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-   -   Best setup for a short TV report (https://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xl-gl-series-dv-camcorders/63859-best-setup-short-tv-report.html)

Luc Saint-Elie March 28th, 2006 01:59 PM

Best setup for a short TV report
 
Hello,

I have some footage to make for a little TV show.

A friend allows me to use his XL2 for that.
I will be some pictures of a building and a little interveikw (probably outside or in a very clear room, no lighting)

What are the recommanded settings for this kind of situation , and what are the items I have to be very aware of ?

Thanks in advance

Luc

Owen Dawe March 29th, 2006 12:17 AM

If your tv show is for broadcast you will need to be very particular. Broadcasters demand professional work. Try to get an experienced camera person to help.

In a nutshell!!

Audio: If inside check for echo. If echo present hang drapes or baffles. Use a lapel or shotgun mike. If outside be aware of noise from crowd, traffic etc. You may need a buzz track. It's difficult to edit if background noise is present. Use headphones and check audio levels from interviewe, background noise before you start.

Lighting: Also demanding for broadcast. Shoot interview in even light away from hard light to avoid shadows. Use a bounce board to throw extra light on the subject. A piece of foam styrene is OK.

Take plenty of cutaways.

Have fun. Best of Luck!!

Luc Saint-Elie March 29th, 2006 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owen Dawe
If your tv show is for broadcast you will need to be very particular. Broadcasters demand professional work. Try to get an experienced camera person to help.

In a nutshell!!

Audio: If inside check for echo. If echo present hang drapes or baffles. Use a lapel or shotgun mike. If outside be aware of noise from crowd, traffic etc. You may need a buzz track. It's difficult to edit if background noise is present. Use headphones and check audio levels from interviewe, background noise before you start.

Lighting: Also demanding for broadcast. Shoot interview in even light away from hard light to avoid shadows. Use a bounce board to throw extra light on the subject. A piece of foam styrene is OK.

Take plenty of cutaways.

Have fun. Best of Luck!!

Thanks a lot Owen, I was double checking my equipement and reading your message I realize I was ready to... forget my hearphones....

I'm in a special situation, probably far less demanding than usual, because I've a very little show (4 minutes) inside a morning show, and I'm supposed to do it in the studio.
But I can do pretty much what I want with my 4 minutes, and I find very boring to speak sat in the studio so I use them to experiment things, filming been one of the major ones (I' m a former photographer).
The result is displayed in a small window inside the TV window like that :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/audioblog/115769640/
I did that at the Cebit (a big European show in Germany) with a Canon XM2, and this time I'll use a XL2.

Thanks again !!

Luc

Gareth Watkins March 29th, 2006 02:58 AM

Hi Luc

Ca Va? As the other guy says outdoor lighiting can be awkward as you have no control...

I tend to use a Lastolite reflector...packs up small and is light to carry around.... had it for years and used it for bounce flash in the past too.

For the interviews I've done I tend to use either a Senheisser radio mic set up... and stay out of the shot, removing my voice and questions in post...
Or.. Use myself or preferably a second interviewer with a handheld mic for Vox Pop type footage...

I see you've found out about the awkwardness of the smaller handycams... they give good quality but can be a pain to use... you'll no doubt find the XL2 far easier for manual control, audio control and manual focus...

Re settings.. well I don't know the camera but generally just think how you'd shoot your photo of a talking head.. telephoto wide open etc... use the cameras ND filters to keep your aperture wide.
Check your voice levels visually on camera and with your headphones...Don't let the sound saturate out... somewhere in the -12db to -6db works for me and should be safe.. You can always balance the audio in post..
I tend to feed the interviewees voice into one channel and ambient sound into the other...

I found audio the hardest bit, coming like you from Still photos, framing & shooting is relatively easy... but doing that while listening to the guy, asking the right questions is a juggling act.

This site has lots of baic information... check out this link for doing a solo piee to camera or interview:
http://www.urbanfox.tv/creative/ptc.html
http://www.urbanfox.tv/creative/interviews.html

cheers
Gareth

Luc Saint-Elie March 29th, 2006 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gareth Watkins
Hi Luc

Ca Va? As the other guy says outdoor lighiting can be awkward as you have no control...

I tend to use a Lastolite reflector...packs up small and is light to carry around.... had it for years and used it for bounce flash in the past too.

For the interviews I've done I tend to use either a Senheisser radio mic set up... and stay out of the shot, removing my voice and questions in post...
Or.. Use myself or preferably a second interviewer with a handheld mic for Vox Pop type footage...

I see you've found out about the awkwardness of the smaller handycams... they give good quality but can be a pain to use... you'll no doubt find the XL2 far easier for manual control, audio control and manual focus...

Re settings.. well I don't know the camera but generally just think how you'd shoot your photo of a talking head.. telephoto wide open etc... use the cameras ND filters to keep your aperture wide.
Check your voice levels visually on camera and with your headphones...Don't let the sound saturate out... somewhere in the -12db to -6db works for me and should be safe.. You can always balance the audio in post..
I tend to feed the interviewees voice into one channel and ambient sound into the other...

I found audio the hardest bit, coming like you from Still photos, framing & shooting is relatively easy... but doing that while listening to the guy, asking the right questions is a juggling act.

This site has lots of baic information... check out this link for doing a solo piee to camera or interview:
http://www.urbanfox.tv/creative/ptc.html
http://www.urbanfox.tv/creative/interviews.html

cheers
Gareth

Hello Gareth !

[ Private joke on ]
I know.. I know.. but I’ve not yet bought a FX :-)
[ Private joke off ]

Thanks a lot for the sound tips. I made some tests yesterday and I realized that sound is clearly the hardest part.
Last (and first) time I shot something was this little show and sound was just for ambiance, I added direct spoken comments during the show

Yes, indeed, small Handycams are awkward. The XM2 took great images, but is awful to use (very small buttons, same buttons for several functions..)

The XL2 seems much more convenient.. I’ll see.

This urbanfox website seems what I need, thanks again !

Luc

Gareth Watkins March 29th, 2006 04:44 AM

Salut Luc,

Yes that is what I meant... the small buttons and menus... touchscreen etc. All are fine, but not very easy to use quickly, not really designed with professional application in mind...this would have been the situation with the A1 or HC1 you were looking at too.

It's the same situation for some of the smaller still cameras... nice picture quality... but manual controls are very awkward...or inexistant.

The XL2 will give you the needed control, as the FX does for me...

Yep audio is the hardest part for a photographer to get right... at Reuters a few years back we all did a TV course... I made all the usual errors of not locking off the tripod during a press conference and filming the top of the guys head... or cutting the camera in the middle of an important sentence because I was not listening...

As I said for you pictures will be the easiest bit... but a good short video piece has so many more elements..

good luck...

Which channel is it on I've got cable TV here?

cheers

Gareth

Luc Saint-Elie March 29th, 2006 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gareth Watkins
Which channel is it on I've got cable TV here?

My very little show is every two mondays on iTele (the non-stop-news chanel from Canal Plus), that is visible on the "boxes" (freebox etc..) or on the TNT (chanel 16 if my memory is good)

Next session is next monday at 8:17 am in the 7/9 morning show

Luc

Owen Dawe March 29th, 2006 08:58 PM

Hi Luc,

Loved your web site. You're a pro.


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