HD from Still Cameras?

There's been a lot of interest in shooting video with still cameras in the last year. I don't mean stop-motion, but rather the HD capabilities that have shown up in a few of the newer DSLR cameras. It's certainly an interesting development, but there's a downside or two.

For one: crappy audio. None of the current DSLR cams allow quality sound recording, so if you are aiming to do something with reasonable quality you'll need to work "dual-system" -- meaning you need a separate sound recorder, and you have to somehow synchronize it with your video.

For two: there are some technical issues. Filmmaker magazine has a nice mini-article on the phenomenon, and it's the first time I've seen some of those technical concerns made clear.

Filmmakers disclose how they are shooting movies with still cameras.

“I was very afraid about the sensitivity of the camera to movement. I’d read a lot about how the rolling shutter in the Canon 5D can sometimes give a jelly effect. If you look at the focus push at the second mark, (26 seconds into the trailer at http://searchingforsonny.com) you’ll see what a lot of people are having problems with. We stayed away from handheld shots, more as a stylistic choice. We did a test before the shoot with handheld, some parts were a little too shaky. I think it’ll be a new camera technique to master. On the dolly, we used sandbags to weigh down the tripod. But even with a nice dolly with good track, we had to rehearse the shot over and over again. Every little bump could be seen on camera."

Tom Quinn had similar concerns. "These cameras are really meant to be operated on a tripod — the handheld has a few issues. For one, there is no optical image stabilizer for the video, so the small vibrations that a video camera would neutralize are present. Also the CMOS sensor creates a slight waver to the image on fast horizontal movement when shooting telephoto. For these two reasons we’ve been using a mix of monopods and tripods.”

It's Okay, We're from Television

This term I've been teaching a television production class. For our first 5-minute piece we've been working on a three-camera interview-style show.

So we have three people running cameras, one on lights, a sound mixer, a technical director (running the switcher), and a director. You know the routine: "Ready camera 1 ... take camera one. Ready camera 3...."

It's interesting, to me anyway, how the process is a sort of improvisational editing. When we cut something in post, we work to find the right moment to cut -- so that the conversation makes sense. Live, however, it's always a bit of a best guess....

It's great fun to watch. We did four run-throughs on Tuesday, getting better each time. Then finally recorded to tape -- and had a few errors. In Thursday's class we're doing another run-through or two -- then going to tape for the final version.

And Then There's Golf

While I've been posting the Frugal Traveler episodes here, I've been posting the "On Par" series over on my other blog, Actualities. It's a series about golf.

I wouldn't call it documentary in style. On the other hand, I've been learning a lot that applies to documentary production while working on it: it's a two camera shoot in natural light, done fairly quickly (have to get out of the way to the other golfers, after all) and with just a few takes possible. You have to establish a setting, a situation and a problem to solve, solve that (and lead into a lesson) and do it all in (usually) 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

In any case, there are about 16 episodes now (I've been involved in about 3/4 of those, approximately), so check out the playlist. They're made in a fun style, so you might like them even if you aren't a golfer.....

Other Side of the Camera

I'll never be a television personality, of course, but I did learn one thing in this week's taping: I can hit most of my lines in one take.

Except, of course, my name, which apparently I cannot say correctly.