Daniel Sheehy

If you are taping mutiple CRT computer monitors, you can adjust the scan rates so that they are all identical, then the CLS function in-camera should enable you to dial them all out together. Simple in theory, sometimes a bit fiddly in practice, as different OS versions and systems don't always offer the same range of scan rates. If you are shooting multiple CRT video monitors, these are governed by the frequency of their power supply I understand, so they should all have 'similar' refresh rates. If they are sharing the one power source, and all have a single display source, then I would think they should all have the same scan rate.

Getting to the market first seems to be a pretty good strategy. ;) Releasing in December... whoever, RED or SI, can get customer delivery first, will have taken a major advantage over the competition. The professional filmaker is always going to be happier to consider a camera that is actually out there, over one that is still in the pipeline.

The IRE reading is the readout of the voltage amplitude in the video signal. In-camera, it is most likely reading the luma signal, which will give you no indication of which colour channel is doing what. Theoretically, you could split it into the full RGB channels & run each one through a WF monitor... If your footage is looking dark on your computer, but ok in the VF, I'd be checking your VF display settings first, and also you computer display.

http://www.aerialcinematography.com/sfty.html

I just finished shooting some aerials for a property developer on Monday... and I wouldn't have gotten into the chopper if he didn't have a harness for me! ;) Communication shouldn't be a problem, you wear a 2-way headset when in a helicopter as noise is an issue even when you have the doors on... the engine is right behind your head. The pilot will explain the procedure to you when you get on, if in doubt, ask. Stability is always an issue with a helicopter unless you have a stabilised mount. I usually shoot with a bean-bag on my knee under the camera, its not perfect, but it works pretty well. Keeping the lens as wide as possible also helps reduce the apparent shake, keep zooms to an absolute minimum. If you are shooting straight out the side of the chopper as it flies past, then you should pull the camera back into the doorway just a bit to keep it out of the slipstream. No amount of care will stop it shaking out there. If the pilot is crabbing the chopper at an angle, the nose will protect you from most of the slipstream. Talk through the shots with the pilot, he/she tell you what can be done safely, and what shouldn't be attempted. Listen to them. There a are a few guys on this site who have lost friends & workmates through filming related helicopter accidents... Checks on camera.. not sure what you mean there. If you're talking about verifying the footage, you can take a battery powered monitor up with you. (Aircraft power is usually not compatible.. though if you ask in advance they might be able to arrange converters.) Taking a monitor would probably mean an extra person to keep an eye (and a hand ;) ) on it.

If you take a breather and re-read his post, you'll see quite clearly that his contempt is not for the new technology itself. If you're serious about this statement: Then you might be best served if inflammatory/provocative statements were left alone, until the camera is out, and arguments about it can be based on its proven merits, or about its demonstrated flaws.

So that's what the 'deer caught in the headlights' rig looks like... ;-)

Of course if you're out in the street, or on the footpaths, you shouldn't have a problem. These are public areas and you don't need permission to be there. (Again municipal regulations permitting. Some town or city councils have rules about who gets to film and where and who needs passes etc..) Once you start going into malls, transit systems and other areas that are public spaces but actually private property, you will have to abide by the directions of the property owners. And as Phil said, if they ask you to leave, you do so. These days, with so many public entities being corporatised, some of the areas you have always taken for granted as being 'public' are actually privately owned or managed. eg. riverside & street malls, some parks, bridges and public transport systems. Shooting on the plane; well, if you're just shooting the person next to you, and they don't mind, then go for it. You would need to think about talking to the hostess if you wanted to go walk around the plane interviewing other people as well. Bear in mind that many airlines prefer electrical equipment to be switched off during takeoff & landing. So you might want to wait till you're airborne first. (Camera's themselves aren't an issue - I've filmed in the cockpit during landing and takeoff, but wireless transmitters for mics, or any other RF source could be a nuisance.)

Matrices, knee settings, gamma curves, detail settings, chroma levels & phase are increasingly in-camera options these days. Using these is all part of creating a 'look' for the project. Genlocking is a feature of multicamera projects such as OB's with multiple cameras switching live. It is the use of a referance signal to keep various cameras or other pieces of equipment in sync with eachother. The details are rather technical and I'm not qualified or experienced enough to go into detail... someone like Phil would be a better person to ask.

Light & block out a scene. Maintain continuity of action within a scene, while shooting adequate coverage. And these days as well, you'll often be expected to be able to create different 'looks' using the camera settings. http://www.cybercollege.com/tvp_ind.htm have some good reading.

I personally feel that it is better to be fairly open about what you're doing, even if you don't want people to notice or stare. Reason being is that if you are relaxed and look confident about what you're doing, you attract less attention than if you look like you really don't want to be seen. Probably better to cop the odd 'F%*k off!' than have somebody decide that you are up to no good and rally everyone to run you off.

Basically, its very simple. You ALWAYS ask before filming on private property. Its simple good manners, it doesn't cause trouble for the next person who comes along wanting to film there and lastly, they can stop you from using the footage if you didn't get permission to film there. I know that sounds strong, but I hold quite a strong opinion on this issue. You have no idea how much grief you might be causing the next person who wants to film on that location. If you are genuinely not sure, then you may be able to take advantage of a first warning... but in the long run you are doing yourself a favour if you try & keep eveything above board. So my answer to the first 2 parts of your question is pretty simple; you ask for permission. If you get it, good, if not, go elsewhwere or improvise. Filming members of the public, in public spaces, is another kettle of fish altogether. Different countries, states and cities have different rules, so I can't really comment on that. End use of the footage has a large impact on what you can & cannot do. So if you provided a little more detail about what you are doing with this footage, we might be able to be a little more helpful. Though I cannot help but think that running around with a concealed camera isn't really a smart thing to do these days, particularly in a public transit system like the subway :unsure:

I've done vox-pops for both news and other projects... and you'll get a variety of responses. There will be those who don't want to appear on camera, fullstop. If you're polite, they won't mind you asking, but they don't want to do it, and you shouldn't try & persuade them. There are those who aren't sure, but if they think you're legit. they might be willing to help you out. And there are those who either totally agree with what you are doing, and will say the line for you. Or they simply like the attention and will say anything you ask them to. :rolleyes: Depending on local municipality restrictions, you shouldn't have any problem. Just be clear about what you're doing. Be concise, if they can't understand you straight away, they'll probably keep walking. Be polite. If they're not interested, don't push the issue. There will be plenty of other people to ask. And most importantly, be patient.

I had a look at the alternative logos that the BBC collected from readers, and some of them were pretty good. Way classier than the current version.

With a bit rate of 24G bps, it's going to pose some interesting challenges for the workflow. Might be interesting to see it run through Jannard's 'red-cine' wavelet compressor. Who knows, that might just be the collaboration to knock the socks off us all! ;) All joking aside, the company (NHK) have a very good track record with this kind of technical innovation.

In addition; if you are using a zoom lens, then the flat port is also best. It won't cause distortion as the focal length changes. If however you are using prime lenses, under water only, a domed port is best, as the hemispherical shape ensures that diffraction & reflection of light incident on the lens from oblique angles is minimised. Precise positioning of the camera in relation to the port is needed.

The rule of thumb they teach you when you learn to dive is that objects underwater appear 25% larger.

My understanding is that the memory effect was more a feature of the older NiCd batteries. This is supposed to have been eliminated with the Li Ion batteries, hence the removal of the drain feature from the chargers. I use Sony Li Ion packs for a Betacam, and while I make every effort to use each battery dry, most of the time the batteries go onto the charger with a little juice left in them. I have yet to see any harm done to them by this.

Front right hand side of the camera has 2 XLR. Internal, the inputs for the DVX 100B are switchable for line / mic.. that is all internal. Noisy suspension on the boom; check that the suspension is securely attached. If it is a 'sling' type suspension, check that the rubber bands haven't worn & become slack. If so they can be replaced cheaply with those small rubber bands that are used for braiding hair. (I get them for $1 a pack here ;) ) Another tip is to get the boom operator a pair of soft leather gloves, or put some sort of soft grip material on the end of the boom pole (the type you use on the handle of a tennis or squash racket would be ok.) This helps cut down on noise as the operator handles the boom. Cables.. you can buy them of E-bay, or you can make them yourself if you are technically minded. One other suggestion might be to run the mic through a mixer into the camera... the sound op. monitors the audio for levels instead of relying on the camera auto control. This is better than relying on the auto level as it will tend to screw up pauses in dialogs.

If its the only camera you have access to, then go for it. It might be better if you can get a hold of a native 16:9 chip camera, as cropping that down to 2.35:1 will result in less resolution lost. It depends on how important it is for the project, to be able to milk that extra little bit of resolution out of the shots.

The native resolution of the DVX is 720x576, and though you will be able to use various tricks to squeeze other aspect ratios into that area, the resolution will always remain 720x576. There is software that you can use to up-rez your SD footage, but even then, 720x576 is your starting point with the DVX. So you may wind up with footage that has been modified to fit 964x576, but it will always suffer from that fact that it started off life as 720x576.

Front Page I think that for a front page of a site, it has too much information. For example, I don't want it to tell the date, my computer already has that info available elsewhere. And I'm not sure if it is necessary to make the posts visible in their entirety on the front page. The 'My Spacish' comment to aimed at the fact that it is now trying to do everything for me. I come here for a very specific purpose, and it is not to see what the date is, nor am I particularly interested in who else is on-line. Neither do I really want the full text of the last 6 posts thrust in my face. Those who are into the whole on-line communities thing may like it, I prefer to keep it as a sorce of information and occasional amusement. Hey, that's just my opinion, and if this is how Tim want's to keep it, that's cool. I'm still going to frequent the site.. I might just have to bookmark the forum page. ;)

I don't meant to hijack, but what's the deal with the new look? No offence, but I didn't see anything wrong with the old look. Karl has a point about it looking a bit 'My-Spacish'.

What are you going to do with the compiled frames? Are you going to master the finished product to DVD, tape or maybe film? ;)

The link was an interesting read, but did nothing to support your conclusion that TV viewing figures are dropping. It talks specificly about the viewing figures for one particular show which is having its concept manipulated online. TV is spreading its influence in an everwidening circle. Now they are not only providing content via cable, terrestrial and satellite braodcasts, but also via the internet, and video for mobile devices.