With our next 5D Master Class coming up this weekend, Endless Picnic’s Director of Photography, David Cavallo, has some thoughts on how things have been going so far.
Our next class is on Saturday, January 14th. Click here for more information or to sign up now!Tweet
As Dave’s earlier blog post will tell you, shooting camera tests for a feature film is no easy job. While I was kicking back in the editing suite with a latte and a stack of comic books, Dave & his crew were out beating the streets, putting the 5D through its paces to see if it could survive the demands of shooting a gritty feature film on location in NYC.
I was very excited to see the results, and I’m sure you are too–so without further ado, take a look at the test shoots. I’ll be going into all of the tests in more detail right below.
Now, I know there’s a lot to unpack there, so let’s start at the beginning:
LENS COMPARISON TESTS (More …)Tweet
Here’s a neat video we’re happy to share with everyone: a profile of our in-house sound mixer and designer extraordinaire, Jesse Flower-Ambroch, produced by Endless Picnic. As you’ll see, Jesse’s travelled the world–quite literally–in search of sound. It was directed by Tyler Cartner, shot by David Cavallo (that’s me!), edited and color corrected by Alex Ricciardi, and, you guessed it, mixed by JFA himself.
In this blog post you’ll learn how to use time code with the 5D or 7D using a Lockit box, FCP AuxTC Reader software and a custom made cable by Pro-Sound of New York City. This will save you precious time on set, as well as allow you to quickly and efficiently sync your footage. But first, any questions?
Why not record audio straight into the 5D?
The 5D has a 1/8″ stereo, consumer, mic level input–not ideal for a professional shoot. A consumer, mic-level cable is unshielded and therefore more susceptible to RF noise and it cannot lock into place like an XLR. Also, internally, the 5D has a mediocre analog to digital chip. If you listen to audio recorded straight to the 5D you will hear hiss added to your lovely source audio and find that voices sound a bit thin. I strongly recommend you use a separate recorder when shooting video with this camera.
Alright, but why not just use a slate?
The slate is a tried and true method of marrying sync sound and film. However, the slate requires an editor to manually, visually, sync each video clip with its corresponding audio clip. If you’ve done it, you know it’s pretty straight forward, but also time consuming, especially if there are multiple cameras? (More …)Tweet
thanks for this excellent post. We just successfully completed a batch of 60 clips using this method. Perfect. I am interested in how to import using the Canon FCP plugin for transcoding. It would help our field media managers if this part of the workflow could remain unchanged. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Hi Tyler, cool video and blog. Just wondering what your on location workflow is? Does the 744T need the Horita timecode synced to it and then the Horita unit plugged into the camera? Do you really need the slate or is that just for backup? Can you run the whole system in “free run” mode so you can stop and start throughout a day? And if so for how long? Thanks, Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the accolades. When I use this method, the DP typically hands me a hard drive with a copy of the .mov files and I then work my magic using FCP AuxTC. You must have a recorder with time code to act as the master clock. Yes, you must sync the Horita directly to the recorder (744T or other) before connecting to the camera. You caught me! You don’t need a slate at all. I just used it because that’s how I typically work in the field and it looks pretty cool. Yes, the timecode in the demo was set to free run. You could shoot all day with this method, starting and stopping at will. With the Horita lockit boxes I would re-jam them to the recorder at least once an hour because they can drift a frame in an hour. I hope this answers all of your questions.
Im confused when you get to the cabling part. I have the Horita PTG and a Canon 7D. I need a cable that will go from the RCA to my canon’s mini mic jack.
I’m trying to get the exact setup you have here in your video, but frowned when I read you had Pro Sound make a custom cable 
Any tips?
Hi Tyler,
you answer the question everybody was asking thx . But If I use a 744t i can just send the TC from the recorder to the 5D/7D via a cable or via the ambient TC-TRX (money-money) and don’t need another tc generator (no jam sync anymore) ? am I wrong ? Thx
JP
Yes, you can connect any timecode recorder directly to your 5D/7D as long as you pad down the signal from line to mic level. Correct, you would not need to jam sync if connecting directly to the camera.
Yes, tips-a-plenty. You need to pad down the signal coming out of your timecode source from line to mic level. You can use an XLR barrel type pad like the PSC ALMP http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/275822-REG/PSC_FPSC0010D_ALMP_Line_to_Mic.html, but you’ll need to adapt on either end to mate with your devices. In the beginning I used one of these massive XLR barrel adapters and it worked fine, it’s just clunky. On the camera end of the barrel I adapted from XLR to RCA female. Then you can connect to the camera using a pretty standard cable, 1/8″ male stereo to two male RCA. On the timecode end you’ll need to adapt from BNC to XLR, this is most easily accomplished by adapting to RCA, then to XLR. It will look like quite the monster when you’re done. This is why I highly recommend you hit up Pro-Sound to make you a cable; you’ll spend just as much on the barrel pad and all the adapters. Good luck.
I have not used this, but I also came across a product online that’s designed to take the signal from a timecode source down to mic level:
Thanks Alex. I just want our readers to know that the Lockit Buddy goes for $158 plus shipping from the UK. If you order a cable from Pro-Sound in NY it would probably cost less than $80 and you could customize it to have whatever connectors you want. Plus, the Lockit Buddy is a clunky box, while a cable only solution is much more elegant.
Thanks for a clear explanation of an admirable solution. In my case, I have a 5D Mk II and a Zoom H4n. Would it be possible to split the output of a PTG such as the (Horita or Ambient), feeding one output to the camera, as you have shown, and the other to one of the H4n’s audio tracks? This would give you two files with embedded audio TC, which, I believe, Avid is able to synchronise. I’m not sure about such an idea, as I’m a beginner. Any thoughts will be appreciated.
Thanks Tyler, good post, fresh data, clear words.
My contribution: apparently 5D (and 60D and 7D) firmware can be updated to a new version that allows line level input, so no pad or special cable would be needed. Heard of that? Know the firmware version?
By the way I heard AGC (automatic gain correction) could now also be disabled manually in the menu with the new OS.
And if you have a SMPTE TC equipped recorder you can always use it as TC master and send the TC signal to the 5D wirelessly using a cheap radio mic kit or even a wireless comm system.
I guess that only a small chunk of well recorded SMPTE TC per clip will suffice for the FCP AuxTC reader to synchronize the entire file, it should need just a glimpse to the clock.
So radio drops should not be an issue in this case.
I haven’t heard of that, but I’m skeptical. Please do post a follow up if you find out anything tangible on this subject. I find it unlikely that a software pad could be implemented to drop input signal level from line to mic from an engineering stand point.
Sure, the output of any time code device is hot! You could split it with room to spare. However, I’m not sure what the workflow would be in Avid. If you find out, report back!
Tyler, this is very cool and if I can get this to work for me will save me hours of stress. You mentioned that you ordered a custom cable from Pro-sound. Who did you talk to about that there? I would love to get one of those.
Hi Peter, or is it John? Anyway, you can talk to anyone there. They sell a little box by Lockit Buddy, which Alex brings up below. The Lockit Buddy does the same thing my cable does. I prefer the cable. You can talk to anyone at Pro-Sound and they’ll be able to help you out. Good luck.
What’s it all about?
It’s a comprehensive half day seminar–we like to call it a master class, really–on shooting HD video with the Canon 5DMKII. It’s geared towards intermediate and advanced shooters, as well as producers and directors, who want to learn how to get the most out of the camera in a professional production and post-production environment, and avoid common mistakes and pitfalls.
When and where is it?
Saturday, November 12th, from 1PM-6PM, at Endless Picnic’s great new space in midtown Manhattan. There will be a one hour break for lunch.
How much does it cost?
The price is $250. Participants will also receive a lifetime 15% discount on rentals and post production services at Endless Picnic.
Who is conducting the seminar? (More …)Tweet
We’ll be holding our next seminar some time in early 2012. Check back on the blog soon!
As Endless Picnic reaches its first year anniversary, more and more feature films shot with HDSLRs are making their way to theatrical release. But aside from the occasional big budget Hollywood project that incorporates 5D or 7D footage (Black Swan, 127 Hours, Captain America, etc.) most are shown digitally, and rarely get transferred to film and projected.
Given that, I’m extremely happy to report that we’re in the middle of a truly exciting project: transferring test footage I shot on the Canon 5DMKII with a small crew in NYC, to a 35mm print stock, to be followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the results as projected on the BIG screen at Goldcrest Post in NYC.
Why the test? It’s for the exciting indie feature film East of Broadway Endless Picnic is producing with Hostage International, starring Haaz Sleiman, scheduled to begin production in February 2012.
Now on to the details…
Given the limited production time and budget alloted for the tests–as well as a significant cap on the amount of footage that would be transferred to film, only 6 minutes–I knew I had to choose what to evaluate very carefully, and be as rigorous in my methods as possible.
At first, this seemed remarkably daunting. Where would I start? With something tried and true, like sharpness/resolution tests of DSLR lenses? If so, Canon zooms versus primes? Zeiss primes versus Canon primes? Or how about full frame sensor depth of field tests? (More …)Tweet
What’s it all about?
It’s a comprehensive half day seminar–we like to call it a master class, really–on shooting HD video with the Canon 5DMKII. It’s geared towards intermediate and advanced shooters, as well as producers and directors, who want to learn how to get the most out of the camera in a professional production and post-production environment, and avoid common mistakes and pitfalls.
When and where is it?
Saturday, October 8th, from 1PM-6PM, at Endless Picnic’s great new space in midtown Manhattan. There will be a one hour break for lunch.
How much does it cost?
The price is $250. Participants will also receive a lifetime 15% discount on rentals and post production services at Endless Picnic.
Who is conducting the seminar? (More …)Tweet
Mark your calendars, folks–we’re planning a really cool 5D video seminar at Endless Picnic. It’ll cover everything from prep to post (and sound too!) It’s an even more complete version of the HDSLR master class we did at Brooklyn College earlier this year. The date? Saturday, October 8th.
This comprehensive, hands-on half-day course is $250, and will take place at our great new space in midtown Manhattan.
Give us a call, or shoot us an e-mail to reserve your spot now or get more info. Space will be limited–which means you’ll get plenty of attention–so get goin’!
info@endlesspicnic.com
(212)706-4037
Hope to see you there!
Tweet
Oh hey David how advanced will this class be? Seems like it would be right up my alley but I want to make sure it’s not for total newbies… OK thanks a bunch!
Hi Tara–check out the full post and video on the seminar at http://endlesspicnic.com/blog/2011/08/your-complete-guide-to-endless-picnics-upcoming-5d-seminar/ It’s definitely not for beginners. More like intermediate shooters who want to know how the camera shapes up in a professional production environment. If you have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail or give me a ring!
Lately there’s been something different about the Endless Picnic office…could it be all those cardboard monitor boxes, both big and small, piled high ’round the room? Sure it is! Pesky as they might be, they’re signs that changes are afoot here at HQ, and I’m here to tell you what new field monitors we’ve been testing for our 5D rigs, as well as run down the pros and cons of each.
Now keep in mind that we’re not gonna bog you down with pages n’ pages of tech specs (that’s not our bag, so we’ll leave it to others to fill you in on every last transistor and pixel) but we will serve up some pragmatic notes on how some of the newest HDSLR monitoring solutions stack up in real world situations. Ready?
The contestants today–dig the links to the manufacturers, if you please–are as follows:
Marshall V-LCD70XP-HDMI 7″
Marshall V-LCD50-HDMI 5″
smallHD DP6 HDMI 5.6″
These three monitors all have a few things in common: (More …)Tweet
Hey folks, just wanted to add a few important updates to this review. (Sorry for the delay, but things have been super busy at Endless Picnic!)
• A few months ago we upgraded one of our Marshall V-LCD70XP-HDMI monitors. The factory installed update added an HDMI loop-through feature, which eliminates the tremendous headache of using an HDMI splitter when working with multiple monitors or an EVF, as well as a DSLR ratio adjustment feature, which, like the smallHD DP6, allows the unit to display a full screen image while you’re recording with a DSLR. These features work wonderfully in the field and the studio, and have really improved an already excellent unit.
In addition to making the upgrade available for older units, Marshall sells a new model with these features:
http://www.lcdracks.com/monitors/model/V-LCD70XP-HDMIPT.php
• Additionally, I thought I should add that the smaller MARSHALL V-LCD50-HDMI has proven to be somewhat erratic in the field as far as color reproduction and image quality are concerned. Under certain circumstances–with tungsten lights for a night interior, for example–I had a terrible time getting a strange golden cast out of the image–no matter what white balance settings I used. (This cast was absolutely not there on the 5D’s LCD screen.) I recently recailbrated the unit with Alex, our colorist, and it looked solid enough in our office, but I’ll confess that my confidence in using the unit to gauge color is a bit shaken, despite my initial impressions. It’s still great for black and white
shooting, though!
• Recently, word came through the rental house grapevine that Small HD had updated the firmware for the DP6-HDMI. Being the objective, higher truth seekin’ types that we are here at Endless Picnic, we borrowed a unit and installed the latest version. Unfortunately, after another good hour of attempting to calibrate it, we found that the same picture issues still existed as in our original review. As such, we still stand behind our original review of the unit’s image quality and color reproduction.
Diego Martinez and 7 others are discussing. 
eco_bach 4:49 pm on December 12, 2011 Permalink
interesting and thanks for posting. Have you considered also considering Jorgen Escher’s latest Marvel’s CInestyle in your tests? http://colorbyjorg.wordpress.com/
Samuel Hurtado 7:10 am on December 13, 2011 Permalink
“I found that the CineStyle, while protecting the shadows and highlights admirably, desaturated the image to such a point that trying to return the saturation to skin tones resulted in a kind of unpleasant look–as if the footage had been pushed too far”
Same findings here. And still, I found a way to use CineStyle without suffering all these issues: these are the 3 custom picture styles I carry in my camera:
* CineStyle, with contrast = 0 and saturation = +3 (sometimes only +1)
* CineStyle, with contrast = -2 and saturation = +3 (sometimes only +1)
* CineStyle, with contrast = -4 and saturation = +4 (sometimes only +2)
Extended dynamic range, but just as much as I need for each shot, and pretty nice colors right out of the camera. Have you tried something similar to this? Did you like it, or you still find issues? (I’m not a pro, my eyes are still not well trained to find every IQ issue)
much more here:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/picturestyles/picturestyles.html
Alex Ricciardi 1:23 pm on December 13, 2011 Permalink
@eco_bach – Thanks for the tip! I hadn’t heard of Jorgen’s Marvels Cinestyle, but I’m a big fan of his DSLR Moire removal plugin. I’ll certainly check it out!
Alex Ricciardi 1:25 pm on December 13, 2011 Permalink
@Samuel – To be honest, I hadn’t done really extensive testing with modifying the CineStyle preset. Your post about it is extremely informative, thorough, and clear. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting. We’ll be sure to play around with some of those settings you suggested.
Samuel H 6:21 pm on February 15, 2012 Permalink
wandering around the web, I found this again today, so I thought I could post an update to my thoughts on picture styles: unsatisfied by the noise with CineStyle, and with the difficulty grading Marvels Cine, I ended up creating my own suite of picture styles: Flaat 1 through 4:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/flaat-picture-styles/index.html