Kenn Christenson

Camera Package Sold 10/8/08

SALE PENDING

There will probably be people who disagree with me, but I'd recommend one of the newer generation HD cameras over the HVX. The HVX DOES make nice images, but the resolution is barely above the look of uprezzed SD video. I've been shooting with the HVX and it's BIG brother the HPX-500 for over a year now - 2 years on the HVX, so I've had a little experience with them. As has been mentioned - the EX1 looks like an excellent camera - I'd buy one myself, if it wasn't for the Scarlet coming out next year - maybe. I'll be renting until then.

You can see pictures of the package here: http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=19429

Downsizing my business. Package includes: Red One Camera SN-1146 Release Build 16 Red Basic Production Pack (The cast aluminum Red Handle base was replaced by Red with a machined aluminum base which arrived with some wear, but is stronger than the cast base.) Red EVF & Red Arm Element Technica EVF Mount RedFlash (CF) Module 4x Red Brick Batteries 1x Red Power Pack 2x 12" Steel Rods 1x additional Top Mount 1x Red-Drive 2x 8GB Compact Flash cards All cables for EVF, Charger and Red Drive are included. Pelican 1620 (Tan) Case w/Pelican 1625 Padded Divider Set are also included. Camera was used on 3x 1 day shoots and a single 3 day shoot. Camera is in pristine condition and I have many of the original shipping boxes. I'm not looking for premiums, just decent offers. I'm asking: $26,500 U.S.D. or best offer, for the entire package. Sorry, no sales outside the U.S. Please email me with your offer kennfilms (at) embarqmail (dot) com.

P.S. - I've already tried to contact the manufacturer for info - no reply, as of yet.

Anyone have any experience with the Broncolor 1200W HMI? Yes, I know it was designed for print work - but it is extremely light-weight vs what I've been using (Desisti mag ballasts.) The head is a little noisy - even in the "low noise" (non-flicker-free) mode. Anyone have any ideas how to make the unit a little more quiet. I've already used the unit on one shoot. It was about 20 ft from the talent we were recording and we couldn't hear the head noise. Just a little concerned in more tight quarters.

Try the poster paint from a local craft store - they are usually highly saturated, and as long as you can, basically, leave the backdrop alone, once it's painted - it should hold up fine.

There would be no "pulldown" in the case of 25P. All you'd do in final cut is set up a sequence to 25fps and field dominance to "none" and you should be ready to start cutting.

And, FYI Panasonic refers specifically to the format 1080i24PA in their operating manual and camera's operational menu. Therefore, referring to it in any other manner might lead to confusion to those new to the camera and its operation.

Clearly, you don't know what we're talking about with all this "Sony" stuff. Panasonic DOES NOT use the Sony method on encoding 24P into a 1080i stream and if you used the terminology"1080p24/Sf" or "1080p25/Sf" you would truly confuse the post production people trying to work with the footage you shot with a PANASONIC CAMERA. I resent being talked down to by someone who clearly doesn't know a thing about how Panasonic's DVCProHD cameras produce their high def footage.

There is probably more misinformation about the HVX than probably any other camera. I'm guessing your friend has never really shot or edited anything from the HVX? Final Cut can recognize the flagged progressive frames in the advanced pulldown 1080i stream, created by the HVX - doing, essentially, a reverse pulldown and creating your progressive footage in 23.976 (in my case.) There is NO LOSS of resolution in the reverse pulldown process. I think your best bet is to rent or borrow an HVX to shoot and edit a little test and see for yourself if there is any loss in resolution. I have mixed 720P footage with 1080. There is a subtle difference between the two (as one would expect)- at least in the resolution I am working with the footage. Again, you really need to test these things. Everything you'll hear on these forums is subjective - what works for one person might be unacceptable to another.

If I went to a post house and they didn't understand what is meant by "1080i 24P/A" or "1080i 25P" (which was mentioned in the beginning of this thread, I'd seriously look for another house. ;) I've done a lot of post work with footage from the HVX and, now the HPX, and I have to tell you, 1080i is used all the time in the settings of the software I use - even when I'm editing progressively acquired footage. The software needs to know if the footage is interlaced so it can remove the pulldown properly.

If you're going to be TECHNICALLY correct it IS 1080i - even if you're shooting 108024P/A - the video will still be interlaced and it IS important to know this if you're going to extract the progressive frames form the interlaced video stream. And since the original thread was about a film out, shooting 1080/60i is probably the last format you'd want to shoot in - hence no mention of it in any of my posts.

Again - there NO DEGRADATION to the progressive frames encoded in the 1080i stream. If you're going to do a film out, you want the sharpest image you can get and that is by shooting in 1080 24P/A PERIOD!

The Camera DOES NOT shoot progressive images in interlaced mode. (I would disregard the person who said that it does.) The images ARE PROGRESSIVE (the CCDs are PROGRESSIVE scan CCDs.) In 24P or 24P/A they are just added to an interlaced stream with either 3:2 or 2:3:3:2 pulldown. The pulldown can be removed in editing and compositing software.

Actually... The HVX scans the CCDs progressively, to begin with. The camera then makes the interlaced images from the progressive scan. If you are shooting 1080i/24P/A for instance, you are going to get true 24 frame progressive images - once you've done reverse pulldown in the editing or compositing application of your choice (no "softening" going on, here.) And... those progressive images contain 20% more resolution than images shot 720P. Check DVXUser.com for further info on the HVX.

I would definitely stick with 1080i/25P - You'll be gaining about 20% more resolution that way - a must for film out. As for the other settings, the only way to be truly sure is to do an initial film out - testing the various parameters. Just my opinion, but I think turning the detail enhancement all the way off may make your image too soft - again, if film out is your goal, better to test and be sure.

Hey, It's not the money, it's the talent. I used to know the first trombone player for the Dallas Symphony. At the time I was just beginning to learn to play my Uncle's old, used trombone. One night he came over, picked up my trombone and just made it SING!!! Forget the money - money CANNOT buy you talent. Go make your friend jealous and MAKE YOUR MOVIE. Find a way to make more depth of field an advantage - trust me, I 'd rather have more depth of field and have my subject in focus, than super shallow D.O.F and miss the subject's focus by an inch or two (it's happened to me.) :angry:

One of the qualities of 35mm is also sharpness. With the amount of glass you'd be using, plus that adapter, you're gong to end up with a MUCH softer image, than just using your zoom lens. I saw a film shot on the Varicam and the Pro35 adapter, not too long ago. True, the film DID have shallower depth of field, but it was also VERY soft looking. Using the adapter also means you'll be giving up one of the HPX's primary advantages, which is sensitivity.

Actually, you will DEFINITELY WANT to shoot in 720 24P/N this mode records ONLY the 24 frames per second - the OTHER mode (720/24P) records in a 60P stream with pulldown added, wasting space. The ACTUAL frame size is 960x720 - anamorphic. If you're editing in Final Cut - it handles the format with no problem. As far as synching - an easy method is to record the playback from the shoot to the camera - that way, in Final Cut, you only have to slip the footage until the audio matches up.

Don't know how well your Fuji lens will work on the Camera. I've got the Canon CAC lens and it's very nice, although the CAC function doesn't eliminate ALL chromatic aberration. I'd also forget the M2. You'd have to put it in front of your, already, long lens, then put your still lens in front of that - way too much of a hassle to be practical. Just find a way to drop your iris a couple of stops (as David Mullin has suggested, elsewhere) and you'll have your shallow depth of field - the camera IS a 2/3" CCD. Not to push you away from this forum, but check out DVXUser.com - there are several examples from people who've shot with this camera - commercials and features.

I've been using the HVX200 for green/blue screen work for over a year now - and I highly recommend it for that purpose. I shoot all the work I do in either the 720PN/24 for 1080i/24P formats. 1080i will give you a cleaner matte. If you can afford the HVX, I'd definitely go that route. DV - even professionally shot DV - cannot overcome the lower resolution and compression when you're trying to pull a clean matte. Don't make yourself crazy - stay away from DV for any sort of compositing.

And, don't forget "The Right Stuff" lots of excellent (realistic-looking) miniature work.

By lighting, do you mean interior lights in the model or lighting the exterior of the ship. Both lighting elements are usually pretty complicated to produce and shoot. If the miniature is moving - getting the lighting right would involve using a motion control camera and/or rig for the model. Shooting a model with both interior and exterior lighting almost always requires two exposure passes with the camera, to balance out the difference in brightness between the exterior lighting and the interior. Breaking up the light on the exterior (patterns) is usually a good idea that helps sell the scale of an object - check out the behind the scenes material of the Star Trek the Motion Picture DVD and see what lengths they went to, to light the Enterprise. You should definitely ask around your area for someone with experience building miniatures. Although you can learn how to build miniatures, it takes years to really master the art and create something that will fool an audience. If you're doing a super low budget piece for the experience only, go ahead and try your hand at building something - I'd suggest finding the largest scale model kit you can afford and give that a shot - scratch building is MUCH more difficult and requires a LOT of math.