The GoPro HD Hero2: A Real-World Wide-Angle View

Anticipation…

Last weekend I had a great time taking the new GoPro HD Hero2 for a spin and running it through its paces. This compact sports camera may be small in features but it is certainly HUGE on fun and opens your mind to a multitude of creative ways it can be used. Note that I’ve not used the original HD Hero and I have nothing to compare this experience to, other than what I’ve read and heard from colleagues about their joys and frustrations in the past. But what I can share with you is my experience with the new HD Hero2 - from the excitement of opening up the box to the enjoyment of washing off the mud.

(If you’re looking for the technical specs and my overview of pros/cons, then please see the last page of this review)

An Illuminating Discussion

It started as a simple-enough email question from writer Kevin P. McAuliffe to the rest of the PVC crew:

I’m looking for a good, low cost basic lighting kit.  3 lights (Key, Fill and Back), stands, etc.  I have no idea who would be considered “good”, as “For God sakes Jim, I’m an editor, not a lighting director!”

What followed was a flood of very useful advice on lighting equipment - as well as its applications, from outdoor shots to greenscreen. Rather than keep the replies private, we decided to share the wealth with our PVC readers. (Note: We’ve added replies from Steve Hullfish, Alex Lindsay, and Art Adams since this article was first posted.)

ScopeBox Software with the Reflecmedia LED Green Screen System

I’ve been testing the Reflecmedia LED LiteRing system for about a month now, and it wasn’t until I paired it with the ScopeBox software scope that I finally gained some real control in my shots! These products should be bundled in my opinion, because without a scope, it’s nearly impossible to tell on a preview monitor if you’ve got the correct gain or lighting from your LED LiteRing.

Compelling Storytelling with a Short Video

One of the most important features of the current media explosion is the number of different channels someone has at their disposal to tell their story or sell their product - and we’re not talking just cable or TV channels! Some are tempted to use the shotgun approach and merely replicate their message everywhere - print, video, web site, Twitter, Facebook, you name it - but the real winners are those who learn to use alternate media channels in a savvy and effective way to raise above the noise and effectively communicate to their target audience. That’s where we come in: We help clients convey their message in a visually attractive manner. But this brave new world will take some education, both for us and for our clients.

Review: Rode NTG-3 short shotgun microphone and Blimp windshield

Users of short shotgun microphones can be sorted into two categories. Those who complain about spending $250 to $500 on a mic, and those willing to spend $1000 to $2000 on one. Into the first category you can place students, hobbyists, many camera operators, and just about every producer. In the later you’ll find professional sound mixers and…well, that’s about it. So what mic choices do those restrictions translate to?

HDMI capture in live multi-camera production

Thanks to the new HDMI input interfaces like Blackmagic’s Intensity and Intensity Pro, it is feasible to connect certain HD cameras with HDMI output live to a computer, and even dissolve between them without genlock.

Just install two Intensity (US$249 x 2) or Intensity Pro (US$349 x 2) cards into a MacPro tower computer, with Blackmagic’s included On-Air software. Compatible cameras include both HDV cameras and the new AVCHD cameras with HDMI output. This way (for live-to-disk 2-camera production), one can not only capture an “uncompressed” signal via HDMI, but also a “never-yet-compressed” signal. The only important limitation of the Blackmagic On-Air system is that you can connect a maximum of two cameras.

The rest of this article has been moved to Allan’s PVC channel. Click here to view it.

Revisiting HDV’s Virtues

Among my clients and friends who are video professionals, many of those who produce commercials, corporate, and music videos have already embraced tapeless acquisition with such cameras as JVC’s high definition Everio, Panasonic’s AG-HMC150/151, and Sony’s EX1 & EX3. However, those who shoot events (Bar Mitzvahs, Quinces/Sixteen Parties, Weddings) —and some of those who shoot documentaries— are relentless in defending their need to shoot on tape. They cite the following HDV advantages over tapeless acquisition:

• There is always an original tape for future use.
• The original HDV tape is the permanent archive.
• The original HDV tape is very inexpensive.
• Although they have to capture in real time before editing, they don’t have to worry about the time or expense of other types of long-term archival methods required with tapeless acquisition.

The rest of this article has been moved to Allan’s PVC channel. Click here to view it.

Two Compleat Idiots Discuss RED Post

Art and Adam discuss the aftermath of the Wii spec spot and Art’s venture into RED post...

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