Entries categorized as ‘Equipment: Reviews and rants.’
I would say that being on a film crew is probably the coolest job ever. Recently, we were able to recruit a big name Director of Photography (Greg Sabo) for a 168 hour film festival that a friend of ours was taking part in. We had taken part in it last year, and were excited to do so again-this time with bigger guns. With an aresanel of professional gear, we set out to produce an award winning piece. Drum-roll, please.
Now working with high-end cameras, lighting and gear requires a knowledgeable crew with willing hands. The more, the merrier! Sound tech, grips, gaffers-even someone to run for coffee. The Cameraman, DP and Director-assuming they’re all different-shouldn’t have to take time out to talk people through every little thing. So we were sure to call a few friends to assist with the helping and hauling and eventually packing it all up.
On most production sets, you’ll have a variety of people. And in these, you’ll always find the person standing around doing nothing. Normally they ‘know someone who knows someone’, or are friends with the “fill in important title here” , but regardless, they’re hanger-ons, watching and more than likely, getting in the way. They’re also normally full of valuable advice and opinions. Hopefully, these people, and the people you called to help aren’t one and the same. Also hopefully, the people you call don’t show up at the last hour of a 10 hour shoot and ask if there’s any food left. These are the same people who leave one minute before wrap and strike. When it’s time to tear down and load the equipment, they make like the end of a scene and cut. If this is you, you can rest assured that the minute everyone is done and ready to go, they’ll wonder why they called you in the first place, and whether or not it’s worth it to call you for the next one. it makes you look bad, and whoever invited you is left holding the cat.
So if you’re invited to help out on set-or any job, for that matter, be sure to ask what you can do, and not make a fast-break the moment real labor is involved. Even the smallest thing can make the night go smoother for someone else. It takes a team to get a project like a film festival done on time and in order. And you know what they say about ‘i’s’ in team.
Categories: 1 · Casting Dept. · Equipment: Reviews and rants. · Personal Opinions · Production Dept. · Set Design for television and film
Tagged: 168 hour film festival, Camera crew, Columbus Ohio Video Production, Greg Sabo, I AMedia, Joshua Porter, producing a short, video production
You shouldn’t type an ad requesting a videographer or professional cameraman when all you really want is the camera. I mean, do you really care if the camera meets NTSC/SMPTE standards or the cameraman
Videographer Joshua Porter
meets ENG/EFP standards? Do you even know what that means? Professionals do, and it matters to them-videographers, that is-and this is where your problem comes in, seeing how you’re probably paying WAY under the rate card.
An average full-day rate for a videographer/camera package is $600 to $1600 and depends on experience and type of camera. Price normally includes
(more…)
Categories: Equipment: Reviews and rants. · Production Dept.
Tagged: Camera, cameraman, cinematographer, Videographer Columbus Ohio
We seem to have a trend on our hands.
There’s something to be said for quality. A few things, actually. One of these being “If it works, go with it.” Our normal operating cameras around the office are the JVC GY-HD100 and the JVC GY-HD250. (It’s sort of like the difference between your Ford Escort EX and LX. Details, baby. It’s where the devil is.) These cameras, while not the top of the line, have proven themselves through countless filming sessions, regardless of duration, temperature outside, and the occasional mishap. Easy enough for the summer interns, dutiful enough for the professionals eclectic tastes. There’s really nothing bad I can say about them, except for the odd positioning of the LCD monitor. So let’s get to what this is really about. (more…)
Categories: Equipment: Reviews and rants.
Tagged: Camera, film, television commercial, tv, video, video deck
Well, if you were around for the VCR episdoe, I’ve got news: there’s a new kid on the block, and he’s big, mean and wants our lunch money. (Yours too!)
I’m referring to the Sony BVW BetaCam SP. That’s right, kids…BETA!!!!! Now for you whippersnappers out there, beta was to VHS what HD is to BlueRay: a competing force soon to be left in the wake of older memories. While entertainment pounced on VHS for it’s ability to produce quality images at a lightning pace, Beta was picked up by news stations and other non-home entities due to beta’s ability to pinpoint percise points on the tape, making editing easier. (more…)
Categories: Equipment: Reviews and rants.
Tagged: Beta video deck, Camera, film, video, video deck
Today, class, we’re discussing the VCR. Not your grandma’s behemoth of a thing, but still a Video Cassette Recorder. We use it for film capturing. To be specific, we’re discussing the SONY GV-HD700.
O.K., let’s capture some footage, shall we? Tape? check. Computer program ready and waiting? check. Deck that exports 720p? Uh..no. Let’s look at the manual. “Your VCR can play back pictures recorded in the 720/30p format, but cannot output it from the HDV/DV (iLink) interface.” (Operating guide, pg. 76) (sigh).
Well, let’s not use the iLink. How about we use the HDMI port? Can we do that? The manual doesn’t say. Two hours later, Ryan and Zoe (the nice but English intolerant people at SONY) still don’t know. The music is nice, though. Screw it. We’re short on time.
We buy HDMI cables. O.K. Deck that exports in 720p? Uh..still no. It plays it back through HDMI, but downgrades our footage to 720/480p. (that’s standard def., folks) The RGB component cables might work..can we use that? (For the answer, go back and read the previous paragraph, replacing HDMI with RGB component cables. We didn’t have to buy any of those, though. You can also use the word “provided USB cable”. It was a no-go as well.)
It’s two days now, with no capturing, and collectively over ten hours on the phone with SONY, local retailers and my therapist..not including internet searches. (Wickpedia is great, but my eyes just fell out of my head.)
Categories: Equipment: Reviews and rants.
Tagged: Camera, Codec for video, HD, HDMI, VCR
I would say that being on a film crew is probably the coolest job ever. Recently, we were able to recruit a big name Director of Photography (Greg Sabo) for a 168 hour film festival that a friend of ours was taking part in. We had taken part in it last year, and were excited to do so again-this time with bigger guns. With an aresanel of professional gear, we set out to produce an award winning piece. Drum-roll, please.
