Camera Matters

Effects to quality along the imaging chain

By C.R. Caillouet

Do you need a pro camera to make good pictures, or do you just pay for more features? In my career, I’ve had to work with some of the largest and smallest cameras, and to figure out how to get usable pictures from as many as possible. The results haven’t always been satisfying to me. I haven’t always had the time to figure out the best solutions,... Read more

Risky Business: Financing Your Feature Film Part One

The most important part of any production begins with securing funds to make it all happen

By Mark Litwak, Esq.

Editor’s Note: Veteran entertainment attorney and producer’s rep Mark Litwak, Esq., joins HDVideoPro with a column devoted to all aspects of film financing and distribution. Independent films can be financed in a variety of ways. In addition to self-financing a movie, the most common methods are: 1) loans; 2) borrowing against pre-sales; 3) donations,... Read more

Decoding Deliverables

An alphabet soup of output formats for television and streaming systems

By C.R. Caillouet

Last month, I talked about shooting in 4K or UHD, but does “4 times full HD” make any sense elsewhere in the deliverables chain? I suggested that the UHD shooting decision should be driven by what most viewers actually see, and I noted that it might make sense to put more bits into dynamic range or improved color, instead of more resolution. We... Read more

Rescue Me

juicedLink Little DARling Distributed Audio Recorder, and iZotope RX 5 Audio Editor

By Dan Brockett

JUICEDLINK LITTLE DARLING Q We’re looking at wireless microphone alternatives to shoot weddings and live events. Much of the time we don’t have enough budget available to hire a sound mixer and we end up having to handle audio ourselves. In our experience, quality wireless systems are pretty expensive, about $2,000 to $3,500 for something like... Read more

Converting Watts to Lumens: Watt Is Your Lumen Count?

How to choose the right lights for your next project

By Andy Shipsides

Over the last few years, we’ve seen some major improvements in LED lighting technology in both color quality and output. With more and more companies producing lights, it can be challenging to decide which might fit your needs. At AbelCine, we sell and rent several different lighting technologies and do our best to help clients select the right lights... Read more

Recording With(out) A Sound Mixer

The new Tascam DR-701D timecode-capable recorder, plus budgeting for a sound mixer

By Dan Brockett

TASCAM DR-701D MIXER/RECORDER Q I want to upgrade my multitrack recording capability from my current Zoom H4n to something with more tracks and more sophisticated features. I’ve been considering the new Zoom F8 mixer/recorder. Is there anything else in the $1,000 or lower range that I should consider? We mostly shoot with the Panasonic GH4. Drew... Read more

Shutter At The Thought

A little more on time-lapse, plus pushing in with 4K capture

By Michael Guncheon

TIME-LAPSE AND SHUTTER COUNTS Q I’ve really gotten into shooting time-lapse for some of my projects. While I’ve done so with regular video cameras, I’ve also been shooting more and more of it on SLRs. I like how small they are, and I don’t have to work as hard on rigging them and supplying them with power. I’ll admit it, I can be a bit... Read more

The New Production

Post should no longer be the last thing on your list

By Ian Blair

For more than 100 years, filmmakers have followed the same three signs on the road to a completed project: You start at preproduction, move on to production and finally end up at postproduction. It’s a simple set of instructions and a timeline that made perfect sense, whether you were making a big-budget studio movie or a small documentary. But... Read more

4K? Maybe So, Maybe Not.

A variety of considerations factor into whether to shoot your next project in UltraHD or 4K

By C.R. Caillouet

These frames illustrate different ways of using UHD/4K originals in production: the “scaled” one retains the framing of the original for converting an entire show to alternate products (above); the “cropped ” one retains the resolution of the original static UHD shot for use in a lower-resolution product (top). Unless you’ve been in a... Read more

The Art & Science Of Mounting Mics

Lavs vs. shotguns, plus hidden lavaliers

By Dan Brockett

LAVS VS. SHOTGUNS Q I’m looking for advice on the best long shotgun microphone that I can mount on a Sony PXW-FS7 camera. I’ll be shooting interviews with athletes from five to 10 feet away, but don’t have the resources to have a sound mixer with me. I’m not very knowledgeable about sound. Help! Sherrie V. Via email A When you don’t have... Read more

My Friend Flicker

Correcting flicker in time-lapse, plus more on working with a colorist

By Michael Guncheon

Q I’ve been experimenting with shooting time-lapse. My success rate has been pretty good, but there has been a lot of trial and error (emphasis on the errors). There have been some obvious issues that I’ve fixed, like not having my camera as secure as I’d like and making sure something isn’t going to come in and block the shot (two hours of... Read more

Choosing A Wired Lavalier

Plus, locating custom audio cable harnesses

By Dan Brockett

WHICH WIRED LAV IS RIGHT FOR YOU Q We recently upgraded from the Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR to a Canon EOS C100 Mark II. It will be so incredibly convenient not to have to utilize a separate recorder for decent sound. We shoot a lot of in-studio interviews with two talent, so I want to buy two new lavalier microphones. We have a low-end lavalier that... Read more