Random Gotcha - 08/28/10

Random Gotcha - 08/28/10

Weisscam HS-2

Ride the gain! If you're seeing noise in the blacks or seeing fine, faint black lines all over the image, drop the gain until it's minimized. You'll lose some stop but the camera is already pretty fast. This is the number one complaint I've heard about the camera and if you know how to deal with this problem when it arises, you can shoot consistently clean images.

Phantom Flex is now shipping. I have some days booked with it next month and can't wait to start working with it. It's a shame the Weiss hasn't managed to snatch more of the high speed market because it's such a great system. Phantom is already synonomous with high speed videography and the Weiss has been a tough sell to producers who are already well versed in Phantom workflow. Flex being so "flex"ible may really seal the Phantom deal. We'll see what happens but I'll still be gunning for the Weisscam.

I have two main interests at this point - high speed video and stereoscopic 3D. High speed 3D? Go see the truly terrible Step Up 3D to see some otherwise incredible images.

Phantom announces Remote Control Unit

Phantom announces Remote Control Unit

From the VRI website: "Our new Phantom Remote Control Unit is a 5" life saver!  This small, lightweight, hand-held device controls your Phantom digital high-speed cameras as well as a providing a video monitor all in one package.

The RCU supports the entire high-speed imaging workflow. Set up the camera, trigger the shot, view the cine on the LCD screen, trim to the frames of interest, and save the result to a CineMag. Without ever touching the camera!

The 5" TFT touch screen technologyallows you to control a camera with just the tap of your finger. A scroll/jog dial gives you an alternate (and fast!) way to change many settings or to scrub through a recorded cine."

Hmmm.. seems like they've been inspired by the Weisscam ;) Seriously though, interfacing wirelessly for high speed recording makes a lot of sense and it's one the most useful features of the Weisscam. I've never been a huge fan of the Phantom control software and this to me seems like it will make the workflow faster and more intuitive. The unit will probably be expensive too and I don't predict it will be something thrown in with the package for nothing. It's not really a necessary accessory and "operator comfort" isn't production's highest priority so this may be a hard sell from a rental perspective. I REALLY hope to find one in the case on my next Phantom job though. Less cable. Less laptops. Less headaches. Sign me up. 

http://focus.visionresearch.com/?p=186

http://www.visionresearch.com/index.cfm?sector=htm/files&page=Remote_Control_Unit

Weisscam, Canon cameras, cockfights?

Weisscam, Canon cameras, cockfights?

First off - Weiss shoot went extremely well. She got a little hot every now and again but as long as we kept the sun off it, there were no problems. The camera is a beast and is 100% production worthy. Robust 1080psf images from 1-2000 fps with a great toolset for fine controls. The paint, capture, record workflow is straightforward and very easy to troubleshoot. With a forthcoming firmware update, it will also be able to shoot and output sync sound frame rates, 23.98 & 29.97. Once this happens and the word gets out on how high quality the HS-2 is, I promise you will start seeing it on a lot of sets.

The spot we shot was for Nerf Supersoaker so if you see a commercial with a bunch of backlit teenagers shooting each other with water guns in super slow motion, that's what we were doing down here. Director/DP was Norry Nevin who is an incredible artist. I highly recommend you check out his work at www.stonecore.com

Sync sound shots for this were believe or not, 5D mk2. I'm always amazed at where this camera turns up. Seems like these days, DP's and directors always have one in their bag and find some way to use it.

What's really got me excited though is how much fun I'm having shooting stills and video with my 7D. I had today off in San Juan, Puerto Rico and I went to the old part of town which is beautiful but sleepy and tranquil. Great to sit and have a coffee while admiring the Spanish colonial architecture but not necessarily the best video subject matter. Perfect for stills though and I ended up shooting almost a whole card. By the time I got back to the hotel the sun was setting so I went down to the beach and videoed the waves, joggers, and the gorgeous sundown over the city. Everything I needed to do this fit in my small backpack. What a blast these cameras are. The Fader ND, Zacuto parts, and Superflat Picture Style are definitely the key to a good video experience. Despite some shortcomings, I don't care, at this point I'm sold on the HDSLR. I'll be posting the results of the day as soon as I have a chance to do a little editing.

Also of note, I didn't know this but a certain primal, ancient, animal vs. animal sport is alive and well here. The Puerto Rican producers insisited on taking us to watch roosters eviscerate each other at a legal cockfighting venue. Definitely not my cup of tea but an interesting cultural experience nonetheless. All I could think about was how amazing it would have been to have the Weiss in that pit.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating this legal but ethically questionable activity but as you can imagine it was extremely visual and honestly, perfect subject matter for high speed videography. Anyone who wants to make a doc on cockfighting in Latin America let me know. There's a fascinating culture to it. Apparently Cuban-Americans in Miami raise the best birds but they obviously can't fight them there so when they take them to the ring in Puerto Rico, it's a big deal for the cockfight aficionados. How you get a fighting chicken onto an airplane I have no idea.. Is this not a documentary waiting to happen?

Not taken with my 7D

You don't take a big camera out at a place like this unless you'd like a shiv to the kidney.

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