Hey everyone,

I've reading in the forum for a few weeks now and have been looking for ideas for a second camera.

I am back looking for any ideas or tips that you might have regarding this venue.

I was giving some thought to getting a GoPro to do a stationary straight on shot since I have not been able to come to any conclusions about a new camera. I thought it might work to have it on the balcony, but I am not familiar with how it will capture at this distance. Also, the theater has it's own video camera/s, but I have yet to find out where they are or how they look. If they look good, I will use that as my stationary and walk around with my Canon HF 11. I am still giving some thought to getting an HG 20 to use for this and future videos. It seems to be a fairly good camcorder for the money.

I hope I can get some opinions out of you. This will be a music concert with a full band on stage. The venue will be capturing the audio (waiting for more details on that). Here are the links to their pictures on FaceBook.

Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=418000688236287&set=pb.164857736883918.-2207520000.1366048818&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198419356861089&set=pb.164857736883918.-2207520000.1366049432&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198419300194428&set=a.198419183527773.43059.164857736883918&type=3&theater

Not sure the gopro would look good for this. If it were mounted low right in front of the stage or right over the stage then go for it, but from a distance it wouldnt be so good.

Too wide for balcony edge mounting really, unless the balcony is close - and you'd need to use the less wide modes to prevent the image distortion. Quality is pretty good really. It's common for bigger venues to have one, or two cameras on the balcony edge, and the usual setup is one camera has remote pan/tilt/zoom, and the other, if present, will be an infra red camera. Standard composite video, and often a small DA to connect more than one monitor. Few theatres have their own portable cameras, they usually hire in when required.

Unless you're using a GoPro Black, you're not going to be happy with the low light performance of the GoPro in that theater. Looks like a pretty low light situation even on stage. If you are using a GoPro Hero 3 Black edition, you can mount it on a mic stand facing the band or somewhere behind the band for a reverse angle with the audience in the background. Cool thing about the new GoPro is you can trigger it from your smart phone and you can preview the shot. If it were me, I would move the GoPro around to some different interesting angles because you will not likely use the same angle more than once. That is the problem, IMHO, with shooting a lock down wide. It is so obvious it is a lock down after the 2nd time you use it. Shooting a live event by yourself takes some creative problem solving for sure. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. That is exactly the kind of thoughts I was looking for. I may actually have a helper. He is not experienced, but it will be better than nothing. I think I will skip the GoPro for now in favor of another camcorder. Maybe I should just spring for the hg20. I know I will use it. Not sure I have the budget for the Xa10 but I would like to have the xlr's.

thanks

The go pro on a boom mic stand can get some great PoV shots - over the drummers head, facing towards the audience for example. It looks like a decent audio system, but lighting looks a bit less advanced.

I would have a wide camera in the balcony, but I'd estimate you're going to need a camera with a 10x zoom to get a shot of the whole band. I'd put two more cameras on the sides on those two raised areas, but I'd be worried about the floor shaking. I carry tiny pillows made of memory foam to put under the tripod legs.

Having shot nearly 100 concerts I can give these tips:

You need both a board feed and a good pair of microphones from further back in the room. Neither will be perfect, but if you sync them and EQ them, you can get one decent mix.

You need at least three cameras. Here's one I shot two weeks ago with three cameras:

Shut the Screen - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band at the Cubby Bear - April 6, 2013 - YouTube

You need very tall tripods. No matter where you put your your tripod, you'll have some 6' 6" person positioning himself right in front of your camera.

Chris,
Very nice work. I notice you didn't pay much attention to the drummer. I have done the same thing on occasion. Any reason you decided to leave him out for the most part? I take it it's because of the amount of cameras?

Your advice on how to set this thing up is right on. I use Bogen 3246 tripods that can get up to 9 feet i believe.

Al

Chris,
Very nice work.
Thank you.

I notice you didn't pay much attention to the drummer. I have done the same thing on occasion. Any reason you decided to leave him out for the most part? I take it it's because of the amount of cameras?
I had planned to set up a pair of GoPro HD Hero 2's on the drummer, but ran out of time. This wasn't one of my paid jobs, this was just doing a quickie for friends Rev and Breezy, and I wound up hanging with them in the green room too long. I captured and edited the two opening acts, but just from stationary cameras.

During my regular shoots, I'm a lot more conscientious about capturing the drummer:

Adele - Rolling In The Deep - Highwood School of Rock - YouTube

This concert season, I've added the GoPros. This video is at a venue with genuinely terrible lighting, a total of 4 60 watt light bulbs on dimmers (I suspect the band members turned down the lights after rehearsal - they were complaining it was "too bright".) But the GoPros look amazing:

The Late Stakes - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here at the Ace Bar - YouTube

Your advice on how to set this thing up is right on. I use Bogen 3246 tripods that can get up to 9 feet i believe.

Al
I have one of those, but it is too heavy to carry with my regular 7 camera kit, which fits into a backpack. (http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/spc-single-person-crew/515470-urban-taxi-subway-kit-challenge.html#post1788217) But I do use it on occasion.

I'm shooting two concerts this weekend, one on Saturday and another on Sunday.

Glad to see that YouTube videos are showing up now, rather than only Vimeo ones.

Shot two shows this weekend and am editing them right now. First chance to use the GoPro as a DrummerCam in a venue with good lighting:

Muse - Unnatural Selection - Highwood School of Rock - YouTube

Chris,
You just solved a debate for me. I will use my Go Pro for drums from now on. I shoot local bands as a hobby and most are good friends. I usually just take my EX1R or 60D. This past Saturday I took out a Canon HG20 that's been sitting in a drawer since I bought it at least 4 years ago. I was pretty impressed with the camera. Not so much the operator. It takes some getting used to to use something so small when you have big hands like mine. around town I just use one camera.

This is the camera I had planned to use to Film drums at this years Gator By The Bay festival in San Diego this coming Mother's Day weekend. I may move this one to a crowd shot and go pro on drums. This is another volunteer job so it's just for fun. If anybody is in San Diego and would like to volunteer let me know.

This is Saturdays band with the Canon HG20; you guys opened my eyes to so much as trying one of these little cameras.

Sunpie La Maison 2 on Vimeo

Chris,
You just solved a debate for me. I will use my Go Pro for drums from now on. I shoot local bands as a hobby and most are good friends. I usually just take my EX1R or 60D. This past Saturday I took out a Canon HG20 that's been sitting in a drawer since I bought it at least 4 years ago. I was pretty impressed with the camera. Not so much the operator. It takes some getting used to to use something so small when you have big hands like mine. around town I just use one camera.
I don't do a lot of handheld. Because of my market, I tend to be further back and higher up. My biggest market is schools, and I don't want to get between the parents and their kids.That said, when I do, I use a Manfrotto Modo Steady. Not a great stabilizer, but actually a pretty decent chest brace that folds up tiny and fits into my bag. A pretty decent tool to do a handheld shoot with a tiny camera.

This is Saturdays band with the Canon HG20; you guys opened my eyes to so much as trying one of these little cameras.
Looks good!

I mounted the GoPro on the crash stand, which gave me a nice angle when the drummer did a roll and when muting the crash. Also, most drummers spend a lot of time looking at the bass player for cues, so I'd put it on the bass player's side of the kit. I keep it in the regular case with holes cut in the plastic to access the USB ports, and I built a power supply cable (http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/wedding-event-videography-techniques/515304-gopro-church-first-attempt.html#post1787026) so I'm not dependent on batteries.

Thanks for the tips. Yeah it's mostly clubs I shoot this stuff in and nowhere to back up or operate on sticks. Less then feet behind me is a room full of energetic dancers. and just in front of me is a low table or bench that runs half the stage. So if you're that blocked in you might as well go handheld besides it's only one camera. The good part is you get some really good closeups.

Like I said this is what I do in my spare time fro fun, as my passion is music and video. The other part is I'm trying to save my musician friends from cell phone video. I can't believe the amount of vertical crappy jumpy cell phone videos that get posted everywhere as if it looks good. And musicians are in a tough spot if it's one off your biggest fans thinking their doing something nice for you. LOL

Al

Like I said this is what I do in my spare time fro fun, as my passion is music and video. The other part is I'm trying to save my musician friends from cell phone video. I can't believe the amount of vertical crappy jumpy cell phone videos that get posted everywhere as if it looks good. And musicians are in a tough spot if it's one off your biggest fans thinking their doing something nice for you. LOL
Yeah, just because there is a camera in your cell phone doesn't make your cell phone a camera.

What's so annoying is that decent video cameras are insanely cheap these days! And from my position at the back of the room, I'm dealing with a sea of glowing rectangles between me and the stage. Worst is the person with the iPad.

I like the work that this guy does. His name is Mark Foley
The first video was shot with FS100's and cx580s

Big Mike & the Booty papas - Old Violin - YouTube

Big Mike & the Booty papas - She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule To Ride) - YouTube

Doing another three shows this weekend - two in one venue, one in another.