Recording into a small room with XHA1 and HV20

[Xabier Blanco]

Hi all! The next week I will be recording several masterclasses in a music school. Those masterclasses will be celebrated indoors, in a small/medium room (maybe 5 x 10 meters). They will be using a wall projector too, for showing powerpoint slideshows and things like that.

I will be streaming live video to the Internet while recording, and then I'll publish the recorded videos in a webpage. So I need to catch the whole "action" for the live streaming, but I can take my whole footage (I have 2 camares) and do some postproduction for the published videos (maybe pointing one camera to the projection and the other to the teacher, I don't know).

I have a Canon XHA1 with a Libec LS38 tripod, and a Canon HV20 with a small (but enough) tripod (I have no shotgun mics, audio mixers or lights, because I'm a newbie, but I'll buy any required equipment, so please suggest).

How would you use both cameras in this enviroment? And what about audio recording, microphone, light...? Thank you very much for any advices.

Hi,

If you are also recording the projected screen, I always put CS on. Its the deflicker function and sets the shutter right.

Please correct me if I am wrong, just a beginner :)

[Xabier Blanco]

I'm a beginner too, but yes, the user manual talks about that CS function :)

[Bill Pryor]

Generally I haven't seen a flicker from a video projecter. What I usually do for those kinds of things is set one camera on a long shot that includes heads and shoulders of some of the crowd, the screen and the instructor. I'll light the instructor from the side with a fresnel if available, barndooring the light off the screen. Another light or two would light the audience, again being careful to keep the light off the screen. Then I use the second camera for a reverse angle of the audience. The best way to do this, if a third camera is available, is to lock down the first two if you're alone, and follow the instructor on a medium shot.

[Xabier Blanco]

I have only 2 cameras, and I have to be careful with lights, because I can't disturb the teacher & audience too much... I will be less more than a "spy cameraman". That's my scenario. Any more suggestions? :-)

[Don Palomaki]

I suggest a Wireless mic on the teacher if they will do most of the talking. You will want a second mic to cover the audience if there are to be any questions, and the teacher should be sure to repeat any questions before the answer.

Is musical quality of the sound important? If so, the audio part of recording can become somewhat complex.

You maybe able to insert/overlay a clean set of the slides in post if the original capture is not good.

Are you trying to do a live mix of the two cameras?

In any case, try to one or more dry runs/practices as soon as you can to see what works,a dn what ned fixing.

I did a shoot of a lecture with a video screen and I got lots of flicker. Be careful because I didnt see the flicker on my camera LCD. But when I looked at it at home there was lots of flicker. read the manual about the deflicker CS setting. Its works.

[Oren Arieli]

I used to do these all the time, and was rarely happy when asked to record it as a 'spy camera'. In most rooms, the lighting is terrible, so they turn it off, or at least the front row (where the projector screen is). I've done two camera -one person shoots with one camera pointed at the screen, and the 2nd (manned) following the speaker. This is a decent compromise, but you can't zoom in on slides when you need to (the font sizes are ALWAYS too small or background too cluttered to be legible when zoomed out).
Simply put, you're not going to get good results without being able to manage every part of the presentation, including where the presenter will stand.

Since this isn't a viable option for most people, do your best to light the presenter...tell them where to stand, keep the spill off the screen, MIC the presenter with a wireless lav (a MUST DO!). Try to get the presenter to repeat any audience questions for the camera (they always forget, but you can try taping a sign right under your camera that says 'repeat the question' and point to it when he/she forgets.

As for flicker, I'm going to presume that this will be the LEAST of your concerns. LCD projectors are usually progressive scan; I've rarely had issues with them.

Sorry to be negative...I've been doing these since well before Powerpoint was an option (transparency sheets anyone?). I have yet to be happy with one I couldn't control from 'go'.

In post, you could try to get the original Powerpoint presentation and cut it in with the live footage (of the presenter) for best quality.

Good luck!

[Xabier Blanco]

Thank you very much to all of you for these advices :-)