Two questions

Robbie Comeau

Robbie Comeau

Como's back. back again
when i watch hockey on tv, and they do an angle siwthc, the colors and pictur on every camera in that hockey arena have the same picture. Are all 100 cmaers (or however many theu se) linked to one camera or setting? this applies to every sport on tv

my othe question is:

who has seen the movie "These girls?" alot of the scenes looked like it was filmed with the dvx...is it? here are some grabs from the movie

http://www.pjo.ca/grf/English.jpg
http://www.pjo.ca/thesegirls/grf/tg02.jpg
http://www.pjo.ca/thesegirls/grf/tg19.jpg



thanks
 
yeah it does look like it was filmed on the dvx, and as for the hockey, its all connected to ONE UNIT. The director just flips between the 20 cameras whenever he wants, but the camera men stay in possition. Same with wrestling. The director just picks which of the 20 shots he wants to go to with a press of a button.
 
Well, actually there are two units each camera is connected to..

There's the Video Production Switcher / Video Mixer, which looks something like one of these units:
mvs8000a_z.jpg
switcherBig.jpg


This unit is used to switch & transition between video sources - including cameras, VTRs, Video playout Servers, etc.. It's also used ot generate all the trsition effects and keying including layering of graphics, etc.. - everything necesarry to "build" the final video image from all the parts & sources.


However, the Video mixer doesn't actually perform any adjustments on the cameras. In a multi-camera production system, special "studio cameras" are used, that instead of recording systems (tape decks, P2 slots, etc..) they have an interface that sends high quality video and control signals between the camera and the "Camera Control Unit" (CCU).

Notice the big connector on the back in place of a tape deck ->
288_catx50_dxcd50_3-4_outsi.jpg


The CCUs are basically "base-stations" for the cameras the provide them with power and all the appropriate connections to the other production equipment...
rm-p300e.jpg



The CCUs can control all the internal settings of the cameras - Everything from Iris to indivudual color-matrix settings. During the production, it is one person's job ("Camera Shader") to keep all the camera's matached on the fly. To facilitate this, the shader has Remote Control Panels for all the CCUs in front of him/her alogn with a good calibrated monitor and a waveform monitor and vectorscope (allowing them to actually measure the picture levels, not just "eyball it"). Together all these tools allow the cameras to be matched on the fly during production, so that the video mixer gets signals that can be cleanly intercut without trouble.

4 CCU control panels side by side:
sony-ccu.jpg
and another set:
rcp.gif
The joysticks control Iris, with other settings behind smaller knobs & switches.

A single compact CCU panel:
camera15.jpg





- Mikko
 
The CCU, it's RCU (remote panel) and the matching studio cameras are normally purchased together - and they are a pricy enough item that they are normaly bought directly from the manufacturere through their regional vendors.

There arn't very many CCUs for sale at B&H for example.

- Mikko
 
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