"Little People, Big World" shot with HD250s

Glen Vandermolen · August 18th, 2008, 05:14 PM

The TLC show "Little People, Big World's" 4th season will be -or is -shot with the JVC HD250, both to tape and hard drive:

News: "Little People, Big World" Shoots In HD With JVC Pro HD Cameras : News & Press Releases

I wonder what settings they're shooting at? What cameras did they use before the 4th season? The article states the video is downconverted to SD for editing, but I could have sworn I've seen this show air on TLC HD. Maybe it was an older show? I really don't follow this program.
If it does air in HD that would make the HD250 100% acquisition for a Discovery Network HD channel - if.

Tim Dashwood · August 18th, 2008, 05:48 PM

What Discovery says they'll accept and what the production companies use are sometimes two different things. Broadcast Engineers determine those "acceptability" lists, not the producers. I'm not sure where Discovery currently stands on HDV. They used to say it couldn't be the "A" camera, but obviously if your show is compelling enough it is of little importance to them.

They've been using the JVC cameras on Little People Big World since the 3rd season (which started airing fall 2007.)

Robert Adams · August 19th, 2008, 01:17 AM

I was unit DoP on a five parter called "Big 5 Challenge" for Animal Planet late last year - airing in the next couple of months. The criteria was pretty strict - 70% had to be full HD (we shot on HD750 Sonys), 30% HDV - we had a mix of Z1 and P2. We had eleven cameras on the shoot, of which 4 were HD750s and the rest HDV. It was a constant issue to ensure that the full HD cameras were getting enough material to make the 70%.

As Tim says, if the content is good, they'll use Hi-8 - or phone camera material. But when they commission a programme, I think the 70 - 30 balance is what they prefer.

John Sirb · August 19th, 2008, 12:07 PM

Are the High end Avid Edit systems still Discovery's flavor of choice?

Tim Dashwood · August 19th, 2008, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Sirb

Are the High end Avid Edit systems still Discovery's flavor of choice?

In house... probably. Independent production... they don't care as long as you deliver a DBeta or HDCAM master.

Glen Vandermolen · October 13th, 2008, 10:29 PM

Resurrecting an old thread...

I just saw some of the newest "Little People, Big World" tv show, and it's definitely being broadcast in HD, on the TLC HD channel. That makes a program on a Discovery HD channel using the JVC HD200-250 cameras for 100% acquisition. And I thought they wouldn't accept 1/3" chips, 19 mbps HDV cameras for full acquisition.

August 18th, 2008, 05:14 PM	#1
Glen Vandermolen Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 147	"Little People, Big World" shot with HD250s The TLC show "Little People, Big World's" 4th season will be -or is -shot with the JVC HD250, both to tape and hard drive: News: "Little People, Big World" Shoots In HD With JVC Pro HD Cameras : News & Press Releases I wonder what settings they're shooting at? What cameras did they use before the 4th season? The article states the video is downconverted to SD for editing, but I could have sworn I've seen this show air on TLC HD. Maybe it was an older show? I really don't follow this program. If it does air in HD that would make the HD250 100% acquisition for a Discovery Network HD channel - if.

August 18th, 2008, 05:48 PM	#2
Tim Dashwood Wrangler Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 2,647	What Discovery says they'll accept and what the production companies use are sometimes two different things. Broadcast Engineers determine those "acceptability" lists, not the producers. I'm not sure where Discovery currently stands on HDV. They used to say it couldn't be the "A" camera, but obviously if your show is compelling enough it is of little importance to them. They've been using the JVC cameras on Little People Big World since the 3rd season (which started airing fall 2007.) __________________ Tim Dashwood

August 19th, 2008, 01:17 AM	#3
Robert Adams Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Harare Zimbabwe - heading back to Nairobi tonight Posts: 119	Standards I was unit DoP on a five parter called "Big 5 Challenge" for Animal Planet late last year - airing in the next couple of months. The criteria was pretty strict - 70% had to be full HD (we shot on HD750 Sonys), 30% HDV - we had a mix of Z1 and P2. We had eleven cameras on the shoot, of which 4 were HD750s and the rest HDV. It was a constant issue to ensure that the full HD cameras were getting enough material to make the 70%. As Tim says, if the content is good, they'll use Hi-8 - or phone camera material. But when they commission a programme, I think the 70 - 30 balance is what they prefer.

August 19th, 2008, 12:07 PM	#4
John Sirb Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Amherst, OH Posts: 67	Are the High end Avid Edit systems still Discovery's flavor of choice? __________________ ----------------- John Sirb

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October 13th, 2008, 10:29 PM	#6
Glen Vandermolen Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 147	Resurrecting an old thread... I just saw some of the newest "Little People, Big World" tv show, and it's definitely being broadcast in HD, on the TLC HD channel. That makes a program on a Discovery HD channel using the JVC HD200-250 cameras for 100% acquisition. And I thought they wouldn't accept 1/3" chips, 19 mbps HDV cameras for full acquisition.