The NAB 2011 Wrap-Up Show

Wednesday, April 20th @ 9pm EST
Listen in LIVE here OR call in at 646-929-1956

It’s the N.A.B. 2011 Wrap-up Show on Episode #70 of the Double Down Film Show. We’ll be discussing some of the most exciting announcements, panels and new cameras and tools for filmmakers that were announced last week at the N.A.B. (National Association of Broadcasters) Show in Las Vegas, which is the largest trade show for the film and tv industry in the world.

• What’s so NEW about the new FINAL CUT PRO X?
• Are there any AFFORDABLE options for indies to shoot 3D?
• What camera can STILL operate in dust or a downpour?
• Do the RED SCARLET & EPIC cameras really EXIST?
• What’s new in the world of DSLR CAMERA’s?

We’ll answer all these questions and more as we give you our perspective on the news out of the NAB 2011 Show, plus we’ll talk about the hot trending topics discussed at panels and classes from DSLR’s to the future of 3D to the savvy new breed of “Digital Rebels”. Plus more special guests and show segments!

FILMMAKING REALITY STARTS HERE.

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10 pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Stream Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

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The Double Down Film Show - Live From NAB Show Floor in Las Vegas

Tonight on the Double Down Film Show I'll be giving you my report direct from the NAB Show Floor talking about some of the hottest and most note-worthy brand-spanking new tools for filmmakers that were unveiled at this year's NAB 2010 Tradeshow. The big buzz this year was all about 3D Everything and Canon's hot new DSLR Cameras.

I'll give you the first word on Panasonic's new line of cameras, including their new single-body 3-D camera, as well as discuss DSLR production workflow issues with indie filmmaker Andrew Byrd at the B&H booth. And I'll drop the scoop on a half dozen other hot products from CANON, VARIZOOM, PANASONIC, GO PRO HERO, SONY, MATTHEWS and more!

• What do I need in add to a DSLR for filmmaking?
• How can you now capture 3-D HD video for under $1000?
• What's the difference between Panasonic's and Sony's 3-D?
• How you use an iPhone to control a camera?
• What long lost dolly design has Matthews re-issued?

We'll answer all these questions and more on the next episode of the Double Down Film Show! Just because you can't make it out to the biggest film and tv industry trade show in the world, doesn't mean you can't "almost" be there.

Tune in to the Double Down Film Show for the exclusive access you deserve!

The Double Down Film Show

Every Wednesday, 9pm - 10pm E.S.T.

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Listen to it on your computer
or phone live TONIGHT at 9pm

Stream or Download here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

OR

Take it to go and never miss a show:

Subscribe to the iTunes Podcast

***PS - If you can't tune in live, you can always stream the show or download the .mp3 file later at the site above.

NAB Show Floor Products Discussed Tonight:


Panasonic 3-D Display w/ Active Glasses



















The AG-3DA1 - Panasonic's New Stereoscopic 3-D Single-body Camera
(Rumored @ $20K)




















Red Rock Micro's "Gun Cam"



















Mathews Ed Dolly
(*Which mysteriously has been formerly called the "Red Dolly", but the rep made a point to say it was the "Ed Dolly" despite the fact the R in the word Red had been taped over and it exists as the "Red Dolly" elsewhere online. Hmmm?)

























Barry Braverman author of "Video Shooter" Talks Panasonic's Newest Cameras



















Red Rock Micro's - microRemote Wireless Follow Focus for DSLR Cameras (Rumored to be @ or under $1K)
-Works via an iPhone to wirelessly control focus, zoom and iris.



















2 Go Pro Hero 1080 HD Video Cams in 3-D Housing
(Under $900...no shit)
The 3-D footage I saw on a monitor with a simple pair of passive plastic 3-D glasses from these very inexpensive cams ($300 ea.) was honestly at least as good as the 3-D I saw from Panasonic's new single-body camera. You need 2 cameras, plus housing to capture HD in 3-D.

Podcast Episode #2 Show Notes...BAM!

"How to Choose A Camera for Rental or Purchase" part 2 of 2

Episode Topics:
1. Secondary Features to Consider in a Camera
2. Buying vs. Renting
3. Avoiding Common Scams When Buying Online

Okay, in Episode 1, I covered the primary features to consider in a prosumer DV camera. In this episode, I continue the topic with secondary features that you may want to also consider when deciding on a camera. These aren’t make or break features, just things that might make your life a little easier, depending on your style of shooting and experience level. I also discuss buying vs. renting cameras and I talk about how to avoid common scams when purchasing video cameras online.

Secondary Features to Consider When Renting or Buying a Camera:

24P Recording Mode
The newest generation of prosumer cameras feature a variety models that have “24P” (24 frames progressive) recording modes or looks which mimic the way film cameras capture motion. They effectively have a built-in "film look". Some actually record 24P like film and others use other electronic video tricks to mimic the 24P effect. (Electronic Video Trix? Sounds like a good name for a band. Y'all can have that one on me.)

This Camera is Changing the Game... 24P & HD

Panasonic HVX-200 Guidebook


Film Look Software & Plug-Ins
Shooting with a camera that has a 24P mode is one way to get a film look, but there are also several other tricks to pimp out your video like film including film look softwaresuch as Magic Bullet Editors 2.0 Film Look Software ($395.00 retail)

Click here for examples of different film looks that Magic Bullet can generate from raw DV and HDV footage.

(*Podcast Correction: I listed the price of Magic Bullet as $300.00 on the enhanced podcast link. It should have said $395.00. )

Flip Out LCD Screen
These are great for documentary shooting styles, because they allow you to see everything going on around you and more easily plan and execute camera moves, as well as shoot high angles (over crowds) and low angles (POV shots).

Color Bars
Color bars allow you to maintain consistent colors as you view your tapes on various monitors, tv’s and projectors. They give you a consistent reference point. You should record 1 minute of color bars at the top of each tape (or the end if you forget or don’t have time to record at the beginning). The tutorial below explains how to adjust SMPTE color bars on a monitor:


Auto Gain Control for Audio
You generally want to avoid using most auto-functions such as Auto Gain Control (i.e. auto-volume), but there are times when it's simply much easier (and safer) to let the camera assist you with shooting. Primarily, those times are when I'm shooting documentary footage by myself. When there's a lot of action and you're wearing all the production hats, it can lighten the load and improve your chances of success to let the camera handle some functions such as audio level. Below is a link to my chart on when to handle auto-functions

My Blog Article on Auto-Functions

DV Info Forum Thread on Auto-Gain Control





<-- Focus Assist function on Panasonic's HVX-200 camera. The blue box magnifies the center of the frame for easier focus. This is a great solution to help overcome poor focus due to the lack of resolution on small lcd screens. (Photo by Kino-Eye)







Renting vs. Buying
I pretty much said what I had to say on this in the podcast, but here's what some other people have to say: Renting vs. Buying Forum Thread on Cinematography.com.

Meet Some of the Hot Prosumer Cameras
These are reviews and info on the models I mentioned or showed on the podcast.

C-Net Canon XL-2 Video Review

Canon XL-H1 Review from Digital Content Producer

You should also check out Christina Fox’s DV & DVCam Camera Buyer’s Guide for Beginners This is a nice side-by-side comparison of many of the most popular prosumer cameras. This is a very informative site in general.

PDX-10 Review

Panasonic GY-HD100 Review


ON THE REAL TIP~ Know this: No matter what type of camera you buy or when you buy it, a better and cheaper camera will come out shortly afterward.

This is just a fact of life that anyone purchasing a camera needs to accept. It’s pretty much the same as purchasing a computer… Just get the best one you can afford that’s going to serve your needs for the next 2-5 years.


Anatomy of an Camera Scam
How do you recognize a camera scam online? Easy look for any of these 5 big red flags:

1. Vendors camera price is significantly lower than all other vendors.

2. Camera is being sold “ala carte” (i.e. does not include standard items such as a battery, charger, or lens.)

3. They try to hard sell you an overpriced “starter kit” or “accessory pack” that includes items such as a tripod, camera case, lens cleaner, UV or Polarizer filter, a camera light, etc. These items are all pretty much legit accessories that you may wish to add to your camera package. However, in the case of these shops, they are almost always off-brand, over-priced, junk versions of the real things. You can buy them all individually from other vendors.

4. They try to hard-sell you an expensive extended warranty. (see further below)

5. After you turn down all of the above and tell them you only want the camera, it’s suddenly on “back order” and they try to upsell you a “better” model (which often won’t be better, just more expensive).

Check for Consumer Complaints Against Any Vendor Before Buying
Peep out site’s such as The Ripoff Report or The Better Business Bureau this where consumers can report ripoff’s by camera dealers. Take note of the sneaky tactics and names of the businesses mentioned and avoid them like the plague.

Also Check the Online Filmmaking Community Forums
Look for recommendations, complaints, and other filmmaker’s experience with a particular vendor. The two cmmunity sites below have very informative and active forums, but there are many others out there.

CreativeCow.net
DVXuser.com

Always Get Word of Mouth
Better to pay an extra $50 with a known vendor than get burned by some rinky dink basement operation in Brooklyn. (For some reason, a disproportionate number of these scam businesses seem to operate out of Brooklyn.)

Beware of Extended Warranties
As far as I know, all video cameras come with a manufacturer’s warranty of 90 days to 1 year and chances are that if something is funky with your camera right out of the box, you’re going to discover it pretty early on and be able to get a replacement or refund from the manufacturer.

The other big issue I have with these extended warranties is that on those occasions when I’ve read the fine print, it pretty much never covered the things most likely to go wrong, only included parts or labor- never both, didn’t include shipping, and usually involved parting with your camera for up to 6 weeks.

And apart from all of those catches, I don’t know of anyone who actually purchased and later successfully used an extended camera warranty. Smells like a ripoff to me, but you can read your own fine print and decide for yourself.

That's It...
Holla at me via email if you find this podcast helpful. Let me know what you want to hear about or comment on the last episode. I don't know everything, but everything I know I'll share.

It took me a few days longer to get the show notes up than I planned, but I figure I got the podcast out a few days early, so all's even in the end. Episode 3 is coming at you soon. The Down and Dirty DV Book and DVD is still cooking in the kitchen. Stay tuned for more info on all fronts. And keep grindin', Baby. Peace, love and video.

-Ant.

Podcast Episode #1 Show Notes

Additional Commentary

Okay, so these are the show notes for Down and Dirty DV Podcast - Episode #1: How to Choose a Camera. (See previous post to download or subscribe using link to your left.) This is a podcast series designed specifically for new and aspiring digital guerrilla filmmakers. The topics I address will be from the standpoint of low-budget digital shooting and solving the many problems that come along with it.

This was my first podcast ever and it was admittedly harder and more work than I thought it would be, but I’m fairly happy with the end result. If you weren’t aware, Episode 1 is enhanced with photos and links (included below) if you view it on an iPod or in iTunes.

It’s damn hard talking having a whole conversation alone to a microphone. Let me know I’m not really talking to myself and holla back. Your feedback let’s me know somebody cares about this effort and helps me improve the show. Please drop me an email at anthony@downanddirtydv.com with your comments, corrections, and suggestions for future show topics.

Enhanced Links and Additional Resources

My Online Bio
Want to know more about me? I’m an old-school digital pimp and a complex man of mystery, but I will share this much with you.


XLR Article – Berkeley Journalism
This article breaks down XLR cable basics and expands upon my comments about XLR adapters.

XLR Adapter Box – B&H Sales Page
Check out features and specs or purchase the popular Beachtek DXA Adapter Box here.


DIY Network - Low Light Article
This is a link to a very basic DIY Network article on shooting in low-light.

Here are the 2 forums I recommended for researching user experiences and reviews of cameras you are considering purchasing. (More such sights are listed to the left under “Links” section.):

Creative Cow Online Filmmaking Community & Forums

DVX User Online Filmmaking Community & Forums


I forgot to mention this site in Episode #1 , but UrbanFox.tv is a great little website run by a woman named Christina Fox out of London that provides consulting and some great free info and tutorials for people looking to get into DV filmmaking. Most notably for the topic at hand, she provides some great camera comparison buyer's guide charts that include most of the latest prosumer models. This info is often in magazines, but it's hard to come by comprehensive side-by-side comparisons online. Check out the charts here:

DV and DV Cam Cameras

HDV Cameras

Notes on Upcoming Episode 2

This first podcast was actually 42 mins., so rather than torture you that long, I broke it into 2 episodes, so Episode #2 is also Choosing a Camera. In Episode #2 I cover other features to look for in a prosumer camera. These aren’t the make or break features, but those that you may wish to also consider depending on your budget, experience-level and style of shooting. I also dicuss renting vs. buying and avoiding common scams when purchasing a camera online.

On a crappier note, I just discovered that I somehow managed to wipe out my master audio files for the fully completed Episode 2. I will have to perform some voodoo on a surviving MP3 version to see if I can put it back together or rerecord the whole thing, so hang tight for a week on that.

Will This Camera Change the Filmmaking Forever?

Arguably the hottest product at NAB this year was the Red Camera designed by Jim Jannard, founder of the Oakley glasses company. Although, they were only showing a non-working prototype, the mere concept of Jannard's camera is revolutionary.

Format Type(s)	HD+
Resolution(s)	4k. 2k. 1080, 720, 480
Frame Rates	Variable: 1-60fps (2540p, 4k, 2k, 1080p, 720p) 1-120fls (2k, 720p)
Medium	FireWire 800/400, USB-2 and eSATA interfaces
Lens Mount	Interchangeable
Image Sensor	12 Mpxl CMOS
Audio Inputs	4 channel uncompressed, 16 / 24 bit, 48KHz
Dimensions	Unknown
MSRP	$17,500
Street Price	Unknown

I'm a big proponent of technology, because it's the driving force that's made filmmaking more democratic. However, I'm not much of a techno-geek, so I'll try to explain why this camera is so hot in the crudest of layman's terms.

In short, if this camera delivers on it's specs, it will essentially shoot images that are 4 times the quality of the current crop of $3000-$10,000 Mini-DV cameras and twice the quality of the higher-end pro cameras that are currently in it's price range (approx. $20K-$30K w/ lens) such as Sony's XDCam and Panasonic's F900 series. Now dropping $20K-$30K may seem like a lot of dough... okay it is a lot of dough, but it's an incredible value for what this camera is promising to deliver.

Think of it as if someone told you could buy or rent a Ferrari for the price of a Jetta. Yeah, it's kinda like that.

The image sensors on this camera are larger than anything out there. It can be used with 35mm and other professional film lenses. (Which means incredible depth of field.) This camera is capable of shooting in what I believe is being dubbed as "Super HD". What does that actually mean? It means it records a picture that's twice as good as the best HD TV out there. The picture is so good that we don't even have the technology to see how good it is yet! That's a helluva camera. Check out these links below for more precise and geeky explainations:

• RED whitepage
• RED's Official Website
• DVinfo's forum on the Red Camera
• DV.com Article with Red's Main Creator/Investor (DV.com Registration required to view)
• First Look at Red (studiodaily.com)
• Wikipedia article

MANUAL CAMERA CONTROLS VS. AUTO FUNCTIONS

A primary difference between pro and amateur shooters is that the pros know how to manually control their camera image and many amateurs simply let the camera decide how the shot should look and sound by relying heavily on the camera’s auto controls. The hectic and unpredictable nature of documentary shooting makes it tempting to just shoot everything in full auto mode.

The problem is that most of the auto functions on DV cameras are unreliable. Think of it as driving around the city with your car’s cruise control turned on… it’s great until you zip past a police car above the speed limit. The cruise control doesn’t know (or care) that you’re going to get a speeding ticket. It only works well in the most ideal setting… open road with no traffic lights or change in traffic or speed limit. The same is true with most camera auto functions. As soon as something outside of the ideal happens, they become much less reliable.

Your camera is not nearly as competent as you are. (Or will become by the end of your training.) Do not rely blindly on auto-focus or auto-sound levels or auto-iris. Take the time to learn and understand how to manually control the most important aspects of your video. The buttons and features will vary from camera to camera, but the principles of focus, exposure, and sound will always operate the same.

Auto Zoom vs. Manual Zoom
One thing most DV cameras will do better than you is zoom. The servos (zoom motors) on most of the DV cameras made in recent years are pressure-sensitive and capable of very smooth and controlled moves. This is also practical because you will often have to zoom to adjust your frame and manually refocus at the same time.



Surprises and Panics
At some point in production a fleeting moment may come that you need to capture right that second. The president might walk into the room a few minutes earlier than expected. You may just be passing by and see that elusive C.E.O. slipping out of his office. The rare white leopard is about to pounce on his prey from a tree… whatever. Do whatever you gotta do to grab that image. Don’t waste time fussing with menu screens and white balancing. Just get the shot, man! Your sharp manual focus and perfect white balance mean nothing if the white leopard has already killed the antelope and made off with the carcass. In that case, you may as well be the antelope.

If you totally panic or have a brain fart in the moment, it’s okay. Just quickly switch the camera into auto-lock or full auto-mode. (That’s auto-everything.) You will most likely still get a pretty decent image and sound. It will be just like using a consumer camcorder. Better to go full auto and sacrifice some image and sound control than to have unusable footage because you forgot to adjust the sound level or re-white balance the camera. Don’t worry. Using manual controls will become second nature with practice. Just remember, getting the shot is numero uno.

Run and Gun Shooting
Run and gun shooting is when you are on-the-go and things are happening so quickly or under such confusion that there isn’t ample time or calm to concentrate on all the technical details you need to consider. This includes situations such as covering unfolding violence like a riot or shooting in the crowd of a loud rowdy nightclub. Similarly, it may be wise to go with auto-functions when covering a short or sudden event where many visuals are happening all at once and you need to get full coverage before it all ends. Lastly, anytime you are shooting with unfamiliar equipment or all by yourself as director, cameraperson, sound recordist, and interviewer is an acceptable time to spread out some of those duties to the auto-functions.

Peep out the list below for a simple guide to help you figure out when auto-functions are most useful and when they are the video kiss of death...

AUTOFUNCTION DISFUNCTIONS:

AUTO FOCUS

Most Likely to Fail When:
• A person, car, or object crosses in front of your subject
• Lighting is low
• Objects are in the foreground (leaves, mic stand, crowd, etc.)

Most Useful When:
• You have an inexperienced operator on camera
• You are having difficulty seeing the viewfinder
• You are legally blind

AUTO-IRIS

Most Likely to Fail When:
• A bright object is in frame
• A scene is backlit
• There is snow on the ground

Most Useful When:
• You are shooting in a “run and gun” situation
• Lighting conditions change frequently or unpredictably.


AUTO GAIN CONTROL (AGC) SOUND

Most Likely to Fail When:
• An audience claps or laughs
• Naturally sharp/loud sounds (gunshot, subway, scream,etc.)
• There are silent gaps in sound

Most Useful When:
• The sound level does not fluctuate much
• You are solo in a “run and gun” situation
• You don’t have headphones