New toy! One of our latest additions is the Tricaster TCDX300 and we were psyched last April when we had the chance to try it out on our fellow nerds at the Twitter Chirp Conference. This amazing little black box is small but mighty: it has the power of network-style TV broadcasting, jammed in its 20lb body – so light in can fit in your backpack. It’s completely self- contained and we were able to live cut a three-camera shoot of Twitter’s live event.

These portable tricasters are really revolutionizing the capacity of independent production companies to offer a higher caliber of live capture at conferences, concerts, sports events and just about any other live video multi-camera event. At the Chirp Conference it was readily apparent how much viewers rely on webcasting – even though they were at the actual event, the entire audience had our webcast running on their laptops and were watching online for a better view.

Check out the surrealist photo below taken by our Rental Manager, Josef Shafer – those are all the laptops, tablets and handheld devices broadcasting our video.

Take a look at this clip and see the TCDX300 in action…

Aja KiPro

Awww! Breath a sigh of relief- finally, no more agonizing hours of digitizing! With the new KiPro you are ready to edit as soon as your wrap. No more tapes! Isn’t this what you and your clients have been wanting for years? Yeah it is!
For a long time here at Studio B, as I am sure is true with your team, it was always a time-suck and a money-waster to digitize footage after a shoot. Not only was it a pain to dedicate an edit suite and an editor to the digitizing process, it was always tough to justify invoicing your client for this time, they will always question that cost. And this is not to mention the cost of and the ware and tare on a VTR. Bottom line is, digitizing was the last thing you wanted to do after a shoot.
All that has gone away now!
This thing is amazing. It is just what we all had been calling for, for years now, and yet again, Aja has heard these calls and made a great device. They always seem to nail it over at Aja, and this new “box” from them is no exception.
The KiPro, if you don’t know, is a small “on board” recording device that will record any signal in Apple’s ProRes codec. You can hit this box with anything from a composite signal from an older prosumer camera to an HD-SDI signal out of your new Varicam and it will record it to a small drive that you can edit from directly!
It’s like magic!
Not only will it eliminate digitizing and wasted time, it will breathe new life into your old tape based cameras and effectively bring it up a notch to the level of card based cameras.
Because the KiPro records at ProRes (HQ) which is pretty standard these days for creating your Final Cut Pro projects, it will match up all your footage so you don’t have too. In other words, no more converting different formats or codecs, it’s just good to go.
For example, here at Studio B, we have a new Varicam 3700, which shoots to P2 cards. When we ingest the footage from these cards, we “log and transfer” them into ProRes HQ quicktime files. But then we are often shooting B-roll or second camera with our older HDX-900, also from Panasonic. With this tape based DVCPRO camera, we used to not only digitize these tapes, we would need to convert them to ProRes as well. This would slow our edit down by hours, if not days. But now, we use the KiPro, along side the HDX-900, record straight to ProRes and now it’s even faster than the Varicam.
The other beautiful thing about using the KiPro is that you are tapping the output, which is typically wired to the sensor, not the VTR of a camera. What this means is that, because the BNC or Component output of a camera is NOT compressed, that you are getting a HIGHER quality image. Generally speaking the compression ratio is quite high on older tape cameras, and then you also compress slightly on the ingest as well. This will bring the quality of your next project way up.
If you have a project that simply has a small turn around time - perhaps, your client wants to fly away with the digitized footage, this will make it a breeze. All you would need to do, is set the KiPro’s drive to transfer footage to a second hard drive, while you wrap your cables and your client walks away with the footage…And at a super high quality nonetheless.
This device is also a great value. For a relatively cheap rental, you can continue to use your slightly older camera, but bring it up to the level of the latest generation of card based cameras. It is a great addition to any production, no matter the size of the crew or budget. And, just think about how much you’ll save on tape stock.

I was sold on this thing when it was still just a glimmer in some engineer’s eye. And seeing it in action I am absolutely in love with it. The interface is straight forward, the work flow is very simple and integrating it is a breeze- JUST ONE CABLE!
Come see this thing in action for yourself, come on by the Studio or give me a call for your next rental! RENT THIS TODAY!

David Collier director of photography

Pulling together the right video crew is a key element to the success of your video production.  If you have ever shot in an unfamiliar city, you probably know that it can be especially challenging and intimidating to find a good crew.  At the heart of any production crew is the videographer or Director of Photographer (DP or in England D.O.P).  When crewing-up, I suggest starting with a well suited videographer and then let that videographer select the sound and lighting personal.  Most likely the videographer has a good sense of the production landscape of the city and has folks already that they like to work with.  That helps create a solid crew.

Every video has its own particular production challenges and requires that the videographer or director of photographer (DP) has a specific set of skills.  Every DP has his or her strengths.  For example some DP/videographers are particularly good with lighting or green screen shooting, but not necessarily good with hand-held camera work or shooting documentaries.  Some DPs are great when it comes to having a vast knowledge of lenses and giving the production a cinematic look.  And there are other videographers have specialty skills, like working a jib arm or Steadicam.

One question to contemplate, is if your video production needs a director and videographer?  On smaller crews everyone wears several hats.  Some videographers double as directors and can help direct the talent, conduct interviews and have a good feeling for what b-roll you will need when you get the edit room.  If there are important clients on the job, it’s critical that you have a good vibe on the set and that the clients have a good over all experience.  No mater how skilled your videographer and crew, you don’t want the work environment to feel awkward.  Some videographers are particularly good with clients.  When interviewing the videographer you can get a sense for not only their skills, but also their personality.  In the process, be sure to tell the videographer about your particular needs and ask him or her what other productions they have shot that are similar.

Here are a few good questions when interviewing perspective DPs or Videographers:

What types of productions you enjoy shooting most and what you are particularly adept at shooting?

Do you have a demo reel that I can see, ideally online?

What other production crew personnel would you recommend for this job?  Do you have recommendations for who I should hire?

What camera package, lighting equipment and sound gear would you recommend?

What is your rate and do you work on an eight, ten or twelve hour day?

Is lunch on or off the clock?

With those answers, you should be ready to begin your production.  Of course, always get an emailed estimate before the job so that you

Canon 5D Mark II

This may be a little late in the game to be swooning over the Canon 5D Mark II; but after the hype, after the buzz, we here at Studio B, finally bought one of these things last fall. Now, after a few months of shooting both stills and video with it, we have a lot of love and praise and just a few small criticisms.

Just pulling this thing out of the box and playing with it, we immediately saw what great images it can create. We also realized at a fraction of the cost of other cameras, this camera produces similar picture quality. The images, even with a stock zoom lens, are sharp, crisp and have a beautiful depth of field. This is the strongest “case” for these cameras. The shallow focus and the resolution are striking. They give the 35mm adapters a run for their money. In it’s compact, lightweight shell, this camera, effectively produces the same images as an EX1 with a Letus adapter. Of course you are not getting the audio, the gamma options and the clean workflow, but as in every camera, despite it’s functionality, the important part is the image. It’s all about getting the best quality picture for the best value and that is what the Canon 5D offers. At the end of the day, the images are stunning.
There are some basic criticisms I have about these cameras. However, if your budget is small, but the quality needs to be high, these are reasonable issues to work around.
My main issue with the 5D is the audio set up; there is only a single mini input and the metering is always on auto. Indeed, you can plug in a mic or a mixer, but every adjustment your sound guy makes, is moot, as the camera will override it. This makes recording to a stand-alone unit almost a necessity. And with that, you get into sync issues and slating issues. However, you can nonetheless get decent sound or at least a scratch track onto your memory card, so all is not lost.

The other big issue for me is the interface of this camera. Since it is a still camera, it speaks to you in ‘still photography’ terms. It is this basic language and menu structure that I don’t like. If you are coming to this camera as a veteran of video, you will be confused about where and how to change things. Where as you normally pick up a new camera and know exactly how to operate it within a couple minutes of playing around, the 5D will have you scratching your head and reading the manual. The menus are basic and the physical button pushing is slightly annoying. Again, this is a small price to pay for such high quality images.

If you couple this camera with a small jib or some kind of shoulder rig, your production quality sky rockets. You can get such high quality dynamic shots from this camera on a Zacuto rig or a dolly move, always maintaining that much desired shallow focus.

We offer the Port-a-Jib traveler here at Studio B and I have seen clients come back with shots from the 5D on the jib that look like a million bucks. The compact size and light weight design of this camera can get you into corners and tight spots, or do narrow pushes and tracking shots that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to physically achieve. You cannot argue that the 5D gives you incredible range and versatility; the possibilities are endless.
If you haven’t gotten to play around with one of these 5D’s yet, you should come down to Studio B and check it out. We can talk all about it; the functions, the pitfalls, the bright side and the work flow. If you couple this camera with some of our other small budget choices, like the port a jib traveler you can raise your production value easily. Or throw this on a Zacuto hand held rig and get some rock solid hand held shots that will make people think you had a steady cam and double the money.
I still am a bit skeptical of HDSLR’s in general, as they are NOT video cameras, with all the ins and outs and buttons and menu options. But these things will change over time and our two worlds of video and photography will continue to merge their technology. And soon enough these cameras will be neck and neck with traditional video cameras much in the same way digital photography has all but phased out 35mm film. All I can say is, they have some perfect applications right now, and if they fix the interface and the audio, these things will be unstoppable.

This is an example of one of the many point of purchase videos we have produced.  This one in particular is all about appetite appeal and will show on a large screen at your local deli counter.

Did I say we love food shoots!

Studio B shot the video commemorating the project and the luminaries of the movement. We spent a day at Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco with Fred Grossman, Founder of Sierra Nevada, Fritz Maytag, Founder, Anchor Brewing Company, Charlie Papazian, President of the Brewers Association and Fred Eckhardt, Author, “A Treatise on Lager Beers.” We learned about the history of craft beer and tasted some too!

Check out the video:

Also, we recently shot a video with renowned Neuroscientist, Robert Knight. Dr. Knight presented an overview of the field of neuroscience for a general audience. The video lecture is informative and answers many common questions about memory, brain scans and neurological disorders.

Studio B had the good fortune to shoot the video announcement of the March edition of Wired magazine, designed specifically for the tablet computer.  The digital magazine uses Adobe AIR as its platform.  And it is striking!

Unlike much web content, the March issue is designed by Wired’s talented print design team, and it shows.  It’s beautiful.  The design is easy to navigate, intuitive in terms of use of UI and filled with promised 360 views, video and audio.

It’s amazing to look at the same car add in the print and tablet versions.  In the print version, the fold of the magazine hits in the middle of the car.  On the tablet version, you can spin the car around with a swipe of your finger.

Studio B had a chance to read through the magazine during the filming.  The idea behind the tablet magazine is to offer an experience as rich as viewing content on the iPhone, and judging on the prototype issue, they have delivered.  Studio B worked with Adobe’s Dan Cowles to shoot this project.  We interviewed  Scott Dadich, the Creative Director of Wired and Jeremy Clark from the Adobe Experience Design team.

Wired is one of Condé Nast’s 18 publications, so the growth potential for a tablet magazine is grand.  That is not to say that the tablet will replace the magazine, it surely will not, but as media makers, we are thrilled about the video potential of new tablet magazines.

Studio B shot Grammy Award-winning musician John Mayer’s latest music video in Hollywood, CA. Mayer, who tweets, blogs and posts his own videos on his website, contacted Adobe about collaborating on a new Augmented Reality video for his newly released album, Battle Studies. Mayer wanted to make an innovative new video for his single, “Heartbreak Warfare” that was creative, new and interactive.

The video continues Mayer’s desire to include his audience as part of his process.

Here is how the video works: Adobe’s new Flash-based Augmented Reality software works in conjunction with your computer’s camera. To watch the video unfold, you hold up an augmented reality marker (provided as a PDF) to your computer’s webcam. The marker triggers the video to begin. Because you are holding up the marker, you will see yourself as a part of the video, behind John Mayer. You can move the marker and John and his surrounds move with you.

Studio B shot the video on a Green screen stage in Hollywood and pulled the key. We worked closely with Dan Cowles from Adobe to coordinate the John’s actions so that the experience would be seamless. As you can see in the Wired video, John kept us all entertained – especially between takes. Blitz, a motion graphics company in LA, was also on set working closely with the engineers. Blitz built the 3-D experience.  Studio B was thrilled to work with Mayer on this new Augmented Reality Video.

]]> http://blog.studiobfilms.com/2009/12/04/studio-b-shoots-john-mayers-new-augmented-reality-music-video/feed/ http://blog.studiobfilms.com/2009/12/04/john-mayer-in-prores-4444-with-the-panasonic-hpx-3700-p2-varicam/ http://blog.studiobfilms.com/2009/12/04/john-mayer-in-prores-4444-with-the-panasonic-hpx-3700-p2-varicam/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:08:12 +0000 aaron http://blog.studiobfilms.com/?p=146 We recently got to do a shoot with Adobe for John Mayer’s latest music video. Since it was to be a greenscreen shoot and placed into a pretty high-profile piece we decided to pull out all the stops. The timing worked out pretty well because it coincided with Apple releasing the nee ProRes 4444 codec which would allow us to do a 444 capture on the fly and then key directly in After Effects without super-heavy files. So, we lugged our 8-core Mac Pro with the Kona3 card down to LA and installed two 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda drives (RAID 0 for throughput) into the mac. We needed the Kona3 because we wanted to pipe the super-clean dual link image from our brand new Panasonic HPX-3700 (P2) camera. We decided on the Varicam over the RED ONE because there were some pretty great reactions to it during the ASC Camera Test that was conducted in LA. Then to help insure that we’d get a crystal clear image, we put some Digi-Prime glass in front of the full-raster 1920 X 1080 imager of the Panasonic Varicam. Also, since this was an Adobe gig, we bypassed Final Cut Pro altogether and used the Kona VTR Xchange utility to capture to ProRes 4444 and then could drop the files directly into After effects to do our test keys.

Here’s the dual-link interface from the Kona 3 control panel.

Doing an on-set test-key on the footage with imagery from the boards.

In the end, the footage was some of the cleanest we’ve seen. Even with the heavy shadowing from the dummy green furniture that we placed on set, the key came out great (with some rotoscoping here and there). All in all, it was a very smooth process combining the Panasonic HPX-3700 with the Kona 3 and the new Apple ProRes 444 codec. Bring on the next one!