Want to shoot music videos/need advice

N

newdvxowner

New member
Hello everybody,
I have a few questions for you guys(most of you seem to be unbelievably knowledgeable!)

I am close to purchasing the dvx100a.
What else would you buy(total cost(including dvx 100a) not exceeding $10,000) that I would most definitely need for a music video.)

Finally, one scene has a disco type vibe. Any recommendations for lighting in such a way that you "feel" the strobing light and flashing lowlit environment, and still be able to "see" the footage!!!
thanks for all the advice I've been reading in these threads.
Josh
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

I picked up a copy of Make Your Own Music Video with Adobe Premiere from Amazon. Has some good tips and examples.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Random thoughts...

If I had $10 Grand to spend for a production set up (including DVX100A) I would get... (some of these things I already own)

A nice mattebox and filters...
A nice tripod with fluid head...
An Arri lighting kit... (probably the one with two 300 Watt fresnels and two 650 Watt fresnels - You could put a Chimera bank on a Lowell DP and nobody would know the difference)
A couple of C-Stands...
A few flags and nets...
A few sandbags...
A hardboard professional adjustable reflector and heavy-duty stand...
If there's any $$$ left... how about a doorway dolly?

- Jack Handey
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

I am about to start doing Music Videos in the next couple of months. Those items are all good to have. I am working on getting a Arri kit and various lighting stands and scrims and flags. I spent about 10 grand last year on my camera, matte box, tripod and a MAC G5 with final cut pro to edit the music Video!

As for the disco scene. You might want to go to the location and see how it looks with the lights on. Is the dancefloor going to be packed with people while you shoot? If so take that into consideration. You may or may not need to set up additional lights. It always good idea to survey the location before you even start setting up any equipment.

My first video with the DVX100, I plan to shoot on location and in a studio against a Green Screen sometime in July.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Thanks to all for the input. I will research those things.
So many questions.....

For music videos...
1)avid express or final cut pro 4? I read somewhere that FCP does not allow the editing of multiple cameras. not sure what this means.

2) Best model Microphone to buy to put on camera?

3) Do I need a G5 or will new G4 laptop suffice?
4) Best Tripod.
5) Pal or regular dvx 100a
6) 24p advanced or regular for music videos.
Thanks!!!!
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Well, what kind of music videos are you talking about?

You ask what kind of microphone to put on the camera...

Will you really be using the camera sound?

If so (and I'd suggest not), don't put any mic on the camera. Put the mics where mics should be, and camera where the camera should be. This way, you won't have sonic perspective changes at times you don't want to.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

[quote author=newdvxowner link=board=Events;num=1084071963;start=0#4 date=05/10/04 at 21:50:13]Thanks to all for the input. I will research those things.
So many questions.....

For music videos...
1)avid express or final cut pro 4? I read somewhere that FCP does not allow the editing of multiple cameras. not sure what this means.

2) Best model Microphone to buy to put on camera?

3) Do I need a G5 or will new G4 laptop suffice?
4) Best Tripod.
5) Pal or regular dvx 100a
6) 24p advanced or regular for music videos.
Thanks!!!![/quote]

1) I use Vegas, the last version, can't remember the number.
2) For music videos you don't need an extra mic. If it's for other kind of videos people recomend the Sennheiser ME64, a versatile one.
3) I have a Pentium 1800 520RAM and works really really good with Vegas so I guess that with a G4 it will be enough.
4) I have a kit from Manfrotto, 755B with the 501 head. The head is ok but the "legs"... The central bar of the tripod can only be placed at the bottom, otherwise the camera will get shaky movements, you know what I mean?
5) My camera is PAL, I live in Europe.
6) I always shoot in progessive mode. I think this make a good difference between you and the others.

I hope it helps you
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

For the strobing light effect in the disco, you may want to consider just shooting it straight and adding flash frames in post.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

other things to consider is to get some sort of Stedicam system or the new DVrig Pro. A Jib crane, and a doorway dolly. This all depends on what kind of video your shooting.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

For the strobing light effect in the disco, you may want to consider just shooting it straight and adding flash frames in post.
Click to expand...

Shooting at a higher shutter speed might be a good idea...it'll add to the staccatto effect...Then add the white flashes  8)
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Hey, I'm still waiting for some of you experienced "standard" music video folks to address the sound issues. In Classical music videos, I'd never use a mic ON the camera (and only in a pinch would use the camera as the primary audio recording device). Of course, syncronization is a major issue.

Now, some of you folks seem to be recommending that newdvxowner run out and make music videos with the built-in mic:

For music videos you don't need an extra mic. If it's for other kind of videos people recomend the Sennheiser ME64, a versatile one.
Click to expand...

and nobody's reaffirming my surprise about the idea of using on-camera mics. So: how do you go about getting good sound for "MTV" videos? Do you live with crappy on-camera sound? Do you use a different audio recording, and live with sync issues?

That is, assuming music is important to a music video, what approaches are out there? I notice that in equipment lists suggested here for music video production packages, there's no mention of audio equipment at all...

Now, I know I'm biased towards audio, but I'm worried for poor newdvxuser who's looking for advice on music video. Someone familiar with "MTV" style music video production, please address the music!

-Barry
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Thanks for your concern! I'm afraid I put the mic question in there by accident. I just wanted to know what a great shotgun mic people recommended. As for the videos, they will all be to prerecorded audio(songs).

My biggest concern has been what editing software to purchase for music videos. avid has multicam option, although you can't actually view the clips simultaneously. Avid express pro allows you to at least symply synch the cameras.

Does avid express pro fully support the panasonic's 24p capabilities without having to buy hardware? I have gotten mixed messages on this.

Thanks for all the input. I have checked up on all the supplies you all recommended. It gets expensive in a hurry.......
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Certainly, for pro music vids you'll be shooting to playback CD? DAT?, with time code, or any steady source of audio that was pre recorded/finished by the musicians. For sync, ideally, rent playback system with a "smart slate" a slate that shows time code of the song that you show to the camera and then in post you'll have an audio registration point which you can easily sync to. This is not manditory though, with the built in mics always there for reference, you'll know exactly where in the song you are... You then in edit, layback to production audio, the 3-5 minutes of timecode represents the timeline you lay images on top of. Remember that if you pause your camera you need to re-slate. I don't turn the camera off as long as there's good performance happening in front of me, even if I'm changing my angle, tape is cheap compared to great performance.
In a perfect world, you'd have a playback person doing audio for you.
A tip from a pro: Musicians often don't sustain great energy for an entire take, take after take...Start some takes in the middle of the song to keep the intensity of the performance strong for the back half.
Some stuff I don't recommend you buy immediately, just rent lights for your shoot days. Most pro directors don't own all of this, they rent, Arris, Kinoflows, whatever...Best to hire a good gaffer/DP for the day to help you.
Similarly, unless you're very skilled, I would spend some of your budget hiring a good editor to help you cut. There is no replacing a fine cutter as an objective partner in putting together a realy tight edit.
As you develop a good rep, and shoot great stuff, the budgets may grow.
Maybe then you can buy lights.

Ask any award winning director, the key to success is surrounding yourself with other talented people. Unless you're a savant with ten hands, that's where your a good % of budgets should go.
 
Re: Want to shoot music videos/need advice

Before spending all the money on goodies, how about a getting a decent monitor, so you really know what you are recording in the first place? Without it you will have a hard time getting the footage exactly the way you want without some luck and alot of post production.
 
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