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Summer is not approaching as rapidly as I’d like. What I thought would be a short term gig in the classroom teaching photography is now a full term of five months, so planning and prepping for my post-retirement production site is going slowly.
On the up side – I did order and have worked with my new camera: Panasonic AG-HMC150.
Went out on a trial run last night with dishcrawl. Think pubcrawl, but with food instead of beer. Nearly five hours of in-and-outs to four restaurants. Began by tagging along with official videographer Diane as she and dishcrawl founder Tracy Lee interviewed the owners/chefs at some of the restaurants. They allowed me to shoot some b-roll for them as well as work as backup camera on several interviews (This was a camera-only trial run, so I was mikeless. They plan to synch my video up with Diane’s miked video in post).
A challenging night. We began with setting sun light and shadows and progressed to full night, shooting by streetlight, in dining rooms, kitchens, and at one point even tried shooting as the crowd crawled past a dark corner. I got to test the little Panny out in a wide range of light temperatures and started becoming familiar with the placement of the buttons and dials.
Becoming familiar? A REAL videojournalist/shooter doesn’t even have to think about where her buttons and dials are on the camera. The camera should be as much a part of the VJ as their nose or fingers…an extension of their body. That used to be the case when I was in the daily mix of news…but it is now eight years later and I have to get back into the zen zone of shooting.
Back to the future. Over the next few months thinknews will have fresh new video examples, posted to vimeo and shot on my new camera. The intent is to show potential clients what I can do with current gear…what my current skill set is.
My byline has always been, “Can’t live without a camera in my hand.” So in retirement I do not plan to retire from who I am…but continue it at a pace that makes sense.
…and it is unbelievable. Just got a FB posting from a comrade at an O&O in SF that he is no longer shooting with a pro camera, but a Panasonic HMX370. Jeez. Under $10k and 1/3 inch chips. I kinda expected this revolution to move in insidiously…in the night, beginning with smaller markets. Well, yeah, it has…but seriously. San Francisco? Babycams?
I was just kinda joshing when I posted back in February about what the future might hold for broadcast camerafolk: While there will always be room for big bucks, high end, expensive cameras, I am convinced that the news broadcast standard is the 1/3 inch three chip pro-sumer camera…with of course, the requisite bells and whistles. XLR, manual controls, shoulder mount, good glass.
Shudder…kinda glad I’m not in the mix. Forward movement is always accompanied by some degree of jerkiness and readjustment. The leap from 16mm film to 3/4 (ick) tape was nasty. We went from shooting crisp clear film to ugly smeared blotches of color. Cheap little plastic cameras with cheap little plastic lenses.
Hmmmm…that sounds familiar.
Then from there we moved up to decent cameras (TK76) to better cameras and a better format (Betacam). The switch to digital and DVCPro cams was sweet music…better quality, more solid, everything the old cams had plus more!
And now back to the past again…cheap little camera, cheap little lens.
All I can predict now is…the quality WILL get better…the cameras will become more professional.
Until that next best idea for advanced technology leaps out in front of us…
…as I discovered recently.
As I ease into retirement and (hopefully) back into shooting the occasional video gig, I’ve been updating my resources. Got the thinknews site up with my info for potential clients seeking my services. Working on my linkedin page and other connection sites. And moseyed on over to NPPA to make sure my information was current on their Find a Photographer site, when I noticed the following:
Now I’d obviously been to this page before, but a continuing discussion on b-roll about whether NPPA adequately serves it broadcast members made me pause and really look at the wording on this page.
It is generally accepted that a photographer is a still shooter (even though a photographer is “one who draws with light). That was pause #1.
When I read the next section I nearly choked laughing. What the heck is “video photography”?!! Video shot by a still photographer of course. Which explains why they put in “video editing.”
Once I had my breath back, I moved down to “Who specializes in a particular area of photojournalism.” Hmmm…no mention of VIDEOjournalism.
Now what you can’t see, unless you are a member signing onto your account is the section for photographic specialities, which specifies “leave blank if you are not a photographer.”
This went from funny to WHOA in a split second.
So it was back to b-roll to air my complaint. Yeah…we all do that when frustrated, but rarely does it get beyond the steam blowing stage. I didn’t expect a fast response from one of NPPA’s finest, Vice-President Michael Borland(damn I hate making mistakes – age is my excuse and I’m sticking with it. That and Borland was part of the electronic mix.) past NPPA President Steve Sweitzer. He held me accountable for my remarks and even asked for input on how to rework and reword the “Find a Photographer” section. So a brief flurry of electronic exchanges ensued and it looks as if changes may be in the air. The only point of dispute may be what the heck to call a very diverse group of folks who sling an equally diverse batch of cameras…everything from consumer to broadcast quality video gear and state of the art still equipment. I tossed out “visual journalist” as a starting point…it’s gonna be fun watching the process and finding out what the consensus is.
I knew there was a reason for being in NPPA…monoliths have ears and actually listen.
Tremors from the Japanese megaquake will be felt for years to come in all areas…but one of the more immediate effects will be on the video production and broadcast industries.
According to this article in Broadcast Engineering,
“About 20 percent of all semiconductors and 40 percent of all flash memory chips in the world are made in Japan.”
All of the professional broadcast/production industry manufacturers have been affected to some extent…from minor to severe…at least one facility disappearing in the tsunami. Check out the article.
And expect prices on electronics to rise as shortages of necessary components appear. I’m keeping an eye on announcements from NAB next month in Vegas to see how bad the repercussions will really be.
My “last” camera arrived a week ago and I’ve been doing something I’ve never done before. Sat down, figured out a testing schedule, read the manual (now THAT was a first) and have been methodically going through the controls. Every other camera I’ve bought I just hit the ground running with.
But this little girl (gonna hafta think up a nice nickname for her) is special. My first non-tape camera in decades (of course that last one was 16mm). Panasonic HCM150.
When I pulled her out of her box and unwrapped her, I shivered. Sleek lines, sturdily built. All of the requisite controls on the OUTSIDE, not in some damn menu.
So here’s the agenda for checkout…something you might consider with your next camera. Keep in mind I’ve built up a good supply of accessories and need to check them out to make sure all is compatible.
First day – Pull from box, scan the manual. Shoot and play back some tape video, just to see how it looks. Review the manual again re the basics of setup and shooting.
Several days later…sat down with camera and manual and went through everything page by page to get a basic handle on what I need to know to shoot. Dumped a few files into my (five year old) MacBook, iMovie 9 just to see if I could. Imported fine, rough playback. Note to self: next time use a firewire external drive, not the USB drive. But it is nice to know I can get by for a little while longer with my current computer…will get the new one when a paying client appears.
A week later…met up with cohort Larry Nance and we reviewed and did a comparison to cameras we’ve used in the past. This one rocks. Not quite up to broadcast standards (smaller, lighter, 1/3″ chips, different media), but masterfully planned. Made arrangements to meet in a week and do side-by-side shoots with older cameras.
Today…ran audio tests. First, the on-camera mike. Next a wired stick mike (Electovoice 635) and then wired shotgun (Sennheiser ME66) and then each mike run on the wireless (Lectrosonics) system. All worked wonderfully…the shotgun definitely peaks higher than the stick mike and was able to run off phantom power when on the wireless transmitter. That and I walked to the back of my property and the audio was crystal clear at 200 feet on the wireless. Rock on!!!
Next week Larry and I will shoot and post side-by-side comparisons with our older JVC GY-DV300s and my Canon HV20.
Now I want a new carbon fiber tripod!
A word to why the above process is important for teacher/students/newbies: Unless you research thoroughly and even then, problems will develop with equipment. I knew in my heart that all of my older gear would hook up to the new camera. But the worst time to test new systems is when you are under the gun. Plug in everything you’ve got. Take notes. Check out every variation with every item. Be prepared to order adapters or make adaptions. Know your gear.
Oh…and Larry…I finally found the composite outs/RCAs. Hidden over the XLR outs in a well-concealed compartment. (Sneaky, that.)
…ah, the royal “we.” “We” actually love being more than a (very) singular person. As a “we,” “we” are a plurality. And WE are on hiatus…spring break. Got a brand spankin new toy to play with and that is all she wrote.
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