Video Production – Page 12 – Journeys of a Hybrid

December 15, 2009March 30, 2010

Mistakes Still Photographers Make When Shooting Video With a DSLR

They don’t understand the importance of audio and don’t use external microphones. Audio is everything in video.
They think in “moments in time” and start shooting video too late or stop shooting too soon. You need to let the camera linger longer.
They don’t shoot sequences with a beginning, middle and end.
They don’t think in “storyboard mode” – You should ask yourself “How will I get into and out of a shot and what’s next in the story?”
They don’t shoot enough B-roll with variations in angles and focal lengths – very important in the editing process.
They move the camera instead of letting the motion take place in front of the camera.
They turn the camera vertically. There aren’t too many vertical TV sets and monitors.
They don’t use a tripod forgetting that video is “time in motion”. It’s one thing to hold a camera steady for 1/60^th of a second and quite another to hold the shot steady for 10 seconds.
They don’t consider the frame rate and how that will affect workflow and editing.
Aren’t careful keeping their sensors clean from dust. Retouching video is a lot more involved than spotting still images.
They “throw” some video clips in with the still photography job, not putting an added value on them and thus setting a bad precedent with clients.
They don’t consider the output and the type of file to be delivered. There are dozens of formats and codecs in video. Choose according to your target audience and viewing platform or device.

December 10, 2009December 14, 2009

Video News

I came across some interesting things this week, so I am passing them along.

One was the much anticipated announcement of the debut of the Scarlet – a new camera from the same company that makes The Red. There have been a lot of rumors about this camera over the past year and it will be rolled out in 2010. Check out Philip Bloom’s blog about it. And here’s another post on FreshDV with information about the Scarlet.

If you’re a Sony EX-1 shooter, here’s an interesting tip along with a how-to-video on using the Zacuto Z-finder with that camera. This viewfinder was made for the Canon 5d, but Martijn Schroevers found a clever way to attach it to the LCD of the Sony EX-1.

Next up is yet another new video camera format from Sony – NXCAM. The NXCAM can record 1920 x 1080 images at 24Mbps (50i or 25p), as well as supporting 720/50p and Standard Definition recording.
Very interesting but I wish these camera manufacturers would standardize formats and codecs.

I also came across a very interesting company called Wistia. They allow you to share and host your videos but in addition they offer heatmap tracking which gives you a visual spectrum of how your visitors watch your videos and what attracts them or confuses them.

And to give you an idea of how much web video viewing has exploded, here’s an online channel Expotv where consumers send in video product reviews. No fancy production values but an interesting concept of sharing information that has really caught on.

With all those news items I figured it was about time I changed my header – gone is that template blue – replaced by something more relevant to the blogger.

December 9, 2009December 14, 2009

Watching TV Without The Sound – A Lesson In Editing

Every morning I spend an hour on the treadmill while plugged into my iPod listening to music. Sometimes the TV is turned on but with the sound turned off. I have found that just “watching” TV and in particular the commercials, is a great way to learn editing technique. I’m not distracted by the audio so I can better see how the elements get cut together.

Commercials need to get their message out in 15 seconds so the cuts are generally quick and the story needs to be told in an efficient manner. Action-reaction shots, cutaways, close-ups, sequencing – all stand out to my eye because I’m not distracted by the sound. It makes for a great lesson in editing. I notice the visual storyline – what shots are bumped up together, how long they stay on the screen and how they all make up the whole in presenting the message.

Conversely, if I have the TV on in another room (with the audio) and I’m just listening, I can usually get the message without seeing any visuals. That’s why great audio is essential – it drives the story. If people can’t hear something or understand it because the audio is poor quality, the piece fails to engage.

So try it sometime. Watch TV without the sound and notice how the story is told through the visuals and how they are cut together. It will help make you a better editor. And then try watching a video that you create with and without the sound. It’s a great way to see if you are telling the story that you meant to tell.

November 29, 2009December 14, 2009

Video Production Tips

Don’t assume anything – ” But I thought ( fill in blank) was going to ( fill in blank).”

Keep an email trail – document everything between you and your client.

Keep a binder – it’s always good to keep a hard copy back up even if everything is recorded electronically.

What to look for on location:
• where the outlets are
• where the windows are and which direction they face
• do the windows have blinds or shades
• what is the ambient lighting in the room
• what kinds of ambient noise is in the location and can it be controlled
• what’s the best-spot for an interview
• where are the bathrooms
• where is the freight elevator
• where is parking
• what is the building contact person’s name and number

When packing for location – don’t leave things behind unless you absolutely have to. It is far better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Be redundant – bring extra connectors, adapters and cables. If you only bring one – it almost guarantees that one will fail.

Make friends with doormen, secretaries, building electricians, janitors, security guards – you will need these people on locations.

Whenever the call time is – be there early. I’m always the first one on set.

If you don’t schedule a rain day, you will end up needing one.

Always shoot the most important shot first thing of the day.

Maintain an attitude of calm and professionalism – the crew will look to you for the answers. If you show indecisiveness they will go off in all different directions.

Never label a video file or tape “Final” – Whenever you do – there always ends up being another revision.

Always break for lunch – working through lunch guarantees a hungry and cranky crew. Ultimately you won’t get 100% from a hungry crew, thus defeating the time saved.

Slate everything you can. Use the back of the slate for a white balance target. Also attach a printed color bar chart to the slate. This can be helpful in color correction later, matching scenes and/or cameras.

Tape/storage media is cheap. Don’t be afraid to overshoot. That extra b-roll or cut-aways will become valuable assets in post. Get room tone at the same time.

During the mic check for interviews, record a brief statement where each subject states their name, the date and that they are giving permission to be taped. Always make sure your subjects also sign hard copy waivers/releases.

Things always take longer than you think – so estimate more time when scheduling.

In post production back up projects as different versions. Save a clean sub master version without titles and lower-third graphics and where the audio tracks are not mixed down. Most likely you will get a request to change a graphic or a music track and it’s much easier to make those changes on a sub master than to have to redo an entire project.

When a client suddenly takes the project in an unexpected direction, save a version of the project file up to that point.

When editing with a room full of client people – only answer to the guy/gal who signs the checks.

November 12, 2009March 30, 2010

More Convergence – DSLR’s + Video = VSLR

It seems like this has been the year of the video capable DSLR or VSLR. Not only are manufacturers continuing to roll out new models but third party companies have made a big business out of selling attachments or add-ons for these cameras.

Dabblers as well as professional still photographers have gotten into video because the entry level has become easier and more affordable with the advent of these cameras. While traditional news crews haven’t embraced the new hybrid cameras yet, filmmakers have created a cult around them. I must confess that although technically I have had my hands on these cameras, I have not done any test runs using them in the field. But it is on my list of things to do.

What’s Out There Now

The Nikon D90 shooting 720p was the first DSLR camera to shoot video in HD. Canon followed with its impressive 5D Mark II which raised the bar by shooting full frame 1080p with external mic input and recently rolled theyout the Canon 7D with variable frame rates for under $2000!

The most attractive features of these hybrid cameras besides the price, is the ability to change lenses, have controllable depth of field and large sensors that work phenomenally in low light situations. However there are limitations that traditional video cameras that come at a higher price don’t have. Camera stability is one problem due to how the shooter needs to hold the camera because they are designed to shoot in video mode with the mirror up. Since the camera operator must see and focus using the LCD monitor instead of steadying their eye up against the viewfinder, it’s harder to stabilize the camera when hand holding it. Audio capture is very basic as well and must be supplemented in some way.

Third Party Options

Because of these limitations, third party manufacturers have gotten in the game by designing add-ons. Zacuto

has come up with a few interesting items. One item is the Z-Finder DSLR Viewfinder, which is a device that fits over a 3” LCD and provides magnification for better focusing. It runs around $400. Hoodman provides a lower cost version called the Hoodloupe without the same optics but at a quarter of the cost.

An added benefit to using these viewfinders is that it provides another contact point with the shooter’s body and therefore provides more stability. There are also camera support systems available that help remedy the need for better stability in “run and gun”

situations where the shooter can’t use a tripod. Zacuto makes two stabilization devices, the DSLR Rapid Fire and the Quick Draw each designed with a different type of shooting situation in mind. In addition a Cavision has come up with a shoulder mount device the RS5DM2SET-S.

Package for 5DII-8 — Cavision shoulder mount

As far as audio is concerned, if you want to move beyond a supplemental external mic that’s plugged into the camera and use a more professional audio solution you’ll need balanced XLR inputs which will also enable you to use multiple external mics off the camera. Beachtek makes the DXA-5D for around $375 and juiceLink has come up with the juicedLink CX231 for about $300.

Or you can capture your audio with a stand-alone recorder like the Samson Zoom H4n, also around $300 and sync it later in post.

Regardless of how you ultimately “trick out” your VSLR (video single lens reflex) you can be sure that there will continually be newer models and solutions as technology keeps moving forward. Pro Video Coalition puts out a great newsletter online keeping us abreast of the latest tools. Check out their DSLR Shootout where they test these hybrids and adaptors. Take Dirck Halstead’s Platypus Workshop now incorporating the new DSLR’s in the program. And become a Facebook fan of From Still to Motion for ongoing information and updates. It’s an exciting time with loads of possibilities.

October 19, 2009March 30, 2010

Converging Technologies and Photo Plus Expo 2009

I’ve been attending the Photo Expo for as long as I can remember, back when it used to be at the old Convention Center at Columbus Circle. It changed over the years, growing in size, moving to Javits and now shrinking, taking up ½ the floor space it used to. That could be yet another sign of the economy, or how the photographic industry has changed over the years – or both.

This year is the first year there will be a Video Pavilion, where manufacturers can showcase their products and attendees can get a glimpse of how the converging industries of photography and video continue to change the paradigm of how we deliver our visual message.

Another profound change on the floor this year is the absence of the Adobe booth. I can’t remember a time when Adobe has not been an exhibitor at Photo Expo. Has the economy played a part in that – or is it another sign of changing times in the photography business?

It will be interesting this year to observe who is exhibiting and what the new “cool” tools are? Like last year when Canon displayed their first hybrid camera the 5D – a still camera that also shoots video – their booth, along with Nikon will be the “main attraction”. Video continues to be the hot topic.

Gone are the manufacturers of lab equipment, along with the last vestiges of film. Gone are Apple and Adobe – maybe next year? Or will next year look more like NAB”s (National Association of Broadcasters) show in Las Vegas as we continue to move from ink and print to electronic delivery?

October 8, 2009December 14, 2009

The Business of Video

The “business” of video encompasses a lot of things – your marketing strategy, your cost of doing business, your skill set needed to survive in business, your management of employees or outside contractors and paperwork. For now I’ll speak to paperwork and how critical it is in communicating with clients.

A paperwork trail starts with an estimate for a job and I don’t take the process of estimating lightly. I try to get as much information that I can when a client comes to me and asks me to bid on a job – or asks me to provide an estimate for a job I’ve already been hired to do. I keep a database of past SOW’s (Statement of Work) to use as references. While every job is different, I use these archived SOW’s as a starting point.

In addition to estimating the costs of crew, equipment, location needs, pre-production and post-production, I clearly state terms as well as a schedule for post-production – including client response time and completion dates.

Terms – Here is where I state rights and “usage” of the finished product – where will it be used and for how long. I also spell out payment terms, cancellation fees as well as provide an accurate description of exactly what I’m going to deliver. For instance:

10-minute video to be delivered on DVD and compressed files for the web.
One day shoot on location at………….includes 2 interviews and b-roll
Post production – edit will include x amount of still images – sized and digitally provided by client – logos provided by client– stock photos and/or footage – narrative (voiceover) track and music.
Payment – one third upon signed SOW – one third after shoot – and balance due upon delivery of final product.
Cancellation terms and fees
Change fees
How many edit revisions are included and the additional hourly editing costs if more revisions are needed.

Schedule – This is extremely important in video production – a schedule sign off by the client that stipulates delivery dates for each part of the process. The reason this is critical is that if the client delays things on their end – it’s clearly understood that the rest of the schedule gets extended in terms of deadline dates. Otherwise if your client needs their boss to approve things and their boss has an unexpected out of town trip come up – thus delaying the process – you won’t be left with half the time you need to deliver the final product. Example of post production schedule:

Aug. 31 – Script approved by client
Sept. 1 – Casting reel delivered to client
Sept. 7 – Talent decisions made by client
Sept. 20 – Shoot date
Sept. 25 – Voiceover recorded
Sept. 26 – All logos, graphics and still images provided by client
Oct. 5 – Rough Cut delivered to client for review
Oct. 12 – Any edit changes noted by client and communicated to production house.
Oct. 19 – Final cut delivered.

Lastly here’s a link to AICP (Association of Independent Commercial Producers) with examples of bid forms and contracts that are helpful in terms of bringing to mind all the things that should be covered in your SOW.

October 2, 2009December 14, 2009

Convergence – Defining Yourself By Your Vision – Not Your Tool

It’s 4AM as I write this entry. I can’t sleep. That often happens when my mind is in overdrive as it has been all week – over stimulated by the process of editing video. I’ve also spent a lot of time this past week speaking with quite a few photographers who are working in both the still photography and video mediums. Some shooters I spoke with got into video because the entry level became cheaper when hybrid cameras that shoot both stills and video came on the market. Other people I talked to weren’t “camera operators” at all – they were DP’s or Directors of Photography on high-end commercial broadcast productions.

One question I asked these shooters was “What do you call yourself these days?” Personally I’m struggling with that question myself. Am I a photographer?, a videographer? (I hate that term), a DP?, a media producer? Who am I ? What do I call myself? I have yet to answer that question for myself, but the answers that I got from everyone I spoke with, ran the gamut, encompassing all the titles above. As I replayed these conversations in my head, I realized that for me the problem was I was trying to define myself by my tool. And that just doesn’t work.

The problem is if we define ours by our tools – then we are diminishing the value of our creativity or our vision boy_viewer in the process. We aren’t placing the value on what is unique in all of us – our vision. At the same time we’re placing too much value on the tool – in this case the camera. As technology accelerates the production of more sophisticated cameras that are cheaper and easier to use – and we’ve placed our value on being the technician – we’re in big trouble. Because ultimately anyone with a vision who has the “ability” to realize that vision, can put together a crew of technicians to facilitate their vision or idea – and do it cheaper these days because of technology. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Professional photographers get defensive when a potential client places no value on what is unique about them (their vision) and approaches them with the attitude that if you won’t work for the prices they dictate – they will just find another photographer. But what they are really saying is that they feel that they can “just” find another camera operator. The problem is that these photographers haven’t presented their vision and because of that they are perceived as being interchangeable. That’s not a good place to be and never will be. And for that reason when a professional still photographer comes to me and says that they are interested in getting into video and asks the question “What video camera should I buy?” I gently tell them – well sometimes not so gently tell them – it’s not about the camera.

How does one define what they are? Great question that has a lot of answers, as it should. Technology is amazing – but it’s the human part of the process that excites me because we’re all so different in how we see.

September 30, 2009December 14, 2009

Video, Editing and Chroma Key (green screen)

Even though I started shooting and editing video some 10 years ago – I can honestly say that I still have a lot to learn. The “learning” part of my craft has been non-stop. I continue to learn as technology constantly pushes us all in that direction. But I love it. I love raising my bar every chance I get. And these days, even though the learning curve may be steep in certain aspects of video production – it’s also a lot easier to access information and help than it was 10 years ago. Again – thanks to the volumes of information online – at the click of a button.

I love the editing process of video production because this is really where I craft the story. I can get totally lost in the story and how I can mold that in whatever direction I choose in the edit room. But I’m not a professional editor and I have the utmost respect for what a pro brings to this part of the process. So I lay down my rough cut – to get the storyline down and then hand it off to a pro to take it to the next level.

I’m editing a recent shoot that was quite challenging on all accounts. A lot of what was shot, was shot on “green screen”. Green screen or “chroma key” is the process of removing a background color, – green for video – blue for film – so that the “subject” or “object” can be placed into another background in post. There is a lot of info out there on green screens so I won’t go into it in depth, but the biggest thing you need to know is how to properly shoot green screen so you won’t have a major melt down in post – or won’t have to spend a fortune for an editor to clean up your mistakes. ResidentialExterior_NewTech

A couple of tips for shooting on green screen:

•   Turn off edge enhancements or sharpening in Picture Profiles – in camera menu
•   Create a new Green screen Picture Profile w/o sharpening
•   Keep subject lighting off background
•   Keep background lighting off subject
•   Keep green screen as far away from subject as possible
•   Minimize seams, wrinkles, folds
•   Even out your green screen lighting within 1/2 stop
•   Brightness level should be about one stop under key light on your subject.
•   Light your subject complimentary to your inserted background
•   Don’t use dimmers – changes color temp toward red – not good for keying
•   Create an edge or separation light – keep it subtle!!
•   Watch out for reflective objects and surfaces (CAR SURFACE) that can pick up green screen

So if you’ve successfully shot a good clean composition as described above – then of course you need to put things together in post. Windshield Outside This used to be a tedious process and would involve a lot of work in post production. But thanks to some incredible plug-ins available – you can get a pretty amazing “key” without a lot of hours in the editing room.

I found a product that really helped me out. DVmatte Blast and DVmatte Pro from www.dvgarage.com. These plug-ins will work inside Final Cut Pro as well as Motion. I chose to work within Final Cut. I was amazed by not only how easy it was to use but by the price as well. DVmatte Blast was $99 but I purchased DVmatte Pro for $199 because it gave me more “tweaking” options. And as always whenever I need to learn a new piece of software – I went to http://www.lynda.com. So instead of laboring with greens screens in post for an entire day – I got the job done in a matter of a couple of hours – and I had a lot of compositions to make.

I love to learn but I also like to lead some sort of a personal life – away from the computer. And these days – thanks to a little help from my “friends” I’m achieving a nice balance.

September 24, 2009December 14, 2009

Video Production in the Deep Freeze

I just spent the last week in New Hampshire working on an “industrial” video for a new business venture that will be licensing an amazing new “ice” technology. It was perhaps the most challenging job that I’ve had in many years – especially from a technical level. One day we worked from 8AM – midnight in a “cold room” at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) shooting “ice” experiments. We were dealing with extremes on all levels. The Russian scientists – brilliant electrical engineers – were pushing their own boundaries as they ran tests with ice on power lines and automobiles and as much as I was witnessing this work in sub zero temperatures – it was amazing to watch them work. If I hadn’t been so busy with my own technical challenges – I would have loved to just observe them and try to get into their head. scientists2 You could almost see their brains working – just by watching their faces. Then to see the triumph in their eyes when their experiments worked – what a thrill. I now need to go to Russia.

My partner Tom had done a great job with pre-production, making sure we would be fully prepared to work and have our equipment work in these extreme cold temperatures. We put the cameras into “polar mittens” mittens to keep them warm and swapped out the warm packs as we shot late into the night. We had to erect large “green screens” so that in post I can insert winter scenes. Problem was our green screens were large pieces of fabric and the chill blowers were blowing them all over the place. We tried to anchor them but in the end we had to turn the blowers off during the shoot. Thank goodness we didn’t need usable audio. We used hot lights and a lot of them. Used every extension cord we had and every outlet in the room – 10,000 watts. Ironic huh – hot lights in a “cold room”. Because of that we had to leave the lights on the entire time because we knew that when we turned them off – we’d get condensation on the bulbs. When we finally did break the set down at midnight – we turned the lights off, let them cool a bit and put garbage bags over them so that as they warmed we wouldn’t get moisture on them. Didn’t really work too well though. set We did the same thing with the cameras and that worked great. Because we had the lights on all day and were using long extension cords – one cord got over heated and actually melted and fused to itself. The Russian electrical engineer noticed it – Thank God – or we would have burned down the building.

We shot an interview with another brilliant Russian scientist who was passionate about ice and also shot b-roll of all kinds of things, the campus (we were at Dartmouth), labs, refrigerators, icemakers and the computers in the cad labs. All in all things went quite well considering the adverse conditions we were working in and pushing our equipment and ourselves to the limit. One HUGE bummer was that the assistant that Tom had hired – who came recommended from another photographer – quit after the first day. We got through the shoot though – but had to muster up everything we had within us. The client wrote today to say he was extremely pleased with the roughs he had seen and impressed with our fortitude on the shoot given the situation.

Now on to phase two – to record the narrative, research a ton of stock footage and photos, pick the music, work with the motion graphics team and put it all together. As much as the postproduction inevitably involves a lot of work and long hours – I love this part. This is where the story comes together and is really crafted. And that’s always the best part for me.

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