HD100 Series Scene File Recipes & Downloadable .SCN files

[Paolo Ciccone]

Originally Posted by Rati Oneli

Hi, I was inputting Paolo's recipe into my HD100 the other day and notices that it didn't speicy some settings like: v/h balance, H Frequency, V Frequency, white paint. Should I worry about it? What should be the settings? I also looked at other recipes and they don't specify these either. Thanks.

Hi Rati. No I don't change the defaults for those settings.

[Paolo Ciccone]

Originally Posted by Daniel Patton

. Thanks for the head start Paolo!

You're very welcome.

Gamma = Standard
Not sure exactly how this helped

Just an overall observation via the WFM seemed to me to lead to a more balanced gamma. TrueColor tries to achieve both accurate color rendition and maximum latitude. BTW, the emphasis in TrueColor is on skin tones so that explains the red levels as red+yellow are the main components of skin tones. While I think that the red level is where it's supposed to be in the VScope, it could be that it's not the optimal for GS work. It would be interesting to see how it works with a blue screen.

Take care.

[Jon Jaschob]

I used your TcV3 in a short film I made this year. Worked really nice. Credited you in the film.
Cheers,
Jon Jaschob

http://www.fotgfilms.com/OnceUponATimeInTheCampsite

[Paolo Ciccone]

Thank you Jon.

[Tommy Davis]

Is anybody else having trouble downloading the zipped .scn files for "dark interior"?

Best,
Tommy

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Tommy Davis

So I need to load the Scn files onto an 3rd party SD card reader ?

Yes, you need an SD card reader in order to move scene files.

Can anyone suggest a card reader?

It makes absolutely no difference which one you choose, as long as it's compatible with Secure Digital flash memory cards.

[David Scattergood]

I've read a few interviews with the Austrailian/Asian cinematographer Christopher Doyle recently (having watched a batch of the excellent films he's been involved with).
On 'The days of being wild' (Wong Kar-Wai) he talked of using 4/5 filters for certain scenes. Would this kind of technique be necessary with the HD digital video camera's? I can see why we would use ND filters etc but having scene file manipulation within such camera's would this still be relevant?
Part of the reason I've posted this is because I want to try and achieve a similar look to his films...that green hue but with 'violent' reds:
The film 'Dumpling' is a good example (the colours to me appear to be a more aggressive 'Amelie' setting)

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/fal...ges/doyle1.jpg

2046 another example:

http://filmbrain.typepad.com/filmbra...s/2046_wkw.jpg

Slightly off the topic...I've recently used Paulo's tru colour 3 setting for a corporate video - this worked really well (thanks Paulo). Mostly shot as exteriors - if I were to carry on shooting for the same project but indoors (in say a darker exterior) would I need to make any alterations to this setting...use another setting perhaps (but still matching the 'look' of the exterior shots)?

Cheers.

[Michael Maier]

I have a question about Paolo's True Colour settings. Does V3 render V2 totally obsolete or there are still situations where V2 or even V1 would be recommended over V3?
Does V2 have a wider dynamic range or something? Would any of them be recommended to shot a low key lit with lots of shadows night shoot show?

[Erhan Gucel]

Why do we use these scene files? Can't we have these effects in post with After Effects or something?

[Tim Dashwood]

Originally Posted by Erhan Gucel

Why do we use these scene files? Can't we have these effects in post with After Effects or something?

Yes... but using the on-board processor BEFORE the mpeg2 compression or downsampling is applied can give you more range of control.

If you are capturing with an uncompressed card, then definitely attempt to optimize the maximum latitude possible for your scene and manipulate the image in post.

[Paolo Ciccone]

Originally Posted by Michael Maier

I have a question about Paolo's True Colour settings. Does V3 render V2 totally obsolete or there are still situations where V2 or even V1 would be recommended over V3?
Does V2 have a wider dynamic range or something? Would any of them be recommended to shot a low key lit with lots of shadows night shoot show?

Version 3 is an improvement from V2 so I encourage you to use the newest version.

[Paolo Ciccone]

Originally Posted by Erhan Gucel

Why do we use these scene files? Can't we have these effects in post with After Effects or something?

It depends, TrueColor is meant to make the work in post easier and more precise. It's also intended to give you the widest latitude with your camera. If you crush your blacks because of a uncalibrated camera, there is no amount of post that you can do.
I am against using "camera looks" with digital cameras except in specific cases, the use of a scene file is meant, in my workflow, as a tool to keep the camera calibrated to the widest latitude and to the most neutral settings. If you think that that would be the default from the factory, well,m think again :)
DSC made a whole business based on the fact that cameras usually come out of the factory un-calibrated.

[Michael Maier]

Originally Posted by Paolo Ciccone

Version 3 is an improvement from V2 so I encourage you to use the newest version.

Thanks Paolo.

Originally Posted by Paolo Ciccone

It depends, TrueColor is meant to make the work in post easier and more precise. It's also intended to give you the widest latitude with your camera. If you crush your blacks because of a uncalibrated camera, there is no amount of post that you can do.
I am against using "camera looks" with digital cameras except in specific cases, the use of a scene file is meant, in my workflow, as a tool to keep the camera calibrated to the widest latitude and to the most neutral settings. If you think that that would be the default from the factory, well,m think again :)
DSC made a whole business based on the fact that cameras usually come out of the factory un-calibrated.

So it seems TrueColor is much like the so called “digital negative” way of shooting that F900 DPs talk about.. You use it to get the cleanest image possible and work on it in post to achieve the look you want. That’s basically what most DPs shooting the F900 for narrative do. Get the cleanest and widest latitude possible and work on it in post. Good stuff.

Originally Posted by Tim Dashwood

If you are capturing with an uncompressed card, then definitely attempt to optimize the maximum latitude possible for your scene and manipulate the image in post.

Isn’t that what TrueColor is made for anyways? At least according to Paolo.
About capturing uncompressed, judging by Taylor’s experiences posted on this boards and his ShowReel article, it seems in the case of the HD100 and the component out, there isn’t much advantage in capturing uncompressed really. Maybe with the HD250 and SDI, but with the analog component doesn’t seem to be worth the trouble or expense. The results Taylor got in post when manipulating the HDV signal was amazing. I don't remember exactly now, but I think Taylor even used TrueColor, didn't he?

[Paolo Ciccone]

Originally Posted by Michael Maier

So it seems TrueColor is much like the so called “digital negative” way of shooting that F900 DPs talk about.. You use it to get the cleanest image possible and work on it in post to achieve the look you want.

Yes, regardless the camera, the F900 is very high-end but the same is valid for all digital camera, your latitude is currently more limited than with film. By avoiding creating a bias in the digital negative, and by carefully calibrating the camera, you obtain the most complete digital signal that the
camera can give you. When you bring that signal inside your compositing/NLE suite you can use the massive processing power and precision of modern computers to do the kind of manipulation that you need and you have the advantage of the "Undo" function. Also, things like stacking copies of the same clip using the blend mode are not achievable in camera.

Isn’t that what TrueColor is made for anyways?

That's exactly the reason for it.

About capturing uncompressed, judging by Taylor’s experiences posted on this boards and his ShowReel article, it seems in the case of the HD100 and the component out, there isn’t much advantage in capturing uncompressed really.

Actually I disagree on that. It's not always needed, one size deosn't fit all :), but the use of 4:2:2 instead of 4:2:0 has advantages. Background noise is one of the biggest problems of HDV compression and uncompressed component out addresses that.

[Michael Maier]

Originally Posted by Paolo Ciccone

Also, things like stacking copies of the same clip using the blend mode are not achievable in camera.

What do you mean?