DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

D

d8chicago

New member
Hey there--

I am doing a doc involving several interviews with Mayors from around the country--I will have 2 DVX-100s (one is an A, the other a P--from Canada or something). I initially was going to have one in a Midshot position of my subject with a WIDE angle lens--also recording the audio; and I was also going to set up the other DVX in the back with the telephoto for close-ups--run them at the same time.

Any ideas?

I probably will be able to move the one in the back around alot--especially if I can rig it on a dolly or something like that. I just feel like if the 2nd camera is just close-ups of the subject it will be nauseating-- :-X I feel like the 2nd camera needs more variation--

Does anyone have any experiences with 2 camera setups.


THANKS-- ;D

MH
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

Record audio on both -- it will help the sync later.

Be careful with moving the second camera around too much; lighting setups really only look good from one angle.

The "100P" is the DVX100 sold in Canada and the US.
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

I would use the second camera to do closeup pickups of hands, watches, cufflinks etc.
as well as some close up shots of the talent.
What I found especially useful in interviews is to shoot some footage right and left of your talents heads from the same spot you did the interview. Gives you the chance to do extreme wide angle shoots and panoramas in post.
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

yeah, not related to a doc but I filled in on a reception last night and with one dvx I was wishing I could get some rection shot's (you know something really incase you need to cut away) and the the other operator showed up, I offered to stay a little longer to get the second angle but he was like na they'll never notice. ? what ever. I'm not editing it.

BTH I was about 15-20 feet away from one of my subject's and got good tight shot's of the speakers. I'm not sure that you'll need a telephoto lens for a interview setup
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

Nick,
in my opinion the DVX lens is more than sufficient in the telephoto range for interviews.
I have been to a game park in South Africa recently and there were only one or two shots
where I would have wished to have a longer lens on the DVX (but at the same time I would
have urgently needed a good tripod...).
It is certainly a good idea to have the main camera quite far from the talent and in telephoto
to get nice shallow DOF.
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

why is it good to get a shallow depth of field? I always thought that getting more depth was more , i dont' know... cool looking I supposed or for lack of a better word... :P
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

Shallow depth of field helps to direct your viewers eye to what you want them to see. If everything is in focus from back to front, the eye tends to wander.
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

oh, I thought that a LONGER depth of field was what that was.. guess I had it backwards. So bringing things into focus, that you want your viewer to see, and blurring out the backgrounds and other things , is shallowing your DOF? Right?
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

Shallow DOF = very limited range of what's in focus.

Deep DOF = everything's in focus.
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

I've only done two-camera shoots for stage productions, and we set one for wide and the other followed the talent in a medium shot. I was very glad for the two cameras for cutaways in the edits. I am interested in how you would use the dolly shots in an interview situation as I am looking at doing some family interviews in the near future for a personal project and would be open to some creative suggestions in lieu of a single camera shoot.

Thanks,
Terri
 
Re: DVX-100s - 2 Camera Set up for Interview

Dolly shots work if you have a field of view to move in. For example, a recent interview I saw with Yoko Ono have a dolly set-up that slowly cut across the subject in a semicircle. It had a nondescript, hanging glass sculpture in the background in a high ceiling, large open room. She was sitting on a chair in front of the sculpture. It worked. The effect gave you frontal, left and right facial contours. Even lighting helped.
 
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