LOGGING AND CAPTURING RECAP
See Weynand for much more. Work through the lesson. It’s important.
Quick checklist:
Insert tape in the DV deck and turn the deck on. Rewind it to the beginning of your footage.
Step 1:
Stay organized. If you haven’t already done so, create a folder on your external drive to keep all your data. After you have connected the drive correctly, click on the drive icon and go to File > New Folder and click. Name the folder and save all your data there. Then close that window.
Step 2:
Launch Final Cut Pro by clicking on the icon on your dock. If it is not there click on the Finder icon. Go to Applications>Final Cut Pro.
Once FCP is open. Go to the menu bar and pull down File>New Project and let go.
Then save your project by going back to File>Save Project As… Name it and make sure you save it by using Save Project As to the correct place, your folder on your external drive.
Step 3:
Now you have to get your media into your computer so you can edit it. To do this you will need to log and capture. Go to the top of the screen to the menu and click on File> Log and Capture. A Log and Capture window will open. It takes up the space where the viewer and canvas window were.
Step 4: MOST IMPORTANT STEP*** You must set how and where you want the media files to be created.
• Go to the far right side of the two screens to the logging side. Go to the Clip Settings tab at the top and open it. Make sure you have the Capture setting on Audio + Video. Make sure the Audio Format is set on Ch.1 + Ch. 2. That allows you to manipulate either channel independently.
• Then go to the Capture Settings tab at the top of that window and click on it.The Device Control default should read Firewire NTSC and the Capture input should read DV NTSC 48 Hz.
• Click on Scratch Disks VERY IMPORTANT
• On the first row, there should be a check on Video Capture, Video Render and Audio Render. Click on Set button and make sure you choose your folder on your external drive.
• Then do the same for the Waveform Cache, the Thumbnail Cache and the AutoSave Cache. Click OK.
Step 5: Finally, Logging and Capturing
• Tape should be inserted into the DV deck. Play it back by using your transport controls on the interface or the “JKL” keys. Cue it up to the beginning of the material you want. Leave plenty of pad.
• Hit the space bar to play and hit capture now button. Hit escape at the end of the clip you want to bring in. Leave pad at the beginning and the end.
• Name the clip immediately. Name it descriptively. Remember it goes into the browser alphabetically.
• SAVE PROJECT AS OFTEN!!!
After you have logged and captured your video, close the log and capture window so you can get back to your viewer and canvas window back to normal.
If you have time code problems when capturing:
Go to the menu bar and pull down Final Cut Pro > User Preferences. You will see a window. For the option of Abort Capture on Dropped Frames uncheck the check.
Just below it: Choose On Timecode Break: choose Warn after capture.
To make sure you can hear audio when logging and capturing:
Go to the menu bar and pull down the Final Cut Pro > Audio Video Settings.
Click on the Capture Settings Tab at the top of the window.
Click on duplicate. Name the capture preset DV NTSC 48 Hz With Audio and then click on QuickTime Audio settings and make sure ON is set.
On a big project you may want to log and capture as you go along. Think about organizing in bins as you go along.
• Mark your IN point by using the I key or the mark in button. Play to the OUT point and mark the out leaving plenty of video pad after what you want to use. Use the O key or the mark out button.
• Then click on Log Clip button. Enter information about your clip. Use a specific, descriptive clip name. Hit OK and the clip becomes an Offline Clip in the browser with a red slash through the icon.
• ****Always Save Project As in the right location on your external drive before going on to the capture step.
• Next click on Capture Clip and the tape will be automatically recued and the tape information will be converted into a computer file. Then you should see your clip as a clip icon in your browser.
• You can log many clips and then select them and hit Capture Batch to capture several clips at once.
CRITIQUE/PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT
JOUR 4700
DUE: Friday, 2/19 at 10:00 am sharp!!
LENGTH: Minimum 2 pages but no longer than 3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt font, 1-inch margins. Worth 10% of your final grade
Rationale: To help prepare for your EFP projects, you will examine and critique professionally produced television news stories as a model or guide as to how material is recorded outside a studio setting and then edited into a news story. It is important for you to develop critical analytical skills to better understand the craft of TV field production.
Assignment: This assignment requires you to submit a 2-page written critical analysis of the editing and field production techniques used in a news television program. You must concentrate on at least one news package or you can look at more than one, and you will need to record the material on a VHS tape or DVD, or be able to access it from the web. The critique should describe the camera shots, angles, lighting, locations, talent, editing techniques, audio considerations, special effects and any other production-related item discussed this semester. You should look at screen forces, depth of field, as well as color balance, exposure, focus. In addition to the description, the student should provide an analysis of the field production techniques. Were the techniques used well or not so well? When fault is found, always provide a constructive alternative to improve the production. You must bring the VHS tape/DVD/website url to class so we may view them. You will make a short presentation on your findings.
Note: Points will be taken off for improper English usage. Make sure you write a strong introduction and conclusion. This is your only paper assignment, so please make it your best work. You are after all a Journalism major! Be sure to make clear what you watched, i.e., the title of the program, the subject of the story or stories, the network or channel that aired the story and the date it aired.
You should look at broadcast network news programming, such as CBS and NBC News at 6:30pm weekdays, ABC at 7pm. Note that the weekend programming often pre-empts newscasts so do not expect the same times for the network to broadcast newscasts as they do during weekday evenings. Any of the local evening newscasts (Ch. 2,5,11or 46) may be critiqued as well. They normally air at 6pm and 11pm. If you do not have the ability to tape a broadcast newscast, let me know ASAP and I will tape one for you.
This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
COURSE SCHEDULE (tentative, changes may be necessary)
Week 1: 1/15. Welcome and Orientation
Introduction to the Television Production Process. The Producer. Zettl, Ch. 1 & 2
Week 2: 1/22. The Television Camera. Zettl, Ch 5. Introduction to shooting in the field with the Sony PD-170 and the tripod. Scavenger Hunt. Framing and shooting the interview. Zettl, Ch. 6 pp 106-112. Ch. 7 & 18.1
Week 3: 1/29. Introduction to Mac and File Management. Introduction
To Final Cut Pro. Zettl, Ch. 12, 19 & 20. Video Recording and
Editing.
Week 4: 2/5. Final Cut Pro. Weynand, Lessons 1 and 2. Anatomy of a
News Package. Scripts. Zettl, Ch. 3.1. Lighting. Zettl, Ch. 10 & 11
Week 5: 2/12. Final Cut Pro. Weynand, Lessons 3 & 8. Logging and Capturing. MOS RAW FOOTAGE DUE.
Week 6: 2/19. CRITIQUE AND PRESENTATIONS DUE. Weynand, Lessons 4 & 5. Troubleshooting session for upcoming projects. MOS project due by end of class.
Week 7: 2/26. Test I. Raw footage due for PKG project (EFP #2) Editing help for pkg.
———–3/1. Semester midpoint. LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW AND POSSIBLY RECEIVE A W———————————————————-
Week 8: 3/5. PKG project DUE (EFP #2) by 1pm sharp!! Viewing and Critique session optional.
__________Spring Break! Enjoy!_________
Week 9: 3/19. Analog and Digital Television. Zettl, Ch. 4
The Studio and the Television Camera. Zettl, Ch 5, 6, & 7
This is Sportscenter. Part I.
Week 10: 3/26. Switching and the Director.
Zettl Chapters 13,16 & 17. This is Sportscenter. Part II
Week 11: 4/2. Audio and the Floor Director. Zettl Ch 8 & 9, 15. Scripts and Rundowns. Ch 2 & 3.
Week 12: 4/9. Demo Rehearsals. No one is allowed to miss this!
Week 13: 4/16 Demo Productions. No one is allowed to miss this!
Week 14: 4/23. Scripts and Rundowns Due. Final Production Rehearsals.
No one is allowed to miss this!
Week 15: 4/30. Final Productions. No one is allowed to miss this!
Week 16: 5/7. Final exam slot. Test II.
Jour 4700 Fall 09 Review for Test II
Zettl Chapter 10,11,12,19,20 and 7.2
Weynand Lessons 1-5
Lecture material and handouts
Know about the two general kinds of recording—tape based and tapeless
Difference between analog and digital recording
• Analog—records the continually fluctuating audio and video signals as created and processed by the camera or the microphone onto the videotape. Lots of different formats. Tape based.
• Digital—samples the signal and change it into digital code. 0’s and 1’s. Doesn’t record the signals but samples the signals and records as computer data or bits. Can be tape or tapeless. Doesn’t deteriorate after repeated dubs or copies, also known as generations.
Difference between linear and nonlinear editing
• Linear—all tape-based systems are linear. Record shots serially
• Nonlinear—all disk-based and tapeless systems are nonlinear. Allows random access.
What is compression?
o the less compression the better the image quality, but harder to transmit because of large bandwidth.
o Refers to the rearrangement or elimination of redundant picture information for more efficient storage and signal transport.
o Lossless vs. lossy compression
Computer file formats used in editing:
o JPEG generally used for still images
o MPEG2 or 4—for moving images. Looks for redundancies from shot to shot.
o Editing systems use their own systems to edit and then convert to a commonly used format. For FCP it uses QuickTime Movie format.
o AIFF for audio in FCP
Describe the 4 tracks on analog tape.
How many tracks are used in digital non-linear editing?
What do the shuttle and jog operational controls do?
Major Formats
Analog:
o VHS (1/2 inch) low to fair quality, with rapid deterioration after first generation. Consumer use only
o Hi8 (8mm) Sharp images. Good quality for first generation
o S-VHS 1/2 inch – Very good quality. Will hold up for 3 or 4 generations.
o Betacam SP 1/2 inch – Superior quality. Will hold up for multiple generations. Still used in some broadcast operations.
Digital:
o DV 1/4 in miniDV—Good digital quality
o DVCAM 1/4 inch – Excellent quality
o DVCPRO 1/4 inch—Excellent quality. Panasonic’s version
o Betacam SX—1/2 inch Superior quality
o HDV—1/4 inch –Excellent quality with HDTV resolution
o HDTV—1/4 inch—Superior quality. High resolution and color
What is a tape leader? What is found there?
Why do we edit? 4 reasons
What are 2 modes of linear analog editing and when would each be used
Assemble (breaks control track) and Insert (preserves control track)
What do we mean by single source linear editing?
Know these terms:
• Control track
• Time code
• Assemble editing vs. insert editing (in linear)
What are cutaways? What are reactions shots? Why does an editor need them?
Shooting in the field
You need to know the basics of shooting in the field—see getting started with PD150 handout
How to adjust iris
How to color balance
What does it mean if your camera is flashing ND?
How do you calibrate your focus?
***Know how to obey the 180 rule in the field or how do avoid crossing the axis of action.
***Know how to manipulate depth of field in the field (shallow vs. great)
Know 3 vectors and screen forces
Know screen motion. Lateral vs. z-axis
What is the z-axis?
Final Cut Pro from Weynand
Know and be able to label the six main parts of the FCP interface
Know what these tools do from the tool palette:
• Selection Tool
• Razor Blade
• Magnifying Glass
• Ripple Tool
How do we bring up a contextual or shortcut menu in FCP (w/ one click mouse)?
Know the icons for: sequence, clip, audio file, bin
What is the playhead?
What do we mean by scrubbing?
What do the arrow keys do for you if you are in the Timeline?
How do you know if you are on the last frame of a clip before an edit point?
What does it mean if you see a vertical blue bar when viewing a sequence in the canvas?
What does it mean if you see a film strip overlay while viewing a clip in the viewer?
What is the difference between overwrite and insert edits in FCP?
What are 2 ways to make an overwrite edit? 2 ways to make an insert edit?
How do we undo an edit?
What is the snapping tool? What is the linking tool?
What is 3-point editing?
What is ripple delete vs. lift delete?
How do we adjust audio levels on the audio track?
What is a gap? How can we find out if we have any gaps in the Timeline (Shift G)
How do we get rid of a gap? (Select it and delete it, or just hit Ctrl G)
Lighting
Zettl Ch 10 and 11
Why is lighting important?
• It provides enough light so the subject is visible.
• It provides enough light so the camera can produce technically acceptable pictures
• It clarifies certain aspects about the subject and shows it in relation to other objects
• It creates a mood or establishes an atmosphere, or to flatters the subjects, can add production values, pizazz
3 CHARACTERISTICS—Quality, Color Temperature, Intensity
1. Quality—how hard or soft the light is
2. Color temperature—color variations (reddishness or bluishness) within different kinds of white light.
How do you control color temperature?
3. Intensity—how bright the light is. Measured in foot-candles (US) or lux (rest of the world)
How can we control intensity? What is the inverse square rule.
INSTRUMENTS
1. Spotlights—produce hard light–directional, well-defined light. Beam can be adjusted from a focused spot to a more widely flooded area. Studio spotlights have a lens that focuses the beam.
o Fresnel
o Ellipsoidal
2. Floodlights—produce great amounts of highly diffused light. Used for fill or for baselight. Virtually shadowless.
3 common kinds: p.135-136
o Scoops
o Softlights and Broads
o Fluorescents—not as hot, cheaper to use
TECHNIQUES
1. 3-point lighting – usually at 45 degree angles.
o Key light – principal source of directional illumination. Reveals shape of object—will produce some shadows usually.
o Back light—produces light from above and behind the subject to separate it from the background.
o Fill light—provides generally diffused light to fill in the shadows. Can be directional or hard light if it is filling small area. Usually diffused or soft light.
o Balancing 3 lights—ratios vary depending on what you are trying to achieve.
o You may need to add a background light or set light.
2. Flat lighting—optimal visibility and minimum of shadows. For large news sets or demonstration areas or government meetings.
Other terms to know:
Fast Falloff vs. Slow Falloff
Barn doors
Background light – can light the background if too dark
Incident vs. Reflected light – 2 ways a light meter can read light. When would you use each?
Basic Image Creation (at the site of the viewer’s TV)
NTSC 525 lines interlaced 60 fields or 30 frames/sec
ATSC many formats 480p 720p 1080i
Progressive vs. Interlaced scanning
EFP terms to know:
• SNG – satellite news gathering
• ENG – electronic news gathering
• EFP – electronic field production
• VO
• VO/SOT
• Live truck
• Anchor lead-in
• Tag
• B-roll
• Black hole
• Flash frame
• Hard out
• Hot roll
• IFB
• Insert package/Donut
• MOS
• Nat
• Pkg (package
• Shot
• Shooter
• Slug
• Snow – static or “hash” usually seen with one loses a signal.
• Stand-up
• Sig out
After a little more research into the reset button on the PD 170s, I
have learned that there are 2 settings you may want to change after
hitting reset.
1. Hit menu on the inside of the LCD screen, then scroll down to the icon that looks like a tape cassette. Push the thumbwheel, then scroll down to the rec mode setting. Hit the thumbwheel and go over and change it to DV SP. This is recommended because you will get 60 minutes of recording time on DV SP, as opposed to 40 minutes with DVCAM. If you leave it on DVCAM, it’s OK, you’ll just have less recording time.
2. You must change the audio sample rate no matter which record mode you choose. The default is 32K and you want to change it to 48K. The audio mode is the next setting down from rec mode. Press the thumbwheel down and then choose 48K.
If you don’t do either of these, it is OK, but we need to correct for the audio sample rate when we capture your footage or you will have a lip sync problem. We can change the capture rate in the lab, so pay attention to what your sample rate is when you are shooting. It should be shown in the viewfinder or LCD screen.
ALSO:
If you are using 2 mics–one cam head mic and one handheld mic, make sure the mic 1 input is on Ch. 1 NOT Ch.1+Ch.2. That way one mic goes into Ch.1 and the other goes into Ch. 2.
Make sure the next switch is set to mic level NOT line level. Do the same with Ch. 2.
A key element of the continuity system is the 180 DEGREE RULE, which states that the camera must stay on only one side of the actions and objects in a scene.
An invisible line, known as the 180 DEGREE LINE or AXIS OF ACTION, runs through the space of the scene. The camera can shoot from any position within one side of that line, but it may never cross it.
This convention ensures that the shot will have consistent spatial relations and screen directions. In other words, characters and objects never “flip flop:” if they are on the right side of the screen, they will remain on the right from shot to shot; those on the left will always be on the left.
For example, an actor walking from the left side of the screen to the right will not suddenly, in the next shot, appear to be walking in the opposite direction — a reversal that would strike the viewer, if only fleetingly, as confusing or jarring.
With the 180 DEGREE RULE, the viewer rarely experiences even a momentary sense of spatial disorientation.
DIRECTOR’S CUE SHEET for DEMO studio production
Establish contact with camera 1 and 2 – Let them know what shots you are starting with.
Get mic check
STAND BY ON THE SET
STAND BY TO FADE UP ON CAM 1. STAND BY TO OPEN MIC. STAND BY TO CUE TALENT.
(AD then starts the countdown from 10,9,8..)
READY 1, MIC, CUE (at about 5 sec)
UP ON 1, MIC, CUE!! (at 0 sec)
Then make sure you have the shot you need on the other camera
READY 2, TAKE 2
Then make sure the shot is what you want on 1.
READY 1, TAKE 1 etc..
.
Give time cues as you get them from the AD.
When it gets near the end of your production
STAND BY TO FADE TO BLACK, STAND BY TO KILL THE MIC.
FADE TO BLACK, KILL THE MIC
… GOOD SHOW EVERYONE!
LOGGING AND CAPTURING RECAP
See Lesson 9 in Weynand for much more. Work through the lesson. It’s important.
Quick checklist:
Insert tape in the DV deck and turn the deck on. Rewind it to the beginning of your footage.
Step 1:
Stay organized. If you haven’t already done so, create a folder on your external drive to keep all your data. After you have connected the drive correctly, click on the drive icon and go to File > New Folder and click. Name the folder and save all your data there. Then close that window by clicking on the red dot with the x.
Step 2:
Launch Final Cut Pro by clicking on the icon on your dock. If it is not there click on the Finder icon. Then the MacIntosh HD icon. Go to Applications>Final Cut Pro.
Once FCP is open. Go to the menu bar and pull down File>New Project and let go.
Then save your project by going back to File>Save Project As… Name it and make sure you save it by using Save Project As to the correct place, your folder on your external drive.
Step 3:
Now you have to get your media into your computer so you can edit it. To do this you will need to log and capture. Go to the top of the screen to the menu and click on File> Log and Capture. A Log and Capture window will open. It takes up the space where the viewer and canvas window were.
Step 4: MOST IMPORTANT STEP*** You must set how and where you want the media files to be created.
∑ Go to the far right side of the two screens to the logging side. Go to the Clip Settings tab at the top and open it. Make sure you have the Capture setting on Audio + Video. Make sure the Audio Format is set on Ch.1 + Ch. 2. That allows you to manipulate either channel independently.
∑ Then go to the Capture Settings tab at the top of that window and click on it.The Device Control default should read Firewire NTSC and the Capture input should read DV NTSC 48 Hz.
∑ Click on Scratch Disks VERY IMPORTANT
∑ On the first row, there should be a check on Video Capture, Video Render and Audio Render. Click on Set button and make sure you choose your folder on your external drive.
∑ Then do the same for the Waveform Cache, the Thumbnail Cache and the AutoSave Cache. Click OK.
Step 5: Finally, Logging and Capturing
∑ Tape should be inserted into the DV deck. Play it back by using your transport controls on the interface or the “JKL” keys. Cue it up to the beginning of the material you want. Leave plenty of pad. Mark your IN point by using the I key or the mark in button. Play to the OUT point and mark the out leaving plenty of video pad after what you want to use. Use the O key or the mark out button.
∑ Then click on Log Clip button. Enter information about your clip. Use a specific, descriptive clip name. Hit OK and the clip becomes an Offline Clip in the browser with a red slash through the icon.
∑ ****Always Save Project As in the right location on your external drive before going on to the capture step.
∑ Next click on Capture Clip and the tape will be automatically recued and the tape information will be converted into a computer file. Then you should see your clip as a clip icon in your browser.
∑ You can log many clips and then select them and hit Capture Batch to capture several clips at once.
After you have logged and captured your video, close the log and capture window so you can get back to your viewer and canvas window back to normal. Click on the red dot with the x at the top of the preview window in the center.
If you have time code problems when capturing:
Go to the menu bar and pull down Final Cut Pro > User Preferences. You will see a window. For the option of Abort Capture on Dropped Frames uncheck the check.
Just below it: Choose On Timecode Break: choose Warn after capture.
You can also try just rolling your tape and hitting the Capture Now button. The footage will be captured as it rolls. Hit Esc when you want it to stop. Then make sure to go up into the browser and name the clip something descriptive and meaningful. Don’t let your clips get named by FCP default, or you will have trouble figuring out what they are.
