sneeze proof

yeah, run a firewire out of your PC/Mac into a deck or camera and then a s-video out of that into a television. There are tutorials on the internet that show how to calibrate a television monitor. The preference is to use a high quality, calibrated reference monitor as stated above, but if you don't have the means to buy one, then at least view it on your tv and reference it to material that has a similar 'look' to what you're going for.

I'm very happy using manfrotto tripods - check out their range :)

You need to let us know what your doing - a little insight into what? The question is way to general and vague to be specific. Sound Forge 8 is a very good program, but for what use? For some it will be over the top, for others, not enough.

Well there are many options for each of your needs but I'll cover what I know most. I take it your platform is PC. My first question is why get 3 NLE's that do the same thing? If you're going to arm yourself with more than one NLE, why not go for ones that have different workflows? I currently use Avid Xpress Pro HD and Sony Vegas, because they are both very different and both cover the workflow needed for different projects. Everything you can do in Pinnacle and Premiere can be done in Avid, albiet a bit faster. But, anyway, I suppose it doesn't hurt if you're getting them cheap. Animation and 3D modelling : well there's a few choices there. I use Discreet 3ds Max, but you may well choose Maya, or Softimage/XSI, or Cinema4D. They are all pretty equal. You'll need a compositor to glue it all together so go for Discreet Combustion of Adobe After Effects. Sound editing : Pro Tools, Soundforge, Adobe Audition - Pro Tools is great but needs hardware. Nuendo and Cakewalk Sonar (producer) are great for non hardware based systems and kind of bridge the gap between music softare and sound editing. Music : again Cakewalk Sonar, Cubase are for musicians who know what they are doing - if you want loop based stuff there's Sony Acid and Ableton Live. Reason is great when plugged into other software via rewire. For live recordings, again, Pro Tools is great. DVD Authoring : (if required) DVD Lab Pro, Sony DVD Architect, Adobe Encore or Sonic Scenarist (if you want to sell your car for it). Image editing : Adobe Photoshop (nuff said here) The complete package : If I were to choose 1 of each I'd choose: Avid Xpress Pro HD Discreet 3ds Max Discreet Combustion Adobe Photoshop Cakewalk Sonar DVD Lab Pro You'd be able to get a very professional product, from start to finish with those. Not exactly cheap but it'll let you produce stuff equal to the big players. Then it's just a matter of learning how to use them all together ;)

Yeah, Avid works with it's own format (OMF) so if you import avi's, rather than capturing into Avid directly, like you discovered, you have to wait for it to create the omf's - that method soaks up disk space too.

Well I had the practice day on the weekend just passed, and was quite please with the experience. One thing I did not account for was insurance - to get inside the track (the infield) to shoot from the inside of some corners I needed to provide my own insurance. I thought I would be covered by the organisation along with the marshalls but, at least I know now. So I had to shoot from the outside of corners but still got some decent shots. I wandered around and was shooting from everywhere I thought might be interesting - some shots turned out really well, some are just plain boring but I was getting a good feel of where to be and what to do. Those 1 litre superbikes really get going - I found it difficult getting down the technique of panning and zooming and keeping it all framed nicely but, I guess that comes with practice. Great fun though. I'll post up a couple of screen grabs if anyone wants to see.

That's a big big help - thankyou! :)

sorry man, it just sounded like you were getting in his face about the film look thing .. my mistake anyway, I certainly agree with Matt, that if your primary target is web, then dv should be quite adequate as the size of most monitors are quite small.

I'm lucky enough that this is a small enough event that crowd shouldn't be an issue, but that's a great idea about getting a shirt and cap from a team, or the organisers. Would have never thought of that.

:blink: I believe he asked for advice of which camera to buy, not what medium to use. ;)

If 24P is important to you, then I think this would interest you: Z1 & 24P discussion Other than that, everything I've seen from the Z1 (which has been 50i) is beautiful

Hi all I'm going to be shooting some motorcycle action at our international grand prix race circuit. The intention is to create some different products from this. 1. To create a web video (and possible tv) commercial for a product for motorcycles (which a friend has based a business around). 2. To create another web (and possible tv) commercial for the organisers of the event - I figured this would also help to get into positions around the track that might usually be not allowed, and the footage used would be the same sort of coverage. 3. To have some good material to cut together for a reel 4. To produce a very cool DVD for all the people involved - as they love watching themselves race around the track on their bikes. My experience with a camera (Sony PDX10P) is shooting interviews only. I've never done anything outside and certainly have never done anything sport, or high action / speed. So this is the first time I'll be shooting something that moves and getting funky with the camera. I really have only a vague idea on what sort of coverage to get and even less of an idea on angles, positions etc.... There will be other cameras around on the day and some people do have lipstick lenses etc.. so there will be some onboard stuff to work with. I'm not scared to get in close and experiment, but I was hoping to have some guidance so I don't come home with everything experimental and nothing useable. The plus is I have a practice day at another track about a month before this one happens so I'll have 1 day of experience to reflect upon and review. Could anyone who has any advice to offer please chime in? What sort of coverage / angles / ideas etc.... do I need to make a fun, high energy, funky motorsport type video? How should I behave with the camera? Should I get in close and try to get some cool angles and close ups without much experience or should I be a little conservative and just make sure the compositions are not completely horrible? Any sort of guidance would be great. I am an editor so I have seen plenty of good and bad shots, but capturing them myself is a whole other thing.

Just do it

I personally would only shoot it once. On the plus side of shooting dv first, you will be able to watch a draft version to see if the script and sequences work. On the downside, you wouldn't be learning to do things right the first time, so when the next one comes along and you only get one shot, you don't have that experience. I guess it depends on what you want to get out of the experience

(that was meant to read "I haven't used architect 2 for a while so I've forgotten" the menu loop function and the psd files are a god send - definately worth trying the trial update anyway see how you go with it

Cillian, I find it is definately a worth while upgrade. I haven't used architect 2 so I've forgotten most of the improvements, but dvda3 does burn dual layer discs, and also gives you the choice of where the layer break is. You can set up the menu loop exactly the way you want - I think I remember being restricted with this in version 2. It takes photoshop files (but then maybe version 2 does as well?)

I use Sony Vegas 6 and DVD Architect 3 with Procoder on a PC Along with Combustion 4, 3ds Max, Photoshop, Illustrator, plus the audio stuff like Sound Forge, Acid, Sonar, Reason etc.... Why? Sony software has never crashed on me once. I've found that editors are really much the same so you're not really missing out with one or the other if you invest in a good one like Sony Vegas, Premiere, FCP... Vegas handles 24P footage without any problems or hassles so that is a big plus. The workflow is great - I spend far less time going through menus and you can run and create custom scripts for the boring stuff. I frameserve from vegas to combustion and procoder. Combusiton is everything I need in a compositor and it works in conjunction with 3ds Max - and After Effects is like learning how to speak Arabic - very steep curve. (although alot of people like the adobe workflow) Photoshop because what else is there? and Illustrator because it works with photoshop, but I rarely use illustrator. Sony audio programs because they all tie in with vegas and the format and workflow is very similar so it's kind of like using a different branch of the same program if you catch my drift. I use Sonar because I grew up using cakewalk software (cubase used to crash on me) so why go changing if you're still pumping out good tunes? I've read a million reviews and articles on how some programs are better than others, and that this and that is the industry leader. I think it comes down to how you like to work. I gel with Sony's workflow. I can't get along with the Adobe workflow (though photoshop is a necessary evil). I think, as with anything, it comes down to the operator - great editor with average equipment will produce some pretty amazing stuff. Bad editor with the world at his/her disposal with still produce crap. :)

excellent thanks for your response and patience guys :)

ah ok that makes more sense I guess it will probably be cheaper and much better quality to get a production house to do the conversion rather than hire a projector and shoot a wall. Then you can just import the files into a NLE and edit it as usual yes? Is there anything about the footage I should be aware of before I go through the edit and grading process?

ok so I've read up on the subject a bit I understand you can project the film onto a screen and then video tape it (I'd be using dvcam). I've read there's an issue with flicker due to the 30fps thing. What are the issues with PAL video? I've also read you can get the film scanned, but I imagine this would cost a fair amount. What's the quality like if you shoot a projection with a digital video camera, and how does that cope with being processed in post?

Sorry for this complete noob question but I have never worked with film before. What's involved in getting the footage into my PC for editing? I know it's a broad question but I don't know how else to ask it

Jim Carey's best stuff is drama - 'The Majestic' and 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind' for me, really shows his talent. That aside, I agree that his performance at the beginning of the film was crap, but then so is the story. I guess it proves you cannot polish a turd to put it crudely. There are parts of that movie that made me laugh hard though :)

As far as winning awards go, I try to ignore all of that now - after all, they gave Tom Hanks best actor over Daniel Day-Louise for christsake. Awards just seem to be given out for the wrong reasons. I thought there were a couple of nice shots where you had the hard dark lighting of the boxing gym while still showing a softness in the characters, but I do agree that most aspects of this film fall well short of high praise. I just didn't feel emotion for any of the characters. But that is just my spin.

I just watched Lemony Snicket's "A series of unfortunate events" I love the look of this film - especially how the lighting always has the kids in a warm sunlight kind of light where the rest of the film has quite a dark contrasty look. Whoever did the grading did a fantastic job. Amazing sets. I know some people don't like this style but it was great eye candy for an afternoon.

I just watched a doco on the National Geographic channel about the mafia and the real 'donnie brasco' Alot of it had the subjects almost hidden in shadow, but still recognisable. It was quite well done. It was definately high contrast and hard lighting.