Basic Instructions for shooting with HD equipments

[Constantin Marin]

For 2 weeks I will have the opurtunity to test the performance of the latest JVC's camera: GY-HD100E. In the DV mode camera there will be no problem, but with HDV mode it will be a problem because I know there are some special methods to get a good footage!

Explanation: I know that you cannot move quickly your HD camera while recording pictures because blurring effect may occur!

I ask for your help guys: DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME SPECIAL COURSES THAT COULD HELP ME LEARNING GETTING A GOOD FOOTAGE WITHOUT BAD EFFECTS (effects caused by filming technics) USING HDV EQUIPMENTS ?

I will appreciate your help!
Thank you in advance people!

[Constantin Marin]

Seems like nobody can help me...

[Chris Hurd]

Hi Constantin,

<< Seems like nobody can help me... >>

Please realize that over half of this community's members are usually asleep between the hours of 4am to 7am, when you posted. You're not saying where you're from, but most DV Info folks live in an area that is five to eight hours behind GMT. On a message board of this kind, if you don't get a response within, say, a day or two, then perhaps nobody can help you.

And the answer to your question is one word: practice. That really is the only way to develop proper panning techniques, regardless of whether or not you're shooting in HD. Hope this helps,

[Constantin Marin]

In order to obtain a verry good quality footage with an HD camera you must shoot just like in cinematography. You must not move quickly the camera because the objects can have blur appearence..
To avoid this thing you must move the camera with an special support, just like for the movies cameras... and beetween the movement of the camera and the movement of the subjects these is special correlation.. and math formula.. does anybody know about this? Can somebody help me...

I'm verry interested to resolve this problem....

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Originally Posted by Constantin Marin

In order to obtain a verry good quality footage with an HD camera you must shoot just like in cinematography. You must not move quickly the camera because the objects can have blur appearence...

Is that also so with real HD, like a Varicam or a Sony Cinealta? Isn't that only the case with HDV?

[Werner Wesp]

Originally Posted by Mathieu Ghekiere

Is that also so with real HD, like a Varicam or a Sony Cinealta? Isn't that only the case with HDV?

That is always so, because the cinematic effect is in the fact the images are recorded progressively... You would want to eliminate the so-called "judder"

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

Shooting anything in 24p must be managed the same as shooting with a film camera. Film cams offer a different sort of management of whip pans than a digital cam will, but the greater the compression, and the smaller the chip, the more pronounced any issues will become when using a dig cam.
In short, if you want to shoot 24p, it's a good idea to read books, practice with the cam, and if you can take a class, you'll likely find yourself a much better shooter. during most trade conferences, there are often classes related to the techniques of shooting 24p.

[Steve Mullen]

Specifically -- you must avoid shooting motion from one side of the frame to the other with the camera being static. Or, pan the camera with the subject being static. So you must follow the subject as they move.

That avoids Foreground Strobing.

But, the rate at which the subject/camera moves is also crucial, otherwise the background can strobe. Which is a function of the focal length.

I have a table of motion speeds in my "Sony HDV Handbook" -- NOW ON SALE -- and it will be in my JVC HDV Handbook -- SOON TO BE ON SALE.

As the motion vector moves from perpendicular to the camera, strobbing is less likely.

The simplest 2 rules -- compose every shot and neither zoom or pan. If a subject moves, move with them.

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Originally Posted by Werner Wesp

That is always so, because the cinematic effect is in the fact the images are recorded progressively... You would want to eliminate the so-called "judder"

I know you have the 'judder' in 24p, and I don't mind that, but I mean real mpeg2- artifacts. Isn't that more something from HDV then real HD?

[Werner Wesp]

HDV is real HD. HD is the format, the resolution.

HDV is the compression. That induces some artefact. more with the "low-bitrate-compression" of HDV than with (e.g.) DVCProHD higher bitrate.

On the other hand: the footage we've seen from the JVC is very robust against Mpeg2-artifacts. I haven't seen any that bother me, I have to say. The Z1 seems to do not such a good job...

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

So if I understand it correct, with real HD you shouldn't have artifacts, because it's not compressed?

[Barry Green]

All forms of HD are compressed, just some more than others.

There are basically three "tiers" of HD:

The top level (maximum image, minimal compression):
HDCAM-SR
D-5

The middle level (100 to 140 megabits, used in $70,000 to $100,000 cameras):
HDCAM
DVCPRO-HD

The consumer level (heavy MPEG-2 compression, low color sampling)
HDV 1080i
HDV 720p

Now, even though HDCAM-SR and D-5 are the tops, they're still compressed; HDCAM-SR uses MPEG-4 compression at a data rate of about 440 megabits.

The more the compression, the more the artifacts. The less compressed, the fewer artifacts.

[Werner Wesp]

Indeed, "real HD", as you call it is a television-format-concept - no compression there. The way to store HD-footage, is (obviously) compressed, in different ways, with different quality.

There is no "real HD" format on a cassette or something...

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Werner Wesp

The Z1 seems to do not such a good job...

I've never seen an MPEG-2 artfact with SHORT GOP MPEG-2 which is what the JVC uses. Frankly, I never saw one in normal use with a Z1 either. But, there have been enough reports from Z1 users that -- just like broadcast 1080i -- LONG GOP MPEG-2 is more likely to have problems.

[Mathieu Ghekiere]

Thanks for all the information, guys!