSAVCHD AVCHDFlash FlashCamcorder Camcorder 3-CMOS 3-CMOSNXCAM NXCAMFlash FlashMemory MemoryCamcorder Camcorder 3-CMOS DigitalCinema CinemaCamera Camera Digital Three1/4.7" 1/4.7"HDHD2.19MP 2.19MPCMOS CMOSback back • •Three illuminatedsensors sensors• •1920x1080 1920x1080native nativewith with illuminated variable60p, 60p,60i, 60i,30p 30pand and24p 24pframe framerates rates variable Five-Axisoptical opticalimage imagestabilization stabilization • •Five-Axis DualSDSDMemory MemoryCard CardSlots Slots • •Dual 12xzoom zoom(f/1.5) (f/1.5)and and25x 25xdigital digitalzoom zoomlens lens • •12x 3.5"LCD LCDscreen screen& &LCOS LCOScolor colorviewfinder viewfinder • •3.5" AVCCAMHDHDRecording RecordingModes Modes• •SixSixscene scene • •AVCCAM presets,and andseven sevenprogrammable programmableuser userbuttons buttons• •Interval IntervalRecord, Record,PrePrepresets, Record,Record RecordCheck, Check,Last LastClip ClipDelete Delete• •Two-Channel Two-ChannelXLR XLRAudio AudioInputs Inputs Record, Three1/3” 1/3”CMOS CMOSExmor Exmorsensors sensors • •Three RecordstotoMemory MemoryStick StickPRO PRODuo, Duo, • •Records SD/SDHCCards Cards(Dual (Dualmedia mediaslots) slots) SD/SDHC 1080/60i,and and24p/30p 24p/30pAVCHD AVCHDrecording recording • •1080/60i, 20xzoom zoomG-Lens G-Lens(29.5mm (29.5mmwide) wide) • •20x Zoom,focus, focus,and andirisirisrings rings • •Zoom, DualXLR XLRinputs inputs• •3.2” 3.2”Xtra XtraFine FineLCD LCD • •Dual Low-light(1.5 (1.5LUX) LUX)capabilities capabilities • •Low-light CinemaToneGamma Gammaand andCinemaTone CinemaTone • •CinemaTone Colorcontrol control Color Three1/3” 1/3”Exmor ExmorCMOS CMOSsensors, sensors,with witha aClearVid ClearVidarray array • •Three Captureuses usesMemory MemoryStick StickPRO PRO • •Capture Duo/ SDHC / SDHCCards, Cards,with withrelay relay Duo recordcapability capability(optional (optionalHXRHXRrecord FMU128flash flashmemory memoryunit) unit) FMU128 20xwide wideG Gseries serieslens lens • •20x HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIoutput, output,SMPTE SMPTE • •HD-SDI TimeCode Codein/out, in/out,Dual DualXLR XLRinputs inputs Time Built-inGPS GPSsystem system • •Built-in 3.2”Xtra XtraFine FineLCD LCD • •3.2” Large4/3-type 4/3-typeMOS MOSsensor sensor • •Large Microfour fourthirds thirdslens lensmount mount • •Micro Usesstill still& &cinema cinemalenses lenses • •Uses TwoSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXCmemory memorycard cardslots slots • •Two (RelayRecording) Recording) (Relay AVCCAMRecording Recording1080i/p, 1080i/p, • •AVCCAM 720pvariable variableframe framerates rates 720p Opticallow-pass low-passfilter filter • •Optical HD-SDI,HDMI HDMIoutput, output,Dual DualXLR XLR • •HD-SDI, #PAAGAC90 #PAAGAC90 #SOHDRAX2000H #SOHDRAX2000H #SOHXRNX5U #SOHXRNX5U #PAAGAF100A #PAAGAF100A HXR-NX30 HXR-NX30 NEX-EA50UH NEX-EA50UH ShoulderMount MountAVCHD AVCHDPro ProCamcorder Camcorder Shoulder 3-CMOSPro ProSolid SolidState StateCamcorder Camcorder 3-CMOS HDShoulder ShoulderMount MountInterchangeable InterchangeableLens LensCamcorder Camcorder HD ShootsAVCHD AVCHDUpUptoto1080/60p 1080/60p • •Shoots 24Mbps atat24Mbps Built-In96GB 96GBFlash FlashMemory MemoryCapacity Capacity • •Built-In ProAudio AudioControl Control& &Level LevelAdjustment Adjustment • •Pro • Equipped with Dual XLR Inputs • Equipped with Dual XLR Inputs Built-InProjector Projector& &3.5" 3.5"LCD LCDMonitor Monitor • •Built-In Built-InStereo StereoShotgun ShotgunMicrophone Microphone • •Built-In Super-WideCarl CarlZeiss Zeiss10x 10xOptical OpticalLens Lens • •Super-Wide BalancedOptical OpticalSteadyShot SteadyShot • •Balanced FeaturesSDSDororMemory MemoryStick StickCard CardSlot Slot • •Features 1/4"4.2Mp, 4.2Mp,ClearVid ClearVidExmor ExmorR RCMOS CMOSsensor sensor • •1/4" Built-in64GB 64GBhard harddrive drive • •Built-in SD/SDHC/SDXC& &Memory MemoryStick Stickslot slot • •SD/SDHC/SDXC 1920x x1080i 1080iAVCHD AVCHD(24Mbps) (24Mbps) • •1920 • MPEG-2 SD Mode (9Mbps) • MPEG-2 SD Mode (9Mbps) 12xwide wideangle angleSony SonyG Glens lens • •12x OpticalSteadyShot SteadyShotstabilizer stabilizer • •Optical 2.7"ClearPhoto ClearPhotoLCD LCD • •2.7" Manuallens lensring ringwith withassignable assignable • •Manual parameters parameters 10-bit,4:2:2, 4:2:2,native native1080 1080and and720p 720p • •10-bit, resolutionininvariable variableframe framerates rates HDHDresolution AVC-Intra100 100and and5050codecs codecs • •AVC-Intra TwoP2P2card cardslots slots(hot (hotswapping, swapping, • •Two loop,pre-record) pre-record) loop, advanced1/3”, 1/3”,2.2 2.2MP MP • •3 3advanced CMOSsensors sensors• •HD-SDI HD-SDIoutput output CMOS 20-bitdigital digitalsignal signalprocessor processor • •20-bit 17xFujinon FujinonHDHDlens lens• •Built-in Built-inscan scanreverse reversemode mode • •17x Waveformand andvector vectorscope scopedisplay display • •Waveform ExmorAPS-C APS-CCMOS CMOSsensor sensor(AVCHD (AVCHD/ / • •Exmor MPEG2-SD)• •Supplied Supplied18-200 18-200servo servo MPEG2-SD) powerzoom zoom• •E-mount E-mountinterchangeable interchangeable power lenssystem system• •Add Addlenses lenseswithout withoutbeing being lens lockedonona alens lensbrand brandororlens lensmount mount locked UseAlpha AlphaA-mount A-mountlenses lenseswith with • •Use 15‐pointphase phasedetection detectionAFAF 15‐point Mechanicalshutter shutterStill StillPicture Picture • •Mechanical 3.5’’LCDPanel Panel• •Record Recordonto ontoMemory MemoryStick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXRStick/SD/SDHC/SDXC/HXR• •3.5’’LCD FMU128(Optional) (Optional)• •Records Recordsononmedia mediacard cardand andFMU128 FMU128Simultaneously Simultaneously FMU128 SOHXRNX30U # #SOHXRNX30U #SOHXRMC2000U #SOHXRMC2000U #PAAGHPX370 #PAAGHPX370 #SONEXEA50UH #SONEXEA50UH 44 Mega Mega Pixels Pixels XF300/ /XF305 XF305 XF300 AG-AC130A/ /AG-AC160A AG-AC160A AG-AC130A 3-CMOSXDCAM XDCAMEX EXCamcorder Camcorder 3-CMOS RecordHDHD1080/720 1080/720onto onto • •Record CompactFlash Flashcards cards Compact 50MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-24:2:2 4:2:2recording recording • •50Mbps 1/3"2.37Mp 2.37MpCMOS CMOSsensors sensors • •3 31/3" 18xCanon CanonHDHDL Lseries serieslens lens • •18x DIGICDVDVIIIIIIimage imageprocessor processor • •DIGIC • 4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor • 4" 1.23 Mp LCD monitor 1.55Mp MpColor ColorEVF EVF • •1.55 Overand andunder undercrank crank • •Over XF305Step-up: Step-up:HD-SDI HD-SDIOutput, Output,Genlock Genlock& &SMPTE SMPTETime TimeCode Code XF305 Interchangeable1/2” 1/2”bayonet bayonetlens lens • •Interchangeable mount,incl. incl.Fujinon Fujinon14x5.8 14x5.8lens lens mount, 1/2”Exmor ExmorCMOS CMOSimage image • •3 31/2” sensorsthat thatshoot shootfullfullraster raster sensors 1920x1080hi-def hi-defimagery imagery 1920x1080 • Recording on removable • Recording on removable SxSflash flashmemory memorycards cards SxS 1080and and720 720shooting shootingmodes modeswith with • •1080 selectablebitbitrates ratesininboth bothPAL PALand andNTSC NTSCstandards standards selectable Hi-res3.5” 3.5”LCD LCDmonitor monitor• •8-Pin 8-Pinremote remotestudio studioconnectivity connectivity • •Hi-res #CAXF300/ #CAXF305 / #CAXF305 #CAXF300 #SOPMWEX3Q.......................................................... ..........................................................$8,320.00 $8,320.00 #SOPMWEX3Q 3-MOSHD HDHandheld HandheldCamcorders Camcorders 3-MOS 1920x x1080 1080HDHDRecording Recording • •1920 32GBinternal internalflash flashmemory memory • •32GB TwoSD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXCcard cardslots slots • •Two 1/3"2.37Mp 2.37MpHDHDCMOS CMOSpro prosensor sensor • •1/3" 3.5"LCD LCD& &Color Colorviewfinder viewfinder • •3.5" GenuineCanon Canon10x 10xHDHDVideo VideoLens Lens • •Genuine SuperRangeoptical opticalstabilization stabilization • •SuperRange Customcinema-Look cinema-Lookfilters filters • •Custom Professionalshooting shootingassist assistfunctions functions • •Professional 1/3”,2.2 2.2Mp MpCMOS CMOSsensor sensor- 18-bit - 18-bitdsp dsp • •3x3x1/3”, 22xoptical opticalzoom zoomlens lens • •22x 1080p1080i 1080i60/p30/p24 60/p30/p24& &720p60 720p60 • •1080p Threerings; rings;Manual ManualZoom, Zoom,Focus Focus& &IrisIris • •Three DualSD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXCcard cardslots slots • •Dual AVCHD& &DVDVrecording recording(SD) (SD)modes modes • •AVCHD Over70,000 70,000square squarefeet feet Over thelatest latestgear gear ofofthe #CAHFG20 #CAHFG20 #PAAGAC130A/ #PAAGAC160A / #PAAGAC160A #PAAGAC130A Themost mostknowledgeable knowledgeable The SalesProfessionals Professionals Sales ProfessionalHD HDSolid SolidState StateCamcorder Camcorder Professional 3-MOSHD HDHandheld HandheldCamcorders Camcorders 3-MOS EFCinema CinemaCamcorder Camcorder EF CinemaEOS/PL EOS/PLCamcorder CamcorderBody Body Cinema 64GBInternal Internaland andDual DualSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXC • •64GB cardslots slotswith withrelay relayrecording recording card 1920x x1080 1080CMOS CMOSImage ImageSensor Sensor • •1920 Canon10x 10xHDHDVideo VideoLens Lens • •Canon 8-BladeIrisIrisand andManual ManualFocus FocusRing Ring • •8-Blade DIGICDVDVIIIIIIImage ImageProcessor Processor • •DIGIC 24MbpsRecording Recording(AVCHD) (AVCHD) • •24Mbps 3.5"High-resolution High-resolutiontouch touchpanel panel • •3.5" LCDand andEVF EVF LCD DualXLR XLRterminals terminals • •Dual 1/3”,2.2 2.2Mp MpCMOS CMOSsensor sensor- 18-bit - 18-bitdsp dsp • •3x3x1/3”, 22xoptical opticalzoom zoomlens lens • •22x 1080p1080i 1080i60/p30/p24 60/p30/p24& &720p60 720p60 • •1080p Threerings; rings;Manual ManualZoom, Zoom,Focus Focus& &IrisIris • •Three HD-SDI& &HDMI HDMIoutput output • •HD-SDI 59.94HzHz/ 50 / 50HzHzswitchable switchable • •59.94 Slow/quickmotion motionrecording recordingmode mode • •Slow/quick cardand andDVCPRO DVCPROmode moderecording recording • •P2P2card AG-HPX255Step-up Step-upFeatures: Features: AG-HPX255 Remoteterminal terminalforforstudio studiocontrol control • •Remote Super35mm 35mm8.3MP 8.3MPCMOS CMOSsensor sensor • •Super CanonEFEFmount mountwith withEFEFcontacts contacts • •Canon DualSDHC/SDXC SDHC/SDXCmemory memorycard cardslots slots • •Dual Multiplerecording recordingmodes modesand andframe framerates rates • •Multiple Fullmanual manualcontrol controland andfocusing focusingaids aids • •Full Exceptionallow lowlight lightsensitivity sensitivityand andwide wide • •Exceptional dynamicrange range dynamic DIGICDVDVIIIIIIimage imageprocessor processor • •DIGIC Highresolution resolutionEVF EVFand andintegrated integratedLCD LCDscreen screen • •High DualXLR XLRaudio audioconnectors connectors • •Dual Super35mm 35mmCMOS CMOSsensor sensor • •Super MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-2EFEFororPLPLlens lensmount mount • •5050Mbps DualCFCFcard cardslots slots • •Dual CanonXFXFCodec Codec- 4:2:2 - 4:2:2color colorsampling sampling • •Canon Multiplerecording recordingformats formats • •Multiple High-resolutionVFVFand and4",4",1.23 1.23Mp MpLCD LCD • •High-resolution HD-SDI,HDMI, HDMI,XLR XLRaudio audio • •HD-SDI, CanonDIGIC DIGICDVDVIIIIIIimage imageprocessor processor • •Canon High-Speed,Slow-Motion, Slow-Motion,Time-Lapse Time-Lapseand andStop-Motion Stop-Motion • •High-Speed, TimecodeI/O, I/O,Genlock Genlockinin& &Sync Syncout out • •Timecode #PAAGHPX250/ #PAAGHPX255 / #PAAGHPX255 #PAAGHPX250 #CAC100EF #CAC100EF Convenientfree freeparking parking Convenient available available Subscribetotoour our Subscribe freeCatalog Catalog free BandH.com/catalog BandH.com/catalog 212-444-6633 212-444-6633 contents full screen Page22 Page XA10 XA10 #CAXA10 #CAXA10 XF100/ /XF105 XF105 XF100 AG-AC160A AG-AC160A AG-AC160AStep-up Step-upFeatures: Features: AG-AC160A HD-SDI& &LPCM LPCMaudio audiorecording recording • •HD-SDI • 59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable Slow/quickmotion motionrecording recordingmode mode • 59.94 Hz / 50 Hz switchable • •Slow/quick AG-HPX250/ /AG-HPX255 AG-HPX255 AG-HPX250 NEX-VG30 NEX-VG30 EOSC100 C100 EOS LensOptional Optional Lens #CAC300EF/ #CAC300PL / #CAC300PL #CAC300EF PMW-200 PMW-200 PMW-F3K-RGB PMW-F3K-RGB InterchangeableLens LensHD HDCamcorder Camcorderand andLens Lens Interchangeable XDCAMHD422 HD422Camcorder Camcorder XDCAM Super35mm 35mmHD HDCamcorder CamcorderKit Kit Super 1/3"CMOS CMOS1920 1920x x1080 1080CMOS CMOSsensor sensor • •1/3" DualCFCFcard cardslots slots • •Dual 50MbpsMPEG-2 MPEG-2recording recording • •50Mbps Canon'sMPEG-2 MPEG-24:2:2 4:2:2color colorsampling sampling • •Canon's 60p/60i,30p, 30p,24p 24pMXF MXFFile FileFormat Format • •60p/60i, 10xHDHDzoom zoomlens lens • •10x 3.5"920K 920Kdot dotLCD LCDmonitor monitor • •3.5" Stereoscopic3-D 3-Drecording recordingcapabilities capabilities • •Stereoscopic DualXLR XLRinputs inputs• •Waveform WaveformMonitor Monitor • •Dual XF105Step-up: Step-up:HD/SD-SDI, HD/SD-SDI,SMPTE SMPTETime TimeCode, Code,Genlock Genlock XF105 16.1MPExmor ExmorAPS-C APS-CHDHDCMOS CMOSsensor sensor • •16.1MP IncludesE-mount E-mountf/3.5-6.3 f/3.5-6.318-200mm 18-200mm • •Includes OSSzoom zoomlens lens• •A-Mount A-Mountcapable capable OSS withoptional optionalA-mount A-mountlens lensadapter adapter with Directpower powerzoom zoomw/w/variable variable • •Direct zoomspeed speedcontrol control• •XGA XGAOLED OLED zoom electronicviewfinder viewfinder• •Quad QuadCapsule Capsule electronic SpatialArray ArraySurround Surroundmic mic(5.1 (5.1 Spatial channel)Mic/Headphone Mic/Headphonejacks jacks• •Optical OpticalSteadyShot SteadyShotimage imagestabilization stabilization channel) Comprehensivemanual manualcontrols controlsexpanded expandedfocus, focus,zebra, zebra,and andpeaking peaking • •Comprehensive Three1/2" 1/2"Exmor ExmorCMOS CMOSsensors sensors • •Three MPEGHD422 HD422atat5050Mbps Mbpsrecording recording • •MPEG HD4221080p 1080patat2424& &3030fps fpsHD422 HD422 • •HD422 720patat24, 24,3030& &6060fps fpsFujinon Fujinon 720p 14xzoom zoom(servo/manual) (servo/manual)lens lens 14x DualSxS SxSmemory memorycard cardslots slots • •Dual FourChannels Channelsofof16-bit 16-bitaudio audio • •Four SupportsMXF MXFand andXDCAM XDCAMEXEX • •Supports workflows• •Articulated Articulated3.5" 3.5"LCD LCDscreen screen workflows Timecode& &Genlock Genlockinput input• •Cache Cacherecording recordingUpUptoto1515seconds seconds • •Timecode IncludesRGB RGB4:4:4 4:4:4baseband basebandoutput outputwith withS-LOG S-LOGgamma gamma • •Includes ExmorSuper Super3535CMOS CMOSimage imagesensor sensor • •Exmor Includes35mm, 35mm,50mm, 50mm,85mm 85mmlens lenskitkit • •Includes lensmount, mount,35mm 35mmCine Cinelens lenscompatibility compatibility • •PLPLlens 10-bit4:2:2 4:2:2HD-SDI HD-SDI • •10-bit TwoSxS SxSmemory memorycard cardslots slots • •Two Interlace/Progressivemodes modes • •Interlace/Progressive D-SDIDual-link Dual-linkoutput output • •D-SDI 3D-LINKoption option • •3D-LINK #CAXF100/ #CAXF105 / #CAXF105 #CAXF100 #SONEXVG30H #SONEXVG30H #SOPMW200 #SOPMW200 #SOPMWF3KRGB................................................... ...................................................$19,890.00 $19,890.00 #SOPMWF3KRGB Mega Mega Pixels Pixels Prices,specifi specifi cations,andandimages imagesarearesubject subjectto tochange changewithout withoutnotice. notice.Manufacturer Manufacturerrebates rebatesarearesubject subjectto tothetheterms termsandandconditions conditions(including (includingexpiration expirationdates) dates)printed printedononthethemanufacturers’ manufacturers’rebate rebateforms. forms.NotNotresponsible responsibleforfortypographical typographicalor orillustrative illustrativeerrors. errors.©©2000-2013 2000-2013B &B &H Foto H Foto& &Electronics 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Prices, cations, Fax: Fax: 212-239-7770 212-239-7770 EOSC300 C300 EOS HDProfessional ProfessionalCF CFCamcorders Camcorders HD 16 16 800-947-9925 800-947-9925 212-444-5025 212-444-5025 PMW-EX3 PMW-EX3 CMOSSolid SolidState StateHD HDCamcorder Camcorder 33CMOS HDFlash FlashMemory MemoryCamcorder Camcorder HD Hands-ondemos demos Hands-on www.BandH.com www.BandH.com LensOptional Optional Lens AG-HPX370 AG-HPX370 HXR-MC2000U HXR-MC2000U Over300,000 300,000products, products, Over yourleisure. leisure. atatyour CompactHD HDCamcorder Camcorder Compact VIXIAHF HFG20 G20 VIXIA print NEX-VG900 NEX-VG900 3-CCDProHD ProHDSolid SolidState StateCamcorder Camcorder 3-CCD AG-AC90 AG-AC90 WhenininNew NewYork, York, When Visitour ourSuperStore SuperStore Visit PMW-100 PMW-100 GY-HM150U GY-HM150U 3-CMOSPro ProHD HDSolid SolidState StateCamcorder Camcorder 3-CMOS WeBuy, Buy,Sell Selland andTrade Trade We UsedEquipment Equipment Used LensOptional Optional Lens Store&&Mail MailOrder OrderHours: Hours: Store Sunday10-6 10-6• •Mon.-Thurs. Mon.-Thurs.9-7 9-7 Sunday Friday9-1 9-1EST EST/ /9-2 9-2DST DST Friday SaturdayClosed Closed Saturday contents full screen Page33 Page ElectronicsStore StoreLic.Lic.#0906712; #0906712; NYCNYCDCADCAElectronics Electronics& &Home HomeAppliance ApplianceService ServiceDealer DealerLic.Lic.#0907905; #0907905; NYCNYCDCADCASecondhand SecondhandDealer Dealer– –General GeneralLic.Lic.#0907906 #0907906 NYCNYCDCADCAElectronics print Entry-Level Jobs There Thereare aremany manyjobs jobsininthe thevideo videoand and film filmindustry industrythat thatrequire requireyears yearsofofon-set on-set experience experienceororworking workingas asan anapprentice. apprentice. For Foraspiring aspiringvideographers, videographers,the theinitial initialjob job search searchcan canbe bediscouraging. discouraging.Your Yourdesire desiretoto make makemovies moviesisispresent, present,but butyour yourreal-world real-world experience experienceisislacking. lacking.Fortunately, Fortunately, there thereisisaasimple simplesolution: solution:Find Find an anentry-level entry-levelindustry industry position positionand andwork workyour your way waytotothe thetop. top.Easy Easy enough, enough,right? right? for Video The Building Blocks of Your Career BY JULIE BABCOCK I f you’re actively searching for a job, you will find one. The key is to find a job that will lead you down a career path you desire. Not all entry-level positions lead to the same future. While all jobs are great for networking, most entry-level positions in film and video are building blocks for specific industry careers. The First Stop to the Top: Internships contents full screen print 38 Photos by Jennifer O'Rourke A common misconception about internships is that they are strictly for students who are fulfilling college degree requirements. While this is often the case, there are also internship programs available to postgraduates looking for experience in their field. V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 contents full screen print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 39 Entry-Level Jobs for Video Like any job, finding the right internship program takes time and research. Most major studios have internship programs available. These positions are usually highly sought after and the competition is steep. But if you’re up for the challenge you can usually find the requirements for application on their company website. If you don’t have a specific company in mind, or you’re looking for an available internship right away, sites like internmatch.com list available internships with companies located across the U.S. It’s important to note that a great number of companies will not monetarily compensate you for your time as an intern. These programs are generally considered an exchange of services – you work for the company, they give you real-world experience and training. However, the knowledge that is imparted to you and the connections that you will make during your internship are priceless when looking for future employment in the film industry. in a production office, your responsibilities as a PA will vary. However, you can expect them to revolve around the miscellaneous tasks that are paramount for the overall success of each project … like getting people their coffee; (which should never be taken lightly, rather with two sugars, please). If working in an office, a PA may be responsible for running a slew of errands, answering phones, and helping with the day-to-day tasks that arise. On set, a production assistant’s responsibilities may include helping with the extras, taking lunch to the second unit, and making copies of the script, among many other tasks. At the end of the day, there is no glory in being a PA. You can expect long hours in a seemingly thankless position. The key is to work hard, pay attention to detail, and don’t complain. A good attitude and enthusiasm for every assignment can go a long way when you’re a PA. If you’ve done your job well you’ll be on your way to a mid-level production position in no time. The Bottom Rung: Production Assistant/ Runner Your Path to Post-Production: Assistant Editor When it comes to entry-level jobs, a production assistant (PA) or runner position is one of the lowest on the totem pole. Unfortunately, it is almost always a necessary rite of passage. Though the job responsibilities of a PA are not entirely desirable, they are not difficult either. Depending on the size of the production and whether you are working on a set or contents Major movie houses and production facilities use interns well. The job might not pay, but it gives you important connections that can pay off later. Search the production companies’ websites for internships to get started. full screen print 40 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 If you’re interested in a career in video editing, an assistant editing position is a great place to start. While this position is sometimes considered entry-level, it does require a firm understanding of film and digital technology as well as skill with editing software. (The two most common programs are Avid and Final Cut Pro systems.) Unfortunately, in this position there is no way to “fake it until you make it.” And while a good smile and some charm can get you far in life, potential employers may want to see your editing abilities up-front. Be prepared to submit a demo reel with your résumé and cover letter. Once you land the position, your job will generally consist of digitizing footage, compiling footage for multi-camera shots, monitoring continuity, providing technical support, keeping detailed logs of negative cut lists, and compiling Edit Decision Lists among many other tasks. Ideally, you will be preparing everything related to editing, so that the editor can simply sit down and begin cutting. If you want to become an editor for feature films, TV, post-production houses or news stations, an assistant editor position is almost always the first step to advancing to a higher title. Learn as much as you can and make your ambitions known. Be sure to pay your dues and one day you will be the one simply cutting. nician position is where you want to set your entry-level sights. While this position doesn’t always require a college degree, it does require knowledge of broadcast technology and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. Master control is an around-the-clock job. Since broadcast TV never stops, master control operators must take shifts to monitor the quality and accuracy of the outgoing signal. This can mean working weekends, holidays, late hours or even a graveyard shift should you accept the position. In addition to ensuring the transmission meets FCC regulation both technically and in regards to content, responsibilities may include inserting the station’s identification, controlling volume, and ensuring that programs air as scheduled. Do it Yourself: Freelance Videographer There are many ways to get into video without having to submit to hours of gofer work and years of apprenticeship. One of those ways is to become a freelance videographer. The only requirement for this in an entry-level position is to have access to the video gear needed to do the job. In addition to the essential gear and video knowledge, a freelance videographer Every production position is critical – no matter how menial. If your job is to carry cables and deliver coffee to a director working through the night, always keep a cheery attitude, even if he doesn’t appear to appreciate it – he’ll notice. needs to possess a “go get it” attitude. You alone, will be responsible for finding and booking your jobs. These jobs can vary depending on whether you are answering “videographer wanted” ads contents The First Steps Into Broadcasting: Master Control Operator full screen If a career in broadcast TV is more your speed, then a master control operator or broadcast tech- print VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 41 Entry-Level Jobs for Video THE IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING such as those found on sites like mandy.com, or whether you’re promoting your own services. A great to way to start gaining experience and building your portfolio is in wedding and event videography, as well as real estate and commercial videos. Established freelance videographers will charge a premium for their service, by offering discounted services you can secure some small jobs until you’ve built a network of clients and an impressive portfolio – just make sure you can deliver what you promise! Remember, when it comes to freelance videography, every job is more than the task at hand; it’s the future of your business and livelihood. Treat every job with the utmost importance; it could be the difference between getting referrals and looking for a new line of work. Making Movies on Your Own Terms: Independent Filmmaker Being an independent filmmaker has plenty of appeal. However, it takes a special breed to be successful. Not only does it require a dedication to the art of video production and postproduction, but you must also have a strong business sense if your goal is to make money. Fortunately, with sites like YouTube and Vimeo, independent filmmakers can easily promote, distribute and turn their videos into a healthy source of revenue. For some time now, YouTube’s Partner Program has been helpful in the quest to make money. Once you sign up for the program and your video is approved for monetization, You- Every time you meet someone, it’s an opportunity to find work. Every contact knows someone who knows someone else who’s looking to hire. In the field of video production, networking can be the difference between sinking and swimming. Making connections with the right people can help you find work when all your other resources are exhausted. LinkedIn is a great resource for networking and keeping up with the contacts you’ve already met. It’s free to sign up, just make sure to always keep your profile updated with your latest work. After all, you never know who might be looking. Tube will place an ad in or near your video that will generate revenue, while you sit back and collect. Your earnings will depend on a variety of factors. Needless to say, you must own worldwide distribution rights to everything in the video for it to be eligible. Vimeo Plus members and non-commercial Vimeo PRO members can use a feature called “Tip Jar,”which prompts viewers to pay you, if they like your video. Viewers can then enter the amount they’d like to tip along with the magic numbers of a valid credit card, and then the money is yours. In addition to Tip Jar, Vimeo has a Vimeo On Demand service, which will allow content creators to further monetize their videos by charging a per-view fee. Content creators will be able to set the price for viewing as well as how many times a person is allowed to view it. As an independent filmmaker, there are many ways to rake in the dough. The key is to possess an entrepreneurial attitude that just won’t quit. Then, find the avenues that work best for you. If you’re successful, it can be quite lucrative, even at the entry-level. Nothing Good Ever Came Easy Entry-level positions are not typically glamorous. You will work hard. You won’t be appreciated at times, and more than likely, you will have to do things that you’re over-qualified to do. However, don’t let this discourage you. Work harder. Be polite and grateful for every opportunity that is bestowed upon you. After all, this entry-level position will be the foundation of your budding career. People in high places do notice, and take note. Do well at this level and there’s no telling the places you’ll go. Julie Babcock has worked her way out of the entry-level trenches and now sits comfortably at an entertainment ad agency in Hollywood. contents Entry-level jobs cover all areas of video production from helping carry gear on a set to running the helm of a TV station’s broadcast as a Master Control Operator. full screen print 42 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15781 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15781 contents full screen print BASIC TRAINING BASIC TRAINING MARKET PLACE JUNE 2013 Mini Shotgun PRO b y Ky l e Ca ssi d y Keeping Gear Safe on Location and safe. But what if you have to abrasions, water, mud, bumpy rides, bellhops, underpaid assistants and the rigors of life on the road. During a lifetime of normal use, it's expected that the exterior of your camera will get scuffed. That said, let's take a look at some safety precautions for travel and location. get into the nitty gritty grunge look While Traveling Shooting in a studio has its advantages: your gear is close, charged Divide your gear up into “stuff that can get banged around more” like light stands and cables, and “stuff that shouldn't get banged around” – like your camera and lenses. You can check the sturdy stuff on a train or airplane, but carry the most fragile things with you in your carry-on. See “Five Tips to Tote Your Gear.” www. videomaker.com/article/6853 of an old abandoned auto shop? Bag Acquisition Syndrome is endemic among videographers. Regardless of their level of experience, few will turn down the opportunity to add yet another, slightly different shoulder bag, backpack, or hard shell case to that already over-bursting storage space. But getting your gear to and from location is only one part of the equation. Keeping it from blowing over, tripping people, getting wet, getting smudged, crushed, chewed by dogs or children are all other things you need to consider. This month we'll take a look at some ways to keep your equipment safe from people and your people safe from equipment. Bags, Bags, Bags, Bags! There are multiple types of bags to carry your gear in for multiple purposes. Storage – these are places you keep in your home, studio, or office whose contents On Location function is to keep gear organized. You have 50 USB cables, they should all be in one place. Carrying – these are bags or cases designed for when you're carrying your equipment to and from your storage, the vehicle, the location or around the venue you're shooting in. These are usually smaller. Travel – often hard-shell cases are used to transport your equipment when you're not there to baby it. Usually with customizable foam inserts. These are the things that protect your lights and stands in If you only move gear from studio to closet, then you don't need specialized cases. However, you should have a strong secure case if your gear gets checked on a plane. full screen print 44 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 the backs of cars and the bellies of airplanes. You may start out with one camera bag, but as you gather experience, you'll likely acquire a number of them suited for different purposes. Don't be Afraid to Get Your Gear Into the Action One reason that professional camera gear is professional camera gear is because it’s built to withstand rougher than typical consumer environments. The people designing it know that it will be subjected to bangs, bumps, Tape down cables – Call this “dressing,” it'll make you sound more professional. You can say to your assistant “make sure those cables are dressed” – which just means taping them down, lengthwise, with gaffer’s tape so that nobody can get a FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 toe underneath them and trip. Better yet, use rectangular strips of no-pile industrial carpet and tape these down which will look nicer than even the best dressed cables. Use sandbags for stands – Some scenario like this will happen at some point in your professional career: you will be outside, you'll have a light on a stand, shining through an umbrella on a lovely evening providing great light on your subject and, gust of wind will come up, catch the umbrella and pull the whole setup over. CRASH! Which will bend your umbrella in half and may or may not break your light. If you have a big budget, you may have the back half of one of your cars loaded with bags of lead shot which you drape over the legs of the light stand to hold it steady. If you don't have a big budget but have a lot of hangers-on (which is a relatively common thing) delegate Looking for that magic mic for your HD or DSLR camera? This is it... Studios can be danger zones for the uninitiated. Always cover cables on the floor. Thin industrial carpet remnants over the cables keeps them from getting gummy from Gaffer's tape. someone to put their foot on the light stand and keep it from blowing over. You can then put them in the credits as a grip, which makes everyone sound more professional. Keep gear organized and out of the way – When you're working on location you'll have your camera nearby as well as some other important pieces of equipment, maybe a microphone, a cable, and a boom stand – and you'll probably have a lot of other equipment – extra lenses, backup cables, lighting gels. Keep this stuff far from the action – against a wall or underneath a table – and make sure everything is organized so that you can tell your assistant “Get me the lighting gels. They're in the blue bag, left hand pocket.” In the gear you take with you everything should have a place and everything should be in its place. Lenses – When your lens isn't on your camera, it should be in a bag (or possibly your pocket) and it should, at the very least, have the rear lens cap on. Dust which collects on the back of the lens can get dumped inside your camera body, and once it's on the sensor, it's a speck in the air that stays there until you clean the sensor. Keeping the front cap on keeps fingerprints off the front of the lens and keeps it from getting scratched if you put more than one lens in the same compartment of a camera bag, though VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 more info: QueAudio.com CORRECTION: 4/22/2013 10:46:57 AM In the May 2013 issue of Videomaker, our review of the JVC GY-HM600 [article #16009] incorrectly states that the JVC GY-HM600 can record two separate formats simultaneously, but that feature is available with the JVC GY-HM650 instead. The Dual recording mode of the HM600 keeps video on the same format and the backup recording mode does not simultaneously record video, but alternates recording to different card slots each time you press record. contents We regret any inconveniences that may have occurred due to this error. - The Editors full screen print 45 BASIC TRAINING DISTRIBUTION JUNE 2013 by M organ P aar your talent, which means a belt or even front pocket. Don't let them get sat on, also, don't forget them. If you leave their empty case sitting out where it's visible, it will be a reminder to get them back before you leave. If your microphones have wires, dress them on the floor and wrap them around the boom and be careful with them while moving through the air. Design your set so that people have an easy path. If you're interviewing a dozen school children one at a time, make sure the path from the door to the set is clear, obvious, and free of obstructions. People shouldn't have to walk over Cameras with removable lenses run the risk of getting dust in their elements. To protect the sensor, always keep the rear cap on the lens when not in use. Bypassing this step should not be an option. I can't recall ever seeing a scratched lens in my professional career. I tend to leave the front lens caps at home because it's more trouble to keep track of both front and back lens caps and it's extra time when you're getting back to shooting. A clear UV or “haze” filter will protect your front element and not slow you down. Follow your heart on this one. Do have a lens cleaning tissue handy. You can get clip-on packs that hang from all your camera bags or even on the camera strap itself. This easy-to-pack cloth is useful not just for the lens elements but the eyepiece and your glasses (if you wear them). The lenses that aren't on your camera should be in cases or bags where they're easy to find and difficult to step on. Your camera – your camera is probably the most expensive single piece of gear you own, so be careful with it. It should always be in a secure space where the chances of it falling are limited. This means in its case on the floor, in your hands, or locked down on the tripod. Be sure not to have your tripod in a place where people might kick it over, and never leave your camera sitting on a table with the strap dangling down – a perfect opportunity for a cat or someone's foot to wreak expensive havoc. Many cameras today, like the Nikon D800, have extreme weather proofing and you can literally pour a glass of water on them without causing damage; but older cameras and things like monitors aren't built with the same specs. You can either buy protective rain gear for these, or apply the judicious use of plastic bags. In extreme heat, be sure to leave your equipment in the shade when it's not being used, and if you can't get to shade, throwing a light colored towel over it will serve to reflect some of the sunlight. Microphones and transmitters – Wireless microphones are great to use on the set. Be sure to put the transmitters on a safe place on contents full screen print 46 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 YOU CAN USE MASKING TAPE TO OUTLINE THE PATHWAY YOU'D LIKE PEOPLE TO WALK. or around wires or crates to get where they need to be. If you're feeling adventurous, you can use masking tape to outline the pathway you'd like people to walk. Just keep in mind that some public buildings allow only professional-grade gaffer's tape on flooring, walls and fixtures. Yourself – Your camera is replaceable, you aren't. Don't take unnecessary risks on the set. If you're walking backwards while shooting, have an assistant spot you by walking with you, so that they can keep you from tripping or stop you if you approach something dangerous. Conclusion Not only does being organized and having the right tools protect your gear and make it simpler for you to get your job done, it also projects an air of professionalism, and protects you from not just damaging your equipment, but yourself, your crew and your reputation. Every minute your equipment spends in the repair shop is a minute you can't be using it, so take some precautions. If you're dealing with a lot of people and gear, and you do this often, check out this Videomaker article on Film and Video Insurance. www.videomaker.com/article/15422. Contributing Editor Kyle Cassidy is a visual artist who writes extensively about technology. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15675 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15675 Writing Proposals That Sell The good news for video producers – there’s lots of money out there to fund your production. The bad news – to get it, you have to work hard and follow their rules exactly. I don’t mean to rain on this parade before the first baton is twirled into the air, but you need to know that getting free money is a whole lot of work. As my grant writing independent study teacher informed me when I started my graduate thesis film, “It might be easier and quicker for you to meet your budget by flipping burgers at minimum wage than to get involved in raising money through grants.” Show Me the Money That said, lets assume you’re ready to commit the blood, sweat and tears … and long hours to fund your film with a well-formulated proposal. Your first step rests with the very question any filmmaker needs to answer about any project: Who is your audience? Not, in this case, the audience for your finished film but the audience who will read your proposal. Who are these people and why will they reach deep within their pockets to give you their hard earned, cold cash? Will your benefactors be family and friends, government, private foundations, corporations or nonprofit organizations? You could approach more than one of these sources for funding but the proposal you craft will most likely have to be uniquely re-tooled for each. For the purposes of this article, we will be more general in outlining a master plan but remember, you may need to alter your masterwork for each type of funder. Once you have targeted your audience, you need to determine what the foundation’s or funders’ mission it is they require of you. Think of it otherwise you’re wasting your time this way: What is in it for them? If and theirs. Will your message progyou are planning a Kickstarter.com ress their efforts or be opposite of campaign, your mother may donate what they believe in? because she wants you to succeed … or, earn enough money to move out of the basement. Craft that campaign Color Within the Guidelines according to that audience and what Once you know who is most likely to they want to see and hear. If you are fund your project and/or fund you, a member of the Iroquois Nation research what it is they want to see, and you are writing a proposal for a not what you feel they need. Locatgrant from the Indigenous Film Fellowship, it is likely that they will fund you because they want to see one of their own excel or tell the Iroquois history or culture to a wide audience. Craft accordingly. The National Endowment For the Arts has a whole other mission and their guidelines Setting up a crowd sourced fund through a company like Kickstarter and motivations can help you get funds to get your project started. These sites allow will be complete- your friends, family and others interested in getting your story told, the ly different. Know chance to help make your video a dream come true. VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 47 contents full screen print DISTRIBUTION Getting funding for your next video project can be easy if you follow a few tips and advice. Free money is out there, it’s just a matter of knowing where to go, and how to make your approach. “Shaking the Money Tree” by Morrie Warshawski is a good place to begin your research to find funding. ing funding guidelines has never been easier thanks to the Internet. In most cases it’s as easy as downloading a PDF of their guidelines, application and other supporting material with a few clicks of the mouse. Follow guidelines and application instructions closely. There is such thing as being too creative and more is not necessarily better. Give them what they want. Be as simple and direct as possible. Morrie Warshawski states, in what I consider to be the bible of raising money for film and video projects, Shaking the Money Tree (3rd Edition), “… strike a balance between mind and heart, reason and passion.” People may be impressed with an outpouring of emotion for your video but this strategy in a proposal for a foundation may find your project eighty-sixed. (Read our review of Shaking the Money Tree, 2nd Edition, at www.videomaker.com/article/12164.) Many proposals are submitted online now, but if a mailed-in dead-tree version is required, keep it simple and professional. No fancy fonts in orange ink on blue paper. Use 12-point typeface utilizing a Times Roman, Garamond or Helvetica font with black ink on 8 ½-inch x 11-inch white paper. This will get your story across in a professional manner. Leave the creativity to your treatment (more on this soon). To borrow once again from Warshawski’s Shaking the Money Tree, the table of contents for your proposal would be strong if it included all of these elements: full screen print 48 1. Cover Letter 2. Title Page 3. Table of Contents 4. Formal Request 5. Description of the Project 6. Statement Proving Need 7. Description of Intended Audience 8. Why I Became Involved with this Project 9. Treatment 10. Production Plans and Timeline 11. Personnel 12. Distribution Plans 13. Community Outreach 14. Evaluation Plan 15. Funding Strategy for Completion of Project 16. Budgets 17. Miscellaneous Support Materials a. Fiscal Sponsor Letter b. Letters of Support c. Letters of Commitment d. Press Clippings e. Full Resumés of Personnel f. Demo Reel/Trailer Warshawski breaks each of these headings down into detail in his book. The mere $27 list price might just be one of your best fundraising investments. As they say, “You need to spend money to make money.” Filmmaker as Painter Of the 20+ above items, the treatment is one of the most important. This one element can make or break your request. This is not a place for explanation. This is where you paint your story in exquisite colors, sounds, dialog, etc. You want the reader to experience the project, not be told about it. The sights and sounds should be projected on the mind of the reader. The treatment should be two pages or less so you have your work cut out for you. As the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” Take the time to get this right. Have a couple of smart friends proofread it and take the time you need to perfect the treatment. Sample The Bones contents DISTRIBUTION JUNE 2013 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 Your sample work – usually in the form of a demo reel or work in progress – should not only show your best product but it should also show subject mater relevant to the funder. More and more funders are expecting to see your demo JUNE 2013 reel online, snail mailed DVDs are the exception these days. Instead of having your demo reel or sample live in the vast video sea known as YouTube (or better even, Vimeo), design a website for the video to live. It doesn’t have to be complicated; again, simpler is better. A single page with your video in the center, a picture of you and your contact information will do. My personal website is an example of that I mean: www.morganpaar.com. There are many tools to help the HTML illiterate amongst us to build a simple website. And you don’t necessarily need a degree in design, though it wouldn’t hurt. WordPress and Google’s Blogger are very popular tools to help you build an online presence. They are a bit more like a blog but the line between blogs and websites are blurring. Other programs such as Webs, Homestead, Google Sites and Yola are popular. I strongly suggest you keep it professional and spend the money to avoid advertisements on your site. Another bit of well-spent money is to acquire a unique URL name, usually your own name or the name of your production company. If you do know design and HTML, or have a friend who does and owes you a favor, head right to the big guns with programs such as Adobe Dreamweaver. seems to be the norm in order to see a positive return, if you beat out all the competition and win the grant. Most organizations that give money are like large ocean-going ships, they take time to turn. Your proposal may need to pass many sets of eyes and even multiple meetings before getting the required number of thumbs-up for approval. Budgetary Note The Parade Must Go On Be realistic with your budget. If you are going to make a feature length period piece for $2,000, your funder is likely to notice that you don’t know what you’re doing. Does your budget include distribution and/or film festival costs? If not, how is your message going to get out to the masses. Funders are not interested in finished films that live in a filmmaker’s closet. Michael Wiese and Deke Simon’s Film & Video Budgets (2nd Edition) is the bible of line items and total tallies, a must for any producer. The Martini Shot All the work is finally done and its time to deliver. Don’t wait until the day before the proposal is due to overnight it five minutes before FedEx closes. Get it in well before the deadline. The final effort comes two weeks after shipping. If you have not heard from the organization, call the program officer and politely inquire if they have received the proposal and supporting material. The Waiting is the Hardest Part Don’t expect to be approved and opening a fat check within days. Three to six months Desired Feedback And finally, you should be accepting of feedback, anywhere in the workflow of the grant writing process. In fact, I recommend you ask for it, whether you are accepted or rejected. After you have received your approval or denial, ask what the funders liked about your “IF I HAD MORE TIME, I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN A SHORTER LETTER.” ~ Blaise Pascal proposal and what they didn’t. This will enhance your second, third and 100th proposal efforts. When you enjoy a parade in a small town or large city, you rarely think of all the planning, organizing and execution that went into producing that seemingly simple two-hour event. Many people spent many laborious hours in order for that parade to go on without a hitch. Producing a proposal to raise money is similar. The funder wants to know that you’re serious, you know what you’re doing, you’re not afraid of the hard work and finally, that they will look the better or will have bettered society with their funding of your project. Proposal writing is not an easy road but it can be very fulfilling; and it could finance your dream of getting your project seen by an audience. Morgan Paar is the co-founder and a producer, cinematographer and editor for Nomadic Frames, a company specializing in international video production, travel video, and travel still photography. Paar is also a film professor in New York City. contents full screen For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15684 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15684 VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 print 49 LIGHTING 800-323-2325 b y T e r r y O’ R o u r k e Avid Media Composer 7 There’s a world of color out there, Media Composer 7 opens your possibilities even further, simplifying and accelerating filebased workflows and $ 00 real-time production everywhere so you can focus on telling the best story possible. From new high-res workflows and AMA media management, to automated media operations and global collaboration, experience the industry’s preeminent NLE, now starting at just $999. With the new FrameFlex tool and LUT support, you can acquire 2K, 4K, and 5K media and deliver the HD programming required today, eliminating time-consuming transcodes and resizing. but your camera can’t see all of it and the sky will play havoc with all 999 that vibrance. How do you fix it? Setting the Sky contents full screen print One of the most challenging tasks you will encounter as a videographer is learning how to adapt to that mushy grey view of the world, but nothing will reveal that inherent flaw more than trying to expose for the sky, which means creating a nicely exposed subject while maintaining a well exposed blue sky. Seems easy enough. The sky is everywhere and you see lots of well exposed outdoor videography with blue sky so what’s so hard about that? Just set the camera on automatic, start shooting and let the camera do all the work. Sometimes that actually works out pretty well, but frequently the subject isn’t exposed correctly. It’s too dark while the sky looks good or the subject looks great but the sky ends up 50 10-12 Charles St., Glen Cove, NY 11542 • 516-759-1611 • Fax 516-671-3092 • sales@videoguys.com Videoguys.com is your source for video editing software Exposing for the Sky If you think about it, your camera is basically color blind, which is sad because the outdoor videography world is full of wonderful textures, vibrant colors and beautiful light. Too bad your camera doesn’t see all this beauty. It’s inherently flawed because all it sees is “mushy grey.” Well it doesn’t actually see mushy grey it interprets everything as mushy grey. Point it at your beautiful golden retriever as she dashes around the grass on a spring-lit day and your camera will think “wow! mushy grey.” Yeah, it may process additional information in the scene that tells it something was moving around (wow! moving mushy grey!) but the creative interpretation ends there. 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Supporting more formats, more workflows, and more creative control than ever before, Vegas Pro 12 makes it easy to deliver your message and express your artistic vision. Includes DVD Architect & Dolby Encoder software 499 Also available without DVD Architect & Dolby Encoder as the Sony Vegas Pro Edit - $399.95 Videoguys.com is your source for video streaming and production If the subject happens to be in the sunlight then you can expect good exposure in the sky but the direct sunlight may be too contrasty, especially if you are shooting a family portrait or a bride in a white wedding dress. It’s DON’T FORGET THE GREAT INDOORS! Frequently you will be required to shoot a scene indoors, perhaps in an office, church or school with prominent windows and beautiful indoor lighting. Here you will need many of the techniques you learned about in this outdoor videography lesson. Many times the indoor interiors are just as important to the client as the subject you're shooting. Perhaps you are shooting an interview of an interior decorator and an architect or maybe a curator of a gallery. Either way you need to respect the interior ambience while maintaining correct exposure in the windows and the outdoor features. Basically you are trying to bring the interior lighting up to match the outdoor lighting. Depending on the existing interior lighting, the size of the windows , and perhaps skylights and the time of day, this lighting can be anything from very simple to nearly impossible, so be sure to understand challenges and limitations before committing. Armed with a few secrets, a fair amount of experience and good planning you can expect decent if not excellent results. The first thing to remember is all you are trying to do is match the sun exposure to the interior exposure and that happens twice a day! Yep it happens every sunrise and every sunset and you have about 1/2 hour during these times to get very good results. Extend that time an additional 1/2 hour for acceptable results and bring in some lighting for an additional 1/2 hour and you can commit to about 1 1/2 hour of easy shooting. If, just like mentioned above, you are expected to shoot all day then you need to cover the windows with neutral density filters, otherwise your exposure will be inconsistent throughout the day. V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 Quad HD Capture Card Live Streaming In a single PCIe slot, Production Software Matrox VS4 provides $ 00 up to four independent Advanced production $ 00 features & multiple source HD-SDI inputs with up to 8 Matrox Monarch HD is a small, inputs for users who want embedded audio channels per SDI source. Matrox $ 00 easy-to-use video streaming and recording appliance to stream or record professional broadcasts to VS4 not only sends video feeds to Wirecast for streaming, it designed for professional video producers who need to live or on-demand audiences. 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Cerevo LiveShell Pro 13900 $ Stereo Mic for DSLR Cameras Designed to work with DSLRs, the SMX-20 offers directional high quality stereo sound. Includes windscreen, LR-44 battery & mount Tiffen Dfx 3.0 Video/Film Plug-In Simulating 2,000+ Tiffen glass filters, specialized $ 95 lenses, optical lab processes, film grain, exacting color correction, plus natural light & photographic effects plug-in for Adobe After Effects®, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro®, and Avid® Editing Systems. 499 Go to Videoguys.com for more plug-ins! contents full screen print LIGHTING LIGHTING JUNE 2013 JUNE 2013 Sun all just a big compromise which is why your camera sees everything as mushy grey. It averages the exposure, and just like a blender mixes up all the information, then it pours it out in the form of a big compromise which sometimes works but it’s a bland solution to a complex problem. There are two problems here. One problem you can solve and the other you have absolutely no control over. Let’s start with the one problem you can’t fix; your camera’s inherent flaw. Your camera can render only a limited dynamic range of light. It can render very bright subjects or very dark subjects but not both at the same time. That’s why there are exposure adjustments on your camera and that’s why it interprets everything as mushy grey. It sees all the dynamic range of an average scene but it interprets it as grey because the sensor can only render a limited dynamic range. You can’t adjust dynamic range with the exposure adjustments on your camera so you are stuck with that flaw, but you can change the camera’s settings to correctly render very dark scenes or very light scenes. begins because this is where all your creativity comes in. The first step is your interpretation of the scene which is followed with an evaluation of the background, the overall lighting, and subject matter and how they all relate to the story or basis of your shot. Since we are discussing proper exposure of the sky then that is where you start. Save time by spending a little extra time taking a few test shots of your surroundings to see where the exposure of the sky lands. This will give you a starting point and you can assess which view gives the best compromise between nice exposure for the sky and correct exposure of the subject. Replaying it in your camera Save Time by Spending a Little Extra Time and viewing it on an external monitor allows you time to visualize what is going on with the existing lighting. Once you have chosen a few views in your camera you can use the built-in histogram to evaluate clipped highlights. You can then go back and adjust the exposure while evaluating the scene right in the camera which will give you an accurate reading of exactly how much light to add to the scene. Once you have selected the best compromise you are well on your way to a better shot. This is why we always allow plenty of time for us, alone with the camera, our thoughts and the scene, because this quality time pays off once things start rolling. Always plan ahead and be there before everyone else, or better yet do this the day before the shoot. Adding light to an outdoor video shoot is very time consuming, complicated, tricky, frustrating and so on, so it’s best to pick a view where the existing assets work in your favor. Frequently you must alter the lighting in the scene and that’s where great cinematography Figure 1. Don’t face your subject in the sun, use it instead, as a rim light, and to be the source for a reflector. Use a white wall for a 3-point lighting setup without blasting the subject with too much sun. Sun Subject Shiny Reflector SAVE TIME BY SPENDING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TAKING A FEW TEST SHOTS OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS ... Mix it Up contents Camera full screen Wall print 52 A large white wall makes a great reflector. Throw in a sliver or gold reflector and these two things along with the sun become a nice three-point lighting setup (Figure 1). The wall adds plenty of light and the handheld reflector makes a nice key light while the sun provides a nice rim light around the entire scene. Great. But what if the director wants something different and there is no white wall? One great accessory you can bring along is a graduated filter which are available in various colors and densities. As long as your subject is in the bottom half of the frame, such as you would find in a typical landscape scene, then things can go well. You can also use a polarizing filter to bring the sky down while maintaining proper exposure on the rest of the scene but their effectiveness is dependent on the angle of light entering the filter, which makes them somewhat unpredictable or even obvious when attached to a wide-angle lens. You can mix polarizers and graduated filters to create very dark skies for special effects so don’t be afraid to experiment around with filters and maybe even carry a large assortment of them just in case. If you find yourself relying on filters quite a bit, then get a matte-box for your camera and attach large filters to that so you can position where they are in relation to Subject Silver Reflector Figure 2. No white wall available to bounce the sun as illustrated in Figure 1? Grab a large white bounce card and combined with your reflector gives you the options of making the sun work with you, rather than against you. White Reflector Camera SUBSCRIBER ALERT! Videomaker Subscribers, Beware this Fraudulent Subscription Agency: Magazine Subscriber Services You may be contacted by unauthorized subscription agents asking you to renew your subscription. These companies are not authorized to represent Videomaker nor are they affiliated with us in any way. Please do not give out any personal, payment or credit card information to any company you have not previously done business with in regards to your Videomaker subscription. You can view a full list of known fraudulent agencies at: videomaker.com/alert Videomaker will not accept orders from companies on this list. Videomaker renewal notices will only come with zip code 95927 (Chico, CA) on the return address envelope. If you are contacted by any of suspicious companies regarding Videomaker magazine, please let us know immediately by writing to: Videomaker Customer Service P.O. Box 3780. Chico, CA 95927 customerservice@videomaker.com VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 subalertFOURTHpageSQUARE.indd 108 4/24/2013 10:23:51 AM contents full screen print 53 LIGHTING EDITING JUNE 2013 by R us s F airley the center of the lens. You frequently see graduated filters used in feature length films because it’s a very effective and inexpensive solution to a common problem. Mother Nature, Unplugged So far we haven’t plugged anything in and we’ve been lucky enough to use mother nature, the existing environment and a few gadgets to get good results, but what if you have a larger set, no power and a director who wants a very specific camera angle? Then you can use reflectors, scrims or a combination of the two. Here is where planning comes in because now you have a lot of stuff on the set, your equipment and perhaps a stylist, talent and other people. The easy way is to place the camera so that the sun is to the side of the set and use reflectors to fill in the light. Depending on how large the set is the reflectors can be as small as handheld folding reflectors to as large as a 10-foot wall. Here is where you need a lot of help because the reflectors should not be moving because that movement will show up in the video. It needs to be steady and well-weighted (Figure 2). You can Sun moving across the set Translucent Scrim Subject Stands Gold Reflector Camera print ... YOU NEED CONSISTENT LIGHTING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME; PERHAPS ALL DAY ... perhaps all day or several days of shooting. When we used the sun to reflect off our wall or our own large reflector, we were only shooting a brief scene and as the sun moved across the set we were already taking down our equipment, so it didn’t matter. But if we are shooting outdoors all day or over a period of several days, such as you would see in a location news event or a TV lifestyle feature, you need consistent predictable lighting. Large scrims are available from several vendors and now that we’ve let the genie out of the bottle, which is artificial lighting – it’s nice to know how to work with these tools because powered lights means using power generators, which make sound so the audio guys have also something to do on this shoot. We should be very glad we planned the shoot well before everyone else arrived (Figure 3)! Exposing for the sky can be as easy as bringing in a small reflector, filtering our lens or just selecting the right time of day and positioning our camera so everything looks good; or it can become a full production, but either way it is expected of us and we should be prepared for delivery so it is wise to try, test and do everything possible to understand all techniques available to us, not the least of which is our creative interpretation of each situation. Harnessing the sun can be difficult, controlling its light shouldn't be! Terry O’Rourke specializes in photography and videography for advertising clients worldwide. contents full screen create a three-point lighting setup just like the example above where we use the sun, the wall and a silver reflector, or you can mix it up and scrim the set and bring in artificial lighting for your rim and fill lights. The reason you would do such an elaborate lighting production is because you need consistent lighting for extended periods of time; Figure 3. For an outdoor shoot covering many hours, you need consistent lighting throughout the day. Using a reflector makes moving with the sun easier, and setting up a scrim over your talent allows you to control the light as the sun moves along. 54 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15689 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/ article/15689 Editing HD for SD Output Editing HD footage for SD output and delivery may not be the most exciting gig, but if the job lands on your desk it’s a good skill to have in your toolkit and you’ll be equipped to take on the challenge. The video world is changing. Heck, it has changed. Not so long ago, if you saw something unbelievable on TV while you were out in public, you would have jumped up and turned away from the nearly-square image, dug in your pockets for change and ran for the payphone to call a friend. Nowadays, you can watch a widescreen TV program, make a video call to your friend, and both shoot and edit high definition video all on a smartphone or tablet. What a difference a few years makes. Ask a 15-year-old if they know what a payphone is and they’ll probably tell you it’s a Maroon 5 song. (Ask a 55-year-old what Maroon 5 is and, well ... never mind!) While editing footage you shot on a cutting-edge touch screen device such as a tablet is pretty cool, it’s probably not what you do day-to-day for a living. If it is, then you’re unlikely to be worrying about editing for SD video output in the first place. For the rest of us, we have to be adaptable walking tool chests, ready to take on whatever projects our clients can dream up. Part of the aptitude required of a successful editor is the ability to change direction, adapt, and learn quickly. So let’s learn to edit HD for SD output and add another tool to your skillset, starting with some basics. High Definition and Standard Definition Here’s a crash course or refresher: high definition, or HD, generally refers to images displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio at a size of 1280 pixels by 720 pixels or 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels. Tricks and Tips for Shooting HD for SD 1. Shoot as close to center cut safe as you can to avoid having to pan and scan in editing. No need to guess: if you’re unsure what is safe and what isn’t, FreshDV.com offers a unique way to create scotch tape guides on your actual display – they use a 5D Mark II, but their trick should work with any camera. (www.freshdv.com/2010/06/5dm2-4x3-guide-marks.html) 2. Deck out your on-set monitor for SD. Similar to the FreshDV.com trick, try adding gaffer-taped SD guides to HD monitors to keep an eye on your safe zone. If you shoot with a camera that doesn’t output HD over HDMI when shooting try doing the opposite and adding HD lines at the top and bottom to simulate your final outcome. Check out Kurt Lancaster’s excellent book, “DSLR Cinema” from Focal Press, to see this in action on set. (www.focalpress.com/books/details/9780240815510) contents 3. This one might seem like a no-brainer, but if your camera has action and title safe guides, use them. Imagine your center safe cut zone as existing 5-10 percent inside the title safe zone. If you’re off by a percent or two you can always slide footage a bit in editing. To find the guides for your camera you may have to dig in your menus or consult the manual to track them down. VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 full screen print 55 EDITING EDITING JUNE 2013 ADVERTISING INDEX JUNE 2013 Adorama ________________________ 43 Adorama ________________________ 61 A One way to get all of a widescreen shot (Fig. A) into a standard definition view is to create a zoom and pan effect when editing, starting at the left side of the screen (Fig. B) and panning across to the right side (Fig. C). THE REALITY IS THAT MOST STUDIOS WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY ... cation, OK, not so much that last one, but we’ve definitely had to embrace a steep learning curve to keep up with formats, pixel aspect ratios, codecs, and a multitude of Web, film and broadcast technologies and standards. Let’s try to shed some light on one aspect of this challenging changeover, and that is learning a bit about editing HD video for SD delivery. Before we get into the editing, however, it’s important to know why one might choose to shoot HD video when he or she knows it’s only going to see the light of day as SD video. B Why Choose HD Footage for SD Projects 1. Color depth and compression – newer HD cameras capture more color per pixel, offering options to record their footage fully uncompressed. Those using compression for their HD footage offer nice, small file sizes. 2. Zooming and panning – when we put our videos together there are times when we wish we framed a bit tighter, zoomed in a bit on the action, or were able to do a slower zoom in or out. HD footage will allow editors to zoom in and out and pan side to side without falling out of the SD frame. 3. Cost – the equipment is so cheap and so good now, it doesn’t make sense to spend good money on older technology. The reality is that most studios want to stay on top of the latest technology, and simply learn how to meet the needs of C contents full screen print 56 and weighed as much as my Aunt Edna, but it also had a screen that was pretty darn close to square, right? That’s a standard definition screen. Though there has been a shift towards digital, high definition and TV broadcasting, both HD and SD standards still exist. Depending on the service provider and delivery method they use, a North American broadcaster may broadcast at 480i, 720p, 1080i or 1080p. What that means to video professionals, is that the shift from SD to HD and the lack of a single video standard has forced us to become masters of many aspects of shooting, editing, converting, encoding, delivery and transmogrifi- V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 Center Cut Safe Zone Title Safe Zone Action Safe Zone Editors avoid placing important information in the title safe and action safe zones as a precaution. With HD, another safety area is the center cut safe zone that shows what will be seen on a standard television. B&H Photo/Video & Pro Audio ___ 35-37 Blackmagic Design _______________ 07 Camtrol _________________________ 33 Canon ___________________________ C4 Eagle America Sales Corp. _________ 33 different clients as projects come in. 4. Learning – clients looking for SD now will likely be looking for HD in the future, and in the meantime you can learn to refine your high definition workflow for standard definition. So what part of the workflow needs refining? Highway to the Safe Zone The most obvious thing we notice when comparing HD and SD footage is that SD is far narrower than HD. Even in HD there are boundaries for what is safe to display. These are called the title safe and action safe zones, and they sit 10 percent and 5 percent from the edge of your footage, respectively. There is also a third zone, called the center cut safe zone. The center cut safe zone refers to the 4:3 section of a video frame that fits inside the center of 16:9 HD footage. We’ll get into these in a moment. When discussing shooting, center cut safe shooting describes shooting footage in HD, but keeping your area of interest centered in the middle 4:3 section of your shot. Sounds easy enough, but as an editor how do you make sure you’re playing within the barriers? Let’s take a closer look at these safe zones. Start by turning on the action safe and title safe guides in our editing software. While these are for HD footage, they can help us. The outside rectangle is called the action safe zone, meaning you are safe to have your action (actors acting, pipers piping, geese a-laying, etc.) take place within this zone without risk of losing it on certain screens or monitors. The inner rectangle is called the title safe zone. For television you’ll want to keep all of your titles within this zone to avoid them disappearing off the side of certain displays. Note: For Web the rule of thumb is to keep your title text within the MOST HOSTING SITES WON’T CROP VIDEOS. Eagle America Sales Corp. _________ 53 Glidecam Industries Inc. ___________ 25 Home Video Studio _______________ 41 KinoFlo _________________________ 15 Litepanels (VITEC GROUP) ________ 17 NewTek _________________________ C2 Nikon ___________________________ 03 VariZoom _______________________ 41 action safe zone versus the title safe zone for television. Most hosting sites won’t crop videos. Slightly within the title safe zone there is our center cut safe zone. Many shooters and editors will use the title safe zone as their center cut safe zone, but the true 4:3 area sits within the title safe zone. Editing software has historically included safety guides, so whether you’re using a current editing program or an older one, you may be able to simply turn on center cut safe guides and adjust your footage within that zone. As of this printing, it seems that more editing packages than not, no longer ship with center cut safe guides. They will, however, include title and action safe guides, and a VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 VideoGuys ______________________ 51 WeVideo ________________________ 59 Videomaker PLUS Membership_____ C3 Videomaker Subscriber Alert _______ 53 Videomaker Webinars _____________ 59 marketplace contents Que Audio ______________________ 45 full screen the The images can be displayed in either interlaced (alternating upper and lower fields playing sequentially at a speed great enough to trick our eye into seeing one image – commonly referred to with an “i”, e.g. 1080i), or progressive (showing a full image in each frame – commonly referred to with a “p”, e.g. 1080p). Common HD displays include plasma, LED and LCD televisions, flat panel computer monitors, and most mobile devices. Standard definition, or SD, isn’t as wide and sexy as our flat screen televisions and monitors. It is generally an interlaced image with a much smaller number of pixels – in North America it is 640 pixels by 480 pixels to be exact (480i). When imagining a 4:3 viewing area, think back to your old, wood-cabinet television in the attic. It not only contained a cathode ray tube or three print 57 EDITING EDITING EDITING JUNE 2013 Many times you’ve seen bars along the sides of 4:3 footage on a 16:9 screen to compensate. The opposite is letterboxing – placing bars on top and bottom of a 16:9 shot for 4:3 viewing. What if you still want to present your footage in glorious widescreen, but you are required to output to SD? Again working in an SD timeline, drop your HD footage in and scale it to the SD frame width. You’ll see an immediate drawback, which is the introduction of black bars on top and bottom, meaning your footage doesn’t fill COMBING, IS THE RESULT OF VIEWING INTERLACED FOOTAGE ON A PROGRESSIVE MONITOR. the entire frame. Regardless, some content providers may choose this format. We guess it’s why VHS tapes used to come in fullscreen and widescreen. It’s nice to have choices. An added bonus is that as editor you can use the black areas to include text or graphics. Lower thirds, subtitles and other content can go in these spaces without being superimposed over an image. quick look online should help you track down a guide image with an alpha channel to drop over your project layers to use as a guide. Handling Footage Worrying about all of these safe zones is enough to give us wrinkles, so let’s worry about something simpler: editing and cropping footage. Assuming that your footage is center cut safe, you’ll have a straightforward job as an editor. It is then as simple as creating a standard definition sequence in your editing software, dropping your HD footage dead center in the frame, and then editing as usual. Your action should look just fine for SD output, and the HD edges will be cropped away. Things aren’t always as simple as having perfectly shot footage, but that’s OK – HD footage in an SD timeline can be a good thing for a few reasons. As an editor, no matter how the footage has been shot you may not want what landed in the middle of the frame. Maybe you want to punch in on a shot. Maybe you want to do a mild dolly motion. Not only will you have latitude to slide your footage in any direction without falling out of frame, but you will also be able to zoom in a bit on shots without worrying too much about image degradation. contents full screen print 58 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 The Plot Flickens At some point you’ve probably come across one or more of the common issues with interlaced footage, such as interlace flicker or combing. Maybe you’ve transferred VHS tapes to a digital format and watch them on a progressive display, or maybe you have an older interlaced camcorder and edit the footage on a current laptop. Either way, you’ve seen flicker and/or combing. Interlace flicker is also called interline twitter. Therefore, in 140 characters, interline twitter is “the aliasing effect created by fine lines and certain details in great enough frequency to be near the horizontal resolution of the display.” #like_when_broadcasters_wear_striped_shirts To get around the issue of flicker or interline twitter, fine and ultra-sharp details are generally avoided when creating or broadcasting interlaced content. Combing, is the result of viewing interlaced footage on a progressive monitor. What you are actually seeing is the movement of content in interlaced footage containing the two distinct fields that would be alternated when viewed on an interlaced display. The two fields are technically captured at a different time and then played sequentially fast enough that we cannot differentiate them and see JUNE 2013 only smooth playback. Progressive displays with little or no deinterlacing have no option but to show both fields at the same time. Fortunately, there are great options for editors who need to deal with interlaced footage on a regular basis. Every major editing platform has at least one tool – and sometimes more than one – to reduce or eliminate interlacing issues. Many encoding or compression suites offer the option to deinterlace footage when re-encoding your footage as well. (Learn how to deinterlace footage on our site: www.videomaker. com/video/watch/tutorials/699-how-todeinterlace-footage.) Conclusion SD or HD, interlaced or progressive, action safe, title safe, center cut safe, flicker, combing … there are a lot of things to learn about footage and how to interpret and work with it. This article is by no means the definitive guide, but hopefully the next time you’re faced with a project requiring you to take high definition footage and edit it for delivery in standard definition, that lump won’t form in your throat. As in life, with every editing project it’s always up to you which route you take to achieve your goals. Some will work, and some will need some tweaking along the way, but these journeys are what define us as editors. Each seasoned editor has a trick or two up his or her sleeve, and many have proven workflows that work for them time and time again, but their methods may not get the result you want. We all forage through the technology to find our own way, while stopping to pick up a trick or two along the way. Keep foraging. New Training Webinars Introducing... • Advanced Shooting • Audio for Video • Making Money with Video • Wedding and Events Videomaker’s roster of online training webinars continues to expand for 2013. These one hour classes explain and demonstrate essential techniques with an opportunity for our experts to address your individual questions. With seven diverse classes to choose from, Videomaker provides you with the perfect occasion to improve in the areas where you need it the most! $29.95 per one hour session. Russ Fairley owns a turnkey video production company presenting 200+ videos a year, featuring Web videos, TV commercials, and live event coverage. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15705 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15705 FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 contents For more information, a full class list and upcoming schedule, visit: full screen videomaker.com/2013webinars VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 Webinar_New_2013.indd 1 print 59 4/23/2013 9:51:29 AM 4/25/2013 9:50:53 AM AUDIO b y H a l R o b e r t so n Hits and Impact Sound Effects TV and movies aren’t reality, regardless of what they tell you. Enhanced reality might be a little closer to the truth, or not. Have you noticed that Hollywood movies are rarely subtle? They can’t just have a car crash, it has to be a car crash with an explosion. It can’t just be an earthquake, it must be an earthquake with massive destruction of every building in sight. To be nice, we’ll call this enhanced reality and it’s a staple of professional sound effects on any big production. And it works. The viewer is drawn further into the story with every exaggerated sound and the producers know this. So why not use these techniques to your own advantage? Whether you’re telling a story about the end of the world or just a simple, fun piece for online viewing, use hits and impact sound effects. It’s Not Real Many of the sounds you hear on screen aren’t the actual sounds themselves. This is pretty common for several reasons. First, real sounds don’t contents full screen sound real in context. Here’s an experiment: go record a football game. Now, play it back on your normal audio editing software. Even massive college linemen slamming into each other sounds like clicking and scraping. Not exactly a high-impact crunch and thud. When Hollywood does a football game, they add other sounds to the mix or completely replace them to get the desired effect. Another reason for sound effects enhancement or replacement is the production environment itself. Take a fight scene for example. The actors aren’t actually hitting each other, or if they are, it’s a fairly light touch. Household Objects Experiment with sound to add to your movie’s soundscape. In a fight scene, your actors won’t want to hit hard - or at all, so having someone hitting a punch mitt, boxing glove or a leather cushion can substitute for the sound of body blows. So where do they get these sound effects? Some come from pretty bizarre sources. A common approach for crunches and broken bones is the sound of celery breaking. That’s right, celery. When properly recorded and processed, a nice crisp stalk of celery makes a very convincing sound effect for your next broken arm or crushed skull. Hits and punches are often created by smacking leather cushions and other upholstery. When hit with a board, a baseball bat or even a gloved fist, this creates an enhanced substi- print 60 Naturally, the sound effects have to be added in post-production. And of course, they can’t be simple hits and punches, they’ll be massive jaw-jarring body blows. Finally, sound effects are often added for comic effect. Let’s use the 1999 comedy Mystery Men as an example. During the superhero recruiting party, The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo) demonstrates her super-power with a bowling ball. As the ball hits various objects, you’ll hear bowling sound effects like the ball rolling, hitting pins and a full strike at the end. It adds humor to the scene and still fits the bowling theme. V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 contents full screen print AUDIO AUDIO JUNE 2013 CLASSIFIED NETWORK JUNE 2013 equipMent & accessoRies Use a rubber mallet or a soft foamcovered stick to hit ordinary sheet metal just right for a nice thunder sound effect for your eerie, lightning-enhanced haunted scene. “Goes to 11” TAKE YOUR AUDIO TO THEWITHNEXT LEVEL THE DXA-HDV T h e E s s e nt i a l C a m c o rd e r Aud i o Ad a p te r Making your own sound effects is fun and makes you think a little deeper. Hit a piece of wood with a tube. Then put the wood on a hollow bin. Both will sound different, which suits your needs better? Drop a sandbag in a hollow bin – Whoomp! Good sound. What can you use it for? tute. Or you could punch a boxing bag or have someone hit into a boxing glove or punch mitts. And, of course, you can just keep hitting until you get the sounds you want. Bigger Than Life Watch an ordinary chase scene shot from a helicopter on the news and it’s pretty boring, however producers like Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay have made many movies with the “bigger than life” approach. Explosions fill the screen. Buildings crash right around the viewer in full surround sound. Giant robots smash everything in sight. It’s no secret that in Hollywood, bigger is always better in action movies. And why not? If you’re making an action flick, it’s more fun to wipe out the bad guys in a rain of bullets rather than a few carefully aimed shots. Pick any battle scene from your favorite Transformers movie. First, none of this really happened, so everything is manufactured for the movie. Now, let’s narrow our focus to just one impact scene. – A pair of robots are locked in battle and crash through the corner of a building, landing on the street. – Just imagine how many sound effects are in these few seconds of screen time. It might measure in the hundreds. There’s the sound of the robots fighting, which in itself might be dozens of sounds, big and small. Then, you’ll hear the crash into SOUND EFFECTS RESOURCES Every video editor needs some dedicated audio software. Pay versions are everywhere, but the standard for free sound editing software is Audacity. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, so if you don’t currently have anything, just go download and install it. Another starting place is www.AudioMicro.com. They have a pay side that is used by several networks and production companies, but there is a freebie section too. If you’re looking for free sound effects, Videomaker has a free sound effects page www.videomaker.com/downloads/free-sound-effects that we’re adding to often, and check out Freesound.org. By signing up, you’ll gain access to a wide variety of just about anything you can imagine. Plus, you can upload your own creations to share with the community and it makes a handy archive for your sound effects. Ultimately, search Google for “free sound effects” and see what you find. There are plenty of sites that want you to buy something, but you’ll find many that pass out free samples. It’s a great way to start building your sound effects library. contents full screen print 62 V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 the building, which includes every shattered pane of glass, every brick and maybe a few people screaming. Finally, there’s the hit on the ground. This impact has asphalt breaking, cars crushing, car alarms, electrical noises and countless other sounds. It’s a gigantic soundscape. But that’s not all. Every one of these sound effects is carefully tweaked for maximum impact and perfectly timed to match the action on the screen. In addition, there are other sounds – maybe things you wouldn’t expect – included to crank things up even further. Some of the creaks and groans could be from animals or even electric guitars. The breaking glass may have come from a sound effects library but it’s juiced up with the clang of pots and pans. It’s very possible that you’re hearing hammers, Styrofoam cups, hair dryers and dozens of other everyday sounds blended into the mix. Do It Yourself It’s fun to think about all that goes into a blockbuster soundtrack, but you can use the same techniques to enhance your projects, too. Let’s assemble a test scene and layer in some sound effects. Imagine a Matrix-style fight scene, complete with all the hits, punches, scrapes and drags. Before we dig in, you’ll need access to some sound effects, either from an online library or one you already own. There are many professional sound ef- fects libraries out there, including horror sound effects, if you want to turn this into a zombie apocalypse project. Alternatively, you can record and edit your own effects as needed. You have the scene edited and waiting in the timeline. Study it closely and make a shopping list of FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 the sound effects you need. Obviously, there will be hits and punches, maybe a few crashes, smashes and thumps. Don’t forget the humor angle. Maybe one of the fighters gets thrown across the room at one point. That could be the sound of a jet fighter crashing or even the bowling strike we mentioned earlier. Listen through your available sound effects and let your imagination take over. Have fun! If you only have a few good punch sounds for your fight, you can use them over and over with a few tricks. Find two similar sounds and designate one for the right hand, one for the left. Now, as you place them on the timeline in sync with the action, adjust the volume up or down a little for each hit. Another way to squeeze the most out of your effects is changing the pitch of the effect in your audio editing software. A little bit goes a long way here, but don’t be afraid to experiment. Drastic pitch shifting can transform one sound into another. Finally, layer your sound effects for maximum impact. Imagine the final right FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 hook that ends the fight. The shot is in slow-motion, so you could add a whoosh sound to the swing, followed by your best punch sound. The action flick version would include an explosion to signal the end of the fight. The comic version might add a boxing bell or gong sound followed by birds tweeting. And don’t think sound effects are only for crashes, horror or biggerthan-life scenes. Any average scene can be enhanced with a few subtle sound effects. It’s All You We’ve focused on action this time around, but you can use sound effects and layered sound effects in just about any project. A simple knock on the door could become a huge event just as a turn of the head can be accompanied by the swish of a sword. Whatever suits the project and your mood at the time. Listen to sound effects in the movies, and try to figure what they used. Hitting a stick on a piece of wood sounds like knocking on a door, hitting the stick with the wood placed over a hollow bin sounds like a door knocking on a haunted house. One final tip: pay close attention as you’re synchronizing sounds to your video. Timing is everything here and a dead-on sound effect really sells the scene while one that is a little out of sync can ruin things. Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15648 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15648 VI D EO MA K ER >>> J UN E 20 13 All the features you need to connect virtually any microphone to your camcorder for outstanding audio quality. beachtek.com Re-MasteRing RE-MASTER old, obsolete and damaged 2/7/2013 video & audio tapes to modern tape/file/ disc formats. Disaster recovery specialists. (800) 852-7732 www.specsbros.com 1:44:31 PM stock Music Reach 100% of a Steadily Growing Video-Producing 11/18/2011 Audience in Videomaker’s Classified Network! Contact us at: www.videomaker.com/about-us/advertising/ 63 9:34:52 AM contents full screen print TAKE FIVE THE POWER OF 5 quick production tips by Bree Brouw er Five Tips for Finding Free or Cheap Video Gear It’s out there. Free or nearly free gear that can be the difference between stepping up and making that movie you’ve always dreamed about or continuing to daydream of what you hope to achieve. At the beginning of your videography career, equipment becomes your number one priority. Maybe you’ve stumbled across an incredible story idea for a short film or you’re starting that video business you’ve always wanted. Whatever the case, you need to invest in some equipment. And of course, money seems to be eluding you. Fortunately, if you’re just getting started with an endeavor, you have more resources than you might think. Quite a few options exist for finding cheap or free video equipment; you just need to know where to look. 2. Contact Local Establishments Before You Start Your Search ... 3. Head to the Library You need to decide what level of professionalism you’re aiming for, because this will affect your choice of equipment, a poor camera could result in poor-quality projects. On the other hand, you’re not going to find a RED Scarlet-X camera in the freebie bin. Do some research if you don’t know already about what types and brands of video equipment are out there and which you would feel comfortable saying “yes” to using; expect to start out with some less favorable options with the intention of upgrading when you have the money. 1. Networking is Key contents full screen print Once you know what you’re looking for, you can try to obtain some of it cheap or even for free. The first place to look is within your networks. Check with family and friends who may own video equipment, and ask them to talk to anyone they know who may work with equipment. You may end up not having to look any further. Friends and family might only expect you to take extra care of their equipment; at the very worst, they may charge you a small fee or ask you to return the favor someday. 64 If your connections don’t work, your next stop should be local businesses and establishments who work with or own video equipment. For example, many non-profits and churches have cameras, mics, and more for their own purposes. It doesn’t hurt to ask if these places would be willing to loan out the equipment. You will need a very clear plan for your project to convince them of your sincerity, and you will likely have to sign a contract that says you’ll pay for any incurring damages to their equipment. Because of the rise of digital media needs for businesses and personal branding, video equipment can also be found for free or cheap through local libraries, especially if you live in a large city. Many libraries have invested in professional cameras (not just your average, home video family camcorder) along with compatible equipment that you can check out with nothing but a valid library card. Be aware of the due dates, though – library equipment can have a loan period as short as three days, so this is not a good long-term solution, especially if your goal is to start your own business. Library equipment can be an excellent option for someone making a film or web series, though. Just plan your shooting schedule around the rental period days, and realize that you may need to wait to get the camera back if someone else checks it out before you. 4. Check Out Universities Another great place to find free or cheap video equipment is local universities and colleges. Much like churches and non-profits, universities can also have their own equipment for V IDEOMAKER >>> JUNE 2013 promotional videos and other PR purposes. You’re especially in luck if your local university has a digital media department, a field of study that many colleges have been seeking to add or expand in. If you find a college that has a digital media department, you can often rent their equipment for a fair price. Students tend to get an even cheaper price with a valid student ID. PLUS + 5. Rent Via Local or Online Means As a last resort, head to your local photography/videography equipment store and see if their rental prices are within your budget. You can also choose to rent through online stores like BorrowLenses.com or LensRentals.com. The benefit to renting online is that you can compare prices of various companies and see who’s competing to provide you the best price possible. Again, though, watch out for how much time your rental contract is for and your budget to rent again if you will need the equipment later. Don’t assume you need to spend thousands of dollars when you’re first looking for equipment. Starting your projects with little to no cost allows you time to think about your future needs. Always remember, though, that no matter the route you go when looking for cheap or free video equipment, your goal is to expand those dreams even more in the future. Bree Brouwer is a freelance writer and blogger who loves producing short films, investigating culture, pursuing geek enlightenment, and shopping for deals like a true Dutchwoman. For comments, email: editor@videomaker.com, use article #15731 in the subject line. You can comment and rate this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/15731 Videomaker Plus Membership Gives You Unlimited access to videos and articles Free reports and software downloads Discounts on Videomaker merchandise Discounts on workshops and webinar training Early-bird access to Videomaker magazine content Access to HUNDREDS of training videos videomaker.com/PlusPower contents full screen print