Lost In Transfer

It’s all in the details

By Michael Guncheon

FILE TRANSFERS Q I ran into a situation recently that has me a bit worried. I was shooting double-system sound, which I’ve done many, many times. I heard back from the person who was doing the post, and they were asking for some files that had already been delivered. At first, I thought I must have done something wrong. There does seem to be... Read more

Monitor Problems

Tips for proper viewing

By Michael Guncheon

Q We all know that when we attach a monitor to a DSLR, the screen on the camera goes black and the image is shown on the monitor. But what if I want the director/producer to see the footage without having to follow the DP around? Is there a way to attach a second monitor and maybe even make it wireless? I’ve been looking around for setups, but... Read more

Optimal Viewing

The Super 35 image sensor

By Michael Guncheon

TIMING Q It seems like there have been a lot of cameras introduced in the last year or so, and while it seems like they’re different than previous years, I really wonder. I’ve wanted to stop renting and buy, but I’m a bit nervous of my timing—2K, 4K, 8K—when will it stop or at least slow down enough so I can hop on this merry-go-round?... Read more

Not Having A G’Day

Figuring out a stutter effect, and the segmented frame

By Michael Guncheon

Q Hi, guys—e-greetings from Down Under! Hey, I’ve had an ongoing issue with my magnificent Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The majority of my work is in model and corporate photography, now that I’m a semiretired television broadcast cameraman. However, I do use the 5D Mark II from time to time to shoot TVCs and corporate video for the Australian... Read more

Testing, 1-2-3

A calibrated test chart can make all the difference

By Michael Guncheon

Sometimes changes in technology lead to new concepts or even newer technologies, and other times new technology brings up the need to reexamine technology that has been around for a while. One piece of technology that was once old and is now new again is the test chart. While many think “digital” takes care of everything, there are many... Read more

Infrared-Faced

How IR filters can help

By Michael Guncheon

Q Recently, a very generous friend lent me his gear for a small project that I was shooting. This setup was from a guy who really knows his stuff and who has taught me a lot, so I thought I was going to know everything I needed to know about his "kit." But when I started assembling things, I realized that I didn’t know much about some... Read more

Not Just For Show

Your matte box, rails and follow focus explained

By Michael Guncheon

Q I really don’t understand matte boxes. At first I thought they just were what you found on a big 35mm motion-picture camera because I see them in all the behind-the-scenes/on-the-set shots. But now with smaller cameras, I’m seeing them more and more. It has dawned on me that these must not be "built in" on the big cameras either,... Read more

Play Misty For Me

How a simple hair dryer saved my shoot

By Michael Guncheon

You turn the page to this column, and before you begin reading, a question pops into your head: “What does a cow have to do with high-definition video?” Usually, you’d see a piece of production equipment, or maybe a shot behind the scenes on a shoot, or maybe some pastiche of technical graphs or displays. Instead, here it is: a cow.... Read more

Like A Rolling Stone

Is rolling shutter a deal-breaker?

By Michael Guncheon

Rolling Shutter Q Okay, I keep hearing about rolling shutter this and rolling shutter that, and how bad it is. You shouldn’t be using this camera because it’s CMOS and you’re not going to be happy with the results. I’m a little confused because, if it’s so bad, why are people still using these cameras? It seems to me that... Read more

Just The Facts

Is the Internet the best place to get your information?

By Michael Guncheon

This month’s column is a continuation of my last Video Assist column. In case you missed it, I was talking about how I’ve often been asked where to find accurate information in our industry. I gave an example from an online article that otherwise had a lot of good (and accurate) information. The article stated (and I’m paraphrasing),... Read more

Running A Temperature?

Correcting the color temperature of your on-set monitors

By Michael Guncheon

Q I recently worked on a project where I had to deal with monitors that were in the shot. We originally wanted to create some content to play on the monitors. The alternative of tracking footage in later seemed beyond the time frame allotted for the edit and well beyond the budget. Everything was created and then we got to the location and immediately... Read more

Self-Storage

Can most common hard drives handle high-def?

By Michael Guncheon

Q What’s going on with storage, and when is it going to get better? It seems like with high definition, the drives that I can get just won’t be able to run fast enough to let me watch my edit. Drives seem to be getting bigger capacities, but they don’t really get faster, in my mind. How can I get my storage to handle HD? Chris C. Via... Read more