First time with the A1 and Music Video

[Ramon Nova]

This clip I shot when I took out the Canon out the box. I absolutely had no clue about how to use the camera or basic functions like exposure lock etc... I not knowing imported the video at 720x480 interlaced when I taped at 1080 24p.
I've seen many people say it's impossible to get any DOF with a video camera and after checking out some of the amazing stuff here I wanted to see for myself, my only previous camera experience is with a $200 Panasonic which I love!


http://www.tunah.com/canontest1.html


And this is a video that I'm working on for my band

http://www.tunah.com/all-good-rough.html

Comments are much appretiated...

[Ramon Nova]

http://www.myspace.com/pachamassive

[Bill Grant]

Hey don't work on it too much more, it's awesome. Really good stuff. Curious musically about the intro. The beat and the conga seemed to be at different tempos. Can you explain why you did that, and what your influence is for that type of sound? I like the music alot too btw. That girl is BEAUTIFUL! Good work
Bill

[Luca Ghione]

Originally Posted by Ramon Nova

http://www.myspace.com/pachamassive

wonderful band and good music. The video is realistic and full of joy. Coloured images and fast transitions.

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Bill Grant

Hey don't work on it too much more, it's awesome. Really good stuff. Curious musically about the intro. The beat and the conga seemed to be at different tempos. Can you explain why you did that, and what your influence is for that type of sound? I like the music alot too btw. That girl is BEAUTIFUL! Good work
Bill

Hey thanks Bill!

the intro of the song you can see it as a 3/4 percussion rhythm at a tempo of 285 bpm over 4/4 at 95 bpm which is the tempo of the song, 95x3=285. you can also see it as a triplet per quarter note at 95 bpm which is how I feel it. also the delay on the clavinet has a swing to it which also adds to the syncopation.

as far as influences I was lucky to be exposed to a lot of percussion as kid, and I've always loved traditional music from all over the planet which has a lot of interesting syncopation and polyrythms

most important, it is human to be biased and reject things for no good reason a lot of the time, but I really try to make an effort to listen to music as I used to when I was a kid, without judgement. we're influenced by even that which we insist don't like, wether we want it or not, so I try to take it all in and absorb it discard the garbage and take what's useful... that way instead of creating an unnecessary reaction when I listen, it just becomes part of my perspective in general.

and also important when we seat to make music we try to maintain a punk attitude... screw everything you think you know, screw how something is supposed to be, screw theory, screw trying to take a song in one direction or another and just make music. an I really mean try because it's impossible to not gravitate towards all kinds of preconceptions.

that's the mentality we try to have when making music, which for me comes a lot from how people like Hendrix and Bruce Lee worked, which isn't something you can probably hear directly.

Originally Posted by Luca Ghione

wonderful band and good music. The video is realistic and full of joy. Coloured images and fast transitions.

Hey Luca glad you guys like the music! we're trying to communicate something positive, we had a guy doing the video at first and it was dark which is not what the song is about, when he was unwilling to take our thoughts into account we convinced the label to give us the money to get the Canon, which I decided on based on what I've seen in this forum... I love this camera perfect for traveling compact and powerful!

the video is going to be broadcasted on mtv and a bunch of networks globally so don't be nice and criticize, everything is helpful!

Thanks again!

[Bill Busby]

Originally Posted by Ramon Nova

And this is a video that I'm working on for my band http://www.tunah.com/all-good-rough.html

What's with the conga's during the intro? The rhythmic pattern didn't work for me :). I thought maybe it was something added to the edit & the sync got fudged up or something, then I listened again & it is consistent... but I still think another pattern would have worked better.

Ok so this isn't a music forum :) Only making a comment.

Nice stuff all around though.

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

What's with the conga's during the intro? The rhythmic pattern didn't work for me :). I thought maybe it was something added to the edit & the sync got fudged up or something, then I listened again & it is consistent... but I still think another pattern would have worked better.

Ok so this isn't a music forum :) Only making a comment.

Nice stuff all around though.

hey man thanks! if you notice the same extact percussion rythm is throughout the choruses as well but you get anchored by the kick and snare on the downbeats and suddenly the complicated rythm you hear in the intro makes sense for some. if you want to check for a fact if it works or not just put it up on you DAW with a click at 95 bpm and see if it lines up... I could post an example here but this isn't a music forum.

it's just a shuffle guys.. nothing complicated... just count 1,2,3, for every quarter note, do the math it works technically, but I could give 2 hoots about technic... it feels right, very common in African music... it seems to work for a lot of folks though 'cause we're actually recouping and getting royalty checks from sales only a year after the release.

if you guys really want to go for a trip go to our myspace and listen to "La Verdolaga" it's a Bembe rythm another one of those 3/4- shuffle etc... on top of a frenetic Drum 'n Bass that kind of goes into Square Pusher territory at times... if you think the intro on the video track is crazy I want to know what you guyst think of this one :)

I really apprettiate your comment! if you guys have music to share please do!

[Bill Busby]

Ramon, I suppose my observation just came from being an ex-percussionist & just an all around music critic to begin with, ha! For me, I would have given it a different feel... like you said, the tune has a shuffle feel... but that conga pattern wasn't "shufflin' " :) It seemed too straight forward... like a metronome... doo doo, dee dee... doo doo, dee dee. Maybe I just can't hear any shuffled accents or something.

Anyway though, like I said. Good job.

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

Ramon, I suppose my observation just came from being an ex-percussionist & just an all around music critic to begin with, ha! For me, I would have given it a different feel... like you said, the tune has a shuffle feel... but that conga pattern wasn't "shufflin' " :) It seemed too straight forward... like a metronome... doo doo, dee dee... doo doo, dee dee. Maybe I just can't hear any shuffled accents or something.

Anyway though, like I said. Good job.

Got you Bill, I can see what you're saying. now I'm curious to see what you would have played or suggested instead!

now, I know the video is not that good for there to be no comment about it?

Thanks again!

[Danny Hidalgo]

Dude, Im diggin' that "Dont Let Go Jam", always love to see some of my latino brethren getting down!

Video is cool, definitely has some positive vibes. Keep up the good work.

Peace and Blessings,
Hidalgo

[Shiv Kumar]

Ramon,

Well some of your music is really nice. I can't talk technical music and found your posts here about the technique behind music very enlightening even though most of it way above my head (I wish I understood it all though).

On your DOF test aspect:
When you socus on something really close then yes any camera/lens will give you the sense of depth as compared to things further in the distance.

However, DOF (depth of field), or what we normally mean in this context is shallow DOF. The basic need to get a shallow depth of field for subjects at normal viewing distance. For example if you place two subjects at about 15-20 feet away from the camera where one subject is lats say 20 feet away and the other is 22 feet way.

With most video cameras the depth of field (or the depth/range of acceptable focus) is such that both subjects will appear to be in acceptable focus (in this case). So if you tried this test you'll see what people mean. Ideally we're looking for the situation where the viewer can clearly see which of the two subjects is in focus.

Shiv.

[Bill Busby]

Originally Posted by Ramon Nova

now I'm curious to see what you would have played or suggested instead!

I wish! I would if I could, but I haven't had gear for nearly 15 or 20 years. :-\

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Shiv Kumar

Ramon,

Well some of your music is really nice. I can't talk technical music and found your posts here about the technique behind music very enlightening even though most of it way above my head (I wish I understood it all though).

On your DOF test aspect:
When you socus on something really close then yes any camera/lens will give you the sense of depth as compared to things further in the distance.

However, DOF (depth of field), or what we normally mean in this context is shallow DOF. The basic need to get a shallow depth of field for subjects at normal viewing distance. For example if you place two subjects at about 15-20 feet away from the camera where one subject is lats say 20 feet away and the other is 22 feet way.

With most video cameras the depth of field (or the depth/range of acceptable focus) is such that both subjects will appear to be in acceptable focus (in this case). So if you tried this test you'll see what people mean. Ideally we're looking for the situation where the viewer can clearly see which of the two subjects is in focus.

Shiv.

Hey Shiv thanks for the info, I understand but still I think you can get some pretty nice shots with the A1 as is, I found if I stand far enough and zoom in the DOF gets shallower, eventually I'm planning on getting a 35mm adapter though... hopefully when we start working the next record.
do you have any recommendations in terms of lens specs and reasonable price range? would a 17-85mm lens be an ok choice? and also checked out some of your work - good stuff- what's your workflow, do you use any custom settings on the camera(vividrgb seem the most popular) and do you do anything in post to the footage?

Thanks.

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Bill Busby

I wish! I would if I could, but I haven't had gear for nearly 15 or 20 years. :-\

is always good to have even a little bongo around the house, is good therapy! specially since you used to play percussion :)

[Ramon Nova]

Originally Posted by Danny Hidalgo

Dude, Im diggin' that "Dont Let Go Jam", always love to see some of my latino brethren getting down!

Video is cool, definitely has some positive vibes. Keep up the good work.

Peace and Blessings,
Hidalgo

hey Danny happy you dig the song, that song has done good for us... it's been on film and tv and is also on the FIFA 2008 video game, which I have to get a copy of. come check us out if we're by your area!