THE DIGITAL PARADE

(Affordable) ARRIRAW is Here

2012-02-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

PLUS

I've known about these developments unofficially for months now but today Convergent Design has indeed confirmed that their new Gemini 4:4:4 recorder is ARRIRAW capable. According to CD's Press Release:

The Best, Even Better: Gemini 4:4:4 and ARRIRAW

After months of development, Convergent Design plans to ship next week (to ARRI) a test Gemini with ARRIRAW firmware. While ARRI has already certified a single Raw frame captured from our Alexa and Gemini 4:4:4, full ARRIRAW Certification is expected before the end of February.

The Gemini ARRIRAW combination represents a 75% cost savings over existing solutions, at identical quality! Additionally, the Gemini solution offers full-raster (1920 x 1080) debayered output, a built-in LCD screen for viewing video and substantially lower power, weight and size.

This will be available through your local dealer as a paid firmware upgrade.

Hmmm. So we can now shoot ARRIRAW with a 10K USD 5" on-board monitor that records to non-proprietary SSD's, is capable of complete, on-the-fly ARRIRAW debayering, a LUTed output, proper metadata, and eventually 60fps?

OK. Sign me up.

Full disclosure here: I've been a proud owner of two Gemini 4:4:4 recorders since Convergent Design began shipping last Nov/Dec. I also own two ALEXA's. Suffice it to say that personally I have a keen interest and investment in the Gemini 4:4:4's ability to record ARRIRAW. And I'm not about to take any personal credit here but I was involved in gently bugging CD's Dan Keaton for eventual ARRIRAW support last May. Now at the time, the Gemini was still in full Beta-Mode. Hardware and software was being designed and redesigned and shipping a stable, functional Gemini 4:4:4 recorder by year's end was the utmost priority. Throughout last summer and into the fall and winter Mr. Keaton took my request seriously and made great strides beginning the process of actually implementing it. Now here we are in mid-Febuary 2012 and CD has officially announced ARRIRAW support within weeks. Let's do the math. Since Convergent Design brought the Gemini into the marketplace it has taken them an additional 3 months to provide ARRIRAW support. Now that's what I call Customer Service! No wonder they have one of the best reputations in the industry.

HNY

2012-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hey, I just woke up and realized it's 2012.

Let's take a moment to enjoy this awesome GIF and then let's get some work done.

Ready, Set, Grade!

2011-07-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a gift in July? Blackmagic Design sure does which is why their free version of Resolve is now immediately available for download:

DaVinci Resolve Lite

OK, so all I need now is a new 16-Core Mac Pro with 3 Thunderbolt Ports. C'mon Apple we're waiting!

Lite Reading

2011-06-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ever had an idea for something that would revolutionize an industry? Ever wonder how you'd need to write it all down? If so, why don't you take the time to review the US Patents for the ARRI ALEXA and ALEXA ALEV III SENSOR.

A big "Thank You" to my buddy David Garden for tracking these down.

RIP Cine-tal Systems?

2011-06-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

Though I don't really know the circumstances it seems that Indianapolis-based Cine-tal, a color display processing hardware and software design company, has quietly sold off all of its products. I've been a big fan of the company's Cinemage 24" HD Displays for years now and have used them exclusively for most of my color-critical jobs. Extremely accurate and overtly complicated (for better or worse), I've always likened the Cinemage to a Ferrari: incredible performance with a price tag to match.

It's difficult to anticipate where the Cinemage product line will go from here. Will Ikan really expand the line or simply use the technology to upgrade their existing lower-class monitor lines? What about Dolby? I've been told that a few of Cine-tal's lead technicians are now a part of Dolby's display team. Will we see some 17" and 24" Class-1 Dolby Displays in the near future that include a bit of the Cinemage lineage?

I was recently able to demo both the Dolby 42" and the new Sony OLED 24" Class-1 monitors. The Dolby is by far the most amazing panel I have seen yet. The picture it produces is brilliant by technical standards and overly gorgeous by eye. This monitor really makes the argument concrete that ITU-R BT.709-5 is an outdated standard. With most professional cameras and displays and an increasing number of (pro)consumer cameras and displays already capturing and displaying colors and tones outside of the rec709 space it seems continually silly to insist on conforming everything into this little box. I would argue that color gamut and fidelity is much more important to our images than any need for increased resolution.

The Sony BVM-E250 was very impressive as well. Fantastic blacks. I never really liked the previous BVM-L230 and always found that any of the Cine-tals consistently provided much better performance. Interestingly enough, the Cinemage 2000 (older 8-bit panel) performed extremely well when compared to the new 24" OLED. The Sony definitely smokes everything else out there in black level and end-to-end contrast ratio but the Cine-tal seemed to continually provide better luminance range in the lowest blacks. Supposedly the soon-to-be-released PVM-2541 will be made with the same panel found in the E250 for a quarter of the price. The E250 seemed spot on in terms of calibration so it remains to be seen how close the 2541 will get... though I do have high hopes.

Below is a copy of Cine-tal's "Dear John" letter. Will the lights really go out for good or is the company streamlining itself for its next venture? As the saying goes, only time will tell...

April 15, 2011

Dear Customers, Resellers and Marketing Partners,

First and foremost we at Cine-tal would like to thank you for your friendship and support over the past 7 years. When we started Cine-tal in 2004 we set out to mobilize our industry for the changes in display technology that were on the horizon. We did this by introducing new concepts and workflows in color management and display calibration with much success. Much like a relay race we are now handing the baton over to others to continue the race. Our partners are strong runners who will build on our technology and success creating stronger and bolder solutions to today’s display technology challenges.

The core technology in our DAVIO product line has been acquired by Dolby Laboratories. Cine-tal continues to manufacture and sell the DAVIO product under license from Dolby and is seeking a partner to continue that effort. Our cineSpace product has been acquired by THX. Last month iKan acquired the Cinemage Monitor product line. iKan will continue to develop new monitor solutions under the Cinemage brand name. Each of these companies have the resources available to run the next leg of this race, empowering you with the solutions you will need for tomorrow's challenges.

Cine-tal customers with products under warranty will get the support they need as follows:

Cinemage:Service and support by iKan

cineSpace: Support and Software Maintenance by THX

DAVIO: Warranty repair by Cine-tal

Color Processor for Dolby 3D: Warranty repair by Cine-tal

We thank you once again for your loyalty and support.

Sincerely,
Robert Carroll
President

Bob Caldwell
V.P. Sales

AMPAS IIF ACES

2011-06-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have any idea what the above refers to? It's a brand spanking new digital cinema workflow standard that is being developed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Called the Image Interchange Framework (IIF) this is a complete specified architecture for placing any and all capture mediums into a standardized gamma and color space that far exceeds anything available today.

Here's the problem: you shoot film, RED, ALEXA, and 5D (dammit!) on your next 300-million dollar blockbuster (tentatively entitled "BANG!, silence, CASH!"). How do you handle viewing, conforming, grading, and outputting to different masters (ie: film print, digital master, blu-ray, HD broadcast, DVD, iPhone, etc.) all of this footage? Today most post houses have to handle all of these flavors uniquely in their own workflows. Film needs a LUT to display correctly on a facility's Baselight in order to mix it with the ALEXA footage. Then it needs an output LUT applied for a film-out and another different LUT applied for a rec709 output for broadcast. Everyone just loves the RAW files from the RED but those R3D's don't mean anything until they're debayered though REDCINE-X or some other proprietary software. The ALEXA footage could be ARRIRAW, ProRes Log-C Quicktimes, or uncompressed DPX frames. And the 5D... well let's just say it's gotta fit in too. Besides actually getting each capture medium to open up and play on a particular post system like DaVinci or Scratch the biggest concern is making sure what you're seeing on the screen is ALL or MOST of what each camera actually captured.

Here's a simple example: you want to grade and output a rec709 master of your film for television broadcast and you're dealing with ALEXA Log-C QTs. You've already calibrated your Baselight system to your new Dolby 42" Display and have everything set into a rec709 gamma and color space. Good. Since this is where you want to end up it makes sense that this is where you should start, right? Hmmm, maybe not. Here's the problem, the ALEXA doesn't capture dynamic range and colors according to the rec709 specification (unless you set the camera to conform to this spec but who in their right mind would do that?). The ALEXA natively captures a much, much broader range of gamma and color gamut than is even allowed by the rec709 standard. This is indeed awesome because this is exactly how the camera is able to record such impressive dynamic range. What's important is that the camera captures as much information as possible so we can use all of it later in post during our final color-grading session and eventual conform/output. The distinction is in what parts of the whole we actually end up using. 13 stops of DR is great but usually looks like crap. Why? With all that tonal range you've inherently got LESS contrast. And as all self-conscious image makers know... contrast is your friend and should be embraced. Why does Log-C look so flat? Because it doesn't have any contrast! Duh...

Think of it as a box. Rec709 is a little box. Log-C is a much, much bigger box capable of storing a wide range of tones and colors. It's fine if you intend to finish within the rec709 space. The problem is stuffing that big Log-C box into the teeny, weeny rec709 box. If you simply just jam it in there you're liable to lose 50% of the ALEXA's color and tonal range. Eventually you'll HAVE to loose that range in order to finish your grade for TV broadcast but the distinction is if you can SEE all of the CAPTURED RANGE you can DECIDE what parts stay and what are discarded. This is the essence of color-grading. A nimble colorist will give you everything you need and none of what you don't. Unfortunately, just when a colorist feels confident in grading RED MX Build 1067.2 along comes some 500fps Phantom Flex footage. They may both be RAW files but they react to light and color in dramatically unique ways.

With film it was easy. DP's knew how film reacted to light and color. They knew how it needed to be processed and printed. And the colorist knew how to add points (printer lights) to create the DP's "look". The workflow and color science were well understood and standardized. Now, in our digital world, each camera behaves differently. Each camera sees tonal range and colors different than the next. There is no standard as each camera is it's own standard. The ALEXA has 13 stops of dynamic range. The RED has 13 stops of DR. Sony's F35 now has 13 stops of DR. And Kodak 5219 has 13 stops of DR. But each will map what it perceives as "blackest black" and "whitest white" to a different place on it's tonal curve. If I choose 5219's "black" as THE BLACK then the ALEXA, SONY, and RED would need to be somehow conformed to match how 5219 encodes BLACK. After that I'd have to calibrate 5219's BLACK to display correctly as "blackest black" on my new Dolby 42" display. Then make sure that the ALEXA, SONY, and RED matched that. And make sure that any other displays like my AC's 5" on-board monitor, my director's 17" monitor, my DIT's 24" master monitor, or my own living room's 103" Panasonic Plasma also match. Yeah, it's a pain. And most of the time they all match... sort of, kinda, close-but-not-quite, ok... no, not really, not even close.

So this is where the IIF comes in. The BIG IDEA here is to take any and all recorded sources and transform them into a standardized gamma and color space that is so large that it can hold all legacy and (hopefully) most future imaging devices (that would be cameras). By transforming a source (like ALEXA) through the AMPAS's Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES) you can standardize and theoretically future-proof your entire capture-to-display workflow across every conceivable output (theatrical, tv, dvd, etc).

Again think of the IIF-ACES as a really, really, really BIG box that anything can fit into. Be it RED, Weisscam, Fuji Film, ALEXA, Sony F65, 5D, or yer iPhone everyone of these capture mediums will have it's own specified transform to take it from its native gamma and color space to the much larger and standardized IIF gamma and color space. Now you won't get anything for free here. If you shoot 8-bit with an AF-100 and encode it to the IIF's proposed 16-bit specification you're not gonna gain any extra DR or color gamut. You'll just have a lot of empty spaces between your little 8-bits. The obvious benefit is that once the transform is completed that "blackest black" will be consistent across all of your cameras, displays, and outputs. The RED's BLACK that encodes at .0023xr3d and the ALEXA's BLACK that encodes at 20c.-2 and the 5D's BLACK that encodes at "-crappy" and 5219's BLACK that renders at x,y slope will ALL be transformed to encode at simply 0 within the IIF.

So when your colorist pulls up the scene in your movie that has 5D inter-cut with film inter-cut with RED inter-cut with Phantom inter-cut with ALEXA... BLACK on ALL will appear BLACK on your display. And when you're finished with your final grade your Digital Master will appear the same across all of your deliverables (Theatrical, TV, Blu-Ray, You Tube, etc.). This is the hope and motivation at least. And I for one welcome it.

Though the IIF is still being refined FX's show "Justified" is already using the standard as a basis for the show's pre-thru-post workflow. Check out this HD Video Pro article on real-world implementation. If you want to implement IIF in your real world all that's needed is to sign up. And if you're feeling especially nerdy and a glutton for punishment REDUSER never fails to deliver the goods.

T(echnicolor)-Log

2011-06-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't already heard Technicolor recently released their custom picture profile for the Canon 5D Mark II. Called CineStyle this profile was created by Technicolor color scientists and engineers with the help and cooperation of Canon USA. CineStyle converts the 5D's usual rec709 gamma and color space into log for increased dynamic range and control in post-production.

Similar to shooting S-Log with a Sony F35 or Log C (download the Alexa color processing white paper) with an Arri Alexa, CineStyle will encode your video (or stills) with a stretched gamma curve and desaturated colors producing flat, grey images perfect for a proper DI session. And best of all, CineStyle is free and available for immediate download. Just don't forget to read through the user guide and accompanying documents.

MIA2

2011-06-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Every good thing deserves a sequel. Or a prequel...

The ALEXA LUT Generator is Born

2011-02-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Today, a bit past 7 in the morning PST, an engineer known only as "Harold" made an announcement on the Arri Digital Forum:

"The LUT Generator for the ALEXA (and D-21) camera is online: http://www.arridigital.com/technical/luts."

Ah ha! And you thought there'd be press releases and bombast involved! How wrong you are, sir.

So the LUT Generator is live. And? It's really just for post-production purposes. As of now it is very rudimentary. After all a LUT (Lookup Table), in image processing, is used to transform input data into a more desirable output format. Turn X to Y. Grey to Black. Or Grey to White. There is no creative component to this. It is simply a coded transform. And in this way ARRI's LUT Generator works as advertised. The goal here it to simply pick your output application (Apple Color, Scratch, Nuke, DaVinci, etc.) and generate a LUT to enable you to work natively with ALEXA's Log C. The biggest draw here is the "Linear Gamma" tab. ARRIRAW here we come!

So lately we've started using LUT's creatively on the set to "pre-grade" a project. Systems like Technicolor's DP Lights, Filmlight's Truelight, or Iridas' SpeedGrade OnSet have the ability to not just apply a simple transform LUT but can also generate a "look" for dailies or even as a reference for the final DI session.

I'd love to see ARRI's LUT Generator move eventually into this territory. It would be fantastic to have a simple on-camera tool to apply creative LUT's. Something akin to the ALEXA Frame Line Generator, maybe? You know, so we can see what we're messing with by pushing all those shinny little buttons. I'm just saying...

And just in case you didn't get yesterday's announcement either: we now have audio, playback, and false color. Download ALEXA's 3.0 firmware here.

Canada Saves the Day

2011-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

I just re-installed my Mac OS this weekend and am currently in the middle of trying to get all of my applications working properly again. Wadding through endless plug-ins and downloads is a pain. Even more so when you're dealing with Sony software.

Sony's US software/firmware site is difficult to make sense of and has glaring omissions. Being stuck, once again, trying to get XDCAM codec support for QuickTime Player has left me breathless and bewildered. Luckily our friends up North have a much more sensible support site.

Thank you Canada.

SxS w/ SDHC?

2011-02-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Sonnet, who makes a bunch of cool stuff, just released their SDHC Adapter for SxS Camera Slot. With it you can use itty-bitty SD cards in any Express Card 34 Slot. Like the one found on this camera.

Or even the one found on this camera.

You'll need a very fast SDHC card to be able to use this set-up on an ALEXA. SanDisk and Kingston both just released the fastest SDHC cards on the market. It's possible, but right now these new cards are still not fast enough to record your ProRes 4444 Log C masters. Besides, you'd probably just end up losing these little SD cards anyway...

But on the Sony F3 this could end up being half the price of a comparable SxS card. Then again, Sony's XDCAM EX codec is piss-poor when coupled w/ the F3's imager and ability to record in S-Log gamma. You'd be much better off skipping the SxS cards and XDCAM EX codec and going straight in with the ass-kicking 10-bit Apple codec ProRes 422 HQ via the new AJA Ki Pro Mini.

Or just give it 6 months. Or maybe 12 when Sony releases their newest flash memory cards.

MIA

2011-02-15T11:29:00.001-08:00

Yes. I have been "Missing In Action" lately. It's been busy both personally and professionally. I've been working on a new website and business that should launch sometime in March. I promise to Blog more... sorry.

She's Heeeeeeeeeeeere!!!

2010-12-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Arri Feline "Direct-to-Hairball" Attachment Sold Separately.

A DIT Tent that Comes in Camo? Uber-Awesomeness!

2010-09-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is cool. Paying out $1500 bucks to Village Blackout is not.

So what's a cash-strapped Digital Imaging Tech to do? How about buying a Hunting Blind instead?

Is the Gaffer giving you a hard time 'cause your DIT tent is bouncing more light than his 20x? I suggest getting the Undercover 360 in Mossy Oak.

Working on a feature deep in the heart of Siberia? You won't go wrong with the addition of a Snow Camo Cover.

Shooting on the prairies of Nebraska and you need room for three? Don't sweat it. Beavertail's got you covered. Literally.

By the way, the above is probably the best picture ever taken and/or created in Photoshop.

I bought my camo rig at the Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga for a buck and a quarter. It's got windows, a roof flap, and a hook for hanging up any fresh meat. Best of all, I don't have to move out of the wide shot when shooting on a golf course.

Hey! Check out those extras hanging out next to that bush! Nice!

I'm gonna spend the $1375 I saved by seeing Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World at the Academy in Pasadena over and over again 'cause it's the BEST MOVIE EVA! And if you haven't seen it you should be ashamed of yourself for not supporting a studio film chock full of creativity, originality, and awesomenesses.

Own an ALEXA and Put It On Your iPad... For Free!

2010-09-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Don't have 75K in your back pocket? Still at the bottom of the waiting list? Just can't get enough cool toys for your tablet?

Well give it up to ARRI once again. Now you can have your own ALEXA in cyberspace. Or better yet, download the ALEXA Camera Simulator right to your iPad. Now all you'll have to do is figure out how to attach that 27mm Master Prime.

What Does ALEXA's Log C Look Like?

2010-09-28T14:02:00.000-07:00

I've been really nutso busy lately and am still deciding how I'm gonna make sense of the ALEXA ASA/Gain test I did a week back. But for now I thought I'd share a short clip of the ALEXA's Log C capture with and without a color-corrected LUT applied. This was a 3D LUT made in the field as a quick reference color grade and not a simple transform LUT. You can really see (even on the small, small screen) how much detail the ALEXA picks up in the shadow areas of the frame (pay close attention to our ladies hair).

ALEXA Log C + LUT from Adrian Jebef on Vimeo.

And check out this article from ARRI's website. It's a quick Q&A with DP Anna Foerster on her experience using the ALEXA for the first time.

ALEXA Initial Impressions

2010-09-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have been lucky enough to have gotten my hands on Arri's new ALEXA digital cinema camera. Actually, I've done three separate jobs with the ALEXA so far and am starting another one tomorrow. For about six months I have been waiting with baited breath in anticipation of this camera system. I had hoped it would deliver. I had at least pleaded that it would deliver 75% on its promises. I can tell you right now, unequivocally, that this camera, simply stated: over-delivers.

Everything you may have heard is true... and then some. This is the new standard for digital acquisition. I can say, for the first time, that this camera looks as good as 35mm film. In fact, I doubt that anyone could tell the difference between properly lit and exposed 35mm negative and properly lit and exposed ALEXA Log C capture. This is the first digital cinema camera. Period. It does not look like a video camera. It is smooth and silky. Much like film. And has such unbelievable dynamic range that you will crap yourself if you haven't already.

Arri has outdone themselves. This is a company that I have always admired. That I have always put at the top of any list. This company does not sit still. They are constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries. However, they are German. And being German requires a certain level of commitment to excellence. Sometimes this commitment can be an Achilles heel. For example, the 35mm BL was a workhorse of a camera, but it needed to be replaced. So Arri introduced the 535a, a 35mm film camera built like a tank and weighing almost as much. It had an electronically adjustable shutter, speed ramping, arriglow, a huge and bright viewfinder, etc. All of the specs screamed perfection, but the camera was just too damn big and bulky. Have you every tried a hand-held shot with a 535a and a 400ft mag? How about riding one on a steadicam? The thing just kills. About ten years later Arri introduces the Arricam ST and LT. C'mon. We can say it together: The Arricam LT is the best 35mm sync-sound motion picture camera ever designed and built. Period. And so it was with the Arri D-20. A great design on paper, but not so much on location. The D-21 proved Arri's point that it could produce a digital camera that looked great. As long as it was a day exterior or you had an uber budget for G&E.

So here we are. It's September of 2010 and Christmas has come early. Arri has produced the standard. Nothing else even comes close. Out of the box the ALEXA is stunning. It is small, compact, well-designed, intuitive, simple, and elegant. It also happens to weigh quite a bit more than you'd think (I've gotten accustomed to calling it "The Brick"). But the weight adds confidence. This is a motion picture camera. It is not made of plastic and rubber. It will not crack or throw a tantrum. It was built like a tank (in a good way this time). And it has a soft side. The ALEXA's pictures are simply gorgeous. There is an incredible smoothness to this ALEV-III sensor that I've never seen before in digital cameras. The ALEXA is sharp, of course, but not like a F35. It is a new world. And we should be happy.

This was a bit of school-boy gushing on my part but I just had to get it out. My next post will include an ASA/Gain test that I just finished this afternoon. With ALEXA's native 800 ASA sensitivity I wanted to objectively measure any reduced dynamic range under middle grey when the camera's ASA is set lower (like to 400 or even 200). From just observing the camera in the field I suspect that any reduction of DR is going to be purely academic, but I'll have the real data up soon and we can take a better look.

One last thought... I know there are those out there amongst us that may be impressed with the ALEXA but are still waiting on the next generation of digital cameras from RED. I admire your loyalty. I'm sure the Epic or the 83.2K Super Iliad will be just awesome. I am intrigued. That being said, there is not a lot that I would change on the ALEXA. I do not see much room for improvement. Resolution? Sure. But as any film professional will tell you there is more to resolution than merely resolution. Dynamic range, sharpness, contrast, all of these affect resolution. A higher K doesn't always add up. But one thing is for sure. When the history books are written our film scholars will no doubt note the impact that RED had on the future of digital cinema. Because without the RED ONE dropping into our laps those few short years ago we would never have Arri's ALEXA. Here's to more industry shake-ups!

And here's a few screen grabs from my last few ALEXA jobs...

These stills were captured from ALEXA's LOG C out, routed through a Cine-tal 24" Class 1 HD Monitor, color-corrected via SpeedGrade OnSet, and outputted to a QuickTime movie file. They represent a quick and dirty snapshot from a much more beautiful machine.

ALEXA @ ASA 320

ALEXA @ ASA 800

ALEXA @ ASA 400

ALEXA @ ASA 1600 with a Cooke S5i 24mm Lens at T1.4 and lit entirely with a source 4 backlight and a kino barfly about 15ft from our star.

Is Your Waveform Stuck in the Past?

2010-08-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

Having a professional-grade waveform monitor on the set to analyze exposure is absolutely critical when dealing with digital capture. And if you were to take a survey of all the sets across the entire country on any one day you'd find that 99.9% of the waveform monitors used to judge exposure are set to an IRE percentage scale. Unfortunately, the IRE scale is simply the wrong tool to use for digital capture. Let me explain...

The IRE scale is named after The Institute of Radio Engineers which was first formed in 1912. The IRE merged with another engineering society in 1963 and is now known as The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE. IRE's as a unit of measurement are designed to measure an incoming composite video signal in milivolts (mV) and then convert it to a 0 - 100 percentage scale where 0% is black and 100% is white. The reason IRE's use a 100% scale is because a composite video signal is an analog signal. There are no discreet points in an analog signal as an analog signal by definition can be thought of as a continuous wave not as specific points on a graph. An amplitude scale from 0-100 makes a lot of sense when dealing with analog signals because this scale gives you a relative understanding of video gain. The brighter the pixel in the image the closer to 100 IRE. The darker the pixel the closer to 0 IRE. But because this is a relative scale each luminance value in a pixel is simply an approximation when transferred onto an IRE % waveform. The pixel's luminance does not correspond directly with a specific IRE % because the pixel is not discreetly sampled like it is in digital video. The IRE scale is still a great way to monitor your video images. As long as they are analog video images. Which is another way of saying that the IRE scale was designed and is intended for standard definition video only.

So why do we still use an SD scale for HD video? Simple: legacy. It's human nature. Once you get used to something, why change? Many of the engineers that were designing this stuff twenty years ago are still around designing it today. All of your brand-spankin' new Leader waveform monitors will come equipped with an IRE scale. We've all gotten accustomed to it. Our DP's are finally accustomed to asking that skin tones settle in to 40 IRE. What will they think when we tell them this whole thing has been a sham right from the beginning?

Don't sweat it just correct it. In digital video a camera sensor's ability to capture differences in illumination is dependent on its quantization level or bit depth. The higher the bit depth the more discreet steps of luminance a sensor can discern. An 8-bit sensor can make out 256 discreet differences in luminance. A 10-bit sensor 1024. 12-bit 4096. And 14-bit 16,384. Depending on the bit-depth range each pixel on a digital sensor will assign a discreet value for every step of luminance difference within a scene. This number is known as a coded value.

When dealing with digital video you want the ability to use a waveform monitor to identify discreet differences in luminance within a scene. A coded value scale is the only scale that will give you these discreet readings. For most applications a 10-bit scale is standard and user-friendly. Again, there are 1024 discreet steps of luminance in a 10-bit image. Looking at a waveform coded value scale we would find 0 at the bottom of the scale representing total black and 1023 at the top of the scale representing total white. This scale will usually also be identified with 100/75/50/25/0% markings. A coded value of 940 will correspond to 100%. 721 is 75%. 502 is 50%. 283 is 25%. And 64 is 0%. Here's a scale that includes both IRE % and 10-bit coded values for Sony's S-Log gamma curve.

We can see that these 10-bit coded values get close to an IRE % scale. But for what I do, close is not good enough.

It's about time that we start embracing the coded value scale when we discuss luminance within a digital video signal. It is the only correct way in which to truly monitor HD video. One British company that insists on using code values on all of its waveform scales is OmniTek. They're propelling HD test measurement into the future where it belongs, not into the past where just about everyone else is stuck.

So the next time your DP asks for skin tones to hit 40 IRE let her know that they look fantastic at 420d.

Why the Weisscam is My New Best Friend

2010-07-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

So you wanna shoot high-speed HD? Get a Phantom Gold, right? Sure, if you enjoy headaches. Now I don't want to knock Vision Research too much here, but truth be told: the Phantom line of high-speed digital cameras is a pain to work with. I like to compare a Phantom HD Gold to a 2-year old toddler: every thing's just dandy until you take away their ice-cream or forget to perform a black balance every ten seconds.

These cameras can produce stunning, high-resolution images BUT you MUST baby them. Their sensors are extremely susceptible to temperature changes. This is why it is a requirement to constantly check your image and make sure it is clean before every take. If you don't, you'll end up with superbad mojo in post and even worse juju in life. I'm also not a huge fan of the windows operating system that is the foundation of the Phantom's capture software. It works, but then it doesn't. Freezes. Reboot. Not a fan. Remember, Arri never had me boot up Windows XP in order to shoot 150fps on a 435. I really don't see the need for Vision Research to insist on such a weak interface.

OK, enough about the Phantom. Like everything else, it's a tool. Until it fails...

Which brings me to the Weisscam HS-2. As far as I know there are only two HS-2's in LA via Clairmont Camera. Tentative steps...

The Weisscam solves some of the Phantom's shortcomings by running an automatic black reference calibration that constantly, and on the fly, evaluates the dark noise in an image and adjusts for the best image quality. This is a huge advantage as there is no need to interrupt shooting to perform any "Wizard-of-Oz" techie tricks.

The Weisscam's workflow approach is similar to the Phantom's in that the camera is meant to constantly store frames (at a specified frame rate) in an internal RAM module while waiting for the operator to tell it to stop. Once a recording is stopped the preceding footage must be output to either the Weisscam Digital Magazine or via the camera's HD-SDI outputs where it can be captured in real-time (1000fps played back at 24) with a SRW-1, nanoFlash, or other HD recording device. The internal RAM buffer stores image frames as sort of free floating information. None of it is actually recorded onto any media or hard drive. It simply holds your shot there temporarily until you send it out to a recorder or begin recording right over it again. That's why if the camera loses power you've also lost your shot. It was never actually stored anywhere, it was just present for a fleeting moment...

That's precisely why there are two power inputs on the camera body. In case of a battery failure any shot stored on the internal RAM buffer won't vanish into thin air like it would if you have to reboot Windows (hint). Power redundancy is a good thing to have in high-speed digital capture. Does the new Phantom Flex have two power inputs? Yes, I think it does. About time, boys.

And did I mention that the Weisscam comes with this small, super-sweet, touch sensitive LCD, remote bluetooth controller so you can turn the camera on and off effortlessly when you've got it mounted on a 50ft Technocrane? Oh, right, VR also introduced their RCU. About time, boys...

Tech Tips with Your Nano

2010-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a few observations from the field when using the nanoFlash on high-end, digital cinema cameras like the Sony F35 and Arri D-21.

The nano is a very smart machine. It will automatically detect an incoming HD video signal and display its format at the bottom of the LCD screen. If you are unsure of what a camera is sending you via its HD-SDI out make sure you take a moment to check with the nano.

I've used the nasnoFlash to record directly off a Sony F35's interface box with no problems. But the "monitor out" SDI outputs will NOT pass any Timecode or audio information. Take note because this is important. If you need embedded audio and TC then you must connect the nanoFlash to one of the SDI outs on the interface box. And if you are shooting 4:4:4 then your best bet is to separate the SRW-1 from the camera body, connect it to the SRPC-1 Video Processor (aka: The Toaster!), and use the monitor out SDI output. Just be sure to take note that this signal is set at a default 59.94i frame rate. This means that if you have set the F35 at 23.98PsF you will NOT be getting a true 24P signal coming out of the toaster. If you've enabled your nanoFlash to record PsF but have not added a 3:2 pulldown to the 29.98PsF out you'll end up with motion artifacts.

Fortunately, you can easily add a 3:2 pulldown after the fact to get your 23.98PsF back. But you're best off by either setting a 3:2 pulldown via the SRW-1's video menu or enabling a 3:2 pulldown in the nanoFlash itself.

Also of great interest is the ability for the nano to accept a Timecode Trigger to begin recording. If you are working in a Record Run TC mode this means that the nanoFlash will begin recording when you hit your camera's record button (as soon as the TC advances). If you're working with a single-system (audio + video are one) this is a sleek and efficient process. If you're running a dual-system (audio + video are separate and will be matched later in post) then you're most likely using a Time-of-Day TC mode and you'll have to trigger your nano manually.

Some more tidbits: A 32GB CF card will easily hold more than 50min. worth of 23.98PsF material at 50Mbps Long-GOP (HDCAM SR anyone?). At 100Mbps you'll get about 40min.

You can record any Log Gamma modes with a nanoFlash including S-Log, Panalog, etc. as long as you're sending the nano a 4:2:2 signal. Your D-21 set to Log-C 4:4:4 will have you seeing funny things in post production.

You may need to add the XDCAM plugin to Quicktime Player in order to view nano QTs properly. Check: Sony Support or Calibrated Software or Perian.

Be sure to consult Convergent Designs approved Media page when picking out CF cards to use with your nanoFlash. It never hurts to test something before you push the button and sink the Titanic.

Finally, the nano3D rig is right around the corner. Having two synced nanoFlashes for 3D television and commercial work will be just awesome. Plus I bet you can record 4:4:4...

Is the nanoFlash the Best Thing Eva?

2010-07-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

OK, so this product has been on the market for about a year now. It was aimed at the prosumer video shooters as a way to bypass a camera's internal, and most likely inferior, recording codec by capturing a HD stream via the robust Sony XDCam codec at a very impressive max 280 Mbps.

There are many things to like about the nanoFlash. But the most important is the fact that this little device (measuring approx. 4"x4"x1" and weighing in at under a pound) records your choice of Quicktime or MXF files (and a couple others) directly to solid state media. In this case, pro-level compact flash cards. What this means is that for a mere $3K you can enter the fantastic realm of a simple data-centric workflow and leave all your tapes (and tape decks) behind. Because the nano is built and engineered by an independent company, Convergent Designs, you are not tied into any proprietary recording format or recording media. And because this unit accepts both SDI and HDMI (mini) inputs you can use it to record just about anything that will send out a HD signal.

A few tech specs: the nanoFlash is an 8-bit video recording device that delivers 4:2:2 color sampling at selectable compression bit rates. For max quality you want I-Frame at 280 Mbps. What does this mean for a 4K Digital Intermediate? Capturing at 8-bit instead of 10-bit will reduce your dynamic range. And 4:2:2 won't give you all the color information that a 4:4:4 recording will. But if you've got the cash for a 4K DI then you're probably shooting film anyway.

So what about the small screen? Last time I checked the max bit rate of HDTV broadcasts was a mere 19.4 Mbps. Not to mention that what's sent over the air is usually 4:2:2 at 8-bits. The nanoFlash has the ability to deliver fantastic picture quality for episodics and commercials. 'Nuff said.

Why spend the cash on HDCAM SR when you can Velcro a nano on the side of your F35? Shooting Panalog on a Genesis? The nano can record it. What about RED? Though the R3D workflow has dramatically improved it can still be a pain. So if you're OK with 720p, why not dial in a good lookin' image via the RED Video Menu and capture it with a nanoFlash? And though the current Canon 5D Mark II doesn't output full raster images via it's HDMI out perhaps the next interation will. And then, nano-it!

The truth is this little box can cut your post-production costs dramatically. With new high-end digital cinema cameras hitting the streets everyday the nanoFlash can be your secret weapon. A file-based workflow is inevitable. It holds the promise of immediacy, redundancy, and affordability. Flash memory will get cheaper. CPUs will get faster. And 1s and 0s can already be infinitely copied and stored.

Panasonic had it right when they introduced their P2 workflow. RED got it right when they decided to record directly to CF cards. Everyone is excited about Arri's ALEXA because it can record Apple ProRes files directly to flash memory. And Sony may be late to the game, but they'll be updating their HDCAM SR format to record directly to solid-state media as well.

The thing is, the nanoFlash is already here, it's non-proprietary, it's inexpensive, small, draws almost no power (6.5 watts when recording), and works like a charm. No wonder I own two of them...

Sony F35 Menu Control Over the Wire

2010-04-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

Not many out there know this, but Sony added Ethernet menu support for the F35 through a recent firmware update. It's an intuitive and simple way to keep consistent control without the need for a MSU (master set-up unit). This will work on a Mac running OS X 10.5 and later or on a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

To access the F35's menu system via a computer over an Ethernet cable you first need to define or find out your laptop's IP address. On a Mac, since that's what I use, open up "System Preferences" and click on "Network". Open up your Ethernet preferences and note or write in your IP address.

Then open up the F35's main menu system by holding down the click-wheel and pressing the VF Menu / Display button. Open the "Network" menu and choose "IP Addr Set". You need to enter in your computer's IP address here with an additional numerical step. For example, if your laptop's IP address is 192.168.0.1 you should enter 192.168.0.2 as the F35's IP address.

Now comes the fun part. Connect a cross-over Ethernet cable from your computer to the camera and open up your web browser. This will work with Internet explorer 6 or 7, Firefox 3, and Safari 3. In your browser's address bar type in http:// plus the IP address you entered into the camera. In our example above, you would enter http://192.168.0.2 and hit enter. Now, behold, the almighty awesomeness of navigating the menu from your laptop!

Note that while this is indeed pretty rad any changes you make through this Ethernet menu tend to be a bit slow. If I'm painting with the color matrix I tend to select a channel and hold the "up" or "down" keys on my Mac. This seems to take the edge off and make it a bit easier. Of course, if you need direct control and production is willing to pay for it, get a MSU.

SRW-1 Colors

2010-04-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Sony F35 recording to HDCAM SR with a SRW-1 has been the defacto camera of choice on most episodics shooting here in LA. With that in mind here's a little tip to trick out your "A" and "B" cameras.

You can color-code the LCD panel display on the SRW-1 by accessing the diagnosis menu. Simply hold down the "Home" key and then push the "System" button. Use the thumb wheel to navigate the menu and click on "LCD Color" near the bottom. This will give you access to a bunch of different character displays on the LCD. Note that once you make a selection you then have to manually dial in your color preference by mixing different values of RGB. It takes a bit of practice, but it's well worth the effort to pimp yer tape recorder.

So You Wanna Be a DIT?

2010-04-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Though the International Cinematographer's Guild, IATSE Local 600, has yet to officially recognize and support the Digital Imaging Technician classification our friends over in Minnesota already are. Why pay an $8000 initiation fee when you can begin taking Introduction to Digital Imaging for a tenth of the price? Get certified! It's the quickest way to tenure.

Video vs. Raw : Log vs. Lin.

2010-03-18T13:02:00.001-07:00

As our world keeps replacing reality with 1's and 0's it's a good idea to get everyone on the same page when we discuss certain words and/or processes. I've found through experience that just because we have gotten accustomed to using terms like RAW and S-Log does not mean we actually understand the choice we're about to make. Here is a conversational rather than technical explanation to clear the air.

When it comes to digital acquisition we have three specific choices that we can make on-set which will directly determine the quality of our image and our ability to make changes to it in post-production. Do we record Raw, Log, or straight HD Video?

First we must decide in what form we want to capture our image. We have two choices here: Raw or Video. Raw is a digital camera sensor's unprocessed linear luminance values. Because this is just data a raw file will not include any white balance adjustment, color and saturation adjustments, gamma correction, or debayering (if it is a CMOS sensor). Simply stated: a Raw file is NOT an image. It is just the luminance values from every pixel on the sensor. It is data: 1's and 0's. A digital Raw file is analogous to 35mm negative. Though you can interpret an image by looking at a film negative you must color time, print from the neg to a release stock, and finally project the print to view your image as intended. It is the same with digital Raw files. You can interpret an image from the coded luminance values in a Raw file but you won’t actually see your image until it has been processed through either a camera’s firmware (like the Sony F35 which is a Video camera, not a Raw camera) or post-production software (like Speedgrade DI or RedAlert).

Once a Raw file is processed to create an image it ceases to be Raw and instead becomes Video. Raw is data, Video is the image. RED R3D files are your Raw files, but once you open a R3D in RedAlert it becomes a HD Video clip. You will never be able to actually view your Raw file as an image. If you did, it would look something like this:

The reason that Raw is preferable as a capture choice over HD Video is that any processing manipulation that is done to your image during post will be done directly from the source data (each pixel’s luminance values). During the Digital Intermediate process any change to the Raw file simply transcodes the original values into the newly “timed” values while also adding other mathematical transfer functions to the data set such as gamma curves and gain reduction to achieve your overall “look”. This is often referred to as Rendering. If you decide to change your “look” all of your changes will be rendered from the original Raw file and not your previous rendered “look” thereby maintaining the true values found in the Raw file. This is why color-timing Raw files is considered “non-destructive” to your original captured image.

Here's our Raw file after color timing:

Color-timing from a HD Video source is destructive. Any changes made to your image are “burnt in” to your new “look”. Once these changes are made they cannot be unmade. There is no reset button. This is why some cameras are capable of recording in a log video mode. By recording in log the camera attempts to stretch and squeeze the image to capture as closely as possible each pixel’s luminance values within the context of a HD Video signal. But more on that in just a bit.

A great way to think of Raw vs. Video is to imagine constructing a house. A Raw file is your blueprint. Though the overall shape and size of your new home is set you still retain the ability to make a wide range of choices. From adding closets to raising the ceiling height any changes can be redrafted and visualized before construction begins. With Video you assume the role of the foreman. Not only has the final blueprint been drafted, but the foundation has been laid and the house has been framed. Though you still have the ability to make changes, every window you add or room you extend requires physically cutting into your home's frame and either throwing away or adding material. Any change, big or small, will fundamentally weaken your home's foundation. Too many radical revisions can bring the whole structure right down into a pile of junk. Then again, a bad artistic eye can be just as fatal...

Okay, let's take a breath. Much better. Now for something completely different: what is the difference between a linear (though used commonly, the proper technical term would be "gamma-corrected") and log video signal? First off, it would help to briefly explain how a digital sensor "sees" light vs. how our eye "sees" light. The distinction is between the physical process the camera sensor is using to interpret light in a scene and the fundamentally different process that human vision uses. All CCD and CMOS sensors "see" luminance in linear form while human vision has a logarithmic response.

So what exactly is lin and log?

In digital photography we are fundamentally concerned with brightness (luminance) in a scene that needs to be converted into a coded value (dependent on bit-depth) of video signal strength (sometimes represented in milivolts: mV) in order to reproduce an image. To make it simple we can say that a digital camera will assign a number to a specific amount of brightness in a scene and that number will be output as voltage. On-set we can view the intensity of this voltage by running our video signal through a waveform monitor and noting its IRE value. A digital camera's ability to interpret variations in light intensity within a scene is directly related to its bit-depth. The bigger the bit-depth the more luminance values a camera can discern. An 8-bit camera can discern 256 intensity values per pixel per color channel (RGB). A 10-bit camera can discern 1024 values. A 12-bit: 4096. And a 14-bit sensor: 16,384. It's easy to see why bit-depth has a huge role in a camera's dynamic range.

A digital camera encodes these luminance values linearly. That is, for every discreet step of difference in luma, the camera will output an equal step of difference in voltage or video signal.

The human eye is sensitive to relative, not discreet, steps of difference in luma. For example, during a full moon your eye will have no problem in discerning your immediate surroundings. If you were to light a bonfire the relative illumination coming from the flames would certainly overpower the moon light. Inversely, if you were to light that same bonfire during high noon you would be hard pressed to notice any discernible increase in illumination. This is why we use f-stops (the doubling or halving of light) to interpret changes in exposure.

What we can learn from the difference between linear and logarithmic responses to luminance is that a linear approach will be able to discern more discreet values in the highlights of an image while a logarithmic approach can discern more subtleties in the shadows. This is because a digital camera only has a finite number of bits in which to store a scene's dynamic range and most of those bits are used up to capture the brightest portions of the scene. Art Adams over at ProVideo Coalition did the math for us with a 14-bit sensor that will distribute 16,384 discreet luminance values over 3 channels (RGB):

As Art points out: "The first four stops of dynamic range get an enormous number of storage bits--and that’s just about when we hit middle gray. As we get toward the bottom of the dynamic range there are fewer steps to record each change in brightness, and we’re also a lot closer to the noise floor." Well said.

Because our eyes respond to relative changes in luminance we don't perceive much difference in highlights. If the sun beaming down on Death Valley is hot and bright at 11:00am it's not going to appear hotter and brighter at noon. It's just still gonna be sweltering. But in low-luminance environments our eyes will give greater weight to slight changes in brightness. Turn the lights off at home at night and your eyes will soon adjust to begin making out your surroundings. Ambient streetlight, moonlight, and the soft green glow coming from your charging iphone will all contribute significantly to your visual perception.

Now let's take a look at a scene captured with a digital sensor. The linear pixel values when processed into a video stream but without any gamma correction applied will look something like this:

Notice the extreme contrast and lack of shadow detail. Since most of the sensor's bits are used to capture highlight detail the mid-tones and shadows appear almost black when rendered linearly (or literally). This is because there simply isn't the same fine incremental differences of data between the shadow areas as there is in the highlights. Like a 50-cent Ace Comb with fine teeth on one end and large on the other.

This brings to mind a scene from one of the great comedy masterpieces...

Alright, in order to view our scene as intended the linear light values need to be gamma corrected. That is, the sensor's linear output needs to have a logarithmic transfer function applied in order to stretch out the shadows and mid-tones while pushing back all the highlights. We're basically taking a straight line and making it into a curve by adding relative brightness to the areas of the image that need it most to appear correct to our eye. A gamma curve of .45 has become the standard as it closely approximates our eye's own logarithmic response.

So here's our image with gamma correction applied:

Much better. This, of course, brings us to our next question: what is log in a HD video camera and why should we care?

The S-log record mode in a Sony F35 is simply an unique gamma correction. The difference is that log mode is gamma correction for post-production purposes while every other gamma correction is intended to deliver an image with the proper contrast for viewing. The F35 allows you to select a standard gamma correction (rec709), a number of hypergammas (variations on rec709 that will lift the mids or pull back the highlights), S-log for post-production, or you can create your own gamma curve.

The reason that recording in log mode is so beneficial during post production is that instead of providing an image with proper contrast for immediate viewing, log seeks to preserve as much of the fine differences in an image's dynamic range for later manipulation in post. Those differences are shades of gray. This is why a log HD video signal always seems to appear washed out and flat. Once you take all those shades of grey and crush them in post to make deep blacks or burn them out to create specular highlights you inherently loose your image's original dynamic range, but you gain a gorgeous, contrasty, and sharp image.

Here's 10 stops from a log image:

And here's the remaining 5 stops from the final color time:

Let's finish this off with the pros and con's of our three choices. Raw gives us the best image quality and dynamic range because our image is built directly from each pixel's discreet luminance values. Because a Raw file has not been processed or compressed (unless you're a RED ONE owner), shooting Raw produces the largest amount of data-sets and will require the largest storage capacity for all of the files generated. Raw data also usually requires intensive post-production manipulation to arrive at your final image. This process can be expensive and time-consuming.

HD Video can give us a fantastic image with the understanding that post-production manipulation is limited. It is best understood that what is seen on-set during the shooting day is what will be shown to an audience later. An experienced D.I.T. and colorist can work with the DP to provide the final visual look of the project during recording. This can mean very little to no post-production color-timing and can easily shave thousands off a budget. Of course, any radical deviation from the set look during post can severely degrade your image. A Video stream can also be easily compressed to tape (HDCAM SR) or through a video codec to cut down a project's archival requirements.

HD Video captured in a log record mode is sort of the best of both worlds. Though you are recording a video image that can still be tweaked and tuned by the DP and D.I.T. the image recorded makes the best use of the sensor's dynamic range. Your footage also will not need to be rendered as it is already a usable image. However, your images will need to be manipulated in post-production to arrive at your project's final look. This can easily add expense and time to a project's turn-around.

Most HD cameras on the market today have the ability to record in either Raw or Video modes but not both. There is really only one that has a proven track record of being able to record Raw, log, and straight gamma-corrected HD video. And that's the Arri D-21.

I did a commercial recently for Texas Energy. The production company was small and wanted to ingest the footage immediately after wrap, cut on Final Cut Pro, and deliver the spot within a few days. Using the D-21 in a 4:2:2 HD video mode recording to HDCAM SR was the obvious choice. This allowed for a great image on-set that could be approved on the spot, an in-house edit and color-time, and a super-fast turn-around.

"Lie to Me", the television series on Fox, uses D-21's in log mode to get the most out of their images while still keeping their post-production budget and episodic turn-around time in check.

And if you're David Fincher, I'm sure you'll insist on using the D-21 to record straight Raw files to a S-2 Digimag or Codex Recorder. Because Justin Timberlake and Tobey Maguire wouldn't have it any other way...

Hey, did I mention I'm looking forward to Arri's new line of digital cameras?

ARRI DCS

2010-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Stephan Ukas-Bradley over at ARRI Burbank has cued me in that the company's new line of Digital Cinema Cameras will be available for sale this summer. But it seems the Beta's will be out and about here in LA sometime in the next month or two for some test shoots. I'm doing my best to be on-hand for this first round of west-coast R&D.

Personally, I'm extremely excited about these cameras. I believe ARRI is going to catch RED off-guard, not to mention forcing SONY to reconsider it's high-end camera strategy.

I'll keep you posted on developments.

AJ DOT NET

2009-12-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

It's official. My website: adrianjebef.com is live. Thank you to my lovely and artistic wife, Elizabeth, who offered and constructed the site's initial design. She is a fantastic portrait photographer and graphic/web designer. You can check out her artistry here: eyebrightstudios.com

P2 to GO

2009-12-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

My last couple of jobs were both Panasonic P2 workflows. Though the format has been on the market and used widely for years now every so often I come across those individuals who are either new to the workflow or have unfortunately developed bad habits on dealing with the workflow.

So, let us use Tina as an example. Tina moved out West from Milwaukee three months ago, joined Local 600, and managed to land her first Digital Loader job on a P2 commercial for mayonnaise. She remembers how to load a 16mm Bolex from her film school days, but what does she do when handed a 32GB P2 card?

First off, a definition: the Digital Loader, P2 Wrangler, Data Manager, etc. is responsible for transferring all of the digitally-acquired footage (P2 is file-based) shot on set to a series of master and clone hard drives that will be delivered to production at the end of the day. This is accomplished through an intermediary: a computer.

So, Tina goes out and buys herself a brand new 15" 2.93 GHz Macbook Pro (on credit of course) though she has a tough time finding the right one because Apple changed the specs on the 15-inchers (no, she doesn't want a 17", it's just too darn big!) and all the new machines in the Apple Store no longer come equipped with an Express Card/34 Slot only a SD Slot which sucks 'cause she doesn't want to import crappy photos from a crappy digital camera that saves images to a SD card she'd much rather buy an Express Card/34 to Firewire 800 adapter so she can use two buses on her Macbook Pro to transfer files from card reader to hard drive (in half the time) instead of just one which is all that's available on the new 15-inchers being sold right now at the Apple Store. She considers sending Apple an email of disappointment, but then realizes she's got a job to do.

With laptop in hand (she could have bought a nice Dell PC with a PCMCIA Slot already built-in for half the price but she knew this was style-over-substance Hollywood after all and decided against getting laughed at on set) Tina now needs to make sure she has the proper software loaded and configured in order to handle the Panasonic P2 format. She wisely uses the link:

https://eww.pavc.panasonic.co.jp/pro-av/support/desk/e/download.htm

to access Panasonic's P2 Support Hub to download and install the following:

P2 Driver and Card Formatter software
P2 Contents Management Software (P2CMS)
AVC-Intra Decoder for Mac

Note that if you have a PC just make sure you download accordingly.

The P2 Drivers will allow Tina's computer to recognize any P2 Cards she mounts on her desktop. P2CMS is a free software program designed by Panasonic to facilitate the downloading and transferring of P2 files and also allows you to view P2 footage. The AVC-Intra Decoder allows you to transfer and view AVC-Intra 50 and AVC-Intra 100 P2 clips. AVC-Intra is Panasonic's newest P2 codec and is used with their higher-end digital cameras like the Varicam 3700.

Tina may also want to download the P2 Store Manager Software which will allow her to view, format, and run diagnostics on the original and outdated Panasonic 60GB P2 Store. She also remembers that as new hardware becomes available (like 64GB P2 Cards) old hardware (like a HVX200) may need a firmware upgrade to recognize it. Tina knows she can download and install the latest Panasonic P2 Firmware for her DP's camera at the top of the page.

Now that Tina has her hardware and software in order she needs a primer on set workflow and etiquette.

After a P2 Card has been shot the 2nd AC hands it off to Tina for downloading and archiving. Tina can use a number of P2 Card Readers to mount the P2 Card to her desktop:

The AJ-PCD20 or AJ-PCD35 Multi P2 Card Reader is solid and works great but will cost you a good buck @ $2K.

The Duel Adapter is relatively cheap but seems to work intermittently and therefore I don't recommend it.

You can use one of the many Panasonic P2 Card Reader/Writer/Stores like the AJ-HPM200, AG-HPG20, or AG-PCS060G.

Or, if you have an extra HVX200 laying around, you can connect it directly to your computer.

I recommend asking your rental house to throw in a AG-PCS060G P2 Store as part of your camera package.

The P2 Store shipped when Panasonic announced their new P2 format and is a 60GB hard drive that allows you to transfer P2 Cards in the field. The Store has become obsolete with the introduction of 64GB P2 Cards and can now be found as a doorstop or an excellent P2 Card Reader.

Now that Tina has plugged the shot P2 card into her computer she can see it appear on her desktop in the form of a hard drive icon titled "NO NAME". By clicking into the icon Tina can view the P2 Card's contents and file structure. She can also open separate video and audio clips to watch and listen to the footage and look for any recording problems.

Tina was given three external hard drives by production to offload the day's P2 footage to. Each drive will contain all of the day's work and are exact copies of each other. This is known as redundancy and is a good thing. No, great thing. No, essential objective. There are plenty of different drives on the market with their own plus and minuses but your biggest concerns should be reliability, capacity, and power. Make sure the drive you select is AC powered. Don't get small and sexy internally-powered drives. They may look cool but will most-doubtingly bite you in the ass at some point in the future. Your drives can be connected to your computer in a myriad of ways, but in Tina's case she has them connected via her Express Card/34 Slot to boost her transfer speed.

Note that many industry-standard external hard drives give you the option of daisy-chaining them together with Firewire 800. Though convenient, this is not considered to be a "best practice" in setting up your hardware and data path. It also will not speed up your transfer times and will instead slow you down slightly when compared to transferring files sequentially among drives.

Now, Tina has been told by her 2nd Aunt's Cousin's Nephew who may or may not be a big Hollywood writer/producer/director with possibly a great script that Will Smith may or may not be interested in that when transferring P2 footage on a Mac all you need to do is use Finder and "drag-and-drop" the P2 Card into your external hard drive's icon on your desktop. It's worked for him, it should work for you.

Never forget, everything works just fine until it doesn't. In which case you're screwed. So don't be that Nephew unless Mr. Smith sends you a check. The problem with transferring P2 files with Finder is that your Mac's copy software was not written with Panasonic's P2 format in mind. P2 has a unique file structure. Note that if you open up the P2 Card on your desktop you will NOT see individual, complete video clips. What you will see is all of the clips shot on the card broken up into separate files for video, audio, and data in a specific and important sequence.

You may be able to open and play Scene 32, Take 4 from one of the video clips directly off of the card but you can not play the complete embedded shot with all video, audio, and meta data unless the entire Card's files are transferred and reconstituted into individual shots via Panasonic-approved software like P2CMS or Final Cut Pro. What this means is that Finder does not ensure that P2 files are copied correctly in relation to their unique file-format. If one small file (like a meta data tag relating to a clip's end point) does not get transferred or gets transferred in the wrong place within the larger P2 file structure this will corrupt an entire shot and leave you SOL and UTCWAP.

Tina wisely uses the P2 Contents Management Software to ingest and transfer the P2 Card to the external hard drives.

During this process she is also "scrubbing" the footage, looking for any problems such as green flash frames, shot corruption and dropout, over-modulated audio, focus issues, etc. The proper way to scrub your footage is to first view and listen to clips directly from the P2 Card, transfer the Card, and finally view and listen to the same clips from the copied files on your external hard drive paying attention to notice any dissimilarities which will indicate a problem. Note that if you recognize a problem on the P2 Card such as a corrupt and unplayable video clip, transfer the Card, and recognize the same problem on the copied file in your external hard drive your hardware and software have most likely performed flawlessly and the problem is located at the point of acquisition, ie at the camera. Kindly let your DP, DIT, and 1st Assistant know so they can remedy the problem.

After Tina has transferred the P2 Card to all three of her external hard drives and ensured the footage is problem-free she is ready to erase or re-format the P2 Card. A P2 Card can be erased numerous ways: through software like P2CMS, through hardware like Panasonic's AG-HPG20, or simply by dragging and dropping the Card's contents into the Trash before ejecting it. This is Tina's favorite part and she usually tries to wait until the Producer happens to stroll by before she ecstatically hits the giant, red "PERMANENT UNRECOVERABLE DELETION" button that is really a Staples "That was Easy" button, but the Producer doesn't know this and the uneasy terror in his eyes is pitch-perfect. It's the little things in life that usually give us the most joy...

So why doesn't Tina just keep the footage on the P2 Card after she transfers it? You know, just to be sure? Like another backup. Why erase footage unless you really have to? Well, either she's got to keep that Card with her and hope that her Camera Department's got a hundred other Cards like it to finish the days work or she's got to get over her insecurities and remember that she now has three separate clones of the footage. Tina also understands that if she were to hand the Card back to the 1st AC without erasing it that Card will eventually find its way back into the camera and show up with previously recorded footage on it. This will send alarms through the Department and is a great way to get your 1st AC narrowing his brow in your direction and asking repeatably if you're sure you've done this before. Save yourself the headache and return P2 Cards back to your Department wiped clean and ready for re-recording. Make it a point to speak to your DP, DIT, and 1st AC before the job to come up with a workflow system when dealing with data that everyone is comfortable with and be sure to stick to it. Remember, consistency is the surest path to success. And a call back for the next job.

As a side note, get into the habit of double checking that all of your P2 Cards are erased before they are sent back to the rental house. You don't want the Prep Tech at The 99 Cent Camera Store pulling clips from the new Jonas Brother's music video you just worked on and uploading them to YouTube. You also don't want the rental house calling your Producer to let him know they've got footage you may have forgotton to download.

After the day's work is complete, Tina takes special care to label each external hard drive with the production's title, drive number or designation, date, and any other pertinent information. Knowing that hard drives are inherently fragile things she disregards the free cardboard box the drive came in as adequate protection and instead asks production to provide something a bit more robust, like a small pelican case. When her Producer shows up with a nice large case to house all three of the day's drives instead of three small cases to house them individually because he saved $20 bucks, Tina reminds him that the reason there are three drives in the first place is to ensure that if something were to happen to one drive there is at least one other backup. Putting all of the drives in the same place at the same time negates our Digital Loader's Golden Rule: redundancy!

Tina also made sure she filled out a Transfer Log. She simply writes down the number of P2 Cards transferred, their roll numbers, their amount of clips, checks a box to indicate she did a scrubbing pass on each card, and notes any problems or other pertinent information. Tina takes pride in her Log as she created it herself and continually updates and changes it to suit each job to the amazement of her friends and co-workers.

Tina can now sleep soundly.

Jimmy Football

2009-11-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

In the film industry, especially the commercial world, it isn't everyday that you get the chance to make art. Today ain't that day. But we did manage a laugh. Which in many ways is so much better...

Bones and a Bud Light

2009-11-19T00:29:00.000-08:00

I just so happened to run across a terrifying yet simple problem on two recent jobs. It has become common practice to perform a "record review" after a take (much akin to the 'ol gate check) to keep a bit of Quality Assurance alive within the camera department. The Assistant simply hits one of the assignable buttons on the body of the F23, F35, or Genesis and the camera automatically engages the SRW-1 deck to rewind and playback the tail end of the last take. This is done mainly to double check that the camera did indeed roll during the take and that the SRW-1 deck is properly mounted to the camera body.

On a recent infomercial-inspired Bud Light spot involving three F23's I was brought in after photography began to steady a ship that was fast taking on water. I found myself with a camera mounted on a 30ft Super Techno Crane. After the first take I insisted on a minute to bring the camera down and perform a record review. I hit the assignable, watched the SRW-1 rewind, and waited to see playback. Unfortunately, there was no playback. The last take wasn't coming though the viewfinder or the HD-SDI outputs back to my D.I.T. station. Did the camera roll? Was the deck mounted properly? Sould I call the rental house and demand a new camera body? Or maybe a new deck?

Before you give yourself the cold sweats double check that your camera is set-up properly to send the playback picture coming from the SRW-1 to both your camera's viewfinder and the HD-SDI outputs.

Access the OPERATION MENU and configure the MONITOR OUTPUT page. Your MONI HD-SDI should be set to MONI and your TEST OUT and RM VIDEO should both be set to VBS. Next configure the PB MIX SETTING page in the OPERATION MENU. Your MIX DIRECTION needs to be set for PB.

Problem solved. On to the next.

Welcome.

2009-10-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

You're a little late. Please pick up your banner and get in step. The march forward has already begun. Rain or shine the parade must go on.