Shooting HD, and grab region-of interrest for SD

[Flintstone]

I'm trying to figure out a way to reduce cost in shooting recitals, and other stage events. I usually use 3 (sometimes 4) camcorders to shoot events, and do Multicam on FCP5 to choose the right angles and cut at the appropriate times. I've tried live switching, but that adds an element of complication to a skeleton crew. I typically have the center camera for wide shots that acts as a safe camera, and 2 side cams for closeups.

I'll eventually want to shoot 16x9 24p. And most "low-cost" switchers aren't 24p friendly (at least there is no way to switch without breaking the pull down cadance).

With the coming of the HVX, I was thinking of using 2 camcorders. Here's how I figure it. The center cam, the safe wide-shot, would be capturing in lock down mode in 720p (or 1080p), and the second would be getting in for the closeups. The idea of the locked down cam would be to select an SD sized region of interrest and move around the HD space to follow the action.

Aside from the obvious and tedious post work, has anybody attempted such a ludicrous idea? Any hits on quality?

 

[Flintstone]

No one ever tried this?

 

[Scottdvx100]

This woudl work but would tend to look like a pan and scan that it is since there's no perspective change as you move across.

 

[235 Studios]

I'm trying to figure out a way to reduce cost in shooting recitals, and other stage events.

As for going down to two cameras, that will cut your costs significantly. I've been doing a lot of that kind of work- Miss Oregon Pageants, and other performances- And two camera has been enough. Just do as you describe- one locked down for the wide shots, and one to cover the close ups. Using just the SD portion of the image does sound more of like a pan and scan. I'm not sure whay you would want to do this, as you would have to fit everything into one format- SD size or HD size. Seems like to much extra work for not much added value IMO.