Need advice for Multi-camera shoot

M

mlevy76

Member
So I've got this 3 camera shoot coming up. It's a 2 person interview, and each camera will be rolling until the end of the interview - no pauses. We will have 2 lavs going into 1 camera, and two shotguns going into another. The third will record with its external mic. My #1 question is: without a smart slate, how should I deal with the sync issue? Should I simply have each camera zoom into a slate and clap it, and that's it? Any other options?

#2: As far as image consistency between cameras, I was assuming I would assign the Fstop and have each camera set to that. I assume this approach would ensure a consistent exposure between cameras (if the lighting of the entire scene was uniform), unless there are large enough variances between the performance levels of the individual cameras that I'd need to visually (with a calibrated monitor) adjust each camera's exposure. Any advice?

Thanks.
 
There's a few options for you here.

You can in deed use a standard slate to create a universal sync-point. This is the simplest and bar far most certain way. I do this anyway as a backup always if at all possible. - if you don't have a slate, just go an dclap your hands together once infront of all the cameras and mics.

The nest trcik involves rolling yrou cmaera, then using cams 2 and 3 to shoot the monitor of cam 1 with the timecode beeing displayed. This will give you an absoloute refernace between teh timecodes of teh cameras. Of course you need cameras that can display frame accurate timecode on their LCD and or video out.

If you have cameras with free run timecode as an option, like the DVXs or HVX, you can give them all a matchign timecode preset and then use one comon remote to start them all running in "free-run" timecode mode.

Even if you don't have free-run readyu cameras, if they are all teh same brand, you can simply use one remote control to start all the cameras rolling in sync. It won't be perfect, and will need the cameras to be the same or very similar models to work.

- Mikko
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top