Originally posted by John Gibson:
In a perfect world I would love to have a four camera studio with a good character generator, switcher with chroma key, time base corrector that would give me the ability to save everything to a digital format.
John
May I suggest Sony DCR-VX2100
http://www.expresscameras.com/prodetails.asp?prodid=29442&start=1 It is by far the favorite of indie film makers. It records video and audio straight to DVD (mpeg) format either in itself (the DVD you pop in is small) or by firewire to a computer.
When Fr. Paul Tarrzi�
http://www.svots.edu/Faculty/Paul-Nadim-Tarazi/ came to me for the tech on how to put his seminars onto DVD for sale - I set him up with the VX2100 (about $1800.00) and tripod and wireless mic (about $100.00) and a DVD recording deck made for that purpose ($800) but we found a good laptop with big HD was easier. I miss him - he spends a lot of time in the Mid-East now.
Lighting was $10 construction quatz lamps from home depot - but with the Sony lens (it is a low light lens) a sunny day was all you needed. You will be VERY happy with the Sony. So the quarts lamps were never really needed.
The XV2100 lens is HD and fantastic for true color. You will be very very happy.
I suggested he use two cameras at once and Y the audio into each. Two angles. Edit between the two after.
Record to straight a laptop (one for each camera) highest quality - transfer the mpeg files to a desktop PC. About one hour will be 3 to 4 Gigs large - depending. So you might want to break up that into sessions to be put together later. That gives everyone a break to streach between takes.
Once it is all recorded �. Into the laptop�. Copy the mpg�s over to a desktop.
Import into one of the software packages I mention below.
The software will import it and separate the visual into its own track(s) - and the audio into its own stereo or surround sound tracks. Frame by fame it will be there in synch with the audio. All your video tracks and all your audio tracks will insert in a time line.
Add tracks for any transparency etc...
Now you can condition each track separately - and add any visual tracks or audio tracks needed. Add you opening - you intermission - your ending credits - whatever. Brightness, contrast, color, what have you it is all in the software.
After you have done your cutting and pasting - condition the audio track (which is only voice at this point) using a VST plug in (reverb/echo/delay/limit/gate/deEsser/filters/etc.. etc..). Import your background music into a track and fade in fade out wherever you wish. (up to 32 audio tracks).
Condition each audio track and then Mix down (�bounce�) all audio tracks to one stereo track.
Mixdown (�bounce�) all video tracks to one.
And then export your finished masterpiece. This is your mixed-down version. View it.
Import it all back - and toy with what you noticed as could be better� then export through mastering software (a vst plugin)
Figure 4 hours editing for any hour recorded. Experience gets that down to 2 hours editing for any one hour recorded.
Recording Sound�
A six track mixing board is about $60 (Eurorack MX602A)
A simply unbelievable voice mic is the MXL 990 for around $70 in shock mount - a dynamic which clarity is unbelievable and picks up a pin drop across the room. Phantom power +48v supplied by the Eurorack. You are going to want to put up acoustic foam - the mic is that sensitive.
Now all that is about �
$1800 Sony
100 wireless
$1200 laptop 2.5 Ghetz with 18OG HD and firewire connection (Dell or Tiger Direct)
$80 mixer
$80 XML mic
Production software� pick one�
Calkwalk Sonar Producer ($500)
Steinberg Nuendo ($1300)
Adobe Premiere Pro ($200.00)
(and dozens more - some free but tricky to use)
Sonar and Nuendo are terrific on the audio side - they are really music software that also does film well. Any music studio either uses Nuendo (audio and visual) or PC Tools (audio only). Sonar (audio and video) is more for the home studio.
I have both Sonar and Nuendo.
The professional indie people favor Nuendo over anything. Nuendo was used to add the score to all the Lord of the Rings movies.
I have a home music studio so I am experienced in all the audio part.
A decktop needs to be beefy - so a 3Ghetz machine with dual LCD screens (you will thank me for that) and two 180G ESDI HD with a good soundcard (I can get you a few names - I use WaveTerminal for $100 which samples at 96Hertz 24bits but there are better).
All together that is either $5K $7k or $10 depending and you got all you need for a small time operation.
Figure one hour = one DVD audio and visual at highest quality.
With that master in hand - you send that out to your radio broadcast people - TV broadcast people - streaming people.
A DVD copy service charges about $4.00 to $10.00 a copy in bulk (depending on label and jacket and insert).
It is not Miramax - but then again you are essentially doing documentaries - and adding opening/ending/backgound music.
I compose and record music and voiceover - all in my little office on one computer.
www.thirdinvention.com/music/TannhauserGate.mp3 [
thirdinvention.com]
so I know all about that. I do not do the video part I got friends who do that.
There must be grants that can be applied for??
I did not write all that for telling you what to do. It is just letting you know how some people do it with-what - on low budget and do fairly good quality.
As I said before - the critical thing is to boil it all down to MPG on DVD - which then become the source feed material for all other media output.
Have fun. If your hair is not gray now - it will be - but you should enjoy the new technology during your learning curve. Locate a couple of university indie film geeks and they will come over and set you all up incuding the streaming. You are going to have fun and be amazed at the new tech. IT does alot more with a lot less.
If I lived near by I would help - or drive you nuts.
-ray
