Designing a DVX crash course

G

galt

Well-known member
My DVX should arrive on Friday. So I want to go shoot some tape this weekend with an eye towards getting up to speed quickly on the workings and capabilities of the DVX100a.

What I would like from people is the most common settings and controls that they fool with. I know I can't learn everything in 48 hours. I have read Barry's book. I will read the manual to understand the basics, so I don't try to focus with the servo locked. But assume I have only used a consumercam in autodummy mode. What things are really useful to touch on (literally hands-on) besides:

Focusing (manual ring, auto, using buttons)
autofocus in 24p vs 60i
Zoom (all the various ways and speeds)
24p, 30p, 60i
Lighting challenges (bright, dark, backlight, sun backlight, indoor, white balancing, learning to use zebras, extreme shadowy shots)

Are there any other basics of the DVX I should add to my list for my 4-8 hour cram course?

Are there some scene settings that people use all the time (preset or not) that I should try out as an intro to using them?

Is this post just too stupid for a response?
 
If this was post#1 you do know you'd be in trouble right now????:evil:

Why the hurry? Do you have a Major shoot in 48 hours?
You've read the manual and Barry's book, that's more than most new DVX owners can say. Just set it up and shoot, shoot, shoot...
One word of advice is to turn the camera mic on and every time you make a camera setting change, say what you did out loud. That way when you dump your footage and find that "perfect" look, you'll know what settings to go back to.
That was the big mistake I made when I first got mine. I set it up and rolled tape, making every posssible adjustment you could. Then dumped the footage and realized the audio levels were turned down and I had no clue what most of the changes were.

Oh one more thing, there's no such thing as a stupid question... but plenty of stupid answers !:lipsrseal
 
Duh, Audio.... DVX100a has no AGC, only manual audio settings!! I better get that ingrained as a habit right off. Must ..... wear ..... headphones...

SDog, I have taught myself lots of things in my life, and I know that immersion works well for me. I also know that it is just as easy to develop a good habit as a bad one, if you plan ahead. I have talked with people that own a DVX and have never even tried 24p. So rather than play with it for 3 months (which I will do anyway), I want to be able to get some serious work done next week. I have a proposal in right now on a $50,000+ project, and I know my reel is just plain embarrassing. If I don't get project that is only reason. The ROI on the project is too good for them to pass up, so now that I sold it I have to hope I sold ME. This weekend I want to get enough perspective on the camera that I can go do some reel shooting in the next couple of weeks. Most of it will be one-time only opportunities, so I have to get it right. I have to make the right decisions about 24p vs 60i (right now I don't KNOW the difference). I already think I know I want to shoot it in 4.3 not 16.9.

So I guess that is the rush...
 
it is great that you want to learn things ground up and you are obviously enthused about it.

I would suggest putting together one short story and then also editing, go for something with a few technical changes. like someone window shopping and then buying something. that way you are following someone ( let us say near sunset, to add in some trouble) on the sidewalk outdoors and then they move indoors. or just moving into different lighting situations. will force you to do all the white ballacing, re-exposing etc. Practice telling the whole story with every shot. your wide shots, meds, close ups. have some dialog to record. if you are forced to do this while it is happening, it will force you to recall faster. nice if you can take your time to, to play around with some settings.

I agree with JH about exposure. that and trying to maximize DOF. well, in many cases due to the shortness of the dVX native lens, you are stuck with it, but trying to get better results with better DOF forces you to learn what your camera can do in different shutter speeds and apertures.

have fun!

( I throw up color bars or wave my hand or cover the lens with my hand when I am testing settings or frame rates, in addtion to talking into the camera to tell myself what I did.)

pretty important to edit, even go to dvd with what you shot. essential really, if you are working in the progressives.

maybe you could divide your practice sessions into differnt focus areas..
exposure
audio
composition
free form shooting ( using your own bod to get different angles with your tripod or handheld)

etc.
 
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