New Discovery Show shot with Sony Z7U "Wreckreation Nation"

bmxbud4130 said:
that show looks awesome!
i saw a bit on the discovery site about lawn mower racing... mower racing is big in my little home town. my neighbors started racing in their backyards with friends and now it's turned into this huge annual event. here's a video that i put together for fun a couple years ago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqJCgMllLfI

this sorta stuff is right up my alley. i love watching people do crazy things for fun. haha
Click to expand...

I have an aviation business where I buy and sell turbine jet engines for private aircraft and helicopters, I have sold several small APU turbine engines to guys that have put them in lawn mowers to race them. Wish I still had the videos. Dave, if I would have known before you shot this I would have tracked them down for you.

Here is a guy who put a home made turbine engine in a lawn mower, looks like it would make some good tv :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBJu2q3sDrw&feature=related

Hmmm, I wonder if I could fit a small one in a pocket bike :)
 
its one of the best small cameras I have used. Outside of the small issues like the digital back. But that feature works great. We send master tapes to the east coast for the editors and the producers look at quicktime files from FInal Cut Pro on the west coast. everyone seems to win. . .plus we have a tape backup to the tapes and viceversa
dave
 
would this camera be a good B camera to the EX1?
Although, I wish there was a bigger cost saving. The EX is only $1000 more.
I checked this camera out at B&H and I really like the lens.
 
I would tell you to just spend a little more money and shoot the b cam same as a cam but having said that I really like this camera in the hand. Compression would be different between the EX1 and the Z7u (obviously) but its a great camera
 
Good episode tonight. Bullfighting and a girl gets tossed up twice. Also we went to the bonneville salt flats. Check it out if you get a chance
dave
 
tvacom said:
I would tell you to just spend a little more money and shoot the b cam same as a cam but having said that I really like this camera in the hand. Compression would be different between the EX1 and the Z7u (obviously) but its a great camera
Click to expand...

Dave,

I am planning on using an EX3 with the Z7u as the B camera. Hopefully, it will match well enough. I'm very interested in what format you are shooting in. 1080i or native 30p/24p. I was planning on shooting in 1080_30p with the EX3 but if I shoot 30p on the Z7u that's 720_30p. Hmmm. What do you think?

Paul
 
Paul,
Someone here can correct me if I am wrong but I believe the 30p is 1080i on the Z7u. There are 2 settings in the 30"P" mode. The first is the older style which is actually from the Z1 days and is called 30p but is actually 60i (In the camera menu there is a setting which says interlace or progressive-progressive being the newer style which might be 720 I am not sure we didnt use this setting) with a pull down so to speak and then the newer true 30p progressive.

We shot the first weekend with the newer progressive and our post house had a hard time dealing with it. Their deck couldnt ingest it. We switched to the 30p (Interlaced) and they had no problems with that. . .
My question to you is are you renting or buying the camera. How long is your shoot and what is your end product you are delivering. I would always try and shoot with the same camera if I could the purchase price only a few thousand dollars between the 2 street wise. Maybe 3k? Not sure so the rental price between the two can't be to drastic. I always try and shoot the same format and sensor size if I can. (unless intentionally trying to have different looks)
I know sometimes money is tight on budget etc. I always let producers know that movies and tv shows are made up of 2 major things. Picture and Sound. If money needs to be cut elsewhere then make it happen but dont tie my hands trying to save a few dollars between A & B camera.
Not sure if I answered you question or not. PM me if you would like. . .
thanks
dave

PS I do think you can reasonally match it in the end. . .Again what is the end showing format?
 
Last edited:
Dave,

Your post is alomst exactly what the Dealiest Catch guys said to me in a conversation when we talked about sony.

No one from the crew new or cared about the camera settings, ALPHA DOGS! They were more worried about getting the shots and how to shoot them.

It's funny how people think it's the camera or settings that make the show good.

CG
 
If I had an ex-3 a 7 would be a great b cam, almost overkill for a b cam. Buy a used Z1 for
$2k.
 
Hey Dave, looks like fun. I'm currently shooting with the Z7U and have been experimenting with a good POV. I'm shooting two docs and saw the POV cam your poor guy put on the horse! Can you tell me the model/set-up you used for the POV and how well does it work/match-up to the other footage?
Thanks, I appreciate any feedback (from anyone)
-jl

tvacom said:
Everyone. We have a great article in the New York TImes. I have attached the link. Our production team gets a great shout out for our use of POV cameras. . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/arts/television/22genz.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=wreckreation&st=cse

Also here is a slide show which shows us putting a POV camera on the underbelly of a horse.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/02/19/arts/television/20090222-22GENZ-AUDIO_SS/index.html

Enjoy
dave
Click to expand...
 
Dave, it looks like this answered my question on the POV camera. Do you have to upconvert the stuff from the POV1? Or do you just use in the smaller image in an HD format, like a split screen/PinP?
Thanks, -jl

tvacom said:
Hello all,
Just wanted to give you a heads up on a new discovery show called 'Wreckreation with Dave Mordal' that has been out for 2 weeks now. We shoot it on the new Sony Z7U camera. We shoot to tape and CF card simultaneously(works awesome). At night we dump cards and the tapes go to post in New York and the CF card data comes back to LA where story producers will use is to write the pieces. We also use CX7 sony small cameras for POV. Sometimes we throw in a POV1 camera. We have been on the road coming up on 7 months now. Just wanted to give the community a chance to see what some of the shows are being shot on out there. I have been a die hard panasonic guy for years now. I dp'd MTV Jamie Kennedy's Blowin Up, VH1 The Rock Life, MTVs Buzzin all on DVX100's (and many more) I have owned 10 DVX's over the years, I still own 1 dvx, 2 hvx200 and 4 Sony Z7U,
I have to tell you I really like the sony in the hand. It has the interchangeable lens that has a big camera feel. The timecode among cameras stays within frames. We jam them twice a day in a 12 hour day. The real lens feel with focus and iris etc really makes a big difference. Trust me when I tell you that I still love the panasonic look but when it comes to shooting if you get a chance test out a Z7U.
Tom. nights show is a good one with a mix of fun POV and events if you get a chance check out the show and let me know what you think.
thanks for everything over the years.
Jarred, Barry and Evin over the years have always come quickly with knowledge and answers in a fast and timely manner and have become great friends and have provided a great service to filmmakers all over.
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/wreckreation-nation/wreckreation-nation.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmnNiVpkPK0
My rant is done. . .
thanks
dave thies
director/DP
Click to expand...
 
Just wanted to say that I'm enjoying the show. Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the input. In terms of the POV1 camera it is upconverted during the online. I just received a new Sony MC1 HD camera that is similar to the POV1 but HD. I did some test last week with some XGAme gold BMX pros last week in PA. So if we go to season 2 we will be HD all the way around. The footage cuts in well and we dont use it that much. Usually we had a fun time trying to figure out where and how to attach the cameras . . .always made the days interesting. . .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top