Help a newb... please

R

Raynalyn

Member
Hi,
I love this forum I am learning so much, maybe even getting overwhelmed.
I have just purchased my DVX100 I have adobe premiere pro 1.5 and after effects 7 professional and here are a few questions if anyone could help me I would greatly appreciate it.

What would be the best way to import my footage from the camera into my system for best quality? Can I uprez in either of these programs? Is firewire best way to capture.

As far as camera settings are the factory settings fine to start out with or is there a basic setting to work from?

Finally, If you had to choose between arri light kit, a dolly kit, or a 35mm adapter what would you choose to enhance your footage first?

Sorry so many questions but I am really lost any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Firewire is the only possible way to capture.

You can uprezz in After Effects. Won't look very good though. Maybe buy Instant HD and use that.

You should read more about the DVX and experiments to see which settings you prefer.

If I were starting out I would get a good tripod and audio gears (check the Audio forum for recommendation). Those are the minimum essentials; then I would think about dolly, adapter or light.
 
use firewire to import, it is a lossless digital transfer of the DV material on the tape.

there are 6 different scene files for shooting on the DVX .. each with thier own factory settings. they are all decent for different occasions, but the cinema 24p scene files are a good place to start for filmic projects. you should really look at getting barry greens DVX guide book to help guide you through camera settinhgs for any occasion, and understanding what the settings do so you can tweak them to your custom needs,

none of these items are going to instantly "enhance" your footage in and of themselves. they are the equivelent of different paint brishes for painting a picture. just tools in the bucket ..it doesnt really matter what type of tools you have unless you know how to use them, and actually have a reason to use them. its not a good idea to just buy a new tool and try to use it just because youve seen others doing it.

although to digress, i have to say that the most usefull tool youve mentioned is the light kit. as far as making an image look good, lighting is one of your most pwevful tools.

dollies.. well. of course my company makes and sells them ..so im all for them, but camera movement is a whole other dimension aside from simply creating nice imagery . camera movement plays into emotion and charachter ..mood, editing, and overall path that you are taking the audience on through your film. it can make for some stunning cinematics, but it should be used soley with real motivation and understanding of what the movement is doing for the audience. its really a dimension that should be explored after getting a grasp on good imagery and understanding of cinematic expression as well as audience relation. although it is a very simple ..and one of the most powerful ways (even when unmotivated) to add apparent production value and cinematic undertones to almost any project.

a 35mm adaptor is a great tool but its not going to make your footage more filmic unless you have a solid understanding of what "filmic" is and should be ..and know how to use the tool properly. in the right hands, it can add that cetain filmic sometihng that would otherwise be lacking, but I would certainly master you r cmaera without it before you throw one on, or its liable to become both a creative crutch and a drag on your production and overall image quality do to how much additional attention it requires to operate which would otherwise be spent on the basics of constructing decent cinematography.

hope this helps. :)
 
Thank you for your input. I was leaning toward lights. Would the arri softbank 1 be a good choice? Also Jade mentioned a good tripod does anyone have a recommendation I have a tripod that came with my DVX. Could I just get a head for it? Thanks so much for your feedback. Very helpful.
 
An Arri Softbank 1 would be an excellent kit. If you can afford it, then by all means...

I have a Bogen 503 head for my DVX. The tripod itself is a 3221WN which was replaced by the 055BWB.
 
What do you intend shooting with your new camera?

This would give us an indication about what you might need.

Otherwise I reccomend getting everything on your list. (Its your money and easy for us to spend.)
 
I am wanting to try to shoot a short. Mostly small room scenes maybe some car scenes. I also have a gig for a video shoot. I have been creating tv commercials editing and post for about 5 years using adobe premiere pro and after effects. Never really worked on the actual filming, but I am eager to experiment with some lighting etc. I have wrote and produced 6 original comedy variety shows that have played locally with good response. I would like to take abreak from the stage and spoof this live show for an inde film. I have shot some footage with the DVX but doesn't seem like I am optimizing the camera very well.
 
Most of the Presets with the camera combined with good lighting and framing should give you an excellent result. Then it is up to you to take it further with some good post and CC and F.X. (and of course good direction, story and edit)

I suggest a very good MONITOR so you can evaluate your work. It is very difficult (or impossible) to fix bad "technical" pix.

I believe it is all in the "eye" and equipment does not make the movie.
 
Thanks Shooter. Could you recommend a good monitor that I can find in the states? Preferably one that is not alot to lug around.
 
I have a preference for Panasonic monitors because they match the camera chip and the viewfinders of the DVX and the HVX and the Varicam (and my Panny still cams for that matter). I like the "panny look"

I use 1700 LW HDs - they are heavy, professional and are pricey . They can also run mains or battery power. I sometimes use them in the NLE suite as well.
 
sorry for sounding so noobish but, I do have a large monitor left over in my editing suite. So what do you do when you are shooting on the move. Do you just make sure you have enough footage or do you playback on the dvx(which I keep hearing is a bad idea) I just hate to lug around a large monitor for short scenes. Is that just plain laziness or is there something I'm missing. I guess I'm concerned because I'm shooting solo.
 
I guess I am lucky that I mostly have a crew around me but of course if I am doing a "run and gun" shoot (ie up a mountain), I forgo the monitor and just cross my fingers. My experience as a cameraman usually gets me through those situations .

On set or in the studio I use both the monitor and DVRAck (Adobe ONLocation) to give me the pro assurances I need for my clients.
 
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