Different cameras

Udai Taxim · July 22nd, 2003, 08:07 AM

Anyone have experience mixing cameras (and formats) on the same project?

I have a "Live TV" project, which will then be edited together with some other sequences to create the finished project. I plan to rent some good (matched) cameras (perhaps BetaCams, or maybe DVC-Pro) for the "Live" portion ... but our regular shooter is using a Panasonic DVX-100 for the other sequences.

Any advice on:

1) What sort of problems I might encounter mixing footage (not of the same exact subject) from these two sources; and -

2) How I might try and minimize those problems ahead of time?

THANX!

- udai

Rob Lohman · July 25th, 2003, 06:47 AM

Try a search on "multiple". There are a lot of threads going on
talking about this very subject.

Bill Pryor · July 27th, 2003, 02:36 PM

I've intercut all sorts of different things together before. The succes rate depends more on the cameras than the format. If you can bring in the DVX100 and set it up with your other cameras, white balance all of them, then tweak the DVX100 to get as closely as possible in look to the professional cameras you're using, and you should be close enough for TV. Since your pro cameras will be shooting studio stuff and the 100 will be location, there will be enough of a difference in the shots so nobody will notice. Make sure the DVX100 guy doesn't shoot at 24fps.

You might be better off with DVCPRO cameras over Betacam SP, since the DVCPRO would be Panasonics. I know that with Sony cameras, all of theirs have a similar look, and if they're set to a standard spec, you can usually white balance all of them together and they will look very close--the only differences being more softness and video noise in the small chip ones vs. the pro ones. Since the DVX100 has higher resolution than the 1/3" Sony cameras, it should intercut better with Panasonic's 2/3" chip cameras..."should", of course, being the operative word there.

Udai Taxim · July 27th, 2003, 02:53 PM

Bill:

Thanks a lot for the advice!

I will try and get the Panasonics if I can (I had suspected that might be a help) as long as the rental houses around here have them. (There are pros and cons to being located away from the major production centers ....) :-)

I'll post some results after the event!

- udai

Bill Pryor · July 28th, 2003, 07:43 AM

It's difficult to find DVCPRO cameras in rental here too. Around here they are used by a couple of the TV stations for local news, but no one I know uses them in production. If you can't find them, I don't think it will be a huge issue for you, since your cutaway footage will be out of the studio. When the location is so different, people expect a different look, and it's not distracting.

July 22nd, 2003, 08:07 AM	#1
Udai Taxim New Boot Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 6	Different cameras - same project Anyone have experience mixing cameras (and formats) on the same project? I have a "Live TV" project, which will then be edited together with some other sequences to create the finished project. I plan to rent some good (matched) cameras (perhaps BetaCams, or maybe DVC-Pro) for the "Live" portion ... but our regular shooter is using a Panasonic DVX-100 for the other sequences. Any advice on: 1) What sort of problems I might encounter mixing footage (not of the same exact subject) from these two sources; and - 2) How I might try and minimize those problems ahead of time? THANX! - udai __________________ - - - - - - You're gonna carry that weight ...

July 25th, 2003, 06:47 AM	#2
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Try a search on "multiple". There are a lot of threads going on talking about this very subject. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

July 27th, 2003, 02:53 PM	#4
Udai Taxim New Boot Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 6	Bill: Thanks a lot for the advice! I will try and get the Panasonics if I can (I had suspected that might be a help) as long as the rental houses around here have them. (There are pros and cons to being located away from the major production centers ....) :-) I'll post some results after the event! - udai __________________ - - - - - - You're gonna carry that weight ...

July 27th, 2003, 02:36 PM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I've intercut all sorts of different things together before. The succes rate depends more on the cameras than the format. If you can bring in the DVX100 and set it up with your other cameras, white balance all of them, then tweak the DVX100 to get as closely as possible in look to the professional cameras you're using, and you should be close enough for TV. Since your pro cameras will be shooting studio stuff and the 100 will be location, there will be enough of a difference in the shots so nobody will notice. Make sure the DVX100 guy doesn't shoot at 24fps. You might be better off with DVCPRO cameras over Betacam SP, since the DVCPRO would be Panasonics. I know that with Sony cameras, all of theirs have a similar look, and if they're set to a standard spec, you can usually white balance all of them together and they will look very close--the only differences being more softness and video noise in the small chip ones vs. the pro ones. Since the DVX100 has higher resolution than the 1/3" Sony cameras, it should intercut better with Panasonic's 2/3" chip cameras..."should", of course, being the operative word there.

July 28th, 2003, 07:43 AM	#5
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	It's difficult to find DVCPRO cameras in rental here too. Around here they are used by a couple of the TV stations for local news, but no one I know uses them in production. If you can't find them, I don't think it will be a huge issue for you, since your cutaway footage will be out of the studio. When the location is so different, people expect a different look, and it's not distracting.