Shooting a cooking demonstration

I

In Phuket

New member
Hey guys I'm a newbie (I'm a cook) to using video cameras so I have a couple of questions.

I just bought a used dvx100e to use here in Thailand and I will shoot video for website, youtube and also to make dvd's. I will edit on a new macbookpro (4gb ram 2.66ghz. ) with fcp 2 .

Should I use a two camera shoot, one for the wide general shot and another for the above the stove close up cooking shot. If so can I use my dvx100 for the general and a cheaper cam for the close up and edit in fcp even though they are differant cams. I can't afford another dvx.

I guess later I can edit in the close ups but I could use some ideas.

I was also thinking since I need a good slr for food shooting for a cook book and theater shooting could I use a canon 5d mk11 to shoot the close up and mix that in with the general footage I know it will shoot video in two modes just not sure since the format is differant if it works and how easy the work flow will be.

Any suggestions on the second camera or should I just shoot the general and then make a second shoot of the close up. but I'm thinking I will have continuity problems.

Anyone shoot a cooking demo using two cameras?

Thanks
 
Hey, I'm a noob to this forum too. As far as work flow goes, the ultimate best is for you to shoot with two of the same cameras set with identical settings (I know, I'm the master of the obvious) matching time stamp would be very sweet. Alas, we live in the real world with budgets. Bummer.
I think you are on the right track wanting to use two cams. If you have to re-shoot it can ruin the magic of your mojo. The DSLR shooting video sounds awesome, but I wonder how much shooting time they can handle? I dunno.
Another alternative might be the Canon HV20 or the HV30. It shoots in HDV and users are raving about it. A Jason Stathem movie is coming out soon shot by the HV20 to the big screen so its the little cam that could.
If you shoot with a cheaper second cam I would try to obviously contrast the "look" of the close ups vs the Wide shot (unless you can match the look coming out of both cameras exactly.) I've seen Alton Brown do that on some of his shows on Food Network.

What are you using for microphones? Sound is ultimately more important in engaging an audience than picture quality. People tend to forgive sketchy video if the sound is great.

What is the name of your website? I'd like to check it out and tell my friends.

good luck.
 
A little more update

A little more update

Thanks for the reply and I would love to just have the same cameras and make it easier.

I'm using a sennhieser ew100 g2 wireless with a clip on lav which I think will be ok.

I have just looked at the d5 mk11 forum and see that I can convert from 30 to 25fps but I'm concerned about the time it takes in the workflow, with a macpro laptop.

I don't need more than 10 minutes on the overhead shot so that shouldn't be a problem....I think.

The d5 mk11 seems that it would fit the bill on many levels, food shots, theater shots that can be blown up to large formats.
 
Z8Nate said:
Hey, I'm a noob to this forum too. As far as work flow goes, the ultimate best is for you to shoot with two of the same cameras set with identical settings (I know, I'm the master of the obvious) matching time stamp would be very sweet. Alas, we live in the real world with budgets. Bummer.
I think you are on the right track wanting to use two cams. If you have to re-shoot it can ruin the magic of your mojo. The DSLR shooting video sounds awesome, but I wonder how much shooting time they can handle? I dunno.
Another alternative might be the Canon HV20 or the HV30. It shoots in HDV and users are raving about it. A Jason Stathem movie is coming out soon shot by the HV20 to the big screen so its the little cam that could.
If you shoot with a cheaper second cam I would try to obviously contrast the "look" of the close ups vs the Wide shot (unless you can match the look coming out of both cameras exactly.) I've seen Alton Brown do that on some of his shows on Food Network.

What are you using for microphones? Sound is ultimately more important in engaging an audience than picture quality. People tend to forgive sketchy video if the sound is great.

What is the name of your website? I'd like to check it out and tell my friends.

good luck.
Click to expand...
Just need to correct some things there :P The jason statham movie is crank 2: high voltage and it was done with the Canon XH-A1 as the main camera, they used like 10 of those and smashed a bunch of them in the process, and they had like 20 Canon HF10's (SD card version of HV30).
 
I do quite a lot of this type of program, and we always use two cameras shooting simultaneously - one on wide or medium close up from the front and the second high above so you can look down into pots, saucepans etc. The beauty of using 2 cameras simultaneously is that you have no continuity problems in the edit phase, and can get great cuts on action. We use 2 DVX100B's - always best to have matching cameras I think- you can cut from one to the other and the visuals match. We use a Shure wireless lapel mic (model T1-CA) - gives good results.
 
Thanks Ekuseni,

I know the same camera makes sense and would make the editing easier as well.

What's too bad is it seems the PAL dvx's are much more expensive that NTSC one's, it looks like I need to also have the same exact camera to match codes I don't think anything other than a DVX100E will match it.

Cheers!
 
you could buy a used sony vx2000E. that is the PAL version. it is a very cheap and nice camera to work with. the colors are very similar to the dvx
 
Blackdog377 wrote "Just need to correct some things there :P The jason statham movie is crank 2: high voltage and it was done with the Canon XH-A1 as the main camera, they used like 10 of those and smashed a bunch of them in the process, and they had like 20 Canon HF10's (SD card version of HV30)."

Interesting. Perhaps I am wrong, wouldn't be the first time. I had heard on Leo the Tech guy's radio show on AM 640 That the HV20 was used and smashed up to pieces. I haven't heard a retraction from him, maybe he did. I dunno. He's usually good with these kinda facts, so if I'm wrong *shrug*
The HV20 is still the little camera that could for it's price range.

So, In Phunket, what is your website? I'd love to visit.
 
It seems you are leaning towards the Canon D5 Mark II. I have seen the Nikon equivalent and it shoots great video. I love the fact that it takes GREAT photos too. If the D5 has enough time to shoot then I'd go with that for all the reasons you pointed out.
 
color matching is pretty critical for food related material as even marginal differences in say the red tomato will be apparent and will give the project an unprofessional look.

I've found DVX's colors to be quite unique in the company of SD prosumer cams.. I don't know if panasonic consumer cams can match DVX well.. In any case, you would not want to use any of the special DVX-only gamma curves on the DVX since no other cameras will match to it.. You would want to just shoot simply 60i with all the basic scene settings.
 
Thanks to all who have taken the time to reply to this thread.

I'm waiting to recieve the dvx100e and I'll post some of the results.

As much as I would like the 5d mk11 it looks like another dvx to help make the workflow easier and matching video.

My question is will another pal version like a dvx102be or similar be able to sync or match time stamps for both cameras, if that is even possible with the older 100E.

There seem to not be that many 100E's out there to buy.

Thanks in advance.
 
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