On a shoot where nobody thought you'd need one, someone comes up with an idea for a Steadicam tracking shot or dolly move. Problem is, you don't have one on the set. If you are using a fairly light camera and tripod, you pull off a pretty good imitation of a simple Steadicam shot by using your tripod as an emergency stabilizer.
First, slap on your wide angle lens to help smooth out any camera movements. Then find the center of gravity, or balance point of the entire tripod/camera combination and place your hand just slightly above that point. You want find the same balance point as a Steadicam, where the rig remains upright, but is as close to balance as possible. That's where your hands will support the camera and tripod with minimum effect on its stability. You may have to adjust the tripod legs or center post (if you have one) to put that balance point where you can handle the rig well. Now pick up the tripod, and using a supporting, but gentle touch, float the rig in the direction you need to move the shot. Let the mass and balance of the tripod and camera help to stabilize your movements. If you have problems with yaw stability, try spreading the tripod legs to extend their mass outward. It's not the real thing, but if the move is short and simple, it can save the shot, and make it look much better than a walking hand-held shot. Just like a real Steadicam, takes practice, so try it in the shop when you have time first, so this idea becomes a well-practiced emergency tool in your tool belt. This idea has saved us many times, including one shot where I took the camera up a flight of stairs. Viewers have asked if I rode an escalator for the shot!
Jim Addie
Moving Bits Productions
www.movingbitsproductions.com
jimaddie@movingbitsproductions.com
708-296-3267
Top of Page
Need a third hand when
working with your flashlight? Tom Hanninger,
producer/director for the Minnesota Department
of Transportation, created one my taping
a small flashlight to a three-foot piece
of 12-3 Romex electrical wire. The flexible
wire can be formed into a freestanding
holder, or it can be wrapped around an
object to keep the light aimed where
you need it. The plastic coating on the
wire isn't likely to scratch your equipment,
but Tom suggests putting tape over the
exposed ends.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Tim Underhill, electronic
media coordinator at Ball State University
in Muncie, Indiana, has a neat way to
carry just enough Gaffer's Tape. He wraps
about six feet of it around a ball-point
pen. Its much easier than carrying a
whole roll while shooting ENG-style The
pen wrap provides enough tape for mics,
cables or even that little extra shade
to stop lens flare. The added benefit
is that Gary always has a pen when he
needs one and "everyone know it's
mine, so it gets returned," he says.
A little bit of trivia: The name Gaffer's
Tape is a trademark of Lowel Lighting.
The combination of a special glue and
a cloth backing was discovered by Ross
Lowel in 1959.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Many equipment bags and
covers are supposed to close with zippers.
I say "supposed to " because
the zipper pull usually is so small that
it is almost impossible to hold when
ht e bag is overstuffed - and, for most
professional videographers, that's most
of the time. Recently, after fighting
for some time with a particularly stubborn
zipper, I "got a grip: by putting
a large paper clip through the pull.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
When setting up cabling
for RGB systems or other multi-cabling
situations, it's important to identify
the red, green and blue cables. The cables
usually come off the same roll of coax,
so they look alike and confusion can
rear its ugly head. You can mark a band
of color on each end of each cable with
the type of paint used on plastic models.
Paint works better than colored tape,
which can fall off with age.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
One of the most common
dangerous situations on a set exists
when a cable attached to a microphone,
lighting instrument or other piece of
equipment is allowed to take a diagonal
course to the ground rather than being
dressed to the bottom of the stand, then
along the ground. These draped cables,
sometimes called clotheslines, sing a
siren song to feet, begging them to get
entangled and send both body and equipment
crashing to the floor.
Michael Simpson, a producer
in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, reminded
me of an old anti-clothesline technique
for microphone stands. Simply tie the
cable into a loose overhand knot around
the stand's base. Leave enough cable
so the knot will stay on the ground even
if the microphone is raised by a tall
speaker.
From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
I would like to make the
argument that you should have back up
equipment on your next shoot.
When it comes to having
equipment serviced, from a financial
standpoint it makes sense to be able
to avoid the rush charge, and from a
repair stand point it also makes sense,
because the repair technician can do
a better job, if he is not working against
a deadline.
The equipment we regularly
use in this industry is incredibly dependable.
However accidents happen, and something's
do wear out, like Pots, Jacks and Switches.
When I worked at Universal Studios as
a Production Mixer, even on the back
lot where we were only maybe 5 minutes
from the Sound Shop and replacement equipment,
we always had spares of everything. The
reason was to eliminate down time due
to equipment problems.
When I left Universal Studios
and went independent I begged, borrowed,
stole, and rented enough sound equipment
so that I had at least one spare of everything.
The reason was, even though I could blame
the equipment or I could blame the Rental
House, or I could blame my boom man for
an equipment problem, and the producer
would seem understanding and sympathetic,
he would really blame me for the problem
and I would not be called when he did
his next project.
When I suggest backups
to people they often respond that they
are not getting enough rental income
or salary to afford backups or spares,
and I disagree with that. I am not saying
that you should have 2 top of the line
items in each category, I am saying that
the backup could be an older or simpler
item that would get you by until the
primary item is repaired.
For example, your mixing
panel. You don't need to have a $3500.00
backup mixing panel sitting on the shelf,
you can get by with an older Shure FP-32
or the like while your equipment is in
the shop. If you haven't done so already,
you may want to begin accumulating a
collection of backup equipment. Remember,
backup equipment is not an expense; it's
an investment in your business and the
best and most cost-effective insurance
policy you can buy.
One last point, when it
comes to spares, most rental houses will
deeply discount equipment that is going
out as backups, when you have rented
the primary equipment from them, and
that includes our rental department as
well.
From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429
Top of Page
It is well known that frequent
and/or repetitive charge/discharge cycles
produce an apparent inability in the
battery to provide more than a portion
of its normal capacity beyond a certain
discharge level.
This means if you do not
use-up the full charge on a battery before
you recharge it, you can build-up a memory
wall at that point. So in future use
of that battery, it will fail at that
wall.
This is where recycling
machines come into play. The following
is from an article by William Todd, Product
Manager at URDC Measurements. The article
is entitled "Why Battery Conditioning
Extends the Life of NiCads."
Since the time they were
first noted, the memory effect and the
deep discharge cure have become two of
the best-known attributes of NiCad batteries.
Because NiCads have become so popular
for use with portable radios, countless
radio technicians have tried various
methods of curing battery memory, and
have freely shared their methods with
each other and with non-technical radio
users. Some commonly used methods include
forced discharge across a passive resistive
load, such as a light bulb or large resistor,
and forced discharge in the radio itself
by turning up the squelch control and
leaving the radio turned on for a long
period of time.
It is also possible to
reduce dendritic short circuits by discharging
a large capacitor once or twice through
a battery. All of these techniques have
serious shortcomings, however, due to
lack of precise control, and may cause
more harm than good by driving cells
into reverse polarity or damaging the
plate separator.
Remember that it is harmful
for a multicelled battery to be discharged
at too low a level because of the danger
of cell polarity reversal. For this reason,
manufactured discharge equipment all
offer an automatic discharge cut-off,
accomplished either by a timer of by
sensing a predetermined voltage level.
Since the deep discharge
itself may not always have the desired
effect of restoring battery capacity,
some direct measurement of actual capacity
is also important. Incorporating the
two features of discharge cut-off and
capacity measurement into a single machine
has resulted in the modern battery conditioning
equipment now available.
What happens to a battery
when it is processed by one of these
machines? Generally, it goes something
like this:
The battery is connected
to the machine, given a top-off charge,
and then a deep discharge. The discharge
parameters are accumulated and displayed,
the battery is recharged, and the process
is repeated on another battery. Not all
machines provide the initial top off
charge. Connection is made by placing
the battery in a receptacle, by clamping
to a set of contacts, or by lead wires
and connectors. The charge is controlled
either by sensing battery temperature,
detecting peak battery voltage, or measuring
the rate of charge of the battery voltage.
Charge current may be straight
DC, rectified AC, or pulsed. A pulsed
charge is best, since it has the effect
of reducing the size of the dendrites
over and above what the deep discharge
can accomplish. Discharge is controlled
by elapsed time of battery voltage. Discharge
parameters may be displayed in terms
of time, current, or percentage of specific
capacity. As with so many other things,
it is easier to prevent a battery from
going bad than to repair one which has
failed. That is why it is recommended
that batteries receive periodic, scheduled
discharge treatments beginning when they
are new. This way, discharge conditioning
will correct minor problems before they
are noticeable, as well as provide a
complete record of battery history.
To put a new battery into
service, first give it three complete
charge/discharge/charge cycles to eliminate
the passivation layer and to provide
an adequate first working charge. Thereafter,
give the battery a complete charge/discharge/charge
at monthly intervals and record the discharge
parameters.
The results of this type
of program will extend the average battery
service life, pinpoint weak batteries,
identify faulty charging equipment, and
help people learn why not to inadvertently
mistreat batteries. Even so, no battery
will last forever. Plate separators will
eventually break down, cases will break
if dropped, and minute physical deterioration's
will eventually add up to failure. But
an honest effort in this area can have
important and beneficial results. Battery
conditioners are used extensively in
LSC's rental department and are available
for sale from LSC's sales department.
From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429
Top of Page
Did you know you can help
our Service Department perform faster,
more cost-effective repairs while increasing
the quality of the services rendered
to you?
It is true! Send in all
cables and accessories you use with any
equipment you send in for service. As
simple as it sounds, giving us the ability
to test everything you use, as you use
it, ensures every performance aspect
of your equipment is checked with your
accessories, not just our test cables
and equipment. Many products we service
have special after-market enhancements
added or other modifications, many of
which are not visually apparent and utilize
custom cables built specifically for
that application. Supplying these custom
cables (and stock ones too!) speeds up
the repair process while thoroughly testing
all areas of your equipment, minimizing
the likelihood of technician oversight.
Remember it is always advisable
to have at least two complete sets of
cables for adequate backup.
We have found that at 90%
of all equipment problems are related
to cables. To summarize: Always supply
all cables and accessories used in conjunction
with any equipment sent in for service.
If you are not quite sure what to send,
please call and we will be more than
happy to assist you.
From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429
Top of Page
This column's
focus is the improper use of household
wiring (110 Volt AC power) on the set.
Our service department is seeing an alarming
increase in the number of mixing panels
which have been subjected to household
wiring on their line outputs. Depending
upon how the mixer is wired, exposure
to 110 Volt AC can produce damage ranging
from something as minor as a blown fuse
all the way to the total destruction
of the mixing panel. I'll bet I have
your attention now!
The scenario
I am referring to is sending an audio
feed to a video assist system. In the
past, it wasn't much of a problem because
most sound mixers used Nagra based, battery
powered systems. With the increased demand
for DAT based recording systems and their
accompanying increased power demands,
we see more people resorting to AC to
power their equipment. This means that
the recording channel is grounded, and
if there is a wiring error in the AC
feeding the Video Assist or in the Video
Assist system itself, the potential for
disaster is set. My recommendation is
never, ever send a hard wired audio feed
to anything running on AC power without
using an isolation transformer - or better
yet, send the audio out using a Comtek
or any other wireless system, and the
potential for this problem is eliminated.
From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429
Top of Page
By Ken Berry
of K&H Products, Ltd.
Now and
then, people ask us for advise on cleaning
Porta-Brace® cases. As we recondition
older cases, we have accumulated quite
a lot of experience on this subject,
so we thought we would pass along to
you what we have learned. First, a word
on what not to do. Don't try to clean
your case in a washing machine. It won't
hurt the materials, but it will beat
up the case as a whole and distort its
shape pretty badly. Dry cleaning, too,
seems to be out of the question. We have
been told by people who have tried that
dry cleaners won't accept padded cases.
Anyway,
there is no need for a machine to clean
a Cordura® case. For removing accumulated
dust and grit, a good going over with
a regular vacuum cleaner with a venetian
blind attachment will brighten things
up. We also use a brass bristle brush-the
kind sold in super markets for scrubbing
pots and pans. Cordura® is tough. A vigorous
brass bristle brushing won't hurt it.
For dirt that will not simply brush off,
we use upholstery cleaner with applicator,
which we buy at an auto supply store.
We use it according to the manufacturer's
instructions and find that it does a
good job. Any stains that the upholstery
cleaner won't remove-such as spots of
tar, etc.-we can usually get off with
lacquer thinner (available in hardware
or paint stores). We keep some in a small
bottle with an applicator, but it can
be dabbed on with any piece of absorbent
cloth or cotton, and then wiped off.
Lacquer thinner will not harm Cordura®
nylon or interior foam padding (paint
brushes with nylon bristles are used
with practically all common solvents),
but it should not be used on vinyl, so
keep it away from clear vinyl windows
and don't use it on white balance cards.
To clean
vinyl windows and white balance cards,
we use either soap and warm water or
the kind of hand cleaner that you can
buy in auto supply stores-the kind without
grit. Gritty cleaners will scratch vinyl
and should certainly be avoided in cleaning
clear windows. "Novus" Plastic
Polish will do the job for cleaning plastics
and clear vinyl, and it's available at
art supply stores. However, cleaning
the removable white balance cards with
a bar of (gritty) Lava soap will give
them a "matte finish" that
may be quite practical.
Once your
case is clean, you can spray the Cordura®
with a water repellent product like Scotchgard®
(made by 3-M and widely available), which
will cause water to bead up on the fabric
and will help to keep it clean. However,
this will not make the case much more
waterproof than it already is, since
the real waterproofing is the urethane
coating on the inside of the Cordura®.
The only thing that you might do, if
you are a stickler for waterproofing,
is to treat the seams with Seam Seal
(the gooey stuff that comes in a tube,
sold by those who sell tents and rain
gear). But generally, this too is unnecessary.
The cases obviously are not designed
to be immersed in a river, but they are
designed to shed rain effectively without
further treatment-even when dirty. In
fact, if you like your case just the
way it is, proudly wearing the dust and
stains of long and faithful service,
there is no reason to think about cleaning
it at all. You can save yourself the
cost of a brass bristle brush and a can
of upholstery cleaner.
From:
Location Sound Corporation
http://www.locationsound.com
800-228-4429
Top of Page
With the
high incidence of camcorder theft among
tourists, it's sometimes necessary to
use unusual tactics to ward off criminals.
While on vacation with your video gear,
instead of using a professionally made
camcorder bag, find a suitable diaper
bag. A soft, rugged container that's
made to store clean and dirty diapers,
talcum, clean wipes and other sundries
should work fine for storing camcorder,
lens accessories, blank tapes and perhaps
even a collapsible tripod. Thieves will
usually leave such an item alone, because
they're not interested in stealing dirty
diapers.
Morris Osedo
Kailu, Hawaii
From:
Videomaker
May 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
Serious
tripods are a lifetime investment, needing
all the protection you can give them.
Dedicated bags and hard-shell carrying
cases are expensive and sometimes difficult
to procure, du to limited production
quantities.
As an alternative,
try storing your tripod in a golf bag.
Most feature a number of zippered side
pockets suitable for storing mounting
plates, battery packs and other accessories.
The shoulder straps are strong and designed
for walking long distances with a heavy
load. Some golf bags include a rigid
plastic travel cast with wheels for shipment
on airlines. Many suitable golf bags
can be had for around $20 at a discount
pro shop; plastic shipping cases are
available for $50 and up.
John Nemeth
Brookings, Oregon
From:
Videomaker
May 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
Here's a
simple way to gain extra stability while
shooting pans from a tripod, especially
if yours doesn't have a good fluid head
for smooth movements. With a pair of
hose clamps, securely fasten a broomstick
to the tripod's handle. By increasing
the arc of the panning movement, the
system requires less energy from the
operator to execute smooth, jerk-free
movements. If you use a portable monitor
on the shoot, you can follow the action
in football games or other sporting events
with ease.
Mike Competillo
Groton, New York
From:
Videomaker
May 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
My system
for logging previously recorded video
footage should please videographers at
any level. First, label each tape with
tape number, length of recorded materials
and camera number (if appropriate). Next,
while searching through footage, log
each shot or series of related shots
on a separate index card. Be sure to
include as much information as possible
on each individual index card - description
, date and time, tape and camera number,
real-time counter or time code numbers
for in and out points, shooting conditions,
miscellaneous notes, etc.
This system
my not be as powerful as some computer-based
loggers, but it's easy to rearrange,
portable, requires no electricity and
frees up your computer time for other
tasks.
Yvonne Keller
Wesconsville, Pennsylvania
From:
Videomaker
May 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
When I shoot
video projects that require a set located
in a fancy or "rich" environment,
I've found that furniture stores are
the perfect answer. They offer expensive
new furniture, often arranged into a
living room scene, kitchen scene, etc.
Talk to the manager at the store and
ask if you can shoot after hours. Keep
your time on the premises to a minimum
and arrange it so that the store's name
gets listed in the credits of your video.
It's a great, inexpensive way to get
fancy-looking sets for your production
needs.
Colt Hansen
Internet
From:
Videomaker
March 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
An important
piece of video equipment that's rarely
written about is the surge protector.
When you're running of AC power a single
surge could ruin thousands of dollars
in electronic equipment (computers, edit
controllers, VCRs or even camcorders).
At about $50, a good surge protector
offers cheap, reliable protection against
this kind of tragedy. When looking for
a good surge protector, be sure to look
for a company that promises to replace
your equipment if it fails.
Jack Allen
Medford, New Jersey
From:
Videomaker
March 1997
http://www.videomaker.com/
Top of Page
Most homes
and offices aren't wired for the kind
of power our instruments require, and
we've all wondered whether plugging equipment
such as powerful lights into a second
AC outlet in the same room will overload
the circuit breaker. You can find out
without causing a blackout: Plug in the
second instrument, then turn it quickly
on and off. If the two outlets are on
the same circuit and there is a chance
of overload, the first instrument will
dim slightly when the second is turned
on.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
When using
a tripod, power, video and audio cables
should not droop to the ground. Dressing
them to the center of the tripod head
will keep them out of your way while
preventing strain on the connectors and
making it easier to keep the camera balanced.
Rocky Thompson, a producer from Boulder,
Colorado, suggest cutting a thin slice
of lightweight, two-inch-diameter electrical
PVC pipe, then cutting along one side
of the ring to create a flexible clip
that can be left on the tripod handle
when not in use. The clips are also handy
for suspending cables from the rails
of a drop ceiling, Rocky says.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
When you
paint a wall on a set, apply some of
the color to a small piece of wall material.
You can take the sample with you when
you shop for color-coordinated set dressings.
In this
day of computer-mixed paints, it's much
easier to match a color if you've saved
the original paint formula. Write it
on the back of the set piece. If you're
working in a practical room, jot the
formula on the back of a switch plate.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Some panel-discussion
organizers put participants' photos in
the printed programs. To help manage
multiple mic controls, paste the photos
to the respective controls. If that's
not possible, or if each microphone will
be used by a number of speakers, use
wind screens of different colors and
place matching pieces of tape on the
controls.
Harrison
Hunter, a sound technician in Fremont,
California, uses the video term "RGB"
as an aid when he color-codes microphones.
Number 1 is red, 2 is green and 3 is
blue. A fourth microphone would be black.
After that, he is on his own.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Here's an
inexpensive way to create your own custom-designed
Cuculoris. (A Cuculoris is a device,
usually a piece of board with random
holes cut in it, that is place in front
of a lighting instrument to make a patterned
shadow on the background.) John Beebee,
a producer at Public Television Services
in Mobile, Alabama, splatters and splotches
rubber cement on a common household window
screen. You can make any pattern imaginable,
he says, for a total cost of about $5.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Michael
Parker of Los Gatos, California, has
devised one of the easiest and least
intrusive ways to keep doors from closing
on, and damaging cables. He tapes a two-inch
piece of wood in the upper doorjamb.
The wood protects the cable by preventing
the door from closing completely. The
size of the opening can be varied by
moving the wood along the doorjamb. The
wood is out of the normal line of sight
and, unlike other door stops, it won't
move when people use the door.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
You are
all set to photograph the company boss
but the shine from the backlight on his
balding head is brighter than your key
light. Here are several possible cures
(for the shine, not the balding):
1) Move
or defuse the backlight.
2) Apply
translucent powder makeup. This type
of makeup basically has no color of its
own and can be used on a wide range of
skin tones. I carry "dark", "medium"
and "light" shades to cover all the bases.
Avoid contamination by applying the makeup
with a disposable cotton ball, which
is never dipped back into the powder
after it has touched the talent's skin.
3) If there's
no time for other cures, you may be able
to save the day by putting a polarizing
filter on the camera. This will cost
you about two stops, but it will sometimes
cut enough glare to make an acceptable
picture
If
you know if advance that this problem
may come up, try "four-point" instead
of "three-point" lighting. Use two backlights,
each at about 45 degrees off to the side.
That way their bounces miss the camera.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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I recently
created a gadget that helps me make sure
that a camera lens at the rear of a large
conference room is level with the speaker's
eyes or that a projector's lens is centered
vertically on the screen. I combined
my pocket laser-pointer with a small
bubble level. When placed next to the
lens, the red dot on the stage tells
me if I need to raise or lower the camera
or projector.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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Is a dead pixel raising its white head
in the pictures created by your JVC GV-D500
camera? Here is an easy cure from Doug
Mullin, regional sales engineer at JVC
Professional.
To
access the error detection circuit, power
the camera up while holding up the white
balance switch on the front of the camera.
This will bring up a menu in the viewfinder.
Allow the camera to warm up for a couple
hours. Use the shutter wheel to move
to the second menu item ERROR DETECT.
Push the wheel in to select the item.
The circuit will automatically detect
the pixels and mask them.
(From
Eyecon Video Productions: We have a Sony
D30 camera that had a couple pixel problems.
Our service technician told us to Black
Balance the camera 10-20 times in a row.
This should take care of some minor pixel
problems. It took care of our problem
right away.)
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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Here's a tip directly from the Hollywood
bag of tricks. In real life, "Streaks
'n' Tips" is a spray hair coloring. Because
even after it dries, it can be washed
off with plain water, in the hands of
a Hollywood propman it becomes a removable
spray paint with a thousand uses.
I
have seen different colors used to apply
graffiti to walls and vehicles. Gray
used to hide yellow safety lines on the
cement steps of a modern museum being
used as an ancient Egyptian set. A misting
of brown made the new lumber of a hitching
rail match the other aged wood on a western
set. Black can hide mud on the tires
in a car commercial. Silver sprayed on
tubular chrome furniture will avoid hard
reflections of your lights.
In
all cases test the paint on a hidden
surface before sprayi9ng anything important.
Streaks 'n' Tips can be ordered in an
assortment of colors at most motion picture
expendable outlets or from your local
beauty supply store. A very handy thing
to have in your goodie bag.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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We
are often asked to videotape a meeting
where a public address system is in use.
If we must attach our microphone to the
PA mic or stand we wrap tape around our
mic to prevent direct metal-to-metal
contact between the two systems. That
could cause a ground loop hum. Be careful
not to tape over any side ports on either
microphone.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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To
make cut flowers last longer and look
better under hot photographic lights:
Always cut the stems at an angle using
a very sharp scissor or knife so you
don't crush the stem. Cut them under
water so air bubbles can't form and prevent
the free flow of water into the stem.
Keep
the flowers in a refrigerator until they
are needed on the set. Once in place
mist them with water. The tiny droplets
will add highlights to the leaves and
make them easier to photograph.
To
add length to short-stemmed flowers,
slip the stems into drinking straws before
placing them in the vase.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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An ordinary white bed sheet can be used
in many ways when you are on location.
THE PROBLEM: You are having trouble lighting
one side of your subject, who is sitting
near a dark wall that does not show in
the picture.
THE TIP: Tape the sheet to the wall and
bounce a light off its white surface.
THE PROBLEM: The subject is standing
outside in the noonday sun and his eye
sockets look like they belong to a panda.
If you are very critical,
you may have noticed that if most of
the light is coming from overhead, shadows
on the subject's face will take on the
color of the reflective surface on which
he or she is standing (green grass =
green shadows, orange carpet = orange
shadows, etc.).
THE
TIP: Spread the sheet on the ground in
front of the subject. It will bounce
the overhead light and fill the shadows
without coloring them. We also use the
sheet to cover our equipment when it
is in the back of a station wagon or
van. The white cloth reflects the sun's
heat and helps prevent possible theft
by keeping the gear out of sight.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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The next time you or your talent are
having problems seeing the video monitor
during an outdoor shoot, try this tip
from Thomas Garland. Put the monitor
in the bottom of an empty tall trashcan.
(If a new can is not available, a plastic
liner bag will keep your monitor clean.)
Tilt the can and you will have a very
effective shun shade.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
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When shooting video of people outside,
keep your eyes open for large white objects
to reflect light, such as large white
walls. Just stand with your back against
the wall and your subject facing you8.
The wall will act like a giant reflector
lighting them. This will keep them from
squinting - like they would facing the
sun, and the sun behind them works as
a backlight.
Bruce Hampton
Madison, Wisconsin
Your
Tips
Videomaker Magazine
July
1998
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Reflections of lights and other objects
in our subject's glasses can be annoying
and distract from the message we are
trying to communicate. Still photographers
have the option of posing the subject's
face to eliminate the problem, but we
are usually not so lucky.
Of course, the easiest cure is to ask
the subject if he or she can COMFORTABLY
remove the glasses. We don't want to
replace the glare problem with a picture
of someone straining to see.
If the glasses are not needed but are
part of a person's image, you might think
about removing the lenses. (Comedian
Phil "Sgt. Bilko" Silvers wore empty
frames for years after switching to contact).
If the glasses are really needed it's
a good idea to remember the old physics
rule that "The angle of incidence equals
the angle of reflection." That means
that you can frequently get rid of the
reflection by changing the height of
a light or the camera so the reflection
doesn't hi the lens. I have often found
that raising the eyeglass temples or
earpieces slightly so the lenses are
angled down solves the problem and is
unnoticeable from the front.
If the subject makes frequent appearances
before the camera, you might want to
suggest that the next time they purchase
glasses they get the non-glare treatment.
The cost is small and the improvement
substantial.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
Here
is another tip that results from our
continuing effort to avoid effort whenever
possible.
To solve the problem of loose cords,
I attached a power strip and roll-up
type AC cord to the side of my vide/sound
cart. Now, whenever I move to a new location,
there is only one cord to plug into the
wall. After I finish, a flip of the cord
makes it automatically roll itself up.
Before you begin a frantic search of
hardware stores for this reel, I should
tell you that I don't think it exists.
I removed a female socket from the cord's
loose end and replaced it with a male.
The fixed end, which originally had a
male plug, was wired directly into the
power strip.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
When wearing
an intercom belt pack is inconvenient,
you can attach it to a table or tripod.
Grover Washington of Staging Techniques
in Hollywood suggests hanging the pack
from an "H" made of Gaffer's tape. Position
horizontally a five inch-long piece of
tape, folded with the sticky side in.
Hold it in place using two vertical pieces
of tape. The pack's belt fastener can
then be hooked over the horizontal piece.
From: Dick
Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion
in his article in Videography magazine,
contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of
Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.
Top of Page
I
knew it would happen sooner or later
- I arrived for a shoot without a tripod
quick release plate! I created
my own plate using a rigid plastic VHS
tape box, a screw with nut, and electrical
tape. It worked perfectly.
Here is how to do it:
1) Cut one panel from the tape
box and punch a small hole in the center
with a knife of scissors.
2) Insert a screw that is of the
same diameter through the hole and into
the bottom of the camcorder. If
the screw is too long to fit snugly up
to the tape box panel, attach the nut
onto the screw before attaching the panel.
Use the nut to create the exact length
necessary.
3) Carefully place the camcorder/panel
on to the tripod. If the tripod
head does not have a level surface, use
doubled-up tape to create shims.
4) Tape the camcorder/panel to
the tripod until it is securely attached
to the tripod.
I attached a lens controller to the tripod
arm for zooming and focusing I
was also careful to use only the tripod
arm for panning and tilting. Applying
pressure to the camcorder when panning,
tilting and zooming may cause slight
unwanted camera movement.
Beth Machall-Dwyer
Fort Wayne, IN
1-800-342-3135 x4020
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