Two PMW-EX1s Shoot Danbury Fireworks

[basspig]

This should be my penultimate fireworks video. Shot with two EX1s, one in 60/24 overcrank, the other at 24p, and mixed together in post.
Sound recorded with large-diaphragm studio condenser mics, directly into the EX1 recording at 24fps. The audio was perfect. The dynamic range is about 76dB from ambient noise to loudest explosions. The EX1 shows tons of audio dynamic range with a very low noise floor.

Here's the ExposureRoom.com version, three quality levels plus downloadable WMV format (199MB):


http://exposureroom.com/members/Basspig.aspx/assets/7947a8c2ec854864a8944428a3f3526c/

Happy Independance Day!
Enjoy!!

[Jon Neely]

looks great, thanks for the post!



Jon

[basspig]

Thanks!

Here's some more Independance Day festivities:

Sonny Carroll Orchestra at New Milford Green, 5th of July 2008 (http://exposureroom.com/members/Basspig.aspx/assets/a46cbddd7fc045bbb88943f96e2c29df/)

and

Anthony Nazarro with Sonny Carroll Orchestra at New Milford Green 7/5/08 (http://exposureroom.com/members/Basspig.aspx/assets/37b7e5ae6a054d9c8bae2b25a5e0e1a3/)

These tracks disprove the notion that you can't record music decently with a video camera. I did these from 35' away, taking advantage of the directional stereo pattern of the Rode NT4 to block out most of the ambient noise. I still can't believe how great the original sounds. The compressed file lost some of the sparkle and crispness on the attack, but the overal presentation is still very good.

[Jon Neely]

Wow, what a voice, great stuff once again, love to see him in person.


jon

[adamr316]

Thanks for posting the videos. Anthony Naarro has an awesome voice...this coming from a 23 year old who really doesn't have appreciation/care much for music pre-1960's.

[basspig]

Thanks guys!

I'm uploading more stuff today.

Google "Sonny Carroll Orchestra" or just check my ExposureRoom homepage (http://exposureroom.com/members/Basspig.aspx/) for the latest uploads. I've got an hour and 12 minutes of music. The last 12 are from a southern-style rock band with some funky lighting that makes its own copy protection by smearing the chroma all to heck when you copy to VHS tape. The master footage looks incredible, as is the sound. That's coming later...............

[basspig]

I put up some more Sonny Carroll and, for you biker rock fans, some numbers from a band called "Whitewood". They sound best when cranked up LOUD.
As usual, the XDCam's audio did an INCREDIBLE job rendering this performance with all of the impact of the original!
Enjoy!

[Lenilenapi]

I like the band and love Mack the Knife.

I didn't like seeing the quite noticeable effects of the rolling shutter in the fireworks though. I guess that's just the limitation for the cam. I wondered how it would handle fireworks and now I know. Thanks

Lenny Levy

[Jon Neely]

i did not thin the fireworks footage looked bad at all, I though the artifacts where just the compression from the online player and not the rolling shutter. but maybe I am being ignorant and I dont know what to really look for, for the most part it looked good to me.


Jon

[basspig]

The fireworks was shot in overcrank mode, 60fps, which amplifies the rolling shutter effect 250% due to everything being slowed down at 24fps playback. So just like the whip pans that show horrid skew because they were overcranked, the partial exposures due to rapid flashes is also exaggerated. The realtime footage of the fireworks rarely show this artifact (it's not completely eliminated, but it's visible only 1/3 the time as with the slow motion footage).

That audio (of the Whitewood band) really blows me away. It's downright visceral. It's as if I bought their album on CD and overdubbed it on the video--it sounds so up-close and clean. This is the ultimate reality capture machine.

[RDykmans]

I shot some fireworks as well saturday nite which came out great. I used 1080 30p with a 1/60th shutter and I don't see any rolling shutter artifacts at all even going frame to frame.

[basspig]

The type of flashes/fireworks also affect how the rolling shutter effect appears. A rapid succession of short-duration 'whole frame' flashes stands a good chance of being at a time when the middle of a refresh cycle is occuring. Smaller flashes of longer duration will mask the effect, often completely.