DV for Teachers

I’m cheating twice here; bear with me. First cheat, I didn’t link to Part 1. It, and the point of this post, Part 2, have been floating in open tabs in my browser for too many weeks. It’s embarrassing, really. I should have posted these things a long time ago, but “I’ll do it later” is a constant refrain in my head and my life. (Ask my wife, or several of the people I work with.)

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(On second thought, please don’t!)

The point, again, of this post: a series on Peachpit about Equipment for Video Podcasting, which covers an extensive amount of information, with pics and links, provides a very good one-stop reference about video podcasting (well, two, really, unless you think of the series as a single thing with separate parts).

And my second cheat? Those links point to the print-ready versions of the articles, because the originals are split into seven or eight shorter chunks requiring reloading the pages and that’s kind of cheating. At least I think it isn’t, so I’m counter-cheating.

Enjoy the articles.

There are so many types of HD compression it can be confusing, so thanks to Ken Stone for this listing of Sony’s formats wit links to drivers.

Chris Breen offers Macworld’s HD Camcorder Buyer’s Guide. There are several kinds of HD cameras now and Chris goes through lots of options to consider. HD is a whole new ball game, so read up and don’t make assumptions about what will work with your existing editing software or computer.

Debra Kaufman reports on a Digital Cinema Society session on encoding video for the web: Online Video: Codecs, Encoding and Compression for the Studio Daily Blog It’s a quick report of what must have been a much more in-depth discussion, but go for the take-away formats that have, for now, the widest reach among potential viewers.

Ahh, formats. There are so many: still using DV tape? Or have you switched to a DVD-based MPEG-2 format? Maybe you use a hard-drive or flash-memory kind of camcorder? Whichever you use, do you know the ins and outs of what it takes to edit that format properly? You need to make sure your system is up to the task, but what about that codec, and I need to output to DVD and the web, but yikes everyone looks blue in that shot, and….

We don’t have all the solutions here, but Andrew Balis, a long-time contributor to Ken Stone’s site and major FCP maven, provides one piece of the puzzle as he explains Color Workflows With Different Types of Sources:

One of the most confusing issues that comes up frequently with new users of Color is how to get in and out of Color with different types of video formats. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to clear up the confusion by presenting the four main workflows Color can utilize, as well as how each format can be handled by Color. This article relates to users of Color version 1.0.2 or later. Well look at how to handle video formats captured via capture card, as well as how to work with “native” formats captured via FireWire such as DV, DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD and HDV.

Even if your footage is color correct from the word “Action!”, if you need some help understanding aspects of the different types of video, this article is worth reading and bookmarking.

Jefferson Graham covers four editing applications that work with hard-drive based AVCHD video in Video editing choices blossom into nicely workable options

If you have one of those new high-definition camcorders that records directly to a hard drive, you’ve surely been frustrated.

Editing high-def clips into your own personal mini-masterpiece has been nearly impossible. The video footage has not been compatible with popular consumer video-editing programs, nor could it be used on most Apple (AAPL) computers.

That’s now changed. Apple just rejiggered its popular iMovie program to accept video from these camcorders. And longtime Windows (MSFT) software favorites Pinnacle, Sony Vegas (SNE) and Ulead VideoStudio (CREL) have been upgraded as well.

Be sure to check his pros and cons list for each of the editors. Among the limitations: Sony’s app Vegas only works with Sony’s HD cameras; Corel’s Ulead Video Studio only works with video from the camera, so older already-captured clips won’t work; Pinnacle’s (and likely all the others) need a powerful machine to process the large and complex HiDef files; and the new iMovie is a very different animal from any previous version.

HD for the rest of us is here, but it seems it still has a ways to go before “it just works.”

TidBITS, the long-running Mac newsletter, today gives us A Personal Shopper for HD Video Editing Gear. Below is an extended quote so you’ll know you need to click through, read the entire thing, and follow their links to Mike Curtis’s recommended systems.

Mike Curtis lives and breathes HD. His Web site, HD for Indies, is geared toward independent filmmakers who are focused more on getting great footage and creating a movie than on the ins and outs of pushing HD video through a system.

If you’re looking to edit your own indie feature or starting a business editing video for others, Mike has taken on the role of personal shopper and put together three recommended Mac-based editing systems. In addition to the computer (all Mac Pro machines, but not necessarily the most powerful ones), Mike’s picks include LCDs and video monitors, RAM, graphics cards, HD capture devices, and multiple storage options. The bundles range in price from $9,000 for an entry-level system capable of editing uncompressed HD footage to $23,000 for a well-equipped system.

He’s worked out a deal with Silverado Systems (and he gets a cut of the order), but all the information is there, with notes and explanation, if you prefer an alternate vendor.

I’ve followed Mike’s site for a while, and even though I don’t shoot HD video, it’s always an entertaining and insightful read.

I’ve followed Mike’s site off and on for a few years now, and though I don’t have any HD equipment yet, I know it’s coming. Mike’s experience and insight will prove invaluable when the time comes.

I still shoot Standard Definition: MiniDV, 720×480, 29.97 fps, 4:2:2 compression, etc. etc. But HDV is coming to education. It will be a while before schools and colleges have the funds to upgrade their TVs and display systems to show HDV, but those of us who produce and teach video in education need to know about this format. From Consumer Electronics.net.

A Beginners Guide to High Definition Video.

How did I miss this one? Busy doing other things and reading other places on the web, I suppose. I just found DV Guru, and it’s full of tips, workflow ideas, links to new products, and industry assessments. Another site to check every day, and worth it. For one example, they link to FilmSite.org, Tim Dirks’ huge site with historical timelines, synopses of classic films, and much more. It’s been around for ten years! An excellent augmentation for any film studies class. Beware the pop-up ads, though. Tsk.

Here’s another example: a post about the importance of integrating your audio with your video edits. For some of us, it’s a no-brainer, but not everyone picks that up. DV Guru offers good info for experienced editors and newbies too, and a busy comments section to boot.

ConsumerElectronics.net reports:

The age of Hi Def home movies for the average person has arrived. Barely a week after announcing a pair of new professional HD camcorders, Canon dropped the other shoe by unveiling the HV10, a palm-sized camcorder that shoots true 1080 HDV video.

There have been HD edit systems for over a year now, but not too many places to watch HD. With this inexpensive camera for making HD, it’s one less barrier to adoption of this new standard. I think it’s still too soon for most educators to consider switching to producing HD, though. How soon will you have HD-ready video monitors in your classrooms? Not too soon, I’d guess.