I noticed it...nearly fell out of my chair. I was going to mention it but I feel like these guys are bringing us some great content and I can overlook a few production/post glitches.

I agree. Jonathan and Paolo have asked us for constructive feedback so I felt I should pitch in my two cents. The content is fantastic and the audio issue by no means detracts from that!

That's just it, I'm not sure. I open the iris up, zoom in and adjust, zoom out and adjust, again, and again. It never really seems to hit that spot where it stays focused.
OK, there are a couple of thing to try. First, try the peaking. Crank the dial at about 80%. I don't know what you use for back focues, I have the DSC chart and it creates a "bowtie" patter when you hit focus. A Siemens star, if printed sharply could work as well. Anyway, place the chart at about 6-8 feet distance. Open the lens, zoom in and focus. The peaking will help you determine when you are on the spot. If that doesn't help use the FA.
Now zoom out, if the image becomes soft then adjust the backfocus. Lock it and zoom in and try again.
If you can't achieve focus then it could be that your lens is slightly off. Disconnect it from the camera and re-mount it. Usually this works.
Of course, before you attempt any adjustment, rememeber to remove the mayo filter ;)

I'm using a Siemen's Star that I printed. It is a bit larger than the one in the book, and it also has a set of bars and lines in the corners. These seem to help me find focus easier. I also use the peaking over FA, as it is more acurate for me. I just can't get it to stay in focus while zooming.

All sound levels should be set properly in post and if they are not, this does not reflect on the location sound recording, which in the case of Jody's episode was done by me and I believe done right.

All levels were strong and were not clipping, which means that they can be matched easily when and where they must be -- in post. And by the way, this is not "fixing it in post" anymore than editing picture is fixing anything. It's just doing the normal editing job.

That refers to matching the levels of Jody's and Jamie's interior business as well as matching those levels compared to the levels of both men's exterior lines.

In this shoot, the two speakers are always recorded on their own audio channels. Consequently, they can easily be matched to each other in any NLE I've ever used.

The interior material was recorded with wired lavs, and exterior were done wireless, and with different brands of mics by necessity. The comparative levels of the interior and exterior levels can also be matched easily on the timeline.

And levels are just the beginning of sound editing, a good sound editor should be able to EQ away tonal differences, reduce background ambience, replace momentary noises with clean room tone or wild sound, and a million other things -- let alone match levels. It blows my mind that anyone would think otherwise and try to slag off the location sound.

I can only imagine that the post rapid production schedule is the real issue, the team is turning these around amazingly quickly.

But to nit pick about this and then wonder if this is a post issue or a location issue speaks volumes, but not about the location recording.

Tip McPartland

In this shoot, the two speakers are always recorded on their own audio channels. Consequently, they can easily be matched to each other in any NLE I've ever used.

Tip, I'm not as experienced as you are with sound editing and I hope I didn't say anything before that sounded like I was giving you responsibility for the sound issues, since I wasn't. The procedure that I followed for sound processing was to convert the two channels to mono by using Soundtrack Pro "Convert to mono", mixing left and right channels. I then normalized the track to -3db, added compression, a touch of EQ and then verified that nothing was peaking beyond 0db. I didn't have the time to do any other polishing except for a little bit of noise suppression for the indoor segment.
Jody's and Jamie's voices are quite different, tone and volume wise, and I didn't try to match the levels. As we mentioned before, we had issues to solve in the editing and exporting, we just didn't have the time to do that kind of post work. Hopefully we will be able to adjust that in the future. Keep in mind that we shoot on Saturday and release on Friday (initially it was Wednesday)


The interior material was recorded with wired lavs, and exterior were done wireless, and with different brands of mics by necessity.


Yes, that's what i remember, and also that Jody was talking much more loudly than when inside. He was much more animated etc. I kinda liked the difference of tone since it was underlining the stark difference of the look, the outside being quite controlled and the ourside being ... out of our control. I din't think much of it at that time. I'll go back and re-evaluate it. If it's excessive I can still fix it and re-release the video. That's the convenience of Web delivery.

Hope this helps.

But to nit pick about this and then wonder if this is a post issue or a location issue speaks volumes, but not about the location recording.

Tip:

I apologize if it seemed to you like I was nit picking or indicating that there was a big issue with the audio in Episode 5. As I said in my first post above about the sound issue, I believed that the slight difference in level was "probably not noticeable to most people." Whereas I did assume it was a production issue and not a post issue I did not intend to denigrate your abilities or imply that it was your fault.

Jonathan and Paolo have asked for constructive feedback of each episode to help make the next one better. I brought the issue up just in case there was a true techincal reason behind it. The audio levels from the inside shoot to the outside shoot did jump noticeable and I mentioned that I assumed it was a post, not a production, issue.

With both the inside and outside audio, I could have listed a handful of possible causes that came to mind but instead just brought up the point to offer my two cents, not meaning to point a finger at anyone--after all, it was constructive feedback and not criticism.

If you believed that my comments were not constructive, you could have emailed me in private. But please do not turn this into a personal attack on a public forum. Your inference at the end of the sentence above is not appropriate.

I want to make it clear that I appreciate each and everyone of you who work on 2nd Unit. You each are offering valuable service to the film making community. The amount of time you take out of your personal lives to do so is admirable.

Sorry guys, I just got back from a very stressful pitch meeting in Washington D.C where we made presentations to Discover, TLC, Travel, Animal Planet and National Geographic channels over the course of a day and a morning. Perhaps I was a bit stressed, so my apologies to all if I overreacted.

That having been said, I worked very hard to make sure that Jonathan got great sound during the last shoot I was on. There were some problems on the first day I did location sound for 2nd Unit, caused by a very loud George and a very quiet Jaime, and by the fact that Audio 1 is on the right on the HD100 and on the left on every other device in the audio universe. Anyway, I took my lumps on that one but resolved to provide an error free job on the next one.

And I did know I did a great job this time, and then to have to read a critique that was unsoundly (pun intended) based, but which nonetheless did attempt to specifically lay blame on either location or post at various times, was upsetting. As part of the way that I feed my three children is doing location sound, to be set upon in a public forum and "blamed" for problems in the final mix does demand a response.

My apologies to Paolo, I didn't realize that he had also edited this episode, I knew that he did the George material but he does live in Santa Cruz so I guess he's basically been hijacked into a nearly full-time job at 2nd Unit. Paolo is a wonderful person as well as brilliant, and has done so much for these forums. My hat is off to Paolo for everything he's done.

Tip

Hey Tip, don't worry about anything. We all go through stressful times and sometimes get a bit "jumpy" :) Happens to the best of us.
Glad to hear that you're getting involved with the big guys of national TV. As we get more comfortable with the schedule and tools and codecs for 2nd Unit we will give better tratement to your sound. Speaking of which, if you have any tip about producing good sound out of the NLE, I'll be listening :)

Take care.

And I did know I did a great job this time, and then to have to read a critique that was unsoundly (pun intended) based, but which nonetheless did attempt to specifically lay blame on either location or post at various times, was upsetting. As part of the way that I feed my three children is doing location sound, to be set upon in a public forum and "blamed" for problems in the final mix does demand a response.

Tip:

We obviously have gotten off to a rough start in our communication with one another and you clearly have had a stressful few days. As I indicated above, I did not intend to "blame" anyone and specifically did not point a finger at you nor "set upon" you. Since I was not there, of course I posited my statement on a priori knowledge and not a posteriori. That is why I used the word assume.

However with your reply, you have once again implied something negative about my character or abilities by using the phrase "unsoundly based." If 2nd Unit does not want feedback, especially feedback provided to bring attention to issues (potential or real), then that should be clearly communicated. I too feed a family through my work in media and have done so for many years. My time is just as valuable. Perhaps I could use it more wisely elsewhere.

Once again, if I offended you, I do apologize. Your name was never mentioned and I presented the issue as a minor one that most people would most likely not notice. I admit using the phrase "mixing in production" which was obviously a poor choice of words as I should have just said production or post.

I thought Eps 5 (part 2) with Jody totally rocked! He's a very interesting guy and well spoken. The cut aways to Jamie were well timed and the "creative choice" section where you wiped to the different "Film Looks" were slick and impressive. Hell of a job guys! You've raised the bar again. Keep it up. My only complaint is that Jamie may want to rethink his wardrobe..LOL. How long did the doctor tell him he had to wear that shirt?
That was MY shirt!!! and the doctor said about 6 weeks! ;-)

Well, I got a great e-mail from Jeff and he was truly concerned that he had done or said somnething offensive. I've been, as I said to Jeff in my response, buried in the business end of 2nd Unit so I haven't been keeping up on the board. Paolo's been doing a great job of that.

As to the postings, 2nd Unit is nothing if it is not all about coomunity feedback. Heck, why do you think the site is being changed to reflect the recommendations of the readers and Paolo's doing all the editing right now. The answer is simply because I suck at this stuff. The site has moved positively leaps and bounds over the 4 weeks it's been up. We're close to 5,000 downloads/viewings of the weekly webcast from all over the place as evidenced by the Go Daddy hosting reports and had it not been for the recommendations of readers and viewers like Jeff, I'd still be where I don't belong...editing. So Tip had a stressful day. We'v all had them. No one's attacking character and if I ever think it ever gets to that point, I'll shut things down. For now, it's as I've said a hundred times or more , "Family". If all of the readers/viewers/commentators and crew and cast don't feel like family here on this virtual set, each one doing his or her part to better the information that reaches the independent filmmaker through 2nd Unit, then I as the producer have failed miserably. And that's not somewhere I should be failing having been doing this for 20+ years. I can fail at editing or technical things like that but I better know producing and I better know cinematography. So wail awat at each other...respectfully and with courtesy...because that's what family does. I'll let you know if I think you've crossed the line but for right now, each and every one of you have a valid point. There's alot of pride in authorship in this business. If there wasn't, it's workproduct wouldn't be worth a damn. So it's the family squabbles that keeps us on top of our game and I for one think its a good thing. Keep the feedback coming Jeff and everyone else out there because without it, we're nothing. And Tip...GREAT JOB on sound. I was there, remember. I know George and Jaime and Jody and, and and, and, and that stuff we can fix in post! But if it wasn't good to begin with, if all we had to work with was silence or clipping, we couldn't fix anything. So keep up the good work. And BTW, I've worked for all those guys you just pitched to. In fact, I've been with them when we're being pitched to. Don't let it worry you. They're all porfessionall a&^$*(&%^. We're the Fun Bunch and we love what you do.

Don't worry, Jonathan. The other moderators, myself, and Chris will put an end to anything that flares up too far.

As you're well aware, we run a tight ship and expect people here to treat each other with decency and civility, no matter what the experience level or personal viewpoint.

I initially posted that the indoor to outdoor audio transistion nearly knocked me out of my chair. That was a slight exaggeration. All I meant was that it was fairly noticable. I have no idea where in the audio chain the difference occurred and I really don't care. Like I said to Jeff, I didn't even want to mention it at first cause the wealth of information in that episode is top tier.

Tip, please don't feel personally attacked here. We're not about that on this board. We all want to help each other be our best through constructive feedback. That's what makes DVINFO so unique. It's not the internet free for all that you get on other forums.

As a side note to you Jonathan, I noticed you said that Isabelle would be taking over the interviewing duties. I guess I can live with that if I have to. (grin)

regards,

-gb-

Jeff,

I can tell by your reasoned responses and comments that you are a gentleman. I also appreciate that all this matters enough to you to merit the responses you've posted. I appreciate your apology, but I think that I owe you one as well for my language and reaction. So here it is, Jeff, I went over the top, and I owe you a beer the next time you're in Los Angeles!

Since I've owed Paolo a pitcher for some time now, I can't say that my "owe you a beer" credit rating is triple AAA, but I suppose it's the thought that counts.

And Jonathan, thank you for the vote of confidence and the kind words. I try to do a good job, and hope that I've given you good materials to work with.

Greg, Chris and any other moderators, thank you for letting me make a proper ass out of myself unedited. What more could I ask from a forum? Some forums are over-moderated and decidely un-lively (CC), and thankfully that doesn't happen here.

I look forward to sharing this forum with all of you.

Tip

There, ya see. Like a big family only with guard dogs running from the Basset on the sofa like me to the Pit Bulls on the porch like Greg and Chris. So temper, temper. Don't let the Big Dogs get off the porch!!! ;-) OK all kidding aside, this forum is tight but it's trusting letting the families argue a bit but never cross the line. In this forum, we never will.

As for Isabella, she has a rather large European following and there are a number of filmmakers over there as well I'd like to see join the Board. She's a fantastic makeup artist and she wants to be more in the industry. I think 2nd Unit is a good place to get practice and exposure. And she won't hurt our ratings, I can sure tell you that!

I appreciate and accept your apology. I told Paolo in a private email last night that I truly thought you were a good guy and had nothing but respect for what you do. I'll also take you up on that beer sometime. Perhaps Paolo and I will need to make sure you deliver!

My wife reminds me often how stubborn I can be--and how I sometimes let my passion about work and life, and the stress that that can cause, make me a little full of myself. So, I once again apologize if I offended you.

Jonathan, I appreciate and respect your diplomacy. I also agree whole heartedly about what this extended family is all about and admire what you and your crew are creating. I guess like all families, sometimes the emotions can boil.

Chris and Greg, thank you for letting us air our dirty laundry and deal with it in a proactive, respectful way. Your attention and resolve in running this high-quality forum is deeply appreciated.

P.S. Does Jaime realize that he has been voted off the island?

He made fun of my shirt and off he went!!! Actually, Jaime and Isabella are going to be sharing duties for awhile. We have some really exciting things coming up for the audience with a number of sponsors stepping up to the plate for Season 2. Also, we're shooting a documentary, the first for 2nd Unit and are crewing for it right now so if you're thinking of coming on board for something, this should be a great time. We're finishing the script right now and getting heavilly into pre-production so we're ready to go when the UCLA semester starts. If you'd like to take on some responsibility for this, let me know. It's targeted directly at the festival and Emmy markets to prove a team from DVXInfo can make a film that's that good and it makes a social statement as well.

Chris and Greg, thank you for letting us air our dirty laundry and deal with it in a proactive, respectful way. Your attention and resolve in running this high-quality forum is deeply appreciated.


I just wish you would at least hide the tighty-whities with the skidmarks behind a sheet or something!

I just wish you would at least hide the tighty-whities with the skidmarks behind a sheet or something!

LOL! I ran out of clothespins and had no other choice.

Also, we're shooting a documentary, the first for 2nd Unit and are crewing for it right now so if you're thinking of coming on board for something, this should be a great time. We're finishing the script right now and getting heavilly into pre-production so we're ready to go when the UCLA semester starts. If you'd like to take on some responsibility for this, let me know. It's targeted directly at the festival and Emmy markets to prove a team from DVXInfo can make a film that's that good and it makes a social statement as well.

I'd love to get involved. What is the documentary about? When does the UCLA semester start?

OK, part of the reason we created 2nd Unit is so that we can at least all learn to talk like real filmmakers. You can't use words like "clothes pins" nor may you buy them in lots of 100 at the .99 store. We are entertainment industry professionals who call things by their proper names, c-47s in this instance, and we pay the appropriate surcharge of $6 per C-47 bringing them to grand total of $6.01 per C-47. Please try and remember this simple rule when addressing this board or producing anything entertainment-related. The manufacturers of clothspins...I mean C-47s everywhere thank you.

Uh, yeah, I'm sorry that I let my guard down.

In Indiana, we have a little known, unwritten, secret dispensation from the Underground Gaffers Hideout (U.G.H.) that allows all Hoosier filmmakers to use the more pastoral term clothespin instead of the more technically apt term C-47 or bullet. Why? Because Indiana had a famous C-47 manufacturer. In fact, with your Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association National Championship production, you might be interested in this company, Jonathan.

Visit this page to learn why and make sure you also scroll down to the bottom of the page to see evidence of early Hoosier C-47 activity: http://www.imh.org/imh/saddle/catalog.html

Don't ya just luv those old tyme ads? I used to have a comparitive plaque mounted in my office that had 2 clothespins; 1 with the name of the manufacturer stamped on one side and an identical "C-47" with the same stamp on one side and the production house's name on the other..and the difference in price? Exactly $1.29. One 10 cents and one $1.39. I've kept that to remind myself how far from reality this business can get.

Jonathan, my bags are packed and batteries are charged. just give me a call and I am there.
I would love to help out on your Documentary.
I have JVC HD100ua camera
AT897 mic
Focus 101 tripod
1 IDX battery
Portabrace bag
Cir pol filter
1994 toyota pickup (1 bullett hole in door)
and a desire to use this equipment that has been gathering dust due to lack of work here.
Help me make that FIRST step into my new career.

Joe Bowey,

Don't ya just luv those old tyme ads? I used to have a comparitive plaque mounted in my office that had 2 clothespins; 1 with the name of the manufacturer stamped on one side and an identical "C-47" with the same stamp on one side and the production house's name on the other..and the difference in price? Exactly $1.29. One 10 cents and one $1.39. I've kept that to remind myself how far from reality this business can get.
Anytime you add "video" to something, it raises the value at least 60%.

We'll be starting a new thread on the documentary today with all the info and it'll serve as a meeting place for the crew.

Will the shirt also have it's own forum?

Yes. It's sponsored by Ripley's Hawaiin Believe it opr Not.

Yes. It's sponsored by Ripley's Hawaiian Believe it or Not. The shirt has taken on a rather cult-like life of its own!

Poor Jaimie... the shirt is stealing his show ;)