Burstline - Film & Video Technology

RGB 4:4:4 , Sony LCD BVM L230, Sony SRW-5500

kasdin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:06:30 +0000

The philosophy behind the HD Cameras, Sony BVM L230 LCD monitors and a Sony SRW-5800 are linear in respect to the workflow process and the end distribution model. The concept behind the tools fo production, Digital Intermediaries and Post Production is a “black box” concept and should render the image as closely to the intent of the visual imagery, whether computer generated or live. The efficiencies scales that relate to the tools are not on a gradient scale, but they work or not.

The Sony BVM-L230 has a S-Log function that turns can be turned off. The S log is an algorithmic expression to pack the data in a 4:4:4 realm. Turning off the SLOG you can see the footage in a analogue space. Part of the process in viewing is understanding what the monitors excels in and the technical design difference between a Panasonic Reference grade monitor and a Sony LCD Reference monitor.

The emergence of new LCD technology has now been perfected and the CRT monitors are now basically obsolete. Assumptions can be made with video imaging in respect that video analogue is a linear expression. LCD technology is now a non linearity, which is not a bad thing but closely resembles the human eye. Optics and physics is about making things match up to a chart, but improving the imaging of the art (movie, tv, etc.) so it is pleasing to the viewer is the objective.

In a CRT (cathay ray tube) world the physics was standard fixed gamma, while the new technology is variable, because you are not lighting up just phosphorus. The problem is at a 30,000 nit scene scaled down to 100 nits at the monitor, you loose the overall brightness and coloricity. Basically, what you need to do to the image data is to overcome perceptual differences. Enhancing the standard .42 to a 5.0 power curve helps keep the integrity of the image by compensating for the lack of illumination which has a direct relationship to the colorimetry.

The problem with all standards is how you develop a standardized approach. The issue is that through the production chain all the way to the distribution the image needs to be reproduced as closely to the final reference monitor. You could look at the production chain as an assumption whereby everything is processed via a black box. The final analysis is the studio monitor is the final determinant in relation to the end users flat screen: LG, Sony, Hatachi, Samsung, Sharp, ViewSonic or other consumer grade monitor. What the viewer does to his consumer monitor set, such as; cranks up the contrast, increases the saturation or enhances noise reduction is not within the metrics of asigning absolute values during the entire process. The standardization should be faithful to the original reproduction. In a movie distribution scenario the production change all the way to exhibition remains in check and is in a controlled setting. However, when going to the cloud or whichever distribution method there needs a valid standard in place for the film or blue ray disc to appear true to form.

Former Long Beach Boeing plant will convert to a Film Studio

kasdin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:35:59 +0000

According to the LA Times article today the former Boeing plant has been green lighted for use as a Movie studio, complete with 1.1 million square feet of shooting space, a hotel, and can hold a 22 acre backlot on the roof if necessary. Just to put things in perspective, Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach occupies 22.6 acres that would just about fit on the roof of Boeing’s building. Raleigh’s Manhattan Beach stages consists of five 25,000 square foot stages, and nine 18,000 square foot stages. In addition they have 300,000 sq. feet of office space and a set and lighting department. They are a decent size lot with 287,000 feet of stage space totaling 14 stages.

The building in Long Beach is in escrow now, but I see several problems with the studio. First off location; have you ever driven from the Westside to Long Beach during the week. Then of course there is Friday afternoons. Going in either direction is an exercise in futility and figure one hour commute minimum. Where is the crew coming from? Try the Valley and Santa Clarita. They will surely appreciate the two hour commute home.

Recently, there has been a spate of new studios built not just in Los Angeles, but elsewhere. Louisiana, has in place a pretty large financial (producer) incentives to attract movie productions and over the last few years has developed an infrastructure with tax based incentives. There is still production in Vancouver, but the up and coming state for production and studio space is Michigan. They are a few years away from rolling out the red carpet, but ribbon cuttings happen and groundbreakings might only be a year away. They in fact could trump all the financial incentives offered anywhere.

I asked around to people connected in the studio industry and some were dubious and someone else thought it was a good idea; with a large hangar and a great location. However, having spent hours at KLGB airport Jet Blue has a hub at Long Beach Airport and a jet on takeoff is very loud. United Parcel Service flies 747s in an out of KLGB and those Heavies are very loud. Of course their are helicopters buzzing around and GA aircraft taking off from runway 25R. I can’t think that it will be cheap to sound proof the hangar…

Outputting DBETA from Final Cut Pro

kasdin — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:00:01 +0000

For outputting to digital betacam you will need a Sony DVW-A500, Sony DVW-500 or the DVW-M2000, all are digital betacam recorders. The DVW-A500 has analogue Betacam SP playback and was the workhouse for d-beta. The M2000 was a green machine with less lead and had multiformat capabilities. To get the necessary bandwidth you should send the DBETA recorder a standard definition signal via SDI or serial digital interface. From an Apple G5, Apple Macbook pro (firewire 800) or a Mac Pro you can install a aja kona card or use the AJA i/o hd. Many clients use the i/o hd for quick output jobs and for standard def it works fine and especially when using the Apple Pro Res 422 codec. The aja site (http://aja.com/html/products_Io.html) stated the following “Single FireWire 800 connection… supports Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) in hardware, enabling true 10-bit editing on an Apple laptop. With this high performance hardware and codec, you can work on the road with 720 and 1080 HD, all in full-raster 10 bit 4:2:2—and in realtime!” I know of a few companies that rent the i/o box. check out http://www.kasdin.com/

Typically for smaller projects where there is no crunch time, then layoff the flattened QuickTime movie and bring it to a facility that has an editing room where you can output and master your project to Digital Betacam. You can probably negotiate a flat rate or for a smaller project bring in the drive and your Final Cut Pro project file and output to their Sony DBETA machine. On a DVWA500 rental, figure on spending around $250-400/ day and $700-$1,000 for the week, on a Sony recorder. The rental prices on a dbeta machine really is a matter of length of the video equipment rental. Add the Aja I/O box and the Sony VTR recorder and you could be spending basically $500 for your broadcast equipment rental. So you will need to factor that in to your budget when taking on a job in which the client is at your edit suite and wanting to walk out the door with the master for the Emmy’s.

You should get the video equipment; Aja kona board or the Aja i/o box, plus the Sony VTR recorder ahead of time and integrate it to prevent any SNAFUs.

How to get 4:2:2 Quality H.D. Production with your Sony EX-3 camera

kasdin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:00:02 +0000

Can you really get better signal quality with a Sony camera that sells for less than $10,000.00, better signal quality than a Sony F-900 HD-CAM camcorder while saving money on Sony camera cards? Yes you can if you’re welling to go HD-SDI cable out of the E3X-3 and be tethered to a computer that records the signal to hard drive. The positive results are better quality images, longer recording time and no need to transfer from the Sony camera cards. The negative factors, being tied by cable to a computer and adding additional gear to the production chain.

The new Sony EX-3 has excellent half inch chips, and you can put quality glass on the front end, by using an adaptor you can install Zeiss primes. It doesn’t get better than Zeiss lens. The combination of excellent lens, recording to hard drive with the Sony EX-3 will give your production an incredible picture for far less money than many cameras costing thousands more. Try putting the computer on cart to increase your mobility.

Greg Le Duc