How 'bout a Scene File Thread?

[Jason Ramsey]

I was just thinking (uh oh) and it seemed like maybe it would be a good idea to start a thread where people can post their favorite scene files from their experience with the HVX.
Maybe we can start a good list. List the scene file, and give it a decent description of the look and use, etc? Whachya think?

Jason

[Drew Ott]

Already been done.

[Jason Ramsey]

oh... crap :)
Shoulda made a sticky of that one

Jason

[LMGvideo]

And where, pray tell, is this all encompassing fountain of knowledge? I've looked and searched and haven't found the grail yet.

[Jason Ramsey]

yeah. I am searching my little heart out. I am only finding it for the dvx.
Thought it would be a good thread that people could find a bunch of different scene files anyways.
Someone know of a link for an hvx scene file thread already that is good?
Would it be possible for it to be a sticky, or am I the only one who thinks that's a good idea :)

Thanks
Jason

[LMGvideo]

Well I'm in there with you Mr. jet. I recently DP'd a little short on a rental HVX and tried to find some settinngs and came up empty. I really like this camera, but the guys I've spoken to who use it say the power is in the scene settings. I think this is a great idea and one that would only elevate the quality of work done on the HVX.

[Owen]

There was an actual section for this a while back complete with a way to post a sample image from the file setting... but it sat un-used for a long time. Looks like it was finally removed altogether.

[MrPolarBare]

I remember there was one post in that whole secton for about a month and they did away with it. I was completely clueless to how the scene files worked, and how to utilize them. I think the HVX was so new that a lot of people hadn't messed around with them. After reading Barry's book, I fully understand whats going on with the scene files, and I think that section could flourish now that so many people are comfortable with the HVX and all of it's settings.

[DavidBeier]

Yeah, I'd really like that section back. I promise I'll post some this time now that I've gotten more of a handle on the camera. I think it's really important since the HVX200 in HD really needs a lot more tweaking than the DVX100 did.

[Jason Ramsey]

Well people could start posting them here and maybe if it goes well, the powers that be could make a sticky out of it.

Jason

[Kino Eye]

I like this idea as well...and screencaps of the file setting as well if possible

[Jason Ramsey]

Ok, so sounds good. Now all we need is someone to post the first scene file? :) I would but I am not getting my hvx's until next week, and it will be a while before I find any scene file settings worth posting. Maybe Barry would be ok with posting the sample files from the cd that comes with his book to get things rolling. But then if you have the camera, you probably have them already since you would get the book for free. I've got the book, just waiting for the cams to try his scene files out on :)
Anyways, if some people are interested in building a database of scene files, I think it would be great. I will, at the least, revive this thread when I have something decent to post. I think one should Title their scene file post with a good descriptive title of the look acheived from the scene file and whether it is pal or ntsc, then list the scene file.

Thanks much,
Jason

[DavidBeier]

I'll put a few up just to get things started. Don't really think these are any good as I was still just experimenting:

SCENE NAME :SUNSET
DETAIL LEVEL: +5
V DETAIL LEVEL: +5
DETAIL CORING : +5
CHROMA LEVEL: -2
CHROMA PHASE: 0
COLOR TEMP: -4
MASTER PED: -7
A.IRIS LEVEL: -2
NEWS GAMMA: OFF
GAMMA : CINELIKE D
KNEE: CINELIKE
MATRIX: SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
OPERATION TYPE: FILM CAM
FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/Farm/horse.jpg

I was pretty satisfied with the results but I found that I over did it with the detail coring. Considering how much light there was, it didn't need to be nearly that high. 0 or +2 would have given me just as much noise reduction and I would have retained more detail. Live and learn...

[DavidBeier]

SCENE NAME :COOL
DETAIL LEVEL: +4
V DETAIL LEVEL: +3
DETAIL CORING : 0
CHROMA LEVEL: -2
CHROMA PHASE: +2
COLOR TEMP: +3
MASTER PED: -7
A.IRIS LEVEL: -2
NEWS GAMMA: OFF
GAMMA : CINELIKE D
KNEE: CINELIKE
MATRIX: SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
OPERATION TYPE: FILM CAM
FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/eade4df0.jpg

This is another one of the first things I shot. I think I probably should have used Cinelike V for a little less noise (though I think what's there isn't bad) but aside from that I'm pretty happy with the image.

[DavidBeier]

SCENE NAME : GOLDEN
DETAIL LEVEL: +5
V DETAIL LEVEL: +5
DETAIL CORING : 0
CHROMA LEVEL: -2
CHROMA PHASE: 0
COLOR TEMP: -6
MASTER PED: -8
A.IRIS LEVEL: -2
NEWS GAMMA: OFF
GAMMA : CINELIKE D
KNEE: CINELIKE
MATRIX: SKIN TONE DTL : OFF
V DETAIL FREQ : THIN
OPERATION TYPE: FILM CAM
FRAME RATE: DEFAULT

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/Kennedy%20Center/DC.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/Kennedy%20Center/DC3.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/Kennedy%20Center/DC7.jpg

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h106/malachiX2000/Kennedy%20Center/DC14.jpg

This is actually my favorite stuff of what I've shot. I really like the golden underexposed look. It's kind of Godfather-ish I think. A large part of this comes not so much from the scene file setting but from how the sun was low in the sky and being highly diffused by the clouds. Everything actually looked really gray from the roughtop (at the Kennedy Center) but lowering the color temp made the gray look more golden instead of the typical orange.

Ok, I posted some of mine, keep this thread going.

[Jason Ramsey]

Thanks a lot for getting it started david. 'preciate that.

Jason

[Look 1st]

Yes, thanks for posting David. I am going to try some of those settings tonight.

[bleutuna]

good stuff. thanks a lot :0

[THoff]

One thing that scene files neglect is color temperature / white balance. You can obviously still get results very different from what is shown in David's screen grabs if your WB is off.

Maybe Panasonic should consider adding WB to the scene files, allowing a color temperature or DEFAULT to be selected.

[Jason Ramsey]

Yes. Barry's book mentioins not to use WB presets.
And for his scene files he says to use Auto Iris if I am not mistaken. I don't quite understand the reason for the latter, though.

Jason

[Barry_Green]

Yes. Barry's book mentioins not to use WB presets.
The recommendation against the white balance presets is because the COLOR TEMP function will not work if you use a preset white balance. It only functions in auto or manual white balance, not presets. So if you're trying to replicate the same look I got with the scene files, it requires you to use manual white balance (or auto if you're a masochist).


And for his scene files he says to use Auto Iris if I am not mistaken. I don't quite understand the reason for the latter, though.

Same reason but different setting: the scene files take advantage of the A.Iris menu setting. It only functions if you let the autoiris system set the exposure. Obviously you could then switch to manual and "touch up" the exposure if desired, but the idea was to use the autoiris and A.Iris level to bias the exposure one way or the other to achieve each scene file's distinctive look.

[DavidBeier]

One thing that scene files neglect is color temperature / white balance. You can obviously still get results very different from what is shown in David's screen grabs if your WB is off.

Maybe Panasonic should consider adding WB to the scene files, allowing a color temperature or DEFAULT to be selected.

Well, if you look at my things I actually do have color temp settings. In general, I just go ahead and white balance with a plain white card (or white wall if I don't have a card) and do my alterations using the COLOR TEMP option in the scene file settings. You can push it pretty damn far one way or the other and it's better to start with a clean white and then mess with it in the settings than try to do otherwise IMO.

[Barry_Green]

I just go ahead and white balance with a plain white card (or white wall if I don't have a card) and do my alterations using the COLOR TEMP option in the scene file settings. You can push it pretty damn far one way or the other and it's better to start with a clean white and then mess with it in the settings than try to do otherwise IMO.

That's what you have to do. There's no way to predict the light conditions any particular shot will be conducted under; having a white balance setting in the scene file makes little practical sense. In daylight, for example, the prevailing color temperature can range from about 2700K on up to about 10,000K! You have to conduct a proper white balance in order to have a common reference point to go forward from.

[THoff]

The option of having the WB included in the scene file would be valuable for controlled lighting conditions so that you can recall settings if you need to reshoot something.

[Bryy]

Any documentary settings anyone knows of?

[Phil Maker]

I think there are certain people who are interested in making money by selling favorite scene settings or "looks", so they probably wouldn't be too thrilled about having a sticky on the subject where you could access the info for free.