Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

stephenvv

stephenvv

Well-known member
I just got my DVX100a today. Over a year ago, I lost both my DVX100's in a financial scam after only having them for less than month, only shot about a hour. Back then, DVXuser was small and DVInfo & 2pop where the place to be.

However, I notice now that this site is by far the best info for DVX100 users - nice job everyone.

OKay, I've been looking for strategies for managing time code as my first major project is the 48 hour film festival that's coming here to Greensboro, NC.

My plan is to use PRESET time code, and have the tape work like this:

Tape 1 - 0:00... to say 57:35.04

then Tape 2 would pickup when I hit PRESET

Question 1 - will it pickup at 57:35.05 or 57:36:00?

Question 2 - what circumstances (battery die, power glitch, tape removal etc.) will cause the DVX100 to lose track of TC?

Question 3 - if the DVX100 loses, with the rec search button always get you back to the last good timecode?

thanks - and kudos on the nice site.
 
Re: Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

If you initially set the preset to 0 for your first tape, the DVX may just pick up the last stored timecode when you insert a new tape--I'm not sure about that though. It may reset to 0 each time you change tapes.

The worst case is that you'll have to set the preset manually before you start each new tape.  You have to use 0 or a multiple of 5 frames, but I don't see any reason that you need continuous timecode between each tape.  You could increment each tape by 100 minutes and you'd be fine.  If you're doing the 48-hr filmfest, I'd stick with a very simple workflow--like REGEN.  

The DVX has an internal battery, so power glitches or battery changes won't effect the TC.  If you remove the tape or power down, you'll definitely want to use the REC SEARCH button.  

The REC SEARCH button will always find the last recorded timecode and will ensure that you don't have breaks.
 
Re: Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

Thanks for the info. The reason I thought about using PRESET was to being able to tell at a glance which tape the footage was from.

BTW - i've been playing with the cam all night and I'm really impressed the improvements over the DVX100a - it's near a perfect cam for the money.
 
Re: Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

Good luck on 48 Hour Film! I did it when it was in SF. We got viewers choice and best acting. It was a blast, gotta have a good crew though!
 
Re: Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

Stephen! Welcome back to the DVX family!

Stephen has been around for a long time and was one of the original DVX users, but (as he mentioned) bad circumstances forced him out of the game for a while. He's also quite a visual artist, using digital still cameras and Twixtor to make some very intriguing looking motion tests. Stephen also serves as a moderator over at DVInfo, so we're quite glad you could re-join the DVX family, and we're glad to have you over here! :)
 
Re: Time Code Strategies for single camera shoots

I don't want to rehash harsh memories, but how did you get scammed out of two cameras?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top