1080p, 720 P..should I care?

[Mike Schrengohst]

Originally Posted by Greg LeBlanc

So what you are saying is that no matter what project I di, I should deinterlace it and do everything in progressive mode? Regardless of whether the end user will view it on LCD, Plasma, Computer OR Standard CRT Televisions?

That is entirely up to you. When my clients where viewing VHS tapes on regular old CRT TV's and then DVD's....everything was fine. Then they started viewing the DVD's on laptop computers before I even had one.
They wondered why the DVD's looked fine at home but when they went to show them for a business meeting the motion always looked "funny".
It was interlaced artifacts. Ever since then I have been shooting and editing progressively. All the web videos always had to be de-interlaced.
Do some testing and figure out what is best for your deliverables.

[Chien Huey]

Originally Posted by Jemore Santos

I think the HVX is targetted at the indy film maker, and if you think about it, a 400ft roll of 16mm film will only last for about 12 minutes or so, so if you have transitioned yourself from film to P2 then you will have no problems, as an assistant camera operator or clapper/loader, loading p2 is a walk the park compared to loading film.

Having worked as a film loader and a P2 assistant, I've found that P2 loading/downloading is more stressful than loading film. For the following reasons:
1. Even though the P2 loads are similar to 16mm film loads in terms of shooting time, the fact that it's video means that people still shoot as if it's a 60-min tape. So not only are you downloading cards at a much higher rate but also you could potential run out of storage space.
2. With P2 there's not any well-established workflow for now to deal with the data. Some people download to P2Store, others to redundant RAID arrays and others just to a laptop. Whereas with film you wrap the cans with black 1" and stack 'em.

As for the original question, Z1U vs. HVX. It's really comes down to whether the stuff you shoot requires progressive.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

Originally Posted by Jemore Santos

I think the HVX is targetted at the indy film maker, and if you think about it, a 400ft roll of 16mm film will only last for about 12 minutes or so, so if you have transitioned yourself from film to P2 then you will have no problems, as an assistant camera operator or clapper/loader, loading p2 is a walk the park compared to loading film.

That's an argument I have listening for too long. I come from film, probably old times for most of you.

In film school we still shot in B&W with spring-loaded Bolex cameras, which lasted even less. It was awfull. Of course you adjust to very short takes, but it's a pain having to do so.

When you could afford a motor for the Bolex, or even the 120m mag, it was glory. You could do long takes, with pans, movements and so on.

I think 8/10 minute "rolls" or cards are good for fiction projects, where you have some control over your subjects. They stink for documentary.

The great thing for documentaries, the great turn, was when video begun being transferred to film. Even if you used Betacam cameras, you had 30 minutes tapes. With 60 minutes or so for DV you are in heaven!

These are gains we have been having that now the HVX100 wants to take back, and I don't like it.

It's like editing: moviolas were awful. Is there anyone there who would trade an editing desk for a Kem?

But... and there is a big but here to think of. One thing limits teach you is how to take some advantage from them. In this case I think you learn to put a great value in synthesis. How can I tell things in a shorter time? How I can tell things in 30-seconds, or in two minutes? Or how I can best use my 8 minutes?

This concept may seem too obvious, but it's not. Perhaps is the main lesson to take from P2 8 minutes.

But that doesn't mean we can't be synthetic and still have 60-minute rolls. I also think it's too expensive. The new Panasonic pro cameras come with slots for four P2s, which would be 32 minutes... and more than $4,000!

Still a very expensive bet, IMHO. I will take a serious look on P2 based cameras when cards get much cheaper. Until then tapes or other longer/cheaper media for me.


Carlos

[Mike Schrengohst]

I have seen shooters that will start shooting interviews with 30 min BetaSP tapes and never stop the tape. I have seen some shooters that never get enough pre-roll. If you approach P2 with the film/tape analogy then it does get hard to wrap you head around it. I know one HVX200 shooter who has the 4 gig cards but always shoots using the DV deck. He is an old BetaSP shooter who has to have tape. Funny thing is out of 60 min of DV tape he only shoots about 10 min of usable material.....So I have to sit and roll through the tape and digitize to DV and then he wonders why the greenscreen set-ups don't look good!!!

[Mike Teutsch]

Originally Posted by Jemore Santos

I think the HVX is targetted at the indy film maker, and if you think about it, a 400ft roll of 16mm film will only last for about 12 minutes or so, so if you have transitioned yourself from film to P2 then you will have no problems, as an assistant camera operator or clapper/loader, loading p2 is a walk the park compared to loading film.

Sorry, that's not a good analogy. If you shot film you may get about the same time per cartridge, but you don't have to immediately process that film and put it back into the camera. With the P2, you have to be constantly and quickly downloading the footage to some computer. Don't make a mistake either!