Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Friday, 23 November 2012
SERVICES
With over 20 years of
experience in the TV and film industry, Nick brings a wealth of
knowledge and fervour to his work that is always apparent in the final
product.
Having worked in a variety of roles since graduating from courses in Media Studies, Video Production, Film, and Cinematography, Nick has been involved in over 30 short films, worked as a sound recordist and cameraman for the Australian TV networks, and produced/directed award winning short films and large scale documentaries. Nick currently freelances in the industry and when he's not on a shoot, he's working on a number of projects in various stages of development from TV series pilots to feature films. |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Camcorder Info Base
Digital Camcorder Formats Explained
Whether you're looking to shoot home movies, independent feature films, corporate videos, music videos, TV commercials or weddings, today's advanced digital camcorders allow you to carry out these productions more easily than ever before. The camcorder most suitable for you will depend on two things: how you plan to use it, and how much money you have to spend. The following brief overview will introduce you to the many different digital camcorder formats available on the market today from the consumer Mini-DV format right up to the professional broadcast HD formats and everything in-between.Please note that the following list is not necessarily in order of format quality.
You can download a 2-page PDF document that covers all the current HD camcorders by clicking here
Last updated 28th September 2010.
DIGITAL SLRs (Canon, Nikon, Panasonic etc)Although not strictly a digital video format, digital SLRs are making in-roads into the world of video and cannot be ignored. At the time of writing (September 2010) there are no DSLRs that can produce the quality of video that could be considered for serious applications. Due to the 'line-skipping' down-converting methods of cameras like Canon's EOS 5D MK2 where the method of down-scaling to get a video picture size of 1920x1080 is achieved by simply deleting (skipping) lines on the sensor. This, and other limitations such as a lack of decent filtering, means that DSLRs like the 5D MK2 suffer from chronic aliasing, bayer-type patterning, stepping and other retarded picture artefacts. However, for soft rounded objects such as people's faces, with hard backgrounds thrown out-of-focus by use of narrow depth-of-field, and little movement in the picture, it is possible to achieve some interestingly artsy results. Hopefully, in the future, DSLR manufacturers will strive to fix the serious gremlins that the current first generation of DSLRs are riddled with.
MINI-DV (JVC, Canon, Sony, Panasonic)A 1/4-inch evaporated metal digital tape format officially introduced for sale in 1995. In 1994, more than 50 companies and various manufacturers agreed on the Mini-DV format. Sony was the first to develop a Mini-DV camcorder one year later. Mini-DV camcorders provide what is arguably the best quality of all of the standard definition home video formats, capable of recording high quality video with 520-line horizontal resolution. Mini-DV camcorders and decks are compatible with most video editing software applications for Apple Mac and Windows computers. Transferring footage from the camcorder to the computer is done via FireWire with many Mini-DV camcorders making it possible to transfer your edited programme back from the computer to your camcorder using what is known as DV-in.
PROFESSIONAL DV (JVC)Professional DV is basically Mini-DV maxed out. It is no different to any other Mini-DV format, it is simply a name JVC have chosen to give it, a clever marketing ploy perhaps? Professional DV is Mini-DV at its absolute best with features usually only found on much higher format cameras. It is JVC using the standard DV format to address the needs of professional users. Rather than create a variation on a format, JVC opted to perfect the original format, above all delivering it with professional features in terms of TC and hardware design and additional circuitry in order to meet professional needs. See current GY-DV5100 camcorder and recording decks BR-DV3000 and BR-DV6000, which take both the standard size and the Mini-DV tapes.
DVCAM (Sony)Sony's hugely successful professional version of the DV format but which use a higher-specification recording system to produce pictures that are acceptable to broadcast TV channels and professional video producers. DVCAM is basically the grown up professional brother of Mini-DV and has established itself as the industry standard format for ENG, video-journalism, expedition and much documentary camerawork, whilst the smaller PD170 model has established itself as a favourite amongst independent filmmakers because of its compact size, superb picture quality and affordable price tag. DVCAM tape is more durable, it's more resistant to stretching and dropouts, it's more precisely manufactured and its been specifically designed for professional applications. Sony's DVCAM uses higher tape speed that is 1/3rd faster than Mini-DV. The DVCAM format has a track pitch of 15 microns whilst Mini-DV has a track pitch of just 10 microns. DVCAM uses the same compression system as Min-DV, recording at 25Mbps onto tape.
AVCHD (Canon, JVC, Sony, Panasonic)AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) is a high-definition recording format used in 'tapeless' digital camcorders. The AVCHD codec/format is a tapeless equivalent to the tape-based HDV codec/format, only with a better encoding system that is more up-to-date. AVCHD was jointly established by Panasonic and Sony in May 2006. AVCHD was announced as a tapeless high definition recording format. The format is based on existing Blu-ray Disc and Sky Broadcast H.264 specification and allows AVC-encoded video to be recorded onto optical disc. The smaller 8cm DVD discs were chosen as the recording media instead of the larger Blu-ray discs. In July 2006 the format was amended to include other types of random-access media, i.e. SD/SDHC memory cards, Sony's own Memory Stick cards and hard-disk drives. Today, the preferred recording media for AVCHD camcorders is solid-state memory cards in the form of SD/HC. This keeps the format more in keeping with Panasonic's P2 and Sony's SxS. This makes solid-state AVCHD camcorders a perfect 'back-up' or 'B-camera' when a small hand-held camcorder is required. The AVCHD codec uses an inter-frame long GOP H.264 compression algorithm, with AC-3 or PCM audio codec. A wide range of frame sizes and rates are supported in both interlaced and progressive. Compared to the aging tape-based HDV camcorders based on the older MPEG-2 codec, AVCHD camcorders achieve higher compression and lower data rates using MPEG-4, but with comparable and even better image quality. AVCHD media files can be copied directly to a computer by removing the media or by connecting the camera via USB. AVCHD files can be transferred to the computer at speeds of 5 to 30 M-bytes per second. DV and HDV camcorders on the other hand are forced to transfer at realtime playback speed of just 3.5 M-bytes per second, requiring Firewire connection and capturing software.
AVCHD Video signals: 1080/50/60i, 1080/24p, 720/50p/60p/24p, 576/50i, 480/60i
Frame sizes: 1920x1080, 1440x1080, 1280x720, 720x576
AVCHD Video compression is MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
AVCHD uses a Chroma sampling format of 4:2:0
Data rates up to 24 M-bits per second.
HDV (HD1) - 1280x720 Providing 720P at 24, 25, 30, 50 & 60 fps (JVC)HDV stands for High Definition Video (although some refer to it as High-Def DV). The HDV format uses a Mini-DV cassette with the same tape size and mechanical recording system as DV, but records using the MPEG-2 compression codec. Unlike the HD2 interlace version which uses a GoP (group of pictures) of 15 frames (see below), HD1 only uses a GoP of just 6 frames. This lower compression ratio is something of an advantage. HDV is to the HD world what Mini-DV was to the video world back in 1995. HDV is the new consumer variant of professional HD and should not be confused with the latter. HDV uses the MPEG-2 compression codec, whilst high end HD formats do not. HD is also 4:2:2 chroma sampled while HDV is 4:2:0, which means you only get half the vertcial chroma resolution with HDV. HDV is the trademark of a video format specification established in 2003 by Sony Corporation and Victor Company of Japan (JVC). The specification allowed for two varying implementations of the same standard, with HD1 (not HDV1 & HDV2 as they are wrongly referred to by some) being the progressive implementation (720p) and HD2 (1080i) being the interlaced one. The 50Hz variants of 720p, set out in 2003, include 720p/50, 720p/25 and 720p/24. Currently JVC has delivered the latter two with its first HDV camcorder the GY-HD101E, and now the GY-HD200 and GY-HD250. JVC refers to its HDV camcorders and HDV decks as 'ProHD', even though it records HDV and conforms to the general specs and definition of HDV. ProHD sounds like a new or different format, but it is not. This seems to have caused a bit of confusion in the marketplace; rest assured JVC's ProHD products conform to the HD1 HDV standard specifications. One can only assume that JVC recognize the fact that HDV is a prosumer format and JVC's range of products are beyond that. The ProHD range is just that 'Professional'. Also JVC are keen on the idea of the MPEG2 stream being recorded to a hard drive such as their own DR-HD100 (Firestore) 40GB or 80GB FireWire hard disk recorder systems.
HDV (HD2) - 1440x1080 Providing 1080i at 50 & 60 fps (Sony, Canon)Basically the same as HD1, but uses the Interlaced scanning method as opposed to Progressive. HD2 also uses a Mini-DV cassette with the same tape size and mechanical recording system as DV, and again, it records using the MPEG-2 compression codec, only to a 1080 line interlaced high definition signal, only HD2 uses a 15-frame GoP (group of pictures) algorithm as opposed to the 6-frame GoP of HD1 progressive. As with HD1, HD2 is also 4:2:0 chroma sampled. The 1080i signal is superior in quality to the standard definition of 625 lines. HDV uses the long group of pictures (GOP) algorithm encoding system to achieve very high picture quality at the same 25Mbps data rate as DV. HDV is fast becoming the format of choice for those wishing to shoot professional-quality video footage, not least because it offers the choice of HDV or DV recording on a Mini-DV cassette. It is almost certain that both HDV-1 and HDV-2 will make the standard definition DV formats obsolete over time.
NXCAM (Sony)NXCAM is Sony's own branding name for the AVCHD (advanced video high definition) codec. This is Sony's professional AVCHD camcorder system. The first NXCAM camcorder is the NX5, which is essentially a Z5, only solid-state only recording to either SD/HC or Memory Stick cards. NXCAM's AVCHD codec uses the MPEG-4 H.264 compression algorithm (as used on Blu-Ray HD DVDS and Sky HD TV broadcasts), albeit at a maximum bit rate of 24 Mb/s (variable) with Linear PCM audio. Unlike HDV,which uses 1440x1080, AVCHD uses full 1920x1080 resolution. In contrast with MPEG-2 (HDV), in which inter-frame compression based on the correlation between adjacent frames uses fixed blocks of 16x16 pixels, AVCHD divides the blocks into multi-sizes as small as 4x4 pixels along with 4x8, 8x8 and 8x16 also, and every variation in-between using these block structures. With this method, it is able to use large blocks to process images that show only slight changes on the screen, and smaller blocks to process images that have considerable change. This raises the accuracy of motion compensation, which in turn, boosts the quality of fast-motion images while increasing compression efficiency.
XDCAM EX (Sony)XDCAM EX is Sony's HD solid-state offering. The SxS (pronounced es-by-es) cards are half the size of Panasonic's P2 cards, and are more up-to-date hence they are based on the new serial interface (P2 is based on older parallel interface). The PMW-EX1 and PMW-EX3 (PM standing for Professional Media) use full size 1920x1080 half-inch CMOS sensors with half-inch lenses (EX1 lens is built in, while EX3 has interchangeable EX-Mount lenses). The image quality produced by these two camcorders is identical to Sony's XDCAM HD shoulder mount camcorders i.e. F335 and F355; also half-inch models. The EX1 and EX3 camcorders produce far superior image quality over the consumer HDV format due to the larger half-inch chips and the increased maximum 35Mbps variable bit-rate (HDV uses a constant 25Mbps). The PMW-500 is Sony's full-size professional shoulder mounted professional 2/3rd inch solid-state SxS camcorder, recording at 50Mbps and in 4:2:2 (EX1 and EX3 are 4:2:0 colour) colour space. SxS cards are currently available from Sony and Sandisk in capacities of 8GB and 16GB. 32GB cards are coming out late in 2008. Recording times onto a single 16GB card is 50 minutes in best HD 35mbps quality (3 minutes 12 seconds per gigabyte) and 60 minutes at 25Mbps medium quality.
DIGITAL BETACAM (Sony)Sony's professional Digital Betacam is a videotape format that is mechanically based on the Beta tape transport. The recording on a Digital Betacam is component digital video with four channels of digital audio. Digital Betacam has been available in Europe as a 625 line PAL machine since early 1993. It has been the mainstay of quality broadcast production for many years. Digital Betacam uses 2:1 DCT based compression and high data rate combined with a rugged and well proven tape recording system. Many thousands of VTRs and camcorders are in action across the world. The latest DVW-970P model was introduced mid 2005.
XDCAM (Sony)XDCAM is a professional digital optical disk recording system introduced by Sony in 2003. It features tapeless (non linear) recording of DVCAM or MPEG IMX video data, which is recorded onto an optical disc similar to a Blu-Ray disc called the Professional Disc, which holds about 23 GB of video data. The XDCAM range includes cameras and decks which act as drop-in replacements to VCRs. Via IEEE 1394, these decks can also serve as random access computer drives for easy import of the video data to NLE systems. The XDCAM format uses multiple compression methods: MPEG-2 when recording in MPEG IMX compressed data at up to 50Mbps, or DVCAM data at 25Mbps. Most XDCAM camcorders can switch from one compression to the other with the flick of a switch. In its 50Mbps IMX mode XDCAM records at a quality similar to Digital Betacam with eight audio channels, whilst giving huge workflow benefits in terms of its 'file based' structure, making it perfect for even the highest quality TV productions. DVCAM allows the user to record twice as much footage and maintains compatibility with a large amount of low end NLE's. MPEG IMX can record at a bitrate of 30, 40 or 50 mbits per second, while DVCAM records at 25mbits per second. The low resolution proxy records at 1.5 mbit with 64 kbit for each audio channel.
XDCAM HD (Sony)XDCAM HD is the High Definition version of standard XDCAM. XDCAM HD combines High Definition picture quality with the attractions of non-linear, file-based production, XDCAM HD records true 1080-line HD pictures using MPEG Long GOP encoding at a selectable bit-rate of 35, 25 or 18 Mbps. XDCAM HD offers all the workflow advantages of its Standard Definition sibling at a price that's within reach of corporate programme makers and regional broadcasters. XDCAM HD records onto the same optical disk media as XDCAM, giving the same non-linear style workflow and file management benefits in the HD world. XDCAM HD is available in either half-inch or 2/3rd inch. Half inch models include the F330, F350, F335 and F355; the latter two take both 23GB and dual-layer 50GB discs. Half inch record at 35mbps variable. The newer 2/3rd inch model is the PDW-700, which records at a higher 50mbps bit-rate to larger 2/3rd inch chips. The PDW-700 was released for the first time in May 2008 at the same time as the larger 50GB Optical Discs.
HDCAM (Sony)High quality 1920 x 1080 pixel cameras using very efficient compression technology to record a high data rate (approx 140Mbps) using the tried and tested tape recording system proved by Digital Betacam. A combination that has proved successful on many feature films, high profile dramas, and wildlife films across the world. HDCAM is the camcorder of choice for the very highest production values. The HDW-750P model is revolutionizing European TV production, while the legendary HDW-F900 is a Hollywood favourite for films such as Star Wars: Episode II and Once Upon A Time in Mexico.
DVCPRO (Panasonic)Introduced in 1995. Panasonic specifically created the DVCPRO family for ENG use (Electronic News Gatherings), with better linear editing capabilities and robustness. DVCPRO is Panasonic's universally adopted professional variant of the standard DV format. Running at the same data rate (25Mbps) as DV but using 4:1:1 sampling, wider track pitch of 18 microns and uses another tape type; metal particle instead of metal evaporated. Audio is only available in the 16 bit/48 kHz variant. DVCPRO is synonymous with newsgathering and cost-efficient digital video production around the world. From independent production to event videography, DVCPRO is delivering superb results day-in, day-out.
DVCPRO 50 (Panasonic)DVCPRO 50 is often described as two DV-codecs in parallel. Offering significantly less compression artefacts, and a better colour resolution (4:2:2) then that of DV or DVCPRO. DVCPRO50 records video data at 50Mbps, DVCPRO50 is the next step from standard DV family of formats since it addresses the most evident DV shortcomings in colour resolution and compression artefacts, that make standard DV less suitable for compositing and other colour-intensive tasks. DVCPRO50 was created for high-value ENG compatibility. The higher datarate cuts recording-time in half, but the resulting picture-quality from DVCPRO 50 is reputed to rival Sony's Digital Betacam.
DVCPRO HD (Panasonic)DVCPRO HD uses four parallel codecs and a coded video bitrate of 100 Mbit/s. Compression ratio is approximately 7:1. Panasonic's DVCPRO HD technology offers broadcasters and filmmakers unmatched quality, reliability and price-performance as well as 4:2:2 Digital Component Quality. The DVCPRO HD sits at the top of the DV family of codecs thus you start your production chain with high-quality 100 Mbps 4:2:2 digital component video. With this low level of compression, edit processes are sped up and simplified saving time and money. A camcorder using a special variable-framerate (from 4 to 60 frame/s) variant of DVCPRO HD called VariCam is also available.
P2 (Panasonic)The Panasonic P2 Series is a growing system of professional broadcast video products, which utilize solid-state memory instead of tape for recording video. P2 stands for 'Professional Plug-in' referring to the removable flash memory cards, which plug into slots on P2 equipment. A solid state recording system, recording DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO50 and DVCPORO HD compression formats on a robust, reusable recording medium whilst giving huge workflow benefits because of its 'file based' structure. The Panasonic AG-HVX200 is a compact, portable 3-CCD P2 camcorder capable of recording high definition video in the DVCPRO HD format (among other formats). The AG-HVX200 is just one of Panasonic's P2 camcorders; also available are higher end shoulder mounted models such as the AJ-HPX2700, AJ-HPX3000 and AJ-HPX3700.
RED (RED Digital Cameras)Invented by former Oakley sunglasses entrepreneur Jim Jannard. The Red One digital camera makes bold claims about it's image quality. With no up-rezzing or pixel shifting and a massive Super 35mm chine sized sensor of 24.4x13.7mm equating to 12 megapixels, capturing up to 4K at 30 fps or 3K at 60 fps and 2K at 120 fps; the latter being close to regular 1920x1080 HD formats, only with a higher frame-rate. The depth-of-field produced by the RED One is identical to 35mm film cameras, only without the expense of 35mm celluloid. The RED One is a modular design built around a rugged aluminium body and rail system for mounting accessories from both RED and third party companies. Although the RED One camcorder itself is not prohibitively expensive, but the time you add lenses, battery system, LCD, rails, EVF, hard drive recorder, handle etc, the cost can suddenly double. The RED One is not really a one-man operable camera; it is a professional cinematographers tool for shooting high-end movies. This is the kind of camera Mr Lucas would use
Editing Info Base
Various Nonlinear Editing Packages Explained
As nonlinear editing software/hardware packages are changing all the time, I'm not going to go into things in great detail. Instead I'm simply going to cover some of the most popular editing packages for both Mac and PC. There are of course many different packages available, but the ones outlined below are by far the most popular. They are listed in order of price and basic functionality; starting with the most basic and cheapest packages first, leading up to the higher end professional packages at the end
APPLE MACINTOSHiMovie
Starting with Apple computers there are various packages available. At the bottom end there is the basic iMovie software package made by Apple themselves. Although iMovie is a basic editing application, it is capable of great things. Most Hollywood blockbuster movies are made up of nothing but straight cuts with the occasional cross-fade or fade to black along with several audio tracks and perhaps a few video tracks overlaid; iMovie can do all this. However, it's colour grading capabilities are very limited. If you are just starting out in the world of nonlinear editing iMovie is a great place to start.
Final Cut Express
Again, made by Apple, Final Cut Express is a slightly cut-down version of Final Cut Pro, omitting some of the colour grading features and a few other high-end features that Final Cut Pro has. A lot of editors, most in fact, would not need these higher end features, which is why Apple brought out Final Cut Express as it fits into that intermediate marketplace perfectly.
Final Cut Pro
Apples high-end nonlinear software package. Since it's launch back in 2000 Final Cut Pro has taken the professional world of editing by storm. Final Cut Pro is in direct competition with AVIDs high-end packages. Even back at version 1 Final Cut Pro was a massive hit, costing a fraction of the price of an AVID package. Final Cut Pro has been through many upgrades and updates over the years, and today it is one of the most comprehensive software packages you can buy. Considering Final Cut Pro is aimed at the high-end professional market, it is incredibly logical and easy to use. Final Cut Pro will do pretty much everything you will ever need and the Suite version comes with every tool you'll need for sound editing, colour grading and lots more. If you are a high-end movie maker, corporate video producer, independent production company, music video producer etc etc, Final Cut Pro should definitely be on your very short list of software applications to look at.
AVID (coming soon)
AVID DS, Media Composer, Nitris DX are the current crop available from legendary AVID.
Nick Way on Sony Z1 Audio
A little about me
I have been running short courses for Sound Recordists as well as
production teams for many years now, first with Ravensbourne College,
and more recently for Bill Curtis Associates. I also lecture and run
seminars. The best part of these sessions covers how microphones work in
various acoustic environments, this then progresses on to microphone
and recording techniques and various types of audio equipment. I hasten
to add that I am a freelance Sound Supervisor in studios and Outside
Broadcasts, as well as a location Sound Recordist and this is my main
income, so I am primarily a practitioner of 25 years experience, and a
tutor secondarily.The Sony Z1
The
camera is aimed at the semi-pro market. It is somewhat larger and more
versatile than your average home camcorder, but excellent for the
professional videographer, as some features are very similar to a
professional Broadcast camera. It is also gaining huge favour with
broadcasters as a replacement for the PD150 and PD170 for “fly on the
wall” documentaries because of the superb picture quality, ease of use
and small size. It can also be coupled to professional balanced sound
equipment using industry standard 3-pin XLR connectors.From the video side of things, I am sure the Z1 is a great improvement, over previous SD camcorders, allowing high definition DV recordings, which can be worked on in native HDV or down-converted to SD. Unfortunately, I am convinced that many Z1 owners are unable to record high quality sound despite the Z1’s audio capabilities.
When
I first looked at the Sony Z1 and spoke in depth to my colleagues about
it, it would appear that the Z1 is a superior design with regard to its
sound capabilities than its standard definition predecessors i.e. the
PD150 and PD170.Although the Z1 is aimed at the lower priced end of the market, it is fairly rugged and like the older PD170, also has balanced XLR audio connectors, which have been positioned nearer the centre of gravity just in front of the hand strap. This is a great improvement over the PD170.
It is said that: “to achieve the best quality location sound, employ a Sound Recordist!” and that is very true, but I believe the second best is to get trained. There are many courses available to explain the principles of sound and sound acquisition and having a camera that will record high quality “bad” sound won’t help.
Z1 Audio Features
Enough
of the waffle - let’s have a good look at the facilities offered with
this hardware. First and foremost, this machine has an on-board “stereo”
microphone. This is as much stereo as a kid’s audio cassette player,
but it is fine for picking up a guide audio track for syncing in
postproduction, such as a music video. I suppose it might also be
passable for background shots, which are intended to have music or
commentary over them. Fortunately we are able to by-pass the built in
mic with great ease and instead use the professional XLR microphone
connectors near the front right of the camera. The microphone clamp
nearby is very similar to those on a professional broadcast camera and
it is this very clamp that I recommend you should use with an additional
high quality microphone. You can always degrade audio in
postproduction, but if you start with bad audio, it can only get worse!
Rubber inserts can be obtained for different microphone diameters when
using, for instance, a Sennheiser MKH416, MKH60 or the cheaper K6/ME66
combo, but I still think the best method is the old tried and tested
gaffer tape wound round the mic body a few times; solid and reliable. If
it can work on Outside Broadcasts covering boxing, helicopter arrivals,
football and most other events, then why waste the money on anything
else?
The
switches and adjustments on the Z1E are mostly software controls and
are found in the menu, unlike the professional cameras which have the
important functions as obvious switches and dials. The system takes a
little getting used to, but with practice it all becomes reasonably
straightforward. Personally I think the first place to start is by
deciding how to cover the audio for your shoot - in the simplest case
you might use a gun, or rifle mic, and fix it as mentioned above. Will
you need this audio on both tracks on the tape or you could use a
different microphone such as a hand-held reporter’s mic or a personal
lavalier mic? In either case you will have to go into the menu and
change some audio settings.Phantom Power
Depending on the type of microphones you use i.e. phantom or non-phantom, you will need to set the phantom power on the Z1E, this time it is done using real switches! If your microphone takes a small battery such as a AAA, then you should select ‘Off’, if on the other hand your microphone does not take a battery (Sennheiser MKH416 or MKH60 phantom for example) then you should select ‘On’ for the phantom power setting. Traditionally phantom power is supplied at either 48volts or more uncommonly 12volts, but Sony have chosen to supply it at “approximately 40volts” - why they didn’t go the extra few I don’t know. Most microphones should be fine, though, but it does makes you wonder.
One
enormous plus for me on the Z1E is the audio level controls. They are
clear, obvious and well protected as well as being easily adjustable,
and it’s easy to undo the cover even if you don’t have long fingernails.
In the old days on professional cameras, the practice was to cover the
level controls with tape to avoid knocking them, but this meant you
couldn’t see whether you had knocked them or not and anyway the cameras,
worth thousands of pounds, became really sticky and nasty. I do hate
the overuse of tape on location.Menu Settings To Watch
One other major point worth noting is that buried within the menus are some audio level adjustments which could quite easily fool the unwary. You can reduce or increase gain within the camera by lumps of 6dB between -18dB and +12dB. Unless you are really fully aware of what you are doing and why, I strongly suggest you leave well alone. To coin a phrase: “for advanced users only”; this could cause all sorts of problems with potential overload or under-recording.
And
whilst on the subject of menu adjustments there is a setting called
“noise reduction”, I and several colleagues are still not quite sure
what it is for but think it could be for reducing the mechanical noise
picked up by the on board microphone, so it might be wise to leave it
well alone. It can only serve the purpose of degrading your beautiful
audio! There is also a wind filter, indicated by a symbol of a windsock,
to reduce the bass sensitivity of the camera input - what is known in
the trade as bass roll off or attenuation or a high pass filter; you
know I really don’t understand why nearly everything in broadcast needs
three ways of describing or labelling one thing. It’s really maddening,
especially when you try and teach new concepts to beginners – anyway
with that off my chest! What I need to say about this switch is don’t.
It is far too brutal. If you have a proper microphone in the first place
with a proper windshield you shouldn’t need it, especially if you have a
mic like the Sennheiser K6/ME66, which already had a bass roll off
switch on it.Right, now we are ready to record. We have chosen how many microphones, which type and whether they need powering or not. We have chosen which tracks to use on the camera and have set the recording levels. If by mistake you leave the “Auto” switched in for the levels, it’s not too much of a concern, and unlike the old systems, which used to raise and lower levels quite dramatically, this control seems to just give a fixed amount of gain to the system and add a limiter to prevent overloading.
Also
be aware that the peak limiters can still be in circuit even though the
inputs have been switched to manual. Now it’s time to plug in our cans,
that’s broadcast lingo for headphones. It is now time to be honest and
admit that we sometimes make recordings without actually listening to
the audio coming into the camera - after all it is only the pictures we
need to worry about right? wrong! I would imagine at least half of you
use headphones for audio monitoring purposes during your shoots; I
really appreciate that. For the rest, might I suggest you buy a decent
pair of ‘enclosed’ headphones such as the Sennheiser HD25 (around £165).
I hope it is obvious when I say that if the sound is bad coming through
your headphones when you are recording, it certainly won’t get any
better later. My monitoring your audio at the recording stage allows you
to hear any discrepancies and fix it there and then, potentially saving
you money on a re-shoot. Again, I reiterate that you can always degrade
the audio later if you wish. Be warned though, this camera provides
quite a low monitoring output level, so in a loud situation; you may not
be able to hear very well hence the need for ‘enclosed’ headphones that
block out external sounds. In the menu you can decide to listen to just
one of your channels or both, as in stereo, but it can be a little
confusing if you have different microphones on each channel, so it is
best to choose just the one, the most important one. For example, if you
are using a lavalier mic clipped to a presenter’s tie as well as a
rifle mic on your camera for ambient room sounds, then you would monitor
your presenter’s lavalier mic.Portable Mixer
So,
we have made our recordings and are happy with the results, but what if
we really want to move up to the next plane? What if we really want to
improve our control over the quality of sound? I always recommend a
small two channel location sound mixer made by Sound Devices called a
MixPre. This small and light portable mixer has amazing specifications
and runs for several hours on two AA batteries and I reckon it can be
operated by just about anyone with a little technical knowledge. It
will supply a line-up tone, which I think is vital in this day and age
of digits and lap top editing, to give us some idea of what parameters
we are working within. I am sure it is all just fine in a domestic
situation, but please, we do need to know where we are, so we don’t
overload the recording system, or don’t introduce too much amplification
noise into the equation. We must try and keep some standards. Phew,
there I go again on some sort of rant!
The
MixPre will supply good quality amplification, using transformers on
the inputs. It has two stages of bass roll off (or whatever you wish to
call it), can supply phantom power at 48volts to your capacitor
microphones and has high quality adjustable peak limiters. It will allow
you to send either input channel to either or both outputs, and quite
importantly it has a good headphone amplifier, so you can hear what you
are recording very clearly. The LED level display works at three light
intensities, the highest of which I would recommend for working in the
sun in California – it is ridiculously bright. If you do need to take an
audio feed for a transcription recording for instance, there is a 3.5mm
jack socket which will connect straight to a domestic recorder. The
MixPre provides a line-level output so make sure you select the input
sensitivity in the Z1E’s menu from “mic” to “line” otherwise you will be
sending about a thousand times more level (60dB) to the camera, which
will result in massive overload and distortion; this is bad. A couple of
years ago I turned up at a news conference and a BBC cameraman looked
down his nose at my MixPre and wanted to know what it was. I explained
what it did, and he seemed very impressed and gave the indication that
he would go out and buy one almost immediately – amazing! It is a
well-built and well-conceived item that is just perfect for unobtrusive
and lightweight videography that seems to be the fashion now.
Now,
on to perhaps the most important bee in my bonnet. Sound with pictures
is often neglected through sheer ignorance. It is no one’s fault, but
when you talk to someone face to face you can obviously hear them, thus
it is assumed that if you can see them on the telly then of course you
will hear them; naturally. I was always amused that my grandmother used
to say of singers on television that “in my day no one needed
microphones”. What on earth were they meant to do - shout at the world?
On so many of my training courses I have young people who have been
taken on by companies and are told to go and “do sound” with no training
except how to switch the kit on and turn the knobs; this is criminal
behaviour and can often knock fragile confidence. I have had camera
assistants, researchers and runners who come to learn, and leave armed
with the knowledge and confidence to tackle anything. I believe that
things are now changing and there is the realisation that we really do
need to try and acquire the best audio at the shooting stages, rather
than tying a rescue attempt in postproduction, which is a time-consuming
nightmare at the best of times. Through training we can learn to cover
audio professionally and spend more time on the art and content.The Sony Z1 is an excellent camera, and in the right hands can produce stunning results; just don’t let the audio side of things let an otherwise superb production down. Good luck.
Recommended book:
Audio for Single Camera Operation by Tony Grant. Focal Press - ISBN 0-240-51644-3
Recommended web sites:
Institute of Broadcast Sound: www.ibs.org.uk
Bill Curtis Associates: www.bcassociates.org
First Sense: www.firstsense.net
Nick Way MIBS: www.nickway.co.uk
Nick Way is a broadcast Sound Supervisor and Location Recordist as well as Trainer and Tutor. He started his career at BBC Television Centre aged 20 having enjoyed sound all his life and worked his way upwards following the established career path, working on all programmes from studio dramas to kid’s shows and situation comedies. He left after sixteen years of service and has now been freelancing for ten years across many companies. Nick works for shopping and quiz channels all the way up to BBC Match of the Day and Head of Sound for the G8 Summit at Gleneagles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)