DV in "true" scope + Magic Bullet

[Martin Munthe]

OK. So I shot this music video using the Sony PD150 with an Optex 16x9 converter. I used the iternal 16x9 switched on. This produces an 2.35:1 anamorphic image. In PAL you can blow this up to 720p HD by simply scaling it sideways only.

I found this method to be very neat. There is no cropping lines of resolution whatsoever. This is also the first project I used Magic Bullet on. 3min 35sec video took almost 30hours to render on a dual 450 G4. The deintelacing works like a dream. In the last image you can clearly see the vignetting of the Optex. The lens is at it's widest but it's outside of the TV safe area.

http://www.operafilm.com/dvscope.html

In September I'm shooting a feature film this way for later blow out to film. This scope method limits your optics somewhat but in return I'll get every working pixel up there on the screen.

[Dylan Couper]

Uh huh huh huh...
Huh huh huh...
She's nekkid....

<g> j/k

Seriously though, those stills look GREAT!

[Martin Munthe]

Behave Dylan! She's not nekkid ;)

[Chris Hurd]

Martin, these stills do look great and their quality gives a high degree of validity to your process of "double 16x9" (I don't know what else to call it).

What would you think about posting copies of these still onsthe VX2000/PD150 Companion website, along with a link back to you and a plug about what you're doing?

[Dean Bull]

those screenshots look really good. Any chance to see the actual video?

[Martin Munthe]

Chris,

that sounds like a good idea. I can also provide you with further images (of a very different type) in a few days. Go ahead and post them on the VX2K/PD150 companion.

atomicworkshop,

I'm currently short on web space but will have som clips up later. You can watch it very low res (RealPlayer) at http://www.lionheart-int.com/ann/AWsmall.rm

[Dean Bull]

Hey, that was great! As I keep telling people, in the proper hands, Digital Video is the future. I was really impressed with the videography. Any chance you could post or write up a detailed account of how you did the video (equipment, software, etc.) Also, I am interested as to how you did the "crush out to white" transitions, some setting using magic bullet?

Best of luck on your feature, and I hope that video gets you some more work.

Dean

If you could please let us know how you put this together including your post work. Best i've seen in a while..
Here some tests I ran a while back regarding 16x9 internal, anamorphic and both (2.35)

http://members.cox.net/vx2000/

Thanks, Steve

[Clayton Farr]

Hi Martin,

Would you mind clarifying a few things you mentioned?

"In PAL you can blow this up to 720p HD by simply scaling it sideways only."

What do you mean? - Especially by "sideways only" - wouldn't that further increase the aspect ratio (and distort the image)? What is the rez of 720p that you are blowing up to? Are you blowing up in AE?

"There is no cropping lines of resolution whatsoever."

Not sure what you're referring to by "cropping lines"...Are you referring to the sharpness of the Bullet process, the anamorphic process, or the blowing up?

I'm glad to hear that the Magic Bullet is working well for you. I spent a good chunk of time playing around with the demo on a three minute trailer (also took *forever* to render). I really liked the "Looks Suite" controls for tweaking the image but didn't get very good results in the deinterlacing process when going from NTSC interlaced to 24 progressive. (I'm assuming you use a PAL PD-150?)

Thanks for showing your wares,
Clayton

[Martin Munthe]

vx2000bb,

glad you liked it. I saw your post in the 2-pop forum and commented on the Mpeg-2 format as not very suitable for webpublishing. Hope you put up at least an Mpeg-1 version.

Clayton,

PAL is 720x576. 720p is 1280x720. If we blow up the anamorphic PAL frame to the 720p frame we only have to stretch it sideways to get the correct size and aspect ratio. If you do this in NTSC you also have to stretch it verticaly since NTSC is only 720x480.

The anamorphic attachment and internal 16x9 switched on compressses all 2.35:1 information on the 4x3 DV format. This has to be streched out verticaly to HD or squeezed horizontally for correct viewing in SD.

Normaly you have to crop lines by adding black bars to get the 2.35:1 format on SD. With the double 16x9 method you use every pixel and every line you ever shot. The more image resolution we gain in SD the better.

The Orphanage (makers of Magic Bullet) does not recommend shooting in NTSC. Deinterlacing 60i to 24p is almost impossible to do. I deinterlace from 25i PAL to 25p. It's very close to perfect.

[Martin Munthe]

I've updated the page with a little more content on the "double 16x9" project.

http://www.operafilm.com/dvscope.html

[Rob Lohman]

Thanks for sharing Marting. If you are using electronic 16:9
(from the camera) you are loosing quality at least. Your resolution
stays the same, but you are loosing quality since the anamorphic
signal is created electronically and is not derived from a lens or
16:9 CCD chips.

Footage looks great though! What lighting setups did you use?
Any more information you can give?

Thanks.

[Martin Munthe]

Rob,

Yes, shooting 16x9 electronic looses original camera quality. I don't use as much of the CCD as you do in 4x3. It's like moving down a bit in CCD size. Equivalent to the PD100 but with the features of the PD150 (like better lens, less noise, audio features and so on). I turn down sharpness a lot since the faux 16x9 mode has a lot of edge enhancement.

My lighting kit (on this project) consisted of a Cine Magic Tubelight System (4 bank) and two red heads. I protect from flares with a Chroziel DV mattebox (4x4). I also used a specially made light rig I picked up from reading books on 40's cinematography in Hollywood. I have four very small bulbs placed as eyelights on the camera that I can move on tiny arms. I don't use a dolly but an E-Track system.

To me the 2.35:1 format is the ultimate for compostion. That's why I'm doing it this way. It could not be done with an ENG style camera since there are no anamorphic adaptors for regular ENG lenses. Looking forward to previewing a 35mm anamorphic print.

[Jim McNally]

I'm not familiar with Magic Bullet but I've seen it refereced several times on this board. What does it do?

thanks,

[Martin Munthe]

It turns interlaced video into progressive by merging the fields using a fuzzy logic algoritm. You can also make your footage behave more like film with one of the plugins and it has a very good letterboxer and broadcast safe plug.