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Old 11-29-2007, 08:38 PM
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griz11
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Granite Shoals Tx
Posts: 642
Default Now now :)

Well I wasn't going to say anything but it does give one a reason to ponder such things

However that varizoom is awesome. Called up my buds at Toys 4 Big Boys in SA and they got a few people together today for a test session. The video is some of the best I've shot so far. And its the first time I've used the varizoom so I was still getting used to it and adjusting on it all afternoon.

I also used the Manfrotto arm to clamp onto the pit wall to get a camera over the frontstretch for some pretty cool shots. Now that I'm not using that to hang the 6 inch monitor on the monopod I can use it for things like that. For instance I can clamp that puppy on the drivers stand and get face shots while the races are going on. See the look when the crash happens etc. It opens up a lot of possibilities.

I'm totally happy with today's test. So over the top I forgot to put the varizoom back in the car so its still in San Antonio. We were watching some of the video after everyone put up their cars and I had the vari there so another video maker could check it out. Got so engrossed in the video I just forgot it.

Oh well guess I"ll just have to go back on Saturday to film the weekly race Gotta buy gas might as well get some footage. Its a little over 80 miles from my house to San Antonio so its not just around the block.

I'm capturing the video now. Won't edit it tonight I'm too tired but I'll have it on the computer ready to edit tomorrow.

Now for equipment and such here's the list

Cameras
Panasonic GS-300 3-ccd camera for my main camera
A pair of Panasonic GS-80 cameras I use for my satellites

Software
Avid Liquid 7 -- Awesome editing package best slow motion out there
Canopus Procorder 2 -- Compressing package that has a great deinterlacer

Computer
2.5GHz pentium basic box Intel mb EIDE drives Nvidia 7800GT video AGP

Accessories
Varizoom DV Rig XL camera support system -- Awesome
Manfrotto 561 fluid monopod -- excellent 2 axis fluid damped monopod
A pair of inexpensive short tripods to use with the satellite cameras
Manfrotto tripod with fluid head -- regular sized tripod I also use for still shots
Manfrotto Super Clamp and Magic Arm - articulated arm and clamp for camera
Marshall 5.6 in TFT monitor -- For checking the video in the field or viewfinder
Glidecam 2000 & body pod -- used for moving shots makes them glide

Now you don't need all this and some of it is redundant and only used occasionally. A good 3-ccd Mini-DV camera and a varizoom 1-shooter support will get you going quite well on the camera side. If you are a student you can get an academic discount on Liquid and Canopus. Cheaper for the pair than either one of them costs regularly. About 500 bucks with the discount. Other wise its about a grand for those two pieces of software. Canpous puts out excellent compressed video deinterlaces and does a lot of other things that are very trick. But its not necessary to put out decent video either. You can deinterlace and put out wmv with Liquid. But the sizes and such are limited. You have to download the Microsoft Media SDK to get the profile creator. Then you can create profiles for any size you want with any other options you want. The SDK is free as well.

Shoot lots of footage. Its the easiest way to make your vids look their best. The more you shoot the more picky you can be about what goes into the final video. Take only the best shots and blow off the rest. For a 5 minute video I like to have 20 or so minutes of raw video. 30-40 if using multiple cameras. Then you just pick out the creme of the crop shots and you look like a great photographer

Griz
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