XDCAM EX1 on the road blog

Bill Ward · February 9th, 2008, 09:42 PM

Phil:

To add to the blog coment left for you regarding your Vegas trip: (based on a number of my trips to Sin City with big video cameras over the years)

1. Don't take your camera in any of the casinos without prior arrangements. They have zero sense of humor about this. Most of the security guys will run you off even from being in proximity to the hotel fronts, even if you're on the sidewalk, so set up off to the side.

2. The median strips always seem to have the best views, but the kindly police officers will remove you. And if you come to their attention, they will start asking pointed questions about video permits. This can be a bad thing.

3. Look for the pedestrian overpasses along the strip. Almost every one has a pretty good vantage point right at the top of the stairs.

4. There are a billion people walking on the strip on fairly narrow sidewalks. Keep your camera footprint small, and watch your gear carefully.

5. The lighted fountain show at the Bellagio is great, but you need to stake it out early, pretty much right after the prior show ends, if you want a ringside vantage point. Most of the other big roadside shows (like Treasure Island or the volcano) are tough to shoot from the street without making advance arrangements with the casino for camera access.

6. A pretty good video excursion is to start with the classic Vegas sign, then get a ride to the Luxor Pyramid. From there, you can walk the length of the strip in a couple of hours, shooting most of the big resorts along the way.

7. It's a desert. Take some water with you!

Have fun...

Steve Shovlar · February 10th, 2008, 04:53 AM

I have been to Vages half a dozen times and its very ture what Bill has said. I got asked if I had a permit and I was a tourist! It didn't go down to well when I asked the copper "are you for real"? It was because I was on a small tripod and an FX1 at the time, compared to everyone elses little handycams.

If you have the balls, sit at the front of the roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere. Or the other ride which pings you up the final bit on top of it.

Also the New York roller coaster is pretty cool. The interior of the Bellagio is nice, as is the Venetian, where I stayed. They were filming Get Carter with Stallone whilst I was there and I got to watch a bit of it being filmed. Rubbish movie though and not a patch on the original.

So much to see and do. Food is great and very cheap in certain places. They want to keep you in their casino so almost give it away.

Bill Ward · February 10th, 2008, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Shovlar

Food is great and very cheap in certain places. They want to keep you in their casino so almost give it away.

Not so sure if that's really true anymore, at least in the mainstream hotels on the Strip. That used to be the cliche: $5 prime rib buffets, so you'd feel like you could spend more time at the tables, because you were virtually eating for free!

In the last few years, though, almost every casino I've stayed in has instead gone to the competing chefs and high end restaurants as a way to draw diners and make even more money. Most of them have little sandwich bars or one "family" restaurant that's less pricey, but it's still not cheap!

Steve Shovlar · February 10th, 2008, 01:29 PM

Fair enough. Last time I was there was 2002. We ate at the Golden Nugget in the big seafood bar and it was great. Loads of food on the buffet. Lobster, oysters, crab, help yourself!

Times change though.

Bill Ward · February 10th, 2008, 11:04 PM

And, if you get away from the newest and fanciest casinos, the food prices seem to go down in direct proportion to the distance from the Strip...

Steve Cahill · February 12th, 2008, 06:22 PM

Received the Letus EX1 new acromat that fixes the edge to edge. Did a quick test showing the fix with a sample movie @ http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...Blog/Blog.html

Results are excellent!

Steven Thomas · February 12th, 2008, 08:01 PM

Steve,
thanks for the demo on the new Letus acromat for the Extreme that fixes the edge-to-edge softness.

This just turned this package into quite the 35mm setup.... unreal.

I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing more from you and Phil.

Dean Harrington · February 12th, 2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Cahill

Received the Letus EX1 new acromat that fixes the edge to edge. Did a quick test showing the fix with a sample movie @ http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...Blog/Blog.html

Results are excellent!

Just the results I had hoped for!

Phil Bloom · February 13th, 2008, 04:02 PM

I did some food cinema on the ex1 last week. Mostly shot 1080p with some 720p overcrank stuff.

You can see some of the shots cut together for the hell of it (the clients have given me permission to post this, the actual footage is being edited, graphically played with then stuck on hd plasmas in movie theatres).

but best of all, i am posting for the first time UNGRADED!!! some of it is underexposed and it pains me to do it, but what the hell!. Also look under the rolling shutter section for the finished lithuania news item. mostly shot letus free and handheld.

all on my blog

Phil Bloom · February 13th, 2008, 04:50 PM

anybody see any reason why i should have two ex1s?

Steven Thomas · February 13th, 2008, 04:53 PM

Yes bro...
One to give me when you swing though Arizona! LOL

Event shoots. Of course you would need another camera operator.

Phil Bloom · February 13th, 2008, 04:57 PM

sorry has problems with the compression. forgot to do it in h264 and it looked bad. uploading again now, about 5 mins for the sd version. little longer for 720p version

been offered an ex1 at a very very good price that i would be crazy to turn down. maybe keep one permanently letused up and the other naked?!

Steven Thomas · February 13th, 2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

maybe keep one permanently letused up and the other naked?!

Now there's an idea!

Hey, did you get the new Letus achromat for your Extreme that fixes the edge-to-edge focus?

Phil Bloom · February 13th, 2008, 05:18 PM

so tempted by that z7, but i think keeping the second ex1 makes more sense. especially as so much work i am asked to do these days is with the ex1. I can even do two camera interviews now with two ex1s and two letus extremes. now thats pretty cool

Phil Bloom · February 14th, 2008, 03:44 PM

My shoulder mount test for the ex1 is now online on my blog. Enjoy!

Oh and don't forget to listen to my interview with Larry Jordan for Digitalproductionbuzz.com here: http://www.digitalproductionbuzz.com/LiveThisWeek/

it says 6pm, am assuming that is a USA time of some sort!

February 12th, 2008, 06:22 PM	#336
Steve Cahill Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 321	Letus E1 Fixed Received the Letus EX1 new acromat that fixes the edge to edge. Did a quick test showing the fix with a sample movie @ http://web.mac.com/stevecahill/Steve...Blog/Blog.html Results are excellent! __________________ Regards Steve

February 13th, 2008, 04:02 PM	#339
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	I did some food cinema on the ex1 last week. Mostly shot 1080p with some 720p overcrank stuff. You can see some of the shots cut together for the hell of it (the clients have given me permission to post this, the actual footage is being edited, graphically played with then stuck on hd plasmas in movie theatres). but best of all, i am posting for the first time UNGRADED!!! some of it is underexposed and it pains me to do it, but what the hell!. Also look under the rolling shutter section for the finished lithuania news item. mostly shot letus free and handheld. all on my blog __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

February 13th, 2008, 04:50 PM	#340
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	anybody see any reason why i should have two ex1s? __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

February 13th, 2008, 04:57 PM	#342
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	sorry has problems with the compression. forgot to do it in h264 and it looked bad. uploading again now, about 5 mins for the sd version. little longer for 720p version been offered an ex1 at a very very good price that i would be crazy to turn down. maybe keep one permanently letused up and the other naked?! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

February 13th, 2008, 05:18 PM	#344
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	so tempted by that z7, but i think keeping the second ex1 makes more sense. especially as so much work i am asked to do these days is with the ex1. I can even do two camera interviews now with two ex1s and two letus extremes. now thats pretty cool __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

February 9th, 2008, 09:42 PM	#331
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	Phil: To add to the blog coment left for you regarding your Vegas trip: (based on a number of my trips to Sin City with big video cameras over the years) 1. Don't take your camera in any of the casinos without prior arrangements. They have zero sense of humor about this. Most of the security guys will run you off even from being in proximity to the hotel fronts, even if you're on the sidewalk, so set up off to the side. 2. The median strips always seem to have the best views, but the kindly police officers will remove you. And if you come to their attention, they will start asking pointed questions about video permits. This can be a bad thing. 3. Look for the pedestrian overpasses along the strip. Almost every one has a pretty good vantage point right at the top of the stairs. 4. There are a billion people walking on the strip on fairly narrow sidewalks. Keep your camera footprint small, and watch your gear carefully. 5. The lighted fountain show at the Bellagio is great, but you need to stake it out early, pretty much right after the prior show ends, if you want a ringside vantage point. Most of the other big roadside shows (like Treasure Island or the volcano) are tough to shoot from the street without making advance arrangements with the casino for camera access. 6. A pretty good video excursion is to start with the classic Vegas sign, then get a ride to the Luxor Pyramid. From there, you can walk the length of the strip in a couple of hours, shooting most of the big resorts along the way. 7. It's a desert. Take some water with you! Have fun...

February 10th, 2008, 04:53 AM	#332
Steve Shovlar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dorset UK Posts: 697	I have been to Vages half a dozen times and its very ture what Bill has said. I got asked if I had a permit and I was a tourist! It didn't go down to well when I asked the copper "are you for real"? It was because I was on a small tripod and an FX1 at the time, compared to everyone elses little handycams. If you have the balls, sit at the front of the roller coaster on top of the Stratosphere. Or the other ride which pings you up the final bit on top of it. Also the New York roller coaster is pretty cool. The interior of the Bellagio is nice, as is the Venetian, where I stayed. They were filming Get Carter with Stallone whilst I was there and I got to watch a bit of it being filmed. Rubbish movie though and not a patch on the original. So much to see and do. Food is great and very cheap in certain places. They want to keep you in their casino so almost give it away.

February 10th, 2008, 01:29 PM	#334
Steve Shovlar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Dorset UK Posts: 697	Fair enough. Last time I was there was 2002. We ate at the Golden Nugget in the big seafood bar and it was great. Loads of food on the buffet. Lobster, oysters, crab, help yourself! Times change though.

February 10th, 2008, 11:04 PM	#335
Bill Ward Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 580	And, if you get away from the newest and fanciest casinos, the food prices seem to go down in direct proportion to the distance from the Strip...

February 12th, 2008, 08:01 PM	#337
Steven Thomas Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,896	Steve, thanks for the demo on the new Letus acromat for the Extreme that fixes the edge-to-edge softness. This just turned this package into quite the 35mm setup.... unreal. I'm looking forward to hearing and seeing more from you and Phil.

February 13th, 2008, 04:53 PM	#341
Steven Thomas Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 1,896	Yes bro... One to give me when you swing though Arizona! LOL Event shoots. Of course you would need another camera operator.

February 14th, 2008, 03:44 PM	#345
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	My shoulder mount test for the ex1 is now online on my blog. Enjoy! Oh and don't forget to listen to my interview with Larry Jordan for Digitalproductionbuzz.com here: http://www.digitalproductionbuzz.com/LiveThisWeek/ it says 6pm, am assuming that is a USA time of some sort! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net