Thursday, April 1, 2010
So You Wanna Be a DIT?
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.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Video vs. Raw : Log vs. Lin.
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?
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?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
ARRI DCS
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.
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.
Friday, December 4, 2009
AJ DOT NET
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
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
P2 to GO
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.
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.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Jimmy Football
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
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.
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