Navigation
Install the app
How to install the app on iOS
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
More options
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
minimum gear standards for pro documentary production
- Thread starter lowep
- Start date
You need the best possible gear if you want a lot of people to see your film (= broadcast), costing tens of thousands. I made the mistake that I started my doc 3 years ago with a camcorder that fit into my budget ($10k for a cam+mics+sticks) and now that the film is almost complete, broadcast outlet won't accept it because the film is not fulfilling their minimum required specs! My next camera kit will be financed through investors before I start shooting and will probably cost between $20-30k just to be future-proof. Technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace and what is cutting edge technology today will be junk tomorrow.
cheap HD versus vintage
cheap HD versus vintage
My aim is not to produce for broadcast outlets but I am still interested to know how is a broadcast outlet able to tell by looking at HD footage if it fulfills their minimum required specs?
What technical criteria do they use to evaluate footage (apart from asking what camera was used to record it) and/or what clear and obvious difference is there to the expert professional editor's naked eye between unacceptable prosumer HD and higher end HD?
cheap HD versus vintage
broadcast outlet won't accept it because the film is not fulfilling their minimum required specs!
My aim is not to produce for broadcast outlets but I am still interested to know how is a broadcast outlet able to tell by looking at HD footage if it fulfills their minimum required specs?
What technical criteria do they use to evaluate footage (apart from asking what camera was used to record it) and/or what clear and obvious difference is there to the expert professional editor's naked eye between unacceptable prosumer HD and higher end HD?
Example: the Panasonic AG-HPX500 is not an acceptable camcorder anymore for mamy channels.
Just who wouldn't accept work from the HPX500 assuming the production was professional in nature?
Grant
pulpfiction007
Veteran
LoewP.....don't buy into "you need equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars" I would make you a list of films/commercials/ TVshows/documentaries/music videos that were shot on Sub $5,000 cameras.....but I don't think you want to read through 10 pages of that.
Just one example
At the South by Southwest film festival in 2009 guess which camera was used in the grand jury prize winning film - The sub $5,000 HVX 200a.
So yes....certain channels have standards...but there are many venues for showing your work. Now more than ever.
Just one example
At the South by Southwest film festival in 2009 guess which camera was used in the grand jury prize winning film - The sub $5,000 HVX 200a.
So yes....certain channels have standards...but there are many venues for showing your work. Now more than ever.
Last edited:
One of my cams, the HMC40 shoots to AVCHD and is full raster. Ingested into FCP, I usually work with ProRes. The footage is awesome. At that point and forward to some delivery format, how would anyone know it was shot in (sub-standard) AVCHD? In many cases, it looks better than the footage from my HPX-170. I mix the two often, and under many circumstances, only the most professional eyes could tell the difference, or even care. Note I didn't say all circumstances, but really, all the stories about camera rejection just seem pretty weird.
And the quote above about not accepting HPX-500 footage deserves a comment by the poster.
Grant
And the quote above about not accepting HPX-500 footage deserves a comment by the poster.
Grant
And the quote above about not accepting HPX-500 footage deserves a comment by the poster.
History and Discovery channels do not accept that cam anymore if it was the A cam. It is still accepted if no more than 20% of the program were acquired with it.
The History Channel got in touch with me after they saw my 5-min teaser and expressed interest. One of their first questions was in what format and with what camcorder I acquired the footage, and after I told them the discussions were over and the doors closed. Now I am feeling stupid that I didn't chose my equipment more wisely.
I am not saying that everyone should spend huge amounts of money on equipment. However, if you want to keep all of your options open, you better look carefully into having a future-proof format that will at least survive the 2-3 years it might take your project to be complete.
The Panasonic TM300 (that's how the thread started) is not a camcorder that will open door for broadcast. That's my whole point.
No doubt that the TM-300 wouldn't do unless perhaps it was footage of aliens landing.
So you shot footage with a 2/3" chip DVCPro-HD cam and they wouldn't accept that? Regarding the HPX-500, by inference, they will no longer accept DVCPro-HD? Is that because it isn't full raster? What if it was shot with, a 2700, 3100, 3700 or some other higher end PannyCam. What are the parameters, what will they accept? What about a HPX-370 using either Intra or DVCPro-HD?
I am only pursuing this because all these standards seem so not consistent. For example, Panny was just touting a Discovery Channel show, Pawn Stars, that is shot with a couple of DVX200a cams. The producers must have told them it was shot with a Alexa....darn the cam is out of the bag
Grant
So you shot footage with a 2/3" chip DVCPro-HD cam and they wouldn't accept that? Regarding the HPX-500, by inference, they will no longer accept DVCPro-HD? Is that because it isn't full raster? What if it was shot with, a 2700, 3100, 3700 or some other higher end PannyCam. What are the parameters, what will they accept? What about a HPX-370 using either Intra or DVCPro-HD?
I am only pursuing this because all these standards seem so not consistent. For example, Panny was just touting a Discovery Channel show, Pawn Stars, that is shot with a couple of DVX200a cams. The producers must have told them it was shot with a Alexa....darn the cam is out of the bag
Grant
cam out of the bag
cam out of the bag
One of their first questions was in what format and with what camcorder I acquired the footage, and after I told them the discussions were over and the doors closed.
If you had lied about your camera how would they know the difference when viewing the footage?
No wish to dispute what you have posted based on your first hand experience about what buyers want. Just curious about what technical criteria if any they use to make their assessment, as if it is only by asking what camera is used and not by actually evaluating footage then this seems more like wine tasting than technical assessment. Does not the fact that broadcasters do use camera models to determine where they set the bar indicate that footage itself is difficult to evaluate?
Comparing my own footage shot with TM300 to what I see on broadcast television there seems to be an obvious difference in aspects of IQ such as resolution, details in shadow and highlight areas, contrast and low light performance but as I am not an expert would like to know if this is what makes the difference and/or how much of this "difference" can be made up for in post production?
cam out of the bag
One of their first questions was in what format and with what camcorder I acquired the footage, and after I told them the discussions were over and the doors closed.
If you had lied about your camera how would they know the difference when viewing the footage?
No wish to dispute what you have posted based on your first hand experience about what buyers want. Just curious about what technical criteria if any they use to make their assessment, as if it is only by asking what camera is used and not by actually evaluating footage then this seems more like wine tasting than technical assessment. Does not the fact that broadcasters do use camera models to determine where they set the bar indicate that footage itself is difficult to evaluate?
Comparing my own footage shot with TM300 to what I see on broadcast television there seems to be an obvious difference in aspects of IQ such as resolution, details in shadow and highlight areas, contrast and low light performance but as I am not an expert would like to know if this is what makes the difference and/or how much of this "difference" can be made up for in post production?
Last edited:
pulpfiction007
Veteran
One of their first questions was in what format and with what camcorder I acquired the footage, and after I told them the discussions were over and the doors closed.
If you had lied about your camera how would they know the difference when viewing the footage?
No wish to dispute what you have posted based on your first hand experience about what buyers want. Just curious about what technical criteria if any they use to make their assessment, as if it is only by asking what camera is used and not by actually evaluating footage then this seems more like wine tasting than technical assessment. Does not the fact that broadcasters do use camera models to determine where they set the bar indicate that footage itself is difficult to evaluate?
Comparing my own footage shot with TM300 to what I see on broadcast television there seems to be an obvious difference in aspects of IQ such as resolution, details in shadow and highlight areas, contrast and low light performance but as I am not an expert would like to know if this is what makes the difference and/or how much of this "difference" can be made up for in post production?
The simple answer is....do the best you can do with what you can afford. It would take way too much money to buy cams that are "acceptable for broadcast" by each network and their standards. Content is truly king...if you've got something good, somebody will show it. Now...if you were comissioned by a network to shoot one of their shows or a doc., then it would make sense to rent the camera that fits their requirements. But doing freelance work on a limited budget....don't worry about it - just do great work. Get the best camera you can afford that will help you to make your projects look as good as possible. The list of requirements is too daunting -
ACME NETWORK - We accept xxxx codec for generation of footage, on xxxx size chips....for xxxx % of the footage, as long as X+Y = A+B and you shoot between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. AND the dew point on the second Sunday of the project will be at an acceptable level.