I’ve been using Google + for a few weeks now and it’s a great social network. The comments, questions and interactions are superb.

They just gave everyone 150 invitations to hand out and I’m including a link to mine here on this blog.

If you’re on G+ already, here’s a link to my profile - gplus.to/adrielbrunson

If you’d like to be included in my DSLR HD circle, leave a comment below with your profile link or send a message using my profile.

If you’re not on Google + yet, here’s an invitation link - http://goo.gl/ikI4v

There are only 150 invites for that link so do it now.

See you there!

-a-

The guys over at CrumplePop.com just posted a great tutorial on how to create ultra slow motion video using a Canon 60D and Apple Motion.
Click here to read the full blog post.
Here’s how they did it.

Tutorial – Canon 60d 1000fps using Apple Motion instead of Twixtor from CrumplePop on Vimeo.

Here’s the finished video, check out the effect.

Canon 60D 1000fps using Apple Motion instead of Twixtor from CrumplePop on Vimeo.

This will work even if you don’t have a 60D and don’t want to go for extreme slo-mo. It’s a good editing trick to learn.

Thanks to Patrick at CrumplePop.com for letting me know about this. Cool.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of how-to videos on the web. It’s one of the most popular types of videos and often they’re worth watching.

Vimeo – one of the top video hosting services – recently put together their collection of video tutorials that cover most everything you need to know to get started. Many of them will take you beyond the basics so you can produce better videos in general.

Check it out http://vimeo.com/videoschool

I just received a question from a reader about the Panasonic AG-AF100.

On the new Panasonic AG-AF100, what is the workflow like (how does it get into the edit system)?

The answer to this question depends on the answers to two more questions:

1) how was the video captured and 2) what edit system are we talking about?

Using A Field Recorder

The Panasonic AF100 internal system captures video to SD cards using the AVCHD format. It also has an HD/SDI output which allows capture of Apple ProRes 422 video directly to a field recorder such as the Nanoflash or AJA Ki Pro Mini.

If you opt for the higher quality of a field recorder, and you’re using Final Cut Pro, your workflow is simple. Transfer the files from the Compact Flash (CF) cards of the field recorder to your computer and start editing.

While you can use the USB 2.0 CF card reader included with these devices, I strongly recommend purchasing a FireWire 800 CF card reader. Depending on the speed of your CF card, you can cut the transfer time in half.

I just transferred 32 gb of video on a SD card using a USB 2.0 reader. It took almost 40 minutes. The same transfer using 300x CF cards on a FireWire 800 reader takes around 22 minutes.

While it’s possible to edit directly from the CF card through a FW800 reader (yes, it’s that fast and the card shows up just like a hard drive) good work flow calls for backups so I recommend transferring the files. I’ll talk more about backups later.

Using The Built-In Recorder

If you’re using the built-in recorder you’ll end up with AVCHD files on an SD card. The first step is to transfer these files to your computer for editing.

I am only able to find USB 2.0 readers for SD cards so you’ll spend more time transferring video than with FW800 CF card readers. On the other hand, AVCHD files are significantly smaller than ProRes 422 files so you may find the transfer time is not a big problem.

If you’re working with AVCHD files you’ll have another step in your work flow – depending on your edit system. After transferring the files to your computer you may need to transcode the files to a format that is more designed for editing.

Adobe Premier Pro CS5 has support for editing AVCHD files directly. Apple’s updated iMovie in iLife ’11 works with most AVCHD formats. It hasn’t been tested with files from the Panasonic AF/AG100 but chances are it will work. With Final Cut Pro you’ll need to transcode your clips to another format.

SD Cards or SDXC Cards?

SDXC is the latest flavor of SD cards and supports higher speeds and cards larger than 32 gb. Panasonic uses a 64gb SDXC card as the reference point in their specs about how much recording time you can get on the AG-AF100.

If you’re on a Mac, you may not be able to read an SDXC card. The built-in card reader on most Macs is SD only. The newest Mac Mini and some mid-2010 iMacs have SDXC readers but OSX does not consistently support the format.

This is supposed to change in the near future as Apple adopts the SDXC standard across its product line but for now you’ll need to carefully check your system capabilities before springing for SDXC cards.

Whichever editor you use, I still recommend transcoding. Here’s why.

Like HDV from mini-cassettes, the AVCHD format is highly compressed so you’ll force the computer to spend lots of processing power to decompress and play every frame in real time.

Also, applying effects to highly compressed clips will always require rendering for viewing. With every little change to the clip you’ll need to render… and render… and render…

It doesn’t take much of that and you’ll wish you’d spent the time up front transcoding to a less compressed format no matter which editor you’re working with.

So, how do you transcode from AVCHD to an editing file format?

With Final Cut Pro you can import the files and transcode to ProRes 422 in the process. You use the Log and Transfer function under the File menu. Here’s a link to the Apple support site with information about the functions and limitations of this feature.

Note that you’ll need to have the file structure of the card completely intact for Log and Transfer to function. If you just drag the video files to your computer and try to import them into FCP later you’ll likely have problems. There are small files associated with the video files that contain metadata about the video files that are necessary for the transfer.

Another option is to use the free video converter MPEG StreamClip from Squared5.com. Available for Mac and Windows, it does a good job of conversion and has a batch tool. I find the gamma is dropped a bit on almost everything converted using MPEG StreamClip. It’s easy to correct this slightly darker video look when you’re grading your final edit. You can create a setting in MPEG StreamClip with increased brightness but that’s not the same as changing the gamma.

Backup, Backup, Backup

A final word about working with video files recorded to any type of card. Backup everything. Several times.

I use a Sony Z5 for some productions and we always shoot double-format – direct to card for fast transfer and high quality and HDV tape for backup. Even with that, I immediately copy the files from the card directly to two drives on my computer. Then I transcode the .MTS files from the Sony to ProRes 422 and keep that copy on another drive.

Professional productions often make a copy of each original file to three drives in the field. They send the three drives home with three people flying on different flights.

When you have tape for a backup you can always ingest the tape and convert from HDV to ProRes in real time. When all you have is a digital video file you have no physical media as a backup. You can’t be too careful or do too much to make sure you have secured the data on those files.

I have personal experience of the value of a backup to a backup.

I recently looked for files from a project shot and completed about 10 months ago. I had decent logs of the production and I knew we had the shots. But I could not find the files.

I’d found the drive with the original transfer of the files and the backup for that drive. But the files from that day were not on the drive.

I checked the log and discovered that the camera operator had not shot tape at the same time. I’m still not sure why but it must have seemed like a good idea at the time.

After searching everywhere for three days I was resigned to having to explain that we’d lost the files.

Then I remembered my double-backup scheme and went searching for the “lost” second backup drive. We usually recycle these drives after the project is complete so I didn’t have much hope for recovering the files.

Miracle of miracles, the drive had not been wiped. I discovered that the files had been stored in an incorrectly named folder that had been deleted from the original drives. And now I had the only existing copy.

Yes, I immediately made copies into the correct folders. We made sure that everyone knows how cheap tape is compared to the lost files. And we changed our process for labeling folders to ensure this never happens again.

So, the day will come when you’ll be overjoyed to find your missing files on the backup to your backup. Until then, you’ll just sleep better at night knowing you’ve got your digital assets protected.

I know this has been a long post but let me know what you think about AVCHD editing or backups or the Panasonic AF-AG100.

-a-

PS – here’s a recent short film from Philip Bloom that was shot with a pre-production AF100. Read his perspective here.

South: Test film shot with Panasonic AF100 from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Another question from a reader:

I’m just deciding whether to get a Canon 7D, and have what may be a stupid question: if you use a Zoom recorder, does it get synched while you are shooting, or do you have to do that afterward? Thanks! Absolutely LOVE this site.

The short answer is that you sync it the audio from the Zoom with the video from your camera in post-production. But there’s more to it than that.

Timecode

Professional production equipment uses timecode to label each frame on each device recording sound and video. Production crews often distribute timecode (TC) and a sync signal around the set. The sync signal keeps all equipment marching to the same beat and the TC gets recorded on all cameras and audio recorders. When you get to post it’s easy to make every shot and every audio file lay on the timeline in sync.

DSLR cameras do not have timecode, neither does the Zoom. And neither has an input for accepting the genlock sync code. These devices run “wild” and that can be an issue when you get to post.

The most basic thing you’re going to need is a way to sync the audio from the Zoom with the video from the DSLR.

Clap Sync

The simplest (and cheapest) solution is to clap your hands in front of the camera at the start of every take to create a visible and audible sync point. It’s pretty easy to match the visual point of contact with the spike on the audio track.

If you are shooting a more complex piece it’s worth getting a slate. You get the same sharp contact to match with a spike on the audio track plus you have reference info written on the slate to use when logging the clip for editing.

Working from a script with a shot list and using a slate to mark takes is more work but it pays off all the way through the production. Plus you’ll look more like a real film crew!

Sync in Final Cut

If you’re using Final Cut Pro here’s a trick that makes it easy to adjust the audio track in very small increments.

Sometimes after lining up the audio and video using the visual cues you’ll find there’s a slight delay sound between the camera reference audio and the high quality audio from your recorder.

You can shift either of these tracks in one frame increments by holding down the command key (apple key) while you click and drag the clip. Final Cut will scale the mouse movement down and provide a + or – sign along with the frames you’re moving. You should be able to slide the clip one frame forward or backward and get a perfect sync.

PluralEyes

If you have lots of clips to sync you’ll be glad to know about PluralEyes, a software tool that will analyze the audio track on the video clips and in your audio files and match everything up for you.

I use both methods. If I have just a few clips it’s easy to do them by hand. If I’ve got a lot of clips, PluralEyes is a smarter choice.

Here’s another tip for processing lots of audio clips.

Just like grading the video for the best look, you’ll want to process the audio for the best sound. If you’ve only got a few clips and the audio is in pretty good shape you can use the audio tools built into Final Cut.

Take one clip and work on it to get the levels where you want them. Then bring in an EQ filter and get the sound where you want it. You may need to correct the levels after you’ve equalized the audio. You may want to add some dynamic level processing to “fatten up” the sound or to take care of a problem in the track.

When you’ve got everything the way you want, select the clip in your timeline and copy it. Then select all other clips recorded with the same setup (same mic, room, recorder, talent, etc.) and right click (control-click) and choose Paste Attributes.

Choose the audio attributes you want to transfer and click OK. All the filters and settings will be applied to all the clips. If needed, you can work on any clip individually to refine the filter settings as needed.

If you have a tip or trick for syncing sound, please leave a comment. And let me know if you have questions about syncing sound or other production issues with DSLR cameras.

-a-

If you’re like me, you know how frustrating the whole online video production process can be.

©iStockphoto.com/CWLawrence

There’s just so much to learn, and so much to do, and to be honest, it can do your head in!

But it doesn’t have to be that way…

Powerful online video marketer, Gideon Shalwick, is running a brand new LIVE webinar where he shows you *exactly* what he does to outsource MOST of his online video work.

Click here for more details about it.

I’ve followed Gideon for the last couple of years and purchased some of his online products. This guy knows what he’s talking about. He walks his talk. And I’ve been pleased enough with his products to recommend him to personal friends and colleagues.

Gideon tells me that he’ll be revealing a secret technology that he and his outsourcing expert friend discovered – a technology that can speed up your whole video production process to levels most people only dream about!

So, as Gideon would say, you’re keen to join the webinar, go check it out here

Don’t forget to mark this date in your calendar for when the webinar will take place:

- Tuesday, Sept 14, 8pm EDT (USA)

If it’s anything like his other webinars, it’s going to ROCK!

PS: Make sure you watch Gideon’s whole video because he reveals a pretty shocking surprise at the end that you won’t want to miss.

A reader just asked:

“I just got a T2i kit (18-55mm). I also got a zoom lens (EF-S 55-250mm) and I considering buying some more equipment. I’m a high-end amateur photographer and in the past years fell in love with video editing too. I use to do my short movies on my Canon HV-10, but I always missed some of the more advanced options (such as a mic input). I plan to shoot most of my videos on the T2i now and I was wondering if I should invest in an mic + ext sound recorder or mic + prime lens? The options I’m considering are “Azden SMX-10 + Zoom h2″ or “Azden SMX-10 + Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II”

Interesting question! Plugging any microphone directly into the Canon T2i is going to result in an audio track that is noisy and poor quality. I’ve tried it and, from my point of view, it’s not usable audio for anything more than a reference track.

Plus, any microphone mounted on the camera will not capture the sound of your talent several feet away. The microphone needs to be as close to the talent as possible. So the Azden SMX-10 into the Canon T2i is not a good choice.

The 18-55mm kit lens and the EF-S 55-250mm will not shoot good video in low light. My recommendation would be to go for the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens for low light video.

For a recorder/stereo microphone I would get the new Zoom H1, which includes a nice stereo mic built-in plus has a 1/8″ microphone input, “VU” meters, and a headphone jack for $99.

I would also recommend a wired lavalier microphone like the Audio-Technica ATR-35S for $29. Plug it directly into the H1 hit the record button and drop the H1 into your talent’s pocket just like you would with a wireless transmitter. You’ll get great sound with no wireless interference.

The Zoom H1, Audio-Technica ATR-35S and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II will cost around USD $240 total. All three for less than the cost of the Azden SMX-10 and the Zoom H2. You’ll get high quality audio and a prime lens for low light video.

Just keep the mic as close to the source of the sound as possible and check everything with headphones or ear-buds.

-a-

I recently read a blog post by Jonathan Schuler where he commented on the buzz in the VJ/PJ community about Vincent Laforet’s recent comment comparing producing video with a DSLR versus using a high end ENG camcorder. The DSLR came out on the short end of the stick for all the known reasons – no XLR mic input, dual sound requirements, general workflow, etc.

BTW (by the way) to VJ/PJ (video journalist – photo journalist) you can add MJ for multimedia journalist to the list. Now you’ve got all the ingredients for the alphabet soup that signifies the chaos in this market segment right now.

Anyway, Jonathan took the sane position that Laforet had simply given the VJ/PJ/MJ community permission to use standard video camcorders if that suited their purpose best.

Ah… one of my favorite strategies – use the right tool for the job.

As it has been said – if all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.

I love taking cutting edge tech and using it on traditional marketing and communication programs.

But one of the key rules of that game is being able to see what is right for the situation and having the sanity to do just that.

Have you heard of Occam’s razor?

It goes like this…

entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

In English that says “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity.”

In plain English that means the simplest solution is usually the correct one.

For Jonathan, the simplest solution is a DSLR shooting stills and video. He’s in remote parts of the world, shooting by himself with no crew, without an AC outlet for miles, sometimes having to carry his entire kit in a pack on his back as he walks in where no Land Rover can get.

Add in his photographic experience and eye for stunning images and it’s no wonder he gladly traded traditional video camcorders for a DSLR and a couple of good lenses.

Laforet, on the other hand, is likely to find the simplest solution to be a bit different. He’s used to working with a full crew and all the high-end equipment a Canon-sponsored superstar could ask for. I mean, he’s the one in the video above – not Jonathan.

Just to be fair, here’s one of Jonathan’s videos. He’s a man on a mission and brings all his passion to his profession.

What’s the take away for you here?

In golf there is a strategy of “playing your game”. So every guy in your group pulls out a driver with a head the size of a grapefruit and swings with everything he’s got. And they all end up in the crap – sand, water, woods, deep grass.

You pull out your favorite 5 iron and pop one 200 yards down the middle. Guess who will win more often?

Here’s a more relevant situation.

You’re checking the lighting and notice that you need more fill. You could grab a light, a stand, an AC cable, a couple of clips and some diffusion material. Or you could slide a reflector over and lean it up against the wall. Which is simpler?

The danger in this strategy is getting stuck and watching the evolving world pass you by.

I believe the key is finding a way to try new technology that is sane. Here are some ways to do that.

• Adopt the mindset of a beginner – be easy with yourself and laugh at your mistakes.
• Learn everything you can from every source available – even people who are negative about new tech have a perspective worth considering.
• Choose wisely when to step into direct experience – spend the time and money to practice, do dry runs, rehearsals, and test shoots.
• Always have a plan B – if the timing/budget are critical or your reputation is on the line take it to another level and have a plan C.

How are you making the choice of which technology to use? Let me know…

-a-

Which camera should I buy?

What’s the right way to create this shot?

How do I get better sound?

I don’t know what your question is but I’m sure you have more than one. I promise that I will answer your question whether I know the answer or have to find someone else who knows the answer.

So click here and ask away!

Yes, DSLR’s shoot amazing video. And, yes, most of the video files from these cameras need to be transcoded so they will edit smoothly.

Here’s a complete workflow that will get your Canon 5D Mark II footage into Final Cut Pro using tools in Final Cut Studio. And the best part is that it’s free!

DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II create video files in a format that is great for recording video. Most use some flavor of H.264 which is highly compressed. Besides being great for recording it’s also great for delivering your video on the web. You can burn a Blu-Ray DVD directly with an H.264 file as well.

But the compression scheme used in this format does not edit well.

To edit video you want to have every frame of the video available. Highly compressed formats like H.264 use algorithms that toss some data that can be restored later.

If you try to edit H.264 in Final Cut your transitions may be weird (if they work at all) and you will have to render the timeline after every change. You’ll lose most of the real time effects as well.

The solution is simple. Transcode the highly compressed H.264 files from your DSLR into ProRes files that FCP loves.

But the work flow to do this can be cumbersome. That’s where this great tool from idustrialrevolution.com comes in so handy.

Here’s how their system works:

This unique workflow package allows the user to choose to edit in 1080p, 1080i or straight to standard definition 16×9 25fps. Custom droplets give one click access to compressor that will convert the H264 files into ProRes for editing. The user also has a choice whether to make the clip realtime (i.e. 30fps to 25fps) or timestretch so that one frame in 30fps is one frame in 25fps. This will result in a slowdown of 20% for pin-sharp results.

Compressor droplets are supplied to get the final 1080p/i self contained movie into standard definition 16×9 too.

An easy to follow workflow diagram helps plot the conversions needed to get the best quality from a Canon camera’s HD output.

The new 1.1 version includes support for FCS3 Compressor 3.5. But will it work with footage from a Canon 7D or T2i?

These droplets will process any H.264 video into Pro Res so you should be okay. And the workflow details will help if you decide you want to create your own droplets with specific transcoding features to match your needs.

Download this free tool, check it out and let me know how it works for you.

-a-

PS – check out their other great tools while you’re there…