Video photography and editing equipment

[David55]

So, what video photography and editing equipment do you use?

My video camera is a pretty old one, Sony DCR- TRV33. I also use a Sony ECM-HS1 gun microphone for improved audio.

In terms of editing...I use Premiere 1.5 for editing and Encore for creating DVDs. I use a PC with 2 LCD monitors and a TV for editing.
I am considering moving to Final Cut pro, but in the mean while MAC prices in Israel are way too expensive (almost double the price).

Just interested to hear what video equipment and editing systems you guys use...

David

[ooJosh384]

I use a Sanyo Cameracorder and an ibook to edit it. The Cameracorder takes video at TV quality even though it is the size of your palm. I use iMovie to edit the video and iDVD to create DVD layouts. I works pretty well because you can download and buy extras for iDVD and iMovie.

[BuddyB309]

I get my footage on Mini DVs useing either a soney handycam or a JVC something. To edit I use photoshop, After effects 5.5, 3ds max 8, and adobe premeir pro 2.0. I also use adobe encore to burn DVD's. I have my propmo video here if anyone wants to see it.

Winnovation Promo video

Sony DVCAM, DSR-570 which uses the full size DVCAM tapes or mini-dv tapes, 50-100 sun gun flood light with battery belt, Anton bauer Hytron120 camera battery, manfrotto tripod with 116 head.....Senhiesser (sp?) G2 wirless mic kit, and a backpack full of XLR adapters and cable and other things that we use in news every once in awhile....and always always always...a fresh roll of DUCT-TAPE

I don't edit...haven't learned yet....

[cjelly]

Originally Posted by STORMCENTRE

Sony DVCAM, DSR-570 which uses the full size DVCAM tapes or mini-dv tapes, 50-100 sun gun flood light with battery belt, Anton bauer Hytron120 camera battery, manfrotto tripod with 116 head.....Senhiesser (sp?) G2 wirless mic kit, and a backpack full of XLR adapters and cable and other things that we use in news every once in awhile....and always always always...a fresh roll of DUCT-TAPE

I don't edit...haven't learned yet....

I'll teach you to edit if you give me some of your equipment!

[BuddyB309]

Originally Posted by STORMCENTRE

Sony DVCAM, DSR-570 which uses the full size DVCAM tapes or mini-dv tapes, 50-100 sun gun flood light with battery belt, Anton bauer Hytron120 camera battery, manfrotto tripod with 116 head.....Senhiesser (sp?) G2 wirless mic kit, and a backpack full of XLR adapters and cable and other things that we use in news every once in awhile....and always always always...a fresh roll of DUCT-TAPE

I don't edit...haven't learned yet....

Creating a good cut is an art form. Always remember when you edit is that you are trying to capture your audiences attention for the entire video. Make it short, sweet, and colorful.

Music is key, music tells what your audience should feel when watching. Always have a vast library of music to choose from. Never use todays hip hop music for a sponsorship video, it turns old guys off. I always try to use music that no one will recognize (soundtracks from various TV series or movies are always good). I always ask people for there music (especially the strange ones, they always have something interesting.)

You must also tell a story. It doesn't have to be a full complete story with characters and all but it has to tell something. Get your message of what you want across to your audience. If you want money from sponsors say in the movie "Support us" don't beat around the bush.

Use clean footage. I don't know how many times Ive been turned off from a video because the quality of the footage was horrible and pixilated. Watch out for artifacts. Shaky footage is another turn off. Make sure you are filming with a tripod. Otherwise your video will scream "amateur!" Also shaky footage gives headaches.

Label your tapes. Know what in your footage so you are not spending hours going through your tapes trying to find a video clip.

Have a basic Idea what you are going to do. Make a theme add some style to your video. Once you have that down everything just falls into place.

Have fun and be creative. I know it sounds tacky but if your not enjoying what you are creating its not going to turn out good. You will get frustrated sometimes and might want to kick it but heres a way to know your enjoying editing the video. You look over at the clock and say "WHAT!! Its 3:00 in the morning!! I have to be at work by 7:00!!! Just let me finish this one thing.........."

Also learning Adobe Premiere is very hard but its worth the effort. I can now do amazing things and it didn't take me as long as learning 3DS max.

I also envy you cause you have external mics. I wish I had a way of capturing sound outside the camera. The motor hums from the camera drive me nuts all the time.

[KelliV]

I started by using iMovie on my mac (at the time it was a g4) which can be expanded by adding the slick effects package. I then moved to final cut pro, and this summer I will start using Avid full time for my classes at Columbia.

My advice for shooting, create a sheet of paper with boxes on it, approx 4 boxes across and 6 down. Then as you tape each time you start a new clip sketch a small picture of what you see in the box and write down the time of the tape it started. It makes it so much easier when you go back to edit, becuase as much as you tell yourself "oh it's labeled Atlanta 2006 on the I will know where the clip is" you won't know four years down the line when you are looking through the footage, trust me.

Also, see if you can get your hands on a 16mm bolex and experiment with that. It is black and white, the film is a bit on the expensive side, and you have to send it out to be developed, but it will teach you how to measure light, and plan shots becuase it isn't like digital where you can delete and repeat everything, it is a hard piece of cut and tape film. I used it last summer and it showed me a lot

[Jake177]

Originally Posted by KelliV

My advice for shooting, create a sheet of paper with boxes on it, approx 4 boxes across and 6 down. Then as you tape each time you start a new clip sketch a small picture of what you see in the box and write down the time of the tape it started. It makes it so much easier when you go back to edit, becuase as much as you tell yourself "oh it's labeled Atlanta 2006 on the I will know where the clip is" you won't know four years down the line when you are looking through the footage, trust me.

You definitely want to index your raw tape. When I was in high school I did video for my team, and I can't tell you how much having all my raw footage indexed helped me. It was so nice to have a list that I could go to and see what I had to work with when making a video. It also came in handy during my senior year, when our advisor asked me to make a retrospective video for the team's tenth anniversary. The four years that I had been on the team were a piece of cake because I could just go to the video logs I had made to find clips, instead of watching hours of raw video looking for them.

Originally Posted by BuddyB309

Creating a good cut is an art form. Always remember when you edit is that you are trying to capture your audiences attention for the entire video. Make it short, sweet, and colorful.

Music is key, music tells what your audience should feel when watching. Always have a vast library of music to choose from. Never use todays hip hop music for a sponsorship video, it turns old guys off. I always try to use music that no one will recognize (soundtracks from various TV series or movies are always good). I always ask people for there music (especially the strange ones, they always have something interesting.)

You must also tell a story. It doesn't have to be a full complete story with characters and all but it has to tell something. Get your message of what you want across to your audience. If you want money from sponsors say in the movie "Support us" don't beat around the bush.

Use clean footage. I don't know how many times Ive been turned off from a video because the quality of the footage was horrible and pixilated. Watch out for artifacts. Shaky footage is another turn off. Make sure you are filming with a tripod. Otherwise your video will scream "amateur!" Also shaky footage gives headaches.

Label your tapes. Know what in your footage so you are not spending hours going through your tapes trying to find a video clip.

Have a basic Idea what you are going to do. Make a theme add some style to your video. Once you have that down everything just falls into place.

Have fun and be creative. I know it sounds tacky but if your not enjoying what you are creating its not going to turn out good. You will get frustrated sometimes and might want to kick it but heres a way to know your enjoying editing the video. You look over at the clock and say "WHAT!! Its 3:00 in the morning!! I have to be at work by 7:00!!! Just let me finish this one thing.........."

Also learning Adobe Premiere is very hard but its worth the effort. I can now do amazing things and it didn't take me as long as learning 3DS max.

I also envy you cause you have external mics. I wish I had a way of capturing sound outside the camera. The motor hums from the camera drive me nuts all the time.

I couldn't agree more about the music....of course in news we can't use music due to copyright stuff, even for features, or perhaps the station I shoot for doesn't want to spend the money on that. But for anything else yes absolutely, and I think it is an art to pick the right music and know the music, we can all imagine in our minds lets say what music would go well with a scene but to know who the composer is or what the piece is called is another thing.

As for the Hip-hop and rap, again I couldn't agree more, it's just not for everybody, not just older people that don't like it but younger people don't always like it either. When I was covering FIRST GTR at the Hershey centre the one thing I really liked was a lot of the music, they played a little but of everything and at least while I was there....very little hip-hop, at half-time I was quite amazed to hear a techno version of the chicken dance being played AND everyone knew how to dance to it!

On the subject of learning to edit, our station is going to grass valley systems? and not Avid, so eventually I am going to have to learn, I want to learn but first I somehow have to find the time to really learn it.

In news we use radio systems/scanners etc and that is all programmed using special software, took me awhile but I can now program while blindfolded, if I am going to learn to edit then I want to really learn it.

we'll see what the future holds I guess.

mark

Originally Posted by David55

So, what video photography and editing equipment do you use?

My video camera is a pretty old one, Sony DCR- TRV33. I also use a Sony ECM-HS1 gun microphone for improved audio.

In terms of editing...I use Premiere 1.5 for editing and Encore for creating DVDs. I use a PC with 2 LCD monitors and a TV for editing.
I am considering moving to Final Cut pro, but in the mean while MAC prices in Israel are way too expensive (almost double the price).

Just interested to hear what video equipment and editing systems you guys use...

David

I guess another question if I may toss it out is "what is the best non-linear editing software to learn on"?

The station I shoot for plans to go to Grassvalley, another station I shoot for went Avid, but for home use, for learning I can't spend thousands on software, just would want to know which is the easiest to learn on and then I can always try other software as I get more advanced.

OR, just concentrate on being a good camera-operator and let the editors to the editing

Originally Posted by cjelly

I'll teach you to edit if you give me some of your equipment!

Speaking of equipment, with the "broadcast" grade camera (DSR-570), I don't even get a color viewfinder, nope, a poor quality black and white viewfinder and believe me it makes me try real hard, if I can make an image look good in that viewfinder then I usually end up with a good piece of video.

[David55]

I am seriously thinking of upgrading to a better, more professional camera then my simple camcorder. I was thinking of the Sony HDR FX1...what do you guys think about it? anything you can say about it from your personal experience?

[BuddyB309]

I want the ultima APX-i2 digital high speed camera from Photron.

APX-i2

Originally Posted by David55

I am seriously thinking of upgrading to a better, more professional camera then my simple camcorder. I was thinking of the Sony HDR FX1...what do you guys think about it? anything you can say about it from your personal experience?

well, one of the storm chasers here in Ontario uses the model up from that and has lots of good things to say about it, the one you mention does not have XLR inputs for audio and manual level controls which can come in handy for production type shoots or news shoots.

Here is a link I found comparing these cameras...I use the Sony DSR-570 in news and while I have had a chance to totally compare the specs yet I have a feeling the Sony does better than my DSR.

http://kino-eye.com/docs/ProsumerHD-Comparison.html

[Jeremy L]

David: In my personal experience, it is not the quality of the CAMERA that makes the film good, but the quality of the CAMERA OPERATOR, and perhaps more importantly, the FILM EDITOR (I happened to be both). If you have a half-decent camera (one that when, on a tripod, shoots video that is acceptable for viewing on a TV), it should be fine. I've been managing over the years between my high school's Sony Handycam Digital 8 and my personal JVC camera which records to miniDV tape. I've found that while the quality of the video stays the same, a TREMENDOUS improvement can be made simply in the stylistic assembly of the video. I started off making crappy little montages (that I shudder to watch now because they were horrible) with iMovie, and changing nothing but my creativity, moved on to making some rather artistic movies that were fun to watch and make. Sometimes I use Final Cut Pro, when I feel like it, or Photoshop for other effects. Other than that, it was just my brain and my camera. You don't necessarily have to spend big money to upgrade your camera/computer/software unless you're really looking for super-high quality video and audio, and it might not be worth it depending on what you're going to be using the video for.

I've just violated Winston Churchill's rule: "A sentence ending in a preposition is something up with which I will not put."